Mint Candy (Part Four) There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Luo Mingqing was in disbelief, his breathing gradually becoming heavy, like an old bellows. Jin Jingyao hung up the phone and glanced inconspicuously at Li Ling in the kitchen. They had just finished lunch. Then Li Ling went to wash her hands. Hands are part of the body. By rounding up, washing hands is equivalent to taking a bath. Jin Jingyao felt that he wasn't talking nonsense, nor was he giving Luo Mingqing any misleading hints. His wording was very precise. At least Luo Mingqing might think of something, depending on how dirty his mind was. To be cautious, Jin Jingyao deleted the call record. He thought Li Ling probably wouldn't want to take calls from such a person either. Li Ling came back and asked, "What happened?" "Spam call," Jin Jingyao said without changing his expression. Li Ling didn't doubt him and nodded trustingly. She took the phone and started her favorite recent activity. She opened a dance video and said to Jin Jingyao, "This one looks like you." "This one also looks like you." She opened another dance video and continued to show it to Jin Jingyao. Usually, Director Jin couldn't watch more than two before getting annoyed. But today, his tolerance was exceptionally high. He sat at the table, patiently accompanying her, occasionally staring at her and absentmindedly nodding. Li Ling looked at him suspiciously, "What's wrong with you, Director? Are you in a good mood?" Jin Jingyao said reservedly, "It's okay." He leaned over and kissed the corner of her lips. Then he stood up voluntarily and went to clean the kitchen. Li Ling looked at his back in confusion, then lowered her head to continue watching the quirky dance videos. She never got tired of them, and her mood quickly improved. Thanks to Director Jin who loves to dance. Here's what happened. As soon as the trailer for "Dream Addiction" was released, it received very positive reviews. Netizens were either enthusiastically shipping the couple, praising the director's skills and the strong sexual tension between the leads, or engaging in some hardcore plot analysis: What did the fleeting prosthetic limb in the shot mean? What was the metaphor behind the male lead wrapped in white cloth? What did the segments before and after represent, dream and addiction respectively... Up to this point, the tone was serious, and there were no issues. Until one night, the official Weibo unexpectedly released another behind-the-scenes video. Li Ling and a male dancer were rehearsing in a huge practice room. The camera panned to the corner, where the director was practicing the male steps alone. It was clear that even geniuses have their limits. For instance, the esteemed Director Jin couldn't dance at all. His movements were very stiff and uncoordinated. Plus, the male steps were designed to be quite peculiar, requiring a high level of basic skills. For someone without a foundation, the result of random learning was predictable. He ended up looking like a wild human trying to tame his limbs. Even so, the director's attitude was very serious, occasionally lifting his head to sneak a peek at Li Ling. It seemed he genuinely believed that with five more minutes of practice, he could replace the male dancer. It was simply endearing. As soon as this video was posted, netizens went crazy with laughter. "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha" "The so-called great director, how is he such a fool?" "My grandma's square dance is better than this." "Sorry, but as a producer, I can only give an E." "I'm the director, and I'm coming with a knife (bloody kitchen knife.jpg)." "Politely asking, is the person managing the official account still alive?" "[Candle][Candle][Candle]" Ten minutes later, the video was indeed deleted at lightning speed. According to insiders, the video was secretly posted on the official Weibo account by the director's cousin, who had gone mentally unstable from cleaning toilets and did it out of spite. The person is now gone. This statement was too abstract for most people to understand and was quickly drowned out by the laughter of the onlookers. Although the video was deleted, the incident's popularity continued to rise, and public opinion became uncontrollable. A large group of netizens spontaneously started mimicking the director's dance. Opening a short video app, you could see wild mummies taming their limbs. The mummy army emerged like mushrooms after the rain, their spirits overly high, presenting a bizarre scene of a chaotic dance. Jin Jingping was so angry that his liver hurt. He immediately called Nicole Yang, asking her to remove the trending topic, absolutely forbidding netizens from making