Chapter 91: Past and New Beginning.

Sheng Yi couldn't see her own expression, but she felt warm breath brushing against her face, as he fed her words, one by one, "You can't return it even if you're not satisfied."

She tilted her head back to meet his kiss, something coursing through her limbs with each breath.

She unconsciously wanted to laugh, but he sucked away her smile again. This man's self-perception was sometimes ridiculously skewed; rare gems are never put up for sale on a shelf.

A deep desire lurked beneath her languid brows. Her hand brushed against his cheek, and delicate kisses lingered again on his cheek, gradually moving towards his neck. Her shattered thoughts began to piece together, and in the brief moment between their lips, she defiantly raised an eyebrow, recklessly igniting a fire: "Forced buying and selling is unacceptable."

Her slender fingertips were grasped, softness and strength intertwined. He lowered his eyes and pushed her into a deeper vortex. "Hmm, I'll only sell you one."

A lover's eyes are like a sweetly brewed wine.

Sheng Yi's lips curled slightly, deliberately teasing, "Did you ever write love letters to girls when you were in school?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she sighed deeply at her own muddled thinking. As she searched for the right words, she was suddenly fixed on his mocking gaze. A dangerous cloud gathered in his dark eyes; Sheng Yi had sensed it beforehand, but she hadn't expected the thunderous attack to strike from such an unexpected angle.

He said, "I'd like to see what kind of love letter someone writes."

What does it mean to lift a stone only to drop it on your own foot?

It was nothing more than a youthful storm stirred up in the hearts of young men and women, silent yet vast and overwhelming, howling and knocking those caught in its wake to their knees. Even the brightest sunshine appeared as a bitter storm, leaving them feeling tormented and utterly lost.

The story rewinds to a quiet afternoon at Ancheng No. 1 High School. A bright and cheerful friend is drawn to a gentle young man, feeling both anxious and apprehensive. Finally, youthful courage spurs her on, and she takes the plunge. Her joy is poured onto the page, but her less-than-perfect handwriting leaves her feeling uncertain.

Forced into the role, Sheng Yi took on the heavy responsibility of copying and relaying the notes. The copied slips of paper were handed out by her, but the secrets behind them were caught by the eyes of those watching from the shadows.

Ironically, in the heat of the moment, no one remembered to sign their name. Thus, the messenger was treated as the protagonist, and the ensuing teasing and questioning were enough to break a young man back then.

Supported by her relaxed family environment, she was able to stand up for her friend and shield her from her tears and sorrow. Little did they know then that people from opposite ends of the spectrum were destined for a tragic end.

Time flies by, and no one remembers to explain: whose heart was left behind in the past, the passing of youth?

The loves and hates of others have long since faded into the mists of time. The friends she once felt immense guilt towards have also stepped into new lives, and even she considers the memories of them old news. All that remains are gossip fodder, which becomes ammunition for attacks online, and is once again brought up against her.

As night fell, the thick air was filled with the sound of each other's breaths mingling.

Her trembling eyelashes fluttered like butterflies alighting on a flower branch. Once upon a time, he was nothing more than a fleeting passerby in a flower garden to her. Who could have foreseen then that one day they would sleep in each other's arms, sharing a single breath of air?

Numerous misunderstandings and coincidences propel people forward in the torrent of time, piecing together each and every one of us into a self that may be ordinary but is also unique in its own way.

The young, vibrant students on campus back then strolled through the youth of many, and years later, they played a significant role in the stories of others. She, on the other hand, was the spectator pushed to the forefront, watching the opening and closing of the story with open eyes.

And the result? Sheng Yi didn't know what the outcome was for each person, but looking at the person in front of her, she suddenly smiled and said, "What kind of old vinegar are you eating?"

The joking words stirred a deep emotion within her dark eyes, and the rubbing of her fingertips sent a jolt through her. She leaned in and hooked her arms around his neck, her soft tone restrained yet lingering.

“It wasn’t me,” she said.

"Hmm." A soft hum passed by her ear, clearly saying "That's more like it," yet carrying a subtle hint of dissatisfaction.

All estrangement and barriers crumble in the rising heat, and under the thick night sky, lovers whisper sweet nothings. Perhaps, falling into the river of love, even mature adults can instantly revert to childlike innocence, swaying and drifting in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.

Sheng Yi felt like a stranded fish, held tightly by him, gradually losing the strength to explore the outside world as it was buried by the wind and sand. Little did she know that the so-called control was just the only thread that a person who had nothing to ask for could grasp.

"Anyway, I'm yours from now on, so you have to take responsibility for me."

Her chaotic thoughts were once again jolted open, and suddenly she felt a strange sense of absurdity, as if she had picked up the wrong script.

In the chaotic night, everything was upside down and intertwined; their footsteps lingered in every corner of the room. Before falling into a deep sleep, she vaguely heard a barely audible whisper, and the next second, she had already plunged into the depths of a dream.

The trembling flower branches returned to tranquility, and the little person slept peacefully beside him. Wen Shili slowly closed his arms, shut his eyes, and left all the unknown outcomes to time to decide.

-

After a week on set, and with several days of guidance from the director, Sheng Yi had gradually become familiar with her colleagues. Perhaps seeking comfort and support in adversity has become an instinctive human choice.

This drama spans the timeline of two generations. That cold winter buried and ended everything from the past, but under the cover of ice and snow, new life had been dormant for a long time, waiting to bloom and yield new results in the spring of the following year.

The director chose this crucial turning point as the entry point, with the snow and ice becoming witnesses to the story.

