Chapter 14: 20

In which Qin Zhiyuan regrets picking white over black, and the translator can’t think of anything wittier for this opener.

 

Volume 2, Chapter 20

Qin Zhiyuan sat in the coffee shop alone waiting for someone.

It had already been several months since he recovered from his injury and returned to work, and work could also be considered to be going quite smoothly. It hadn’t at all been like he had originally feared; he had neither been oppressed by his father nor his authority stolen by Qin Feng.

It was actually that uncle of Lin Jiarui’s who invited Qin Jing out to drink some tea. No one knew what the two of them talked about, but not long afterwards, the sex scandal between Young Master Lin and Gu Yan suddenly disappeared without a trace, as if it had never happened, and no one ever mentioned it again.

Because of that reason, Lin Jiarui’s movie smoothly wrapped on filming, and post-production had also been completed a few days ago. When the trailer came out, Qin Zhiyuan found some time to watch it as a new experience. He didn’t know if Gu Yan’s acting had significantly improved, or Lin Jiarui truly had some skills, but the film actually looked quite interesting.

Gu Yan’s performance had been remarkable, with several expressions and movements that bore plenty of grace, especially that promotional poster — the background was a blurred picture of the night, and Gu Yan was holding metallic rimless glasses in his left hand, while his right hand was firmly covering up his own eyes, leaving only his nose and snow-white chin exposed. The only light from the camera was used to shine across his beautiful and delicate face, and his thin lips were raised in an enticing smile. In contrast to this bright appearance, however, tears were sliding down through the cracks of his fingers.

This was the smile he revealed in the darkness of reality when he immersed himself in the brilliance of his fantasies. Although clearly it was a static photo, it nevertheless allowed people to feel the movement of those lips raising in a smile and those tears sliding down those cheeks.

The moment Qin Zhiyuan saw it, he had started, staring at that poster in a daze, unable to part from it for a long while. If the circumstances had allowed it, then he really would’ve wanted to hide it away for himself.

Right as he was thinking this, the person he was waiting for finally arrived.

Along with Zhao Xin, that sweet and adorable wife of his had also come. Because he had to recover from the car accident, after getting married, Zhao Xin had brought his wife back to his hometown in the countryside for their honeymoon, a honeymoon that ended up lasting for more than half the year, and they had only just returned to the city two days ago. The husband and wife had both fattened up by no small amount, especially on the part of the woman — just one look at that round stomach, and anyone would be able to see that she had been pregnant for several months already.

Qin Zhiyuan had occasionally talked with Zhao Xin over the phone, but he hadn’t heard about this good news. As such, upon seeing this, he was blank for a moment before then smiling. “Congratulations, congratulations! I wondered how you could bear to come back, and it turned out that you’re almost about to be a father now.”

“The big city’s medical services are somewhat better, after all. I wouldn’t feel at ease letting her give birth in the countryside.” Zhao Xin’s face was full of smiles, and he held his wife as he sat across from Qin Zhiyuan. “And I’ve already rested for this long, so it’s about time I come back to work anyway, or else I won’t be able to afford any baby formula.”

Qin Zhiyuan made a sound in affirmation, and knowing that a pregnant person couldn’t drink coffee, he then ordered a glass of orange juice before asking, “How many months along?”

“Almost five months. The expected date of birth is near the end of the year.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’m still waiting to be named godfather.”

“Don’t worry, no one will steal the position from you.” Zhao Xin chuckled and then reached out a hand to pat Qin Zhiyuan’s shoulder, saying, “When are you going to take care of your own marriage? You and I are the same age, and we’re already not young anymore.”

Qin Zhiyuan’s heart trembled, and he found it strange how he was able to joke around so calmly with Zhao Xin like this.

Those memories from the past were still preserved in his heart — the closeness of childhood friends, the blush of first love — but right now, when he looked back on it, everything was actually hazy and unclear, as if separated by a lifetime of distance.

He hadn’t deliberately forgotten this person.

But he had already made the first move, walking forward one step at a time.

