Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Wen Di searched all around and finally spotted Qin Xing in a corner. His phone was pressed to his ear, his voice hushed as he talked to someone.
She stood still, patiently waiting for him to finish.
Qin Xing looked up, saw Wen Di holding flowers and chocolates, said goodbye to Yan Heyu, and ended the call.
“Your two cousins are remarkably thoughtful,” he said, walking toward Wen Di.
Wen Di was enveloped by the fragrance of lilies. Her cousins probably worried that pink roses and eustomas wouldn’t be fragrant enough, so they specifically asked the florist to add two lilies to the bouquet.
“They were afraid no one would send me roses and chocolates.” It was to comfort her over her breakup.
She and Qin Xing went to the parking lot together.
Qin Xing joked, “Are you still afraid of not receiving roses? Just accept any suitor’s WeChat request, and I guarantee you’ll receive Louis XIV roses tomorrow or the day after.”
He then quickly explained, “I’m not telling you to accept anyone.”
The two got into the car and headed for the hotel.
Qin Xing wanted to chat casually with Wen Di, but perhaps because of a guilty conscience, he always hesitated before speaking, even with a joke, fearing Wen Di would misunderstand him.
This feeling was tormenting.
“Just say what you want to say,” Wen Di noticed his discomfort.
Qin Xing: “You don’t understand the difficulty of surviving in the cracks.”
So, he decided to speak frankly with Wen Di.
“Brother Yan wants to visit my set. I want to be a good person to both sides, but it’s not realistic.”
Wen Di understood his predicament and reassured him, “Even if you don’t let him come, if he wants to, you can’t stop him.”
Qin Xing was immensely grateful. “You’re still the reasonable one.”
He could now understand Assistant Kang’s feelings. Assistant Kang had once said there was no one more reasonable in the world than Wen Di.
Wen Di opened her bag and took out a book to read.
Qin Xing glanced at the cover. It was the English version of A Year in Provence that Yan Heyu had asked him to give to Wen Di.
A few days ago, he had mixed this book in with the more than fifty old books Yuan Yuan had found. Wen Di picked two of them, and one of them was the book Yan Heyu had chosen for her.
Wen Di read a few pages, then took out a pencil case from her bag. It contained every kind of pen, more comprehensive than her collection when she was in school.
She found a pencil and, as she read, translated her favorite sentences into Chinese below them.
Qin Xing asked her what kind of love story the book told.
“It’s not a story. It’s the daily life of the author and his wife in Provence, a healing read.”
Qin Xing nodded, having thought she only liked to read romance novels.
Wen Di said, “I read a wide variety of books, based on feeling and first impression.”
Then Brother Yan should be someone who could feel what she felt.
Qin Xing’s phone vibrated with a message. Zhou Mingqian asked them where they were.
He looked at the buildings outside. [Five minutes away.]
The launch banquet was in the hotel’s fifth-floor ballroom. By the time they arrived, most of the guests had already gathered.
Wen Di and Qin Xing sat at the main creative team’s table. The atmosphere at the table was initially subdued, as the main actors weren’t very familiar with each other.
Gu Heng, who played the character authorized by Xiao Donghan in the drama, had been immersed in the script for over a month. Even before filming began, he already felt a bit in character.
He wasn’t familiar with Yin Ziyu, who played the female lead, and even less familiar with Tan Moxing, who played the male lead.
He and Tan Moxing, in terms of both acting skills and achievements, had always been fated to be compared. In private, the two had no personal connection.
Gu Heng was willing to take on this role purely because of the script and character design, and Tan Moxing probably was too.
Yin Ziyu was a newcomer. Since her debut, she had only filmed one drama, playing an obscure character, but Wen Di was optimistic about her and insisted on her playing the female lead.
If they hadn’t known that Wen Di invested in this drama, they would have thought Yin Ziyu was brought in with capital.
Yin Ziyu felt even more pressured after meeting the two award-winning actors.
Ever since the cast of Behind Desire was officially announced, various doubts and criticisms had flooded in. Some even implied that Gu Heng and Tan Moxing had taken a lot of money to elevate a nineteen-tier actress.
