"That is it for our meeting. Thank you guys for joining us," Yifeng slowly started passing out stacks of paper before continuing.

"This is the manuscript for Episode One. When you find the time today, please make sure to look over it and give feedback for our meeting at 9:00 pm. Thank you once again!" Yifeng seemed to have regained his original smile and naivety. However, this time Ruiying wasn't fooled by his pushover act.

"Thank you for your time. I will make sure to revise this. We will be taking our leave as we have a press conference to be attending soon." Ruiying made sure to bow down low again before nodding to Jiashu.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Li, and Mr. Huang. Have a wonderful rest of your day." Jiashu seemed to bow down even lower than before as she stood up and locked eyes with Ruxue before scoffing and leaving alongside Ruiying.

Yueyan and Ruxue quickly said their goodbyes before following close behind. 

"RuiRui, the press conference is being held on the lower ground. I also got a notification that it is being delayed."

"Is that a good thing?"

"From a getting ready for the camera standpoint, yes. However, they still want the conference to last two hours and twenty minutes." Jiashu's voice got fainter as she spoke.

"How long is it being delayed for?"

"...thirty"

"Speak up."

"Thirty minutes"

Ruiying stopped in her tracks before kneading the space between her eyebrows and sighing.

"Jiashu, can you go buy something from the dinner hall?"

"No, there is no need for that." The one who responded wasn't Jiashu but Yueyan.

"I still have five uneaten boxes of donuts, if your diet can handle it" Yueyan seemed uninterested in Ruiying's answer. As Ruiying focused on the person behind Yueyan who was stuck carrying the five boxes, she sighed. Yueyan was right in not expecting an answer, after all, they have a ship to sell.

"Jiashu, please go help Ms. Wang."

"Ugh, of course." Jiashu rolled her eyes as she went to help Ruxue with three of the boxes.

Ruiying wondered what could've happened between those two to create such dislike for each other in such a short time. 

Ruying continued walking before speaking again, "Luna, walk beside me."

"Who are you, my boss?"

"Tch, Luna if you think I am doing this for myself then you must've forgotten your place."

"Then are you doing this because you care?"

Ruiying stopped again and without sparing a look to Yueyan responded, "Of course I do. I worked hard to get to where I am and frankly, you are making me doubt if it's longer worth it. If you are so against this relationship, you should have spoken up that day... but you didn't..." This time Ruiying slowly looked back at Yueyan and met her eyes. Yueyan hoped to see something in them, anything. "Because Qin Yueyan is the only one in the world and that will never change, right?"

Yueyan always had something she could say back, but what could she say to someone who wasn't even present? Ivy was there, but where was Lin Ruiying? 

"Nevermind, Luna do whatever you want. But remember the cameras are never off." Having said her piece Ruiying began to walk away again and Yueyan was left alone watching her silhouette get further and further away. 

"Out of all her past co-workers, it just had to be you," Jiashu spoke in a serious tone as she faced Yueyan.

"What would you know, Jiashu?" 

"You are just like how she described you. Haha, it took me quite a while to realize it without being given a name. No wonder she wanted to burn the Fragile Heart script as soon as she got it. To think that even for a second I thought you could've helped Ruiying." The sarcasm in her tone left Yueyan with a bitter aftertaste. Jiashu just smiled and began walking away.

"Luna, that was a good opportunity to do fanservice. Sure she didn't have the best attitude, but you are also not in such a position that she is required to give you her best self," Ruxue said as she placed one of the remaining two donut boxes in Yuyean's arms.

"You too, Ah-Xue?"

"What would Ms. Chen say?"

"Let's keep this a secret from Ah-Meixi" Yueyan's tone overflowed with playfulness as she winked at her tired manager.

 

***

"Ah-Meixi!" Yueyan burst through the door and hugged the curly light pink-haired makeup artist.

"Hello Ruxue, Hello Ah-Yueyan" Meixi responded to Yueyan in an almost nervous and uncomfortable tone. It wasn't until Meixi's hazel eyes looked awkwardly at a corner that Yueyan turned her head. Only once she met Ruiying's gaze did she realize she wasn't alone in the room. Before Yueyan could even give Ruiying a repulsed stare, Ruiying just sighed and focused back on the manuscript.

Suddenly a knock was heard behind the door as it opened.

"Good Morning. It's good to see you again, Luna and you," Jiashu said, giving Ruxue a snarky glance before smiling. Yueyan noticed that Jiashu did not carry any donut boxes with her, and as she looked around, she saw them placed on the coffee table. It was odd to think that Jiashu had left and then returned for no reason.

"Good Morning, my name is Chen Meixi. I am Luna's designated makeup artist. It's nice to meet you." Meixi's ears grew bright red as she stumbled forward to greet Jiashu.

"Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Xu Jiashu and I am Ivy's manager. Please take care of my actor well!" Jiashu seemed quite happy to have a new person in the room.

"So, why is she here? Isn't she famous enough to have her own dressing room? Or is the queen of acting too frugal to do so?" Yueyan spoke curtly as she looked at Ruiying, making sure to enunciate the word 'frugal'. She expected the same reaction she had been getting all day, a boring one. 

"Yueyan, can you keep your foul mouth shut? How about you learn what everyone in this room learned back in elementary school, to think before you speak? Do you even hear yourself when you talk? Or is being thoughtless also redefined as clever in your moron dictionary?" Ruiying stood up and began walking toward Yueyan. She seemed to be reaching for her shoulder, however, she was just placing her manuscript on the table behind her. 

As she stared into Yueyan with disdain-filled eyes, "Jiashu, I am going to leave this room for 10 minutes. In the time that I am gone. Please take the time to explain to Ms. Luna, why exactly I am here, and if you have time teach her some manners. But seeing the level she is at right now, I don't think you manage to teach her even if you had a decade." Ruiying slowly backed away from Yueyan before sighing and leaving the room. 

The room was uncomfortably silent for almost five minutes before Meixi spoke up.

"Jiashu, why exactly was Ivy in the room?"

"Oh yeah. Ahem, Luna, the company asked for you and Ivy to really step up the fanservice for today. They have arranged a camera in front of you and Ivy's dressing room that is to be shown live to the audience waiting on the lower floor. They want you and Ivy to act surprised when you reach the lower floor and see the live footage of your dressing rooms. So, they also want both of you to leave the same dressing room and act embarrassed that the audience saw you two exit together."

"What did Ivy say at first? I bet she was real pissed off" Yueyan spoke in a mocking tone while looking at her nails.

"I don't think you'd be interested in what she said."

"If I am asking then it is obvious that I am interested."

"Well, she just nodded and said 'Jiashu, next time don't ask me if I'll do it. Just tell me what to do. I signed the contract so I'll pay the price'"

Yueyan just scoffed and nodded before turning back to Meixi in her chair and signaling for her to apply the makeup.