SM Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Did Director Sheng Regret It? (Minor Edits)

Yè Lái’s bank card suddenly had ten million more, he knew Sheng Mingqian had transferred it, but Yè Lái returned it to him.

Sheng Mingqian’s phone call came right after, Yè Lái didn’t answer, Sheng Mingqian then sent a message asking him why he didn’t want it.

“Director Sheng, I already said, I don’t want anything.”

Yè Lái only replied with one message to Sheng Mingqian, and then blacklisted his phone number. To completely cut off contact with Sheng Mingqian, it’s best to no longer see, touch, or even think about anything related to him.

But even though he blacklisted his phone number, news notifications kept coming. Sheng Mingqian and a mysterious man appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau, and the topic of a suspected divorce once again trended on the hot search, but this hot search was quickly removed.

The accompanying picture was taken from a very far angle, and both people’s faces were very blurry. Yè Lái was also wearing a mask. He scrolled through the comments, and no one associated the person next to Sheng Mingqian with him. Some even directly said that this hot search was too outrageous and that the picture was likely photoshopped.

But Zhang Yihao was too familiar with Yè Lái, and he recognized him at a glance. He was almost driven mad when he saw the news and called him, bombarding him with questions.

“Yè Lái, what are you thinking? Is this what you mean by breaking up? That’s a divorce…”

“You’re getting bolder and bolder.”

“Without a word, you secretly got married, and now you silently got divorced, you’re really something…”

Yè Lái let it go in one ear and out the other, and it took a lot of effort to calm Zhang Yihao down.

Sheng Mingqian didn’t respond to this news, and the next day, the news of a certain popular celebrity’s extramarital affair topped the charts.

Sheng Mingqian’s topic appeared inexplicably, and now it’s inexplicably gone down.

After divorcing Sheng Mingqian, Yè Lái’s first reaction was insomnia. Plus, the director of the Angel’s Home Orphanage’s health suddenly deteriorated. After several chemotherapy sessions, she couldn’t bear the burden, her hair fell out, and she lost more than twenty pounds. After a re-examination, the cancer cells were still spreading.

Yè Lái listened to the coughing in the next room getting louder and louder every night, and he was so worried that he couldn’t sleep all night. He knew he couldn’t afford to make mistakes at this time, so he went to a nearby hospital to get some sleep aids.

The side effects of the sleep aids were obvious. Even if he slept all night, Yè Lái still woke up the next day with a headache and weakness all over his body. He walked unsteadily and couldn’t concentrate on anything he did.

After the new year, there were two advertisements and some commercial endorsements. Yè Lái frequently made mistakes, almost losing one endorsement, but he managed to get through it smoothly in the end.

Apart from running around to film programs, Yè Lái spent most of his time at the orphanage.

The blind date dinner was on Thursday evening. It was arranged for Yè Lái by the director of Angel’s Home Orphanage, urging him to go: “I’ve already talked to the person. Go out for dinner and meet them. Even if you’re not a good match, it’s good to have a friend. You can have more options in the future.”

The director had sent Yè Lái the hotel address and the room number in the morning, reminding him to go in the evening.

Since the dinner was already set, Yè Lái didn’t want the director to worry about him, so he replied that he would definitely go in the evening.

By the time he finished filming the advertisement at the film set and came out, it was almost time for the dinner. Yè Lái hurriedly removed his makeup, changed his clothes, and drove straight to the hotel.

The evening rush hour on a snowy day caused a traffic jam, and Yè Lái was still half an hour late.

“I’m sorry, Mr. An. There was a traffic jam on the way.” Yè Lái opened the room door, still a little breathless, and spoke before he could see the person inside clearly. “Mr. An, sorry to keep you waiting.”

The man in the room stood up: “It’s okay. There was already a traffic jam when I came. The roads are slippery in the snow. Safety first.”

This voice was a little familiar. Yè Lái looked up and was stunned at the door the moment he recognized the man in the room. The director had given him his business card, but he hadn’t had a good look at it until now.

He had a deep impression of An Xuyao. Last time, his neck was scratched by him, and he was scolded by the brand in the film set. It was An Xuyao who spoke up for him.

Yè Lái didn’t expect that the blind date the director had been trying to set him up with was actually him.

An Xuyao had a smile on his face and was dressed very formally, which was a stark contrast to Yè Lái’s casual sportswear. Seeing Yè Lái standing at the door, he smiled and asked, “Why don’t you come in?”

“An Zong, why is it you?” Yè Lái closed the door and went inside.

An Xuyao pulled out the chair opposite the table: “I already knew it was you.”

“Thank you, An Zong.” Yè Lái walked over and sat down, looking a little restrained. “I never had the chance to thank you for what happened last time. Tonight’s on me.”

An Xuyao said, “Then I won’t be polite. It just gave me a chance to return the favor next time.”

Yè Lái didn’t know how to respond to his words and even regretted saying that just now. He just gave him a stiff smile and didn’t say anything.

An Xuyao changed the subject and chatted with Yè Lái briefly about the recent weather, and then pushed the menu on the table to Yè Lái, asking him to order first.

Yè Lái casually ordered two dishes and handed the menu back to An Xuyao.

Yè Lái had never been on a blind date before and had no experience in dealing with the current situation. He had been sitting for a few minutes and didn’t know what to say. He answered whatever An Xuyao asked him. The meal was awkward.

But he was more tired.

After the meal, An Xuyao saw that Yè Lái was not interested and sensed his exhaustion, so he offered to send Yè Lái back.

Yè Lái waved his hand, saying that he had driven here and hadn’t drunk any alcohol tonight, so he could go back by himself. Before An Xuyao left, he still added his WeChat, wanting to make an appointment for Yè Lái to have dinner next time. Yè Lái said he was busy recently and politely declined his invitation.

