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Chu Yiran walked up to Shen Zheyu and clinked glasses with him: "Long time no see, Brother Shen."
"Long time no see, A-Ran." Shen Zheyu was wearing a beige suit, and his smile was as gentle as ever, like a spring breeze blowing over the first melting snow. "Thank you for the osmanthus candy you sent before. I'm very happy that you thought of me."
Looking at the gentle smile that overlapped with yet differed slightly from the senior brother he remembered, Chu Yiran felt a warmth spread through his heart. His tone carried a subtle hint of nostalgia, as if he were looking at someone else through his own eyes: "I'm glad you like it. How's the taste? Is it to your liking?"
He asked the question almost with a sense of expectation.
In his previous life, Shen Zheyu loved the osmanthus candy from a time-honored shop at the foot of the mountain. Every time he came back from a trip down the mountain with his master, he would bring him a bag to eat.
Over the past year or two, Chu Yiran has maintained intermittent contact with Shen Zheyu. Perhaps it stems from the guilt of his past life, or perhaps it's a secret longing for that pure bond of camaraderie, but Chu Yiran always takes care of him subtly—sending him local specialties from time to time, and recommending Shen Zheyu to directors or producers he knows when he encounters a suitable role or job opportunity.
Shen Zheyu nodded gently and replied softly, "It smells wonderful. Especially the jujube honey used in the sugar; it's just the right amount of sweet, and the aftertaste has a subtle jujube fragrance..."
Jujube blossom honey?
Chu Yiran's smile froze slightly. The time-honored shop he had specifically sought out only made the most traditional osmanthus candy, never adding any other ingredients besides golden osmanthus and rock sugar. And his senior brother from his previous life disliked red dates the most.
This subtle change, though fleeting, did not escape Shen Zheyu's keen perception. He suppressed his smile and asked softly, "What's wrong, Aran?"
Chu Yiran looked at him quietly: "The osmanthus candy I sent is from a century-old shop; they only ever use golden osmanthus and rock sugar..."
Shen Zheyu paused slightly, then smiled somewhat awkwardly, "It seems one shouldn't lie..." He explained, his gaze clear and frank, "I'm sorry, Ran. Actually... I've never liked sweets. I was very grateful for the thoughtful gift you sent, so I gave it all to my elders. But I really didn't want to disappoint you, so I..."
He paused, his voice softening further: "You said things against your conscience."
Chu Yiran gazed at the gentle face of the person before him and suddenly remembered that when his senior brother was dying in his previous life, he also used such a gentle tone to tell him not to blame himself.
But in this life, Shen Zheyu is no longer the familiar senior brother he was in the previous life.
This longing and compensation, which transcends time and space, seems particularly abrupt at this moment.
"Oh, I see. It's alright." He put on a faint, polite smile, perfectly masking all his emotions. "It's normal not to like sweets. I'll send you something else next time."
Shen Zheyu was about to say something when he suddenly raised his champagne glass and gestured towards a distance, a gentle smile on his face. Chu Yiran followed his gaze and felt a sudden tightness in his heart.
Su Jing was standing by the champagne tower not far away, holding a wine glass in his hand. He had clearly been returning Shen Zheyu's greeting, a polite yet distant smile on his face. However, when his gaze fell upon Chu Yiran looking over, a crack appeared in that perfect mask. His eyes flickered, and his deep gaze, like invisible threads, locked onto Chu Yiran tightly, almost greedily, revealing a turbulent mix of complex and unfathomable emotions.
Chu Yiran was taken aback by his overly direct and complicated gaze, and subconsciously frowned.
In the brief, silent exchange of glances between the two, Su Jing quickly adjusted his demeanor. He lowered his eyelashes, turned his head very naturally, and looked at Lin Wanxing, who was talking to him beside him.
At this moment, Shen Zheyu, standing beside him, suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with understanding and a hint of teasing. He swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze shifting between Chu Yiran and the retreating figures of Su Jing in the distance.
"Speaking of which, you two are really interesting, taking turns 'taking care' of me."
