Chapter 28 – Stories Push People Forward

The film “Cliff’s Edge” was set in a warm, humid southern town. Even though it was autumn, the weather in the south remained warm. Zhou Xinyao wore a black dress with a light jacket over it, making her appear tall and slender. Upon sitting down, she attracted glances from men at other tables.

Jiang Ruo fished out a disposable mask from his backpack and handed it to her. Zhou Xinyao smiled as she put it on and said, “You’re quite considerate for a little boy.”

Caught off guard by being called a little boy, Jiang Ruo responded, “I’m not that young anymore.”

“You’re two years younger than me,” Zhou Xinyao said, holding up two fingers. Jiang Ruo noticed the ring on her left ring finger.

The café they were in was across from the dormitory building rented by the production team. Typically, shops hidden in these narrow alleys either had owners confident their quality would attract customers despite the location, or owners who were indifferent to business performance.

The café owner seemed to embody both attitudes. On his first day here, Jiang Ruo had come with his colleagues to try the coffee, which is how he knew what to recommend to Zhou Xinyao. He suggested the cappuccino and ordered an iced Americano for himself.

Both drinks arrived quickly. Zhou Xinyao stirred her cup with a spoon. The steam rose, making her crave the refreshing chill of an iced drink. If not for Jiang Ruo’s concern about alternating hot and cold beverages harming the body, she might have ordered another iced drink to have alongside her hot one.

“My dear little brother, you’re truly thoughtful,” Zhou Xinyao remarked. “If my old Liu, that stinky straight man, could be half as considerate as you, it’d be enough.”

Jiang Ruo was acutely aware that her “old Liu” referred to Director Liu of “Cliff’s Edge.”

Uncertain, he cautiously asked, “Director Liu is your…?”

“Fiancé.” Zhou Xinyao said, showing off her diamond ring. “The wedding is set for next year; I’ll invite you and President Xi to the celebration.”

This revelation was a lot to process, leaving Jiang Ruo momentarily speechless.

Seeing his perplexed expression, Zhou Xinyao couldn’t help but laugh again, taking a sip of her coffee through the half-mask, then sticking out her tongue because of the heat.

“Let me guess,” she said. “You think I’m weird for inviting a former benefactor to my wedding?”

While it was impolite, Jiang Ruo did indeed find it odd. Not good at lying, he merely grunted in acknowledgment.

Zhou Xinyao laughed even more freely. “You’re too honest.”

Jiang Ruo wasn’t honest with just anyone, but he felt instinctively that the person before him had no ill intentions, allowing him to speak frankly.

“In fact,” Zhou Xinyao said after laughing, leaning closer and lowering her voice, “our relationship is purely nominal.”

Jiang Ruo blinked.

“It’s just for show. Officially, I’m his lover, but in reality, we barely interact. I don’t even know where he lives.”

Having lived in Xi Yufeng’s house for several months, Jiang Ruo was even more bewildered.

Zhou Xinyao chuckled again. “A man like him, devoid of any earthly desires, isn’t my type at all. If he hadn’t promised me resources, I wouldn’t have bothered being his shield.”

At this point, Jiang Ruo began to understand that Zhou Xinyao’s relationship with Xi Yufeng was nothing more than a transaction.

With many questions swirling in his mind, he chose the one he most wanted answered. “Then later on…”

“Afterward, when I started working on a film and got together with old Liu, he let me go.”

“Had you agreed on that beforehand?”

“No, when I told him I had found true love and wanted to get married, he simply said, ‘Then go ahead.'”

Zhou Xinyao’s casual dismissal, mimicking Xi Yufeng’s nonchalant attitude, was convincing. Jiang Ruo immediately believed her.

“So why did you come to see me?” Jiang Ruo didn’t know how to phrase his question.

Fortunately, Zhou Xinyao understood. She winked at him. “I was just curious about what kind of person could captivate him so thoroughly.”

Recalling a conversation he overheard on the set of “When Orioles Take Flight,” Jiang Ruo lowered his eyes uncomfortably. “I’m like you; he uses me as a shield.”

