#55:The Days Without a Title Begin...

Yan Heyu initially held her hand, then switched to grabbing her wrist.

Wen Di’s left hand was still holding her ski pole. She pulled it back from his grip. “How am I supposed to ski like this?”

This meant she had agreed to ski down from the mountain top with him again.

Wen Di wasn’t doing it for him; her plan was always to ski three more times. She didn’t want to change her arrangements because of his appearance; it wasn’t easy to come here.

“Where’s Second Aunt?” Yan Heyu asked.

“I don’t know. We’re doing our own thing. We’ll meet at the exit before dark.”

Wen Di put away her snowboard and walked to the cable car, saying nothing more.

Yan Heyu walked behind her, stepping where she had stepped.

“I came two days ago.”

He voluntarily told her.

“I didn’t ask you.”

Yan Heyu said, “I’m talking to myself.”

Wen Di turned to look at him, then continued walking forward.

The moment she turned back just now, she must have been rolling her eyes, but she was wearing goggles, so he couldn’t see her expression.

Yan Heyu asked her, “How long has it been since you last skied?”

Wen Di had only been to a ski resort during the filming of the variety show Always with You, but she hadn’t enjoyed it fully and hadn’t specifically skied since.

She said, “I haven’t had time these past few years.”

Yan Heyu: “Me too. The last time I skied was with you in St. Moritz.”

Wen Di didn’t respond. He was always trying to make conversation.

From a distance, Assistant Kang confirmed that his boss had found Wen Di, so he quickly contacted travel photographers, finding two and asking them to follow the boss and specially instructing them to try to make the photos look like a couple.

The photographers were a bit puzzled.

Kang Bo: “They are husband and wife, married for seven years, and currently in a cold war.”

The photographers understood: they needed to capture the feeling of when they were dating.

As Yan Heyu and Wen Di came down the mountain, he initially followed her, then skied side-by-side, eventually overtaking her.

Wen Di was unwilling to fall behind and used all her skills to compete with him.

Chasing each other was their joy when skiing, both then and now.

Last time in St. Moritz, for their seven-day trip, they spent five days at the ski resort. They enthusiastically competed with each other, and Wen Di was determined to win him, yet she always fell short by just a tiny bit.

To keep her interested, Yan Heyu would only lose to her by a little bit each time.

Wen Di was so unwilling to concede that when they returned to the hotel, she made him sleep on the sofa.

While Yan Heyu’s mind drifted, Wen Di caught up to him.

He reined in his thoughts and went to chase her.

A drone was following him, and he figured it must be the photographer arranged by Kang Bo.

This time, Yan Heyu reached the finish line first again, just a tiny bit faster than her.

Wen Di tapped his ski pole a few times with her own, then realized they weren’t like before. She stopped her pole and told him, “You don’t need to waste time with me. Go busy yourself with your work.”

She walked toward the cable car again, planning to ski two more runs by herself.

Yan Heyu instructed her, “Go back to your accommodation early.”

Wen Di didn’t turn around, simply waved her ski pole in response.

Kang Bo arranged the follow-up photographer without seeking prior approval.

If there were any issues, he was willing to be reprimanded.

Yan Heyu said, “You pay for it yourself.”

Kang Bo smiled; his boss must be very satisfied with the photos.

Back at the hotel, Yan Heyu took numerous exciting screenshots and sent them to Wen Di in a package. He then selected a few for his WeChat Moments, each with another figure subtly appearing in the background.

In the photos, Wen Di’s figure was far behind him, not looking like a companion traveling together, but with her in every single photo, it wasn’t so simple.

His hidden agenda and subtle intentions were fully exposed when he posted them on Moments.

________________________________________

In early March, the weather in Jiangcheng warmed up.

After returning from her skiing trip, Wen Di went to the film set.

Qin Xing had already read the entire script but still couldn’t find the answer to the price war, at least it wasn’t explicitly stated in the script.

In reality, the competition between Xiao Donghan and Yan Heyu was still fierce.

Qin Xing threw the script at Wen Di and said, “You find it for me, where is it?”

Wen Di laughed, “Can’t you use your brain?”

“No, it hurts when I do,” Qin Xing ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to go bald in my middle age.”

