《Golden Boy》


 CH 1

    Rome was not built in a day, and neither did it collapse in a day.


    It was past midnight, and Su Pei was still rushing to finish a script. He was currently stationed in a hotel near the studio, and the room that he was staying in was pretty small. Hence, it could just barely fit him comfortably. His unpacked luggage occupied one bed, while his books and writing materials were piled up on the other. Amidst this clutter, he would catch three or four hours of fitful sleep whenever he could.


    The old air-conditioning system droned on in the background as he worked. He was thirsty, but the thermos and electric kettle were empty and he was too lazy to boil water again. To tell the truth, he was craving a glass of alcohol more than anything, but he suppressed that urge¡ªthe crew was almost a week behind schedule and they had to speed up filming. He was supposed to deliver the new script to the director at dawn.


    Su Pei had been a screenwriter for several years. At the moment, he was working on an espionage drama set in the Republic of China1The Republic of China (ROC) was commonly recognised as the official designation of China from 1912 to 1949, when it was a country in East Asia based in Mainland China, prior to the relocation of its central government to Taiwan as a result of the Chinese Civil War. (source: Wikipedia).


    The actors who played the male and female lead parts were newcomers. They had low seniority, but had secured their roles through their great connections. As such, their words took precedence over his, given that he was but a measly screenwriter, and he constantly had to scramble to change the script at their whim.


    First, the heroine thought that the scenes she had were too little, and wanted more. Then, the hero felt that his character¡¯s personality was not perfect enough and demanded for it to be modified. With all these alterations, the script had long since changed beyond recognition, as had the storyline.


    Currently, Su Pei was adding a few more scenes for the male lead. He was trying to write as many lines as possible while padding out the dialogue to give the hero more time in the spotlight.


    Su Pei stared at the computer screen, silently reviewing the lines as he massaged his aching wrists. Then, he took a cigarette out of its case and lit it. He had been trying to quit smoking for the past few years, but all his progress would go out the window every time he began working on a script. He relished unhurriedly in the familiar burn and taste of nicotine, using the impromptu break to check the notifications on his phone.


    Some advertisements.


    Several notices of loan repayment deadlines.


    Su Pei quickly scrolled past those, not daring to look too closely.


    Little Cookie had sent a message at half-past nine.


    [Stay strong, Dad! Come home soon. I¡¯m going to bed first. Good night!]


    Su Pei smiled, firing off a good night message in return. Then, he looked at the time. It was well over twelve o¡¯clock and Little Cookie should have fallen asleep by now.


    After the divorce, Little Cookie had come to live with him. Whenever he was away on business, his mother helped with looking after the young girl.


    Su Pei went to an online shop and began browsing for toys his daughter might like. Just as he had settled on a charming Lego set, a chat notification popped up.


    [Are you in L City right now? I heard that He Yiming will be stopping by for a couple of days. Why don¡¯t you meet him for a meal?]


    Su Pei held his cigarette in one hand, pursing his lips. The text was from his old college friend, Yao Zhicheng.


    He Yiming was going to L City.


    Sue Pei stared at the message. Nowadays, every time he saw He Yiming¡¯s name, he would be overcome by a strange, surreal feeling. Nowadays, he often saw He Yiming in the news and heard about him through snatches of other people¡¯s gossip. He Yiming¡¯s company had been successful in raising capital and going public, and his fortune was soaring. He Yiming was spending a fortune on a mansion. He Yiming was having an affair with an actress.


    Was it really possible that this He Yiming was the same person Su Pei had known twelve years before?


    A few seconds later, Su Pei realized he had become lost in thought. He flicked the ashes off his cigarette, before tapping out a response.


    [I¡¯m busy with filming, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time.]


    Almost immediately, a reply came in from Yao Zhicheng.


    [Come on, your fight wasn¡¯t a big deal. Just have a simple meal together.]


    Su Pei smiled ruefully at his phone screen. He sighed, before typing out another response.


    [Got it. Talk to you later, I have a script due in the morning.]


    As far as Yao Zhicheng was concerned, there was no deep hatred between Su Pei and He Yiming, and there had been no disagreements. If there had been any conflict between the two, all they needed to do was just talk it out and smooth things over. In his eyes, things were simple.


    But Su Pei knew better. For those long, countless years after graduation, he and Yiming had been faced with more than just external changes.


    He could barely even remember when the first cracks in their relationship had appeared. Like marriage and friendship, small frictions often accumulated and caused deep rifts over time. All Su Pei remembered was that they had had a big fight at a party the previous year. He had drunk too much and had spoken harshly to He Yiming, who had not taken his screenwriting job seriously.


    Truthfully, he and He Yiming had made things this way through their own actions, but Su Pei preferred to blame time. After all, it was time that had changed and eroded everything.


    Su Pei snuffed out the cigarette and ran his slender fingers over his keyboard.


    On such a night, it was best to sit on the balcony of an old but comfortable apartment, pour oneself a glass of wine, and think about past and distant friendships. In the right setting, even a sense of loss could be romanticized into something appealing.


    This was not the right setting. At this moment, Su Pei was busy living life, and dwelling on unhappy memories only served to make his chest ache. This pain was not something imagined, either; it was real enough that it could almost be considered physical torture. He had struggled against his own emotions until he was completely and utterly exhausted.


    Su Pei held himself back from falling too far into a pit of remorse, forcing himself to return his attention to the computer screen. He told himself to think about the crew, the script to be delivered at dawn, and the handsome yet dim-witted face of the drama¡¯s hero.


    Finally, he resumed his mechanical typing on the keyboard.


    At around three o¡¯clock, he finally finished the script. Without even changing his clothes, he collapsed onto his bed. He was too tired to move any more, and soon sleep claimed him.


    Early in the morning, Su Pei¡¯s phone began vibrating violently, startling him awake. He contemplated continuing to lie there and letting the phone ring on its own, but after a while he realized that the vibrations seemed to show no signs of stopping. Hence, with a groan, he grabbed it and accepted the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Su,¡± It was the assistant writer, Xiao Yan.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Su Pei croaked into the receiver. He felt as if his brain had been squeezed dry and now his head was an empty husk.


    ¡°Is the script ready?¡± The young woman asked. She was straightforward to the point of rudeness, but her tone was lively rather than disrespectful. Su Pei sometimes felt that this was precisely what he was lacking; a boundless vitality that could be used with reckless abandon.


    He stretched and sighed. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    Xiao Yan answered, ¡°Six-thirty. You told me to call you at six-thirty last night, sir. We have to be on set by nine. Should I go to pick you up now?¡±


    As he grew slightly more awake, he remembered that, true enough, he had asked Xiao Yan to wake him up the previous evening. The script had already been revised, but it had been too late at night to do anything. Now they had to rush to the set and show the new script to the director before nine. However, besides that, Su Pei could not shake the feeling that he had forgotten something incredibly important.


    There was no time to try and remember what it was. Su Pei took a quick shower and went downstairs to join Xiao Yan in the cafeteria. In the morning, Su Pei often only had a light meal. All he needed was a cup of coffee and two slices of bread. Once he had sat down with his breakfast, he sent the script to Xiao Yan¡¯s mailbox and asked her to print it later.


    Xiao Yan skimmed over the file on her phone. She raised her eyebrows, looking impressed, before exclaiming, ¡°You really are incredible, Mr. Su! You wrote so many cool plot twists in one night. It¡¯s amazing¡­ Why can¡¯t I write like this?¡±


    Su Pei made a muffled noise of acknowledgement, but did not speak further, choosing to down his coffee instead. He had to drink coffee early in the morning to fully wake himself up. Unfortunately, the coffee provided by the hotel was very weak. Thus, he dumped more sugar into it, hoping the extra glucose would keep his mind active. Busy as he was thinking about his coffee, he did not pay much attention to Xiao Yan¡¯s compliments.


