Chapter 175: Chapter 175: The Brainlessly Doting Type

It was Tuesday, which meant it was Baili Jing’s turn.

He didn’t drive Jiang Qingli home. Instead, he took her in a different direction.

Jiang Qingli watched the unfamiliar scenery, leaning back in her seat and enjoying the breeze.

She didn’t ask where they were going. She just felt that Baili Jing was surely taking her somewhere fun, somewhere she would like.

She had a natural trust in Baili Jing and rarely ever thought about why.

After passing through the bustling city, Jiang Qingli saw a brightly lit area in the distance. On the left was a cluster of modern buildings, and on the right, a cluster of ancient ones.

It dawned on her. "You brought me to a film studio lot."

Baili Jing glanced at her reaction. "It’s not too crowded at night, and there’s a food street nearby. It’s a lot of fun. I thought you’d like it."

’I was supposed to visit the set tomorrow anyway,’ she thought. ’Now I don’t have to make a separate trip.’

Besides, Jiang Qingli found the idea exciting. She had already looked up a guide to the food street on the Star Network and was ready to start eating.

With the Moon Festival approaching, security had been tightened everywhere. The film lot, with its motley crew of people, was no exception. Only registered vehicles and individuals were allowed inside.

They parked in the lot and swiped their ID cards to enter the studio grounds.

Baili Jing put a baseball cap and sunglasses on Jiang Qingli before taking her hand and leading her in.

The sunglasses were his and a little too big for her. They kept sliding down her nose, only to be pushed back up by her slender, pale fingers.

Baili Jing’s eyes curved into a smile. "So cute, baby," he whispered.

His agent was already waiting by the RV.

Jiang Qingli went into the RV first. Liu Wu pulled Baili Jing aside, handed him his terminal, and whispered, "It’s a call from Mr. Xie."

The smile on Baili Jing’s face faded slightly. He took the terminal and walked off to the side. She could vaguely hear him say, "Uncle Xie."

The call lasted for a few minutes. The content was inaudible, but Baili Jing’s attitude was extremely respectful. Even after hanging up, he still looked a bit serious.

Liu Wu was munching on a peach nearby, unfazed. He’d seen this all before.

The call was from Jiang Qingli’s father, Xie Qizhen, the headmaster of the military academy and a Marshal of the Empire.

Xie Qizhen called Baili Jing often, using an encrypted line. He would call Baili Jing’s agent, who would then pass the call to Baili Jing, as if trying to cover his tracks. It was all very mysterious.

At first, Liu Wu thought they were discussing top-secret matters between aristocrats. But on the few occasions he’d accidentally overheard, he discovered that without exception, the conversations were about Jiang Qingli.

And it was always about trivial things, like what she ate or wore.

For example, one time Baili Jing mentioned that Jiang Qingli had eaten a sandwich for breakfast, one he had made himself, and listed all the ingredients...

Baili Jing said with heartfelt sincerity, "Xiao Li is a culinary genius."

On the other end, Xie Qizhen would agree with immense pride. "You’re absolutely right. Our Xiao Li is indeed a genius. I remember when she was little, blah blah blah..."

After they both waxed lyrical for a while, Xie Qizhen would add with grave seriousness, "Our communications must be kept confidential. Don’t let them find out." And Baili Jing would cooperate fully, giving his repeated assurances.

Liu Wu was just... completely baffled.

’Isn’t Xie Qizhen Jiang Qingli’s biological father? If he wants to know what she had for breakfast, can’t he just ask her directly? Why go through all the trouble of contacting Baili Jing?’

’And is making a sandwich really that amazing? What on earth are those two praising?’

But after it happened enough times, he got used to it.

Sometimes, Liu Wu seriously suspected they had a secret fan club that worshiped Jiang Qingli, and the club’s main activity was to get together and praise her in every way imaginable.

Baili Jing and Xie Qizhen were clearly the blindly doting superfan type.

-

The sky gradually darkened.

Baili Jing pushed open the RV door.

In the warm yellow light, Jiang Qingli and her assistant, Xiao Jin, were playing with a mini mechanical fox.

The mechanical fox shimmered with a colorful, flowing light. She held a point of light, raising it and twirling it around, making the fox chase after it like a puppy.

