Chapter 4

Upon hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Lin Ting was suddenly startled. The clothes in her hand fell to the ground, and tears instantly filled her eyes. All the strength seemed to have been drained away, and she could not even stand steadily. She could only hold onto the gantry frame to maintain her balance.

Lin Ting thought that seeing Chen Zhiyi again would make her nervous, sad, and regretful, but not to the point of crying. She had known since she was a child that crying was the most useless thing, and that she had to rely on herself for everything.

But the body's reaction is the most truthful, clearly telling Lin Ting that you thought that love five years ago was shallow and short-lived, nothing, and that you would forget it completely one day if you didn't deliberately think about it. But in reality, this love was real, it was engraved in your heart little by little, integrated into your bones and blood, seeping in bit by bit, leaving marks all over your body, marks that can never be erased in this lifetime.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Xiao, the design director of brand M. I'm very happy to have this opportunity to cooperate. We have everything ready and can start at any time, but considering that you just finished filming and came here, you must be tired. So, how about we rest for a bit before we start?"

Chen Zhiyi's expression remained normal. "It's alright, I'm used to this kind of work. Let's begin!"

Zhang Xiao: "Okay!"

Standing in the corner, Lin Ting peeked through the gaps in the clothes on the rack and saw him as a radiant star. Now, he was dashing and handsome, taller and more muscular than when they first met, with more defined features. It was hard to reconcile him with the somewhat childish young man he was five years ago.

Wearing a white hoodie and dark jeans, it's clearly the most ordinary outfit for a guy, but paired with his straight nose, thin lips, clear and bright eyes, and angular face, he exudes youthful and vibrant handsomeness.

He's really good-looking. Compared to five years ago, he has gained more life experience and become even more charming, especially his clear eyes. You'll fall in love with him if you look at them for too long.

The brown mole under his left eye was Lin Ting's favorite, but many people didn't notice it. However, Lin Ting noticed it at first glance. When they were together, Lin Ting would touch it from time to time, because that mole always made him look more tender.

"This outfit looks good in the photos. We can try a few more angles. Also, get the next outfit ready!" Hearing Zhang Xiao's instructions, Lin Ting quickly took the next outfit off the rack. Still feeling uneasy, she hurriedly dropped the outfit on the ground.

This is a major taboo. It would make Chen Zhiyi's team think that the M brand has a poor work attitude. Clothes can be left on the ground. Is this how you make an artist wear dirty clothes?

"Lin Ting, what are you thinking about? Can't you even grab a piece of clothing?" Zhang Xiao lowered his voice, looking at Lin Ting with anger. Such an important task could not tolerate even the slightest mistake.

"I'm sorry!" Lin Ting immediately squatted down, picked up the clothes, and handed them to Zhang Xiao with her head down and both hands.

Fortunately, this little incident went unnoticed by Chen Zhiyi's team, and the filming progress continued as normal.

Under the spotlight, Chen Zhiyi exuded confidence and idol-like charisma, radiating charm with every gesture. Even a casual snapshot by the photographer could be a masterpiece, requiring no retouching. His years in the entertainment industry have allowed him to fully adapt to and master this work, enabling him to complete the entire shoot smoothly in under two hours.

As is customary, Zhang Xiao, representing the company, will then conduct some interviews with Chen Zhiyi, produce some promotional videos, and create some buzz. At first, they will ask about his clothing style, his understanding of fashion, and his impression of our M brand. To put it bluntly, these are just some routine questions. What can really generate hot topics are his private life, and more specifically, his love life.

Zhang Xiao: "We've just asked Zhiyi a lot about her understanding of fashion. Now let's relax and ask her some other questions."

Chen Zhiyi's lips curled up slightly, clearly understanding the question Zhang Xiao wanted to ask next.

"What kind of girl does Zhiyi like? Your fans are very interested in this question." This is a sensitive topic, and not all celebrities can accept it, so Zhang Xiao asked somewhat cautiously.

Instead, Chen Zhiyi calmly replied, "I like girls who are kind, cute, and can understand and support my work." Clearly, he was quite adept at handling this kind of question.

Zhang Xiao: "Do you have a girlfriend now? Many media outlets have asked you this question before, but you never responded, so many people think you're already taken."

Chen Zhiyi: "Actually, no. The reason I didn't respond is because I felt that the news was just a rumor. I'm usually too busy with work and don't even have enough time to rest, so how could I have time to date?"

Upon hearing this answer, many female fans and colleagues present applauded, making the awkward interview session a bit more relaxed.

The female colleagues at Brand M, being seasoned veterans, showed no restraint whatsoever, making Zhang Xiao a little embarrassed. "I'm sure your fans are thrilled to hear your direct clarification. What were your past dating experiences like? Would you mind sharing? Your fans are very interested in your love life; many have left messages on our brand's official Weibo account!"