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Su!¡± Xiao Yan seemed to remember something newsworthy. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°You know, I heard that Bai Wenchen is coming to our set today!¡±


    Su Pei smiled. ¡°Is that really so exciting?¡±


    Xiao Yan did not mind being teased, and she merely repeated excitedly, ¡°Bai Wenchen! It would make sense that a busy bigwig like him wouldn¡¯t come to the set, even if his company has invested in our drama. But¡±¡ªshe lowered her voice even further and continued gleefully ¡ª¡°now there¡¯s a rumor circulating that Fang Ziling is Mr. Bai¡¯s new mistress.¡±


    Fang Ziling was the heroine of their drama. Bai Wenchen was married with children, and did not seem to have any intentions to divorce. However, that did not prevent this sort of gossip from spreading far and wide, taking root like a poisonous weed until many took it as the truth.


    ¡°If Mr. Bai really shows up today, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s basically confirming it?¡± Xiao Yan concluded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait and see,¡± said Su Pei.


    Although he said as much, his tone was rather mild, and it was clear that his attitude toward such gossip was rather disinterested. Xiao Yan asked, ¡°Mr. Su, aren¡¯t you interested in this at all? Or have you been in showbiz for so long that you¡¯ve seen gossip juicier than this?¡±


    Su Pei lifted his gaze and examined her face. ¡°You curled your hair today. You must have had to get up early to do so. Is it because Mr. Bai is coming?¡±


    With her true intentions exposed, Xiao Yan turned red. She said, ¡°I pay attention to my looks sometimes¡­ Hold on, don¡¯t try to change the topic! Are you not interested in gossip, or are you just used to it?¡±


    ¡°I admire you very much,¡± said Su Pei. ¡°Your curiosity and imagination knows no bounds.¡±


    Xiao Yan scratched her head. ¡°What does that mean?¡± She wondered if Su Pei was criticizing her, but she had not heard him say anything out of line. Besides, Su Pei¡¯s face had remained gentle during their conversation, even giving off the impression of being soft like a blurry picture. He did not seem to be fully awake yet.


    In the end, Su Pei did not answer her question, and regardless, they did not have much time to engage in too much idle chatter. Once they had printed the script, they were picked up by the driver and taken to the set. On the way there, Su Pei finished polishing up the script.


    In the past, he used to dislike modifying the script according to other people¡¯s requests. It was one thing if the director had asked for it, but the truth was that there often were too many people asking for changes in the script besides the director and the producer. It took Su Pei a long time before he eventually gave up the fight and accepted it as an unfortunate fact of his job. After all, he was a scriptwriter not for the sake of writing a timeless masterpiece, but for the sake of supporting his family. With this in mind, it would only benefit him and the crew to finish the script efficiently.


    The crew was preparing to shoot in a remote part of a scenic area. The weather was getting colder and there were few tourists in the off-season. When Su Pei arrived, only the crew members were there, and they were busy making preparations for the formal shooting.


    The crew trickled in one after the other, and the group of actors had to wait around for some time. Su Pei remained on standby at one side with his laptop. He was wrapped up in his trench coat, which was the only protection he had from the cold. As he revised the script for the scenes to be shot in the next two days, he waited for the crew to come and discuss with him what minor adjustments might be needed.


    After ten o¡¯clock, the male and female leads finally put on their make-up and arrived at the set surrounded by their assistants.


    The deputy director went to speak with the main actors, and Xiao Yan listened intently to their feedback. Sue Pei sat a short distance away and just watched them. However, just by looking at the expression on the hero¡¯s face, he already had a feeling that the day would not go smoothly.


    Their male lead was handsome, with a straight nose and a smooth forehead that made his features look sharp and elegant.  He was relatively well-known, young, good-looking, and supported by the company. He seemed to lack nothing¡ªexcept some acting skills.


    Sure enough, despite countless re-takes, the man could not shoot an important scene well.


    The hero was supposed to harshly question the heroine on whether she had stolen some information. Then, he would deliver a series of rapid-fire questions. The intention of the scene was to show that despite his suspicions about the heroine, he was struggling with his adoration for her.


    ¡°Cut!¡±


    The director called things to a halt once more.


    The actor had made a mistake with his lines again. By this point, his eyes were muddled and even panicked. He had just memorized the lines, and his nerves were occupying his mind. There was no room for him to even attempt to bring out the subtleties of his painfully suppressed love.


    Sue Pei rubbed his forehead. After the sixth failed attempt, Fang Ziling, who was in the scene with the male lead, finally could not take it. She yanked off the shawl draped over her shoulders and said, ¡°I want to touch up my make-up and take a break!¡±


    It was obvious that she was upset. An assistant quickly brought her some vegetable juice to drink. She smiled nastily and asked out loud, ¡°Who on earth wrote that line? Isn¡¯t it too difficult? Mr. Su, it seems that your script is getting more and more complicated. I¡¯m not sure if the audience will be able to digest it. When the show airs, people might wonder if the screenwriter can actually write a script.¡±


    Su Pei listened as the complaints against him piled up, but he did not argue with her. He simply turned to see what the director had to say.


    The director, sensing the tension, half-joked, ¡°Mr. Su, your lines are too complex. You have to take the actual situation into account when writing.¡±


    Helpless, Su Pei asked, ¡°Should I change it?¡±


    He felt numb.


    The director thought for a moment. Then, as though he were some benevolent figure, he said, ¡°Well, this line¡¯s so good that I don¡¯t want to get rid of it. Think of a way to keep it.¡±


    After a lot of trouble, the crew staff dug out a board. They painstakingly wrote the hero¡¯s lines on it one by one. Then a staff member held it up, standing opposite the male lead instead of the female lead. This way, the male lead was only responsible for reading his lines with the right emotion. They filmed his face with one camera, and then they shot several angles showing the hero and heroine being in the scene at the same time. The director would be able to use these segments later when editing to make the scene look cohesive.


    While filming this segment, the male lead¡¯s agent and assistant purposely cleared out all the unrelated personnel. Those who stayed were not allowed to use their phone for fear that someone might take a picture and put it on the Internet.


    Everyone did their job seriously, and no one showed any disdain. Fang Ziling sat aside and sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to speed things up today? Is this speeding up or slowing down? I still have scenes to film.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, half of the crew gathered around her to comfort her.


    Xiao Yan murmured to Su Pei, ¡°So much drama. Fang Ziling is too sharp-tongued. Is Mr. Bai really supporting her?¡±


    Su Pei just smiled uneasily. For some reason, he kept feeling like he had forgotten something. The constant chaos on the set was not helping, as it made it difficult for him to concentrate and think about what it was.


    After all kinds of means had been used, that day¡¯s re-take finally drew to a painful close. It was then that the legendary boss Bai Wenchen made his appearance.


    The atmosphere of the whole group changed. Xiao Yan fixed her make-up and borrowed a pair of high heels from the costume crew. Su Pei closed the computer and called out to the deputy director, saying that he also wanted to meet Bai Wenchen.


    Xiao Yan smiled at him knowingly. It was as if she was saying, ¡®I knew you were curious.¡¯


    Su Pei did not bother to explain his intentions. He wanted to say that it was always good to rub elbows with a big shot. In addition, if one had the opportunity to talk to someone like Bai Wenchen, it would also be a good was to accummulate reference material.


