Chapter 19 Symbiotic Relationship "Look carefully, I'm your brother..."
Faced with this barrage of questions, Zhou Zhu answered under pressure: "The young lady has instructed that no more gifts are allowed in the future. She doesn't want any special treatment."
Meng Cenjun guessed for a moment that she was upset about this. Such a picky and spoiled person, shrimp and crab had to be peeled and fed to her, and she wouldn't eat grapes with even a single seed. When she was little, she had to be chased all over the house to be fed.
He looked at the photo again and again, feeling a deep sense of unease.
When has Yi Lanjia ever suffered like this since she was a child?
I only ate a few bites of the meal before I suddenly lost my appetite and had the food taken away.
Lan Jia, who was on set, didn't have enough to eat at noon and was starving in the afternoon, but she couldn't leave because she had to keep an eye on the actors' costumes.
Lan Jia later prepared more than ten sets of costumes for the actors to facilitate timely adjustments and changes during filming. In fact, the only tedious part of this work was the initial preparation. Once filming started, there was a long wait.
She and Song Qingqu stood in the corner, talking quietly to each other.
"Where's Xiao Zhang?"
"I offended the director this morning and was sent by Sister Xinwen to tidy up my clothes."
"No wonder she personally took action." Lan Jia glanced at Xu Xinwen standing in front of the monitor, one hand supporting her stomach, her legs already a little swollen from standing for so long.
"Actually, Sister Xinwen values Xiao Zhang quite a bit, right?" Otherwise, she wouldn't have given her the female lead's costume, nor would she be so angry.
Song Qingqu leaned closer to her and lowered his voice, saying, "Given Xinwen's condition, she probably won't be able to stay in the group for a while. Xiao Zhang is her junior from the same department at school, and she was trying to cultivate her, but unfortunately, she's not living up to expectations."
Lan Jia listened, her eyes darting around thoughtfully.
"Keep an eye on things for me for now."
She left those words behind and ran off.
Not long after, Lan Jia carried in a camping chair, then hoisted it to Xu Xinwen's side, smiling cautiously, "Sister Xinwen, please sit down."
Xu Xinwen's back was aching from standing, so this was like a pillow being offered to someone who was about to fall asleep. She didn't refuse, but only gave a faint thank you.
Lan Jia knew that, being new to the area, she still harbored prejudice against her. She would prove to her that she wasn't just playing around.
She straightened up and looked in Song Qingqu's direction. He was looking at her too and gave her a thumbs up.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Lan Jia spent the whole afternoon busy, but she and Song Qingqu spent most of their time standing in a corner "watching the show".
She stared intently at the two lead actors and exclaimed, "They look just like twins!"
"Yes, An Chen and Wen Qin are known in the entertainment industry for their similar appearances. This time, they have the opportunity to act as siblings, which can be considered a once-in-a-century collaboration." This is also one of the promotional points for their movie later on.
In this scene, Chen Lan and Chen Xiaojing, siblings, have turned sixteen. While their alcoholic father is away from home, the older brother, Chen Lan, takes out a small cake he bought with his savings and celebrates his sister's birthday together.
The evening light was dim, and only a white candle was lit in the narrow bedroom. The brother and sister sat around a shabby little round table, also around a cheap, sweet cream cake.
"Bro, you don't have to eat cake for your birthday, why waste it! We need to save money, you know?"
Even so, Chen Xiaojing's eyes still sparkled in the candlelight.
Although their father, Chen Jiang, was their guardian, he was extremely stingy with his children. Apart from a few meager meals, the older brother had to collect scraps and sell old items to supplement the family income.
"Don't worry, this is what I got from selling scrap metal. I haven't touched a single penny of the money I planned to make."
Chen Jiang was an alcoholic and gambler who frequently beat and verbally abused his two siblings. The brother and sister secretly resolved to endure until they reached adulthood and escape this hellish place together.
But they need money, lots and lots of money, enough to support their lives outside.
"Xiao Jing, eat up." Chen Lan handed the spoon to her younger sister, looking at her with a smile.
"Happy sixteenth birthday, brother!" Chen Xiaojing smiled happily, her eyes crinkling, and used her right hand, which only had four fingers, to scoop up a spoonful of cake and feed it to her brother first.
Yes, four fingers; they are twins with a congenital disability.
