Yong’an’s results exceeded expectations somewhat. Jia He had just submitted the final episode for the adapted drama. Zhang Director already called asking about filming a Yong’an sequel. Lying on the bed, Jia He mm-hmm-ed hazily, still somewhat dizzy. She tossed her phone aside and flipped over to nestle back into Yi Wenze’s embrace to continue sleeping.
A full minute later she finally pieced those words together.
Then she grabbed Yi Wenze’s arm and started shaking him. “Sequel! I hate sequels the most!”
The eyelashes before her fluttered. Without opening his eyes, he stretched out his arm to firmly circle her in his embrace. “Good morning, wife.” His breath grazed past her ear, almost soundlessly sealing away her voice entirely. Very quickly, the phone rang again. She stretched out a hand from the blanket. After struggling for quite a while she finally managed to pick up.
Over there, Qiao Qiao was laughing. “Congrats. Talks started about the sequel and price went up. I’m just relying on you now for fame and becoming a producer!” Jia He had trouble even breathing. She tried hard to make her voice sound normal, “I’ll… call you later.”
Qiao Qiao was baffled. “So busy even this early? That’s unlike you.”
Jia He clenched her teeth tightly. She couldn’t even speak anymore. The phone was very quickly taken by the person over her. Yi Wenze’s voice was gentle and composed. Carrying slight apology, “My wife is currently doing morning exercises and working out. She’ll call you later.”
The instant the call hung up, Qiao Qiao’s ears were practically deafened from shock…
After finishing morning exercises, she directly wanted to fall back asleep. But then remembered there was still a meeting today. She could only resentfully crawl out of bed, gnashing her teeth. “What to do? How to write the sequel? Everything’s already settled – marriage, children, peaceful world. Should I stir up a third wheel?” Her brain swiftly organized the usual tropes loved in domestically popular dramas. She felt embarrassed just thinking about it first.
Might as well beat me to death if I write that.
“What price did they propose?” While turning on the hot water, he also lowered his head to kiss her.
“Around *thousand so far. Nothing concrete discussed yet,” Jia He pushed him away. Her entire face blushed red enough to dye cloth. “I meant proper talk!”
The sounds of rushing water. The waterline in the bathtub slowly climbed higher. Layer after layer of ripples splashed on the white porcelain, misting over. He bent down looking at her with a quiet smile. “My wife, this is an extremely proper matter.”
Jia He felt she was just about bullied to death by him. Extremely awkwardly she pushed him into the bathtub. “Didn’t we just finish morning exercises…” After speaking, she got tongue-tied first and immediately slammed the door shut to avoid implicating herself.
Ever since getting back, Yi Wenze happened to have free time for a stretch. He conscientiously played chauffeur every day for Jia He. Except every time he would stop very far away and not let her exit at the actual destination. Claiming Richie Woo mocked Yi Wenze’s woman was extremely hidden away. Actually the most indignant one was Jia He herself. Like a shadow trailing her, completely unable to do as she pleased…
Until the day Yi Wenze left to take some magazine interview photos, Jia He finally squeezed out some free time to thoroughly shop around throughout town.
That night when Yi Wenze returned home, she sat on the sofa blinking her eyes. A huge pile of shopping bags beside her.
As he stood in the foyer changing his shoes, Jia He was already impatiently taking out all sorts of big and small… shorts and socks. “I bought you a lot.” She spoke while also rambling off sizes. Yi Wenze silently watched her until she finished laying it all out for his inspection. Only then did he faintly smile, “You were busy the entire day today for just these?”
“Obviously! It was exhausting,” Jia He took scissors to individually remove all the tags. “I know you always wear shapewear but no matter how I look at it, it seems awkward. Only my uncle does the same thing as you since he’s a surgeon. But at least he only does it before operations because things can get messy. You should be more normal!”
Suddenly.
He lightly chuckled before walking over to sit beside her. Hugging her from the side, “How do you know my sizes so clearly?”
…We’ve lived together so long already.
Of course she didn’t say that out loud. She merely neatly folded everything, “You should change out of your dirty clothes and throw them in the laundry basket beside the washing machine after your showers everyday. Remember to sort by type. I’ll wash them for you in batches.” She struggled out from his arm embrace and headed to the bedroom holding piles of underpants and socks.
