Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Before arriving at the hotel, Shen Qingyuan greeted Xiao Chao and asked him how the birthday party was going and where it was being held.

It turns out they specifically rented a venue in the city center, so partygoers could just go there directly.

"Sister Chen, come over here! We're busy setting things up, come join us!" Xiao Chao said excitedly. There was a lot of noise in the background on his end; someone was asking him how to set something up.

Shen Qingyuan sniffed the smell on her clothes. The smell of the early morning flight and the taxi was a mixed bag, and she didn't like it.

"Okay, I'll rest for a bit and then head over. Send me the address."

Shen Qingyuan pulled her luggage upstairs. She hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days, and the long journey had left her exhausted, but she was in high spirits.

The thought of seeing him soon made Shen Qingyuan no longer feel tired. An uncontrollable smile quietly appeared on her lips, and a gentle light flickered in her eyes.

Shen Qingyuan took off her clothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Strangely, there was no water.

She tried twice more, but there was still no water, so she had to call the front desk.

The receptionist told her that there was a leak in the water pipes upstairs, and they were being repaired. None of the rooms connected to that pipe had water, and the repairs wouldn't be finished until tomorrow. Also, there were no vacant rooms available to change rooms.

The receptionist gently said she would refund the room fee and apologized for the inconvenience caused to the guests.

She couldn't stand the smell on herself. Then, a sudden thought struck Shen Qingyuan: Ye Chuyang and Xiao Chao's suite was currently empty. She happened to have a spare room key. She was just taking a quick shower, it would only take about ten minutes. A lifesaver!

Shen Qingyuan opened the door, and sure enough, Ye Chuyang's suite was empty. Xiao Chao had said before that he would go straight to the party after work and wouldn't come back.

Shen Qingyuan felt a bit like a thief, tiptoeing as she entered the house. There was also an odd feeling about her.

The thought that this was the bathroom where Ye Chuyang took a shower every day suddenly brought a GIF image that needed to be censored to Shen Qingyuan's mind. She couldn't help but think of a certain man with his upper body naked.

No, no, Shen Qingyuan shook her head, wanting to shake the image away. It was too lewd.

What's going on? She used to be so proper; the human body and disease were her research topics, and besides, the body is really fragile, constantly decaying over time. An obsession with physical appearance isn't constructive at all.

She did wash very quickly; long hair takes a little longer, but it only took about ten minutes in total. When she turned off the shower, she thought she heard the electronic sound of the door lock. She must have misheard; no one would be back at this hour.

Shen Qingyuan dried her hair with a bath towel and wrapped it around herself. She placed the bag containing her clothes outside the bathroom to prevent them from getting wet. Just as she pressed the bathroom doorknob, intending to go outside to get her clothes, she heard a voice.

"What is it? Tell me now."

It was Ye Chuyang's voice.

Shen Qingyuan was startled. Why was he back? Wasn't he supposed to go straight to the party? And it seemed like he wasn't the only one outside. She was wrapped in a bath towel, practically half-naked, and definitely couldn't go out now.

"Actually, I've always wanted to have a good talk with you, but I just couldn't find the right time."

That voice… Shen Qingyuan thought it sounded a bit like Ning Xin’s. The unease and embarrassment on her face froze instantly, and she silently withdrew her hand from the doorknob.

Perhaps thanks to a woman's intuition, Shen Qingyuan vaguely sensed Ning Xin's special feelings for Ye Chuyang from some point in time.

She hid it very well; if you weren't particularly close to Ye Chuyang, you wouldn't have noticed at all. Xiao Chao probably sensed it too, which is why he felt the two had the potential to become a real-life couple.

Ning Xin finished filming today, and the crew ordered a big cake to celebrate Ye Chuyang's birthday. The atmosphere on set was joyful, and Ye Chuyang was even given half a day off.

Perhaps because she was too reluctant to part with her colleagues, Ning Xin was not in high spirits. When the filming wrapped up, the staff asked her to take photos with them. She forced a smile, dealt with a few people, and then hurriedly left with her assistant.

Feeling a lump in her throat, she sent Ye Chuyang a text message from the car. Since he was free that afternoon, they could chat.

Public places were not safe, so Ye Chuyang chose to talk at the hotel. Ning Xin and he were both staying at the hotel, and the two of them could enter and exit one after the other. Even if they were photographed by paparazzi, they could explain it as work.

Moreover, the production crew booked the entire hotel, with security guards stationed downstairs 24 hours a day to prevent sasaeng fans from entering or leaving. The hotel rooms, as private conversation venues, were actually quite safe.

Ning Xin gave a wistful smile, her bright, deer-like eyes meeting Ye Chuyang's, and said softly, "Ye Chuyang, before we talk, I wish you a happy birthday!"

"Thank you," Ye Chuyang said calmly.

"I remember your birthday is on the lunar calendar, August 13th, two days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, right?"

Ye Chuyang didn't speak. He blinked, his eyes light and sharp, as if he could see through the other person's plans at a glance.

"Ning Xin, what do you want to talk about? If it's something that will put you in a difficult position, then don't say it."

The second half of the sentence seemed to have already answered the question she was about to ask. Ning Xin's whole body trembled, her high heels wobbled, and she almost lost her balance.

“Why are you making things difficult?” Ning Xin’s temper flared up. “We were so in sync when we were filming. I don’t believe you could act out such a complicated emotional scene if you didn’t have feelings for me.”

At this moment, Ye Chuyang had the leisure to smile bitterly to himself, thinking: What's going on? Does she not believe that I have acting skills?

He looked at her, sensing that the atmosphere was somewhat comical.