Chen Jiang was not their biological father; they were abducted as infants and passed through many hands before ending up in Chen Jiang's possession.
He was a bachelor, childless, and fearing a lonely old age, he longed for a son to care for him in his old age. He had twins, but couldn't afford to raise them all. He considered abandoning one, but unfortunately, both babies had mitral fingers. He reluctantly raised them for some time, cursing and swearing, before finally cutting off the healthy finger and giving it to the older brother. Now, the policy against abandoning them was strict, and he feared imprisonment. He listened to the advice of those around him: raising one was the same as raising two; keeping them by his side, doing laundry, cooking, and serving tea and water, would ensure a comfortable old age.
After making inquiries from various sources and using connections to register the child's household registration, only one spot was available due to the special circumstances.
Of course, it was given to my brother.
The younger sister, being an unregistered resident, had no access to education, was forbidden from going out, and lived in seclusion in this small cave for sixteen years.
Lan Jia thought of this background information in the script and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
In fact, Chen Xiaojing had many opportunities to escape, even to report Chen Jiang's misdeeds, but she didn't want to be separated from her brother, and she didn't want to ruin Chen Lan's life. Although the place was oppressive, dark, and morbid, it at least maintained the facade of a home.
Twins, a symbiotic relationship. Their ligatures at birth foreshadow that they will never be separated.
From beginning to end, all they wanted was a home.
"What's wrong?" Song Qingqu asked when he saw her rubbing her eyes.
Lan Jia shook her head to cover up her embarrassment, "I just think the relationship between the siblings is enviable."
She took a deep breath and smiled: "They acted so well, their emotions were so genuine. It's amazing how two complete strangers could have such a great understanding."
"Are you envious?" Song Qingqu asked with a smile, "Do you have brothers and sisters too?"
"Yes, my brother." Lan Jia lowered her voice. She never mentioned to outsiders that they were not related by blood.
"Is he not good to you?"
Lan Jia thought for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "He's just never satisfied with me."
"It seems that in his eyes, I will always be just an immature child."
"Can you imagine? Imagine you go out to work, you're exhausted after a long day, and you come home to find the house a complete mess, the handiwork of your naughty child. You're so tired you can't even get angry, so you just sit on the sofa and ask with a disappointed look: 'I have no other expectations of you, but can't you even do something as simple as obeying me?'"
"But you don't know, that child was just trying to lighten your burden in his own way, but he tried his best, but he was still clumsy and made things worse."
Song Qingqu was silent for a moment, then looked at her with more emotion. "Perhaps, as you said, your brother is just too tired, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about you."
Lan Jia pursed her lips and smiled, but her eyes were filled with sadness: "I hope so."
The dinner was ordinary and lacked any oil or fat, but after a long day of work, Lan Jia's face was contorted with rage, yet she still wolfed down the meal.
We're filming night scenes, so we probably won't wrap up until the early hours of the morning.
Lan Jia was exhausted early in the morning. When the director gave them a break, she was about to sneak off to the convenience store with Song Qingqu to buy snacks when she heard a commotion downstairs. The staff who came up said that some fans had come to visit the set and had brought a lot of food, drinks and entertainment.
Her eyes lit up, and she was about to rush to collect it, not even noticing her phone ringing.
When I ran downstairs, I saw many staff members enjoying their delicious and spicy late-night snacks, which immediately made my mouth water.
The phone kept ringing. Lan Jia told Song Qingqu to go get it first, then took out her phone and answered, "Hello?"
"Lan Jia, look behind you."
She turned around and immediately spotted the tall and outstanding Qiao Zimu in the crowd.
After spending a whole day in unfamiliar territory, nothing feels better than seeing familiar faces.
Lan Jia flew over like a little bird, "Why did you come here?"
"I brought you a late-night snack." Qiao Zimu smiled affectionately and handed her the thermos. "I just made crab roe and ribbonfish wontons at home, but I didn't add any scallions."
"So all of these..." Lan Jia looked around, "were they all your doing?"
“Yes, but I came as a fan of An Chen. He is an artist under my sister-in-law’s company.” Qiao Zimu led her to sit down on a stone bench. “Don’t worry, I know you don’t want to be too high-profile.”
Lan Jia chuckled, finally someone who could save him trouble.
"No, thank you."
