003 There is still time

For the casting of her new drama, Gu Yan constantly shuttled between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, her presence was mandatory at both the preliminary and final rounds. That the preliminaries turned out to be such a success was well within her expectations.

"Cheers!" Inside the minimalist yet elegant private room sat a group of people who were far from ordinary.

"I must propose a separate toast to our most accomplished Gu-ren. Drink!" Cai Mei held up her glass, her tone bold and unrestrained.

"To our reunion," Gu Yan gestured with her glass before downing the drink in one go.

Beside her, Li Min studied Gu Yan with a pensive look. He never imagined that the "Gu-ren" Cai Mei spoke of would be the playwright Alisa. The woman before him, while smiling, exuded an air of cold, aloof detachment.

"Cai Mei, I toast you as well. May all lovers find their way to each other!" Cai Mei’s gaze flickered between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan before she smiled and finished her drink. The "welcome banquet" went smoothly. During the entire evening, Gu Yan spoke only two words to Li Min: "Cherish blessings."

The next day, Gu Yan took Cai Mei back to Hengdian. Upon leaving, she promised that Li Min would be cast as the lead actor. One could hardly blame Gu Yan for the favoritism; such was reality. Connections would always be a vital component of success.

Back in their familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to visit the hospital first.

The ward was quiet, filled only by the rhythmic beeping of the EKG monitor. After several days apart, Gu Yan felt the girl in the hospital bed looked even more frail. Cai Mei’s lips trembled, her expression etched with sorrow as tears streamed down her face.

"Daxian... Daxian... Choumei is here... Daxian, Choumei doesn't want Li Min anymore; Choumei has come back. Gu-ren feels the same; she doesn't want Shen Hong anymore. Please wake up... It’s been so many years, don't let Jiang Yunkai torment you any longer. Don't make us look down on you. I know you can hear me. Wake up, please wake up..."

Unable to bear watching Cai Mei weep so bitterly, Gu Yan turned away, a single tear slipping down her cheek. What Gu Yan did not see was that at the very moment she turned, a clear tear also welled up and fell from the corner of the girl’s eye on the bed.

In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. She told Gu Yan, "Xiao Yan, like you, I have no home to return to. Let me stay and look after Daxian." Back at the hotel, Gu Yan collapsed onto the bed and fell straight to sleep. She had been so busy lately without a moment of respite; it was no wonder she was so exhausted.

"Dead woman, you come back from Hangzhou and don't even bother to visit your master. Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?" Wei Hao said as he entered. He walked into the room and saw the sleeping Gu Yan, his voice losing its bravado. "Fine, I’ll forgive you just this once." As he spoke, his hand gently caressed her face.

"Dad... Mom..." A tear slipped from the corner of the woman’s eye.

Sitting by the bedside, Wei Hao felt as if his heart had been struck. He had seen Gu Yan wild and unreasonable; he had seen her brimming with talent; he had seen her cold and aloof; he had seen her sobbing uncontrollably—but he had never seen her looking so fragile and helpless. In that moment, he suddenly realized that after three years together, he had never truly understood her at all. He should have realized it sooner: upon returning to the hometown where she grew up, she had visited her friends, yet she had uniquely avoided her closest family.

Wei Hao suddenly felt a surge of heartache for this woman a few years his senior, and he grew curious about just how much suffering and heartbreak she had endured.