Chapter 57

Ever since Jiang Lai went to Guxian, the woman’s phone on set had never stayed quiet. After she sternly warned her several times, it finally calmed down a little.

But within a few days, it was back to the way it had been.

In the end, the woman really had no choice. She could only set her phone to silent and hand it over to Xiaoman to keep an eye on, just in case an important call came in and she missed it.

“Cut.”

As soon as this scene wrapped, Xiaoman sprinted over to her side and handed her the phone.

The screen was packed with messages; every single one was from Jiang Lai.

“Jiang Auntie, look, there are really stars here at night!

“Today I played games with my friends, and they teamed up to bully me all by myself. It would’ve been nice if you were here...

“The scenery here is really beautiful. You absolutely have to remember to come next time!

“This is one I picked out for you myself. Pretty, right?”

Right after that came a photo.

A little ceramic dog had been molded so vividly that it looked alive; especially those eyes, so pitifully adorable that she immediately thought of Jiang Lai’s own eyes, which were just as impossible to resist.

Xiaoman leaned over and teased, “Jiang Auntie, Sister Alai is treating you like a notebook, huh? She’s sending such detailed reports.”

The woman lowered her head and smiled, her fingertips sliding across Jiang Lai’s latest post. In a vast field of golden rapeseed flowers, Jiang Lai wore a floral dress and smiled so freely.

Without hesitation, she tapped save.

“Looks good. It’s a lot like you.”

Less than two minutes later, Jiang Lai sent a reply: “Right? I think so too.”

“Teacher Cheng, we can film the next scene.”

A staff member nearby called out to her.

“Coming.”

At dawn, a sudden clap of thunder jolted the woman awake.

She opened her eyes abruptly. It seemed to be raining heavily outside; the water pelted the window with crackling, popping sounds.

She raised a hand and pressed at the tight knot between her brows. Panic rose in her chest, as if a giant hand had closed around her heart, making it hard to breathe.

The instant her fingers pushed the window open halfway, the storm rushed in greedily, soaking the windowsill in seconds.

“How could it rain so hard..."

She stepped back two paces, her brows locked tight.

Then, as if she’d suddenly thought of something, she strode to the bed and reached for the phone under her pillow.

The screen was dark, which meant the girl hadn’t sent her any new messages.

A boom of thunder and lightning lit up half the room. The unease she had just forced down surged back up.

Would it be raining this hard in Guxian too? Mountain roads were even harder to travel in after rain; they were already slippery. Nothing would happen, would it? She didn’t dare think any further.

She picked up her phone, unlocked it, and opened the chat with the girl. After repeating the action several times, she finally sent only a few words: “Are you okay? I’m very worried about you.”

After the message was sent, it sank without a trace.

Minute by minute ticked past, and the girl still hadn’t replied.

She really couldn’t wait anymore, so she called the girl directly.

“The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable..."

The robotic female voice coming from the phone sounded especially clear in the silence of the room.

She refused to believe it and called again, only to get the same result.

She glanced at the time. 2:20.

It was too late; maybe the girl was still asleep, which was why she hadn’t answered her call in time...

Thinking that way, she calmed down a little.

“Alai, please call me back when you see this.”

Only after the tension passed did she realize her back was already soaked in cold sweat.

Sleep had long since vanished without a trace. She got up and stood at the window, watching raindrops strike the glass and gradually merge into a streak of water running down it.

She didn’t even know how she had fallen asleep after that. When consciousness finally returned, she saw Xiaoman’s face full of worry; only after seeing her wake did Xiaoman let out a breath.

“Jiang Auntie, you scared me to death. Why did you just fall asleep on the floor yesterday?”

She rubbed the stiff back of her neck and sat up, instinctively looking outside.

It was still overcast, with scattered patches of light rain drifting down.

“Maybe I was too sleepy last night, so I accidentally fell asleep.”

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, trying to make her voice sound lighter.

Xiaoman draped the blanket she was holding over her shoulders, then caught sight of the weather forecast on her phone and understood immediately.

“You’re worried about Sister Alai, aren’t you?”

The woman didn’t deny it; her fingertips lightly tapped the screen.

“I heard it also rained heavily over there yesterday..."

“Jiang Auntie, don’t worry. Sister Alai will definitely be fine. She’s so smart.”

The woman’s fingers tightened around her phone.

“Mm, I know.”

Even so, the crease between her brows did not loosen in the slightest.

“Then... what about today’s shoot?”

“It goes on as usual. I can’t let my own situation delay the entire crew’s progress.”

She straightened her clothes in front of the mirror. Only after confirming there was nothing wrong did she leave the bedroom.

“Oh, right...”

She turned back, and Xiaoman understood what she meant at once.

“If Sister Alai calls, I’ll tell you right away.”

“Okay; thanks.”

She sat down wearily in front of the makeup mirror. In the reflection, the woman’s face was pale, with dark shadows under her eyes. She rarely looked this worn out.

Even the makeup artist hesitated a little. “...Teacher Cheng.”

“Sorry to trouble you, then. Please add another layer of foundation today; I didn’t rest well last night.”

The makeup artist did as told.

The atmosphere was quiet. In her mind, Jiang Lai’s figure kept appearing, impossible to ignore.

