A month and a half later,
"Mist" officially wrapped up its shooting, and the whole crew was jubilant. Lu Jiang, ever generous, hosted a wrap party at a high-end local restaurant for the entire crew.
After removing her makeup and changing clothes, Xinan received a text message from Lu Jiang. The wrap party was scheduled for eight o'clock in the evening, and all the actors in the production were expected to attend.
Though Lu Jiang was usually quite strict with the actors, he was quite generous on important occasions.
When Xinan arrived at the private room, she immediately scanned the room and noticed that Cheng Yi, the investor, was not present.
Xinan withdrew her gaze and found a seat to settle down.
It was clear that Lu Jiang was in high spirits today; he was smiling, his lips turned upward and his eyes sparkled with joy and excitement.
As the dinner drew to a close, Lu Jiang, a bit tipsy, stood up with a glass in hand, "Everyone has worked hard during this time. I'd like to toast all of you."
"Director, we're not the ones who've worked hard, it's you," said Yang Shuyu, lifting her glass with a smile plastered across her face.
Someone at the table chuckled, "Director Lu Jiang has put so much thought into 'Mist,' it's bound to be a big hit."
Lu Jiang took pleasure in these words, the smile on his face growing even broader, "Then let's wish for 'Mist' to be a box office success."
Everyone raised their glasses amid laughter and cheers, their faces alight with happiness.
Although Xinan tried to minimize her presence, she couldn't help it; as the female lead of "Mist," she ended up drinking quite a bit and felt dizzy.
However, she wasn't drunk. She rubbed her temples forcefully, and slowly, her awareness returned.
Seeing that most people had left, Xinan also started heading towards the door.
"Xinan!" A voice called out from behind her.
Xinan slowly turned around and looked up at Yang Shuyu.
"Is there something you need?" she asked.
Yang Shuyu gritted her teeth, "What is your relationship with Mr. Yi?"
If it were before, she certainly wouldn't have come to ask Xinan this kind of question.
But a few days earlier, after wrap-up, she had accidentally overheard a conversation between Lu Jiang and an assistant. That's how she learned that Xinan had become the female lead of "Mist" thanks to Cheng Yi.
That man who was aloof and arrogant, yet also overbearing.
Why Xinan!
She had talked until her mouth was dry just to get Cheng Yi to reluctantly add one scene for her, and Xinan had done nothing, yet she became the female lead for a renowned director.
Xinan was stunned for a moment, wondering why Yang Shuyu was asking her this. She wasn't with Cheng Yi...
Regaining her composure, Xinan looked straight into Yang Shuyu's eyes, "What is my relationship with him and what does it have to do with you?"
Unexpectedly, Yang Shuyu didn't get angry; instead, she curled her lips into a smile and looked at her leisurely, "Xinan, Mr. Yi is only interested in you for the novelty right now. One day, you'll be just like me."
With that, she walked away in her high heels.
Xinan's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her face turned a shade paler. Although she didn't know exactly what had happened between Cheng Yi and Yang Shuyu, Yang Shuyu's words hit a sore spot.
Xinan wasn't afraid that Cheng Yi would lose interest in her; the problem was that he had never been interested in her in the first place.
Even if there had been any interest, she and Cheng Yi had known each other for many years and any novelty should have worn off by now.
—
Having just finished shooting "Mist," Xinan didn't have many engagements. Seeing this, Ding Lan simply gave Xinan half a month off.
After filming here for so long, Xinan hadn't really had the chance to explore the area, so she decided to stay with Meng Qiu for a couple more days and visited all the nearby attractions.
On the third day, Xinan was initially planning to fly back to Jing City first thing in the morning, but her flight was delayed, and she didn't arrive at Luming Academy until after eight o'clock in the evening.
As she opened the villa's door, a chill hit her in the face.
Dragging her suitcase, Xinan groped around for the light switch.
Had Cheng Yi not stayed here the whole time?
With a sense of curiosity, Xinan headed to the second-floor room. The décor remained unchanged, and the skincare products she had left half-open were still there.
It seemed he had indeed not come back to stay.
This skincare product had been left open for so long that it couldn't be used anymore. Xinan tossed it into the nearby wastebasket.
Since a cleaner came regularly to tidy the villa, the room was still clean, and the duvet cover seemed to have been changed recently, still carrying a faint scent of freshness.
Pulling her luggage next to the wardrobe, Xinan opened it and froze.
The closet was full of ladies' clothes, even more than Cheng Yi's.
Xinan lifted a piece to take a closer look; these clothes still had the tags on, brand new, and unworn.
Had Cheng Yi bought these?
A surge of excitement caused Xinan's heart to leap abruptly, and she reached out shakily to check the size of the clothes. During those brief few seconds, her hand trembled as if shocked by electricity.
The size matched hers perfectly.
Could these be for her, from Cheng Yi? Xinan was startled by her own thinking, but she couldn't help but speculate wildly given everything before her.
Examining the clothes once more, Xinan saw that each piece was the latest style, all from high-end brands.
When had Cheng Yi bought these? And why hadn't he told her?
Since the wardrobe was full, Xinan had no choice but to leave her original clothes in the suitcase.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
Xinan picked it up to see that her mother, Zhou Rong, was calling.
She answered the call and before Xinan could speak, she heard her mother's voice, "Nannan, I heard your new film finished shooting. Are you back in Jing City?"
Xinan replied, "I am, just got home."
After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Rong asked, "Nannan, you and Cheng Yi have been together for so long. Isn't there any news from your belly?"
Xinan pursed her lips, "No."
"Nannan, you have to hurry. Men's hearts are the hardest to read. Who knows, he might change his mind in a few days. If there's a child, then it's different. Even if there are problems between you and Ah Yi, you'll still have some leverage. The Cheng family would never let their own blood be cast aside."
Xinan looked down, replying softly, "I understand."
What Zhou Rong said made sense. Tianyi Group was at a critical juncture of reviving itself. If Cheng Yi took his anger out on Tianyi because of her, things could become even more dangerous.
But it would be different if she had a child. Out of consideration for the child, the Cheng family wouldn't ignore Tianyi.
Xinan touched her stomach; she and Cheng Yi had been intimate many times and had never intentionally avoided pregnancy. Why was there still no news?
Xinan let out a heavy sigh, shook her head, and stopped thinking about it. The more she thought, the more her head ached.
After sitting on a plane all day, Xinan felt tired and sore all over, so she took her pajamas and soaked in a hot bath in the bathroom.