It was past midnight, and the luxury apartments by Chengyuan Lake were still brightly lit. He Yue Ming returned home reeking of alcohol, shaking his head as the keys slipped from his fingers. His brow furrowed, preparing to bend down to pick them up, when the door opened from the inside.
An Yi Ru was fully dressed, makeup still intact. She stood at the door, arms crossed. "Where did you go tonight?"
Her questioning tone made He Yue Ming feel irritated. He pushed past her, turned on the light from the switch on the wall, and swapped his shoes with a pair of slippers by the door. "Why isn't the light on?"
An Yi Ru closed the door behind her without answering, her patience worn thin. "Went to see her, didn't you?"
He stopped in his tracks, combed his hair with his hand, and walked into the kitchen to pour himself some water. His eyes scanned the table, seeing the meal he loved, but the dishes hadn't been touched, the food cold.
He pursed his lips. "You don't have to wait for me anymore."
The meal had been prepared by An Yi Ru after canceling her dinner plans. She had spent a long time preparing it, but in the end, what she received was disappointment and a sense of hopelessness.
Although this kind of waiting had happened countless times over the past few years, tonight she felt an unprecedented sense of panic, especially because of that woman.
"So, you dare to do it but not admit it?" She was intent on exposing what He Yue Ming had been hiding.
Seemingly not wanting to argue any longer, fatigue showed in He Yue Ming's eyes. "The lead female role in that movie was a newcomer, inexperienced, with a bad temper. She played the second lead. The public opinion around her is bad, and she's not doing well."
An Yi Ru snickered, her face full of sarcasm. "She's not doing well, so we all have to suffer too?"
He Yue Ming turned, his voice cold. "An Yi Ru, what do you want?"
"Is it what I want, or what you want?" An Yi Ru's voice was sharp and biting. "What are you trying to show with this act, He Yue Ming? Your Zi Zhi probably wouldn't even spare you a glance now."
Her words struck He Yue Ming like a thorn, a mix of anger, shame, and pain shattered his composure. He grabbed An Yi Ru's chin tightly, his breath quickening.
"Do you remember how she threw herself at you in the hospital? Have you forgotten?" An Yi Ru held back the pain in her chin. "We both know what kind of person Zhou Zi Zhi is. Her calm now isn't forgiveness, it's indifference."
He Yue Ming's expression shifted, and he withdrew his hand, walking upstairs without saying a word.
An Yi Ru clenched her fists, the red tips of her nails digging into her palm. Zhou Zi Zhi, why did you come back?
The weather was still hot, but there was a hint of coolness in the mornings and evenings. Filming for "Narrow Path" had been going on for over a month, and the progress was at the halfway mark. The cast and crew got along very well. Chen Jia, the only newcomer among the leads, had become more disciplined and had toned down her temper compared to when she first started.
"Do you think it would be better to go around this way?" Chen Jia asked seriously as she practiced the upcoming fight scenes with the martial arts director, holding a wooden sword.
Her sudden effort confused the martial arts director. He cleared his throat and gave her some pointers.
"Is the sun setting in the west today?" Feng Hao, adjusting his cumbersome robes, asked his assistant.
The assistant was momentarily stunned. "No."
Feng Hao said, "Then why is Chen Jia not late today?"
His voice was just loud enough for Chen Jia to hear, and she flinched, almost dropping her wooden sword on her foot.
Chen Jia, embarrassed and angry, muttered to herself, "Feng Hao, don't think I don't know you like Zhou Zi Zhi. Once I catch you..."
She gasped and looked at the woman sitting on a bench, eyes wide. "Zhou Zi Zhi, how are you here? When did you arrive?"
Zhou Zi Zhi replied calmly, "I've been here."
Chen Jia, "..."
"Hahaha!" Chen Jia gave a forced laugh and quickly ran off.
Zhou Zi Zhi, too, occasionally found herself envying others, like her assistant Jian Yu, whose carefree, optimistic attitude, or the youthful energy and daring nature of Chen Jia, made her a natural fit for this industry. Some people were just born for this job—Chen Jia being one of them, though talent and hard work were both necessary.
Zhou Zi Zhi stretched out her legs, her gaze shifting through the swaying curtains toward Feng Hao. Regardless of whether it was true or not, she knew she had to distance herself from him.
"Zi Zhi, the crew brought over several boxes of Choco Lads," Jian Yu ran over, handing Zhou Zi Zhi nearly melted ice cream.
Zhou Zi Zhi took a bite, and the rich chocolate flavor spread across her tongue. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips.
Back in university, she had one almost every day during the summer. Later, with her busy filming schedule, she had almost forgotten about it. The taste hadn't changed at all.
"And this!" Jian Yu pulled a bag of crispy noodles from her bag. "Oops, I bumped into someone earlier and crushed some."
Zhou Zi Zhi looked at the snacks thoughtfully.
After a moment, she smiled and said, "Director Wang, both the Choco Lads and the crispy noodles are really good."
Director Wang had seen many beautiful women, and none seemed the most beautiful to him—there was always someone more beautiful. But Zhou Zi Zhi's smile had a way of steadying his mind, and he didn't reveal a thing. "If you like it, eat more."
Zhou Zi Zhi had heard that before, and she couldn't help but think, "..."
"I'm getting old, eating this stuff gives me a toothache," Director Wang tossed his ice cream stick into the trash. "Mr. Yu from Lianshen will come by this afternoon to check on the filming progress."
Zhou Zi Zhi's expression shifted slightly as she recalled what she had seen in the alley last time.
Director Wang had been informed that Mr. Yu would arrive in the afternoon, but unexpectedly, he came early at noon. The studio was cluttered with props, and the smell of boxed lunch lingered in the air. Everyone was crouched down eating hurriedly, too hungry to even talk.
When they saw the man walk into the studio, everyone froze. Director Wang quickly set his lunch aside, wiped his mouth, and greeted, "Mr. Yu."
Everyone quickly tidied up their appearances, holding their lunches with modesty. The actresses transformed in an instant into graceful ladies.
Chen Jia eagerly rushed forward, "Cousin!"
Yu Ze pulled her arm down, noticing the food in the lunchbox. He raised an eyebrow, "Is this what you've been eating for lunch?"
Hearing the disdain in his voice, the crew members rolled their eyes. "Is it really that bad? Then invest more in the film."
"Cousin, do you want some water?" Chen Jia asked, and her assistant swiftly handed a bottle to Yu Ze.
Feng Hao leaned toward Zhou Zi Zhi and remarked, "Lianshen has invested in several films, but this is the first time I've seen Mr. Yu come personally."
Chen Jia noticed the change in Yu Ze's demeanor, her voice faltering, "Cousin, didn't you say you were coming in the afternoon?"
Yu Ze, hands in his pockets, spoke in a calm voice, "I was passing by and decided to come early."
Director Wang led Yu Ze to the monitor and showed him the footage that had been shot so far.
"Not bad," Yu Ze said, his eyes inadvertently sweeping over the slim figure of Zhou Zi Zhi.
Zhou Zi Zhi glanced up briefly before lowering her head again.
Yu Ze, thinking he had made a perfect entrance, frowned slightly. "Why does she look at me like I'm a weirdo?" He wondered, dismissing it as a misunderstanding...