Chapter 153: Yufada
Casting for the new drama required Gu Yan to constantly travel back and forth between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, her presence was required at both the preliminary rounds and the grand finale, bookending the entire process. It came as no surprise that the preliminary rounds turned out to be such a resounding success.
"Cheers!" Inside the minimalist yet elegant private dining room sat a gathering of extraordinary individuals.
"I must propose a separate toast to our most promising Ancient One. Bottoms up!" Cai Mei said boldly, raising her glass.
"To our reunion." Gu Yan gestured with her glass before draining it in a single gulp.
Sitting nearby, Li Min looked at Gu Yan thoughtfully. He could hardly believe that the "Ancient One" of whom Xiao Mei had spoken was actually the renowned playwright Alisa. Although the woman before him was smiling warmly, she emitted an aura of cool, solitary pride.
"Cai Mei, I'll toast you too. May all lovers in the world finally tie the knot!" Cai Mei's gaze darted between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan before she smilingly finished the wine in her glass. This "welcome banquet" proceeded smoothly, and during the gathering, Gu Yan spoke only two words to Li Min: "Cherish."
The following day, Gu Yan took Cai Mei and returned to Hengdian. Before leaving, she promised that the male lead role would definitely go to Li Min. It was not a matter of Gu Yan unfairly favoring him; rather, it was simply the reality of the industry. Connections are forever a crucial component of strength.
Upon returning to her familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to head straight to the hospital.
The hospital room was dead quiet, save for the steady, rhythmic beeping of the electrocardiograph. Having not seen her for several days, Gu Yan thought the girl on the hospital bed looked even more emaciated. Cai Mei's lips trembled with deep sorrow as tears streamed down her face.
"Immortal... Immortal... Vain Beauty is here... Immortal... Vain Beauty doesn't want Li Min anymore, Vain Beauty has come back. The Ancient One is the same, the Ancient One doesn't want Shen Hong anymore. Please wake up. It's been so many years, don't let Jiang Yunkai torture you anymore, and don't make us look down on you. I know you can hear me. Wake up, please wake up..."
Unable to bear watching Cai Mei cry herself into a complete wreck, Gu Yan turned away as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Yet, what Gu Yan did not know was that the very moment she turned around, a single, clear tear also escaped from the corner of the hospitalized girl's eye.
In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. "Xiao Yan," she said, "just like you, I have no home to return to. Let me stay and take care of the Immortal." Back at the hotel, Gu Yan collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep. She had been so relentlessly busy lately without a moment of peace, so it was no wonder she was this exhausted.
"Damn woman, you come back from Hangzhou and don't even bother to come see your big boss. Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?" Wei Hao said as he walked straight into the room. Upon seeing Gu Yan sound asleep, his voice instantly lost its booming confidence. "Fine, I'll forgive you just this once." With that, he gently stroked Gu Yan's face.
"Dad... Mom..." A tear fell from the corner of the sleeping woman's eye.
Sitting by the bedside, Wei Hao felt as though his heart had been struck a heavy blow. He had witnessed Gu Yan being unreasonable and willful; he had seen her brimming with talent; he had seen her cool and aloof; he had even seen her cry out loud—yet he had never once seen her looking so fragile and helpless. At that moment, it suddenly struck him that despite three years of being together, he had never truly understood her at all. He should have realized it sooner: upon returning to the hometown where she grew up, she had met with friends, but conspicuously avoided her own closest family.
Suddenly, Wei Hao felt a deep ache in his heart for this woman a few years older than him, wondering just how much hardship and heartbreak she must have endured.
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The lingering, slow-paced plots are about to conclude, and the story is about to plunge straight into its first major climax.