The End of the Story That night after meeting Mrs. He, Jin Jingyao stayed alone in his hotel room, unable to sleep all night. Staring at the rain outside the window, he decided on the ending of the movie. Before this, he had written many versions, overturning numerous drafts of the plot. He kept revising, painfully, not understanding why he could never be satisfied. Now he knew, this script was fundamentally written for Li Ling, and naturally, it had to end with her. Years ago, driven by his desire and fantasies for Lingling, he wrote the beginning of the story. Later, Li Ling stood before him, whole and unreserved, bringing with her every piece of her past scars and imperfections. His feelings for her were no longer just a young man's desire. He looked up to her, admired her. He felt deep shame and guilt, but still couldn't stop himself from falling in love with her. He went mad for her. In this madness, he couldn't help but think, since in the events of the past, Li Ling was the one erased, everyone thought she was unimportant, nonexistent. Then let her not exist. She would only exist in his heart, be important only to him. She could be his entire world. This was the story he wanted to film, the movie he dedicated to her, his unspoken confession to her. However, this movie was destined to have a tragic ending, because he didn't deserve her either, he was also a sinner. Everyone had to be punished. Including himself. - The movie was like this, but what about reality? Could reality have a second ending? While Li Ling watched the movie, Jin Jingyao sat alone in the director's studio. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, creating shadows that turned into an unbreakable prison. The editing period was too happy, so happy it felt stolen. And indeed, it was stolen. Actually, his mood while working wasn't that bad, not to the point of being unable to separate himself from the film. He just deliberately acted very dependent on her, unable to leave her, so he could monopolize her time. Perhaps this would indeed be their last time together. He didn't know what her reaction would be after watching the movie, whether she would like it. This movie contained his darkest, most unsightly side. His emotions were despicable, pathological, unhealthy. Everything was laid bare under the lens. What if she didn't like it? What if she found him disgusting? He seemed to become that little boy in kindergarten, showing his drawing to his mother for the first time, waiting in silence for his judgment. He hoped she could accept him, all of him. If rejected, he might die. Time stretched infinitely in his anxious anticipation. The movie had ended for a full five minutes and forty-eight seconds. Li Ling still hadn't contacted him. Jin Jingyao hesitated for a long time, opened his chat history with Li Ling, and typed: "Did you like it?" After thinking seriously for a moment, he deleted it and changed it to "Have you finished watching?" Then deleted that and changed it to "What are you having for dinner?" In the end, Jin Jingyao didn't send anything. Feeling dejected, he threw his phone aside, convinced that Li Ling must hate him now, didn't want him anymore. He wanted to die. Depressed, he walked to the parking lot, deciding to jump into the sea first, then move, and finally donate his inheritance to Li Ling. At that moment, he suddenly received a call from his cousin. He hung up once, but the other party called again, very persistent. After four or five times, Jin Jingyao finally answered. The person on the other end said, "Where are you?" He said, "Get lost." Then he hung up. After a while, as Jin Jingyao was removing the phone card, he suddenly realized something. The person on the phone just now wasn't Xiao Liu. It was a woman. That was Li Ling's voice. - Li Ling was a bit confused. Xiao Liu comforted her, "Don't be upset, my cousin probably just told me to get lost." Li Ling: "That's true, getting scolded for nothing. I should have borrowed a phone from someone more important." Xiao Liu: "..." Why did it feel like he got scolded twice in one minute? It was like a real-life version of the farmer and the snake. He angrily handed the power bank to Li Ling. She squatted on the ground, fumbling to charge her phone, but couldn't plug in the data cable for a long time. Xiao Liu said, "Is it possible that this is a USB port, and you need a Type-C?" Li Ling suddenly realized and looked at him with admiration. Xiao Liu: "..." "My cousin just scolded you once, there's no need to be so upset that you become an idiot, right?" He looked at Li Ling helplessly. Li Ling said, "It's not because of that." "Then what is it?" "...It's the movie just now," she said in a somewhat dazed tone. She squatted on the ground, hugging her knees, and sniffled. The impact of the movie was too strong, and she didn't know how to get over it. She really wanted to hug the director immediately, but he wasn't by her side. Xiao Liu was shocked, not understanding why she was crying again, and didn't know how to comfort her. He could only silently help her plug in the data cable. At this moment, the