Wen Di was speechless, and handed the script back to him.

Qin Xing was used to playing around. Besides social events, he didn’t take other matters seriously. It wasn’t that he truly didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to worry about business affairs; he was too lazy to understand them.

If he understood too much, he’d have to contribute to his own family company, which was his nightmare.

“Did Brother Yan finally find you?”

“Hmm.”

“Look at him, gloating. When he posted on Moments, he almost Photoshopped your name onto it.”

Qin Xing got up. “I’m not going to chew the fat with you anymore. I’m going to study the new script.”

“What new script?”

“Took on a new project for Yin Ziyu. Seeing if it’s suitable.”

Yin Ziyu was now signed to their film and television company and was a key talent they were cultivating.

Behind Desire was finishing in another week. Wen Di also started working on the screenplay for the film version of No One Compares to You. She had a habit of secluding herself when writing scripts.

That Saturday morning, she brought her laptop to the old district house.

Everything inside was already arranged. The two-square-meter balcony was converted into a study, and the desk she had found with Yan Heyu fit perfectly on the balcony.

She hadn’t been back to the old house since skiing.

Mrs. Huang was off today, so the main gate wasn’t locked.

Wen Di pushed the door open, and the sight before her made her pause. She thought she had walked into the wrong courtyard, quickly stepping back. But upon re-examining the house number and the distinctive iron gate, she confirmed she hadn’t made a mistake.

She opened the door again. Mrs. Huang was just carrying out quilts to hang them for drying, and greeted her with a smile: “Haven’t seen you in a long time, scared to recognize this courtyard, aren’t you?”

Wen Di smiled, “I really was.”

She walked in, casually closing the main gate.

Mrs. Huang draped a quilt over the folding drying rack and said, “The courtyard was renovated by your husband. He said he didn’t let you know in advance. They finished the work in a week. Fixing up this garden and buying those crabapple trees cost a lot of money. We wanted to pay him, to split the cost, but he refused.”

Now the courtyard looked like a small scenic spot, and watching it every day made her feel brighter.

Wen Di walked around the garden, observing it. There were also two osmanthus trees planted inside. Along the wall, there were planted Xifu crabapples, weeping crabapples, and North American crabapples.

Mrs. Huang stared at her for a moment. “You look like a celebrity.”

Wen Di just smiled and said nothing.

Mrs. Huang merely mentioned it casually, not thinking much of it, then turned back inside to fetch other quilts.

Wen Di went upstairs. The house was spotless, clean and bright.

She placed her laptop on the balcony desk, opened the window, and the downstairs garden and the crabapple trees in the courtyard were all within view.

She sat at the desk for a while, calming down, then opened her laptop and entered work mode.

In mid-April, some of the flowers in the garden bloomed, and the crabapples also blossomed. In their first year after transplanting, they didn’t bloom very profusely.

Wen Di stayed until dark every day. Mrs. Huang’s small kitchen was one of her favorite night views—simple yet incredibly warm.

Mostly, Mr. Huang would come home early, prepare something for the child, and then start stir-frying. Sometimes, Mrs. Huang would return first, and like Mr. Huang, she would tie on an apron and begin preparing dinner.

The sizzling sound of oil in the wok was one of her favorite sounds.

They were both people of few words. She rarely heard them argue; the only time they did was over tutoring their child with homework.

After a few quarrelsome sentences, they settled down.

It was raining that day, so Wen Di returned to Grandpa’s house a little early. She came downstairs with an umbrella, and Mrs. Huang happened to return.

After the electric scooter entered the courtyard, Mr. Huang, busy in the small kitchen, quickly turned off the stove and jogged into the courtyard, holding the handlebars of the scooter, telling his wife, “You go inside.”

Mr. Huang pushed the electric scooter into the back garage. The garage was small, making entry and exit inconvenient, so they usually parked their car in the courtyard to charge.

Mrs. Huang saw her coming downstairs. “The rain’s quite heavy. Be careful on the road.”

Wen Di smiled faintly: “Okay, thank you.”

Mrs. Huang shook the water off her raincoat, hung it on a hook in the hallway, and opened the door to go inside.

