Chapter 144: Murder
Casting for the new drama required Gu Yan to constantly travel back and forth between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, her presence was mandatory at both the preliminary rounds and the grand finale, which bookended the entire process. It came as no surprise that the preliminary rounds were such a resounding success.
"Cheers!!" Inside a minimalist yet elegant private dining room sat a gathering of extraordinary 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 signaled with her glass and drank it down 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 renowned playwright Alisa. Although the woman before him was smiling warmly, she emanated a cool and aloof aura.
"Cai Mei, I'd like to propose a toast to you as well. May all lovers find their happily ever after!" Cai Mei's gaze drifted between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan with a knowing smile as she finished her drink. This "welcome banquet" went very smoothly; during the evening, Gu Yan only spoke 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 role would definitely go to Li Min. It was not a matter of Gu Yan playing favorites—that was simply reality. Connections have always been a crucial component of strength.
Upon returning to her familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to head straight to the hospital.
The ward was dead silent, save for the steady beep of the electrocardiogram. Having not seen her in days, Gu Yan felt the girl in the hospital bed looked even more emaciated. Cai Mei's lips trembled with sorrow as tears streamed down her face.
"Immortal... Immortal... Vain Mei is here... Immortal... Vain Mei doesn't want Li Min anymore, Vain Mei is 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 let us lose respect for 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. What Gu Yan did not know, however, was that the moment she turned around, a solitary tear also slipped from the corner of the girl's bedridden eyes.
Ultimately, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. "Xiao Yan," she said, "like you, I have nowhere left to call home. 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 that it was no wonder she was utterly exhausted.
"Damn woman, you came back from Hangzhou and didn't even come to see your master. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" Wei Hao grumbled 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 cheek.
"Dad... Mom..." A tear rolled down the corner of the sleeping 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; he had seen her when she was brimming with literary talent; he had seen her cool and aloof, and he had even seen her weeping aloud. But he had never seen her looking so fragile and helpless. At that moment, he suddenly realized that after 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 seen her friends, yet uniquely avoided her closest family.
Suddenly, Wei Hao felt a pang of deep sympathy for the woman a few years older than him, wondering just how much suffering and heartbreak she had endured.