The nurse happened to come back carrying a tray. The two of them quickly moved out of the way. When the door was pushed open, Jia He was standing in a spot where she could see the window. Her heart raced as she stole a quick peek. He was still in the same posture, only his complexion was much poorer. Seeing the nurse come in, he merely reached out an arm and listened intently to the phone.
“Why is it so urgent?” The words slipped from Jia He’s mouth before she felt it was inappropriate.
“I don’t know either,” A Qing said in a low voice. “But from Teacher Yi’s call with the lawyer, it seems the company is undergoing a transfer of ownership. Maybe it’ll be given to Tian Chu after the divorce.” She spoke utterly convinced. The resentment in her eyes was obvious.
Things were more awkward when she had not listened compared to after hearing that.
Jia He forced out a laugh. “That’s confidential. Don’t say anything more.”
When she made the call, she found out Xiao Ou had been suddenly called back to the office and could only dial Qiao Qiao instead. The other person adopted an attitude of not worrying over insignificant people’s matters, telling her to go get some sun downstairs and that she would be over soon. Jia He could only loiter around downstairs, watching a few reporters shouldering cameras smoking outside. She could vaguely hear them discussing Yi Wenze and Tian Chu’s names…
The entrance of the hospital was very congested. Afraid that Qiao Qiao would not see her, she stood outside the main entrance, standing on the ten centimeter high concrete edges of the flowerbeds, hands tucked into her pockets. Bored, she watched one pair after another walk by, examining their expressions as she made up stories behind each one, considering it professional practice.
“Jia He,” Qiao Qiao called her using the Shanghai dialect and honked her car horn once.
For a moment, Jia He did not react and blankly looked at her for half a second before it clicked. She hurriedly ran over into the car.
“I’ve called you so many times,” Qiao Qiao complained. “What were you thinking about? Causing others to all look at me.”
“Thinking of a new script,” Jia He casually brushed it off. She took out a cooled coffee from the plastic bag to drink a mouthful.
Because the production company’s insignia was on the windshield, the reporters by the entrance all specially snuck glances over, holding up their cameras to look two times. After confirming it was just two unknown women, they lowered their cameras and continued whispering softly amongst themselves.
Qiao Qiao chuckled, saying if she had known earlier, she would have brought Liao Jing over and created an act of the drama leads generating feelings through their work and former lover frequently coming over to check on things. Definitely the investors of both dramas would be utterly overjoyed. She had just happily said that when the security guard came over to rap on their car window, reminding them they were blocking the main entrance. Only then did she start the car and leave the hospital grounds.
The whole drive was smooth sailing.
“Help me book train tickets. I’m going back to Shanghai,” Jia He said while watching the scenery zip by rapidly outside the windows and also thinking of those meaningless words earlier at the hospital with Yi Wenze…
“Your idol is having surgery tonight with 24 hours of ICU after. You’re willing to leave, just like that?” Qiao Qiao swiftly switched lanes to overtake a car, casually mocking as she spoke.
“My phone is busted. I need to go back to buy a new one. There’s still a bunch of stuff to deal with in Beijing too,” Seeing her drive so fiercely, Jia He took out her seatbelt making great effort to clasp it on properly after a while.
“It’s fine going back,” Qiao Qiao hit the steering wheel and switched into a small lane. “The filming is just about wrapped anyway. By the time Yi Wenze can get out of bed after two months, there’ll only be a few extra scenes to make up. You sticking around would be a waste of time.”
Qiao Qiao nattered on for a sentence more, asking Jia He to go back to Shanghai with her to see some houses and whatnot. Jia He absentmindedly listened, staring straight at the narrow lane ahead, having an intense feeling of déjà vu. By the time she saw that cha chaan teng signage, she finally recalled this was precisely that place she had eaten breakfast at with her idol and also gotten photographed.
Because Qingming Festival [Chinese memorial day] was nearing, tickets were a little tight. Jia He did not get her ticket until the next day for the 6 p.m. train. Right as she was lifting her luggage into the car and sitting in the passenger seat, A Qing happened to be getting out of another vehicle and walking towards the hotel lobby.
“A Qing,” Qiao Qiao stopped and called out to her. “How’s Teacher Yi doing?”