Only when the cool touch of the powder puff landed on her face did the heaviness recede slightly.

“All right, Teacher Cheng; take a look.”

The makeup artist stepped back half a pace.

In the mirror, the woman’s features were once again delicate and refined, though the trace of exhaustion at the corners of her eyes could not be hidden.

“Thank you.”

She stood and smoothed her sleeves. “Thanks for your help; I’ll head to the set first.”

Murmured whispers rose behind her.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen Teacher Cheng this tired, this worn out.”

“Hush. Teacher Cheng must have something going on. Don’t get into it too much..."

By the time she reached the set, most of the crew was already in place. She took a deep breath and walked over to the director.

“Director, we can start filming.”

The moment the clapperboard sounded, the stray thoughts in her eyes vanished. She plunged fully into the role.

“Teacher Cheng is in great form today.”

The director kept praising her.

After the morning shoot ended, several people gathered together to chat, while the woman remained somewhat distracted.

“Oh my god, it looks like a landslide happened in Guxian yesterday!”

The person next to her suddenly cried out in alarm.

Guxian?!

Her hand, which was holding the cup, trembled; most of the water splashed onto her clothes.

“Teacher Cheng!”

But she seemed not to notice at all as she grabbed the other person’s sleeve, her fingertips straining so hard they went white.

“Did you just say Guxian?”

Even her own voice was shaking.

Seeing the panic in her eyes, the person hurriedly nodded.

“Yes, it’s true. If you don’t believe me, look for yourself.”

She looked at the phone screen the person handed over. The headline was like a red-hot iron, burning so badly her eyes stung.

“Sudden landslide in Guxian; current casualty count has not yet been determined.”

In an instant, her heart plunged straight to the bottom.

“Teacher Cheng, are you all right?”

Seeing her face go deathly pale, the person reached out to help her.

The woman, however, suddenly took a step back.

“Xiaoman!”

“I’m here!”

Xiaoman came running over at the sound. Seeing the woman soaked through, she hurriedly fetched a blanket and draped it over her shoulders. “How did you end up like this? Cover yourself with the blanket quickly, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Cheng Shuyang steadied herself and showed her the news.

“Has Alai called you?”

Seeing the look of hope flash in the woman’s eyes, Xiaoman didn’t know how to answer. “No... no, she hasn’t.”

As if she’d been drenched through with ice water, the strength in her legs gave out and she almost fell. Luckily, Xiaoman was quick enough to support her.

“Give me the phone. I’ll call myself.”

“Jiang Auntie..."

“Give it to me!”

The woman’s voice carried an unquestionable firmness. Xiaoman was startled by her sudden severity and quickly handed over the phone.

The screen was still stuck on the unanswered call screen. The woman took a deep breath, her fingertips trembling, and dialed that number again.

Please; please answer...

Beep... beep... beep.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, and no one picked up. The mechanical female voice reminded her again, and only then did she slowly lower her hand.

“Jiang Auntie, Sister Alai will definitely be fine.”

Xiaoman carefully took her hand.

The woman kept her eyes lowered, her voice unnaturally calm. “Call again.”

“But..."

“Xiaoman, call again.”

Unable to argue with her, Xiaoman could only dial once more.

It was still a busy tone. The woman seemed not to understand; she hung up and redialed again and again, her fingers trembling so badly it looked as though she might drop the phone at any second.

Seeing how stubborn she was, Xiaoman’s eyes also reddened.

The rain outside grew heavier and heavier. At last, the woman completely gave up. Her right hand fell weakly to her side. After a moment, she covered her face with both hands; muffled sobs slipped through her fingers and mixed with the patter of rain outside the window, stabbing at the heart like a knife.

The next second, the phone rang without warning.

The woman jerked all over and looked at Xiaoman through blurred tears, her voice hoarse beyond recognition. “...Is it Alai?”

Xiaoman shook her head.

“...Then give it to me.”

She answered the call.

“Shuyang.”

A gentle voice came from the other end of the line. The woman’s nose instantly stung. “Teacher...”

“I just saw the news. Something happened on the Guxian side. Has Alai gotten in touch with you?”

“No..."

“Shuyang, don’t panic.”

Zhao Dan paused; the faintest tremor seeped into her voice. “I’m her mother. That child, Alai, is very clever. Nothing will happen to her. You have to believe her.”

“Teacher, I’m scared..."

Listening to Zhao Dan comfort her word by word, the woman’s tears finally fell uncontrollably. All the grievance and forced composure she had been holding together shattered completely in front of her.

“Shuyang, I know you’re worried.”

Zhao Dan’s voice softened even more. “But you have to take care of yourself and wait for her to come back.”

“Mm, I know. Thank you, Teacher.”

After the call ended, the woman’s emotions finally calmed a little.

“Xiaoman, when the rain stops, I’m going to Guxian.”

When she spoke, her voice was calm in a way that felt abnormal.

“Jiang Auntie, but it’s very dangerous over there right now..."

“Xiaoman, I have to go.”

She turned to look at her, her eyes red but carrying an almost paranoid determination. “I have to find her, Xiaoman. I have to see her with my own eyes before I can be at ease.”