When Yuan Ye moved out of their house, he only took some clothes and everyday items. There were too many things, and most of them were not needed at the moment, so he didn't take everything. However, he did take Fang Shaoyi's coat when he left.
It was the same coat that Fang Shaoyi had offered him that night, but Yuan Ye had refused.
He didn't know what he was thinking when he took it.
Many times afterwards, when Yuan Ye was unclear in his mind, he would think about whether the outcome would have been different if he had accepted the coat. But who knew better than Yuan Ye that their divorce was not because of a piece of clothing? Let's not be ridiculous.
Fang Shaoyi said, 'You say it once and I'll make you feel it once,' and Yuan Ye was really in pain. His mind started to replay the chaotic events before they separated, as well as the final divorce agreement. Fang Shaoyi used an intimate and flirtatious posture to quickly sign Yuan Ye's name with just two strokes of his hand, cruel and decisive.
But Yuan Ye had said the wrong thing, and no matter how cold Fang Shaoyi was to him, he deserved it. Some things shouldn't be said and once said, no matter how coldly treated, it's deserved.
Yuan Ye softened and said to Fang Shaoyi, 'I'll remember my lesson, don't be angry.'
Fang Shaoyi didn't say anything else, just made a sound of agreement.
Their relationship was still lukewarm after that, slightly better than before but not by much. Occasionally, Fang Shaoyi would ignore Yuan Ye, who would then just focus on his own work and try to make his presence known by checking in every now and then.
Ji Xiaotao, who had been through this ordeal before, was no longer concerned about their relationship. He had hoped for them to reconcile quickly before, but now that they had, he saw any minor disagreements between them as just part of their dynamic. He didn't need to worry anymore, and he was glad that their relationship seemed stable now.
It was amusing to see one of them throw a tantrum while the other tried to appease them with a smile. It was almost like watching a comedy show.
"Hey, Tao-laoshi!" Yuan Ye went to the company to find Fang Shaoyi and happened to see Ji Xiaotao in the lobby. He greeted him warmly.
"Hahaha, what Tao-laoshi?" Ji Xiaotao walked over to Yuan Ye and greeted him, "Good afternoon, Ye-laoshi!"
"Am I that wild?" Yuan Ye raised an eyebrow, "Just call me Yuan-laoshi."
Ji Xiaotao was a small assistant when next to Fang Shaoyi, but he definitely had a certain status when he returned to the company. However, because he was still Fang Shaoyi's assistant, he didn't have any other job titles in the company. Despite this, other people in the company would politely call him "Brother Xiaotao".
Once, a small actor called him "Tao-laoshi", which Yuan Ye overheard. Since then, Yuan Ye has always teased him with this nickname. Ji Xiaotao looked at the thing in his hand and asked with a smirk, "Are you delivering food to my brother?"
"Ah," Yuan Ye said as they walked together, "Is he upstairs?"
"He should be in the office. If he's not there, you can go to Brother Geng's place and check." Ji Xiaotao went up with him, but didn't follow him all the way. It was mealtime and he had to put his things down and go downstairs to eat.
Yuan Ye knocked on Fang Shaoyi's office door and Fang Shaoyi responded before he entered. He pushed the door open and peeked his head in. Fang Shaoyi looked up and met his gaze. He squinted and smiled, "Can I come in, Fang-laoshi?"
Fang Shaoyi saw him and waved his hand, "Come in quickly. If someone pushes you on the shoulder from behind, you'll be strangled."
"That won't happen," Yuan Ye pushed open the door and closed it behind him, placing the item in his hand on the coffee table. He beckoned to Fang Shaoyi with a smile, "Come here, baby, it's a lunch made with love."
Fang Shaoyi walked over and asked, "Where did this lunch made with love come from?"
"Where else would it come from? Of course, I made it," Yuan Ye pushed him playfully, "I put a lot of effort into it."
Fang Shaoyi glanced at him, shook his head and smiled. He began to unwrap the layers of packaging. Yuan Ye had been free these past few days, and had spent the morning steaming small dumplings and stewing soup. He did everything to coax him, making up for any mistakes he made with his actions.
As Fang Shaoyi opened one of the insulated boxes, he found two heart-shaped fried eggs neatly placed inside. He was surprised to see such a thing and couldn't help but smile. "What is this?" he asked.
"It's a heart," Yuan Ye replied, not at all embarrassed by his silly gesture. He leaned back on the sofa and said, "That's why it's called a 'lunch made with love'."
Fang Shaoyi smiled briefly and then ate his food seriously. He finished the soup and even the last piece of dumpling. Yuan Ye pointed to the two innocent heart-shaped eggs and sighed, "Don't reject my heart, Fang-laoshi."
Fang Shaoyi remained indifferent and didn't eat the eggs even until the end.
As Yuan Ye observed his expression, he left behind the box containing the fried egg while collecting the others, saying, "Once my heart has been given out, I can't take it back anyway. You can keep this one."
Fang Shaoyi didn't respond, instead leaning back on the sofa to digest his food.
The two of them sat in silence, one resting with closed eyes while the other idly scrolled through their phone. When Geng Jinwei arrived, he didn't knock but simply pushed the door open. Seeing the two in this state, he exclaimed, "Oh!" before walking in and asking, "Have you eaten?"
"We finished," Yuan Ye nodded in greeting, "Have you eaten, Brother Geng?"
"Not yet," Geng Jinwei replied, "Is there any left for me?"
Yuan Ye smiled and said, "That's impossible, there's not a drop of soup left." After speaking, Yuan Ye glanced at Fang Shaoyi and continued, "Anyway, if you don't mind, there are two fried..."
"There's no more," Fang Shaoyi interrupted as he opened his eyes and asked Geng Jinwei, "Is there something going on?"
