Chapter 52: Eyeliner & Red Earrings

After getting into the business vehicle, Liang Qiao drove quietly. Meng Ying was stuffing money into a red envelope when suddenly a check fell out. She paused for a moment, then bent down to pick it up. It was a check for one million yuan.

In addition to the cash, Xu Dian had also donated one million yuan to the children of Maple Leaf Mountain.

This guy.

Whatever.

He’s rich.

Meng Ying accepted it and put it back into the red envelope.

When they arrived at the inn, Meng Ying handed the money to Tan Huan. Tan Huan was stunned when she saw it. “So much money?” she exclaimed.

She pulled out the check and looked at Meng Ying. “You’re amazing. Just going out and coming back with a free donation.”

Meng Ying smiled and said, “It’s because of someone else’s kindness. It has nothing to do with me.”

Tan Huan examined the check. The donor was listed as “Yi Hui Investment,” an investment company. The handwriting was bold and vigorous, almost flamboyant. However, there was no personal name attached. “We can only thank this company,” she said.

“Leisure Time” had a foundation. The money raised from each charity auction was given to the local villages and towns. Additionally, all income from the inn arranged by the show’s production team would also be donated to the villages in need. The foundation also received donations from individuals, companies, and enterprises.

After receiving the donations, the production team would tally everything once the filming for the episode was completed and then hand it over.

Every donation was recorded in detail, and the donating organizations were thanked during the filming process.

That evening, during the emotional sharing session, Tan Huan held the check and announced, “We would like to thank Yi Hui Investment for their donation of one million yuan to Maple Leaf Town. Thank you for your support.”

She then placed the check into the foundation’s donation box.

Everyone applauded, including Meng Ying. She leaned back on the single sofa, hugging a pillow. Tonight’s emotional sharing session was focused on the four young guests. Each of them had their own emotional struggles. One of the female students shared that she had promised to spend her life with a boy during her sophomore year of high school.

However, after she graduated from college, that boy married someone else.

She felt like she had lost everything. Eventually, she chose to return to school to pursue a master’s degree, and now she felt that her life was fulfilling.

As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes.

Meng Ying handed her a tissue. The girl wiped her tears and looked at Meng Ying. “Sister, you’re so beautiful. You’ve probably never experienced heartbreak like this, right?”

Li Yuan’er leaned over and said, “No, being beautiful doesn’t mean you won’t encounter scumbags. It happens to everyone.”

“R-really?” the female student asked, looking at Meng Ying. Meng Ying nodded. Another female student chimed in, “Well, that makes us feel a bit better.”

“Hahahaha…”

Everyone burst into laughter.

That night.

Just as Meng Ying lay down, her phone buzzed with a text message.

She opened it to read.

Xu Dian: I’ve arrived in Li City.

Xu Dian: I know you’re asleep, so I won’t call.

Xu Dian: I want to kiss you.

“I’m going crazy.”

But these three words were not typed out, nor were they sent.

Meng Ying stared at her phone for a long time. In the end, she didn’t reply. She placed the phone back on the bedside table, turned over, and lay flat on the bed, gazing at the ceiling faintly illuminated by a sliver of light.

Gradually, she drifted into sleep.

However, her dreams were restless. Scenes from the entrance of Li City University kept replaying in her mind—the moment he took off his glasses, his peach-blossom eyes, that faint, teasing smile.

When she woke up the next day.

She was drenched in sweat.

The filming of “Leisure Time” proceeded smoothly. They welcomed many ordinary tourists, listened to their stories about love, careers, and dreams, and organized numerous charity sales. Some were held at local supermarkets, while others were conducted directly within the show. When Meng Ying and Liang Qiao revisited the supermarket where they had done their first charity sale a week later, they found it had been reduced to ruins. Later, they heard that the entire area, including the supermarket, had been purchased by someone who planned to build a hospital.

This would be the first private hospital in the city.

Liang Qiao said with a lingering sense of unease, “That person really has some influence.”

He was referring to Xu Dian.

Then he added, “The evils of capitalism.”

Meng Ying laughed.

After a while, Liang Qiao asked Meng Ying, “You really don’t know him, do you?”

“Do you think I do?” Meng Ying glanced back at Liang Qiao. He paused, then shrugged. Shortly after, he took the bag from Meng Ying’s hand and asked softly, “I wonder what kind of man you like?”

“I don’t know. There’s no standard,” Meng Ying replied.

Liang Qiao nodded. He winked at the cameraman, signaling to cut this part out. The cameraman, who had followed them for several shoots, understood and gave a thumbs-up to indicate it was fine.

As the weather warmed, the filming of “Leisure Time” came to an end. The four of them had lived together for nearly a month, and bonds had formed. They were reluctant to part, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Among the four, only Meng Ying and Li Yuan’er were returning to Li City. Tan Huan was heading back to Kyoto, and Liang Qiao to Shanghai, each on different flights. Li Yuan’er and Meng Ying left first, with Tan Huan and Liang Qiao seeing them off. Tan Huan, dressed in sportswear that day, joked, “Last time we picked you up, and now we’re sending you off. Isn’t that a bit cruel?”

Li Yuan’er stuck out her tongue. “Well, you could’ve come with us!”

Meng Ying set down her suitcase, walked over, and hugged Tan Huan. Then she turned to hug Liang Qiao. Liang Qiao stiffened, his ears turning red. “Remember to send a message when you arrive.”

“Of course. I’m really going to miss you all.”

Tan Huan was like a big sister.

Although Liang Qiao was often the joker, he was also a caring guy. He handled most of the repairs around the inn and always drove and carried things whenever they went out. Meng Ying patted Liang Qiao’s shoulder and asked, “What kind of girl do you like? I’ll introduce you to someone!”

