SM Chapter 38

Chapter 38: I’ll Divorce You the Moment the Agreement Expires

Chapter 38: I’ll Divorce You the Moment the Agreement Expires

(Part 1)

As soon as he hung up the phone, Sheng Mingqian opened the refrigerator. The canned beer inside always disappeared quickly. He took out the last can, pulled open the tab, and tilted his head back to drink more than half of it.

The beer bubbles danced in his mouth, stimulating the taste buds on his tongue. They flowed down his throat into his stomach, the cold liquid awakening those dormant cells, bringing them back to consciousness and excitement.

So that’s what it felt like.

Sheng Mingqian had drunk it so many times, but at this moment he suddenly understood why Ye Lai liked iced beer so much.

After returning to the room, he found that Ye Lai’s things had all been packed up and taken away. The closet in the dressing room was missing a small section. Ye Lai didn’t keep much in the villa to begin with. Unless one looked closely, it would be hard to tell that anything was missing.

Sheng Mingqian unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time, tossing the discarded clothes casually on the chair beside him. He left the dressing room and entered the bathroom.

Ye Lai’s toothbrush and skincare products were still on the sink. Seeing Ye Lai’s things, the congested feeling in Sheng Mingqian’s heart eased up a bit.

He walked barefoot to the faucet. Suddenly, hot water poured down, as if charged with electricity. It quickly spread throughout his body, causing a burst of stiffness and numbness that suddenly rose and then fell.

Sheng Mingqian took a few deep breaths, and the electric shock sensation slowly disappeared. The water flowed down his face, slightly washing away the sudden burst of frustration in his head.

As soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Ye Lai leaving the audition hotel that afternoon automatically appeared before him. In that blurry figure, Ye Lai’s steps were unsteady, and from behind, his shoulders looked so thin that they seemed like they would break with a single touch.

For no reason, that frustration that had already been washed away surged back with renewed intensity.

Boundless…

Zhang Yihao booked two more commercials and a music video shoot for Ye Lai. Once Ye Lai got busy, he didn’t think so much.

He had no time to be overly sentimental. In addition to his daily work schedule, he shuttled between the orphanage and the hospital every day, without a moment to spare, his feet barely touching the ground.

Jiang Ying already knew the results of her examination. In fact, she had some premonition of it long ago.

Besides, how could she not sense Ye Lai’s abnormality? Ye Lai had lost a lot of weight in less than a month. He had always been thoughtful since he was a child, keeping everything bottled up in his heart.

She was more calm than Ye Lai and quickly accepted her illness. Instead, she comforted Ye Lai, saying that she would definitely cooperate with the doctor to receive follow-up treatment, so he didn’t need to worry too much.

The test results showed that her condition was temporarily stable. Jiang Ying was discharged from the hospital and only needed to take medicine on time and go to the hospital for chemotherapy and check-ups as instructed by the doctor.

After Jiang Ying fell ill, many people came to see her. Chen Yuchuan, who had been supporting the orphanage for many years, also came. He would come to the orphanage several times every year, bringing a lot of things for the children each time.

Chen Yuchuan had a straightforward personality. Ye Lai was only a few years younger than him, and they had become very familiar over the years. The two of them usually acted like brothers.

Ye Lai recognized Chen Yuchuan’s car as soon as it drove into the yard. He went out to greet him and helped carry things: “Brother Chen, have you been very busy with work recently? I haven’t seen you come over in a long time.”

“I’ve been a little busy recently, but I came as soon as I had some free time,” Chen Yuchuan said, lowering his voice and glancing towards Jiang Ying’s office. “How is Jiang Ying doing?”

“She just came back from chemotherapy and is asleep.”

Chen Yuchuan patted Ye Lai’s shoulder: “Ye Lai, if you need any help, just say the word.”

“Thank you, Brother Chen. I can still manage for now. I’ll call you again if I need anything.”

The children gathered around. Ye Lai and Chen Yuchuan handed out the gifts and books. Chen Yuchuan added, “I know some experts in this field. Do you want me to take Jiang Ying to see them again?”

Ye Lai’s eyes lit up. Although he knew that the hope wasn’t great, he still didn’t want to give up the opportunity so easily: “Brother Chen, can you help us get an appointment with an expert?”

“Yes, I’ll get you another appointment later.”

…

–

–

The tentative cast list for “The World on the Bough” was obtained by Ye Lai from Lin Han. The actor playing Bai Yusheng was a new actress, not very old. Zhou Ran was playing Jiang Yuanzhou. He didn’t bother to look at the remaining roles.

The last shred of remaining expectation was completely extinguished, the gray smoke blindingly alluring as it dispersed.

Ye Lai glanced at the calendar. At this moment, he really wanted to fast forward time a few turns.

He remembered that after a few snowfalls that winter, the New Year was approaching, and the “Raw Deal” crew was wrapping up filming. The agreement between him and Sheng Mingqian had begun on a snowy day.

Ye Lai hoped that this winter would come sooner, that it would snow sooner.

The day after the two leads were confirmed, Sheng Mingqian was called to the studio by Lin Han. Lin Han told him that “The World on the Bough” might not be filmed because there was a problem with the copyright. The author was going to cancel all film and television authorizations.