Wen Di sat next to Yin Ziyu, noticing her nervousness. “With your looks and acting skills, what are you afraid of?”
Yin Ziyu sighed, smiling. “Only you think I have acting skills.”
“Then let everyone see that you have acting skills.” Wen Di took two chocolates from her bag and gave them to her. “Share my good luck.”
“Thank you.” Yin Ziyu had been studying the script for over a month, re-reading it repeatedly. Each time, she gained new insights. She discussed one scene with Wen Di. “Sister Wen Di, I think my character should have had admiration mixed with caution towards Teacher Tan at that time, and unconsciously developed a tiny bit of fondness, but she was also very conflicted and forced herself to suppress it.”
After all, they were competitors. Developing feelings would be digging her own grave.
Wen Di looked at her. “Are you sure you felt your complex emotions towards Tan Moxing in that scene?”
“I didn’t feel it before,” Yin Ziyu said. “Last night, when I was re-reading it repeatedly and immersed myself, I felt it.”
Wen Di said, “Then keep immersing yourself. Even if someone tells you outright, if you haven’t experienced that feeling, you won’t be able to act it out.”
She raised a glass to Yin Ziyu, giving her a little encouragement.
The launch banquet didn’t break up until eleven o’clock.
Wen Di returned to the hotel. After bathing, she leaned against the headboard, reading.
During her university summer vacation, she had lived in Provence for a while. The places she visited could be found in the book, and she recalled her past travels as she read.
Her phone rang. It was Xiao Donghan’s number.
She guessed he would call her, because before they broke up, he had said he wanted to visit the set. Now, it was obviously inappropriate. If he came again, the Xiao family would misunderstand.
She answered, and his first words were, “May the filming go smoothly.”
Wen Di smiled. “Thank you. It’s going quite well.”
“I originally wanted to come see you.”
“I’ve received your good intentions. You don’t need to make a special trip.”
Xiao Donghan asked her how it felt to be a boss.
“A bit tiring, but very fulfilling. Every day, I think about doing a good job so the money doesn’t go to waste.”
Xiao Donghan chatted with her for a few more lighthearted moments, urged her to go to bed early, and then ended the call.
During the call, Kang Bo’s message came in.
[Wishing you great success on your launch, and everything goes smoothly. This is my personal wish.]
Wen Di still trusted Kang Bo; he had never abused her trust: [Thank you.]
Kang Bo didn’t say anything more. He sent this message without his boss knowing, hoping it would earn his boss a little goodwill with Wen Di.
________________________________________
Yan Heyu arrived as scheduled on the third day of filming.
The scenes for Behind Desire during this period were all shot in an office building. Qin Xing was smoking in the smoking area when his assistant Yuan Yuan came to find him, saying Yan Heyu was waiting for him in the lounge.
Qin Xing had just taken a puff of his cigarette. He cursed a bit under his breath, but still had to go.
He stubbed out his cigarette, grabbed his phone, and went to find Yan Heyu.
“Brother, ‘in a couple of days’ doesn’t really mean just two days,” Qin Xing gave up on him.
Yan Heyu was reading the script for Behind Desire. He looked up and glanced at him. “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. I never said three days.”
He put down the script and asked, “Where’s Wen Di?”
“On set.” Several scenes this afternoon were in the conference room, and Wen Di was there too.
Yan Heyu picked up the script again. “Then I’ll wait here for her to finish.”
Qin Xing had other things to attend to, leaving him alone in the lounge.
He didn’t tell Wen Di that Yan Heyu was there.
Throughout the afternoon, Wen Di didn’t return to the lounge.
________________________________________
Towards evening, Wen Di came to get water with her cup.
Yuan Yuan approached her.
Yuan Yuan was holding a bouquet of flowers and picked one out for her. “Sister Wen Di, enjoy your day.”
“Thank you,” Wen Di said with a smile, accepting the flower.
The lounge door was ajar, and she pushed it open.
The moment her gaze met that of the person inside, the smile on her face instantly vanished.
Yan Heyu spoke first, “You’ve lost weight recently.”
“No, I haven’t,” Wen Di closed the door halfway and walked straight to the water dispenser to pour water.
