Chapter 94 Of course we are friends
"Li Meng, I really know I was wrong. You're... holding a grudge and unwilling to forgive me. I understand. It's all my fault! But I really want to make amends for those mistakes. We grew up together, and we've been together for so many years. I... don't want to let it go like this."
Li Chuyue's voice became more choked, and her words were pitiful and filled with infinite regret, but they did not move Ren Limeng, who had a heart as hard as iron, at all.
Ren Limeng didn't even give Li Chuyue a glance. After whispering a polite "goodbye", she simply turned sideways and walked to the right front, trying to walk past Li Chuyue directly, return to the corridor, and end the whole conversation.
Today she was willing to talk more about these things with Li Chuyue, just because she was a little curious about what Li Chuyue was like now, so that she could make early plans for the recording in front of the camera. Ren Limeng's goal had been achieved, so she was naturally too lazy to spend any more effort, and she didn't have the leisure to hold hands with Li Chuyue and look at her with tears in her eyes.
They no longer have that kind of relationship.
"Li Meng,...are we still friends?"
Li Chuyue persevered in catching up with Ren Limeng, and finally raised her arm to stop Ren Limeng at the entrance. She straightened her neck stubbornly, and stared at Ren Limeng with her red eyes without blinking, trying to find a trace of proof of forcing herself or any sadness on her fair and smooth face.
She couldn't believe that Ren Limeng, who had almost supported the whole world for her, never said a word despite the pain, and even gave up the Huangmei Opera that she had pursued since childhood, could become so heartless now?
Li Chuyue has always been paying attention to Ren Limeng. Over the years, Ren Limeng has been avoiding her, or not wanting to recall the past, and even dared not go home. For example, during this year's Chinese New Year, Ren Limeng did not return to Mei City. This has always been her normal behavior during the holidays.
Even though things change so drastically, no one can really let them go.
Ren Limeng must have just been stubborn in front of her! She was just being tough on the outside, and she knew it. She had always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside.
They are all obviously stuck in the scene at the age of sixteen. Who can move forward without hesitation?
"Of course we are friends."
Ren Limeng's eyes were calm, and her tone was flat, revealing no emotion. This unexpected approval made Li Chuyue stunned for a moment, and the words that were brewing on her lips suddenly became unnecessary.
Her eyes then lit up with joy, the corners of her mouth raised, and she subconsciously lowered her arms, wanting to walk forward and say something else, but Ren Limeng also smiled perfunctorily and walked past her back into the room.
Over the years, Ren Limeng has made many, many friends, from her master's degree classmates whom she's only met a few times, to her colleagues from various departments on the Orange platform, and to all the guests who participated in the same season of "Shan Hai"...
Whether during her studies or after work, she has experienced too many kinds of friendships. Ren Limeng has long accepted that there are many definitions of "friends" and has long been completely demystified by the word "friendship".
She would not let herself experience the helplessness and grief she felt at the age of sixteen again.
Ren Limeng still cherishes the rare true friendship with a good friend like Yan Fangshu, and accepts all the sweet words and treacherous intentions. She can even deal with them perfectly, making her hypocrisy appear to be a bit sincere.
After a while, the terrace returned to calm, with only a thin layer of smoke rising again from the inner corner, curling up like endless filaments entangled and intertwined in the air, and gradually spreading out.
Shen Xingzhi raised his head and looked at the smoke in front of him, but his mind was already wandering.
He didn't expect that when he came out to smoke a cigarette after the recording, he would inexplicably come across such an old and shocking melon.
He was even more unwilling to imagine that Ren Limeng's giving up of learning opera was not as easy as she had previously made light of it. Just by listening to Li Chuyue's few words just now, too many helpless reasons had emerged in Shen Xingzhi's mind.
There is also Ren Limeng, who had just entered Communication University of China that year after secretly changing her university application.
The bright smile that always graced the girl's face was like the warm spring sun, illuminating those around her at all times, yet never letting anyone see the shadow behind the sunshine.
At the first meeting of the new students, after Ren Limeng introduced herself, the president noticed that Ren Limeng had briefly mentioned her opera experience and asked curiously, "Junior Ren Limeng, you studied opera for so many years, why did you suddenly give up Huangmei Opera?"
Ren Limeng, who was standing at the front stage of the club, froze for a moment, and subconsciously looked at the president and... Shen Xingzhi, who had a cold and reserved expression beside the president.
She pondered for a moment before laughing and saying, "Of course there are more girls in drama school than handsome guys! Now that I'm in college, of course I want to hang out with handsome guys like those in our school. This visual feast is the only way to make the most of my youth!"
"Oh? Junior, you didn't sign up for our club for this reason, did you?"
"Hehe, senior, guess!"
Looking at Ren Limeng's cunning and bright round eyes, the president was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing. After Ren Limeng stepped down, he quietly nudged Shen Xingzhi beside him with his right elbow.