“That can’t be,” Zhou Xinyao said after finishing her coffee, leaning back and waving her hand, exuding the confidence of a queen surveying her domain. “Believe in my intuition. Go tell him right now that you’ve found true love and see how he reacts.”

Such things were easy to say but harder to act upon. Jiang Ruo didn’t have the courage to test it out.

Moreover, he and Xi Yufeng were in the midst of a cold war, barely speaking to each other.

But the term “cold war”… Jiang Ruo mulled it over, realizing that whether it was a fight or a cold war, it took two to tango. In recent days, it was clear that Xi Yufeng was the one giving him the silent treatment.

One day, Jiang Ruo spotted a pure white Persian cat at the entrance of an alley. Its blue-black eyes and drooping mustache gave it a haughty air reminiscent of a domineering CEO.

Reminded of Xi Yufeng upon seeing the cat, Jiang Ruo snapped a photo and sent it to him, intending to say, “Look, does it resemble you?”

After sending it, he remembered that Xi Yufeng rarely replied to his messages and probably wouldn’t even glance at this one.

Feeling deflated, Jiang Ruo retracted the picture he had sent.

Zhou Xinyao’s role required very few scenes, which she completed in just two days.

Before leaving, she treated the entire production team to a meal.

The venue was located in the city center of Guangcheng, over twenty kilometers away. It was Jiang Ruo’s first time in this southern city, and he eagerly took photos wherever he went. Zhou Xinyao took notice and arranged for him to take pictures for everyone, mentioning they would be useful for posting on Weibo later.

Jiang Ruo captured the night views of the Pearl River, the elegant facade of the restaurant, the various delicacies on the table, and the joyous laughter.

He especially focused on the interactions between Zhou Xinyao and Director Liu. They appeared as if they were long-married partners, serving each other dishes, refilling drinks, whispering in each other’s ears, and exchanging smiles and glances filled with unspoken understanding.

Unbothered by others, open and bold.

Their relationship embodied the essence of true love, prompting Jiang Ruo to take several additional photos of them.

Midway through the banquet, Zhou Xinyao suddenly stood up, saying she needed to go pick someone up.

Before the person returned, someone at the table teased Director Liu, “With so many fresh-faced younger brothers around your wife, aren’t you feeling a bit threatened, Director Liu?”

Director Liu, who was usually stern during filming, laughed heartily. “My wife prefers men like me. As they say, there are millions of younger brothers, but a husband is irreplaceable.”

Everyone else responded with a collective, “Ew — ”

Within a couple of minutes, the person returned.

“What are you all so happy about? I could hear your laughter from afar,” Zhou Xinyao said with a smile, pushing the person forward. “Chen Muxin, you should all recognize him. I won’t introduce him further. He’s originally from Guangcheng and lives nearby.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Chen Muxin took his seat.

Jiang Ruo was engrossed in playing with the photos on his phone and happened to meet Chen Muxin’s gaze when he looked up. He nodded with a smile, acknowledging the greeting.

By the time the dinner ended, it was already past nine o’clock at night. Jiang Ruo helped Zhou Xinyao call taxis to send the drunken guests home one by one.

In the end, Zhou Xinyao shared a taxi with two female staff members. Watching the car drive away, Jiang Ruo and Chen Muxin were the only ones left on the roadside.

Intuiting that Chen Muxin had something to say, Jiang Ruo preempted him. “There’s an empty taxi coming this way; I’ll go first.”

“I happen to be planning to visit Director Liu’s set for observation and learning,” Chen Muxin said, raising his arm to hail a cab. “We can go together.”

Neither spoke during the ride.

Jiang Ruo stared out the window the whole time, seemingly mesmerized by the scenery, but in reality, he was mentally timing the seconds, hoping the driver would speed up.

Upon arrival, Jiang Ruo pointed to a hotel near the alley entrance. “It’s the hotel the production team has booked. If you’re staying here tonight, contact Sister Zhou to arrange it for you.”

