Birthday Wish
Bai Xin was still sitting on the balcony. Seeing that she might need a little more time to adjust, Tong Yanxi stood up.
She placed the glass of plain water she was holding onto the kitchen island, walked past Tang Jia, and headed for the refrigerator.
Tang Jia was still lost in thought over Tong Yanxi’s last sentence. She looked back thoughtfully and heard Tong Yanxi ask, “Such a big fridge, and forget Coke, there aren’t even any other soft drinks.”
Hearing this, Tang Jia replied, “Drink less cold stuff in the middle of winter.”
“None of your business.”
“…”
“I’m not trying to control you, I’m just giving you a kind reminder. Don’t come complaining about an upset stomach later,” Tang Jia said calmly, sitting down on a high stool next to her.
The refrigerator only had alcohol and soda water. Tong Yanxi couldn’t find what she wanted. She heard the latter half of the sentence and her gaze paused for a second amidst the chilly air of the fridge. She then closed the door. Before she could speak, she suddenly saw the figure on the balcony get up.
Bai Xin’s movement also made Tang Jia turn her head.
Bai Xin walked over. “Are you guys eating?”
Her expression was normal, completely devoid of the previous cold and gloomy feeling.
Tong Yanxi and Tang Jia exchanged a look.
Tang Jia said, “It’s good that you’re thinking about food.”
In the week since Cheng Jiqing had left, Bai Xin clearly hadn’t been eating properly. Her already delicate face now looked even thinner.
Bai Xin walked to Tong Yanxi’s side, opened the refrigerator as if choosing ingredients, and said, “Cheng Jiqing told me to eat well.”
The air quieted slightly.
At that moment, both Tang Jia and Tong Yanxi felt a faint, complex emotion.
Anyone who had ever been in contact with Bai Xin knew that she was cold-blooded, indifferent, and so fearless and unfeeling that she weighed the pros and cons of everything in her eyes.
Clearly, Bai Xin was changing.
It was Cheng Jiqing who had given her new feelings, allowed her to experience them, and was gradually teaching her the ability to be loved and to love someone.
Tong Yanxi thought of that bright, gentle person. If it was Cheng Jiqing, it seemed she really did have that kind of ability.
She said, “No thanks, I still have to oversee the post-production. I’m leaving right away.”
After a movie is shot, the most important part is the post-production editing. She had to keep an eye on it to be at ease. She had rushed over on the spur of the moment anyway.
As Tong Yanxi spoke, she made to leave. Tang Jia said, “I’ll see you out.”
“No need, you should stay with Bai Xin.”
“No need.”
Tang Jia was speechless. “…”
Seriously, no matter what, she was a reputable doctor in Beicheng, highly sought after. How did she end up here, being treated like a total sucker?
Bai Xin took a head of cauliflower out of the fridge and said coolly, “Have you found that assistant?”
Tang Jia: “Not yet. Zhou Yushu still has people looking.”
Hearing Bai Xin’s question, Tang Jia inwardly clicked her tongue. Her earlier thought that Bai Xin had become softer and more approachable was all an illusion.
Or perhaps, Bai Xin’s changes were only for Cheng Jiqing.
Toward others… Bai Xin wouldn’t be merciful.
She could sense a hidden danger.
Bai Xin nodded, lowering her eyes to turn on the faucet. “You two can go back. Thanks for today.”
…
The heavy snow still hadn’t stopped, threatening to blanket all of Beicheng.
Tang Jia and Tong Yanxi went downstairs. Just as Tang Jia unlocked her car, the person behind her said, “You can go ahead.”
“What are you doing?” Tang Jia turned around and saw Tong Yanxi take out her phone. She could vaguely see it was a ride-hailing app. She said, “…I’ll give you a ride.”
Tong Yanxi looked down. “No need, I’ll get a cab myself.”
Tang Jia raised her hand and covered Tong Yanxi’s phone screen. “I want to give you a ride, alright?”
Her palm covering the phone also touched Tong Yanxi’s hand. She belatedly registered the familiar, slightly cool touch, a temperature lower than her own.
Tang Jia paused, her voice steady. “No matter how you see me, it hasn’t reached the point where you have to take a cab to leave, has it?”
Tong Yanxi was taken aback. She pulled her hand back and gave Tang Jia a baffled look. The old Tang Jia wouldn’t have been this persistent. If she said no twice, Tang Jia would have stopped bothering her.
