Li Xian Returns Home

Li Xian had returned home.

In the early days after she went abroad, Bai Ruo threw herself into filming day and night, using work to numb herself. By the time her body and mind were both worn out, it had instead become a kind of release.

She also did her best to act as though nothing was wrong in front of Su Yan and Qin Qingyan, but her clumsy acting couldn’t fool them.

By then, more than a year had passed since Li Xian left, and Bai Ruo found herself thinking of her less and less. She was also growing used to a life without her. She had always thought she would feel nothing at all, yet when she heard that Li Xian was coming back, her heart still gave a faint, involuntary tremor.

Only then did Bai Ruo realize that she had never been able to let Li Xian go.

Bai Ruo drove and waited at a distance outside Li Xian’s home. Just like Li Xian’s father and Li Xian’s mother, who stood at the doorway craning their necks in anticipation, she too was waiting for that person. After a long while, a car pulled up; from the excitement on Li Xian’s father’s and Li Xian’s mother’s faces, Bai Ruo knew the person inside was Li Xian.

She straightened up and watched closely.

The car door opened, but the first person to get out was a tall man. Bai Ruo’s breathing tightened. Then the woman she knew so well stepped out, resting an affectionate hand on the man’s arm. The two of them exchanged a smile.

Pain surged through Bai Ruo again, like countless needles driving into her, like a knife twisting in her heart. She blinked rapidly, her chest rising and falling. She watched them go inside together, a happy family.

From beginning to end, she had been the outsider.

With a self-mocking laugh, Bai Ruo thought: Bai Ruo, Bai Ruo, it’s been more than a year and you still can’t give up? You really don’t know how to value yourself.

A few days later, Yan Yue frowned at a message a friend had sent her on her phone. After Qin Qingyan finished showering and came out, Yan Yue handed her the phone. The farther down Qin Qingyan read, the more solemn her expression became.

“Does Bai Ruo know about this?” Yan Yue asked.

Qin Qingyan shook her head; perhaps she was answering that Bai Ruo didn’t know, or perhaps that she didn’t know either.

“Should we tell her?” Qin Qingyan asked.

Yan Yue hesitated, then finally shook her head.

On the day Li Xian got married, the venue was packed with guests, the scene grand and lavish. Quite a few prominent figures had come in person to offer their congratulations.

Su Yan got hold of an invitation through a friend and sat in a不起眼角落, watching Li Xian marry in splendor.

“What a damn groom. He looks like a decent person on the outside, but he gives off such a sleazy vibe. Only someone blind would fall for him.”

She turned her head without thinking, and the movement made her freeze with the fruit still in her hand.

When had Bai Ruo come too...

She pushed through the crowd to Bai Ruo’s side. Bai Ruo saw her too; in her eyes was the helplessness of someone pretending to be at peace, but she still managed to smile at Su Yan.

It looked worse than crying.

“On this joyous day, when lovers are finally united, they say it takes ten years to cross paths in the same boat...” The host’s voice was high and excited, as if he were the one getting married.

“Bai Ruo, there’s no point staying for this kind of excitement. Let’s go.” Su Yan pulled at her.

Bai Ruo shook her head and said nothing. In the end, Su Yan let go; the sorrow in her eyes made it impossible for her to force her any further.

“...And now, please let the groom kiss the bride!” the officiant said with a broad smile.

Bai Ruo’s whole body trembled uncontrollably. No, Li Xian, this is the last line; you can’t...

The groom lifted the veil and kissed her. Li Xian did not dodge; she smiled as though she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Cheers rose with the applause.

Two tears slipped silently down Bai Ruo’s cheeks, blurring her vision. Li Xian looked down at her with a smile full of happiness; their eyes met, but Li Xian quickly looked away, as if she had never lingered there at all, and greeted the guests with a composed smile.

“Su Yan... take me away,” Bai Ruo said.

Su Yan led Bai Ruo away, feeling how stiff her body had become. She looked back at the dazzling bride onstage one last time, then strode out.

Outside, Yan Yue and Qin Qingyan’s car was parked there.

Once they got in, Bai Ruo buried her face and cried uncontrollably. At the very least, before this she had still held on to some impossible hope; but now it was no longer possible. Li Xian was married, and married to a man.

Su Yan patted her shoulder, first cursing the groom on her behalf for a long time, then not knowing what else to do. Bai Ruo kept crying.

That night, Bai Ruo drank a great deal. The three of them stayed with her until dawn.

Not long after, they learned that Li Xian was pregnant, already more than three months along.

At the Li Xian household, Li Xian’s father wore a dark expression while the newly married man busied himself tidying up, putting things in place, sweeping the floor, and mopping. Li Xian’s mother nudged Li Xian’s father, signaling him not to look so stern.

Li Xian drank tea slowly, not looking at anyone, her eyes lowered to the clear liquid.

In the whole house, it seemed only the man was busy.

“I’m done with everything. Is there anything else I need to do?” the man asked, wiping the sweat from his face.

Li Xian’s father said nothing, his face still cold.

“Go buy some fruit. I want it fresh,” Li Xian said.

“Sure.” The man answered immediately, bowing to them.

By now, Li Xian’s father’s dissatisfaction had reached its limit, but he held it in until the man left. “Look at this, look at what he’s become. You actually picked this kind of spineless loser. Tell me, which one I picked for you wasn’t better than him? No ability, no job; does a grown man still expect you to support him?”

Li Xian set down her cup. “Dad, I like him. At least he looks pleasing to me.”

