"No need, thank you." Zhao Xiyin lowered her head, her mind drifting away as the topic came up.
Su Ying asked, "Filming is finished. After post-production, we'll do some more work, and then we'll consider this mission accomplished. I wanted to ask you, what are your plans for the future?"
Zhao Xiyin: "I don't know."
"Is it that you don't know, or that you don't want to tell me?"
Zhao Xiyin paused for a moment, then pursed her lips.
Su Ying's olive branch was bright and enthusiastic; she had never given up hope. She was naturally well aware of Zhao Xiyin and Dai Yunxin's falling out in Qinghai. Instead of taking advantage of their misfortune, she felt a deep sense of sorrow.
"Want to hear the truth?" Su Ying asked.
Zhao Xiyin looked at her for a long while, then nodded.
Su Ying smiled and said, "I always felt that you would never dance again."
Zhao Xiyin was taken aback.
"But I still hope you'll reconsider. I want you to know that dancing doesn't necessarily mean being on the big screen or being known by a wider audience. These are consequences, not causes. Passion is a very pure thing. Once you understand that, some things become much easier."
In Su Ying's eyes, there was a rare look of tranquility. She spoke from the bottom of her heart, "You can fall in love, you can get married, and you can find a balance between your career and your life. These are not contradictory. Don't let 'what you think' become a shackle that restricts you."
Su Ying said sincerely, "Xiao west, I hope you will join us. I will also make you believe that 'The Moon and the Clouds' will become the best stage play in China."
Zhao Xiyin paused for a moment, then looked up and suddenly asked, "Sister Ying, you and President Qiao have been married for so many years, haven't you ever thought about having children?"
The question was too direct, even somewhat rude. But Zhao Xiyin's gaze was clear, still carrying a hint of innocent ignorance, as she stared straight at you. You didn't find it particularly abrupt.
Su Ying smiled gently, tilted her head, and calmly asked, "How do you know we don't have children?"
Zhao Xiyin's eyes widened immediately.
Su Ying didn't hide anything, frankly saying, "I married Lao Qiao when I was twenty, and gave birth to his daughter when I was twenty-one. She's thirteen now and studying in the United States." She seemed to suddenly understand Zhao Xiyin's concerns, saying, "How can you not understand? I brought you to the art center not to make money for me, and I won't ask you not to get married or have children for several years. Even if you want to have a child now, I can wait. Zhao Xiyin, you need to know that 'choice' and 'decision' are also very important life skills for a woman."
Suddenly enlightened, Zhao Xiyin felt relieved.
Su Ying scoffed, "Come or don't come, it's up to you. Do you think I'm begging you?"
Zhao Xiyin smiled. "Yes, that's very Su Ying."
That afternoon, she went to the arts center with Su Ying. Su Ying, who had been focused on the "Nine Thoughts" drama series for the past two months, was always busy and immediately threw herself into her work. Su Ying asked Zhao Xiyin, "Do you want to learn 'The Moon and the Clouds'?"
Zhao Xiyin took off her coat, carrying it in one hand as she ran towards the stage. Her fingers loosened, and the coat fell casually to the ground. Underneath, she wore a solid-colored cashmere undershirt. The hem was tucked into her trousers, making her legs appear even longer. With her hands behind her back, she smiled brightly at Su Ying on stage and said, "I learned that a long time ago."
Then, music began.
Zhao Xiyin remembered the movements perfectly, and her smooth execution left everyone in awe. Su Ying remained calm, her emotions unreadable. Only when she turned around did a slight, satisfied smile appear on her lips.
——
Once the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was over, the weather in Beijing suddenly turned warm again. I don't know if it's because the weather is abnormal this year, but even the March chill was much warmer than usual.
Zhou Qishen hasn't gone anywhere these past few days, even eating and sleeping at the company. His office has a small break room attached, fully equipped with personal items and a change of clothes. Secretary Xu knows he and Zhao Xiyin are in a cold war, so she's extremely cautious in her daily work, afraid of stepping on a landmine.
Based on his understanding of Zhou Qishen over the past decade, he was hardly a good-tempered leader. He often became irritable when meetings reached a fever pitch. In the early days of the business, there were instances of disagreements with the vice president and technicians, including slamming tables and kicking chairs. But after the dust settled, they would calmly continue the meeting.
When Zhou Qishen was young, he had endless social engagements. Back then, he was still an unknown nobody, and it was common for him to smile obsequiously and offer toasts. Drinking more than a pound of alcohol was perfectly normal. The most serious time was when he suffered alcohol poisoning and was dragged directly from the dinner table to the emergency room.
Secretary Xu always felt that Zhou Qishen embodied the full spectrum of life's joys and sorrows. The only sweetness was perhaps the time when Zhao Xiyin was by his side.
Distracted for a moment, Zhou Qishen banged on the table in annoyance, "Did you hear me?"
Secretary Xu nodded. "I'm sorry, please go ahead."
Zhou Qishen's expression darkened; he was extremely wary of his subordinates being distracted at work. He took a leather file folder from his drawer and handed it to him, saying, "You handle this personally."
When Secretary Xu opened it, there were only two transparent plastic bags inside, with no names written on them, only labeled A and B.
He vaguely guessed Zhou Qishen's intention and raised his head.
Zhou Qishen smoked a cigarette, his legs crossed, his eyes calm and empty amidst the swirling smoke.
He has never given up on finding his birth mother.
Even though countless disappointments had tempered his heart into steel, this time, Secretary Xu felt that something was different.
After receiving the order, he came out of the office, and the cleaning lady who was cleaning suddenly called out to him, "Hey, Secretary Xu."
Xu Jin stopped and said politely, "Hello."
This auntie was specifically in charge of cleaning this floor. Because she was steady and didn't gossip, she was also responsible for cleaning Zhou Qishen's office. She hesitated for a moment, then told him in her not-so-standard Mandarin, "When I went to tidy up the boss's lounge this morning, I saw several empty medicine boxes on the table. They were all in foreign languages, which I couldn't understand."
Xu Jin frowned slightly, then smiled again in an instant. "Thank you for your concern. It's vitamins that President Zhou takes every day."
After the aunt left, Xu Jin kept looking back at the closed office behind her, feeling increasingly uneasy.
Chapter 88 Come to My Gentle Universe (1)
Come to my gentle universe (1)
Zhao Xiyin ultimately signed an employment contract with Su Ying's art center. The contract was for one year, with a base salary of five thousand yuan, and the possibility of mutual selection after the contract expired.
She began to return to a normal routine, working nine to five, and her life became mundane.
Teacher Zhao's only complaint was that the young couple had some kind of argument again.
It wasn't quite a cold war. Zhou Qishen would always wait for her downstairs in his car to pick her up for work. Zhao Xiyin never refused, and would ride with him as if nothing had happened. But there was no more interaction between them. They treated each other with polite formality. Zhao Xiyin stayed at home this week, and Zhou Qishen never came upstairs to visit.