Chapter Forty: A Well-Intentioned Lie

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(The author is going all out for this chapter. As soon as this is done, I'll get right back to writing. Please wait a moment—I'll try to release another chapter before midnight. Today, I'm not living for myself, but giving it my all!)

Recently, good things have been happening one after another for Wu Xiang. He’s now a student in the directing department, and his teachers are open-minded, with a laissez-faire approach to teaching—could life be any sweeter?

Moreover, the male lead for his new movie is settled. The film doesn’t have many minor roles anyway, so a few buddies can easily fill in. As for his newfound fame, with reporters lining up to interview him, that’s hardly an issue anymore.

Now, the most important thing is the female lead for his new film. He’d already spoken with classmate Zhang Ziyi about it. Now that he has a successful film under his belt, surely she’d agree this time!

With a mix of hope and excitement, Wu Xiang once again found himself at the entrance of the Central Academy of Drama, the very place where he’d once fought his battles. Although he felt more confident this time, he was still anxious. He’d asked his teacher for leave and arrived early in the morning.

But he waited from morning all the way until what should have been the end of classes in the afternoon, yet Zhang Ziyi never appeared.

“She lives on campus; maybe she’s studying hard and doesn’t want to come out,” Wu Xiang tried to comfort himself. Even though he knew this was unlikely—he, too, was a boarder and knew how stifling it could be to stay cooped up on campus all day, especially in a city as vibrant as Beijing, and especially for a girl like Zhang Ziyi.

Maybe she just didn’t feel like going out. Maybe she was ill…

Wu Xiang came up with countless excuses for her absence, but when he saw Qin Hailu, all those reasons evaporated.

“Stop waiting!” That was the first thing Qin Hailu said when she saw him—blunt and without preamble, but it hit Wu Xiang’s heart like a hammer.

“What happened? Is she sick? Tell her I came by. I’ll leave now and come again tomorrow. By the way, did you see my movie? I made one. Really. Heh…” Wu Xiang’s smile was stiff, and he seemed unable to decide whether to stay or go.

“Don’t be silly!” Qin Hailu raised her voice. “She won’t act in your film. She’s gone to act in someone else’s!”

At that moment, Wu Xiang understood everything. The path of Zhang Ziyi’s life hadn’t changed at all—she’d still rise to fame through Zhang Yimou’s “The Road Home” and go on to become an international star.

In truth, Wu Xiang had worried about this from the start. As a reborn soul, how could he not know her rise to fame? Still, he’d held onto a sliver of hope, wishing he could make a difference, since he himself was a variable.

Now, though, he suddenly felt how powerful and immovable the force of destiny truly was…

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“Boohoo…” But just then, Qin Hailu started crying.

The sound of her sobs snapped Wu Xiang out of his thoughts. What was going on? “Why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…” Qin Hailu not only cried but apologized again and again.

“What are you apologizing for? You haven’t done anything to me,” Wu Xiang was genuinely confused.

“I’m sorry!” Qin Hailu’s voice was loud. “I never told Zhang Ziyi about you, or about you wanting her to star in your film. It was all a lie, all a lie!”

In an instant, Wu Xiang understood. All those so-called agreements had never existed—just a well-meaning lie from the girl before him.

“Come on, don’t cry. Honestly, I’m fine. Don’t overthink it. I’m not that fragile.” Wu Xiang also realized why Qin Hailu was crying. It must have been the look on his face just now, as if he’d suffered a heavy blow. In reality, he was just deep in thought. Disappointed, yes, but not so easily defeated.

“Stop crying, especially here, with people coming and going. You crying like this makes it look like I’ve bullied you.”

Qin Hailu wiped her nose and, through her tears, said, “Don’t pretend. I can tell you really like her, don’t you?”

Wu Xiang’s eyes widened in surprise. He was speechless. Did he really like her?

Maybe, just a little. After all, she was a goddess—Zhang, the scandal-free goddess. For someone reborn not to have even the slightest interest would be odd.

“You must like her a lot, or else why would you keep waiting here? I just saw how hard it was for you and made up a little story to comfort you. Who would’ve thought you’d actually go and make a film—and a good one at that,” Qin Hailu said, her tears gone but her mind caught in a new dilemma.

“So thank you,” Wu Xiang said sincerely. “Don’t cry anymore. You’re like a big sister to me, alright? Look at all these people…”

He had barely finished speaking when the sky suddenly darkened and the wind picked up. Before long, it began to rain.

“So you’re really alright?” Given the situation, Qin Hailu naturally stopped crying. With the rain coming down, she needed to find shelter.

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Wu Xiang could tell Qin Hailu was headed back to her dorm to escape the rain, and he felt a twinge of relief—at least no one would be watching him now. “Go on, I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. I’m leaving too. Goodbye.”

Qin Hailu had a place to hide, but Wu Xiang didn’t. The gatekeeper at the drama academy knew him by name—there was no way he’d be allowed in.

Still, as they say, spring rain is as precious as oil. The rain came quickly but wasn’t all that heavy. Wu Xiang was no longer the frail, weakling he once was. Besides, as a Northeasterner, he wasn’t afraid of the cold. Though he was a bit lightly dressed, he decided to take a walk in the rain.

He needed to clear his head and reflect. Was he being too stubborn? Zhang Ziyi had her own path to fame—why was he so obsessed with changing it? It just wasn’t right…

“Are you out of your mind?” Just as Wu Xiang was enjoying his leisurely walk in the rain, a powerful voice, carried by the wind, blew in his direction, and his hand was suddenly grabbed.

“You? What are you doing here?” To his surprise, it was none other than classmate Huang Yi, and seeing her startled him.

“You’ll catch a cold like this! Why are you torturing yourself?” Huang Yi ignored Wu Xiang’s shocked expression entirely.

“What are you doing here?” Wu Xiang was genuinely curious, but, of course, Huang Yi wasn’t about to answer that.

“Why do you care? Come with me!” Without giving him a chance to protest, Huang Yi dragged Wu Xiang to a spot where they could shelter from the rain.

Wu Xiang had no choice but to let himself be pulled along. At this moment, Huang Yi absolutely had the strength to drag him—her build and force rivaled any guy’s.

A white tracksuit, jeans, and ordinary sneakers—called “travel shoes” at the time—now soaked with rain, and her curly hair plastered down in clumps, with a mouthful of braces.

Seeing all this, Wu Xiang found it amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. He said, “Honestly, how long have you been following me? Are you worried I can't take the disappointment?”

“Who—who cares about you?” Huang Yi would never admit it…