A Qing turned around and had to look all over before finally discovering Qiao Qiao was in the car. She immediately broke into a radiant smile, “He’s been transferred to a regular patient room. His condition is quite good. The moment he got out, he started to discuss the new script.”
After Qiao Qiao said “go ahead” to her, she turned in a soft voice to Jia He, “Won’t you give him a call to ask after him?”
Jia He rolled her eyes at her and immediately used Qiao Qiao’s lent phone to dial the Beijing number and softly started to talk about her own schedule and time to open a meeting.
The car bumped all the way to Yiwu Railway Station. The sky had already completely darkened.
Jia He tugged her luggage into the train station. Amongst the packed crowds, she finally managed to squeeze into the waiting hall. There, she saw the announcement that her train would be delayed and could only find a seat to sit down. With people everywhere, either making calls or speaking with one another in low tones, the various incomprehensible accents blended into one piece. By the third time she boredly looked at her ticket and the departure versus arrival times on the display sign, she felt she should give a call asking after him. After all, she had just gone to see him yesterday and he had done quite a lot to help her out.
By the time she took out her phone, she remembered she did not actually have Yi Wenze’s number and hesitated before sending Qiao Qiao a text message.
Very soon, a text was returned to her with a row of digits and a mocking line from Qiao Qiao.
The green numbers on the screen eventually formed into a row. Pressing down on the call button, she unconsciously deeply inhaled a breath.
The steady toot toot sound indicated the line was busy.
Jia He breathed out slowly. She could not tell if she felt disappointed or relieved and hung up the phone, only then discovering the people had suddenly started moving. The waiting status on the display changed to ticket checking prompting her to swiftly grab her luggage and follow the crowds forward. The ticket checking area was very narrow. Although it could only permit one row of people through at a time, they still forcibly squeezed three rows in. When she finally reached the spot with great difficulty, by the time she took out her ticket, her mobile surprisingly rang.
“Hurry it up, okay?” The person behind her impatiently urged on.
Jia He hastily handed her ticket out and rushed through the ticket checking point. While the people were all heading in one direction, she pulled her luggage against the flow to a corner, swiftly clamping her phone against her ear.
“Hello.” The voice on the other end was Yi Wenze’s.
“Teacher Yi, it’s me.” Jia He conveniently covered up her other ear, allowing herself to hear clearly.
He seemed to chuckle. “At the train station?”
“Mm, I was just at ticket checking.”
“You haven’t boarded yet?”
“Mm.”
“Wait a moment please—” On Yi Wenze’s end, it sounded like someone was talking. He said a soft apology in Cantonese before addressing this side again, “You can talk while walking.”
Jia He felt extremely awkward, uttering an “alright” before seeing the crowds had thinned out. She promptly pulled her luggage to catch up with the main stream of people.
“Many people at the train station?”
“Very crowded. Also a delay so I waited a long time.” Jia He had wanted to say more words to avoid him detecting her nervousness, but what came out of her mouth was all irrelevant rubbish… The wheels on the bottom of the luggage let out clacking sounds as the people ahead gradually decreased. She had no choice but to lift her head to find her carriage and discovered she was terribly unlucky to be in the very last one requiring her to walk the longest distance.
Train attendants stood about here and there in groups of threes chatting. Some kindly urged Jia He to hurry up.
Yi Wenze did not speak over there, seeming as if he had heard them. He remained silent until Jia He entered the carriage and lightly exhaled a breath before asking, “Got on the train?”
“Mm,” Jia He held the phone, squeezing past people. “Sorry, Teacher Yi, let me quickly find a seat first.” Since she had gotten on late, the train had already started slowly moving forward.
“Alright.”
She walked to her seat. The tall boy beside seeing her petite size clearly unable to lift the luggage, promptly stood up to lend a hand. She said thanks and finally sat down by the window, “I’m good now.”
“How long is the train ride?”
“Around two hours probably.”
“I have a friend here who just came from Shanghai,” the voice on the other end started sounding patchy and intermittent. Jia He strenuously clamped the phone. She could barely make out his words, “This afternoon—”
Without the slightest sound, the call completely cut off.
Jia He stared blankly at her phone. The battery was full…
The tall boy beside seeing her react this way smiled and said, “Miss, once the bullet train starts moving, the signals get really bad.”
