#49:There Is a Crack in Everything...

Wen Di’s cold lingered for a week, not quite gone. From the previous excruciating headaches, she now felt clearer and lighter, no longer having that muddled sensation.

She hadn’t had a persistent high fever, so she hadn’t gotten injections or taken medicine, relying entirely on hot water.

Yuan Yuan prepared five or six kinds of fruit for her today, telling her to replenish her vitamins.

Wen Di couldn’t eat that much, so she shared them with Yuan Yuan.

Yuan Yuan wasn’t fond of sour fruits, but for her skin, she sat down and ate with Wen Di. “Sister Wen Di, if I had half your endurance, I wouldn’t have to take medicine every time I catch a cold. If two days of medicine don’t help, I can’t stand it and immediately get an IV drip.”

Wen Di smiled, making fun of herself. “I’m just used to it. It’s not about endurance, it’s like how slow I eat.”

Speaking of slow eating, Yuan Yuan sighed. She had finished four kiwi slices, while Wen Di had just finished one. If she could eat gracefully, maybe she could lose another two catties.

________________________________________

Yin Ziyu’s scenes were finished. She put on her coat and came over to join the fun.

The fruit platter was on a folding stool, conditions were simple, and a few people sat around, chatting and laughing. Only on set could they enjoy such a relaxed moment.

Yuan Yuan said, “Today’s kiwi is okay, not sour.”

Yin Ziyu thought no kiwi was ever sour, perhaps her understanding of sourness was different from Yuan Yuan’s.

Wen Di noticed the heavy dark circles under Yin Ziyu’s eyes; even with thick makeup, they weren’t completely covered, still visible upon closer inspection.

Yin Ziyu covered them with her hand. “Boss Wen, stop looking. I know I’m useless.”

Yesterday, Changqing Entertainment’s charity auction was held in Shanghai. Wen Di took her there, and they walked the red carpet together. Afterward, Wen Di also arranged for trending topics.

More people liked her than before, but negative news also surged in like the tide.

She told herself not to pay too much attention to online comments, but she couldn’t help looking. Her makeup and fashion sense from two years ago, which were a bit unfashionable, had now become negative material and a source of ridicule.

After reading them, she completely lost sleep.

“There are also many people digging into who my sugar daddy is.”

Yuan Yuan joked, “It turns out it’s not a sugar daddy, it’s a ‘Golden Sister.’“

Wen Di laughed, echoing, “Oh no, my secret of being a rich sister is almost out.”

She took a bite of a fresh lemon slice and told Yin Ziyu that it tasted good, with a hint of sweetness in the sourness and bitterness.

Yin Ziyu understood what Wen Di wanted to convey through the lemon. She tasted a few slices, enduring the sourness as she ate them.

“Teacher Gu’s scene is finished. I’m going to find him to rehearse.” She stood up. “Boss Wen, I will adjust myself.”

Yuan Yuan tilted her head. “Why are you calling Sister Wen Di ‘Boss Wen’ today?”

“She’s my sugar daddy.”

Yuan Yuan burst out laughing.

Wen Di, facing Yin Ziyu’s retreating back, suddenly remembered a quote. “Ziyu, I’ll give you a famous quote by Leonard Cohen.”

Yin Ziyu turned around and asked, “What is it?”

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

“I’ve got it.” Yin Ziyu sighed and went to rehearse with Gu Heng. A month and a half after filming began, she finally dared to actively seek out the two film emperors for rehearsal.

Yin Ziyu went off to rehearse, leaving Yuan Yuan quite busy here. She wanted to find a pen to record what Wen Di had just said. After finally finding a pen in her bag, she realized she had no paper.

Wen Di looked at Yuan Yuan. “What are you rummaging through?”

“I remember I had sticky notes in my bag, but I don’t know where they went.”

“I have some here.” Wen Di’s oversized bag contained everything, like a treasure chest.

She took out four types of sticky notes and let Yuan Yuan choose freely.

Yuan Yuan chose the somewhat romantic and somewhat cool blue one. She asked Wen Di to repeat the quote and the name, as she wanted to write it down for herself.

“Sister Wen Di, I also want to read more books in the future. I find it so miraculous. Sometimes, things you couldn’t figure out for months, or even years, and felt a bit disheartened about, often become very moving because of a single sentence.”