such jokes about his brother. However, Jin's mother patted him on the shoulder from behind and said with a smile, "It's okay, Nicole, let them have their fun." Jin Jingping was shocked, "Mom, what did you say?" Jin's mother sighed and said meaningfully, "Eldest son, you are really too old, you can't keep up with the times, no wonder your sister-in-law doesn't want you." Jin Jingping: ? Jin's mother showed him Weibo. The reason the mummy army was having so much fun was largely thanks to the female lead, Li Ling. Whenever a netizen @ her on Weibo, she would definitely like it, watch the video seriously, and comment: "Full marks for makeup [thumbs up]" "Dancing better than the director [heart]" Jin Jingyao had no sense of humor, but Li Ling had plenty. With her encouragement, netizens played more and more enthusiastically. "Dream Addiction" went from having a small following in the movie section to inexplicably becoming the top trend in the ghostly humor section. The movie's popularity soared as a result. Although Jin Jingyao's films always won awards, they were ultimately art films, separate from commercial blockbusters. None of his films had ever, even before release, sparked such a nationwide craze. Nicole Yang sighed to her boss, "Sometimes fame really depends on luck." "You mean Li Ling is lucky?" Jin Jingping sneered, "Come on, she's been acting for ten years and hasn't become famous." Nicole Yang, recently obsessed with Eastern mysticism, thought hard and suddenly said, "Could it be that Miss Li brings luck to the director?" Otherwise, why did the movie gain such popularity right after she finished acting in it? Jin Jingping showed a strange expression, "What nonsense." He thought for a moment and said unsatisfactorily, "It's more like my brother brings her luck." - Li Ling deeply understood the principle of quitting while ahead, so after eating and drinking her fill, she didn't continue making jokes about the director. That afternoon, while someone was getting beaten up and feeling dejected in New York, someone else was lounging idly in an apartment, enjoying time alone with a lover. It was raining outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the suburban river was swollen with wind. Time flowed meaninglessly. Before going to Venice, it seemed rare to have such a leisurely moment. The record player was playing music. The piano sounded like a monologue, and the slowly flowing guitar was like the Thames River in the depths of memory. They sat on the sofa, watching a rather sleep-inducing movie. Because the choice of film was too poor, they turned it off halfway and ended up chatting for a long time. Under Li Ling's repeated questioning, Jin Jingyao had to confess all his private thoughts about "Dream Addiction." He walked into the bedroom and showed her his sketchbook. She saw in the sketchbook those faceless, graceful, everlasting flower-like women. The paper was very old, but the strokes were still vivid. The women sat in wheelchairs, or slept, stood up and walked, and danced with the male lead in an empty room. "Are these all me?" Li Ling looked at him in surprise. Jin Jingyao didn't speak, pressing her fingers, letting them wander over the lines of the figure. Those were old ink marks. Struggling, conflicting, constantly pulling strokes. He still found it hard to speak, not knowing how to explain to her that he had set A-Ling as a dancer because he really wanted to dance with her. If he couldn't say it, he would let her feel it through his skin. In the music, his voice was very low, very light, like ripples that could be erased at any moment. He told her that the first time he drew her was on the day of the graduation ball. By then, he had already transferred schools and was more popular at the new one. The graduation ball was a vivid moment of adolescence. Many people wanted to be his dance partner, but he didn't want to hold anyone's hand. The warm skin made him feel nauseous. On the night of the graduation ball, he sat alone on the lawn outside the school building, with a blank sketchbook on his knees. He bit the pen cap, sketching shapes stroke by stroke. Behind him, the dazzling night, music, dancing, the throbbing and memories of youth had nothing to do with him. He would only draw one person, one dance. His hormones were lost in a damp bathroom, on a woman who had forgotten him. Li Ling looked at the pages of the sketchbook, her feelings still very complex, very strange. Strange emotions surged through her body. Why did he like her so much? She felt a bit like crying, but it seemed inappropriate, so she held Jin Jingyao's hand tighter and turned to the next page. His knuckles were broad, strong, with a thin layer of calluses. She slowly stroked