Chapter 18

Xitang returned to Shanghai and went straight to Ni Kailun’s place. Ni Kailun had a spacious apartment in Yangpu District, Shanghai. Since Xitang didn’t have a place in Shanghai, Ni Kailun had a room ready for her. There was a stack of scripts on the coffee table, each with a messy handwritten note from Ni Kailun indicating which one to read.

Xitang was a little excited. After three years in the company, she finally had the privilege of choosing her own scripts.

Recently, “傾城宫恋” (倾城宫恋, Qing Cheng Gong Lian, roughly translates to “Love in the Fallen City”) had just aired, and the ratings had exceeded two points. Ni Kailun was busy arranging for the artists to promote it everywhere and was basically not in Shanghai. Xitang would go to the company when she had something to do, and when she didn’t, she would stay at Ni Kailun’s place and read scripts. She was particularly interested in two of them: a modern love suspense detective drama about a mentally disturbed girl involved in a murder case in Lihua Street, and a period drama set in a grand mansion from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China. This latter one chronicled the changes of a wealthy family and would be a challenging role. Xitang read it carefully and chose these two, waiting for the company meeting to make the final decision.

Ni Kailun returned on Tuesday. Xitang had nothing to do for the time being, so she booked a ticket to go home and see her mother.

On the morning before she left, Ni Kailun had to go to the TV station, and her assistant was on leave, so Xitang was pressed into service to carry her bag and run errands. After a busy morning finalizing the details of two programs, they walked out together.

“Huang Xitang!” someone called out her name as they exited the building, followed by a series of excited screams.

Ni Kailun exclaimed in surprise.

Xitang saw that Zheng Youtong was standing by his black car at the entrance to the TV station. He was wearing a navy blue suit, his hair was slicked back, and he looked very stylish. He was wearing sunglasses and waving at her.

Xitang wanted to pretend she didn’t hear.

But Zheng Youtong had already run over to them, “Xitang!”

Ni Kailun greeted him with a smile, “Hello, big star. Are you here to record a program?”

Zheng Youtong took off his sunglasses and politely said, “Hello, Ms. Ni.”

Xitang had to say, “Oh, Zheng, long time no see.”

Zheng Youtong said happily, “Are you free now?”

Xitang said, “Yes, I’m free. I’m just helping Kailun with a script.”

Zheng Youtong said, “I’m free for lunch. Shall we have a meal together?”

Zheng Youtong’s assistant and manager had followed them.

Xitang was thinking about how to decline.

Ni Kailun immediately said, “Xitang is free anyway, why don’t you go?”

Xitang glared at her. Ni Kailun was even more fierce, giving her a warning look. As a top-tier celebrity, just standing next to Zheng Youtong would probably make headlines. Xitang had been avoiding him, but Ni Kailun wanted to get rid of her.

Xitang could only say, “Alright.”

Zheng Youtong immediately said, “Let’s get in the car.”

His manager wanted to stop him, “Youtong, there are a lot of fans watching...”

Zheng Youtong impatiently waved him away, “Let them watch. What’s wrong with me having a meal with a friend?”

They went to a very private room in a hotel. Zheng Youtong had a long-term reservation there. He sent his manager and assistant away and they had a leisurely meal.

During the meal, Zheng Youtong asked her, “Have you been back to school since you graduated?”

Xitang shook her head.

Zheng Youtong said, “I’ve been back a couple of times for work, but I didn’t dare to see the teachers. I felt so guilty.”

Xitang smiled, “Don’t be humble. Out of our class, only you and Mingkun made it big. Whenever we watch TV, we see your faces.”

Zheng Youtong was a little worried, “Oh, Kunzi, I saw him at a club in Beijing last time. He was very enthusiastic and invited me to his private room. I didn’t stay for long, but he seemed a bit off that night. I think he might have been on something.”

Xitang understood, “Sigh, these things happen a lot in the Beijing circle. It’s easy to lose control once you start. If you have a good relationship with him, you should try to persuade him.”

“Yes, I understand,” Zheng Youtong nodded. “Last time, I had my assistant call you. There was a role in my project, and the lines weren’t many. Why didn’t you come?”

Xitang shook her head, “You’ve helped me enough.”

Zheng Youtong was sincere, “Xitang, we’ve been classmates for four years. There aren’t many of us left in our class who are still acting. It’s only natural to help each other when we have the chance. You don’t need to be so polite.”

Xitang didn’t say anything, feeling a little touched.

Zheng Youtong tentatively asked, “Are you still single?”

Xitang nodded.

People in the entertainment industry were all too familiar with each other, and Zheng Youtong didn’t ask any more questions. He just said, “If you need anything, just call me.”

Zheng Youtong’s assistant called to remind him.

He was a busy man.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Xitang said, “Your assistant is waiting outside. I’ll go out a few minutes later.”

Zheng Youtong nodded.

Xitang watched him. He put on his sunglasses, waved at her, and then walked out with his hands in his pockets. He looked very stylish as he walked through the hotel lobby, and people turned to look at him.

Just as he was about to reach the door, Zheng Youtong suddenly turned around.

Xitang said, “What’s wrong?”

He took off his sunglasses and looked at her. There was a dark, suppressed emotion in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “I won’t be in Hengdian for a while. I’m going to Hong Kong tonight.”

Xitang was a little surprised. Zheng Youtong’s recent dramas had received good reviews, and he was constantly involved in big-budget productions. “What about your work?” she asked.

