Chapter 34: Into the Scene

With the question from Xu Dian, a huge thunderclap rang out outside, shaking the air. Meng Ying’s face turned pale with shock, and all the drowsiness she had felt was instantly scared away. She looked at the man in front of her, momentarily dazed and unable to snap back to reality.

Xu Dian’s face looked grim, but he still reached out to pull her into his arms, covering her ears. Then, he half-carried her inside and shut the door behind them.

The room was dark, and outside, the sky was as dark as night. The curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows fluttered in the wind, and the scent of incense wafted into her nostrils. Meng Ying had regained her composure, and her heartbeat gradually slowed. She struggled slightly, and Xu Dian lowered his head to look at her before turning on the light.

The light turned on.

It illuminated Meng Ying’s face. There was a hint of emotion in her eyes, more than the last time they met. She raised her head and said, “It’s raining so heavily. How did you get here?”

“Didn’t you call me?” Xu Dian looked into her eyes, clean and beautiful, and that trace of emotion seemed familiar.

Meng Ying froze for a moment. She smiled and pushed lightly on his chest. “I didn’t know it would rain so heavily. If I had known, I wouldn’t have called you.”

“Since I’m already here, are you going to chase me away?” Xu Dian’s face was still not pleasant, and he remembered the name from earlier at the door. But at this moment, Meng Ying’s expression was gentle.

Just like a year ago.

Moreover, this was the longest conversation they had had since meeting a year later. Meng Ying reached up to adjust his collar and said, “I’m not chasing you away. I called you here. How could I chase you away?”

His collar was slightly wet.

Meng Ying paused, leaned in, and hugged his waist.

Xu Dian froze again. His hand instinctively lifted, spread out, and, just like before, he allowed her to hold him. But the next second, he pulled her back, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed her closer.

Meng Ying, however, reached her hand down his back, which was soaked, and his shirt clung to his skin.

“You should go take a shower. You’re soaked.”

Her hand continued to slide lower, feeling his waist. Xu Dian’s Adam’s apple moved, and he turned his head, kissing her cheek, his voice low and husky, “Don’t touch lower.”

There was a hint of flirtation in his tone.

Meng Ying rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I won’t touch, but then you go take a shower.”

She was so gentle that it was driving him crazy.

Xu Dian couldn’t resist turning on the lights on the other side. With a sharp click, the lights in the room flooded on, bright and glaring. He lifted her chin and studied her carefully.

The light was too bright, and Meng Ying furrowed her brows slightly, trying to shy away. Xu Dian lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Meng Ying froze for a second, then tilted her head back, obediently kissing him.

Their lips and tongues tangled.

As his hand slid downward, Meng Ying pulled away from his shirt. “Take a shower!”

She whispered softly, with a hint of breathlessness.

Xu Dian loosened his grip, raised an eyebrow, and his lips curled slightly. “Alright.”

He spoke as he unbuckled his belt, placed his phone and wallet on the table, and began undoing his shirt. Meng Ying grabbed a new towel and handed it to him. Xu Dian took it, and she said, “I’ll go call the service for a men’s robe. You shower first.”

Xu Dian nodded, turning to enter the bedroom’s bathroom. Once inside, he noticed all the feminine items placed delicately in the bathroom—elegant, beautiful, and fragrant. He glanced over them, his peach blossom eyes filled with a smile, then turned on the shower.

He made a call to the downstairs service, and soon, two men’s bathrobes were brought up. Meng Ying received them, placing one on the bed and hanging the other. She then headed to the kitchen, where Liu Qin had bought some vegetables earlier that day and put them in the fridge.

She had planned to cook tonight, so she took out some ginger, sliced it, and started preparing ginger tea.

Her face was gentle.

But inside, she knew she couldn’t quite distinguish between reality and fiction right now, just like how she had confused Zhang Heshen with Xu Dian and now was confusing Xu Dian with Zhang Heshen.

The sharp scent of ginger filled the room.

Xu Dian put on the bathrobe, tied the belt in a knot, exposing a bit of his chest. When he stepped out of the room, his eyes immediately landed on Meng Ying, who was cooking in the kitchen.

It was just like a year ago, when she had been cooking in the kitchen.

He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Meng Ying paused for a moment, then snapped back to her senses. “I’m making this for you, wait a minute, it’s a little spicy…”

She was just too gentle.

Xu Dian willingly hummed in agreement.

Meng Ying smiled and gently pushed his hands away. “Don’t hug too tightly.”

“Is it tight?” He chuckled softly, but then hugged her even tighter.

Meng Ying helplessly sighed.

Xu Dian allowed himself to hold her, his breath warm against her ear. Meng Ying stirred the spoon in the pot, continuing until his phone rang, prompting him to release her. Before he left, he placed a kiss on her ear.

That kiss.

He froze for a moment.

His gaze lingered on her earlobe, noticing a slightly larger earring hole.

Xu Dian pressed his lips together, then kissed her cheek.

After that, he turned and walked out.

But Meng Ying felt nothing. It was as though the earring hole had never been stretched.

Her state.

It felt like a return to one year ago.

