Chapter 27

The lighting in the audition room was soft.

Jiang Xueru stood in the center of the room, took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, her aura was completely different.

Jiang Xueru, who had been in and out of the entertainment industry for many years and carried various labels, has faded away.

Instead, there is Song Yun, the gentle yet resilient young mother who stayed by her daughter and husband's side even after her death.

She did not begin her performance immediately, but instead bowed slightly to the judges.

"Hello everyone, I am Jiang Xueru."

"I'd like to briefly explain my understanding of the character Song Yun. She is not a tragic character in the traditional sense."

“Death was not the end for her, but another form of protection. So when she faced Cheng Shi and Si Yun, there should have been guilt in her eyes, but even more so tenderness and love.”

Director Chen, who was in the main seat, pushed up his glasses, said nothing, but simply raised his hand to signal her to begin.

The scene Jiang Xueru chose was Song Yun and Cheng Shi's final farewell—she had rehearsed the scene with Gu Qingyue at home, and it ended with an unexpected kiss.

She doesn't need a co-star.

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, it seemed as if Cheng Shi, with his drunken, hazy eyes, was standing right in front of me.

"Xiaoyun, you're here again."

Jiang Xueru spoke softly, her voice carrying a drunken, dazed quality.

Her lines during the performance were delivered from Song Yun's perspective.

This was a risky performance, but the judges did not interrupt.

"I've said it countless times, drinking is unhealthy."

Song Yun took a step forward, her eyes filled with helplessness and heartache, "You need to drink less in the future, okay?"

She paused, as if waiting for a response from the other party.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she asked softly, "Hmm?"

That single "hmm," with Song Yun's uniquely soothing tone at the end, softened the heart of anyone who heard it.

"Eat a good dinner too."

She continued, her fingers unconsciously clenching in the air, as if trying to take the wine bottle from the other person's hand.

"Don't always think about me, it's tiring for you."

As she spoke, Jiang Xueru's eyes reddened slightly, but a gentle smile remained on her lips.

That was Song Yun's strength.

Even if you are about to leave forever, you should still smile and persuade your loved one to let go.

The room was so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

"I'm leaving soon."

Song Yun's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"Take good care of yourself."

Then, she made a listening gesture, as if she had really heard Cheng Shi's answer.

Song Yun nodded, tears finally falling, but her smile remained gentle: "Yes, take good care of yourself."

The performance has ended.

Jiang Xueru stood still, slowly withdrawing from the role.

A few seconds later, Director Chen led the applause.

“Very good. Jiang Xueru, your understanding of Song Yun is spot on, especially the contradiction of ‘feeling guilty but having to let go’, which you handled very delicately.”

"Thank you, Director Chen." Jiang Xueru bowed slightly.

Director Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully: "But I'm a little curious, if Cheng Shi really is on the other side, what would your chemistry be like?"

He turned to his assistant and said, "Go and invite Teacher Gu Qingyue in. Isn't he here for a trial run? Let them ride a bit and see."

Jiang Xueru's heart skipped a beat.

A few minutes later, the audition room door opened again.

Gu Qingyue walked in, having changed into a light gray knit sweater that better suited Cheng Shi's temperament, making him look gentle and refined.

"Director Chen," Gu Qingyue greeted, his gaze naturally falling on Jiang Xueru, and he nodded slightly.

“Teacher Gu, come and rehearse that scene with Teacher Jiang. The scene where Song Yun says goodbye, you start from ‘Xiao Yun, you’re here again.’”

Gu Qingyue walked to the opposite side of Jiang Xueru, and the two looked at each other and almost simultaneously got into the zone.

This time, Gu Qingyue is the real Cheng Shi.

He swayed, his eyes unfocused, his voice hoarse: "Xiao Yun, you're here again."

Jiang Xueru met his gaze, and her heart inexplicably tightened.

It wasn't nervousness; something deeper had been touched.

The Gu Qingyue before him looked so much like Cheng Shi, that pitiful man who deeply loved his wife but lost her forever.

"I've said it countless times, drinking is unhealthy."

Song Yun stepped forward and extended her hand in a loose grasping motion.

This action was just performed, but now there is a real recipient of the response.

Cheng Shi stared at her intently, then shook his head: "You only care about me in my dreams."

"You should drink less in the future, okay?" Song Yun's voice was even softer, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.

"I don't know," Cheng Shi said stubbornly. "If you don't come back, I'll drink."

"Don't always think about me." Song Yun's eyes reddened. "It's tiring for you."

"I'm not tired. Thinking of you makes me not tired."

The air froze.

The judges held their breath, watching the two people—they didn't even have physical contact, but the invisible tension, the deep-seated emotions that couldn't be expressed, almost filled the entire room.

"I'm leaving soon, take care of yourself," Song Yun said softly, tears streaming down her face.

According to the script, Cheng Shi should say "Okay".