Qin Zhiyuan didn’t know if he felt happy or disappointed; he simply felt the substantial power of time, mercilessly able to suppress all kinds of emotions, whether love or hate, amity or animosity, no matter how strong.

But even like this, there would still always be that one person by his side.

That person was dedicated and stubborn, not ever losing sight of the goal. Perhaps, the person would use some small tricks in order to achieve that aim, but every time that person dashed forward, heedless of danger, it was for his sake.

Qin Zhiyuan smiled upon thinking about Gu Yan and said, “There’s no need to worry. I already found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

His eyes still contained a trace of a smile, and while his voice as gentle as always, his tone was completely earnest.

On the contrary, Zhao Xin was stunned. “You’ve really decided to settle down? What kind of person is this?”

“You’ll have the opportunity to meet in the future.”

“Not bad, not bad. You were too fickle in the past, so it’s about time you found someone. When will I have the opportunity to drink at your wedding banquet?”

Qin Zhiyuan had not expected Zhao Xin’s thoughts to jump that far, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to reply. After being choked for a while, he finally said, “We’ll let nature take its course.”

But then he thought of an extremely serious matter. If he didn’t rush a little, then perhaps even something as important as proposing would be stolen by Gu Yan.

No, he should say that Gu Yan would definitely think of a way to steal the march on him.

It truly was a real headache.

As Qin Zhiyuan worried over this, he also chatted a bit more with Zhao Xin about various life events.

Zhao Xin’s wife didn’t say much, simply sitting quietly on the side listening, with her left hand continuously holding Zhao Xin’s own. Their two matching rings gleamed, sparkling under the sunlight, dazzling people’s eyes.

Qin Zhiyuan rubbed his own eyes. Although he didn’t find them eye-piercing, in his heart, he thought that Gu Yan would definitely also look good wearing a ring.

When they got onto the topic of work, Zhao Xin expressed his decision to film that movie he had planned two years ago, and Qin Ziyuan nodded in agreement, “It really was a good script. It’d be a waste if you didn’t film it. Funding won’t be an issue. You can just go film it without worries.”

Because of their long years of mutual understanding, Zhao Xin didn’t bother to thank him, simply saying, “I’ll oblige you and let Gu Yan be the male lead, just like we talked about last time.”

Qin Zhiyuan’s heart skipped, but his face still remained calm as he said, “…Of course.”

Gu Yan had already acted in supporting roles too often.

So from now on, the position of the male lead in his heart would always belong to Gu Yan and Gu Yan only.

A pregnant person shouldn’t tire herself out.

After Zhao Xin’s wife had sat there for a while, under the warm light of the Spring day, she gradually grew somewhat sleepy. Zhao Xin loved his wife dearly, so the moment he saw her yawn, he hurriedly gulped down the rest of his coffee and stood up to stay his goodbyes to Qin Zhiyuan, also not forgetting to invite the other out for a drink next time they were free.

Qin Zhiyuan made a sound in agreement. Upon seeing that it really was getting a bit late, he also stood up, paid the bill, and sent the husband and wife duo off in a taxi. Before they left, Qin Zhiyuan held Zhao Xin’s hand and once again said a sincere word of ‘congratulations’. It wasn’t the same as when he attended the wedding last year. This time, he didn’t have to pretend, and he was able to give his blessings wholeheartedly.

At this time, the sun was setting, and the sky was slowly turning dark. Streetlamps came on one by one, and as he walked down the streets, he was able to smell the delicious scent of food wafting down from the apartment buildings.

After sending Zhao Xin off, Qin Zhiyuan got into his own car and drove directly to Gu Yan’s house.

He didn’t know why, but he suddenly missed Gu Yan’s cooking quite a lot in particular.

Even if Gu Yan’s hand wasn’t suitable for making elaborate dishes, it’d be fine even if he just made a simple egg-fried rice; he really wanted to experience that taste again.

Perhaps human life is just like this.

