Chapter 19 Late at Night, Long Time No See
Wen Zhiling: "Then I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
Zong Linhan: "Okay."
Wen Zhiling walked down the stairs and tried out the length of the sofa. Zong Linhan's voice drifted over, neither too loud nor too soft, "I'll sleep on the sofa too. It's quite spacious, isn't it? It's just right for two people to squeeze in."
Wen Zhiling leaned against the back of the sofa, staring intently at Zong Linhan. He remained expressionless, calmly slicing tomatoes and pouring boiling water into the pot.
Footsteps thumped as Wen Zhiling went upstairs again. Zong Linhan threw the noodles and tomatoes into the pot to cook, turned on the tap to wash his hands, and then followed her upstairs at a leisurely pace.
In the master bedroom, Wen Zhiling rolled up his sheets, grabbed two pillows, and looked like she was about to tear the house apart.
Zong Linhan leaned against the door, his smile undiminished: "Baby, what am I going to build if you move everything out?"
Wen Zhiling didn't even turn her head, grabbing the dolls by the bedside and saying, "The sky is my blanket, the earth is my mat."
Zong Linhan chuckled softly, "That's good, you even came up with a solution for me."
With so many things in her hands, Wen Zhiling could barely see where she was going. Just as she reached the door, Zong Linhan scooped her up in his arms and, ignoring her struggles, carried her and the blanket back to the bed.
Wen Zhiling's long hair was messy, and she looked resentful. Zong Linhan smiled and ruffled her hair. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Go pick one."
She took the key, opened several rooms and looked around. The guest rooms all had similar decorating styles, following a minimalist and clean aesthetic. In the end, she chose a room near the corridor.
For dinner, we had tomato and shredded pork noodles. Zong Linhan's was the tomato-free version. While Zong Linhan was on the phone, Wen Zhiling added tomatoes to the noodles. When he returned after hanging up, he picked the tomatoes out with his chopsticks almost without hesitation.
Wen Zhiling: "You're a picky eater."
Zong Linhan: "You're stirring up trouble."
Wen Zhiling: "..." Your use of puns is a deduction.
After washing up, Wen Zhiling returned to her room. Although she said she couldn't concentrate on studying, she still had a mental note: if there were answers available before the exam, she should take a closer look.
She casually played a variety show video on her phone, sat cross-legged on the floor looking at documents, and listened to completely unrelated audio. Sometimes, this helps people concentrate.
The family tree showed that Zong Linhan had an older brother named Zong Linyang. Wen Zhiling flipped through the pages but found no other information mentioned, and she had never heard Zong Linhan mention him before.
Is it some mysterious person?
Wen Zhiling turned off the video, intending to search for something. The video paused and the sound also disappeared, and the surroundings became quiet. When she turned around, Zong Linhan was leaning against the door, looking lazy, and she didn't know how long he had been watching her like that.
Wen Zhiling clutched her chest. "You scared me to death."
Zong Linhan: "Where are you looking?"
He had just finished showering and smelled of shower gel. He sat down next to Wen Zhiling, and the fragrance became more pronounced and pleasant.
Wen Zhiling: "I just finished reviewing the materials for the program. Pingping is so professional. He even wrote down a lot of possible game arrangements and gave me ideas in advance, like he was predicting the exam questions."
Wen Zhiling turned to one of the pages and handed it to Zong Linhan. "This page says that the show always has a segment where secrets are shared. Should we make up a few on the spot?" After all, they're not really siblings.
Zong Linhan nodded: "Okay, but there are no specific requirements. If you really have a secret you want to exchange, I'm all ears."
"I won't let you off easy." Wen Zhiling said this, but in her heart she was thinking that her little secret was something that couldn't be brought to light and couldn't be discussed in public.
She flipped through a few pages of the document, pointed to the names in the family tree, and asked, "Do you have an older brother?"
Zong Linhan: "Yes, my brother. I have photos, do you want to see them?"