But Cheng Shi did not answer immediately.

He stared at the other person intently for a long, long time, his eyes holding a thousand unspoken words.

Then, he slowly raised his hand, his fingertips trembling, and gently stroked her cheek.

A gesture without actual contact is more moving than any physical touch.

“This time…” his voice was as soft as a sigh, “Can I take a good look at you?”

Song Yun's tears fell even harder.

She nodded, but tried to force a smile.

Cheng Shi also smiled, a bittersweet smile.

He lowered his hand and said softly, "Okay. I'll be fine."

"Clang!"

Director Chen's voice broke the silence.

He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes vigorously, and made no attempt to hide his emotion: "Great, that's wonderful. Jiang Xueru, Gu Qingyue, you two don't seem to be acting."

Gu Qingyue then snapped out of her role, took a half step back, and resumed her usual demeanor, though her ears were still a little red: "Director Chen, you flatter me."

"No need for such compliments," Director Chen waved his hand.

The assistant director nodded in agreement: "That chemistry, that eye contact! Wow, amazing!"

Director Chen suddenly became very interested: "Since we're already here, how about we try the kissing scene? The one where Song Yun takes the initiative to kiss Cheng, the one that's hinted at in the script but not explicitly written."

Jiang Xueru's face flushed red instantly.

Gu Qingyue also visibly stiffened for a moment.

The assistant director whispered a reminder from the side, "Director Chen, isn't this a bit inappropriate...?"

"What's inappropriate about it?" Director Chen said matter-of-factly. "We're an old married couple, what's there to be shy about? Come on, let's see that scene, the one where Song Yun takes the initiative to kiss Cheng. Let me see what kind of tricks you can come up with."

Jiang Xueru looked at Gu Qingyue and saw that his eyes were darting around and his ears were red. Suddenly, she felt like teasing him.

She stepped forward, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and mimicked Director Chen's tone: "Yes, Teacher Gu, we're an old married couple, what's there to be shy about?"

Gu Qingyue's ears turned redder at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Jiang Xueru was secretly overjoyed, but feigned composure, tiptoeing and slowly approaching—

Gu Qingyue froze completely, holding her breath.

When she was only centimeters away from his lips, Jiang Xueru suddenly stopped, turned to the judges' table, and looked completely innocent.

"Director Chen, the script doesn't specify how to act out this kissing scene. I'm afraid that if I act it wrong, it will affect the character."

Director Chen burst into laughter, pointing at her and saying, "You, you're playing me for a fool!"

Jiang Xueru smiled and stepped back to a safe distance.

Gu Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief, but her face was still red.

After he finished laughing, he said seriously, "Alright, enough joking. Jiang Xueru, the role of Song Yun is yours. Gu Qingyue, although Cheng Shi doesn't have many scenes, I welcome you if you're willing."

Gu Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "I'm willing."

Director Chen stroked his chin, his gaze suddenly drifting to a small head peeking through the crack in the glass door of the waiting area. "Who is that little kid?"

Jiang Xueru followed his gaze.

Qiuqiu was peering curiously into the room from the doorway, her big eyes blinking.

“It’s my daughter, Qiuqiu.”

Director Chen's eyes lit up: "Let her in!"

When Qiuqiu was led in by the staff, she was not shy at all and bowed gracefully: "Hello, Director Uncle, hello, teachers."

Hello, hello.

Director Chen looked at her with a smile, "Little girl, would you like to act?"

Qiuqiu's eyes sparkled: "What are we acting out?"

"Playing Song Yun's daughter, Si Yun as a child." Director Chen became more and more satisfied as he watched.

"His role is small, just a few flashback scenes, but it's very important."

Qiuqiu turned to look at Jiang Xueru, and after receiving an encouraging look from her mother, she nodded vigorously: "Qiuqiu is willing!"

"good!"

Director Chen slammed his hand on the table, "Now we're all set! Mother and daughter playing mother and daughter, the effect will definitely be great!"

The audition was a complete success.

When Jiang Xueru led Qiuqiu out of the building, her steps were light and quick.

Gu Qingyue followed behind them, watching Jiang Xueru's slightly swaying ponytail, and the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up.

"Mom was so amazing today!" Qiuqiu said, looking up at her.

Jiang Xueru patted her head: "Qiuqiu is amazing too, the director took a liking to you at first sight."

"Because Qiuqiu is Mommy's daughter!" Qiuqiu said matter-of-factly.

Jiang Xueru felt a warmth in her heart and was about to say something when her phone rang.

It was a message from Yu Ling: "How did the audition go? Has Director Chen heard anything?"

Just as Jiang Xueru was about to reply, another message popped up—it was a draft contract sent by Director Chen's assistant, asking her to come to the company in a few days to discuss the signing details.

She took a deep breath and typed a reply to Yu Ling: "It's over, Song Yun is mine now."

