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Time ticked by, second by second, and no one answered the phone on the other end.
A car pulled into the yard. Guan Xiangmu got out. The person by the garden was staring at his phone, not even lifting his head. Guan Xiangmu probably guessed whose number Yan Heyu was dialing.
Yan Heyu watched the time on the screen jump from over ten seconds to over twenty.
He had extinguished the cigarette he was smoking halfway through just now. He instinctively patted his coat pocket, finding no cigarettes. He suddenly remembered he had left them on the mahjong table.
Time slipped past thirty seconds.
“Beep—beep—” Still the same.
Guan Xiangmu walked up to him. “Want one?” He offered a cigarette.
“35, 36...”
Yan Heyu didn’t look at his phone or speak to Guan Xiangmu. He held the cigarette between his lips, his heart still unconsciously counting.
Guan Xiangmu didn’t waste words either. After offering the cigarette, he quickly entered the villa.
With a “puff,” Yan Heyu lit his lighter. The blue flame flickered wildly in the windy courtyard.
The wavering light illuminated a corner of the yard.
“41,” time froze at this second.
The other end was no longer the quiet “beep-beep” sound. Suddenly, laughter and noise intruded. He felt like someone who had been stranded on a deserted island for a long time and finally found a signal.
He no longer needed the lighter and let go.
The flame extinguished.
All around were colorful lights from small ground lamps, which he hadn’t noticed before.
“Brother Yan, can you hear me? It’s too noisy here. Wen Di was just boiling dumplings. It’s too loud to talk here. She’s gone to get her coat and will call you back from outside right away.”
This was Qin Xing’s voice.
Yan Heyu took the cigarette from his mouth and said, “I hear you.”
In the receiver, the clamor faded, and the phone returned to Wen Di’s hand.
She zipped her down jacket all the way up and came to the studio door.
“Hello?”
Finally hearing her familiar voice, Yan Heyu said, “I’m listening. The crew’s New Year’s Eve is quite lively.”
“Yes, it’s livelier than at home with so many people,” Wen Di said. “Happy New Year.”
It wasn’t what he had imagined: “Mr. Yan, hello, what’s this call about?”
There was no response from the phone. “Hello?” Wen Di asked, “Is the signal bad?”
“No,” Yan Heyu replied, his voice low. “The signal is fine. Happy New Year to you too.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to boil dumplings for them.”
“Nothing else. Just wishing you a Happy New Year. You go back to what you’re doing.”
With just a few words, the call ended.
Yan Heyu added a note to her number, modifying it repeatedly, finally settling on “Screenwriter Wen.”
This phone call tonight was the happiest thing that had happened to him in recent years. She was truly starting to treat him like a stranger.
Because they were going to collaborate on a script, she regarded him as a partner, giving him the courtesy he deserved.
No longer cold, no longer rejecting.
________________________________________
Back in the living room, Guan Xiangmu and Fu Yanzhou said almost in unison:
“I thought you’d go visit Qin Xing on set.”
“I thought you went to visit Qin Xing on set.”
Before Yan Heyu could speak, someone from a nearby table, who was unaware, turned around and said, “Why would he go visit Qin Xing on set? Haven’t you seen his Moments?”
Guan Xiangmu really hadn’t scrolled through Moments or checked group chats. After eating New Year’s Eve dinner at home, he rushed here to join the game. “What did he post?”
“Nothing much in the content, but he’s moved on.”
Guan Xiangmu didn’t believe it and looked at Yan Heyu.
Yan Heyu: “Moved on to the current Wen Di.”
“...No way!” They couldn’t believe it, yet inexplicably felt good about it. They had been quite emotional when they heard he was pursuing other women before.
Now, though things were different, it wasn’t bad.
Otherwise, they, the onlookers, would have been the ones left feeling unresolved.
“So, do you have hope of succeeding this time?”
“I don’t know.”
Yan Heyu picked up his car keys. “I’m going for a drive.”