The car drove steadily toward the film company.
Tong Yanxi sat in the passenger seat, wiping the condensation from the window to gaze outside.
The atmosphere was silent.
Tang Jia broke the silence. “What if Cheng Jiqing doesn’t come back in the end?”
Tong Yanxi didn’t look at her, seemingly intent on watching the white snow outside. “Whether she comes back is Cheng Jiqing’s business. Whether Bai Xin does something and how far she’s willing to go is her business.”
For some things, you’d never know the result if you didn’t try.
If the result is good, it’s luck. If it’s bad, you turn back. Just like her decision to marry Tang Jia back then. It was just that she was wrong, so she turned back.
The streets were sparsely populated. The trees barely had any leaves left, hanging on as if every day was a year.
Fortunately, in the spring of the coming year, their souls would grow back again.
Hearing this, Tang Jia glanced at Tong Yanxi’s side profile before turning her eyes back to the road.
After a long while, the car stopped at a red light. Tang Jia counted the seconds on the traffic light above.
“That day, why did you go to the obstetrics and gynecology department?”
“What?”
It was so sudden that Tong Yanxi didn’t recall it at first.
Tang Jia cleared her throat and mentioned, “I saw you go with that person from before.”
“Oh,” Tong Yanxi said. “Her wife was an actress in my last film. She’s pregnant, I went to visit.”
Tang Jia’s tone lifted slightly at the end. “…She’s married?”
Tong Yanxi turned her head. “Why are you so surprised that she’s married?”
“…”
A few seconds later, Tang Jia said slowly, “I thought you two would end up together.”
“?” Tong Yanxi rolled her eyes. “Are you sick in the head?”
Tang Jia: “…”
Sensing the annoyance in her tone, logically, she shouldn’t have pursued the topic. But for some reason, Tang Jia asked one more question, “Didn’t you like her a lot?”
Tong Yanxi got angry. She took a breath, suppressing a wave of nameless fire. “Tang Jia, do you have nothing better to talk about? If not, then just shut up!”
Tang Jia: “…”
Impatient honking from behind urged them on. Tang Jia didn’t say any more, but a shadow fell over her eyes.
Just then, a phone call broke the tension between them.
It was Zhou Yushu. Tang Jia put it on speaker.
“Your assistant has been found. Bai Xin is already on her way.” Zhou Yushu’s breath as she smoked was distinct through the receiver. “You’d better come. I might not be able to protect her.”
Tang Jia understood what that meant. Bai Xin’s guilt toward Cheng Jiqing was real, but she certainly wouldn’t be merciful to the assistant who had disrupted everything.
The assistant was ultimately her person. If she didn’t go, Bai Xin might really act ruthlessly.
“Got it.”
Tang Jia hung up.
Tong Yanxi said, “Drop me off at the side of the road.”
Tang Jia didn’t hesitate. “I’m taking you first.”
“With Bai Xin’s temper, aren’t you worried something will happen to your assistant?”
“If I drop you off in the middle of nowhere now, will I be able to rest easy?”
“…”
Tong Yanxi’s heart stirred. The anger she felt moments ago somehow subsided a little. After a few seconds, she turned her head away.
Neither of them spoke again.
In an old residential complex on the edge of the South District, the residents were generally elderly.
The iron bars on the exterior windows, weathered by wind and sun, left tear-like streaks of time on the white walls.
The crisp sound of high heels echoed in the corridor, breaking the tranquility of the snowy day and seeming slightly out of place. A woman stood outside a door; she was Zhou Yushu’s secretary.
Seeing Bai Xin approach, she greeted her respectfully, “President Bai.”
Then, she opened the door with both hands.
Inside the room, aside from Zhou Yushu, were two other tall bodyguards.
A thin woman sat on a chair, holding her head as if in pain or fear. Hearing someone enter, she didn’t dare to look up. “I really know I was wrong, please spare me, spare me… I was at my wit’s end.”
Zhou Yushu was sitting by the coffee table, smoking. When Bai Xin entered, she stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray.
Just as Zhou Yushu finished, the secretary who had followed her in handed over a wet wipe. Zhou Yushu stood up and said to Bai Xin, “She rented this place through a former student’s connection, hiding here. That’s why we couldn’t find her.”
Bai Xin said nothing. As she walked over, a bodyguard immediately offered a stool.
