#86: Qin Xing & Chu Ran Extra - Eye Doctor Visit

That night, Chu Ran suffered from insomnia. Being neglected and ignored by Qin Xing inevitably made her sad. What kept her awake, tossing and turning like a frying fish, was not just the hurt he inflicted, but also Qin Xing’s words that he “was a little bit fond of her back then.” Perhaps it was more than just a little, she thought, indulging in her own fancy. She just didn’t know how much of Qin Xing’s good impression of her remained after half a year.

Chu Ran lay on the bed, watching the time tick by minute by minute on her phone. Her mind was filled with Qin Xing. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. Chu Ran messaged her cousin. At this hour, the only person who could chat with her was someone in a different time zone.

[Class is over, right?]

Chu Xiaoyue, who was in London, had no classes that afternoon and was immersed in the library. The relationship between Chu Xiaoyue and Chu Ran, which had been mutually loathsome, had softened in the past six months, especially after Chu Ran joined Shen Tang’s film and television company; their affection had grown considerably. After waiting for five minutes, Chu Ran received a reply from her cousin.

[No class, working on my thesis. My hair is almost falling out.]

Chu Xiaoyue couldn’t experience the pain of a top student losing hair. She wanted to, but didn’t have the fate for it.

[Where are you? Beijing?] [What time is it, why aren’t you sleeping yet?] [No filming tomorrow?]

Chu Xiaoyue threw a string of questions.

Chu Ran: [Filming in Beijing, can’t sleep.]

Chu Xiaoyue: [Tsk, rare, you actually have times when you can’t sleep.]

Chu Ran retorted indignantly: [What’s wrong, do bad students not have the right to insomnia?]

Chu Xiaoyue sent a laughing emoji. Her last sentence wasn’t implying Chu Ran was a bad student; it was teasing that someone as carefree as her could actually suffer from insomnia. It was baffling.

The last stubbornness of a bad student, Chu Ran got up from the bed, [Let me tell you, if it weren’t for my astonishing looks, which led to too many admirers, preventing me from studying peacefully, getting into a TOP2 university would have been no burden at all for me.]

After two seconds. The screen was flooded with laughing emojis. Chu Ran herself laughed. If Chu Xiaoyue were in front of her right now, she’d kick her flying.

[What are you laughing at! Speak properly!]

Chu Xiaoyue asked concernedly: [Why can’t you sleep? Did someone bully you?]

Chu Ran thought for a moment, [Sort of.] Qin Xing’s indifferent and cold attitude towards her was certainly bullying her with emotional coldness. To avoid her cousin misunderstanding, Chu Ran explained again: [It’s emotional, not a conflict with someone in the crew.]

Chu Xiaoyue typed out a long paragraph of comforting words, then deleted them all. She thought, how could Chu Ran let herself suffer? Since it was emotional, it must be Zhao Chiyi who frustrated her.

[Don’t get angry when I say this, but you’re just not Zhao Chiyi’s type. Not to mention he’s naturally arrogant and uninterested in relationships and doesn’t know how to coax girls, look at how he treats Meitang, practically throwing himself at her. What you like isn’t Zhao Chiyi himself, it’s the sense of conquest he gives you, and how he’s looked after you since childhood. What you feel for him is more possessiveness. Sister, you need to figure out what a “heart flutter” really is. I’m not trying to discourage you, but don’t waste your time on a man who doesn’t love you. Find someone who treats you well, you’re so beautiful. PS: Although your temper is a bit bad, which is a big minus, there’s still hope~ See, don’t I find you much more pleasing to the eye now (dog head for self-preservation)]

Someone with absolutely no dating experience was spouting theories left and right.

Chu Ran: [I’ve moved on from Zhao Chiyi.]

Chu Xiaoyue: [?]

Chu Ran re-read Chu Xiaoyue’s long message carefully. [My heart fluttered for a man.]

Chu Xiaoyue: [Do I know him?]

