Chapter 58 Chapter 58 He Promised
“I hope so,” Wen Jia said without hesitation.
Once the words were out, she realized that she had long fantasized about marrying him. All the pessimistic views about marriage that He Lingyi had instilled in her seemed to be completely erased by the man in front of her.
“But that’s the future,” she joked. “I still have my career.”
“Yes, I know you have a very successful career,” he was already satisfied with her affirmative answer, “I was talking about the future.”
Wen Jia nodded slightly, but there seemed to be a deep sense of unease in her eyes. "But... I just heard you say something about severing ties with your father, about taking back the group. Will things really come to that with you and your father?"
"Maybe not."
“No maybe,” she lifted her face, looking up at him with tender eyes, “I don’t want you to sacrifice so much, if that day ever comes.”
Xu Shaoting laughed self-deprecatingly. If only Xu Bozheng could hear this! If he could, he wouldn't suspect she had ulterior motives for falling in love with him. He thought.
"What kind of sacrifice are you referring to—"
“Giving up the group, and even abandoning the father-son relationship, is not worth it.”
"You think it's not worth it for me to give up all this for you, right?"
She gave a soft "hmm".
Neither of them knew where they had been stung.
"Whether it's worth it or not, I'll decide for myself. You don't need to be so understanding."
She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her cheek against his warm chest, listened to his heartbeat, but her gaze went unfocused.
This isn't being sensible; it's just an unconscious concession born of love. She silently protested in her heart.
"Then what are you going to do?" he countered.
“It’s alright,” Wen Jia said with a slight smile. “I told you before that I’m very good at this kind of acting, and I do it very well. You don’t need to worry about me.”
But how could he stop worrying? He couldn't figure it out.
"You mean you want me to give you up?"
Xu Shaoting's expression became extremely complex, a surge of disappointment, grief, and confusion welling up within him. Sometimes he really wanted to ask her: was her maturity, her pragmatism, and her sense of right and wrong innate, or something she had cultivated through experience?
How can he help her break this habit?
In this circle, there are countless people who want to achieve upward social mobility through marriage, and even more who regard "he is willing to fight against his family for me" as a badge of victory.
Why does she always seem to go against the grain?
Families like theirs should be happy that their girlfriend doesn't want anything in return, and should appreciate a partner who is sensible, ungreedy, undemanding, and dutiful.
Why is it that he also likes to go against the grain?
“I can’t do it,” he said softly.
-
The next day was Lunar New Year's Eve.
On this joyous day of family reunion, she had to rush back to the film set.
If you think about it carefully, she hasn't been able to reunite with her family for Chinese New Year for many years since her debut. Apart from the period when she retired from the entertainment industry, she was either on set or participating in galas during the Chinese New Year in previous years.
If she joined a film crew, it wouldn't be too pitiful, because no matter how far away, He Lingyi would rush to the set to be with her.
This year was no exception. At eight o'clock in the morning, she was still nestled lazily in Xu Shaoting's arms when she received a call from He Lingyi:
"Darling, my flight arrives this afternoon, around six o'clock. You should be almost done with work by now, right?"
"Hmm, should I have Kaiqing pick you up?"
"Don't bother her, I'm not incapable of taking care of myself."
"Then let me know when you get off the plane. I'm hanging up now, I'm going to have breakfast."
"Wait a minute—" He Lingyi frowned on the other end of the phone, "Breakfast? Why hasn't filming started yet today?"
Wen Jia instantly regained her senses, brushed away the man's hand that was playing with her hair, and stammered, "Today... um... today is New Year's Day, we also need to rest, we'll start filming later. I'm on set now, we'll start work soon."
He Lingyi wasn't so easily fooled. She listened intently for two seconds and asked, "Why is it so quiet on set? Is there no one around?"
"..."
Xu Shaoting chuckled softly and coaxed her gently in her ear, "Say it's at my house."
Wen Jia was unsure whether to cover the microphone or shut him up first, shaking her head frantically like a high school student who couldn't let her parents find out about her early romance.
"There are...there are people, but everyone is still asleep, so no one is talking."
Wen Jia was held in someone's arms. When she turned around and met his meaningful gaze, she guiltily turned her face away.
"Kaiqing!" He Lingyi shouted on the other end of the phone, "Where's Kaiqing? Let Kaiqing answer the phone!"