Bai Xin didn’t sit. Instead, she lifted her foot, lightly tapped the leg of the stool, and hooked it toward her. She then raised her leg, the hem of her black velvet dress draping softly from her ankle.
Her black heel stepped onto the stool. With an unexpected scraping sound, the stool was suddenly kicked toward the woman’s knees…
A miserable cry echoed through the room. The assistant instinctively tried to move the chair in pain, only to have her hands pinned down by the bodyguards in the next second.
“What did you say to her? Tell me everything, word for word, without missing a single thing,” Bai Xin’s voice was frigid, her expression indifferent.
“I didn’t say anything, I really didn’t say anything!” The assistant was sweating from the pain. She wailed, “My leg, my leg, Miss Bai, please let me go. I didn’t take a single cent of Little CEO Cheng’s money. It was Cheng Jing who found me, that’s why I was tempted. It was… Ah!”
Hearing this, Bai Xin lowered her leg.
Just as the assistant was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard Bai Xin say slowly, “I don’t want her legs. Put her hands on it.”
“What, what are you going to do?! You dare!” The assistant gasped, her face pale with terror as she stared at Bai Xin in horror.
A bodyguard was about to step forward when Zhou Yushu waved him off. “I’ll do it.”
Bai Xin glanced at her but said nothing.
Zhou Yushu undid a button on her coat and said, “Think carefully. Every sentence you can remember counts. It’s not a good thing for a doctor to lose her hands.”
Although she said that, she was already fiddling with the stool in front of the assistant’s knees. A couple more kicks like that and her legs might be crippled. Moreover, Bai Xin’s intention was to go for her hands.
“No, no, I’ll talk, I’ll try to remember… I’ll try.” The assistant trembled, breaking out in a cold sweat despite the unheated room on a winter day.
The assistant told them everything she could remember.
Finally, she added, “Also, also the text messages on the phone, I haven’t deleted them. The phone is in the bedroom drawer. Besides this, there’s really nothing else, I can’t think of anything more… I told Cheng Jing the same things. I know how serious this is, I was just running my mouth and sent a few texts to scare Little CEO Cheng, but nothing else, I swear I haven’t mentioned it to anyone else… Please let me go, I really, I promise I will never tell anyone about President Bai’s affairs.”
She had regretted it after approaching Cheng Jiqing. She should have stopped the moment the other party pointed out her identity, but she truly had no other choice, especially since she never got the money.
After listening, Zhou Yushu said calmly, “It’s fine, you can tell everyone. Just think about what kind of life you want to live for the next few decades. I’m not threatening you, I’m just reminding you.”
At the same time, she signaled for a bodyguard to get the phone.
Soon, the bodyguard handed the unlocked phone to Bai Xin.
…
Bai Xin no longer cared who else knew about this, or what Cheng Jing knew. She just wanted to know what Cheng Jiqing had heard at the time.
After reading the emails.
Bai Xin opened the text messages. She didn’t have to search; she recognized the familiar number at a glance.
There were only a few messages, but Bai Xin stared at them for a long time.
Zhou Yushu watched the oppressive, gloomy aura emanating from her, an pressure that even she could feel.
A moment later, Bai Xin tossed the phone aside, her eyes as cold and dark as a frozen river. She glanced at the terrified woman on the chair and walked forward.
Slap—! A sharp sound, but it wasn’t over. It was followed by several more slaps.
After she was done, Bai Xin took the wet wipe offered by Zhou Yushu, wiping her hands as she said, “Get in touch with her creditors.”
Though spoken in the calmest of tones, the words sent a chill down one’s spine.
Her debts in Macau weren’t paid off. The creditors there wouldn’t let her go. Tipping them off was equivalent to handing her over. What would happen to her was self-evident.
Hearing this, the assistant panicked. “I’ve told you everything! Miss Bai, I’ve been with Doctor Tang for so many years, this isn’t the first day we’ve met. You, you…”
“You want me to talk about feelings with a gambler?” Bai Xin sneered, then stared sinisterly at the woman’s hands.
Seeing this, Zhou Yushu said, “Tang Jia is on her way. Let her clean up her own person’s mess.”
Bai Xin looked sideways at Zhou Yushu, who added, “I’ll notify the creditors. I’ll handle the rest. You won’t see her anywhere in Beicheng again.”
…
As the black Porsche gradually disappeared from view, the secretary standing beside Zhou Yushu asked a question.
“President Zhou, was President Bai just trying to scare her?” She wasn’t really going to do it, was she?