He stayed sitting on the sofa. Subconsciously wanting to grab a cigarette, but changed his mind after some thought and picked up the remote to turn the TV on instead.
When Jia He walked out again, she saw him attentively watching something on the TV screen. She could infer what it was from the dialogue alone. She walked over to sit beside him. Her first time properly watching something she had written… “Don’t you feel awkward? Watching stuff you performed yourself?” She was extremely curious. Wouldn’t Yi Wenze feel embarrassed?
She was the writer. Just listening to these dog blood twists and turns was already making her blush.
He was the performer himself, acting out these heaven-shocking and earth-shattering plots. Wouldn’t he feel embarrassed?
“I’m thinking about how it felt for you writing these,” He contemplated deeply while on screen he hugged Liao Jing. Softly speaking many lines of stirring affectionate dialogue. Jia He hugged a cushion while mumbling a bunch of nonsense for half a day before finally saying, “I don’t know either. The plot needed it.” Oh no, she could even recite it. The kissing scene was about to happen…
Suddenly, the screen thoroughly darkened.
Because the lights were off earlier, Jia He’s eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness yet. She was kissed quite thoroughly. She was still thinking about the upcoming kissing scene and felt somewhat awkward inside, wanting to push him away. But she was already very naturally embraced in his arms. Jia He grumbled, “Don’t try to bribe me with your charms. No passionate scenes for the sequel!”
So aggravating, acting so entwined…
She heard him say, “My friend is holding a concert. He invited me as a guest.”
Go ahead and change the topic! Jia He continued feeling indignant. Sequel, sequel, I don’t want to write a sequel… Just thinking about Yi Wenze’s kissing scenes made her heart sour. Like she would be sad to death.
“This is his first domestic show,” Yi Wenze softly spoke while nuzzling by her ear. “Do you want to go see?”
Jia He quietly leaned against him in his embrace, silently chanting ‘I’m not rare for it’. Don’t think using a concert ticket can bribe me. But she still felt somewhat swayed. It really had been a long time. Aside from recording one or two albums after first debuting, he never sang again afterward. After pondering it over for quite some time, she finally couldn’t endure the intense heart itch anymore. She took initiative to wag her tail, “Give me three tickets.”
Then, catching him unprepared, she gave him a peck. After some thought, still feeling disgruntled, she leaned in for two more pecks.
What Richie Woo said was right. If he dared to kiss someone outside, she would claim back a hundred more times herself. It really shouldn’t feel awkward anymore. Yi Wenze faintly raised a brow. “Is this you taking initiative to invite?”
What’s called flaming self-immolation? She totally brought it on herself!
…
Not until getting the tickets did she understand who Yi Wenze meant.
Qiao Qiao gave her a big thumbs up. You’re awesome! These tickets are scalped to skyhigh prices now. You actually got three in a row! Jia He pouted. She deliberately acted dismissively like a girl going through puberty and threw a glance at Qiao Qiao. As if not seeing who my man is! Xiao Yu heavily patted her shoulder. Finding a celebrity has tons of downsides and barely any upside. Yet you’re happily complacent.
Because Qiao Qiao and Xiao Yu arrived late, the three didn’t have time to eat dinner. They bought coffee and cakes to clutch in their hands while mixing among the many big and small beauties entering the venue. Not until sitting down did Jia He discover the three old ladies[they’re only around 30 years old] had already forgotten the must-have weapon when watching concerts.
She jabbed Qiao Qiao. “Go back out to buy the biggest glow sticks.”
Qiao Qiao was just drinking some coffee. “Why do you keep ordering me around!”
“I provided the tickets. You of course need to contribute efforts,” She glanced at composed Xiao Yu. “If you can somehow invite Laughing over, do as you please.”
