CHAPTER 118

"Here's what you asked for," Han Yuping handed over the item in his hand.

Tang Ruoyao reached out and took it. "Thank you, Director Han."

Han Yuping waved his hand, and the lines etched by years on his forehead deepened. The wrinkles on the sides of his nose loosened and tightened, and he exhaled a sigh through his nostrils. "You two should argue less." He wanted to live two more years.

Tang Ruoyao smiled apologetically.

Han Yuping said, "By the way, this isn't a gift for you. I'm lending it to you for two days. You can either take pictures or copy it, but you have to return it." If it were anyone else, his wife wouldn't even lend it.

Tang Ruoyao agreed.

After seeing off Han Yuping, Tang Ruoyao opened the booklet he had given her and understood why Han Yuping's wife only allowed her to take a look.

This booklet was unusually thick and heavy in her hands. It was an A4-sized hardcover, and when she opened it, she saw a wealth of information. It not only contained written records, shooting and completion dates, and detailed reviews, character analyses, but also several stills from each film, including on-set candid shots and full movie posters. It had everything.

Starting from ten years ago, it documented up until today. The official Weibo account of "True Colors" hadn't released any official stills yet, but as Han Yuping's wife, she had internal connections and posted them early, although the written records were still blank for the time being.

Han Yuping had said that treating Qin Yinong as his own daughter wasn't a lie. Judging from the level of his wife's dedication, it was evident.

Tang Ruoyao's heart stirred slightly.

She could roughly guess that Qin Yinong's biological family was not a happy one. Leaving aside the malicious rumors and slander about her father, Qin Hongjian, there was an obvious lack of admiration when she mentioned her mother. And there were the fragments of information she revealed about her genius cousin who grew up with her, as well as her extraordinary performance during the scene depicting domestic violence by Xu Shiming on set. Tang Ruoyao could piece together Qin Yinong's family situation.

A father with a bad temper, possibly an alcoholic and likely with tendencies towards domestic violence. A mother who endured his abuse. An older sister of the same age with a powerful aura, overshadowing her from childhood, making her feel like a transparent person.

Tang Ruoyao narrowed her eyes and recalled Qin Yinong's reaction when she mentioned her cousin that day. Perhaps her cousin was good to her, but later, for some reason, she passed away.

Tang Ruoyao felt glad that Qin Yinong had Han Yuping and his wife, who genuinely loved her as their own. On the other hand, she couldn't forget that even Han Yuping didn't know about her daughter's existence. How much pain must she have endured to build such heavy walls, not daring to reveal even a trace of herself, including to Han Yuping, who treated her like his own child.

Such a person is generally extremely lacking in love but also eager to have it. However, she first concealed a lot from Han Yuping, and then repeatedly rejected and distanced herself from herself. Why?

Tang Ruoyao used to think that Qin Yinong was a maze, shrouded in heavy fog. Now, as she took step by step forward, she cleared away the clouds and discovered the traces of tears and blood left behind.

No one is born as an island, but she had been drifting alone on the vast sea for twelve years.

Sitting on the sofa, Tang Ruoyao deeply buried her fingers in her hair, and a transparent mist gradually rose in her eyes.

What she currently knew had already made her feel so uneasy. And there were things she didn't know—why did she risk her life ten years ago for a chance to audition for Han Yuping? Why was she plagued by relentless nightmares, unable to sleep through the night? Why did she hide in the closet and, when discovered, completely lose her sanity in hysterics? Why was she so averse to certain things?

She didn't have answers to these questions, but Tang Ruoyao was certain that behind every "why" was a past that Qin Yinong didn't want to mention, her own scars, and the culprit that shaped her into who she was today.

Gentle on the outside but unusually cold on the inside, she would be on high alert at the slightest movement, maintaining a level ten vigilance, treating everyone as a potential threat, not allowing anyone to get close to her.

Tang Ruoyao suddenly felt a bit scared. She let go of her hair and unconsciously bit the back of her index finger. She was afraid that Qin Yinong's unknown past was too heavy, and she stubbornly insisted on digging it out. Was it the right thing to do?

