Chapter 19: Rain

Only a few people were present to listen to the story.

Most were confused. Liu Qin glanced at the recorder in the trash can, pulled Meng Ying aside, and whispered, “This story…”

She pondered for a moment, “Is it a confession to you?”

Meng Ying, eating an egg tart, smiled and said, “I didn’t hear it clearly.”

Liu Qin was stunned for a moment, then nodded after a few seconds, “Forget it, it doesn’t matter.”

Seeing Meng Ying’s calm demeanor and her interest in eating, it was clear she didn’t feel anything, so there was no need to care.

Not far away, Gu Yan sipped his wine, his gaze falling on Meng Ying’s face. She was smiling, her eyes curved when she smiled, and her curly hair added to her charm. He looked away, thinking about the story. He knew Meng Ying might have had a past with Xu Dian, but what was this story trying to convey?

He frowned.

Since they had to shoot the next day, the birthday dinner didn’t go on too late and ended around midnight. Meng Ying had a bit of wine, but not much. However, she couldn’t handle alcohol well, so she was a bit dizzy. Gu Yan wanted to support her, but Liu Qin smiled and intervened, holding Meng Ying up. She turned back and said, “I’ll take her back.”

“Okay.” Gu Yan withdrew his hand but still picked up his coat and followed with his assistant. They went downstairs, with Liu Qin and Chen Jie supporting Meng Ying on either side, and Gu Yan and his assistant following behind. The moonlight slanted down, casting shadows on the ground. Meng Ying’s steps were unsteady, her high heels making uneven sounds, her face flushed, and her eyes watery. When they exited the elevator, they saw the floor covered with roses.

The roses were very bright, spreading all the way to the room door, and the fragrance filled the air. The group was stunned. Liu Qin instinctively looked back at Gu Yan.

Gu Yan shook his head, “Not me.”

But his throat tightened, and his face didn’t look good. Liu Qin looked at the roses again, a path cleared for them to walk through. Meng Ying, rubbing her forehead, feeling very dizzy, saw something blocking her way. She stepped forward, kicking and stepping on the thornless roses, crushing them, and called back to them, “Let’s go…”

She was swaying, smiling, her hair loose on her shoulders, standing among the crushed roses, looking beautiful as a painting.

Liu Qin chuckled, stepped forward, and supported her, “Do you know how much these roses cost? You crushed them all.”

Saying this, she led her towards the room door. Behind them, Chen Jie, dazzled by the roses, exclaimed and took a few more glances. In those few glances, she noticed a card placed by the wall. She bent down to pick it up and followed them inside. Liu Qin, supporting Meng Ying, turned back and said to Gu Yan at the door, “Good night.”

Gu Yan, with his coat draped over his arm, looked at the woman leaning on Liu Qin’s shoulder, her face slightly flushed, and nodded, “Good night.”

Liu Qin led Meng Ying inside, and Chen Jie closed the door, helping to get Meng Ying into bed, then casually placed the card on the bedside table.

The door locked, and the room fell silent.

Meng Ying had never been good with alcohol. Her father loved to drink, but she didn’t inherit his tolerance, having the kind of constitution that would knock out after one drink. She slept in a daze until midnight, woke up thirsty, and groggily sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp. She turned it on and picked up the card.

She looked down, half-opened her eyes to read.

There were two words written on it.

“Sorry.”

—Xu Dian

The handwriting was strong and vigorous, like dragons and phoenixes dancing. Meng Ying looked at it for a long time, as if she didn’t understand, or maybe she did. After a second, she casually threw the card into the trash can, then stood up and left the room to get some water.

As dawn broke, the plane arrived in Kyoto. A black Mercedes stopped at the airport pickup point. The assistant saw it, ran over, and opened the car door. Xu Dian bent down and got in, took the tablet handed by the assistant, and started flipping through it. His eyes behind the glasses showed a bit of fatigue, but his brows still carried some sharpness.

The car silently merged into the traffic. The assistant, surnamed Jiang, named Jiang Yi, heard a notification on his phone. It was a WeChat message. He opened it and saw the destroyed roses.

He was stunned for a moment, hesitated, and then called out, “Mr. Xu.”

“Yes.”

The man’s voice was low and lazy.

