Chapter 3: Chasing Shadows

For a while, they stayed close, or rather, Meng Ying clung to him. The man held his phone, his stunningly handsome face devoid of expression. Meng Ying raised her head, staring at him.

He noticed, the corner of his lips curling faintly as his hand lightly stroked her back.

All that cold ruthlessness was hidden behind this beguiling face. Meng Ying kissed his chin. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“No.”

“I’ll cook for you,” Meng Ying offered as she moved to leave his arms.

But before she could step around the sofa, he grabbed her wrist. Xu Dian lifted his eyes. “No need. I’m heading out later.”

“Where to?” The words slipped out without her thinking.

She regretted it immediately after.

The man still smiled faintly but didn’t answer. Instead, he bent to pick up his glasses, putting them on again. He buttoned his undone collar and reached for his coat. “There’s food in the kitchen. I won’t be back tonight.”

Grabbing his car keys from the cabinet, he walked toward the door. Meng Ying stood by the sofa, staring at his tall figure in a daze. They were supposedly dating. But she never knew his whereabouts.

To outsiders, Meng Ying wasn’t publicly known to be in a relationship. And no one knew that the president of Hua Film had a girlfriend.

She knew she was reaching above her station, so she never brought it up and hid her feelings due to her circumstances. Many times, Meng Ying felt an illusion—this man was with her because of her quiet sincerity, granting her wishful infatuation.

After all, there had been talk online: “Xu Dian, the young master of the Xu family, has long been spoiled by women.”

The door slammed shut with a bang. The man didn’t even turn his head. Meng Ying lost the interest to cook. She glanced around the house.

This villa, spacious as it was, had a cold, empty living room, furnished only with a pool table, a set of sofas, a coffee table, a TV, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Upstairs, there were two simply decorated bedrooms. Most of the time, she and he stayed by the pool table…

Sometimes on the sofa.

Rarely upstairs.

A WeChat message from Liu Qin popped up: “Don’t forget, we’re starting filming tomorrow.”

Meng Ying: “Got it.”

Liu Qin: “Have you eaten?”

She hadn’t. But Meng Ying didn’t reply. Instead, she turned and went upstairs, changed out of her nightgown, and took out a set of clothes from the closet. After dressing, she went downstairs, left the villa, got in her car, and drove away from Bianshuicheng.

When he wasn’t there, the house felt pointless.

Back at her own home, she received a message from her family saying her younger brother was about to start school and needed tuition money. Standing by the counter making coffee, Meng Ying frowned slightly before transferring the funds.

Her mother replied: “Ying Ying, how’s your health lately?”

Such greetings only ever came after money was given—an old habit.

More messages followed.

Her mother: “Take good care of yourself living alone out there.”
Her mother: “Your brother is doing well in school. We’re thinking of enrolling him in a private institution, but it’s a bit expensive. As his sister, you’ll need to support us more.”

The messages came one after another. Meng Ying only skimmed them and didn’t respond. She focused on her tasks, made her coffee, then cooked some noodles for herself in the kitchen.

Back on the sofa, she scrolled through Weibo.

The morning’s trending topic was still there.

It was all praise for Yang Tong, with disparaging remarks about her.

• “Meng Ying must be trying to steal Yang Tong’s spotlight. Otherwise, why wear a yellow dress when Yang Tong did?”
• “Poor Yang Tong, always overshadowed. How long is Meng Ying going to ride her coattails?”
• “Some people have no shame, clinging to others for fame. Without Yang Tong, Meng Ying would’ve faded into obscurity ages ago.”
• “Meng Ying can’t compare to Yang Tong. She doesn’t even avoid clashing outfits. It’s ridiculous.”

After reading for a while, she tossed her phone aside. She went upstairs to pack her luggage. Liu Qin always appreciated Meng Ying’s work ethic—she rarely needed an assistant and could handle most things on her own. Once packed, Meng Ying sent a message to Xu Dian before going to sleep.

Meng Ying: “I’ll be on set tomorrow.”

She meant it’d be a while before they’d see each other again.

