Jia He instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but Yi Wenze suddenly gripped it tighter, then loosened his hold a second later. That small action made her not dare to pull her hand back anymore. She plucked up her courage to calm herself down.
Yi Wenze glanced at Zhou Jun and nodded, “Hello.”
Zhou Jun fumbled to get his phone out, then eagerly leaned forward half his body, smiling enthusiastically, “Master Yi, I’ve always been your fan since I was little, always watching your movies.” Yi Wenze nodded to indicate for him to continue. But even with such an indifferent expression, it put more pressure on people. Jia He watched and even felt nervous for Zhou Jun.
The movie had started, and the surround sound immediately drowned out all other noises. Everyone around quieted down.
Because of the light, Zhou Jun finally belatedly noticed their held hands. He was a little stunned, then smiled again, “Jia He and I are good friends. I heard Master Yi started a production company. I wonder if there are opportunities for future collaborations.”
Jia He secretly grinded her teeth.
She leaned closer to Yi Wenze. Damn it, he’s almost sprawled on top of her.
Yi Wenze continued politely nodding. “Hope to have the chance to collaborate.”
Very perfunctory.
He completely ignored Zhou Jun’s attempt to ask for his number. Zhou Jun seemed to still be hesitating. Jia He lightly coughed and leaned even closer to Yi Wenze. That action was too obvious. Zhou Jun finally got the hint he’s being a nuisance. He gritted his teeth and still asked, “I wonder if you would be willing to give your number. If you come to Tianjin again in the future, I can treat you to a meal.”
Jia He looked at him indignantly.
You’re just a guy. If you were a woman, I’d smash your head.
Oh wait…
Guys seem to have issues too nowadays, people are more open-minded… She glanced at Zhou Jun’s pointy chin that looked like it had plastic surgery. Then she secretly looked at Yi Wenze’s extremely good-looking eyes, and the face in her heart that never ages. He really doesn’t look old. Since you became famous so early, just in your thirties, anyone who meets you would say they watched your movies since they were little, making you sound like you’re in your fifties…
Yi Wenze smiled, “I’m not used to giving my personal number.”
After speaking, his eyes finally met Jia He’s, which were flickering with countless unspoken words. Jia He quickly dodged his gaze embarrassingly and pretended to calmly watch the movie.
Zhou Jun finally understood to know his place and quietly went back to watching the big screen.
After a while, Jia He whispered to Yi Wenze, “I admire you too much. How come I can’t learn to reject people?”
He picked up a bottle of water from the side and twisted it open for her, “You’ll learn, slowly.” Jia He took the water and drank a bit. She was about to take the cap to seal it. But Yi Wenze casually placed a big bucket of popcorn on her lap… Jia He blankly looked at the popcorn. When was this bought? Given to actors by the theater?
Because of the changing scenes, light and shadows continuously alternating, Jia He drank another mouthful of water. “Can you not be so nice? It feels too unrealistic. I keep feeling like I’m acting in a movie…” Yi Wenze’s eyes smiled as he said in a low voice, “I have a lot of flaws. They’ll slowly be exposed.” Then he took the bottle from her hand and held her hand again, turning to continue watching the movie.
Where are the flaws? Clearly perfect…
Jia He watched his eyes continuously flickering with light. She picked up a piece of popcorn, just about to put it in her mouth, then felt it wasn’t appropriate. She could only carefully hold it out to him.
He smiled and bit it, eating it.
Her fingertips touched some warmth. Jia He’s heart quivered. She hurriedly grabbed another piece and put it in her own mouth to calm herself.
What a great movie. But after a full two hours, she actually didn’t know what she watched at all. The reason was simple. During those two hours, Yi Wenze held her hand, shifting three times, from light grasping, to intertwining all five fingers, to finally pulling it onto her lap to hold, Jia He had never dared to sit on a rollercoaster before but swore the thrill didn’t lose out to that experience at all.
She secretly glanced at Yi Wenze countless times to see him watching attentively. She didn’t dare take her hand back either.
Until near the ending, Yi Wenze finally asked her softly, “Want to leave together with me?”
Jia He was just about to nod. Then she remembered the car she parked at a complex. She could only gloomily lower her voice, “I need to go get my car. Where I parked is too complicated. I guess no one else can find it except me.”
“Alright, I’ll head back to the hotel first. Come find me when you arrive.”
Only then did he let go of her hand and stood up to leave his seat first. To avoid blocking people in the back row, he politely bent down. But that silhouette was too eye-catching. Just leaving so swiftly still caused quite some disturbance.
After people completely dispersed, Jia He finally hugged the popcorn and stood up. Zhou Jun immediately smilingly asked if she needed help carrying it, his tone like he’s going to help shoulder a gas tank. Jia He looked at him incomprehensibly and just said bye before leaving.
“You and Master Yi are…?” Zhou Jun put on sunglasses, pretending to be mysterious as he asked her.
Jia He smiled at him without answering.
Ridiculous. If not… you were even holding hands. Does he need to be secretly in relationship with me before he can have a role?
By the time she exited the theater, she contemplated for a long time, still reluctant to throw away the popcorn. She simply hugged it and went to get her car. Twenty minutes later, after circling the complex three times and still not finding her car, she was finally depressingly aware she got lost. She could only call Yi Wenze, “What’s your license plate number?” Yi Wenze recited a number. “What’s the problem?” Jia He couldn’t hide her gloominess. “Can’t find my car. I’m asking for the number so I can have the security help look.”
It was silent over there. Jia He quickly hung up.