When young, one yearned for a world-shaking love, but as time passed, and after countless meetings and partings, the thing one ended up longing for would instead be a steady and enduring companionship.

Qin Ziyuan usually very rarely requested anything of Gu Yan, but when they met tonight, he actually couldn’t help but cling to the other for a long while.

Gu Yan could never bear to disappoint Qin Zhiyuan, and since his hand injury really had already recovered, he then went into the kitchen for a while, making some fried rice with the available ingredients in the fridge. Although it wasn’t particularly fancy, it gave off the warmth of a freshly prepared meal, its fragrant steam billowing everywhere when scooped up from the pot, and it made people tap their fingers in anticipation just by that smell alone.

As Qin Zhiyuan ate with his chopsticks in one hand, he also used the other to hold Gu Yan’s right, as was his habit, softly stroking that already-faded scar and saying, “I met Zhao Xin today.”

He believed that there was no need to hide this matter, and Gu Yan also didn’t appear surprised upon hearing it, asking very naturally, “Director Zhao’s back? When did he return?”

“Just a few days ago. His wife is pregnant, so they’ve come back to the city to give birth.”

“This quickly? Director Zhao’s definitely very happy.”

“Yes, but he’s also worried about paying for baby formula.”

The two of them very peacefully discussed Zhao Xin’s unborn baby. Finally, Gu Yan mentioned the movie that Zhao Xin had not been able to film at the time, and Qin Zhiyuan then said, “I spoke with him about this, and he definitely wants to film it. The male lead also hasn’t changed. He’s still going to ask you to do it.”

Ever since Young Master Lin’s film finished, Gu Yan had focused all his attention on the restaurant and practically hadn’t taken any other jobs. What’s more, Zhao Xin had been a point of contention between them, so while Qin Zhiyuan had said that, he wasn’t actually sure if Gu Yan was still willing to act in it or not.

As expected, Gu Yan startled for a moment when he heard that, but he very quickly began smiling and said, “As long as I’m the male lead, I’m naturally fine with it.”

Qin Zhiyuan also smiled, as he more of less understood Gu Yan’s stubbornness in this regard. He still couldn’t help but tease, “When you’re sixty, will you still insist on playing the male lead?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Gu Yan leaned forward, moving to blow air by Qin Zhiyuan’s ear, saying in a low voice, “But when that time comes, I’ll act only for you to watch.”

That sentence was originally just a joke, but when Qin Zhiyuan heard it, he felt his heart surging. He grabbed Gu Yan’s hand and kissed and kissed.

That night, he slept at Gu Yan’s house.

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They didn’t make love every time. Sometimes, the two of them simply held one another to sleep, feeling incomparably warm.

The next morning, because Qin Zhiyuan was reluctant to leave this warmth, he refused to get up, holding Gu Yan and saying, “When are you going to move to my house?”

Gu Yan was still half-asleep and asked in return, “Why isn’t it you who’s moving to my house?”

“That’s fine too. Whenever you think is appropriate, I’ll pack up my things and move here.” It didn’t matter where he moved, the most important thing was that he wanted to be together with this person.

Gu Yan seemed to wake up a bit and thought for a moment before saying, “No, my house is too small, and it’s located too far away, so it’s not easy for you to get to the company from here. Let’s talk about this again another time.”

Actually, according to Gu Yan’s desires, he wanted to be the one responsible for earning money and being the breadwinner of the family, while Qin Zhiyuan’s the one responsible for sitting there and looking pretty. It was a pity that Qin Zhiyuan had quite a bit of devotion to his work, to the point that he was a complete workaholic. No matter what, this person wouldn’t obediently be kept by him, so this dream could only be postponed for later.

Since Gu Yan didn’t agree to living together, Qin Zhiyuan also didn’t bring it up again. Their relationship progressed very smoothly. Sometimes, he would go to Gu Yan’s house to stay for a few days, and sometimes Gu Yan would go to his house for the night; there actually wasn’t much difference.