the calluses at the base of his fingers, feeling a slight sting, and liked it, as if they had grown for her. "So you never attended a graduation ball, Director," she said, "How pitiful." Jin Jingyao said, "No." His voice was very light, sounding emotionless, but also in need of comfort. She comfortingly held his hand. "It's okay, I didn't either," she comforted him, "Most people don't, it's just five years of high school exams, three years of practice tests. Don't be sad, young master." Jin Jingyao: "..." "Alright." He pursed his lips, still circling her wrist with his hand, unwilling to let go. After a moment, he hugged her tightly again, not speaking, burying his head in her neck. His breath made her feel warm. Obviously, he was very dissatisfied with this answer. But dissatisfied or not, he didn't say it. He wanted to ask her to dance, but found it hard to speak, so he responded with his body heat. Li Ling was amused by him. She teased him on purpose, not understanding why it always worked. Didn't he ever not fall for it? Probably not, because her fan was just a fool. She tugged at Jin Jingyao, making him let go of her, and stood up with him. He still clung to her lightly, unwilling to let go. "Alright." Li Ling coaxed him, "I'll teach you to dance, Director." The sky gradually darkened, and there were many tiny water stains on the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the view very blurry. The gray-white clouds still pressed at the horizon, constantly floating. In the living room, in the tentative piano and guitar, in the hoarse singing of a woman like strong liquor. Many years later, Jin Jingyao finally welcomed his own graduation ball alone. He was still very clumsy, very raw, not much better than in the videos. His hand gripped her waist tightly, making her feel a bit of pain. His steps were out of sync with hers, sometimes very cautious, sometimes very reckless, stepping on her feet. They spent a long time adjusting, and he slowly learned to match her. She placed her hand on his shoulder. The lines of his arm were still taut, filled with the strength of a young man. But it was no longer forceful; it had become gentle. It seemed as if he was not dancing, but rather cradling a bouquet of flowers in his palm. This was not a highly difficult dance, not like the intricately designed, entangled, and elusive modern dance in the trailer for "Dream Addiction." But he already felt very satisfied. In "Dream Addiction," Zhou Jing, wrapped like a mummy, would never be able to touch his A-Ling. But Li Ling was already in his arms and would not disappear. They swayed slowly to the music, the dim light gradually seeping in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, drifting over their bodies. Shadows lengthened and shortened, like a carousel in an amusement park, rising and falling in a beautiful fairy tale melody, always together no matter the time. He looked down at her, occasionally kissing her chin and face. His gaze was gentle and focused, making her feel loved. Li Ling pressed her forehead against his and whispered, "Besides wanting to dance with me, what else do you want to do?" Jin Jingyao touched the corner of her lips and murmured, "Just this." In fact, it had already been realized. He still remembered her telling him that her first kiss should be saved for someone she liked. That sentence had stayed with him for many years. Li Ling's lips curled up, and she asked knowingly, "Really, you still saved it for me?" Her hand slowly moved up from his shoulder, touching his collarbone, Adam's apple, then his sharp jaw, and finally his thin, pressed lips. "It's amazing that we actually met so long ago." She mimicked his gesture and pecked him. Jin Jingyao said, "We didn't really know each other." "Sorry," she said softly, "I don't even remember you." He paused before saying, "It's okay." "I also have things I didn't do well." Jin Jingyao was silent for a moment before awkwardly telling her that he had once misunderstood her. He had mistaken her for a con artist named Lingling. However, Li Ling did not get angry as he had expected. Instead, she laughed happily. "Really, I was Lingling?" She laughed so hard her eyes squinted. "No wonder the heroine in your movie is called A-Ling." "Lingling didn't seduce you, are you very disappointed?" She said deliberately, drawing out her words with some glee. Jin Jingyao frowned slightly, not understanding why she was so happy. But he liked the tiny lights in her eyes when she smiled at him. It was the brightest thing he had ever seen. Even though it was a very gloomy day, something was definitely sparkling in this room. Like the colorful lights of an amusement park, like a carnival that would never end. He stared