Guan Xiangmu flicked his cigarette ash. “If you leave, we’re still short one.” He added, “Are you driving yourself? Haven’t had a drink?”
“No.” It was his first New Year’s Eve without a drink. During the New Year’s Eve dinner, he drank warm water. None of his relatives at home urged him to drink, thinking his stomach still hurt.
Yan Heyu started the car and left Jiang Chengyu’s house.
He hadn’t decided where to go. The car passed by his old apartment with Wen Di, then his company, and eventually drove all the way to the studio.
Parking the car, he checked his watch: 11:46 PM, less than fourteen minutes until the New Year countdown.
Turning off the engine, Yan Heyu unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned back in his seat, looking at his phone.
Yan Heyan asked him: [Bro, did you go to see Wen Di?]
[Not really.]
Yan Heyan: [So you’re near her set.]
She declared beforehand: [I haven’t had any alcohol. I’m completely sober, incredibly sober. I want to chat with you for a bit.]
[Bro, your current state isn’t good. If this continues, you’ll chase Wen Di for another three years and still not catch her. You’re destined to be dumped by her.]
Yan Heyu: [I’m adjusting.]
Yan Heyan: [Still adjusting? What year do you plan to adjust until? Until Jiang Chengyu’s kid calls you uncle? You need to let Wen Di directly feel your charming side, the side that can make her heart flutter again. Don’t let her see you and think: F***:damn it, he’s here to compensate me again.]
Yan Heyu: “...”
[Wen Di wouldn’t swear like you.]
He was sure his sister had drunk quite a bit.
Yan Heyan: [When did I ever swear?]
A series of ten furious emoji packs followed.
Yan Heyu urged her: [Go to sleep.]
He turned off his phone.
11:56 PM.
Yan Heyu started the engine again and turned around to head home.
In the rearview mirror, a figure in a white down jacket appeared. The light was dim, so the outline wasn’t clear.
He lightly pressed the brake.
Wen Di was looking down, trying to hail a taxi. It was difficult to get a taxi at this location and time.
She looked back behind her. Yuan Yuan hadn’t come out yet.
Both she and Yuan Yuan had had some drinks tonight and couldn’t drive.
Inside, they were playing cards, noisy and incessant. No one was watching TV, and no one cared when the New Year would arrive. Her card skills were average, and she wasn’t addicted to cards. The noise was giving her a headache, so she and Yuan Yuan decided to go home first.
The sound of a car approached. Wen Di looked over.
A black SUV backed up towards her. Looking at the license plate, it was very familiar.
The window slid down. “Going back?” Yan Heyu asked.
Wen Di nodded. “When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago. Just about to leave.” Yan Heyu leaned over and opened the car door. “Get in. It’s hard to get a taxi. I’ll give you a ride back.”
Still no one accepting her ride request, Wen Di exited the ride-hailing app and said, “Yuan Yuan hasn’t come out yet. She’s coming back with me. It might be a bother for you to go out of your way.”
Yan Heyu: “It’s fine.”
Half a minute later, Yuan Yuan shouted from the doorway, “Sister Wen Di, I’m not going back! General Manager Qin said my card skills are bad, and I won’t accept it. I’m going to crush him tonight.”
She waved to Wen Di, telling her to go first.
When Yuan Yuan saw it was Yan Heyu’s car, there was no way she would be a third wheel on New Year’s Eve.
Wen Di got into the passenger seat and pulled the door shut.
The New Year bells chimed.
Yan Heyu turned to her and said, “Happy New Year.”
Wen Di replied courteously, “You too.”
Their seventh year, their first New Year spent together.
Yan Heyu lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car slowly drove away.
Just now, he suddenly felt completely at ease. For the past three years, he had racked his brains in vain pursuit. Now that he was no longer obsessed, life had given him another kind of fulfillment.
He turned his face. “If you’re not sleepy, I’ll take you for a drive around the Second Ring Road. There are the fewest cars tonight.”
