Jia He wanted to deny it, but the words stuck in her throat, feeling it wouldn’t be appropriate. In the end, she still gave an honest murmur of agreement. She casually grabbed a magazine Yi Wenze had been reading that afternoon. He didn’t ask anything more, only turning on the reading light for her. “Did you buy economy class?”
Then he passed her a bottle of water, casually twisting the cap open.
Jia He accepted the bottle and took a sip. “Economy. It’s less than a two hour flight. I can take a nap and arrive.” It wasn’t some long, torturous international flight. She also didn’t need to avoid public eyesight like celebrities did, so naturally there was no need to waste money.
Yi Wenze nodded. “As long as you’re used to it.”
She drank some water and casually flipped through the magazine, but ultimately wasn’t used to reading long English passages. She could only put it back where she found it. “Are there any Chinese magazines, the kind I don’t need to read any words?” She actually didn’t really like reading magazines. She just felt unsettled sitting shoulder-to-shoulder without something to distract herself.
Yi Wenze hadn’t answered yet when the driver spoke up first, pointing to the passenger seat. “Ah Qing tossed that down just now. She likes reading this kind of thing.”
When Jia He leaned over to take a look, there really was a stack of gossip rags on the passenger seat, along with quite a few fashion magazines. She saw some had Yi Wenze on the covers and felt too embarrassed to pick those up to read. She could only lean over to continue rummaging. Suddenly there was a brake. Before she could react, Yi Wenze was already supporting her by the waist and pulling her back.
“Thank you.” She didn’t dare look at him. She could only stare down at the magazine she had grabbed, which just so happened to have a cover with Yi Wenze and Tian Chu’s picture. It had even been deliberately edited to look like it was torn down the middle. What a coincidence… Jia He imperceptibly flipped the cover open. A new song ranking list topped by one of Tian Chu’s latest tracks greeted her. Just as she was about to flip past it, Yi Wenze had already swept a cursory glance over it. She immediately pointed at the #1 song and scrambled for something to chat about. “Didn’t Zhi Lun mention to me the other day that this song was written by you two years ago?”
She regretted it as soon as she asked. She really was poking a hornet’s nest.
Yi Wenze glanced at where she was pointing. “The melody was from long ago. He filled in the lyrics two years back.”
His voice was calm. His expression was calm. In short, everything seemed fine.
Jia He oh’d and wanted to change the subject. But he suddenly volunteered another sentence. “This was written for one of my fans, probably around 1999.”
Jia He immediately sighed. “How fortunate.”
He simply smiled without responding.
By the time they reached the airport, it still wasn’t even eight. The road that was normally very congested was exceptionally smooth today.
Jia He took a look at the departure gates. They were brightly lit as usual with travelers coming and going like the tide. She cautiously turned to Yi Wenze. “They must still be waiting for you to go back over there. I’ll head inside first.”
He didn’t refute. He simply gave an overview of his own schedule. “I’ll be in Shanghai this period. If nothing unexpected happens, next month I’ll go to Beijing.”
Go to Beijing next month?
She felt a little surprised. “Is it for a new drama?”
If she remembered correctly, back at Hengdian, he had been giving feedback on a new script the entire time.
The driver got out of the car to open the trunk and take out luggage, leaving just the two of them in the vehicle.
Yi Wenze smiled. “Weren’t you saying you’d treat me to a meal if you had the chance?”
Jia He recalled that slip of paper and immediately nodded with a smile. “My time in Beijing is very open. Just call me anytime you’re free and I’ll take you to eat some good stuff,” she added another sentence, “very unique stuff.”
“Alright.” His response was simple.
Jia He wanted to say goodbye, but she also felt like she should say something more as a farewell.
The sudden silence made the atmosphere turn subtle.
She cleared her throat. When she unconsciously raised her head to look at him, he was already smiling down at her. In a flash, he lightly pecked her on the lips. “Travel safely.”
It was an extremely superficial kiss, barely touching before separating. Very gentle and also polite.
Jia He stared blankly at him for three seconds before mumbling a goodbye. She fled the car as if making an escape.
After taking her luggage and bidding them goodbye in a low voice, she left. Everything carried on smoothly, but Jia He’s heart and mind were still in turmoil even as she squeezed her ID card tightly when checking in. “Miss, do you have any checked baggage?” the staff member asked her. Only then did she come back to herself and hurriedly placed her luggage on the conveyor belt.
Since it wasn’t a weekend, the plane had quite a few empty seats. Only four or five people in her row. Everyone was very quiet as they waited to take off. But behind her, a guy and two girls were chatting and laughing loudly, somewhat noisy.
Seeing it was about time, she took out her phone, about to turn it off, when the flight attendant suddenly announced over the intercom that the plane was queueing and awaiting takeoff. The subtext was that there would be another delay and no one knew when they would be able to fly. The guy and two girls behind her complained a couple sentences before turning the conversation to this year’s Mango TV talent competition show. She listened along absently for a long time before calling Yi Wenze.
“Still not taking off?” Yi Wenze had picked up very quickly. It sounded noisy over there. He was likely back at the hotel already.
“I want to explain some things to you.” Jia He spoke softly.
“Go ahead.” His voice remained gentle.