There was a thin layer of dust on the stone bench. Qiao Zimu unfolded his handkerchief and was about to put it on Lan Jia's back when she stopped him.
"Look at me, I'm already dirty enough, I don't need to."
Qiao Zimu had no choice but to stop and sit down next to her, his expression becoming somewhat complicated as he looked at her.
"Eat up." He took a spoon from the cutlery box and handed it to her.
As soon as the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Lan Jia sighed, grimacing, "You have no idea what I ate today, sigh..."
"Lan Jia, I understand your determination to be self-reliant, but you don't have to be so stingy with your food, do you?"
"Your health isn't good, and you can't eat well... How about I bring you some every day from now on?"
With a wonton stuffed in her mouth, Lan Jia protested indistinctly, "No, you're busy too. Actually, I'm quite happy here. I'll get used to it after a few more meals. There are chicken legs too."
Qiao Zimu felt more and more distressed as he listened. Just as he was about to argue, she pointed at him with a spoon and threatened, "Don't make decisions on your own!"
"Okay, okay." He always listened to Yi Lanjia.
"Then take off your shoes."
"Oh." Lan Jia was eating heartily and took off her shoes without thinking, curling up one bare foot and stepping on the other shoe. She was so unrefined, looking like someone who had fallen on hard times.
Qiao Zimu held her satin flats in her hand and carefully wiped away the gray footprints on them with a handkerchief.
"The other one."
Lan Jia obediently took it off.
After a while, the person next to me suddenly stopped moving.
"Hey, are you done yet?"
She took a big gulp of soup, turned her head, and saw that Qiao Zimu's eyes were red.
What's wrong with you?
"It's nothing." He shook his head, his voice hoarse.
"Speak quickly!" Lan Jia said in a deep voice, knowing that he must have something to say.
Qiao Zimu remained silent, half-squatting down to put the shoes he had just cleaned on Lan Jia.
Lan Jia put down the half-eaten thermos, leaned closer, and seeing his lowered eyelashes, she couldn't bear it in the end. Her tone softened, "What's wrong? Tell me."
Qiao Zimu held her ankle, choking back tears: "I can't stand by and watch you suffer outside."
"Why are you doing this? You're just wasting your time and energy, making things difficult for yourself. I was worried about you the whole day at the company."
"Then let me ask you, is your work hard?" Lan Jia asked seriously.
He really didn't want to bring up these things and upset her, and he didn't want to complain to her about the trivial details, but he nodded anyway.
He set himself a three-year timeframe, emphasizing that there was no time to lose.
"If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Xiao Qiao, I like this job and I don't think it's a hardship I'm making for myself."
"Besides, my brother looks down on me." Lan Jia gritted her teeth. "Then I'm going to prove to him that I can still be self-reliant and successful without him!"
"How could he think of you like that?" Qiao Zimu frowned.
It's one thing for Meng Cenjun to look down on him.
"Forget it, let's not talk about him. We're always arguing, and it's exhausting." Lan Jia sighed and continued eating her wontons.
He lowered his eyes, his expression dark. "Lan Jia, have you ever thought about moving out?"
"Huh? What?" People's hearing isn't as good when they're focused on eating. Maybe.
Qiao Zimu was about to say something when he suddenly heard a coughing sound from above.
"Who is he?" He looked at Zuo Tai, who was standing to the side.
Lan Jia pouted, "My brother hired bodyguards for me." They're treating her like a prisoner.
Qiao Zimu's expression was one of disapproval.
"Lan Jia." Another voice called out.
She looked up and saw Song Qingqu walking towards her. She smiled and waved to him.
"And who is he?" Qiao Zimu stood up, his tone now more wary.
"This is a colleague I met today; he's a very nice person."
"Sister Xinwen told us to go and prepare." He stood not far away and smiled at her.
"Okay." Lan Jia closed the rice container, wiped her mouth, and said, "I'm coming right now."
"Hey, are you really that busy?" Qiao Zimu grabbed her wrist. "You don't even let people finish their meals."
She sensed a hint of jealousy in his voice and patted his shoulder earnestly, saying, "It's time for me to shine."
"Go back now, I need to work." Lan Jia waved her hand, urging him to leave.
Qiao Zimu stood still, as if he had been abandoned.
Lan Jia was helpless. He was good in every way, except that he was sometimes too clingy.