Jiang Yi paused again and said, “The roses you sent were all trampled. According to reliable sources, it was Miss Meng who did it…”

Xu Dian’s hand paused while flipping through the documents. He moved the tablet aside, leaned back, and closed his eyes, “And then?”

“Then, nothing.”

At this moment, WeChat rang again.

Jiang Yi opened it and read the message. After a few moments, he, having worked with Xu Dian for a long time and knowing the relationships between the Xu family and other major families, understood that this matter was somewhat related to Miss Meng, whom Xu Dian was pursuing. He knew about Miss Meng. When Xu Dian was courting her, only he in the entire company knew. As a subordinate, he always tried to forget what he saw about his boss’s personal matters.

“Yesterday, Sister Yang Tong mocked Miss Meng, saying she hadn’t had enough of being a stand-in…”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Dian opened his eyes, his gaze behind the glasses turning colder. He asked, “What else did she say?”

“She said Sister Yang Rou is your girlfriend.”

Xu Dian took off his glasses.

His peach blossom eyes showed no emotion. He asked again, “Is Yang Tong busy recently?”

“Probably.” Jiang Yi wasn’t sure. He was part of the Xu Group, not Huaying. Xu Dian closed his eyes again and said, “Call Guan Xiao and ask him to arrange for Yang Tong to take a break.”

Jiang Yi was stunned for a moment, then quickly agreed.

The phone rang again. Xu Dian opened his eyes, his gaze cold and slightly impatient. He picked up the phone and glanced at it.

Zhou Yang: Why did you suddenly leave yesterday? Were you going to confess?

Xu Dian: Yes.

Zhou Yang: Tsk, what kind of move is that!

Zhou Yang: I give up on you.

Zhou Yang: Can’t you use some better tactics? You must have been spoiled by women and don’t know how to please them, right… Even Jiang Yu is better than you!

Today’s filming went quite smoothly. Meng Ying and Yang Tong’s scenes were almost finished, leaving only Meng Ying’s solo scenes. Just as they were about to shoot the last scene, Yang Tong received a phone call and suddenly started causing a commotion in the rest area, startling everyone.

She picked up a teapot and other items and started smashing them. The assistant next to her was also shocked but didn’t dare to step forward to stop her. However, Yang Tong grabbed the assistant, pushed her to the ground, and made her pick up the items.

Yang Rou heard the commotion and quickly ran out, pulling Yang Tong away. Yang Tong grabbed Yang Rou’s shoulders and cried out, “Sister, call him! Is he going to blacklist me? Why? Why? What did I do wrong?”

Yang Rou was stunned, “Why? Why would he blacklist you?”

“I don’t know. Just now, Guan Xiao called and told me to take a three-month break. Three months! I have so many activities and dramas to shoot!”

Yang Tong started crying and wanted to throw a tantrum. Yang Rou held her down, then took out her phone, walked to a corner, and dialed Xu Dian’s number.

It took a while before Xu Dian answered. His deep voice was hoarse with sleepiness, “What’s the matter?”

Yang Rou hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “Did you tell Yang Tong to take a three-month break?”

“Yes.”

He replied directly.

“Why? Why?” Yang Rou’s heart was pounding, incredulous. She thought of many things at once. After asking, she didn’t wait for an answer and asked another question, “Is it because… because you still blame me for liking… liking Li Yi back then?”

“No.”

“Then can’t we… can’t we have a start?” After asking this, Yang Rou almost suffocated.

On the other end, the man suddenly laughed. The laugh was low and quickly dissipated.

“Yang Rou, think about it. If I had wanted to stop you, could you have gotten married?”

“You couldn’t.”

After saying this, he hung up the phone.

The beeping sound of the disconnected call echoed. Yang Rou stood there for a long time, tears finally rolling down her cheeks as she cried. All those years of being together, and that one time they held hands—he must have thought about breaking her engagement with Li Yi, but he never did. What did that mean? What did it mean?

She wiped her eyes, turned around, and walked out, bumping into Meng Ying, who was coming over with a water bottle. Today, Meng Ying was wearing a white top and shorts, both part of her costume, which made her skin look very white and delicate. Her eyes curved with a smile, and this was the woman who had been Xu Dian’s girlfriend, kissed by him, caressed by him.

Suddenly, jealousy surged in Yang Rou’s heart, spreading like wildfire.

Yang Rou gritted her teeth, rushed over, and slapped Meng Ying.

