Chapter 58.2

Indeed, as soon as she woke up, her head was filled with so much information that the pain became unbearable. If Yun Feiwu hadn’t woken up in time, Xia Shutong would have had to endure the pain for a while longer.

“No…” Xia Shutong was about to say, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt anymore,” when Yun Feiwu suddenly pounced on her, holding her tightly, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry, Ruan Ruan. I’ve been wrong in the past. I… I failed to stand by your side… which allowed you to suffer so much and become what you are now…”

“I’m sorry, Ruan Ruan…”

Yun Feiwu was sobbing, her voice hoarse, and her body shaking uncontrollably.

Her crying was unexpected, yet fierce like a storm.

It was as if the emotions that had been pent up in her heart for a long time finally snapped and gushed out at this moment.

Xia Shutong instinctively held her tighter, but she couldn’t hold back her tears either.

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“But Ruan Ruan,” Yun Feiwu looked her in the eyes, “do you like the person you are now?”

Xia Shutong tilted her head and said, “I like it,” without any hesitation.

She likes herself as long as Yun Feiwu is by her side and likes her.

Yun Feiwu lowered her gaze, pondered for a moment, and wore a slightly gloomy expression. However, she didn’t say anything in the end. Instead, Xia Shutong hugged her and gently swayed her, saying, “Maomao, shall I take you for a walk around the Villa later?”

Yun Feiwu nodded.

During breakfast, they encountered Old Master Xia downstairs once again.

“Grandfather.”

“Old Master Xia.”

Old Master Xia hummed lightly, not giving them another glance. Xia Shutong suddenly found Old Master Xia somewhat adorable.

After breakfast, Xia Shutong began showing Yun Feiwu around the entire mansion.

First, they visited the outdoor estate.

“When I first moved here, I used to accompany grandfather for a walk by the pond every evening. But I was really scared of him, always following behind him with my head down, trying to hide my fear with a cold face. When I was no longer afraid, I spent less time at the old house.”

“This path leads to the backyard garden, but grandfather doesn’t like going there, so it has been neglected for a long time.”

Then they entered the house.

“This is the gym, although no one really uses it. Xia Hongye always talks about working out but gives up after one or two days.”

“This is grandfather’s study, but he is probably in there now, so we won’t go.”

“This is the piano room. When my mother was still here, she used to bring me here to watch her play the piano. She wanted to teach me, but I couldn’t learn it, so she gave up.”

“This is my study. My bedroom is just downstairs, but there’s a restroom right next to the study. When I used to write letters to you, I would hide in the closet of the restroom with a flashlight. But the mailing address was at the post office in the city. When I lived in the city with my mother, it was convenient to get letters. After moving here, it became a battle of wits with my grandfather. But I’m smarter; he never found out all these years.”

“Over there is Xia Hongye’s game room. Despite having a whole room full of gaming gear, she still prefers to play in the living room, which can be quite annoying.”

“…”

“…”

When Xia Shutong speaks, her tone is always gentle, with a playful upturn at the end. Her almond-shaped eyes are filled with genuine laughter.

She did go through a difficult time in the past, but she has moved on and doesn’t care about it anymore. Now, with her loved one by her side, she is happy and content. Every frown, every smile of hers is genuine.

Yun Feiwu watches her, and her own eyes involuntarily curve into a smile.

In the past, she wasn’t able to accompany Xia Ruan during her growth or witness Xia Ruan’s transformation. But now, she has returned to Xia Shutong’s side. Since Xia Shutong has completely walked out of the mire, why should she still shackle herself to the past?

There’s no need for her to feel guilty about the past anymore. The only thing she needs to do is to stay by Xia Shutong’s side and help her face any storms they may encounter in the future.

“Ruan Ruan,” Yun Feiwu takes Xia Shutong’s hand and pulls her into her arms as they step onto the balcony. “I promise I’ll always, always be by your side.”

Xia Shutong glances towards the corner of the room.

The girl she used to long to see, whom she would crouch in the corner hoping to catch a glimpse of, is now here, holding her, promising her ‘forever’.

Her eyes immediately light up with a smile brighter than any flower.

…

After staying in the old house for two days, it’s time for the two of them to return to the city.

Director Hua Zinan has already sent the complete script of “Trajectory”. The filming crew is almost ready, and they will set off for the filming location, deep in the mountains of Chuan City, in three days.

Upon receiving the complete script, the two finally understood what Director Hua Zinan meant by “elements of psychological suspense.”

