Misunderstanding

On the day Yu Shuran’s film crew wrapped, the director came bearing a huge bouquet of flowers and, as if worried she might misunderstand, hurried to explain, “My friend’s daughter is a fan of Yu Teacher’s, but it wasn’t convenient for her to come over. She knew you were wrapping today, so she bought the flowers early and asked me to make sure they got into your hands.”

The director gave an awkward, guilty smile and pushed up his glasses, avoiding Yu Shuran’s eyes.

“Thank her for me,” Yu Shuran said as she took the flowers.

The director secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After he left, he sent Zeng Nian a message: She accepted them.

Yu Shuran went to find Qin Qingyan and personally said goodbye. In another three or four days, she would be heading north to prepare to join a new film crew, and she wouldn’t be back for quite a long time.

Qin Qingyan had originally wanted to treat her to a meal, but Yu Shuran refused. She was packed with arrangements now; she didn’t have much free time.

Qin Qingyan understood. “With your schedule this tight, can your body handle it?”

Yu Shuran smiled lightly. “Sometimes I really do get tired, but whenever I think about the betting agreement, I have to force myself to stay sharp. A year of hardship in exchange for the rest of my life being free; no matter how you look at it, it’s worth it.”

“Is it almost time?”

“Mm. It expires in October. The new film I took on, *Wind and Snow*, should finish around July or August. Once I get that money, the betting agreement will be over too.” Yu Shuran smiled.

“Director Luo’s films are famous for being hard to act in, but the response is usually good.”

“Exactly, so this film is my last hope—and my biggest one.”

“It’ll be fine.”

Yu Shuran looked past Qin Qingyan at the actors in the crew. Soon, she spotted Yang Zhuting off in the distance memorizing her lines. She was studying them very seriously, completely unaware that someone was watching her.

Yu Shuran looked away. “Since joining the crew, aside from that little incident, nothing else has happened, right?”

Qin Qingyan thought it over carefully, then nodded. “It is strange. Su Su investigated those photos, and Yang Zhuting definitely had something to do with them. But even so, this much still doesn’t really seem like Yuguang Media’s style.”

“Anyway, be careful around them. It never hurts to stay on guard.”

“I will.”

On the way back, Yu Shuran finally let go of the energy she had been forcing herself to maintain, leaning tiredly against the car seat and rubbing between her brows. It was rush hour, and the streets were heavily congested. Yu Shuran wanted to roll down the window for some air, but worried she’d be recognized and cause unnecessary trouble, so she gave up.

A red car was pulling alongside hers. She glanced over unintentionally and froze for a moment. In the car, Jiang Qingyan in the passenger seat was smiling brightly, saying something amusing to Zeng Nian. Zeng Nian’s lips were slightly curved too; she was obviously in a good mood.

The two of them were both strikingly beautiful and hard to ignore. Amid the black-and-white traffic all over the street, that red was brazen and dazzling.

Yu Shuran looked away and glanced toward the traffic light ahead. There were still a painfully long fifty-odd seconds left.

On the passenger seat sat the bouquet the director had had delivered on her behalf. It had been wrapped with great care. Yu Shuran stared at it and suddenly thought of something, recalling the director’s awkward expression earlier. A suspicion rose in her mind.

When the light turned green, Yu Shuran’s car disappeared into the flow of traffic.

Zeng Nian kept her gaze fixed on that car until it vanished.

Jiang Qingyan said, “She doesn’t even say hello. Yu Shuran really is getting colder and colder, huh?”

After speaking, she looked at Zeng Nian. Zeng Nian gave no expression and pulled the car over by the roadside. “Get out.”

Jiang Qingyan was confused, but she knew Zeng Nian’s temperament; she disliked anyone who went against her. So Jiang Qingyan opened the door and got out.

Before she could even get a word out, the red car sped off.

Huanfeng Century.

Yan Yue looked through the materials Ye Bai had given her. When her eyes moved to the cast list, she frowned slightly. After reading everything, she set it aside.

“Director Luo?” she asked, looking up at Ye Bai.

“Mm. I only found out recently too. Just in case, it’d be best to withdraw the investment,” Ye Bai said.

Yan Yue said nothing. “Director Luo has a good reputation in the industry. Investing in him was a smart decision; you weren’t wrong about that.”

“The actor named Su Ming has always been arrogant. His private life isn’t exactly clean, and the company has spent money to buy down a lot of photos of him, which only made him even more unrestrained. But his public image has always been pretty good, and his acting really is passable, so it’s not strange for Director Luo to use him.” Ye Bai said.

Yan Yue nodded, lost in thought.

Ye Bai went on, “Su Ming offended Yuguang Media. According to what Zeng Nian said, after *Wind and Snow* finishes filming, during the promotional period before release, Yuguang Media will expose it at the right time. That way, all the investors will end up losing money, and the entire blame will fall on Su Ming.”

“I just don’t understand. We’ve never really had any dealings with Zeng Nian, and I even heard she only signed a cooperation agreement with Yuguang Media not long ago. Why would she go out of her way to help us?” Ye Bai asked, puzzled.

“Zeng Nian isn’t afraid we’ll suffer losses.” Yan Yue tapped one of the names on the materials.

Ye Bai looked closely. “Yu Shuran?”

“Yu Shuran signed a betting agreement with her agency. She can’t afford to lose this time. Clearly, Yuguang Media understands that too, so they’re planning to kill two birds with one stone.”

Ye Bai was beginning to understand the complexity of it all.

“What’s Zeng Nian’s relationship with Yu Shuran?” he asked.

Yan Yue didn’t answer right away. Even she couldn’t be sure for the moment. Lovers? They didn’t look like it.