Caught off guard, Meng Ying almost dropped her cup. Her head was turned by the slap, the smile in her eyes disappearing. She turned her head, stared at Yang Rou, and without thinking, slapped her back.

Yang Rou staggered a few steps.

She hit a pillar, covering her face in disbelief as she looked at Meng Ying.

“Are you crazy?” Meng Ying stepped forward, glaring at Yang Rou, who was full of tears, looking very weak. Yang Rou gritted her teeth and said, “You… you’re just a substi…”

“A stand-in, I’ll say it for you.” Meng Ying took two steps back, looking down at Yang Rou, and said, “Then you and he can live happily ever after. Why are you throwing a tantrum here?”

Yang Rou suddenly burst into tears.

She turned and ran away.

Watching her run away, Meng Ying rubbed her cheek. It hurt a lot. Indeed, Liu Qin’s words made some sense: a dog that bites doesn’t bark.

Fortunately, the scenes below didn’t need to be filmed. With Yang Tong’s outburst, she was taking a break. Meng Ying packed her things and returned to the hotel. Liu Qin left for Licheng at noon, leaving only Chen Jie. When Chen Jie saw the slap mark on Meng Ying’s face, she was shocked and quickly treated it. Meng Ying shook her head, “It’s okay, it’ll be fine soon.”

“Who hit you…”

Meng Ying smiled but didn’t answer.

In the following period, Meng Ying focused on filming her scenes. After finishing the heroic sacrifice scene, Yang Tong returned to reshoot the last scene with her. Perhaps because she was taking a three-month break, Yang Tong’s arrogance had diminished a lot, and she seemed listless.

As for her sister, she rarely appeared. The work of a screenwriter was relatively isolated, and for a while, it seemed like the arrogance of the Yang sisters had been suppressed.

After Meng Ying finished filming, Gu Yan and Yang Tong’s romantic scenes continued. The crew held a wrap party for Meng Ying that night.

After dinner, Meng Ying and Gu Yan walked back to the hotel with a group of people. Under the moonlight, Gu Yan suddenly turned around and looked at Meng Ying. Meng Ying was stunned for a moment, then looked up. She was wearing a coat over a knee-length beige dress, her eyes curved with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yan looked down at her eyes, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Can I… really… pursue you?”

Meng Ying was stunned.

Because of filming a sci-fi movie, Gu Yan had his hair cut short, making his handsome face look even more masculine. However, he was a gentle and refined person.

Meng Ying quietly thought for a moment, then shook her head, “Don’t pursue me, it won’t lead to anything.”

“Why?” Gu Yan stared at her.

She shook her head, still looking beautiful, and smiled, spreading her hands, “I don’t know, but it won’t lead to anything. If you pursue me, we won’t be able to stand here so purely.”

Gu Yan felt a tightness in his chest.

He clenched his fists, “Alright, we can only continue being friends then.”

“Being friends is great too.” Meng Ying smiled.

After saying this, she turned and walked away. Chen Jie and Gu Yan’s assistant, who were behind them, lowered their heads, pretending not to hear. Chen Jie quickly caught up with Meng Ying.

Chen Jie glanced at Meng Ying.

Meng Ying’s lips still carried a faint smile, as if nothing could affect her.

The next day, the crew continued filming as usual. Meng Ying had already packed her luggage and was preparing to head to the airport. Since Liu Qin was not around, all matters fell on Chen Jie. Chen Jie arranged everything, contacted Liu Qin, and then handed the phone to Meng Ying.

Meng Ying picked up the phone, walking barefoot on the carpet.

“Hello.”

Liu Qin said on the phone, “Mr. Yu found this investor, very impressive and wealthy. The copyright for ‘Twins’ is the most expensive among all the original works this year. My goodness, the amount is so high I can’t even say it without biting my tongue.”

Meng Ying raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Yu can’t afford such an expensive copyright, right?”

“Of course not, that’s why they partnered up.” Liu Qin clicked her tongue, “I’ll pick you up after the flight, let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Jie had everything ready, and they set off for the airport. The business car specially drove to the set to say goodbye. Meng Ying sat in the car, waving to Gu Yan. Gu Yan, who was filming with Yang Tong, turned around and waved back. The car door closed, and they headed to the airport.

