74 Let’s drink today and be drunk today
At lunchtime, Liu Yuwei had just unpacked her takeaway salad when an unknown number popped up on her phone. When the call was connected, the person on the other end claimed to be from a film and television entertainment company who wanted to meet with her to discuss a collaboration. Although she found it strange, she politely gave the other party Wang Lu's contact information. She didn't take the matter to heart, but unexpectedly, two days later, she was contacted by Lin Yuwei's assistant, who then connected the two things. Liu Yuwei had a good impression of Lin Yuwei. They had met several times in Berlin before, and she didn't have the airs of a female star at all. Since she was so enthusiastic about the invitation, she felt that it would be more polite to explain it in person and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. The two agreed to meet at a private teahouse. Liu Yuwei went there according to the address, only to see a closed vermilion door. A wooden plaque next to it was delicately engraved with the words "Fulan Shanfang". The graceful strokes reminded her that this was her destination. The door knocker was knocked lightly. A woman in a simple cheongsam led the way. They walked through a lush green bamboo and saw a small, shallow pond in front of them. A few red carps were swimming leisurely. There was a pavilion by the water, with light gauze dancing and people's figures looming. Lin Yuwei was already waiting there. She was wearing a new Chinese-style satin dress. The light green material was embroidered with fine winding branches. She was elegant and beautiful, with a graceful figure, which complemented the half-opened water lilies in the water. Seeing Liu Yuwei walk in, she immediately stood up and spoke softly. "Yuwei, you are here, please sit down!" The gesture of raising her hand to greet him was as natural as if she was entertaining an old friend in her own yard. Liu Yuwei was indeed stunned for a moment. Before she could respond, Lin Yuwei was already talking to herself with a smile. "Am I being a little too familiar..." She blinked. "I figured we'd met a few times, so we should be... friends?" Liu Yuwei's tense shoulders slowly relaxed, a genuine smile playing across her lips. "It's my honor to be friends with a big star!" "Oh?" Lin Yuwei paused as she took the teapot, a hint of mischief in her tone. "Don't you already have a big star friend? I'm afraid someone of my level wouldn't be qualified." Sunlight filtered through the veil onto the tea table, and the wisps of agarwood smoke drifted through the air. Lin Yuwei expertly brewed the tea, whispering, "I'm sorry I took the liberty of asking the company to contact you without telling you in advance. I hope I didn't disturb you." She pushed the white porcelain tea bowl towards Liu Yuwei. "Try it. Oriental Beauty, 2023 Miaoli Champion." The tea was bright, fragrant with flowers. Liu Yuwei took a sip, first experiencing a refreshing sweetness, then...
At lunchtime, Liu Yuwei had just unpacked her takeout salad when a strange call popped up on her phone. When she answered, the caller claimed to be from a film and entertainment company, hoping to discuss a potential collaboration. Although she found it odd, she politely gave them Wang Lu's contact information.
She didn't take it to heart, but unexpectedly, she was found by Lin Yuwei's assistant two days later, and she connected the two things together.
Liu Yuwei had a good impression of Lin Yuwei. They had met several times in Berlin, and she hadn't put on any celebrity airs. Since she had been so kind, she felt it would be more polite to address the matter directly, and would also help avoid any misunderstandings.
The two had agreed to meet at a private teahouse. Liu Yuwei followed the address and found a closed vermilion door. A wooden plaque nearby, delicately carved with the words "Fulan Shanfang," hinted at her destination.
I knocked lightly on the doorbell. A woman in a simple cheongsam led the way. We passed a lush bamboo forest and came upon a small, shallow pond, where a few red carp were swimming leisurely. A pavilion stood by the water, its veil dancing and the shadows of people looming.
Lin Yuwei was already waiting there. She was wearing a new Chinese-style satin dress. The light green material was embroidered with fine twined branches. She looked elegant and beautiful, and her graceful figure complemented the half-opened water lilies in the water.
Seeing Liu Yuwei come in, she immediately stood up and spoke softly.
"Yu Wei, you're here, please take a seat!"
The gesture of raising your hand to greet someone is as natural as entertaining an old friend in your own yard.
Liu Yuwei was indeed stunned for a moment. Before she could respond, Lin Yuwei had already started talking to herself with a smile.
"Am I a little too familiar..."
She blinked, "I figured we'd met a few times, so we should be considered... friends?"
Liu Yuwei's originally tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and a genuine smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
"It's my honor to be friends with a big star!"
"Oh?" Lin Yuwei paused after taking Cha He's hand, her tone slightly teasing. "Don't you already have a celebrity friend? I'm afraid someone of my level isn't qualified."
The sunlight shines through the gauze onto the tea table, and the curling green smoke of agarwood floats in the air.
Lin Yuwei skillfully brewed tea while softly saying, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you in advance and took the liberty of asking the company to contact you. I hope I didn't disturb you."
The white porcelain bowl was pushed in front of Liu Yuwei. "Try it, Oriental Beauty, 2023 Miaoli Champion."