Zong Linhan brought a photo frame from the room. Wen Zhiling took it; it was made of wood and quite heavy. The photo was torn in half, which was strange. Wen Zhiling turned the frame over; the back was black, and the torn half was nowhere to be seen.
Wen Zhiling: "Is someone missing?"
Zong Linhan: "Yes, that's how the photo is."
Wen Zhiling: "Is this the only photo of your brother?"
The edges are not smooth, like something salvaged from a fire scene, which looks ominous.
Zong Linhan: "The other photos are at the old house; this is the only one I have on hand. Do I look like him?"
The boy in the photo got out of the car; only his profile was shown, but you could tell he had very handsome features and looked somewhat similar to Zong Linhan.
Zong Linhan also sat on the floor, leaning closer to look at the photos with her. His eyelashes were lowered, and when he slightly raised them, they fluttered like butterflies, giving him a serene beauty. He wore loose white cotton loungewear, which gave him a gentle, meltingly warm feeling. Wen Zhiling looked down and saw the side of his neck, which was so white that it seemed to glow, exuding the scent of shower gel and a faint citrus fragrance.
Wen Zhiling compared the two, "Their eyes are quite similar, but your brother looks..."
Zong Linhan looked up, waiting with great interest, "Hmm?"
Wen Zhiling thought for a moment, "I feel like I'm not as easy to get along with, right? I always feel like I'm someone who thinks a lot."
Zong Linhan smiled, "You're the first person to describe me and him like that."
Wen Zhiling blinked. "Hmm?"
Zong Linhan: "He was much more likable than me when we were little. He was precocious and handled things with ease. All the adults in the family liked him very much."
He didn't tell Wen Zhiling that he had actually been exceptionally happy these past two days. Her return to his side felt like the beginning of good fortune, giving him a sudden premonition that everything would be alright. It was as if he had suddenly struck it lucky, believing that those who had left would return.
Listening to Zong Linhan's words, Wen Zhiling wondered why she had never heard him mention this before. Just as she was about to ask, her attention was drawn to the lower left corner of the photo. The boy in the photo was holding hands with someone who looked like a little girl, wearing a white dress.
The photo only showed a corner of the skirt, but Wen Zhiling felt that she seemed to have worn the same one before—cotton, with a decorative tie at the waist and a row of stacked lace at the hem.
While Wen Zhiling was looking at the photos, Zong Linhan had already shifted his gaze from the photos to the person.
The girl was engrossed in looking at the photo album; her face was beautiful and clean, and her temperament gentle. Zong Linhan didn't speak, but sat beside her, watching her. He remembered Chen Pingping's words: to maintain distance, to strike the right balance in terms of aloofness, to act like siblings, or rather, siblings with a very casual relationship, and then to achieve a leap in growth and a qualitative change on the show.
Before joining the crew, he would study the character's personality, starting from the details, and immerse himself in the character in all aspects of his life, thinking about what choices the character would make and what words he would say in different situations.
When he received the role of a fake sibling, that was his thought too. He would treat it as a role, keep his distance, not look too much or think too much. He had practiced it hundreds of times, so there was no challenge or difficulty.
Perhaps it was a bit hot. Wen Zhiling looked at the photo, brushed her long hair aside to reveal her fair nape. This movement also caused her sleeves to slide down to her elbows, making her slender wrists appear as if they were bathed in a layer of clear light.
When buying clothes, Zong Linhan specifically instructed his assistant to buy something more conservative, something that wouldn't expose his arms or legs, explaining that it was windy on the island and he was worried about catching a cold. But he knew in his heart that he wasn't actually protecting himself from the island. Now, however, he realized how wrong he had been; the faint glimmer of light was more dangerous than the sea breeze.
Zong Linhan suddenly spoke up: "The floor is very clean."
Wen Zhiling was still trying to remember where she had seen this dress before, and when she heard the words, she didn't react at first. "What?"
Zong Linhan's gaze was calm, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Although we don't live here often, someone comes to clean every day."
Wen Zhiling: "Hmm?"