Geng Jinwei shook his head and laughed, "I came to invite you to go out and eat something. If you're done, forget it. I'll go downstairs to the restaurant to grab something."
Yuan Ye bent down to pick up the leftover box of fried eggs on the coffee table and said to Geng Jinwei, "Here, Brother Geng, take this and eat it together downstairs..."
But Fang Shaoyi interrupted him again, holding his hand and saying coldly, "Brother Geng doesn't eat eggs."
"Ah, forget it then," Yuan Ye laughed and turned his hand over to grab a handful of Fang Shaoyi's hand. He scraped it lightly and then withdrew his hand, sitting up straight and saying slowly, "If Brother Geng doesn't eat eggs, then let's forget it."
Geng Jinwei watched the two of them, his professionalism impeccable, and his expression unchanged. However, he didn't want to continue watching them here, so he turned around and left, saying, "You two stay here."
After he left, Yuan Ye sat there laughing for a long time, staring at Fang Shaoyi with his shoulders shaking.
These days, Yuan Ye often runs to the company, which in the eyes of the staff means he's chasing hard after someone. And with Fang Shaoyi always by his side, it only fuels the rumors about them.
Some people even leaked online that Yuan Ye has been pursuing Fang Shaoyi for a year now, but he still hasn't given a clear answer. It seems like Yuan Ye doesn't stand a chance. After all, if Fang Shaoyi had any intention of reconciling, he would have done so long ago, especially after all those years they spent together.
Half of the fans feel sorry for Yuan Ye, thinking that he's going to be heartbroken. The other half are excited and eating up the drama, thinking that after a year of chasing, Fang Shaoyi still hasn't completely rejected him. This means there's still a chance, right? It's like they're playing a game of love, and last year's birthday photo from the set was just a tease. These two are just having fun with their relationship!
The two were having a great time playing, and Fang Shaoyi was not letting up or showing any signs of weakness. Yuan Ye was patient and slowly coaxed him along. However, there were things that needed to be said and matters that needed to be discussed.
In mid-October, Director Wei invited Fang Shaoyi to his home for dinner, and Yuan Ye went along as well. Director Wei had always been fond of Yuan Ye.
The first film that Yuan Ye had ever seen was Director Wei's. Director Wei had his own unique ideas when it came to filmmaking. Each film was like digging deep within himself, breaking it apart, and then slowly piecing it back together. He once said, "Making a movie is like having a love affair with the story. It must be profound and romantic, otherwise it won't be a good film."
He was the first director of Fang Shaoyi, and his guidance was very important. Therefore, Fang Shaoyi was greatly influenced by his ideas and methods.
Director Wei devoted his whole life to making movies and was a rare pure filmmaker. Yuan Ye respected him and liked his work since he was young. Later, whenever Fang Shaoyi acted in one of his films, Yuan Ye and the director had many interactions and became familiar with each other.
During the meal, Director Wei started a conversation and asked how Fang Shaoyi was doing. Yuan Ye chimed in and said, "Director, he's having a midlife crisis. You should talk to him."
"What kind of midlife crisis?" Wei Hua looked at him and then at Fang Shaoyi, half-smiling. "What thoughts are you having? Tell me."
"Listen to him blabber," Fang Shaoyi said to him. "I'm at an age where I need to have a period of reflection."
Director Wei pointed at him with a smile and said, "You're lying."
"No, I'm telling the truth," Fang Shaoyi refilled his glass. "I don't lie to you."
Wei Hua glanced at him and shook his head with a smile.
That day, Director Wei and Fang Shaoyi talked a lot. They talked over dinner and continued over tea afterwards. Yuan Ye didn't say much and didn't interrupt. Director Wei wasn't trying to convince Fang Shaoyi to take on a role, as he had already found a replacement actor and was training them. Filming requires mutual agreement, and no one should be forced to do it out of obligation.
They talked more about movies, as both of them had a deep understanding of the industry and could discuss many things. Director Wei asked Fang Shaoyi about his understanding of the male characters in the new movie. Fang Shaoyi had only seen an early draft when it was still in its infancy. This movie was all about the characters, with a lot of inner turmoil that needed to be carefully crafted.
They talked about this for the whole night, with Fang Shaoyi sharing his thoughts on the characters and even some of the other characters. Every director loves to talk about the script and the characters. Later, Director Wei sighed and said, "Honestly, I'm not sure. We might have to cut half of the inner turmoil."
Fang Shaoyi suggested, "Why don't you just film it and see? Maybe there will be some surprises."
But surprises are hard to come by. Director Wei laughed and admitted, "I'm getting lazy now. I'm used to working with people I know, and I don't want to bother with new people."
After years of directing, Director Wei had a familiar group of people around him, not just Fang Shaoyi, but also various other characters. Their understanding was rare, they could communicate with just a glance, saving a lot of time.
While they chatted, Yuan Ye sat quietly on the side, listening and watching. Fang Shaoyi's knowledge and passion for his field was always charming.
Eventually, they didn't finish their conversation and Yuan Ye fell asleep on the nearby couch, sleeping soundly.
Fang Shaoyi took off his shirt and was about to cover Yuan Ye when Director Wei said, "Let someone bring a blanket."
"No need," Fang Shaoyi shook his head and whispered, "This is enough."
Yuan Ye held a small ornament from Director Wei's home in his hand. Fang Shaoyi took it from him and set it aside.
Director Wei looked at him and suddenly laughed, saying, "You're lovesick."
Fang Shaoyi chuckled at this and looked in Yuan Ye's direction, saying, "He's the real lovesick one."
A little frog who likes reading. Hope you liked this chapter, and thank you for your support! Coffee fuels my midnight translation binges.
Give me feedback at moc.ebircssutol@tibbir.