Don’t Want a Divorce (23)
“Sister, how did you become so thin?”
Xu Jiao originally thought this was another movie related to ancient times. It wasn’t until she opened it that she realized the story takes place in a sci-fi, alternate future world.
The heroine, named Zhi Liao, contracted a serious illness in her twenties. At that time, technology could not completely cure her. She had a dispute with her lover; Zhi Liao wanted to give up treatment and use all their savings to enjoy life with her lover. However, during one of her episodes, she fell into a coma—
Her lover, Xia Weiyang, in order to save her, signed an agreement with a medical institution to freeze her until technology had advanced enough to fully cure her illness.
When she woke up, it was already a high-tech world a hundred years later.
Zhi Liao’s illness was cured, and the bill was paid by a foundation set up by Xia Weiyang a hundred years ago, which has been operating until now. She was accompanied by a humanoid robot, specially designed for her by the people who took care of her after she woke up. The robot was incredibly lifelike and was modeled after Xia Weiyang based on data from the database.
The robot was created by the foundation to take care of her daily needs and to help her become familiar with this technological world. When Zhi Liao woke up, the first thing she saw was its appearance.
“Weiyang…” Zhi Liao trembled as she opened her eyes, moving her lips under the breathing mask, trying to call out the name she hadn’t spoken in so long.
However, the robot politely bowed to her and responded in a mechanical voice, “Hello, Miss Zhi Liao. I am Model 4556, a bionic robot custom-made for you by the Xiatian Foundation. I will help you understand the world of 2120 and assist you in relearning, living, and working here. Please give me a name.”
Zhi Liao’s vocal cords had not yet fully recovered to their previous state. If it weren’t for the advanced nutrition solutions of this era, she would be facing issues like muscle atrophy. Fortunately, these were problems that could be resolved.
She didn’t speak but instead moved her fingertips, slowly writing that name in the air.
“Xia, Wei, Yang.” The bionic robot repeated precisely, “The name has been recorded. I detect that this name is the same as that of the founder of the Xiatian Foundation, your deceased lover according to the database. Are you sure?”
Zhi Liao closed her eyes and slowly nodded.
A tear slid down from the corner of her eye.
……
The script only provided the specific content of the first act; the rest were just story outlines. Initially, Xu Jiao thought this was a story about a person from a hundred years ago traveling to a hundred years in the future, struggling to survive alone in a world where their lover had died and they had no acquaintances, ultimately learning to live strongly on their own.
However, it was not.
Zhi Liao clearly knew that the person by her side was a bionic robot. After experiencing the initial grief, she quickly accepted the reality, deciding not to let her lover’s arrangements go to waste. She endeavored to live in the world a hundred years later with the help of the bionic robot. She diligently learned to use chip-like i-cards and communication devices, adapted to transportation tools that could fly in the sky, and even enrolled in a part-time university to continuously acquire knowledge.
The bionic robot helped her in all aspects of learning, working, socializing, and living. Until finally, when Zhi Liao thought she no longer needed it, it transmitted its final instruction.
“According to the target directives entered by the Xiatian Foundation, before returning to the factory, I have one last mission to complete—”
“Help Zhi Liao find a love she can entrust her entire life to.”
Immediately after, the bionic robot played a voice recording from the database, left by Xia Weiyang a hundred years ago. It turned out that this was Xia Weiyang’s wish; she hoped that Zhi Liao could completely forget her and live happily in the future.
Zhi Liao listened with tears streaming down her face but still nodded in agreement.
Until she experienced two failed relationships in a row.
However, the failures were not because of her. At critical moments during her dates, the bionic robot would appear by her side, telling her that the person in front of her was a deceiver. It would rationally analyze their words, actions, and expressions, advising her not to be with that person.
At first, Zhi Liao remained silent, allowing the bionic robot to interfere in her life. Until the second time, when she drank, silently staring at the bionic robot with reddened eyes:
“Xia Weiyang, why do you always have to control me?”
“If you are going to control me, why do you always give up halfway?”
It turned out that the bionic robot not only looked like Xia Weiyang but also behaved exactly like her in teaching Zhi Liao how to do things, reminding her, and even interfering in her romantic choices.
When the bionic robot coldly said, “Unable to answer that question,” Zhi Liao suddenly smashed the bottle in her hand, rushed up to hug the bionic robot, and, touching its temperatureless cheek, drunkenly said:
“I don’t want them.”
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“I don’t want anyone. I deliberately chose two deceivers…”
“Xia Weiyang, don’t push them on me. I don’t want to date them. I just want to be with you, is that okay? You teach me how to live, you teach me how to learn, you teach me how to make friends, but I don’t want you to teach me how to fall in love. Let me teach you; let me teach you how to be with me, okay?”
……
The story abruptly ends here.
Clearly, the screenwriter doesn’t want to live anymore.
Xu Jiao turned the script back to the first page and read the poem a few more times. Suddenly, she sensed a kind of painful sorrow from it. The earlier descriptions of luxurious carriages and fragrant paths were all part of Zhi Liao and Xia Weiyang’s past, splendid and prosperous.
But everything changed after a hundred years.
