Chapter 4: Missing out turns out everything had a traceable cause.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and with the staff clapping the clapperboard, the recording of Yuncheng Station came to an end.
Jiang Xinglan briefly greeted the crew members and then left.
Chen Rui drove Jiang Xinglan and Jiang Yunye back to the hotel.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you for a couple of days?" Jiang Yunye asked, sitting directly on the sofa.
“Brother, I’m not a child anymore.” Jiang Xinglan sat down as well.
“Even when you’re 80, you’ll still be a child in your parents’ eyes!” Jiang Yunye casually peeled an apple and handed it to Jiang Xinglan. “Or should I have Chen Rui stay here with you?”
“No need,” Jiang Xinglan refused decisively, taking a bite of her apple. “I just want to look at the scenery. If the weather is right, I’ll climb a mountain and see the legendary golden sunrise on the mountain.”
"You're still going hiking?" Jiang Yunye frowned.
"Hmm..." Jiang Xinglan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Is there something wrong with it?"
"Too dangerous!" Jiang Yunye's brows furrowed deeper as he pulled out his phone. "I'd better have Chen Rui..."
“Brother, it’s not decided yet,” Jiang Xinglan said, taking Jiang Yunye’s phone away. “I’m just considering it. Don’t worry, I won’t go to any dangerous places.”
Seeing Jiang Yunye open his mouth, Jiang Xinglan spoke first, "Tomorrow morning, just have Assistant Chen take me to Cang'er."
"Otherwise, I'll go back with you tomorrow."
Jiang Xinglan's words blocked all room for maneuver.
“Okay,” Jiang Yunye could only nod in agreement, knowing his younger sister well, “but you have to call Mom every night to let her know you’re safe.”
"Know."
Except when Jiang Xinglan is doing experiments and can't leave, Zuo You often calls her mother, Lin Zhi.
---
"Are you really not coming back with me?" Wei Yu asked, looking at Shen Yuheng who was packing his luggage.
"I'll stay here for a few more days to clear my head," Shen Yuheng said calmly.
But Wei Yu could still sense the underlying distress in his voice. He shrugged and said, "Okay, but remember there's a brand event next week that I need to attend. I'll let you know in advance."
"Okay." Shen Yuheng closed his suitcase.
"I'll take you there first. I've already booked a hotel room for you. You can just have Xiao Chen check you in."
Wei Yu said to Shen Yuheng in the car.
"In addition, the media released your interview video last night. Fortunately, you haven't had any scandals over the years and have always worked hard in acting. With the company's intervention, so far it's mostly still being discussed by fans."
Wei Yu swiped his finger across the phone screen. "The company's suggestion is that if you don't want this to be widely publicized, you can release the news that you're setting up your own studio to divert public attention."
“Not for now,” Shen Yuheng said after thinking for a moment.
"Hmm?" Wei Yu looked at Shen Yuheng with some confusion. "Didn't you not want her to be disturbed?"
“That’s true,” Shen Yuheng said, “but I can’t cover it up with something else.”
"If in the future I really end up with her, this matter will be released by someone with ulterior motives as proof of my guilty conscience."
"This is irresponsible to everyone, neither to her nor to the fans."
“Besides,” Shen Yuheng turned to look out the window, “my fans are a very rational and lovely group of people, and I believe they will understand.”
"What if they can't accept it?" Wei Yu asked the most practical question directly.
This is also the biggest problem standing between Shen Yuheng and Jiang Xinglan.
A bitter smile appeared on Shen Yuheng's lips, but his expression remained firm. "That's a problem I have to solve. I chose this path in life, and my existence gives my fans something to look forward to. I can't blame them."
“That’s why I hope that my liking for her is natural and honest,” Shen Yuheng said, “rather than something that’s been covered up by various public relations tactics.”
“So, Brother Wei,” Shen Yuheng’s tone became serious, “no matter what happens, I will take full responsibility and make sure it doesn’t affect her.”
"I still need your help with this matter." Shen Yuheng looked at Wei Yu with sincere eyes and earnest words.
Wei Yu hadn't expected Shen Yuheng to have considered so much. He gave Shen Yuheng a deep look and said, "I understand, don't worry."
"Should we contact your old fans and ask them to guide you?" Wei Yu asked.
Shen Yuheng shook his head. "No need for now. I took a look at their alternate account yesterday, and I think they already have some guesses."
"Tell them now that if I succeed in the end, that's fine, but if I don't, I don't want her to be misunderstood because of me."
Wei Yu clicked his tongue. "Alright, I'll do as you say."
“That’s settled then. Your studio matters should be resolved in the next few days,” Wei Yu said. “I’ll go back to the company and urge them on.”
"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Wei."
---
The next morning, Jiang Yunye followed Jiang Xinglan to a hotel in Cang'er.
“I checked, this hotel has a viewing platform where you can see the sunrise over the mountains,” Jiang Yunye said as he drove. “It’s just that the chances are a bit small, but you’ve always been lucky, so you should be able to see it.”
"If you really want to go hiking, next time you can come with your lab colleagues, or with our family."
“Okay,” Jiang Xinglan nodded, looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. “But Mom and Dad are getting old, so they shouldn’t do such strenuous exercise.”
“Why don’t we go on a trip during the Chinese New Year this year?” Jiang Xinglan suggested, “so we don’t have to attend all sorts of social events.”
“I wanted to do this last year,” Jiang Yunye couldn’t agree more, “but I didn’t have time to put it into practice.”
"I'll discuss it with my parents later."
“Hmm,” Jiang Yunye raised his chin to the right, gesturing for Jiang Xinglan to look, “Look, this is the hotel.”
Jiang Xinglan leaned forward and turned her head to look.
