Mad Dog

Chapter 62: Return – The night was still young, long and dreamy.

Qu Heng’s request was something that could help Jiang Qi, so Zhi Qi naturally wouldn’t refuse.

However, he needed to focus on the camera, and after each scene, Jiang Qi would cling to Zhi Qi, leaving little time for a detailed conversation.

In the end, Zhi Qi exchanged WeChat IDs with Qu Heng.

The director had a serious look on his face as he mysteriously told her, “Don’t mention this to Jiang Qi yet. I’m afraid he might reject the script if he knows it contains traces of his past…”

Qu Heng was being quite earnest, which made Zhi Qi, who was still confused, obediently nod.

However, it wasn’t until much later that Zhi Qi understood why Qu Heng was asking her these things.

Jiang Qi had a lot of filming to do today, from morning until after eight in the evening. Luckily, there were ample breaks between each scene, so it didn’t feel too tiring.

Zhi Qi stayed with him until filming wrapped, watching him act closely from outside the set. It was a refreshing and enjoyable experience to see Jiang Qi immersed in a completely different ‘character,’ playing someone else.

In Qu Heng’s eyes, Zhi Qi was an absolute ‘contributor’ to the day’s success.

This was especially true for Jiang Qi’s final scene.

Jiang Qi’s closing scene for the day was when the male lead, Chen Si, went for a part-time job for the first time.

In the script, Chen Si was portrayed as shy, soft, and introverted. Although his family conditions were good, his parents saw him as an oddity and a failure, neglecting him completely. By the time Chen Si entered university, they acted as if he didn’t exist, even cutting off his living expenses.

Since Chen Si was good at his studies, he tried working as a tutor to earn some money, but it was never enough to cover both tuition and living expenses.

So, summoning his courage, he decided to become a model through the introduction of the female lead, Meng Su—she had once said that his slender figure would look good in anything, perfectly matching the model industry’s unhealthy obsession with skinniness.

When Chen Si arrived, he was dazzled by the colorful world of the runway, feeling a sense of ‘fuzziness’ in both his mind and eyes.

Wearing the almost shimmering show outfit for the first time on stage, Chen Si’s mind went blank, and his body stiffened. Yet, he felt an unmistakable joy and exhilaration.

It seemed as though a long-suppressed part of him had been activated in this environment, stirring within him.

—Was this somewhat reminiscent of Jiang Qi’s own entry into the entertainment industry?

However, Jiang Qi was far from the passionate and spirited character Chen Si in the script.

Because Chen Si genuinely loved the runway, adored the extravagant clothing, and enjoyed standing under the spotlight soaking in the audience’s cheers… Even if his first time on stage didn’t go perfectly, he couldn’t help but smile secretly afterward.

It was that kind of joy he couldn’t suppress, though he could only smile carefully in private.

He had boundless hope and expectations for the future.

This kind of state was actually something Jiang Qi found hard to portray, especially considering how he had been ‘troubled’ just a few months prior.

Fortunately, the past few months of treatment had helped him immensely, and having Zhi Qi present during this scene made a difference.

Being able to catch glimpses of Zhi Qi from the edge of the spotlight truly calmed and softened Jiang Qi’s heart.

Thus, the final scene went smoothly.

Qu Heng specifically came over to thank Zhi Qi before wrapping up, and the girl was momentarily taken aback, taking a while to process why he was thanking her.

Zhi Qi felt a bit complicated as memories from about eight or nine months ago rushed back to her—when Jiang Qi had just decided to take on “Pride and Prejudice” and Director Shen Lei called her. Only now did she realize what Director Shen had meant.

It turned out that filming a happy, joyful scene was genuinely somewhat difficult for Jiang Qi, which was why he had to ask her for help.

Looking back, Zhi Qi realized how concerned Shen Lei had been for Jiang Qi, while her own words at that time, given her lack of understanding of the situation, were somewhat misguided.

She couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

In truth, didn’t she want to accompany Jiang Qi? If she had free time and no classes, she would run over by herself to enjoy watching her boy immerse himself in the various scenes, portraying another person’s life.

Unfortunately, the graduate program was right around the corner, and she would be going to Yingzhou next week.

Because of this, Jiang Qi was still slightly unhappy and sulking.

When they finished work and left the set together, Zhi Qi felt Jiang Qi’s long hand enveloping her little one, and she couldn’t help but smile as she playfully scratched at his palm.

The boy was ticklish, his entire body full of ticklishness—but he only held her tighter.

On the way back, Jiang Qi didn’t have Qiu Mi drive; he drove himself.

While on the road, Zhi Qi boredly munched on some cookies that were usually kept in the car. The crisp sound of her chewing caused Jiang Qi to glance over: “Are you hungry?”

In the evening, Zhi Qi had shared a crew box meal with him, a standard two meat and one vegetable meal. But since it was a large pot meal served in a box, the taste was mediocre, and Jiang Qi knew that the girl was typically picky.

“I’m not hungry.” Zhi Qi knew that if she said she was hungry, Jiang Qi would probably go all out to cook for her when they got home, but the boy had worked hard all day, so she felt a bit reluctant.

Moreover, Zhi Qi wasn’t primarily focused on that; she had other things to ask him.

