Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As everyone looked over at Xia Ling at the same time, Chu Chen gave her a look of surprise — he clearly did not expect Wei Shaoyin to care for a mere assistant.
Without so much as a thought, Xia Ling said, “Money.”
Wei Shaoyin disdained. “Have some pride.”
Xia Ling was indignant. Yes, he was filthy rich, but he should still have an understanding of her predicament. She owed the company a large sum of money and needed to pay it off as quickly as possible. Then she would be able to leave the entertainment industry. Wouldn’t that be great?
Of course, Wei Shaoyin clearly did not think this way.
He pointed at Xia Ling as he replied Chu Chen. “Make sure you fulfill her request. Deal with it as you may, other than giving her…” He gave a smile, showing two perfect rows of white teeth. “… money.”
… Oh my goodness, Wei Shaoyin was a terrible person.
Xia Ling looked away dejectedly. Other than money, she really did not need anything at all.
Chu Chen nodded in agreement. Bidding goodbye, he left with Xia Yu in tow.
Wei Shaoyin turned his head to Xia Ling and lectured her. “Money is the most worthless thing in the world, and you only want it?”
Xia Ling felt like ignoring him altogether.
At the door, Chu Chen stopped midway as he was closing the door. He turned to take one more pensive look at Wei Shaoying and Xia Ling.
Xia Ling was too lazy to fathom a guess at what he was thinking about as she sulked, prodding at the lemon slice in her glass.
Wei Shaoyin lifted his wrist to look at the time. He said, “It’s almost time for the closing of the show, I need to go to the recording studio. Take our stuff and wait for me outside. I’ll drive the car over to fetch you.”
He liked to drive his own car and would not hire a chauffeur.
Xia Ling could only express her unhappiness in her heart, secretly scolding him for being a hypochondriac and exceedingly petty.
He was not aware of her grievances and left the room to go about his business, leaving her alone in the empty makeup room. She turned full circle on the same stop before putting on her jacket reluctantly, collecting the scattered things and turning to leave.
The back door of the broadcast station was very quiet, opening up into a large private open space. There was no need to be worried about harassment from fans. This exit was near to the parking lot and was where most of the artistes would make their way off after recording a show. There was a beautiful, green barricade of plants, making the surroundings both peaceful and tasteful.
Xia Ling came out early, and there was nobody around. A cold evening wind blew over her, causing her to shiver.
It started to snow…
She lifted her head and looked at the falling snowflakes against the night sky.
Under the dreamy, European-style road lamps, the soft and white flakes fell and created small pretty halos, looking like angel feathers. She lifted her face and raised her hand to touch the flakes with her fingertips, watching as they melted away slowly and formed a small, clear droplet of water.
In her past life, this was a game that she loved to play. All she needed to do was to lift her finger to see the purity and transparency of this world.
Pei Ziheng had laughed and said that she was like a kid. He would hug her from behind, afraid that she would catch a cold, and use his warm, dry hands to cover her hands and pull her into his arms. Then, she would find him a bother and complain that she did not feel cold, struggling to free herself from his embrace. Sometimes, he would give in to her little tantrum, but there would also be times that he would refuse to let go and say, “Xiao Ling, be good and listen to me.”
Thinking back, perhaps whatever she did or did not do, her every action had never been out of his control.
Xia Ling retracted her hand as she dwelled in her emotions, her soft eyelashes casting a light shadow on her lower eyelid. Her death had given her the freedom that she craved, but that man was no longer behind her. The night wind coupled with the snow blew onto her body, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. She pulled the thin jacket closer to herself.
As she turned to leave, she suddenly saw a tall shadow at the bottom of the stairs leaning on a black Rolls-Royce and silently staring up at her.
At that moment, she stopped breathing momentarily.
That is…
Pei Ziheng.
She could not move and stared back at him. At that moment, it was as if the rest of the world was in black and white and only his face was in stunning clarity. Every line on his face would affect her heart rate and breathing.
The falling snow fell haphazardly between the two of them.
He was thinner than before, though this made him look more boyish and charismatic. Between his brows was a deep frown-line that made Xia Ling feel compelled to approach him and rub it smooth. She silently clenched her fist, her fingernails digging into the center of her palm, and the sharp pain helped her to regain some of her senses.
He was wearing a tailored, black trench coat, which he paired casually with an ash-grey long scarf. The cigarette between his fingers was almost burned up.
She remembered that he did not use to smoke.
She felt tears start to well and a sharp pain in the depths of her heart.
She had tried to run away from him regardless of the consequence, and had told herself time and again not to think anymore about him. Yet today, as he stood alive and kicking in front of her, she realized in despair that she was still deeply in love with him.
How scary was that?
Xia Ling was shocked at herself. She turned to leave, but her feet felt like they had grown roots.
The chauffeur came out of the car to hold an umbrella over Pei Ziheng’s head, but he ignored him and continued staring at her in silence. His eyes were dark, and there was an unreadable expression on his face.
The chauffeur said a few sentences to him in a low voice.
He stubbed out the cigarette with one hand and received the items that the chauffeur handed to him.
A familiar voice rang out from nearby. “Brother Ziheng.”
Without turning her head, Xia Ling knew that it was Xia Yu. She quietly watched as Xia Yu approached and lifted her head to look at Pei Ziheng by the car. Her small face was filled with joy and innocence as she said, “Brother Ziheng, did you come specially to pick me?”
Pei Ziheng finally shifted his gaze away from Xia Ling. Looking down, he slowly wrapped the item in his hand around Xia Yu’s neck. It was only then that Xia Ling realized that the item was an intricately-woven scarf. The style was very familiar, and she remembered that it was from the brand that she had liked to use in the past.
There were countless times in the past that he had been so gentle to her. Now, Xia Yu was at the receiving end of his gentleness.
The cold snowflakes fell on her face, and she felt a chill enter her body down to her bones. Xia Ling took a step back, deeper into the shadows of the street lamps. She lowered her eyes to the ground and pondered. Perhaps she should wait for Wei Shaoyin in the parking lot.
However, before she could move, she heard Wei Shaoyin’s clear voice coming from her front. “Xiao Ling!”
Before she had time to react, Pei Ziheng, who was getting into his car, abruptly turned back and stared at her again, his eyes like that of an eagle as he tried to burn a hole through her body with his gaze.
An almost sexual sense of terror swept over her, and her past memories flooded into her mind. She suddenly recalled what a monster this man was as a chill slowly came over her body and every cell in her body screamed from the pain. How weird, she was clearly in a completely different body, but the terror seemed to be ingrained in her soul. She could remember every excruciating detail with clarity.
Xia Ling could not help but ask herself, Do you really still love that man? Still love that monster …?
She felt her body rock on the spot and could barely keep steady.
Wei Shaoyin raised his voice again. “Xiao Ling!”
As she came back to her senses, she saw Pei Ziheng’s gaze become fiercer. She cursed at Wei Shaoyin in her heart for being more trouble than help. She thought seriously for two seconds if she should change her name after going back but woefully thought that Pei Ziheng had already heard her name and it was too late to change it now…
She turned to look at Wei Shaoyin and saw him sitting in the driver’s seat of the Ferrari. He had lowered the car window and was calling her over impatiently.
The ostentatiously expensive car was just behind Pei Ziheng’s Rolls-Royce.