CHAPTER 21

Cai Juan felt his face flush from Xiaoyuan's teasing. The deeper reason was that Xiang Zhishi was smiling nearby, watching them.

Why did Xiaoyuan come to ask him instead of asking her brother?

But perhaps she had already asked him.

Cai Juan had never heard Xiang Zhishi mention his romantic life, and Xiaoyuan had never brought it up either.

Cai Juan told himself not to be too nosy. Even if he was curious, once curiosity crossed a certain line, greed would follow.

"Xiaoyuan, what kind of person do you like?" Cai Juan changed the subject.

"What kind of person I like..." Xiaoyuan suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, the female lead from 'I Love You!'—that girl even left her number for me."

"Oh?" Cai Juan exchanged a glance with Xiang Zhishi. "Didn't you leave your number for her?"

"No, it was her who said to call her when I had time. Why would I just call her for no reason?" Xiaoyuan looked puzzled.

"Ahem, don't any guys want your number?" Xiang Zhishi tried to suppress a laugh.

"Some do, like the director of 'I Love You!', and the previous director, and the producer of that film..." She shook her head. "I don't remember."

"Didn't you find anyone you liked? Guys might not interest you, but what about girls?" Cai Juan teased.

"..." Xiaoyuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Brother Zhishi, would you disagree if Xiaoyuan fell in love with a girl?" Cai Juan turned to Xiang Zhishi.

"As long as she likes the person, I have no objection." Xiang Zhishi shrugged, looking at Cai Juan and then at Xiaoyuan. "But there's a condition..."

"The condition is..."

Both of them looked at her, their expressions saying it all.

"..." She got angry. "Don't look down on me! It's just a relationship, I'll date sooner or later! I really have been in a relationship before, don't doubt me!"

"A relationship where there were no heartbeats when you were together and no sadness when you broke up, is that what you call love?" Cai Juan scorned her.

"A relationship is supposed to be a happy thing! Why should it hurt?" Xiaoyuan countered.

"That's because..." Cai Juan suddenly paused.

It's because love comes with so much helplessness and randomness, relying solely on personal fate and luck. There's no fixed formula or absolute truth. Only those involved could truly understand the taste of it.

Sometimes, the pain is real, yet you can't bear to stop loving.

"Hmm?" Xiaoyuan waited for his reply.

Under the light and mist, her face and lips were rosy and captivating, her eyes clear and flawless, embodying the best of youth. Cai Juan suddenly felt a maternal affection, "Young people should date more!"

How did it come back to this, sounding so old-fashioned?

"Please, you're not that old yourself, are you?"

Cai Juan was only a few years older than her, just turning 30 this year, with a round baby face that didn't make him look much older.

"I don't have much work either, so if you want to date, you can do it yourself." Xiaoyuan glanced at him. "Are you feeling lonely?"

"I..." Cai Juan blushed again. "You're just a kid—don't worry about adult matters."

Xiaoyuan looked at him and lightly huffed.

Cai Juan's face turned red.

Xiang Zhishi cleared his throat twice, still smiling, "Alright, alright," He sounded like a family elder trying to soothe quarreling siblings.

"You're all adults, you can make your own choices."

He said to Xiaoyuan, "Actually, you understand the reason. In terms of acting, you are portraying other people's lives. If your own life isn't rich enough, how can you understand others' lives?"

Xiaoyuan was stunned.

"Cai Juan."

Cai Juan couldn't help but hold his breath as Xiang Zhishi's voice was calm and gentle, "We are already a family, and I also want you to be happy and joyful."

Cai Juan fell silent for a moment and then smiled, "Brother Zhishi always says that, you should also take care of your health and get married soon."

Xiaoyuan rubbed her chin, "Having a sister-in-law wouldn't be bad."

Cai Juan nodded vigorously.

Xiang Zhishi laughed, "You're being quite cheeky, teasing me now..."

The three of them bantered back and forth, the hotpot steam rising, a warm light shining above them.

After finishing the hotpot, Xiaoyuan volunteered to wash the dishes.

This was a rare occurrence, and Cai Juan asked in surprise, "Are you... sure you can handle this?"

"Of course." Xiaoyuan replied while collecting the dishes, "Brother, you rest. Cai Juan, could you help me wipe the table?"

"The sun must be rising in the west! You're actually willing to do housework?" Xiang Zhishi asked with a smile.

"Well... what if I get a 'good wife and mother' role in the future? I can't even wash a dish, right? I need some practice." she said as she headed toward the kitchen with the dishes.

Cai Juan blinked, "She..." seems to have a point.

Growing up, becoming sensible, learning to share others' burdens.

Xiang Zhishi lifted the hotpot, "That's great."

Cai Juan turned to look, "Hey, Brother Zhishi, I'll do it."

Xiang Zhishi smiled, "It's okay, I'm not made of paper, you clean the table."

"Okay." Cai Juan smiled, and the two of them quickly tidied up. Xiaoyuan was humming a song while washing dishes in the kitchen.

"I can't forget, can't forget, can't forget your tears, can't forget your kindness..."

It seemed like she had no trouble washing the dishes. After observing for a while and confirming that she was doing well, Cai Juan returned to the living room.

Xiang Zhishi restarted the movie, sitting on the sofa watching, motioning for him to join.

After watching for a while, Cai Juan couldn't help but turn back and glance at the kitchen before saying, "I say, Brother, we can't let this go on. She can't keep taking those online movies. The resources are too poor, she won't gain any valuable experience."

Instead, it just drains her abilities and wastes time.

"Mm." Xiang Zhishi nodded, "I didn't intervene before because I wanted her to try and toughen up a bit."

If she's too fragile and easily defeated, she won't go far in this industry.