The phone on the coffee table buzzed.

Tang Ruoyao didn't know why, but her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. She picked up the phone and unlocked it.

Mu Qingwu: [I found some videos about information of Qin Yinong's past. Do you want to see?]

Mu Qingwu crossed her fingers, resting her chin on them, as she looked at the computer screen, which had reached the end of the video and stopped playing. Her eyes were slightly red. She sighed gently and lowered her head, looking at the lit-up screen of her phone.

She naturally started investigating Qin Yinong from the beginning, her family background. Qin Yinong skyrocketed to fame as soon as she debuted, and the entertainment media had dug up everything about her. There were written reports that could be found with a little effort from industry insiders. There wasn't much to say about Ji Shulan. As for Qin Hongjian, he had made significant "contributions" to Qin Yinong's current chaotic reputation and had left behind an interview video.

But what Mu Qingwu mainly wanted Tang Ruoyao to see wasn't that, but...

Mu Qingwu gently bit her lower lip and messaged Tang Ruoyao: [How about I tell you personally?]

Even as an observer, she felt a sense of suffocation, let alone someone like Tang Ruoyao, who admired Qin Yinong.

Tang Ruoyao replied, [No need, just send it to my email, and I'll watch it when I get home tonight.]

Mu Qingwu was afraid of affecting her mood, so she typed, [Alright, I'll send it to you later tonight. When do you finish work?]

Tang Ruoyao replied, [I have night scenes today, so it might be a bit late. I'll let you know when I finish.]

Mu Qingwu responded, [Okay.]

Xin Qian knocked on the door from outside and reminded, "Tang Tang, it's time to go to the filming center."

Tang Ruoyao thanked Mu Qingwu and put away her phone. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked out.

From the distance, she heard a pleasant and light laughter, carried by the wind brushing against her face.

Only one person would dare to laugh freely like this on set, and her laughter sounded so melodious—Qin Yinong.

Qin Yinong had a grand presence on set, surrounded by her assistant team as usual, along with a few makeup artists. Assistant Xiao was holding a small plate of cherries, ripe and vibrant, and was about to bring it to the edge of Qin Yinong's red lips.

Qin Yinong looked at Xiao with a gentle smile and opened her lips to take a bite, saying, "You should have some too. They taste good."

Xiao whispered, "Teacher Tang is here."

Qin Yinong accidentally choked, her fair face turning red. She coughed, and her peach blossom eyes glimmered as she gave the other person a playful glare.

Xiao covered her mouth and laughed.

Guan Han frowned, her gaze stern, and cleared her throat.

These people were becoming more and more unruly. She would scold them later!

Meanwhile, Tang Ruoyao had approached. The assistant team exchanged glances and made innocent gestures, greeting her in unison, "Hello, Teacher Tang."

Tang Ruoyao's expression remained calm as she responded, "Hello."

She sat on her own mini stool, gracefully took the cherry plate from Xiao's hand, picked one herself, and before she could feed it to Qin Yinong, Qin Yinong immediately straightened up with a casual and lazy posture, coughing, "I'll do it myself."

So many eyes were on them, creating an ambiguous and controversial atmosphere.

Tang Ruoyao softened her brows and opened her mouth, and gently said, "Ah," implying,  "Then you feed me."

Qin Yinong's expression momentarily went blank when Tang Ruoyao burst into laughter.

Tang Ruoyao's gaze fixed on the top of Qin Yinong's head. Afraid of messing up her freshly styled hair for the scene, she took an alternative approach. She daringly reached out and lightly touched Qin Yinong's face with her fingertips, affectionately saying, "Take your time, Senior Qin. I'll go find Director Han."

Qin Yinong didn't get angry, she just responded a beat later, softly saying, "Okay."

Tang Ruoyao deeply gazed at her with hidden emotions surging in her eyes, then turned and walked away.