Suddenly, he pulled her hand, and without warning, Wen Zhiling was drawn into his arms, falling to the floor together. His arms were wrapped around her waist, taut, his chin resting on the top of her head, his breathing slightly uneven. He lowered his head, his cheek lightly touching hers, his voice slightly hoarse, "Let me hold you for a while."
The person behind her was very hot, very hot. The body temperature and heat were transmitted, and the hand pressing on her lower abdomen also became scalding hot, as if she was being attacked from both sides by heat. Wen Zhiling looked up at him, and the slight movement caused her body to move. Zong Linhan buried his face in her neck and made a muffled sound from his throat.
Wen Zhiling: "You..."
Zong Linhan didn't speak, but tightened his grip, giving Wen Zhiling a couple of tight hugs before letting go. He turned his back to Wen Zhiling and left the room, saying, "Go to sleep early, I'm exhausted."
-
The dinner was scheduled for two days before the recording started, at 7 pm, at an old restaurant in southern Beijing. It was quite different from what Wen Zhiling had imagined; she had thought that such gatherings should be held in secluded places, such as hotel private rooms or upscale private restaurants.
Two strings of lanterns hung at the entrance of the shop, and the staff were calling out numbers; a long queue had formed outside. Zong Linhan whispered to her that this restaurant served traditional southern Beijing cuisine, and that both of the program's investors and producers were from southern Beijing. He suggested that by having more meetings and meals with them, she could try all the southern Beijing restaurants in the city.
The waiter spotted Zong Linhan and went to greet him. As was customary, he led him directly to the third floor.
From the first floor to the third floor, it only took three minutes, but Wen Zhiling's palms were sweating. She was much more unsettled than she had thought. Some didn't want to see Li Xu, some were afraid of meeting strangers, and some had a strange fear of another circle—people who were active in the spotlight of mass media.
Her emotions were a jumbled mess, and she couldn't tell which one was heavier, weighing on her heart. It made her stumble, and she quickly grabbed the handrail to steady herself. Zong Linhan walked beside her, his hand lightly supporting her back, and said softly, "It's nothing, you'll get used to it in a couple of days."
Wen Zhiling nodded, her heart pounding in her throat.
Turning into the third floor, a waiter was waiting at the door. He only made way after recognizing the person, acting as a guard to prevent others from coming up.
There was only one private room on this floor. As soon as they arrived at the door, the sound of high heels came from the other side of the corridor. At the end of the corridor appeared a tall and slender woman, followed by a petite girl. The height difference was striking.
The beautiful woman took off her sunglasses. "Oh, you're here too. Long time no see, Linhan."
This is Li Xu's older sister, Li Wan. The Li family and the Zong family are old friends. Li Wan has been the eldest sister among the younger generation since she was a child. She patted Zong Linhan's shoulder with the temple of her sunglasses. "Yueyue gave me good news the day before yesterday, saying that she doesn't have to suffer on the island."
Wen Zhiling's feet were firmly planted on the ground; she wanted to run, but her legs were too weak.
"This must be Xiaoling, right? Hello." Li Wan greeted her when she saw her. "Don't you recognize me yet? I grew up with your brother and your sister Zongyue. It's a pity you grew up in the old house, so we didn't play together when we were kids."
Li Wan had only recently heard about the Zong family finding their youngest daughter. She was quite confused by the story, which seemed rather bizarre, but she acted as if nothing had happened and smiled naturally at Wen Zhiling, saying, "If your brother bullies you, come to me, and I'll stand up for you."
A teasing voice came from inside the private room: "What are you chatting about standing at the door? We're waiting for the food, come in quickly!"
Wen Zhiling followed behind into the private room, her tension mostly gone. Li Wan didn't remember her. Of course, in the past six years, she had met countless people by chance; she was just a tiny part of them.
A man who looked to be around fifty years old was sitting in the main seat eating peanuts. Zong Linhan quietly introduced him to Wen Zhiling, saying, "This is the director, surnamed Chen."
Director Chen glanced at the doorway: "Xiao Xu didn't come with you?"
