Chapter 5
"Alright, the mission is complete. Let's pack up and go back to rest. We need to get back to the company early tomorrow!" Zhang Xiao said, and everyone started packing.
Lin Ting gradually calmed down and neatly folded the clothes, putting them into her suitcase. Since she and Xiao Lei were specifically responsible for managing the sample garments, and there were many clothes for this photoshoot, they were the only two left working on it.
"Lin Ting, I'm so tired. Why is it always the two of us in the end? Waaaaah." Song Xiaolei looked at Lin Ting with a weary expression, as if she was about to cry from exhaustion at any moment.
Lin Ting smiled and said, "Why don't you go back and rest first? Anyway, there are only a few clothes left, and I can get them ready quickly by myself."
Song Xiaolei is an only child in Shanghai. The value of those five words is known throughout China. She doesn't need to work too hard. Everything she wants is prepared by her family. Going to work is just a way to kill time. The most important thing all day long is to make herself happy. So she doesn't need to work too hard. She can just go to get off work and leave on time.
Occasionally, when Lin Ting needed help with overtime or going out, Song Xiaolei would step in and help her. Lin Ting was very grateful. She knew that she wasn't a very sociable person, and Song Xiaolei was the only person in the company she could confide in. So, whenever Song Xiaolei was unwilling to do a task, Lin Ting would take the initiative to do it.
Song Xiaolei: "Darling, you're the best to me, but I feel so bad leaving you here alone!"
"It's okay, there's only a little bit left. I can manage on my own. Go back and rest!" Lin Ting took the clothes from Xiao Lei's hands and pushed her back.
"Then I'll head back first. Hurry up, I'll wait for you in the room. Be careful on your way back, it's dark and windy!"
"good."
Lin Ting continued tidying up the remaining clothes in the fitting room by herself. Just as she finished, she found a wallet in the corner. She thought it was a colleague who had accidentally dropped it and wanted to open it to see who it belonged to based on the contents. But the moment she opened it, she froze. She knew whose wallet it was.
That was the only photo of the two of them together. It was taken when they were receiving an award at a shopping mall event. There were two photos in total. Chen Zhiyi took one, and he had long since lost his own. It was such a pity that they hadn't kept a single memento to prove the years they had spent together after knowing each other for so long.
The two in the photo are all smiles, full of youthful energy. She was 23 years old and he was 19. They were in the prime of their youth and met each other. But the gears of fate gave them only a short time together. They met in the height of summer and parted in the depths of spring.
It turns out he never threw away the photo, and you could tell from the interview that tears were falling uncontrollably again. Lin Ting hasn't cried much since she became an adult; she doesn't like to cry, but several times she shed tears for Chen Zhiyi.
She clutched the wallet tightly to her chest, trying her best to feel the warmth and scent he had left behind.
A soft rustling sound came from outside. Why was someone coming at this hour?
Lin Ting stepped out of the fitting room and was stunned when she saw the person's face. Why was he back?
Another person who was equally stunned was Chen Zhiyi, who returned to the filming location.
The aloof face that had appeared in his dreams a thousand times was now right in front of him. He couldn't believe it, thinking it was an illusion. He instinctively ran towards her, reached out to her, and hugged her to make sure it was real.
Suddenly, Lin Ting's brain seemed to lose its ability to control itself, and he stood there motionless, staring blankly as the person in front of him ran towards him.
Then a familiar yet unfamiliar hug rushed over. "Lin Ting, is that you? Is it really you? Am I dreaming?" Chen Zhiyi hugged Lin Ting tightly and kept asking her questions incessantly, nestled against her shoulder.
This sudden turn of events caught Lin Ting completely off guard. The wallet she was holding fell from her hand, and her entire body felt frozen in place, unable to move, her mind going blank.
The hug grew tighter and tighter, as if trying to embed the other person into their own body. It wasn't until Lin Ting felt short of breath that she realized what had just happened.
She immediately pushed Chen Zhiyi away forcefully, lowered her head, and looked around in a panic, anxiously explaining, "You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not the person you're talking about. I'm leaving." After saying that, she turned around and tried to run away.
A strong force gripped Lin Ting's arm, preventing her from leaving. Chen Zhiyi stood in front of her, his eyes filled with confusion, anger, and longing. "Don't lie to me. I know it's you. I noticed you when we were filming. Even though you were wearing a mask, your figure didn't change. But I couldn't be sure, I couldn't believe I'd meet you here again. Why are you pretending not to know me? Do you know I've been looking for you all these years?" Chen Zhiyi shook Lin Ting's arm forcefully, questioning her loudly, disregarding his status as a public figure. Fortunately, it was late at night, and no one was around.