She wasn’t even sure what she was moved by.

Wen Di lent her the finished A Year in Provence from her bag. “Aren’t you taking English lessons recently? Try reading the original. If there are parts you really can’t understand, buy a Chinese version to compare.”

Yuan Yuan accepted the book. “I’ll ask you if I don’t understand anything.”

She told Wen Di not to worry, she would take good care of the book.

They hadn’t finished their fruit when the smell of hotpot wafted through the studio.

Today, the crew was having a special meal: lamb hotpot for everyone. The logistics team had bought ingredients from the market early in the morning.

With limited tables and chairs, they had to eat in shifts.

Wen Di, Zhou Mingqian, and others ate together, seven or eight people crowded around a small table.

Yin Ziyu said something felt missing recently but couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

Gu Heng said, “There are no flowers on the table.”

Everyone suddenly realized.

Since the filming began, there had been different fresh flowers in the crew every day.

In the lounge, on the dining tables—wherever flowers could be placed without hindering filming—there would be flowers in cups or mineral water bottles.

Everyone knew that Qin Xing ordered the fresh flowers, saying that having flowers would uplift their spirits.

Suddenly, no more orders. No one knew why.

Zhou Mingqian looked at Qin Xing. “Are you short on cash recently?”

Qin Xing: “...You understand me best.” He laughed himself.

He gave Wen Di a rather guilty glance.

Wen Di caught his gaze and guessed what was going on. It turned out that all those flowers for so long were ordered and sent by Yan Heyu, just for her to glance at.

________________________________________

After dinner, Qin Xing went to the lounge to find Wen Di.

Wen Di was pondering the script. When he entered, she just looked up at him.

Qin Xing actively poured Wen Di a cup of hot water and sat down opposite her.

He confessed about the flowers, including how he had Yuan Yuan specifically pick out one flower for her each time.

What more could Wen Di say? “It’s all in the past.”

“Yes,” Qin Xing felt completely at ease. Now he no longer had to be a wavering fence-sitter, no longer needing to survive in the cracks. Wen Di and Yan Heyu’s seven-day travel agreement not only brought him relief but also allowed Yan Heyu to let go of the past and get back on track.

As for Wen Di, even Zhou Mingqian said she was in good spirits, slowly finding the emotions that the characters in the script should have.

They had both experienced heartbreak and were now traveling light.

With the past behind them, Qin Xing chatted with her about work.

They were scheduled to transfer to Manhattan in late November for about two or three weeks of filming, requiring prior coordination of locations.

Qin Xing said, “I’ll go there next week.”

Wen Di looked up from the script. “I’ll go with you.”

“That would be best. You know which locations can best recreate the scenes you want.”

Qin Xing asked Yuan Yuan to book their flight for next Friday.

Wen Di’s phone rang. It was her mother’s call. Qin Xing told her to take the call and left, closing the door behind him.

Zhao Yueling called her daughter to ask for a favor. Their university class monitor’s daughter had given birth to twins, and the full moon banquet was this Saturday.

She was on a business trip abroad and couldn’t return for now.

For such an important friendship, it wasn’t appropriate to have a company employee deliver the red packet. Back when her daughter’s first film as a screenwriter was released, the class monitor booked out a theater and invited relatives and friends to watch. Some favors cannot be repaid by simply giving a larger sum of money.

That’s why when his daughter got married, she traveled all the way there.

Wen Di readily agreed. “No problem.”

She asked her mother which hotel in Beijing. She remembered her mother specifically going to Beijing for the wedding, and also saying the wedding was particularly grand.

It felt like it was only a short while ago, but unexpectedly, three years had passed.

Zhao Yueling: “It’s in Shanghai, not too far from your set. If the full moon banquet were in Beijing, I wouldn’t ask you to run over there either.”

The class monitor’s daughter and her husband’s company was in Shanghai, so she had her confinement in Shanghai and also held the banquet there. The class monitor didn’t invite many people, only close friends and old classmates.

She specifically asked the class monitor if Ye Minqiong was invited, and the class monitor said it wouldn’t be good to make someone travel so far.

