Only after the Cayenne's taillights disappeared around the bend did Zhou Qishen turn around and start walking towards the hotel.
He let Zhao Xiyin get out of the car first, not out of personal motives. Zhou Qishen knew what was important, unlike elsewhere; on a film set, with so many people and so much gossip, he didn't want anyone to speculate. Zhao Xiyin had sent him her room number early on, and upon hearing the knock, she immediately opened the door.
Their eyes met, they pressed the door shut, and the two embraced tightly.
Zhou Qishen kissed her fiercely, gripping her chin tightly to prevent her from moving, and she could even faintly taste blood between his lips and teeth. In the midst of passion, however, things didn't continue as expected. Zhou Qishen suddenly released her, unconsciously taking two steps back, and then sat directly on the bed.
His body had reached its limit; he truly couldn't take it anymore. It felt like two steel drills were pressing against his temples, and his ears were filled with a buzzing sound. Zhou Qishen's vision blurred, and he couldn't straighten his back. He leaned back and fell onto the bed, closing his eyes heavily.
Zhao Xiyin was terrified. She climbed down and sat beside him, her voice trembling with tears, "Zhou Qishen."
Zhou Qishen didn't open his eyes, but reached out his hand vaguely, "Come on, I'll hug you for a while."
Zhao Xiyin nestled obediently in his arms, not daring to move or make a sound, only tears flowing silently.
Once he caught his breath, Zhou Qishen spoke: "Zhuang Qiu and I served in the army together in Heilongjiang. We've never gotten along since then, and we've had a grudge. This time it was my carelessness; I only knew he was going back to China. I'm sorry, Xi'er, it's me again, it's all because of me. I feel like I've never been able to protect you properly."
Zhao Xiyin sobbed uncontrollably and shook her head.
"Zhuang Qiu holds grudges. If I had kept an eye on him earlier, you wouldn't have suffered so much trouble." Zhou Qishen felt remorseful and blamed himself, his frustration worsening and his headache intensifying.
Zhao Xiyin stopped crying, and connecting Zhuang Qiu to certain events, it dawned on her. She suddenly sat up straight and asked firmly, "Was it him who injured you in the garage before?"
Zhou Qishen neither admitted nor denied it.
But with just one look from Zhao Xiyin, the answer was obvious.
Her tear tracks dried at the corners of her eyes, her features gradually softened, and all her emotions faded away.
Zhou Qishen stared at her, his headache distracting him from most of his attention, but he could still sense that something was wrong with Zhao Xiyin. Sure enough, the next second, Zhao Xiyin's anger suddenly flared up. Zhou Qishen's heart skipped a beat, almost too fast to catch; he had never seen Zhao Xiyin so fierce and menacing.
"Xiao west, where are you going!" Zhou Qishen propped himself up on the mattress, but then saw the stars flying before his eyes again.
Zhao Xiyin opened the door, her anger palpable.
Dai Yunxin's room was upstairs, so Zhao Xiyin went up and knocked on the door. The noise was too loud, and no one answered for a long time; even the downstairs neighbors could hear it. Finally, the door opened, and it was Su Ying, whose room was three rooms away. She frowned and tried to pull Zhao Xiyin away. Zhao Xiyin shook off her hand and kicked the door shut.
A few seconds later, the door lock was turned slightly, and Dai Yunxin opened the door.
The master and apprentice were two contrasting individuals: one calm, the other resolute.
If everything else could be tolerated, then Zhou Qishen's injury was the last straw that broke Zhao Xiyin's back.
Zhao Xiyin did not back down at all. Looking at Dai Yunxin, she said, "Master, you clearly know what kind of person Zhuang Qiu is. Why do you keep making me go out to eat and meet him, making all sorts of excuses to justify your so-called 'chance encounters'?"
Dai Yunxin's face was tense, her breathing was slightly shallow, but she put on a fierce demeanor, "What kind of attitude is this? Did you come here to interrogate me?"
Zhao Xiyin's gaze was intense. "If you say so, then it is."
“Okay, I admit it. I did have ulterior motives for bringing you along every time.” Dai Yunxin didn’t confront her, but instead readily admitted it. “This industry is survival of the fittest, and the competition is brutal. You could dance your way to death on stage and no one would even remember you. I’m getting old and can’t dance anymore, but there are so many dancers behind me waiting to eat and make a living. What can I do? What else can I do but adapt to the market?”
