A vast expanse of cold green
Just before sunset, everything along the river appeared hazy and enchanting.
The evening breeze on the river, the reeds at dusk, the croaking of frogs on the boardwalk... it's all so gentle that it evokes a sense of helpless loss.
People who want to say something but hold back stand side by side, their heartbeats resonating with the tides.
Meng Yike and the others had gone ahead early, and only after a while did they turn back to urge Chu Yiqi and Xi Yuan to hurry up. It was just the right time; they had both put on half of their headphones.
The two stared at each other for a moment, seemingly realizing their awkwardness belatedly.
"Coming, coming." Chu Yiqi looked away first, responding to Su Luojian's urging.
Xi Ai was half a step behind, but slowly caught up and opened a playlist.
The playlist was named by myself, and it only has one letter – “Q”.
Chu Yiqi didn't dare turn around, fearing that the person in front of him might be the same person in the video.
"Everyone feels that this movie has a sense of redemption. Were there any points that touched you while you were filming this movie?"
Xi Ai looked at the camera, and the person who always answered everything fluently seemed to be hesitating and thinking.
That's truly rare.
Chu Yiqi then heard Xi Ai's answer after thinking: "As for the sense of redemption... I personally don't like this word."
The host, intrigued, continued, "Why?"
“Because I think Ye Ruqing doesn’t actually need redemption.” Xi Ai smiled, her fox-like eyes looking straight at the camera, yet seemingly looking at a certain person, full of deliberate ripples and deep affection. “She doesn’t actually need redemption. From the moment she wanted to get out of this situation, she no longer needed anyone to complete the process for her.”
It just so happens that during that time, someone else was traveling with her and was mistaken for her salvation.
Ye Ruqing encountered another version of herself.
As for Xi Ai, she felt that she was just lucky enough to have met Chu Yiqi, who was still struggling.
Xi Ai paused for a moment, then added half a sentence before the host could ask the next question: "She is much braver than me."
Chu Yiqi pinched her fingertips, which were a little numb, but she still couldn't help but look at Xi Ai's shadow.
The person next to him was wearing a long dress, the hem of which fluttered slightly in the evening breeze, like a pas de deux without substance, like many of the stages that Chu Yiqi had choreographed in the past two years.
Xi Ai listened to the song, her steps were small and deliberate, determined to step on Chu Yiqi's shadow.
Chu Yiqi caught this commotion and suddenly found the contrast amusing.
"Xi Ai, you're really childish." Chu Yiqi suddenly stopped, and Xi Ai lost her footing, stepping on the shadow of Chu Yiqi's skirt.
The white dress sways gracefully, seemingly light and free, yet always somewhat restrained by the cheongsam, thus remaining under control.
As the video ended, Chu Yiqi slowed his pace and casually clicked on a playlist. For reasons he didn't want to admit, he slowly walked to a row with Xi Yuan.
They hadn't spent time together like this in a long time. It was quiet, and they didn't need to think about anything else. They simply walked in unison.
The atmosphere was so familiar that Xi Yuan and Chu Yiqi unconsciously reached out to each other. Their fingertips intertwined, and they finally felt a sense of unfamiliarity, accompanied by absurd and inappropriate thoughts.
Like a lost boat that has been adrift for a long time, finally spotting a lighthouse and wanting to approach. Chu Yiqi and Xi Yuan hesitated for a moment, wanting to take each other's hands. But it was the fear of returning home that made them hesitate, and after a moment of hesitation, they let go of each other's hands.
"Why have I been so tired these past two years?"
Chu Yiqi didn't look at Xi Yuan, but only at the four people chatting and laughing a little ahead, so he didn't notice the surprise that flashed in Xi Yuan's eyes.
Xi Yuan turned her gaze to the side, a slight smile on her face, and said, "It's just a habit."
Chu Yiqi didn't say whether he believed it or not, he just stared at the two intertwined and harmonious shadows.
Xi Yuan was not telling the truth, and Chu Yiqi knew it too.
If neither of them can hear a single honest word, the exchange of glances can only end in silence.
