ATLAS TRANSLATES

For a movie to become hugely popular, it first needs to have public appeal. But to say a movie is good, it needs the recognition of experts.

“Regretful Love” had already taken the entertainment industry by storm. Once, when I was sending An’an to school, the theme songs from “Regretful Love” were playing everywhere on the streets, including the one I sang. Walking on the road, I would occasionally be recognized. Even some elderly people would stop me midway and say, “Good child, don’t wait anymore. Although Kimura Jin is a bit impetuous, he’s not bad either…” I don’t know what my expression was like at that time, but I was quite relieved to be able to act so convincingly.

Fans who liked “Regretful Love” also started to pair up various CP combinations on their own. They would edit clips into stories – Jay-Baobei, Yue-Baobei, Ai-Junyan, anyway, fans came up with all kinds of stories to match me up with someone. I would often secretly lurk on forums and feel both amused and helpless seeing these. But occasionally, I would also fantasize and secretly giggle under the covers. I wonder if other celebrities are as hopeless as me…

My casting offers were increasing and the prices were rising too. Wan Qing was very happy. That day, she received a call and her usually stern face flushed red. An’an was reading a picture book on the side. Seeing her like that, he immediately ran over and tugged on my sleeve, saying, “Sister! Look at auntie! Face is red red!” I smiled, patted An’an’s little head, and hugged the little one before turning to ask, “Qing-jie, what’s up?”

“Xiao Ai! “Regretful Love” exceptionally entered the Golden Dragon Awards selection. You’re nominated for Best New Artist and Best Actress! Xiao Ai, trust me! Within three months, you’ll definitely become the hottest thing in the entertainment industry!”

Hearing this, Gu Xiao’an raised his little face, his eyes rolling around happily. He put the book on his little leg and clapped his hands, shouting, “An’an eat fried chicken! An’an eat!” After he said that, his big eyes blinked expectantly at Wan Qing, and this childish remark made Wan Qing’s face flush red again.

I patted Gu Xiao’an’s little head and smiled at Wan Qing in embarrassment. At this moment, Wan Qing’s eyes were extremely bright from happiness. This was the happiest she had been since taking me on. I thought at that time, people really do need to get along.

I paused for a moment before saying, “Of course I trust you.” Then I lowered my head, pinched Gu Xiao’an’s face and asked, “How come you like eating meat so much lately? Gu Xiao’an!”

“Meat meat! Want!” An’an was even more excited when he heard meat. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me expectantly. I leaned against his little face, sniffed him, and tapped his nose helplessly, “Okay!”

But later, after finishing the fried chicken, the little guy gathered all the bones and put them back in the box. Then he tilted his head and carefully handed it to me, saying, “Sister, save for Xiao Qi! Qi-qi eat!” At that moment, I cursed Fu Junyan in my heart for the first time. He must be a bad person, definitely a bad person… Not only did he leave, he took the dog too! Bad person!

I took an advertisement for a bottled perfume called Sea Tears, Love’s Sun. I chose it from the many advertisements I had on hand because I liked the script. The perfume ad’s script was adapted from the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”, and just those few short minutes of the story overturned the little mermaid in my mind.

They say you recognize a woman by her scent. In this story, the prince didn’t miss the princess. He didn’t let her turn into foam when the first ray of dawn shone on the sea. He recognized the mermaid because he remembered his lover’s scent.

When I was holding the ad script, I suddenly thought of myself. I don’t know when I started to love using ocean-scented aromatherapy. That lingering scent almost filled every corner of my room. But actually, deep down, I knew it was because at the beginning of my return to this world, there was a gentle man who lit a room full of ocean-scented aromatherapy for me, promising me peace.

Wan Qing was also very happy to see that I was willing to do advertisements. When she came to me with several advertising contracts, she probably expected to return empty-handed again. So when I nodded, she actually let out a small “ah” sound.

The promotion for “Regretful Love” had already ended, just waiting for the TV station to successfully conclude. But since then, I hadn’t seen Fu Junyan once and had no news of him. Fu Junyan, this man’s goodness was so abrupt yet so natural. I always thought I must have imprinted on him like a baby bird, to dream of those deep and bright eyes again and again in the middle of the night, even having the illusion of being abandoned because of his departure…

When I went for the makeup test for the perfume ad, I didn’t expect the most difficult thing would not be the director’s high demands, but the mermaid costume for the ad. The mermaid skirt made for the ad was very luxurious and complex. It looked stunning even from a distance. The top of the skirt had an open back design. The front was hand-embroidered with Swarovski crystals and expensive colored diamonds sewn on bit by bit. The skirt was in the shape of a fishtail, made extremely beautifully. It was all hand-sewn with crystals and blue diamonds. It looked great, but this kind of skirt was not easy to wear…

The stylist also bleached my long hair blue and painted dark gold eyeshadow on my eyelids, which was quite scary and shimmery. I felt awkward, but Wan Qing kept nodding beside me, her eyes shining with the kind of light I often saw on John’s face. After the makeup artist finished styling my hair and makeup, I was supported by two people on either side before finally putting on that mermaid outfit.

