CH 35

Chapter 35: Just a small sea otter

“You’re back! I’ve been searching all over for you.”

When Qiao Dai returned to the banquet all in a panic, the event was almost over and Ling Na had been trying to find her. As soon as she saw her, she hurried over.

Ling Na took a good look at the girl and noticed that her originally fair skin was slightly red and a few drops of water were dripping from the tip of her hair. She looked confused and Ling Na guessed she was a little tipsy.

“The staff reserved a room for us. We will rest one night here and go back tomorrow.”

Because it was already rather late and Qiao Dai looked a little dizzy, Ling Na was worried and excused themselves from the banquet and brought Qiao Dai back to the hotel to rest.

It wasn’t until she had taken a hot bath that Qiao Dai finally relaxed. She immediately threw herself on the large bed, her petite body instantly sinking in the soft cloud. She hugged her pillow and rolled all over on the big mattress for a few minutes.

After playing like this for a while, Qiao Dai gradually stopped and lay on her side, her face in the pillow. Involuntary, the image of the lonely killer whale in the big blue pool came to her mind.

Qiao Dai: …?

As soon as she visualized this picture, Qiao Dai sat up on the bed in surprise, before sitting cross-legged. The pillow was still in her arms and she started shaking her head. Did she really think the killer whale was lonely? This idea really stunned her. Logically speaking, if she had seen an orca in the Pacific before, she would have definitely turned around and run away. How could she know about the killer whale’s feelings? Perhaps because it was the first time she had met someone from the ocean in this world and she couldn’t help but feel some empathy.

Thinking about it this way, Qiao Dai suddenly felt that she shouldn’t have fled just like that. Maybe she could have stayed hidden behind the door and chatted with the killer whale, maybe they could have become friends.

After the end of the first public performance, Meng Lingsi had gone backstage to find her and ask for her contact information, saying she had something for her. As everybody knew, Meng Lingsi often interacted with major directors and screenwriters. She had many contacts in the filming and television industry and many people had tried to get closer to her in the past. But it was the first time she had taken the initiative to get someone else’s contact information, and this someone was just a newcomer.

When Ling Na had learned about that, she had been insanely happy and had repeatedly told Qiao Dai to be sure to pay attention to manners when talking to Meng Lingsi.

“Teacher Meng, hello.”

Although she was on the phone, Qiao Dai sat up straight and put the pillow she had been hugging away.

Meng Lingsi’s gentle voice came from the other end: “Xiao Qiao, you don’t have to be nervous. I just want to give you the contact information of the producer of the script I talked to you about last time. You should meet first, otherwise it will be too difficult to arrange a meeting once you go back to the draft.”

The script Meng Lingsi referred to was “Thorns of the flower” which was being produced by the Group Cheng. It was a musical movie and every actor who would appear in the film represented a single type of dance. The investor had spent a lot of money purchasing the rights to all kinds of choreographies and a fragment of “Treading water” had been included. As the original dancer and choreographer, Meng Lingsi only had one requirement, which was to select a dancer who would satisfy her in person. As long as she could, she had said she would provide the rights to the crew for free.

Shengshi had wanted to use one of their young artists for this role but the Group Cheng had disagreed and after they had come into conflicts over casting issues, they had decided to discuss the role with Meng Lingsi again and let her decide.

Meng Lingsi didn’t want to get involved in the industry’s feuds but she hoped “Treading water” would be noticed by more people and had originally planned to personally guide actors and decide after seeing the final result. Unfortunately, her waist injury had become more serious in recent years and there had been a tendency to relapse recently. Just as she was considering whether to withdraw the copyrights or not, Qiao Dai had appeared in front of her.

As a result, the candlelight that had been about to go out brightened once more.

Although Meng Lingsi was very optimistic about Qiao Dai, she was still only a trainee who had not yet debuted. Investors would never choose such a candidate and she had decided to entrust the girl to replace her as the director of the dance. She knew that the qualifications of many professional dancers far exceeded those of Qiao Dai, but what Meng Lingsi desired was someone who had impressed her, or she would have gone to the stage herself. And Qiao Dai was different; although she was still very new in the circle, Meng Lingsi could feel in her bones she was the ideal candidate.

Meng Lingsi quickly sent out the contact information of the producer as she asked where Qiao Dai was currently at. When she learned she was shooting an advertisement in the North Island, she exclaimed in a somewhat unexpected tone: “What a coincidence! It just so happens that the producers are also there right now. Let’s meet tomorrow then, I will send you the address and time later.”

Afterward, the two women chatted for a few more minutes until they hung up.

Qiao Dai yawned, feeling very drowsy and particularly sleepy. She was really tired.

Perhaps shooting underwater today had exhausted her, or maybe it was the shock from bumping into that killer whale earlier tonight, but Qiao Dai turned off the light and closed her eyes before soon falling asleep.

***

At the same time, Cheng Su had taken a shower and came out of the bathroom. He casually wiped his hair with a towel as he opened a can with his other hand before sitting on the bed.

He picked up his phone that had been ringing for a while and unlocked it. The information he had asked the assistant to find had been sent.

His dark eyes reflected the faint light of the screen and he wasn’t sure what he was thinking; tonight’s events had obviously not been expected.

The waters of the city were too small for an orca and no matter how big a swimming pool he would build for himself, there was no way to alleviate his increasing irritability and anxiety. Because he was a killer whale, he belonged to the ocean.

But tonight, as he was resting in the water to calm his mind, who could have known that he would suddenly hear some splashing noise and find a small sea otter swimming happily in his pool before falling asleep comfortably. Looking at this dumb little animal, Cheng Su had felt both angry and playful and had teased her. And of course, he had scared her away as expected.

Thinking of this, Cheng Su couldn’t help but hum lightly and squeeze the phone he was still holding in his hand.

Cheng Su had asked his assistant to send him the list of people who had participated in today’s filming today. Most of the banquet’s guests were the Group Cheng’s business partners and he remembered all of them; the small drunk seat otter must have been someone temporarily invited to shoot on the North Island today.

And if he closed his eyes, he could recall her voice and figure in the dark, just like a panicked and frightened little animal.

No, not just like one. A real, panicked, and frightened little animal.

Cheng Su opened his eyes; his gaze fell on Qiao Dai’s information on the screen and he didn’t feel too surprised.

Cheng Su stayed silent and the assistant who had just sent the information asked: “President Cheng, are you also going to attend tomorrow’s discussion? Do I need to inform the other side to make proper arrangements?”

The assistant thought this was the reason Cheng Su had asked for that information so late at night, who knew that after a while, Cheng Su finally answered: “Forget it, this isn’t necessary.”

The assistant was startled and it took him a long time to react. He had followed Cheng Su for some years now and he had rarely seen this kind of indecisiveness from him.

Cheng Su felt the assistant’s surprise but did not bother with his emotions and simply hung up the phone. It was just a strange little sea otter, he didn’t need to care so much about it.

***

Early the next morning, in the North Island Café.

A man sat quietly in front of the French windows facing the street. Cheng Su glanced at the time and there was still a long way to go before Meng Lingsi would bring Qiao Dai to meet with the producer.

Why was he even here? Cheng Su’s eyelid jumped and he couldn’t help but give a soft tsk.

He also wanted to know.