    Bai Wenchen went to speak to the director, and both actors joined them. They were discussing the evening meal. As soon as Su Pei approached, the director immediately gestured at him.


    ¡°This is our screenwriter, Mr. Su Pei¡­¡±


    However, though the director¡¯s mouth was moving, Su Pei did not hear a word of what he was saying, nor did he spare a glance at Bai Wenchen. It was as if his vision had tunneled out, and all he saw was the person standing beside Bai Wenchen. He looked straight at that person, and finally remembered what important thing it was that he had forgotten.


    Su Pei finally remembered that last night Yao Zhicheng had told him something.


    [You should contact He Yiming.]


    The man in question, He Yiming, raised his head and looked at him. Su Pei smiled at him, but He Yiming only looked at him impassively.


    He Yiming had deep-set eyes, which made him look aggressive when he stared. However, at that moment, Su Pei could not understand the look in He Yiming¡¯s eyes. He looked a little unhappy, and even slightly in pain. Su Pei immediately remembered the last time they had seen each other, as well as their unhappy parting.


    ¡°Do the two of you know each other?¡± Bai Wenchen asked, seeming to have noticed his friend¡¯s silence and the simmering tension between them.


    He Yiming said, ¡°Mr. Su was my senior in college. I didn¡¯t expect to see him here.¡±


    His tone was calm, without the slightest hint of surprise.


    However, Su Pei knew better. He was a screenwriter after all, and while this was no drama, only a poorly-written script would contain such a coincidence. Knowing He Yiming¡¯s character, this was by no means a chance encounter.


    The author has something to say:


    Su Pei is a straight man with a lot of emotions.


    He Yiming is a deep cabinet with big curves and straight lines2A funny way of saying he¡¯s in the closet.

 CH 2

    Bai Wenchen was not bothered by the strange tension between the former classmates. In a casual tone, he replied to He Yiming¡¯s statement with a few token words. Then, he slipped away to Fang Ziling¡¯s trailer to look for his little mistress.


    Su Pei and He Yiming were left to face each other.


    He Yiming was as tall and handsome as Su Pei remembered. As usual, the broad-shouldered man was clean-shaven and neatly dressed, and his crisp attire only made his dark eyes seem sharper. This was further emphasized by the serious expression he wore. There was not even a hint of a smile on his face. He exuded indifference, just like the last time they had met. However, despite his cold aloofness, Su Pei felt that He Yiming¡¯s charms had only grown more magnetic.


    After the previous year¡¯s argument, they had gone their separate ways and had not properly spoken since. However, they had not completely cut off communication; they still followed each other on social media, and had even texted each other a few times, though this eventually petered out. Su Pei did not begrudge him; he had been tied up with the script for Secrets of Rongcheng alone, and it made sense that someone as successful as He Yiming would have been busier than him.


    In the midst of all the hustle and bustle that comprised their everyday lives, they had been able to deliberately ignore the unpleasantness of their last meeting. As long as neither of them mentioned it, they could pretend that it had never happened and that they had simply fallen out of touch due to their busy schedules, and through no actual fault of their own.


    As a result, Su Pei was entirely caught off-guard by He Yiming¡¯s sudden appearance.


    Su Pei stayed silent for a long moment. Both he and He Yiming had made mistakes last time, and had equally acted out of line. Su Pei had always wanted to contact He Yiming to reconcile, but he had not been able to do so. But now, He Yiming had taken the initiative to come to him¡­


    He Yiming spoke first. ¡°You¡¯ve grown your hair out.¡±


    Despite himself, Su Pei smiled. He worked in an environment where everyone took meticulous care of their looks, but he had never paid much attention to such conventions. For him, his personal time and availability determined whether he could do mundane things like getting a haircut. Seeing as he had been severely overworked for the past few months, the thought of doing so had not even crossed his mind.


    ¡°What, does it make you nostalgic?¡± Su Pei teased, tone deliberately light. As of late, longer men¡¯s hairstyles had become popular again. It made Su Pei feel as though they were back in college.


    Neither of them brought up their quarrel from the year before. It was as if they had forgiven each other without saying a word. It was a tacit understanding that allowed them to carefully navigate each other¡¯s minefields.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Su Pei proposed. He Yiming agreed, then Su Pei proceeded to walk him around the set, explaining different things as they moved from one area to another.


    As a result of Bai Wenchen¡¯s visit, the day¡¯s filming ended earlier than the previous two days. The crew began to pack up their equipment. Meanwhile, the extras sat at one side, resting and hydrating themselves. Without the lighting engineers and lens filters to work their magic, the previously vibrant actors all looked weary and worn-out.


    ¡°Lao1The prefix ÀÏ (pinyin lao, meaning old) is being used before Yao Zhicheng¡¯s surname to indicate affection and/or familiarity. Su Pei and He Yiming use ÀÏ rather than С (pinyin xiao, meaning little) because Yao Zhicheng is their senior Yao texted me last night to say that you were coming to the city, but I didn¡¯t expect you to accompany Mr. Bai to the set.¡± Su Pei said. Though he was still a little shaken by He Yiming¡¯s unexpected appearance, his voice remained steady.


    He Yiming glanced around the set. After a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯m in the same mountaineering club as Bai Wenchen. We¡¯re planning to climb Mount Lhotse2The fourth highest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas next year. He¡¯s been trying to get me to invest in movies lately.¡±


    Su Pei had heard of the mountaineering club He Yiming was referring to. Its members all consisted of billionaires. He Yiming had become the most popular upstart in the IT industry since gaining momentum in the last couple of years. This provided him with the qualifications to join such a select group.


    In fact, in Su Pei¡¯s opinion, He Yiming¡¯s personality made it seem as though he had always belonged in the upper strata of society. His words and deeds always oozed a sort of self-confidence that seemed almost to be second nature. Even his indifference came across as a sort of enviable idleness born of arrogance. He was like a young and beautiful male lion; one whose fierceness could only be appreciated from afar by humans.


    He Yiming continued, ¡°Since Bai Wenchen was so enthusiastic about it, I agreed to come with him to meet the crew and look around.¡±


    Su Pei laughed and said, ¡°Is that so? I thought that Lao Yao would¡¯ve told you I was in the crew. It looks like I was just thinking too much.¡±


    He Yiming looked at him, his expression unreadable. ¡°Lao Yao didn¡¯t mention which crew you were in.¡±


    He Yiming slid his hand in his coat¡¯s pocket and slowly clenched it into a fist. Of course, this had been no mere coincidence. He had heard Yao Zhicheng say, Su Pei is under a lot of pressure from the crew, and also from the director and actors. That was the real reason why He Yiming had come.


    Naturally, he had no intention of revealing that to Su Pei.


    Later that day, everyone gathered at the hotel for dinner. Fang Ziling came out of her trailer after changing her clothes. She was now wearing a sapphire-blue off-the-shoulder jumpsuit, which made her skin look more delicate. By this point, everyone already understood that Bai Wenchen was involved with Fang Ziling. This implicit knowledge was enough to allow Fang Ziling to hold all the cards, and everyone at the dinner table unanimously sang her praises. Bai Wenchen himself merely sat quietly beside Fang Ziling, watching her as she peeled shrimp for herself with slender fingers. Meanwhile, everyone fawned endlessly over her, an act which she found very gratifying.


    Among the group of people, Su Pei seemed exceptionally silent.


