Missed

The Honda Accord cut through the night. Her makeup still on, Zhong Chuhong had changed into her comfiest jeans and sneakers. From time to time, she glanced to the side. Chen Qi was leaning back against the seat, head slightly tilted, resting with his eyes closed. *He always seems so tired, grabbing whatever sleep he can the moment he gets a spare second...* Zhong Chuhong thought to herself. In truth, she was intensely curious about him and longed for a chance to chat, but they were never alone. Looking at the two guardians in the front seats, she finally couldn't help asking, "Hey! Why are you giving me a ride home?" "If you run into those Indian guys again, production will have to shut down and we'll lose money. The loss would far outweigh any gain." "Can't you say something nice for once?" "Things that sound nice are usually lies." "So do you give every actress in your films a ride home?" "Depends on the situation. When Ah Zhen was filming, I drove her home every single day." "Ah Zhen is just a kid!" Seeing that Chen Qi kept his eyes closed, she felt an even stronger urge to pry. "When is Ah Zhen's movie coming out?" "It's going to Cannes in May, and it'll probably hit theaters in the second half of the year. You can come watch it. It really is quite good... As for your film, it's slated for the Christmas slot. Sentimental couples love a good romance around Christmas." "Will you be doing publicity events for it?" "Of course. The entire focus of this film is the promotion. When the time comes, you can join us on the roadshow. Right now, you're shooting for us in secret, but once it's released, all of Hong Kong will know. How will you handle yourself then?" "What can a small-time starlet like me do? I'll just follow whatever arrangements my company makes." "What if they make you write a letter of repentance?" "A letter of repentance..." Zhong Chuhong wanted to say it wasn't a big deal—if she had to write one, she would. But saying that right to his face felt inappropriate, leaving her momentarily embarrassed. Chen Qi suddenly opened his eyes, looked at her, and said, "Why not come over to Great Wall?" "You want me to join the Left?" She pointed at herself, amused. "I never even passed a history class! I don't understand any of that political stuff. It's not that I hold anything against you people—I really just don't get it. All I want is to earn a bit of money." "Great Wall is doing well right now. The pay can't match Golden Harvest or Cinema City, but it's definitely better than what you get at Shaw Brothers. When we expand in the future, we're bound to become number one in Hong Kong. Jump ship early, and you'll be Great Wall's leading lady. Everyone else will be your junior." "Great Wall's leading lady?" The phrase sounded comical to Zhong Chuhong. She laughed and said, "To be honest, it really doesn't matter to me. As long as there's money to make, roles to play, and a way to buy my mom a bigger flat, I'm fine anywhere. But you springing this offer on me right now... I can't give you an answer." "That's fine. You have plenty of time to think it over." As they spoke, the car pulled up to Chungking Mansions. "Thanks for tonight!" Zhong Chuhong stepped out of the car. Chen Qi asked, "Do you have night shoots tomorrow?" "Yeah!" "Oh..." He nodded without another word and waved his hand. "Bye-bye!" Zhong Chuhong blinked, flashing her dimples, then turned and dashed into the building. She hurried into the elevator, rushed inside her flat, and immediately ran out to the balcony to look. Down below, the car was just pulling away. Clearly, he had waited a moment to make sure she didn't scream for help before leaving. "He's clearly a decent guy, so why does he have to have such a foul mouth?" "Can't figure him out at all!" Her family was already fast asleep. After washing up, she lay in bed, closing her eyes and opening them again, not feeling sleepy in the slightest. She was genuinely looking forward to tomorrow. That man made filming so interesting. Around him, she felt completely relaxed and at ease, as if a gift box were set before her every day, waiting to be unwrapped to reveal some unexpected surprise. Down on the street, the Honda Accord drove on into the hazy night. Xiao Mo, who had listened to their entire conversation from the front seat, finally spoke up: "Comrade Chen Qi!" "Hey, I know what you're going to say!" Chen Qi cut him off, assuring him, "You heard her just now. She has great potential and can strengthen our ranks. I was merely doing united front work on her." "Well, your method of doing united front work is certainly unique!" Xiao Mo tossed back sarcastically, though he didn't press