She thought to herself: Fortunately, she had enough perseverance to withstand Qin Yinong's sharp thorns until now, giving her the chance to touch the soft white belly hidden beneath those thorns.

She really wanted to hug her.

Qin Yinong lazily reclined back in her chair again, feeling that Tang Ruoyao's hesitant glance contained a thousand unspoken words.

Xiao asked, "Qin Jie, do you still want cherries?"

Qin Yinong shook her head and said, "No, you can have them."

Tang Ruoyao glanced back and saw that Qin Yinong had stopped eating cherries and wasn't smiling like before.

She assumed too much and messaged her: [I'm not jealous, let others continue to feed you.]

She hoped that Qin Yinong would have as much love as possible, whether it was family, friendship, or assistantship. A person's life would have many different types of relationships, and she only wanted the romantic kind. Being loved by others like this further demonstrated her own charm.

She deserved the best the world had to offer.

Qin Yinong, upon receiving the message, felt speechless yet couldn't help but curl her lips slightly.

Shortly after, Qin Yinong went to the filming center.

Guan Han finally seized the opportunity to call the group of assistant brats to the lounge, lining them up and criticizing them one by one.

"Why are you all being so attentive? Have you forgotten who your boss is?"

One assistant lowered her head, murmuring a few words under her breath, but no sound came out. However, Guan Han knew exactly what they were thinking and straightforwardly said, "You all think Tang Ruoyao is the boss, so you treat her like family, is that it?"

The assistants trembled and remained silent, acknowledging their mistake.

Guan Han's voice sank as she said, "Don't forget, even if she's not the boss now, if she becomes one in the future, you still have to follow Qin Jie's lead! Each and every one of you is young in age but lacking in brains. Do you know what kind of rumors are circulating within the crew?"

Silence.

Guan Han called out the name of an assistant, asking her to step forward. "You, tell me, what rumors have you been hearing recently?"

While there were some rumors about the two forming a couple on set, they were the minority among the overall crowd. Most of the rumors involved malicious speculation about the relationship between Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao. Qin Yinong had a reputation outside, and with Tang Ruoyao's ambiguous behavior towards her, no good rumors would circulate.

The assistant lowered her head and timidly said, "They say... they say that Teacher Tang is trying to ride on Qin Jie's coattails to advance her own position."

There were also rumors about exchanging sexual favors and accompanying each other at night, implying that the supposedly pure and virtuous goddess was nothing more than a loose woman or promiscuous person. The assistant chose to omit the more severe rumors and only mentioned the lighter ones.

Guan Han's face turned cold. "You've all heard this?"

The assistants' overheated brains were abruptly cooled down by Guan Han's words.

Guan Han continued, "You've been in the studio for so long, you should know that Qin Jie has always avoided any suspicion with her artists, just to avoid causing them trouble. But when it comes to Miss Tang, you seem to have forgotten how to behave. You're pushing her to the forefront of criticism."

One assistant stood up straight, with a sincere expression, and took the initiative to speak. "We understand our mistake."

Guan Han's expression softened slightly.

Another assistant asked, "So what should we do? Ignore her?"

Guan Han almost laughed in exasperation. If it weren't for their loyalty, she would have fired each and every one of them with their narrow-mindedness. It was because Qin Yinong liked simple and straightforward people that she kept this group of assistants, including Yi Yiyi from the studio.

Guan Han said quietly, "Don't get too close, but don't distance yourselves either. Treat Miss Tang the same way you treat Qin Jie's co-stars. You can be a bit more friendly as appropriate."

"Raise your hand if you have any questions about what 'as appropriate' means."

"We'll follow your instructions," they replied.

Guan Han took a sip of water, moistened her throat, and said, "Xiao."

Xiao nervously stepped forward, swallowing hard.

Guan Han raised an eyebrow and forced out a dangerous smile. "You seem to be soaring high recently. Should I get you a flying monkey costume?"

......

The plot of "True Colors" takes a sharp turn after Shen Muqing and Han Zifei return home.