Lin Ting turned her face away, not wanting to meet his eyes, and even less wanting to answer his questions.
"Didn't you ever think of contacting me all these years? Now that we've met again, why are you pretending not to know me? And why did you leave without saying goodbye back then? Why couldn't you keep our promise?" These "whys" seemed to be roaring from his throat, each word striking Lin Ting's heart.
Why? She wanted to know why too. But no one could answer that question; it was unsolvable because the root of the problem was a dead end, and the best solution was to cut it off completely.
She turned her face away, held her breath, and tried hard not to let the tears fall. She pried his hand off her arm one by one, then lowered her head, adjusted her breathing, and pretended to be nonchalant. She looked up and stared into his eyes, saying, "Yes, I've forgotten you completely. You're a big star now. If you're photographed being intimate with a strange woman, it will affect your image. You're not afraid of making headlines, but I, an ordinary person, am terrified. Please have some self-respect!" After saying that, Lin Ting turned her hand away and ran out, pretending to be nonchalant.
Chen Zhiyi looked shocked and angry at her answer, but the next second he chased after her and grabbed Lin Ting's arm again.
“I won’t let you escape again unless you have a good reason to tell me why you’ve left me time and time again, and that I will never let go of your hand this time.”
As the two were shoving each other, Chen Zhiyi's phone rang. He saw that it was his manager calling.
I can't refuse.
So he grabbed Lin Ting's arm with one hand and answered the phone with the other.
His tone was harsh, and he was slightly out of breath, "Hey, Sister Fei!"
Lin Ting overheard their conversation clearly.
The other person's tone was equally serious, "What kind of tone is that? Where are you? Weren't you supposed to go back to the film set after shooting the M brand promotional photos? Where are you?"
"I'm sorry, Sister Fei, I left something personal in the hotel photography studio. I'll come back to look for it and be right back."
Are you alone?
"Yes."
"Wait a minute, I'll come find you. You're a public figure, I've told you so many times not to appear in public alone."
Chen Zhiyi panicked, "Don't come any closer, Sister Fei, I've already found them and they're on their way back."
"I'm already inside the hotel. Third floor, right? I'll be there soon."
Agent Qin Fei is an authoritarian and domineering strong woman who has strict control over the love affairs of her artists. Once any rumors or gossip surface, whether true or false, she will definitely step in to resolve them. The entertainment industry sells personas and fans' various fantasies about their idols. Many popular artists have gradually disappeared after going public with their relationships. Qin Fei does not allow her artists to date.
Therefore, Chen Zhiyi didn't want her to see Lin Ting, nor did he want her to see the current situation where the two were struggling. She would definitely dig deep to find out all kinds of information about Lin Ting. Chen Zhiyi would not let Lin Ting get hurt; this was his bottom line.
Having finally found Lin Ting, how could they let her go? Hesitating for a moment, they gave Lin Ting an opening, and she broke free and ran away quickly.
Chen Zhiyi wanted to chase after him, but the familiar sound of high heels came from behind, and he dared not go any further.
Watching Lin Ting flee without a backward glance, he felt a mixture of love and hate. Did Lin Ting really want to escape him so badly? What had he done wrong? With his current strength, what couldn't he give her?
Chen Zhiyi picked up the wallet from the ground and noticed a lost work badge next to it, with the name "Lin Ting" engraved on it, a name he would never forget in his life. He picked it up and held it tightly in his palm. These three words seemed to have some kind of magic in them. Hearing, seeing or touching them would warm the softest part of his heart.
With so many memories, I can't help but love her and can't forget her.
Lin Ting ran back to her place crying all the way. "Lin Ting, what's wrong? Why is your face covered in tears? What happened? Did someone bully you?" Song Xiaolei looked at her with concern, grabbing her shoulders and looking her up and down.
Lin Ting quickly wiped away her tears, pretending that nothing was wrong, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm just tired. I'm going to take a shower first." After saying that, she ran into the bathroom, turned on the tap, squatted under the tap, and burst into tears, releasing all the emotions that had been suppressed throughout the day.
Right now, even with my eyes closed, all I can see are memories from five years ago...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