To fully capture the dramatic effect on screen, the production team drove their equipment and personnel into the snow-covered north, intending to film this large-scale scene in one go while the weather was right. The rest of the story would then be developed and refined at the film studio.

This was the first time Sheng Yi had experienced such bone-chilling cold. Most of the actors in the crew had no experience with prolonged outdoor activities in such icy and snowy conditions, and a numb sense of helplessness enveloped them. The overwhelming whiteness made their minds go blank, and all their reactions seemed to be separated by a layer of distance; they were a beat late in issuing the next instruction.

During the week-long adjustment period, everyone was trying their best to control their facial tremors. At the very least, they had to be perfect in front of the camera.

In stark contrast to this vast and empty world is the bustling and vibrant outside.

As year-end programs begin to be previewed, major TV stations are gradually finalizing their performers through a series of leaks. The joint list of performers for the Spring Festival Gala is trending on social media. Some people who have no connection with the show are taking advantage of the moment when everyone is relaxed to add fuel to the fire. Their unexpected official announcements have left people stunned, followed by a series of revelations and exposés.

Amidst a sea of ​​celebratory news, Wen Shili's news seemed as clean as the snow-covered landscape, so clean it was almost desolate.

As an artist, he seems to prefer solitude to lively gatherings, and he has received very few invitations to events in the past. His fans seem to have long been accustomed to his style; while her Weibo is filled with comments clamoring for selfies, his supporters remain calm and go about their own lives.

However, the calm was only superficial. A rumor that Wen Shili was going to attend an event quickly went viral and became a trending topic among fans within just ten minutes. I stumbled upon it by chance and was infected by their excitement even through the screen.

The news was updated the very next day. Sheng Yi took a screenshot and asked Wen Shili, but he only said that there had never been such a trip. Sheng Yi then understood.

She asked, "So what are your plans for the Chinese New Year?"

Wen Shili said, "There are no special arrangements. You can come back anytime you have time."

Sheng Yi glanced at the vast snowscape outside the window—what an alluring invitation. Unfortunately, she had now been sold to the film crew, and everything was no longer under her control.

The obvious reality is that the film crew's progress is not going smoothly. The extreme cold and unpredictable weather have made all plans unpredictable, and the original schedule has had to be scrapped time and time again. So when the notice to stay on set for the Lunar New Year was issued, everyone looked at each other, not feeling too surprised.

Once again, I'll be spending the New Year on set.

Sheng Yi immediately called her mother, Yu Ying. Yu Ying had returned home for the Spring Festival last year, and although she couldn't hide her disappointment, she only offered words of comfort.

A daughter's growth is a gradual process of leaving her parents' embrace, and her soaring career inevitably requires more energy to be devoted to her. As parents, even if we are reluctant, we can only swallow the bitterness of this separation alone.

"It's okay, we can come back after filming is finished, and stay a few more days then."

Sheng Yi nodded in agreement, unsure how to tell the person opposite her that it was too early to discuss the situation at the end of filming. It seemed that in the race against time, her right to be herself was being eroded step by step, imperceptibly.

Upon hearing about her tragic experience, Wu Simin was snuggled in bed watching a drama, laughing out loud while saying how miserable it was. After laughing, she started lamenting that she had no idea where she would be working next.

Some are happy, some are sad.

As the New Year approached, Sheng Yi even received a message from Fu Xiaodan, whom she hadn't contacted in a long time. Her experiences in City B over the past few months had completely lifted her from the shadows of the past, allowing her to regain her former self. Her eyes sparkled with an indomitable spirit and eager anticipation. She asked for her address, saying she had something to send, and Sheng Yi directly gave her the address of Wen Shili's residential area, asking him to help her check for the package.

On New Year's Eve, Sheng Yi arrived at the filming location early in the morning, bundled up like a bear.

Even after mentally preparing herself a thousand times, she still couldn't hide her disappointment when all the apps opened and displayed various joyful and celebratory scenes. Of course, this disappointment also matched her mood for the day, so she could indulge herself in this emotion.

In joy, one speaks of worries; in sorrow, one seeks the warmth of happiness. In the distant past and present, it seems that there truly exists such a person, cautiously and diligently striving amidst the desolate snow and ice.

As the director explained the scene, he glanced at Sheng Yi behind the monitor.

Before the audition, Sheng Yi was actually just a candidate actress whose height, figure and other data matched the original female lead quite well. Because of Zhang Meng's recommendation, he even specially looked through her past roles, big and small. To be honest, she was very mediocre. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that her early dramas were incomprehensible.

Take her role in the wildly popular new drama "Starry River, Dreamlike River" as an example. Her character is completely opposite to the female lead in the same drama. She might be able to play a spoiled and willful young lady, but what he wants is the other extreme.

Time was of the essence, and he didn't have much energy to polish a rough gem from scratch. So, it could even be said that when he submitted the application, he already had a few candidates in mind for the female lead, but Sheng Yi was not among them.

But in the end, it was she who stood here, in front of the camera.

He gathered his thoughts and looked at the woman behind the monitor, watching her go from calm to collapse in an instant. It was like watching a beautiful piece of jade shatter inch by inch before his eyes, silent yet overwhelming.

Just before the last rays of sunlight faded, a ray of hope pierced through the clouds, dispelling the gloom of fate.

After the snow falls, it melts; after it breaks apart, new life begins.

All that has passed remains the final chapter of the old days; a new journey awaits new writers.

Pick up your pen and write your own story and legend.

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A message from the author: Thank you all for your support and companionship over the past year. Happy New Year!