Once the social circles become too different, it’s indeed hard to ask.

If you invite, you fear people won’t come, which is very awkward.

Zhao Yueling said she would immediately send her the hotel and banquet hall details for the full moon banquet, then hung up.

Wen Di glanced at the hotel name; it was also very close to where she lived.

________________________________________

“Not having another one in Beijing?” Yan Hongjin asked his wife.

Their family was also discussing the class monitor’s daughter’s baby’s full moon banquet.

Ye Minqiong shook her head; she hadn’t heard anything. The class monitor’s family was all in Shanghai taking care of their daughter and the baby, so they wouldn’t specifically return to hold a banquet just to collect gifts.

She learned from the alumni group that a full moon banquet was being held in Shanghai this Saturday for twin babies, which made the class monitor overjoyed, seemingly years younger.

“His relationship with Zhao Yueling has always been good, and his daughter and son-in-law’s company has business dealings with Yunhui Group, so he must have invited Zhao Yueling.”

Ye Minqiong said, “I’ll take Heyu with me.”

Yan Hongjin stared at his wife, not understanding what she meant.

Ye Minqiong explained, “Heyu made a mistake; he needs to face it. He needs to show his attitude and perform well.”

Yan Hongjin became more and more confused as he listened. If he remembered correctly, this matter was closed. That night, his daughter called him, sobbing, blaming him for not figuring something out.

This was truly unreasonable; what could he do?

“Isn’t it over? What ‘performance’ is Heyu still talking about?”

Ye Minqiong: “Wen Di has given him a chance, or rather, not exactly a chance. To her, Heyu is a stranger now, not on her blacklist, but not on her whitelist either. It all depends on whether he and Wen Di have fate in the future.”

Yan Hongjin still didn’t quite understand. He turned off the TV and asked his wife, “Are you taking him to meet the parents?”

“Meet what parents? He caused such a big stir in Jiangcheng these past few years. Both GR financial forums were held in Jiangcheng, contributing to the park and Jiangcheng. Secretary Liang even specifically entrusted Wen Changyun and Zhao Yueling to host them well. It’s awkward not to host them, and uncomfortable to host them, putting them under immense pressure.”

His pursuit of her was no longer just his own business; it had caused too much trouble for many people around them.

Before, no amount of persuasion worked, until he failed to find Wen Di in Yunshu Village, finally letting go of his obsession.

Ye Minqiong said, “He bothered Wen Changyun and Zhao Yueling for two years, making them suffer in silence. Shouldn’t he apologize properly?”

Yan Hongjin nodded. “An apology is due.”

But saying Wen Di gave him a chance seemed a bit unreliable.

“Heyu told you this?”

“Yes. Wen Di has written off the past. She wants to move forward, not be constantly entangled by the past, and she doesn’t need Heyu’s remorse or compensation.”

It just depends on whether Heyu can move Wen Di again.

These were things she couldn’t help her son with.

If there was fate, they would meet somehow. If there was no fate, even if they went to Yunshu Village together, they would still miss each other.

Yan Hongjin’s expression was serious. He always felt that perhaps his son’s obsession was too deep; he said he had let go, but in his heart, he hadn’t at all, so he kept implying to himself that Wen Di treating him as a stranger and forgiving all his past actions meant Wen Di was giving him a chance.

He said to his wife, “Why don’t you find him a psychologist for intervention?”

Ye Minqiong: “...”

She blinked.

Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure if her son’s so-called chance was really a chance.

“Are you two going to start discussing which doctor to book for me?”

Yan Hongjin and Ye Minqiong both turned around. Their son was coming down the stairs.

Yan Hongjin looked at his watch. “I thought you’d gone back.”

Their son had come home for dinner tonight. After dinner, they hadn’t seen him and didn’t realize he was upstairs.

Yan Heyu had a video conference in the study and planned to return to his own apartment, but then he heard his father talking about finding a psychologist for him.

He opened the chat with his older cousin and handed his phone to his mother.

Ye Minqiong read it, then handed it to Yan Hongjin.

“There’s nothing wrong with your mind; we couldn’t wish for anything more,” Yan Hongjin returned the phone to his son.

Ye Minqiong stood up. “I’ll go make you some tea.”