Of course, the fishtail was really beautiful. The design of the entire outfit accentuated the curves, making one look sexy yet cute. Even I wanted to get a nosebleed looking at myself in the mirror. It’s just that with the tail, there was no way to walk at all. I was quite miserable even sitting in the chair because those diamonds and crystals embedded in the clothes were really poking me. The ad director also knew my discomfort and considerately didn’t make me move around. He waited at the door of the dressing room specifically to see the styling.

When the director walked in with the work team, I heard several exclamations: “Oh my god! A stunner!”

“This is simply the little mermaid under Andersen’s pen.”

“Oh my god! Xiao Ai, you’re going to be the death of beauty!”

“With this ad, you’ll definitely become the goddess in every man’s heart!”

I rolled my eyes in my mind. What’s so great about being a goddess? It’s tiring to be pretentious. Gu Xinyao’s character is the tragic version of a goddess. In my previous life, from the moment I debuted, the words “goddess” were always around me. The company also positioned me this way. For this, I always had to put on airs at fixed occasions, but in fact, people get tired of pretending for too long.

So, in my previous life, I especially envied Fu Junyan. His rise to fame was not strange, his success was also not strange. What was strange was that he was one person, yet he could bring any character to life. His positioning was so broad that it had no boundaries. “Fu Junyan is a true actor, not just a celebrity.” This was the evaluation he received in my previous life after he ventured into the big screen and won the Oscar for Best Actor. Although this evaluation was concise, it was really hard to surpass. But I thought, I also wanted to experience that kind of true joy, the joy of being myself, the joy of being an actor.

I had just told myself to stop overthinking when I came back to my senses. I found that the chattering discussion had actually quieted down, replaced by sighs and heavy breathing. I lifted my head and looked at them in bewilderment. Then at the other end of the door, what I saw in my eyes was him slowly walking towards me, indescribably handsome and noble, his brilliance dazzling to the point of not being able to open one’s eyes.

I just stared blankly as he walked in. Fu Junyan!! His hair had grown a bit longer, his eyes were still so beautiful. His exquisite face was looking at me like that, making me feel a moment of dizziness…

Then the director said, “Xiao Ai, you know Junyan. He is your prince.”

Of course I knew the director meant that Fu Junyan was my partner in the ad. But I don’t know why, from the initial shock to confirming that Fu Junyan had really appeared in front of me, a ball of fire suddenly rose in my stomach. Thinking of this person who inexplicably appeared in my life, then inexplicably disappeared, and now inexplicably showed up again, I was angry, very angry! So, I directly tilted my head, glared at Fu Junyan, and said bluntly, “Which eye of yours saw that he’s a prince!”

The director laughed when he heard that. He was a maverick in the industry, often doing things unconventionally, so everyone called him “Ghost Director”. But his advertising works often became hugely popular.

The Ghost Director turned around, patted Fu Junyan on the shoulder and said, “Junyan ah, I thought you two would have a pretty good relationship after working together. I didn’t expect your relationship with Xiao Ai to be not so good!” Saying that, he raised his brows, as if provoking him with a hint of joke.

However, Fu Junyan just smiled and didn’t comment. He only turned his head and took a light glance at me again. That glance was too deep, making my little heart tremble. But I still righteously turned my head away, not wanting to pay attention to him.

The director looked at the two of us again and nodded at the staff behind him. Then he turned to me and said, “Xiao Ai, it’s just a joke! You two must film this ad well together! Don’t be petty.” After saying that, the Ghost Director took the contract and invited Wan Qing out. Soon, only Fu Junyan and I were left in the dressing room.

Fu Junyan looked at me, turned around, and headed for the door. I thought he was leaving and felt both flustered and angry. But with how I was dressed, I couldn’t walk at all and didn’t dare to move around. And on what basis could I make him stay? Left and right, I could only anxiously shout at him, “Fu Junyan! Aren’t you mistaken for disappearing for over three months and suddenly showing up again!?”

“Silly pufferfish, it’s three months and seven days…” His voice reached me faintly, carrying an ink-like fragrance that wasn’t sticky but very moving. Hearing it, I couldn’t even get angry anymore. I just felt inexplicably aggrieved and pouted as I watched him gently close the door.