“Why cancel?” Sheng Mingqian asked.

“The other party didn’t say the reason, only that they would no longer authorize any adaptations or film and television productions, and that the authorizations that had already been signed and contracted would be revoked.”

This script had been submitted by the investor. Sheng Mingqian snorted: “Didn’t the production company sign the contract and pay the money? The film is already at this stage of pre-production. To cancel it just like that? Who will be responsible for the losses from so much upfront investment?”

Lin Han was also having a headache. He took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled out two, handed one to Sheng Mingqian, and the two of them began to smoke.

Lin Han said: “Zhou Zong also cursed at me on the phone for a long time. The author has authorized everything about the copyright to a studio. Now the person in charge of that studio has called Zhou Zong and is now adamantly refusing to authorize it and wants to terminate the contract. Zhou Zong said he wants to sue him and let the other party pay compensation for the breach of contract and all the upfront losses. But, it’s hard to say. If they really pay compensation, it would be several million at the very least. If the other party hears about this penalty, they might change their mind.”

Sheng Mingqian rubbed his sore eyes, not wanting to hear the reason any further: “Do you have the contact information for the other party’s studio? I’ll go ask.”

Lin Han, with a cigarette in his mouth, rummaged through his desk for a long time, finally finding a business card in the drawer: “Here it is. The person in charge is a woman named Li Xun. I’ve had a conversation with her once. She’s not very easy to talk to.”

Sheng Mingqian still had the novel “The World on the Bough” in his car. He picked it up and placed it on the steering wheel. The pure black cover looked a bit gloomy, with the title “The World on the Bough” written on it, Author: Zhu Qian.

He stared at the author’s name for a long time, thinking to himself, Zhu Qian, Zhu Qian, I wonder what it means.

Clutching the business card, Sheng Mingqian dialed the phone number. A woman’s voice came from the other end.

After a brief self-introduction, Sheng Mingqian explained his intentions, telling the other party about the current investment progress of the film in a clear and organized manner with a humble attitude, hoping to continue the cooperation and complete the follow-up filming.

Usually, Lin Han handled matters of business cooperation, and he said she wasn’t easy to communicate with, which was indeed true.

The woman on the other end revealed nothing. When Sheng Mingqian asked the reason for canceling the authorization, the other party simply ignored it, only saying that it was impossible to continue the authorization.

Sheng Mingqian knew there was no hope. She was impossible to communicate with.

Then they could only resort to legal procedures…

(Part 2)

Ye Lai: Xun-jie, this time I was willful and caused you trouble.

Li Xun: What nonsense are you talking about? I know you must have your own reasons, otherwise you wouldn’t have withdrawn at this time. I know how important that is to you.

Ye Lai: Did the other party say how much the penalty for breach of contract and compensation would be?

Li Xun: The other party asked for an exorbitant price, 12 million. They really dare to ask for it, just like that. I had already calculated before that it would be 3-4 million at most. Asking for 12 million is just to force us to let go. Now we can only go to court and wait for the court’s decision.

Three to four million. Ye Lai felt a chill in his heart. This amount was also an exorbitant price for him.

Ye Lai: Please help me find a publisher to print a few more copies. Would that work?

Li Xun: You little brat, you only know how to make your sister work. If you don’t have enough money, tell your sister. But you have to write an IOU. Even siblings have to be clear about things.

Ye Lai: I know, my dear sister. I’ll think of a way myself about the money.

Li Xun: What way are you going to think of? Don’t you think I know about your money? As soon as it comes in, you transfer it all to the orphanage. Just tell me if you’re short of money. You don’t have to hide anything from me…

Ye Lai smiled at the screen and sent back a hug emoticon.

Ye Lai didn’t receive the contract signing and joining the crew notice for “Waiting for a Sunny Day.” The officially announced cast list had another actor.

Zhang Yihao called around, indirectly asking people, and finally found out the reason. The male supporting role had been snatched away after Ye Lai’s audition. Someone had directly stuffed someone into the crew, and Ye Lai’s originally planned role was gone just like that.

Before that, Ye Lai had vaguely had some prediction in his heart, but when he heard the answer, it was like being hit hard on the head with a club. That blow still stunned him, with a thousand pounds of weight pressing on his head. His head was heavy and his feet were light, and he was about to fall to the ground.

Alcohol temporarily suppressed the life-crushing weight in his body. Zhang Yihao grabbed the wine bottle, not letting Ye Lai continue drinking.

“Don’t drink anymore. It’s just a small role. There will be plenty of good work waiting for you in the future.”

Ye Lai knew he was drunk. He couldn’t hold the wine bottle no matter how hard he tried. His fingers slowly slipped along the cold bottle, and he muttered to himself, “Brother Hao, I regret it.”

Zhang Yihao didn’t understand what Ye Lai meant by “regret.” He only thought it was Ye Lai’s drunken rambling. He waved to the waiter, paid the bill, and helped Ye Lai out.

As soon as Ye Lai got into the car, he fell asleep against the passenger seat. Zhang Yihao asked him, “Where should I take you tonight? The apartment? Or Sheng Mingqian’s villa?”