Hearing this, Zhou Yushu chuckled. “Scare her?”
If she hadn’t spoken up just now, it was hard to say. She held the phone in her hand and looked at the three text messages. She was certain that the look in that ancestor’s eyes moments ago was one that could truly devour someone.
Zhou Yushu was suddenly reminded of a past event.
It was in the second month after Lu Man passed away.
The stray dog Bai Xin had picked up was being pelted with stones by two little girls from next door.
School had just let out, and her mom had asked her to walk Bai Xin home. She clearly remembered that when they returned to the courtyard that day, the white fur on the little dog’s forehead was stained with blood.
Without a word, Bai Xin carried the dog and went to the neighbor’s house. As it happened, the child who had thrown stones at the dog was outside.
When questioned, the little girl was very mischievous and made a face at them. “So what if I hit it? The little beast’s barking is so annoying! I’ll hit it again next time!”
And then, she saw the change in Bai Xin’s eyes.
Cold, dark, just like when Bai Xin saw the text messages a moment ago.
The difference was that back then, Bai Xin had put the dog down and picked up a stone from the ground.
And threw it.
Wherever the dog was hurt, that’s where Bai Xin hit the girl.
Not only that, Bai Xin went door to door to throw stones at the homes of everyone who had hurt the dog. Those who were stopped by adults at the time, she found a separate opportunity later to get them back.
Some didn’t draw blood, but the force was vicious.
From that day on, no child dared to come near Bai Xin’s courtyard.
However, this incident also sowed the seeds of disaster for when the dog later went mad and was dealt with on the spot by community personnel…
It was also after the dog died that Bai Xin learned something: forbearance.
Those she could beat, she’d take revenge on the spot. For those who posed a future threat or whom she couldn’t beat, she’d feign civility and pay them back tenfold behind their backs.
Bai Xin hadn’t been so ruthless just now out of consideration for Tang Jia.
This assistant had been with Tang Jia since she was in university; she was both an assistant and a disciple.
If not for that, given Bai Xin’s current affection for Cheng Jiqing, she would not have let the matter rest, not after the things that were said to Cheng Jiqing.
The uniquely crisp winter air was in Zhou Yushu’s breath. She gazed at the vast expanse of snow, the mist from her nose instantly swept away by the cold wind.
She couldn’t help but think that in the past year, Bai Xin had indeed changed a lot.
In some respects, she had gained a sliver of human decency.
Nighttime.
Bai Xin lay on her side on the bed in the master bedroom. The pillows, sheets, and quilt still carried Cheng Jiqing’s scent. Every second was exceptionally satisfying, and every second was exceptionally torturous.
In her hand, she held the silver hairpin Cheng Jiqing had given her, her mind replaying the text messages she had seen that afternoon.
【You lied to me! Cheng Jiqing, you’re such an idiot, you deserve to be played and deceived.】
【You’re just a little guinea pig used to satisfy someone’s special needs!】
【If you don’t give me money, I’ll let the whole world know how pathetic you are.】
Bai Xin’s hand tightened slightly. Gazing at the silver hairpin, the sourness in her heart magnified. How could Cheng Jiqing have seen such words?
Even she felt a heavy tightness in her chest seeing them. What must Cheng Jiqing have felt when she saw them?
How sad, how painful must it have been?
But even then, Cheng Jiqing had still given her a chance.
Her biggest regret now was that when Cheng Jiqing had called to ask her, she hadn’t cherished it.
Now, where was Cheng Jiqing, and what was she doing?
Bai Xin buried her face in the pillow. A long time passed before her trembling shoulders finally stilled.
She could give Cheng Jiqing time.
But she would never let Cheng Jiqing leave her.
Never.
She gripped the quilt, her knuckles white.
Cheng Jiqing did have other residences, but she hadn’t been to them, so they hadn’t been maintained. It was too much trouble to have them cleaned up on short notice.
So, she lazily went to Song Ling’s hotel.
She arrived without a sound, and no one knew except for Song Ling.
Originally, she was supposed to get the top-floor suite, but Cheng Jiqing refused it.
So she was given a deluxe king-bed room instead.
Cheng Jiqing thought she could stay here quietly for a couple of days and, in the meantime, find a place to go and clear her head.
Around nine in the evening.
Cheng Jiqing came out of the shower. The room was warm. She walked to the large window, wrapped in a bathrobe.