The tea was bright and fragrant with flowers. Liu Yuwei took a sip, and first the refreshing sweetness was followed by a hint of lychee-like fruitiness. The aftertaste lingered on the tip of the tongue again and again, like a seductive beauty, whose every frown and smile made people remember her.
“Good tea!”
Lin Yuwei also picked up her cup, took a sip and put it down.
"I heard from investors at a dinner party a few days ago that Starlight has a contract that's giving them a headache!"
She looked up at Liu Yuwei and said, "Nowadays, many law firms review contracts in a very...how should I put it...businesslike manner!"
Liu Yuwei didn't respond, but just looked at her quietly, waiting for her next words.
"I asked indirectly, but I didn't expect it to lead back to someone I know!"
"I'm so sorry!" Liu Yuwei put down his teacup and said sincerely, "I changed my position a while ago. Tiancheng still has many legal experts, and they are all equally dedicated to their duties!"
Lin Yuwei approached the tea table, her eyes blazing. "Just like brand companies value the personal influence of celebrities. The three words 'Liu Yuwei' are your signature, and no one else can replace them."
Liu Yuwei picked up the cup with a smile and raised it towards the other party.
"Then I really have to thank Party A for their approval and to use tea instead of wine!"
For the next few minutes, Lin Yuwei continued to offer reasons, explaining the fame, money, and connections that cooperation would bring. Her words unfolded like a web, layer upon layer. But Liu Yuwei, standing opposite her, remained smiling, not giving in at all.
Finally, Lin Yuwei said with resentment, "It seems that you have decided to only be Jin Lang's personal lawyer!"
Liu Yuwei did not deny it, but only said, "The cooperation with Xingguang was just a chance."
Steam was rising from the mouth of the glass pot. Lin Yuwei added some hot water to the two covered bowls, and the tea leaves slowly expanded as they floated.
"Last time in Berlin, I heard Jin Lang say that you two were high school classmates?"
She raised her eyes and saw Liu Yuwei nodded, and a hint of cunning immediately flashed in her eyes, mixed with a bit of gossip interest.
"Then you must have known his first love, didn't you?"
The topic changed abruptly. Liu Yuwei's hand holding the cup paused slightly, then returned to normal, and only said "hmm" lightly, without much emotion.
Lin Yuwei held her chin and looked at the water lilies in the pond, as if imagining something. With a certainty, she said, "Then she must be a wonderful person, to make Jin Lang so obsessed with her!"
"Never forget?"
Liu Yuwei asked subconsciously.
Lin Yuwei's red lips were pressed into a line, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were going through a fierce inner struggle. The wind outside the pavilion died down, and the rustling of the bamboo forest also disappeared.
"I'm suffering from this secret! I've never told anyone!"
She suddenly leaned closer, her voice low and mysterious and serious, but she smiled the next second.
"I'm telling you this because you're an outsider and a friend of Jin Lang's!"
Liu Yuwei cooperated by pulling her mouth up.
"When we were filming Midsummer, many people on the crew were saying that Jin Lang took on this film to commemorate his first love. Later, at the movie celebration party, everyone was drunk, and I asked him about it. To my surprise, he actually admitted it."
"admit?"
When Liu Yuwei heard these two words, she felt as if her heart was being gripped by an invisible hand. She didn't even notice that her voice was trembling a little.
"That's right!" Lin Yuwei raised an eyebrow. "He said that when he was at the darkest point in his life, she was the only one by his side!"
Isn’t the “darkest” period the time when they broke up, Jin Lang’s father passed away, and his mother became ill?
Liu Yuwei tried hard to force a smile.
"Fortunately, there was someone with him at that time."
Her voice was as soft as the wind.
Movies are both a commemoration and a thank you, she told herself, trying to calm herself down.
But when he met Song Miao again, was it really as he said to Xiaohe, just partners, nothing more?
So, this time, it was because I got there first? After all, Song Miao's intentions were too obvious.
Countless questions swirled in her mind, making her dizzy. The teacup in her hand, trembling with her hands, clattered against the table, making a particularly harsh sound in the silence.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Lin Yuwei didn't expect that a few words could have such great "power".
"It's okay!" Liu Yuwei took a deep breath, "I'm a little nervous, it's probably because I drank tea on an empty stomach!"
"That must be tea drunkenness, have some snacks!"
As he said this, he placed a plate of mung bean cakes in front of Liu Yuwei.
"Thanks."
Liu Yuwei couldn't quite remember what they talked about afterwards. It seemed like Lin Yuwei was talking about some things she'd done with Jin Lang during the filming, and she was responding incoherently. As they left, they saw a grandparents walking hand in hand at the corner of the alley, their backs blending into the gorgeous sunset glow.
When she got home, she sank into the sofa, all kinds of images emerging uncontrollably in her mind.
Jin Lang and Song Miao waited for Li Xin outside the operating room. He leaned against her, his eyes etched with weariness. She held his hand, as if it were her destiny to give him strength. On the day Li Xin was discharged from the hospital, the three of them had sat together at a table in the sunshine, celebrating his "rebirth." Song Miao was probably still like she was in high school, standing on the stage at a talent show, cheering for him at the top of her lungs, her palms clapping until they were red. Perhaps, too, they had imagined their future together in the afterglow of the sunset.