“Jiang Qi,” the girl’s eyes turned, and while the car was stopped at a red light, she asked him, “Who was that girl looking for you this afternoon?”

Zhi Qi was referring to Yue Yuan, but for Jiang Qi, he had met quite a few people that afternoon and had long forgotten whom Zhi Qi was specifically asking about.

He tilted his head in confusion: “Which one?”

Zhi Qi replied, “The girl named Yue Yuan.”

Only then did Jiang Qi remember.

“I don’t really know her; I’ve only met her once during an audition.” In fact, after Yue Yuan had left, Jiang Qi had belatedly recalled the time when Shen Lei took him to Wang Zhaoqiu’s set for an audition. The female lead for the movie he auditioned for but didn’t film was seemingly Yue Yuan.

However, he never remembered unimportant people very well, so he truly only thought of this afterward.

Zhi Qi pouted her lips, unable to help but softly murmur, “I think she likes you.”

A girl’s intuition about another girl’s feelings was usually quite accurate. The way Yue Yuan looked at Jiang Qi felt eerily familiar to Zhi Qi because she had once experienced such emotions in her own eyes.

Infatuation, admiration, and even a hint of pity.

A woman being in love with someone isn’t scary; what’s scary is the combination of admiration and pity. When a woman’s innate nurturing nature ignites compassion and adoration, it can become irredeemable.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qi abruptly slammed on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road.

He turned to look at Zhi Qi, nervously explaining, “I—I don’t… I really don’t know her.”

Zhi Qi was taken aback, unable to suppress her laughter.

“Why are you so nervous? I’m not blaming you,” the girl said, cupping Jiang Qi’s face with her small hands, glancing left and right as if scrutinizing him. Then she wrinkled her nose in mock disapproval: “With your looks, it’s normal for people to like you.”

At most, she was just a tiny bit jealous.

However, compared to that, she felt happier—someone finally recognized Jiang Qi’s charm and discovered he was a treasure of a boy, which made Zhi Qi happier than anything.

Yet Jiang Qi shook his head, seriously stating, “I don’t want anyone else to like me; I only want you.”

Especially from women, he only needed Zhi Qi’s affection.

“Alright.” Zhi Qi, suppressing a smile, bit her lip and softly said, “If you don’t want that, then don’t want it.”

Hearing Jiang Qi say that made her happy.

It wasn’t until they returned home that Jiang Qi realized that Zhi Qi’s smile earlier had contained a hint of mischief.

Moreover… was Zhi Qi just a little jealous?

At the entrance, the boy suddenly grasped the realization and directly wrapped his arms around the girl’s slender waist from behind.

Zhi Qi, with her back to him, let out a startled “Hey!” as his hands slid across her waist, tickling her and making her laugh.

“Ha ha, Jiang Qi,” Zhi Qi playfully elbowed his thin chest, teasingly asking, “What are you doing?”

“Zhi Qi.” Jiang Qi leaned over, nibbling at her earlobe. His warm breath brushed against her ear, causing her fair skin to flush with a faint pink, making her feel a tingling sensation. She could only hear Jiang Qi ask, “Are you jealous?”

His voice was low, clear, and contained a hint of undeniable joy.

As for whether she was jealous… of course, she was. Yet at the same time, she felt a bit happy that others liked Jiang Qi too.

But the boy seemed to prefer her being

simply jealous.

So Zhi Qi suppressed a laugh and nodded slightly.

Being nibbled on the earlobe felt thrilling, sending tingles throughout her body. The girl curled up, almost resembling a shrimp.

In the next second, Jiang Qi bent down and tossed her over his shoulder. Zhi Qi’s legs dangled in front of him, the slight heels swaying, her delicate ankles appearing white and glistening, so slender it seemed they could snap easily.

Jiang Qi’s gaze deepened as he helped the girl remove her shoes, looking at her small, delicate feet and toes. Unable to resist, he gently kissed them.

All along, Jiang Qi had a foot fetish—specifically for Zhi Qi’s feet. He adored her feet.

Yet Zhi Qi found this act a bit reckless.

“Jiang Qi, what are you doing?” The girl was startled, her heart racing from his actions. Suspended in midair, she felt unsteady, and she kicked him lightly in the side with her foot, her voice trembling with embarrassment: “They’re dirty.”

Jiang Qi said nothing, but he didn’t release her ankle.

He carried her effortlessly and stepped into the bedroom, gently placing her on the bed—he was somewhat eager, yet his grip remained tender, ensuring Zhi Qi wouldn’t bump or hurt herself.

“Don’t,” Zhi Qi instinctively dodged when Jiang Qi’s kisses landed on her neck, breathing heavily as she murmured, “I haven’t showered yet…”

The boy’s voice was slightly disordered as he roughly hushed her: “Just a minute.”

He understood that Zhi Qi had many requirements when it came to these things—she needed to shower, turn off the lights, and all sorts of other specifics… but this time he felt he couldn’t wait.

In the dim light, with only a bedside lamp illuminating the space, he reached toward the bedside for that small box.

The vintage red and green box had an image of a woman’s foot in high heels.

It was a popular brand of condoms the store owner had mentioned earlier… they were running low on several boxes, and the night was still long and full of potential.