Seeing Xiaoyuan's good attitude, he felt reassured.

"Hey, let me tell you, the three she's currently acting in..." Cai Juan lowered his voice, counting them off, "'Hey! My Brother, My Bear', 'Zombies and the Charming Taoist', and this one 'I Love You!', none of them are normal."

Even mentioning the movie titles was difficult.

Xiang Zhishi chuckled lightly, "Yeah, it's quite complicated. I understand."

Cai Juan only relaxed after hearing him say that.

"What are you guys talking about?" Xiang Xiaoyuan came out after washing the dishes, applying some hand cream as she walked.

"Nothing much. The song you were singing just now is too old, isn't it?" Cai Juan asked.

"I've been listening to a singer a lot recently, named Yu Qiuse. This is her cover album 'Unforgettable', her voice is quite unique."

Cai Juan responded with an "Oh," eagerly taking the recommendation, "I'll listen to it later."

Upon hearing the name "Yu Qiuse," a slight flicker passed through Xiang Zhishi's clear eyes, quickly disappearing. He smoothly changed the subject, "By the way, Yuan'er, do you have any plays lined up after the New Year?"

"I haven't agreed to any yet, but I've received a few scripts to look over." She replied.

Cai Juan straightened up, "... You haven't agreed to anything, right?"

"... Not yet."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, that's good."

Xiang Xiaoyuan glanced at him, about to say something, but then remembered something else. She turned and went back inside, reappearing with a large box. "By the way, I bought you New Year gifts."

For Cai Juan, it was a long black down jacket, a Canada Goose brand.

Cai Juan stared blankly, "Am I dreaming?"

"What are you doing? Try it on! You're going back to Hubei in a few days, so it'll be just right." Xiaoyuan said to Xiang Zhishi, "Brother, I put yours in your room."

Xiang Zhishi raised his hand and ruffled her hair, speaking softly, "Thank you, Yuan'er."

"Hey," Xiaoyuan said, a bit awkwardly scratching her face, "It's been so many years since graduation, and now that I finally have some money, I haven't bought you guys gifts yet."

Xiang Zhishi gently said, "Brother understands, just take on roles you like in the future."

"... Right, just don't force yourself for the sake of money..." Cai Juan said, feeling a bit emotional, "... And this brand, how expensive!"

Xiaoyuan paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Huh? No, not really, haha, it's not just about the money for me, I really find those roles quite interesting."

"Also... isn't Wei Jiabao blocking my chances for good roles?"

She couldn't land any leading or supporting roles in movies or TV dramas.

"He can't just have all the power, can he?" Cai Juan said angrily. "Brother Zhishi, isn't there any way to deal with this?"

Xiaoyuan pursed her lips, looking at her brother.

Xiang Zhishi smiled faintly, "Of course there is."

His tone was gentle, yet particularly weighty, making them feel at ease.

As night fell, Cai Juan finished his shower and returned to his room.

They live in a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment. Xiaoyuan's room is the master bedroom with its own bathroom. The bathroom in the living room is shared between him and Xiang Zhishi.

As he passed through the living room, Xiang Zhishi waved at him.

His treatment of both him and Xiaoyuan was actually the same, like treating children.

Cai Juan walked over, "Brother Zhishi, what's wrong?"

"Your flight back to Hubei is the day after tomorrow, right? I'm going to Pengcheng tomorrow, staying there for three or four days."

Xiang Zhishi flies to Pengcheng twice a year, alone, once in mid-year and once at the end of the year. However, two years ago he had surgery and his health suffered, so it was not advisable for him to travel by plane. He hasn't been there in two years.

"Okay." Cai Juan never asks about the specific itinerary for his trips to Pengcheng, but he knows why he tells him, "Then these two days, I'll go to Disneyland with Xiaoyuan."

"Okay. Thank you." Xiang Zhishi sighed softly.

Cai Juan frowned, wanting to ask but hesitating.

"I'm going to Pengcheng to visit my mother." Xiang Zhishi suddenly spoke, his tone calm, "The air in Pengcheng is good, she has been at a nursing home there."

After glancing at Xiaoyuan's room, they walked to the balcony, looking out at the lights of the tall buildings. Cai Juan's heart tightened as he realized he was about to hear some more personal words.

"Xiaoyuan and I have a twelve-year age gap. When my mom and dad divorced, she didn't know she was pregnant at that time. The reason for the divorce was my dad's infidelity. Since he had better financial conditions, he got custody of me."

Cai Juan listened in silence.

The balcony light was off, and the dim light from the living room made it hard to see Xiang Zhishi's expression, only his voice was clear. "My mom remarried soon after, and Xiaoyuan was born. For several years, I didn't know where they were."

Xiang Zhishi fell silent after saying this.

The silence lasted a long time, making Cai Juan's heart pound.

After a while, Xiang Zhishi slowly continued, "I only got to know her when I was in graduate school. At that time, my mom's mental state wasn't great. Later, when I had the financial means, I had her move into the nursing home, with doctors and nurses taking care of her 24/7, and we felt more at ease."

He didn't say anything more.

There must have been some very difficult things omitted in between. He was willing to say so much, truly treating himself as family. Cai Juan was moved and pained.

Taking care of his mother and sister alone, managing the expenses of the studio, living in this circle of fame and fortune, must have been incredibly tough, leading to health issues and even major surgery...

Cai Juan silently processed his emotions, feeling like he couldn't do anything, even the words of comfort seemed too light when said out loud. He could only stand by his side like this.

"We... will be okay." he said.

After a moment, Xiang Zhishi smiled, raised his hand and patted Cai Juan's shoulder, "Cai Juan, thank you for coming into our siblings' lives."

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