First winter
"Shun'an, stop being in a daze."
Five-year-old Bai Shunan opened his bright and childish eyes and looked at the person who called him. His mother squeezed Bai Shunan's little hand with tenderness in her eyes. During the car journey, the light kept shining on her through the car window. His mother was dressed warmly, with a furry warm white scarf tied around her neck. Bai Shunan curiously reached out to catch the light shaking on the scarf, and pinched the scarf, feeling warm.
"We'll be at our new home soon, Shunan."
Passing through the pitch-black tunnel, the world became brighter than before, flooded with sunlight. Bai Shunan looked at his mother again, the glare blurring his vision. His mother's unwavering tension faded in the blurring moment. He stared at her intently, the light seemingly emanating from her. Once his eyes adjusted, he looked down at himself, watching the chaotic interplay of tree shadows sweep by.
After a heavy snowfall, his family took advantage of the fading fog at dawn to move out of the home that had been Bai Shunan's earliest memories. He still remembered the orange tree that stood in front of that house, planted by his father on the day he was born. Autumn had shed all its leaves, and winter had left it withered and old. Bai Shunan always worried that the tree wouldn't sprout new leaves the following spring. But just two days before they were to move, the tree was cut down to the ground due to road construction. The dead branches tumbled haphazardly from the trunk, and the trunk was torn from its roots. For the last time, Bai Shunan saw the orange tree, at its most fragile and broken.
Bai Shunan couldn't understand what he was feeling at that time. It was the first time he realized the disappearance of life. His mother raised her hand and waved it in front of Bai Shunan, trying to call back her little son's attention: "Shunan, Shunan..."
Bai Shunan leaned on his brother Bai Shunnian, thinking that they had just celebrated Bai Shunnian's early tenth birthday yesterday. The lively and joyful atmosphere had not yet dissipated from the house when they left.
That night, Bai Shunan caught a cold and had a fever. Because of this illness, his memory of his old home gradually became blurred. Only the final appearance of the orange tree became clearer and clearer in his mind, as if the reason why its final appearance was so bleak and its dead branches were broken was just to block his way and remain in a corner of his memory.
In the year that Bai Shunan left home and the orange tree left the land, it had not yet borne fruit. That was also Bai Shunan's first birthday wish that would never come true when he first understood the concept of making a wish on his birthday last year.
…
"Shun'an, stop being in a daze."
Bai Shunan came back to his senses and looked down at Zhang Wei who was pulling him forward.
Zhang Wei's back stopped after clearing the haze from her eyes. She released Bai Shunan's hand and said to the woman sitting on the chair in front of her, "Director Li, please see if he is suitable for the role of Qi Ci."
Zhang Wei turned around and looked at Bai Shunan nervously.
In order to see Bai Shunan more clearly, Li Xuanyue took off her hat, revealing her messy hair that was tied up casually. Her movements were smooth and unrestrained, and her entire face was completely revealed. Her serious expression hid the depression between her brows. On her overly cold face were a pair of warm and moving golden brown eyes, and her gaze was as sharp as an eagle as she looked at Bai Shunan in front of her.
Zhang Wei's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time she saw Li Xuanyue in real life. Rather than being amazed by her beauty, what was even more impossible to ignore was Li Xuanyue's aura. The Li Xuanyue in the online photos was the kind that made people feel at ease and even cute, but when one saw Li Xuanyue in real life, one would find that she was destroying the atmosphere all the time.
Bai Shunan, who had not yet woken up from his sleepiness, did not notice the solemn atmosphere in the air at this time. He has always had difficulty concentrating, and now he still has an illusion about what is happening.
Li Xuanyue noticed that Bai Shunan was distracted, but she didn't show it on her face. She already had a prejudice in her heart. However, half a minute passed and time seemed to stand still. Li Xuanyue suddenly laughed, but this did not dispel or ease the low pressure around them. Zhang Wei still felt uneasy because he kept trying to figure out her thoughts. She hoped very much that Bai Shunan would be chosen, and therefore, the fear of failure always occupied her heart and hung high in the air.
Bai Shunan's mind was blank...
"She looks good..." Li Xuanyue commented coldly.
Zhang Wei breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still hanging in the air. She spoke cautiously, "What about Director Li?"
"She's just good-looking," Li Xuanyue said sarcastically. She stopped looking at them and turned around, her chair spinning with it. She caught a glimpse of Zhang Wei, who was standing restlessly and was about to leave with Bai Shunan. Suddenly, she spoke again, "Find a place to sit for a while. I'll call you later."
Zhang Wei stopped in her tracks, her face filled with uncontrollable joy upon hearing this. She tried desperately to contain her excitement and politely thanked him, "I understand. Thank you, Director Li. Thank you, Director Li."
