Chapter 154: Paying Respects

For the casting of her new drama, Gu Yan constantly traveled back and forth between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, she had to be present at both the preliminary selection and the grand finale. It came as no surprise that the preliminary selection was a resounding success.

"Cheers!!" Inside a minimalist and elegant private dining room sat a gathering of remarkable individuals.

"I must propose a separate toast to our most accomplished Gu. Bottoms up!" Cai Mei said boldly, raising her glass.

"To our reunion." Gu Yan gestured with her glass before draining it in one go.

Sitting nearby, Li Min looked at Gu Yan thoughtfully. He could hardly believe that the "Gu" Mei had spoken of was actually the acclaimed playwright Alisa. Although the woman before him was smiling, she radiated an aura of cool and aloof detachment.

"Cai Mei, I'll toast you too. May all lovers find their happily ever after!" Cai Mei's gaze flickered between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan with a knowing smile before she finished her drink. The welcome banquet went smoothly, and during the gathering, Gu Yan spoke only two words to Li Min: "Cherish."

The next day, Gu Yan took Cai Mei and returned to Hengdian. Before leaving, she promised that the male lead would undoubtedly be Li Min. It was not a matter of blatant favoritism; such was reality. Connections would always remain a crucial part of strength.

Upon returning to her familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to visit the hospital first.

The hospital room was quiet, broken only by the steady beeping of the electrocardiograph. After just a few days apart, Gu Yan felt the girl on the hospital bed looked even more emaciated. Cai Mei's lips trembled with sorrow as tears streamed down her face.

"Immortal... Immortal... Vain is here... Vain doesn't want Li Min anymore, Vain has come back. Gu is the same, Gu doesn't want Shen Hong anymore. Please wake up, it's been so many years, don't let Jiang Yunkai torture you anymore, 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 her heart out, Gu Yan turned away, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Yet, what Gu Yan did not know was that the moment she turned around, a solitary tear also slipped from the corner of the hospital patient's eye.

In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. "Xiao Yan," she said, "like you, I have no home to return to. Just let me stay and take care of Immortal."

Back at the hotel, Gu Yan collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep. With the relentless busyness of recent days, it was no wonder she was so exhausted.

"Damn woman, you come back from Hangzhou and don't even come to see Your Lordship. Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?" Wei Hao said as he walked in. Upon entering the room and seeing Gu Yan fast asleep, his voice noticeably lost its bravado. "Fine, I'll forgive you this once." With that, his hand gently stroked Gu Yan's face.

"Dad... Mom..." A tear rolled down the corner of the woman's eye.

Sitting by the bedside, Wei Hao felt as though his heart had been struck. He had seen Gu Yan when she was unreasonable and wild, when she was brimming with talent, when she was cold and aloof, and when she wept out loud, but he had never seen her looking so fragile and helpless. At that moment, he suddenly felt that despite their three years 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 seen her friends, yet uniquely avoided her closest family.

Suddenly, Wei Hao felt a pang of deep heartache for this woman a few years older than him, wondering how much suffering and heartbreak she had endured.

***

The lingering setup is about to conclude, and the story is about to enter its first major climax.