CHAPTER 210
August 24th, 11:45 PM, fifteen minutes before the official release of "True Colors."
In a shopping mall in the capital city, two women walked out of the elevator on the floor where the cinema was located. One had shoulder-length hair, of medium height but well-proportioned, especially with her long legs that looked even more beautiful in shorts. The other woman was tall, with waist-length, chestnut-colored hair, exuding a strong sense of fashion.
Both of them wore black masks and matching couple baseball caps.
This mall was relatively remote, with a total of five floors. Except for the cinema on the fourth floor and the Hai Di Lao restaurant on the fifth floor, all other stores had long closed. Only the cinema on the fourth floor was illuminated, while the rest of the area was shrouded in darkness.
Ren Xingyue instinctively held Lin Ruohan's hand and gently reminded her in a soft voice, "Be careful and watch your step."
Lin Ruohan waved her hand playfully and said, "I know, I'm not blind."
Ren Xingyue didn't reply, but held her hand again, tightly.
Lin Ruohan turned her head to look at the movie posters on the wall, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
As it was approaching dawn, there weren't many people in the cinema. As they looked around, they saw mostly couples, with more girls than boys. Ren Xingyue asked Lin Ruohan to wait in place while she went to the ticket machine to retrieve the tickets. After adjusting her cap, she headed to the counter.
"One double popcorn combo, please. Thank you," Ren Xingyue spoke with a slightly lower voice, different from her usual tone.
There was only one person left at the counter, about to finish her shift. Seeing a customer arriving at this time, wearing a mask and appearing mysterious in the dim lighting, she didn't bother to carefully examine the person's appearance beyond their eyes and nose. She quickly prepared a large bucket of popcorn and two cups of cola, pushing them forward and lifting the QR code for payment with her chin.
Ren Xingyue completed the payment, holding a cup of cola in each hand, and carrying the large portion of popcorn as she walked towards Lin Ruohan.
Lin Ruohan chose a dimly lit spot, afraid of being recognized, but it couldn't hide the radiance she exuded in Ren Xingyue's eyes. In the final few steps, she practically ran over.
When she approached, Lin Ruohan took one cup of cola and scolded her, "Why did you run so fast?"
Ren Xingyue blinked her eyes without missing a beat, "I was afraid you'd run away."
Lin Ruohan: "..."
She was very young, even after spending so many years with Ren Xingyue, she still appeared youthful. Just twenty-four years old, her birthday was in the latter half of the year, so technically she was only twenty-three. She was lively and spirited, like a fresh cabbage.
Lin Ruohan was eleven years older, already thirty-five. Even if a female celebrity took great care of her appearance, she wouldn't look like someone in her early twenties.
Lin Ruohan muttered with a straw in her mouth, "Who's actually afraid of the other running away?"
Ren Xingyue quickly moved closer and kissed her on the upper lip while she was biting the straw.
Lin Ruohan quickly let go of the straw and looked up, saying, "You!"
Ren Xingyue impulsively pressed her against the pillar behind her, turning an informal kiss into a formal one. It didn't last long, no more than two seconds, but it was enough to make Lin Ruohan's heart pound like a drum. She looked around to make sure no one noticed and whispered in a low voice, "Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of..."
Ren Xingyue shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not afraid. If they capture it on camera, so be it. It's not the first time I've been caught."
Lin Ruohan: "... Forget it, I won't argue with young people."
She shook the ice cola in her hand and glanced at the bucket of popcorn in Ren Xingyue's embrace, nitpicking, "Don't you know I can't eat this kind of stuff if I want to lose weight?"
Ren Xingyue said, "I'll eat it."
Lin Ruohan said, "Your concert..."
Ren Xingyue replied, "It doesn't matter, fans don't care if I'm fat or not."
Lin Ruohan said, "I..." I care.
Ren Xingyue's heart felt a slight sweetness, and she said, "I won't sleep when I go back tonight. I'll go exercise and make sure to burn off all the calories."
Lin Ruohan tapped her on the head, interrupting her chatter. She took a deep breath and said, "If you're so good at answering questions, why don't you go perform a skit? I'm asking if you have concert tickets, give me one VIP ticket. I want to hear it live."
Ren Xingyue froze and said, "Huh?"
