Chapter 44 - Shadows in the Conservatory
In the two days leading up to Guan Chengzhu’s birthday banquet, Zheng Kunyu did not reach out to Qi Bailu even once. Far from feeling neglected, Qi Bailu felt a profound sense of relief. He surmised that Zheng Kunyu was likely occupied at home, playing the part of the filial son to entertain his elders, leaving him with no leisure time to manage his "pet."
Taking advantage of this rare reprieve, Qi Bailu spent his hours immersed in the mechanical grit of repairing his motorcycle and devouring the crime novels he had recently purchased. Though he had never been particularly fond of the genre, he forced himself through the pages to cultivate a sense of immersion for his potential role. To his surprise, once he surrendered to the grim narratives, the stories became quite gripping, serving as an effective shield against the passage of time.
When the day of the banquet finally arrived, Zheng Kunyu came to collect him in person. He hadn't specified a dress code, so Qi Bailu simply stepped out in his everyday attire. Zheng offered him a lingering, inscrutable look but refrained from commenting. Upon arriving at the venue, Qi Bailu noted that the younger guests were dressed quite casually; those in formal suits were almost exclusively behind-the-scenes power players like Zheng Kunyu.
The crowd was larger than he had anticipated—perhaps thirty or forty people. It was a glittering tableau of the industry’s elite: men in sharp tailoring and women in exquisite gowns, a sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces gathered in small clusters, their voices merging into a low, sophisticated hum.
Though it was late February, the interior was climate-controlled to a summer-like warmth, allowing the female guests to drift about in gossamer-thin dresses. Qi Bailu hadn't expected the estate to be so vast. It even boasted a sprawling glass conservatory where sunlight poured through the transparent ceiling, illuminating rows of white camellias in pristine, elegant bloom. Because Zheng Kunyu had a penchant for flowers, Qi Bailu had been forced to learn the names of several varieties over the years; however, the conservatory also housed many lush, evergreen plants that remained entirely foreign to him.
Shortly after they entered, a stream of guests gravitated toward Zheng Kunyu to pay their respects. As Zheng introduced him, Qi Bailu performed the requisite handshakes and polite greetings. Before he could locate their hostess, Guan Chengzhu, he spotted Cai Tongyue and Peng Yiyi. Given that they were colleagues who had just finished a project together, social etiquette demanded he acknowledge them. Seeing that Zheng was occupied, Qi Bailu signaled with a look that he was heading over; Zheng followed his gaze to the duo and gave a curt, permissive nod.
Cai Tongyue and Peng Yiyi were seated on a plush sofa, deep in conversation. Cai was the first to notice Qi Bailu’s approach. His expression was a complex knot of unreadable emotions, yet he maintained a veneer of professional courtesy. "Well, look who’s here," he remarked.
Peng Yiyi turned around, her face lighting up with a genuine smile as she called out, "Xiao Qi!" She gestured for him to join them. Because Qi Bailu’s hair had been shorn quite short for his upcoming role, their gazes naturally lingered on his head for a moment. Qi Bailu sat beside Peng and exchanged pleasantries. Having skipped breakfast, he found himself eyeing the buffet of desserts on the table and began to eat.
Peng Yiyi had been discussing the post-production of *How Much Sorrow the West Wind Bears* with Cai, but finding the topic stale, she turned to Qi Bailu. "I heard from Teacher Zheng’s side that they’re aiming to air it as early as this summer break."
*Teacher Zheng.* Since Zheng Kunyu was not only the president of Jinhe Film but also a prominent producer, Qi Bailu occasionally heard people address him this way. Yet, every time he heard it, a strange sensation washed over him—as if they were discussing a complete stranger.
"The schedule is tight," Peng continued. "They want to get it on a major satellite station and a streaming platform simultaneously, hopefully before Pan Xiaoyan’s new drama airs."
Cai Tongyue, however, seemed indifferent to the production schedule. He stared at the plate in Qi Bailu’s hand. "Aren't you supposed to be dieting?"