Both of them are still immersed in their optimistic thoughts about the future, especially Han Zifei. She continues her studies at the university and no matter how late it is, she comes back every day to accompany Shen Muqing, staying at her house until late at night before going home.

During that era, homosexuality was not widely exposed to the public eye. Han Zifei's parents both worked in factories, and the environment around them was more conservative. They never suspected anything in that regard. However, they did have some dissatisfaction with Han Zifei not being at home every day and frequently going to the neighbor's house.

"Scene 34 of 'True Colors,' take one, action!"

Han Zifei's mother handed her a braised chicken wing.

Han Zifei didn't even lift her head, still having food in her mouth, and mumbled, "Thanks, Mom."

Han Zifei's mother put down her chopsticks and suddenly said with a sour tone, "Do you still even see me as your mother?"

Han Zifei looked up and smiled, asking her father with her eyes for clarification.

Her father said, "It's just that you keep going to the Xu family's house every day..."

Han Zifei instinctively felt disgusted when she heard the name "Xu," especially since Shen Muqing, a perfectly good person, had to be associated with Xu. Her facial expression subtly changed, and she corrected, "I go to see Teacher Shen."

Her mother said, "That's what I'm talking about, going to see Teacher Shen. Did she give you some kind of love potion, or does she prepare delicious late-night snacks for you every night? Why do you like going to her place so much?"

The corner of Han Zifei's eyes curved upward.

Shen Muqing did give her a love potion, making her lose her sense of direction. Late-night snacks? Of course, that's Shen Muqing herself. Shen Muqing treated her with utmost care, creating a world of tenderness for her, allowing her to explore every corner inside and out. If her mother hadn't locked the door, she wouldn't want to come back.

She pressed her lips to suppress the excessive curvature, lowered her head, and poked the rice in her bowl. Her teenage thoughts were fully exposed as she softly said, "Didn't you ask Teacher Shen to tutor me?"

Her mother said, "Give it a rest. You're already in college. What can she tutor you in?"

Han Zifei burst into laughter and unconsciously became coquettish, "Mom~"

Her father laughed heartily.

Her mother's anger dissipated by her coquettishness, she picked up her chopsticks again and casually said, "Anyway, you won't be able to go there for much longer. The head of the Xu family is coming back soon. Let the couple live their lives, and be careful not to get kicked out when you go there in the middle of the night."

Han Zifei's expression immediately soured, and she blurted out, "Xu Shiming?"

Her father lightly scolded, "How can you speak like that? You should call him uncle."

Han Zifei was unwilling and reluctant, holding her nose and calling out, "Uncle Xu, isn't he working out of town?"

Although she had been looking forward to Xu Shiming's return so that Shen Muqing could ask him for a divorce and sever their ties, the reality was right in front of her, and she instinctively felt unease and fear of the unknown.

After all, Xu Shiming was an adult man, Shen Muqing's husband in name, so would their divorce go smoothly?

Han Zifei's mother said, "Why hasn't he been transferred back yet? His wife and kid are here. He can't stay away forever. Are you so fond of Teacher Shen that you want to see her become a widow?"

What widow? She hoped Shen Muqing would become a widow directly! Han Zifei snorted coldly, "A man who beats his wife like him, his wife and children might not want him to come back."

Han's mother said, "That's none of your business. Eat!"

It was Han's father who finished chewing the bamboo shoots in his mouth and swallowed them before saying, "He lost his job before, and life wasn't going well, so he vented his frustration on his family. It should be different now. Besides, I'm watching. If he really lays a hand on her, I'll intervene and prevent it from escalating to fatal consequences."

As long as no one dies, it's fine? Truly merciful. Are women inherently worthless? Meant to be abused by others? Han Zifei's lip curled into a cold smile, "I didn't see you intervening on several occasions in the past."

Han Zifei's mother said, "How can you talk to your father like that?"

A barely noticeable hint of red appeared at the corner of Han Zifei's eye, and she said, "Did I say something wrong? When Teacher Shen was being beaten, you—"

Han's mother interrupted her, "Enough with your words! Your mouth can't even stop when eating! Which man doesn't hit women?"