With that, he turned to leave.

Chen Muxin called out to him, “Brother Jiang, I have a few things I want to discuss with you. Would you spare some time?”

Given his politeness and their shared industry, Jiang Ruo couldn’t refuse. Reluctantly stopping, he walked with Chen Muxin to a streetlight.

It had rained earlier in the afternoon, leaving the night air cool and damp.

Chen Muxin got straight to the point. “I learned later that my cousin sought you out and probably said some unpleasant things. I apologize on her behalf.”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Ruo replied promptly. “She didn’t say anything wrong.”

Chen Muxin couldn’t ignore what had happened, looking slightly regretful. “I know you’re not that kind of person. You were so dedicated while shooting…”

“That’s because it’s work, my livelihood, so I have to take it seriously.”

“I’ve also heard some rumors… Did you give up dancing because of that incident?”

Jiang Ruo felt a jolt, followed by the irritation of having his past indiscretions brought up.

“So what if I did?” he said tersely. “It’s my personal matter, and I don’t see the need to make my private life public.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Chen Muxin hastily explained. “I just feel it’s a pity. You’re so talented, you should be shining on stage.”

Jiang Ruo laughed. “There’s no such thing as should or shouldn’t in this world. We’re all pushed forward by our stories.”

He lacked the power to control his own destiny.

But Chen Muxin said, “I believe you can. I’ve seen your performances from before. That vibrant vitality, that unrestrained freedom, how could you settle for being stuck in place?”

Jiang Ruo was taken aback, then laughed again. “Are you a fan of mine, caring so much about me?”

“From now on, I am.” Chen Muxin looked at him, his smile bright and unique to a cheerful young man. “And I’m your suitor.”

Surprised by his frankness, Jiang Ruo paused before saying, “Don’t say things like that lightly. You don’t really know me.”

“Then, would you give me the chance to get to know you?” Chen Muxin asked. “I wasn’t there for your past, so I only want to start getting to know you from now on.”

Jiang Ruo couldn’t recall exactly how he rejected him. Perhaps he simply said, “But I don’t want you to know me,” and turned to walk away.

Perhaps it was because he had been in the darkness for too long that facing such direct and intense advances, akin to sunlight leaving nowhere to hide, triggered an instinctive desire to flee.

His hurried steps echoed on the stone pavement. As he rounded the corner beside a wall covered in lush vines leading to the alley entrance, a black minivan parked at the intersection suddenly caught his eye.

The headlights were on, and a person stood next to it.

Tall and upright like a pine tree, clad in his usual white shirt and black pants, with one hand in his pocket and a speck of crimson fire flickering between the fingers of the other, its glow intermittently visible in the misty, humid air.

Jiang Ruo paused for a moment before approaching. “What are you doing here?”

Xi Yufeng didn’t answer but glanced at him briefly before opening the rear passenger door and walking around to the other side.

Sitting in the car, Jiang Ruo finally felt a tangible presence of Xi Yufeng. He had thought about the possibility of him visiting the set, but Guangcheng was far from Feng City, and Xi Yufeng was so busy. Jiang Ruo dared to dream but never expected it to come true.

Xi Yufeng stood outside the car for a while, finishing his cigarette before getting in.

The car door slammed shut, allowing a hint of tobacco scent to mix with the overly chilly atmosphere inside.

“Is this car rented? Or do you have a car in Guangcheng as well?” At that moment, Jiang Ruo had forgotten they were still in the middle of their “cold war,” filled with joy. “Did you fly here? Then drove here? Was it an afternoon flight, that’s why you arrived so quickly…”

“Not as fast as you,” Xi Yufeng suddenly said.

Jiang Ruo was taken aback and turned to look at the person beside him.

Xi Yufeng was looking at him, his expression as indifferent as ever. However, Jiang Ruo noticed a hint of barely perceptible disdain in his dark eyes.

Before he could ask, he heard Xi Yufeng’s deep, mocking laugh. “In just a few days, you’ve already found the next target.”