Still, no reply.

Turning off the bedside lamp, she fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, before dawn, Liu Qin called. Meng Ying was already ready. Dragging her suitcase to the door, she opened it to find two assistants smiling at her.

“Good morning, Sister Ying,” they greeted.

“Good morning,” she replied, adjusting her mask and straightening her coat.

The assistants took her two suitcases and followed behind.

It was a little windy and chilly—summer still hadn’t arrived. Yu Lin went to fetch the car, while Chen Jie loaded the luggage. Meng Ying lowered her head and got into the car, and Chen Jie closed the door behind her.

Inside, Meng Ying ate her breakfast and retouched her makeup. They soon arrived at the bustling airport. Li Cheng, known for its flourishing entertainment industry and as a major hub, was teeming with people. Liu Qin, wearing a mask and carrying her suitcase, stood at the airport entrance and sent Meng Ying a message.

Liu Qin: “Come down later—ran into Yang Tong, what bad luck.”

Meng Ying leaned back in her seat, reading the message while listening to the fans’ screams outside. Then her phone buzzed again.

Liu Qin: “Yang Tong is really in a hurry. There’s a very handsome man in front of her attracting a ton of fans. That guy has peach blossom eyes—my gosh.”

Peach blossom eyes.

Meng Ying sat up straight and leaned toward the window, yanking it open to look out.

Sure enough.

There he was—Xu Dian. He adjusted his sunglasses, putting them on with a slight smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. The moment before his peach blossom eyes were obscured by the shades, they revealed no emotion whatsoever.

Where was he going?

In such a rush, without even replying to her messages?

Yang Tong followed closely behind him, her high heels clicking quickly. Though they maintained some distance, her gaze was fixed on Xu Dian.

Yang Tong…

Liu Qin: “Why are you opening the window? Close it quickly.”
Liu Qin: “That guy went in with Yang Tong. He’s incredibly handsome, but those thin lips of his—he looks like a heartless man.”

He was.

Heartless.

Bang!

Meng Ying slammed the window shut.

Leaning back in her seat, she remained motionless.

When she had first gotten together with Xu Dian, she had felt as if she’d stumbled into a stroke of luck. She had no demands, no expectations. Just being with him—even for a single night—was enough for her.

But people are never satisfied.

Now…

She found herself losing control. She set her phone down firmly and closed her eyes. Memories of her past flooded her mind—years of being taken for granted. No one had ever asked her if she needed help. If she wanted to go to school, she had to earn the tuition herself. There was no one to help her, no one to rely on…

Liu Qin: “You can come out now. Tell Chen Jie to drive to Entrance B.”

Meng Ying glanced at her phone and relayed the instruction to Chen Jie. Chen Jie responded, and the car weaved through the traffic before stopping at Entrance B. Liu Qin stood outside with a suitcase, waiting. They got out of the car. Chen Jie stayed behind, while Yu Lin pushed the two suitcases. Meng Ying took one herself, and the three of them headed to the luggage check-in counter before proceeding to security. Liu Qin scrolled through her phone as they walked.

“Ugh, Yang Tong’s also heading to the film city today. What’s there to film with her acting skills?”

Meng Ying didn’t say anything and put on the jacket when she received it. Liu Qin, wearing high heels, followed her. Since they had arrived late, many people had already boarded before them.

This time, Liu Qin indulged herself and booked a first-class seat. She was feeling quite good about it, but then she remembered that Yang Tong was also going to the film studio, so they would likely run into each other.

But Meng Ying didn’t expect that the person she would run into wasn’t just Yang Tong; she also encountered Xu Dian.

The man was flipping through a magazine. His sunglasses had been taken off, and he was now wearing silver-rimmed glasses. His long fingers casually flipped the pages, and he exuded an aura of elegance and restraint. When she entered, he only lifted his gaze slightly, glanced at her briefly, and then lowered his head again.

He looked like a stranger.

Just last night, this man had been with her.

“Such a coincidence,” Yang Tong said, sitting on the seat to the left of Xu Dian, waving at her with a smile.