Wen Jia was startled awake, her drowsiness completely gone, and she stubbornly hung up the phone.
Xu Shaoting gripped her fingers, pinning her down, and demanded, "Why did you hide it? Doesn't she know we're dating?"
"...She'll ask all sorts of questions, and it never ends!"
"Then let her ask."
"There are some questions that you should answer her in person."
Xu Shaoting raised an eyebrow and smiled.
She knew all too well how to please him.
He stopped pursuing the matter and took her to breakfast.
At nine o'clock, after finishing breakfast, she should set off.
She had already reached the fountain outside when the man hurriedly caught up with her and hugged her tightly.
She hesitated, too timid to hug him back, and glanced around warily. This high school student in a relationship had to be wary not only of her own parents, but also of her boyfriend's parents.
"Hold me," Xu Shaoting commanded her.
"He doesn't get up that early."
Xu Bozheng, who was standing by the guest bedroom window watching the two figures, was speechless.
That's really something. He didn't even bother to say good morning, and he was embracing his girlfriend so passionately and reluctantly right under his nose.
Afraid of his blood pressure rising, he looked away, blew on the tea that Uncle Yang handed him, and slowly drank it. When he looked up again, his unfilial son had already pulled him into his arms and was kissing him as if no one else was around.
"…………"
He frowned, his expression serious, and he was carefully chewing on the tea leaves with his teeth, but it seemed that he was not just chewing on tea leaves.
Downstairs in front of the fountain, Xu Shaoting ended the kiss, but he still couldn't bear to let her go, deeply inhaling her scent. "Can't you stay one more day? I'll let Yu Jianshan know."
"No, no, no one in the crew dares to leave their posts. They're all waiting for me to come back. I still have a lot of scenes to film. If I don't go back, it will delay the progress, and it will be very embarrassing."
“Okay,” Xu Shaoting cupped her face in his hands, “You know the flight attendant, she will provide good service, tell me when you land.”
Then he planted a deep kiss on her forehead.
This scene was still captured by Xu Bozheng's eyes without the slightest error.
"What is she going to do?" he asked Uncle Yang, who was standing to the side.
"Miss Wen is probably going back to Yungang to film a movie."
"During the Chinese New Year?"
"It should be."
Xu Bozheng put down his teacup and nodded. "He's quite ambitious."
Yang Bo lowered his head and remained silent, not daring to say anything more.
-
The wealthy have always placed great importance on the Lunar New Year, and the Xu family is no exception. However, for them, the Lunar New Year is far more than just a simple family reunion; it is also a time for the exchange of human relationships. Among the tens of thousands of employees in the group, a large number voluntarily remain at their posts during the Lunar New Year. Therefore, visiting and comforting subordinates on New Year's Eve is an unwavering tradition.
After seeing Wen Jia off, Xu Shaoting returned to the Xu residence from the manor, picked up Zhao Xinglan, and the three of them set off together for Yunxi Technology and the group headquarters to distribute bonuses and benefits to their subordinates.
Xu Bozheng was not pretentious in front of his subordinates. He smiled and was always friendly, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. He only offered verbal words of comfort and concern.
Xu Shaoting took the red envelopes that Lin Youzhe had prepared earlier from him and distributed them one by one. With a faint smile on his lips, he said "Thank you for your hard work" or "Thank you."
No one dared to open the red envelope in person, but the bulging feel of it said it all. It was so generous that the employees felt almost unworthy of the position and thanked them repeatedly.
Since Xu Shaoting took the position of director, Xu Bozheng has rarely appeared in Yunxi. Xie Yun, the operations director of Yunxi, doesn't know much about him, but he is familiar with Xu Shaoting. So the important task of guiding and introducing him naturally fell on his shoulders.
Xie Yun, being a young man, was able to get along well with his subordinates, and he had already heard plenty about Xu Shaoting's affairs.
He walked side by side with Xu Shaoting, and for a moment he spoke without restraint:
"Why isn't Chairman Xu at home with his wife during the Chinese New Year? Why is he coming to the company to see us?"
The voice was low, but it still didn't escape Xu Bozheng's ears. Hearing this, his imposing figure paused, and he slowly turned around, speaking each word clearly:
"Wife?"
