CHAPTER 97
Xiaoyuan mustered her energy to finish her work for the day and returned home late at night. She collapsed onto her bed, and after a while, she finally got up to take a shower. Before going to bed, she couldn't resist checking WeChat.
She mainly looked at the pinned chat window between her and Wei Zhuang.
Earlier that day, she had sent the message, [I'm so sad.] Five hours had passed since then.
Wei Zhuang had sent a message fifteen minutes ago, [Are you resting?]
When she was a child, in the summer, she really wanted to eat an ice cream cone. Watching her classmates eat taro-flavored ones, she had longed for one for a long time. But she had no pocket money. One day, her mother finally gave her three yuan. She excitedly rushed to the convenience store, but all the taro-flavored ones were sold out that day, so she settled for a melon-flavored one instead.
She did get an ice cream cone, but it wasn't the one she wanted most. There was always a lingering sense of regret, but in the end, she was still comforted.
It was the same with her current mood.
[Not yet.] she replied concisely.
She still felt a bit wronged. [Why didn't you reply to me during the day?]
As she sent the message, a small voice in her mind urged her to take it back, but the voice was too weak, and the wronged emotions took over.
The chat remained quiet for a moment, and then Xiaoyuan saw the status change to "The other person is typing..." Her heart hung in suspense for what felt like an eternity before three words appeared, [I was busy.]
Followed by another message, [What happened?]
Xiaoyuan pouted. 'Luckily you asked one more question, otherwise I would have been angry with you.'
[It's over now,] she replied, and after a moment of thought, added, [It was a family matter.]
Actually, she didn't need to be angry. This was a family matter, and more specifically, her brother's private affair. Even if she told Wei Zhuang about it, Wei Zhuang couldn't solve it for her. During this difficult time, she really wanted to hear Wei Zhuang's voice and have her by her side, but she knew that was an unrealistic thought.
Wei Zhuang couldn't possibly be glued to her phone 24 hours a day, waiting for her messages, and she herself couldn't do that either.
People are independent individuals.
So many thoughts flashed through her mind at this moment. Logically, she should feel relieved, but there was still an unspeakable sense of loss.
She collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, then rolled over and looked at her phone.
Adults all had their own boundaries. When you liked someone, you wanted to get as close to them as possible. She also knew that Wei Zhuang's inner fortress was rarely accessible to others, and it would take time to break through.
She had clearly told herself not to rush, but now she was rushing, wasn't she?
Or was it because her brother was gradually building his own life, and she had lost the person she could rely on the most, making her lean even more on Wei Zhuang?
This didn't seem like a bad thing, but maybe it wasn't entirely good either?
Xiaoyuan covered her face with her hands.
It had been two months since she last filmed. It seemed she needed to join a new project soon. Keeping busy might help her avoid such complicated emotions.
She lay down for a while, thinking about many things. Fatigue crept in, and her phone, lying beside her, lit up. Wei Zhuang had sent a message: [Get some rest.]
The next day, when she saw the message, she looked at the light streaming through the window and smiled faintly.
Well, "honeydew-flavored ice cream" was also delicious and could give her strength.
She gathered herself to deal with things. She had grown up now, and some things couldn't be avoided. Her brother was the most important person to her, and she had to protect him.
First, she left a message for Yu Qiuse: [Hello, Miss Yu. I often listen to your songs too. I didn't expect you to become someone close to my brother. I'm a bit surprised, but I don't have any ill will or hostility toward you. Whoever my brother likes, I will like too. If my brother is happy, I'll be happy. As his sister, I'll support all his decisions.]
[Also, my brother's health isn't great, so I'll trouble you to take care of him. I wish you both happiness.]
"Phew~" After sending it, she let out a big sigh. Well, she had said all the right things. Now it was up to Miss Yu to respond.
First, be polite, then firm. Although she hadn't figured out how to be "firm" yet, she had to set the tone.
She then tried sending a message to Xiang Zhishi: [Brother, it's been a while since we last met. When are you coming back to Shencheng?]
Yu Qiuse didn't reply to her
Xiang Zhishi replied: [Okay, Brother will try to go back as soon as possible.]
Xiaoyuan's eyes warmed. [Okay.]
There was one more thing.
She walked over to Cai Juan and asked another question that had been on her mind.
"Auntie..." Cai Juan looked at her, paused, and then said gently, "She's doing quite well. I took some photos. Would you like to see them?"
Xiaoyuan was stunned for a moment, instinctively clenched her fists, and nodded silently.
Cai Juan flipped through the photos to show her.
In the background, there was a window, and you could tell it was a sunny morning with a corner of blue sky visible.
The woman in the photo was wearing a beige cardigan, which was a bit wrinkled. Her hair was casually tied back, and she had a high forehead, with delicate and smooth lines of her head and face shape. She was smiling slightly, her gaze fixed on some empty space.
The media often says that Xiang Xiaoyuan has a "movie star face," flawless from every angle, a trait she inherited from her mother.
Xiaoyuan stared blankly at the photo. Her mother, not yet sixty, already had strands of white hair on her head.
"Brother Zhishi said she doesn't recognize his identity, but she has an impression of him. Every time he visits, Auntie is very happy, sometimes even asking him to stay for a meal."
"There's also a video. I'll send it to you." Cai Juan patted her head and whispered, "You can watch it later."