Baili Jing smiled, sat down next to her, and rested his face on her shoulder as if no one else was there, watching her play with the "dog."

Xiao Jin had only just started to get to know Jiang Qingli, but he instantly felt like a third wheel and quietly tried to shrink away.

After retreating for a moment, he peeked his head back in and said quietly, "Um... Mr. Baili, the director wants to revise some lines and would like you to take a look."

Baili Jing had just gotten to cozy up to his Xiao Qing Mei and was reluctant to leave.

’We haven’t had any time alone for days,’ he thought.

Jiang Qingli played with the mechanical fox with one hand and patted his head with the other. "It’s okay. We can play together when you get back."

Baili Jing kissed her cheek. "If you want to go out, go with Xiao Jin, okay? Baby, I’m worried you’ll get lost."

"Roger that." Jiang Qingli gave him a hand signal, but he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Their lovey-dovey display was so intense that his agent, who was waiting at the door, couldn’t bear to watch.

’If a video of this moment was posted online,’ he thought, ’people would assume it was AI-generated.’

Baili Jing said a few more words, then finally left with his agent, looking back every few steps.

Jiang Qingli played with the mechanical fox for a while longer, then found a face mask, put it on, and went out with Xiao Jin to have some fun.

The inside of the film lot was like a miniature city. A single wall separated the ancient and modern architecture, and beyond the filming areas, the streets formed a well-established, bustling commercial district.

Xiao Jin had a very lively personality and pointed things out everywhere, acting as a guide for Jiang Qingli.

But Jiang Qingli noticed that he was always looking around warily, as if afraid of running into someone.

There was a popular milk tea shop at the end of the street. Jiang Qingli stood at the back of the line, then glanced across the street and saw an ice cream shop. Xiao Jin noticed she wanted some, asked for her preferred flavor, looked around cautiously, and then ran over to get in line there.

The line moved at a snail’s pace. Jiang Qingli sent a message asking Baili Jing and his agent if they wanted any milk tea.

Just then, she received a friend request.

The user had no nickname, and their profile picture was a sunset. Their wording was very polite: [Hello, Miss Jiang. I am Que Fei]

The last character of his name was missing. She couldn’t tell if he’d forgotten it or if his finger had slipped and sent the message prematurely.

Jiang Qingli accepted the request.

A polite smile emoji came from the other side: [Good afternoon, Miss Jiang.]

’This polite demeanor made it hard to connect him with the blushing boy who had nudged her fingers on Saturday.’

Jiang Qingli smiled. [Good afternoon! How are your injuries healing?]

Que Feiling: [Thanks to you, Miss Jiang, my condition has stabilized, and my superficial wounds have all healed.]

’His injuries were so severe, yet he recovered this quickly. The Vermilion Bird Clan’s healing ability really is incredible.’

Jiang Qingli was about to reply with "I’m so happy for you." She had just typed a couple of words when someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

A young man’s doting voice sounded out, "Naughty, what are you doing hiding all the way over here, Yu..."

However, when the girl turned around, the smile on Ling Qing’s face vanished instantly, and his brow furrowed tightly. "It’s you?"

He said impatiently, "Will you ever give up? How long are you going to follow me?"

People were already starting to stare. Jiang Qingli swatted his hand away in disgust. "If you’re delusional, go to a mental hospital. Don’t make a scene on the street. Get lost."

She looked so annoyed it seemed like she would have punched him if they weren’t on a public street.

Seeing this, Ling Qing sneered.

’She’s quite the actress.’

’Did she suddenly show up here because she heard Yiyi was visiting the set and followed her to find me?’

’She’s even wearing the same style of dress as Yiyi.’

’Heh, does she really think I can’t see through her little scheme?’

Ling Qing’s expression darkened. He was about to publicly warn Jiang Qingli, just like he had in the past.

But when his eyes met the girl’s glass-like pupils and he saw the clear disgust within them, his chest suddenly ached, and his mind went blank.

By the time he came to his senses, he had already grabbed Jiang Qingli’s wrist and pulled her into a small alley.

’How did this happen?’

A dazed look appeared on Ling Qing’s face. Before he could even process what was happening, a fist, whistling through the air, slammed into his face!