“Hey, I’m here,” Zhao Xinglan glanced at Xie Yun and took Xu Bozheng’s arm. “Alright, they’re just joking around, don’t take it so seriously.”
"Is this something to joke about?" Xu Bozheng looked Xie Yun up and down.
In fact, he knew better than anyone how innocent he was. If Xu Shaoting hadn't done anything at the company, why would he have used the word 'wife'?
She was just taking out her frustrations with her son on him.
Poor Xie Yun knew he had said the wrong thing, so he lowered his head and didn't dare to look up. Xu Shaoting patted him and sent him away.
"Alright, alright, it's the New Year, don't get angry," Zhao Xinglan gently comforted her husband. "Don't always have such a long face. No wonder the company employees all say they prefer Chairman Xu."
"A company is a place to conduct business, not a place to flirt!"
"I didn't date at work."
"How did they know? You mean she's never been to the company, and the employees somehow found out?"
“They can find out by reading entertainment news,” Hsu Shao-ting said casually. “If you don’t believe me, you can go to the front desk and check the visitor records.”
"Lin Youzhe!" Xu Bozheng called out.
"exist."
You tell me.
"Chairman, Miss Wen has indeed not been to the company."
Lin Youzhe is a good man; he's the kind of person who sides with his own people regardless of right or wrong.
Xu Bozheng walked into the chairman's office, sat down on the sofa with an air of authority, and was ready to go all the way. "Lin Youzhe, go and get me the visitor records."
Getting a visitor record from the front desk takes only five minutes, and Lin Youzhe presented it respectfully.
Xu Bozheng flipped through the pages one by one. He knew that someone of Wen Jia's status would not be able to register under her real name, so he paid special attention to words like "Miss Wen" and "Ms. Wen".
However, after searching for a long time, I couldn't find a single "Wen" character. A Miss Lü did appear twice in a short period of time, leaving only her surname, which stood out among all the full names.
Xu Bozheng tossed the folder onto the coffee table and demanded, "Who is Miss Lü?"
Xu Shaoting was leaning against the window, sipping tea, and answered unhurriedly, "The blind date your wife arranged for me."
He spoke with grandiloquent words, but inwardly he praised the woman's cleverness. He almost wanted to call her right now and ask her if she had already thought of this when she infiltrated the company using the title of Miss Lü.
Lin Youzhe turned his back and smiled for a while.
Zhao Xinglan was suddenly called upon, and her admiring of the jade bracelet on her wrist paused for a moment.
Xu Shaoting didn't even need to give her a meaningful look; mother and son were of one mind, and he answered fluently, "I arranged it for him. At that time, I didn't know he had a girl he liked. Neither of them hit it off."
"A blind date at the company?"
"I can't let go of the company," Xu Shaoting said sanctimoniously, "I can only ask them to make do."
"If you didn't like her, why did you come twice?"
"The second time, she came to tell me specifically that she didn't like me."
Xu Bozheng snorted lightly, not knowing whether he believed him or not, but only warned, "You should bring your little girlfriend to the company less often in the future. Don't make it public knowledge before you've even married her. It's not proper."
Lin Youzhe stood to the side, chuckling to himself. "It's a good thing you don't know the boss has already made it public knowledge all over Switzerland. If he did, I wonder what he'd do."
Xu Shaoting ignored all of Xu Shaoting's previous words, but he didn't miss this one: "So, you agree to let me marry you?"
"..."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Even Zhao Xinglan fell silent, unsure of what to say.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lin Youzhe immediately and quietly left the office, making a hasty retreat.
"Impossible!" Xu Bozheng was practically driven mad with frustration. He took a deep breath. "Hopeless!"
Then they drove off.
After thoroughly comforting the employees, it was already afternoon. The three returned to the Xu residence in Yunxi Bay. Before they even stepped into the living room, they heard the voices of three other people inside.
Xu Yitang: "Sister-in-law's outfit, tsk tsk tsk, so sexy, it's almost unrecognizable."
Xu Yishu: "I think so too."
Xu Yancheng scoffed, "Are you two face-blind? This is clearly her."
The living room was so spacious that the three people nestled on the sofa were completely unaware of Xu Bozheng's approach.