“It’s the middle of the night. How can I not be sleepy?”
Yan Heyu: “Then I’ll take you back.”
“You should find Qin Xing to drive around the Second Ring Road with you. He’d be interested.”
“No need. I’m not interested anymore.”
The car was very quiet.
He asked her, “What songs have you been listening to lately?”
Wen Di: “Quite a few.”
She mentioned a few song titles.
Yan Heyu unlocked his phone and handed it to her. His phone was connected to the car’s sound system, so he told her to play it herself.
Wen Di opened his playlist. Three of the songs she listened to were on his playlist, a very high overlap rate.
She switched to shuffle mode, put down her phone, and leaned back in her seat, looking out the window. After a busy day, her eyelids felt heavy.
Yan Heyu chatted with her about No One Compares to You. He had an undeveloped idea and told her, “The rental house where you experienced life in the mountain city appeared in the drama version. The movie version definitely won’t be filmed in the same place. I thought about it, you could find a suitable house in Jiangcheng that doesn’t interfere with your work on Behind Desire.”
If they found a suitable house, after renting it, it could not only allow her to re-experience the life in No One Compares to You but also serve as a filming location for the movie version.
Wen Di had also thought of this but had been too busy lately to act on it.
She turned around and looked at him. “Do you have a specific vision for the house?”
“I have a general outline. After the New Year, I’ll go with you to the old district of Jiangcheng to look.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
Yan Heyu glanced at her, then looked at the road ahead. “Working on the script is also for making money.”
Wen Di told him that after the Lantern Festival, their scenes here would be almost finished, and they would transfer directly to Jiangcheng, which would be the final stop for Behind Desire.
Yan Heyu: “I’ll come find you in Jiangcheng then.”
They talked about the script adaptation of No One Compares to You all the way until the car stopped downstairs at her apartment building.
Yan Heyu habitually reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt. His hand lifted from the steering wheel, paused in mid-air, and then, realizing something, pulled back.
They both got out of the car.
Wen Di told him to go back, no need to see her off.
Yan Heyu insisted, “It’s too late. I’ll see you to your door.”
He locked the car and followed her upstairs.
In the elevator, Yan Heyu opened his phone, then closed the screen, and then lit it up again.
His phone had been playing music the whole way, and its battery was drained, giving a low battery warning.
Taking advantage of the last bit of power, he tilted his head to Wen Di. “Add me on WeChat. It’s easier to contact. Text messages can sometimes be delayed.”
Wen Di considered for a few seconds, took out her phone from her bag, and opened the QR code for him to scan.
The signal in the elevator wasn’t very good. Yan Heyu scanned twice before it worked, but his phone suddenly went black, the battery died, and it automatically shut down.
“I’ll add you back home.”
Wen Di nodded.
The elevator stopped. Yan Heyu held the door open for her to exit first.
Wen Di turned back. “You just...” go down.
Before she finished speaking, Yan Heyu had already stepped out of the elevator.
He walked behind her, as if they were going home together late at night.
Yan Heyu stopped at the door, looking at her. “Do you have any wishes for the new year?”
Wen Di: “May the new drama sell well, and may I find inspiration again.”
His wish was the same as hers.
Yan Heyu lifted his chin slightly. “Go on in, get some sleep early.”
“Thank you for tonight.” Wen Di reminded him, “Drive safely.”
After a pause, the door closed.
The first thing Yan Heyu did when he got back to his car was to find a data cable and charge his phone.
On this New Year’s Eve, bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, he counted down to midnight with her and also re-added her on WeChat.
Their seventh year.
And also their first year.
________________________________________
Yan Heyu stayed at the old family home for the first few days of the New Year. When he got home, his mother had just returned from his grandfather’s house.
Ye Minqiong thought her son was playing mahjong at Jiang Chengyu’s house; in previous years, they would play all night.
“Why are you back so early?”
Yan Heyu took off his overcoat and said, “I didn’t play cards. I just came back from Wen Di’s place.”