Lin Ruohan looked at her sideways and said indifferently, "Reluctant?"
Ren Xingyue realized and ecstatically said, "You want to come to my concert?"
Lin Ruohan replied in a bored tone, "Well, I have nothing else to do. If there are no tickets, forget it."
Ren Xingyue quickly said, "There are tickets!" Even if there were no tickets, she would bring her on stage to sing together.
Lin Ruohan immediately patted her shoulder and said, "But you can't, little guy. What happened to the one-minute sellout you promised? Could it be false advertising?"
Ren Xingyue could only smile and obediently say, "I specifically saved a family ticket for you."
Lin Ruohan bit the straw again and said, "Hmph," she said, "Who knows if you saved it for some little fairy."
But the corners of her eyes curved up.
Ren Xingyue gently touched Lin Ruohan's head through her cap.
Ren Xingyue didn't tell her, but she had reserved a VIP ticket in the best location for every concert she held. Even during the time they were separated, there were no exceptions, and no one else occupied that spot, just like her heart, always unwavering and unchanged.
"The audience attending the midnight premiere of 'True Colors' can now enter," the staff at the ticket gate announced. The lovers sitting in their chairs or friends in groups stood up one after another, taking out their movie tickets and heading towards the ticket gate.
After Ren Xingyue and the others had entered, she finally approached with Lin Ruohan. Holding popcorn and cola in one hand, she reached out with the other hand to hand over the ticket—a bit clumsily. The ticket checker tore off the stub and handed it back, saying, "Go to the right after entering Hall 5, it's at the end."
Lin Ruohan took the ticket before Ren Xingyue could reach for it, saying, "Thank you."
She reached up and patted Ren Xingyue's shoulder, her long black hair swaying elegantly, and said casually, "Let's go, bro."
Ren Xingyue: "..."
What's with the "bro" nickname? Oh well, as long as she's happy.
"Slow down," Ren Xingyue said, not wanting the popcorn to spill for later.
The ticket checker looked at the two of them walking away with their arms around each other and frowned slightly, feeling a vague sense of familiarity. However, both of them kept their heads down and wore masks the whole time, so she couldn't see their faces clearly. She decided to suppress her doubts for now.
Based on Lin Ruohan's wealth, she could have easily rented the entire theater. However, she didn't want to do that, saying that a crowded place would create a better movie-watching atmosphere. But with more people around, there was also a higher risk of being recognized. So, the two of them compromised and chose a secluded cinema, driving all the way here despite the inconvenience.
The screening hall had considerately arranged couple seats, with the last two rows designated for that purpose. They sat in the second-to-last row, on a sofa-style couple seat with wide side panels, ensuring that no one could peek at them.
Lin Ruohan leaned forward and looked around for a while. As expected, there were only a few scattered heads in front of them. The location wasn't great, as it seemed that the theater, which could hold two to three hundred people, had less than ten percent occupancy—only about a dozen people.
In the past, midnight premieres of popular movies would at least have a full house or a seventy to eighty percent occupancy rate. Lin Ruohan couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment, thinking to herself, "It's still a niche film, after all."
Even if it generated a lot of buzz online, the actual audience turnout was significantly lower. Among female celebrities, there were none who could carry box office sales like middle-aged male stars, or even come close. Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao were considered relatively good. Qin Yinong had a big reputation as a talented actress, and even passersby would be willing to watch a movie with her name attached. Tang Ruoyao was in her rising period, with a lot of popularity, and her recent movies had been doing well at the box office.
But with a theme like same-s*x relationships, it directly rejects at least half of the general audience. According to the latest data, the post-90s generation contributes the most to box office revenue, but even then, the number of viewers barely crosses the halfway mark, and among them, there are many young people who do not accept homosexuality.
Lin Ruohan secretly worried for Qin Yinong, fearing that if the box office didn't perform well, it would affect future screenings. Fortunately, there were no big-budget blockbusters released during the same period. Instead, there was a domestic romantic film, most likely a flop that everyone understood, even if it wasn't terrible, it would be difficult to become a hit.
"I want to rent the entire theater." she quietly said to Ren Xingyue.