office door was pulled open. Li Ling, squatting on the ground, slowly raised her head and looked at the tall young man in front of her. Jin Jingyao must have run all the way up. His face showed no expression, but there were beads of sweat on his forehead. When he held the door, the veins on his forearm were very prominent. His shadow completely covered her. Li Ling sniffled, her eyes reddening even more. Jin Jingyao misunderstood. He pressed his lips together, his expression unconsciously becoming tense. "...I'm sorry," he said, looking at Li Ling. They stared at each other for a second. It should have been a very long second. It spanned an entire movie and ten years of their lives. In the next second, the young man strode forward, pulled Li Ling up, and pressed her into his arms. He hugged her without any reason. And still didn't ask if he could hug her. With a thud, Li Ling's phone fell to the ground. She was forced to press against his chest, hearing his chaotic heartbeat and rapid breathing. Sweat dripped from his forehead, revealing his flustered unease. He buried his head in her neck. Despite being so tall and strong, he was still like a child, still afraid to look at her face. Still very afraid of losing her. Li Ling gently struggled, so lightly it was almost imperceptible, but it made him nearly panic, his arms wrapping around her waist and shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said again. Li Ling felt she could hardly breathe, but also felt somewhat satisfied. He wanted to hug her, and she wanted to hug him too. The movie's ending was torn apart, but in reality, he could find her, and she wouldn't lose him. Her arms slowly wrapped around the muscles of his back, soothingly patting him, and she softly called him "Director." Her voice was still hoarse. Jin Jingyao asked her why she was crying, if she was angry. Li Ling said "no," and without a second's pause, he immediately said, "Then can you be with me?" Li Ling: ... Li Ling: ? She froze. Xiao Liu, standing beside them, also froze. He opened the door with a terrified look, tiptoed out, as if staying a second longer would get him shot by a machine gun. The door opened and closed again, the thin air dissolving stickily like cotton candy. In the not-so-large office, only the two of them remained. Jin Jingyao waited for a while but did not receive a response from Li Ling. "The words in the parking lot were not meant for you," he said. "Don't be mad at me." After a pause, he asked her, "Did you like the movie?" Li Ling remained silent. Jin Jingyao said, "If you don't like it, we can change it." Li Ling was still silent. Jin Jingyao's heart sank, as if weighed down by a lead block, plunging into the sea. Li Ling was the complete opposite. Her heart swelled, as if it had turned into a giant hydrogen balloon. She felt as if she were hallucinating. All sounds became illusions. The illusion was an incurable disease, carrying her high into the sky, overlooking the entire world. The world was a colorful glass ball, refracting myriad shapes, everything so indescribably happy. The afternoon sunlight shone through the window screen, milk foam squeezed into the air, and Li Ling ceased to exist, turning into cotton candy-flavored milk, sweetly dissolving in his arms. Even so, he still held her tightly. He was strong, warm, and full of a sense of security. Everything was an illusion, only his arms were real. At that moment, he let go of her. Li Ling was startled, lifting her head in confusion. The young man looked at her expressionlessly. Because he had waited too long for a response, Jin Jingyao felt he no longer had the right to hold her. He reached out and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, then very restrainedly took a step back. He considered himself very calm, very objective, and not too disappointed. Being rejected was to be expected; he understood how abrupt his request was. He was merely making a last-ditch attempt. Li Ling was stunned for a moment and said, "Director, why are you crying again?" Jin Jingyao seemed not to understand Chinese, turned his face away coldly, and did not wipe his tears, intending to leave the room immediately. With his back to her, he waited for a full three seconds, but no one came to stop him. His shadow on the wall was lonely, turning into the shape of a solitary mummy. Tears fell, wetting his face, even the white cloth of the mummy was soaked. This time he was really going to leave. But mummies walking seemed to defy the laws of physics, so he had to stand still for a while longer. Li Ling finally said, "Director, have we met before?" "Probably not," the mummy said unscientifically and coldly in Chinese. Li Ling glanced at her phone. Her agent had sent her a photo, and she suddenly showed an extremely shocked expression. "Then what is this photo about?" She very reluctantly placed the phone in front of him. Jin Jingyao hesitated for a moment before reluctantly glancing at the phone screen. His ears immediately turned red, and a rare look of unease appeared on his face. He saw a photo from many years ago that should have