Qiao Qiao grew dejected. “Can’t afford to offend those who drive white cars. Might as well order myself around instead.” [white cars here refer to expensive cars]
Right when Qiao Qiao stepped out, Jia He finally saw the new tattoo on Xiao Yu’s back. She clicked her tongue. “You really went and tattooed it?” Xiao Yu mmed without another word. She tactfully buried her head to drink coffee. Some fans behind her were chattering and guessing tonight’s mystery guest. She distractedly listened while looking at Xiao Yu chewing her lips, “I say, it’s been 12 years already ba. Still no reaction at all?”
Xiao Yu lowered her head. Tearing open the plastic wrap on bread, she bit off a piece. “My feelings for him are voluntary. He has no obligation to reciprocate anything.”
“Or,” Jia He’s eyes flickered slyly. “Should I matchmake you with Richie Woo?”
“Didn’t you say his looks are too feminine and he’s alcoholic?” Xiao Yu had an expression like you’re forcing sales on me.
Jia He tore off the plastic wrap indignantly, “I seriously want to write him an anonymous letter. If the prince doesn’t wake the sleeping beauty with a kiss soon, she’ll directly transition from sleeping to vegetative state!”
Xiao Yu was just drinking coffee and nearly spewed it out at that.
When Qiao Qiao came back, the opening band had already started hyping on stage. She stuffed the glow sticks into each of their hands before immediately standing up to loudly shout out the name. Jia He looked at her in embarrassment. Just earlier still saying she didn’t like them but already so quickly into it now!
But in this kind of atmosphere, everyone was standing. If they continued sitting they really couldn’t see anything. So in the end they could only go with the flow and stand up too. After continuously listening to five songs, they finally got a chance to sit back down.
The person on stage suddenly spoke toward the mic. Clearing his throat, “You guys must have guessed who the secret guest is for a long time ba. If he wasn’t in Beijing, I really wouldn’t have been able to invite him over.”
Jia He’s heart quivered. Her arm was already jabbed by Qiao Qiao, “It’s going to explode! Yi Wenze hasn’t sung for so many years already ba?” Jia He absentmindedly said, “Very long, I can barely even remember it clearly.”
Between their few lines, someone was already walking out guitar in hand from the stage wing shadows.
Because it was from the dim shadows and he specially didn’t have any follow spotlights, aside from the first few rows in front, the back rows still couldn’t see clearly. For a time, only heard loud shouting coming from the front rows. The outer area instead quieted, unable to hear clearly what those front rows were yelling. Unable to ascertain anything, everyone could only hold their breaths guessing.
Not until he walked under the follow spotlight without even grabbing the mic yet did ear-piercing screams instantly resound throughout the entire venue. Already brought to a rolling boil.
Countless glow sticks, countless people, crying out at the top of their lungs that they loved Yi Wenze.
He picked up the mic. “I love you guys too,” after speaking he finally faintly smiled. “It’s been awhile since I last stood on this kind of stage. Feels somewhat unaccustomed again.”
More screams. Still more screams.
Even Jia He felt somewhat fired up. She had completely become an excited fan.
Under the follow spot was him along with the lead singer embracing his shoulders. Teasing and riling up the audience about funny things that happened on the way there, capturing the down-to-earth Beijing local flavor. Just when Jia He was happily listening in, the conversation topic on stage suddenly took a turn. Starting to crack jokes about his private life. “Did your girlfriend come?”
Yi Wenze sat down and lowered his head to tune. Softly saying, “She’s here.”
Following the peculiar silence was more earsplitting screams bursting out. Even Qiao Qiao covered her ears and loudly protested about going crazy! In this split second, it was like something slid into the deepest depths of her heart. Jia He froze somewhat rigidly holding the glow stick. She almost couldn’t even hear Qiao Qiao’s teasing anymore.
“I didn’t write this song but it suits tonight. For you all and her too.”
He lowered his head. Simple guitar accompaniment without any other sounds mixed in.
“If I can’t see the sun tomorrow and the entire world changes because of it, in this final moment let me embrace you tightly. Holding you, holding you, holding you. If life really is uncertain, I’m willing to face it calmly without panic. Having you by my side, you give me strength…”
The singing voice was very light yet also crisp and clear. It thoroughly brought down the atmosphere of the entire venue.
Clearly a concert but too quiet. Peaceful. Like he was casually sitting across singing this song to her instead.
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