In this industry, things change quickly; couples form and break up just as fast. It's all about work, after all; there's not much time to waste on romance. He genuinely admires those stars who seem to have a romance with every role they play; their emotional life is so rich, it's like they have an extraordinary amount of energy.

When she has free time, Ye Chuyang would rather sleep more and exercise. Love is a rare and unreasonable thing; if you encounter it, you encounter it, and you can't force it.

He and Ning Xin had just graduated and signed with the same agency. The small company had limited resources, and they felt a sense of destitution, like they were struggling to make ends meet. The newcomers were confused and anxious. Their shared experiences, along with attending the company's training courses together and meeting potential clients with their agents, gradually led to the development of feelings between them.

What type of love is this? Is it mutual support and companionship? Probably.

They'd been together for over a year and had some good times. They comforted and encouraged each other, imagining that one day, when they both became movie stars, they would announce their relationship on the awards stage, giving the audience a huge surprise.

For over a year, Ye Chuyang landed a few minor roles, but the pay wasn't enough to make ends meet. Embarrassed to ask his family for more, he took odd jobs at a nearby fast-food restaurant.

Ning Xin was luckier; she filmed a cosmetics commercial with a Hong Kong and Taiwan film star at the time, and the response was quite good.

However, the two remained largely unknown, far from their dream of working in the international film industry.

One day, Ning Xin suddenly broke up with him. Around that time, she auditioned for several film and television projects, only to be rejected by everyone. After an emotional breakdown, she told Ye Chuyang that she couldn't stand this kind of life, the long wait, and the feeling that the future was hopeless. And a girl's youth is so fleeting.

It wasn't entirely sudden. Ye Chuyang later realized that there had been signs all along. The two of them went from being inseparable to gradually drifting apart. Looking back, there were clues everywhere.

At first, he didn't understand and advised her to try again, saying there would always be a chance. It wasn't that their relationship was bad, but rather that the hardships of life were too difficult to overcome; who had time for love then?

Ning Xin gave a bitter smile and slowly said, "Ayang, how ironic. We have everything today, but we've lost each other. I'm not reconciled!" She looked into his eyes, "I'm not reconciled! Our relationship was really good back then, but we were young, and so many things piled up that we couldn't handle, so we deserted and left."

Ye Chuyang frowned slightly and refused to speak.

“If it’s possible…” Ning Xin’s heart was pounding, and she excitedly took two steps forward, gently placing her hand on Ye Chuyang’s forearm. “I mean, if you still have feelings for me, could we… try to be together again?”

Confined in the bathroom, Shen Qingyuan's eyes widened in shock upon hearing this, her jaw nearly dropping. The hotel doors weren't soundproof, and she could hear the entire conversation between the male and female protagonists in the living room.

Actually, they are quite a good match, aren't they? The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful, both have achieved fame and fortune, and have made great success in their respective fields. That's why Xiao Chao naturally became a fan of their pairing.

If Ye Chuyang said yes, Shen Qingyuan didn't think she would be too surprised. Ning Xin was indeed very charming; both boys and girls would like her.

But... she'll still be disappointed in him. She'd said before that she didn't have high expectations of humanity. But when he faced this test, she still... she still hoped she would be chosen firmly.

Her heart was in her throat, just like Ning Xin's, anxiously awaiting the answer.

Ye Chuyang said slowly, "Ning Xin... let bygones be bygones. The future is long, and I'd rather focus on my career."

He freed his forearm, moving as gently as possible.

His answer was a polite refusal, saving face for both of them.

Ning Xin persisted, "Then... I won't affect your work!" She immediately realized how ridiculous she sounded; it wasn't about work at all. Although celebrities often claim they don't date and focus on their work, very few are actually single. With so many handsome men and beautiful women, temptations are always present.

Ye Chuyang turned around, leaving Ning Xin with a silent back view. Although filming was finished, there was still promotional work to be done afterward, which required the male and female leads to appear on stage together. He didn't want things to be too awkward when they met.

With her back to him, Ye Chuyang said, "Life moves so fast. It's good to use the past as creative material. I see your acting has improved a lot. The show should get good reviews after it airs." Ye Chuyang smiled and said casually, "Everyone's improving, isn't that great!"

"I was wrong. I didn't stay with you firmly back then."

If Ye Chuyang were to turn around now, he would see how pitiful his former lover looked.

Suddenly, Ning Xin hugged him from behind. "Ayang, please forgive me just this once?" Her soft body pressed tightly against his, her whole body trembling slightly.

Ye Chuyang's breath hitched, and he frantically pried her hands away. He sighed and turned around.

Ye Chuyang: "Ning Xin, that's enough. Don't get too caught up in the role. Filming is over, you can go home now." Actually, she didn't want to say anything too harsh, but Ning Xin was clearly being tactless.

Ning Xin looked at him in confusion, her whole body blank, like a beautiful vase.

"Back then, I was nobody. You had better options, so it was only right that you left me. But so many years have passed, so please don't use the same thing to tease me anymore."

Ning Xin said anxiously, "I...no, that's not how it is! Ah Yang, listen to me..."

Ye Chuyang sneered, "When others told me, I didn't believe it at first. But after seeing it with my own eyes, I had no choice but to believe it. When you terminated your contract with the company, that guy helped you a lot. He paid the breach of contract fees and stuff, right? For a while, I even suspected that you had gotten together with him before you even broke up with me. But thinking like that is too disheartening for a man. I'd rather believe that you got together with someone else after you broke up with me."

Ning Xin was trembling all over.

Frustration, shame, embarrassment... a torrent of emotions nearly overwhelmed her, and she almost fainted. However, she was a strong woman after all, and after a moment, she turned and left.