"Sure," Ren Xingyue placed the cola in a convenient spot and put the popcorn on her lap. "Which theater? How many screenings? I'll have my assistant arrange it tomorrow."
Lin Ruohan pondered for a moment and said, "Let's see how the box office performs first." If it showed promising results in the early stages, she would rent it in a few days. If not, she would start earlier, trying to generate some buzz.
"I'll go with whatever you decide."
Lin Ruohan turned her head, wanting to see Ren Xingyue's face, but the lights in the theater dimmed, leaving only a faint silhouette. She could only see a pair of bright eyes gazing at her attentively.
Suddenly, Lin Ruohan had a thought, 'Has she been watching me all this time?'
The movie screening began.
Lin Ruohan noticed that people started entering through the entrance one after another. The number of viewers increased significantly within five minutes, from the initial dozen to around thirty or forty. There were both men and women among the newcomers, with more men than women.
It was Tuesday, the workday of the Chinese Valentine's Day, and Lin Ruohan raised an eyebrow, thinking, "Maybe it's not bad after all?"
The projection illuminated the enormous screen, capturing the subtle expressions of each character.
Shen Muqing, dressed in a light blue cheongsam, stood outside the doorway, gentle and courteous, with a slight smile on her face. "Hello, Student Han."
Han Zifei stared blankly, momentarily dumbfounded, then quickly changed from her mischievous self in front of her mother to an incredibly obedient one. "Hello, Teacher Shen."
"Good girl." Shen Muqing smiled gently, her elegance resembling a pale pear blossom.
Han Zifei almost spaced out again, hurriedly turning her head to look at the phoenix tree peeking out from the courtyard wall on the right side. The leaves of the tree were vibrant red, reflecting on her cheeks, tinting them crimson.
She discreetly tucked her slightly sweaty hands into her pockets, rubbing them against the dry fabric.
Such a small action revealed her girl's affectionate demeanor.
Lin Ruohan covered her heart and exclaimed softly, "Ah, she's smitten, she's smitten!"
Ren Xingyue couldn't help but chuckle and fed her a piece of popcorn.
Lin Ruohan chewed on it and opened her mouth, requesting, "More, please."
Lin Ruohan is a loyal audience member and an excellent actress. She momentarily took herself out of the movie and commented while eating, "Tang Ruoyao rarely played this type of role before, but she did so well. It's natural and not artificial, and her emotional expression is spot on. She holds her ground against Qin Yinong without losing out." She sighed, "The rising tide of the Yangtze River pushes the waves ahead. [The younger generation is always surpassing the older one] I'm afraid I'll soon be left behind."
Ren Xingyue didn't respond. She knew Lin Ruohan was just speaking casually. Tang Ruoyao still had a long way to catch up to her.
As expected, after a second, Lin Ruohan immersed herself back into the story. The hidden feelings between the two characters made her squirm in her seat.
Ren Xingyue alternated between watching the movie and watching Lin Ruohan. She found it more entertaining to observe Lin Ruohan and couldn't help but chuckle from time to time.
Han Zifei gave Shen Muqing some dates, and the two shared their first kiss in the study.
Lin Ruohan: "Ahhhhh!"
After the kiss, Shen Muqing felt it went too far and drew a line between them.
Lin Ruohan: "Waaahhh."
The movie portrayed Shen Muqing being abused by her husband.
Lin Ruohan: "What the hell, this scumbag! Blow him up right then and there!"
Lin Ruohan: "Get lost!"
Ren Xingyue quickly fed her several popcorns, letting Lin Ruohan chew on them as if they were the scumbag, releasing her anger.
Han Zifei chased away the drunken Xu Shiming, dropped the mop in her hand, and couldn't help but embrace Shen Muqing in her arms, carefully kissing her temple.
Surrounded by the scent of the young woman, Shen Muqing felt extremely relieved and couldn't help but shed tears.
Lin Ruohan: "Woo, they finally hugged! Mom is crying too. Muqing, quickly leave that scumbag husband. He's not worth it in this world."
Shen Muqing's husband went to work in another city, leaving the two young lovers in their own world.
Han Zifei suggested going on a trip, and Shen Muqing agreed.
Lin Ruohan shifted her body, sat up straight, and whispered, "When they were filming this scene, I visited the set. It seemed like they were having some conflicts at that time. I almost became the cannon fodder between them."