Upon hearing this question, Chen Zhiyi fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

The brief silence made Zhang Xiao a little nervous, realizing that she might have asked an inappropriate question. Indeed, this was a minefield question that rising artists were most afraid of being asked during interviews.

Zhang Xiao: "Excuse me, is this question a bit abrupt? If you don't want to answer it, you can skip it."

Chen Zhiyi: "No, it's just that I thought of something for a moment. Actually, I rarely endorse products. This is the first time I've endorsed a clothing brand. In the past, I would carefully consider when choosing a brand to endorse, but when M brand approached me, I agreed without much hesitation because at that moment I thought of someone whose dream was to become an independent and excellent fashion designer."

Upon hearing this answer, Lin Ting immediately looked up at Chen Zhiyi, suddenly no longer afraid to make eye contact with him.

Zhang Xiao was surprised when Chen Zhiyi said something like, "Is she very important to you? Is she your family, friend, or..."

"She is the person I like." Chen Zhiyi made no attempt to hide anything.

Zhang Xiao: "Is she still by your side now? As a public figure, you are so open about this relationship, I believe you must cherish it very much."

After a few seconds of silence on set, Chen Ziyu took a deep breath and said, "We broke up five years ago."

Zhang Xiao was quite surprised, calculating that Chen Zhiyi was only seventeen or eighteen years old five years ago. "Five years ago? You were still in high school then, were you your high school classmate?"

Chen Zhiyi: "No, she was my tutor at the time."

This answer surprised everyone present; they hadn't expected him to be so frank.

A private tutor? Does that count as a teacher-student relationship? Zhang Xiao looked incredulous and suddenly didn't know how to continue the question.

Chen Zhiyi noticed the surprise of everyone present, but he didn't care. "Don't worry, it's not a teacher-student relationship, because it's been my unrequited love for her from beginning to end."

Zhang Xiao: "Could you tell me what kind of girl she is? I'm really curious."

Chen Zhiyi: "She was just an ordinary girl, but at that time I was in a bad mental state. I was rebellious and withdrawn, and I dropped out of school. Her appearance allowed me to gradually open my heart. She was a ray of sunshine that broke into my dark life. When no one around me supported me to pursue acting, she stood firmly on my side and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Without her companionship and support, I might not be here to be being interviewed by you now."

Zhang Xiao: So what caused you to break up? It's clear you really liked this girl back then?

Chen Zhiyi: "I won't go into the reasons for our breakup; 'destined to be together but not meant to be' is probably the best explanation."

Zhang Xiao: "Are you disappointed?"

Chen Zhiyi: "I just regret not being able to say goodbye properly. I've always owed her a thank you. Thank you for appearing in my life and making me determined to achieve my dreams. It's a pity you couldn't be there to see all of this. I wish you all the best." His eyes betrayed his deep sadness as he finished speaking.

Zhang Xiao: "You just said that the girl's dream is to become a fashion designer, which is a good fit for our M brand. You said this in our interview video, which can be considered a belated farewell. If that girl can see this video, she will definitely feel your gratitude."

Chen Zhiyi nodded, but his eyes were full of regret.

Zhang Xiao: "I am very grateful to Zhiyi for taking time out of his busy schedule to shoot our promotional video and for such a candid interview. Other artists avoid talking about their love lives, but you spoke openly about it, which shows your trust in our M brand. I am very touched. I hope this collaboration will be a win-win situation, and I wish you a bright future in your acting career. I look forward to our next collaboration."

"Thank you!" The two stood up and shook hands in front of the camera.

After hesitating for a long time, Chen Zhiyi finally spoke up before leaving, "I'm sorry, Director Zhang, could you please cut out the video about my relationship and not release it? I was just expressing my feelings today, but I still don't want everyone to focus on my private life. Besides, netizens are amazing; they can dig up dirt from the slightest clues. I don't want her to be disturbed."

Zhang Xiao knew who Chen Zhiyi was talking about, and nodded, "Okay, don't worry."

Chen Zhiyi glanced at the staff present again, his meaning clear without saying a word.

Zhang Xiao made a promise: "Everyone here is an employee of our M Group. All of you have signed confidentiality agreements for this cooperation. We will not disclose any information about the work or our cooperation with your team. This is basic professional ethics, and we at M Group will not compromise on this."

Chen Zhiyi bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

After the interview, Chen Zhiyi left with his team. Lin Ting took off her mask; it had been on for too long and her tears had soaked it, leaving obvious red marks on her face.

As his figure gradually disappeared into the distance, her vision blurred again.

Ultimately, they are two parallel lines. They may intersect briefly, but they will eventually return to their original positions and gradually drift apart.

As I watched his retreating figure, I silently said to myself, "I wish you all the best."