Xiaoyuan, her eyes red, gave him a faint smile and nodded, "Thank you, Brother Cai Juan."
She saved the photo and video, deciding to look at them when she felt braver. Some things were difficult to overcome in her heart, and she needed a little more time.
In the afternoon, she went to the company. Ruan Qing said she had narrowed down two scripts and wanted her to come over to discuss them together.
The first was a movie script, a romantic drama involving a love triangle and even a love polygon, directed by a quite famous female director known for filming emotional dramas.
The second was a TV series, a period spy drama spanning from the Republic of China era to the founding of modern China.
Ruan Qing analyzed for her that the quality of both scripts could only be considered average because there hadn't been any very good projects recently. The first movie script, if well-acted and well-directed, could receive good reviews, but art films generally had mediocre box office performance, with most of the audience being female viewers. Plus, she would be playing the second female lead, the male lead's unforgettable white moonlight, which wasn't very likable and might provoke some female viewers.
The second was a 46-episode TV series where she would play a Kuomintang-trained military spy who later becomes an undercover operative for the Communist Party. It was a very patriotic and positive story, with a reliable production team, but but the script mainly focused on male characters, and her role would be limited.
Ruan Qing asked for her opinion. Both roles were types she hadn't played before, and she could try them, but neither particularly appealed to her. Xiaoyuan was hesitant.
"Both of these scripts are interested in you, and filming will start soon. If you agree, you can join the crew next month. There's also another unannounced project, the one Chenying mentioned, Deep in the Palace. I have reliable information that Warner has partnered with Tonghua, and the preliminary preparations are almost done. Casting will begin next month."
'Deep in the Palace?'
Xiaoyuan suddenly remembered the script she had seen at the Ji Dao Hotel, which had been in Wei Zhuang's suite.
"That's right, Sister Chenying mentioned she would be in this project, so it's no surprise that Tonghua is one of the investors," Xiaoyuan mused. "Would there be a role suitable for me?"
With such a large investment, roles are often pre-determined.
"There are a few younger roles that need to be cast," Ruan Qing looked at her, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "There's also some inside information that Teacher Zhu will also be part of the cast."
"What?!" Xiaoyuan's mouth fell open in shock. "Is that true?"
"Absolutely!" Ruan Qing grabbed her hand, her eyes shining brightly. "Xiaoyuan, honey, you must do everything you can to get into this production!"
'He Chenying and Zhu Ehua.'
'One, a triple-crowned Best Actress, and the other, a legendary actress in the Chinese-speaking world. Oh my god!'
Xiaoyuan clenched her fists, her eyes instantly filled with life, sparkling with determination. "I must get in!"
"Okay, take the script home and have a look. We'll let you know when the audition time is set."
The script was exactly the same as the one she had seen at Wei Zhuang's place last time—also three episodes. It was said that "Deep in the Palace" was a mini-series with only eight episodes. Presumably, only actors who had signed contracts or joined the production team could see the full script. The first three episodes were the audition materials provided to actors.
Xiaoyuan wanted to go through it again in detail. She had almost finished the first episode at Wei Zhuang's place before, but she hadn't completed it because—Wei Zhuang had been beside her.
She thought of Wei Zhuang again.
'How troublesome!'
Xiaoyuan suddenly realized that if she didn't see her again, this woman might never leave her mind!
She walked back and forth in the room, and a bold idea popped into her head. She immediately called Assistant Gao and asked what time Wei Zhuang's flight arrived in Shencheng today.
Assistant Gao was in a terrible dilemma. She wasn't supposed to disclose her boss's whereabouts to outsiders, but Xiaoyuan wasn't exactly an outsider. Still, she wasn't exactly an "insider" either. If she revealed Wei Zhuang's schedule, she might never get to see the day when Xiaoyuan became her boss's "insider."
"Miss Xiang, it's Saturday today. I'm not working either, just staying home to watch 'Happy Camp.'"
Xiaoyuan blinked. "Oh?"
"Yes, watching 'Happy Camp'!" Assistant Gao said each word clearly, screaming internally:
'It airs every Saturday at 8:20 PM sharp! Do you understand my hint? Sweetie, just push it back a bit! She'll probably arrive in Shencheng around 8:30! She'll likely be home by 9:30! Did you get it? Did you?!'
Xiaoyuan smiled. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Alex. 'Happy Camp' is quite fun."
After hanging up, Assistant Gao first let out a sigh of relief, then burst into laughter without holding back.
'I didn't say anything! I just casually mentioned to Xiaoyuan that I was watching 'Happy Camp'! I know nothing!'
Xiaoyuan dressed up at home, informed Cai Juan via WeChat, and by the time everything was almost ready, Wei Zhuang's driver, Uncle Wang, was already waiting for her in the underground parking lot.
She took the elevator down, got straight into the car, and headed toward Wei Zhuang's residence, ready to surprise her. What she had once thought were clichéd romantic tropes turned out to be rooted in real life. She hadn't been able to relate before, but now she understood.
She rolled down the car window, and the cool night breeze brushed against her face. The wind was the embodiment of romance, swaying images before her eyes. She could almost see Wei Zhuang's expression when she saw her, the clothes she was wearing, and even catch a whiff of her unique scent.
Her heart felt incredibly clear, as if the wind was carrying her straight to Wei Zhuang.
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