Ye Lai heard Sheng Mingqian’s name in his dream, his lips moved, and he murmured his name along with it.

“Ming, Qian…”

Zhang Yihao clicked his tongue: “Alright, I know. I’ll take you directly to the villa.”

At the red light intersection, Zhang Yihao turned the car around. He suspected that something must have happened between Ye Lai and Sheng Mingqian on the day of the audition, but he couldn’t figure out what fatal problem could have occurred between lovers, only thinking that it was a small quarrel and a little bit of a tantrum.

Zhang Yihao had already notified Sheng Mingqian on the way. When he drove to the front of the villa, Sheng Mingqian was standing at the door, watching the car lights approach from afar, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Ye Lai was still sleeping. Sheng Mingqian opened the passenger door and directly carried him out of the car, nodding slightly to Zhang Yihao: “Thank you for your trouble.”

Zhang Yihao thought about Ye Lai’s condition during this period of time and couldn’t help but add, “Director Sheng, Ye Lai is drunk. Take good care of him.”

“I will.”

Only after the business car had driven far away did Sheng Mingqian turn around and carry Ye Lai through the gate.

Half-asleep and half-awake, Ye Lai smelled that scent that had once haunted him so much. Over so many years, he had developed a conditioned memory in his muscles. The first subconscious reaction was still to grab that person.

Ye Lai’s fingers tightly clutched the clothes on Sheng Mingqian’s chest, his fingernails digging into his buttons. He took a deep breath, pressed his cheek against his chest like a puppy, until he heard the powerful and rhythmic heartbeat in his ears.

But the feeling that usually followed after getting close to that person, the feeling that could calm him down, didn’t appear. The events of the audition that day replayed once again, vividly—

Do you think Bai Yusheng’s feelings for Jiang Yuanzhou are love?

That’s not love, that’s obsession.

It can’t be changed.

The scent that had once fascinated Ye Lai had turned into the chilling and desolate taste of autumn wind, the biting coldness pressing in on him.

Ye Lai suddenly woke up and abruptly opened his eyes, only to realize that he was suspended in the air, being held in Sheng Mingqian’s arms. Behind his blurred vision was Sheng Mingqian’s collar, crumpled by his grip.

He struggled a few times desperately: “Put me down.”

Sheng Mingqian frowned, ignoring Ye Lai’s kicking and punching, until he carried him to the sofa in the middle of the living room before putting Ye Lai down.

As soon as Ye Lai’s body touched the sofa, he propped himself up with his arms and stood up again. The alcohol gave him a splitting headache, and he swayed a few times before standing firm. He turned around to leave.

Sheng Mingqian grabbed his arm: “Ye Lai, what have you been doing these past few days?”

His words made Ye Lai freeze in his tracks. His stiff body slowly turned around, his lifeless eyes staring at Sheng Mingqian’s sullen face.

After that two-sentence phone call with Sheng Mingqian that night, Ye Lai had never contacted him again.

Ye Lai didn’t remember what had happened before he entered this house just now. He only wanted to leave now, but he couldn’t help but ask.

“Sheng Mingqian, why? Why did you take away even that last little bit of work opportunity that I had hope for? Why exactly?”

Sheng Mingqian frowned, his eyes vaguely filled with anger: “What are you talking about? What do you mean I took away your work opportunity?”

Ye Lai scoffed, using his other hand to pry open Sheng Mingqian’s fingers that were gripping his wrist one by one: “Do you hate me that much? I know, I shouldn’t have recorded the video back then, I shouldn’t have used that to threaten you and tie you to my side. That video shouldn’t have existed from the beginning, but haven’t you been enjoying fucking me all these years?”

As soon as those words came out, Ye Lai drove himself into the mud. This was self-inflicted.

Ye Lai’s eyes were bloodshot, and he forced a smile, a bit of blood slowly seeping from his cracked lips. He smiled more terribly than a ghost, the sound squeezed from his throat dry and broken.

He took half a step forward, pressing his body close to Sheng Mingqian’s, stood on tiptoe, tilted his chin up, and looked at Sheng Mingqian for the first time with eyes that were not longing.

“Mingqian, don’t frown…”

Ye Lai slowly raised his hand, the tip of his index finger touching Sheng Mingqian’s furrowed brow, and then slowly sliding down, the warm breath spraying on his palm, slowly feeling Sheng Mingqian’s increasingly heavy breathing.

There were two forces tearing at his body, and Ye Lai felt like he was about to be torn apart.

This person, he had been obsessed with for so many years, but now, he didn’t want him anymore.

His index finger finally stopped on Sheng Mingqian’s slightly unfeeling lips. Ye Lai still had a smile on his face, and continued to speak in a very soft voice, but with incomparable firmness: “Director Sheng, I regret it. I’ll divorce you the moment the agreement expires. I won’t pester you anymore in the future. Just do me a favor and stop messing with me. Give me a way out, okay?”

A long time passed before Sheng Mingqian spoke, his voice swirling with a storm: “Have you thought it through?”

Ye Lai still smiled: “Of course…”