The figure standing at the dimly lit place—was it a dream of Zhi Liao’s, or a blessing from the heavens?
Xu Jiao held the script, driven by an inexplicable impulse, and softly said, “I want to take this movie.”
She looked up earnestly at Feng Qingyu and said, “On the condition that the screenwriter must give me the ending before we start filming.”
She wanted to know whether the love between Zhi Liao and Xia Weiyang could extend beyond a hundred years.
Feng Qingyu gently patted her head and said with a smile, “No need to rush to agree. This script seems to have been rejected by many big companies. Yantian and Jinghua both looked down on it, saying it’s too fanciful and that the title and content don’t match at all.”
“You can totally ask them for the ending first, and then decide—”
“I haven’t really heard about this screenwriter in the industry. Just now, I had Sister Lina look them up. It turns out their last two works were art films, which performed quite poorly at the box office and in terms of reviews. This time, they are trying to break out of their mold and write something more marketable. But with this content, without a big investment in high-tech special effects, it would absolutely fall apart on screen. So, there’s still room for negotiation.”
In her view, with Xu Jiao’s popularity and status after starring in 《The Palace Wall Willows》, playing the lead in this movie wouldn’t be an issue at all. Now, it’s just a matter of deciding who will play the other role.
Hearing Feng Qingyu’s words, Xu Jiao nodded, handed the script back to her, and said softly, “Alright, I’ll leave it to Sister Lina.”
After saying that, she put down the cup in her hand, calmly pushed past Feng Qingyu, and headed towards the bathroom. Though her actions and demeanor remained as composed as ever…
When she stood up from the bed, her legs gave out slightly. If Feng Qingyu hadn’t been quick to catch her, she would have almost stumbled and fallen.
“Do you want me to help you…?”
Before Feng Qingyu could finish her sentence, Xu Jiao raised her hand and tapped her on the nose, her gaze intense and filled with warning as she said, “Until the show is done, no more fooling around in the hotel. Got it?”
Knowing she had gone a bit too far yesterday, Feng Qingyu obediently nodded, even quickly pulling Xu Jiao’s wrist to gently kiss her fingertips before letting go.
Xu Jiao didn’t indulge her clinginess, pulling her hand out of Feng Qingyu’s grasp and turning towards the bathroom.
……
《The Palace Wall Willows》 reached a pivotal point in the concubine plotline today.
In the previous storyline, the Empress had given birth to a child, but the Emperor handed the child over to Liu Ruyi for upbringing. Liu Ruyi, now promoted to Consort Liu, had her palace far from the palaces of Jinxiu and Chang Le, making it very clear that the Emperor did not want the Empress or the Noble Consort to have any contact with the child.
Outside the palace, Qi Younian had disappeared for several months. When he reappeared, he led a rebellion, advancing towards the capital within half a month. He sent a letter of challenge to the capital, declaring that sending Qi Yunshang into the palace years ago was for the greater good of the Qi family. Now, with the Emperor’s lack of benevolence, Qi Younian no longer felt obliged to be loyal. If the dog Emperor did not safely hand over the last member of the Qi family, he would lay siege to the capital within three months.
Upon hearing the news, the Emperor sent a letter of surrender to Qi Younian.
The letter stated that if Qi Younian was willing to make peace with the court, the Emperor would forgive past grievances and employ him again. To show his sincerity, the Emperor was willing to send the Empress to meet Qi Younian at the Xiangguo Temple in the suburbs, so he could see that Qi Yunshang had not been mistreated in the palace.
Today’s scene to be filmed involves the Empress being given a farewell banquet by the Emperor before her departure. Liu Ruyi, having learned of the news, knew that since Rong Qing was confined in Chang Le Palace, she had been suppressing her anxiety and had not met with the Empress. Now, with the Empress leaving and uncertain of when or if she would return safely, Liu Ruyi devised a plan to cover for Rong Qing, allowing her to disguise herself as an ordinary palace maid to bid farewell to Qi Yunshang.
“《The Palace Wall Willows》, Scene Thirty-Five, Take Six, First Shot! Action!”
……
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The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the empty palace walls of Chang Le Palace.
Sitting in the main hall, the person dressed in the black phoenix robe heard the sound and immediately looked towards the door. When their eyes met, tears welled up in both of their eyes.
Qi Yunshang smiled gently, just as she had when they first met, “You shouldn’t have come.”
Rong Qing stood at the doorway, not stepping over the threshold. Looking at Qi Yunshang, who was as gentle and beautiful as the first time they met, she didn’t dare to move forward. Instead, she lowered her head, straightened her skirt and clothes, and forced a smile:
“Sister is about to leave this palace, I shouldn’t have come so hastily dressed. I should have brought my best outfit, the one I wore when I was conferred as Noble Consort. I remember that day, you praised me for a long time, saying that my bright colors were unmatched in Yan Kingdom, and no one was more suited to wear that vibrant red than me.”
Qi Yunshang shook her head with a smile and waved her over, “I know you had no choice. Coming to see me has already put you in danger. What does it matter what you wear? Even if you were in rags, you would still be the most beautiful in my eyes.”
