During the rehearsal, there was no stage design or lighting. Chen Fu wore her usual clothes and simply followed along with a melody on stage.
She hadn't been on stage for a long time, so it was inevitable that she would be excited when she got on. Even during rehearsals, Chen Fu sang with great care.
Perhaps due to excitement, Chen Fu's face was flushed as she stepped off the stage, and her forehead was covered with a fine layer of sweat. The stage had completely turned her into a child. Chen Fu smiled and hugged Lu Xiaomi's arm, asking her how she had performed.
Lu Xiaomi took out a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from Chen Fu's forehead.
"You sang very well."
Overjoyed at the praise, Chen Fu nestled obediently against Lu Xiaomi, her eyes and brows brimming with undisguised happiness.
Chen Fu sang this song many years ago. At that time, the group had just disbanded, and Chen Fu was in great distress. With just a few lines of singing, the fans in the audience were heartbroken.
“When you sang this song last time, the emotion was too sad, but today it’s not so sad. Instead, it sounds like there’s a sense of relief.”
Lu Xiaomi actually had a lot more to say, but the rest of her words were frozen before she could utter them. She knew that 0413 was warning her, so she gave a bitter smile and chose to remain silent.
The person in front of her stared intently at her, then suddenly extended a slender index finger and placed it in front of Lu Xiaomi's mouth as if to silencing her.
"secret."
Chen Fu said.
The fluttering sleeves revealed the scar, a gruesome mark left by fire, yet Chen Fu found it as beautiful as wings.
"Like this, it's a secret."
The warm palm covering her caused a ticklish sensation, and Lu Xiaomi's expression darkened. She softly hummed in agreement.
The constraints of system rules are now insignificant, because even without speaking, we already understand each other's meaning.
Under Lu Xiaomi's deep gaze, Chen Fu lowered her head and gently kissed her wound.
As if it were a genuine expression of emotion, Chen Fu's cheeks flushed crimson when she looked up.
...
"Congratulations, host, you have completed the 'Kissing the Scars of Deer Island' themed mission. Please claim your reward."
A cold voice came from Chen Fu's mind.
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Author's Note:
Regarding the plot point of Chen Fu possessing a spiritual sea, chapters five, six, eight, nine, eleven, thirteen, and eighteen of the book contain some changes. Those who want to understand can refer back to those chapters. If you don't want to go back, that's okay too; I'll explain everything in the next chapter.
Chapter 29 cp29
The sound made Chen Fu freeze in place.
She was so engrossed that she forgot that her expression of affection was actually a deception with ulterior motives.
This suddenly made her feel a wave of irony. Chen Fu felt incredibly hypocritical—ever since she woke up from that dream within a dream, 0505 had reappeared in her mind after a long absence, silently issuing her the next mission. The reward for this mission was still quite tempting, and after much deliberation, Chen Fu agreed.
Thinking back, every interaction between them was tinged with her deliberate attempts to please him. But as these attempts to please him increased, moments of genuine affection inevitably surfaced, and sometimes Chen Fu couldn't even understand her own feelings. However, one thing was certain: Lu Yu treated her with such sincerity and kindness, but this sincerity only earned her repeated scheming and teasing. Thinking this, Chen Fu couldn't help but feel a deep sense of guilt.
It's time to put an end to this.
Whether she liked him or not, loved him or not, Chen Fu couldn't fathom the mystery, but she understood that she needed a clear answer regarding Lu Yu. Just as Lu Yu had repeatedly faced his own feelings, Chen Fu also needed to confront her own.
After the rehearsal, most of the artists and staff had left. At Lu Yu's instruction, only the two of them remained in front of the stage, along with a dim, thin beam of light.
Lu Yu carried her onto the stage, and the scattered sequins settled on Chen Fu's palm.
Why...why are you so good to me?
The question almost slipped out, seemingly out of the blue, yet it had indeed puzzled Chen Fu for a long time. She placed her hands on Lu Yu's shoulders, her voice muffled. Would Lu Yu answer her because of love? But what was love, and what did Lu Yu love about her?
