Chapter 46

Lijing Residential Area, the nanny van slowly glided into the underground parking lot. The tires screeched against the painted floor, and Lu Wen immediately put on his headphones.

They were shooting the final scene today. After the engine was turned off, Lu Wen slung his bag over one shoulder, got out of the van, and walked away humming a song.

It was the end of the year, and many residents had gone back to their hometowns for the New Year, leaving large sections of the parking lot empty. Sun Xiaojian looked around for a moment, then pointed to a corner, "Hey, that's Director Ren's Porsche."

Lu Wen gave it a passing glance and said, "It needs a wash."

"It is pretty grimy," Sun Xiaojian said cheerfully. "In the blink of an eye, it's the last day of shooting. The embarrassing incident on the first day feels like it was just yesterday."

Lu Wen laughed too. "It was worth it. I got a Sichuan Embroidery cushion from Director Ren for free."

Sun Xiaojian said, "And it was a gift from Screenwriter Qu!"

Lu Wen pulled his cap down low. Today was the wrap day, and he hoped Qu Yanting would come. They had met because of this drama, and on this special day that marked its conclusion, he wanted to celebrate with Qu Yanting.

Unfortunately, Qu Yanting had said he was busy and probably couldn't make it.

Sun Xiaojian was best at bringing up sore subjects. He asked, "Hey, do you think Screenwriter Qu will come today?"

"Probably not." Lu Wen swung the slipping bag back onto his shoulder with a bit of an attitude. "I'm just a nobody wrapping up. He's so busy, why would he come?"

Sun Xiaojian said, "What does it have to do with you? Wouldn't Screenwriter Qu be coming for Director Ren?"

"..." Lu Wen rolled his eyes. "Don't talk to me!"

The sky was a hazy gray with a hint of blue; the weather forecast said it would snow in the next two days. The fireplace was lit in the studio's first-floor living room. Everyone was sitting cross-legged on cattail cushions, while Qu Yanting sat on a chair, legs crossed, looking down on the world.

This was the busiest time of the year, wrapping up the previous year and starting the new one. Qu Yanting had stayed up until past three in the morning screening projects and hadn't even gone home.

The number of scripts that could be created, adapted, and produced in a year was limited. Taking into account factors like market demand and policy, they had to plan the themes of the scripts, a process known as "setting the tone."

Everyone was exhausted. Qu Yanting tried to speed things up. "Let's be quick. Once we decide, we can all go home."

Each person held a tablet, looking at the materials. Yao Baiqing said, "Screenwriter Qu, you've analyzed the trends for all the different genres. That must have been a huge undertaking."

Qu Yanting had many connections and could get some industry inside information, so he personally handled the general planning. While the others were reading, he fiddled with his watch, rubbing the cold sapphire crystal to warm it up.

Yu Nan, who was sitting close, said considerately, "Boss, it's not late."

"Hmm?" Qu Yanting didn't catch his meaning.

Yu Nan said, "Didn't you have an appointment with Lawyer Chen?"

Qu Yanting didn't say anything. He wasn't thinking about any Lawyer Chen. The First Night was wrapping up today. If things went smoothly, filming would be done before dark. That's what was on his mind.

He pulled his cuff down to cover the watch face and temporarily put other thoughts aside.

Finally, after all the themes were decided, everyone went home to rest. Qu Yanting went to the reception room to wait for Lawyer Chen to arrive. The titled script was set in stone, and he needed to discuss the contract details with the lawyer.

Lu Wen changed his clothes. He wore a black leather jacket with structured shoulders and narrow sleeves, which looked particularly cool on his tall frame. His short hair was slightly tousled, and with a frown, he stood there looking like he was ready for a group fight he was guaranteed to win.

Tao Meifan also had her makeup done, looking weathered and old, with much more gray in her hair. Lu Wen said cheekily, "My god, how did you turn into this?"

"Turned into what?" Tao Meifan sat on the sofa and covered herself with a blanket. "A son doesn't find his mother ugly, you know?"

Lu Wen scooted next to her. Whether playing Ye Shan or Ye Xiaowu, he cherished every scene with Tao Meifan. He had had so many fantasies about a mother since he was a child, and this drama gave him a tangible experience.

Qu Yanting had once said, "Thank you for making my fantasy a reality," but it was the same for him.

Lu Wen tucked the blanket in for her and said sweetly, "Teacher Tao, you look beautiful even with this makeup."

"Tch, don't try to sweet-talk me." Tao Meifan smiled. Having spent several months together, she knew him a little. She reached out and touched Lu Wen's face. "Your mother must be a beauty to have given birth to such a handsome son."

