Wen Yuhan's eyes flickered slightly as she closed them and adjusted her breathing.
Undeniably, Pei Shaocheng's brief but firm assurance brought him considerable comfort.
"And...you look really beautiful tonight." Pei Shaocheng whispered in Wen Yuhan's ear, "You really are the kind of water enchantress who can captivate people's souls."
Wen Yuhan shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Can you stop joking with me at a time like this? My brain really can't keep up."
At this moment, the performance on stage was about to depict the Lake King hosting a banquet for his guests on his birthday and publicly professing his love to Pan.
Following the script that had been rehearsed countless times, Yi Li, dressed in a magnificent outfit, walked step by step onto the high platform. A spotlight followed him the entire way; his gait was noble and proud, like a beautiful swan about to take flight, drawing gasps of amazement from the audience.
"Oh, my supreme king!" the actor playing the minister exclaimed sincerely, and the other actors followed suit, praising Yi Li to the fullest extent according to the lines in the script.
Yi Li smiled faintly at everyone, slowly shifting his gaze to the actress playing his mother, and asked softly, "What do you think?"
The actress opened her arms to him and said with boundless love, "My child, I am so proud of you."
"Is that so..." Yi Li smiled, looking at the people on the stage, then glanced at the two empty seats in the first row of the audience.
That place should have belonged to his parents.
The wind whistled in his ears, and even though he was indoors and it was springtime outside, he still felt a little cold.
A childish voice mixed with crying came from afar. Yi Li saw his younger self deliberately cutting his finger with a craft knife to avoid the violin lessons that he hated so much.
"Mom, my hand is cut," he sobbed.
The beautiful woman in front of him glanced coldly at his finger before turning to instruct the music teacher to continue the lesson.
He cried out in disbelief and anger, "But I'm hurt, Mom! My hand hurts!!"
The woman glanced down at him, her gaze not so much as looking at her own child, but more like appraising a vase and estimating its value.
"You should strive to be a perfect masterpiece, not a failure."
After she finished speaking, she left without looking back.
...
"Haha...hahaha..." Yi Li leaned forward, clutching the fabric in front of his chest. He lowered his head and let out a chilling laugh, his beautiful pupils, hidden among his hair, dilated with an abnormal excitement.
Wen Yuhan and Pei Shaocheng frowned simultaneously, their keen professional instincts making them realize that the actors on stage were likely on the verge of losing control.
The director, standing to the side, had no idea what Yi Li was up to, but seeing the audience holding their breath and captivated by the stage, he didn't want to interrupt. Yi Li fidgeted restlessly and expectantly in his seat, muttering to himself, "Goodness, the media is going to go crazy tomorrow... Ha, this is heaven helping me."
"Me... well..." Yi Li suddenly stopped laughing, raised his hand to wipe his sweat, and said softly while panting, "I actually don't like steak at all, especially medium-rare. That fishy smell makes me nauseous! But you all say that someone like me should eat steak, and it has to be medium-rare."
"What is he talking about? I don't understand the plot at all," some audience members whispered among themselves.
"I don't know either, but I do remember him saying on a variety show that his favorite food is medium-rare steak."
Yi Li raised his chin, surveying the entire theater: "I don't love this world at all. It's hypocritical and disgusting. And this industry is far dirtier than you can imagine... Those idols who haven't debuted deserve to be locked up in cheap hotels, manipulated and gossiped about by the crew like merchandise. They'll do anything to get ahead, killing each other, betraying each other and themselves, until one day they become the glamorous stars in your eyes, and then officially bid farewell to their dark past with the fake persona the company created for them... Do you think they'd sympathize with or care for their juniors? Ha, you're wrong. They'll only use the weak to attack the weaker! Making those juniors experience twice as much of what they went through! This is the majority! This is the people you worship!"
"My God, what is he saying?!"
"Is that really true?!"
"Any more gossip? Any more gossip?! Please, please!"
"Is he crazy...? Hehe, I'm so scared!"
“Of course!” Yi Li’s voice stopped abruptly, and he chuckled softly, “These things have nothing to do with me, because I come from a prestigious family. In this industry, those with formal training look down on those who don’t, those with academic backgrounds look down on those with formal training, and prestigious families, as the top, can disregard everything… But precisely because of this, I have to live under everyone’s gaze. My every word and action, my diet and daily routine, what I do every day, who I like, whether I went to the toilet today, and how long I stayed there, are all no secrets… Tsk, no, that’s not right. How can a perfect person go to the toilet? This behavior would make him no longer perfect. You’ve all made jokes like that, right? Imagine your favorite idol taking a dump… Hahaha.”