Zhang Wei seemed to be afraid that Li Xuanyue would regret it, so he quickly pulled Bai Shunan to find a corner to sit down.
Bai Shunan was not as panicked as Zhang Wei. He had been inattentive for a long time. When Bai Shunan sat on a stool in the corner, he realized what had just happened.
Li Xuanyue, a new director who has attracted much attention in the industry, is preparing to shoot her second feature film "Light and Shadow" recently. It caused a sensation in the industry. Actors rushed to audition. As a result, it took a month to finally select the actors. Less than a week after the filming started, an actor in the crew suddenly went on strike. A seat was vacant, and it stayed there quietly waiting for someone to grab it.
After receiving the news, Zhang Wei hurriedly brought Bai Shunan to the audition. However, when they arrived at the scene, they found that there was already a long queue.
Zhang Wei looked a little reluctant. She turned to look at Bai Shunan, who looked calm, and decided to wait. Just kidding, this rare opportunity had to be tried no matter what.
Under Zhang Wei's insistence, Bai Shunan joined the queue, his sleepiness mounting as he waited for nearly three hours. When Zhang Wei finally saw the slightest sign of a possible outcome, Bai Shunan briefly appeared before Li Xuanyue before being sidelined, his performance still unfinished.
Bai Shunan sat on a chair in the corner, lowered his head, pinched his cold knuckles, and didn't care about the situation in front of him.
"Shun'an, I think you have a good chance of getting the role this time." Zhang Wei looked up and took a sip of water, trying to remain calm.
"Why?" Bai Shunan's face seemed to have the word "disbelief" written on it. He asked while suppressing the sleepiness that was coming back.
"You were the only one who was left behind specially, and Director Li even smiled at you." Zhang Wei tried his best to put things in a positive light and encourage Bai Shunan.
The waiting time on the set was getting longer and longer, and Bai Shunan's expression was calm. He was not as optimistic as Zhang Wei thought. He vaguely remembered that at that time, Li Xuanyue had a teasing smile on her face. He lowered his eyes, recalling Li Xuanyue's expression at that time, and sensed a subtle malice.
She probably made him wait here on purpose.
Bai Shunan leaned lightly against the wall, feeling both hot and cold. He slowed down the movement of pinching his knuckles and wanted to leave. He looked up at Zhang Wei who was in high spirits, but he couldn't say anything. He decided to wait a little longer.
It's a life no matter how you live.
He just closed his eyes for a while and then fell asleep without any defense.
Bai Shunan did not sleep in a comfortable position. His head tilted towards his left shoulder, not leaning on his shoulder, but more against the wall. His arms were crossed together, maintaining some warmth. He gradually fell into a deep sleep, his body relieved of strength, one of his hands dropped down, and the other hand rested on his leg.
There were always people walking back and forth in front of him, and the lights he could feel were sometimes bright and sometimes dim, giving him the feeling of being on a long-distance bus. At this time, he would easily wake up with a single movement, and he could never settle down and find it difficult to feel at ease.
After a long period of darkness, Bai Shunan became more awake. He opened his eyes and, as expected, Zhang Wei was standing in front of him.
After being together for more than ten years, Zhang Wei was already familiar with Bai Shunan's habit of falling asleep at any time. She handed Bai Shunan a black thermos cup filled with coffee that had been prepared long ago.
Bai Shunan didn't like bitter drinks, so Zhang Wei added some coconut milk and milk to the coffee. The taste was thick and fragrant, with neither bitterness nor sweetness distinct. After drinking it, Bai Shunan felt sleepy. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, his heart beating panicked. After a while, his heart calmed down. He opened his eyes, but his consciousness was not very clear, but he didn't want to sleep.
"The company recently assigned me a new person," Zhang Wei saw Bai Shunan open his eyes and clenched the cup in her hand, her fingertips turning white. She looked away from Bai Shunan and said, "My schedule has become busy."
Bai Shunan hummed softly, already anticipating what Zhang Wei would say.
"I may not follow you around very often."
"It's okay. It's good for you to bring new people."
Both of them knew that Bai Shunan would be 30 next year, but his career had not made any progress. In this entertainment industry where new people emerge in an endless stream and people are easily forgotten, it was not worth it for Zhang Wei to spend all his energy on Bai Shunan.
"Then, I'll try to arrange an assistant for you?"
"Need not."
Seeing this, Zhang Wei didn't say much. There was always a barrier between her and Bai Shunan that was difficult to penetrate. Even guilt, hurt and torture could hardly pierce a tiny hole in this barrier.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