Filming hadn't even finished, yet the "mother and son" had already entered a phase of mutual sentimentality. Ren Shu, clutching a puffer jacket, shattered the warm atmosphere with a shout: "Non-essential personnel, clear the set! Everyone to your positions!"

In the living room, the TV volume was turned down low. Mother Ye had a cold; it wasn't serious, but she kept coughing. Ye Xiaowu came to take care of her and had cooked a bowl of congee.

Mother Ye was so numb she couldn't taste anything, staring blankly at her son.

At first, Mother Ye thought Ye Shan was pretending to be Ye Xiaowu just to comfort her. But Ye Shan spent less and less time with her, and every time she looked at the "Ye Xiaowu" beside her, she gradually realized Ye Shan's abnormality.

"Xiaowu..." Mother Ye asked hesitantly, "What have you been busy with recently?"

Ye Xiaowu said, "I sing at a place at night. I don't sing every day; I take shifts with others."

Mother Ye asked, "Is it a proper place?"

"Of course." Ye Xiaowu stirred the hot congee. "Mom, don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Mother Ye's gaze drifted. "Don't work too hard."

"It's not hard, I've always liked singing." Ye Xiaowu said jokingly, "Those three years in the key high school were the hard part. I was tortured day in and day out."

Tao Meifan's expression tensed. She carefully grabbed one of Lu Wen's arms and said, "That matter with switching the exam admission tickets for the high school entrance exam... Mom wronged you."

Lu Wen's movements paused slightly, then he continued stirring the mushy grains of rice. He smiled, "Mom, you're funny. I got into a key school for free, what's there to feel wronged about?"

Mother Ye instantly crumpled like a withered flower. As Ye Shan grew more and more distant from her over the years, she finally realized that she had destroyed their relationship with her own hands.

Every time Ye Shan appeared disguised as Ye Xiaowu, she couldn't help but wonder, back in the days when she doted on Ye Xiaowu, what kind of mood was Ye Shan in as he watched from a corner?

"I..." Mother Ye said with difficulty, "I wronged your brother."

Ye Xiaowu put down the bowl and stared at the TV screen. "Mom, don't overthink it. My brother is doing great. He went to a key university, has a good job, sends money home on time every month, and can afford such a nice house."

Mother Ye's voice trembled. "But he won't see me!"

A moment of silence followed the outburst. Lu Wen rested his elbows on his spread knees, head bowed, and delivered the next line in a low rumble, "Anyway, you don't like him either."

Lu Wen stood up, stamped his feet to smooth out the creases in his pants, grabbed his phone and keys, and left, saying as he walked, "Mom, there's more congee in the pot. If you want to eat something else, call me and I'll order it for you. It's going to snow these next two days, so try not to go out. We'll talk after you've fully recovered."

He reached the door and gripped the handle.

Mother Ye, half-slumped on the sofa, screamed hysterically, "—Ye Shan!"

The years of self-deception were shattered by that single shout. Ye Shan froze, not turning his body, not even turning his head. He had long lost the ability to face his mother with his true identity.

Confessing, laying the cards on the table, settling the cause of Ye Xiaowu's death, dredging up the past to reconnect their broken emotional bond... it all seemed meaningless now.

Lu Wen turned the handle and strode out.

Behind him, the director yelled cut, immediately followed by a round of cheers. Tao Meifan had wrapped.

There was one more set of shots to film. The camera crew carried their equipment and took the elevator downstairs. Lu Wen found it too crowded and took the emergency stairwell. On each floor, a small window let in a bone-chilling winter wind.

With a few steps left, Lu Wen stopped, pulled out his phone, and opened WeChat.

He still held onto a sliver of hope and sent a message to Qu Yanting: Teacher Qu, are you done with work?

"Take care." Qu Yanting had just seen Lawyer Chen out. It was almost five o'clock. He still had to meet the accountant later; various year-end settlements required his signature.

Returning to the reception room, his phone was buried under a pile of scattered documents. Qu Yanting took it out, saw Lu Wen's WeChat message, and replied truthfully: Still have some things to do.

Idiot: Oh, I was just... asking.

Qu Yanting didn't want to make an empty promise, so he didn't guarantee anything and ended the conversation.

Lu Wen walked down the stairs and shivered from the cold as he exited the building. The final scene was being filmed downstairs: Ye Shan comes out of his home, stops by the roadside, and has a quiet emotional outburst.

