CH 40

This novel is only hosted on Foxaholic, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized.

The next day, everyone got up early. It was the end of the lunar year* and everyone was eager to go home.

[T/N: 年关 (Nián guān) – In olden days, debts and rents had to be settled by this day before celebrating the Spring Festival]

Zhou Jianchen originally wanted to leave with Liang Yin, but the director of photography beckoned him last night saying he would ride his car back today, hence Zhou Jianchen had to watch helplessly as Liang Yin got into her own car.

As they had agreed to travel together, Ah Zhao drove leisurely in front while Xiao Tian followed steadily behind.

They even stopped once at the rest area, but Liang Yin didn’t get down. When Zhou Jianchen came back, he handed her a bottle of hot drink and two rice dumplings – getting up early, she didn’t eat much breakfast.

Zhou Jianchen really wanted to get in the car, but seeing that the director of photography had come back, he just rubbed her head and walked away.

It was still early at this moment and there weren’t many people in the rest area, so they were not recognized with sunglasses and face masks on.

He wasn’t able to chat a few words with Liang Yin the whole way. The director of photography was a chatterbox, who kept talking to him and didn’t even give him a chance to even send a message.

""

It was very tiring.

After a long journey, they finally arrived in the capital at 12 noon.

Looking at the familiar city, the director of photography stretched lazily, “Finally back.”

Zhou Jianchen looked at the time and just said, “Let’s have a meal together first.” Saying that, he called Liang Yin.

Liang Yin will go home right away later while he still has to send the director of photography before going back to the company. Just saying goodbye without having a meal.

He is unwilling.

And there is also an annual meeting in the company tonight.

Receiving the call, Liang Yin did not refuse since she wanted to see him too.

The director of photography was rather surprised and asked after glancing back at her car, “Hey, Yinyin has been following all along.” Earlier, he knew they were traveling together but he simply didn’t take notice afterwards.

Zhou Jianchen wasn’t in the mood to answer him.

“Is she in the capital too?” The director of photography asked again.

“En.”

“What a coincidence, where does she live ah?” The director of photography asked again.

Zhou Jianchen took a deep breath, his patience was about to run out, “Dongcheng District, I think.”

Luckily the director of photography didn’t ask anymore, he just turned around with an “Oh”. As for why Zhou Jianchen knew she lived in Dongcheng District, there wasn’t the slightest suspicion.

They had meals at a Cantonese cuisine restaurant, which is owned by an acquaintance. All was well during the meal, except Zhou Jianchen’s spirit was low the entire time. The two of them didn’t sit together and the director of photography was talking the whole time.

The director of photography asked in the midst, “Yinyin, are you also staying in the capital for the Spring Festival?”

Liang Yin replied, “En.”

They then left one after another after the meal. The director of photography was at the front and Zhou Jianchen was at the back. When Liang Yin was about to go out, she was pulled back and gathered into an embrace once she turned around.

“We’re about to part.” He spoke softly, with unbounded melancholy.

On the side, Xiao Tian caught a glimpse, and just lowered her head to go out.

Hearing that, Liang Yin then just comforted him, “We’ll see each other again very soon.”

Seeing each other very soon was just a few days only.

They parted ways again once they arrived at the parking lot. After getting into the car, Zhou Jianchen glanced back at Liang Yin with unspoken words. Liang Yin looked at him too and just smiled softly.

Once the cars were driven out, each just went different directions.

**********

The next two days, both people were busy with their own affairs. After attending the annual meeting, Zhou Jianchen had to participate in various company’s matters. He is a major shareholder and inevitably has many documents to sign at the end of the year. In the evening, he still had to deal with various banquets.

Liang Yin was also busy with cleaning, buying things and eventually giving herself some new lively mood since it’s the Spring Festival celebration. Ruona had come over the next day to drag her out to buy clothes, had their hair done, ate, drink and had fun. Liang Yin knew what she had in mind. She was afraid she would be too lonely.

Her home is not in the capital.

Ruona was naturally curious about her relationship with Zhou Jianchen, and Liang Yin didn’t hold back but told her everything.

The photos of them together were spread out too and naturally trended on hot search again. One was the Film Empress while the other was the TV Drama Queen, who seemed totally mismatched, yet they unexpectedly are really close friends.

In the photo, the two people were sitting in a cafe. Liang Yin was holding the cellphone while Ruona was leaning close to look at it together, with an unusual kind of warm friendly affection as the sunlight beamed on them.

__ “A chance encounter with the two Goddesses in a cafe”, the passerby who took the photo said so.

Liang Yin no longer cares about such exposure and after getting her consent, Ruona only responded with a ‘happy’ emoji.

They have finally made known of their friendship.

Apart from that, Liang Yin finally met Tong Xiaohua too.