The environment looks nice, but the space in front of the hotel entrance is too small, and there are parking spaces planned there, which makes it feel like it's inconvenient to get in and out.
"Then just park on the side of the road, I'll walk over," Jiang Xinglan said.
"It's alright."
“This is too much trouble,” Jiang Xinglan glanced at the time. “You still have to catch your flight, don’t waste this time, just stop on the side of the road.”
Jiang Yunye glanced at the time and realized it was indeed a bit tight, so he reluctantly compromised, "Alright then, be careful."
"Don't worry," Jiang Xinglan got out of the car by the roadside and took the suitcase from Jiang Yunye. "Be careful on the road, and send a message when you get to Jinghua."
"Okay, be careful here too, and don't forget to call Mom."
Jiang Xinglan watched Jiang Yunye's car gradually disappear before pulling her suitcase towards the hotel entrance.
---
In his hotel room, Shen Yuheng, who had no filming assignments, got up early, strolled around the hotel area, and brought back breakfast for himself and Xiao Chen.
"Xiao Chen, have you been to Yuncheng before?" Shen Yuheng asked after finishing breakfast.
Xiao Chen shook his head, "No, this is also my first time in Yuncheng."
“Well, then you should have some fun this time too, you don’t have to follow me around all the time,” Shen Yuheng suggested. “You’ve worked hard all these years.”
"That won't do!" Xiao Chen put down his breakfast as well. "Brother Wei told me to follow you!"
"But, Brother Chen, if you really feel bad about it, just give me a raise." Xiao Chen scratched the back of his head a little embarrassedly.
“Of course, that’s no problem!” Shen Yuheng laughed. “But the condition is that I want to travel around on my own these next few days, and you can’t come with me.”
"this…"
“Brother Wei won’t know, and besides, I’m just wandering around the neighborhood,” Shen Yuheng walked to the window. “When I checked in last night, I heard someone say that there’s a viewing platform over here. I’ll go take a look over there, and that should be about it.”
"Alright then." Meeting Shen Yuheng's unquestionable gaze, Xiao Chen reluctantly agreed.
After transferring the money to Xiao Chen, Shen Yuheng put down his phone and gazed at the distant scenery.
As he looked away, Shen Yuheng caught a glimpse of the corner of the suitcase before it disappeared at the hotel entrance.
The sense of loss that Shen Yuheng had been suppressing suddenly welled up.
It seems he missed it again.
His thoughts drifted back to his junior year of college.
"Yuheng, there's a science program here, would you like to watch it?" Professor Yang, Shen Yuheng's mentor, asked.
"Teacher, I still don't want to appear in front of the public so soon," Shen Yuheng politely declined.
“Yes, I know what you’re thinking,” Professor Yang said earnestly. “It’s just that this program is spearheaded by higher authorities and co-organized with Jinghua University. Participating in this kind of program will only benefit you, not harm you.”
When Shen Yuheng heard "Jinghua University", his ears twitched.
Jinghua University? He clearly remembered that when he first met her, someone introduced her as a student from Jinghua University.
“This is a really rare opportunity,” Professor Yang said, seeing that Shen Yuheng’s expression had softened, and handed him the program’s introduction. “Think about it again.”
“Okay,” Shen Yuheng nodded, “I will give you an answer tomorrow.”
That evening, after returning to his dormitory, Shen Yuheng read the introduction and lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
It has to be said that this was a golden opportunity for Shen Yuheng.
As Professor Yang said, the benefits of this activity for him are self-evident.
On the other hand, Jinghua University will also send people to participate in this program, so is there a chance that I will meet her?
Shen Yuheng made this guess entirely because he saw the name of her mentor, Song Yanqing, in the program's materials.
When Shen Yuheng arrived at the filming location, he also met this mentor, but the one accompanying him was not the one he had been longing for.
He was somewhat disappointed, and his feet moved forward two steps uncontrollably, as if that would allow him to get closer to her.
"Why isn't it your prized student?" a man next to Song Yanqing asked.
"You mean Xiao Jiang?" Song Yanqing asked, and only continued after seeing the other party nod, "We were originally going to have her come, but Xiao Jiang's mother seems to have had some trouble, so she asked me for leave and rushed home."
"I see." The other person nodded. "But this one is quite good too; didn't he recently publish a paper?"
"Hmm...ever since Xiao Jiang came to my lab, everyone's been so busy," Song Yanqing shook his head helplessly, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. "Even I've been exhausted lately!"
"Come on, Lao Song," the man punched Song Yanqing, "if you could stop smiling like that, I might barely believe you!"
After that, Shen Yuheng stopped paying attention to their conversation.
His mind was completely focused on the first few sentences.
So that's why... He prayed silently, hoping her mother was alright.
Thinking of the next few words, a faint smile appeared on Shen Yuheng's face.
Sure enough, she was as dazzling as ever.
What about myself?
Shen Yuheng clenched his fist and made a silent decision in his heart: he still needed to try to get more stage performances to hone his skills.
But right now, the most important thing is not to let down the great opportunity provided by the teacher.
Therefore, during the recording of the program, Shen Yuheng performed exceptionally well, and his interaction with the host was so natural that people thought he was already a very mature artist.
Therefore, he not only made friends with some seniors, but also gained some exposure.
The subsequent red carpet invitation was somewhat related to this exposure.
It was because of these two effective exposures that she was able to win the Best Newcomer Award right after her debut.
Thinking of this, Shen Yuheng's lips curled into a beautiful smile.
It turns out that everything has a traceable origin.
She has always been like a lighthouse guiding him forward.
His gaze returned to the distant snow-capped mountains; perhaps this time fate would smile upon him.
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