Lu Yu was five or six centimeters taller than Chen Fu, so even though Chen Fu was sitting on the stage, Lu Yu could reach out and touch the top of Chen Fu's head. Lu Yu gently ruffled the soft strands of hair in his palm, a gesture that was both comforting and coaxing.
She said that I don't need to be grateful for everything I've done for you; I'm just giving you back what you lost before.
What's lost...
Chen Fu pondered these five words carefully in her heart, but after thinking about them, she was completely at a loss.
She doesn't remember losing anything.
"The stage and the role should have belonged to you in the first place, but they were taken away by others before. I'm just returning them to you."
Lu Yu put her arm around Chen Fu's waist, looking at her with unwavering certainty. This certainty silenced Chen Fu, as if no one had ever spoken to her like this before. Compared to encouragement, she had clearly received far more criticism along the way. No one had told her what was inherently hers; even Mrs. Sun was always criticizing her. People in difficult situations need to give themselves positive affirmations, but being constantly blamed only leads to compromise. Chen Fu gradually began to doubt herself, wondering if she was truly useless, that her years of pursuing her dream had yielded no results.
But things are different now. Now someone has found and returned all the things that originally belonged to her. This person will gently stroke her hair and tell her that it wasn't her fault, that she had done a great job, and that many people thought she had done a great job.
How difficult it must be for someone to have such unwavering faith in you?
After a long silence from the person in front of her, Lu Xiaomi gently rubbed Chen Fu's cheek.
Chen Fu usually dislikes overly intimate gestures, but this time she unusually didn't dodge.
She lowered her head and gently rubbed her palm against Lu Yu's.
...
Shortly after filming wrapped, "Cultivation" was scheduled to air in February, catching the crowded Lunar New Year season. To promote the show, Xihe specially arranged for the entire "Cultivation" cast to appear on a well-known talk show.
During the interview, I ran into Jiang Qing again. The atmosphere in the studio was warm and cozy. The person in front of me was only wearing a turtleneck sweater and was nodding to the host with a proud expression.
A sense of detachment and indifference filled Jiang Qing's eyes. He looked much thinner than when they last met, his cheeks were sunken and hollow, and even the most exquisite makeup couldn't restore his good complexion.
"Sister Fu."
Xi He always spent lavishly on celebrities like Jiang Qing. After a large public relations expenditure, the video that had been posted online had long since disappeared without a trace. So the rumors didn't seem to have cost him anything. Jiang Qing remained the same, even more composed than when they first met. Because they were a couple in the drama, the two were arranged to sit on the same sofa. He remained calm and turned to greet Chen Fu very affectionately.
He glanced sideways as he spoke, his gaze unreadable, yet Chen Fu clearly sensed a chill in his smile.
Their entanglement was already an open secret, and neither of them had the inclination to feign anything upon meeting again after their encounter. Chen Fu was now almost certain that Jiang Qing was behind that accident. Jiang Qing, of course, also understood that Chen Fu was undoubtedly involved in his being taken to the storage room that day.
Actually, saying that would be unfair to Chen Fu. Jiang Qing's retribution was entirely orchestrated by Lu Xiaomi, who had Lu Xiaomi transform 0413 into human form and then lured the drunk Jiang Qing to the storage room, where six small fireworks had been set up beforehand. Jiang Qing, feeling guilty, was easily terrified by 0413's slight illusion.
A turbulent undercurrent swirled between the two, and Yan Shan, it was time to interrupt, plopped down between them.
The host laughed at him, saying it was unfair for him to sit between the couple, as it would break them up.
Yanshan then suddenly realized what was going on.
"So you two were a couple in the show."
His exaggerated tone drew laughter from the audience, quickly building the atmosphere to a climax. Yan Shan, too, laughed heartily amidst the crowd, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Chen Fu and Jiang Qing respectively, giving their shoulders a firm squeeze.
It means telling Chen Fu and Jiang Qing that no matter how much they dislike each other, they must not show it on their faces.