Zhao Xiyin replied indignantly, "I understand what you do and what you want to do. But you can't keep lying to me and taking advantage of me!"
Dai Yunxin's breathing suddenly quickened, and a genuine sadness appeared in her eyes. "You've been by my side since you were seven. I nurtured you without reservation, and all I got in return was 'I lied to you.' Zhao Xiyin, do you have no heart at all?"
Zhao Xiyin suddenly understood. Every time these crucial issues came up, Dai Yunxin would revert to this one sentence. It was the emotional card, a tried-and-true weapon. Faced with both reason and emotion, most people would yield to the word "emotion."
Zhao Xiyin felt as still as water, a chill running from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.
After a few seconds of silence, she said in a hoarse voice, "Master, one thing at a time. Wrong is wrong, and lying is lying. You always remind me to remember the good things you've done for me. But when you ask me to do that, have you done the same yourself?"
Dai Yunxin was stunned.
Then Zhao Xiyin said, "Affection and respect are mutual. The past and the present cannot be confused. You want me to pave the way for you, to flatter you, to fawn over you, to do things I don't like. I don't want to, so you lie to me. I'm not a three-year-old child, do you really think I don't understand? I'm already very unhappy, can't you see? Master, do you have to wear down the trust and feelings between us like this?"
Dai Yunxin probably never expected that Zhao Xiyin, who had always been indifferent to fame and fortune and never competed for anything, would one day utter such sharp and irrefutable words. She was simple and pure, and didn't understand sentimentality or subtlety. She always stood clearly on the line between right and wrong.
At that moment, Dai Yunxin suddenly realized a fact: from beginning to end, if it weren't for the teacher-student relationship, Zhao Xiyin might have left long ago. What she thought was foolproof was nothing more than the other party's cooperative performance.
This realization left her feeling powerless. Clinging to her last bargaining chip, Dai Yunxin tried her best to remain calm, saying, "Since you rejected Su Ying's invitation from the performing arts center, you'll definitely be working for me from now on. We're in this together, sharing both the good and the bad. I'm doing this for your own sake, but also for yours. It's part of the job; it's unavoidable in any industry. Don't put yourself on such a high pedestal. Go ask Meng Weixi, go ask Zhou Qishen—even people like them have to attend dinners and social events, running around handling all sorts of things! You just want to dance? There's no such thing as something so pure!"
Alas, the withering of grass and trees reminds me of the fading beauty of a fair maiden.
Dai Yunxin spoke her mind, but she didn't feel at ease afterward. Her eyes were a little moist, and her chest heaved.
After a long silence, Zhao Xiyin's eyes were calm as she said, "Master, when I had that accident six years ago, you said I was idealistic and stubborn. So many years have passed, don't you think that assessment is more fitting for you now? Perhaps you have your reasons, but what kind of person is Zhuang Qiu? This time it was just a meal, but next time will he be asking for sex?"
Dai Yunxin opened her mouth to protest, "How could that be!"
Zhao Xiyin said softly, "You can't deceive yourself."
Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.
Whether it's a narrow bridge or a broad road, at some point in life, the truth will always come out, and you'll have to choose your path.
Zhao Xiyin turned to leave, as if it were a ritual; once she left, she would never return.
Dai Yunxin was suddenly terrified and instinctively wanted to grab her, but she lacked the courage and the right to do so. She stood by the door and shouted, "Nothing in this world is perfect! If that's the case, then don't dance! Why did you agree to join the group in the first place?!"
Zhao Xiyin stopped in her tracks, first lowered her head, then turned slightly to the side and said calmly, "I will seize the opportunity myself, make my own choices, and decide how I want to live. You say there is nothing pure in this world, but I want to try, and not turn back until I hit a wall. If I do hit one, I will try my best to break through the wall, and there will always be a way for me to go."
When Zhao Xiyin came downstairs, she saw Zhou Qishen standing at the corner of the stairwell. She was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, he took her hand.
The two returned to their room. Many people who had heard the commotion earlier quietly peeked out to see what was going on, but as soon as they saw the people, they quickly and secretly closed the door.
"Aren't you afraid of people finding out?" Zhou Qishen asked with a smile.
Zhao Xiyin rolled her eyes. "I'm not some big star. Even if I were, I still need to eat, drink, poop, and date." She chuckled and pinched Zhou Qishen's cheek. "I dance my little lousy dance to earn money to support you, you old pale-faced guy."