Several people joined the cooking team and with good coordination, the speed doubled, completing the task much earlier than Qin Wei had anticipated.
"Youyou, has Teacher Qiao replied to the message yet?"
Youyou asked.
Qin Wei shook her head. She had privately called and messaged her, but received no response. She had also asked her assistant, who only mentioned that there was a filming task and didn't provide any confirmation about the time it would end or if she could come over.
Qin Wei glanced at the time.
"It's still early. Let's wait a little longer. I'll take Qingqing upstairs to change clothes. After telling that story, whenever I look at her, I feel a bit scared."
Shen Qingqing hummed in annoyance.
"Me too. It's such a waste of my Givenchy dress. I can't bear to look at it for a while."
Qin Wei went upstairs and picked out a Miu Miu floral dress for her. It was a PR gift she received on her last birthday, with a fresh design and colors and patterns that were pleasing, but when she gestured in front of the mirror, she felt it didn't match her own temperament.
Unexpectedly, Shen Qingqing looked good in it!
"Does it look nice?"
Shen Qingqing stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself over and over again.
Qin Wei nodded.
"It brings out your fresh and natural charm."
Shen Qingqing turned her head silently to look at her.
"Green tea looks harmless, cute, and naturally elegant..."
Shen Qingqing continued to look in the mirror.
"I'll take it as a compliment from you."
After coming downstairs, Qin Wei saw Sun Tiantian standing at the stairway, eagerly looking at her, as if saying, "Hungry, hungry. Big sis, I want to eat candy."
Qin Wei suddenly felt guilty. She shouldn't have misled her earlier.
Who knew she was so career-oriented? She could put in so much effort for her strange side business. If she focused on her main career, even if she wasn't at the top, she would still be in the top one or two tiers...
"Not only did I cook the dishes, but I also made soup separately. Weiwei, it's time for your performance!"
"Um...this... I need to come clean. Nothing happened."
Wei Lai walked over and whispered in her ear.
"When you were away, I asked Sun Tiantian how she became so good at cooking, and she told me about her training in Taekwondo during summer and winter vacations before college. For the past eight years, she has been training and competing, so she learned to take care of herself and cook..."
She also told us that despite her usually easygoing nature, she doesn't hold back when she's bullied. One day in her sophomore year, a male classmate teased her, and she kicked him, breaking one of his ribs...
Tsk tsk, that must have hurt..."
Sun Tiantian frowned.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Qin Wei glanced at Sun Tiantian, realizing that her sweet appearance was deceptive. Eight years of Taekwondo wasn't just for fun. If someone provoked her like this...
Qin Wei touched her own ribs.
"Tiantian, about that night...actually, actually...
I was lying in bed unable to sleep, and when I turned over, I happened to see Qiao Sixiao sleeping next to me. She was facing me, her long, curled eyelashes trembling gently. Oh my, she looked so beautiful when she slept!"
As we were so close, I could still feel her slow and steady breaths. I swallowed and couldn't deny that in that moment, my heart skipped a beat. But we were just friends. Just as I was about to turn around and calm myself to sleep, Qiao Sixiao suddenly opened her eyes.
I was obviously flustered and couldn't bring myself to meet her gaze. Instinctively, I wanted to escape, but she beat me to it by wrapping her arms around my neck and leaning in closer. I could only feel her lips... Damn it, Qiao Sixiao, when did you come?"
Qiao Sixiao walked out of the kitchen, holding a plate of salad, looking at her with an incredulous expression. She remained silent for a moment and then smirked.
"I've been here since you were lying on the bed."
The door was left open. There was only a wall separating this place from the kitchen, and she heard everything.
"Qin Wei, what are you up to?"
Qiao Sixiao's question caught her off guard.
Qin Wei swallowed nervously.
"Qiao, it's just a joke, I was just messing around."
Qiao Sixiao: "........."
The smile that was on Sun Tiantian's face just a moment ago gradually disappeared. Each word was squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Qin Wei, don't think I didn't recognize it. That was a fanfiction of Wei Xiao I wrote..."
...
The recent incident was just a small episode during the gathering. Qiao Sixiao pinched her cheek playfully, bringing an end to the tension. Sun Tiantian went back to the kitchen to cook soup, and everyone went about their own tasks.
Only Wei Lai had a satisfied smile on his face.
"So, you're the antagonist!"
Qin Wei covered her face and pointed at Wei Lai.
Who asked Qin Wei to deceive Sun Tiantian earlier? She ended up deceiving Wei Lai too.
"May I ask what happens next?"
Wei Lai politely asked her.
Youyou quickly chimed in:
"The spoilers are available on the internet, but we can't continue discussing it here..."
Besides, what if the book gets taken down?
...
The food was ready, and each person contributed a dish or two, resulting in a table full of delicious food.
Everyone present was well-off and could afford to dine at top-notch restaurants or hire a chef to cook at home. However, there's a certain joy in preparing the meal together, especially when everyone managed to gather during their free time.
"Toasting!"
Before the meal, the five of them raised their glasses to celebrate.
Except for Qin Wei, the others had red wine in their glasses, while she had grape juice.
The one she endorsed.
"Here's to our continued success and no setbacks!"
They clinked glasses and drank... Glug, glug...
The four of them looked at Qin Wei:
"Why aren't you drinking?"
Qin Wei looked hesitant:
"I have health issues and can't drink alcohol."
Since it wasn't a formal occasion, nobody insisted on the typical drinking rituals. Once they learned the reason, they didn't press her to drink and let her be.
After a few rounds of drinks and a satisfying meal, they discussed their future plans. With the suspension of the TV show recording, they had plenty of free time. Sun Tiantian was mostly occupied with filming during the day, and Wei Lai had a few magazine shoots but not much else.
Qiao Sixiao recommended a drama to Qin Wei. Although she couldn't play the leading role, if she was interested, Qiao Sixiao could talk to her agent about it.
Youyou's schedule was quite packed since joining Anxing. She had been working extra hard, so she had more opportunities given by Mr. Xu.
"I have a movie to shoot, and I'll be joining the crew in a few days. Originally, I was supposed to be filming a program, but it got canceled, so I'll be using these days to review at home," Shen Qingqing said.
As for Teacher Qiao, it goes without saying that he canceled a last-minute engagement to be here. He's usually quite busy.
Finally, everyone looked at Qin Wei.
"As for me, I'll take a couple of days off at home and then attend military training."
"Military training?"
The four of them looked surprised, speaking in unison.
Qin Wei nodded. She had just found out recently when she went to meet Mr. Xu. He informed her about the upcoming schedule.
"Due to the upcoming international conference in the city at the end of September and early October, along with other complicated reasons, the military training has been moved up, and it has been approved by the higher-ups."
Xu Mingchuan truthfully explained to her,
"But it's also good because July isn't too hot, so we'll suffer less. It will last about a week, and I've rescheduled all your work engagements accordingly.
Since you're going back to school, make sure you take care of everything you need to do.
The school sent a letter to every student participating in the military training, detailing the instructions and things to prepare. I'll open it in front of you now, and then I'll have Li Yao handle the preparations."