In the first half of the “Trajectory” script, the city girl Shu Jinyu, discontented with her family’s marriage pressure, makes a resolute decision to teach in the mountains. During this time, she coincidentally meets a young widow, Ke Yu, and falls in love with her. However, in that era, same-sex relationships were not accepted by society, and the villagers pointed fingers at them, likening them to dangerous beasts. Despite this, Shu Jinyu is determined to be with Ke Yu. It is at this time that Shu Jinyu receives a letter from her family. Seeing that her family supports her no matter what, she decides to reveal her relationship with Ke Yu to them. Once her family accepts, she plans to go back to the village to take Ke Yu to the city.

While this part of the story seems like a clichéd love story, it cleverly plants many foreshadowing clues, making people itch with curiosity, eager to know the upcoming plot.

For instance, do the villagers truly despise Ke Yu without reason? Why did her husband die in the pigpen on the night of their wedding? Why would Ke Yu, a young and beautiful woman, choose to stay alone in the deep mountains, running a farm for so many years? Why does Ke Yu, who appears so delicate and timid, subtly lure Shu Jinyu from their first meeting?

During their two-day rest in the old house, Xia Shutong and Yun Feiwu speculated that Ke Yu might actually be a seemingly gentle but psychopathic murderer and that her husband might have been killed by her, thus explaining the villagers’ fear and rejection.

However, after reading the second half of the story, Xia Shutong realized that the key element of psychological suspense in this movie isn’t the suspense, but the “psychology.”

The entire story contains no blood or creepy descriptions. Ke Yu isn’t a murderer, and she hasn’t done anything substantially wrong. Yet, the way she deceives and manipulates Shu Jinyu, along with her twisted inner self, sends chills down the spine.

Ke Yu is not the delicate tufted flower in Shu Jinyu’s heart. Instead, within her long-parched heart, dwells a demon that everyone fears.

However, as she spent more time with the little angel Shu Jinyu, even Ke Yu didn’t notice that a brilliant flower had unknowingly blossomed in her barren heart.

By the time she finally recognized her own transformation and realized her love for Shu Jinyu, Shu Jinyu had already been deceived by her family to return to the city and was forced into an engagement with someone else.

…

The ending of “Trajectory” is open-ended. The scriptwriter did not specify the final outcome of the two female leads, leaving plenty of room for the audience’s imagination.

“Maomao, what do you think this story is trying to express?” After reading the script, Xia Shutong, who was lying in Yun Feiwu’s arms, asked languidly.

“A lot,” Yun Feiwu murmured thoughtfully. “Lies, deception, redemption, human nature, and a subtle criticism of the social conditions of that time…”

If it’s well made, it can be an award-winning masterpiece, but if not, it becomes a pretentious and empty preaching film.

Yun Feiwu was obviously worried about this too.

Xia Shutong, while confident in Yun Feiwu’s acting skills and Director Hua Zinan’s directing abilities, couldn’t help but lack confidence in herself at this point. After all, Xia Shutong didn’t come from a professional background and had no acting experience. Even the decision to shoot this film was made in less than half an hour of consideration.

The effect Xia Shutong presented during the audition was quite good, but mainly because Yun Feiwu guided her well. If she really faced the camera, Xia Shutong was a bit unsure.

“Ruan Ruan…”

“Maomao…”

After a moment of silence, both of them almost simultaneously started speaking, looked at each other, and then in unison said, “You first?”

“Ruan Ruan first?” Yun Feiwu’s eyes curved with her smile.

“I’m thinking, should I sign up for an acting class before we start shooting?” Xia Shutong said.

No sooner had her words fallen than she was lifted by Yun Feiwu, grey eyes getting closer to hers.

Xia Shutong bit her lip, subconsciously wanting to close her eyes, when she heard Yun Feiwu’s voice, “I was thinking about this too. But why enroll in an acting class when you have an award-winning actress right in front of you?”

Xia Shutong said hesitantly, “There’s no question about our Best Actress acting skills, but I’m afraid I might be too slow to learn.”

“You’re not slow at all,” Yun Feiwu responded with a light laugh. “Ruan Ruan, when we were young before I received systematic training, it was you who taught me how to act.”

Xia Shutong’s gaze softened, vague impressions flitted through her mind, but she couldn’t quite recall them.

“Also,” noticing Xia Shutong’s hesitation, Yun Feiwu lightly scratched her nose and chuckled, “There’s only a few days left, attending a class wouldn’t teach you much, so why don’t I teach you, Ruan Ruan? Would that be okay?”

Author’s Note: Ruan Ruan’s feelings are a bit distorted, and what follows is the (sweet) adjustment period.

–

The inspiration for this short story “Track” comes from “Mr. Donkey” and “The Master of Love.” Even though my inspirations are usually abstract…