Han Zifei angrily retorted, "Dad doesn't hit!"

Han's mother said, "Your father is your father!"

Han Zifei sarcastically replied, "So my dad isn't a man?"

The mother and daughter argued back and forth, tensions rising.

Han's father laughed and intervened, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Each of you say one less thing." He separately picked up a piece of meat for both mother and daughter, releasing the authority of the head of the family, and said in a deep voice, "Eat."

The mother and daughter fell silent.

Han Zifei buried her face in her rice bowl, a tear rolling down her eyelashes and falling into the rice.

The camera zoomed out, capturing the full view of the family of three. The dining table was quiet, with only the sound of utensils clinking. Further out, the illuminated house blended with the warm moonlight, occasional insect chirps coming from the grass, and a vibrant red phoenix flower peeking over the wall.

Ten years as if it were just one day, nothing has changed, yet everything has changed.

Han Yuping: "Cut. That's a wrap."

Tang Ruoyao stood up and respectfully bowed to the two actors who played her parents. "Thank you for your hard work."

Both of them naturally smiled and said, "You've worked hard too, Xiao Tang."

Tang Ruoyao smiled slightly and took the tissue handed to her by Xin Qian. She gently wiped her moist eyelashes and walked towards the preparation area where Qin Yinong was sitting.

The closer she got to her, the lighter Tang Ruoyao's footsteps became. She walked step by step until she stood in front of Qin Yinong, stopped, and smiled at him, her eyes shining as if anticipating something.

Qin Yinong tilted her head and said as she wished, "You acted well."

Tang Ruoyao suppressed the urge to jump up and pretended to be calm. "Thank you for the compliment."

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow. "It's the truth."

The corners of Tang Ruoyao's mouth curved wider and wider. She had to use her palm to cover up her excessively radiant smile. She sat down next to him, and Qin Yinong handed her a bottle of water.

Tang Ruoyao's lips were blocked by her palm as she awkwardly said, "Thank you."

Qin Yinong's eyebrows and eyes showed a pleased expression as she softly said, "You're welcome."

Tang Ruoyao's ear was tickled by a feather she used to scratch it.

It was a night scene now, with few people on set, and the lighting was dim.

After shooting this scene, the crew members were busy preparing for the next one and didn't have time to pay attention to them.

Qin Yinong looked into her eyes and said, "The long take was indeed very good."

Tang Ruoyao paused for a moment, her cheeks unnaturally heating up. She thought the praise was over, but it seemed there was more. Strange... she felt a bit embarrassed.

In a very formal tone, Qin Yinong's gentle voice carried a hint of pride as she said, "When you joined the crew, I told you about the coordination problem with body language. You've improved a lot. Just now, watching you, I felt that you were truly Han Zifei, a harmonious and happy family, someone who hasn't experienced the hardships of life, carefree and always standing up for justice in the world. Your gaze and movements were particularly on point, especially that line 'So my dad isn't a man?' delivered with a serious anger, unexpectedly creating a natural comedic effect. Hmm, I feel like you might have a chance to try comedy in the future."

Tang Ruoyao lowered her head, her hands nervously squeezing the mineral water bottle, her heart pounding.

Qin Yinong was still praising her. If she kept praising... if she kept praising, Tang Ruoyao would want to kiss her.

Qin Yinong: "I didn't mean for you to pursue a career in comedy, but comedy is also a genre in film. The way it is performed, the modulation of emotions, and its distinctiveness from other genres make it challenging and interesting. You'll gain a lot from shooting a comedy film. I believe every outstanding actor should proactively broaden their range, enrich their experiences, and make more attempts instead of sticking to the same path."

"I've seen your performance in 'Double Happiness Comes Knocking,'" Tang Ruoyao said.

"How was it?" Qin Yinong turned her head and looked at her, a rare trace of uneasiness hidden in her eyes.