"Xiao Qi is already thin enough," Peng defended.
"Didn't the production team tell you? This character needs to look lean," Cai said, his tone neither warm nor cold, bordering on abrasive. Peng glanced at him, then back at Qi Bailu, looking uncertain as to whether she should intervene. "Or do you already know the role is yours, so you’re feeling fearless? Is that why you cut your hair so early?"
"You're overthinking it," Qi Bailu replied directly, spearing a cherry with his fork.
Cai Tongyue leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Qi Bailu, give me a straight answer today. Is the role already pre-determined for you?"
The question was so blunt that even Peng Yiyi looked uncomfortable. Qi Bailu remained composed. "I’d like to know that myself. If you receive any news, be sure to let me know."
Cai glared at him for a few seconds before reaching for a dessert himself. Peng teased, "I thought you were dieting?"
"I clearly can't outcompete him," Cai muttered, jerking his chin toward Qi Bailu. "Rumors have been flying for a while. Did you go and meet the author in private? Did you get him to put in a good word for you?"
"Didn't you make a phone call too?" Qi Bailu countered.
Cai was momentarily silenced. After the incident where Zheng Kunyu had extended a helping hand to him, his overt hostility toward Qi Bailu had softened, but they were still far from being on good terms. He simply huffed and fell silent.
"The audition results aren't out yet," Peng Yiyi added diplomatically. "Nothing is certain."
Cai hesitated, looking at the dessert in his hand as if debating whether to continue eating, before finally setting it down with a look of internal struggle. A moment later, two actresses who knew Peng Yiyi approached, and the group was swept into a flurry of introductions and small talk. As the women moved away, Qi Bailu caught the name "Chen Xiangfeng" in their hushed gossip.
Cai Tongyue had heard it too. He fixed Qi Bailu with a gaze so heavy with intent that Qi Bailu met it head-on. "What is it?"
Cai lowered his voice to a somber rasp. "I may not like you, but I have to admit, your methods are impressive. To be able to utterly destroy someone like Chen Xiangfeng..."
Qi Bailu paused, his spoon hovering near his lips. He felt a sense of profound absurdity. What kind of monstrous misunderstanding did these people have of him?
Peng Yiyi shot Cai a warning look, but he ignored her. "Chen Xiangfeng is finished. This time last year, he was the biggest star in this room. Now, the tables have turned, and he’s the one in the gutter. How exactly did he offend you? Is it like the rumors say?"
Qi Bailu hadn't realized Cai possessed such a penchant for gossip. "What rumors?" he asked slowly.
"They sound fake the moment you hear them..." Peng muttered.
Cai leaned in even closer, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Did you three really... play 3P?"
Qi Bailu felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck the crown of his head. His face went completely blank, unable to form any expression—which, in Cai’s eyes, looked like a mask of profound, enigmatic secrecy. Peng Yiyi bit her lip, her composure nearly crumbling.
Cai didn't seem to mind the lack of an answer; he hadn't expected one. He only wanted to gauge a reaction, and the silence was enough for him.
"Let's talk about something else," Peng Yiyi urged. As a senior in the industry, her word carried weight, and Cai, realizing he had overstepped, awkwardly changed the subject. Qi Bailu thought to himself that Cai Tongyue wasn't necessarily a bad person; he was simply somewhat brainless.
Qi Bailu turned his face away, continuing to eat while scanning the room to see if anyone else had overheard their conversation. As his gaze swept toward the entrance, he saw two figures walking in.
He recognized Guan Chengzhu’s face immediately—few people wouldn't. She possessed a high-definition beauty that radiated through a crowd, making her impossible to miss. But the person Qi Bailu saw first wasn't her; it was Ruan Qiuji.
Through the French floor-to-ceiling windows, the greenery of the potted plants outside became an abstract blur, and the figures moving against the glass looked like characters in a painting. Ruan Qiuji was in a sharp suit, while Guan Chengzhu wore a sapphire-blue, low-cut backless gown. Because of the chill, she had a fringed shawl draped over her shoulders. When they met, she gave him a warm hug. Ruan Qiuji leaned down slightly, casually kissing her cheek, before she began leading him further into the room, chatting animatedly.