In this way, two or three months later, on a certain day, Gu Yan suddenly received a call from Lin Jiarui. The other said that there was a film festival next month, that their film had been nominated for the Best Director and Best Actor awards, and that their chances of receiving the awards were very high.

This was also one of the things that had originally been within expectations.

That movie was a literary film, and while the box office returns were so-so, it still had hope of receiving an award. Regardless of whether or not Lin Jiarui really had talent, even if he filmed a completely incoherent mess, a certain someone would still throw money at him without holding back. The genuinely fortunate person was actually Gu Yan. He had acted for this many years and had never obtained true fame. He was somewhat popular, but in the end, he had never received an award before. This time was truly a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity.

Qin Zhiyuan was aware that, while Gu Yan’s acting had improved, the other still relied almost entirely on a good director, so in the future, there was no telling when such an opportunity would come again. As such, he paid special attention to this matter and immediately found someone to custom-make the outfit that Gu Yan was going to wear at the film festival.

Of course, to be a bit more cautious, the outfit should be a suit. A black one would be calm and steady, while a white one would be more striking. Qin Zhiyuan thought about it over and over and finally decided to order the white one.

In contrast, Gu Yan didn’t have much to worry about. He still ate well and slept well as before. The most he changed was that, at night before going to sleep, he’d practice his smile in front of the mirror.

Qin Zhiyuan found this quite amusing when he saw and purposely reached out a hand to rub the other’s face, asking, “You’ve almost become the film emperor, so why are you still practicing this thing?”

Gu Yan raised a brow and then slowly lifted up the corners of his lips, revealing a graceful smile to the mirror as he said, “It’s fine if I’m able to receive an award, but if I don’t in the end, then I’ll need to be able to smile even more naturally.”

This was his principle.

His acting didn’t have to be beautiful, but his conduct definitely did.

When Qin Zhiyuan heard this, he didn’t agree at all and said, “Why do you have to be this lacking in confidence? You haven’t even seen the award and already you’re thinking of not getting it.”

Gu Yan looked at him through the mirror and asked in return, “And where do you get your confidence? It couldn’t be that you’ve already bribed the judges?”

Qin Zhiyuan laughed and hugged the other from behind, lightly rubbing against Gu Yan’s head as he said, “That I haven’t done. But I’ve prepared a gift to give you after the award ceremony.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret for now.”

“What if I don’t get the award?”

“Idiot.” Qin Zhiyuan knocked lightly on Gu Yan’s forehead and said, “Then it’ll become a consolation prize.”

“If I get it, then it’s a celebratory gift, and if I don’t, then it’s a consolation prize. It looks like I won’t lose out no matter what.”

“Yes.” Qin Zhiyan kissed along Gu Yan’s cheeks and said, voice soft,” How could I possibly bear to let you lose?”

Gu Yan smiled without speaking.

Actually, a few days ago, he had already discovered that Qin Zhiyuan had been carefully looking into real estate pricing, but since a certain person said that it was still a secret, he then pretended that he didn’t know anything and didn’t continue asking what exactly this so-called gift was going to be.

If the time called for being oblivious, then one should just be oblivious, or else wouldn’t there be a lot less nice surprises in one’s life?

Two days before the film festival, Lin Jiarui called again without any prior warning and said that he had an urgent thing to handle so he wouldn’t be able to attend the event. Young Master Lin was more self-important than actual important people and declared he wouldn’t go with just a few light words. As such, the only thing Gu Yan could do was go by himself to the red carpet.

Luckily, the suit Qin Zhiyuan ordered arrived on time. It suited Gu Yan very well, the bright white contrasting nicely with his skin tone. Even when he was just casually trying it on, it immediately made him look tall and handsome. Especially since he’d grown his hair out, strands of black hair half-covered his eyes, making the smile on his face especially enticing.

When Qin Zhiyuan saw this, he actually felt slightly regretful that he had chosen this color. Upon remembering that Gu Yan would be standing underneath all those bright flashing lights soon, he really wished that he could hide this person away. Right before they left, as he was helping Gu Yan with the necktie, he muttered, “The black one would’ve been better.”

