Chapter 8

It had been a full month since Xia Wanwan’s wedding ended.

A light drizzle fell outside the window. Jiang Lai was packing her luggage at home, preparing to return to the country, when her little assistant Wen Nuan called as promised.

“Jiang... Jiang-jie...”

Wen Nuan’s voice wasn’t as loud and lively as usual. Instead, it trembled faintly. That had never happened before, which made Jiang Lai feel a little curious.

“What’s wrong? That doesn’t sound like you. Did you do something you feel guilty about?”

Her hands kept moving as she folded clothes. Jiang Lai wasn’t worried about Wen Nuan at all. The girl might not seem very reliable at first glance, but whenever she handled work, she always did an excellent job, so Jiang Lai trusted her completely.

“Well... th-that...”

Wen Nuan dragged the words out, still unable to get to the point.

“Spit it out already. I still have a flight to catch after this; if I miss it, I’m deducting the ticket from next month’s salary!”

“Then I’ll say it, but Jiang-jie, you’re not allowed to get mad at me...”

Jiang Lai was instantly torn between laughter and tears. “Fine, I promise I won’t get mad. Now hurry up and say it.”

“Then I’m saying it?”

“Say it!”

On the other end of the line, Wen Nuan steeled herself and blurted out, “Didn’t I help you get Director Zhang’s project and get you hired as the costume designer for their crew?”

“I know that. Didn’t you already tell me at the time?”

“At the time, I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t tell you. Actually, Qin Huaicheng is also in this crew...”

Jiang Lai suddenly went silent, scaring Wen Nuan so badly she didn’t even dare breathe.

“Jiang-jie...”

“...Is it too late to back out now?”

Wen Nuan was almost in tears. “I’m afraid not. They’re about to start shooting; if we pull out now, they won’t be able to find a replacement that quickly. And Director Zhang has always been very good to us. I’m sorry, Jiang-jie. I really wanted to surprise you, but I never expected it would turn out like this...”

“Wen Nuan, what a huge surprise this is!”

Jiang Lai took a deep breath and forced her voice to stay steady. “Then who are the leads? It can’t just be Qin Huaicheng, can it?”

“Senior Cheng Shuyang, Senior Xu Zhiyi, Senior Gu Xizhou, plus one rising young actress, Lin Wanqiu, and Qin Huaicheng...”

The more Wen Nuan spoke, the less confident she sounded. “Jiang-jie...”

“Xiaonan, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? What kind of lineup is this...”

“Jiang-jie, I really didn’t mean it...”

“Forget it. This isn’t your fault; you were trying to be nice.”

“Jiang-jie...”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few days. We’ll talk when I get there. I’m hanging up.”

After ending the call, Jiang Lai seemed to have had all the strength drained from her body as she flopped backward onto the bed. “Aaaah! Is heaven trying to destroy me, Jiang Lai!”

Cheng Shuyang was one thing, but Qin Huaicheng and Xu Zhiyi...

One was her ex-boyfriend; the other was a senior who had once publicly confessed to her. How were they supposed to get along on the same set?

Never mind. When the time came... she’d just avoid them, right? If she couldn’t afford to provoke them, surely she could afford to hide from them. She had a feeling that before filming even began, their tangled relationships would blow up online. Looking at it that way, Director Zhang would even save a fortune on publicity.

A car horn suddenly sounded outside the door. Jiang Lai got up and walked to the window to look down.

“Alai! Come down!”

Xia Wanwan was leaning against the car door, waving up at her.

“Why are you here all of a sudden?”

“Have you finished packing? I’m taking you to the airport.”

Jiang Lai leaned on the windowsill, her eyes curved with a smile. “Miss Xia, are you here specially to see me off?”

Xia Wanwan shot her a glare, though Jiang Lai couldn’t see it from that angle. “Nonsense. I even bought your plane ticket for you; do you still not see my sincerity?”

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. I’m coming down right now; give me one minute!”

Jiang Lai knew exactly when to stop. If she really pushed Xia Wanwan too far, the consequences would be serious. She dragged a huge suitcase out of the house and came bouncing outside. The moment she saw Xia Wanwan, she gave her a big bear hug. “Wanwan, one day apart feels like three autumns!”

Xia Wanwan shoved at Jiang Lai with mild disgust. “Alright, hurry up and get in the car, or you really will miss your flight!”

“Got it, Xia Wanwan. You’re so naggy.”

Jiang Lai put the suitcase into the trunk, all while muttering complaints about Xia Wanwan. Just as she reached for the door handle, it was pushed open from the inside instead. Cheng Shuyang adjusted her glasses. “Alai, we meet again.”

The moment Jiang Lai saw the woman, her body reacted before her mind did. “Au-Aunt Cheng, hello!”

“Why are you so nervous? Don’t stand outside; it’s cold. Come on up.”

“Oh, okay.”

After Jiang Lai got into the car, she placed her hands on her knees and didn’t dare move. Xia Wanwan, watching her look like she was facing a great enemy in the rearview mirror, was almost laughing herself sick. But as Jiang Lai’s good friend, she still decided to help her out.

“Alai, I heard your next project is with my mom?”