"Can I come visit you during the holidays?"
He gave a muffled "hmm".
Lan Jia took a few steps forward, then turned back. "If you really feel bad about it, then you're not allowed to eat or drink anything fancy while I'm working!"
Qiao Zimu twitched the corner of his mouth when he heard her warning.
After she left, his smile completely faded.
Yi Lanjia, there are always so many people around her, standing between them, and she can't get rid of them no matter what.
When will she finally have eyes only for him?
The scene was filmed until after midnight. Lan Jia yawned and asked Song Qingqu with teary eyes, "Where do you live? I'll give you a ride."
Song Qingqu held up the electric scooter helmet and pointed in a direction, saying, "My home is nearby."
"Alright then." Lan Jia leaned against the car window and asked again, "Qingqu, will you continue teaching me tomorrow?"
He looked at her for a moment, then gave her his signature smile: "Of course, we're already friends."
"See you tomorrow." Lan Jia waved and rolled up the car window.
Song Qingqu watched the car drive away, put on his helmet, and then drove the car in the opposite direction he had just indicated.
In the dimly lit carriage, Lan Jia propped her head up and looked out at the scenery flashing by.
Perhaps she was too tired, and that's when people are most vulnerable; Lan Jia felt inexplicably sad.
On her first day at work, Aunt Ming and Qiao Zimu came to see her, and Jingwei also sent her a message to encourage her. But he alone ignored her.
He's always like this; it seems that as long as she's within his sight, he can ignore her completely.
Indeed, he only needed to fulfill his responsibilities and obligations as an older brother to ensure her safety; he didn't care about her feelings at all.
What did all of this mean to her? Was it all a one-woman show? Lan Jia grew increasingly frustrated.
"Did you report all my whereabouts today to him?" Lan Jia asked Zuo Tai in the front row, her anger simmering.
Zuo Tai glanced at her in the rearview mirror, wondering what he had done to offend this troublemaker again, and could only carefully reply, "I'm sorry, Miss, it's my duty."
When he first started working, he didn't know what had happened between the brother and sister, but he still wanted to say a few words on behalf of his employer.
"Actually, he just cares about you too much. Please understand."
Throughout the day, Zhou asked him about the situation on site several times, and he knew it was the employer's idea. Before taking on this job, Mr. Meng had a private talk with him, explaining many things to him, including but not limited to the young lady's habits, likes and dislikes, food allergies, and so on.
To know a person's likes and dislikes down to the smallest detail requires immense effort and dedication. Anyone with eyes can see how much he cares; he simply can't understand what could possibly cause such a rift between these two siblings.
Upon hearing this, Lan Jia turned to the side and leaned wearily against the back of her chair.
Seeing that she seemed unwilling to talk about it, Zuo Tai also fell silent.
The car drove forward, into the thick darkness.
It was quite late when I got home, but the Yi residence was still brightly lit.
"Young Miss?"
Zuo Tai opened the car door and called her softly.
Lan Jia didn't respond; she tilted her head and had already drifted off to sleep.
Unable to wake her or move her, just as I was wondering what to do, a deep voice came from behind me: "I'll do it."
Zuo Tai turned around and saw Meng Cenjun in a black bathrobe. He nodded respectfully and stepped aside.
Meng Cenjun bent down and carefully lifted Lan Jia out. She was limp all over and instinctively pressed against his chest.
A familiar, pleasant smell.
She was just dozing off, not sleeping deeply. She had been thinking about why she had argued with Meng Cenjun and what she really wanted.
As they climbed the stairs, Lan Jia woke up, her eyes half-closed in his arms. Looking at the corner of his jaw, she suddenly realized that perhaps she just wanted Meng Cenjun to pay attention to her.
Lan Jia was a high-needs child from a young age; she needed a constant stream of emotional support from those around her.
She didn't want him to just watch silently; she wanted him to tell her clearly that he cared about her, and she wanted him to remind her repeatedly that she was the most important person in his life.
Like twins in a script.
Unique and irreplaceable.
They are inseparable.
Upon entering the bedroom, before the lights were turned on, Meng Cenjun was about to put her down when, in the next second, two soft arms wrapped around his neck.
"Awake?" It was late at night, and his voice was hoarse with weariness.
Lan Jia remained silent, holding him tightly.
He held her like that, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Are you happy today?"
