Chapter Twenty-Nine
The cold winds are visiting the port city more and more frequently, and the temperature is gradually dropping day by day. Of the four seasons, Su Xian prefers the port city's winter. It is neither as hot as summer and autumn nor as humid as spring. Instead, it is the most comfortable season.
After returning home from her morning run that day, Su Xian received a call from Zhang Zhiran.
"Hey! Xiaoxuan, where are you?"
"at home."
"You're in Hong Kong? That's great! I just arrived yesterday, I'm exhausted. It's so rare for me to come back and stay for a few days."
Zhi Ran continued to speak rapidly, giving the other person no chance to breathe.
"Let me tell you, I'm not slacking off. This is my second team now, and everyone in the company is really cooperative with me. Once this project is finished, I'll take a good look at other projects. If there are any good ones, remember to come over!"
"Okay, what's up?" Su Xuan finally got a word in.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. My mom's charity is having a gala dinner soon, and she asked me to ask you if you're free to come this year."
Zhi Ran's mother was the founder of the Magnolia Club in Hong Kong, a group of wealthy women who did charity work and also expanded their husbands' family connections. The Magnolia Club held a charity gala every year, but Su Xian had spent most of his time at the film studio in previous years and hadn't attended.
"Of course I'll come. It just so happens that I'm in Hong Kong this year."
"Okay, okay, I'll send you the invitation later. I've also sent one to Brother Yuan. I'll be running errands for my mom these next few days, see you then!"
Not long after Su Xian hung up the phone, she received a message from Zhi Ran. The dress code on the invitation was "starry night".
Su Xian took a slice of lemon from the refrigerator, made a cup of hot lemon water, sat on the sofa, and blew on the cup.
When attending an event like this, you should definitely put some thought into your outfit. Otherwise, you should call Han Yi and ask her to lend you a dress that matches the theme.
The phone vibrated again; this time it was Lin Zhiyuan. Su Xian put the cup on the coffee table and picked up the phone.
"Did you receive the invitation?" he asked.
"Hmm, I'm thinking about what to wear."
"I'll get you a dress."
"I think I'll pass," Su Xian said after thinking for a moment. "It's my aunt's place, so I shouldn't dress too formally."
"Dressing nicely for this kind of occasion will show that you value it. How about this, I'll prepare a few outfits for you, and you can choose which one to choose. I'll also prepare the items for the auction for you."
He had more experience with this kind of activity, so Su Xian followed his arrangements.
"Then I'll come pick you up then."
Su Xian quickly said, "I'll go by myself."
She didn't want to attend as his date, and she also refused when Lin Zhiyuan invited her to dinner with his friends a while ago.
She always felt she wouldn't stay by his side for long, so she didn't want to gain anything from him like Ms. Winona, nor did she want too many people to know about their relationship and speculate. She just wanted to keep this relationship as a small, happy memory for herself.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Su Xian was worried that he was unhappy and was thinking about how to explain when she heard Lin Zhiyuan say, "Okay, I understand."
Su Xian couldn't discern his emotions, but she still breathed a sigh of relief.
The inky night draped the majestic Port City Art Museum, resembling a classical temple, in a somber cloak. As with every night after closing time, passersby were long accustomed to it, occasionally glancing at the towering building before hurrying on their way.
Passing through towering columns and entering the art gallery through the archway, then climbing the marble steps, you find yourself in the main exhibition hall, brightly lit and filled with elegantly dressed men and women chatting and laughing around cocktail tables, their every gesture sparkling with the glitter of jewels.
Su Xian wore a black fitted long dress, with no other decorations except for a few stars on her belt, exuding a calm and elegant charm that transcended worldly concerns.
"Next up is the last item in the first round of auctions, a jade bracelet, with a starting price of 500,000..."
"One million!" Zhi Ran, standing next to Su Xuan, raised a sign and shouted, drawing everyone's attention to them.
"Number 8 has bid 1.1 million." The host's voice rang out, and all eyes quickly shifted away.
“This is a glass-like jadeite variety that my mom brought out, so I have to help her raise the price a bit first.” Zhi Ran raised her eyebrows at Su Xian.
Su Xian smiled slightly and raised the champagne glass beside her to her lips.
"Why didn't you come with Yuan Ge today?" Zhi Ran nudged her with her elbow. "I saw several groups of beautiful women standing around him all night."
Su Xian looked up and saw a figure in a black suit chatting with a woman in a wrap dress beside him. His profile was showing a smile, and she tightened her grip on her wine glass.
That night, she stood behind him and glanced at him several times, but each time she didn't see him look this way.
Su Xian took a sip of wine, put down the glass, and said calmly, "Is this all you've seen all night?"
“I’ve seen plenty. See that bald guy over there? He’s Chairman Li from Xinheng. I call him Uncle Li. He’s the same age as my dad, but the woman he brought today is younger than me.” Zhi Ran pursed her lips in disdain.
"And that rich woman dressed so gaudily up ahead, you didn't see her male companion, did you?" Zhi Ran clicked her tongue twice. "I didn't realize Teacher Lu Ran had this kind of talent."
