Just after five, inside the villa.
Chen Si Yang pushed the door open and glanced inside before she had even changed her shoes.
No one was back yet, right?
The living room was empty.
After going back to her dorm to put down her bag, Chen Si Yang took a folder downstairs.
She curled up in the corner of the L-shaped sofa.
Opening the folder, she found an outline and a script inside.
The outline covered the story background for the second installment of Realm of Painting, while the script contained a biography of the character Chen Si Yang had been offered, along with a short script featuring that character.
Chen Si Yang read for less than five minutes before setting it down again, feeling inexplicably restless.
She poured herself a glass of water, flipped through a book, then sat down by the piano. It seemed she couldn't focus on anything.
It wasn't until someone opened the door that she looked over and saw Zhou Yun coming back.
"Back so early?" Zhou Yun asked in surprise.
Usually, Zhou Yun was the first one home.
Chen Si Yang stood up and said, "I didn't have much to do today."
"Want to play the piano?" Zhou Yun asked with a smile.
After changing her shoes, Zhou Yun happened to see Chen Si Yang getting up from the piano.
Chen Si Yang shook her head, then went back to the sofa and picked up the folder.
Zhou Yun didn't stay in the living room. After chatting for a couple of minutes, she went upstairs.
Tang Zhi Chu got home a few minutes before six. He stepped inside and was a little surprised to find Chen Si Yang curled up on the sofa with her eyes closed. She seemed to have fallen asleep.
Over by the stairs, Zhou Yun was running in the exercise area.
Tang Zhi Chu quietly approached the sofa and covered Chen Si Yang with a blanket.
Then he took the things he was carrying into the kitchen. When he returned to the living room, Chen Si Yang was awake and staring blankly into space.
"Why didn't you go upstairs to sleep?" Tang Zhi Chu came closer and asked.
Chen Si Yang came to and stretched. "I wasn't planning to sleep."
After catching up on some rest, she seemed to have her energy back. She lifted her chin and sniffed eagerly. "I think I smell something special."
"Something tasty. Who's cooking today?"
After saying that, Tang Zhi Chu sat down beside Chen Si Yang, then felt something under him and asked in confusion, "What's this?"
"Mine. I don't know who's cooking, either. Let's order takeout. Everyone's worked pretty hard."
Tang Zhi Chu pulled a folder out from under himself. When he heard Chen Si Yang say it was hers, he handed it to her.
"What's this?"
"A script."
"Whoa, did you land a project?"
Chen Si Yang nodded. "It's a role a little better than an extra. About as many scenes as the policewoman He Jin played in the movie we watched last time."
After saying that, Chen Si Yang rolled onto her side. She wasn't wearing her hat anymore, and she propped herself up on one arm to look at Tang Zhi Chu.
Tang Zhi Chu furrowed his brow slightly, surprised and confused. "Did your agent pick it for you?"
At that, Chen Si Yang looked rather pleased with herself. "No. I got it on my own."
Tang Zhi Chu nodded, understanding. But inwardly, he thought, Silly girl. Getting a role on your own at a time like this might not be a good thing.
"Isn't that impressive?" Chen Si Yang asked again.
Tang Zhi Chu smiled. "A little. So, are you worried about this role?"
"When was I worried?"
"Your mood says otherwise."
Chen Si Yang snorted and muttered, "Even if I were worried, I'd be worried about you."
Tang Zhi Chu shrugged and stood up.
Watching Tang Zhi Chu hurry off again, Chen Si Yang tilted her head toward the ceiling, looking unhappy.
But Tang Zhi Chu came back, now carrying two cups of milk tea.
Chen Si Yang smiled and immediately sat cross-legged. "Is it from that shop on the corner?"
Tang Zhi Chu nodded. "I've passed it a bunch of times. Today I couldn't resist, so I pulled over and bought two cups."
"Me too. Every time we pass it, I want to buy a cup, but I've never had the nerve to ask the driver to stop."