They were both from the same circle, and the two of them had trended on social media yesterday. Meng Ying smiled gently in return, “Such a coincidence.”

Yang Tong propped her chin up, swinging her long legs. Her eyes were full of smiles, as if they had never been in competition with each other. Meng Ying walked past them with a smile and sat down behind them. After sitting, she reclined her seat and glanced at Xu Dian out of the corner of her eye.

The man tapped his fingers on the table, and shortly after, the flight attendant came over and asked Yang Tong, “Would you like something to drink?”

Yang Tong smiled and said, “A cup of coffee.”

“Give him one too,” Yang Tong added.

Him.

Xu Dian.

Meng Ying withdrew her gaze and looked out the window, her hand mindlessly fastening her seatbelt.

Yang Tong was the top actress at Huaying.

Xu Dian was the CEO of Huaying.

It was only natural that they knew each other. It was also normal to order coffee for each other. She turned off her phone and put on her eye mask.

The film studio was located in the north, and winter lasted until late April. It wouldn’t warm up until after Labor Day in May. Around 10 a.m., the plane arrived at the film studio. Although Meng Ying had slept since boarding, she didn’t sleep well this time. Occasionally, Yang Tong spoke with Xu Dian.

The man’s voice was deep.

It carried a hint of a smile, lightly teasing, like a spring breeze.

Meng Ying tossed and turned, enduring until the plane landed. She stood up first, hurrying out. In her rush, her phone dropped onto Xu Dian’s table with a snap. She froze for a moment, reaching out, but the man had already picked it up and handed it to her with a smile. Meng Ying hesitated for a few seconds, took it quickly, and their fingertips brushed.

Xu Dian raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. Meng Ying quickly left, walking straight out of the cabin. The redness in her ears didn’t fade until a bit later.

Behind her.

Yang Tong asked Xu Dian with a smile, “Do you know Meng Ying? She’s also an actress.”

Xu Dian gave her a half-smile and glanced at her.

Yang Tong continued, “I think she looks just like someone…”

The man didn’t respond, lowering his head to adjust his sleeves. He took his phone and tablet, walking ahead of Yang Tong, with his assistant team quickly following him as they disembarked.

At the film studio’s airport, there weren’t as many fans as in Licheng. Meng Ying met Yu Lin and Liu Qin at the exit. Liu Qin sighed, “Originally, Yu Lin and I also booked first class, but there were no seats left, so you had to go alone. How does it feel?”

In recent years, Meng Ying’s popularity had only stabilized this year, which made her feel comfortable with spending on high-end tickets. Before, she always took economy class and business cars, which made it easy to run into fans. Several times, even when she was asleep, fans would follow her and take pictures. Most of her fans admired her looks, and her acting was also recognized, but she was overshadowed by Yang Tong, who always snatched the best resources first.

Meng Ying replied lightly, “It’s okay. There’s no need to go to such lengths in the future.”

Her first experience in first class wasn’t very enjoyable.

“Ah? Is it uncomfortable?” Liu Qin asked, confused.

Meng Ying didn’t respond.

The crew’s vehicle had arrived, a black business car. The driver was a rough man who smiled as he got out to help with the luggage, saying, “Just now, Mr. Gu Yingdi has already arrived.”

“So soon?” Liu Qin became a bit nervous and quickly pulled Meng Ying into the car.

The driver smiled, closed the door, and walked around to the front to start the car.

“Today is probably just the opening ceremony and taking the character photos, right?” Liu Qin continued confirming with her phone. It was her first time working with such a big star, and she had to be cautious.

After checking, she confirmed that there would be no other shooting today, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She grabbed Meng Ying’s arm. “Make sure to perform well. This drama has to become a hit for me.”

After finally getting a chance from Yang Tong, it was time to savor the top-quality opportunity. It had to be well done and not wasted.

Meng Ying smiled. “Okay.”

The business car merged into the traffic, and there was another business car behind them, more luxurious than the one they were in. Yang Tong was seated there. There was also a black Hummer, its sleek body blending into the traffic, all heading towards the film city.

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