His phone, which had gotten a bit wet, was slightly damp. Xu Dian bent down to pick it up and answered. It was Jiang Yi, who suddenly noticed the boss was missing, and the entire company was waiting for him.

Jiang Yi, frantic, said, “Boss Xu, where are you?”

In his mind, he was shouting, Where the hell have you gone?!

Xu Dian lit a cigarette, about to take a drag, when a slender hand reached out and took it from his fingers. His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced over.

Meng Ying was holding the ginger tea, still looking at him.

After a second, Xu Dian nodded and said, “I’m not smoking.”

After saying that, Jiang Yi shouted from the other end of the phone.

“Huh? Boss Xu, what? What did you say?”

Xu Dian lowered his gaze and smiled softly. “You handle the company matters. I’ll be on a business trip for a few days.”

“Where are you going? You didn’t tell me! Lao Xu even came to the office looking for you. Boss Xu, you at least need to give a proper reason!”

Jiang Yi kept calling out.

But Xu Dian kept his eyes on Meng Ying.

She placed the bowl down, casually snuffing out the cigarette, and sat on the couch, cleaning up the mess on the table. The script on the table had also been closed. Before it was closed, Xu Dian saw the name.

Zhang Heshen

He raised an eyebrow, then told Jiang Yi, “I’m in Songshan.”

Got it?

“Don’t ask again.”

Jiang Yi on the other end of the phone paused for a couple of seconds, processing the information, but before he could respond, Xu Dian had already hung up. Xu Dian gently placed his phone on the coffee table and then sat down on the couch.

Meng Ying was wearing a cotton dress, her shoulders slightly loose, exposing most of her skin. Xu Dian leaned over and kissed her fair shoulder.

Meng Ying pushed him away.

“Drink it, it won’t work if it’s cold.”

“Alright.” Xu Dian reached out, picked up the bowl, and drank it in one go.

It was indeed very spicy.

His brows furrowed sharply.

Meng Ying propped her forehead with her hand, tilting her head to look at him, and suddenly smiled. Under the light, her smile looked particularly gentle. Xu Dian placed the bowl down and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. “What are you laughing at?”

Meng Ying smiled and leaned back.

“Like a child taking medicine.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“You.”

“Then you should try it too.” Xu Dian said as he leaned in to kiss her again. Meng Ying quickly pulled back, laughing loudly. Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by the alarm on Meng Ying’s phone going off. It was nearly five o’clock, and the wind and rain outside were still raging. Liu Qin and Chen Jie must have arrived.

Meng Ying pushed Xu Dian’s shoulder.

“I’ll go open the door.”

“Are they coming here for dinner?” Xu Dian asked, noticing the vegetables still on the counter and in the fridge.

“Mm.”

Meng Ying got up and walked to the door. Liu Qin, holding some drinks she had bought downstairs, said, “I thought you overslept.”

“I took a nap,” Meng Ying replied, adjusting her dress before turning back to the living room. Liu Qin and Chen Jie followed behind, still talking about how the terrible weather might delay their filming. Meng Ying also received some work calls and had to head back to city after finishing filming to get busy.

As they were talking, the two of them stopped in their tracks.

They froze, staring at the man sitting on the couch.

Xu Dian, with his long legs crossed, wearing a bathrobe, exuded a strong presence. He cast a brief glance toward them.

The sound behind them stopped. Meng Ying snapped back to reality and saw Xu Dian calmly polishing his glasses, his chest slightly exposed. She quickly stepped forward, grabbing his wrist. “Let’s go to the room.”

Xu Dian put on his glasses, raising an eyebrow.

He stood up, allowing Meng Ying to pull him along.

Liu Qin and Chen Jie quickly realized what was happening and turned away, not daring to look. The tall, perfectly proportioned figure passed by them in a flash.

Meng Ying pushed Xu Dian into the room.

She glanced around, saying, “I’ll ask the service to buy you a few sets of clothes…”

“No need, I brought my luggage.” Xu Dian smiled and sat down at the foot of the bed, pulling her hand to bring her closer, his eyes twinkling with amusement behind his glasses.

Soon after, the hotel staff brought Xu Dian’s luggage upstairs. Xu Dian changed out of his bathrobe in the room, and Meng Ying went to the kitchen to cook. Chen Jie and Liu Qin, not daring to stay in the living room, squeezed into the kitchen to help. Liu Qin stood next to Meng Ying and whispered, “He really came?”

“Mm.”

“Are you getting along well?”

Meng Ying continued chopping vegetables while keeping an eye on the soup, replying, “We’re in a relationship.”

“No, you’re getting too deep into the role. Do you miss him? Because of the filming, you miss him, right?”

Meng Ying stirred the soup, her movements efficient as she continued cutting vegetables, asking Chen Jie to help add some salt.

She then smiled, “Yes, the memories have brought me back to how I felt a year ago.”

“Then you…” Liu Qin glanced at the unmistakable earring hole on her ear, now a faint pink. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t notice it was a scar, but it was still a scar.

Meng Ying said, “I’m clear about it. I don’t want to think about what happened after that relationship for now.”

In other words, she didn’t want to think about the moment when the truth would come to light. She needed this feeling right now, and Xu Dian was the one who had to give her that feeling of being in love.

