Chapter 57
Lin Ting returned to her place in a daze. It was a shared apartment. The middleman had turned the four-bedroom, two-living-room layout into eight rooms. Although this was illegal, it was a common occurrence in a first-tier city like Shanghai. When more people share an apartment, the rent for a single room becomes much cheaper.
They are all people trying to make a living, leaving early and returning late. They no longer expect home to be their home; they just want a place to sleep when they come back.
Despite the difficulties, Lin Ting gritted her teeth and rented a master bedroom with a private bathroom. She really disliked sharing a bathroom with strangers. In addition, the room separated by partitions was like a transparent space, where every sound could be heard clearly, leaving her with no privacy and no sense of security.
Lin Ting has lived in this room for more than two years. Several groups of people have come and gone in the other rooms. They only occasionally see each other when they go to and from get off work, but they don't talk much. They don't even greet each other when they meet on the street.
The bustling prosperity only serves to highlight the coldness of human relationships.
Lin Ting sat down on the edge of the bed, opened the drawer, and picked up a necklace that Chen Zhiyi had given her on her 22nd birthday.
With its unique design, a small ear inside the heart represents her name "Ting" (meaning "listen"), and also Chen Zhiyi's heart.
She promised him she would never take it off, but she took it off the day she left Jinshi.
She would always take it out and look at it when she woke up in the middle of the night.
The necklace's ears and heart still shine brightly, but her ears and heart have been closed for a long time.
Five years ago, he forcefully pried open a corner of his heart before filling it completely. Five years later, just like fate, he began to stir up trouble in his heart again.
She knew she shouldn't be like this, shouldn't give in, but ever since they reunited, her heart had become uncontrollable.
However, the problems that existed between the two five years ago have not diminished at all.
Zhang Ke's words, "Give him some response, make his five-year wait worthwhile," kept echoing in my ears.
It's not that she doesn't want to give, it's that she's afraid she can't afford it.
A news alert popped up on her phone screen, and when Lin Ting clicked on it, it was a statement from Chen Zhiyi's studio.
In short, Chen Zhiyi was injured today while protecting a newly recruited employee of the production crew. His condition is not serious and does not require much concern.
The comment section was completely overrun.
I heard the person who was rescued was a girl. Hero saves beauty, my idol! I'm completely smitten.
I would gladly possess that girl's body and give myself to her.
The person upstairs should take a look in the mirror first. Are you worthy of offering yourself to him?
How come the accident happened on her very first day on set, and Chen Zhiyi just happened to stop it? Could it have been intentional?
I second that. Nowadays, girls will use any trick to get the attention of the boys they like.
Nonsense! My idol isn't that shallow. Here's the important point: he's a newcomer to the crew, probably doesn't even know who he is. He was just being kind and helping out of kindness. Is it so hard to acknowledge someone's excellence?
I'm a fan club admin for Chen Zhiyi, and I agree with the comment above. Chen Zhiyi is a truly wonderful person. On set, he takes in stray dogs and cats, and in his private life, he's passionate about various charitable activities, such as volunteering at orphanages, donating to students in mountainous areas, and investing in school construction. He does good deeds anonymously and doesn't like to publicize them. Therefore, I believe that his act of saving this girl was genuine and stemmed from kindness, without any of the ulterior motives people are suggesting.
Wow, the fan site admin personally replied, the news must be true! Oh no, I love my idol even more now.
...
Lin Ting breathed a sigh of relief after reading the comments section, but a vague sense of worry lingered within her.
She was the person involved and knew the truth. She was originally worried that it would cause a heated discussion and that people would find out about their relationship. However, she was able to cover it up by slightly altering the facts with her invention. She not only turned the crisis into an opportunity but also won more praise.
She suddenly realized that in that circle, right and wrong were always blurred and unclear, like looking at flowers through a fog. No one knew how much was genuine and how much was the truth. A word, a statement, or even silence could cover things up.
No amount of sincerity can withstand suspicion, rumors, deception, and silence.
She could trust that Chen Zhiyi would tell her the truth, but how long could she stay in this industry? Would there be a next time, or the time after that, like today, where he would hide the truth in the name of protecting her and say something else?
If she could know beforehand, she could understand, but if she found out later, could she convince herself that it was a white lie?
She hates hiding and deception the most; it's a hurdle she can never overcome.
My heart, which had just warmed up, seemed to cool down a bit again.
The next morning, when Lin arrived at the hospital, the media had already left, leaving only fans gathered near the entrance of the inpatient department.
With Zhang Ke's help, she entered the VIP area of the inpatient department. The VIP area is very protective of patients' privacy, and if you come to visit, you cannot enter without the permission of the accompanying person.