    He did not have any complaints about Fang Ziling. She had a cute face and her acting skills were relatively decent when compared to the male lead¡¯s. Su Pei just had no interest in exaggerating and saying things he did not mean. He was too tired for these sorts of games. He had begun his day exhausted, and after a full day of filming, he was more than ready to turn in for the night. Just as the thought flitted across his mind, his eyes fell on He Yiming, who was sitting across from him.


    Su Pei was so lost in his ruminations about the past that he almost missed it when someone addressed him. ¡°Am I right, Mr. Su?¡±


    Su Pei came back to his senses only to see Fang Ziling giving him an amused look.


    He said apologetically, ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Fang Ziling smiled and said, ¡°Why, Mr. Su seems rather distracted tonight. I said that we depend on you for the script, but it¡¯s been so difficult, especially for our poor male lead. His lines were so convoluted, it nearly broke him. How many times have we had to change the script so far?¡±


    There was laughter in her voice, and her tone was breezy even as she mocked him. Bai Wenchen was quick to pat the back of her hand, making a token display of trying to keep her from antagonizing the drama¡¯s screenwriter further.


    All eyes fell on Su Pei. He Yiming turned to him as well, frowning silently at the sudden tension. It was clear that everyone was assessing Su Pei¡¯s ability to handle such a situation.


    On his part, Su Pei was not bothered in the least. He had just had a few drinks, and he was the kind of person who found it hard to take things to heart whenever he was pleasantly buzzed. Hence, it was easy for him to shrug off the pressure suddenly mounted on him.


    With a smile, he raised his glass. ¡°I¡¯m just a third-rate writer, shamed by a first-rate beauty.¡± He thought it suitable to punish himself for such a crime, and thus did so with a drink. He knocked it back quite happily.


    However, it seemed that Fang Ziling was not satisfied with his answer. She was about to press further when He Yiming spoke up.


    ¡°Su Pei, if you¡¯re a third-rate writer, then there aren¡¯t many good writers in our generation.¡±


    No one said anything, well aware that He Yiming was giving support to his upperclassman. However, Fang Ziling was Bai Wenchen¡¯s latest plaything, and their love was still new and passionate. One was a big shot, while the other was a big shot¡¯s paramour. No one dared to intervene since it would be unwise to openly stand on either side. It was better to keep smiling and watch the gods fight.


    He Yiming smiled at Fang Ziling and said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? My senior was a man of influence in our alma mater back when we were students. When he published his first novel, critics called him a golden boy.¡±


    Fang Ziling said, ¡°I¡¯m not questioning Mr. Su¡¯s talent. I just didn¡¯t expect him to have published any novels.¡±


    A hint of disapproval remained in her tone. She believed He Yiming to be exaggerating without anything to back up his claims. After all, she had met many men in this circle, and all of them were known for blowing things out of proportion to appear more impressive.


    He Yiming said, ¡°The Other Side of Time was Mr Su¡¯s first novel.¡±


    Everyone around them fell quiet. Su Pei himself elected to remain silent as well. He had the feeling that half the table had come to a sudden realization, whereas the other half was still trying to recall what the novel was.


    The Other Side of Time was the novel he had written the year he had graduated. As a newcomer publishing for the first time, he had thought that it would be sufficient to print 10,000 copies. However, The Other Side of Time was so popular that it was soon reprinted two months after its launch. In one year, it was reprinted three times and sold a total 200,000 copies.


    It was then that the publishing house had printed various slogans on the back cover of his novel: ¡®Recommended by fifteen famous writers¡¯, ¡®Shining supernova¡¯, and ¡®Please join us in witnessing the birth of a golden boy¡¯.


    For a while, he had shone brightly under the limelight, infinitely beautiful. Then, that was when he had made a very fatal mistake¡ªhe had believed that he would always bask in the glow of success.


    It had been ten years since. By now, The Other Side of Time was just another chapter in the book of memories. It had nothing to do with his current life.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read that novel before! I really liked it.¡± Someone piped up. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be the author, Mr. Su.¡±


    Many of the people seated at the table voiced their support. A few others, though not capable of saying they had read it, were quick to add that their own children had recommended the book to them.


    Su Pei rather felt that they were praising his novel in the same way people talked about unfortunate animals that were about to become extinct.


    Still, it seemed that Fang Ziling could not help herself. ¡°Have you published any more novels, Mr. Su?¡±


    He Yiming quipped, ¡°Mr. Su has probably published more books than you have read.¡±


    Fang Ziling¡¯s face turned red, but she stubbornly continued, ¡°Is that true, Mr. Su? Have you published a lot of novels?¡±


    Su Pei just sat there smiling as he watched them bicker. At Fang Ziling¡¯s question, he replied in a soft drawl made even milder by his tipsiness, ¡°I have published¡­ three novels.¡°


    At this point, several people could no longer hold themselves back and burst out laughing.


    Fang Ziling could not afford to get angry with He Yiming, and she knew this. Thus, she could only turn to Bai Wenchen. There were tears welling in her eyes, but they didn¡¯t fall. Seeing her looking so pitiful, Bai Wenchen finally intervened and said, ¡°Okay, okay. Come on, you know He Yiming. He¡¯s a mean devil3Literally a ¡°mean ghost¡± in the original text. The character ¹í (pinyin gui, meaning ghost/evil spirit) in Chinese slang is used to denote that someone is doing something excessively. source. Anyone who meets him will get a smack-down. He¡¯s smacked me down, too!¡±


    He Yiming smiled indifferently. ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m a bad friend.¡±


    The director smoothed things over after that, before someone else suggested singing. Just like that, the confrontation between the big shot and the big shot¡¯s paramour came to a close. Su Pei still sat there quietly, not caring much about the gaze of others. He had been steadily drinking, and the intoxication made him feel calm and drowsy. He had gradually lost sight of He Yiming and his piercing stare, not to mention that he could make neither heads nor tails of what the people around him were saying. He simply hummed and nodded whenever it seemed appropriate.


    Even when the dinner ended, he made no move to get up from his seat.


    After a while, a man came up to him. ¡°Su Pei, are you all right?¡±


    Su Pei looked up, feeling light-headed. ¡°Ah, Xiao He4The prefix С (pinyin xiao, meaning little) is being used before He Yiming¡¯s surname to indicate affection and/or familiarity. Su Pei uses С rather than ÀÏ (pinyin lao, meaning old) because he is He Yiming¡¯s senior.¡±


    He Yiming was standing beside him.


    Su Pei stood up slowly. He wobbled slightly, and He Yiming quickly reached out to support him so he could stay upright. Su Pei grabbed He Yiming¡¯s arm and murmured, ¡°You were too much with Fang Ziling just now. She¡¯s¡­ the heroine¡­ if things don¡¯t go well for her, it¡¯ll be even worse for the crew. You¡¯re handsome¡­ but still so cruel. Mr. Bai¡¯s right, you¡¯re a mean devil¡­ I didn¡¯t dare say this to your face before. Your heart¡¯s so cold and your mind¡¯s so closed-off¡­ you would¡¯ve definitely been angry if you¡¯d heard me say that before, right?¡±


    He Yiming sighed. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Su Pei, how much have you had to drink?¡±


    Su Pei mumbled, ¡°Not much.¡±


    He was not like other people, who turned red as a tomato after drinking too much. Even when drunk, he looked as pale and delicate as ever. Moreover, his expression became gentle and unfathomable, similar to that of people depicted in old paintings. His expressive eyebrows, his slender nose, his delicate lips. His expression melted into one of someone whose hopes had been unjustly dashed by many.