Gu Yan raised his hand to look at his wristwatch and asked with a smile, “Don’t we still have five minutes left?”

Qin Zhiyuan understood what he meant and helped him fix his collar before saying, “Five minutes is only enough for a kiss.”

The moment those words fell, Gu Yan immediately moved to kiss.

Qin Zhiyuan was somewhat happy that he himself didn’t have to appear in front of the media, or else he wouldn’t know how to explain his appearance right now, as if he’d been ravaged by a beast. But he very quickly immersed himself in this passion, switching to an active participant and grabbing Gu Yan tightly by the waist before fervently deepening the kiss.

After the kiss, the two people lowered their heads to catch their breaths before finally leaving, hand in hand.

Qin Zhiyuan acted as the chauffeur and personally sent Gu Yan to the location. Right before the other got out of the car, he held Gu Yan’s hand and said, “I won’t go in with you then. After the award ceremony is over, I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot.”

“I know, the consolation prize,” Gu Yan blinked at him, “I’ll definitely come and get it.”

And then the car door opened and Gu Yan stepped out, face full of smiles.

A large group of reporters had long been lying in wait, and the moment they saw Gu Yan, they immediately rushed over, flashbulbs going off incessantly.

Gu Yan’s handsome face looked flawless under the light, and he unhurriedly stepped onto the red carpet, his smile never dropping the entire way. Even when he was asked a sensitive question, his reply was still extremely clever. Qin Zhiyuan watched from afar, thinking in his heart that even if this person was a flower vase, he was still the most splendid and magnificent flower vase of all.

Compared to the resplendent starlight of the red carpet, the following award ceremony seemed long and tedious. Fortunately, the host was accustomed to creating a lively atmosphere, and a few awards also went to some relative unknowns, causing several nice surprises in succession.

The Best Male Lead was a coveted award arranged near the end as a climactic highlight. Several of the candidates were those with pre-established popularity and starpower, and the competition was quite fierce. When the host named each and every one of the candidates, the camera also followed along and swept across everyone’s faces.

Gu Yan had originally already smiled so much that his face was stiff, but when the camera turned in his direction, he immediately moved his lips, displaying an appropriately generous smile.

At this time, the lights dimmed, and the honored guest was already opening the envelope, with a moving soundtrack beginning to play in the background. They were waiting only for that final name to be read out loud.

Gu Yan sucked in a deep breath and softly held his right hand. If he said he wasn’t nervous, then he’d be lying.

But in comparison, he was looking forward to that consolation prize of Qin Zhiyuan’s even more.

It wasn’t as if everything would be fine as long as they were together. For the next several decades, who knew how many trials and tribulations they would go through. Perhaps he’d reach the peak one moment, and then fall down into the depths in the next. But as long as he remained firm and resolute, as long as his affections remained unwavering from beginning to end, he believed that, no matter how many years passed, he’d still be able to reveal a smile just like today and say, leisurely and confidently, “I’ll act only as the male lead.”

The greatest benefit of being the male lead was that, regardless of how many bullets he’d have to dodge, regardless of how many knives he’d have to evade, he would be the one smiling to the last, with a drink in hand and a beauty in his arms.

Then the curtains fall—-

And the play comes to an end.

(END)

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And that’s it! The end of the formal text!

But, as always, I have lots of Thoughts™, so I’m putting them under this details cut, haha. This is less my usual criticism (because I actually really like this work LOL) and more… interpretations of this story. Warning: it’s long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, yes, thanks so much for reading up to this point! There’s four more extras left. Most of them (other than one) are quite short, but they’re all at least somewhat interesting, so I hope y’all stick around. The next one will be a short epilogue, of sorts.

Finally, here’s your regularly scheduled reminder to please consider supporting the author over at Myrics, especially if you’ve enjoyed this story!! Topping up is really simple and hassle-free and very cheap! If, at any point, you’ve wanted to tip me a kofi or whatever, please redirect your efforts into buying the official series over at Myrics, haha.

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