"My God, does he even know what he's saying?!"
"He's really gone mad..."
"This ticket price was definitely worth it!"
Wen Yuhan turned to look at Pei Shaocheng, and their eyes met, immediately confirming their guesses.
Pei Shaocheng called out to the director beside him in a deep voice: "Stop the performance immediately, control the order on site, and notify the police to find an opportunity to rescue people."
"Huh? What did you say?" The director stared blankly, completely unaware that the situation was spiraling out of control.
Pei Shaocheng walked quickly toward the side of the stage with a sullen face, while Wen Yuhan stood up as well.
"You keep saying you love me, but do you really love me? Or do you only love the version of me you've imagined...? I'm sorry, everyone, I don't owe you anything, so why should I live according to your expectations? I say I like music, and those who think I should like racing hate me. I say I hate crowds, and those who think I should be grateful resent me... I can never, ever please everyone, but that's precisely the only thing my parents asked of me!!"
Yi Li's eyes were red and he was crying. In the end, his voice was completely hoarse.
He suddenly knelt on the high point of the stage, covered his face with his hands, and nervously muttered over and over again, "I can't do it... I can't do it... but I'm not a failure... not a failure... I'm not..."
Yi Li suddenly raised her head and looked helplessly at Pei Shaocheng on the side of the stage: "Brother Cheng, I don't want you to hate me..."
Pei Shaocheng took a deep breath, stared coldly at Yi Li, and said in a deep voice, "Come back first."
Yi Li slowly shook his head and smiled, tears streaming down his face in large drops: "It's...there's no going back...Mom doesn't want me, Dad doesn't want me, and you don't want me either..."
The two plainclothes officers also realized the crisis and quietly moved closer to the stage, but were spotted by Yi Li.
He immediately shouted angrily, "Don't come any closer!!"
The two policemen immediately stood still. The older one waved to Yi Li, signaling that they wouldn't make any rash moves and that he shouldn't act impulsively either.
The theater finally began to stir violently. The expressions of curiosity, doubt, and worry were mixed with excitement and eagerness, all hoping that something even more thrilling would happen next.
"Easy rites".
A gentle, calm voice suddenly came from the side of the stage. Wen Yuhan walked slowly forward from behind Pei Shaocheng and said with a calm expression, "Are you really willing to end everything like this? I mean, to watch me stand here unharmed?"
"Shut up!!" Yi Li interrupted Wen Yuhan, hysterically shouting, "He hates me!! They all don't want me!! Everyone hates me... It's okay, I hate you all too, I hate every single one of you... What's so great about that... But... But I still can't hate you, Pei Shaocheng! You can't hate me! Only you can't hate me!!"
Pei Shaocheng ignored Yi Li's frantic shouts and, taking advantage of Yi Li's attention being drawn to Wen Yuhan, gestured to the two policemen to sneak up through the passage used to install lights and sound equipment.
"You must be laughing at me in your heart right now, Wen Yuhan?" Yi Li turned around and glared at Wen Yuhan, sneering, "Don't worry, your day isn't far off. From the moment Ning Fu reappeared, the hunter has already raised his gun! You can't escape... you'll never escape..."
At this point, Yi Li slowly stood up, supporting himself on his knees.
He squinted, his gaze chilling as he looked across the vast theater, and said loudly, "Thank you all for coming to watch this grand farce. Don't feel sorry that the curtain has fallen, because the real show has just begun!"
Wen Yuhan's eyes sharpened, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "Not good!"
At the same time, Yi Li smiled, turned his back to the stage, and lay straight back.
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 78
As Shakespeare said, love is nothing but a madness. It roars from the moment it begins, never ceasing, turning man into a god or a devil.
This was the last time Wen Yuhan saw Yi Li, but the relaxed smile on Yi Li's face, which seemed to indicate that he had been freed from all worries, was forever etched in his mind.
Yi Li ultimately survived. The two police officers who guarded him at the scene, as well as Wen Yuhan and Pei Shaocheng who were the first to notice something amiss, deserve much credit for this.
After emergency treatment, doctors concluded that Yi Li would likely never be able to walk normally again. Therefore, when sentencing him according to the law, certain discretionary measures were taken.
However, Wen Yuhan knew that this was actually the greatest torment for this person.
As an actor, he always longed to stand in the spotlight, even at the moment of his death.
He wanted the world to focus on him in that instant, to push this drama called life to its climax and end it at its climax, regardless of the consequences, instead of living a lonely and miserable life like this, paying the price for the past with an empty shell.
This circle is always so good at forgetting. After a brief, explosive sensation, everything about Yi Li was eventually replaced by other new gossip and buried deep in the dust of time.