The reply came almost instantly: "Aaaaaaah!!! I knew it!!! I'll come over and we can talk in detail!!!"

Jiang Xueru smiled and put away her phone. When she looked up, she found Gu Qingyue looking at her.

"Congratulations," he said, his eyes shining with tenderness.

"Congratulations to you too," Jiang Xueru said, "Teacher Cheng Shi."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Qiuqiu looked at her mother and then at her father, holding one of their hands in each, and swayed contentedly.

On her way home, Jiang Xueru sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, but her mind kept replaying the audition scene.

Gu Qingyue's eyes were red, his hands were trembling, and he said, "Can I hug you?"

That wasn't acted out.

Or rather, not entirely.

She suddenly remembered Gu Qingyue's unusual behavior these past few days.

She leaves early and returns late every day, but always brings back things she likes.

Despite not being good at cooking, she secretly learned to cook.

And then there was the hesitant look in his eyes when he looked at me.

Or perhaps there's more.

An idea gradually became clear.

Gu Qingyue likes her.

It's not the superficial concern of a contractual couple; it's genuine, carefully nuanced affection.

This realization made Jiang Xueru's heart race and her cheeks burn.

She secretly glanced at Gu Qingyue in the rearview mirror. He was focused on driving, his profile was clean and sharp, and his fingers on the steering wheel were long and strong.

She quickly looked away, pretending to look out the window, but couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.

......

That night, Jiang Xueru had a dream.

The timeline in the dream was chaotic and disjointed, but every fragment was related to Gu Qingyue.

On her sixteenth birthday, she hid in her room and cried because her father had forgotten her birthday.

Suddenly, there was a knocking sound outside the window. Pushing open the window, Gu Qingyue stood downstairs, holding a crooked cake in her hands, her face covered in flour.

"The vendor made it so ugly, there's no time to change it." He turned his face away, his ears turning bright red.

"...Just eat this anyway."

On her eighteenth birthday, Gu Qingyue's family went abroad. She thought she wouldn't receive any more gifts, but on that day she received a package containing a hand-knitted scarf with messy stitches, some tight and some loose.

The accompanying card read: "Bought, but damaged in transit."

On her nineteenth birthday, while filming on set, she received a bouquet of white lisianthus flowers. Hidden inside the bouquet was a handmade bookmark engraved with her initials.

Twenty years old, twenty-one years old, twenty-two years old... every year, the gift arrives on time.

Sometimes it's an ugly handmade craft, sometimes it's a small item that she just needs, and sometimes it's just a handwritten card with only a simple "Happy Birthday".

Until two years ago, on her twenty-fifth birthday.

That year, she was being forced into an arranged marriage by her father, and she was in a terrible predicament.

On her birthday, she locked herself in her house and didn't want to see anyone.

In the evening, the doorbell rang.

When the door opened, Gu Qingyue stood outside, holding no gift, only a document.

Since they had both been busy with their own careers, Jiang Xueru hadn't seen him for a long time.

She was heartbroken, but she forced a smile.

But before she could speak, Gu Qingyue had already spoken.

“Marry me,” he said calmly.

Jiang Xueru stood there, stunned.

Seeing that she remained silent, the other party explained, "It's a contract marriage, for a period of three years, so your father can't force you into an arranged marriage."

She was stunned for a long time before asking, "Why did you help me?"

Gu Qingyue was silent for a moment, then said, "Consider it... a birthday present."

Jiang Xueru woke up after dreaming about this point.

She opened her eyes to find the room pitch black, with only a faint moonlight filtering in from the window.

She reached for her phone and glanced at the time: 3 a.m.

I can't sleep.

She simply sat up, hugged her knees, and recalled the dream.

For the first time, she could see clearly that all the birthday gifts were in Gu Qingyue's style.

—Awkward, cautious, and true feelings concealed by excuses.

Tears fell without warning.

It's not sadness, it's that a place in my heart that had always been empty has suddenly been filled.

It turns out that all these years, someone has been silently remembering her birthday, telling her in his own way that "you are important".

She wiped away her tears, gently got out of bed, and walked to the living room.

In the living room, Gu Qingyue was asleep on the sofa.

Since Qiuqiu arrived, he has given up his two bedrooms to Jiang Xueru and Qiuqiu and slept in the guest room himself. However, the air conditioner in the guest room is broken tonight, so he will be sleeping in the living room temporarily.

Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains and fell on his face.

He was fast asleep, breathing evenly, his daytime composure and aloofness gone, making him appear completely unguarded.

Jiang Xueru squatted by the sofa, quietly watching him.

I watched it for a very long time.

Then, she made a decision.

She leaned down and gently placed a kiss on his forehead.

Goodnight, Gu Qingyue.

She whispered, "Thank you."

Qiuqiu, who had just witnessed everything in her dream and then secretly got up to witness the scene in the living room, smiled sweetly.

Mom finally found out.