Ye Minqiong smiled. “No wonder you didn’t drink tonight.”
Seeing her son in good spirits, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
Yan Heyu went to the wine cabinet and took out a bottle of wine, asking his mother if she wanted some.
Ye Minqiong waved her hand. “I drank the half-glass your sister didn’t finish. It has a strong aftertaste; it went to my head.”
“Where’s Heyan?”
“She drank too much and stayed at your grandfather’s house.”
Mentioning her daughter, Ye Minqiong sighed deeply, her head aching from annoyance.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your sister drank too much and insisted on watching TV dramas, making everyone watch with her.”
“What drama?”
“A Dream Awakes,” really not suitable for a family gathering.”
“...”
“She wouldn’t even let us skip the ending song, and she sang along.”
Yan Heyu poured half a glass of red wine, put down the bottle, took out his phone, transferred twenty thousand yuan to his sister, with the note: [New Year’s money.]
“Mom, go to bed early.”
He carried the red wine upstairs, sending Wen Di a message as he walked: [I’m home.]
Wen Di: [Okay.]
[Good night.]
After a few tens of seconds, Wen Di replied: [Good night.]
Yan Heyu tilted his head slightly and took a sip of red wine.
Seeing her “Good night,” he suddenly missed her a little.
________________________________________
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, after entertaining everyone, Yan Heyu planned to visit the old bookstore owner.
He hadn’t contacted Wen Di these past few days and didn’t know if she was busy today.
[I’m going to the bookstore this afternoon. If you’re not busy, I can introduce you to the owner.]
Wen Di had been planning to find time to visit the owner these past few days. [Then let’s go together.]
They arranged to meet at the entrance of the alley.
Yan Heyu arrived a few minutes before her, standing by the roadside waiting.
Wen Di parked her car, turned off the engine, and got out, carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers from the passenger seat.
She could have arrived a bit earlier, but buying flowers delayed her a bit.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“I just arrived.” Yan Heyu opened the trunk. He had also bought a bouquet of flowers for the owner.
Both of them had bought sunflowers.
The owner received Yan Heyu’s call. Hearing that they were at the bookstore entrance, specifically to wish him a happy New Year, he was overjoyed.
The children had kept him company for a few days, but they all had their own things to do, and the housekeepers were on holiday. He was alone in the large house, so having someone come to chat was always a joyous occasion.
“Did you two plan this?”
He accepted the two bouquets of flowers.
Yan Heyu smiled and said, “If we had planned it, we wouldn’t have bought the same flowers. Please make do with these.”
The owner: “I’m old now, I just like these flowers.”
He invited Wen Di inside.
He didn’t know the current situation of the two young people. Yan Heyu had told him about the seven-day agreement. The day after he returned from Yunshu Village, he came to sit in his shop and said he might visit less often for books in the future.
But he would still come to see him often.
Now that they appeared together again, their relationship must have eased.
The owner took them to the study. His house didn’t have a living room; apart from the dining and sleeping areas, the rest had been converted into studies for books.
He placed the two bouquets of flowers on the table where he usually read, leaning against a stack of books.
“Feel free to look around, both of you. I’ll go make you some coffee.”
He chuckled, saying he had bought a coffee machine online late last year.
Yan Heyu guessed that the coffee machine was specifically bought to entertain him, as he was the most frequent visitor there.
The owner only drank tea, fearing Yan Heyu wouldn’t be used to it.
Wen Di paused in front of the bookshelf, staring at the top row of books. She tiptoed, trying to pull one out.
“I’ll get it for you.” Yan Heyu came over in a few steps.
He asked, “Which one do you want?”
Wen Di told him the book title and said, “This version, my grandfather has always wanted to read. He heard others say it’s the best translation and has been looking for it for years.”
Yan Heyu carefully pulled out the book. It hadn’t been cleaned in a long time and had a layer of dust.