Rong Qing quickly wiped her tears, glanced at the greasy, meaty dishes on the table, stepped over the threshold, and walked towards Qi Yunshang, sniffing and speaking quickly:
“He no longer even pretends to care. Knowing your health is poor, he still sends such greasy food. Not to mention you, even I can’t stomach it.”
“Fortunately, sister is about to leave this cage. It’s good this way, you won’t have to wither away in Chang Le Palace like a bird with clipped wings. You won’t have to waste your time here anymore. How wonderful.”
Qi Yunshang took her hand, pulled her close, wiped the tears from her eyes, and had her sit on the stool beside her.
“Riches, beauty, and good looks are all fleeting to me. In this palace, the only one I can’t stop worrying about is you. With your flamboyant nature, how many enemies will you make here in the future…”
Rong Qing gently patted the back of her hand and smiled, “Sister, you don’t need to worry about me. There’s no one living better than I am in this palace. Just watch, I’ll outlive this Emperor and then come find you outside the palace. You must take good care of yourself and wait for me.”
Usually, when she said such rebellious things, Qi Yunshang would stop her.
But today, she smiled gently without a hint of disapproval on her face, as if even if the person before her pointed at the sun and said it was the moon, she would nod in agreement.
Rong Qing said a few more words, but then heard the sound of a cat meowing outside the palace walls, knowing it was Aya urging her. She looked around, grabbed a wine pot from the table, poured herself a cup, and wanted to boldly toast Qi Yunshang with a smile.
However, just as she raised the cup, Qi Yunshang snatched it from her hand.
Rong Qing widened her eyes and was about to grab it back when Qi Yunshang dodged her movements and gently said, “I’ve never been happy in this palace, trying to nurture myself day and night, but to no avail. Now, I’ve finally looked forward to a happy event. This cup of wine should be from me to you.”
Rong Qing looked at her with difficulty, “But sister, you can’t drink…”
Qi Yunshang winked at her and gestured, “You don’t know, when I was young in the frontier, on cold days, my brother and I would sneak into the family’s wine cellar to steal wine. That burning knife’s taste (liquor)… one sip would burn from the tip of the tongue to the stomach. After marrying into this palace, I’ve never smelled such fragrant and strong wine again. The Qi family has always lived with long spears and strong wine. This sip is nothing.”
Rong Qing watched as she drank three cups in a row, unable to stop her.
Just then—
Aya hurriedly came in, anxiously stamping her feet, and whispered urgently, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty… Consort Liu has already sent someone to urge us. She can’t hold off the Emperor any longer. Please hurry, the Emperor’s entourage is already heading towards Chang Le Palace.”
Rong Qing nodded, reluctantly glanced at the Empress, and was about to step forward to hug Qi Yunshang, but saw her shake her head and gently urge:
“Go quickly.”
“We will have plenty of time to see each other in the future.”
Rong Qing held back her tears, unable to tell her that the Emperor had already found out about them. This “future”—who knew how long it would be. She could only walk away, turning her head back with each step, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.
At this point, Director Zhen gave a slow-motion close-up, making the silent weeping scene particularly long. This crying scene was a test of Xu Jiao’s acting skills. Each time she turned her head, her tears increased, but her face showed strong restraint, making her tears poignant and beautiful, drawing the audience into her heartache, feeling the pain of this parting.
She dared not speak loudly, only silently moved her lips, mouthing, “Sister, take care, you must be well…”
Qi Yunshang’s gaze followed her all the way, nodding to her until she disappeared from sight, and even then, she didn’t withdraw her gaze for a long time.
……
Rong Qing followed Aya out of the main hall and was about to head towards the side door when she suddenly saw Aya beside her start to cry.
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Seeing Aya’s uncontrollable tears, something buzzed in her mind as if sensing something bad. She suddenly turned around and ran back towards Chang Le Palace.
Aya snapped back to reality and ran after her, urgently whispering, “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, please go back, you can’t go… you can’t go…”
“Consort Liu instructed me, and the Empress also instructed me, please don’t go…”
Rong Qing shook off her hand and ran back with all her might. Finally catching her breath, she clung to the hall door and looked inside, only to see the Empress leaning on a palace maid, with a piece of barely-touched meat in her bowl.
Hearing the footsteps, the Empress grabbed the maid’s hand and turned to look at her, her eyes filled with helplessness and disapproval, just as when she had seen her make mistakes before. But just as she was about to speak, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Rong Qing nearly tripped over the threshold, rushed over to hold her, and found that the body beneath the luxurious clothes was as thin as kindling, all hollow inside.
No wonder… Qi Yunshang wore this outfit; it was because it covered her most thoroughly.
No wonder she could run into Chang Le Palace today; perhaps the Emperor had planned all this long ago, watching from somewhere to laugh at them. He had never intended to let the Empress leave the palace safely.
As for the carriage heading to Xiangguo Temple, it was likely filled with skilled warriors, all to capture Qi Younian.
In an instant, everything became clear to Rong Qing.
She had many questions, but holding the person in her arms, with tears blurring her vision, she could only tremble and ask:
“Sister, how did you become so thin?”