"Could this be the first case of AIDS being cured in China?"
This statement left everyone with mixed emotions. Zhong Shao replied affirmatively, "It could be."
"Both of you, be more confident," Tan Ye encouraged as he patted Zhong Shao's shoulder. "Let's eliminate the 'could be' - the core team of this project consists of Chinese nationals, with the lead surgeon and second in command being prominent clinicians and scientists. This marks the first case of AIDS being cured in China!"
Tan Ye's words were resolute and impassioned.
He had been holding onto this news for a whole day! If it weren't for Zhong Shao being on a flight or shooting a film all day, he would have said it earlier!
While Tan Ye showed his excitement openly, Zhong Shao only revealed a hint of emotion. He was undeniably happy, but more so, he felt a sense of reassurance. Raising his tea cup, Zhong Shao toasted, "To Tao Tao's recovery, and to the continuation of WAT."
"Cheers!"
The clinking of porcelain cups was crisp and clean, just like the initial intention behind these actions.
The group chatted until midnight, delving deeper into discussions about WAT, the industry, and movies, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Miaomiao looked at the esteemed individuals before her with a blend of admiration and reverence.
Upon the opening of the top-floor elevator, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng walked out one after the other.
"Not had enough fun yet?"
"Yes, and no," Yu Cheng followed half a shoulder behind Zhong Shao, the two walking in unison.
"So, you must have some questions for me," Zhong Shao said confidently. Yu Cheng didn't hesitate and replied, "Yes."
"Care to come in for a seat?" Zhong Shao reached the door, pulled out the room key, and extended an invitation.
The round moon outside showed signs of descending, but Yu Cheng didn't think much about it.
Zhong Shao took out a bottle of red wine and two tall glasses from the liquor cabinet. "After drinking tea all evening, care for a change?"
"As you wish." Zhong Shao smiled silently, watching Yu Cheng's figure walk towards the balcony, then pulled out a corkscrew.
Shortly after, the sound of footsteps approached. Descending into view was a slender hand holding a wine glass, each bone connected to the next, the lines of the fingers intertwining.
Yu Cheng leaned against the railing, took the glass, gently swirled it, causing the red liquid to create small whirls, savouring a sip in the night. He had consumed some wine, but was not a connoisseur, his assessment of it merely a bland "tasty with a lingering aftertaste."
It was evident that Zhong Shao was the one who truly knew how to appreciate wine. Standing in a relaxed posture, not quite proper, fingers resting on the railing, occasionally taking a sip of wine, the light escaping from the room paled in comparison to the brightness in his deep eyes.
"Do you regret it?" Yu Cheng stood behind Zhong Shao's elbow. Without an object, Zhong Shao understood perfectly.
Miomiao gathered the courage to ask Zhong Shao why WAT was established. He gently offered a cliché reason, and saw Yu Cheng's brief furrow of the brow upon hearing his ambiguous response.
Yu Cheng was not one to openly display his emotions in front of others, so if the slight frown was not due to dissatisfaction with Zhong Shao's understanding, it must have stemmed from other unspoken doubts related to Miomiao's question.
At this moment, the question became tangible.
"Do you regret establishing WAT and the path you've taken to get here?"
This was Yu Cheng's inquiry.
Zhong Shao calmly savoured a sip of fine wine, suppressing the smile that threatened to spread across his lips, then absentmindedly raised his glass towards the door in a gesture of acknowledgement.
"And you?" he suddenly inquired. Yu Cheng, puzzled, responded, "What?"
"At this moment, stepping into my room, do you regret it?"
Yu Cheng glanced at Zhong Shao's watch and noted the time - three twenty in the morning. Entering a room of a man with similar sexual orientation at this hour was too ambiguous and risky.
"No," Yu Cheng replied with a candid smile. He turned around, raised his glass towards the door, and then earnestly stated, "Shao, I understand the boundaries between roles and actors very well."
"Your use of 'senior' seems to be increasingly teasing," Zhong Shao remarked after swallowing the last of his wine.
"I have no regrets."
"I never told you about my family background, did I?" The gentle tone seemed to caution against entering this intimate conversation too lightly. "Although my father is a liberal artist, his family, the Zhong family, is involved in biological pharmaceutical research. My grandfather on that side gained recognition in the industry after moving overseas. The reason why WAT was established was not because I, with my broad and dull interests, was a minority, but because of my auntie."
"Your auntie?" Yu Cheng recalled that Zhong Shao had spent two years living with his aunt after turning fifteen.
"My grandfather never approved of my parents' relationship. After my parents had an open marriage, he once wanted to take me in to raise me, but I refused. Coincidentally, my aunt's marriage was also in turmoil at that time, so she came back to take care of me for two years," Zhong Shao explained. "I first encountered the WAT model when I was 23."
At 23, it was a turning point in Zhong Shao's career. That year, he directed the critically acclaimed "Forbidden Film," began to question his acting career, and was influenced by his aunt for the first time.
"Over the years, WAT's projects have grown larger and more diverse, but initially, they were aimed at a very small group of people. I spent two years getting to know another group affected by AIDS, very ordinary women with a common name - 'gay wives.' Through this, I understood my aunt's original intentions and their pain," Zhong Shao shared.
During the two years Zhong Shao spent with his aunt, their bond was deep, akin to that of a mother and son. Zhong Shao always remembered his aunt's dedication and sacrifices for the project during those years.
One day, he handed his aunt a proposal he had been working on for six months and said, "Auntie, let me take care of this."