Holding a paper bag, Chu Yan stepped into the elevator, walked through the corridor, and took out his keys, preparing to open the door. However, due to a careless mistake, the keys slipped from his hand with a clatter on the floor. As he bent down to pick them up, he raised his head and was stunned upon seeing the person in front of him.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Xu Linshen had a faint smile in his eyes when he saw Chu Yan. However, the smile gradually faded when he met Chu Yan’s cold and distant gaze.
Even with the corridor’s dim and cold lighting, Xu Linshen could still perceive that Chu Yan had stiffened upon seeing him. Under a well-fitting shirt of excellent quality, Chu Yan’s body appeared much thinner.
Compared to their last encounter, he seemed to have lost even more weight. In these past days, he had called and messaged Chu Yan, but Chu Yan had ignored him as if he had truly made up his mind to cut off all contact with him.
Despite being aware of the misunderstandings between them, Chu Yan seemed to have already concluded from the depths of his heart that no matter what he said or did, Chu Yan didn’t care at all.
But now, it doesn’t seem to be the case. Over these days, Chu Yan appeared to be struggling, losing weight and growing more exhausted at a visible pace.
It was as if he were enduring more torment and suffering than Xu Linshen himself…
A tender expression flickered in Xu Linshen’s eyes, but as he looked at Chu Yan, he didn’t know how to explain. How could something like this be proven? It’s not something you can measure on a scale or with a ruler. It’s not something that can be made clear with just a glance.
Chu Yan stood still for a moment, his hand by his side clenching involuntarily. After waiting for a while without any response from Xu Linshen, he slowly released his grip and opened the door without a word.
Xu Linshen followed him, reaching out and grabbing his wrist, saying with concern, “Chu Yan, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chu Yan halted in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the hand holding his wrist. He raised his eyes to look at Xu Linshen for a moment, his expression difficult to decipher, before coldly chuckling and asking, “Waiting for me?”
Seeing that he didn’t pull away this time, Xu Linshen felt a slight sense of relief. “Yes, I have something to tell you.”
At this point, he paused for a moment, realizing the other was silent. After hesitating briefly, he continued, “As for Le Huo, nothing happened between us, and it’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking.”
Chu Yan seemed somewhat distracted after hearing his words, then chuckled mockingly and lightly pushed away the hand that was still on his wrist. “So what? Just as Mr. Xu said before, what’s our relationship now? Mr. Xu doesn’t owe me anything, and I don’t owe you anything either. So you don’t need to explain anything to me.”
His demeanor returned to cold indifference, and Xu Linshen’s heart sank further. His limbs also grew colder.
No more self-deception. Even without this misunderstanding, what did it matter? What weighed on Chu Yan’s mind was merely his unwillingness to let others trample on his pride and self-esteem. If Chu Yan didn’t care, then his explanation held no significance to him—certainly not as much as Xu Linshen had hoped.
Agonizing emotions entwined in Xu Linshen’s eyes as he gritted his teeth and coldly laughed, “Do you… truly believe that you don’t owe me anything?”
His tone grew cold and repressed, as if there was an almost uncontrollable pain that was about to overflow, “Zhong Yu, turn around and look at me again.”
Chu Yan stiffened for a moment, then turned around, bending slightly and placing his hands on both sides of Xu Linshen’s wheelchair. He tried to force a smile at the corner of his mouth but failed. Within moments, a faint reddish hue appeared in his eyes, “Do you… always feel like I owe you something?”
His hands gripping the sides of the wheelchair trembled from the force, his knuckles showing white with tension, “Yes, you did help me a lot. But… who cares that you helped, who cares…”
Xu Linshen stared directly into his eyes, frozen like a statue. His chest heaved a couple of times, as if something had lodged itself in his throat, and eventually he chuckled out of frustration, “You say you don’t care?”
Perhaps realizing that his emotions were getting out of control, Chu Yan straightened his back and turned away, refusing to say anything more, ready to leave.
Xu Linshen’s eyes reddened, his emotions roiling in his chest. He didn’t know to what extent Chu Yan could be cold and ruthless.
Did he really say he didn’t care?
Before he could push the door open and step inside, Xu Linshen reached out and grabbed him. To his surprise, there was almost no resistance this time. In the next moment, Chu Yan, due to Xu Linshen’s pull, fell back softly and collapsed.
—
When Chu Yan woke up again, it was already the next morning. The heavy curtains covered the room completely, blocking out all the light. He turned his head and indeed found Xu Linshen sitting by his bedside.
Chu Yan sighed comfortably, [I haven’t slept this well in a long time. Maybe I should consider changing careers.]
[My host, that’s something you can decide for yourself. No matter what, I’ll support you.]
Seeing that he was awake, Xu Linshen pulled open the curtains, and bright sunlight instantly flooded the entire room.
Pushing his wheelchair over, Xu Linshen’s gaze fell on Chu Yan’s pale and colorless face for a while. Then, with a complex expression, he said, “The doctor said it’s hypoglycemia.”
He wanted to ask, “What’s been going on with you lately? How did you end up with hypoglycemia? Is it because of your busy work schedule or something else?”
Hearing the voice, Chu Yan looked at the person beside him and then turned his head away without saying anything.