He concealed his fox tail, deliberately making his footsteps light, and looked towards the projection screen—
Wen Jia was wearing a tight-fitting cheongsam with a slit that went up to her thighs. A shawl was draped over her arm. Her skin was fair, her red lips were dazzling, and her hair was jet black. Her meticulous hand gestures added to her beauty and maturity. She was reciting her lines in a soft Wu dialect, looking lazy and content, like a young mistress.
This is a period drama she starred in during the Republican era. The director used a taboo narrative technique, making the ambiguity subtle, but the kissing scenes were unrestrained.
"Huh, I feel like we're about to kiss each other any second now." Xu Yitang covered her eyes, a little reluctant to watch.
Her words proved prophetic. The next second, on the huge projector, a man and a woman were kissing passionately, and the camera switched between three angles, with the ten-second close-up shot feeling like an eternity.
Xu Yancheng seemed to have some kind of wicked sense of humor, his eyes wide open and unwilling to blink. "Tell me, how does Big Brother feel seeing this scene?"
Xu Yitang, always eager for drama, remarked, "He probably feels like he wants to kill the male lead."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her sister next to her frantically poking her arm. "What are you doing? I didn't say anything wrong. It's just that my brother didn't know my sister-in-law back then, otherwise I guess this actor would have disappeared from the screen long ago."
Xu Shaoting: "..."
Xu Bozheng suddenly spoke up: "What did you call her?"
The three figures on the sofa trembled with fright.
In just half a day, he was called a "wife" and a "sister-in-law"—were they trying to drive him crazy?
He watched the entire kissing scene, still seething with anger, and frowned deeply.
What are all these things?!
Is this rebellious son of his really going to marry a woman who's passionately kissing another man in front of the camera?!
Thinking this, he glared at Xu Shaoting with his eyes, only to find nothing.
The moment their lips touched, Xu Shaoting had already walked outside and started smoking in silence.
Zhao Xinglan picked up the remote control and turned off the projector without saying a word.
"Watch less of these kinds of movies, they'll ruin your brain."
Xu Yitang looked completely innocent. "We only played the movies you downloaded."
"..."
Xu Bozheng knew that Zhao Xinglan loved watching movies, but he didn't pay much attention to it and didn't know that Zhao Xinglan liked this kind of movie, or rather, the movie starring this woman.
Seeing his displeasure, she gently patted his chest to help him catch his breath, "Don't be so prejudiced against that young girl, she's a very nice person."
"Greeting someone for kissing them."
"This is filming a movie, it's her job. She's dedicated, shouldn't we applaud her? Besides, there are real kisses and fake kisses in kissing scenes, maybe this is..."
Zhao Xinglan couldn't recall the word for a moment, so she gave Xu Yitang a wink, who understood and gave her a helpful assist, "Using a camera angle!"
"Yes, maybe it's a misalignment?"
Xu Bozheng's tone and expression softened slightly when he spoke to his wife, "So what's so good about her? Tell me."
"She's beautiful, highly capable, and has a great personality," she whispered to Xu Bozheng. "Didn't I tell you before that I'd met her? I met her in Shao Ting's office. She's very quiet and reserved, not the outgoing type. You can tell just by looking at her..."
Before she could finish speaking, she realized she had let something slip, immediately fell silent, and slipped away right under her husband's nose.
"Where did you meet him? In the office?" Xu Bozheng was furious and turned to look at Xu Shaoting's back. "You made a scene in the office! No wonder the whole company knows about it. What kind of behavior is this!"
Xu Bozheng had seen too many people blinded by lust. Sitting in this position, he knew all too well that these seemingly trivial matters of love and romance were often the real culprits that caused a minor incident to collapse. Just thinking about how Xu Shaoting would repeatedly leave the company to be with women, either bringing them to his office or taking them home, filled him with a surge of rage.
Zhao Xinglan took a few steps and then turned back. "My son finally found a girlfriend, and he didn't mess around. He didn't date four or five girls at once. Why get so angry? Let the young people be."
“I’m fine with him dating, but didn’t you hear? He wants to marry me,” Xu Bozheng clapped his hands. “You agree to marry me?”
Zhao Xinglan turned to look at her son's back and fell silent.
Wen Jia had no idea that her old kissing scenes had been watched by her entire family.
She slept the entire way on the plane. After landing, she briefly let Xu Shaoting know she was safe and sound, and then rushed to the film set to reshoot her scenes and catch up on the schedule.
