For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 43

I seem to be a little enchanted by you

In the Psychological Drama Competition, Lin Xian’s class effortlessly made it to the finals of the competition, thanks to Lin Xian’s outstanding script and the excellent acting skills of Shi Man and her classmates. The finals were scheduled for the Friday evening of the week before Christmas, held at the school’s theater, in conjunction with the Business Administration School’s Psychological Drama Finals. According to the arrangement, the best viewing positions in the first three rows of the theater were reserved for VIPs and not open to the public. The first row was exclusively for school leaders, while the second and third rows were divided equally among the student council and student officials of each organization.

Lin Xian specifically asked Xia Zhijin to help her secure a VIP ticket so she could invite Xiao Wanqing to watch the competition. Xia Zhijin didn’t hesitate and readily agreed.

Sure enough, three days before the competition, Xia Zhijin lived up to expectations and promptly delivered the ticket to Lin Xian.

Seeing Xia Zhijin looking fatigued, Lin Xian couldn’t help but express her concern, asking her, “Manman… have she still not gone home recently?” Shi Man had been absent quite a lot lately, but fortunately, she managed to pass her midterm calculus exam by a narrow margin, and she hadn’t missed a single rehearsal. Lin Xian couldn’t figure out exactly what had happened between Shi Man and Xia Zhijin, and as a friend, she could only offer gentle advice a few times, urging Shi Man not to be too stubborn. However, she didn’t dare and didn’t have the right to say more. So, despite her eagerness to help Xia Zhijin, she felt limited in her ability to do so.

Xia Zhijin’s expression turned somewhat melancholic. She shook her head and said helplessly, “No, she hasn’t come back. But at least I know where she’s staying now, so I feel a bit relieved.” She paused for a moment, seeing the worried look on Lin Xian’s face, and her own troubled expression softened. She comforted Lin Xian with gentle words, “Don’t worry too much. I talked to her mom. Aunt Shi has been abroad on a business trip and couldn’t free herself up until a few days ago. She’ll be back on Friday and will come directly to watch the competition. She’ll have a good talk with Shi Man then, so everything should be fine.” When it came to Shi Man’s mother, Shi Jinglan, Xia Zhijin’s expression revealed an undeniable admiration.

Lin Xian’s heart eased slightly but also felt somewhat surprised. When it came to Shi Jinglan, Xia Zhijin’s attitude seemed completely different from Shi Man’s. From the few occasional conversations Lin Xian had with Shi Man before, she vaguely sensed that Shi Jinglan and Shi Man didn’t have a good relationship. At least, she couldn’t see any warmth or admiration for Shi Jinglan in Shi Man’s expression.

She hesitated for a moment and curiously asked Xia Zhijin, “What kind of person is Manman’s mother?” A powerful woman, probably without a doubt? Shi Man’s unusual behavior had been going on for over half a month, and the counselor had already criticized her in the grade meeting. Yet Xia Zhijin, despite being so busy with work, waited until now to show concern for Shi Man. Why?

Xia Zhijin’s cool gaze softened instantly, carrying a sense of respect as she replied to Lin Xian, “Aunt Shi is a very kind and gentle person. I have great respect and gratitude for her.”

Shi Jinglan has helped their family a lot. Without Shi Jinglan’s support, she wouldn’t have been able to attend high school, let alone university. Without Shi Jinglan’s assistance, their family would have long been destitute. Even if they resorted to selling everything they had, her mother’s illness wouldn’t have lasted until her senior year. Perhaps, to Shi Jinglan, the help she provided was merely a small effort on her part. But for their entire family, the help she gave had changed their lives, changing the destinies of her and her sister. Before her mother passed away, she repeatedly urged her to be grateful and repay Shi Jinglan’s kindness, and to learn from her. She told her to become a useful person and help others in need if she had the ability.

Later on, when she lost her mother, her greatest pillar of support in life, it was Shi Jinglan who invited her to live with her, saying, “From now on, consider this place as your own home.” For this lost and displaced person, she found stability and direction.

She engraved the kindness Shi Jinglan had shown her in her heart and would never forget it.

Therefore, she regarded Shi Jinglan as her benefactor, as a role model, and even as a quasi-mother to admire…

“Oh, I see…” Lin Xian said in a gloomy tone.

She always felt that the Shi Jinglan Xia Zhijin spoke of was somewhat different from the Shi Jinglan Shi Man had described to her.