Tang Zhi Chu had only bought two cups. He handed one to Chen Si Yang, glanced at Zhou Yun, and called out, "Want some milk tea?"
Hearing someone call her, Zhou Yun looked back and raised her sports watch to show she hadn't run long enough yet. She passed.
Tang Zhi Chu didn't hesitate. He jabbed the straw through the lid with a pop.
Tang Zhi Chu and Chen Si Yang sat cross-legged on the sofa. Tang Zhi Chu browsed his phone while Chen Si Yang picked up her script again.
Every so often, they each took a sip of milk tea.
Tang Zhi Chu was looking up a few things. Chen Si Yang's agent was Liu Yu, one of the most experienced agents at Tianhe Entertainment.
After looking into a few things, Tang Zhi Chu glanced at Chen Si Yang.
Some things were hard to say, and Chen Si Yang herself didn't seem to understand them.
But Tang Zhi Chu understood how she felt. She was working hard to get a handle on her work environment, and that was a transformation in itself.
He had originally wanted to tell Chen Si Yang that it was best to keep her agent informed when choosing a project.
But Tang Zhi Chu held back. Her agent could probably see the same things he could; he just didn't know how much importance she placed on Chen Si Yang.
Gradually, everyone returned to the villa. The elaborate setup from the first night had given way to a more laid-back routine, and they ordered takeout for dinner.
After dinner, everyone went outside for a walk.
They followed the wooden boardwalk to an artificial lake, where the grass was soft.
Yang Jia Xing stood by the lake without moving for a long time, lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Huang Ze Jun came over.
Yang Jia Xing turned around and smiled.
There was a hint of helplessness in his smile. At first, he'd regarded Huang Ze Jun as his greatest rival.
"What do you think matters most to a girl?" Yang Jia Xing suddenly asked Huang Ze Jun.
Huang Ze Jun froze for a moment, then began to think.
Under the night sky, he had been hoping to have a proper talk with Yang Jia Xing, too.
Deep down, Huang Ze Jun actually respected Yang Jia Xing. He thought Yang Jia Xing had everything going for him. As for himself, he'd only gotten where he was through years of hard work.
"Guidance? Companionship?"
Yang Jia Xing glanced back at Huang Ze Jun and thought, No wonder you lost to Tang Zhi Chu, too.
Yang Jia Xing had talked with a few friends that day who were good at navigating relationships. After getting their advice, he understood. But it was too late.
Yang Jia Xing shook his head. "No. For an ordinary girl, guidance and companionship really are important. But what about an extraordinary girl?"
From Huang Ze Jun's answer, Yang Jia Xing could more or less tell what kind of person he was. When Huang Ze Jun dated, he probably always sought out girls who were weaker than him.
Those girls were easy to handle. What they needed was guidance and companionship.
Huang Ze Jun glanced at the others, then asked in return, "Then what do you think matters most?"
"Happiness, excitement, even pain."
Huang Ze Jun frowned. Happiness? Excitement, even pain?
"Brother Jun, actually, girls don't need companionship."
Huang Ze Jun shook his head. "If there's no companionship at all, how can you even talk about liking someone?"
Yang Jia Xing fell silent. Suddenly, he felt much better.
It wasn't that girls didn't need companionship; it was that companionship was the least important part.
Yang Jia Xing felt that at least he understood why he'd lost. What about Huang Ze Jun? He'd lost without a clue.
Huang Ze Jun felt that it wasn't that he didn't understand what Yang Jia Xing was saying. Those things he listed sounded a little insincere.
Like bait on a fishing line.
I see why Chen Si Yang didn't choose you. You deserved to lose.
The conversation ended. Huang Ze Jun felt he and Yang Jia Xing just couldn't see eye to eye; they weren't cut from the same cloth. He glanced at Tang Zhi Chu, who was lying contentedly on the grass.
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