At the time when graduation photos could be taken, [Sang Xueqing] was nowhere to be seen either!
Perhaps [Sang Xueqing] could see the doubt on [Song Jixing]'s face. Blushing slightly, she explained, "I heard that your class is having a classmates reunion, and you've booked the same mall as our class... So I came to find you and ask if you want to go to the reunion together!"
[Sang Xueqing]'s voice grew smaller and smaller, and was even somewhat lacking in confidence by the end.
She had always known [Song Jixing] was from the next class over. She knew [Song Jixing], but [Song Jixing] didn't know her.
In order to get closer to [Song Jixing], she had even racked her brains to squeeze her alt account into the group chat of the next class over.
However, to [Sang Xueqing]'s regret, it seemed [Song Jixing] had never logged into that account, and had never even seen [Sang Xueqing] post anything.
Every day, all she saw was her gray avatar that would never light up. After a long time, [Sang Xueqing] stopped logging into that alt account.
When she heard about [Song Jixing]'s class reunion again, she immediately used soft and hard tactics to pester her classmates into changing their own class reunion's time and location.
But she didn't know whether [Song Jixing] would even come, so she came to invite [Song Jixing] herself!
[Song Jixing] looked at [Sang Xueqing]'s flushed cheeks and it was hard not to guess at her thoughts.
"Is that right? Then let's go together," [Song Jixing] agreed directly.
[Song Jixing] spoke too quickly, making [Sang Xueqing] feel dizzy. She still didn't quite dare believe it.
"You'll go with me?" [Sang Xueqing] asked tentatively.
"Mm, we just got off work. I can go with you," [Song Jixing] said.
She just had to let her mentor know she wouldn't be back to eat dinner. Although she didn't have a car, she could have [Xu Kai] drive her.
[Sang Xueqing]'s neck was stiff. Her face was red as if about to burst. Her mouth pressed into an unstoppable curve. Excited, she said, "O-Okay, then I'll wait for you to get off work!"
After leaving those words behind, [Sang Xueqing] immediately turned and ran, bumping directly into [Xu Kai] who had come to find [Song Jixing].
At first [Xu Kai] hadn't noticed who that red-faced girl was, until they brushed shoulders. Only then did he realize that was [Sang Xueqing]!
The little flower from their competitor company? What is she doing at their company? And with a red face?
[Xu Kai] followed [Song Jixing] into the office, unable to contain his urge to ask immediately: "Did you scold her?"
[Song Jixing] shook her head.
"Then what did you do to her? Why is her face so red?" [Xu Kai] couldn't comprehend it.
"I don't know. Maybe she just likes to blush," [Song Jixing] casually replied.
Luckily [Xu Kai] didn't dwell on it either. He discussed work with [Song Jixing], then had a stylist come style [Song Jixing]'s hair and do her make up, taking several sets of photos in different concepts at the company.
In the afternoon, [Song Jixing] received an unfamiliar text message. Judging from the tone, it should have been one of her classmates sending details about the class reunion's time and location.
And just like that, she was busy the whole day. She wouldn't even leave before 5 o'clock out of professional diligence. [Xu Kai] sat to the side, inevitably nagging as he observed.
Ever since [Song Jixing] had refused [Older Mr. Zhang]'s invitation, [Xu Kai] felt proud on one hand, but also a bit regretful on the other. It was like a parent watching their child refuse guaranteed admission to a top university. He was accumulating more and more to say with restrained exasperation.
"Do you know [Sang Xueqing] has another popular drama recently? I heard its timeslot and advertisements are full again too. Of actresses her age, she's the only one at that level. I think that for us, we really need to be more sensible! You've been busy with Director Zhang's movie lately and haven't taken on any acting roles. Zhang still hasn't made his cast announcements, and if she sees you have no movements lately, who knows, she might have come to probe for information......"
Seeing [Song Jixing] ignoring him, [Xu Kai] immediately changed his tune,
"......Although the quantity of her works is large with many advertisements, we should look at quality, not quantity! We have to become a timeless vine that thrives on the big screen! Always the most classic!"
"I believe you can do it! You'll definitely succeed!" [Xu Kai] enthused, beginning to encourage [Song Jixing].
[Song Jixing]'s expression had been indifferent the entire time without much reaction. [Xu Kai] could only awkwardly change the subject again. "It's about time, I have space to drive you!"
Only then did [Song Jixing] speak to nod once and give an "mm" sound of affirmation.
At 5:03, [Song Jixing] stood at the company's front door. [Xu Kai] slowly drove up, seeing her not getting in the car as usual, so he rolled down the window and curiously asked, "Why aren't you getting in the car?"
[Song Jixing]: "Waiting for someone. Going to a class reunion today."
[Xu Kai] patted the steering wheel, unable to help feeling it was a good idea. "Class reunions are great! You should go! Waiting for who? A classmate? Ours?"
"Not from our company!"
With so many talented people from prestigious Y University, one more classmate meant one more path. It would be good for [Song Jixing] to mingle more with her classmates. As her manager, [Xu Kai] didn't oppose her participating in the reunion.
[Sang Xueqing] looked at the time on her phone, jogging over to [Song Jixing] who stood outside Glorious Entertainment's door.
"I'm a little late. I'm so sorry. There was traffic on the way!" [Sang Xueqing] apologized.
"No worries. We only just got out too, the timing is perfect," [Song Jixing] reassured.
Through his rearview mirror, [Xu Kai] looked at the girl in the yellow skirt. It seemed vaguely familiar for some reason. There were quite a few office buildings around their company, so it was normal her outfit seemed familiar.
However, her voice sounded quite good!
[Xu Kai] was admiring it to himself when he saw [Song Jixing] open the car door for the girl to get in.
Seeing [Sang Xueqing] suddenly in his car gave [Xu Kai] a jolt!
Since when were they on such good terms? Even going together to a class reunion?
Had they been classmates all this time?
-
[Xu Kai] held it in the entire drive, only when he stopped the car near the mall to let the two girls out did he finally light a cigarette to relieve the tension pent up inside him.
He sighed while taking puff after puff!
He had said quite a lot of bad things about [Sang Xueqing] in front of [Song Jixing]! If they had been good classmates, would she resent him?!
Thinking about it some more, [Xu Kai] felt it wasn't right either!
Whenever he had mentioned [Sang Xueqing] to [Song Jixing] before, she had reacted as if she completely didn't know this person at all. So they weren't classmates after all!
If they had gotten close, it should have been during that one variety show.
So they were probably alumni!
[Xu Kai] felt he had arrived at the right conclusion and gradually felt more at ease.
School alumni and direct classmates were different after all!
In show business, there were more pros than friends. The more friends, the more paths open. Even if they were actresses from the same period, if the two built a good rapport, who knows how much benefit it could bring his artist.
Unable to stop pondering this train of thought, [Xu Kai] comforted himself.
On the other side, at the mall elevator, [Song Jixing] entered the same elevator as [Sang Xueqing].
Perhaps because it was during the work week, there weren't many people entering the elevator, only the two of them.
After [Song Jixing] pressed the floor she wanted to go to, she turned to ask [Sang Xueqing], "Which floor are you going?"
"Same as you, 13th floor." [Sang Xueqing]'s voice quivered a little.
[Song Jixing] moved to the side, watching the elevator numbers continuously jump until they landed on 13.
As soon as the doors opened, the lively noise floated directly into the elevator.
The two exited the elevator one after another, walking to the same restaurant.
What an incredibly unlikely coincidence!