“Yan Heyu,” she turned to look at him.
He had already stood up and walked to her side.
“Yes?”
Wen Di found another paper cup and poured him a glass of water.
Yan Heyu wasn’t used to drinking from paper cups, but he took it nonetheless.
“I’ve told you before, we’re impossible.” She met his gaze. “I can’t go back with you. There are too many people and things in between. I never thought of going back.”
Yan Heyu: “Then let’s not go back. Let’s move forward. I’ll be with you. In the future, there will be no one else between us.”
Wen Di remained silent, picking up her water cup and drinking.
Yan Heyu understood that her mind was made up.
“The past, before today, I’ve let go.” He pointed to the windbreaker on the sofa, and then to the shirt and watch on his own body. “They’re all new. For the two and a half years we were separated, everything I used was still what you gave me back then. Now everything has been replaced.”
People passed by the lounge door from time to time, their footsteps hurried.
It wasn’t convenient for them to talk.
Yan Heyu finished the warm water in the paper cup. “Let’s find a place for coffee. Let me think about how I’m going to let go.”
Wen Di put the lid back on her cup. This last cup of coffee, she’d treat him.
Yan Heyu picked up his suit jacket, told her his license plate number, and went downstairs first.
Wen Di greeted Zhou Mingqian, took her bag from her assistant, and went downstairs to find Yan Heyu.
His car was parked in front of the building. Fearing she might get into the wrong car, she specifically glanced at the license plate number. It was correct.
She opened the back seat door. Yan Heyu was sitting in the driver’s seat. He looked back and said, “I’m driving.”
Wen Di closed the car door and sat in the front passenger seat.
There was a coffee shop across the road, but Yan Heyu said he wanted to go to his usual one, where the coffee was good.
Wen Di didn’t know which one or where it was. She didn’t ask.
The car was too quiet; it felt like only their breathing could be heard.
She opened her bag and took out the unfinished A Year in Provence to continue reading.
Yan Heyu glanced at the person beside him from time to time. He and Wen Di were now like strangers, and she was reading the book he had chosen for her.
He put on some light music.
Wen Di read dozens of pages, then suddenly everything went dark. She looked out the window; the car was entering an underwater tunnel.
With insufficient light, she put the book back in her bag.
The car sped on; neither of them broke the silence.
The car interior was dark, and their outlines were somewhat blurred.
For a moment, Wen Di felt a little disoriented, as if the car was lost in the tunnel.
Yan Heyu lowered the music. “If you want to read, turn on the dome light.”
“No need.”
She looked straight ahead, feeling like a long time had passed, but still couldn’t see the end of the tunnel.
“Wen Di.”
“Hmm?”
“How’s Wen Wen doing recently?”
“She’s fine, same as before, mostly playing in the study.”
Yan Heyu nodded slightly, telling Wen Di that he would be going to Jiangcheng in October for the GR Summit and wanted to see Wen Wen then.
That little ragdoll that once called him ‘Papa,’ he sometimes thought about her too.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The light in the car was poor, making her expression unclear. “There probably won’t be another chance to see Wen Wen in the future. I’ll stay for a short while and then leave; I won’t bother Grandpa Wen for too long.”
“Why bother?”
“If it’s inconvenient, I won’t go.”
Yan Heyu didn’t force it.
Finally, he saw the tunnel exit ahead, bringing light.
The journey had been dark, and time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Wen Di took out the book again. She hadn’t read many pages before the car stopped in front of a coffee shop.
It was a small coffee shop. Yan Heyu ordered two black coffees and another cup of warm water for himself.
Wen Di thought he just wanted her to accompany him for one last coffee, so she didn’t say much, didn’t ask if he had anything more to say to her.
She held her coffee cup, continuously looking out the coffee shop window.
People passed by the window: girlfriends pushing and shoving each other, young couples holding hands and talking face to face.
One cup of coffee later, it was dark outside.
Wen Di put down her coffee cup and looked at Yan Heyu. “I’ll go back by myself; you don’t need to drive me.”
Before she stood up, Yan Heyu said, “I’ve found a way to convince myself to let go.”
“Tell me.”