Since they left early, around four o’clock, Meng Ying and Chen Jie arrived in Licheng. There were some fans at the airport, but Meng Ying was a bit tired, so she was fully covered. Fortunately, she didn’t have a bodyguard yet. With her head down, she and Chen Jie quietly squeezed out. Before getting into the car, she saw Xu Qing, wearing high heels and looking impatient, squeezing out from the fans. Next to her was a tall man, holding Xu Qing, his brows furrowed tightly, scaring the fans away, allowing them to leave.

Xu Qing saw Meng Ying, and Meng Ying smiled at her.

Xu Qing also smiled, then went to another car. Seeing the fans approaching, Liu Qin quickly got into the car, closed the door, and said to the driver, “Mr. Li, drive.”

“Okay.” The driver responded and started the car.

After sleeping for a while on the plane, Meng Ying was still a bit sleepy and yawned slightly. Liu Qin glanced at her and said, “There’s a dinner tonight.”

“What kind of dinner?” Meng Ying opened her eyes.

Liu Qin paused and said, “The investor wants to meet you. Mr. Yu and the others will also be there.”

Meng Ying thought for a moment and was about to speak when Liu Qin added, “As you take on more roles, these kinds of dinners will be unavoidable.”

After a few seconds of silence, Meng Ying nodded. Small roles don’t attract much attention, but big roles often come with these situations. “Do I need to change clothes?”

“No need, just like this. We’ll touch up your makeup at the company.”

Today, Meng Ying was wearing a black blouse and a white A-line skirt, stylish yet not lacking in sexiness. She nodded and then closed her eyes to rest a bit.

When they arrived at the company, they had a brief meeting and touched up her makeup. The timing was just right, and Mr. Yu’s driver drove them to the dinner. Chen Jie didn’t go, so it was just Liu Qin and Meng Ying.

The dinner was arranged at a Chinese restaurant. As soon as the car stopped, they saw many bodyguards in black at the entrance. Liu Qin pulled Meng Ying out and said, “This investor is like this, very wealthy, but quite friendly.”

“Okay.”

Walking up the steps, Meng Ying glanced at the bodyguards before going inside.

The restaurant was almost empty, likely booked entirely. Behind a screen, there was a table with voices. As they walked over, they saw Mr. Yu sitting with a man wearing a silver ring. The two were talking, and next to them were Mr. Yu’s assistant and a female secretary with glasses. They all looked over, and when they saw Meng Ying, the man’s eyes lit up. Mr. Yu smiled and said, “This is our Miss Meng.”

“Hello, Miss Meng.” Qi Tang stood up and extended his hand to Meng Ying. Meng Ying reached out and shook it, “Hello, Mr. Qi.”

Qi Tang shook her hand briefly, then smiled and let go, very politely, “Sit, sit. Tonight is just a dinner, nothing much. Let’s also talk about the movie. This is my first time investing, so I hope Mr. Yu can guide me.”

Meng Ying smiled and sat next to Mr. Yu.

Liu Qin also took a seat. Mr. Yu smiled and called for the dishes to be served and poured some wine. Meng Ying looked at the wine, not wanting to drink. Mr. Yu noticed and said, “Just take a sip, it’s fine.”

Mr. Qi also wanted to toast with Meng Ying but didn’t insist, just suggesting she could take a sip. Liu Qin had already drunk a large glass earlier. Meng Ying hesitated for a moment but had to drink. After drinking, she held the wine in her mouth, stood up, and said she was going to the restroom. In the restroom, she spat it out. The wine smelled very aged, and for someone who gets drunk easily, one sip could knock her out. She wiped her mouth, looked in the mirror, and slightly adjusted her hair, making it a bit messy.

She then stepped out in her high heels. As soon as she walked out, she was stunned to see everyone slumped over the table, except for Mr. Qi, who was smoking and looking at her.

His eyes were no longer friendly, carrying a hint of lewdness. “Miss Meng, you seem to know your wine well?”

Meng Ying looked towards the door, noticing a few bodyguards in black standing outside the private room. She became alert and glanced at the window.

“Don’t bother looking. I’ve seen your ‘Nine Heavens,’ and that rose on your waist is really beautiful…”

“What does it matter to you if it’s beautiful?”

Bang! The screen fell, and Xu Dian walked in, biting a cigarette. He glanced at Meng Ying, then looked at Qi Tang.