Jia He gave him a silent look. Clearly a male student who had just graduated from university yet actually addressed her as “Miss” because she was petite… “Just because of moving fast?”
That person nodded, picking up a magazine lying in front to start flipping through. “No worries. Make another call on your phone once you get off the train. Your boyfriend will definitely understand.”
……
Jia He was speechless.
This was truly the downside of advanced technology. Although speed had not improved much, prices had increased by a lot. Even signals had flown off into outer space. She placed her phone on her lap, trying to figure out what Yi Wenze had wanted to say but could think of no clues at all. After around half an hour when the train had been moving, most people fell asleep with only some of the younger ones softly conversing. She wanted to sleep yet could not sleep. Hence, she simply bought a packet of Nescafe instant coffee to fully awaken herself. Like this, holding the scalding hot cup in the palm of her hands, she leaned sideways to watch the night scenery.
Suddenly, a text message came in. She casually tapped to open it and it only had a simple line:
The signal is most likely bad. I have continually been unable to get through. I’ll call you once you get off the train.
She read it three times in a row before somewhat coming back to her senses.
The tall boy beside had fallen asleep already with the magazine randomly strewn to one side. Jia He conveniently picked up a page to flip through, concurrently lamenting that indeed he was a new college graduate to actually have brought tabloid magazines with him. Flipping through, her attention was attracted by a full-page photograph. It was a picture of Tian Chu together with that Taiwanese singer. The headline was still eye-catchingly shocking: Brother K speaks out for the first time, claims only ordinary cooperative relationship with Tian Chu.
She scrutinized it and turned to the next page which was the standard tabloid format of listing Tian Chu and Yi Wenze’s past relationship history by timeline. Hong Kong paparazzi truly had a scholarly spirit. They had unearthed every detail of the last two years including what Gu Yu had told her. It even brought up the claim by an insider that the two had signed divorce papers half a year ago but still had not completed the formal procedures.
Her few interactions with Tian Chu plus that ostentatious appearance at the hospital perhaps truly was a signal of reconciliation…
“Miss, so you like Yi Wenze too?” That tall boy suddenly awoke and seeing her staring at the news about Yi Wenze, could not help smilingly saying, “Based on your age, you should like Twins [Cantopop singing duo] or something instead right? You really have unique tastes. He became famous when I was still in primary school. Who knew he would keep being popular all the way until now? Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the same momentum as before. He can only use scandals to get attention now!”
Jia He quietly looked at him once. “When he became famous, I had already graduated middle school.”
The tall boy uttered an “Ah”, awkwardly scratching his head. “Sorry, Sis.”
Alright, she admitted, hearing herself be called “Sis” made her extremely stifled in the chest, but she had brought it onto herself…
Like this, in what felt like no time, they arrived at Shanghai. Her mobile phone was grasped in her hand the entire journey without leaving her side once.
She thought about calling over but also worried Yi Wenze might have gone to sleep already. She could only console herself that he was bound to need rest after surgery. She did not actually have any proper business so she should not pester him and make a nuisance of herself. Hongqiao Railway Station did not have many people late at night and felt very cold and desolate. Most of the fast food places in the main hall had already closed up. Jia He was truly starving and could not stand it anymore. She picked a shop still selling hot soup dishes to have meatball soup with rice dumplings. While eating, Yi Wenze’s call unexpectedly came in.
“Sorry. The doctor just came by to examine me earlier.”
“No problem, none at all.” Jia He nibbled on half a meatball dumpling, unable to swallow or spit it out as she spoke unclearly.
“You’re eating?”
“Mm. I just got off the train and realized I was really hungry so randomly found a place,” Jia He swiftly swallowed the meatball. “Teacher Yi, hurry and get some rest. I actually don’t have anything in particular. Just wanted to ask after you.” Due to the high speed rail, a casual asking after someone from Yiwu to Shanghai had finally formally made it out.
“It’s fine. My friends are still here.”
There were friends over so even less reason she should be bothering him…
Jia He tactfully lied, “Actually, my phone ran out of battery. Let’s talk again later. Wish you a speedy recovery.”
“Okay.”
Jia He suddenly recalled that half-finished sentence. “Oh right… what did you want to tell me earlier? Before the signal cut out?”
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