Wen Di had just walked a short distance from the main gate when a tall figure, holding an umbrella, came down the alley towards them.

“Wen Di.” It was Yan Heyu’s voice.

Wen Di stopped. As he approached, she clearly saw the hem of his trench coat was wet from the rain. “When did you get here?”

Yan Heyu: “Just arrived in Jiangcheng.”

He had seen the weather forecast, which predicted heavy rain in Jiangcheng for the next two days, so he arranged his work and came over.

His last visit to Jiangcheng was in mid-March, more than a month ago since he last saw her.

Wen Di said, “I have a car, and a driver too if the rain gets heavy.”

Yan Heyu told her to walk in front of him. “I’ll see you to the alley entrance.”

He accompanied her through a few hundred meters of rainy alleyway. The surroundings were quiet, with only the patter of rain on the umbrella top, and occasionally an electric scooter passing by.

At the car, Yan Heyu told Wen Di to sit in the passenger seat. “I’ll drive.”

“No need, the rain isn’t that heavy, and visibility is fine.”

“I’ll drive you back.”

They each stuck to their own point.

Unable to agree, Wen Di gave him the car keys.

Yan Heyu held his umbrella high to shield her from the rain. Wen Di closed her own umbrella, opened the car door, and got in, not getting a single drop of rain on her.

Yan Heyu walked around the front of the car to the driver’s seat, took off his trench coat, folded it twice, and placed it in the back seat.

There was rain on the back of his left hand. Wen Di pulled out a few tissues and handed them to him.

“I’ll be in Jiangcheng tomorrow too,” he told Wen Di after starting the car.

Wen Di: “Coming to the branch office for a meeting?”

“No, I’m off tomorrow.”

His words were a heads-up to her, indicating he’d be going to the old house tomorrow.

The next day at noon, Wen Di had just finished writing a scene with interaction between the male and female protagonists when there was a knock on the door, and a voice followed: “Wen Di, it’s me.”

Wen Di saved her file and went to open the door for him.

Outside, the rain poured down. He was carrying some groceries, and his umbrella was left by the outdoor sink.

Wen Di looked at the things in his hands. “Where did you come from?”

“The fresh produce supermarket. I’m going to cook lunch for you.”

“...” You came all the way from Beijing just to cook a meal for me?”

“Hmm.”

Yan Heyu placed the ingredients in the kitchen and said, “I can’t do anything complicated, but I’ll make you one dish and one soup.”

Wen Di ignored him, letting him do as he pleased. She sat back down at her desk.

Yan Heyu poured her a glass of water and brought it over. “Did you set an alarm to drink water?”

“Yes.”

Yan Heyu put down the water glass and went to busy himself in the kitchen. Before coming, he had learned from his chef at home for a few nights, barely passing the test.

On the balcony, Wen Di stopped typing, picked up her water glass, and started flipping through a book she took from the corner of the desk.

This lunch, he took two and a half hours to prepare and still wasn’t done. She almost fainted from hunger, not even having the strength to read.

At one o’clock, Yan Heyu called her for lunch.

The folding dining table was right next to the sofa; the living room also served as the dining area.

Wen Di had smelled the aroma from the balcony earlier. Coming in, she saw a plate of shredded potatoes with vinegar on the table, though they couldn’t be called “shredded” since they were cut a bit thick; they should be called “potato strips with vinegar.”

That night they had hotpot at the old house, Mr. Huang was stir-frying in the bungalow, and she guessed that dish was shredded potatoes with vinegar. He had kept it in mind.

This was Yan Heyu’s second time cooking for her. The taste was ordinary, but she ate it with great relish.

In the afternoon, Yan Heyu didn’t go out. He asked her for a book and sat in the living room reading.

During her break, he asked, “When do you think the script will be finished?”

Wen Di: “Probably by the end of May.”

________________________________________

Wen Di submitted her draft a week early, rested at home for a few days, and then flew to Beijing. By the end of this month, Behind Desire would hold its investment conference, and all the main creative personnel would be present.

Upon receiving the script, Yan Heyu printed three copies, sending one to Zhou Mingqian and mailing one each to Guan Xiangmu and General Manager Yin.