"Xingzhi, how could you let such a cute junior into our club? And you actually let her pass the interview? Before this year's recruitment, who vowed to strictly screen and veto all the juniors who tried to take advantage of the situation?"
"roll."
Shen Xingzhi just raised his eyelids lazily, glanced coldly at the teasing president, and there was a hint of helplessness in his familiar tone.
He turned his head to look at the other side, where Ren Limeng was jogging back to her seat. In the several times they met, she had always been so carefree and lively like a nimble little squirrel, but she could remain serious during the debate. Her performance, calm yet agile, was hard to let go of, and so unforgettable that the flaws outweighed the merits.
He just values talent.
Ren Limeng had just sat in the passenger seat of Yan Fangshu's car when she received Shen Xingzhi's WeChat message.
"Mengmeng, how is it? Is my leather backrest comfortable? And are the purple ambient lights on both sides dazzling enough? They cost me an extra two hundred dollars!"
“Stunning! Comfortable! Spacious! Soft! Luxurious! Cozy!…”
"Wait, don't try to fool me with your glib hosting skills! I just bought a new car! My husband hasn't even sat in the passenger seat yet, can't you be more sincere?"
"Your husband is on a business trip."
Looking at Yan Fangshu's death glare, Ren Limeng immediately changed the subject and showed a flattering smile, "Of course it's also because our Fangfang has me in her heart! I love you so much! If I didn't miss our Fangfang, how could I have come back? I came back this time just to catch this first time!..."
"Okay, you're getting more and more ridiculous. I almost believed you! By the way, have you contacted your parents since you came back? Our theater WeChat group was blown up this afternoon, all discussing your recording. I guess Teacher Wu and the others should know about it too... You..."
Ren Limeng murmured "hmm" softly, indicating that she knew what was going on.
She took out the phone from her bag and found the family group of three people that her father had forcibly set up during the Spring Festival one year. The chat was empty and only stopped at Happy New Year and red envelope transfers on the first day of this year's Lunar New Year. When she scrolled up, there were festive font emoticons and the same red envelope transfers from last year's Mid-Autumn Festival. It was so cold that she didn't even want to accept it.
This afternoon, her father Ren Shunan asked her in private, "Are you back?" During the recording, Ren Limeng only replied with a "yes." It wasn't until now that she received her father's "belated" reply.
Dad: Are you coming home tonight? Your mom and I had a troupe activity this afternoon. We just finished. Would you like to eat in the cafeteria? Or should we pack something for you?
Dad: Tell us earlier next time when you come back, we don’t have time to dry the quilts.
Ren Limeng took a deep breath, and the indifference she had towards Li Chuyue faded from her eyes, and her face lost some of the composure she had on the stage. Her father's tone was too normal, as if it was still when they were in school, they were busy and she also cared about half of the family, sometimes even going home to collect the quilt after school in the afternoon.
After all, her family lives on the street next to the theater, and her parents are often busy, so she is left with nothing to do.
Ren Limeng: No need, Dad. I’m not going home tonight. I’m recording a show here and I have to go back to the hotel because of the curfew.
Ren Limeng: I may be very busy these days. The program is being recorded 24 hours a day and I cannot take leave without permission.
Ren Limeng: No need to bother you, thank you~
She was as polite as her father would ask about her dinner at 7 o'clock in the evening. Ren Limeng couldn't help but sigh. It was not easy for everyone. They obviously had grudges in their hearts, but they had to maintain superficial calm and harmony.
Compared to the fierce and frequent "family wars" in the first few years of college, the gradually peaceful communication now seems to have brought everything back to normal. Everyone seems to have reconciled, no longer recalling those quarrels, and no longer worrying about right and wrong.
But Ren Limeng could feel that she seemed to have been walking on an ice surface with a faint cold glow. A few tiny cracks were like traces of time, and under the ice surface, no one could tell whether the crisscrossing deep scratches had spread silently. She could only continue to move forward cautiously and tentatively.
"What's wrong? Mengmeng, 24-hour recording? You're not afraid of being exposed for lying to Uncle Ren like this? What if they see pictures of us together? I'll be so wronged!"
After waiting for the red light for a while, Yan Fangshu glanced at Ren Limeng, who looked melancholy. Seeing the conversation on her mobile phone screen, she subconsciously looked around the car.
"Fangfang, the production crew hasn't even been in your car. Don't look at it. There's no camera."
Noticing Yan Fangshu's gaze, Ren Limeng's tone was somewhat helpless, and her thoughts also returned to the car. "Don't worry, my parents are experienced artists and won't take revenge. Besides, they don't read Weibo. I just want to give them a surprise on Friday, first suppress it and then praise it!"
Ren Limeng would never admit that the host who was not afraid of speaking 500 words in a minute during a live broadcast was now homesick and was afraid of a dull audience just thinking about it.
"Hey, S? Who sent you a new message? Shen Xingzhi?"
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