“You write down twenty places you want to travel to, and I’ll go find you.”
Wen Di asked him to elaborate.
“I won’t bring a phone, and I won’t let anyone help me. You find someone to follow me, that way I can prove I’m not cheating.”
Yan Heyu had already thought about it when they were in the tunnel. “You randomly choose one of the twenty places to play for seven days, and I’ll pick one of those twenty places where I think you’ll go, and then I’ll go find you. I lost you once; I want to find you again.”
He looked into her eyes: “If I find you, give me a chance. Not a chance to get back together, but a chance for us to get to know each other again.”
What Wen Di wanted to know was, “What if you don’t find me?”
Yan Heyu: “I’ll never bother you again.”
“Will you keep your word?”
“Everything I’ve promised you, I’ve done.”
Wen Di also wanted a complete end to this. He should move on, not remain as he was now.
She took out a notebook and pen from her bag.
Yan Heyu had only one request, “Write what’s truly in your heart.”
If she wrote aimlessly, he wouldn’t be able to guess at all.
Wen Di thought about places she recently wanted to revisit or places she had planned to go but hadn’t yet.
Yan Heyu said, “First, write down twenty places you want to go for me. As for where you actually go, you can decide randomly; you don’t need to think about it now.”
Wen Di had travel plans before, intending to visit the Sahara again after finishing Behind Desire.
She also wanted to visit Iceland again.
Reading A Year in Provence these past few days had brought back memories of her past travels, and she wanted to see Provence again.
The Cliffs of Moher were also a possibility.
She also wanted to visit Lhasa.
After breaking up with Yan Heyu, her grandparents recommended Yunshu Village to her. She had always wanted to go, but didn’t feel like it at the time.
The more she thought, the more places came to mind. She stopped writing and counted how many she had written. She had written one too many, so she crossed out the last one.
Yan Heyu asked, “Are you done writing?”
“Yes,” Wen Di took a picture of the place names she had written and tore off the paper to give him.
Twenty places, ten domestic, ten international.
Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres were included.
“For overseas, I’ll have my dad find someone to follow you then; it’s easier for them to get visas. Domestically, let my older cousin go with you. Let’s set it for the National Day holiday; it’s a good chance for him to travel.”
Wen Di assured him she wouldn’t cheat either. “I’ll decide where to go a day in advance and send it to my other email address. I won’t change it. After sending the email, I’ll immediately notify Assistant Kang, and then you can decide which place to go.”
She told him her older cousin’s WeChat ID. “Add him. If you decide to go domestically, you can contact him then. You already have my dad’s contact information.”
Wen Di called for the waiter to pay the bill. After paying, she took her bag and stood up. “You don’t need to see me off. I want to walk by myself and then call my dad.”
Yan Heyu had already picked up his car keys, then put them back down.
Leaving the coffee shop, Wen Di walked forward, facing the river breeze.
She told her father about her bet with Yan Heyu, including the twenty places she had written down.
Wen Changyun: “He still hasn’t given up?”
“No. He came to visit the set again today. Dad, I can’t give him hope, and I don’t want to trap him or cause trouble for those around me, so I agreed to his last request.”
“Have you decided where to go?”
“No. I want to go to all of them, but I haven’t decided where.”
“Then Yan Heyu’s chances of finding you are basically zero.” Twenty places, that’s too many.
Even if he gets incredibly lucky and chooses the same place as Wen Di, if they depart at different times, and each place has many attractions and different travel routes, it’s almost impossible for them to meet.
“Dad, I’m going to trouble you again.”
“Oh, you child, still being so polite with your dad. It’s good for you to get out and relax too. No matter what, don’t put too much pressure on yourself with Behind Desire.”
Wen Di chatted with her father for a while longer. After hanging up, she told her older cousin about her agreement with Yan Heyu.
Older cousin: [Entrusted by someone, fulfilling a duty. Don’t worry.]
________________________________________
The night before his departure, Yan Heyu left the company early.
His mother and sister were home today. He would be away for seven days and, crucially, wouldn’t have his phone, so they wouldn’t be able to reach him. Therefore, he told them about it.
Ye Minqiong sighed repeatedly in her heart after seeing the twenty places Wen Di had written.