By the time she entered the hotel, she just passed through the revolving doors and happened to see a few staff switching shifts walking over. One of them was the front desk receptionist who checked her in earlier. Seeing her, she immediately smiled and asked, “How was it? Did you see Yi Wenze? He had a premiere event today. I didn’t even catch it.” Jia He hmm-ed that she went out for meetings and didn’t see him either.
She just got out of the elevator when her phone started buzzing nonstop.
It was unexpectedly from university friend Qiao Qiao who hadn’t reached out in a long time.
The other side didn’t speak at first, only sobbed for a bit. Jia He immediately understood what happened. University friend QQ broke up again. She silently waited for a while until Qiao Qiao sniffled and whimpered. Only then did she ask, “Broke up again? What’s the reason this time?”
“How did you know…” Her heavy nasal tone didn’t hinder her surprise at all.
“Guessed it.” Crying like this, what else could it be besides a breakup?
“I know you’re in a relationship now,” Qiao Qiao sincerely admitted her wrong, “But when I called Xiao Yu, she countered me in three sentences. That’s why I came to seek comfort from you.”
Jia He instantly became spirited. Xiao Yu’s sharp tongue wasn’t just big talk huh, she resolved it in three sentences?
“What did she say?”
Qiao Qiao resentfully said, “She said, ‘You break up with men seven to eight times each. I’m tired of hearing it already. Next time tell me again after half a year from the breakup.’ You say, is she heartless or not? Too frightening!”
Jia He chuckled to herself, “Absolute truth.”
Qiao Qiao continued complaining, “I know she has a sharp tongue, but I need her sharp tongue! So I lowered myself and pleaded her, ‘I just want to hear you scold me. Scold me awake, that’s enough.’ ”
“What did she say?”
“She said, ‘Scram. I’ve scolded this guy three times already. No new words left. Next time record audio to play back for me.’ ”
…
“What was the third sentence?”
” ‘Bye’… ”
“Oh,” Jia He understood now, “So you came to harass me instead?”
“I need to vent, too stifled!” Qiao Qiao hurriedly said, afraid she would hang up too, “You know? He’s too frightening. Today he asked me what I would want if we married. Since his career just started, I thoughtfully said a small diamond ring would be fine. Very small is fine, just needs some commemorative meaning.”
“That’s a very reasonable request,” Jia He didn’t understand. “Isn’t he the top bass musician in Taiwan? Can’t afford a small diamond ring?”
“I know!” Qiao Qiao resentfully said, “But he flew into a rage right away. Said I’m marrying him for a diamond ring. Then guess what he said?”
Jia He awkwardly said, “This boyfriend of yours is top-tier jerk. I can’t guess.”
“He actually said, fine, I’ll give you a diamond ring. Then you have to give me a gift too. I want a 100,000 yuan watch!”
…
“Comfort me with your artistic way of speaking.”
Jia He was just walking to Yi Wenze’s hotel room door. She lightly knocked a few times. As soon as Yi Wenze opened the door, she mouthed ‘Qiao Qiao’ and continued talking on the phone as she walked in.
“Well,” She thought about it resigningly, “You need to think about it from a broad historical perspective. Bluntly put, life still goes on. At most there’s someone different by your side. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not bad!” Qiao Qiao contemplated, “Next time I’ll post this artistic update on Weibo too. Help me out with a few more sentences. Then I’ll have my QQ signature for half a month.”
Jia He was silent. Still silent, she asked, “You see me as an on-demand comforter now?”
Qiao Qiao chuckled, defaulting agreement.
The other side sobbed and whimpered for a while longer before finally hanging up.
The room only had a bedside lamp on. Yi Wenze sat back down on the sofa to smoke, smiling meaningfully. Jia He was made self-conscious by his smile. She pondered over her own words just now, thinking there was something not quite right. She embarrassedly smiled and put the popcorn on the glass table. Then she took a bottle of Coke. “Qiao Qiao broke up. I’m comforting her.”
The hidden message was, I didn’t mean any of that. Absolutely didn’t mean it.
“That man is completely jerk. He asked Qiao Qiao himself what she wants for their marriage. Qiao Qiao only said she wanted a very small diamond ring, very small just with some commemorative meaning. But he got angry over that. Said Qiao Qiao is marrying him for a ring. And then guess what he said?” Jia He loudly snapped the Coke bottle open and drank a bit, feeling solidarity as she complained, “He actually said, since Qiao Qiao wants him to buy her a diamond ring, then Qiao Qiao has to buy him a 100,000 yuan watch!”
Yi Wenze responded with an “mm-hm.” “Tell her to find a better eyeglasses store next time.”
Jia He had to turn those words over in her head before understanding the implication. She couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly realizing tomorrow is Monday, she asked, “Did you arrange with Director Liu already?” Yi Wenze snuffed out the cigarette, “He arrives at Tianjin tomorrow. Probably two days.”
Only then did Jia He finally feel thoroughly reassured. She went over to the window to watch the street lights outside. Just as she was about to ask when they’re returning to Beijing, Yi Wenze completely wrapped his arms around her from behind. One hand circled her waist, propping up Jia He’s chin. His strength was very light yet still made her heart quiver fiercely. She tilted her head up like that, falling from the light-studded night view bit by bit into that pitch-black profound gaze, letting him kiss down.
His hand was very hot. The two people’s breathing slowly became a chaotic mess, long unable to distinguish each other.
Jia He only felt dizzy yet also felt something was off. What was it?
Right, the room was still playing music this whole time. But how come this sound was so familiar? When she was nearly about to lose consciousness, she suddenly recalled, this is the music from her own laptop. She didn’t turn off her laptop when she left, so it’s just been looping this song. She also didn’t close Word. She never sets her laptop to hibernate…
Oh no! The passionate scene… the passionate scene in the Word doc…
Did he see all of it?!
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