Yan Heyu sat down. It had been many years since he and his father had sat down and chatted like this, talking about things unrelated to work.

Yan Hongjin now spoke frankly: “I think there’s no need for you to have any more contact with Wen Di. How good would it be for you both to have your own lives? Her forgiving you isn’t because you deserve to be forgiven; it’s because she wants a complete closure with the past.”

Yan Heyu, uncharacteristically, didn’t refute him, nodding. “I know.”

He also spoke frankly: “It’s just that if you ask me to pursue her now, I don’t know how to pursue her.” He wanted to love her well, but he didn’t know where to start.

Since receiving the message from his older cousin that day, he had been pondering this question.

Until today, it remained unanswered.

________________________________________

On that Saturday, Yan Heyu accompanied his mother to the full moon banquet.

He no longer went to Jiangcheng. The branch company there was on track, with senior executives in charge.

He came to see Zhao Yueling today because he wanted to apologize in a less formal setting.

If he had specifically arranged a meeting, it would put Zhao Yueling under psychological pressure, making it difficult to either meet or not meet. After all, Yunhui Group and Jingyue Group had inseparable collaborations in Jiangcheng.

That was a strategic collaboration, decided by Yunhui Group’s board of directors, not something Wen Changyun alone could dictate. Furthermore, he couldn’t act on emotion and disregard the group’s long-term development or the vested interests of other shareholders due to his daughter’s emotional issues.

For the past two years, his relationship with Yunhui Group, and with Wen Changyun and Zhao Yueling, had been in a suppressed state.

He wanted them to see his change, yet he was unconsciously bothering them.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, his mother went to find her alumna, who was also Zhao Yueling’s class monitor.

The class monitor’s surname was Zhang. He greeted them, calling him Uncle Zhang.

He never expected to see Wen Di there.

Uncle Zhang even arranged for him and his mother to sit at the same table as Wen Di, probably thinking that since his family had a business relationship with Wen Di’s, they would get along.

Ye Minqiong could only pretend not to know their past at this moment, smiling and saying, “You’re even prettier in person.”

Wen Di politely said, “Auntie, you flatter me.”

Ye Minqiong then introduced them, “This is my son, Yan Heyu. He’s watched your dramas when he’s not busy.”

Yan Heyu extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Wen Di: “The pleasure’s mine.”

Ye Minqiong told them to chat while she went to another table to greet old classmates.

Yan Heyu pulled out a chair for her and sat down beside her.

He explained why he was there. “I came specifically to apologize to Auntie Zhao. In the future, the cooperation between our two companies will return to a rational state, and I will no longer meddle in collaborations that shouldn’t concern me. Please extend my apologies to Auntie and Uncle.”

Wen Di: “I will convey it.”

She poured herself a glass of warm water.

Yan Heyu also wanted a glass of warm water, but he didn’t let her pour it for him. He waited for her to put the glass teapot on the table before he picked it up and poured water into his own cup.

He talked about Behind Desire, mentioning that it had characters authorized by Xiao Donghan, and he knew which of Xiao Donghan’s M&A cases she was interested in.

He reminded her, “If you film it according to reality, it might not pass censorship.”

Xiao Donghan’s acquisition methods could only be discussed with relish, not presented as positive teaching material.

Wen Di nodded. “It’s been revised, and I’ve consulted with a lawyer.”

“Then there should be no problem.” Yan Heyu stopped trying to force conversation. He took out his phone and drafted a text message to his father: [Auntie Zhao didn’t come. I ran into Wen Di. Dad, I seriously considered what you said the other day about whether Wen Di and I should go our separate ways. After meeting today, I don’t want to go our separate ways. I still want to sit at the same dining table with her every day in the future. No need to reply. Don’t throw cold water on this.]

Yan Hongjin was having lunch, his phone on him. He respected his son’s every decision, but he couldn’t help but add: [You don’t need to go on business trips anymore, yet you still want to eat at the same table every day.]

Yan Heyu deleted the message, not wanting to say more.

He put away his phone and turned to Wen Di. “Do you have any paper and a pen I could borrow?”

Wen Di tore off a sticky note and found a pen for him.

Yan Heyu wrote down his two numbers, one she knew, and another, his Jiangcheng number.