"Don't make wild guesses; people may not be what you think."
"Tonight, you and he are the only two celebrities here. There's nothing wrong with you and me standing together, but it might be different if Teacher Lu is like this."
"Don't forget you're a celebrity too." Su Xian shook her head speechlessly. She glanced at the host on stage who was talking non-stop, and then said to Zhi Ran, "It's a bit stuffy. I'm going out for some fresh air before I come back."
Su Xian walked alone into the courtyard, took a deep breath, and the chilly wind cleared her head. She looked up at the sky; there was no moon, and only a few stars dotted the dark night sky.
The city night sky always looks the same and boring, unlike the night in Tahiti, where the stars are twinkling and the moon seems so close that you could reach out and touch it.
Su Xian's lips curved into a smile.
"Have you been busy lately?" A somewhat unfamiliar voice sounded beside me.
Su Xian turned her head and saw Lu Ran. She shook her head and said, "I'm resting after filming 'Snow Abyss'."
"Taking a break is a good thing. Being too busy means you don't have time to reflect on yourself."
"Yes." Su Xian replied with a smile.
Why weren't you with him tonight?
Su Xian frowned slightly. Following his gaze, she tilted her head and saw the person in the French windows. Lin Zhiyuan also turned his head at that moment, and for the first time tonight, their eyes finally met.
Su Xian's heart pounded. She quickly looked down at the floor tiles, not knowing why she suddenly felt nervous. Was it because the person standing next to her was Lu Ran?
She and Lu Ran were just ordinary friends, while he spent the whole night chatting and laughing with countless people.
Su Xuan felt her nervousness was unnecessary. "Is there anything else, Teacher Lu?"
Lu Ran chuckled self-deprecatingly, then looked into the courtyard and said, "There is something I need to discuss. I have a movie that starts filming next month, and a minor role in it got stood up. I was wondering if you'd be interested."
Su Xuan was pleasantly surprised. She looked at Lu Ran and asked, "What movie is it?"
You've probably heard of "Life in Shanghai".
Su Xian's eyes lit up. Of course she knew that the new work by the famous director Sun Qi was about the Republican era.
Su Xian felt like she'd been given a windfall, but she still asked, "Could you tell me what role it is?"
"The story is about several righteous people escorting an important revolutionary during the War of Resistance against Japan. I play a high-ranking official of the puppet government, codenamed 'Falcon'. The vacant role is 'White Fox,' a revolutionary undercover agent who seduces 'Falcon' to obtain intelligence and successfully buys precious time for the revolutionaries."
“I’ve sounded out Director Sun’s thoughts. The role of ‘White Fox’ requires someone to be beautiful, and he thinks you fit the bill. It’s just a matter of whether you’re interested.”
Of course I'm interested! It's a film by Director Sun, such a rare opportunity.
"In front of Director Sun, how could I say whether I was interested or not? If he thought I was suitable, then I would act."
"Okay, I'll contact you in the next few days. Go and meet Director Sun."
Su Xian nodded, her face beaming with smiles.
Lu Ran smiled and said, "It seems you're only interested in talking about work. It was like that before, and it's still like that now."
Su Xian lowered her eyes and didn't reply, thinking that she would go in after standing there for a while.
"But you treat him very differently."
Su Xian frowned slightly, but quickly realized what he meant. She turned to look at the glass window, but Lin Zhiyuan was no longer in sight.
“That time I visited the set, I saw…” Lu Ran paused, “I’ve never seen you look at someone like that before.”
Su Xian pursed her lips; she herself wasn't sure what she looked like when she looked at him.
"Actually, it's for the best. You haven't had any formal acting training; you rely entirely on your own understanding and immersion, which is a double-edged sword. Right now, these roles are still within your control, but I worry that one day, a role will cause you to break down, and you'll be all alone again..."
"I hope he will be a bond to you."
Su Xian and Lu Ran stood silently in the courtyard for a while before returning to the venue together. The auction was still going on, bustling and lively, and it was unclear when it would end, but Su Xian suddenly lost interest.
She patted Zhang Zhiran, who was beaming with excitement, and said, "I'm feeling a little dizzy, I'm going home first."
Zhi Ran immediately looked at her, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing, I probably caught a chill from the wind."
“Okay, I’ll find someone to take you.” Zhi Ran glanced around. “Where’s Brother Yuan? Let him go with you.”
Su Xuan pressed down on Zhi Ran's hand as she flipped through her phone. "It's alright, my driver is waiting."
"Okay, I'll invite you to dinner another day. Go back and take a hot shower."
Su Xian agreed, and quietly left the venue, walked out of the art gallery, and got into her car.
She didn't know why Lu Ran would have such thoughts, and she didn't know if what he said could become a reality, after all, she didn't know if she would encounter such a complicated character.
So far, she has been quite adept at handling her roles. Since she hasn't received any particularly difficult roles yet, why think so much about them? It's pointless to worry about things that haven't happened yet.
Thinking this way, Su Xian relaxed. She made a phone call to tell Bai Lin about Lu Ran's invitation. Bai Lin was very excited, and Su Xian also began to look forward to it.
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