Gradually, no one mentioned him or remembered him anymore, while more newcomers like him emerged. A grand drama seemed to have turned the page, but those in the know understood that, as Yi Li said, this was only the prologue…
Let's rewind to the night of the performance of "Sinking Lake." The entire theater was in an uproar because of this unexpected situation. Screams and exclamations were mixed with a sense of "I've hit the jackpot."
Guided by staff, the crowd reluctantly left the theater, turning back every few steps. Some, unwilling to leave, even circled back through the second-floor fire escape, playing a game of hide-and-seek.
Led by Pei Shaocheng, Wen Yuhan quickly left the backstage area accompanied by Emily and security personnel. Although Wen Yuhan's expression appeared calm, his pale face betrayed his poor condition.
Pei Shaocheng wasn't in much better shape; his facial features were taut, and his hawk-like eyes exuded a gloomy and sharp aura that warned others to stay away. Emily's heart was in her throat the entire time, fearing that something else might go wrong.
The two got into Pei Shaocheng's Rolls-Royce. As soon as Wen Yuhan got in the car, he couldn't wait to take out a cigarette case from his pocket, put on a cigarette, and light it.
Driver Xiao Wu was about to advise Wen Yuhan against smoking in Pei Shaocheng's car when Pei Shaocheng stopped him with a look. Then Pei Shaocheng also lit a cigarette and casually rolled down the car window.
This was a spot Emily had scouted beforehand, so there was no need to worry about those annoying paparazzi.
"Why don't you stay at my place tonight?" Pei Shaocheng turned his head to look at Wen Yuhan and asked tentatively in a soft voice.
"No, Xiao Yang came with me, I'll go to his place." Wen Yuhan said without looking up, a cigarette between her fingers. She quickly sent Xiao Yang her location.
Pei Shaocheng was silent for a moment, then opened the passenger door and walked to the back seat. He sat down next to Wen Yuhan and said seriously, "Xiaohan, do you know that after this incident, Han Shu's resentment towards you will only increase? I'm worried that he might do something extreme."
Wen Yuhan's eyes flickered slightly: "I understand. I won't stay in Yancheng for too long. I'll go back first thing tomorrow morning."
“This isn’t about where you stay.” Seeing that he couldn’t reason with Wen Yuhan, Pei Shaocheng couldn’t help but raise his voice, “The safest place right now is right beside me. I won’t let you wander off!”
“I don’t want to go to your home.” Wen Yuhan exhaled a puff of smoke, paused for a moment, and then spoke softly again, “Whether it’s that villa or your house in the city center, both of them have brought me experiences I don’t want to recall.”
Wen Yuhan's words sent a jolt through Pei Shaocheng.
Indeed, all those precious moments of their love were forever left behind in that dilapidated little rented room. Meanwhile, the days and nights that unfolded in his own villa in Tiansheng or Xishan were filled only with his relentless torment and torture of Wen Yuhan.
No one would want to go back to that place.
Pei Shaocheng stubbed out his cigarette, closed his eyes, leaned back in his seat, and took a deep breath to let his heart get even a tiny bit of oxygen.
Since learning the truth, endless regret and the frustration of being unable to undo the past have been torturing him constantly. Pei Shaocheng has no intention of taking any measures to alleviate this, because only in this way can he find a sliver of self-deceptive balance in the harm he and Wen Yuhan have suffered.
“Let’s not go back to my place, okay?” Pei Shaocheng slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with heartache and regret. He gently comforted Wen Yuhan, saying, “Shen Wei has an empty apartment. Let’s go there tonight.”
Just as Wen Yuhan was about to refuse, someone suddenly knocked on the car window several times from the outside.
"Teacher Wen! Teacher Wen!"
Pei Shaocheng's expression turned cold the moment he saw it was Xiao Yang. Wen Yuhan opened the car door to get out, but Pei Shaocheng instinctively grabbed her wrist.
Wen Yuhan turned around and glanced at him indifferently. Pei Shaocheng's Adam's apple bobbed, but he finally reluctantly let go of her hand.
Xiao Yang hurriedly checked Wen Yuhan over, anxiously asking, "I heard about what happened at the theater. Are you...are you alright?!"
Wen Yuhan smiled and shook her head. Xiao Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief, then, as if suddenly remembering something important, said nervously, "Oh right! I... I don't know if I mistook you for someone else... but... but... I think I saw... saw..."
"Han Shu".
Xiao Yang was immediately shocked: "It really is him?! I've only seen this person on a talk show before, and I thought I was just worried about you and got it wrong... So he didn't do anything to you?!"