On the day Lin Xian received the ticket, she immediately invited Xiao Wanqing. Xiao Wanqing didn’t have any special work arrangements on Friday, so she readily accepted the invitation. However, because Lin Xian was not only the director of the participating class but also one of the two hosts for the competition, she was extremely busy on the day of the official competition. She not only needed to supervise and rehearse with the actors before the formal competition but also had to do makeup and go through the script with the other hosts. As a result, on the Friday night of the competition, Lin Xian didn’t go home for dinner.

After finishing work, Xiao Wanqing had dinner outside and then drove straight to Jingnan University. With her ticket, she entered the theater and found her seat, patiently waiting.

The seats in the theater were divided into two sides, with a one-meter-wide aisle in the middle. Xiao Wanqing’s seat was the third one on the left, close to the center aisle.

Shortly after she entered, Lin Xian sent her a text message, showing her concern, “Aunt Xiao, have you arrived?”

Xiao Wanqing replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, I didn’t get lost. I’m already in my seat.”

Lin Xian quickly and playfully responded, “Aunt Xiao, get ready to be enchanted by me!”

Xiao Wanqing chuckled silently. This child…

At 6:45 p.m., twenty-five minutes before the show started, the audience began to enter the theater in large numbers, and the stage lights and screens lit up. On Xiao Wanqing’s left side, the seats were already filled with people. Looking down the entire row, only the two seats on her right, closest to the center, remained empty.

Xiao Wanqing took out her SLR camera from her bag and adjusted the basic settings such as aperture and focal length, facing the stage. In her heart, she anticipated how Lin Xian would be dressed up tonight.

Just as she took a couple of test shots, the owners of the two empty seats next to her, on her right and closest to the center, finally arrived. It was Xia Zhijin and an elegantly dressed, noble-looking lady.

Xiao Wanqing set down her camera and turned her head, gently greeting Xia Zhijin, who was sitting next to her, “It’s you…” Then, her gaze shifted past Xia Zhijin towards the lady in the seat next to her, and coincidentally, the woman also turned her head to appraise her.

Xia Zhijin smiled faintly, appearing slightly more reserved than the two previous encounters. She responded softly, “Hello, Aunt Xiao.” Then, she turned her head respectfully and introduced the woman to Xiao Wanqing, saying, “Aunt, this is Lin Xian’s aunt.” Afterward, she addressed Xiao Wanqing, “Aunt Xiao, this is Shi Jinglan, Shi Man’s mother.”

As soon as Xia Zhijin introduced the woman, Xiao Wanqing recognized her—Shi Jinglan, the annual influential entrepreneur award winner in Anjiang City last year, and the Chairman of Shixing Group.

At that time, their magazine wanted to interview her, and the president went through great efforts to arrange it. In the end, to avoid any mistakes, Xiao Wanqing personally conducted the interview and wrote the article herself. During the interview, Shi Jinglan had always been amiable, readily answering questions with a pleasant demeanor, and Xiao Wanqing naïvely believed Shi Jinglan to be approachable. However, she never expected that when it came time for the final draft, she sent the initial draft to Shi Jinglan for review, and Shi Jinglan suddenly became extremely strict and demanding. Following the instructions relayed to her, Xiao Wanqing painstakingly revised the draft six times before it finally passed Shi Jinglan’s scrutiny, almost wearing her out.

Because of that experience, Xiao Wanqing had a deep impression of Shi Jinglan—a smiling tiger, indeed.

She nodded politely towards Shi Jinglan and said, “Hello, Director Shi.”

Shi Jinglan nodded gently towards Xiao Wanqing, her face softening. She smiled slightly and said, “Hello, Chief Editor Xiao. I never expected that the kind and gentle Aunt Xiao, who Manman mentioned so often, would be you. Thank you for taking care of Manman. I hope we haven’t caused you any trouble.”

Xiao Wanqing responded politely, expressing her gratitude, “Director Shi, you’re too kind. It’s Lin Xian who has always received care and assistance from Miss Zhijin and Miss Shi. We have been a bit of a bother.”

As they exchanged pleasantries, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed. The buzzing voices of the crowd quieted down abruptly with the fading of the lights.

The competition was about to begin.

The darkness gradually dissipated, and on the stage, a burst of colorful lights illuminated the scene. Then, two spotlights appeared—one on the left and one on the right. On the left side, a tall and graceful young female host made her way onto the stage with light and elegant steps.