Ren Xingyue, perceptive, asked, "Oh?"
Lin Ruohan remembered the time when she planned to pursue Tang Ruoyao and awkwardly stopped herself, clearing her throat. "Let's continue watching the movie."
Ren Xingyue glanced at her meaningfully, her eyes filled with depth. "Okay."
The honeymoon phase was long gone, and Lin Ruohan couldn't stop herself from giggling like an aunt, "Hehehehe, hahahaha."
The number of audience members in front of the screen kept increasing, and many people were infected by the atmosphere of the movie, lightly kissing their partners. The theater was filled with romance and tenderness.
During the passionate scene, Lin Ruohan couldn't control the upward curve of her lips. She covered her flushed face with both hands, her heart racing, feeling inexplicably shy.
When she snapped out of it, she realized that she, as an experienced viewer, was being led into the scene by Qin Yinong's performance.
Lin Ruohan: "..."
She could no longer able to comment on Qin Yinong's acting anymore, the other person was a monster.
The next day, Shen Han and Han Zifei went mountain climbing.
Shen Muqing was exhausted and panting for breath, while Han Zifei remained calm and composed, not showing any signs of fatigue.
Shen Muqing felt unfair in her heart, so she bit her lip and unexpectedly pinched Han Zifei's arm. Han Zifei let out a sound, saying, "W-What's wrong?"
Shen Muqing said, "It's nothing."
Han Zifei, bewildered, asked, "Then why did you pinch me out of nowhere?"
Shen Muqing lightly lifted her eyelids, clearly a person with elegance and charm, yet there was a hint of flirtatiousness between her eyebrows. She scolded, "Who told you to have such good stamina?"
Han Zifei was stunned, then blushed and shyly swayed her wrist like a spoiled woman. She softly and shyly said, "You didn't say that earlier when we were... before."
Shen Muqing became annoyed and embarrassed, shook off her hand, and walked ahead. Han Zifei caught up to her and sat down side by side on a rock. She whispered, "Do you not like me being... like that at night?"
Shen Muqing blushed and said, "Shut up!"
The audience in the theater burst into knowing laughter.
Lin Ruohan is shown to be extremely excited, grabbing Ren Xingyue's sleeve and making incoherent sounds, even more excited than when she was in a romantic relationship herself.
Ren Xingyue silently suppressed her jealousy.
The mountain breeze rustled, and several colorful butterflies fluttered and danced among the flowers, landing on branches to pollinate. One bold butterfly with blue wings stayed on Han Zifei's shoulder for a moment before flying away.
Han Zifei asked, "Do you like butterflies?"
Shen Muqing gazed in the direction the butterfly flew, softly humming in agreement.
"Why?"
"Freedom."
"You will be free soon too. Once you successfully divorce, and I graduate soon, I will help you move to a place where nobody knows us. We can live our carefree life together. What do you say?"
"...Hmm."
Lin Ruohan's heart dropped, and her eyes widened suddenly. The smile gradually disappeared from her face, and she wanted to block Han Zifei's mouth in the movie: Stop saying that, young girl! You're just raising flags!
On the screen, Han Zifei continued to speak, smiling and happily envisioning their future, oblivious to the impending fate that awaited her. "We'll go on two trips every year, first exploring the domestic destinations, and then going abroad. You like butterflies, right? I heard there's a monarch butterfly sanctuary in Mexico, also known as the 'Valley of the Butterfly'. Butterflies fill the sky there. I'll take you there in the future."
Shen Muqing's voice was hoarse. "Okay."
Han Zifei smiled freely. "And also..."
Lin Ruohan's heart was bleeding.
She already anticipated the upcoming blow. Even with some mental preparation, she was still tormented, tears welling up in her eyes.
Shen Muqing and Han Zifei had agreed that once Xu Shiming was transferred back from another city, they would get a divorce. But things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped. Obstacles from the elders, gossip from neighbors, conversations with school leaders, the unborn child weighing on Shen Muqing's shoulders—each and every one of these burdens pressed upon her. She tried to hold on, but as the days went by, the stifling atmosphere overwhelmed her, and she finally couldn't bear it any longer.
By the side of a small river under the setting sun, the golden light melted.