Chu Yiran withdrew her gaze and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Shen Zheyu continued slowly, his tone calm yet each word clear: "One is you, sending me things every few days, introducing me to job opportunities, always saying you don't ask for anything else, just that I'm safe and well." He paused, his gaze shifting towards Su Jing, his tone suggestive, "The other is Su Jing. Not long ago, he specifically came to me, adopting a very humble attitude, practically handing over several good commercial endorsements and film and television resources that his team was in contact with to me. I asked him why, saying I felt unworthy of such a favor. But he didn't give any reason, only..."
Shen Zheyu paused here, her gaze towards Chu Yiran filled with a hint of inquiry and a deeper smile, "He just made a very strange request. He hopes that I... can keep in touch with you from time to time, and occasionally let you know about my recent situation, whether my work is going well, and whether I am happy in life through these casual chats. That's all he asks for."
He took a small sip of champagne, as if finding the whole thing rather absurd, and looked at Chu Yiran with a mixture of joking and seriousness, asking:
"Tell me, what exactly are you two up to? Providing safety and resources... What, did I, Shen Zheyu, save your lives in my past life?"
Chu Yiran froze on the spot, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the wine glass.
What exactly is Su Jing trying to do?
——
The lengthy ceremony is finally drawing to a close.
On the red carpet, the flashbulbs were like a relentless daylight. Each artist had to sign their name and flash a standard smile in front of the backdrop, facing questions from the host that were either sincere or tricky. When it was Chu Yiran's turn, he forced himself to stay alert, skillfully dodging several trap questions that tried to probe his relationship with Su Jing. He simply asked everyone to look forward to "Autumn Wind Chant" and "The Secret of Xuanyun Temple: The Fake Taoist Priest Goes Up the Mountain," and then quickly finished his routine.
The subsequent guest performances and awards ceremony were even longer, lasting a full three hours. Chu Yiran sat upright in his seat, feeling every muscle in his body screaming with exhaustion, his mental state stretched to its limit. When the host finally announced the start of the afterparty, he almost immediately wanted to leave.
On the beach, deafening music was already playing, and carefully arranged lights adorned the night with a dreamlike glow. Many artists quickly joined in the revelry, swaying to the rhythm, chatting, and drinking on the soft sand, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
However, Chu Yiran felt that the surrounding noise was as if it were behind a thick layer of glass, blurry and distant.
He was so tired that he had no energy left to deal with social situations. He avoided the crowds and wandered aimlessly along the beach until he found a huge, moon-shaped art sculpture facing the dark sea in a secluded corner behind the stage.
The sculpture's base has a relatively clean set of steps, facing away from all the noise, with only the endless sound of the waves in front of it.
He felt like he had found a refuge and sat down wearily, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his throbbing temples. He had only intended to close his eyes and rest for a moment, letting the sea breeze dispel some of his fatigue, but extreme drowsiness washed over him like a tide, and he unknowingly fell into a deep sleep against the cold sculpture.
Half-asleep, he seemed to have returned to the familiar Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion. His stern father looked at him with worried eyes, and his gentle mother was smiling and waving to him. The warm, homely atmosphere felt so real... But in the blink of an eye, the scene shattered. Yellow sand filled the sky, his father's blood-stained figure fell, and his mother's grief-stricken face blurred into the distance... A bone-chilling cold and immense sorrow gripped him. He seemed to feel warm tears sliding down his cheeks, and his whole body felt as cold as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
After an unknown amount of time, the bone-chilling cold seemed to be dispelled by a warmth.
Chu Yiran frowned, vaguely feeling a warm coat gently draped over him, shielding him from the chill of the sea breeze. Then, a warm finger lightly and carefully touched his cheek, gently wiping away the wetness from the corner of his eye.
The touch carried an indescribable sense of cherishing and familiarity, which suddenly brought Chu Yiran's chaotic consciousness to a clear state.
He didn't open his eyes immediately, but his body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment. He didn't need to see; an almost instinctive intuition told him that the person in front of him was Su Jing.