Wen Jia spent the entire afternoon filming scenes in the studio depicting Feng Yingxue's illness.
During the New Year, Yu Jianshan seemed even stricter, shooting five takes, none of which satisfied him.
Feng Yingxue is a patient. Her solo scenes have very few words, and the challenge lies in her body language and facial expressions.
He pulled Wen Jia aside and pointed to the monitor: "Look, your expression just now was too over-the-top. As soon as you made that expression, the audience knew you were about to have a seizure. That's not right." He put down the script and gestured: "Feng Yingxue's fingers are the first to become unresponsive. She wants to hold the paintbrush, but she can't. It's not the kind of pain of 'Oh no, I'm sick,' it's confusion, disbelief, a struggle with herself, wanting to do it again, but her hand is shaking even more."
"Only then did she start to panic, but with her stubborn nature, she wouldn't admit defeat. So her face couldn't just show pain; it had to show more of agitation and even a bit of hatred for her own hands. Do you understand what I mean? Don't just act like she's sick; act like a strong-willed person who suddenly realizes she can't control her body, that bewildered yet defiant feeling."
The last shot shows a close-up of Wen Jia's right hand on the monitor screen.
"Start the machine. Push the track car slowly, just follow her hand closely."
Yu Jianshan's voice came through the clapperboard. The clapperboard fell.
"start!"
In the scene, Feng Yingxue's index and middle fingers begin to spasm slightly, her knuckles turning white from excessive force, appearing to be in great pain—exactly the feeling Yu Jianshan wanted.
"Arm ready... Now raise the arm, for the face."
The camera slowly pans up, capturing the thin layer of sweat on her forehead and the fleeting struggle and resentment in her eyes.
"Okay—hold on a little longer, then relax!"
With a decisive strike, the paintbrush fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"Click, save! Let's add another close-up of the brushstrokes."
After filming wrapped, He Lingyi arrived at the set at 6 p.m., looking travel-worn.
In previous years, if she spent the Lunar New Year on set, He Lingyi would cook several dishes in her RV and invite the crew members to come in and eat.
But this year, things are a little different. Yu Jianshan is not without ceremony and sentimentality. He booked a whole venue at Rongshanlou Restaurant and treated the entire crew to New Year's Eve dinner.
"cheers!"
Lanterns hung high outside the door, and inside the main hall, twenty tables were packed with people. The lively atmosphere of the New Year's Eve dinner was intense, and occasionally a firework would explode outside the window, making the glass reflect light and shadow.
Every aspect of the production and planning process was meticulously handled, including raffles, games, and toasts, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
Wen Jia and Yu Jianshan, along with other senior executives, sat at the main table in the center. As the event drew to a close, she, along with the main and supporting actors, distributed red envelopes to the staff.
When she returned to her seat, Lao Fang and Lin Zhongyuan had already drunk several glasses of wine. The latter was slightly drunk and started to talk nonsense.
"If you ask me, Lao Yu is still too inhumane, not even giving leave on New Year's Eve."
Old Fang picked his teeth with a toothpick and chuckled, "Be content! In previous years, it was one thing to have no holidays, but we couldn't even dream of having a get-together. We had to work through the night on New Year's Eve, not finishing until five or six in the morning. Could you stand that? For other people, it's a holiday, but for us, it's like we're going through a calamity!"
A chorus of sighs and head-shaking echoed from the table.
But despite the complaints, no one really intended to give up.
Everyone knows that with hundreds of employees in the crew, a day's work stoppage results in a waste of human, material, and financial resources that no one can make up for.
This is the fate of most people in the film and television industry.
"That's right, it's been several years since I've been able to properly go home for the Chinese New Year."
"Hey, Mr. Lin misses his wife."
"You don't want to?" Lin Zhongyuan glanced at him.
“What can we do if we think about it? Director Yu is still sticking to this place, isn’t he? It’s no use for us to think about it. It’s one thing for married couples like us to not be able to reunite, but it’s a real pity that so many young people in the crew, some in the throes of new love, some newly married, can’t spend the holiday with their partners,” Lao Fang glanced around at the young people and raised his chin. “Look, isn’t Teacher Wen one of them? She couldn’t even spend the New Year with her boyfriend because she was dragged here to film.”
