ATLAS TRANSLATES

Although there was a bit of unpleasantness, everyone chose to selectively forget it.

Fu Junyan’s violin playing was really very good. I only now discovered how he had ruthlessly suppressed his own skill for the sake of art in the scene where Gu Xinyao and Xiao Moxiao first met. I thought of how when I was little, Dad would make me stand in the corner and practice the violin. Whenever I didn’t play well, Dad would get anxious. Only at these times would he mention Mom to me. He would say, “Your mother was extremely good at the violin and also played the piano extremely well. You are her daughter. You can’t lose face for her.” Then I would cry while listening to the metronome, not daring to make a single mistake. From the very beginning of the simplest individual notes to truly playing a good piece, it really requires decades of hard work and skill. So I really wondered, what was there that this Fu Junyan couldn’t do?

In my previous life, I had already played the violin for over twenty years. But when John shouted “Action!”, as soon as Fu Junyan’s violin sounded, I didn’t miss the amazement in the eyes of every single person present. Even Gu Xiao’an, who was chasing white doves with Xiao Qi on the other side of the square, ran back in a daze. This little guy had long known not to make noise during filming. So he ran back with his little body and stood beside Old John, clapping his little hands while whispering “Wow! Wow! Wow!” His open mouth never closed. He even drooled a little. The admiration for Fu Junyan in his eyes was unbelievable.

To be honest, I was a bit jealous. Other than John, I hadn’t publicly played the violin in the crew. Fu Junyan’s excellent skill actually made me a bit nervous too. But then I remembered Dad saying, “When masters compete, it’s their inner strength that counts.” My heart instead strangely calmed down.

Gradually, more and more people gathered in the square. Every time Fu Junyan and I finished a piece, there would be more and more intense applause.

Soon, John shouted “Cut, OK.” But the crowd still hadn’t dispersed. The first to react was Gu Xiao’an. When he heard Old John’s order, he beamed and pulled Xiao Qi to squeeze through people’s legs to us. I was also in the mood to play. Seeing Gu Xiao’an’s worshipful gaze at my feet, my heart suddenly felt incredibly proud and surging. Without thinking, I started playing “Green Sleeves”. The competition was over, but as soon as I played the first note, Fu Junyan joined in. We played one piece after another in surprisingly tacit cooperation. I turned my head and smiled at him. Following his gentle gaze, I looked at An’an happily dancing around us and Xiao Qi wagging its tail in circles. I felt incomparably joyful. Finally, the surrounding crowd also gradually started dancing. Only then did I realize that the cameras had been on the whole time. Old John’s eyes gleamed as he watched all this, his expression extremely delighted.

When I treated the crew to a meal, I didn’t order for everyone together. I said, “Everyone come one by one. Order whatever you want to eat! You order, I’ll swipe the card!” Later, almost the entire restaurant was filled with our crew. I happily swiped my card, watching the receipts print out one by one, my eyes getting brighter and brighter.

Jay walked over. He looked at my expression and tilted his head thinking for a long time before asking, “Xiao’ai, why do you look like a cat that stole some food?” But I felt he had already put it quite elegantly. That was obviously a thief’s gleam.

But I didn’t say anything, just smiled at him and blinked.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, my phone rang. Dad’s gnashing voice came from the other end, “Gu Baobei! Try swiping one more time!” Then I nodded to the crew member who had just finished ordering and swiped again. The sound of text message notifications immediately came from the other end of the phone, along with Dad’s obviously puffed up voice, “Gu Baobei! Get your ass back here as soon as you finish filming! Get back here quickly! See how I’ll deal with you! Think you’ve grown wings, huh? Can’t you use a different card? My phone has been ringing for half an hour! It made me miss out on a Qianlong jade seal!”

I stuck out my tongue, still shamelessly saying, “There are plenty of Qianlong jade seals… Dad, I thought you didn’t get the He’s Bi jade disk. If you want to see it, go back to the museum yourself.” The Xiao family was in the antiques business, with museums all over the country. When I was little, even a random brush pot at home was antique. I obediently sat on a Ming dynasty tall hat chair practicing calligraphy, looking at a display case of various bronze mirrors. The house full of antiques was quite a headache.

“Humph!” Hearing that Dad’s anger had dissipated, I quickly took the opportunity to placate him. “Dad, you were the one who told me to get my ass back. So when I finish filming, I’ll really bring your son and get my ass back!”

“Remember to come back!” He paused before saying, “Gu An has Italian citizenship. Before the transfer procedures are completed, remember to get him a visa when you come back. Are you sure you can handle it alone? Otherwise I can send you a few assistants.”