Chu Ran didn’t need to save face in front of her cousin. [You’ve seen him. My boss, Qin Xing. He said he used to like me, and you know how I was back then, I completely hurt him. He’s single now. But he doesn’t give me a good look.] She told her cousin about her current situation with Qin Xing, holding nothing back. The frustration that had been stuck in her chest all night felt a little lighter after she poured it out.

Chu Ran finished complaining, [Feeling better. No need to comfort me, go back to your thesis.]

Chu Xiaoyue: [If you like him, go for it. A man like him is highly sought after. If you hesitate, he might start another relationship.]

Chu Ran leaned back and fell onto the bed. She was so worried. How should she pursue him?

________________________________________

For several days in a row, Chu Ran hesitated whether to contact Qin Xing.

One evening in mid-December, Shen Tang came to visit her on set. As an investor, she came not only to visit but also to check on the filming progress. Chu Ran stared at Shen Tang, feeling that something about her was different. Flat shoes, light makeup, nude-pink lipstick, and a long, thick white down jacket. She had known Shen Tang for five or six years, and no matter how cold it was, Shen Tang always wore a dress, at most covered by a coat.

“Boss Shen, are you... catching a cold?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“!!”

Shen Tang took a few scripts from her bag and handed them to Chu Ran. “These are two movie scripts that Qin Xing and I picked out for you. Take some time to read them and decide which one you want to act in.” Chu Ran put down her lemonade, still not having recovered from the news of Shen Tang becoming a mother.

“The schedules for these two conflict, otherwise you could take both.” Shen Tang told her to put the scripts away. “Read them slowly when you get back to the hotel tonight.” Chu Ran casually handed them to her assistant, then asked casually, “Which script do you and Mr. Qin prefer?”

Shen Tang: “He and I have different opinions. Ultimately, it’s up to you.” She twisted open her cup and drank hot water. These past few days, she had been sensitive to cold, feeling chilly even in an air-conditioned room. Jiang Chengyu told her this was normal in early pregnancy.

Chu Ran wanted to try her luck and see if her taste aligned with Qin Xing’s. Shen Tang’s phone rang; it was Jiang Chengyu. Chu Ran silently drank her lemonade, almost choking on the public display of affection between Shen Tang and Jiang Chengyu.

Shen Tang hung up the phone, picked up her bag, and stood up. “Jiang Chengyu is coming to pick me up, he’ll be here soon. You go back to practicing your lines, I’m heading back. After you finish reading the scripts, tell me your thoughts in the group, and we can discuss them then.” This was Chu Ran’s first major film project, so choosing a script needed to be done carefully.

Chu Ran walked Shen Tang out. Earlier today, she heard some gossip from the crew that their company had just signed two new artists, not yet publicly announced. One was a young male actor with some recognition, professionally trained, good acting skills, highly adaptable, and handsome. He had quite a good public reputation. The other signed artist was a rising female star who gained attention through a self-directed and self-produced short film. She was also a campus beauty, talented and beautiful. A sophomore in the performing arts department, she had a face made for the big screen, highly recognizable. And she had a beautiful name: Xu Yuan (Wishing).

“Boss Shen,” Chu Ran put away her little cleverness in front of Shen Tang and spoke directly, “Did the company sign another female artist?” She wasn’t interested in male actors; in other words, male actors posed no threat to her. But Xu Yuan... inexplicably made her feel a sense of crisis. A girl who could be both cool and sweet, if she were a man, she would definitely like someone like Xu Yuan.

Shen Tang was replying to Jiang Chengyu’s message, her lips curving slightly upward. She tilted her head: “Your news is quite well-informed.” This confirmed that the company had indeed signed Xu Yuan. Chu Ran felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart, even more sour than the lemonade she had just drunk.

Shen Tang tucked her phone into her down jacket pocket, satisfying Chu Ran’s gossipy curiosity. “Qin Xing wanted to sign her, and Sister Li and I also thought she was good, so it was a unanimous decision in the end.” With proper nurturing, Xu Yuan had the potential to become the next young Best Actress. Chu Ran became even more sour, almost turning into a literal lemon.