"You... you decided not to divorce?"
"Yes."
"We promised to be together forever. Did you forget?"
"I don't remember."
"Stay, stay by my side."
"I'm pregnant."
"Do you still have any feelings left?"
"I'm sorry."
"Did you ever love me? Say something!"
"..."
"Do you... have you ever loved me?"
Han Zifei turned her back to Shen Muqing, walking further and further away, wailing and crying in anguish.
Shen Muqing stood still, with a pained expression and tears brimming in her eyes.
......
Sobs echoed throughout the theater.
Ren Xingyue sighed and handed a tissue to Lin Ruohan, whose face was covered in tears.
A young girl in the front row wiped her tears and discussed with her friend, "She definitely wasn't pregnant. It was a lie."
Her friend nodded, saying, "I think so too."
The young girl said, "I believe the story will definitely have a happy ending."
Her friend mumbled a response but didn't continue the conversation.
Han Zifei indeed knew that Shen Muqing had lied about being pregnant, but the fact remained that Shen Muqing had given up on her. It was the final year of their university, and she had gone to another city for an internship.
Shen Muqing seemed to have achieved the life she desired, but she wasn't happy. She couldn't bear her husband's touch anymore and often found herself lost in thought, remembering the girl who had once warmed her life.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning and evening, she would sit at the doorstep for a while, watching the people coming and going, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar figure again. Just her presence would be enough, without the need for eye contact.
But the girl never appeared again and would never appear again.
During the summer vacation after graduation, when Han Zifei was returning from the monarch butterfly sanctuary in Mexico, she encountered a plane crash. The plane went down into the sea, engulfed in flames. The fiery scene filled the movie screen in the theater, reflecting in the eyes of every audience member, casting a crimson glow.
Just like the phoenix tree blooming within the courtyard walls, Han Zifei carried eternal love in her heart, bringing an end to her brief yet splendid life.
Lin Ruohan, who was still crying while watching Han Zifei writing the messy farewell letter, was stunned. It took her a long time before she uttered, "...F*ck."
She widened her eyes, afraid to miss a single scene. Like all the spectators, she clenched her fists tightly, hoping for a miracle.
Please, survive! You must survive!
After several days and nights of salvage and rescue efforts, it was confirmed that all the passengers had perished, with no survivors.
Han Zifei's remains were not recovered, only a charred metal water bottle, which contained her personal belongings.
The farewell letter was delivered into Shen Muqing's hands.
Lin Ruohan's tears flowed uncontrollably as she cried and cursed through gritted teeth, "Damn you, Chai Ziqiu! Give me back my Xiao Fei!"
The theater was filled with cries.
A young girl in the front row was dumbfounded and muttered, "W-What about the promised happy ending? How can this still end happily?"
The Han family held a funeral, setting up an ancestral hall. In a black and white photograph, the twenty-two-year-old girl smiled as if nothing had changed.
Shen Muqing went to offer her condolences but was driven out of the ancestral hall.
Shen Muqing stood outside the door, her neat and clean cheongsam torn in several places by Han's mother. Her long hair was disheveled, her cheeks swollen and bruised, blood seeping from the corners of her mouth, in a pitiful state.
Han's father embraced his wife, who was sobbing hoarsely, and spoke condescendingly, his face turning pale. "You're not welcome here. Don't ever come back."
Lin Ruohan widened her eyes in shock. "What the hell?!"
Is there any humanity left?
She took a deep breath, leaning against Ren Xingyue's shoulder, clutching her chest and furrowing her brows. "Ah, I can't take it anymore. My heart hurts."
Ren Xingyue nervously asked, "Should we stop watching?"
Lin Ruohan gave her a disdainful look.
As Lin Ruohan felt her heart ache, she glanced back and imagined putting the screenwriter Chai Ziqiu in a frying pan, stir-frying and sautéing him, then sending him to hell to be tortured.
After Han Zifei's death, Shen Muqing lived a peaceful life for a while, taking care of the family and raising their children. Lin Ruohan felt that things weren't as simple as they seemed. She discreetly checked the ending time on her phone and realized there were still ten or twenty minutes left, putting her mind at ease and cherishing the remaining scenes.