The neon lights twinkled like stars, and the lights of distant vehicles flashed. Everything was as it had been.
The snow outside had mostly stopped, but the snow in Cheng Jiqing’s heart was just beginning to fall.
It clearly wasn’t the top-floor suite, yet the reflection in the glass window always seemed to show the shadow of the top floor. No matter how different the room’s style was, it was still the same hotel, so there were always similarities. The sofa cover, the paintings on the wall, the water glasses, the tables and chairs…
While showering just now, standing at the sink, she had felt this same sense of familiarity.
Her mind was quickly filled with chaotic memories.
Including the open-air swimming pool, the sofa, the balcony, the bathroom… in her ears were Bai Xin’s gentle whispers, and that phrase ‘never again.’
Even though it wasn’t the top floor, she still thought of Bai Xin.
Cheng Jiqing felt agitated and sullen. Suddenly, she felt she couldn’t stay in this hotel any longer.
She would always think of Bai Xin.
And then her emotions would spiral out of control.
Feelings were incredibly complicated. Right now, she didn’t want to think about them. Finding an unfamiliar place was the only method she could think of at the moment.
Cheng Jiqing acted on her impulse. She had let Song Ling know when she arrived, and she only sent another message when she was leaving.
When Song Ling heard she was leaving: 【I was just about to come over and hang out with you.】
Cheng Jiqing: 【Something came up.】
Song Ling: 【Be honest, are you sad? If you are, let me tell you, it’s fine. It’s just a woman, right? Not a single Alpha is a good person. We should just stick to Omegas.】
Song Ling: 【Come back. You like that cool, mature older sister type like Bai Xin, a little wild and spicy, right? I’ll introduce you to some.】
Song Ling: 【I’ve got tons of connections. You didn’t know, did you? In the circle, they call me the Spicy Little Matchmaker.】
Cheng Jiqing: “…?”
Cheng Jiqing: 【No, no thanks. Single people are the most invincible species on earth.】
Song Ling: 【Hahahaha, you can still joke, so you’re fine.】
Song Ling: 【But I’m serious, that Qin Yufu is not bad. Last time, I got the feeling she was a bit interested in you. Why don’t you give it a try?】
Cheng Jiqing: “…”
Cheng Jiqing: 【Not trying. I’m leaving.】
The white Bentley drove through Beicheng. Amidst the goose-feather snow slanting in the wind, it unwittingly drove onto the Beicheng Bridge. She subconsciously sped up, eyes fixed straight ahead, and quickly drove across.
That night, Cheng Jiqing changed hotels.
At around ten o’clock, she received a text message.
Seeing the contact name, her heart sank.
She opened it.
Bai Xin: 【I’ve left. You can go back and stay there.】
Bai Xin: 【I won’t bother you during this time.】
A sourness pricked Cheng Jiqing’s nose. She raised her head and let out a long, slow breath, waiting until the heat in her eyes returned to normal.
She lowered her head again. Since they added each other on WeChat, they hadn’t used text messages in a long time.
There weren’t many old chat records; a short scroll showed them all.
At the very beginning, they would only send one message every few days. Then it slowly became more, and later…
Cheng Jiqing cut off the thought. She swiped left on the message, stared at the red delete button for two seconds, and pressed it.
Returning to WeChat, she did the same, deleting their entire chat history since they had met.
The process was arduous, like carving out rotten flesh.
Perhaps… it hurt more than carving out rotten flesh.
Cheng Jiqing’s eyelashes were damp. She gently wiped them.
But if you don’t carve out the rotten flesh, how can new flesh grow?
January, during Beicheng’s New Year period.
Cheng Jiqing hadn’t returned to Nanjiang Villa. During this time, she had visited several places. She had gone to the more scenic south, surrounded by scholar trees, with streams winding through the mountains, where the plants seemed to have skipped winter.
She had also been to the summit of a majestic snowy mountain, standing at the peak and looking down on all of creation.
For the past two days, she had been staying in a rural village, enjoying a home-cooked meal with a family of three—a wife and wife couple and a grandmother. They had no children, and the grandmother kept a large yellow cat by her side, whose name was aptly—Da Huang1.
It didn’t like to wander or catch mice. Every day, it was either snuggling at its owner’s feet or sunbathing at the main gate.
Carefree and content, a cozy cat life.
She bought a camera. After taking photos at each location, she would post a set of them on Weibo.
No extra words, just the photos.