“Dad, don’t even think about sending people to follow me 24/7. I’m not stupid, okay? No way! I’m doing great with An’an.” As I said this, I turned my head to look at Fu Junyan, who was sitting by the window holding An’an, and murmured, “Really great…”

“That’s good then. Remember to come home.”

“Mm.” After hanging up, I took out a different card from my bag, waved over the cameraman Xiao Chen, and said, “Xiao Chen ge, could you please order for the rest of the people together? If they want anything else, just add it. Ordering one by one like this seems to be too slow. What do you think?”

He readily agreed. I handed him the credit card and said there was no password, then turned around, ordered two portions of pasta and coffee, and walked over to sit down next to Fu Junyan. An’an in his arms was holding a milk bottle, his little cheeks puffing in and out, looking very cute. Outside the glass window, Xiao Qi was wagging its tail, pouncing on white doves, happily running all over the square.

Then, seeing the violin case next to his chair, I said, “Fu Junyan, you play the violin really well!”

He shook his head, picked up his coffee, took a small sip, and said, “Not well enough.”

I twirled some pasta, took a bite, and really didn’t dare ask what counted as good. With him like this, even competing with him in violin was very difficult for me…

In the story, Xiao Moxiao and Gu Xinyao arrive at the Bridge of Sighs. The Bridge of Sighs, the place where life heads toward death, the last glimpse.

The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed bridge built over the Rio di Palazzo between the Doge’s Palace and the prisons. Prisoners who had committed serious crimes on their way to the dungeon and condemned prisoners on their way to execution had to pass this airtight bridge. At the end of life, in the last sight before death, too many people have passed through here, leaving a final sigh to this prosperous world.

When the Xiao Moxiao who didn’t understand love finally realized his own feelings, this stubborn and strong man finally reached out to embrace the beautiful woman who had been wounded by love, full of scars. He said, “Xinyao, look at me…”

Fu Junyan pulled me to a stop in front of the window as the cameras started rolling.

The lattice windows of the Bridge of Sighs were carved very intricately, the pattern made up of many eight-petaled chrysanthemums. The man leaned lazily against the window frame, looking down at the scenery outside the bridge, while the woman followed his gaze. A narrow, long gondola was passing under the bridge. A man and woman sat at the bow, intimately embracing and kissing each other with such affection.

Then, the setting sun slowly shone on the stained glass windows. The man, having felt something, embraced her from behind, as careful and tender as if treasuring the most beautiful jewel in the world. When filming this part, I suddenly remembered that night when he held me, that familiar scent behind me. I couldn’t help getting lost in thought, forgetting everything.

At this moment, Xiao Moxiao was like a stubborn child. He had always walked upright in the world, never bending his head with tenacious resilience. But finally, he admitted defeat. He lowered his proud head to this weak and scarred woman. He reached out to hold the woman in front of him, letting the glory of the setting sun shine on them. He took her hand and faced her, looking into her eyes with such focus. There was no more stubbornness or conflict in his eyes, as pure as a newborn child.

Then, he almost reverently kissed her forehead and said, “Xinyao, look at me…” Please, look at me…

I cried. Tears fell silently, scalding the back of my hand.

When John said “Cut, OK!”, Fu Junyan’s hands loosened. I suddenly felt a bit sad, my heart skipping a beat. Until Fu Junyan sighed softly beside me. Then, his slender hand touched my eyes and said, “Silly puffer fish, don’t cry.”

Just because of his words, I seemed to find safety again. My suddenly empty heart only then seemed to start beating again.

When we arrived at the Colosseum to shoot the last outdoor scene with Fu Junyan and me, I finally understood why Fu Junyan had said his violin playing wasn’t good enough…

In the story, Xiao Moxiao finally faced his own love. For only one person, for that woman named Gu Xinyao, as if using all his strength, he gave a performance. He played “Devil’s Trill”. The composer of this piece was Tartini. Legend has it that in order to learn the most magical violin skills in the world, he once sold his soul to the devil in a dream. Then he got this beautiful and extremely difficult piece.

I had never heard Dad play this piece, never. He once said, “That was his performance for Mom alone, only once in a lifetime.” Many years later, when I found the score for this piece among the countless sheet music at home, I saw a passage written deeply in pen on the back, “Be brave for love once, be brave to love you once, love you well this once, only this once…”

The Colosseum, like all Roman buildings, has an arched structure as its basic form. A series of arches, vaults, and appropriately arranged elliptical components make the entire building extremely sturdy. Simply put, this is a magnificent building built over a hollow.