been destroyed. Meanwhile, his dear brother Jin Jingping had already called him countless times. - At a very ordinary 3:06 in the afternoon, an unpublished old magazine photo sent netizens into a frenzy. For no other reason than that it was just. Too. Hot. In the photo, a much younger and obviously more inexperienced version of Director Jin, and the actress Li Ling, dressed provocatively, were intimately embracing. The woman, with skin as white as snow, was straddling him. Jin Jingyao had one hand tightly gripping her waist, and the other hand was caught between her lips. He looked up at her, as if ready to kiss her at any moment. This should be an overexposed discarded photo, so many details are missing. The hazy water vapor spreads on the glass, forming a somewhat unclear, voyeuristic perspective. But it is precisely this sense of wear and age that makes it more intriguing. These two are experiencing a dream, a vague and unspeakable secret. The world spins because of them. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" "Where's the promised abstinence, you sly dog." "Your hand is so strong it left red marks, right?" "I bet a dollar they kissed." "I bet a hundred they did it." Compared to the netizens, the male and female protagonists are rather calm. Jin Jingyao is not very happy. He doesn't like Li Ling being seen by others like this. He openly sought public relations to remove the photos, not allowing a single one to remain. Privately, he saved it and set it as the background for his chat with Li Ling. Li Ling was very shocked. Her memory of London was only a cold, heavy rain. It was the most chaotic time of her life, and she just wanted to earn enough money to go home quickly. She never thought that the little boy who took photos with her would be Jin Jingyao. He had known her for so many years. This was practically an O. Henry-style ending, shocking her entire family. Jin Jingping moved quickly and found out that the photos were posted by Chen Fei. Chen Fei still had some tricks up his sleeve, trying every way to slander them, even digging up discarded photos from years ago. He also exposed another piece of news: Li Ling is the female lead in Jin Jingyao's new film, which has already been completed and may be released soon. Chen Fei took the opportunity to buy a bunch of articles about "director's unspoken rules," "actress sleeping her way to the top," and "adulterous couple," trying to smear them and ideally cause the movie to flop. Obviously, he was out of touch, still using tactics from over a decade ago, not realizing that times had changed. Netizens went crazy. They hadn't had such juicy gossip in a long time. This is too good, bro!!!! Recently, because of "Yesterday's Sun," Li Ling had gained quite a good reputation among the public, and many people were already suspicious of her relationship with Jin Jingyao. Combining this with the series of outrageous actions by the missing director Jin Jingyao recently. Including but not limited to, inexplicably liking an 18th-tier web drama, inexplicably standing up for an 18th-tier actor, a person who hadn't been online for ten years suddenly becoming as active as a fake account, not making movies but dealing with social affairs every day. It turns out it wasn't inexplicable, nor was it social affairs. He was standing up for the wronged female lead. It's real! Awesome! Taking advantage of the situation, Nicole Yang set up official accounts on various platforms for the unnamed new film and released several official statements from the legal department. No one cared. The comments below were all urging, "When's the release date, when's the release date, when's the release date," "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up," "Can it be released tomorrow, or even tonight." After all, if the two of them could take such explosive photos, one could hardly imagine what the movie would be like. According to rumors, it was a love story. Tsk tsk, when has Jin Jingyao ever made a love story? Love stories haven't been selling well recently, all because the masters didn't come out earlier. Li Ling found a way to get Chen Fei's bank account and transferred him fifty cents, thanking him for supporting the new film's promotion. It was said that he was so angry that he ended up in the emergency room that night. Upon hearing this, she was overjoyed and transferred another fifty cents, leaving a message saying, "I'm He Wei, a brother giving you a stab." Xiao Liu was in awe. So this is what it means to kill without spilling blood. Jin Jingyao originally did not oppose Li Ling surfing the internet; he even often watched with her during his free time. Until one day, Li Ling accidentally liked a fanfiction about a threesome involving her, Jin Jingyao, and Xiao Liu. Her phone was immediately confiscated. Two hours later, amidst a chorus of "hahahahahahaha" from netizens, Jin Jingyao posted a behind-the-scenes photo from a photoshoot on Weibo with an air of noble indifference. The comments section quickly shifted to a chorus of "aaaaaaaah." The behind-the-scenes photo was taken in the alley behind the