Guan Xiangmu was the largest investor in the TV series version of No One Compares to You, while General Manager Yin was Wen Di’s mentor, having invested in her first work. Both of them had decided to invest after reading Wen Di’s work. He asked them to help assess whether Wen Di had returned to her proper creative state.

Guan Xiangmu: [I’ll get back to you after reading it. Oh, by the way, the Behind Desire investment conference is next Friday.]

Yan Heyu knew that this investment conference was highly anticipated.

Guan Xiangmu: [You, the big shot in advertising sponsorships, are you going to show your support?]

Yan Heyu: [Yes, but not to show support. This drama is Wen Di’s hard work. If I inflate her value, I’d be discrediting her ability.]

Guan Xiangmu was relieved: [That’s good. I was afraid you’d get carried away and find people to help you show off for her.]

He kindly reminded him: [Jiang Zhengqian got quite a beating from you this time. Do you think he’ll just let it go?]

Yan Heyu wasn’t interested in such trivial matters. [If his memory isn’t good enough, I’ll teach him another lesson.]

Guan Xiangmu said no more. [As long as you know what you’re doing.]

On the day of the Behind Desire investment conference, Yan Heyu finished his company matters and arrived at the venue early.

Previously, he would always sit in the middle of the first row, but today he found a seat in the back corner. He came today to witness a relatively important moment in Wen Di’s life.

Jiang Chengyu also arrived at the venue and called him to ask where he was sitting.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to take a look for Tangtang.”

Yan Heyu sent his seat number to Jiang Chengyu, who quickly found him.

“Is Shen Tang on a business trip?”

“No.” Jiang Chengyu sat down and said, “The two kids cling to her every night; she can’t get away.”

He opened a video of the children and handed it to Yan Heyu: “You haven’t seen them in a few days, have you? They’ve grown a bit more. Take a look.”

Yan Heyu took his phone, looked at the twin boy and girl in the video, paused, and said, “I’ll have some too.”

Jiang Chengyu chuckled softly.

Yan Heyu gave him a side glance. “I won’t stoop to your level. I’ll just assume you’re an idiot for three years after having kids.”

After watching, he heavily tossed the phone back into Jiang Chengyu’s lap.

On stage, it was Wen Di’s turn to speak.

Yan Heyu watched intently.

“I hear you’re curious about how I created works like Awakening from a Grand Dream and Behind Desire these past few years.”

“It’s pretty much as you guessed. I encountered some things, things I thought for a while I’d never get over. But then I did, and I call it growth.”

“For a few months, I would wake up in the middle of the night even with melatonin. I was unwilling to be defeated. After two all-nighters, I suddenly shifted my perspective. I had no inspiration, and I couldn’t get it back, so I decided to actively make sadness my spiritual wealth. Anyway, no matter what, I told myself countless times every day that I couldn’t just give up like this. Taking even one step forward was a success.”

Applause erupted from below.

Wen Di continued: “And so, those two works came to be. In the later stages of Behind Desire, the inspiration that had left me for three years returned. The emotional clashes between the male and female leads you just saw in the trailer were created after my inspiration returned. Here, I’d like to thank Director Zhou Mingqian. The initial script was actually quite bad, but he said it wasn’t bad, just that he had high expectations for me.”

Yan Heyu looked at Wen Di, who was shedding tears on stage. He took several deep breaths to compose himself. He knew the pain of her loss of inspiration, and hearing her speak about it was another form of torture.

He didn’t quite hear what she said afterward.

He tried to concentrate, but her voice drifted in and out, making it hard to hear clearly.

After the successful investment conference, Yan Heyu sent her a message: [Call me when you’re done, I’ll come find you.]

Wen Di: [I’ll find you. I lent my lounge to Yin Ziyu. And there’s something I need to tell you.]

After the interview, she went to find Yan Heyu. The script work for No One Compares to You was successfully completed, and there was nothing left for her to do afterward.

Yan Heyu was in the VIP lounge upstairs. She gently knocked on the door.

Yan Heyu opened the door, his phone still to his ear, on a call.

Seeing her standing at the doorway, he told the person on the phone, “Something came up, I’ll call you back in a moment.”