Liang Qiao looked at the woman in front of him and was momentarily stunned.

A few seconds later, he turned his head away and said, “Let me think about it…”

Instantly, he backed off.

Meng Ying laughed heartily, let go of him, and pulled Li Yuan’er into the car. The door closed, the car started, and they waved at Tan Huan and Liang Qiao through the window.

After watching the business vehicle drive away.

Before turning to leave, Tan Huan said, “Useless.”

Liang Qiao: “…”

The two of them seemed carefree, but once they boarded the plane, their true feelings surfaced. Li Yuan’er leaned listlessly against the seat and said, “I originally came here with the intention of standing out and grabbing more screen time. I didn’t expect to grow so attached and develop genuine feelings. No wonder this show is so popular.”

Meng Ying found it amusing, but she also felt a bit down.

Maple Leaf Town truly felt like a paradise. Living there was stress-free, the environment was beautiful, and after staying for so long, even her heart had softened.

Returning to Li City marked a new beginning.

Also, during the two role-playing sessions on “Leisure Time,” Meng Ying realized that she still struggled with emotional immersion. Although she performed well, each time she finished acting, it brought back a flood of memories. Whenever emotions were involved, she couldn’t help but think of Xu Dian.

This was the downside of not being professionally trained.

They arrived in Li City.

It was 3 PM.

The weather in Li City had cleared up recently, with sunshine.

The warmth dispelled the previous cold. Meng Ying, wearing a mask and sunglasses, walked out of the airport fully covered. The company’s business vehicle was parked at the entrance, with many other cars lined up in front and behind. Some had already picked up their passengers, while others were still waiting. Just as Meng Ying handed her luggage to Liu Qin, a young girl bumped into her hard, nearly knocking her over. Meng Ying turned to see the girl joyfully throwing herself into the arms of a young man, who held her tightly, stroked her hair, and even kissed her.

The two of them were intimate as if no one else was around, their closeness radiating like an electric wave, leaving a group of exhausted passengers who had just gotten off the plane in stunned silence.

Yet, they couldn’t help but feel envious.

Youth is wonderful.

But for those who are older, such intense feelings of romance are rare.

Meng Ying glanced at them a few more times, then bent down and got into the car, her shoulder still aching a bit.

Liu Qin, on the other hand, shot a glare at the couple before getting into the car and asking, “Are you okay?”

“It’s fine,” Meng Ying replied, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes.

Seeing her exhaustion, Liu Qin didn’t press further. She instructed Xiao Meng to start the car, and they headed back to the company for a meeting.

Liu Qin had eight scripts for Meng Ying to choose from.

However, Meng Ying picked the one with the latest start date and said, “I’m going to take a six-month acting course.”

“What?”

Everyone in the meeting was stunned.

Liu Qin turned to her, disbelief written all over her face. Meng Ying took out her phone, pulled up information about Hu Ye, Gu Yan’s mentor, and said, “I want to attend this teacher’s classes.”

Hu Ye.

A lifetime achievement award winner, a grand slam film emperor.

A highly renowned and respected actor.

Almost all of his students had gone on to win Best Actor or Best Actress awards, achieving legendary status in the entertainment industry.

Without exception.

“Teacher Hu Ye,” Liu Qin muttered, seeing the name.

General Manager Yu glanced at it and said, “You’ve only been back in the industry for a year, and now you want to take time off to study? Isn’t that a bit impulsive?”

“Manager Yu, what do you suggest? Should I skip Teacher Hu Ye’s classes?” Meng Ying looked at him calmly. Yu paused, then said, “It’s not that you can’t go, it’s just…”

Hu Ye.

Who could refuse him? It was practically impossible.

He slammed the table decisively. “Fine, go! It’s only six months! But you’ll have to come back occasionally to shoot ads!”

As he spoke, he winked at Liu Qin, who pulled out a stack of contracts and handed them to Meng Ying. “Eight brands have approached us recently. Your endorsement for Xianji was very well-received, so they’re all coming to you now.”

“Alright,” Meng Ying said, taking the pen and signing them.

General Manager Yu left with a pained expression.

Sigh.

At least there were two movies set to be released soon.

After signing the contracts, Meng Ying returned to Xinyue Community, swapped out her suitcase, and packed some new clothes. Just as she got into the car, she received a call from Xu Dian. She hesitated for a moment before answering. On the other end, Xu Dian asked, “You’re back?”

“Yes.”

“I’m on my way to see you. I’ll be there soon,” the man’s voice was lazy.

Meng Ying turned her head, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the car window, and said, “There’s no need to come. Let’s break up.”

“What did you say?”

The man’s voice turned cold.

“From now on, let’s each live our own lives,” Meng Ying replied before hanging up. She then shifted her gaze back to the road ahead.

A black Hummer passed by the black business vehicle.

Like two lines that would never intersect.

The business vehicle sped along, arriving at the airport in no time. Meng Ying boarded the next flight to Switzerland. As the car door opened, Liu Qin had already taken care of everything. Meng Ying simply took her ticket and headed to the boarding gate. Just as she reached the gate, someone grabbed her wrist. Meng Ying turned around.

Xu Dian stood there, disheveled, his shirt messy, his face cold as he stared at her.

When she turned to face him.

His hand trembled slightly.

She had drawn black eyeliner, and her ears were adorned with beautiful red earrings.

After a silent stare-down, Meng Ying touched her earrings and said, “I’m a woman too. I also like eyeliner and earrings. Now that I’ve started wearing them again, it’s time for us to end this and live our own lives.”

Xu Dian gripped Meng Ying’s arm tightly. After a long moment, a tear slid down the corner of his eye. Despite his disheveled appearance, his voice was fierce as he demanded, “Are you trying to destroy me?”

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