Xu Linshen’s expression dimmed, a difficult-to-describe bitterness spreading within him. However, his voice remained devoid of any fluctuations or ripples. Instead, it inexplicably carried a hint of detachment in the quiet room, “Your manager called just now and asked you to rest properly.”
The hospital room fell into silence. It seemed that Chu Yan had lost any intention of speaking, treating Xu Linshen as if he were invisible.
Seeing that he still didn’t respond, Xu Linshen suddenly smiled, “Zhong Yu, I suddenly want to know, someone like you, besides yourself, what else can you actually care about?”
After saying those words, Xu Linshen didn’t linger. He glanced at him and then left. Before long, a nurse brought breakfast.
In the afternoon, Fang Dingyao came over. When she saw his complexion, she looked concerned and said, “You shouldn’t be too stressed. Maybe you should rest for a while. ‘Thunderstruck’ has had a good start. It’s a good time for you to think about your future path. Although the company has given you a certain positioning, it’s also great if you have other ideas.”
She smiled and continued, “Director Zhao called me yesterday, saying that he’s having a birthday party soon. He asked if you have time. It seems he has quite a favorable impression of you.”
Since the premiere of “Thunderstruck” the plot had been developing well. The summer vacation was just halfway through, and major TV stations were launching their flagship shows for the season. Generally, during this summer period, due to the audience demographics, historical, fantasy, and urban emotional genres were the most popular. For a drama like “Thunderstruck,” with a deeper and more intense theme, although its word of mouth might be decent, maintaining high viewership was a challenge.
Director Zhao’s previous two phenomenally successful works were also both urban emotional dramas, without exception.
However, the initially average-rated and moderately-received “Thunderstruck” unexpectedly started to surge in popularity when it was nearly halfway through its airing. It broke out of the competition of the summer season, becoming the first TV drama on dual networks to surpass a viewership rating of 1 in a year that had seen lackluster viewership and lukewarm reception in the first half.
The drama’s real-time online streaming views also consistently held the top position for several days, finally achieving a minor surge in popularity.
What was most surprising was that even before the drama gained widespread popularity, the breakout star was unexpectedly the supporting actor, who had a relatively minor role in the plot.
Young Master Su’s character setup in the early stages was quite unlikable; he was often seen mingling with a group of rowdy friends, drinking, and indulging in frivolous activities. Moreover, he displayed shallowness and cowardice. However, the uniqueness of this character lay in his seemingly genuine and enigmatic honesty, despite his numerous flaws.
Currently, the drama is still in this stage of airing, but the level of discussion about this character is unimaginably high. Internet users are extremely creative, and while passionately discussing the plot, they have also ignited a trend of imitating Su Er’s style on major forums and Weibo!
—Su Er is truly hilarious. I used to dislike him in the first few episodes, but now, I can’t help but burst into laughter whenever he appears. The way Zhong Yu portrays him is just too spot-on! I thought he might ruin the show, but surprisingly, he’s not at all! Director Zhao really knows how to guide actors. Zhong Yu finally chose the right script this time!
—His acting skills must have skyrocketed. Can’t decide if we should say Zhong Yu didn’t put in effort before, or if he suddenly had an epiphany? He had this level of skill all along, and combined with those good resources he had earlier, he probably would have risen to stardom much earlier.
However, the most immediate impact of the drama’s success was reflected in the multitude of job offers pouring in for Chu Yan. Despite attempts by Fang Dingyao to reduce his workload due to his health, he remained incredibly busy, with very little time for rest.
During this time, starting from that day onward, there was no sign of Xu Linshen. It seemed as if his heart had truly been wounded by Chu Yan’s attitude.
[Host, I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just agree when the male lead came to you seeking reconciliation? This way, the mission would have been completed right away, wouldn’t it?]
Straightening the buttons of his shirt, Chu Yan got out of the car, lifting his foot: [He asked me to reconcile, but deep down he still blames me. After all, the things I did, the harm I caused him—one reason alone is not enough.]
The night was heavy with darkness, melodic music wafted from a distance, and through the long corridor, the grand hall was illuminated with brilliant lights. Under the opulent lights above, elegantly dressed, handsome men and beautiful women mingled, while waitstaff moved about, making the party lively.
As the host of tonight’s banquet, Director Zhao was surrounded by a circle of people, with guests approaching him for toasts and conversations. Among them were many renowned directors and A-list actors from the film industry.
Not well-versed in the film circle, Chu Yan stood by the side near the pool, quietly observing the crowd at the center.
After a short while, a ripple of movement at the entrance of the hall drew everyone’s attention. Three individuals entered from the entrance.
Following his gaze, Chu Yan paused as he caught sight of the newcomers. He then took a glass of wine from a passing tray held by a waiter.
As the trio entered the venue, a group of people quickly surrounded them.
Given his familiarity with such occasions, Xu Linshen smoothly handled the situation. Following closely behind him, Ye Jingyun handed over a gift to a nearby waiter, then lowered his head to exchange a few words with Xu Linshen in hushed tones. Afterward, someone came over to guide them.
Whispers drifted around, with most speculating about the relationship between Ye Jingyun and Xu Linshen. Others mentioned that Director Li was also present today, and Ye Jingyun’s visit was probably related to discussions about their next project.
“I think it’s pretty much secured. Just look at his relationship with the CEO of Jiaxin… Truly fortunate…”
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