Seeing that the group of people were making no attempt to hide their opinions, He Lingyi paused in her chopsticks.
This topic remained unresolved for the entire dinner, only resurfacing once she returned to her car:
"Your boyfriend, he came to the film set?"
Wen Jia turned her face to the car window, seemingly feeling guilty about something, "...Nothing."
“Auntie, he came by and stayed for a week,” Yu Kaiqing added fuel to the fire.
"How far has it progressed?"
Wen Jia: "Just... the normal dating stage."
He Lingyi nodded, unsure whether she was satisfied or disappointed. "Did you beg him to come, or did he come on his own initiative?"
"Mr. Xu came by himself! She had a cold but she endured it without saying anything, and Mr. Xu specially flew to see her."
"Are you lying to me?"
"Absolutely true."
He Lingyi paused for a moment, then softened her tone, "They did put in some effort."
After saying that, he looked worried and asked, "Aren't you feeling wronged being with him?"
Why do you ask that?
"Rich men, they all have some kind of problem, either psychological or physiological."
Yu Kaiqing coughed twice, "Auntie, you're too blunt."
"So do you think I said something wrong?"
"No, Auntie, Chairman Xu is a very good person, better than President Zhou and better than Song Yanlin."
She was definitely fine psychologically, but as for her physical health… she didn’t know, and dared not think about it. She just gave Wen Jia a meaningful look.
"They've only been together a short time, and you already feel it's good?" He Lingyi tapped her forehead. "How is his manners?"
"Very polite and well-mannered."
Have you ever lost your temper with her?
"From what I saw, absolutely not! It should be..." Yu Kaiqing blushed for some reason, "...it should be that they're too busy cherishing her..."
He Lingyi seemed skeptical. "Then, doesn't he think he's superior? That he's above everyone else?"
"No, no, no, Chairman Xu is very approachable and easy to get along with."
Wen Jia listened from the side, unable to get a word in edgewise, as if the two of them were the mother and daughter.
"Anyone can put on a show. Rich people are masters of this. The key is to see how they treat you when no one is watching."
He Lingyi pondered for a moment, then turned to Wen Jia, who had remained silent, and asked, "In private, has he ever disrespected you? Or rather, has he ever made you feel... that you need to look up to him?"
"...No, we are equals."
I treat him like a sugar daddy, but he won't accept it. Wen Jia thought to herself.
“You better not be lying to me.” He Lingyi was afraid that she was hiding something, but she was still not at ease. “Actually, to be honest, I’m still worried about his character.” She paused. “Do you think he might be a womanizer behind the scenes? Having multiple women on his left and right, attracting all sorts of attention, falling in love with every one of them he sees? That’s what I’m most afraid of.”
Yu Kaiqing: "..."
Wen Jia: "..."
Seeing that neither of them had anything to say, He Lingyi began to seize on their weakness and lecture them, "I don't know if philandering men have money, but most rich men are philanderers. When you're with him, you have to be careful. If there's any sign of that, you absolutely can't tolerate it, understand?"
Wen Jia nodded.
"Take my advice. Marrying into that kind of family will only bring you suffering..."
Wen Jia interrupted sharply.
"stop!"
"You're getting off-topic, Mom. What's with all this talk about getting married?"
He Lingyi clicked her tongue. "Did I say something wrong? Haven't you considered this issue?"
“It’s no use thinking about it,” Wen Jia turned her face to the window. “Whether their family will accept me or not is another matter.”
"What do you mean?" He Lingyi grabbed her arm. "You've met his parents? That's impossible."
"...No, Mom, it's too early to talk about this now."
He Lingyi thought that made sense, and finally advised her, "I don't support you dating, but since you're together, it's not good to say anything. If you can date, then date properly. But to be blunt, it's normal for families like theirs to care about background. If they're satisfied with you, it's because you're already excellent. If they're not satisfied, then we shouldn't force it. If it doesn't work out, don't wrong yourself, understand?"
Wen Jia nodded obediently.
Finally, she added meaningfully, "Be careful and take precautions. Don't let my foolishness cause anyone to die; I don't want to be a grandmother now."
Wen Jia's face was reflected in the car window, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
Back at the hotel, she called Xu Shaoting, who was having New Year's Eve dinner at the Xu residence.
He carefully wiped his hands clean with a wet wipe, picked up his phone, and went outside.