After thinking for a while, Xi Yuan said, "Chu Yiqi, do you want to hear the truth?"
Chu Yiqi seemed to have a premonition that he knew the answer Xi Yuan wanted to say, but he didn't dare to hear the final verdict, even if there was only a slight possibility that it would be an unexpected result.
"I'll listen to whatever you want to say."
Xi Yuan was unwilling to say anything more, so she asked, "Then why did you go to F country?"
Why? Even though I didn't know any French before, I still stumbled and struggled to get into the Royal College of Art.
Speaking of this, Xi Yuan also recalled a photo of Chu Yiqi. It must have been taken secretly during class, because Chu Yiqi was sitting by the window, looking up at the podium, focused and calm, with only a slight furrow in her brow indicating that she was a little tired. Her long hair was tied to one side, with the hairband wrapping around the hairpin and finally going into the gradient rose pink ends of her hair.
Flower vines always hang outside the arched window, creating a pink summer scene.
Chu Yiqi raised his hand to adjust his glasses; they were prescription-free, but he could still provide simultaneous interpretation.
Xi Yuan was waiting to hear what Chu Yiqi was going to say. But Chu Yiqi understood what Xi Yuan meant—Xi Yuan wanted an equal exchange; if Chu Yiqi could tell the truth, then Chu Yiqi could also hear a bit of sincerity.
It was naive, or perhaps stubborn, but Chu Yiqi still said, "If I said it was only because you used to be at the Royal Academy of Arts, would you believe me?"
Xi Yuan staggered, a pang of sadness rising in her heart. She finally realized the aftereffects of hiding her emotions all along. But a rare moment of open confession felt like dragging Xi Yuan back into a winter snowstorm.
Ever since their last meeting two years ago, Xi Yuan's strongest emotion when thinking of Chu Yiqi has been a kind of inexplicable grievance.
The sea breeze carried a salty, damp air. Xi Yuan sat facing the wind, just as the sun was rising. Several seabirds fluttered and perched on the railing. Fu Jingchu brought over a glass of mint water, exchanged a glance with the person standing in front of the easel on the deck, and finally turned to Xi Yuan to ask, "Want to have a drink with me?"
Xi Yuan stared blankly at Fu Jingchu's mint water, and finally said, "Is it appropriate to force me to drink mint water when I have a low alcohol tolerance?"
"Honestly, Xi Yuan, you still have a chance to vent your emotions, so don't make things difficult for yourself."
Xi Yuan turned her head, blinked a few times, and said, "It's nothing."
Fu Jingchu sighed, brushed her hair aside, and picked up her water glass. She said, "Xi Yuan, you're going to get yourself into this mess sooner or later."
Xi Yuan touched Fu Jingchu's cup, and the tip of her nose turned slightly red.
Unless it's for a role, Xi Yuan always cries quietly, her nose and eyes red, making her look pitiful on her delicate and beautiful face, and you can't bring yourself to say a harsh word.
However, having known each other for over ten years, Fu Jingchu could tell at a glance that Xi Yuan was once again struggling with her emotions, with her rational side slightly prevailing, leading to a denial of her own feelings. Thus, her heartache turned into disappointment and frustration.
Before Xi Yuan could even speak, Fu Jingchu started teasing her: "I told you, the way you're crying, you look so wronged. If Chu Yiqi had just glanced at you, he wouldn't have left."
“I didn’t,” Xi Yuan replied with the word “wronged,” which Fu Jingchu knew, but she was too lazy to refute.
Xi Yuan added, "But she wants to leave, so why should I make her hesitate?"
"Did you ever consider that at one moment she might have hoped you would try to keep her?"
"But……"
"Admit it, Xi Yuan, you just felt wronged and angry at that moment, but you didn't want to express it. But you're in a relationship, not a business partnership. Absolute rationality is not suitable for a relationship."
"Jingchu, have a couple of drinks with me."
A tear that had been hanging in Xi Yuan's eyes for a long time finally fell and splashed into the wine.
A cicada's chirp pierced the summer night. Chu Yiqi reached out and stopped Xi Yuan, saying, "Why do you have to step into the puddle?"
