"I always thought that woman looked a bit familiar," Wu Lian Jie continued. "Now I remember… She's an actress. I've seen my younger sister watching a few dramas with that woman in them. Right. What was her name again?" He placed a finger under his chin as he tried to recall the other person's name.
Ning Wei was silently observing the familiar woman from a distance. Unexpectedly, the woman turned around, meeting Ning Wei's gaze.
The moment their eyes met, Ning Wei noticed the hint of surprise in the woman's eyes.
Ning Wei quickly looked away, pretending as if she was not looking. Her heartbeat accelerated as she wondered if that woman had recognized her.
That night… She was wearing a mask when she ran into this woman. The lighting around the club was dim. When she was helping Feng An Yu, she still had her mask on. Other than her pair of eyes, that woman would not be able to see anything. Surely, this woman would not recognize her, right?
"What's wrong?" Wu Lian Jie leaned over. "Your face is a bit pale.
"It's nothing." Ning Wei shook her head. "Probably a little tired from climbing up the mountain.
Fortunately, their conversation did not last long with the hosts around. Ning Wei was relieved that she did not have to explain too much.
"Alright, you might remember our He Zhen here," Xie Xi Yan, the male host, said. He gestured to the young woman with her hair styled into a high ponytail to come closer. "Our He Zhen is a rising star. Previously, her character as Yun Yi in Never Ending Road became the public's favorite."
He Zhen laughed. Her long ponytail swished around as she moved her head. "Brother Xie, it's the opposite."
"I'm not wrong." Xie Xi Yan looked serious. "Yun Yi is the character that the public loved to curse. It's still the public's favorite, right?"
The host's words made everyone laugh.
Xie Xi Yan then moved to the short-haired woman beside He Zhen. "We also have our songstress, Lin Zhu, with us."
"Hello." Lin Zhu greeted everyone with a warm smile.
"Recently, Lin Zhu won second place in a singing competition in F Country," Xie Xi Yan continued. "Lin Zhu, congratulations. We have to thank you for making our country proud."
Lin Zhu nodded to the hosts before bowing slightly to the camera. Her politeness made the hosts feel more at ease.
Xie Xi Yan and Liu Man then turned to the last woman.
"Finally." Xie Xi Yan smiled. "The actress who is currently popular with several romance dramas is Ning Yue."
"Hello, everyone." Ning Yue waved. She smiled brightly at the camera.
The corner of Ning Wei's lips began to twitch when she heard the woman's name.
"Wei Wei." Wu Lian Jie nudged Ning Wei with his shoulders a few times. "Look. Both of you have the same surname. Are you related?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Ning Wei shot a warning look at Wu Lian Jie. "Famous actor Wu Xian had the same surname as yours. Are you going to say you are related as well?"
Wu Lian Jie choked on his breath. The annoyed look on Ning Wei's face made him shut up.
While the hosts were chatting with the girls, Ning Wei kept her eyes on Ning Yue. Something about Ning Yue made Ning Wei feel uncomfortable.
…
Once the introduction ended, the hosts began to explain the show to the guests. The show was popular for its cooperation with the government to help promote the countryside. This time, they went up the mountain area to show the public the beauty of the place. Ning Wei and the others were invited as guests to promote the place.
"Everyone." Xie Xi Yan clapped his hands once, wanting to get everyone's attention. "From today onwards, you guys are going to spend a few days in the mountains and work hard alongside the villagers. Are you sure you can do it?"
"Brother Xie, we will work hard." He Zhen looked at the ladies and smiled.
"Hey, that's the spirit," Xie Xi Yan said. "He Zhen, you can't change your mind."
"That's right." Liu Man nodded. "Even if you wanted to change your mind, it is too late. The production team will not bring you down the mountain unless it's an emergency."
The smile on Wu Lian Jie's lips turned stiff.
"But you can be at ease. This is the first day," Liu Man said. "We are going to take you guys around for a walk and get you familiar with the place. Then, we will decide on what you guys should do."
The producer gestured to the hosts, signalling them that it was time for a short break.
Ning Wei and the members followed the crew to adjust the microphone hung on their shirts. She grabbed a bottle of drinking water and took a few sips to moisten her throat while listening to the crew briefing them on where they would be going next.
The sound of approaching footsteps made Ning Wei look up. Her expression changed when she saw Ning Yue approaching them with a smile. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Hello." Ning Yue greeted the boys. She swept her gaze to look at DAWN's members while keeping her eyes on Ning Wei for a few seconds longer.
"Hi." Ding Chuan put on a charming smile on his face. His brow shot up in puzzlement.
Ning Yue stretched her hand. "This is the first time we met. Let's work well together."
Ding Chuan shook hands with Ning Yue. "Yes. Let's work well together, Miss Ning Yue." The smile on his lips stretched wider as his hand touched Ning Yue's smooth hand. "I am Ding Chuan." He placed a hand on Ai Lun's shoulder. "This is our leader, Ai Lun."
"Hello." Ning Yue gave a polite nod to Ai Lun before shaking his hand.
Ding Chuan gestured to both Wu Lian Jie and Ning Wei. "Wu Lian Jie and Ning Wei."
"Hi." Ning Yue smiled at Wu Lian Jie before she finally turned to Ning Wei. "Hello."
Ning Wei flashed a polite smile as she shook hands with Ning Yue. Her heart skipped a beat, noticing the way Ning Yue was looking at her. "Miss Ning Yue, is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing." Ning Yue laughed. "Just that… I'm sure that this is the first time we've met. But… Your face… It felt as if I had seen you before. Have we met?"
Wu Lian Jie opened his mouth to answer. But the words he wanted to say remained unspoken. Ning Wei nudged him on the waist, signaling him not to say a word.
"I don't think so." Ning Wei denied.
"Really?" Ning Yue pursed her lips. "Your eyes are a bit familiar."
Ning Wei's heart was racing again. She had to force herself to calm down and act naturally in front of Ning Yue.
"Miss Ning, perhaps you have seen our Wei Wei on the television?" Ai Lun spoke.
Ning Yue shook her head.
"You are so pretty," Ning Wei spoke before Ning Yue could say anything. "I would remember our meeting if I had met a pretty woman like you."
Ning Yue looked surprised. She eyed Ning Wei suspiciously but could not find anything wrong with her reaction.
"Ning Yue, what are you doing?"
The voice made everyone turn around.
Both He Zhen and Lin Zhu walked over, seeing that Ning Yue was talking with the boys.
"I was just greeting everyone." Ning Yue kept a friendly smile on her face. "We will have to work together for a few days. It's better to get acquainted early so that we won't feel awkward during the shoot. Right." She stretched her hand to the girls. "Sister He Zhen, Lin Zhu, let's get along together."
He Zhen and Lin Zhu exchanged a look. Seeing the friendly gesture from Ning Yue, the girls finally put on a smile.