As her shawl threatened to slip, Ruan’s hand moved to steady it against her shoulder. Guan caught it, pulling the fabric back up while tossing her hair—a gesture of effortless, sultry grace. Even Qi Bailu had to admit her beauty was captivating. Within moments, Ruan Qiuji reached the doorway. He casually glanced toward a specific corner of the room—directly toward Qi Bailu. Qi Bailu immediately turned his head away, focusing with exaggerated intensity on a piece of pudding.
The pudding tasted like nothing... his senses were numbed by a sudden jolt of fear, because the moment he turned his head, he saw Zheng Kunyu. Zheng was standing near two other men, slowly lowering a champagne flute, his gaze dark and unfathomable. Qi Bailu’s heart hammered against his ribs as he wondered if Zheng had seen the exchange. Zheng’s eyes eventually shifted to Ruan Qiuji, and he didn't look at Qi Bailu again.
Qi Bailu fled. He moved before Zheng Kunyu could summon him and before Ruan Qiuji could approach. To be precise, just as the two men were about to cross paths in the crowd, Qi Bailu stood up decisively. He told Peng Yiyi he needed to step away for a moment and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Knowing Zheng Kunyu’s temperament, the man would surely drag him into some sort of public execution of a conversation, and Qi Bailu had no desire to be part of that spectacle.
He encountered several people along the way, stopping every few steps to admire the paintings on the walls with a look of studious concentration to avoid unwanted small talk. Guan Chengzhu seemed to be a collector; the mansion was filled with expensive artworks, a trait she shared with Zheng Kunyu. Qi Bailu didn't understand the pieces, but he could tell they were far from cheap.
He meandered through the halls, feeling much more at ease once he had left the main drawing room. He briefly ran into Xue Fang, but the director was busy talking shop, and they only exchanged a few words. Eventually, Qi Bailu found himself back in the glass conservatory. Seeing a set of tables and chairs and noting the lack of people, he took a seat and pulled out his phone to finish the crime novel. There was still some time before the party officially started, and with only ten percent of the book left, he figured he could finish it.
The air in the conservatory was exquisite, and the camellias bloomed with a snow-white, graceful posture. The sunlight made him feel pleasantly drowsy, and once he sat down, he didn't want to get up. The only drawback was the excessive brightness; he had to prop his hand on the table, bowing his head to create a shadow over his phone screen.
The distant sounds of laughter and music drifted in, but Qi Bailu eventually lost himself in the pages. When a person is deeply immersed in something, they become oblivious to their surroundings. Thus, even though the sound of leather shoes clicking against the floor was distinct and firm, Qi Bailu didn't realize someone had stepped through the glass doors and was walking toward him. He was too busy trying to figure out who the mastermind behind the murder was.
The figure stopped quietly behind and to the side of him. Seeing how focused he was, the newcomer seemed reluctant to disturb him. With his hair cut so short, the faint stubble at the nape of Qi Bailu’s neck was exposed, looking soft and inviting to the touch.
Qi Bailu rested his cheek in one hand while the other tapped the screen to flip the page. As he finished a chapter, he let out a soft sigh of frustration. There was only one chapter left, and the mastermind still hadn't been revealed. This sound seemed to startle the person leaning slightly over him. Just as Qi Bailu was about to exit the app, a voice dropped unexpectedly from above his head: "Aren't you going to finish it?"
Qi Bailu nearly screamed. He whipped his head around, his neck straining, and found himself staring directly into Ruan Qiuji’s pitch-black eyes. Their faces were inches apart. It took two full seconds for Qi Bailu to remember to pull back and create some distance. Ruan Qiuji straightened up slowly, a smile of gentle mischief playing on his lips. He set his wine glass on the round table and took the chair next to Qi Bailu.