“Look around you; just look!” Li Xian’s father said.

Li Xian glanced left and right. “It’s cleaned very well. What’s the problem?”

“I told you to find a companion, not a servant. Is this the husband you found?!” Li Xian’s father said angrily.

Li Xian’s mother patted her chest and said to Li Xian, “A-Li, your father’s right about this. This man... he really isn’t suited to be a partner.”

“What do you mean, not suited? Didn’t you agree to the marriage too?” Li Xian asked.

“This...” Li Xian’s mother sighed.

At first, the young man had seemed well-spoken and graceful, so they had subconsciously assumed he came from a decent family. Li Xian had also been in a hurry to marry, and they hadn’t had time to investigate properly. Who would have thought that less than a day after the wedding, his true nature would be fully exposed.

“We’re doing this for your own good. Don’t make a joke of the rest of your life!” Li Xian’s father said.

“The marriage is already done, and the child is already here. What do you want me to do?” Li Xian said with a cold laugh.

Li Xian’s father stared at her, speechless.

“Anyway, I’m satisfied,” Li Xian said as she stood up and went upstairs.

After closing the bedroom door, Li Xian leaned against it, drained. She drew a deep breath and looked at the bedding laid out on the floor. A wave of nausea rose in her throat, and the corners of her eyes turned red.

She dragged herself to the bed, opened a drawer, and took out the book at the very bottom. Opening it, she pulled out an old photograph.

In the photo, Bai Ruo was smiling brightly, beautiful beyond words.

Li Xian couldn’t help smiling too; it came from the heart, so much so that she didn’t even realize she was smiling.

Her fingertips gently stroked the photograph. Ah Ruo...

After buying what they needed, Qin Qingyan and Yan Yue walked out of the supermarket and went to the parking space. They opened the trunk and put the items inside one by one. Suddenly, Qin Qingyan seemed to sense something and turned to look back. Behind her was empty; there wasn’t a single person in sight. Yet for some reason, she still felt an inexplicable unease.

Even after the car started, she kept watching the surroundings carefully, but still saw no one.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Yue asked.

Qin Qingyan smiled at her. “Nothing. I just want to go home, take a nice bath, and sleep well.”

“What, Teacher Qin is already worn out after a little over an hour of shopping?” Yan Yue teased.

“Impossible. I do exercise,” Qin Qingyan said. “It’s just that there’s been a lot going on lately, and my head feels a little muddled.”

Yan Yue glanced at her. “How’s the film doing?”

“It should be fine. Honestly, I’m pretty confident about winning an award.” Qin Qingyan looked at Yan Yue with pride.

“Of course. Teacher Qin is this amazing; who could possibly beat you?” Yan Yue said.

Qin Qingyan grinned foolishly, already thinking about a beautiful future.

“Didn’t I say before that if I won, I’d propose? Looks like I’ll have to start making preparations.”

“Then does Teacher Qin have any good ideas?” Yan Yue said.

“A lot of them. Too bad you can’t keep a secret for me, or I’d tell you.” Qin Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

There were still more than two months until the final Golden Ro Award was announced. Qin Qingyan’s appearances were becoming more and more frequent, and she was also being invited to interviews by major television stations one after another. The media’s moves were nothing less than a signal, hinting at Qin Qingyan’s Best Actress win.

The data refreshed in real time; the popularity of Qin Qingyan’s film still towered far above the rest, and her award was already beyond doubt.

In one interview, because it was live, after the host went through the usual process and asked the designated questions, they randomly selected a question from the comments section.

“I see a lot of netizens talking about the Golden Ro Award. Are you, like them, also very much looking forward to it?” the host asked.

“I’m very much looking forward to it, because as an actor, of course I hope to be recognized by everyone. At the very least, this award can prove that I’m a pretty good actor.” Qin Qingyan answered.

“That’s not quite the Teacher Qin I know. The Teacher Qin I know would say that even if the whole world opposed her, she’d still believe she was an excellent actor, and whether or not an award proved it wouldn’t matter at all,” the host said.

Qin Qingyan smiled. “My partner is a very excellent person. At the very least, this award can make other people feel that I, as her partner, am also pretty good.”

The comment section exploded with teasing.

“I see a lot of people in the comments asking how Teacher Qin met her current partner. Who pursued whom first?” the host asked.

“She has a soft heart. I chased her relentlessly until I got her.” Qin Qingyan said, lifting an eyebrow with unmistakable pride.

This interview was later shared everywhere online, dealing a fatal blow to the cool, distant image she had long held in the eyes of netizens.

After the interview, when Qin Qingyan was heading backstage, she ran into Yu Qingyan. Qin Qingyan gave her a polite nod and smile, but Yu Qingyan’s eyes flickered away; she looked as though she wanted to say something but held it back.

Qin Qingyan found it odd, but had no intention of asking further.

Just as they were about to pass each other, Yu Qingyan still called out to her. Qin Qingyan turned back in confusion.

“Qin Qingyan, I may be jealous of you, but I do admire you too, so I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Yu Qingyan said.

Qin Qingyan frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you see the news about Zheng Jingteng?” Yu Qingyan asked.

Qin Qingyan fell silent for a moment, and the uneasy feeling she had inexplicably sensed in the underground parking garage that day surfaced again in her mind.

“He’s always had bad intentions toward you. At this point, he’s capable of anything,” Yu Qingyan said.

After a moment, Qin Qingyan said to her, “Thank you. I’ll be more careful.”

Yu Qingyan nodded and walked away quietly.