She also held onto an unrealistic fantasy: What if Chai Ziqiu was a good person? There were still ten thousand ways for a happy ending.
Then she was dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of the dragon-slaying sword from the sky.
Subtitles displayed the date: June X, 2001.
Based on the previous scenes, the audience knew it was the 63rd day after Han Zifei's death. The bus stopped, the rear door opened, and Shen Muqing, with her bag slung on one shoulder, got on the bus as usual.
The bus smoothly moved forward, and Shen Muqing looked at the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, suddenly collapsing into tears without warning.
The audience witnessed the most explosive moment of acting in the entire movie.
It was difficult to describe Qin Yinong's performance in words. It didn't belong to any existing acting style but incorporated the strengths of various schools while adding her own experience and understanding. It was a manifestation of extreme wild growth. Since her debut, Lin Ruohan had been praised as a genius by many and was even considered comparable to Qin Yinong—only if she took on more roles diligently instead of taking a break for a year after each film.
But Lin Ruohan felt that the gap between her and Qin Yinong was not just due to diligence. Those who didn't understand art used her as a tool to belittle Qin Yinong, as if denying Qin Yinong could bring them their own achievements. Above genius, there are immortals, and Qin Yinong is an immortal.
Lin Ruohan could intuitively feel the difference between them on the big screen.
Qin Yinong's crying scenes were the most infectious she had ever seen, without a doubt. From the moment she stood blankly in the bus, Lin Ruohan watched her seemingly relaxed but slightly tense lips and couldn't control the tears welling up in her eyes.
She didn't make any movements, not even her gaze changed much, but Lin Ruohan knew what she was thinking. She thought of the girl who had climbed mountains and endured rain with her, the girl who had promised to spend a lifetime together. She recalled the massive fire rising from the sea, and she remembered the promise they could never fulfill.
On that piece of paper, a crude smiley face.
And those crooked words, the last message she left for herself...
— Shen Muqing, be happy.
Finally, she broke down and cried out in pain for the loss of her beloved.
Her tears flowing, as if she wanted to drain a lifetime's worth.
Lin Ruohan was sobbing in the audience, feeling breathless, her head pounding, unable to catch her breath.
Shen Muqing crouched at the street corner, the movie screen pulling her tearful figure away, all background sounds fading away, and the well-timed sound system of the cinema played Ren Xingyue's song "You Know."
The young female voice was ethereal and clear, tinged with a faint sadness, and slowly sang from Han Zifei's perspective:
You know the flowers will wither today
You know we won't be together
You know not all fish live in the same sea
...
We all know the ending scatters to the ends of the earth
Sadly we couldn't watch the best fireworks together
The world changes in countless ways
Perhaps one day, I'll become a butterfly
.....
Lin Ruohan couldn't take it anymore. Tears streamed down her face, and she turned to Ren Xingyue beside her and said, "Shut up! Stop singing!"
Ren Xingyue, also crying, replied with a confused, "???"
After the song ended, the crying in the movie theater didn't stop, it continued in waves. Ren Xingyue saw the girl in the front row sobbing uncontrollably, continuously hitting her companion's arm, chokingly saying, "You liar! Where is the promised happy ending? You even told me it's a sweet ending! Wah!"
Her companion silently endured it and pulled her into an embrace.
Ren Xingyue understood in her heart and averted her gaze.
Time passed like flipping pages of a calendar.
In a simple and unfamiliar small town, a beautiful flower shop owner.
Several years later, at an intersection.
Shen Muqing, who was crossing the zebra crossing, inexplicably turned her head.
Han Zifei appeared, under the phoenix trees across the road, smiling gently, radiant and bright, just as before.
The screening hall erupted in exclamations.
The girl in the front row obviously held an unrealistic fantasy and urged in a low voice, "Go to her!"
Han Zifei smiled and waved at the woman standing on the zebra crossing.
Shen Muqing, reluctant but with tears in her eyes, smiled faintly.
— Keep moving forward, don't look back.
Shen Muqing took big strides and walked out firmly and calmly. The gentle April breeze brushed through her dark hair, lifting a corner of her red scarf. Her figure gradually disappeared into the dazzling sunlight, merging with it.
The screen darkened.