The other person seemed to think he was still asleep. After wiping away his tears, they lingered for a moment, their gaze heavy on his face. Then, a barely audible sigh escaped into the sea breeze, and soft footsteps sounded as the person turned to leave.
At that very moment, Chu Yiran suddenly opened his eyes.
The first thing that caught his eye was the white suit draped over his shoulders. He looked up and saw Su Jing's slightly desolate figure, wearing only a thin shirt, about to disappear into the night in the distance.
A nameless anger suddenly surged in my heart, mixed with the feeling of being exposed as vulnerable, resentment towards the past, and the irritation brought about by this untimely concern.
"What exactly do you want?" Chu Yiran's voice was hoarse from just waking up, but it was icy cold and devoid of any warmth.
Su Jing suddenly stopped and turned around in surprise.
The moonlight and the lights of the beach intertwined on his face, casting shifting shadows. He was clearly surprised that Chu Yiran was already awake. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, and he said in a calm tone, "I was just worried that you would catch a cold."
"That's none of your business." Chu Yiran suddenly stood up, pulled off the coat from his shoulder, and stubbornly handed it back, his movements showing obvious resistance.
Su Jing looked at him silently, without reaching out to take it, and simply said in a low voice, "Then I'll go first."
Seeing his seemingly compliant yet actually unyielding demeanor, Chu Yiran's inner rage burned even brighter.
“No matter what you do,” Chu Yiran took a step forward, her tone becoming even sharper and more cruel, “I will never like you, Su Jing. I hate you.”
Su Jing's body visibly stiffened, and his face seemed even paler in the moonlight. He lowered his eyelashes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally, he could only utter a helpless whisper: "Then what should I do..."
"Nothing you do will make a difference!" Chu Yiran interrupted him sharply, as if she wanted to unleash all her pent-up emotions. "Unless you die!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Chu Yiran saw Su Jing's eyes suddenly lift, revealing a familiar undercurrent. A chill ran through him; he immediately recalled the scene of this man's earlier frenzy, stabbing him with a knife. Almost instinctively and urgently, he added, his tone carrying a panic and warning he himself was unaware of:
"And don't say anything more like asking me to kill you with my own hands! Even if I die, I don't want to see you die in front of me!"
He took a deep breath, trying to restore the coldness and resolve to his voice:
"From now on, wherever you are, that's the best ending for us. We should leave each other alone."
He shoved the coat into Su Jing's arms, looked at him again, and strode away.
Watching Chu Yiran's resolute departing figure, Su Jing felt the words "let's not disturb each other" piercing his heart like countless needles hardened with ice. He instinctively took a step forward, wanting to chase after her—
"Teacher Su!"
A clear, surprised female voice suddenly broke through the tense silence between the two.
A young woman in an exquisite burgundy haute couture gown strode over, her face beaming with excitement as she stared intently at Su Jing. "Teacher Su! So this is you! I really like you, I've been looking for you for ages, and I'm so glad to finally see you! Can we take a picture together?"
Su Jing was filled with frustration and pain. When he was interrupted, his brows furrowed tightly, and his tone was undisguised impatience and coldness: "Who are you?" He didn't even bother to look closely at the other person's face.
The girl seemed undeterred; instead, she took a few more steps forward, emerging completely from the sculpture's shadow. The cool moonlight and the flickering lights of the distant party illuminated her face clearly—
Chu Yiran, who was standing not far away, suddenly stopped in his tracks, which was about to leave completely.
He looked at the girl in disbelief.
With willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and naturally upturned lips that exude a touch of coquettishness, this face... is clearly that of Shen Ruoqing, who was infatuated with Su Jing in her previous life.
Just as Chu Yiran was reeling from the shock, the girl spoke with a beaming smile, her voice tinged with a hint of naivety and self-satisfaction: "Teacher Su, it's alright if you don't know me. I studied abroad and only just returned to China a few days ago. Let me introduce myself, my father is Shen Ji, the CEO of Xia Chu Media, and I'm his daughter—"
She slightly raised her chin and spoke clearly:
“Chen Ruoqing”.
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