The New Year celebrations at Yunxi Bay are always understated yet luxurious, without any ostentatious displays of red and purple. Along the winding driveway, the trees remain vibrant even in winter, their branches wrapped in warm golden light strips, the glow shimmering in the cold, thin air.
Under the streetlights, Xu Shaoting, with his coat draped over his arm, used one hand to answer the call.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
Both ends of the phone call spoke in unison.
He lowered his eyes and slightly raised his lips, "Have you had your New Year's Eve dinner yet?"
"We just finished eating. Yu Jianshan treated the entire crew to a meal."
Wen Jia wrapped her clothes tightly around herself on the balcony of the suite, sat down in the rocking chair, her figure light and slender.
"And you?"
"Me too."
She composed herself and heard the sound of a lighter's grinding wheel coming from the other end. "Are you smoking?"
"Hmm." Xu Shaoting's voice was low and slow as he exhaled a wisp of smoke.
Feeling upset?
"It's so annoying."
"It's the Lunar New Year, don't be upset. Tell me why you're upset, and I can help you relax."
She was confident and certain of victory.
The man silently took several deep drags, the smoke swirling around his face, making him appear even more somber. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"When you filmed kissing scenes before, were they real kisses or just camera tricks?"
Wen Jia: "..."
It seems there's little we can do to help.
She felt guilty even over the phone, "...Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"They played your video at home today, I saw it."
A long silence fell over both ends of the phone call.
She was about to speak.
"Never mind, you don't need to answer me anymore, I understand."
"You're hiding something," Wen Jia said, clinging to a sliver of hope, "Which movie were you watching...?"
Heaven and earth bear witness, God bless us, Amitabha, it must be one of those films she filmed using camera tricks.
"The one with the cheongsam." Xu Shaoting's voice grew colder and colder, almost matching the chilly wind around him.
He couldn't see her; she was over there with her eyes closed, her face covered, and her head buried between her knees.
"Did the whole family see it?"
"Um."
It's over, completely over.
"That was before... After I met you... I only ever kissed you... once..."
The more you speak, the less confident you become, until finally your words are barely audible.
"Hmm, you still want to kiss other people."
Hearing the alarm bells ring, Wen Jia started to whine and try to make amends, "No, no! I just wanted to kiss you! Don't be upset..."
Xu Shaoting shook his head helplessly. It was yet another unsolvable problem. Perhaps it was fate that sent her to test him.
He pursed his lips and paced several steps under the streetlights until his shadow could no longer be stretched out, before he could barely process the scene, and his tone finally became less restrained and distant.
"I'll listen to you."
"Is this all that's bothering you?"
"Only?"
He was so depressed. The image of her kissing another man kept replaying in his mind, making him restless in his study for the entire afternoon. He had never smoked so many cigarettes in a single day.
"No, what I mean is, has your uncle said anything to you that's bothering you?"
"About what?"
"About me."
“No,” he flicked his cigarette ash, “Do you want him to mention you?”
“I don’t want to,” she said honestly, but with a trepidation. “I’m actually afraid he’ll bring me up.”
"With me here, you have nothing to be afraid of."
Xu Shaoting's heart tightened at her cautiousness. He took a few breaths and waited until he calmed down before speaking:
"Wenjia, I didn't bring you home for the New Year this year, I..."
“It’s not that you don’t want to bring it, it’s that Yu Jianshan won’t let you bring it,” she interrupted him.
Xu Shaoting lowered his head and smiled. The gloomy fog in front of him was finally dispelled, and the heavy feeling in his chest also disappeared.
The usually quiet Yunxi Bay became noisy tonight. A cluster of fireworks rose from the ground somewhere, whistling as it shot straight into the sky and pierced the night.
Xu Shaoting held the phone, tilting his head slightly upwards. Just then, the cluster of fireworks burst open with a deafening roar, dazzling and spectacular. Countless twinkling stars fell into his eyes.
Should he make a wish? He'd never done anything like this before, not even on his birthday; there was nothing he truly wished for. How should he make it? Should he think it silently in his heart? Or should he say it aloud? Which way would come true?
He didn't have time to think it through before blurting out:
"Wenjia, I have a New Year's wish."
"you say."
"I miss you. I wish you could be by my side every year. Is that possible?"
He promised.
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