studio back then, where he had draped his jacket over Li Ling's shoulders. At that time, Li Ling was focused on taking a picture of a rainbow with her phone. She didn't know she was being photographed, and there was no rainbow in the picture. There was only her. Whether it was back then or now, his camera only had her in its frame. Jin Jingyao waited for a long time, but Li Ling had no reaction to the photo, so he had to subtly hint that she should pay attention to the jacket. Li Ling knowingly said, "Your favorite construction worker look... no, I mean, end-of-term college student look." Jin Jingyao pursed his lips, glared at her, and not too happily told her to look at the comments section. Sharp-eyed netizens: "Ahhhhh! Isn't this the jacket the director wore when he won the award for 'Blood Swan'!" "Holy crap, what exactly is their relationship?" "I'm shipping it, shipping it hard!" "Ugh, I love it so much." "Bringing a memento of love to the award stage, isn't that basically dedicating the award to her?" "Damn it, my mouth is crying." Li Ling: "..." Damn, how do netizens know so much? Jin Jingyao looked at her with a somewhat accusatory gaze. Li Ling said, "Netizens have a better memory than me, why don't you go be with them." Jin Jingyao paused, then leaned closer, interlocking his fingers with hers, and said softly, "No." After a while, he said even more softly, "…I want to be with you." Li Ling: "Did someone just say something? I didn't hear anything." Jin Jingyao fell silent. Li Ling felt quite pleased with herself, zoomed in on the photo to admire it for a while, and then asked knowingly, "So you've liked me for a long time, huh?" He replied rather stiffly, "It's alright." Li Ling: "Oh, when will some people learn to be honest?" She had only recently discovered that the six-digit password to his apartment was the date they had taken the photoshoot in London. The same went for his phone password. Jin Jingyao always surprised her. At first, Li Ling thought his affection for her was just a misplaced emotion outside of the movies, not real. But later, he told her that he was not only her director but also her fan, 9787532754335. And now, she realized that their bond went back even further than 9787532754335. He always said he didn't know her well enough, but Li Ling found that she didn't know him either. He didn't talk much, keeping many things to himself. But it seemed he really liked her, and had liked her for a very long time. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Li Ling asked him. Jin Jingyao turned his face away and said lightly, "You just didn't remember." His expression was rather reserved, as if waiting for her to coax him. Not only did Li Ling not coax him, but she also turned the tables, pretending to scold him fiercely, "So you just shook off my hand the moment we met?" She was still holding a grudge over Jin the Director's rude behavior when they first met on set. Jin Jingyao's expression stiffened. After a moment, he reluctantly extended his hand and said, equally reluctantly, "Idol, finally meeting you. I've liked your movies for many years." This was the first thing Li Ling said to him that morning. Li Ling blinked, realizing she had forgotten again, as it was all nonsense to begin with. But he remembered. She had a poor memory, while his was excellent. It seemed they were truly a match made in heaven. Li Ling extended her hand triumphantly, not intending to shake his, and directly flung the director's hand away as if it were something worthless. After playing this game three or four times, she still wasn't satisfied, but Jin Jingyao wouldn't let her continue. He cupped her hand in both of his and asked if it hurt. Li Ling thought he looked adorable and felt a sudden urge to kiss him, so she did. In fact, she only gave a polite peck on the corner of his lips. But Director Jin was less polite, immediately pulling her closer and deepening the kiss seriously. He held her waist, his palms warm, and they clung to each other, their lips seemingly glued together. In the midst of their intermittent kisses, Li Ling said, "Your tone wasn't sincere enough just now. Say it again." Jin Jingyao lifted her onto the table and continued kissing her. He said, "I've liked your movies for many years." "I've seen every one of your films." And, "All my movies are written for you." His voice was low, like a hypnotic chant, a vow, a tender, lingering melody. In his amber eyes, she saw her own passionate reflection. His gaze was another language of love, turning her into an eternal fossil, living in the desert of his eyes. Dazed, her limbs weak, she melted into everything he gave her. His warm lips gradually moved downward. The kisses became uncontrollable. He caressed her face and neck in an ambiguous manner, craving more, never satisfied. Lately, he often engaged in such impolite, suggestive behavior. The cleaning robot came over and bumped into him hard. Li Ling burst into laughter. Jin Jingyao expressionlessly kicked it away. He bent down, intending to continue nonchalantly. Li Ling suddenly remembered something, pushed him away