Chapter 424: Chapter 335: Words of Promise
"You’re saying that Liu Yuqian and Shen Yao are having an affair?" Even Song Chi spoke in a tone of shock.
Zhou Yun shared with Song Chi the things she encountered in the crew, saying, "Yeah, I was shocked. Originally, when Yu Mengyao came to me a few days ago, I thought she was being too sensitive. I really believed that Liu Yuqian, despite being quite enthusiastic, wasn’t the type to wreck someone’s family. You can’t imagine how shocked I was when I found out last night that both she and Shen Yao didn’t come back. I had to act as if I knew nothing and perform with them."
Song Chi laughed out loud on the phone.
"I’ve never heard of Shen Yao doing such a thing before; his relationship with his wife has always been pretty good."
"They’re just too good at pretending," Zhou Yun said.
Song Chi said, "These things are pretty common."
Zhou Yun smiled and asked, "Have you encountered a lot of them?"
"Way too many."
"Too many? You make it sound like showbiz is all chaos."
"Isn’t it the same in other circles?" Song Chi said, "It’s just that the entertainment industry is exposed to public view."
Zhou Yun sighed, "It sounds so hopeless."
Song Chi: "Why bother with others."
Zhou Yun asked, "I’m just wondering, is it really that hard to be truly dedicated?"
Song Chi thought for a moment and said, "It’s tough, but that’s what makes it valuable."
Zhou Yun laughed, "Is someone praising themselves again?"
"Yes," Song Chi said, "It’s a commitment."
"Like an oath sealed by the heavens and the earth?"
"Once a word is spoken, it’s hard to chase after the departing horses."
That night, Zhou Yun lay in bed, feeling uncontrollably happy.
Of course, she knew about the way things are in this world, how unpredictable they can be; mountains and seas might turn into mulberry fields, let alone a mere promise.
But he was willing to make that promise, and she was willing to believe in it.
Amongst the teeming masses, this was their shared belief against the torrents of time and the unknown future, their anchor in the primordial chaos of the universe, unshaken by wind, frost, or snow, immovable by mountains and rivers.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night, it started to rain.
Raindrops struck the hotel window, creating a pitter-patter noise.
Zhou Yun was startled awake by this clamor, turned on the bedside lamp, and checked the time – it was only four in the morning.
But she was already awake and couldn’t fall back asleep.
She opened the window and watched the rain for a while.
The night sky seemed like spilt ink, and the rain was intermittent, like the fleeting tail of time.
Zhou Yun yawned and became completely alert.
She arrived at the set very early that day.
When she got there, even Wan Zhiliang hadn’t arrived yet.
Other crew members were fussing with equipment, confirming the location for today’s shoot.
"Xiao Yun, you’re here early today," a familiar crew member greeted her.
Zhou Yun said, "I woke up exceptionally early today."
Zheng Xiaojue yawned incessantly.
Zhou Yun asked, "Didn’t you sleep well last night?"
Zheng Xiaojue said, "I was binge-watching a TV series until two in the morning."
"What series?" Zhou Yun asked.
Zheng Xiaojue suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed.
"What’s wrong?" Zhou Yun asked, "Embarrassed to say it?"
Zheng Xiaojue shook her head and said, "No, it’s Brother Xiao Gu’s series, a romantic comedy, Sister Xiao Yun, you don’t like these kinds of shows."
Zhou Yun usually didn’t enjoy watching romantic comedies indeed. She didn’t have any interest in these mushy love stories and sometimes even found the over-sentimentality of the protagonists off-putting.
"Is he starring in a new show?" Zhou Yun asked, surprised.
The Brother Xiao Gu mentioned by Zheng Xiaojue was Gu Huaichun.
He had just finished a drama called "Dark Sky," which was very popular.
Zheng Xiaojue nodded and said, "It premiered the day before yesterday, called ’Love foreplay.’"
Zhou Yun: "..."
That name didn’t sound like her cup of tea.
Zheng Xiaojue said, "Brother Xiao Gu looks so handsome in it."
Zhou Yun laughed and said, "What a pity, your Brother Xiao Gu mentioned having a meal with me before, but I haven’t heard from him since I joined the crew. Otherwise, you could’ve seen him in person."
Zheng Xiaojue proudly lifted her head and said, "No worries, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Brother Xiao Gu in the future. Sister Xiao Yun, you should do a drama with Brother Xiao Gu next time."
"...Sure, we could act together if there’s a chance, and it would be best to exchange assistants," Zhou Yun joked.
Zheng Xiaojue immediately hugged Zhou Yun and exclaimed, "Ah, no way! Sister Xiao Yun, I don’t want to leave you!"
"You like Brother Xiao Gu so much, wouldn’t it be killing two birds with one stone for you to work as his assistant?" Zhou Yun continued to tease her.
Zheng Xiaojue shook her head and said, "No way, I’m just a fan of his looks, and being a fanboy has no future. Girls have to strive for their careers; I want to follow Sister Xiao Yun and charge forward."
Zhou Yun laughed heartily at Zheng Xiaojue’s words.
At that moment, Liu Yuqian knocked on the door of her dressing room.
"Sister Xiao Yun, I wanted to go over the scenes we’ll shoot later with you."
"Sure."
Zhou Yun nodded.
She thought that if she was younger, she would have probably cut ties with Liu Yuqian by now.
With someone who breaks up families and has moral issues, she definitely wouldn’t want to exchange another word.
But today’s views were different. It’s not just a matter of perspective; the current situation also doesn’t allow her to act solely on her own feelings. Of course, she could continue as before, to bluntly say: "I don’t want to rehearse with you, I don’t like you as a person, please stay away from me." But the problem is, can she refuse to act with Liu Yuqian? There were still so many scenes left to shoot, with frequent interactions and collaborations required.
An even bigger dilemma was, if she set a boundary with Liu Yuqian, should she do the same with Shen Yao? The same issue arises, how will they shoot the subsequent scenes? After finishing this drama, if Shen Yao stars in a film, should she just not participate?
These questions loomed in front of her.
She couldn’t solve them; she could only escape or, rather, pretend to be oblivious.
After rehearsing, Liu Yuqian didn’t leave immediately but paused thoughtfully, asking, "Sister Xiao Yun, did you go for a walk with Meng Ran last night?"
Zhou Yun’s heart skipped a beat.
"I strolled around alone for a bit, then ran into Meng Ran. Why? Did you see us?" Zhou Yun asked.
Liu Yuqian smiled, shook her head, and said, "No, I just wanted to find you last night, but you weren’t there. People said you were out walking with Meng Ran, and I was wondering when you and Meng Ran got so close that you’d go for walks together."
Zhou Yun: "...I like walking alone."
Liu Yuqian gazed at Zhou Yun thoughtfully.
"So, did you run into anyone else?" she asked.
"Ah?" Zhou Yun said, "Other than Meng Ran, I didn’t run into anyone else."