At this moment, Tang Ruoyao didn't see Tang Ruoyao as a junior in the entertainment industry but as an equal peer on the acting path. Perhaps, there was also some nervousness regarding the evaluation from her soon-to-be lover.

Tang Ruoyao realized this and felt a warm sensation throughout her body.

"It was very..." Tang Ruoyao pondered for a moment, her lips curved up. "Refreshing."

Qin Yinong: "Haha, really? How so?"

Tang Ruoyao was certain that she heard Qin Yinong's relaxed laughter, not an illusion. It was directed at her, for the first time. Tang Ruoyao's heart couldn't help but tremble. She took off her coat and placed it over her legs, using the large coat to hide her actions as she held Qin Yinong's hand.

She had heard the rumors on set, all the vulgar and defamatory comments about her. Tang Ruoyao didn't care, but she knew Qin Yinong cared deeply. In the past four years, apart from that house, she didn't dare to have any private contact with Qin Yinong, afraid of tarnishing her reputation. Tang Ruoyao had racked her brains, trying every method to protect herself, and fortunately, she didn't realize it too late.

The warmth of the young woman's palm made Qin Yinong's ring finger tremble slightly as she gently returned the grip.

After a moment's contemplation, Tang Ruoyao continued on the topic, "The character you played, the woman who desperately wanted to get married and went on blind dates, deliberately had an unflattering appearance, gained weight, and used a completely different acting style, a kind of Hong Kong-style comedy. I couldn't even recognize you in the trailer."

"The entire crew of that film was from Hong Kong, from the director to the actors, I was the only one from mainland China," Qin Yinong replied with pursed lips and a smile.

"But how did you manage to get in?"

"One day, we were all having dinner together, a big group of people. Suddenly, the director mentioned that she wanted to shoot a New Year comedy film and was selecting actors. When I heard that, I volunteered and said, 'Why not consider me as well? I've been wanting to do comedy.' The next day, the film contract was delivered to my desk."

"Was it that casual? Without even an audition?"

"..."

Qin Yinong suddenly paused, leaving several seconds of silence without continuing. Tang Ruoyao turned her head to look at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Qin Yinong's eyes revealed a rare trace of sorrow: "When I make movies, people come running to me with scripts, I don't have to beg them." That's the only thing I can do well.

Tang Ruoyao chuckled softly, "Ahem, I'm sorry. Emperor Qin, wise and mighty, renowned internationally."

Qin Yinong clicked her tongue, depreciating her would make her unhappy, but praising her didn't please her either.

Tang Ruoyao quickly changed the subject and said, "I remember that director's name is Xu..."

"Xu Zhi."

"Ohh, could you introduce me to her when you have the chance?"

"Sure, but I worked with her five or four years ago, so I haven't been following her recent movies. I've been too busy. Let me see if her skills have declined."

"If they have declined?"

"Then you shouldn't take the offer. You're a renowned actress now, with exceptional talent and youthful beauty. Scripts come to you like snowflakes, you can carefully choose good directors who will be a great help to you."

"Every year, there are so many renowned actresses, both domestic and international. If you gather them all, they won't fit in a basketball court. Senior Qin, are you sure you're not mocking me?" Tang Ruoyao intentionally misunderstood her meaning.

"You're different." Qin Yinong said without hesitation.

"What's different about me?" Tang Ruoyao pursued.

Qin Yinong lowered her gaze to her shoe tips, as if trying to find patterns in the blue fabric.

After a long pause, she softly said, "It's just... different."

She slowly withdrew her hand, which Tang Ruoyao had warmed, stood up from the chair, uncomfortably adjusted her clothes, and avoided looking into her eyes. "Director Han wants to see me. I'll go for a while."

Author's Note:

Han Yuping: It wasn't me, I didn't ask for her.

The knife was already sharpened, but unexpectedly, a sweet chapter was released. Truly worthy of me.jpg

It's not a very anguishing knife, it licks the sugar on the blade, or perhaps it's pure sugar. Not sure~

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