Xi Ai quickly composed herself and said, "You've seen me in various places these past two years, haven't you?"
Chu Yiqi nodded. Over the past two years, she had frequently heard about or seen Xi Yuan in various settings—business news, film festival promotions, casual conversations with friends…
At first, Chu Yiqi always tried to avoid it, but later he found that he couldn't avoid it at all, so he got used to it and even began to look forward to hearing about Xi Yuan's recent situation.
"Then I've achieved my goal." Xi Yuan took a few steps forward, and Chu Yiqi followed in a daze, only to see Xi Yuan turn around.
A smile finally appeared in Xi Yuan's eyes. She said, "Teacher Chu, can we walk faster?"
"oh."
"Shiny, are you... planning to retire from the entertainment industry?"
Okay, after thinking for a long time, I've asked a question whose answer I already know.
Xi Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, "It's not that bad yet, after all, there's still a long time to go."
It's not exactly early.
Xi Yuan wasn't in a hurry, but Chu Yiqi secretly pinched her palm. She was anxious, but she didn't have enough information to be sure of, so she didn't dare to gamble on a possibility too quickly.
"The song I drew was written by you, wasn't it?" Chu Yiqi changed the subject, her tone awkward and stiff.
Xi Yuan chuckled and said, "Then it seems I haven't improved much; I can tell right away."
"How could that be?" Chu Yiqi said, "It's just that they all come to talk except you, but you're always the only one who can sit still."
Xi Yuan didn't refute, but snorted inwardly.
The reason she's not so proactive is because many of these important albums are collaborations between her and Chu Yiqi.
People who are fiercely competitive from the start always understand each other best, so they can accurately grasp the meaning the other wants to express in the music and then fill in the lyrics according to their guesses.
Only when the first draft of the lyrics is finalized will we "check things out" with each other. The results are always surprisingly good. Even if our ideas don't always align perfectly, there's always a spark after the collision. In short, we have a great understanding.
Over time, it even becomes a habit; one can grasp the other person's essence in a few songs and then silently start writing lyrics.
Xi Ai said, "So, do you want to discuss this this time?"
Chu Yiqi refused without hesitation, a smile appearing at the corner of his eye: "What's the point then? It's just like the blind men and the elephant."
"Let's call this the song."
"Sister Luo will refuse your random song titles."
"Xi Ai." Chu Yiqi paused for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "So, how many of the things you said today were true?"
Who knows? Maybe all of them?
"Really?"
Xi Ai chuckled, twirling the end of her belt on the side, and began to ramble: "I've used up my truth quota for today, but there are bonus questions that can be randomly triggered and might reward you?"
"..."
“In the hope of—” Yu Nianxi grabbed Meng Yike’s arm as a crutch, then turned to look at them, stretched out her hand, her whole body bubbling with happiness.
Meng Yike tugged at her and said, "You'll fall down the stairs and become a little mentally challenged."
"Not allowed."
"Please, Xi Ai and Yi Qi, walk a little faster, how about we sing a song?" Nie Chuiying hugged Shi Yunshan's arm.
Xi Ai turned her head to look at Chu Yiqi: "Did you hear that, Teacher Chu?"
"Let's go, hurry up!" Before he finished speaking, Chu Yiqi ran forward, glancing back at Xi Ai as he went. The last few words were lost in the flowing water.
Xi Ai was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught up and questioned Chu Yiqi: "You're terrible! Running ahead of time gets you zero points!"
"Then hit me."
"..."
Once everyone had arrived, Su Luojian casually posed a question: "Copyright is your own responsibility, and the lyrics... must be colorful."
"Actually, the only important thing is that the copyright holder is responsible for their own rights."
"You accidentally gave the standard answer."
"Let's have the captain lead by example," Nie Chuiying said with a smile, trying to trick others first.
Shi Yunshan remained calm: "This should be the first priority."
Meng Yike's gaze swept over Chu Yiqi, and suddenly a thought struck her: "The first warm cloud appears, amidst the cold green of the vast fields."
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