Yan Heyan also leaned over to look, and her eyes widened in astonishment after finishing.
These weren’t just two places where a 50/50 bet could be made.
Twenty places. Even if twins were choosing, they might not pick the same one.
“Brother, how confident are you?”
“They’re all places she wants to go.”
“...Then are you crazy? Why did you have to say twenty?”
Yan Heyu: “If I said fewer, she wouldn’t give me this chance.”
This was also his only chance.
The stalemate between him and Wen Di, no matter how much he pursued her, couldn’t be broken. If it continued, it would cause her distress. This was the only path left.
Yan Heyan sat beside Yan Heyu, trying to give him some confidence. “I’ll help you choose too.”
“No need.”
Yan Heyu chatted with them while still handling work, making sure the group’s affairs were arranged. For seven days, he wouldn’t be able to access a computer or phone.
Yan Heyan asked, “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.” He was waiting for Assistant Kang’s message.
Ye Minqiong comforted her son, “It’s good. Whatever the outcome, you’ve tried, and you won’t have regrets later.”
She still held a glimmer of hope, but pessimism was more prevalent.
“Heyu, what if you don’t find her?”
“Mom, I’ll find her. I don’t want anything else.”
“Then I’ll pack your luggage, Mom.”
“I’ve packed it.”
Yan Heyu’s phone vibrated with a message from Assistant Kang: [Mr. Yan, Ms. Wen just messaged me, saying she’s chosen.]
He didn’t want Wen Di to suspect him of hacking her computer, so he immediately replied to Assistant Kang: [I’m going to Provence.]
Having decided to go abroad, Yan Heyu informed his older cousin, telling him to arrange his National Day holiday freely.
He had added Wen Di’s older cousin a few days ago. The other party was not very talkative, and they hadn’t chatted much.
His older cousin replied: [I have a French visa. I was originally planning to go with my mom, but she’s busy these few months. Let’s go together.]
If Yan Heyu had chosen another place, he wouldn’t have been able to accompany him.
Assistant Kang booked tickets for his boss and older cousin for the following evening. Ye Minqiong went to see them off, picking up the older cousin from school.
The older cousin hadn’t contacted Wen Di these past few days. He didn’t know where she had gone, or where she was now, and he hadn’t asked.
When Yan Heyu got out of the car, he gave his phone to his mother.
Wearing dress pants and a shirt, he patted his pockets to show his older cousin that he had no other communication devices. “As for the suitcase, you can check it when we get to the hotel there.”
Older cousin: “I still trust you that much. It’s just my sister who no longer trusts you.”
Yan Heyu said, “She still has a little trust. She told me to send the places she wanted to go to another email. Your sister trusts you very much.”
“Hmm.”
He had mentioned to his sister once before that if given the chance, he wanted to understand what kind of person Yan Heyu was. This time, his sister fulfilled his wish.
On the plane, his older cousin asked Yan Heyu why he chose Provence.
“A hunch.”
This flight felt like an unbearable eternity.
Yan Heyu took out the script for No One Compares to You to read. After several hours, he had barely read a few pages.
He glanced at his watch, wondering where Wen Di was now.
When the plane landed, the sky was clear, the kind of blue Wen Di liked, as if it had been washed clean.
Meanwhile, in Yunshu Village, rain poured down heavily.
Wen Di was stuck in the guesthouse, unable to go out for the time being.
Yunshu Village was often rainy, with rain four or five days a week.
She sat by the window, reading A Year in Provence, with only a few pages left.
Days passed, and her cousin hadn’t contacted her. She hadn’t reached out to him either, not knowing if he had gone home or was accompanying Yan Heyu at some domestic tourist spot.
“Why did we stop?” Her cousin pushed his suitcase, looking at Yan Heyu beside him. They were at the hotel entrance.
Yan Heyu said, “I feel like I’m getting further and further away from your sister.”
“Then where do you think my sister went? The Sahara or the Cliffs of Moher? If you fly there now, it’ll definitely be too late. By the time you get there, my sister will probably have already left.”
Yan Heyu: “We can still make it back to China.”
Google Sites
Report abuse