Chapter 57 – Five Minutes

By the end of the year, the two unexpectedly met under unusual circumstances.

It started when An He decided to return to Feng City to reconnect with his roots. A paternity test revealed the truth, stunning not just the Meng family, but the entire social circle was shaken to its core.

What should have been a happy occasion took an unexpected turn when the long-lost biological son finally found his way home, and on the other side, the adoptive son who had spent nearly thirty years with the Meng family insisted on severing ties with the “Meng” surname.

According to public speculation — the true Meng heir had returned, leaving no room for the false heir. After all, blood was thicker than water, and matters of shares and inheritance would naturally exclude the adopted son.

People began to lament — Meng Chao had worked tirelessly for the Meng family for so many years, only to likely end up with nothing, truly pitiful.

When Jiang Ruo received An He’s call, he had just finished a performance and stepped off the stage. Hearing An He’s voice, laced with tears, Jiang Ruo hastily wiped at his eyes with a makeup remover pad. Checking his reflection in the mirror to ensure he looked presentable, he didn’t even bother changing out of his costume before grabbing his down jacket and rushing out from the theater’s backstage.

Following the address, he arrived at the Meng family residence, where he could hear the commotion from afar.

The Meng family, bombarded with information for days, seemed shrouded in dark clouds, giving off a chilling aura even before approaching closely.

In the courtyard, there stood a tree with gnarled branches. Beside it, Meng Chao knelt, his back straight as a rod. In front of him, a middle-aged couple stood under the porch, presumably the head of the Meng family and his wife.

An He’s hand was held by Meng’s mother, and he had taken a step forward, seemingly intent on approaching Meng Chao, but was torn because of the restraint.

Jiang Ruo knew this was a family matter, and logically, he shouldn’t interfere. So he went straight to An He’s side and quietly asked if he was alright.

An He bit his lip and shook his head.

Jiang Ruo asked him, “What’s happening now?”

It turned out that shortly after An He’s return and reconnection with the Meng family, Meng Chao confessed his relationship with An He to their parents.

Overwhelmed, Meng’s mother fainted on the spot, while Meng’s father, in a fit of rage, ordered Meng Chao to leave the Meng family. Initially believing this could pressure them into correcting their relationship, they were taken aback when Meng Chao took advantage of the situation, saying he wanted to leave the Meng family and rid himself of the brotherly bond with An He.

Now, Meng Chao was determined to leave, the elders wouldn’t agree, and An He was caught in the middle, unsure how to proceed.

After hearing the explanation, Jiang Ruo sighed. “So you called me here, but I can’t really help.”

An He blinked, and tears rolled down his cheeks. “I… I couldn’t find anyone else…”

The year had seen drastic changes, which he couldn’t bear alone.

Jiang Ruo comforted him with gentle pats on the back. “Alright, don’t panic. No matter what, I’ll stand by your side.”

Meng Chao said he would leave, but he hadn’t actually abandoned everything.

Feeling indebted to the Meng couple for raising him, he returned all his shares, positions, cars, and houses, and knelt before them, saying he would leave once they calmed down.

Meng Lan’s attempt to mediate failed to break the deadlock until another person arrived. With the simple phrase, “It’s so cold, let’s talk inside,” he managed to persuade the Meng elders to go indoors.

Meng Chao, who vowed never to step foot in the Meng family again, kept his word and remained kneeling in place.

Xi Yufeng accompanied him for a while, noticing his refusal to rise, fetched a chair to sit on.

Meng Chao spat, “Damn you, I’m not kneeling for you.”

Xi Yufeng looked at him coldly. “Is this how you treat your rescuer?”

In the bleak winter wind, they exchanged a few words.

When asked if he was resolute, Meng Chao replied, “What else can I do? I tore down the house myself.”

Xi Yufeng knew more than others. Meng Chao had recently tracked someone down in a rural area in central China, exerting great effort to coax them back, suggesting he had already made preparations then.

In a way, their situations were similar. Both had lived lives that appeared bright and prosperous but were ultimately dependent on others.

Xi Yufeng asked, “No regrets?”

For years, Meng Chao had managed most of the family business. He seemed carefree but was more committed to the Meng family’s success than anyone, aiming to repay the debt of gratitude to the couple. The Meng family had risen from humble beginnings, and their rapid expansion to their current scale was largely due to Meng Chao’s leadership and decisions over the years.

“If we’re talking about regrets, yes, there are some. Who doesn’t dream of building a commercial empire?” Meng Chao mocked Xi Yufeng and himself. “But if he isn’t afraid, I’d look foolish if I showed fear.”

Compared to An He, who could forsake wealth and status, missing out on the chance to reunite with his family, what Meng Chao gave up was insignificant.

Xi Yufeng nodded. “As long as you’re clear about your decision.”

“Speaking of which, do you have a suitable position for me in your company?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to watch me die without helping?”

“Send over your resume first; we’ll see.”

“Fucking hell — ”

At dusk, the door opened again.

An He escorted Jiang Ruo out, but his thoughts were on the person kneeling outside, his gaze frequently drifting towards Meng Chao.

Meng’s mother, aware of Jiang Ruo’s care for An He over the years, held his hand and profusely thanked him at the door, almost insisting he stay for dinner.

Citing work obligations, Jiang Ruo excused himself.

Meng Chao knelt, exchanged glances with An He, and still found time to remind Xi Yufeng, “Hey, your big star is leaving.”