If such a deep relationship that had gone through the ups and downs of life together could eventually dissipate, what about her and Jin Lang? With so many years between them, where could they go?
There is no solution.
Liu Yuwei opened a bottle of beer and sighed loudly to the empty living room - Let's drink today and worry about tomorrow when it comes!
…
Lately, Jin Lang has been walking with aplomb. Not only has the film he's planning to film successfully secured investment, but even the Hong Kong actor he's always dreamed of working with, impressed by his sincerity after three visits, has agreed to play the taciturn father in the film.
Your career is going smoothly and your love life is also burning brightly.
Whenever Jin Lang suggested they go hiking or on a picnic like a normal couple, Liu Yuwei would always frown and wave her hand, "What if we get photographed and become a trending topic?" Her concerns were like thin ice, and the repeated rejections inevitably chilled his enthusiasm.
But since the beginning of summer, the icy ice has melted under the scorching sun. Liu Yuwei first suggested going camping and stargazing, and one day he even asked him to accompany Xiaolu to Universal Studios. Jin Lang had a knack for blending in with the crowd, and he went unrecognized the entire day.
He didn't understand the sudden change, but he truly tasted the sweetness. She would take the initiative to snuggle into his arms while he was reading a script, and would curl up on the sofa late at night waiting for him to come home. She took the initiative to ask for it, and he was naturally happy to give it.
When her passion was at its peak, she liked to whisper his name in his ear, with a faint gasp in her voice, which always made him reach a double climax of spirit and body at that moment, as if he were floating in the clouds.
On Liu Yuwei's birthday, Jin Lang came home early to cook, sober up, and bake a cake, with golden sunflowers placed in a prominent position.
This was their first important day since their reconciliation, and he had recently thought of countless ways to celebrate. He couldn't travel far on weekdays, and fireworks were banned in northern Beijing. Even his excitedly proposed drone show was mocked by Shen Cheng as tacky.
In the end, he chose the simplest way: a home-cooked meal for two people, enjoying a whole night quietly.
After dinner, Jin Lang picked a romantic movie. It was obviously a comedy, but the hero played by Adam Sandler made a heartfelt confession to the heroine in the studio: "You tried to completely erase me from your memory because you felt that you had delayed me and prevented me from living a fulfilling life. But you were wrong. Only when I am with you can I feel happy. You are my destined other half." From 50 First Loves
The birthday boy burst into tears.
It would be nice if I could lose my memory like the heroine. All the entanglements, pains, and tossing and turnings could perhaps be easily wiped clean like chalk writing on a blackboard.
Jin Lang gently helped her wipe away her tears and suggested that after the movie they were planning to shoot was released, they should rent a boat and go sailing on the sea for a few days to watch the sun rise from the sea level and the stars fill the entire night sky.
Liu Yuwei didn't say anything, but raised her head and put her arms around his neck. This kiss, tinged with salty tears, was as gentle as a spring breeze, then gradually became stronger, quickly setting off a prairie fire in the silent living room.
After the lovemaking, the bedroom still held a lingering damp heat. Jin Lang held her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head, his fingers entwined in her black silk stockings, making circles.
"Did you see the gift I sent you?"
Liu Yuwei's eyelids were already glued, but she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What?"
Jin Lang grabbed his phone from the bedside table, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and opened his Weibo account. The pinned post featured nine neatly arranged photos, all depicting a crescent moon in the dark blue sky. Tens of thousands of comments speculated on the underlying meaning.
Liu Yuwei's sleepiness disappeared in an instant. The clarity and resolution of those moons varied. Some had a hazy halo, while others were so clear that one could vaguely see the craters on the moon's surface.
She understood the undercurrent as if she had just woken up from a dream.
That year, she mailed the star jar containing a girl's thoughts to Jin Lang on his birthday. After receiving it, he called and said, "You gave me stars, so do I have to pick the moon for you?"
She deliberately compared him to a monkey - "Fishing for the moon in the water? That's all an illusion!"
Unexpectedly, he remembered what he said casually back then for so long.
While she was moved, another thought pricked her gently like a thin needle.
Does this mean that at some point, his heart is filled with two people at the same time, and doesn't it feel crowded? Just like at this moment, the tenderness in his eyes is real, and the promise he has remembered for so many years is also real, but can the past experiences shared with others really be written off?
Seeing that she didn't say anything for a long time and was just staring at the screen in a daze, Jin Lang lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her hair.
"What's wrong? You don't like it?"
Liu Yuwei shook her head and buried her face in his chest, smelling the faint scent of cedar on him. "No, I like it very much."
But this love is mixed with a bit of inexplicable bitterness, like biting into an unripe persimmon, after the sweetness, the tip of the tongue is wrapped in a lingering numbness.
Author's Note
Lazy Cat on the Cloud
author
07-13
Trying hard to resume updating every other day, fighting!
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