She occasionally looked at the comments. Ever since she terminated her contract with Yixin, her comment section had briefly fallen into dire straits. There weren’t many haters, but more people were there to mock and watch the drama.
People are like that; they can’t resist the urge to gossip.
The more exciting someone else’s story, the happier the onlookers.
For a few days, many people said Cheng Jiqing’s self-promotion had no bottom line.
‘Getting arrogant before your show even airs?’
‘Vase2, truly brainless.’
There were also some with a keen sense: ‘Inside news, she didn’t pay any breach of contract fees. Is there anyone else in the entertainment industry with that kind of pull?’
Cheng Jiqing never cared about these things. They would all fade with time.
Terminating the contract with Yixin wasn’t difficult; it was just a matter of paying the penalty.
But when it came time to terminate, they said she didn’t need to pay it.
Cheng Jiqing knew it was Bai Xin’s doing. She didn’t dwell on it or act pretentiously.
Perhaps because of her casual and indifferent attitude, she unexpectedly gained a wave of fans.
Someone even helped her set up a ‘Chengzi Chaohua3‘.
The profile picture was just an orange.
She later found out that the person who started this Chaohua was named Chengxin Chengyi4.
Some of the fans commenting below also changed their names to something orange-related: Xinxiang Shicheng5, Chengwang Baikou6, and the most ridiculous one, Zaori Chengjia7…
But she had to admit, even though it was the virtual world, Cheng Jiqing felt a special kind of warmth.
She remembered clearly, on the day the Chaohua was established, the moderator ‘Chengxin Chengyi’ sent her a private message: 【Chengcheng, what kind of support color do you like?】
Support color?
Her first drama hadn’t even aired yet, and these two hundred or so Chaohua fans were already thinking about a support color. Wasn’t that a bit too fast?
Cheng Jiqing was touched and found it amusing.
She said: 【The color of an orange, I guess.】
She said: 【Orange-gold? Like the sun.】
Chengxin Chengyi asked: 【Are you in a good mood today?】
She replied: 【It’s alright.】
…
Every time she looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, at the lives of the people around her, at the scenery she had once yearned to see, Cheng Jiqing would think—acting, traveling, cats, she could now easily have all her favorite things.
It was already very good.
What was there to be unhappy about?
Today, the host family made cured sausage rice. She sat at the kitchen door holding the cat, having been enthusiastically shooed out when she tried to help.
The woodshed was warm and cozy. The grandmother tending the fire beckoned her over and asked in a low voice, “Xiao Cheng, there’s a very pretty girl in the village. Should I have her come over to meet you tomorrow?”
Cheng Jiqing’s hand holding the cat paused. She chuckled in spite of herself, “Grandma, there’s no need. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Aiyo, it’s fine. If you two hit it off later, she can go find you, or you can come here. The countryside is developing quite well now too…”
“Mom, stop it. Xiao Cheng is from the city, she’s different from us. Don’t just randomly play matchmaker8.”
Before Cheng Jiqing could speak, the old lady’s daughter-in-law said, “It’s fine to exchange numbers, though. That Xinxin is quite pretty.”
Cheng Jiqing just smiled and declined, then quickly ran off with the cat.
She walked to the main gate. The people in the countryside came home early, and it was already pitch black outside, with only the aroma of dinner wafting from various houses.
Cheng Jiqing lowered her head and thought to herself that no matter how far she went, just a similar-sounding name could make all her recent efforts tremble on the verge of collapse.
She was fine now, just occasionally, not so fine.
Originally, she wanted to go to the grasslands again, to see that vast expanse that was like the sky.
Unfortunately, due to promotional activities for 《Cat and Mint》, she had to return to Beicheng.
On the day she left, she gave the host family some money, but the grandmother insisted on chasing after her to return it.
The grandmother held her hand. That pair of hands, dry and rough from years of farm work, was covered in wrinkles, yet Cheng Jiqing’s heart felt as warm as the sun.
“You must come often, you’re always welcome to come.”
Cheng Jiqing said yes, she would definitely come back.
Before leaving, the grandmother gave her another phone number. “This is Xinxin’s. You should keep her number. The more I look at you, the more I like you. If I had a granddaughter, I’d marry her to you.”
Cheng Jiqing nodded. “Okay, I know, Grandma. I’ll keep it.”
“And this.” The grandmother handed her a colorful hand-woven cord. It had a few small red and blue cat’s eye beads on it. “This is a local specialty, I wove it myself. This is to protect you.”