    To make matters worse, he lifted his gaze and locked eyes with He Yiming. Quietly, he murmured, ¡°¡­ We really haven¡¯t talked in a long time.¡±


    Had He Yiming not been aware of Su Pei¡¯s preferences, he would have thought the man was trying to seduce him. Unfortunately, he knew Su Pei¡¯s tastes too well, and had been burdened with this knowledge since the beginning.


    He Yiming grabbed his arm and tugged him forward. ¡°Where are you staying? I¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    Su Pei was pliant under his grip. He staggered forward, letting He Yiming steer him away. It was not easy, but on his part, He Yiming was doing his level best to keep them from sprawling out on the floor while also desperately trying to keep some distance between them. He did not think he could handle having Su Pei¡¯s head rest on his shoulder.


    As they both stumbled along, Xiao Yan soon found them.


    ¡°Mr. Su!¡± Xiao Yan hurried to steady Su Pei, who was swaying like a tree.


    As soon as Su Pei saw the familiar face of his assistant, he smiled. ¡°Xiao Yan, you¡­ were also here?¡±


    Since Xiao Yan was just an assistant, she had not had the privilege of eating at the same table as the big bosses. Instead, she had eaten dinner next door with the other assistants, drivers, and crew staff. She had noticed that the meal in the other room had ended, and seen the director leave with Fang Ziling. However, when Su Pei had not emerged, she had gone looking for him.


    Xiao Yan grabbed Su Pei¡¯s arm, looking at the tall man beside him. ¡°Thank you, sir. Please, allow me, I¡¯ll take Mr. Su¡ª¡±


    She stammered to a halt in the middle of her words.


    The man standing in front of her was none other than He Yiming. He was young, tall, handsome, and a billionaire to boot. Needless to say, he met all her standards for a boyfriend perfectly. However, right at that moment, He Yiming¡¯s aura seemed to be exerting an invisible pressure on her, like a brewing storm. Though she could not quite put a finger on why, her instincts were all screaming at her to be careful with her wording.


    ¡°The driver and I will escort Mr. Su back.¡± She said politely.


    He Yiming¡¯s eyes swept over the hand she was using to hold Su Pei¡¯s arm. ¡°Su Pei and I are going to catch up tonight. We¡¯ll be staying up late. Go back first.¡±


    Xiao Yan knew that Su Pei had been rushing to finish the script until the early hours, then woken up before dawn to deliver the new version to the set. Afterwards, he had worked all day, and had even drunk so much wine during dinner that he looked just about ready to fall asleep on the spot. Stay up late? What was the big idea?


    Hesitant, Xiao Yan asked Su Pei, ¡°Mr Su, are you sure about this? We have to be on set tomorrow morning.¡±


    Su Pei did not seem to hear her words. He smiled dopily at He Yiming. ¡°Xiao He, everyone¡¯s already left. Let¡¯s go get a drink¡­¡±


    He Yiming whisked Su Pei away without another word. Bewildered, Xiao Yan could only watch their vanishing backs.


    Su Pei felt that he was being dragged away. He was not too sure. He was in a relaxed mood at the moment, and did not feel the need to find out what exactly was going on. However, soon enough, he found that they seemed to have entered an elevator. The smooth mirrors in the elevator threw him for a loop for a moment¡ªthere seemed to be several He Yimings around him in the quiet space.


    Su Pei pressed himself against the wall. Before long, he began slipping down slowly. He Yiming, alarmed by the motion, quickly grabbed hold of him with his strong hands, lifting him back up so that he would not collapse on the ground.


    Once they exited the elevator, He Yiming took Su Pei to his hotel room. Almost immediately, Su Pei headed straight for the sofa and flopped onto it. Shaking his head, He Yiming turned away to take off his coat. Though it took a mere few seconds, by the time he turned back around, Su Pei was already asleep.


    He Yiming shook Su Pei by the collar. ¡°Su Pei!¡±


    Su Pei¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but he said nothing. He Yiming let go with a sigh, and Su Pei melted back onto the sofa.


    The author has something to say: Su Pei is a soft straight man.


    He Yiming is a tough GAY5The word ¡°GAY¡± was written like this in the original text (in English and all caps).

 CH 3

    Su Pei woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty. He reached out a hand to grope blindly in the darkness, soon grabbing hold of a bottle of mineral water.


    Su Pei found himself much more awake after downing half the bottle¡¯s contents, and he discovered that he was lying on an unfamiliar sofa. It was surprisingly comfortable, and someone had even covered him with a blanket. He had sort of expected to find himself lying on the floor after waking up from his drunken stupor. This was much better.


    He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The hotel room he was in was definitely not his own. It was far too luxurious.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± A voice came from his side.


    Su Pei slowly turned his head, only to catch sight of He Yiming. The man was sitting in an armchair located in the corner of the room. He had a notebook on his leg.


    Su Pei still felt dizzy, as if he were on a boat in turbulent waters. He was not even sure whether he was truly awake, or still dreaming.


    Su Pei rubbed his face with a hand, groaning weakly.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He paused. Then, uncertainly, he asked, ¡°What am I doing here?¡±


    He Yiming said, ¡°You grabbed me and wouldn¡¯t let go, saying you wanted to talk with me and whatnot. I had no choice but to take you to my room.¡±


    Despite himself, Su Pei smiled. That sounded just like him. He should have seen it coming.


    Su Pei shifted onto his side so that he could see He Yiming¡¯s face more comfortably. The setting was familiar. It was as if they had been transported back to college; the drama club¡¯s rehearsal would end late, so they would crash in the rehearsal room for the night and chat until dawn.


    Back then, he and He Yiming had not needed to be careful around each other. They had not had to avoid discussing any topics. They had talked to each other about anything and everything, happily chatting through the night in hushed tones.


    ¡°I saw that private museum you started recently on the Internet. The remote virtual experience system is great,¡± Su Pei said. His words spilled out unfiltered because he was still somewhat drunk.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t develop it,¡± He Yiming said. ¡°I just paid for it.¡±


    Su Pei frowned. ¡°Well, you were right to sponsor it.¡±


    ¡°I have a very clear assessment of my work,¡± He Yiming said with a smile. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Su Pei carefully pulled the blanket onto his body. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still just working with the cast and crew. We estimate that there are still over two months left before we can wrap the shoot. This drama has a good cast, and there¡¯s a large investment in it¡­¡±


    He Yiming¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Su Pei added, ¡°To tell you the truth, Fang Ziling may look difficult to work with, but the actor playing the male lead is far more troublesome. If there are more than thirty words in a line, his brain will crash. We¡¯ve been re-shooting all day because of that. Honestly, Fang Ziling is actually good at acting. I¡¯ve also learned a lot from this show. I¡¯ll have an easier time if I decide to write an espionage movie in the future.¡±


    He Yiming had no interest in his screenwriting experience.


    ¡°How¡¯s your novel going?¡± He asked.


    Su Pei¡¯s voice suddenly faltered. ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± he deflected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± He Yiming said frankly. ¡°Two years ago, you told me that you were writing a novel about the medical system and the complexity of doctor-patient relationships, with a doctor as the main character. Haven¡¯t you finished it yet?¡±


    Su Pei stressed again, ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    He Yiming¡¯s tone was icy when he next spoke. ¡°How much have you written then? Have you finished the first draft? Wrote a hundred thousand words? Fifty thousand words? You¡¯ve been wasting your time writing a script with that garbage crew. Do you still have the energy to write novels?¡±


    Su Pei¡¯s pale face flushed. He could even feel his shoulders trembling slightly. The last time he and He Yiming had quarreled, it had been over his screenwriting career. He had thought that He Yiming would change his attitude this time, but he was still trying to pick a fight over it.