Zheng Youtong replied, “I’ve already agreed to the next project, and the contract is just about to be signed. The company wants me to go to Hong Kong for a while and focus on movies. They want me to win an award.”

Xitang said tactfully, “Well, then take it as a break.”

Zheng Youtong’s emotions seemed to be stirred. His eyes were a little red. “Xitang, do you know why I like you? Because you’ve never looked down on me.”

Xitang smiled gently, her tone soft, “Everyone is just trying to make a living, Lao Zheng. You’re a good person.”

Zheng Youtong suddenly reached out and hugged her tightly.

Xitang exclaimed softly, “Hey!”

He choked up and said, “Thank you.”

Xitang took a train back to Shanghai and then a van to her hometown. Her family had a small noodle shop in Yong’an Street in her hometown. Her mother used to run it herself, but later, Xitang insisted on hiring a chef and a waitress. Her mother became the boss. Because the shop was near the Xiangshi Mountain Scenic Area, business was decent, but since they only served breakfast and lunch, the profit was not much after paying the salaries.

Xitang didn’t mind about the money. She lived a frugal life but gave her mother a generous allowance. Her mother was not in good health and was lonely at home. She couldn’t stay with her mother for a long time, but she hoped that her mother would have something to do and someone to talk to.

Their house was an old house. There was a yard behind the house that her mother had bought. It was their home for a lifetime.

When Xitang returned, her neighbors greeted her, “Xitang, you’re back!”

“Oh, why did you cut your hair so short?”

“That’s the current fashion for celebrities. It’s very trendy.”

“Auntie has watched your drama. Oh, your palace maid costume was so beautiful, but why were there so few scenes of you?”

Xitang just smiled and didn’t say anything.

She quickly went into the house.

Her mother was in the kitchen, wearing an apron and carefully slicing a piece of braised meat. The braised sauce in Xitang’s family was legendary. Her mother said it was made with a secret family recipe passed down from her grandmother. Xitang loved it the most.

Xitang walked over and hugged her mother’s increasingly frail shoulders, “Mom.”

Her mother smiled and nudged her with her elbow, “You’re still like a child. Go wash your hands and eat.”

After dinner, Xitang returned to her room. The bed was covered in a floral bedsheet and was neatly made. She lay on the bed and pulled a rope by the bedside. The rope was attached to a beam on the ceiling, and dust fell from the ceiling. There was a clear clinking sound from the next room.

Xitang called out, “Xiao Dizi (Little Landlord)?”

There was a muffled growl from the next room, followed by the sound of a man in slippers. Then, a muffled voice came from the wall, “Nienien, ni hu na le?” (What did you take?)

Hearing his voice, Xitang smiled. “I’m sleepy. I’ll see your wife and child tomorrow.”

Xiao Dizi barked excitedly on the other side, and then mumbled a few words. Xitang said, “Slow down, I can’t hear you.”

Then a young woman’s voice came, “Sister Xitang?”

Xitang said, “Yes, you must be Xiao Dizi’s wife.”

The new wife was very lively, “Yes, yes. I received the clothes and milk powder you sent. They’re so nice...”

Xitang said, “That’s good. Thanks for taking care of my mom.”

The woman agreed repeatedly.

Then the little landlord shouted at his wife, “Ni nong sen mo!” (What are you doing?)

His wife immediately said, “I’m just worried. The shop hasn’t been open for so many days. If you don’t do something about it, we won’t even have enough money for the baby’s milk!”

Xitang quickly said, “Alright, alright, don’t argue. I’ll go over tomorrow and we can talk about it.”

Xitang had known since she was a child that her father had passed away when she was very young. Her childhood memories were very fragmented because they moved around a lot. It wasn’t until she started elementary school that her mother decided to settle down in Xianju.

They didn’t have any relatives or friends. The neighbors were a mixed bag, and her mother didn’t socialize much except for Uncle Qiu.

Uncle Qiu was a kind man. When she was very young, he would often come to visit her and buy her candy and toys. One day, when she came home from school, she saw a woman yelling at the door, and all the neighbors were watching. She was too scared to go home and hid behind the crowd, clutching her small schoolbag tightly. That night, she heard her mother crying secretly in the room.

From that day on, the children would laugh at her and say she was a fatherless child and her mother was a bad woman.

Only the little landlord next door would play with her.

The little landlord was the son of a rich family in town. His parents owned the town’s first hotel and a large parking lot. The little landlord had a speech impediment and was often teased by other children. Once, when some boys were pulling Xitang’s braids on the playground, the little landlord saw it and chased the boys away. He hid with Xitang behind the wall of the playground and talked to her. Although his words were slurred, she could understand him.

The little landlord later developed two extraordinary skills. Fighting was one of them. After that, no naughty kid in the whole town dared to bully Xitang.

He was a year younger than her and was always in the class below hers. The little landlord wasn’t a good student, but Xitang always excelled. In the third year of junior high, Xitang was chosen by an art teacher from the city and went to an art high school.

Later, after she returned to her hometown from Beijing and then to Hengdian, the little landlord barely graduated from high school and then took over his parents’ business. His other skill was that he could cook exceptionally well. He opened a hotel and a restaurant, and he often introduced guests from his hotel to her mother’s breakfast place, claiming it had the best braised noodles in Xianju.

The little landlord didn’t understand the entertainment industry, but he was her childhood friend and comrade-in-arms.

Feeling at peace, she finally lay down and had a good night’s sleep.