Chapter 17
Once Ming Huai finished speaking, Ji Tingqian said no more, yet the confusion in his heart only deepened with each new piece of information. There were simply too many inconsistencies surrounding Ming Huai. Seeing that Ji Tingqian did not press further, Ming Huai let out a silent sigh of relief; he was never particularly skilled at lying, but some things could not be explained away no matter how hard one tried.
The night had grown late, the moon hanging high in the sky. Outside, a chorus of cicadas filled the air, and perhaps due to the strong wind, the rustling sound of leaves brushing against one another also drifted into the room.
In the darkness, Ji Tingqian was already fast asleep. His sleeping posture was proper, his breathing light and shallow; the sharpness that usually defined his features had softened, lending him a gentle appearance. Ming Huai, however, remained awake for a long time, turning slightly onto his side to gaze at Ji Tingqian beside him.
After a long while, he raised his arm and traced Ji Tingqian’s silhouette in the air with his fingers. His eyes narrowed slightly, filled with an unwavering determination—once his, forever his. Yet beneath that resolve lay a faint but stubborn fear.
It was already two o’clock, yet Ming Huai remained wide awake. He stayed in the same position, greedily gazing at Ji Tingqian with those beautiful eyes, as if he could never look his fill. These past few days felt like stolen time; come morning, it would all have to be returned. He wondered when they might ever share such intimate closeness again.
When would that be?
Ming Huai burrowed deeper into the bedding, pulling the covers up until they obscured the lower half of his face. Sometimes, his thoughts inevitably ran wild. He always felt this was merely a dream, terrified that closing his eyes or the arrival of dawn would shatter the illusion. In those moments, fear and dread threatened to drown out the joy of having something precious returned.
“Ji Tingqian…” Ming Huai whispered, knowing the other couldn’t hear him, which made him recklessly bold. “Do you like me?”
Naturally, there was no response, but Ming Huai felt profoundly content. He smiled silently and whispered ever so softly, “I love you.” You will surely love me too.
After a while, a figure rose quietly from the bed, rummaged through a bag to retrieve a small bottle, and headed to the bathroom. Ming Huai swallowed two pills with water from his hand, then carefully returned to bed.
Before long, steady breathing filled the room; Ming Huai had clearly fallen into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the production team roused everyone bright and early.
Ming Huai had gone to bed late last night; when he finally woke up, he felt like a wandering ghost, with dark circles hanging so low they seemed to drip off his face. “Splitting headache” didn’t even begin to describe how he felt. In fact, the moment Ji Tingqian approached, Ming Huai couldn’t tell whether he was in the past or the present and nearly leaned in to give Ji Tingqian a good-morning kiss right there in public.
The instant he moved toward Ji Tingqian, Ming Huai snapped back to reality, but it was too late to pull back. With no other choice, he turned what would have been a desperate embrace into a preemptive strike: he threw his arms around Ji Tingqian, patted his back, and said in a slightly nasal, deeply emotional voice, “Brother Ji, today we part ways again.”
Ji Tingqian’s expression was hard to read, but this wasn’t the first time Ming Huai had acted strangely around him, so he didn’t think much of it. He simply assumed Ming Huai was spontaneously staging a little scene about brotherly affection.
So Ji Tingqian hugged Ming Huai back and said, “We’ll meet again.”
To be honest, setting aside Ji Tingqian, Ming Huai truly liked Zaohua Village. The scenery was beautiful, the air fresh, and the villagers kind-hearted; it was a place where one could truly relax. Occasionally going fishing or picking vegetables there wasn’t bad at all.
After breakfast, everyone packed their luggage and boarded the vehicles arranged by the production team. In total, eight cars had been dispatched to transport the artists back to the city. Apart from Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian, everyone present was extremely busy, with scheduled commitments immediately following the completion of the recording.
Inside the car, Yu Fanglan was once again discussing June’s itinerary with Ming Huai. As for May, it was designated as Ming Huai’s month of rest, allowing him the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with Dudu.
“By the way, how are things between you and Ji Tingqian?” Yu Fanglan asked.
“What’s wrong?” Ming Huai found Yu Fanglan’s sudden question a bit strange.
Yu Fanglan swiped twice on her iPad without looking up. “I was wondering, if you and Ji Tingqian are on good terms, could we stir up some buzz?”
Ming Huai immediately felt helpless. “Sister Lan, I don’t need any of that.”
Yu Fanglan quickly stopped, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I know you have powerful backing; entering the entertainment industry is just a hobby for you, so you don’t need this kind of publicity.”
“Sister Lan, you’re teasing me again.” Ming Huai chuckled helplessly.
Suddenly, Yu Fanglan’s expression turned serious. “But what I’m about to say isn’t a joke. If you can get to know Ji Tingqian, that would be ideal; if not, make sure not to offend him.”
Ming Huai merely murmured an “Mm” and said nothing more.
The production team dropped everyone off at the meeting point. With their luggage looked after by the assistants, Ming Huai drifted back over to Ji Tingqian. Ji Tingqian was currently speaking with Xu Hanchao, so Ming Huai stood nearby for a while, waiting until the two had finished before approaching.
He first greeted Ji Tingqian and Xu Hanchao, then asked Ji Tingqian, “Brother Ji, are you heading back to S City next?”
Ji Tingqian shook his head. “I’m going to the United States for a while; I won’t be returning to S City.”
As if some sore spot had been prodded, Ming Huai instantly tensed up, adopting a posture of complete defensiveness. Restraining the turmoil churning within him, he asked as calmly as possible, “Then when will you be back?”
Ji Tingqian thought for a moment before replying, “Half a month.”
Ming Huai suddenly let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Have a safe journey, Brother Ji.”
By the time he returned to S City, it was already afternoon. As soon as Ming Huai pushed his suitcase through the door, Dudu came trotting over and hugged his leg, excitedly shouting, “Dad!”
“All right, all right, let go of Daddy first; I need to put down the suitcase,” Ming Huai said, gently patting Dudu’s little head.
Dudu released his grip on Ming Huai but continued to trail after him, never straying a step away.
Auntie Chen had prepared dinner long ago; a table laden with dishes awaited only Ming Huai’s return to begin the meal.
Auntie Chen ladled a bowl of squab soup for Ming Huai and said, “This is nourishing; drink plenty.”
Auntie Chen always worried that Ming Huai wasn’t eating well while away for work, so whenever he returned home, she would go out of her way to prepare nourishing meals for him.
After dinner, Ming Huai moved to the kitchen to help Auntie Chen clean up. Seeing his hesitant expression, as if he wanted to speak but held back, she placed the last bowl into the dishwasher and said softly, “Was that Mr. Ji the other day?”
“Mm,” Ming Huai replied, lowering his gaze.
“Then why didn’t you bring him home?” After Auntie Chen asked this, Ming Huai fell silent for a long time.
After a long pause, Ming Huai lifted the corners of his lips, his eyes sparkling as he said, “Something has come up. He can’t come back with me right now, but he will in the future.”