Lin Ruohan sighed softly, thinking, "This ending is not bad either, at least she walked away."
A few seconds later, the screen lit up again.
Silver wind chimes jingled.
Lin Ruohan blinked her eyes. Huh? There's more?
An old diary was opened, its pages already yellowed, and lines of elegant and graceful handwriting flowed on the paper with a fountain pen. Shen Muqing's voice sounded unhurriedly.
"August 9, 2003, saw a beautiful dress while shopping, wanted to wear it to show you, but missed the season to wear it forever."
"March 6, 2004, woke up from a dream in the middle of the night, finally cried bitterly."
"January 11, 2006, good evening Xiao Fei. It has been one year and three months since I last dreamt of you. I'm afraid that one day I won't remember what you look like. I will grow older day by day, while you remain forever young, passionate, and beautiful."
Shen Muqing didn't appear on the screen, but her voice was full of emotions. Since moving to the small town in 2002, her diary had been filled with numbness towards the world and the pain of losing her loved one, expressed with every word and tear.
.....
Lin Ruohan couldn't control her tears anymore: "???"
Was it not enough to stab with a knife once, so it had to be done repeatedly? Just what kind of devil was Chai Ziqiu?!
.....
A long pause, then suddenly a voice in the movie:"November 3, 2010, I met a girl."
The film's soundtrack completely changed, youthful, bright, and uplifting, filled with new hopes and beauty.
The scene slowly moved to Han Zifei's farewell letter, next to that slightly crooked and comical smiley face, a new smiley face was added.
— Shen Muqing, be happy.
— Okay.
The sunlight was brilliant.
The scene froze, and the curtains fell.
Lin Ruohan couldn't help but smile, crying and laughing, deciding not to scold Chai Ziqiu anymore, only 9,999 scoldings left.
After the main feature ended, many people remained seated, motionless. The end credits were not accompanied by Ren Xingyue's singing; instead, a cheerful folk song played. Only after the song finished and all the subtitles rolled by did people gradually get up. The theater staff, who had been watching from the side, came over with lowered heads to collect the trash.
The movie audience collectively looked like rabbits, their eyelids swollen.
Lin Ruohan realized that after the screening ended, the attendance rate was close to 40 percent. There were more LGBTQ groups in the capital than she had imagined, and of course, there were also heterosexual groups that showed support for the LGBTQ community, including fans of Qin Tang.
In any case, she was very satisfied with this attendance rate. This was still a remote place, and who knew how many people were at those busy shopping malls.
Lin and Ren originally planned to stay until the end and then leave, but who knew that the girl in front of them, who had been deceived, cried so miserably. Even after the movie ended, she was still crying, sobbing and sniffling. So, the two of them had no choice but to leave first.
Ren Xingyue glanced back.
Lin Ruohan alerted, "What are you looking at?"
Ren Xingyue said, "What do you think their relationship is?"
Lin Ruohan thought for a moment, "Classmates? Friends?"
Ren Xingyue said, "Later, they will be girlfriends."
Lin Ruohan replied, "...Oh. Weren't you clueless about everything before? How did you become so experienced now?"
Ren Xingyue said, "Daddy, I was wrong."
Lin Ruohan raised her hand and lightly patted her head, smiling, "Let's go home."
Qin Yinong's mobile phone screen lit up on the bedside table, followed by a buzzing vibration.
After scrolling through Weibo, both of them didn't feel sleepy. They didn't have to wake up early the next day, so they indulged in various activities. Tang Ruoyao felt drowsy and heard the noise irritably, furrowing her eyebrows. She curled up in her blanket, isolating herself from the noise, and couldn't help but mutter in complaint, "Who is it? Making a phone call so late."
Qin Yinong glanced at the incoming call display and said, "Lin Ruohan." She grabbed her phone and was about to get up, saying, "I'll go to the bathroom and answer it."
Tang Ruoyao said, "No need, just answer it here. I'm already awake."
Qin Yinong answered the phone, "Hello."
"Dang dang dang dang." Lin Ruohan made a grand entrance and teased, "Guess what I've been up to."
Qin Yinong looked at the time displayed on her phone and said with a delighted heart, "Did you go watch my movie?"
Lin Ruohan clicked her tongue, "It's no fun talking to you. Can't you pretend you didn't guess?"
