Zhou Yining was woken up by her alarm. She vaguely remembered turning it off last night, but didn’t want to deal with it. Her body instinctively burrowed toward the left side, but her hand found nothing but the empty bed. She opened her eyes lazily. The other side of the bed was already empty.

She reached out and felt some lingering warmth.

She scrambled to find her phone, silenced the alarm, and simultaneously saw a text from Ji Dongyang: Flight at nine.

The message was sent at 06:30.

The drive from her home to the hotel was ten minutes at most. He must have left around that time.

The B-City home had everything, so she didn’t have much to pack. She finished within half an hour. Sitting on her suitcase, she smoothed her hair and called Ji Dongyang. “Should we meet at the airport?”

A Ming was packing luggage. Ji Dongyang was tidying up books on the desk. “Mm.”

Ultimately, Zhou Yining didn’t leave that day.

Qin Yuan was back.

As Zhou Yining dragged her suitcase and opened her door, Qin Yuan stepped out of the elevator, also dragging a suitcase. The two ran right into each other. Zhou Yining’s hand on the suitcase handle froze. She looked away, saying faintly, “Mother.”

Qin Yuan looked at her suitcase, frowning. “Where are you going?”

Zhou Yining: “Back to B-City. Flight at nine.”

Qin Yuan watched her for a few seconds, then walked over and took her luggage. “Rebook it. Come back with me tomorrow morning.”

Zhou Yining tightened her grip on the suitcase. “No need. You can’t get tickets if you change them now.”

Qin Yuan smiled. “A single ticket is a small thing. It’s not impossible to get one.”

A few minutes later, Zhou Yining was back in her apartment, sitting in the living room. She sent a text to Ji Dongyang. After sending it, she put her phone away and looked at Qin Yuan across from her. Qin Yuan was well-maintained. In her forties, she showed no signs of aging, looking elegant and intellectual. She put down her teacup. “Ningning, why did you take this kind of script?”

Zhou Yining knew this was what she came for. She gave a slight laugh. “No reason. Since I took it, I have to finish filming it.”

At first, it was to be in the same crew as Ji Dongyang. She hadn’t thought much of it then. She didn’t know the specific contents of the script, only vaguely guessing during the audition. But she held onto a chance. She felt she was a normal person, that she wouldn’t have issues, and she didn’t want Wan Wei’s hard work to be wasted. It was a good opportunity, and she didn’t want to give up easily.

It wasn’t until she got the full script that the thought of backing out arose.

But that wasn’t her personality. Since she had accepted it, she had to finish.

She was volatile and awful, but deep down, there was an unmistakable cowardice. She was afraid of being disliked, afraid of being abandoned because of it, or of disrupting the life that had finally started to move towards warm sunshine.

Qin Yuan frowned, watching her for a while, and didn’t say anything more. She dragged her suitcase to the guest room. It was empty inside, without even a bed.

Zhou Yining: “You should stay in a hotel.”

Qin Yuan opened her suitcase, took out a small box, placed it on the table, and said softly, “The medication Mike prescribed for you.”

The moment Qin Yuan left, Zhou Yining snatched up the small box and fiercely threw it against the edge of the wine cabinet. The entire cabinet shook. The nearest bottle of expensive red wine swayed violently. The next second, it fell over. Glass shattered all over the floor, and the scent of wine filled the air.

Zhou Yining looked at the mess, her eyes slightly red. She curled up on the sofa, burying her head in her knees.

After a long time, she stood up, found the broom on the balcony, and started sweeping. Only when she was certain that no fragment of glass remained on the floor did she feel her mood settle.

…

Ji Dongyang received Zhou Yining’s text just as he got into the car: You go back first. I’ll find you in a couple of days.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and glanced at A Ming. “Drive.”

A Ming drove the car out. He had sensed Ji Dongyang was in a good mood all morning, so he was feeling brave. “Dong-ge, did you go out last night?”

When he entered the room earlier, the layout was the same as last night; even the blanket hadn’t been moved. Dong-ge definitely didn’t sleep here last night. He went out without saying a word, so he must have gone to the little devil’s place.

Ji Dongyang didn’t say anything, only giving him a look. A Ming chuckled. “Dong-ge, next time you go out, tell me, okay? If there’s an emergency, I can cover for you. Right?”

“Drive your car.”

A Ming: “…Got it.”

After getting off the plane, A Ming asked, “Dong-ge, which home are we going to?”

Ji Dongyang, wearing a mask and a baseball cap, walked quickly with his head down. As they approached the parking lot, his steps briefly paused. “The nearest one.”

After getting into the car, A Ming realized. “Dong-ge, I think we have a tail.”

“I know.”

A Ming nodded, driving the car to an address known to the paparazzi. He let them follow slowly, seeing what they could take pictures of. After getting out of the car, A Ming took down the luggage, smiling sincerely. “Dong-ge, you and Miss Zhou are coming to my house for New Year’s Eve dinner tomorrow, right? It’s settled.”

Ji Dongyang: “I’ll go alone.”

A Ming gave a surprised, “Ah?” and asked, “Didn’t you say Miss Zhou was coming last time?”

Ji Dongyang pulled his suitcase over. “She can’t make it. Tell your mom.”

A Ming was a little disappointed. “Okay.”

Ji Dongyang gave a small smile. “Drive a car over tonight. I’m switching places.”

A Ming nodded. Ji Dongyang didn’t want to spend his few days off being monitored by paparazzi. He had to change places to stay, and he didn’t want the paparazzi to know, so he had to go through some elaborate detours.

Ji Dongyang went home, took a shower, and unpacked his luggage, preparing to catch up on sleep. Zhou Yining had kept him up last night, so he hadn’t slept well.