Jia He greatly feared that after she spoke up, both sides would feel embarrassed upon seeing each other again. But not saying anything also left her very stifled…
“I feel like you might have misunderstood some things,” she finally worked up her courage. “Staying at your home really was just a coincidence the last couple days. I don’t have any hidden motives. It was probably Qiao Qiao being fond of joking around that made our relationship become so awkward,” the other end stayed silent, seemingly listening yet also as if not listening attentively. She only felt her heart beat slower and slower. After pausing for a very long time, she forced herself to continue, “What happened last night, it actually wasn’t that serious. But if we keep interacting like this, I’m afraid… I really might end up falling for you.”
Letting it all out in one breath, she immediately relaxed, nervously pressing her phone to her ear. It was as if, at any time, she was prepared to hear him say “you’re thinking too much” and that it was merely a friendly goodbye kiss between friends or something.
But all he gently asked was, “Anything else?”
“No more.”
He said to wait a moment. Then he didn’t say anything else. That side went from noisy to quiet while she still had the debate about talent show pros and cons behind her. Jia He looked outside at the brightly lit airport terminal building, waiting for him.
She really was foolish. Relationships of ambiguous feelings between men and women were commonplace around her. As long as it was handled appropriately, they could become the best of platonic friends. But she understood herself too well. If things developed this way, she would definitely, without question, fall completely in the end – only to be destined for a battered and broken heart.
After some time, there was finally sound coming from that side. “Jia He, do you not feel secure being with me?”
“It’s not exactly that…” She got tongue-tied for a moment.
“Because we’ve only just started, I don’t want to put too much pressure on you,” his voice was also somewhat lowered but very clear. “I know that for ordinary couples, publicly acknowledging the relationship is normal. But too much attention might end up hurting you.”
His words trickled in one by one into her ears, leaving her feeling as if she was dreaming. Her head leaned against the seat back in front of her while her face felt nearly scalded from blushing.
“Jia He.” He seemed to detect something off with her as he called her name.
“Actually…” Jia He’s voice was somewhat hoarse. She utterly didn’t know what she even wanted to say after ‘actually’…
The plane suddenly began moving. With a light ding, the flight attendant started routinely informing them they would be taking off soon and to please fasten their seatbelts and turn off all electronic devices. Yi Wenze seemed to have heard it too. “Taking off now?”
Jia He lightly murmured in agreement.
“Turn off your phone first. Let me know when you get to Beijing.”
She mumbled again. She still maintained her original posture, waiting for him to hang up first.
It was as if time had stopped. No one was hanging up first nor saying anything more.
After some time, Yi Wenze finally said with a hint of laughter, “Why aren’t you hanging up?”
Jia He was silent for a long time, also too embarrassed to admit she was waiting for him to hang up first. She could only take the initiative to press end call.
Even when the flight attendant came around with drinks, she still remained in a daze. She asked for a glass of orange juice and downed half of it in one go. The ice cold, sweet and sour taste was very tasty. Though the flight attendant was tirelessly making her way down inquiring if anyone wanted anything, and the three youngsters behind her were still happily chatting away, she no longer found them noisy. She basically couldn’t even hear anything entering her ears anyway…
When she arrived in Beijing, Xiao Yu was there to pick her up.
Amongst her college classmates, only Xiao Yu and her were Beijing natives. Naturally they were very close. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made that call to coerce Jia He to find a celebrity endorsement for her company. She had parked right at the arrival exit. An extremely eye-catching bright purple dress, yet leaning against an SUV. It wasn’t until Jia He walked out that she went over to take her luggage from her, smiling at her bright red complexion. “Seems Shanghai’s climate is pretty good, huh?”
Jia He’s face grew even redder. Her heart brimmed with emotion and she felt an urge to share with someone, but she also felt like even she herself couldn’t accept everything that had occurred. She could only look at Xiao Yu while silently sending a text: I’m in Beijing now.
Very quickly, he called back.
Jia He was extremely embarrassed. She stared at her phone, not daring to pick up. Meanwhile, Xiao Yu tossed the luggage into the trunk behind her and looked at Jia He strangely. “How come you’re not answering the call?”
Only then did she take it with a soft greeting.
“Around what time will you get home?”
“I’m staying at a friend’s tonight,” after saying so, she hastily added, “a female friend.” But after the addition she felt even more stupid. That side seemed to be laughing. She was even more embarrassed, only exchanging a few simple sentences before saying good night.
Yet the moment she truly hung up, she started regretting. She had been waiting for the entire journey just to talk with him a little more…
By the time they entered the city, it was close to midnight.
They could only randomly find some restaurant on the Second Ring Road to eat a late night snack. After sitting down, Jia He finally discovered there were many coincidences in this world. Because the table right next to them was the guy and two girls from her flight. She actually hadn’t carefully looked at their faces, but that guy’s voice was very distinctive. Taking another glance now, the two young girls also looked to be the attractive type that seemed like performing arts school graduates.
Xiao Yu scanned a look at the tinted glasses on that young man’s face and whispered to Jia He, “Little celeb?”
Jia He shrugged. “No idea. Maybe acted in a couple shows,” and owing to that guy’s noisiness, she added rather unkindly, “Maybe played some eunuch chief steward role with a dozen or so lines.”
The two women tacitly smiled at each other.
“I’ve seen Wu Zhilun before,” that little hoodlum’s voice was still very loud. “Those big stars underneath aren’t actually that different from ordinary people. I’ve even smoked together with him. You know that recent thing on his Weibo right? There’s actually ?? involved.” [?? = skeleton(s) in the closet]
Jia He was drinking water and nearly spat it out.
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