A gust of wind blew past, and the bare branches of the tree waved around, making a raspy sound of friction.

Xi Yufeng stood up and watched as Jiang Ruo turned away, brushed past him on the nearby stone path without so much as a glance, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

During the year-end, when award ceremonies were clustered together, entertainment industry workers often felt the luxury of sitting down for a meal was a rare indulgence because of the sense of urgency.

Jiang Ruo was no exception. Due to the success of recent performances, additional shows were added before the New Year, requiring Jiang Ruo to perform at least three times a week. This trip to Hai City was fortunate to have been pre-approved by the troupe leader, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to spare even two days.

Before his departure, as Jiang Ruo emerged from backstage, he was immediately surrounded by eager fans.

Considering the freezing weather and knowing he still had some time, Jiang Ruo stayed to sign autographs for his fans.

During this, a fan engaged him in conversation, asking if he had been nominated for the White Magnolia Awards. As he signed, Jiang Ruo replied, “Yes, Xie Fangyuan is nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but don’t get your hopes up for winning. I’m just going to broaden my horizons.”

The fan smiled and said, “Understood, waiting for you to win Best Actor next year.”

After signing for a while longer, a commotion broke out in the crowd, with vague shouts of “Fire!”

The gathered crowd quickly scattered, and Jiang Ruo nearly fell in the pushing and shoving. Amidst the chaos, he felt a hand support him. Once he steadied himself and looked up to thank the person, they were nowhere to be found.

He only vaguely caught sight of a tall figure in the crowd, dressed in a suit and coat, an uncommon sight among the audience.

Just as Jiang Ruo was about to chase after them, Xiao Shen pushed through the crowd and approached. “It’s about time, Teacher Jiang. Let’s head to the airport.”

“…Alright.”

When Jiang Ruo turned to look again, the figure had vanished into the night.

The fire incident at the theater backstage in Feng City did not result in casualties, and since it was detected early, there was no significant damage. It only sparked limited discussion locally.

Jiang Ruo learned about it during his journey to the award ceremony, finding out that someone had accidentally ignited flammable materials with scented candles backstage.

Putting it aside for the moment, his priority was getting through the night.

The reason he used the word “endure” was that, after standing in the wind to sign autographs, taking an overnight flight, and having worked non-stop without rest, Jiang Ruo developed a fever upon arriving in Hai City that evening.

Although he promptly took cold medicine, recovering from a chill required a process. Just before going on stage, the makeup artist applied a thick layer of foundation on Jiang Ruo’s face, along with blush, yet it still couldn’t fully conceal his pale and sickly appearance.

Due to this sudden situation, Jiang Ruo frequently lost focus while seated at the awards ceremony. When the award for Best Supporting Actor was announced, his name was called three times before he snapped back to reality, slowly rising to his feet amidst applause.

The ceremony was broadcast live on television and online. Jiang Ruo left early because of his poor health after accepting his award, unaware that online discussions about his seemingly sullen expression during the award acceptance had already erupted into several heated debates.

Back at the hotel, Jiang Ruo collapsed into bed.

He hadn’t had a fever in years, but when it struck, it hit hard. He woke up just as the sky began to lighten.

At six-thirty in the morning, parched and thirsty, Jiang Ruo had to get up to find water.

After drinking half a glass of water, he felt alive again. Returning to the bedside, he looked at the trophy placed there and wondered, “How did I manage to bring this thing back?”

His head still hurt, and the fragmented memories were jumbled and disconnected. Jiang Ruo pulled out his phone, intending to call Xiao Shen.

The screen lit up, revealing numerous unread messages.

They were from friends and acquaintances across various fields, congratulating him on winning the award. Planning to respond later, Jiang Ruo scrolled up and paused at a person using the promotional poster of “Skin” as their profile picture, who had attempted to call him twice via voice call.

After switching phones, he changed his phone number but kept the same WeChat account.

He hadn’t deleted the people he had previously added back.

As if sensing that Jiang Ruo was looking at his phone, after half a minute of hesitation, the person sent three words: Are you awake?

Jiang Ruo’s hand trembled as he tapped the person.

Realizing it might be bad, he hadn’t had time to retract the message when the voice call came in again.

In his memory, Xi Yufeng rarely called him, and he almost never replied to WeChat messages.

Could something urgent have happened?

Thinking this, Jiang Ruo hesitated for a moment but ultimately answered the call.

The line was quiet, as if the caller was in a resting room or a less crowded area. Perhaps surprised that the call was answered, it wasn’t until the seventh second of the call that the person spoke. “…Jiang Ruo?”

His voice was deep and hoarse, tinged with an uncertain probing that inexplicably startled Jiang Ruo.

He softly replied with an “Mm” and asked, “What’s up?”

Then, he heard the person on the other end exhale.

“Are you okay?” Xi Yufeng asked, answering his own question, “Okay, that’s good.”

Following this, there was a long silence.

Long enough for Jiang Ruo to see the horizon turn white, and the sky change from dark gray to light gray.

“Do you need something?” Seeing the call duration approach three minutes, Jiang Ruo felt compelled to prompt, “If there’s nothing, I should…”

“Don’t hang up.” Xi Yufeng said, “Give me a little time… really, just a little.”

Jiang Ruo pursed his lips, glancing at the wall clock.

“Five minutes, is that enough?”

“Enough. More than enough.”