“I’d like to collaborate with you on a movie, No One Compares to You.”

He handed her the sticky note and the pen.

“You bought the film rights?”

“Yes.”

Yan Heyu had originally planned to film it directly and surprise her when it premiered, but it would only be a surprise. At the time, she might have been moved, but she wouldn’t change her opinion of him because of a mere feeling of being moved.

There was another reason: he no longer wanted to secretly pursue her and cause trouble for others.

“I want to co-write this movie with you. We’ve been strangers for almost three years. You’re different from before, and so am I. Let’s get to know each other again while we work together.”

Wen Di only took her pen, returning the sticky note to him. “I remember your number, but I’ve been too busy lately to take on other work.”

Yan Heyu: “Once you’re done with Behind Desire, the director is also Zhou Mingqian. He can’t start his work until he finishes yours, so I can’t start mine either.”

He placed the sticky note next to her water cup again. “Wen Di, let’s both give ourselves a chance. The movie version and the drama version have different stories. I found a new angle.”

Wen Di was very concerned about her work. “What angle?”

“It’s that passage the female protagonist wrote in her diary.” He asked, “Do you remember it?”

Wen Di nodded. Every word of that passage was still fresh in her memory.

Yan Heyu looked at her. “Second-creating No One Compares to You is also your process of believing in love again. If you can’t immerse yourself, you definitely won’t be able to create a work you’re satisfied with. Once the new script is successfully completed, you’ll have almost regained your lost inspiration, and you’ll feel that nothing in the world compares to yourself. At that time, if you still have no feelings for me, I’ll have no regrets either, at least I’ll still have a movie.”

He extended his hand. “I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration.”

Wen Di twirled the pen between her fingers. No One Compares to You was her magnum opus, where she had taken love to its extreme, making many believe in love again.

It featured her beloved mountain city, all her favorite characters, protagonists and supporting roles, even a passerby—all so vivid.

But later, she didn’t even finish watching the drama version of No One Compares to You.

She put the pen in her bag and extended her hand. “A pleasure to collaborate.”

Yan Heyu still held it very lightly, loosely.

Wen Di put away the sticky note, but she didn’t add his contact information.

________________________________________

In early November, Wen Di and Qin Xing headed to Manhattan.

Yuan Yuan booked them a morning flight. Yesterday, Wen Di had binged watched dramas until almost dawn. Before boarding, she took melatonin, planning to adjust to the time difference on the plane so she wouldn’t be low on energy when choosing locations there.

Qin Xing’s phone vibrated with a message.

After reading it, he looked at Wen Di. “Brother Yan said his original plan was to go to Manhattan tomorrow, but he wants to move it up a day to discuss the filming locations for No One Compares to You with you on the plane.”

Wen Di: “Can’t discuss it. I’m already getting sleepy.”

Qin Xing relayed Wen Di’s message. Now, he was just a messenger; he didn’t need to be a fence-sitter whom even he despised.

Yan Heyu said: [I’ll be at the departure lounge soon.]

Qin Xing subconsciously turned to look, and a vast group of people was already approaching. Yan Heyu walked in the middle, looking down at his phone.

But his height made him stand out like a crane among chickens, easily spotted.

Wen Di rested her chin on her hand, her head heavy with drowsiness.

A dark shadow approached and sat beside her.

Yan Heyu asked, “Why didn’t you sleep well last night?”

“It’s okay.”

She responded briefly.

They were on the same flight, but their seats were a bit far apart.

Qin Xing, being self-aware, voluntarily swapped seats with Yan Heyu on the plane.

Wen Di asked for a blanket and put on her eye mask.

The plane didn’t seem to fly long before her consciousness blurred, and she quickly fell asleep.

Yan Heyu took out a book to read. When he looked again, her hand had slipped from her body to the seat.

He leaned over and covered her with the blanket.

Feeling that the place her hand was resting wasn’t very comfortable, he gently moved her hand, holding it. Unconsciously, he placed his fingers in her hand, wondering if she would still hold them.

He waited for a long time, but she had no reaction.

Yan Heyu straightened her blanket again. Regardless, thankfully, she was still by his side.

He still had a chance to slowly make his way back into her heart.