“Wait a moment.” He found a dry towel, took the book to the window, and meticulously cleaned it.
Wen Di walked over. “Do you come here often?”
“Not really. I come to sit when I have time off.”
He handed her the book.
The light by the window was good. Wen Di stood there, flipping through it.
Yan Heyu put down the towel, washed his hands, and returned, his hands in his pockets, standing beside her and looking at the book with her.
Today, Wen Di was wearing a camel coat, and Yan Heyu was wearing a dark blue coat. It wasn’t that warm indoors, so neither of them had taken off their coats.
The afternoon sun quietly shone on them.
Next to them was a desk piled with old books and two vibrant bouquets of sunflowers.
When the owner came in, he felt like he was looking at an oil painting.
Yan Heyu heard footsteps, turned around, and walked over to get the coffee.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the room, mingling with the scent of books.
Wen Di showed the cover to the owner. “I found a treasure here at your place.”
The owner said, “It’s not the kind of book someone your age would usually like.”
“My grandfather loves it. He’s been looking for it for years.”
“Then give it to your grandfather.”
The owner heard from Yan Heyu that Wen Di’s grandfather also had a study of nearly three hundred square meters. “When I have a chance, I’ll visit your house to see it.”
Wen Di warmly welcomed him, “Let’s wait until spring, when the weather is warmer and Jiangcheng’s scenery is also beautiful.”
The old man and the young woman, having just met for a little over ten minutes and barely exchanged a few words, already arranged a time to visit Jiangcheng.
The owner said, “I do need to get out and about. If I don’t go now, I won’t have the chance.” He mentioned Wen Di’s TV series, No One Compares to You. He had watched it all. Yan Heyu recommended it to him, and after watching two episodes, he couldn’t stop.
He and his wife’s favorite place used to be the mountain city. After retirement, they even lived there for a year.
“This drama, you wrote it well, the director directed it well, and the actors performed well. It’s truly remarkable. I haven’t watched TV in so many years.”
Wen Di closed the book. “The success of this drama is mainly due to the director and actors. They brought to life everything I imagined and even things I hadn’t.”
The owner smiled, “Mutual achievement. A clever housewife cannot cook without rice.”
They chatted happily. Yan Heyu sat with his legs crossed, sipping coffee, occasionally interjecting a remark. He noticed Wen Di wasn’t looking at the book anymore and reached out his hand.
Wen Di didn’t ask what he wanted to do, and simply handed him the book.
The owner and Wen Di continued talking, asking her what new script she was working on recently.
Wen Di took a sip of coffee, a bitter taste mixed with rich aroma.
She said, “I’m filming a business drama, it’s almost finished. Next, I plan to write the script for the movie version of No One Compares to You.”
The owner said, “Maybe I’ll still have a chance to see the movie released.”
He said, “If you need a location, you can film it here at my place.”
Wen Di was first grateful, then smiled and said, “Do you still remember there’s a bookstore in it?”
“I seriously followed the drama.”
Saying that, he also laughed.
Wen Di: “If we film here, I’ll have the director capture your back as you read, and these books, this table, and this teapot that has been with you for many years—all of it.”
The owner was silent for a few seconds. “I saw in the TV series that you also interspersed the love stories of the older generation, and they were really well-written. Another day, I’ll have my grandson find you and give you free authorization for my and my old wife’s story. If you can use it when you’re creating in the future, just write it.”
Wen Di suddenly decided, “Then I’ll make your and Grandma Zhuang’s story a subplot, writing it into the movie No One Compares to You. I hope your story will be remembered by many people. I’ll use the ‘time reversal’ method to take you back to your youth. This study will be both the end and the beginning.”
“That would be great.”
“That would be great.”
The owner said it twice.
“However,” he pointed to his head, “I can’t remember many of the old things very clearly, nor recall the details. I won’t be much help to you.”
Wen Di: “This whole room of books is the details.”