And in front of me, Fu Junyan stood right in the center, like a bleak and lonely hero.

As soon as the director shouted “Action!”, I slowly walked closer. He looked at me, his elegant and refined eyes focused and moving. Finally, he closed his eyes. The sound of the violin slowly emerged, the melody intense and melancholic, like a raging torrent that would never come again, so turbulent and surging, as if pouring out all the passion of this life. Unlike the first meeting in the bar, unlike the bravado during the competition in St. Mark’s Square. At this moment, he was just a man waiting for love. His music profoundly stirred the depths of everyone’s soul, making it impossible to break free…

Then he opened his eyes. The music gradually faded. I heard him say, “I am willing to exchange my soul with Satan, only to beg for your love. Please, marry me…”

And I just stared at him in a trance, my eyes brimming with tears. I slowly reached out my hand to this fragile yet strong man and said with my head tilted, “Alright…”

I think when Mom agreed to marry Dad back then, perhaps there was also love. Perhaps that love was born from pity for a fellow sufferer. In this world, how many fools are there who burn their whole lives just for an unattainable love? Or perhaps it was gratitude. After experiencing countless hardships, drifting like duckweed, there was still someone willing to love her scarred self…

Then he smiled, a brilliance on his face that had never been there before, dazzling the entire world.

A long time later, when I had curled up in a corner and finally calmed my emotions, stopping the tears that wouldn’t cease, I turned to Fu Junyan, who had been accompanying me the whole time, and said, “I finally understand why, when Gu Xinyao first met Xiao Moxiao, she said his music was not pleasant to hear. It turns out it was because Xiao Moxiao’s music at that time had no love…” At that time, Xiao Moxiao didn’t understand love…

Then I said, “Fu Junyan, you played the violin really well…” I didn’t know how he could play so well. Everyone present was stunned by the music for a long time, unable to recover. That deep emotion, as if he had really loved that desperately, my heart still aches even now, unable to step out of the role…

This time, he gently nodded and said to me, “Thank you.”

Because of Fu Junyan, I finally made a decision. I wanted to really sing for the concert scene. I originally thought John would carefully consider it when I finished speaking. Who knew his big beard would tremble as he jumped up from his chair and said, “Good! Good! Let’s do that! Let’s do that!”

Fang Dingyue postponed his return to the crew by a week. When he came back, he looked haggard. Seeing the small white flower on his cuff, I knew his mother had truly passed away.

He didn’t speak to anyone when he entered the studio, just strode over to me, reached out, and hugged me. Then he said, “Xiao’ai, thank you.” At that moment, I felt his fragility. I reached out from his embrace and gently patted his back. Then I felt this cold and aloof man tremble slightly.

Afterwards, Fang Dingyue became unusually silent. Sometimes he would make mistakes while filming. At those times, he would look at me apologetically, and I would shake my head each time, imitating how he used to comfort me, patting his shoulder, wanting to give him strength.

Once, I unintentionally saw him hiding under a tree behind the back hill, silently shedding tears facing the direction of his homeland. Then I quietly left, leaving a handful of daisies behind him.

This time, he really brought back a lot of local specialties to share with everyone in the crew. He also intentionally left a big bag for me and brought a Pororo doll for An’an. Gu Xiao’an jumped for joy, hugging Pororo and refusing to let go. He climbed on Xiao Qi’s back, kissed him, and kept calling out, “Yue-yue!” Only then did Fang Dingyue rarely smile a little.

After four and a half months of filming, “Regretful Love” finally wrapped.

The last scene was also the final scene of the entire drama.

The blind Mo Qian, the amnesiac Gu Xinyao, and their newborn child.

On that sunny afternoon, the extremely weak Gu Xinyao, this woman who had been obsessed with love her whole life, finally used the last bit of strength in her life beside her lover. Her hand slowly fell, shallow tears shining in her eyes. Then, that restrained man smilingly cut his own wrist. His smile was so calm and peaceful, as if there was no more pain. He silently followed this woman who had chased him all his life and quietly left this world.

At this moment, the sleeping child in the cradle seemed to sense something and woke up. A tender cry sounded, moving people to tears.

After filming the last scene, I cried for a long time. Everyone came to comfort me. They thought I was too immersed in the role and all praised me for being a good actress. But only I knew that in my previous life, Uncle Enhao, the screenwriter of this drama, told me that he was the first to arrive at the scene back then. He was the first to pick up the endlessly crying me from the cradle. The me who was so young back then had really watched with my own eyes as my parents quietly died, never to be warm again.