Liu Qin couldn’t help but grab Meng Ying’s hand. “Filming this drama… it must have been tough on you.”

“It wasn’t tough,” Meng Ying replied.

“Impersonating through empathy really has its pros and cons. Now I realize that being an actor isn’t as easy as it seems,” Meng Ying said as she began stir-frying the vegetables.

She was filming.

She was acting.

And with this type of role, it was inevitable to be immersed in the drama.

It was just like how many actors end up falling in love because of their roles.

Once the meal was ready, Xu Dian changed into a shirt and trousers and stood by the window, making a phone call. He had his hand on his waist, and the lenses of his glasses glinted. Just standing there, he exuded an air of nobility, coldness, and abstinence. No wonder Meng Ying had been so badly affected by him before. Liu Qin stole a glance, then quickly looked away.

When she turned back, she noticed that Chen Jie, the silly girl, had turned red!

Red-faced!

She slapped Chen Jie’s arm hard.

Chen Jie, startled, quickly pulled her gaze away and secretly peeked at Meng Ying.

Liu Qin grabbed Chen Jie. “Look clearly, this kind of man is a predator among scoundrels. Don’t be fooled by his appearance in the future.”

Chen Jie, blushing, nodded vigorously, almost nodding her head off.

The meal was ready. Meng Ying looked at Xu Dian, who had just finished his call. He walked over, and when he saw the table full of dishes, he smiled and pulled Meng Ying to sit down. He then looked up at Chen Jie and Liu Qin.

Liu Qin was holding two lunch boxes in her hands and said, “We’ll take this back to eat.”

Xu Dian raised an eyebrow.

“Sure.”

He was practically a big shot.

Liu Qin couldn’t help but quietly mock him in her mind as she quickly grabbed Chen Jie and left.

Meng Ying scooped soup for Xu Dian.

Her expression was gentle.

Xu Dian watched, momentarily lost in thought, and couldn’t resist reaching out to take her wrist.

After they finished eating, Meng Ying went to wash the dishes. Xu Dian received a phone call. He took out his tablet and sat on the sofa, reviewing documents. The heavy rain outside continued, with the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, almost drowning out the hum of the dehumidifier in the room. Once she finished washing the dishes, Meng Ying wiped her hands and came out, not disturbing Xu Dian.

She directly grabbed her nightwear and went to take a shower. The heat in the bathroom quickly filled the room, covering the walls. Meng Ying rinsed herself off, and the droplets rolled down her skin.

After she finished, she stood by the window in the room, drying her hair, her body still warm from the shower. Xu Dian pushed the door open and leaned against the doorframe, watching her blow-dry her hair.

At that moment.

He realized that in their past relationship, the time they spent together was incredibly short.

He had never seen her blow-dry her hair.

He had never seen her wash dishes.

He had never quietly watched her like this in the present moment.

He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and took the blow-dryer from her hand.

Meng Ying paused, raising her head.

Xu Dian’s long fingers tangled in her hair as he moved the blow-dryer, standing tall in front of her, helping her dry her hair.

Meng Ying raised her eyebrows.

She didn’t refuse, sitting on the windowsill and letting him dry her hair. The wind blew fiercely, her hair floating, so fine that it seemed to slip through his fingertips.

Xu Dian lowered his voice and asked, “Is it natural for a boyfriend to dry his girlfriend’s hair?”

Meng Ying swung her legs, holding onto the hem of his shirt.

“What do you think? I’ve never been in a relationship with anyone else…”

Xu Dian laughed softly.

It was deep.

Magnetic.

Once her hair was dry, Xu Dian put the blow-dryer down, placed his hands on both sides of her, leaned in, and kissed her lips. Meng Ying hooked her arm around his shoulder, lowering her head as she kissed him back.

Just as his hands were about to move under the hem of her skirt, he lifted his head, his Adam’s apple moving. A few seconds later, he lifted her off the windowsill and gently placed her on the bed.

Meng Ying looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

Why stop?

Xu Dian smiled, “It’s a rare warm moment. There are some things I want to say.”

Meng Ying furrowed her brow slightly.

She turned over and lay on the bed, a bit impatient but not showing it. Xu Dian climbed onto the bed, holding her from behind. “In the past, it was my fault.”

“I actually had feelings for you early on, I just didn’t realize it.”

Meng Ying’s breathing was light.

Half-dazed, she drifted into sleep, her back against his warm chest. Not even her eyelashes fluttered at his words. Ten minutes later, thunder rumbled outside.

With a loud crash, Meng Ying woke with a start, and immediately turned to hug Xu Dian tightly. Xu Dian tilted his head back, pulling her into his arms. But soon, he realized she was restless in his embrace.

A few seconds later, Xu Dian supported her waist, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

“Meng Ying,” his voice low as he spoke.

He looked at the woman sitting on his waist.

At that moment, love shone in the man’s eyes.

“Shh,” Meng Ying leaned down, kissing his Adam’s apple. Xu Dian’s hand rested on her smooth shoulder, and the rose on her waist seemed to imprint itself on the ceiling, faint but beautiful.

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