Cheng Jiqing put it on her wrist. After just two days, she already felt reluctant to part with it. “Thank you, Grandma.”
After the car had driven some distance, Cheng Jiqing could still see the grandmother in the rearview mirror, standing at the wooden gate, holding Da Huang the cat.
Cheng Jiqing suddenly thought, if she had a grandmother, she would probably be around this age.
To get back, she took a bus to the town, and then to the train station.
On the bus, Cheng Jiqing gazed out the window the whole way. The streets were lined with small shops, especially many weaving shops, bustling with people. There was a festive New Year atmosphere.
Suddenly, her gaze froze.
She saw a small wonton stall on the side of the road and wondered if all wonton stalls in the world looked the same.
The bus drove past without stopping for even a moment.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Qin Yufu.
【Are you back yet?】
In fact, since the night she left Song Ling’s hotel, Qin Yufu had been contacting her intermittently.
For no other reason than that rascal Song Ling had told Qin Yufu she was in a bad mood.
Even though she told Qin Yufu she was fine, Qin Yufu would still occasionally send her photos or videos of kittens recently.
Cheng Jiqing: 【On my way.】
Qin Yufu: 【Can you still buy things then? I just remembered that place’s specialty is woven hand cords and hair ties. If you can, could you help me get a couple?】
Qin Yufu: 【If there’s no time, then never mind.】
Cheng Jiqing glanced at the map. She remembered there was a rest area ahead where she came from, and they sold things there too.
【Sure, what kind do you want?】
【Anything for peace and safety is fine, thank you Little CEO Cheng~】
Cheng Jiqing: 【My pleasure.】
It was just a small favor, but at that moment, Cheng Jiqing had no idea that a simple hand cord would one day, not long after, trigger a storm.
Cheng Jiqing returned to Beicheng on the eighteenth.
She packed her schedule tightly. The afternoon she got back to Beicheng, she joined the crew for a roadshow in Jiangcheng.
As the first stop of the 《Cat and Mint》 roadshow, the promotional push would be bigger than the others.
Reuniting after a month, everyone was very happy.
No snow, no rain, a clear and sunny day.
After the roadshow ended, Cheng Jiqing gave a small gift to everyone she knew on the crew—water bottles, hair ties, cards, gloves, all with local characteristics.
It was six in the evening when everyone returned to the hotel.
There was another event at a movie theater tomorrow, and then they could head back that night.
Back at the hotel, perhaps the crew had arranged it in advance, but her room number remained unchanged.
It was still the room from which one could see the tallest building at a glance. She didn’t have to look; she knew that at night, that building in Jiangcheng would always be dimly lit.
Cheng Jiqing was exhausted. She took off her clothes, preparing to shower first.
Now that she was alone, she kept her life packed to the brim. Although her thoughts had stopped racing, her body was indeed weary.
The crew was very considerate of her, and no one brought up the matter with Yixin, which saved her the trouble of explaining.
She rubbed her tired eyes and suddenly heard a knock on the door.
She opened it and was slightly surprised to see Li Yunlan.
Li Yunlan was wearing gloves and waved. “Hi, mind if I come in for a cup of tea?”
Cheng Jiqing smiled and stepped aside. “Please, come in.”
Li Yunlan walked in. “Your room seems to smell nicer than mine.”
“Really? I just got in, I didn’t notice.”
Li Yunlan sniffed carefully. The scent dissipated, and she then realized it was coming from Cheng Jiqing.
She composed herself, reined in her thoughts, and smiled. “There’s something I want to ask if you’re interested in.”
Cheng Jiqing stood by the water dispenser and asked, “What is it?”
“You know the variety show 《Let’s Go to a Distant Place Together》, right?”
“I do.”
Cheng Jiqing nodded. She used to watch it often back at Nanjiang Villa, only skipping one episode in a hurry.
That one had a horror-themed escape room segment. She didn’t like watching such things. At the scariest part, Bai Xin had suddenly returned, laughing at her for being a coward and deliberately taking the remote away.
Cheng Jiqing took a quiet breath, pushing that memory down.
She heard Li Yunlan say, “Here’s the thing, the show originally invited me, but my schedule is packed. I saw you’re very interested in traveling, so I wanted to ask if you’d like to try it? It’s next month, the show has a good reputation, and I think it would be good for your exposure later on.”