The owner suddenly remembered. He stood up, supporting himself on the edge of the table. “I have letters. They’re all kept there. I’ll find them for you to see.”
It wasn’t until sunset that Wen Di had read only a third of all the letters.
She said she would come back another day to continue reading.
Leaving the bookstore, it was already dark.
Yan Heyu asked her what she wanted for dinner.
Wen Di: “I’m going back to the crew. I haven’t been there all day.”
Yan Heyu opened the driver’s side door for her. “When you get back to Jiangcheng, call me.”
Wen Di nodded.
Yan Heyu waited for her car to drive off, then got into his own car and instructed Kang Bo to schedule a week for him in Jiangcheng this month.
________________________________________
After the Lantern Festival, Wen Di returned to Jiangcheng.
The crew was transferring in two days. Qin Xing came with her in advance to coordinate filming locations and sightsee.
The night she returned, the house felt like a holiday. Her grandparents prepared a lavish dinner for her. Her parents and second aunt didn’t work overtime and came back to eat with her.
Her absence from the New Year’s Eve dinner this year had made her grandmother sad. Seeing that she had lost weight, she felt even more heartache.
“You’ve lost several pounds. Make sure to get some good rest at home during this time.”
Wen Qizhen interjected, “Mom, you don’t know the joy of losing weight. I want to lose weight too, but I’m so busy I haven’t lost even an ounce.”
Grandma completely ignored Wen Qizhen and kept serving Wen Di food.
Wen Changyun felt that his daughter was in good spirits and state after returning this time. “If you’re not busy tomorrow, our family can go watch a movie.”
“Sure, but it has to be at night. I need to look for a house during the day.”
“Look for what kind of house?”
“To film the movie version of No One Compares to You.”
Just as she was speaking, her phone vibrated.
Yan Heyu replied to her message: [Okay, see you at two o’clock then.]
She had messaged him after getting off the plane, telling him she had arrived in Jiangcheng and would be looking at houses tomorrow afternoon. She sent the message over three hours ago, and he was only replying now.
Yan Heyu sent another one: [I just got off the plane.]
________________________________________
The next afternoon, just before two o’clock, Yan Heyu was waiting for her at a coffee shop in the old district.
Wen Di parked her car and walked over to him. He came out with a packaged coffee.
Yan Heyu wasn’t familiar with the area. “Driving or...?”
“Walking. It’s too narrow inside, no parking, and some places even cars can’t pass.”
He hadn’t expected such an opportunity to lead them to explore Jiangcheng together.
Wen Di cupped the hot coffee in her hands to warm them, leading him into the narrow alleyways.
This was the most vibrant and authentic part of Jiangcheng.
Yan Heyu walked on the windward side, shielding her a bit from the wind.
Wen Di pointed ahead: “There’s one around the left turn. A few years ago, I passed by here and felt it was somewhat what I imagined, but something was missing. You can take a look later. If it’s not suitable, we’ll look for another one. If we really can’t find a suitable house and courtyard, we’ll have to go to the mountain city.”
The landlord was already waiting for them there and led them into the courtyard.
Yan Heyu asked, “Is there a bicycle shed?”
Landlord: “Yes, a few square meters. It’s currently filled with stuff.”
Yan Heyu went to the shed first to see if it met the requirements. Perhaps some modifications would be needed inside.
After checking the shed, Yan Heyu told Wen Di, “It’s fine, no major changes needed.”
Wen Di: “Mainly the house upstairs.”
The house’s staircase was outside, which was a unique feature of this building.
Yan Heyu walked ahead. Wen Di called out to him, “Wait a moment.”
He turned around. “What’s wrong?”
Wen Di said, “You got some white dust on your coat.”
Yan Heyu slapped his hand on it. He must have accidentally brushed against a white wall in the shed.
He didn’t brush it off completely.
Wen Di patted it a few times for him, but a white mark remained.
She took out a wet wipe from her bag and helped wipe it clean.
Yan Heyu turned to look at her, his heart skipping a few beats.
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