Chapter 126: Return to Kongtong Mountain
For the casting of her new drama, Gu Yan was constantly traveling between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, her presence was mandatory at both the preliminary rounds and the grand finale. It came as no surprise that the preliminary rounds were such a resounding success.
"Cheers!" Inside the minimalist yet elegant private room sat a group of people who were far from ordinary.
"I must propose a separate toast to our most accomplished Gu-ren. Drink up!" Cai Mei declared, holding her glass with unrestrained enthusiasm.
"To our reunion," Gu Yan said, gesturing with her glass before downing the drink in one go.
Beside them, Li Min studied Gu Yan with a thoughtful gaze. He could hardly believe that the "Gu-ren" Cai Mei spoke of was actually the playwright Alisa. Although the woman before him wore a smile, she projected an aura of cold, detached aloofness.
"Cai Mei, I'll toast you as well. May all lovers find their way to each other!" Cai Mei’s eyes darted between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan before she smiled and finished her drink. The "welcome banquet" proceeded smoothly. Throughout the evening, Gu Yan only spoke two words to Li Min: "Cherish fortune."
The next day, Gu Yan took Cai Mei back to Hengdian. Before leaving, she promised that the lead role would go to Li Min. One could hardly blame Gu Yan for the favoritism; such was reality. Connections would always be a critical component of strength.
Upon returning to her familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to visit the hospital first.
The room was silent, save for the rhythmic beeping of the electrocardiogram. After only a few days, Gu Yan felt the girl in the hospital bed looked even more gaunt. Cai Mei’s lips trembled with sorrow, and tears streamed down her face.
"Daxian... Daxian... Chou-mei is here... Daxian, Chou-mei doesn’t want Li Min anymore; Chou-mei is back. Gu-ren feels the same; Gu-ren doesn’t want Shen Hong anymore. Please, wake up. It’s been so many years—don't let Jiang Yunkai torture you any longer, 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 sob, Gu Yan turned away as a single tear slid down her cheek. What Gu Yan did not see, however, was the single clear tear that welled in the corner of the girl’s eye on the bed the moment she turned away.
In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. "Xiao Yan," she said, "like you, I have no home to return to. Let me stay and look after Daxian." Back at the hotel, Gu Yan collapsed into bed. She had been so busy lately without a moment of respite; it was no wonder she was so exhausted.
"You stubborn woman, you didn't even come to see me after getting back from Hangzhou. Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?" Wei Hao said as he walked into the room. Seeing Gu Yan fast asleep, his voice lost its bravado. "Fine, I’ll forgive you this once." As he spoke, he gently caressed her face.
"Dad... Mom..." A tear slipped from 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 savage and unreasonable, Gu Yan overflowing with talent, Gu Yan cold and aloof, and Gu Yan weeping aloud, but he had never seen her so fragile and helpless. In that moment, he suddenly realized that despite their three years together, he had never truly understood her. He should have realized it sooner: upon returning to the hometown where she grew up, she had seen her friends, but she had avoided the very family she was closest to.
Wei Hao suddenly felt a pang of heartache for this woman, who was a few years his senior, and wondered just how much suffering and heartbreak she had endured.