“Chen Xi, where are you going?” The man who’d been pushed aside on the bed revealed an astonished expression.

She stopped and looked back, her expression complicated.

“Ou Yang, I’m sorry. Your life and the life I was looking forward to don’t intersect, I can’t find any happiness in it. Especially…”

She paused before continuing, “I am no longer the person who loved you.”

“Why!?” the man seemed to lose control as he shouted.

“The world isn’t static. Nothing remains the same forever. Ou Yang, let’s break up. Take care of yourself.”

“Goodbye!” Then, she turned and walked away.

The door closed, issuing a sharp noise.

“Cut! It’s a wrap.”

By the time they finished filming, it was 2 AM.

“The rooms are already booked, so everybody should rest early,” Cen Jing said, his mood especially good since he was satisfied with what they’d filmed.

“Jiaojiao,” Lin Yan called Sheng Jiaoyang.

Sheng Jiaoyang looked at him. “If you need something, let’s talk about it tomorrow. It’s too late now and it’s better to sleep early. These last few days must’ve been tiring.”

A gloomy expression appeared on Lin Yan’s face when he heard her polite words. However, he was as gentle to her as ever and could only agree. “Alright then, rest early. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Today really was tiring, so after washing up, Sheng Jiaoyang fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. All her thoughts disappeared as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, everybody was together at breakfast when Cen Jin kindly said, “I’ll give you guys a break today. If you’re sleepy, then sleep, if you want to play, then play. You guys can do whatever you want.”

After breakfast, Sheng Jiaoyang was pulled away by Lin Yan.

“Jiaojiao, come for a walk with me,” Lin Yan said.

Sheng Jiaoyang was originally planning to go home, but upon seeing how sincere he looked, she didn’t have the heart to reject him and agreed.

The hotel was a garden type one. Behind it was a large garden filled with flowers, trees, little streams and waterfalls, and a rock garden pavilion. It was like a traditional Chinese park.

The two walked on the pebble path, side by side.

“Jiaoyang…”

“Just call me Jiaojiao in the future.”

Lin Yan turned to look at her. “You still haven’t told him your identity?”

Sheng Jiaoyang instantly knew who Lin Yan was talking about. “I haven’t. I’ve only told two people, Mei Niu and Grandfather. I’m not counting those who figured it out on their own.”

“A lot of people know?”

“Not many, I can count them with one hand.”

“So, he hasn’t realised it’s you?”

Seeing that Lin Yan was bringing the topic back to Shen Zhining, Sheng Jiaoyang glanced at him silently.

Her reaction caused Lin Yan’s lip to twitch and he asked, “Why are you with him?”

Why? Sheng Jiaoyang didn’t know. A moment of carelessness and she’d somehow become Shen Zhining’s girlfriend.

“He doesn’t recognise you, treat you well, or respect your opinions. You think you can be happy with him?”

“Most of the time, we are pretty happy together.”

Lin Yan suddenly stopped, forcing Sheng Jiaoyang to do so as well.

“Jiaojiao!” He stared at her deeply. “You aren’t happy when you’re with me?”

Sheng Jiaoyang fell silent.

When she was younger, she might’ve thought that being with her beloved was the most blessed happiness in the world. But, after meeting somebody she loved, she realised that it wasn’t as carefree or cheerful as she’d thought. When you place your heart on somebody, you constantly worry about gains and losses. When he’s close, you’re happy, and if he’s far away, you’re depressed.

If she were honest, the two years spent with Lin Yan weren't really happy years. There were always other people more intimate with Lin Yan, and his attitude was ambiguous, just like Ou Yang in the movie. If he hadn't been like that, she wouldn't have acted so distanced like Chen Xi from the movie. She would've been more like herself.

Pain flashed through Lin Yan’s eyes. In the past, she’d always been full of confidence and would be smiling brightly whenever they were together. He never thought that she wasn’t actually happy.

“I’m sorry.”

Sheng Jiaoyang slightly smiled. “You don’t have to apologise, it was my own wishful thinking before.” She’d brought unhappiness to herself.

“No, it was my fault.” Lin Yan reached out to hold her hand. “Jiaojiao, if you’re willing, I’ll follow you, like you, and love you. You can do whatever you’d like.”

Sheng Jiaoyang wanted to take her hand back. He didn’t hold her hand forcefully, but it was just enough that she couldn’t shake him off.

She smiled bitterly. “Lin Yan, I don’t know if you’ve heard of this before, but there’s a phrase: Feelings are like spring water. When you love somebody, it’s like spring water flowing into a lake, it can’t be taken back. Spilled water is difficult to retrieve.”

It was just like how in the movie, Chen Xi ultimately decided to leave with the words, “The world isn’t static. Nothing remains the same forever.” Otherwise, why would so many seniors tell the younger generation to cherish what they had. Once you lose it, it’d be gone forever.

Lin Yan tugged on her hand, causing her body to fall into his embrace before wrapping his other arm around her. “Since spilled water is difficult to retrieve, we can fill a new cup. The broken one can be thrown away and a new one can be bought.”

“But, what about feelings?”