Tong Xiaohua is a new generation screenwriter and director, who has won an award for the well-received [Mercy] and who is also a true fan of Liang Yin. He has a script in which the leading role was written for her. After he heard of her comeback, he kept asking Ruona to contact her and when he learned that Liang Yin had accepted to act in Chen Hua’en’s film later, he was even more eager and persistently urging Ruona to arrange a meeting.

Liang Yin was busy previously but now she had some free time and agreed to his request. She actually admires this young director, who is not even 30 yet. She had seen his films, and aside from technicality, the whole story was intense and highly connotative.

She hadn’t really thought of making a comeback earlier and taking part in filming [Winter] was a request from a venerable elder who she didn’t dare decline. She hasn’t made any plans for later, but now that she is with Zhou Jianchen, it doesn’t seem unacceptable to continue acting. After all, she really does love filming too.

Tong Xiaohua was beside himself with excitement when he met her. He is exceptionally talented and is still like a simple stubborn child. Now that his wish was fulfilled, he almost brimmed with tears. He repeatedly pleaded with Liang Yin to star in his film and he could agree to anything as long as she is willing.

He is also someone who deems filming as his life. He used up his family fortune when he filmed [Mercy] and became famous at once when [Mercy] won the award later. Countless people wanted to collaborate with him, but he just refused. What he wants is pureness and not be tainted by money. Just like when he couldn’t find the ideal actress, he would rather withhold and not film it.

Liang Yin however didn’t immediately agree. It was a rarely seen good script, but she still wanted to consider it.

**********

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Ruona finally had to leave. She eventually had to go home for the Spring Festival and she had stayed these two days just to accompany her.

Before she left, she asked Liang Yin to go back with her but Liang Yin declined.

Xiao Tian left in the afternoon too. She originally wanted to leave tomorrow, but fear of heavy traffic, Liang Yin just asked her to go back as soon as possible. She booked a flight for her and didn’t forget to give her a big red packet. Xiao Tian’s salary is still given by Zhong Jianian, but she has her own intention.

She thought if Xiao Tian is willing to stay, she is bound to transfer her from Zhong Jianian.

Once the two people left, the whole house was quiet again. The festive ambience of the Spring Festival in town is getting more profound and everyone is going home, but she no longer has a home.

Looking out the window, Liang Yin took a deep breath and finally dropped the smile she had put up for the past two days.

Zhou Jianchen sent another message over, “What are you doing?”

Looking at it, she just replied, “Just tidying up.”

She didn’t dare to say too much.

They had been in contact with the cellphones these days. Zhou Jianchen would often report his itinerary to her and talked about all kinds of matters. She would also tell him what she was doing, eating or shopping as she pretended to be very busy.

**********

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Zhou Jianchen completed all his work. He gave Ah Xian and Ah Zhao a holiday, while he returned home.

Once the car was driven into the Zhou family, Mother Zhou came out with a feather duster, “Ah Chen is back.” Whether intentionally or not, she glanced at the car again. Seeing there was only her wretch son inside, she pursed her lips and was a little unhappy.

When Zhou Jianchen got out of the car, she hastily smiled, “Are you tired, have you eaten ah?”

In her sixties, she looks very young with a genial smile, plump and amiable. Except adorned with jewels, the feather duster in her hand was out of place.

She is a very lively person. Seeing that the servants were cleaning for the Spring Festival, she refused to stay idle and got busy too.

Zhou Jianchen threw the car keys to the receiving servant and was somewhat dumbfounded looking at his old mother, “You’ve called me eight hundred times early in the morning, would I dare not to come back.”

“Not tired, have eaten.” After uttering the words, he walked towards the door.

Invited to dinner last night, he returned very late but the phone kept ringing while he was sleeping this morning. Looking at it, it was his old mother.

“I’m just afraid you won’t come back today”, Mother Zhou hurriedly caught up, “You said you’ve been back for so many days yet you never come home to stay, and it’s almost Lunar New Year.”

“Brother didn’t come back too, why didn’t you ask him?” Zhou Jianchen found a sofa to sit down on and took out his cellphone to look at it.

He had just sent a text message to Liang Yin but there was no reply yet.

“It’s because I care about you.” Mother Zhou smiled and sat beside him too, but her eyes were gazing at his phone.

“Then I will thank you.” Catching sight of her action, Zhou Jianchen put his phone away and took a sip of water brought by the servant.

Mother Zhou then cautiously said, “Ah Chen, I heard you have a girlfriend ah?”

“Cough __ “ Zhou Jianchen almost choked up.

“Is it Liang Yin?” Mother Zhou smiled slyly again.

Zhou Jianchen put down the cup, “Who told you that?”

