Chapter 67

At the airport, Jiang Lai clutched the woman’s hand and refused to let go.

“Come on. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again. Why are you looking so miserable? Keep making that face, and I won’t want to leave either.”

There were people coming and going through the airport, so the woman couldn’t do anything too intimate. She also didn’t want to end up trending with Jiang Lai and affect the girl’s career.

“But I don’t even know when we’ll see each other again…”

Jiang Lai lowered her head, sounding dejected.

“Director Zhang’s variety show in the second half of the year is starting filming soon. Won’t we see each other then?”

“But that’s still so far away…”

Seeing her shoulders droop, the woman’s heart softened. She reached out and ruffled Jiang Lai’s hair. “It’ll come soon enough. You have your own things to do too; I can’t stay by your side forever.”

When the girl still looked miserable, she had no choice but to sweeten the deal. “Once I’m done over here, I’ll come find you right away.”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true.”

The woman nodded and lightly pinched the tip of her nose. “Your job is to take good care of yourself. Don’t make me worry.”

“Yes, ma’am! Don’t worry, boss.”

Jiang Lai straightened and thumped her chest in promise.

Just then, the airport announcement came at exactly the right time and echoed through the whole hall. The reluctance in the girl’s eyes swelled like a rising tide, ready to spill over the next second. “…Are you leaving?”

The woman nodded and helped smooth out the collar that the wind had wrinkled. “Mm. If I don’t go now, I’ll miss the flight.”

Jiang Lai said nothing and only waved at her.

With people all around them, the woman put on her mask and opened her arms. “Want a hug?”

“Wouldn’t that affect you?”

Jiang Lai hesitated.

“It won’t. Just one hug.”

The woman took a few steps forward and gently pulled the girl into her arms. The sound of suitcase wheels and other people’s voices blended together, but the woman heard none of it. In her ears, there was only the sound of the girl’s breathing against her chest. She lifted a hand and softly patted Jiang Lai’s back.

“Remember to miss me.”

“I will.”

Unable to stop herself, the woman lowered her head and kissed her forehead. “Text me when you get there.”

The boarding announcement sounded again, urging passengers to get on the plane. The woman leaned close to her ear and said, “I left you a gift in the room. I thought it suited you very well, so I hope you like it.”

It was only after she could no longer see the woman’s figure at the gate that Jiang Lai finally lowered the hand that had gone sore from waving.

Even on the taxi ride home, she stayed downcast. That mood lasted until she got home, where Zhao Dan was sitting in a recliner reading. Hearing the door open, she instinctively looked over.

“Xiaoya left?”

“Mm. She should be on the plane by now.”

Jiang Lai flopped listlessly onto the sofa, drained of energy.

Seeing her like that, Zhao Dan didn’t know whether to laugh or be annoyed. “What are you doing? Your girlfriend leaves and you act like the world’s ending?”

Jiang Lai rolled over and stared at the ceiling, speaking with exaggerated righteous indignation. “No, Mom, you don’t understand. You and Dad definitely never—ah!”

A soft cushion landed squarely on her body.

“If you’re going to talk, talk properly. Why make it personal?” Zhao Dan said flatly, not even looking up.

“My temper is very unstable right now, so please don’t nag me.”

Zhao Dan finally looked up at her. “How rare. You’d even think that far for someone?”

“Forget it. I’m not talking to you.”

She got irritably to her feet and went back to her room.

Watching her back, Zhao Dan kept shaking her head. “Silly child. You like her this much; what are you going to do if this goes on in the future…”

Then, suddenly, Jiang Lai remembered what the woman had said to her at the airport.

When you get back to the room, remember to look for it. I have a surprise for you.

Instantly revived, she searched every corner, not missing a single place.

In the end, she found a beautiful box in the dresser drawer. She opened it and saw a pair of very simple stud earrings inside; they were exactly the style Jiang Lai liked.

Her mind drifted back to that morning. Jiang Lai had only casually said that the earrings the woman was wearing looked nice; she hadn’t expected the woman to remember and take it to heart.

Her fingertips brushed over the earrings, and the corners of her mouth lifted despite herself. When did Aunt Cheng put these in…

At the airport, once the woman landed and turned on her phone, a flood of messages filled the screen.

There were messages from Xia Wanwan, from Xiaoman, and of course from Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai sent her a photo: on her clean, pale earlobe, she was wearing the earrings the woman had given her, the silver gleam catching the light like a little star had fallen there.

A message soon popped up in the chat box: Do they look good on me?

The woman curved her lips and typed back: They do.

After sending it, and still not entirely reassured, she added: Remember to take them off when you sleep at night, or they might press into you.

The other side sent her a playful “Got it” sticker.

She smiled and put her phone away. The car waiting to take her was already parked outside the airport.

“Teacher Cheng, are we going back to the set now?”

The woman closed her eyes. “Go home first.”

“Okay.”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and thoughtfully lowered the car’s temperature a little.

On the way back, it started raining. The drizzle tapped against the car window.

Just like that weather years ago.

Cheng Shuyang opened her eyes and rolled down the window. Rain rushed in eagerly, splashing against her face.

Seeing her move, the driver kindly reminded her, “Teacher Cheng, it’s raining hard outside. You should close the window. It’s easy to catch a cold.”

“It’s fine.”