the matter further. * * * The next morning, filming for *Ghost* proceeded as scheduled. In the original movie, the male lead encounters an evil ghost on the subway who can touch physical objects, and learns the trick from him. Chen Qi replaced the evil ghost with Qiu Shuzhen, and brought in Shi Hui and Fu Mingxian as well. Qiu Shuzhen played a young girl who had died tragically. She wandered the subway day after day, riding from one stop to the next, waiting for her mother, played by Shi Hui. Yet she dared only to look from afar, never daring to step forward or follow Shi Hui home. Because her mother had given birth to another daughter. With two little girls on the set, the place instantly grew lively. And with both girls clinging to Chen Qi from either side, it became even more chaotic. "Big Brother!" "Master!" Qiu Shuzhen glared at the other girl, warning, "Stop pestering him! He's my master!" "Why should I listen to you? He's my big brother! You're only allowed to call him master!" Fu Mingxian retorted, completely unfazed. "I... I..." Aggrieved, Qiu Shuzhen looked up at Chen Qi with teary eyes. Chen Qi refused to take sides, saying coldly, "I brought you here to act, not to bicker. If you keep fighting, both of you can go home and I'll find replacements." "Humph!" "Humph!" Both pouted in grievance. Chen Qi maintained his cold demeanor. He had to be stern—if he couldn't handle just two little sisters, how was he going to manage later? Don't forget, there were still Jiang Shan, He Qing, and Tao Huimin waiting back home! A short while later, shooting began. Inside the soundstage dressed as a subway platform, Shi Hui wore the plain attire of an ordinary mother. She squatted down to coax Fu Mingxian. "Zhizhi, be a good girl, okay? How about Mommy buys you ice cream?" "Okay! I want ice cream!" "Look how big you are, and you're still crying?" Fu Mingxian acted spoiled, and Shi Hui took her hand, leading her away. "..." In her ghostly state, Qiu Shuzhen stood right before them, watching. The gaze she directed at Shi Hui was filled with yearning and devotion, but when she looked at Fu Mingxian, her eyes flared with pure venom. She even raised her hand as if to kill her, but after looking at her mother, she lowered it again. Liu Dehua stood behind her and asked, "Who is she to you?" "Mind your own business!" "Is she your mother? And that little girl is your sister..." "Get lost!" Qiu Shuzhen whipped around with a terrifying roar. Liu Dehua, strapped into a wire rig, flew backward several meters and slammed onto the ground with a loud thud. A special effect would be used here: she would rush forward like a phantom, stomp her foot onto his face, and scream in a fury, "Now that you've learned it, get lost! Don't let me see you again, or I'll scatter your soul to the winds!" Chen Qi hadn't written out the backstory of what happened to this little ghost in detail, offering only a subtle brushstroke that left plenty of room for imagination. In the end, they were all tragic souls. "Cut!" Tsui Hark clapped his hands in praise. "Ah Zhen, you're getting better and better! That venomous look you gave your little sister just now was incredible—it looked like you genuinely wanted to murder her!" "..." Qiu Shuzhen rolled her eyes. *Please, I meant every bit of it!* She had only acted in two films, but in both, she was a true method actress. * * * In the afternoon, Zhong Chuhong and Liang Jiahui arrived. They had night shoots scheduled today and would be filming until late. "Hello, Director!" "Hello, Mr. Chen!" Liang Jiahui greeted everyone before heading off to makeup. Zhong Chuhong playfully joined in, offering a cheerful smile: "Hello, Mr. Chen!" "Yeah." Chen Qi gave a slight wave, his expression impassive. Zhong Chuhong was used to it by now and didn't mind. She went to get her makeup and wardrobe done, but when she returned to the set a short while later and glanced around, he was nowhere to be seen. Filming carried on. One hour passed, then two, then three... and he still hadn't returned. Even when the boxed dinners were handed out, there was still no sign of him. "Where's Mr. Chen?" she couldn't help asking a crew member. "No idea. Mr. Fu Chi called him away, and he hasn't come back since." "I know, I know! Something urgent came up, so he went back to the mainland!" another person chimed in. "Back to the mainland?" She froze. "Yeah, sounded like some important business... Oh, right, Hong-jie!" The crew member put on a fawning look, eager to take credit. "From now on, whenever you have night shoots, there'll be a car to take you home. Mr. Chen said your neighborhood isn't safe, so he assigned me to be your driver..."