Cheng Jiqing was somewhat overwhelmed. After all, Li Yunlan’s status was what it was. She really only needed to ask if she wanted to go. Moreover, 《Let’s Go to a Distant Place Together》 was considered a top-tier variety show in the country.
They weren’t short of people; they could replace her with anyone.
In other words, what Li Yunlan was doing was a personal favor.
“If you’re hesitant, you can think about it first. Just get back to me in the next couple of days.”
Cheng Jiqing said, “Teacher Lanlan, if a film empress like you keeps this up, you’ll be breaking the rules. You’re being too good to me.”
Li Yunlan was taken aback, then chuckled softly. She held up her gloved hands and said, “Well, one who takes a gift feels indebted. Besides, it’s because you’re a good person, so everyone is willing to be good to you. And now that you’re on your own, if you need any help, you can ask me. Zhou Qing actually wanted to ask you too, but she was afraid you were in a bad mood…”
She lifted her chin in mock arrogance. “Perhaps my status is a bit higher, so she had me say it all. Anyway, if you need help, just say the word.”
Cheng Jiqing was touched and smiled. “Not for now. I just want to be on my own for a while.”
If she needed help, she would have asked long ago. She just wanted to keep herself busy.
“Alright then. But it will be very tiring to be alone, so take care of yourself.” After saying that, Li Yunlan added softly, “Think about the show.”
“Okay, I’ll reply to you as soon as possible.”
Cheng Jiqing said earnestly, “Thank you.”
…
Cheng Jiqing went to take a shower first. Due to contract issues with her previous dramas at Yixin, some were dropped, while others were still willing to cast her. The roles for this period were all supporting ones; the slightly larger ones were scheduled for after the New Year.
She actually had time.
For her, it was all pros and no cons.
But Cheng Jiqing couldn’t quite explain what she was hesitating about.
After showering, she heard her phone vibrate.
Her eyelashes fluttered. She didn’t look at it right away, but instead poured a glass of water and took a few sips before strolling over to pick it up.
It was as if she was deliberately making herself slow down.
She unlocked the phone.
She saw a message from Qin Yufu: 【I just saw on Weibo that you’re in Jiangcheng. I’m also in Jiangcheng for a business trip. If you have time, want to have dinner together tomorrow night? To thank you for helping me bring the things, my treat.】
Cheng Jiqing was silent for a moment. Tomorrow?
【If it’s not convenient, no pressure. We can find time when we’re back.】
Cheng Jiqing looked at Qin Yufu’s words. The items she brought were in her suitcase anyway, and it wasn’t an inappropriate relationship. Having a meal was no big deal.
Cheng Jiqing suddenly realized she was trying to convince herself of something.
Her mood soured for a moment.
Cheng Jiqing replied: 【Okay, let’s connect tomorrow night.】
After the message was sent, she stared at the words “tomorrow night” for two seconds before turning off her phone.
She wouldn’t think about it anymore.
Cheng Jiqing stood on the balcony, her gaze drifting into the distance. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She saw that the tallest building in the distance was wrapped in a band of orange-gold light.
It was instantly recognizable in the dark night.
Her heavy mood lightened slightly. What a coincidence. Her unused support color was orange-gold, wasn’t it?
“Rest assured, the building’s lights were adjusted two days ago. I can’t guarantee other times, but as long as Miss Cheng is in Jiangcheng, the lights on the tallest building will definitely be on.”
The reassuring voice came from the phone’s speaker.
Bai Xin stood on the living room balcony of her apartment in the Nanyang district. A light rain was falling outside. She opened the window and reached her hand out.
The touch was icy. She said, “Good.”
She had discovered when she used to live in Jiangcheng that the buildings there were all too dark.
One look and there was no light.
Cheng Jiqing always liked to stand on the balcony and look at the world outside. She wondered, if Cheng Jiqing could see this right now, would her mood improve, even a little?
Even a little bit would be good.
She felt a bit cold and pulled her hand back.
Tang Jia sent her a WeChat message: 【How are you spending your birthday tomorrow?】
Bai Xin didn’t reply right away. There were still raindrops on the windowsill. She first wiped them away with a cloth. After cleaning it.
She held the cloth and spaced out for a while.
I miss Cheng Jiqing so much.
Cheng Jiqing still owed her a birthday wish. If her wish was for Cheng Jiqing to spend her birthday with her, would Cheng Jiqing agree?
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