Qi Bailu was still shaken. Ruan’s sudden voice had felt as though the yet-to-be-revealed killer from the book had just breathed down his neck. Seeing him wide-eyed like a startled rabbit, Ruan couldn't help but chuckle. "I was waiting to see when you’d finally notice me."
"How long have you been here?"
"Not long."
Qi Bailu was half-skeptical, putting his phone away as he tried to recall any sound of an approach, but he came up empty. He thought to himself: *Why are you in investment? You should open a haunted house. No NPC in the country is as dedicated as you.*
Ruan Qiuji noticed his flickering gaze. "Did I really scare you?"
Qi Bailu nodded inwardly but said, "No."
"Reading a novel?"
Qi Bailu told him the title. Ruan seemed interested and asked about the plot.
It had been over two months since their last meeting—the one where Ruan Qiuji had confessed his feelings and been rejected. Logically, there should have been some awkwardness or a mutual desire to keep their distance, but the previous incident didn't seem to have created any rift. Ruan Qiuji treated him exactly as he always had.
After hearing the summary, Ruan asked who he thought the killer was. Qi Bailu suggested the mastermind might be the female lead’s lover. Ruan nodded in agreement. "However, I don't agree with your assessment that they are merely using each other."
"You think they’re in love?"
"If it were just utility, the story wouldn't be enough to drive them toward murder and death."
"But he’s so cruel to her. He deceives her, even tries to sacrifice her."
"He also kills for her, and dies for her. Love doesn't just have a 'good' side. It has beauty and ugliness, and all sorts of shadows. But love is still love."
"Is that your philosophy on love?"
"To be honest, yes."
"That kind of love is terrifying. In the end, they just keep torturing each other. They’re both miserable, yet they can't end it."
"Do you pity them?"
"Not particularly, but reading it makes me feel sad."
"Many things like this happen in reality. Though people in real life appear more rational, sometimes the evils humans commit are more dramatic than any novel."
Qi Bailu lowered his eyes, lost in thought. Ruan Qiuji paused, taking a sip of his wine before asking, "And what about you?"
"What?"
"Are you attracted to people who hurt you?"
Qi Bailu froze. For a long time, he kept his lips pressed tight, his mind a complete void. It was as if he had been deliberately avoiding this question his entire life. After a long silence, he gave a vague, muffled reply: "I don't know."
Ruan Qiuji said nonchalantly, "Sometimes, people are simply willing to be debased—"
Qi Bailu felt as though the words were pointed, as if Ruan were insulting him for being unable to leave Zheng Kunyu. Yet, looking at Ruan’s calm expression, it didn't seem like a direct insult, even if the sentiment wasn't kind. As Qi Bailu’s thoughts raced, Ruan added in a low voice, "The things that cause the most pain are often the hardest to let go of. The things we can't have are the things we want most. I wonder... which of us is more pathetic?"
It was like a flash of lightning in a pitch-black night. Qi Bailu couldn't say which word had carved into his heart, but he felt as though he had been struck dumb. They stared into each other’s eyes. Ruan’s gaze wasn't seeking an answer; it was simply stirring the depths of Qi Bailu’s soul.
They leaned toward each other across the small round table, their bodies naturally inclining forward due to the intensity of the conversation. Qi Bailu knew his face must be betraying his internal struggle. A moment later, he saw Ruan Qiuji—who had been watching him intently—suddenly turn his head with sharp intuition.
The rhythmic click of high heels drew near. A woman’s voice drifted from the doorway behind them. "So this is where you’ve been hiding to share secrets. We’ve been looking everywhere for you."
Qi Bailu turned as well. He saw Guan Chengzhu standing there, smiling radiantly beside Zheng Kunyu. She cast a look of curious interest toward Qi Bailu—the kind of look one gives a stranger. Her words, of course, were directed at Ruan Qiuji. Zheng Kunyu offered Qi Bailu a faint, cold glance. It was a cruel coincidence; he had been caught red-handed once again. The romantic atmosphere of the glass conservatory was, after all, the perfect setting for a tryst. If a mere look could crush a person, Qi Bailu would have been reduced to dust in that instant.