Li Wan took off her coat and sighed helplessly, "He was stuck in traffic and wanted us to eat first."
Most of the attendees were staff members, and another pair of guests arrived soon after, bringing along two variety show personalities. They jokingly said they were there to freeload, creating a lively atmosphere with everyone vying for attention and generating constant laughter. The producer clinked glasses with the director, occasionally remarking, "This season's viewership is definitely going to be high; it's bound to be a hit."
Wen Zhiling went to the restroom halfway through and overheard Li Wan and her manager complaining in a low voice, "That idiot doesn't answer the phone and just disappears. I'll beat him to a pulp."
It seems they won't be coming.
Wen Zhiling thoroughly enjoyed a delicious dinner, her appetite returning and replenishing her stomach, which had been languishing for the past few days. The filming director kept glancing at her, and Zong Linhan had to subtly remind her that if she continued eating, the production team might deliberately make her go hungry for a few more meals so they could hear her lament about the hardships of not having enough to eat.
While eating, Wen Zhiling replied to Zong Linhan's message: "Eat more."
Zong Linhan: "?"
Wen Zhiling: "That way they'll think it's family culture, and once they're at the dinner table, it's all about cooking."
Zong Linhan: "..."
Some people brought up the topic of the hot pot, others the details of the meal, and every now and then someone would ask where Li Xu was or if they should order a couple more dishes, all of which Li Wan politely declined. As the meal neared its end, there was a commotion at the door.
Li Xu pushed open the door and entered. He was very tall, wearing a black trench coat, and looked exhausted. He was completely different from the person Wen Zhiling remembered. Her impression of Li Xu was still that of a teenager, only half a head taller than her, always wearing a soccer jersey, and fond of rolling on the grass at night to look at the stars. Like a sapling growing strong, time had taken away his youthful exuberance, leaving behind a seemingly calm and composed adult man.
Li Xu said seriously, "I'm sorry, the recording studio took too long, and I completely forgot about the time..."
Li Wan blinked repeatedly, trying to signal him. Li Xu frowned. What did she mean?
Li Wan's eyes twitched, and Li Xu still didn't understand.
Li Wan gritted her teeth and smiled: "And that's how we got stuck in traffic until now!"
After a slight pause, Li Xu readily continued, "Tonight's fireworks show in the North District turned the main roads almost entirely red."
He took the bag from his assistant, took out two bottles of red wine, and placed them on the table. "I'll punish myself for being late with three glasses. Did Director Zhang say this tastes good? My mom remembers it; as soon as she heard I was having dinner with you guys, she urged me to bring it."
Wen Zhiling's shoulders stiffened, unsure of what to do with her hands. Trying to appear natural, she reached for her teacup, only to find it empty and the teapot too far away. Zong Linhan took the pot and cup to pour water, his movement bringing them even closer. As Wen Zhiling listened to Li Xu speak, she wondered if Zong Linhan could hear her pounding heart, and then question her about why she hadn't spoken.
He hadn't asked her about knowing Li Xu either. Firstly, it wasn't important; secondly, it was a past she didn't want to recall; and finally, it wouldn't affect the variety show's progress. It was fine if she didn't tell him; Wen Zhiling was eager to absolve herself of responsibility.
She whispered "thank you," and Zong Linhan had barely uttered "be careful, it's hot" when she burned the tip of her tongue, gasped, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Zong Linhan pushed the untouched lukewarm water over and chuckled, "This is quite a realistic performance."
Under the table, Wen Zhiling kicked him, but dared not make a big movement, and Zong Linhan pulled his leg back to avoid it.
Li Xu swiftly punished himself with three drinks, his smile calm, "Can you still manage another round?"
Several people egged them on, standing up and loudly proclaiming they wanted to have a drinking contest.
As Li Xu poured wine for everyone, he looked around the table, his gaze moving from left to right until he spotted Wen Zhiling.
The wine glass hit the corner of the table with uncontrolled force, making a loud thud before shattering.
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