with some suspicion, pressing against his chest. Jin Jingyao asked what was wrong. "Movies written for me?" Li Ling said, "No way, don't you have a secret crush?" Jin Jingyao was stunned for a moment. He touched her face, showing a somewhat helpless expression, as if finding her both silly and adorable. But he still said softly, "It's you." Li Ling was shocked: "Didn't that person die?" Jin Jingyao: "..." Li Ling questioned him: "Why did you say I was dead?" Jin Jingyao: "..." "Did I say that? I forgot." He mumbled, trying to use physical contact to muddle through. The merciless examiner pushed him away mercilessly. The thing is, Li Ling was actually a very vengeful person. She always avenged her grievances, even if it took ten years. So, in the end, Li Ling posted a short video on Weibo. She consecutively pinned ten darts onto Jin Jingyao's photo. Netizens were shocked, feeling the reversal came a bit too quickly. —Slapped in the face? —The director was actually the one chasing? —No way, Director Jin has to be this humble? After a while, they found Director Jin could be even more humble. Because Li Ling didn't know how to throw darts at all. So all ten darts were thrown by Jin Jingyao himself. This segment was also filmed and released as a behind-the-scenes clip in the evening. Netizens watched the video where Director Jin held the darts and threw them at his own face, each one hitting the bullseye. His posture was very serious, his movements very precise, and the muscles on his slightly raised arm were quite hormonal. If he wasn't throwing them at himself, it would have looked quite cool. What a pity. After a while, he turned to the camera and asked in a low voice, "Is it okay now?" The off-screen voice replied, "No, it's not." Jin Jingyao looked at her and slowly smiled. He walked step by step towards the camera, his figure gradually enlarging, filling the entire frame. Even though his pace wasn't fast, it inexplicably made people very nervous, their mouths growing dry. Something was about to erupt, more dangerous than the darts slicing through the air. The camera shook, and the off-screen voice, sounding somewhat suspicious, said, "Don't come any closer!" Jin Jingyao said, "I will." Then the camera was turned off by a hand. The fingers were long and strong. It was the director's hand. ? That's it? That's it??? How can it end here!!! Half of the netizens were shouting in the comments, "Please, show me the follow-up." The other half were cursing, cursing while taking off their pants (?). After eating gossip all night, the ending was inexplicable, and the netizens inexplicably became part of the play. But somehow, the inexplicable was also sweet, so they had to respect and bless it. - Jin Jingyao has been very happy recently. He doesn't think he's a very good person. He has many bad desires for the one he loves. Everything he does for her is not so selfless; it's all to get her. He's always worried that she might hate him. But she is very good, she says he is also very good, her little genius. She always tolerates him, she likes him unconditionally. Without her, he doesn't know who else he could love. Maybe he would just become a lonely madman, cutting off his ear or nose. But now he is willing to live with all his limbs intact and make a hundred movies with her. He hopes she will never leave him. She probably won't. Li Ling has also been very happy recently. She seems to have no more regrets. For ten years, she had imagined countless times what her life would be like if "Yesterday's Sun" had been released on schedule. She would become a big star, have many scripts handed to her, have many, many representative works, and use all the trophies at home to press down instant noodles. None of that could come true. But her life now is also very good. In the past ten years, if not many, many people loved her, at least one person loved her. Although he is very clumsy and still hasn't quite learned to love himself, he loves her very much. A person's life is not just one decade. In the next decade, she will also live well, be liked by one person, be liked by many people. She will make many, many new movies. She will live better than she imagined. Because in her imagination, there was never someone who loved her like this. She got something better than she imagined. She will be happier than everyone, and as happy as everyone. Then, Li Ling thought of a day nearly a year ago when one of her new dramas was released, and she played a corpse in it. She sat in front of the computer screen, refreshing the homepage countless times, only to find out that the series had been taken down for no reason. That day, she was in utter despair because she had once again lost her name, and her life had finally hit rock bottom. She never thought that it was actually a very new day, a very beautiful day. Everything started from that day. In this sense, everyone should strive to live on. Only by living on is there a possibility. You never know when you will encounter that turning point. Maybe in the next second, maybe tomorrow. It shouldn't be too far away, right? 2024.7.7