As Zhang Ke walked, he said, "Don't worry, Teacher Chen didn't have any problems last night. She slept very soundly. The doctor just came to check on her wound. It's healing well, and she can be discharged tomorrow."
Lin Ting breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally calming down. "That's great."
Zhang Ke placed her hand on the doorknob and turned to Lin Tingwen, saying, "When you go in, walk quietly. The IV drip contains a calming and sedative effect, so he ate something in the morning and fell asleep again. It's a blessing in disguise. Teacher Chen is usually too busy filming and often stays up all night, so he doesn't get enough sleep. This is a good opportunity for him to catch up on his sleep."
Lin Ting nodded, and immediately slowed down and softened her steps.
"I'll be waiting outside. If you need anything, just let me know. Of course, I'll also knock if there's any situation." After saying that, Zhang Ke opened the ward door. After Lin Ting went in, she left the room and closed the door.
Lin Ting sat down beside Chen Zhiyi's hospital bed. After so many years, being able to look at him up close again felt like a lifetime had passed.
The passage of time is a gift of charm to the privileged, but for ordinary people, it is a waste of youth.
Although his head was wrapped in bandages, his face was still handsome, and he was still the most handsome man Lin had ever heard of.
His features were perfectly sculpted, with a straight nose and long, slightly curled eyelashes that trembled occasionally as his eyes moved. Perhaps he wasn't sleeping soundly, because his eyebrows were constantly furrowed.
Lin Ting reached out, wanting to smooth his eyebrows, but immediately pulled her hand back as soon as she got close. She couldn't resist reaching out again, only to quickly pull back again, repeating this several times.
It's true, the older you get, the more timid and pretentious you become.
Suddenly, my wrist, which was hanging there, was grabbed.
"Touch me if you want. It's not like we haven't touched each other before. What's there to be shy about?" The voice was lazy.
Lin Ting immediately stood up, looking anxious. "You're awake?"
Chen Zhiyi didn't answer with his eyes closed, but pulled her into his arms tightly, saying affectionately, "I feel more at ease sleeping with you in my arms."
Lin Ting didn't like this, so she immediately broke free from Chen Ziyu's embrace and stood up, taking a few steps back. She pulled too hard when she broke free, accidentally aggravating Chen Zhiyi's wound. He hissed, clearly in pain.
Lin Ting quickly went over, her face full of worry, "How are you? Did you aggravate the wound? Does it hurt a lot? Should we call a doctor?"
Chen Zhiyi opened his eyes, looking aggrieved. "It seems that you only look at me properly when I'm injured or in pain. Should I hope the pain is more intense?"
Lin Ting frowned. "Don't talk nonsense."
"There's no other way, because I want the person in front of me to stay with me. If being injured is a reason for her to stay, I'm willing to endure this pain."
Lin Ting's heart warmed, and she lowered her eyes, "Who would curse themselves like that?"
Chen Zhiyi could see that she was a little emotional, so he grabbed her wrist again, his voice pleading, "Don't go, stay with me. You're off today, and I've also benefited from this misfortune, getting a day off because of my injury."
Lin Ting's eyes darted away. "Isn't it inappropriate? If other people see this, I'm afraid it will affect you."
"What impact can it have?"
Lin Ting didn't speak, but Chen Zhiyi could clearly see what she was thinking through her eyes.
So he pretended to be unhappy and joked, "Hey, you need to watch your words. I became famous not because of scandals, but because of my looks and my acting skills."
Lin Ting smiled and pouted, "You still have the mood to joke around."
"Honestly, even if we were photographed together, it wouldn't be a rumor; we'd be a real couple."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ting's body stiffened, and he fell silent.
Chen Zhiyi stopped pressuring her. Five years ago, he knew that he had to proceed with her gradually; the more he pressured her, the more she would avoid him.
"The wording is wrong. It should be 'ambiguous period,' since you haven't agreed to be with me yet. Sigh, what a failure. I've been pursuing you for five years and still haven't won you over. If I had put this much effort into other girls, the line of men waiting for me would stretch from here to Paris, France."
Lin Ting remained silent, her expression grave. If that were truly the case, she would sincerely offer her blessings.
Chen Zhiyi realized he had gone too far with the joke, so he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed. "I can't help it, I'm just stubborn and I'm sticking with you."
Lin Ting was silent for a moment before speaking again, "You think nothing has changed in these five years, right?"
Chen Zhiyi could tell that they were going to have a serious talk. They had been reunited for a while, and this was the first time they were facing their relationship squarely. He was fearless; he was still the same person he was five years ago. But he didn't know what Lin Ting was thinking. Just like he had said, the biggest problem between them was Lin Ting.
"Yes, that's what I think. My feelings for you have never changed."
"What about reality? Have you considered that? I'm almost thirty, and I'm very cautious about love and marriage. I don't want to make any more mistakes."