    ¡°Your good friend Bai Wenchen invested in this show.¡± Su Pei¡¯s tone had also turned remarkably cooler by this point. ¡°How can you still have the guts to say that it has a garbage crew?¡±


    He Yiming shut his mouth, pursing his lips.


    However, Su Pei could hear He Yiming¡¯s voice in his head as if he were still talking out loud. He Yiming¡¯s aura was so strong that it was like a physical presence. On top of that, his falcon-like eyes framed by his thick eyebrows, were far too expressive. They conveyed exactly what He Yiming was thinking even if he did not say a word.


    Su Pei often felt that He Yiming possessed more natural charisma than most actors.


    Finally, he snapped. Raising his voice, he said, ¡°This is my job! You don¡¯t know how much pressure I¡¯m under!¡±


    He Yiming retorted, ¡°What¡¯s the point? Is the play you are writing now your own? These days, all you do is write for others. How is that different from ghostwriting? You don¡¯t even want to read it again once you¡¯re done with it.¡±


    He kept his volume low, but it was the dead of night, and his voice rang out clearly in the quiet room. Every word hammered into Su Pei¡¯s ears.


    Su Pei felt a burst of sadness as more memories flooded into his mind. Every word they threw at each other was almost the same as their last quarrel. They always came back to this. The feeling of running around in circles was as exhausting as it was heart-breaking.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t deserve to be your friend anymore,¡± he murmured.


    He slowly got up from the sofa.


    Caught off-guard, He Yiming asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Su Pei said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    The way He Yiming had looked at him just now had been unbearable. Su Pei could not stand it for another second. There was no reason why he had to remain here and put up with the other¡¯s disappointed and judgemental looks.


    However, the alcohol hindered his actions. He still felt dizzy, and getting up was a struggle for him. To make matters worse, his fingers were trembling from the intensity of his emotions. To top it all off, he had no idea where his shoes were. He kicked aside the hotel slippers with a frustrated grunt.


    He Yiming hurried to his side. He looked down at him. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, Su Pei!¡±


    Su Pei shook his head and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not drunk¡­ He Yiming, you have no idea what¡¯s been going on with me for a few years now. You have no right to say that my work is meaningless¡­ meaningless¡­¡±


    He was still woozy, and did not realize that he had repeated that last word. Though he wanted nothing more than to get out, he did not have the strength to stand up and leave. He felt like he was trapped in a cruel dream.


    As Su Pei stood in front of him, He Yiming ran his eyes over him. His lips were pale, almost bloodless. He had a slender build, and his shoulders were rail-thin. He looked like a ghost wandering at night. He was still shaking slightly, though He Yiming could not tell if it was due to his anger or the alcohol.


    He Yiming would only need one hand. He could press Su Pei down on the couch¡­


    But what was the point? Su Pei was drunk and confused. His voice was barely a whisper.


    This was exactly why the devil on He Yiming¡¯s shoulder dared to shout rather than whisper its evil thoughts. Su Pei¡¯s vulnerable state and delicate looks were like a siren song to He Yiming.


    Su Pei was still playing hide and seek with his shoes. He Yiming finally could not stand to watch any longer. He stepped forward and pushed at Su Pei until he stumbled back down onto the sofa.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Don¡¯t go anywhere, just sleep here.¡±


    His tone left no room for argument.


    However, Su Pei suddenly pushed He Yiming away, before squeezing his hand.


    He Yiming yanked his hand back like he had received an electric shock. The suddenness of the contact stunned him into silence. He dared not touch Su Pei again.


    It seemed like the dam had finally broken. The words began pouring from Su Pei¡¯s mouth. ¡°I have a mortgage on my back, but my home isn¡¯t in a school district1School district houses are houses within a school district in China that allow students free admission to the nearest school. Students who take advantage of school district houses can enter the nearest school without exams. (source) A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. (source), so Little Cookie couldn¡¯t get into a good public school. My divorce with Shen Lan caused her performance in the entrance exams to suffer, so I had no choice but to send her to a private school. Every month, I have to pay for the mortgage and Little Cookie¡¯s school. How am I supposed to afford all the extracurricular activities? Dance classes and swimming lessons are the most basic ones. My mom also helps me take care of Little Cookie, so I have to give her some money every month, right? I wish that all these problems would just disappear, but it¡¯s just not that simple¡­¡±


    Tears slipped down his face, but he did not feel them. He was so distraught that he seemed to have forgotten that He Yiming was still standing in front of him.


    Finally, He Yiming broke the silence. His voice was soft. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t criticize your work anymore. Keep on being a screenwriter and work with whatever crew you want. I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    He brushed Su Pei¡¯s cheeks with the back of his hand, gently wiping away his tears. He guided Su Pei into a lying position again. ¡°¡­ Sleep now. Have a good rest.¡±


    After getting all his worries off his chest, the storm raging inside Su Pei had finally subsided. He closed his eyes and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ mock me¡­¡±


    In a low voice, He Yiming coaxed, ¡°I never have.¡±


    Su Pei closed his eyes, rolling over on the sofa. He let out a groan. ¡°He Yiming¡­¡±


    He Yiming immediately straightened and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Su Pei murmured, ¡°The sofa¡¯s too soft¡­ I can¡¯t sleep well¡­ It makes my back hurt¡­¡±


    For a moment, He Yiming was quiet once more. He had almost forgotten how picky Su Pei could be about the environment he was in. They used to travel together back then, and Su Pei had always had to buy a Soft Sleeper ticket even if it was just a five-hour train ride2In China, some trains have Soft Sleeper class. The compartment is more spacious, the berth is wider and longer, and the compartment has a door that separates it from the aisle and provides a quiet and private room for the passengers inside. (source).


    Such a person was now suffering in the Secrets of Rongcheng crew.


    The next morning, Su Pei woke up with a headache. He was not a good drinker in the slightest. Although he had just woken up, his body felt like it was made of lead. He noticed that he was in a double bed, and that prompted him to try and slowly work through his memories from the previous evening. His memory had become kind of spotty midway through dinner.


    He was still thinking hard when He Yiming emerged from the bathroom.


    He Yiming glanced at him and said, ¡°Finally awake? I¡¯ve already been to the gym.¡±


    He toweled himself off and changed into his clothes.


    Su Pei could not help but peek at He Yiming¡¯s body. He felt that He Yiming¡¯s muscles were even more impressive than when they had been in college. The visual impact of a man who had grown older looking even more fit than in his youthful years made Su Pei sober up in an instant.


    However, Su Pei did not have long to dwell on it, because he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to go to the set that day. He launched himself out of bed and began getting ready to leave. He asked He Yiming, ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    He Yiming said, ¡°My plane¡¯s in two hours.¡±


    Su Pei felt a pang of regret. ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet again next time.¡±


    He was in a better mood now. Yao Zhicheng had been right after all. Su Pei had blown the estrangement between him and He Yiming out of proportion. As long as they talked it through face-to-face, there was no obstacle they could not overcome.


    He Yiming offered him a wry smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯ll say more things that you don¡¯t want to hear?¡±


    Su Pei said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we waste last night? Let¡¯s catch up properly next time.¡±


    He had the feeling that he and He Yiming had discussed something last night. However, Su Pei was not too worried about it, because he knew that he had the tendency to run his mouth when he was drunk, so he wasn¡¯t too worried. It had probably just been some inane drunk talk.


    He Yiming had already put on his shirt and trousers, and was now fastening his belt. Hearing Su Pei say this, he suddenly felt slightly at a loss. He had simply helped Su Pei into bed the previous night.