He hung up and said to Wen Di, “Congratulations. Today is a double celebration for you.” Behind Desire’s advertising revenue exceeded expectations, and it would be broadcast simultaneously on two satellite TV channels and three video platforms by the end of the year.

The script for No One Compares to You passed its review. Zhou Mingqian, Guan Xiangmu, and General Manager Yin all felt that her second creation of the film script surpassed the creativity and atmosphere of the TV series version.

Wen Di politely expressed her thanks; it seemed Zhou Mingqian had called him.

“Mr. Yan, according to the contract, your side needs to pay the final installment. I will fully cooperate with any necessary changes during the filming process in the future.”

Yan Heyu smiled. “You came to find me to urge the final payment?”

Wen Di: “Not exactly. I know you wouldn’t owe me money. I just wanted to tell you that my work is completely finished today. Our cooperation over the past few months has been quite pleasant. I wish you a smooth start to filming and great box office success in advance.”

She extended her hand proactively.

“Thank you.” Yan Heyu lightly clasped her hand.

Having nothing else to say, Wen Di nodded slightly and turned to leave.

“Wen Di.” As she reached for the doorknob, Yan Heyu called out to her.

Wen Di turned around. “Anything else?”

Yan Heyu walked over.

As he got closer, she felt a sense of pressure. She had to look up at him.

Yan Heyu looked down at her. “From October last year until now, seven months, do you have no good feelings for me at all? Even a little? Even for a moment? As long as there was, we can try dating again.”

“I haven’t considered dating again in recent years. I want to take advantage of finding my inspiration again to create more works.”

“You don’t have to date. I’ll date you.”

“...” Wen Di was speechless.

She looked at him. “Is there a difference?”

“Yes. You don’t have to put in any effort; it won’t affect your work at all. I only want your free time. Most importantly, Wenwen won’t have to grow up in a single-parent family.”

“...Didn’t I tell you, Wenwen has nothing to do with you...”

Before the last three words could be spoken, his kiss sealed her lips, swallowing all the words she wanted to say, all the words he didn’t want to hear.

As he kissed her, his heart ached a little.

They had been apart for too long; he missed her too much.

Yan Heyu turned her around, her back against the door.

With a click, the door locked.

Wen Di wanted to push him away, but when he didn’t want to step back, she couldn’t push him away.

Yan Heyu didn’t deep kiss her; he eased his grip and pressed his lips against hers.

“Wen Di,” he briefly pulled away from her lips, then covered them again.

Wen Di clutched his suit, her breath ragged. She tried her best to regulate it.

But it was useless.

Yan Heyu called her name again, “You found your inspiration, and I found you at the ski resort. Finally, I have no regrets.”

He pressed his cheek against hers, “I don’t want to be separated from you again. If I let you go this time, I’ll never meet you again. The past wasn’t good, but we’ll make every day from now on good.”

Wen Di turned her face slightly to the side, and his lips immediately pressed closer, tight against the corner of her mouth.

It was impossible to tell whose breath was whose.

They mingled together.

“Yan Heyu, there’s one thing you need to be clear about.”

“Tell me.”

“So far, no one in the world can completely control their emotions and rationality.”

Yan Heyu: “What do you want to say?”

“I want to say, if you fall into my hands, it’ll be miserable for you.”

“I’m just afraid I won’t fall into your hands.”

“...”

She wanted to say something else, but he devoured her words again.

As Yan Heyu released her lips, he bent down, his single arm circling her waist to lift her. His firm arm pressed against the door.

Wen Di’s feet dangled in the air, without any support.

Yan Heyu’s other hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her towards him. He also moved towards her, parting her lips and teeth, conquering her with his kiss.

It was dominant yet tinged with tenderness.

Just as Wen Di was about to run out of breath, he pulled back, letting her breathe a few times, his hot kisses falling on her nose bridge.

Wen Di wrapped her arms around his neck.

Yan Heyu kissed her nose bridge, the tip of her nose, then landed on her lips for a deep kiss.

His Adam’s apple moved with her rapid heartbeat.

Every two minutes, he gave her time to breathe.

Wen Di sighed with relief. His clean scent was all around her; everything she breathed in was him.

Yan Heyu changed to holding her tightly in his arms, lowering his head to kiss her lips again, delving deeper, sweeping through every part.