So the interview went smoothly, although the two seemed distant at times, thankfully no real argument occurred. However, the awkward atmosphere did affect the interview's progress. Near the end, the host made a dry, teasing remark, asking if Chen Fu and Jiang Qing had stopped contacting each other after filming, and why they were being so polite.
"Sister Fu and I didn't keep in touch much while filming."
These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly sending a chill down the host's spine.
Jiang Qing dabbed the sweat from his forehead with a tissue. He was in poor physical condition after recovering from a serious illness and could not sit for long. Even after just a short interview, he felt weak and sore all over.
"Sister Fu spends almost all her time with producers and investors, how could I possibly have time to get to know her?"
His eyes were like knives, sweeping lightly over Chen Fu.
These words were highly suggestive and could be easily misinterpreted into different intentions. Chen Fu remained expressionless; she simply tugged at the wrinkles in her skirt.
Yanshan quickly tried to smooth things over, laughing a few times as he pulled Jiang Qing aside.
"Oh, well, that's my fault. Chen Fu was chatting with the producer, and you, I spent half the time keeping you under control and giving you instructions. No wonder you two aren't very familiar with each other."
Yan Shan's tone was somewhat teasing, but upon closer listening, it revealed a gritted teeth and a stern tone.
It sounded like a warning, or perhaps an impatient scolding.
Jiang Qing snorted and temporarily suppressed the words that were on her mind.
...
The interviews following the wrap-up of "Cultivation" were finally completed amidst the undercurrents of tension. After sitting for several hours, Chen Fu felt utterly exhausted.
After getting off work, Chen Fu found Lu Yu waiting for her in the lounge with a large bouquet of red roses. As soon as Chen Fu entered, she was surrounded by roses.
The delicate petals brushed against her face. Suppressing her excitement, she gently touched them and asked Lu Yu why he was sending her roses again.
"Rose for your lover."
These words made Chen Fu's face instantly turn bright red. She walked out of the broadcasting building with Lu Yu, carrying the flowers. Due to the continuous promotion of the new drama, Chen Fu's popularity has been rising rapidly recently. There were even some fans gathered outside the broadcasting building. Several bodyguards surrounded Lu Yu and Chen Fu. They walked quickly hand in hand through the crowded people, feeling a strange sense of joy.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, the streets are filled with a festive atmosphere. Seemingly infected by this joyful atmosphere, Lu Xiaomi specially opened a bottle of red wine after returning home.
The living room was dimly lit and the lights were off. In the warm and cozy atmosphere, Chen Fu felt slightly tipsy.
She stretched out a bare arm and hooked it around Lu Xiaomi's neck, asking her in her ear, "Are you trying to get me drunk on purpose?"
Lu Xiaomi smiled and said, "Yes."
The house where the two of them were located was in a villa area on the outskirts of the city. It seemed that the nearby houses were setting off fireworks, and the colorful lights shone through the windows.
Lu Xiaomi took out a necklace from her pocket and tied it around Chen Fu's neck.
It was a very simple red string with a round gold bead hanging from it. The touch around her neck made Chen Fu flinch, and she immediately asked Lu Xiaomi why she had given her this.
Lu Xiaomi didn't answer, but only said that every year during the Spring Festival, he would give her a gold bead, and that if they saved up enough, they could string together a long bead. The number of beads represented how many years they had been together.
Actually, there's still some time before the New Year, but the atmosphere has already been created very well. Lu Xiaomi simply took Chen Fu's hands, and the two of them clasped their hands together in prayer.
They made wishes amidst the flickering fireworks. Lu Xiaomi wished that Chen Fu would be healthy in the coming year, preferably gain a little weight, have smooth work, and recover her right leg so that she could at least perform on stage.
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Fu touched her lips with her finger, saying that she was being greedy and that too many wishes would not come true.
"And what about you? What was your wish?"
"secret."
Chen Fu said.
When their eyes met, Chen Fu couldn't help but laugh. She quietly leaned close to Lu Xiaomi's ear.
"My wish is that you love me a little longer, and a little longer."
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Author's Note: