Three days later, back to Beijing.
They had stayed at a hotel in Tianjin which meant they could open two rooms. But if back in Beijing… She couldn’t stay at his place, and of course couldn’t openly stay in the company building either.
She snuck a peek at Yi Wenze completely immersed in his driving. They were already about to enter Beijing. The longing for home was infinitely amplified, scratching at her heart in agony. She thought over it for a long time before slowly stretching out her hand to wave in front of his eyes, just about to speak. Yet her body suddenly jerked forward violently, only to be instantly yanked back by the seatbelt.
The car had screeched to a stop.
She felt a slight dizzy spell from the abrupt motions. When she blankly turned to look at Yi Wenze, she discovered one of his hands pressed on her in front, dark anger swirling faintly in the depths of his eyes without a trace of his former smiles.
Jia He caught sight of the car that had switched lanes and realized her own mistake.
There was a perilous glint shimmering in his eyes. Her chest seemed to contain a little bunny that kept skipping wildly—don’t even mention how panicked she felt… “I forgot we were on the highway…” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Drive the car first ba. Stopping like this is too dangerous.”
He lightly tapped the steering wheel a few times with his middle finger, yet still didn’t say anything in the end. Merely resumed driving.
Under the brim of his cap, half his face contained no expressions whatsoever. His eyes silently watched the road ahead. His lips were pursed, yes—pursed.
Jia He became gloomy.
This facial expression was too familiar. From watching so many of his films, this subtle symbol only signified three words “extremely angry”, meaning “extremely” angry, not just regular angry… Jia He inconspicuously surveyed the instrument panel. Very stable vitals—truly incredible psychological endurance. If it were her, her emotions would’ve probably shot to high heaven and smashed the gas pedal down.
“Want a smoke?” she carefully tested.
“No need.” His tone was indifferent. “I’m trying to quit smoking.”
Err…
“Why?”
The word “pregnant” instantly bounced into her mind after she asked.
Could it be… he was already preparing in advance so soon by quitting smoking? As this idea sprouted, she swiftly stopped her own train of thought first.
What was she even thinking? Be pure, she must remain pure.
Yi Wenze didn’t answer and continued driving.
Scold me or something! Give me a couple harsh lines! Jia He watched him, then eyed him again.
“Actually, I’ve always felt you look exceptionally good when you’re angry,” she calmly flattered.
Yi Wenze shot her a quiet glance.
That rich darkness—even if she wore colored contacts, she couldn’t achieve that kind of effect. She couldn’t help lamenting to herself inwardly how unfair the heavens were and what a crime it was that people were inferior to others. One just had to discard the worse product… “Really, last year in that New Year film, when you were angry with that cold and detached manner, my heart ached when watching it. I empathized and even broke into a cold sweat for the female lead.”
The very same as now, ah…
She stared closely at him. The contour of his jaw shifted, a smiling expression slowly unfurling. He finally resignedly instructed her, “Don’t fool around on highways in the future. If an accident occurs, it’ll turn into major trouble.”
Jia He obediently nodded her head. Only then did she feel relieved. Thus, truly too unfair that people who were excessively good-looking always got away with more. She silently reflected on her own tactics—how was she acting so much like some young master coaxing his girlfriend? As she was once again lamenting the saying about heroes suffering hardships at the hands of beauties, Yi Wenze had already taken off his hat and covered it on her head. The hat brim perfectly shielded the light in front of her. “You sleep first. Don’t distract my driving.”
She hmm-ed. Yet in the end, she still didn’t voice out asking to go straight home.
But as the car entered Beijing, she discovered they were already heading in the direction of her house.
When nearly at her residential neighborhood, she finally asked him, “Work tonight?” She grieved that when he didn’t speak a word while directly sending her home, she conversely felt even more tangled up instead.
“I have to make an urgent flight to Hong Kong and will be back in three days the earliest,” he seemed to be considering something before asking her, “Want to come with me?”
Jia He instinctively felt it was related to Tian Chu and declined, “I absolutely can’t leave Beijing for the next two weeks. It’d wreck my credibility too much.” He didn’t push further and neutrally uttered, “When getting a divorce, some remaining joint asset procedures still haven’t been completed. After I return this time, it should just about wrap up.”
Jia He hmm-ed. Her heart felt itchy, wanting to ask more questions but still unable to actually voice them out.
When she entered her home, her mom was secretly web-surfing in the study. She cast a furtive peek toward the doorway and instantly came running out from the room, warmly pouring her a glass of water. Jia He was rather stunned at the doting treatment. She had assumed there would be a barrage of interrogation but instead, a hot cup of tea?
She immediately understood the very next second.
“My girl, tell me your ID number. Let me register a QQ farm account.”
Jia He was on alert. “What for?”
“A single ID can only register two farm accounts. Your dad and I already used up ours across three accounts which aren’t enough,” her mom patiently explained.
Jia He was flabbergasted. “Four farm accounts still aren’t enough for you to play on?”
“You think your mom is like you with so many friends active on QQ? The accounts have been shared with only your uncle, aunt, then you—right, your farm often has nothing planted for years on end.”
Jia He clutched her forehead helplessly. “When do I have time to grow stuff?”
“There’s also your nephew. We’ve counted them all up already. It’s still not enough for me to steal ten minutes here and there, then there’s also Mahjong. Limited number of rounds in a day—” her mom kept explaining.
Jia He surrendered. “Stop explaining. I wouldn’t understand anyway.” After speaking, she swiftly reported her ID number in hopes of peace. But unexpectedly, after giving the number, her mom still continued staring at her with shady eyes, like eyeing a freshly fried piece of braised pork… Jia He grew alert again. “Didn’t I give it to you already?”
“And your boyfriend’s too,” her mom kindly pointed out. “That’s two more accounts then.”
Use Yi Wenze’s ID to register QQ farm accounts? She’d rather die… She suddenly realized Yi Wenze did not have such a concept as an ID document. This finally gave her an excuse. “He’s from Hong Kong. No ID card.”
Her mom’s gaze dimmed as she grumbled, “Going out of your way to find some Hong Kong fella. Locals are still best.”
She then discovered to her astonishment that surprisingly, her mom had lost interest in asking more about her boyfriend this time. On the contrary, a trace of curiosity colored her tone as she probed, “Mom, there’s something not right with you today. Why aren’t you chasing to give me advice?”
Her mom poured herself tea. “What else to do? You’ve reached marriageable age as an older lady. Just hurry and get married ba. I’ll be open-minded this once.” Right after, she lifted her cup and headed back to register accounts.
……
Just as she tossed her luggage aside, about to go shower, her mom poked her head out again. “Oh right, these couple days, there’s a talent show on. Someone’s mimicking your male idol and resembles quite a bit.”
Eyeing her mom scurry off again to web-surf stealthily, she sorrowfully realized Yi Wenze truly wasn’t someone she could casually reveal in public.
The days that followed were simply chaotic warfare. The original draft she had written was completely overturned by the original novel’s author. The feedback was seriously tickling yet exasperating—clearly, there were parts with huge conflicts, yet there was a stubborn insistence to keep cramming in more mental activity narratives. Mental activity this, psychological process that. She truly believed this was a novel with lengthy verbose descriptions on psychological developments weighing thousands of words okay?
Jia He wore her earbuds, giving Yi Wenze a call to complain in frustration. “You tell me, which viewer has the patience to plant themselves in front of the television for ten whole minutes just listening to inner monologues? If it were me, I’d flip the TV already.” Though fatigue colored Yi Wenze’s voice, it was still gentle. “Why not think of it this way? Having the original work as foundation will make the adapted screenplay much easier.”
Come to think of it, he posed a good point. “Oh well, can’t reap all the benefits ba. Easy money on this one while difficulty comes in other areas instead.”
Since she didn’t want to stay at the production company while home was also too far, she could only keep freeloading at Xiao Yu’s place.
It was already past midnight yet she was still the only one in the apartment—bizarrely peaceful.
The two of them didn’t converse much on the call either, only speaking up occasionally some time. After a long while, she finally glanced at the bottom right corner of the screen and unconsciously softened her voice. “You should sleep first ba, it’s so late.” He didn’t take it too seriously and merely said, “It’s fine. I also have a lot I need to handle.”
In the quietness of deep night when exhaustion peaked, having a person accompanying you by your side.
Even if unable to do anything, just keeping you company still warmed one’s heart. Her earlier vexation all dissipated more or less. She lightly hmm-ed, “Still haven’t settled it?”
“Everyone’s adults. No huge troubles, just some procedural asset issues the company needs to go through,” he paused briefly before continuing, “I’ll be returning to Hong Kong at the same time as Tian Chu. There should be a lot of media attention. And coincidentally, there’s a public event tomorrow that reporters might take the chance to ask sensitive questions.”
Jia He hmm-ed and breezily said, “No need to notify me every single time something happens ba. With however many chances you have of being hounded by the media, if you were to report each instance to me, I wouldn’t remember it all.”
She picked up her cup and took a drink of water.
The two chatted for a bit more. Afraid that Yi Wenze was accompanying her the whole time, she could only lie she had finished editing and was going to sleep. Only then did she hang up the call to continue with her work.
It wasn’t until afternoon the next day before she crawled out of bed to discover Xiao Yu curled up on the sofa in the living room, both legs folded as she browsed the web. She slanted Jia He a look when seeing her emerge. “I only just returned this morning myself. Why didn’t you show care and give me a call huh?”
Eyeing her state, Jia He helplessly said, “You live a nightlife even more thorough than me. I don’t wish to go looking for self-imposed misery.”
Xiao Yu sprawled on her back, squinting as she laughed—truly possessing myriad charms.
Jia He was slightly puzzled when she had already stretched her hand out, passing the laptop over. “Look, news on your boyfriend.”
Jia He accepted the computer. IE had countless windows pulled up. The current webpage showed a row of event photos. Below were only a couple lines, very standardized event interview write-up that stated the words rather simply yet conspicuously.
Informed sources have revealed that after their divorce, Yi Wenze and Tian Chu have each entered new relationships.
The informed individual further asserted with certainty that Yi Wenze’s new girlfriend developed feelings for him due to collaborating on a film project. Some guessed it to be the new film’s female lead, newly rising mainland Chinese actress Liao Jing. After the event ended, the Hong Kong media reporters on site swarmed backstage to bombard Yi Wenze with successive questioning. Yi Wenze initially only expressed he had been in the industry for over a decade and does not publicly discuss his relationships before an audience. Yet faced with continual questioning on whether it was Liao Jing, he unexpectedly opened his mouth to clarify with a smile that it was completely fabricated nonsense.
As of this news report issuance, Tian Chu has not provided any response to the matter.
It was an indescribable feeling inside. Still the first time seeing his news, without any excitement whatsoever.
Just as she spaced out, Xiao Yu had already snatched back the laptop and patted her shoulder. “Vexed right? When vexed, treat me to hotpot. Your wallet will slim down and your attention will shift.”
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