It got dark early in winter, and it was overcast, so the lighting was poor. Director Kang was reminded of the rainy car crash scene. "Putting other things aside, Screenwriter Qu is quite skilled with lighting."

Duan Meng said, "Yeah, he arranged everything perfectly. When the effect came out, it was beautiful."

Ren Shu ran down and overheard them. "I'm getting jealous!"

Lu Wen leaned against a utility pole with a silly grin. It wasn't his fault for thinking about Qu Yanting; none of these people had forgotten him. Hearing others praise Qu Yanting made him happy too.

His happiness didn't last two seconds before Ren Shu yelled at him, "Get in position! Are you trying to drink the wind with your mouth wide open?"

The final scene of the drama was filmed under a sky of roiling, dark clouds. Ye Shan walked out of the building's entrance, moving slowly against the wind, a solitary figure dragging his feet.

He stopped by the roadside. A streetlight was overhead, and the desolate branches of a large tree cast shadows on the ground, trembling in the cold air. He placed half his foot on the curb, squatted down, and took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

Ye Shan put a cigarette between his lips, lit it, and took a light drag, his cheeks hollowing.

Faintly, white snowflakes began to drift down, dancing around the orange-red ember—both ice-cold and scorching hot. Ye Shan exhaled a cloud of smoke, and as the haze dissipated, tears were already falling down his face.

With that, all of Lu Wen's scenes were complete.

Applause erupted all around. Lu Wen stood up and was rushed by countless people for hugs and pulled into photos. He had been envious as he watched his colleagues wrap up and leave the set one by one. Now that it was his turn, he unexpectedly felt more at a loss than joyful.

Sun Xiaojian held Li Dapeng's hands. "Brother Peng, thank you for taking care of me all this time! If you ever get tired of working on set, come to our company!"

Xiao Zhang pushed them. "Why are you poaching people now? Let's go, let's go, pack up and get to the wrap party!"

Ren Shu immediately asked, "Where's the cake we prepared for Xiao Lu?!"

"It's all upstairs!" someone shouted. "Let's go upstairs first!"

The crowd surged boisterously into the building entrance. Lu Wen hesitated, slowing his pace and falling behind the group. After everyone had gone, he lingered alone under the streetlight.

Lu Wen was still holding the cigarette. It had almost burned down to the filter, the ember growing faint. He remembered the way Qu Yanting had looked, smoking silently outside the vegetable market in Chongqing.

Night fell, and the ground seemed to be coated in frost, quickly forming a thin layer of ice and snow. Lu Wen squatted by the curb, took out his phone, and dialed Qu Yanting's number.

It rang three or four times before connecting, faster than he had expected.

"Teacher Qu," a puff of white vapor escaped Lu Wen's lips, "I've wrapped."

Qu Yanting said, "Congratulations."

Lu Wen replied, "Thank you."

"I just finished my work and was about to leave the studio." Qu Yanting's voice sounded tired. "I won't be able to celebrate with you in person."

Lu Wen laughed. "It's okay. It's snowing, I wouldn't want you to drive so far anyway."

Qu Yanting said, "Then... that's all for now."

"Yeah," Lu Wen said. "Drive safe."

After hanging up, Lu Wen's last sliver of hope was completely dashed. He stood up, brushed the loose snow off his shoulders, and walked toward the building entrance. He looked like a child on his first day of kindergarten, who waited and waited after school only for no one to come pick him up.

His soles sticking to the ground, Lu Wen shuffled to the middle of the road.

Suddenly, a pair of intense, dazzling headlights shone directly at him.

Lu Wen turned around, forced to frown and squint by the glare. He couldn't see anything clearly. In a daze, he only heard a harsh screech as tires ground against the ice and snow, braking to a halt two meters away.

Click. The headlights went off. The black Bentley shimmered with a sharp, cold light.

Through the window, obscured by falling snow and mist, the face in the driver's seat was indistinct. Click. The door opened, and Lu Wen's heart gave a fierce thump.

Qu Yanting grabbed something from the passenger seat, got out of the car, and held a huge bouquet of lemon-colored lilies in one arm.

Lu Wen was so stunned he could have shed feathers. He clearly said on the phone... so, was this a surprise?

His body always moved a step faster than his brain. Before he could figure it out, he was already running toward Qu Yanting.

"Teacher Qu!" Lu Wen was panting slightly. "...Why are you here?"

"What do you think?"

A large, heavy bouquet of flowers was placed in Lu Wen's arms.

Qu Yanting smiled at him. "My leading man, happy wrap day."