“Is Mr. Qin also responsible for Xu Yuan’s business resources?”

Shen Tang nodded. “Most of the company’s high-quality business resources are now obtained through his connections.”

Chu Ran muttered, “Right, he has connections.” Jiang Chengyu’s car was already parked by the road, and he stood by the car door, looking in their direction. Shen Tang waved at her, signaling her to go back. Jiang Chengyu had been on a short business trip, going to Shanghai the day before yesterday and returning this afternoon. Shen Tang hadn’t seen him for two days and said she missed him, so he rushed directly from the airport to pick her up. Shen Tang no longer dared to run quickly towards him as before; Jiang Chengyu walked towards her. On the street, she hugged him.

Jiang Chengyu held her back with one hand, pinching her down jacket hood to keep it from being blown off by the wind. “Besides feeling cold, are you uncomfortable anywhere else?” Shen Tang smiled and said, “A piece of my heart was missing, and my breathing was a bit rough, but it’s all pieced together now that you’re back.”

Chu Ran watched the dog-food couple get into the car, then turned and walked towards the set. Her steps were forlorn, and she felt dispirited. Xu Yuan was single, and so was Qin Xing. Even if they got together, there was nothing wrong with it.

Chu Ran considered carefully, then sent a message to Qin Xing: [Mr. Qin, are you free tonight?]

Qin Xing: [No. Just say what you need to say.]

Chu Ran wanted to see him: [Can’t explain it clearly over WeChat.]

Qin Xing: [Then say it over the phone.]

Chu Ran insisted on meeting: [Can’t explain it clearly over the phone either.]

Qin Xing: [Then your communication skills are problematic. You won’t be able to explain it clearly in person either. Don’t waste time running back and forth. I don’t have that much free time.]

Chu Ran: “...” She endured his harsh sarcasm. [Where are you tonight? I’ll come to you, no need for you to trouble yourself.]

After almost ten minutes, Qin Xing sent her the address. It was the business club he frequented.

________________________________________

Chu Ran had her stylist do her makeup and hair, changed into her favorite long dress, and put on a new trench coat. The stylist thought she was attending an important event tonight. Chu Ran arrived ten minutes early. This club was members-only, and she didn’t frequent it, so she didn’t have a membership card and couldn’t get in. So she messaged Qin Xing and waited in the courtyard.

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Xing arrived fashionably late, coming down from the club upstairs. Since he started his business, his attire had been uniformly white shirts; he had thrown away all his previous flashy shirts, vowing to become a new person. He smelled faintly of alcohol.

Chu Ran got out of the car, gently closing the door. Qin Xing’s gaze lingered on her for two seconds. Although his heart had long grown cold, it was undeniable that after being accustomed to her stunning red-carpet moments, his eyes were still momentarily dazzled tonight.

“What is it, speak.” Clearly, he had no intention of inviting her inside the club to sit down and chat properly. He also didn’t care if she was wearing thin clothes and might be cold. Chu Ran didn’t mind. Some words were one thing when thought of, but difficult to utter when spoken aloud.

Qin Xing looked at his watch, his patience clearly running thin. Given their current tense relationship, he was perfectly capable of turning around and leaving. Chu Ran bit the bullet, “I once said to you in a fit of anger, ‘Anyone who falls for someone like you is simply blind, you should save your money for those who fall for you to see an eye doctor.’ Do you still remember that?”

Qin Xing sneered, “So you came all this way just to tell me this?”

“Of course not.” Chu Ran looked flustered, stammering, “I wanted to tell you that... I’ve also become one of those blind people. Will you take me to see an eye doctor?”

“...” Her words translated to: “I like you too.”

Qin Xing glanced at her twice. “Go see an eye doctor yourself. I’m out of money; all my money was spent on other girls’ eye doctor visits.”

Chu Ran: “...”