“There’s also the phrase: A shattered mirror put back together; meaning that a couple can reconcile and start anew.”

Sheng Jiaoyang didn’t know how to reply as he rebutted every single one of her words.

Lin Yan hugged her tightly. “Jiaojiao, give me a chance.” He sounded almost as if he was begging.

Her face changed as she hesitated before finally pushing Lin Yan away.

“I’m sorry, Lin Yan.” She turned to leave.

Lin Yan lifted his hand before silently setting it down. His face was glum, no longer revealing the same, gentle expression he always wore around her.

Sheng Jiaoyang went home and first greeted her grandfather and the rest before heading next door.

“Felix, is Zhining here?” Sheng Jiaoyang asked Felix when she saw him directing the servants around the yard.

Felix replied smilingly, “Boss went to the company.”

Sheng Jiaoyang gave Shen Zhining a call. It rang for a while before connecting.

“Zhining…”

“Boss is in a meeting, it’s not convenient to answer the phone.”

It was Jing Weinan’s voice. Sheng Jiaoyang pursed her lips before saying, “Alright, then can you tell him to return my call when he’s done?”

“Mhmm.” After a noncommittal answer, they hung up.

Sheng Jiaoyang gnashed her teeth. Jing Weinan had always treated her badly, but she had no idea when she’d offended him.

She returned home and waited until lunch but still didn’t receive a call.

If she didn’t feel anything by now, then she’d be a pig.

“Grandfather, I’m going out.”

Sheng Jiaoyang left after she got Shen Zhining’s address from Felix.

“Hello, how can I help you today?” the lady at the front desk asked with a smile.

“I’m looking for President Shen.”

A look of surprise flickered across the clerk’s face before she asked, “Then, could I please ask if you have an appointment?”

“I don’t.”

“I’m sorry, our President Shen is busy. If you don’t have an appointment, I can’t let you go up.”

Sheng Jiaoyang rubbed her temples before taking out her phone to make a call. However, it was the big lug that picked up the phone again, and he didn’t even bother making an excuse before saying that Shen Zhining was still at the meeting.

“I’m at the front desk downstairs…”

Beep, beep, beep…

Sheng Jiaoyang released a deep breath, barely stifling the overflowing anger inside her.

The two receptionists looked at each other, making a gesture with their eyes.

Sheng Jiaoyang looked around and saw that the waiting room couches were empty, so she went to sit down. She’d just wait in the hall. She refused to believe that Shen Zhining could stay up there all day!

“I’ve never seen President Shen intimate with any woman, so who is this masked girl?”

“Didn’t she just call President Shen? Hehe, she was definitely hung up on.”

The two women quietly gossiped.

On the top floor, Shen Zhining was sitting by the window holding a picture of a man and a woman hugging. The handsome man and pretty girl should’ve made for a delightful sight, but for him, it appeared especially unpleasant.

When Sheng Jiaoyang had called earlier, he was there. He didn’t have any meetings scheduled for today, he just didn’t want to answer her call. He wanted to see how sincere she was.

After another hour, the phone rang again.

“Weinan.” He gave the phone to Jing Weinan.

Jing Weinan glanced at him and answered the call. “Boss is in a meeting.”

“You guys are in a meeting for so long? How long are you planning to hold it?”

“It's not up to me,” Jing Weinan replied coldly.

“I have to return to set tomorrow, so go tell Zhining that I’m waiting downstairs at the company.”

Jing Weinan hung up and handed the phone back to Shen Zhining.

Shen Zhining took the phone, his expression easing somewhat. But, when he looked at the picture on his desk, his face turned dark again.

Meanwhile, Sheng Jiaoyang was already too lazy to be angry as she leaned on the sofa and calmly waited for nearly another hour when her phone suddenly rang. At first she thought that it was Shen Zhining, but then saw that it was Director Cen Jin.

“Director Cen?” She picked up the phone.

“Tomorrow, we’re going back to the mountains to finish filming the parts we didn’t finish. Go and relax tonight. We’re staying at Resplendent Mountain Club on Golden River Road, you should also come. The whole crew, as well as a few friends, are here. Oh, and Gu Zhou’s also here.” Worried that she’d feel uneasy, Cen Jin also added Gu Zhou’s name.

“Okay.”

Since she’d already agreed, Sheng Jiaoyang didn’t waste any more time. She called one more time, and after nobody answered the phone, she sighed before leaving.

“She finally left, her patience is pretty good.”

“Coming to find our boss and not even revealing her face…who is she? It sounded like a young woman.”

“Don’t you think the person who came by just now looked very similar to somebody?”

“Similar to who?”

“Xu Jiaojiao! Look at her figure, isn’t it similar?”

“Wow, it really does look like her.”

The two female receptionists were chatting when they suddenly heard the elevator doors opening. They subconsciously glanced over and saw their rather pleased looking President Shen walking towards them.

“Hello, President Shen!” The two immediately stood up.

“Where is she?”

“What?” The two didn’t respond.

“The person waiting here.”

“She just left.”

The two female employees saw their President Shen’s face suddenly turn cold.

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