    ¡°Okay,¡± He Yiming said eventually. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again next time. Don¡¯t leave it too long, though.¡±


    Once they made the agreement, a sense of ease washed over them.


    A while later, Su Pei arrived at the filming site. He quickly noticed that the director¡¯s attitude toward him had changed somewhat. In addition, he found more than one person coming up to him to ask, ¡°Mr. Su, why didn¡¯t you say that He Yiming was your junior?¡±


    Unfortunately, this light-hearted mood did not last long. The whole crew soon grew busy again. This was because their heroine, Fang Ziling, had suddenly caught a ¡°fever¡±. As a result, they had to delay filming for three days, causing further disruptions to the shooting schedule. They decided to focus on filming other people¡¯s scenes while she recovered. The male protagonist also took the opportunity to ask for another script revision.


    In actuality, everyone in the crew knew that the ¡°fever¡± was just an excuse. Fang Ziling had not actually fallen sick, and her driver had even been spotted taking her out of her hotel earlier that morning. She had taken three days off because she was actually going on a trip with Bai Wenchen.


    As soon as Su Pei arrived on set, he was dragged into an emergency meeting. After they revised a few scenes, Su Pei went to take a rest.


    Xiao Yan brought him lunch and immediately began gossiping, ¡°Fang Ziling doesn¡¯t have a fever at all. She¡¯s in good health!¡±


    Su Pei remembered how Fang Ziling and Bai Wenchen had been all over each other the previous evening. He was not very surprised by this development. What took him by surprise was Fang Ziling¡¯s behavior. He had originally thought that she would be more professional.


    Xiao Yan continued gossiping. This time, however, the topic involved Su Pei himself. ¡°Mr. Su, you never mentioned that you and He Yiming went to college together! You¡¯ve even been good friends all along!¡±


    Su Pei did not want others to think that he had deliberately grown close to He Yiming for personal benefit. He shrugged. ¡°We got along when we were in school, but we talked a lot less after graduation.¡±


    Xiao Yan smiled slyly. ¡°But you looked very familiar with each other. Yesterday, you went out for drinks to catch up. He even helped you with Fang Ziling.¡±


    Su Pei was startled. ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    He remembered that Xiao Yan had not been at their table during dinner.


    The author has something to say:


    Today is the natural lure of Mr. Su.


    And Mr. He, who struggles against evil thoughts!

 CH 4

    Su Pei had underestimated the speed at which gossip spread. The crew could not keep their mouths shut at all.


    The moment one person who had been at the table the previous evening mentioned what had happened, it did not take long for the rest of the crew to find out. Su Pei could hear them whispering amongst themselves, accusing He Yiming of having called Fang Ziling illiterate and how she had been mocked as not having read a single book in her life.


    Now that Su Pei was sober, he began to think that the situation had not been as amusing as he had thought.


    Xiao Yan said, ¡°I still think it¡¯s funny. Didn¡¯t Fang Ziling boast about her love for reading before, claiming that she was knowledgeable about literature? Turns out she could not even name three Chinese writers when she ended up on a game reality show some time ago. She set herself up for a fall a long time ago. He Yiming just called her bluff in front of everyone, which is great for you.¡±


    Su Pei privately thought that he did not need He Yiming to look after him. However, he could not say this to Xiao Yan.


    He just warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t post about this online; you¡¯ll get in trouble.¡±


    He knew that Xiao Yan had a personal account where she posted about fashion topics, shared memes, and made vague comments related to the crew. She was very dedicated to her social media presence. Her content was fresh and fun, and she had recently begun to attract a greater following.


    Xiao Yan hurriedly assured him, ¡°Mr. Su, I still have a sense of propriety. You worry too much.¡±


    She also tried to prod him for more details about his relationship with He Yiming. However, Su Pei, was reluctant to reminisce in front of a young woman and risk sounding like an old man missing the good old times. He merely gave her a vague answer and moved on to other topics.


    The truth was that there were some coincidences he could not talk about without sounding boastful. As a result, Su Pei hardly ever brought up certain things about his past.


    He also knew the truth within that truth¡ªback in college, Su Pei had been the first one to believe beyond doubt that He Yiming would accomplish something wonderful and become someone of great eminence. Su Pei had seen him for his incredible potential, even before anyone else had.


    Back then, He Yiming¡¯s father had gone bankrupt, his mother had taken ill, and his relationship with his parents had been tense. He had been on the verge of dropping out, and spent his waking hours wandering around campus. He would idle away time in the drama club, reeling girls in with a gentlemanly veneer only to drive them away the next second.


    At that time, everyone¡ªteachers, classmates, and members of the drama club¡ªhad regarded He Yiming as nothing more than a cynical freak. No one had been optimistic about him, yet Su Pei alone had insisted that He Yiming was the smartest and most talented person he had ever met.


    He remembered that He Yiming had been quiet, more a shadow than a person when he had first attended the drama club. He had sat in a corner from beginning to end, just watching their rehearsal in silence. However, the first time they had talked, which had been after their rehearsal had ended, Su Pei had immediately realized that every one of He Yiming¡¯s suggestions had been accurate.


    Sometimes, Su Pei would feel that he cared so much about his friendship with He Yiming that he saw no way of letting go. One of the reasons was that he had been the first to see He Yiming¡¯s true worth. He was the first to have discovered the diamond in the rough.


    Su Pei kept his mouth shut and did not mention his past with He Yiming. He was rarely strict with Xiao Yan, but this time his tone was stern as he told her, ¡°Focus on writing a good script, and stop focusing on gossip.¡±


    At the same time, on the highway leading to the airport, He Yiming was in his car. The chauffeur drove smoothly, making the trip a comfortable experience. The early winter scenery flew by outside the car window. The ground had already grown dry, and the tree branches brittle, as if they were just waiting for the first snow.


    As he watched the cold landscape flashing past, He Yiming remembered something from a long time ago. During the winter of The Other Side of Time¡¯s publication, he had gone on a road trip with Su Pei for the first time. They had driven to a remote place where, contrary to expectations, there had been no quaint village entrance or charming hidden shops in sight. Needless to say, they had ended up arguing on the side of the road.


    Anger had eventually given way to hunger, and so they had sat on the grass for a makeshift picnic, opposite a large wheat field that had been harvested. The outlines of the distant mountains had gradually blurred into the deepening twilight.


    They had packed roast chicken, bread, and apples to eat. The magic of a full stomach had convinced them to stop bickering, and they had had a good chat.


    All of a sudden, Su Pei had said, ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡±


    He Yiming had blurted out, ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Su Pei had smiled at him. ¡°Do you need to ask why?¡±


    He Yiming repressed the thought. He did not want to remember anything more. He had thought that, as time passed, the memory would fade away and, eventually, there would be no trace of it left in him. Unfortunately, he had been wrong. Even right now, the memory of that place and Su Pei¡¯s voice at that time was still so fresh. It was like a wound that had never stopped bleeding.


    Every time he sunk back into the memory, he could only try to crawl out of it.


    At this thought, He Yiming turned on his phone and sent a message to Yao Zhicheng. [I went to see Su Pei. He¡¯s lost some weight but is in good spirits. Everyone in the crew likes him.]


    Three days later, Fang Ziling returned after recovering from her so-called fever.


    She was carrying several large boxes full of coats, trench coats, skirts, jackets, boots, and high heels; along with all kinds of dazzling accessories such as scarves, hats, and sunglasses. There were also many small souvenirs. It took her assistant a while to move everything into her hotel room.


