Chapter 31#
Zhao Tian’er
By the time the evening was winding down, Zhou Ying was already dead drunk, unable to even stand steady. The producer had no choice but to apologize to He Ming and take on the task of seeing him home.
He Ming waved his hand dismissively, and the producer helped the man out.
The others hadn’t drunk much, but under He Ming’s powerful presence, they barely dared to speak a few words. Seeing the director and producer leave, they quickly made excuses to take their leave as well. He Ming, of course, didn’t object.
Soon only He Ming and Lu Yan remained.
With all the outsiders gone, He Ming shifted the topic and asked, “How has Su Mo been lately? I haven’t seen him since last time. That guy never seeks me out unless he has to—too damn ungrateful.”
Lu Yan was startled. In truth, he hadn’t seen Su Mo in a long time either. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now that He Ming brought it up, an indescribable feeling arose within him, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. “I’m not sure either. I’ve been busy filming for the past few months. The last time I saw him was that occasion you mentioned.”
He Ming looked somewhat surprised. “Not even meeting is one thing, but you haven’t even been in contact?”
Lu Yan shook his head, the discomfort in his heart deepening.
He Ming observed Lu Yan’s expression and gave an ambiguous smile. “What, are you two not in that kind of relationship yet?”
Lu Yan snapped back to reality and asked with feigned confusion, “What kind of relationship do you mean?”
He Ming pointed a finger at Lu Yan. “Stop pretending! I just praised you for being straightforward, and now you’re beating around the bush. Do you really think I can’t see it? I’ve known Su Mo for many years. He’s a shrewd guy—never makes a losing deal, and never likes to owe favors. Even if he needs someone’s help, he always offers something of equal value in return, often ending up with others owing him instead. Years ago, I owed him a huge favor, and he’s never given me a chance to repay it. Last time he brought you to my place, that was the first time he’d ever voluntarily introduced someone to me. I understood what he meant, and coincidentally, you and I got along well, so I considered it as making another friend. Su Mo may seem cold and ruthless, but he’s actually very loyal. To be honest, if I weren’t into women, I’d have gone after him myself long ago.”
Lu Yan listened quietly, then gave a slight smile. “And what makes you think I’m into men, Mr. He?”
He Ming laughed. “I don’t know if you like men or not, but I can tell that Su Mo has feelings for you.”
“So what?”
“All I know is that if Su Mo had feelings for me, even if I were straight, I’d be willing to be bent.” He Ming’s smile was meaningful. “Young man, don’t let a golden opportunity slip by, or you’ll regret it later.”
Lu Yan didn’t respond to He Ming’s words, only smiled softly, but the discomfort in his heart gradually dissipated.
The two chatted a bit longer before preparing to leave.
Both Lu Yan and He Ming had driven their own cars, so they walked together to the entrance of the bar, about to part ways to fetch their vehicles.
Just as they reached the door, they noticed a man and a woman struggling nearby. Both were dressed quite decently, and the woman had on meticulous makeup, yet for some reason they were entangled in such an undignified manner here.
Lu Yan didn’t want to meddle, but a casual glance made him recognize the female protagonist. Frowning thoughtfully, he felt he couldn’t just walk away. Turning to He Ming, he said in a low voice, “That’s a friend of mine over there. I’ll go see if she needs help.”
He Ming nodded and stopped in his tracks, prepared to wait.
Lu Yan approached the couple and asked quietly, “Tian’er Jie, do you need help?”
Zhao Tian’er turned her head at the sound of his voice. Seeing Lu Yan, her face lit up with surprise and a plea for help. “Lu Yan, it’s you.” She struggled harder against the man’s grip.
The man, who had been on the verge of succeeding in his coercion, was thwarted by this unexpected interloper. He glared fiercely. “Who are you? I suggest you mind your own business.”
The man was actually quite handsome, but his face was twisted with a viciousness that made him appear menacing.
Lu Yan frowned and said with restraint, “Sir, no matter what happened, this is no way to treat a lady. Please let go of her.”
The man roared, “She’s my girlfriend. What business is it of yours?”
“No, we broke up a long time ago,” Zhao Tian’er quickly interjected, seeing Lu Yan’s expression change.
Hearing Zhao Tian’er’s words, Lu Yan’s demeanor grew stern. “Regardless of your relationship, if she’s unwilling, you shouldn’t force her. I’ll say it again: let go.”
“What if I don’t? What are you going to do about it?” The man tightened his grip, and Zhao Tian’er winced in pain.
Lu Yan said nothing more. He reached out and directly seized the man’s wrist, applying pressure to pull him away.
The man’s wrist was caught at a vulnerable point; he involuntarily released his hold as Lu Yan steadily pried him off.
Lu Yan flung the man’s hand aside and helped Zhao Tian’er, who was slightly unsteady after being freed, to her feet. Without sparing the man another glance, he prepared to leave.
The man shouted from behind, “You’re breaking up with me for this guy, aren’t you?!”
Zhao Tian’er had no intention of responding.
Suddenly sensing danger behind him, Lu Yan swiftly sidestepped, dodging a punch thrown by the man. He grabbed the incoming fist, twisting it with force. A loud crack followed, and the man let out a shriek of pain.
Zhao Tian’er turned at the sound. Seeing the man crouching on the ground, clutching his hand in agony, her face went pale. It wasn’t that she thought Lu Yan had been too harsh, but she worried he might get into trouble.
And sure enough, the man, still howling in pain, threatened, “Do you know who I am? How dare you do this to me? I’ll make sure you’re run out of this city!”