Qin Yinong stopped scrolling through Weibo after entering the theater at midnight. She had originally planned to sleep and see the response tomorrow, but Lin Ruohan came to her doorstep. She casually asked, "How did it feel?"
Lin Ruohan said, "It was so good, It made me cry a lot."
Qin Yinong chuckled, "Hahaha."
Lin Ruohan glanced at Ren Xingyue sitting in the driver's seat, leaned over, and lowered her voice, "I've decided to treat her better when I go back."
Qin Yinong naturally knew who "her" was and said, "Wishing you both a long and happy relationship."
"Thank you, thank you," Lin Ruohan made sure that Ren Xingyue didn't hear her previous statement. She smiled and asked, "What about your partner?"
Qin Yinong replied, "She's about to fall asleep."
Lin Ruohan said, "Why aren't you sleeping so late? What are you up to?"
Qin Yinong imitated her and smiled mysteriously, "Guess."
Lin Ruohan replied, "...Okay, hang up already, bye."
Crying so miserably in the movie and reality being so frustrating.
Lin Ruohan remembered the bucket of popcorn she had finished alone and anger rose from within. She turned to Ren Xingyue and said, "Didn't I tell you I wanted to lose weight? Why did you let me eat so much?"
Ren Xingyue looked straight ahead, rolled up her sleeves to her forearms, revealing her beautiful arm muscles. Her slender, fair fingers firmly gripped the steering wheel. "We'll exercise when we get back."
Lin Ruohan grumbled, "Can we exercise until noon tomorrow?"
Ren Xingyue smiled, "Sure."
Tang Ruoyao watched as Qin Yinong lay back in bed, rolled into her embrace, and asked, "What did she say?"
Qin Yinong replied, "Nothing, she's just bored."
She reached out and turned off the light."Good night."
Tang Ruoyao's tension eased, and she fell asleep instantly.
As the summer vacation came to an end, there were no particularly strong box office performances among the films released during the Qixi Festival period. "True Colors," as a film that initially had a disadvantaged audience, performed exceptionally well. It exceeded 70 million yuan at the box office on the first day, ranking second, and had a rating of 9.8 on professional ticket purchasing apps.
Netizens returned to share their viewing experiences, expressing their emotions of despair and hardship. "Chai Ziqiu came out to be beaten" remained a top trending topic for the whole day.
[Screenwriter Chai Ziqiu has been silently killed by me]
[I cried until the mountains crumbled and the earth split, the kind of crying that made my whole body tremble, truly sobbing]
[I'm a 1.8-meter tall man, and I cried in the cinema until I turned to ashes]
[What you all said makes me too afraid to watch it [shuddering]]
[Look! You must watch it! I highly recommend it! The two lead actors' performances are explosive, and Qin Yinong's crying scenes blew me away! The ending isn't a complete happy ending, but it's still quite heartwarming. I laughed with tears in my eyes, and the songs are also incredibly beautiful. I highly recommend Ren Xingyue's "You Know."]
[I guess recommending "You Know" is similar to recommending Chai Ziqiu? Well, let me do it too. The sweetest line in the whole movie: Shen Muqing, be happy :)]
[I went to see it with my girlfriend. We had planned to break up after watching this movie. Her family was pressuring her to get married. But we both cried our hearts out in the cinema. Afterward, she cried and told me she won't get married and doesn't want me to become the second Han Zifei.]
[Same here. I went to see it with my boyfriend. Although we didn't reach the point of forced marriage, we both felt the difficulty of dealing with parents' expectations. Embracing the idea of enjoying the present, we now want to work hard for each other's future! It's a must-watch for couples during Qixi Festival. Please, everyone, make sure to watch it!]
[I envy the two comments above. I went to the cinema alone, and in the latter half, it felt like I was seeing myself and her. Even the ending was the same. She passed away in a car accident, seven years ago. I am Shen Muqing, but my Xiao Fei is no longer in this world.]
[There, there. Life still needs to move forward. Just cherish your love for her forever. I believe she would want you to live well.]
[If the movie has left you feeling devastated, you can go and heal with some Qin-Tang in real life. It's incredibly sweet! The video is here → click [web link] to experience a beautiful love story]
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