–

–

Coming out of the hotel, Yè Lái had just walked to the car when he heard a clear, cold, and deep voice in the wind calling him.

“Yè Lái…”

The wind passed through his fingers, and Yè Lái shivered from the cold. A layer of goosebumps rose on his skin, and his back straightened. He adjusted the expression on his face, turned his head with a smile, and it was indeed Sheng Mingqian.

“Director Sheng, what a coincidence, are you here for dinner too?”

He hadn’t seen him for a few days, and Yè Lái felt that Sheng Mingqian was different. His hair was a little longer, the dark circles under his eyes were obvious, and his eyes were cold and distant, still giving him a sense of oppression.

“Not for dinner,” Sheng Mingqian’s voice was hoarse as he hugged his arms and leaned against the car door. “It’s only been a few days since the divorce, and you can’t wait to go on a blind date?”

Yè Lái pressed his eyebrows. He didn’t know how Sheng Mingqian knew he was on a blind date. Apart from the people at the orphanage, he hadn’t told anyone about it, but he didn’t want to ask more.

Logically, Yè Lái didn’t want to meet Sheng Mingqian again. Ten years of feelings had a lot of weight, pressing him so hard that he couldn’t breathe. He still couldn’t face Sheng Mingqian directly and frankly. The walls he had barely built in his heart to resist had slowly built up a high ground. He didn’t want to stay with Sheng Mingqian any longer. He was afraid that the wall would crack and collapse, and everything would be in vain.

Yè Lái raised his eyes and met Sheng Mingqian’s eyes, trying to keep his distance from him: “Director Sheng, so you also know that we’re already divorced. Now that we’re divorced, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. The agreement is gone, and the marriage relationship doesn’t exist anymore. We’re two unrelated individuals. It’s none of your business that I’m on a blind date now. Speaking of which, why are you reacting so strongly?”

Yè Lái smiled noncommittally, his eyes were teasing and regretful: “Director Sheng, could it be that you regret it? Or… is your possessiveness acting up? Tsk, these kinds of thoughts are absolutely not allowed…”

Active attack is also a defense mechanism, which is human instinct.

Yè Lái finished speaking and held his breath, his chest pounding. He didn’t wait for Sheng Mingqian’s response, turned around, opened the door, and got into the car. He still clearly saw Sheng Mingqian’s temple throbbing in his peripheral vision.

The snow hadn’t stopped since the new year, falling intermittently.

The north wind howled, and the snowflakes flew in a chaotic dance.

The whistling wind beat against the glass window, as if it was about to penetrate it. Yè Lái lay on the bed and finally fell asleep, but was eventually awakened by the pain. It felt like steel needles were embedded in his body.

It hurt, it hurt all over, it hurt so much. The demon’s claws were constantly tearing at his body, and they were about to tear him apart. Large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, and strands of hair stuck to his face. Yè Lái even heard the sound of sweat rolling down.

It had been a long time since he had been in so much pain. This time, it was as if he was making up for all the pain he had missed before. Yè Lái gritted his teeth, but still couldn’t help moaning.

After that sharp, knife-like pain passed, Yè Lái propped himself up on his arms and got out of bed. He opened the bedside drawer and swallowed two painkillers dry, but they didn’t work at all. That kind of pain wasn’t just physical pain.

“Xiao Lai, are you okay?” The director hadn’t slept yet. She heard the noise in the next room and came over to knock on the door.

Yè Lái heard the coughing outside the door and bit down on his wrist, his mouth suddenly filled with a bloody taste. The pain in his wrist slightly diverted the sensitive nerves in his body related to pain.

“Xiao Lai, what’s wrong with you?” The knocking on the door outside became louder and louder.

Yè Lái barely lay down properly: “Director Mother, I’m okay, I’m okay, I just had a nightmare.”

“You scared me to death.”

“I’m okay. It’s cold outside, go back to sleep.”

“Do you have water in your room? I’ll pour you a glass.”

“I have water, I have water.”

The director knocked on the door a few more times: “Call me if you need anything.”

Yè Lái gasped for breath and responded loudly, “Okay.”

When the footsteps outside the door faded away, Yè Lái completely collapsed on the bed.

Yè Lái breathed with his mouth open, his face pale, and the pain finally subsided.

The ringtone on the phone on the bedside table rang three times before he answered. It was an unfamiliar number, and it was almost one o’clock. He didn’t know whose call it was.

Yè Lái answered the phone and was just thinking about it when a man’s voice came from the other side.

“Yè Lái, Happy New Year. I’ve been waiting for you for a few months. Today is Thursday again. Why didn’t you come?”

That voice came from hell, as if it had been struck by rain and lightning. It was rough, cold,Strange sounds and weirdness, and when Yè Lái heard who it was, fear exploded in his mind. He had just climbed out of a abyss, but now he was pressed into the ice and snow again, and his body instantly froze.

He couldn’t make the same mistake twice. Yè Lái found a little warm breath and forced himself to be rational.

Now, over the phone, he couldn’t do anything.

Yè Lái turned on the phone’s recording function, pretending he didn’t hear it: “Who are you?”

There was the sound of a lighter lighting a cigarette on the other end. The sound came through the receiver, grabbing Yè Lái’s ears. Yè Lái’s hair stood on end.

“Now that you’re a big star, your memory is not so good anymore. How can you forget that you used to have my last name for two years? Forgot so quickly? Fu Ruige.”

“Don’t call me that, I’m not Fu Ruige…” Yè Lái roared, squeezing the words out from between his teeth.

“Don’t get excited, don’t get excited,” the man’s laughter came over. “Yè Lái, you’re the big star Yè Lái now. I saw the news. You and Sheng Mingqian, did you really get divorced?”