A belated expression of concern.
Lan Jia's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked out, "I'm not happy."
He didn't ask why, but he didn't want to let go either. Soft sobs could be heard in the darkness.
He felt a dull pain.
After a while, Lan Jia spoke up: "Brother, can you wash my hair?"
She asked so carefully, cautiously, almost pleadingly.
Meng Cenjun agreed.
He sat on the sofa in Lan Jia's bedroom, listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.
For the first time in my life, I waited for someone to finish taking a shower; it was a strange feeling.
Throughout Lan Jia's entire day away, he deeply regretted saying such harsh words to her.
But he had no choice. She was so reckless. How could he let her be alone outside without strict discipline?
I remember when Lan Jia was in the US, she often had accidents while driving. She never cared about the time difference; whenever she caused an accident, she would immediately call him. In the early hours of the morning back home, she would be woken up by his phone again just as she had fallen asleep, Lan Jia's anxious and flustered voice amplified infinitely through the receiver.
"Brother, my car was towed away for illegal parking."
"Brother, I accidentally broke someone's taillight again."
"Brother, what should I do? They look really angry."
"Brother, brother, brother..."
From then on, he never dared to silence his phone at night again.
Every time I close my eyes, all I see is Lan Jia caught in a traffic accident, standing under the scorching sun, being criticized and insulted by others.
He couldn't imagine Lan Jia being helpless and isolated. His heart clenched whenever anything related to Yi Lan Jia was involved.
Meng Cenjun didn't know why she had this thought, nor could she describe this feeling to anyone.
But sometimes I think to myself with a touch of self-deprecation, it's probably similar to the feelings of parents?
For ten years, Lan Jia was practically a child he had raised.
They depend on each other for survival and share weal and woe, but at the same time, they are also an insurmountable barrier.
The sound of water stopped at some point.
Lan Jia was only wearing a bath towel, her shoulders were bare, and she was holding onto the door frame with one hand, calling out to him, "Brother."
He stood up, his gaze fell on her, then looked away as if he had been burned.
She kept staring at him, fixedly and intently.
Even while washing her hair, she kept her eyes glued to him.
Something's wrong with her.
Meng Cenjun wrung out her long hair, and then saw Lan Jia suddenly sit up.
They were so close, their eyes met, and their breaths mingled.
Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she asked, "Brother, we'll never, ever, ever be apart, right?"
Before he could answer.
She suddenly leaned in again and planted a kiss on his lips.
Meng Cenjun's pupils contracted.
Why don't you speak? Why don't you answer her?
Lan Jia stared at his moist lips, her eyes red.
She slowly moved closer, about to lean in, when suddenly a large hand grabbed the side of her neck.
Meng Cenjun frowned and sternly stopped her: "Lan Jia, look carefully, I am your brother."
Her wish was dashed, and like a child who couldn't get candy, she felt even more like crying.
But she held back, her eyes glistening with tears, and forced a smile: "I know."
Author's Note: Just a heads-up, the brother and sister are going to have another fight in the next chapter, but after this fight, things will be sweet for a while. Please don't skip this chapter! [pity][pity]
Sometimes it's not intentional abuse; it's just that when emotions are running high, the thing happens naturally.
Currently, both the brother and sister are experiencing significant inner conflict. The sister cannot accept the brother's aloofness since adolescence; she tries to get closer but is always pushed away, yet his control and possessiveness remain ever-present. She cannot draw emotional value from her brother, nor is she allowed to receive emotional value from others, causing her pain. Despite this pain, her subconscious dependence prevents her from leaving her brother, leading to a conflicted state of mind where she yearns for freedom while being unable to let go of him.
As the older brother, he realized the boundaries between men and women earlier than his sister and practiced them deeply. However, the act of actively distancing himself from his sister caused him pain, so subconsciously he still treated her like a child (similar to self-hypnosis), wanting to control her and keep her under his watchful eye. If he sensed that his sister was about to run away, he would go crazy and jump up and down.
Ultimately, the brother's problem is bigger. Before he realizes that this relationship is unhealthy, the two of them will continue to have conflicts and friction.
However, arguing is also a good opportunity for both parties to express their needs. Next time after an argument, I'll think it through and take the initiative to talk things out with her. After all, even the proudest person will bow their head when they're deeply in love. [pity]
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