She was dressed in a shoulder-baring red evening gown, with a long hem that trailed behind her, elegantly swaying as she moved gracefully. Her girl-like seaweed-black hair was intricately woven and pinned up behind her head, while loose strands cascaded down, forming beautiful large curls that adorned her clear and distinctly fluttering collarbone. Long and splendid earrings shimmered under the spotlight, radiating a sparkling glow.

Elegant, beautiful, and brimming with youthful vitality—it was Lin Xian, a Lin Xian that Xiao Wanqing had never seen before.

In Xiao Wanqing’s gentle eyes, Lin Xian’s small reflection filled them, brimming with great astonishment. In that instant, she even forgot to raise her hands and use the SLR camera to capture this graceful and enchanting moment of Lin Xian.

“Respected leaders, teachers…” Lin Xian calmly and lightly faced the audience below the stage, wearing a poised and graceful smile, her bright eyes and sparkling teeth shining.

“Dear classmates…” followed closely by a male host dressed in a black suit.

“Good evening!” the crisp and melodious female voice harmonized perfectly with the deep and magnetic male voice.

Xia Zhijin leaned closer to Xiao Wanqing and sincerely praised her with a smile, “Aunt Xiao, Lin Xian looks so beautiful tonight.”

Xiao Wanqing focused her gaze on the girl on the stage, who seemed to emit a radiant and enchanting glow. Her eyes were gentle, resembling a clear spring with shimmering ripples. She slightly lowered her head and, through the screen of a mobile phone held up by a boy in the front row, magnified the image to admire Shi Man’s gentle smile. She nodded approvingly, filled with delight and pride, and softly murmured, “Yes, she’s very beautiful.”

Unbeknownst to herself, Xiao Wanqing’s eyes and brows carried a tender emotion. She raised her SLR camera and focused on Shi Man, capturing every captivating posture with seriousness and precision.

Shi Man’s class was the fifth to perform.

The female lead, Shi Man, had clearly put on carefully applied makeup. Her attire was ordinary and fitting for the storyline, yet her appearance appeared even more delicate, charming, and captivating than usual, making it hard for anyone to look away. On the stage, she was Shi Man, but also somehow not quite Shi Man. Her gracefulness, coquettishness, and innocent gestures seemed natural, as if they were not meticulously crafted but rather an innate part of her. At this moment, it felt as though she wasn’t acting but truly experiencing the scene.

Every minute and every second, it was gripping and heart-wrenching.

Finally, all the lights on the stage dimmed, leaving only a faint spotlight shining on Shi Man. Shi Man sat slumped on the stage, covering her face as she sobbed sorrowfully. Accompanied by the poignant and melancholic tune of “Slow Down, Time,” sung by the Chopsticks Brothers in a hoarse voice, she cried out in anguish, tearing at the heartstrings of everyone present. “Time, time, slow down, don’t let yourself grow old anymore. I’m willing to give everything I have in exchange for your prolonged youth.” These words caused everyone’s noses to tingle and their eyes to turn red.

Xiao Wanqing lowered her head, quietly wiping away the tears that trickled down the corners of her eyes. In her peripheral vision, she saw Xia Zhijin biting her lip, and in the soft light, there were glistening traces of moisture on her face.

Shi Jinglan calmly stared at her daughter on the stage, her eyes deep and contemplative. After a while, she heard Xia Zhijin let out a soft sigh. Shi Jinglan took out a packet of tissues from her bag and handed it to Xia Zhijin. Xia Zhijin accepted it without embarrassment.

This time, when the performance ended, the applause from the audience was noticeably more enthusiastic than in the previous acts, resounding for a long time.

Xiao Wanqing held up her SLR camera, peering through the lens, fixated on Lin Xian, who stood confidently at the center of the stage, calmly leading all the actors in preparation for their final bow.

In that instant when she pressed the shutter, she saw something remarkable. Lin Xian, as if having a premonition, precisely turned towards her lens. She arched her eyebrows, smiled gently, and her eyes sparkled with a captivating radiance.

Xiao Wanqing’s breath caught for a moment, and a thought flashed through her mind: “In her eyes, there are rippling waves, like flourishing flowers in full bloom.”

It seems like I’ve been slightly enchanted by you…

The author has something to say:

Aunt Xiao self-hypnosis: The desire for beauty is something that everyone has, it’s normal. I’m just appreciating normally.