Qi Tang was stunned and quickly stood up from his chair. He looked towards the door, where Zhou Yang and Jiang Yu were leaning against it, smiling. Zhou Yang said, “They’re all down, no need to look. Qi Tang, Qi Tang, you even dare to make a move on Young Master Xu’s future girlfriend?”

“What? Girlfriend?” Qi Tang was shocked and looked at Meng Ying.

Meng Ying glanced at Xu Dian, then looked away and said, “I’m not his girlfriend, but Mr. Qi, this is too much.”

After saying this, she helped Liu Qin up. Liu Qin was very drunk, her body limp. As soon as Meng Ying tried to lift her, she slipped down again. Meng Ying quickly supported her by the waist. A warm hand from the side helped steady her. Meng Ying turned her head and met Xu Dian’s peach blossom eyes. He took out his cigarette and extinguished it in the ashtray beside him, saying, “Go out, there’s a car outside.”

“Thank you.” Meng Ying said, needing to get Liu Qin out of there. She didn’t have time to be polite. She supported Liu Qin and walked out. Jiang Yu and Zhou Yang slightly moved aside to make way for her.

Jiang Yu’s expression was stern.

Zhou Yang smiled nonchalantly.

Meng Ying quietly walked out.

Behind her.

Xu Dian crushed the cigarette butt under his foot, his eyes behind the glasses falling on her slender back. Her hair was up, and her fair skin was faintly visible. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qi Tang about to move. Xu Dian curled his lips, took two steps forward, and kicked him against the wall. He took off his glasses and slowly wiped them, saying, “You always play the same tricks. Can’t you try something different? Hmm?”

Qi Tang lost all his energy, clutching his stomach with a mournful face, begging for mercy, “How was I supposed to know she was related to you? Please, Young Master Xu, just let me go this time. I was blind, okay…”

“You were blind? Your eyesight is too good.” Zhou Yang walked in, squatted down, and tapped Qi Tang’s head with a smile.

The car outside was obviously Xu Dian’s, a black Hummer. Meng Ying helped Liu Qin out. The car window rolled down, and Li Yi poked his head out to glance at her.

“Need a ride?”

Meng Ying said, “No, I called a car.”

Li Yi didn’t respond, his expression indifferent.

A red taxi pulled up. Meng Ying placed Liu Qin in the back seat, then got in herself. The red car started, and with a rumble, it began to rain heavily.

The rain poured down.

Meng Ying watched the car enter the road and finally breathed a sigh of relief, gently patting Liu Qin’s shoulder. Mr. Yu’s company was small and had never invested in a movie before, clearly falling into someone’s trap. She took out her phone and called Mr. Yu’s driver, asking him to arrange for someone to bring Mr. Yu back.

Meng Ying originally planned to take Liu Qin home, but Liu Qin’s phone kept ringing. It was her family calling. Liu Qin’s parents had come to Licheng to visit her and were probably waiting at home. Meng Ying answered the call and told Liu Qin’s mother, “Auntie, I’ll take her home.”

“Oh? Are you Meng Ying? Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Meng Ying instructed the driver to turn around and head to Liu Qin’s house. The rain was heavy, and Liu Qin’s parents almost got soaked when they came out to get her.

“Meng Ying, why don’t you stay at our place tonight?”

“No, Auntie, I’ll go home.” Liu Qin’s house had two bedrooms and a living room, and with her parents there, there was no extra space. Meng Ying smiled and said goodbye. Liu Qin’s parents quickly handed her an umbrella, “Be careful on your way.”

“Thank you.”

Meng Ying took the umbrella, and the taxi turned back to Xinyue Community. The rain was heavy, and combined with the night, it was hard to see the road ahead.

Meng Ying got out of the car in the rain, opened the umbrella, and walked towards the community entrance. After a few steps, she heard a honking sound behind her. She turned around to see a black Hummer stopping abruptly. The door opened, and Xu Dian, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, got out with a cigar in his mouth. He walked towards her with his peach blossom eyes fixed on her through the rain.

The next second, he lightly lifted his trousers, knelt down, and took out the cigar.

His eyes were deep, determined not to give up.

The car behind him still had its lights on, shining on him. Soon, the rain soaked him, and his black shirt clung to his body, revealing his well-defined chest.

Meng Ying held the umbrella, quietly looking at him for a few seconds, then turned and walked into the community.

Leaving only a slender figure behind.

Previous

Next