The phone on the desk rang.

Yang Xun: “You’re back?”

“Mm.”

Yang Xun said, “Listen to me. Don’t go home for the next few days—I mean, your parents’ place. Stay in B-City. I’ll handle things if anything comes up.”

He talked for a long time, finally saying, “Keep things under wraps with Zhou Yining. Now is not the right time. It’s bad for both of you.”

Ji Dongyang leaned against the headboard, his eye mask already covering his eyes. His voice was tired. “I know.”

He hung up and pushed the eye mask up, sending a text back to Zhou Yining.

Zhou Yining hadn’t looked at her phone. That evening, she was having dinner with Qin Yuan at a restaurant. Unexpectedly, they ran into Xia Yun and Zhou JiaHui. A few people stood outside the private room, their expressions all grim. Only Zhou Yining was the most composed. She was the first to open the door and walk in.

By the time she sat down, Qin Yuan had recovered her composure and followed her in.

Before the door could be closed, Zhou Lihui happened to come down the hallway. Zhou JiaHui called out sweetly, “Dad, over here.”

Zhou Lihui chuckled. “Why didn’t you go in and order first?”

Zhou JiaHui acted spoiled. “Mom and I just got here, too.”

Zhou Lihui walked up to them and was about to speak when his peripheral vision caught sight of someone in the other private room. His face instantly stiffened. He looked at Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan looked at him as if he were a stranger, then closed the door right in front of him.

Zhou Yining watched the whole thing indifferently, finding it extremely ironic.

Qin Yuan must have utterly hated Zhou Lihui back then, and she hated Zhou Yining by association, abandoning her to be raised by Zhou Lihui and Xia Yun, forcing her to treat her stepmother as her real mother. Zhou Yining was flesh and blood torn from her, yet she threw her away like garbage.

“She is not your mother. I am your mother.”

“Auntie, who are you? I…I have a mom. My mom is Xia Yun. But my mom doesn’t seem to like me very much…”

“I told you! She is not your mother!”

“Wah… wuwuwu…”

“Ningning, I am really your mother. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your father.”

She was seven years old that year. Her childish world collapsed.

Pitch black, without a trace of light.

Zhou Yining struggled to control her emotions, looking coldly at Qin Yuan. “Why are you back?”

Qin Yuan glanced at her. “To see you. You shouldn’t have accepted this movie.”

Zhou Yining smiled. “You and my father say the same thing. It’s too late now. Filming has already started, and I won’t leave the crew. Besides, I’m twenty-three. I can take responsibility for anything myself.”

Qin Yuan felt that if they continued arguing, they would fight. She had seen Zhou Yining’s near-breakdown state too many times to control. She spoke no more, using her better judgment.

The meal was eaten in silence.

After dinner, the two went back for their luggage and rushed to the airport.

It was late at night when they reached B-City. Qin Yuan was heading back to the Qin family home. Zhou Yining turned her head and walked the other way. “I have a home.”

Qin Yuan didn’t stop her. The mother and daughter left in separate directions.

Before, at the Zhou house, that wasn’t her home. After Qin Yuan acknowledged her, the Qin family often sent people to pick her up for a visit during holidays. They were very kind to her, but that wasn’t her home either. At sixteen, she got her own apartment, which felt even less like a home.

Now, whenever she thought of Ji Dongyang living across the hall, she suddenly felt that that was home.

She was desperate to return home.

She wanted to see Ji Dongyang.

Zhou Yining got home, dragged her suitcase to Ji Dongyang’s door, and rang the doorbell insistently. She rang for a long time, but no one opened the door.

Feeling a little down, she returned to her own door, crouched down, pulled back the doormat, and felt for the key.

She opened the door, then put the key back in its original spot.

Zhou Yining sat on the sofa and called Ji Dongyang. After a long wait, the man’s deep voice came through. “Who is it?”

Her voice was very soft. “It’s me…”

Ji Dongyang frowned, waking up a little more. She added, “You were asleep? Then go back to sleep.”

After saying that, she actually hung up.

After a few minutes, the phone rang.

His voice was still deep and heavy. “Where are you?”

Zhou Yining: “I’m at home.”

I didn’t expect you not to live here.

She knew he had multiple residences, but she hadn’t expected to draw a blank.

She glanced at the time; it was almost 1 AM. She had lost control of her emotions just now, but now she was calm. She didn’t want to cause any more trouble. “I just suddenly wanted to call you. Now that I have, I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.”

She quickly hung up the phone.

Ji Dongyang frowned at the phone. He thought about it, then put it back on the desk.

The next day was New Year’s Eve.

Ji Dongyang went to A Ming’s house. A Ming’s family consisted of five people: his mother, father, grandmother, and an older sister who was already married.

The whole family adored Ji Dongyang, especially A Ming’s mother, who burst into a smile the moment she saw him. “Dongyang, come quickly and sit down. I’ve made so many dishes. I made lots of yellow croaker and beef jerky, too. You can take some home later.”

Ji Dongyang placed his gifts next to the sofa, smiling warmly. “I’m troubling you again.”

“Not at all. You can come every day, it wouldn’t be a bother. Besides, you only visit a few times a year.”

A Ming: “Mom, you’re not even that enthusiastic about me, your real son.”

A Ming’s mother put down the bowls and chopsticks without even looking at him. “You’re nearly thirty and don’t even have a girlfriend. Didn’t you say you were bringing a girl home for dinner before? Where is she? Did she dump you again?”

A Ming: “…”

Ji Dongyang gave him a meaningful look. A Ming felt wronged. He meant another girl was coming to eat, but he didn’t say it was his girlfriend. He also didn’t dare say it was Dong-ge‘s girlfriend, given their secret relationship.

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