Then with his back to me, it took a long time before he turned around to look at me. Dressed in all white, he looked as beautiful as a pearl, as if he was God’s most beloved creation. His eyes gazed at me lightly with a hint of being lost in thought. I just stared at him in a daze, feeling like my entire being was about to be sucked into his gentle eyes. But at this moment, he suddenly lowered his head, his long lashes casting shadows on his beautifully exquisite side profile. He said, slowly raising his eyes, “Fu Junyan really missed Gu Baobei…”

I was frozen by his light yet deeply affectionate words. In my mind, I inexplicably recalled the words I had heard countless times in my previous life: “Fu Junyan ah, if he looks at you, just one glance. If you look back, you’ll hand over this lifetime…” I don’t know how many times he had gazed at me as if enchanted like this, and each time, I couldn’t help but foolishly look back at him, unable to turn my eyes away…

“I hate you!” I turned my head and said softly, starting to feel endless grievance in my heart. His focused gaze also made my whole body feel hot, making me unable to stop complaining, “An’an will hate you too! Who told you to take Xiao Qi away without a word, making An’an suddenly lose his friend. You took Xiao Qi away, so Gu Xiao’an always packs the leftover bones in a box and hides them, saying he wants to save them for Xiao Qi. It’s all because of you! It’s all because of you! My room is full of hidden dog bones everywhere! It’s all because of you!” I lowered my head, sniffed my own hair, and continued, “It’s all because of you, my room is filled with the scent of ocean aromatherapy. As long as I smell the scent of sandalwood, I think of you. It’s all because of you, I can no longer stomach my own messy cooking. It’s all because of you, I wait for you to come tuck me in at night and miss the warm glass of milk you make for me in the morning. Whenever An’an cries, I think you’ll be right beside me to coax him if I turn around. But, I can’t find you at all…” Saying that, I incoherently started to cry softly and finally just shouted, “You’re the robber who inexplicably barged into my life!”

“How come you love to cry so much?” Fu Junyan just patiently listened to my endless complaints without getting angry. He just smiled gently, walked over, cupped my face, and actually lowered his head to lightly kiss my eyes. I was helplessly held in his arms, and his warm hands touching my back made me tremble slightly.

“Silly baby, don’t cry. Haven’t I come back?” He sighed by my ear, patting my back lightly again and again, like how he coaxed An’an every time. I moved a bit, nestled in his arms, raised my eyes to steal a glance at him, and said softly, “Who told you to kiss me?”

He looked at me and smiled. Suddenly, he winked at me and leaned down to kiss my forehead again.

“If you kiss me again, I’ll bite you!”

“Okay!”

I was helpless. In my life, what I feared most was his stubborn temperament that wouldn’t budge. He was like water. You punch it and it still doesn’t change shape, but you can easily be absorbed by it, gentle and accommodating. But even if you escape this time, he can still break you bit by bit, like water dripping on a stone, leaving you in pieces. Fu Junyan, what a terrifying man… I rested my face against his chest and tightly closed my eyes.

Then I heard him say, “Xiao Ai, I took a movie. I just got back from Japan yesterday.”

I secretly glanced at him and pouted. What movie? What movie! I drew circles and crosses in my heart resentfully, curled up in his arms and asked, “What movie?”

“”Shadow”, a cops and robbers film.”

It was actually the movie that made him hugely popular in my previous life!? I felt a hint of excitement but tried hard to suppress it. I still asked in a muffled voice, “When will it be released?”

“Probably at the end of the year… What’s wrong?”

That’s right! In my previous life, this movie indeed premiered at the end of the year. At the beginning of the next year, he swept both the Best New Artist and Best Supporting Actor awards at the Hundred Flowers Film Festival with this role. For a newcomer to sweep two big awards as a supporting actor in one film, this was almost unheard of in film history. Also because of this, in my previous life, Fu Junyan’s acting career took off smoothly from then on.

Thinking about it, I suddenly really wanted to share that joy with him. So I said, “Fu Junyan, if you invite me to the premiere, I’ll forgive you.”

“Okay.” He nodded, hooked my finger, and said, “Let’s pinky swear.”

“Also, even if you have a confidentiality agreement for filming, you can’t just leave without a word! An’an will miss Xiao Qi. Doing this is very shameless of you!”

“Okay.”

“Then go and pick up all the bones in my house! It’s so dirty! An’an hides them everywhere!”

“Okay.”

“Hey! Fu Junyan! Are you going to say okay to whatever I say? Then try punching yourself.”

Hearing this, he smiled, tightened his arms around me, and smoothed my hair. His slender fingers traced along my back. He said, “I was afraid that if I didn’t rush back, you and An’an would forget me.” Then he lowered his head and pressed his face against mine, saying heavily, “Silly baby, I’m very tired. Be good and let me hold you…”