At that, Jiang Lai immediately pulled a bitter face and leaned weakly against the seat back. “Don’t remind me. It’s not just Aunt Cheng; there’s Qin Huaicheng and Xu Zhiyi too... I can’t even imagine it. If I could turn the job down, I’d never go no matter what.”

“So Alai doesn’t want to work with an old lady like me?”

Cheng Shuyang took off her sunglasses, a faint smile in her eyes.

“No, no, Aunt Cheng, don’t misunderstand!”

Jiang Lai hurriedly waved both hands.

“Then what is it, hmm?”

Cheng Shuyang’s tone softened at the end, like a kitten lightly scratching at Jiang Lai’s heart. Jiang Lai glanced at her eyes, then quickly lowered her head, though Xia Wanwan still caught it.

“Holy crap, Alai, you’re blushing?!”

Jiang Lai: “...No, you’re seeing things.”

Xia Wanwan looked as though she’d discovered a new continent. “You actually blushed? I’ve been with you for so many years and never once saw you blush. Who would’ve thought, who would’ve thought, that after only a few days with my mom, you’d already be like this? As expected, my dear mother, your charm really is something else!”

“Wanwan, don’t bully Alai. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll go find Yin Zheng.”

Xia Wanwan pouted. “Fine, I just won’t say anything. Now I have a perfectly good reason to doubt whether I’m actually your biological daughter.”

“You, your childlike temper is acting up again. Drive properly; your job is to get the two of us to the airport safely.”

“Alright, fine. If I don’t speak, then I won’t speak...”

“Alai.”

“Mm?”

Cheng Shuyang gently placed her right hand on top of Jiang Lai’s fluffy head. “Don’t worry; everything will be fine.”

“Mm... thank you, Aunt Cheng...”

Xia Wanwan’s driving skills were excellent, and it didn’t take long before they reached the airport. She helped Jiang Lai take her luggage down. “Alright, this is as far as I go. You can manage on your own, right?”

“Yes. Be careful on the way back.”

Xia Wanwan patted her shoulder. “For the sake of how well I usually treat you, take good care of my mom on set.”

“Of course, I know that. Hurry back.”

The girl looked at them reluctantly. “Then I’m going. I’ll come visit you on set!”

The two of them watched Xia Wanwan’s car drive farther and farther away until it disappeared from sight.

Jiang Lai turned around and pulled Cheng Shuyang’s suitcase over with one hand. “Aunt Cheng, let me help you. We’re on the same flight anyway!”

Cheng Shuyang looked at her bright, sparkling eyes; the smile lines at the corners of her eyes deepened a little. “Then I’ll have to trouble you. My suitcase is quite heavy.”

“It’s fine. Give me your boarding pass and I’ll handle it.”

She quickly placed the suitcase on the conveyor. “You sit here and rest; I know the process.”

Watching her jog off to exchange the boarding pass, Cheng Shuyang’s lips couldn’t help curving upward. This child really was much more worry-free than her own Wanwan.

Once everything was done, Jiang Lai and Cheng Shuyang finally boarded the plane.

Cheng Shuyang took out a magazine she had prepared in advance and began reading, while Jiang Lai sat beside her sketching designs on a stack of draft paper. Neither of them said much, yet there was a special tacit understanding between them.

But after a while, Cheng Shuyang suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. She turned carefully and saw that the girl had fallen asleep at some point, leaning against her shoulder, the paper in her hand having slipped to the floor.

Looking at the dark shadows beneath the girl’s eyes, Cheng Shuyang knew she had not been doing well recently, and she couldn’t bear to wake her. Her movements were extremely light; her fingertips brushed the button on the seatback so the girl could lean more comfortably against her shoulder.

She turned slightly, picked up the thin blanket beside her, and carefully covered the girl with it, tucking in the edges with special care so no cold air could seep in.

After finishing all that, she sat quietly beside her and didn’t move again, her gaze resting on Jiang Lai’s sleeping face with an unreadable kind of tenderness. This child must have suffered a great deal lately...

In her sleep, Jiang Lai seemed to be having a bad dream; she suddenly clutched Cheng Shuyang’s right hand with both hands.

“...Alai?”

Cheng Shuyang tried to pry Jiang Lai’s hands away, but the latter only held on tighter.

“Don’t go...”

The girl’s sudden, tearful voice struck straight at Cheng Shuyang’s heart and successfully stopped her movement.

After a long while, she sighed helplessly and let the girl be. With her free hand, she gently brushed the long hair away from Jiang Lai’s face.

Because the girl had been moving around too much, the strap on her shoulder had slipped down without her noticing, revealing a stretch of smooth, bare skin that glimmered softly under the light.

Cheng Shuyang’s gaze skimmed over it by accident and jerked away as if burned; the tips of her ears quietly turned red. She looked out the window for a moment, then couldn’t help turning back to look at her again. “Sleeping like that will make you catch cold...”

After hesitating for a long time, she still took the edge of the blanket and slowly pulled it upward, bit by bit. Her cool fingertips brushed against skin; the girl shivered, and the woman quickly covered her properly before withdrawing her hand.

Yet her heartbeat seemed faster than before...

The girl remained blissfully unaware and burrowed a little deeper into her embrace. Looking at her, the woman let out a reproachful sigh. “What a silly girl...”

Author’s Note:

I’m out of ideas... just make do with this for now.