“Maybe it’s out of guilt. Maybe there’s some other reason. In any case, Zeng Nian’s information won’t be wrong.”

“In that case, I’ll handle the rest.”

“If we withdraw our investment now, this film won’t be able to go ahead,” Yan Yue said softly, as if speaking to herself.

Ye Bai couldn’t quite figure out what she meant. Withdraw or not?

Yan Yue looked at him. “Go handle it. Doing something risky once in a while is enough.”

When the office was left with only her alone, Yan Yue let out a soft sigh. However you looked at it, Yu Shuran had helped Qin Qingyan a great deal; even if Zeng Nian hadn’t been involved, she would still help Yu Shuran.

After thinking it over, she dialed a number.

Qin Qingyan finished filming her own scenes and was preparing to go back to the car and rest. By chance, she saw Yang Zhuting talking to her assistant, so she shifted slightly, pretending not to care, while listening carefully to their conversation.

“No way. Where did you hear that? Ah Ming told me yesterday that the production side had already finalized him. How can they go back on their word now?” Yang Zhuting said.

The assistant hurriedly motioned for her to lower her voice.

“It’s not just him. Huanfeng’s upper management suddenly decided to withdraw their investment. The other companies heard the wind and pulled theirs too. Director Luo’s film can’t be made now; it’s not just Su Ming who’s unlucky.”

Director Luo? Then Yu Shuran wouldn’t be— Qin Qingyan kept listening.

“What happened? Why would they suddenly withdraw funding? What is Huanfeng doing?”

“Yan Yue,” the assistant said.

Yan Yue? Qin Qingyan was surprised.

“Isn’t Yan Yue a director at Changyue? Why is she suddenly mixed up in entertainment-industry business?”

“Yan Yue’s relationship with Zeng Nian isn’t simple, and all Zeng Nian cares about is Yu Shuran. Think about it—if this film can’t even start shooting, then Yu Shuran won’t be able to take on another role for a short time. That betting agreement is basically a guaranteed loss for her,” the assistant guessed.

Yang Zhuting didn’t fully believe the assistant’s speculation, but she couldn’t be certain what relationship there was between Yan Yue and Zeng Nian. If this film lost its investment, Yu Shuran really would have no chance of winning, but that was Yu Shuran’s business; the only person she cared about was Su Ming.

After Qin Qingyan left, she called Ye Bai to ask about it, and in the end confirmed that the withdrawal of investment really had been Yan Yue’s decision.

“Why?” she asked.

Ye Bai hesitated. Qin Qingyan was allowed to know these things, but he couldn’t tell her himself.

“The company has its own considerations. This film can’t be invested in.”

Frustration welled up in Qin Qingyan’s chest. Yang Zhuting’s assistant’s words rang again in her ears, and she asked directly, “It’s related to Zeng Nian, isn’t it?”

Ye Bai was surprised that Qin Qingyan knew so much.

“You already know?”

Qin Qingyan said nothing. She hung up and got into the car, then called Yu Shuran to confirm the matter.

Yu Shuran smiled in relief and, instead, comforted Qin Qingyan.

Qin Qingyan opened her contacts and stared at the number pinned to the top, but she still didn’t press it. She wanted to know why Yan Yue would withdraw the investment for no reason; there had to be some reason. But no matter how she thought about it, she realized that what Yang Zhuting’s assistant had said might actually be the best explanation.

But Yan Yue wasn’t that kind of person. There had to be a reason.

When she reached Changyue and stepped into the elevator, the few dozen seconds of ascent felt longer than usual. For once, she found that she didn’t want to see Yan Yue so quickly. She didn’t even know whether the person waiting for her would be the Yan Yue she knew, or someone else she no longer recognized.

She didn’t knock and went straight in.

Yan Yue was visibly startled to see that it was Qin Qingyan, then rose with a smile and walked toward her. “Qin Qingyan? You—”

“Why did you withdraw the investment?”

Yan Yue stopped in her tracks, not reacting for a moment; she didn’t even catch what Qin Qingyan had said.

“Did you withdraw from *Wind and Snow*?” Qin Qingyan asked again, her expression complicated.

Yan Yue didn’t understand, but she nodded. “I did. What’s wrong?”

“Was it your decision?” she asked again.

“Mm. That film—”

“Why?”

Yan Yue froze. Qin Qingyan’s tone felt unfamiliar to her, and even the face she knew so well in front of her suddenly seemed strange.

“What exactly are you asking?”

“Why did you pull out of that film? Because of Yu Shuran, or because of Zeng Nian?” Qin Qingyan said coldly.

Yan Yue said nothing and sat back down in her chair. She suddenly understood what Qin Qingyan meant. This was an accusation; she was here because of another woman.

“Is there a problem?” Yan Yue was still smiling. “I thought it wasn’t worth it, so naturally I wouldn’t invest.”

If Qin Qingyan hadn’t added that last sentence, Yan Yue wouldn’t have deliberately provoked her.

“Because of Yu Shuran, or because of Zeng Nian. Qin Qingyan, I can’t yet say who I did it for, but you came because of Yu Shuran, didn’t you?” Yan Yue said.

Qin Qingyan couldn’t refute that for a moment.

Yan Yue’s voice softened. “I just want to know why.”

“You want to know if I’m a cold-blooded person, someone who knows Yu Shuran has a betting agreement and still forces her onto a dead end. You also want to know whether the me who lives beside you every day is still the same as the person you thought you knew.” Yan Yue’s voice was slow and clear. “Qin Qingyan, you guessed right.”

Qin Qingyan looked at her in distress. “Yan Yue, you’re not like this.”

“Qin Qingyan, this is who I am.”