Her voice was a little hoarse, carrying a trace of loneliness.

Since she said that, the driver didn’t try to persuade her further. She only drove in silence. Cheng Shuyang had hardly been home for half a year; she had been shuttling from one production team to another.

When she pushed open the door to her home again, the house was very quiet.

She lowered her eyes and turned on the light in the living room.

The rain was still falling.

She curled up in the recliner under a thin blanket, her gaze resting on the rain-blurred night outside the window. The warm yellow streetlights clearly illuminated the rain streaks, making the surrounding silence feel even deeper.

Beer with ice; she used to love drinking it.

The moment the glass touched her lips, the chill made her shiver. The cool liquid slid down her throat with a faint bitterness.

When the bottle was more than half empty, the phone beside her vibrated. It was a video call from Xia Wanwan.

“Wanwan?”

Xia Wanwan caught sight of the empty wine glass beside her and frowned. “You’re drinking again?”

“It’s raining over here. I had nothing to do, so I just drank a little. Not much.”

Noticing the redness at the corners of the woman’s eyes, her frown deepened. “Even a little is still drinking. The weather’s already damp and cold, and your health isn’t good. Be careful you don’t end up with a headache…”

“All right, I know what I’m doing. What did you call me for?”

Only then did Xia Wanwan remember the real reason. “Mom, you and Alai are really together?”

“…Your news travels fast.”

Cheng Shuyang’s grip on the wine glass tightened. Her tone turned mocking. “So… you called to interrogate me?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

The girl looked baffled for a moment.

Cheng Shuyang tugged at the corner of her mouth. Her voice sounded as if it were wrapped in thorns. “That I’m acting improperly by going after a child younger than me, and your friend at that; that I’m shameless…”

“Who said that!”

Xia Wanwan sounded angry. “How can you think that of me? I am your daughter, yes, but whoever you like, whoever you want to be with, I agree with it. Besides, you and Alai being together makes me happier than anyone else. Really.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Let me tell you the truth, then. Actually, I found out about Alai liking you even earlier than you did.”

The rain continued outside, tapping against the window and making the room feel especially quiet.

“…Wanwan, thank you.”

After the call ended, the woman seemed to be a little drunk. Through blurred eyes, she murmured to herself a few times, “Alai, I’m sorry…”

In another city, Jiang Lai naturally couldn’t feel the woman’s emotions. Right then, she was fully focused on her sketches.

Zhao Dan knocked on the door and came in with a cup of hot milk in her hand.

“Still working on drafts?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Lai didn’t even look up. “I’ll sketch out a few versions first. That’ll leave me more to choose from later.”

“You still need to take care of your body. It’s very late; you should rest.”

“I know, I know. I’ll sleep after I finish this page.”

Before closing the door, Zhao Dan looked at her uneasily, but in the end, she still said nothing.

The next day, Jiang Lai packed her luggage and boarded the earliest flight abroad. Many people were entering the competition, and Jiang Lai hugged her drawings tightly as she made her way through with difficulty.

“Alai, over here!”

A familiar voice came from nearby. Her spirits lifted, and she hurried over to the old man. “Teacher.”

Though his hair was completely white, the old man’s face was still kind and gentle.

“How have you been lately? Have you been upset?”

“Oh, come on. Your own student, and you still don’t trust her?” Jiang Lai said, helping him as they walked step by step toward the center of the venue.

“How are things with Huaicheng? When are you planning to get married? Then I can come drink the wedding wine.”

The smile on Jiang Lai’s face froze slightly. “Teacher, Qin Huaicheng and I… already broke up.”

The old man stopped, startled. “When did that happen? How come I didn’t know?”

“It was just a while ago. We felt it wasn’t right, so we broke up. It doesn’t hold either of us up, right?”

The old man didn’t ask for more details. He only patted her hand gently. “If it’s not right, then part ways. It’s nothing serious. As long as you’re comfortable, that’s what matters.”

“I knew it. Teacher, you understand me best.”

The two of them chatted and laughed as Jiang Lai casually looked around. Then she suddenly spotted two familiar figures. The old man followed her gaze, and only then did he seem to remember something; regret flashed across his face.

“I didn’t know you and Huaicheng had broken up, so I didn’t tell you he’d be coming too. If I’d known, I should’ve told you. Look at me, this old man is really…”

“It’s fine, Teacher.”

She held his hand down. “Then I’ll go say hello to them.”

“All right, go ahead.”

Jiang Lai took a deep breath and walked up to the two of them, saying lightly, “Long time no see. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

The two of them were also stunned. Qin Huaicheng reacted first and smiled at her. “It really has been a long time.”

Ever since the last time the woman stepped in for her and scolded Lin Wanqiu, Jiang Lai realized she hadn’t seen her for quite a while.

“Huaicheng and I are here as audience members.”

Lin Wanqiu hid slightly behind Qin Huaicheng.

“Oh, I just came to say hello. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go first.”

“Jiang Lai.”

The man suddenly called to her. When she turned back, he said, “Good luck with the competition.”

“Mm, okay.”

Holding her drawings, Jiang Lai couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Wanqiu’s attitude toward her was strange. As she thought about it, she couldn’t help turning back to look again; just then, she met her eyes.

She could see it clearly: in Lin Wanqiu’s eyes was hatred and unwillingness she had failed to hide in time.