“Rong Xin told me ah.” Mother Zhou with the appearance of ‘Don’t you deny it’. When Rong Xin came back a few days ago, she told her that Zhou Jianchen had found a girlfriend and even asked her not to worry.

Zhou Jianchen was speechless, that nosy Rong Xin.

“When will you bring her back to let me take a look ah … “ Mother Zhou spoke again.

“You just wait.” Not wanting to dawdle with his old mother, Zhou Jianchen stood up and went upstairs, “I’m going to take a nap, don’t disturb me ah.”

He would like to bring her back, but …

Once he was upstairs and went into his room, Liang Yin texted back: Ah, I was shopping and didn’t see it just now.

__ I’m home, what are you doing ah. He asked so just now.

Looking at her text messages, Zhou Jianchen felt so empty. One day, two days, three days, four days of not seeing each other. She seemed to be busy every day, but what could she be busying about?

__ I miss you ah.

He texted again.

__ Be good, we’ll see each other soon.

She however just answered that again.

The time gradually passed and soon it was 5.30 in the evening. The whole afternoon was simply spent idly in conversation and Liang Yin’s reply was not promptly at all.

The kitchen had already started to prepare dinner and a car horn sounded from the courtyard. Listening to it, it was precisely his elder brother, Zhou Zuokang who had returned.

“Ah Chen, come down for dinner!” A while later, Mother Zhou came over to knock on the door again, “Your big brother is back!”

Frowning, Zhou Jianchen eventually turned off his cellphone and got up.

The food was already on the table and it was busy in the kitchen. Every time when they come home, the old lady will prepare a big table of dishes, let alone that it’s the festival now.

Zhou Jianchen was still unhappy. Sitting on the sofa, he looked at his phone again.

The phone call just now, Liang Yin said she was going to take a shower but after half an hour, she still hadn’t replied to his message.

“Yo, you’re back?” Here Zhou Zuokang came over after changing his clothes and jokingly said when he saw his younger brother sitting quietly on the sofa.

He comes home more often than Zhou Jianchen, except he just stayed outside because he was busy these days.

Zhou Jianchen was in no mood to pay him any heeds.

This was deliberately to annoy him.

Looking at his sulky appearance, Zhou Zuokang asked with a smile while buttoning his cufflinks, “Why, didn’t you bring your girlfriend back with you?”

Zhou Jianchen’s eyes became profound when he heard what he said.

""

Zhou Zuokang was still smiling happily and unafraid.

“You’d better mind your own business.” Zhou Jianchen glanced at him and coldly replied after a long while. How could he have the face to talk about him when he hadn’t even settled his and Rong Xin’s affairs.

Saying that, he picked up the clothes on the side and turned around.

“Eh, Ah Chen, where are you going ah, it’s time to eat!” Mother Zhou called out from behind when she saw that.

“Not eating!” Zhou Jianchen left the words and just took the car keys again to walk out of the door.

**********

Zhou Jianchen drove very fast along the way. His expression was somewhat inexplicably gloomy in the night.

He really wanted to bring Liang Yin home, but he feared that Liang Yin was not ready. He was thin-skinned too. The two brothers were never on agreeable terms and he was unwilling to let his big brother see how much he cares about her.

But despite the unagreeable terms now and having a good laugh at him, he couldn’t care less.

She was celebrating the Spring Festival alone, so how busy could she be? It was okay during the first two days, but now everyone has gone home.

She however just doesn’t want him to find her.

He just didn’t speak out these two days, but he knew everything in his heart.

**********

Jiayuan is less than an hour away from the Zhou family. He was here once and was familiar with the route.

Driving all the way into the underground parking lot, he then took the elevator to the 37th floor.

Once he arrived at the door, he remembered that he hadn’t asked, so he called again.

The call was answered quickly, “You’re home, right?”

“Ah, yes ah.” Liang Yin’s somewhat puzzled voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Open the door then.” Zhou Jianchen said as he reached out to ring the doorbell.

**********

Liang Yin was cleaning the cups and putting them away one by one when she heard the voice on the phone and hurried to open the door. Taking a look then, she saw Zhou Jianchen standing at the door with the cellphone in his hand.

“Do you want to go home with me for the Lunar New Year?” He put down his phone, looked at her and opened his mouth to ask with a profound gaze.

“Ah?” Liang Yin was full of surprise.

“If you don’t want to go back with me for the Lunar New Year, I’ll stay here with you.” After saying that, Zhou Jianchen was silent for two seconds and seeing that she didn’t say anything, he walked in with the bag in his hand.

Liang Yin had yet to regain her reverie as she followed him in a hurry. She had just barely turned around when she heard the door behind slammed shut and a figure pressed down cupping her face and kissed her mouth.

“You just don’t want me to look for you that badly, huh?” He kissed her, full of emotion.