"What reality? You know, I never care about these things."
“But I do care. I know you come from a wealthy family, but I never expected you to be a mayoral candidate. No, you should be the son of the governor of Jinhai Province now.”
Two years ago, Chen Tiansheng was promoted to governor of Jinhai Province. Jinshi is the capital city of Jinhai Province. His career is booming. However, Chen Zhiyi has been in the entertainment industry for several years, and his family background has never been revealed. The fact that he can keep such a secret is probably related to his family background.
You should know that in the entertainment industry, where people are ruthless and can easily expose someone's true nature.
"I thought I won the championship in that competition five years ago because of my own ability, but actually..."
Chen Zhiyi sensed something was wrong, sat up in bed, and stared sharply at Lin Ting, "Did someone say something to you five years ago? Or did you meet anyone?"
He simply couldn't understand it. The two of them had such a good relationship back then, and he had promised to come back the night before, but the next day he sent a breakup text message and then couldn't get through to her on the phone.
Lin Ting wasn't a sentimental person, but she wasn't heartless either. Something must have happened, but it was too late to figure it out; all contact had been severed.
Looking back now, it must have been someone who approached her and said some nasty things, just like in those dramas about wealthy families where Cinderella is forced to break up with the prince.
She even said that going on field trips with her teacher was just an excuse and that it never happened. She said that she had been thinking about leaving her since that time.
Lin Ting immediately denied it, "No."
Chen Zhiyi pressed on, "No, then how do you know who my father is? I don't recall ever mentioning him to you."
"The mayoral election in Jinshi back then was a major political event. You and I even stood on the roadside discussing it in front of a big screen. You had a chance to be honest with me then but you didn't. Thinking back on it now, I feel like I was a fool. I curiously searched for information on each candidate, and there was a photo of you in one of your dad's news articles. Although you looked very young in the photo, I still recognized you." Lin Ting calmly fabricated a lie. She remembered that she had promised not to tell anyone about her meeting with Chen Tiansheng.
Chen Zhiyi quickly explained, "I didn't say it because it's not important. My dad is my dad, and I am me. My liking you is my business, and wanting to spend my life with you is also my business."
"What about the competition? Did you rig the game so I made it to the finals?"
"There's no need to put it so harshly. I admit that through my dad's connections, your design draft skipped the preliminary round and went directly to the semi-finals, but in the end, you won the championship because of your design talent."
"But given your father's status, do you think the judges and organizers wouldn't give him face?"
"But I don't think I did anything wrong. Your design skills are so strong, you would have passed the preliminary round even without my help. I just provided an extra layer of protection. If you blame me for this and leave me, is that fair to me?"
"But is that fair to the other contestants? I don't like it. It makes me feel embarrassed and like I'm only with you to get something out of you?"
"I wish you could get something out of me, but would you? You never tell me when something happens. And I like you, I want to be good to you. Even if I use the wrong methods, even if it's a little unfair, so what? This world is tilted because of love. I love you, I'm biased towards you, what's wrong with that?" Chen Zhiyi almost shouted at the end. He couldn't understand why Lin Ting left him back then because of this.
This matter was a knot in Lin Ting's heart, especially when she confronted Chen Tiansheng and he bluntly said it. At that moment, she felt like a fish whose scales had been scraped off, stripped of its protective armor, and devoid of dignity and vitality.
She knew Chen Zhiyi was right, but it also made her realize the gap between them. No matter how innocent or independent she was, in other people's eyes, she was only close to him because she wanted something from him.
People only see what they want to see.
"So you really want to leave me because of this?" Chen Zhiyi asked, his voice choked with emotion. If it really was because of this, he felt heartbroken.
"No, but this incident made me realize that it's truly impossible for us to be together. Love starts like a fairy tale, but it eventually faces reality. Can your family accept you falling for such an ordinary person? The concept of 'marrying someone of equal social standing' has existed since ancient times, and it has its reasons for existing. And now, you're a superstar in the public eye, your dazzling brilliance only makes me feel more inferior. I'm not good enough for you."
Lin Ting paused for a moment, then looked directly at him. "I don't want to be seen as someone who covets wealth and status. I have my own pride."
Chen Zhiyi understood her dilemma. In the past, when the two of them were together, they rarely had in-depth discussions on this matter. In his opinion, being together was more important than anything else, but he had overlooked the pressure of reality, especially for girls. Lin Ting was such a strong-willed person, so he decided to have a good talk with her.
"Could you please raise the headboard for me? It'll be more convenient for me to talk to you while I'm sitting."
Lin Ting did as instructed.
Chen Zhiyi took a deep breath and softened his tone, "Let me tell you about someone. She is my absolute favorite person."
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