    While this loot had been expected, Fang Ziling had brought one more thing that caught everyone off-guard: a book.


    It was clear that Fang Ziling had taken He Yiming¡¯s mockery to heart. She had asked her assistant to fill her vintage Louis Vuitton suitcase with a boxload of books and leave it in her trailer car.


    Upon her return, Fang Ziling always kept a book at hand whenever she was in between scenes, and this would usually be a novel by Keigo Higashino1Keigo Higashino is a prolific and successful Japanese author chiefly known for his mystery novels, many of which have won prizes and been turned into films and TV series. Some of his notable works are: Naoko, The Devotion of Suspect X, and Miracles of the Namiya General Store. (source). However, she would just flip through the novel for five minutes before asking her assistant to take a few pictures of her. Afterwards, the book would quickly turn into a phone pad.


    Thanks to this strategy, no one dared to say anything in front of Fang Ziling. In addition, Fang Ziling had distributed little gifts among the staff members. Even Xiao Yan had stopped gossiping for a few days after accepting one. She had gone as far as to post a photo on her social media with the description, [Ms. Ziling gave our crew a small gift. She¡¯s so sweet. Much love!]


    On top of everything else, Fang Ziling¡¯s attitude toward Su Pei was much better than before. Su Pei did not know what Bai Wenchen had said to her, but she no longer interfered with Su Pei¡¯s work.


    Su Pei knew all too well that this was because of He Yiming¡¯s influence.


    It was not just Fang Ziling who had changed. The director had also become polite to Su Pei.


    On this particular day of filming, they were supposed to shoot a dance party. In it, there would be a scene where the heroine became drunk. Fang Ziling drank a small glass of white wine before filming so that the slight tingling in her limbs would help her performance be more realistic. In the early winter evening, a soft blush bloomed on her cheeks.


    During break time, Fang Ziling and Su Pei had the opportunity to chat. It was the first time they had talked one-on-one since the day of the dinner party.


    ¡°How do you think I just acted?¡± Fang Ziling asked with a smile. She was wrapped in a down jacket, revealing only the hem of her gorgeous dress.


    Su Pei said truthfully, ¡°You were great. You acted just the way I intended Ms. Wen Li to be.¡±


    Fang Ziling chuckled and said, ¡°I hope that you don¡¯t think I¡¯m arrogant. I just can act much better than him!¡± She was referring to the male protagonist with no acting skills, but plenty of powerful sponsors.


    A short distance away, the assistant director was waving his arms and gesturing at said male protagonist.


    Su Pei said, ¡°I think the director would agree with you.¡±


    Fang Ziling opened a delicate metal cigarette box and handed a stick to Su Pei. They smoked together.


    She asked casually, ¡°You and He Yiming have known each other for so long. Have you ever thought about working with him?¡±


    Su Pei was not surprised when the topic turned to He Yiming. Still, he continued to practice tai chi.2Tai chi is an internal (spiritual/mental) Chinese martial art which focuses on self-defense. When it comes to movement, tai chi is the practice of appropriate change in response to outside forces, of yielding to and redirecting an attack rather than meeting it with opposing force. (source) So, in other words, Su Pei is deflecting here. Smiling neutrally, he said, ¡°He and I are in different leagues.¡±


    He had been a screenwriter for three years, but he knew better than to brag.


    Fang Ziling felt that he was merely acting humble. She beamed at him and said, ¡°Maybe he will invest in film and television? I¡¯ve recently heard that there¡¯s been talk of making a biopic of him.¡±


    It was Su Pei¡¯s first time hearing about this. He Yiming had not even turned thirty years old yet, but he was already slated to have a biopic made of him. Su Pei would have never expected such a turn of events.


    Thinking about Fang Ziling¡¯s other comment, Su Pei remembered that He Yiming had mentioned something of the sort. He had said that Bai Wenchen had been trying to get him to invest in movies.


    He joked, ¡°If they made a biopic of He Yiming, what role would you like to play?¡±


    The question put Fang Ziling in a difficult position. This was because He Yiming¡¯s story did not have a heroine. Although he had had many entanglements throughout the years, no one could say he had ever found his true love.


    Fang Ziling asked, ¡°Well, didn¡¯t He Yiming have a first love that broke his heart when he was in college?¡±


    Su Pei said, ¡°No. He was the one always breaking girls¡¯ hearts instead.¡±


    He took one final puff of his cigarette. Fang Ziling handed him another one. It was a slender, feminine cigarette that would usually look misplaced in a man¡¯s hand, but it did not look out-of-place in the slightest when Su Pei held it between his fingers. The smoke he exhaled swirled up and became tinted gold by the light above them, turning into a sort of halo that framed his face. He looked softer like this, less haggard.


    Fang Ziling suddenly realized that it was her first time standing so close to him. She looked at the screenwriter¡¯s face carefully. His complexion was snow-white, and he looked pristine. Her previous impression of him had been one of frailty, but she could see now that the shape of his eyebrows evoked a gentle sort of fortitude.


    Maybe he was also a storyteller.3In this context, being a storyteller (a novelist) would be more prestigious than being a screenwriter. I think the connotation is ¡°someone who tells the stories they want¡± vs ¡°someone who tells the stories they¡¯re told¡±. Fang Ziling got lost in thought for a moment.


    Su Pei looked at her and said, ¡°Maybe you can play an original character.¡±


    He was still joking, and his tone was light and casual.


    Fang Ziling averted her eyes for a moment. Her lips curved up. ¡°Really? But He Yiming definitely won¡¯t like it if I play his love interest, right?¡±


    Su Pei chuckled.


    Fang Ziling suddenly said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that The Other Side of Time was written by you, Mr. Su. I didn¡¯t realize that the author called Su Pei was you.¡±


    Su Pei had not expected Fang Ziling to mention that. Moreover, her tone seemed to be insinuating something else.


    ¡°Have you heard of the novel before?¡±


    Fang Ziling said, ¡°I have, actually! I was rooming with a friend back then, and she gave me this novel one day. She told me that the heroine was a lot like me: beautiful, proud, and very independent¡­ I finished it in a week. Afterwards, I kept wondering if the author knew me¡­¡± She trailed off and smiled.


    Su Pei just continued smoking slowly. Fang Ziling scrutinized him. His calm expression remained unchanged, and he did not seem to be flattered by the compliment. Although he was smiling, his eyes were still filled with tired indifference.


    She held back her laughter and asked, ¡°When you were in college, did you also often make girls sad like He Yiming?¡±


    Su Pei gave a rueful smile and said, ¡°No. I¡¯m different from He Yiming.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. You guys are the same. I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? How?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re handsome and talented. Many people used to like you in college, right?¡±


    Su Pei said, ¡°I only had one girlfriend in college, and we got married after graduation.¡±


    Fang Ziling¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Su Pei hurried to clarify, ¡°We¡¯ve already divorced.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Fang Ziling blurted out.


    Su Pei said, ¡°We were too young when we got married. There were too many things in our future that we didn¡¯t take into consideration back then.¡±


    He sank into brief contemplation about his and Shen Lan¡¯s problems.


    In the end, it could only be summed up in that one sentence.


    After finishing her cigarette, Fang Ziling fixed her make-up and declared that she was ready to continue shooting. She took off her down jacket, revealing her elegant dress.


    ¡°Mr. Su, it would¡¯ve been nice if we had chatted earlier.¡±


    Fang Ziling turned her head and smiled at Su Pei.


    The author has something to say:


    He Yiming: Su Pei! You are the heroine of my biopic!