at her for a long time, making Li Ling a little embarrassed, before saying, "It's okay." "Not very disappointed." He said this while still staring at her intently. Li Ling expressed disbelief and pretended to cover his eyes with her hand. Instead, he pulled her hand to his lips, kissing her from the gaps between her fingers to the tips, inch by inch. It was more of a nibble than a kiss. Li Ling was startled, feeling that the gesture was too suggestive. Her heart beat quickly, wanting to escape but unable to. He stared at her face, his breathing becoming heavier. He wasn't licking candy but gently grinding with his teeth, holding it delicately, swallowing it. His lips and tongue were so hot. His breath and gaze were so hot. His gaze made her feel like she was caught in a torrential downpour of heat and humidity. In the end, she still avoided it and ran back to sit on the sofa. Jin Jingyao walked over, apologized to her, and gently held her without any excessive behavior. "Taking those kinds of photos with me, did it make you uncomfortable?" He didn't look at her, asking softly. Li Ling leaned on his shoulder and said, "No." Jin Jingyao's heartbeat quickened a bit, but his tone remained flat, as if he were indifferent, "You don't have to lie to me." "I'm not lying to you." She turned her face to look at him seriously and said, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be able to buy a ticket home." "I'm very grateful to you, Director." Jin Jingyao's shoulders stiffened slightly. Li Ling smiled at him, a gentle and sincere smile without any hint of flattery. "That was a very good day." "You've helped me a lot," she said, "whether it was ten years ago or ten years later, you have always been the best person to me." Jin Jingyao lowered his eyes and said, "Alright." Li Ling started to think Jin Jingyao was a fool again. He might never realize that he was really good to her. She could only repeat it to him over and over again. The sky gradually darkened. The river flowed slowly. From the black vinyl record player beside the sofa, an old, melodious song played. The piano notes seeped slowly like water droplets, and the husky, lazy female voice floated in the air like tiny particles, making one's consciousness drift away with the river. Once I wanted to be the greatest* No wind or waterfall could stall me* Li Ling lay down, resting her head on Jin Jingyao's lap, and their eyes met. She raised her hand and took off the glasses from his nose. He looked down at her, squinting slightly, and asked what was wrong. Li Ling blinked and said, "Have you ever seen a movie called 'My Blueberry Nights'?" Jin Jingyao: "Yes." The record player was playing the soundtrack from "My Blueberry Nights." Li Ling actually couldn't remember what the movie was about, but she still remembered that the movie ended with a very romantic kiss. He looked at her calmly, leaned down, and gave her a slow, inverted kiss. Time reversed, positions reversed, souls reversed. His hand gently caressed her earlobe, cupping her face, making the most appropriate moves like the protagonists in the movie. But they weren't filming a movie; everything he did to her was not a ritual but simply because he desired her. The distant music drifted in the air. Lips became moist, like a delicious berry. The air was filled with the ripe, sweet, dizzying scent of blueberries. In the lingering melody, time blurred and twisted, the movie fell into the river, becoming a reflection of reality. And the meaning of reality ceased to exist. As the song ended and switched to the next track, both of them paused. Jin Jingyao clasped her wrist, not wanting to let her go. Li Ling stood up, walked to the record player, and chose to replay the same song. She returned to Jin Jingyao's side. "I heard that when they filmed this scene, they had many takes," she said. Jin Jingyao said, "It seems so." The leaden sky, the surging river, and the howling wind watched them. He pressed down again. In the lyrics, the female singer sang despondently, "Once I wanted to be the greatest." But Li Ling is someone without a past. At this moment, everything is the best it can be. He is the best, and she is the best. Time crashes head-on, and every second that is about to happen is as good as now. She held his hand and placed it on the first button of her shirt. His palm was so warm. He stared at her without saying a word. In the dim room, the silver thread of time outlined her body's contours, weaving a beautiful dream, shattering and reshaping his dream. Li Ling felt herself becoming a star, becoming dust, becoming fish scales, becoming part of the silver ripples. She pressed his hand and extended an invitation to him. "You can do anything to Ling Ling.""