Lu Yan looked down at the man with narrowed eyes. Before he could speak, a voice came from behind him: “Young Master Song certainly has big talk, banishing people from the city so easily. I wonder what Old Man Song would think if he heard that.”
He Ming, a cigar dangling from his lips, strolled over and looked with amusement at the groaning man. “But if you’re going to run off a friend of mine, He San, it would make it rather inconvenient for me to see him. Perhaps Young Master Song could do me a favor?”
Song Jing’s face turned white—not from pain this time, but from fear. He had never expected to cross paths with a fiend like He Ming. Compared to a lovers’ quarrel, keeping his life intact was far more important. He hastily stammered, “He… Mr. He, I was… I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously. I was just passing by. I’ll leave right now, right away.” With that, he stumbled off.
Lu Yan looked at He Ming and smiled. “You’ve helped me again.”
He Ming blew a smoke ring. “No big deal. You could have handled it yourself. I just found it amusing.”
He gestured with his cigar toward Zhao Tian’er. “So what now?”
Lu Yan asked Zhao Tian’er, “Tian’er Jie, should I call a cab for you?”
Zhao Tian’er still seemed shaken but said apologetically, “Lu Yan, could you give me a ride home?”
Lu Yan nodded. “Sure.”
“OK, I’m off then. Call me if anything comes up.” He Ming waved and walked away.
Lu Yan fetched his car and picked up Zhao Tian’er. Her place was a bit of a distance from the bar, but it was late, and there weren’t many pedestrians or vehicles on the road, making for a smooth ride.
At first, Zhao Tian’er didn’t say anything. After a while, she suddenly spoke. “Song Jing and I dated for three years.”
Lu Yan was focused on driving and didn’t immediately react. After a moment, he said, “That man just now?”
“Mm,” Zhao Tian’er nodded, not caring whether Lu Yan saw it since he was driving. She continued, “At first, he pursued me. I ignored him initially, but gradually I was won over by his gentleness and passion. At the time, my friends warned me that he was just a playboy, only messing around. But I didn’t listen. I naively thought we could last forever. Yet within two years, he was back to his old ways. I held on to hope that he’d change, but eventually I couldn’t take it anymore and broke up with him. Who would’ve thought that after I ended things, he wouldn’t let go? He’s been pestering me for the past six months. If it weren’t for you tonight, I don’t know what would have happened.”
After finishing, she laughed bitterly, without waiting for Lu Yan’s reply. “Sorry, you had to hear all that. I don’t know why, but I just felt like talking about it today.”
Lu Yan said considerately, “It’s fine, as long as Tian’er Jie isn’t worried I might have a loose tongue.”
Zhao Tian’er laughed. “What does it matter? I’ve never been afraid of others knowing. But I trust you’re not that kind of person. Speaking of which, I’ve only ever seen you as the gentle type. I didn’t know you could be so tough in a fight.”
Lu Yan smiled and said casually, “Everyone has another side that others don’t know.”
As soon as these words left his mouth, Lu Yan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. It felt so familiar. Right—he had heard Su Mo say something similar, back at the coffee shop near the university town. The follow-up line was: “The key is, who you let see it.” Along with the memory came Su Mo’s expression at that moment. For some reason, a tightness gripped Lu Yan’s chest, and he lost all desire to speak further.
After dropping Zhao Tian’er at the entrance of her apartment building, Lu Yan gallantly opened the car door for her. She thanked him again. “I really appreciate your help tonight.”
Lu Yan smiled. “You’ve already thanked me.”
Zhao Tian’er smiled back, magnanimously. “Would you like to come up for a cup of tea?”
Lu Yan shook his head. “No, you’d better get some rest.”
“Alright then, take care on the road.”
After Zhao Tian’er entered the building, Lu Yan didn’t drive off immediately. Instead, he leaned against the hood of his car for a while. The soft moonlight bathed him, and his heart felt equally tender.
Earlier, when Zhao Tian’er told him her story with Song Jing, Lu Yan’s first thought had been: Su Mo would never be like that.
He couldn’t explain why, but he had such strong faith in Su Mo—a faith tinged with pride, a secret, sweet pride he couldn’t share with anyone.
Thinking back, the number of times he had actually met Su Mo was not many, and each encounter had been brief. Yet there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them, a connection that transcended ordinary acquaintance. In this world, there were some people who didn’t require time to build bonds; they could connect on a spiritual level without deep interaction.
Lu Yan was certain he didn’t like men. In the time he had lived two lives, he had never met a man who stirred his heart. But by the same token, he had never met a woman who moved him either. He wouldn’t deny that he had initially used that as an excuse to reject Su Mo. He wasn’t sure if, when true love arrived, it would matter only that the person was right, regardless of gender. If so, that would be a kind of romance in itself.
What Lu Yan could be sure of was that he was stingy with first giving his heart. He was like a hunter lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment to strike with deadly precision. He would choose carefully, wait patiently, until he was certain the person was the right one. If he never met that person, he would rather spend his life alone in the desert of emotion. He wanted only one love in his life, and once he was sure, he would never turn back. So he would never easily entrust his heart.
Suddenly, Lu Yan felt an impulse—a strong desire to see that person.
But it was only then that he realized: he didn’t even have Su Mo’s contact information. In all their previous meetings, Su Mo had always been the one to seek him out, appearing suddenly and appropriately before him. It had never occurred to Lu Yan that a situation like this might arise—where he wanted to see Su Mo but couldn’t.
Lu Yan felt a bit frustrated. He knew he could find Su Mo through other means, but he didn’t want to. In the end, he just leaned against the hood of his car for a while, then headed home.
He never expected that the very person he wanted to see would appear before him the next day.