The studio lights had dimmed completely, leaving only the faint glow of emergency lamps. When Xiaoxiao finally hung up the last coat hanger, she realized they were the only two left in the entire building.
Qin Mu stood near the exit, looking down at his script. He didn't look like he was waiting for someone, yet he clearly wasn't making a move to leave.
As she picked up her toolbox to depart, he suddenly looked up. "Wait."
Xiaoxiao froze in her tracks. Qin Mu took two steps closer. At this distance, she could smell the faint scent of fir on him—the moisturizing spray he often used during period drama shoots.
"It's..." He paused for half a beat, seemingly unaccustomed to initiating conversation. "It's late. It's not safe for a girl to walk alone."
Xiaoxiao's heart hammered against her ribs. "I-I'm fine! I'm very brave! And I can run... I run super fast..."
Qin Mu's eyes remained steady, watching her display of "trembling bravery."
"Shall I walk you?"
The question was flat, almost casual. But because of its simplicity, Xiaoxiao panicked even more. Her eyes went wide like a cat caught in a flashlight. "You—walking me?!"
"Mm." He said it as naturally as asking if she wanted a glass of water.
Only he knew that his palms were slightly damp. He wasn't the meddling type, nor did he enjoy being alone with women. In fact, he was borderline socially anxious. But watching Xiaoxiao work so hard with that heavy toolbox, seeing her smile so purely... it was as if a switch had been flipped in his head.
"I'll just take you as far as the bus stop," he added.
Xiaoxiao's face turned beet red. "I-I-I can go by myself—"
"Ye Xiaoxiao." He spoke her name softly.
She froze. It was the first time he had ever called her by name. His deep voice was as light as a night breeze, yet it made her feel feverish all over.
"I'm walking you," he repeated. His tone was steadier than before.
Xiaoxiao, feeling like a little dango about to melt, could only stammer, "...Okay..."
He took the toolbox from her hand. He carried it with ease, as if it were a bag of marshmallows. Her heart exploded once more.
The two of them walked out of the studio together. It was silent, but not awkward. Just two shadows moving side-by-side.
Xiaoxiao kept her head down, thinking: Oh my god... my idol is right next to me... and he's carrying my stuff... Am I dreaming?
Meanwhile, behind Qin Mu's cold exterior, his heart felt a strange restlessness. He kept his eyes forward, but his mind replayed the image of her from earlier: the girl illuminated by sequins, her eyes curving like the moon. Round, soft, and warm.
I wonder, he thought, if she's as soft to hold as that doll from my childhood?
Back home, Xiaoxiao collapsed onto her bed, her heart still thumping wildly. "Qin Mu actually... actually walked me to the bus stop... Am I dead? Is this heaven?"
She buried her face in her pillow and rolled around, nearly falling off the bed. Suddenly, she remembered the gift Wayne had given her.
"Right... that weird present." She pulled the book from her bag. The cover was a sea of glistening abs. The reflection from the oily six-packs was almost as blinding as Wayne himself.
"Wayne-ge is so strange..." She sighed and opened the book.
A neatly folded pink slip of paper fell out from the first page. Xiaoxiao picked it up and unfolded it. It was covered in Jiang Wei's flamboyant, sweeping handwriting:
[Xiaoxiao Baby:]
I've noticed you've been under so much pressure lately that you look like a marshmallow about to pop. Here is a "visual supplement" from your big brother. Flip through three pages a day. Even if it doesn't make you prettier, the shock alone will keep you energized.
—Wayne (Brother loves you but will never admit it)
P.S. If you ever fall in love, tell me first. I need to check if the guy is blind or not.
Xiaoxiao stared at the note for three seconds before she started rolling on her bed, howling with laughter. "Wayne-ge... you're actually so sweet... but you're still so weird!!"
She tucked the note carefully into the pages and hid the book deep inside her nightstand. Clutching her pillow, her mind was split between two people: Wayne, who made her laugh, and Qin Mu, the idol who walked her to the station.
For the first time, she felt that going to work tomorrow wouldn't be so exhausting.
[The Next Day • Film Set]
The studio at noon was like a disturbed beehive. Crew members, props, and the wardrobe team were all in a frantic sprint.
"It's over, it's over—the dress is torn!!" A scream pierced the air.
Xiaoxiao ran over with her storage bags and saw the white period costume on the table. The hem of the skirt had a gash half the size of a palm. It was the lead actress's primary outfit for the next scene.
Everyone's face turned pale. A split second later, all eyes snapped toward Xiaoxiao.
The wardrobe assistant frowned. "Ye Xiaoxiao, weren't you in charge of this? How did it end up like this?"
Xiaoxiao turned white. "I... I don't know. I didn't break it!"
"The costumes are your responsibility," another colleague said coldly. "If you hadn't left them unorganized, they wouldn't have torn."
The lead actress stomped over in her heels, looking displeased. "What's going on? Where is my costume?" When she saw the tear, her face darkened. "My time is valuable. Who is going to take responsibility for delaying the shoot?"
The tone was like a heel treading on Xiaoxiao's head. Her nose stung with the urge to cry. Wayne was away at a corporate meeting, and no one was listening to her. But she knew crying was useless—the dress had to be saved.
"I'll try..." Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. "I can fix it."
"You can?" the assistant asked, surprised.
Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth. "A little... I used to help Wayne mend clothes..."
She grabbed her needles, a bag of pearls, and some spare gauze. She spread the skirt on the table, her fingers moving with lightning speed. Her fingers were short and round, but they moved across the fabric with unexpected stability.
Her heart was still trembling with the injustice of it all, but as she worked, she felt grounded. This was her only way to fight back.
Twenty minutes later, the crew gathered around. When she held up the repaired dress, there was a collective gasp. The tear was invisible. In its place, the pearl embellishments added an extra layer of elegance to the hem.
"This is... beautiful," a colleague whispered. "It looks more expensive than before."
The lead actress stared for two seconds. Though she kept her arrogant facade, her voice lost its sharp edge. "...This is acceptable."
Xiaoxiao handed the dress back, her eyes still red but her voice firm. "The dress is fixed. But I want to say... I really didn't break it. I would never disrespect the things I'm responsible for."
The crew went silent. The crisis was over, but the weight of Xiaoxiao's grievance remained. No one dared to point a finger at her again.