Chapter 173: Dolphin
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng lowered her head and read the few lines Jian Yuan wrote several more times.
Jian Yuan's writing was brief, but something felt very off, just as she had said at the time. Ruan Yesheng pondered it for a moment, and felt an indescribable chill crawl up her tailbone, even feeling a little creepy.
“What does it mean… that the item’s getting stranger and stranger?” Ruan Yesheng looked at Xi Mo. “That description feels a bit odd.”
Jian Yuan dealt in antiques. If she called something an “item,” then it must be in that category.
But what kind of antique could change?
Xi Mo frowned, also unable to figure it out. “My mom said she felt like someone was watching her. She must have run into something really troublesome. That’s why she brought the item to meet her friend, to let her friend take a look. The question is, what exactly was that item?”
Ruan Yesheng also felt that the key lay in that item. “Every antique is valuable. Something that important should have an in-and-out record, when it was bought, when it was sold. There should be notes and even photos.”
She wasn’t familiar with the antique business, but she knew that much at least.
“That happened many years ago. I don’t know if those records still exist.” Xi Mo now felt ashamed because of the letter and gift from Ruan Yesheng, and at the same time uneasy because of what Jian Yuan wrote. Her feelings tangled together, and her brows furrowed even deeper. “After my mom passed, her antique business was taken over by my uncle. If there really are records, I’ll have to ask him.”
Ruan Yesheng knew Xi Mo did have a maternal uncle named Jian Sun, Jian Yuan’s younger brother. But Jian Sun was a mysterious man who rarely showed up and was often away on business. Ever since Ruan Yesheng met Xi Mo in college, she had seen Jian Sun only a handful of times.
She once saw Xi Mo and Jian Sun talking together. Jian Sun looked very young, more like Xi Mo’s older brother than her uncle.
“Then why don’t you ask him?” Ruan Yesheng knew Xi Mo’s temper well. Xi Mo cared so much about the truth of her mother’s death. Now that she had found those few strange words her mother left behind, she would definitely want to find out what was going on.
“I haven’t talked to my uncle for a long time. He’s busy, I’m busy too. Suddenly asking about this, I feel a bit awkward.” Xi Mo said with some difficulty, “Especially since my uncle doesn’t like people mentioning my mom. It makes him upset. I’m afraid he won’t want to help me check the old records.”
“Your uncle didn’t get along with your mom?” Ruan Yesheng had noticed before, on Jian Yuan’s death anniversary, that Jian Sun, her younger brother, didn’t come to pay respects.
“It’s the opposite. He used to be very close to my mom. There’s a big age gap between them, and my mom really spoiled him.” Xi Mo sighed and said, “But after my mom passed away, my uncle changed. He became gloomy, and whenever someone brought up my mom, he would react very strongly. Eventually, no one dared to talk about her in front of him.”
“No wonder he didn’t come to pay respects to your mom.” Ruan Yesheng could understand Jian Sun’s feelings. She said, “Your mom’s death might have hit him too hard. He couldn’t move on, so he shut himself off. He doesn’t want to face it, because that would bring back the pain.”
Xi Mo was a bit surprised after hearing that. “You know… do you know what people used to say about my uncle?”
“What did they say?”
Xi Mo replied, “They said he had no conscience. My mom treated him so well, but he didn’t even come to pay respects, and he wouldn’t let anyone mention her in front of him. People thought he and my mom had a bad relationship. Some even guessed he had bad intentions, saying that maybe the driver was arranged by him, so that after my mom died, he could naturally take over the Jian family’s antique business.”
She said that while staring at Ruan Yesheng. “They only thought about the dark side, but your first reaction was that my uncle cared too deeply about my mom, that’s why he resisted like that. If my uncle knew you thought that way, he would probably be happy.”
Ruan Yesheng really was different.
She was warm all over.
Xi Mo had heard too many people secretly doubt her uncle. So after hearing what Ruan Yesheng said, it felt like she suddenly saw a bright beam of light through the cold darkness.
But Ruan Yesheng wasn’t someone who trusted people easily. On the contrary, she was full of ideas, hiding them behind her charming smile, sometimes making her hard to read.
Still, that didn’t change her gentle heart. She never judged with malice. She chose to believe in evidence and her own logical reasoning.
Ruan Yesheng’s eyes curved slightly. “Those people are guessing, and I’m guessing too. There’s not much difference in that. Only, my guess is that your uncle hasn’t moved on all these years because he really cared about your mom. The more a person loves something, the more painful it is to lose it, and the stronger their reaction. They don’t even want to pretend in front of others. But if someone feels nothing, they can recover fast and act perfectly fine.”
She looked at Xi Mo, then couldn’t resist teasing her. “Aren’t you the logic freak? Which of these two guesses do you think makes more sense?”
“You… you’re good.” Xi Mo almost muttered it.
Ruan Yesheng paused for a second.
“I mean, your logic… is good.” Xi Mo’s gaze drifted slightly to the side, avoiding Ruan Yesheng’s eyes.
But Ruan Yesheng’s gaze, on the other hand, seemed to stick to Xi Mo.
After looking for a moment, Ruan Yesheng analyzed, “If asking your uncle doesn’t work for now, then to find out what item your mom mentioned in those few lines, you’ll have to find the friend she contacted. Your mom said she would bring the item to show that person. That means the person might know about it. And your mom’s antique business was doing great, she was capable and sharp. For her to trust someone enough to ask for help checking an item, that person must also be an expert in antiques. The question is whether that person is still in Changsha.”
“My dad is investigating some things from that year,” Xi Mo suggested. “Maybe I can tell him about this and let him check. He has a lot of connections. It wouldn’t be hard for him to find out. What do you think?”
Hearing that Xi Mo was willing to tell Xi Ji, Ruan Yesheng realized Xi Mo had already moved past her fear of him. She was starting to depend on and trust him more, and no longer hiding things from him. That made Ruan Yesheng truly happy, her eyes shining bright.
What made her even happier was that Xi Mo was willing to discuss all this with her.
“I think that’s the best choice,” Ruan Yesheng said with a smile.
Xi Mo looked a little uneasy again and said, “…Then let’s go out first.”
She found a small box, carefully placing the sixteen letters inside, stacking them neatly. One letter was still missing. As she looked at them, she felt both displeased and regretful.
That displeasure and regret were all directed at herself.
After she finished packing the envelopes, Xi Mo took the biggest gift box in her arms as the base layer, then placed the box of letters on top. She said to Ruan Yesheng, “Yesheng, help me stack the rest of the gifts.”
“If you stack it that high, you won’t be able to see the way,” Ruan Yesheng joked as she added a box containing a vinyl CD, then said, “These boxes have gotten musty after all this time. Why don’t you unpack them and just take the gifts inside?”
Xi Mo frowned. “I want all of them.”
“Alright, take all of them.” Xi Mo was displeased but Ruan Yesheng only smiled wider, stacking the remaining two gift boxes, and together they left the relic room.
Back home, Xi Mo set down the gifts and letters for the moment and went straight to Xi Ji’s study.
She didn't want to disturb her father, but this matter was too important. She knocked on the door. “Dad, I have something very important to tell you.”
The door opened quickly.
Xi Ji stood in the doorway, looking at her. “What is it?”
Xi Mo took out the old envelope she found in the relic room and carefully handed it to Xi Ji. “This was left by mom back then. I was just looking for gifts and letters in the relic room, and I found it under the base board. Take a look, do you recognize the person in Changsha mentioned here? They should know a lot about antiques, otherwise mom wouldn’t have gone to them.”
When Xi Ji heard it was Jian Yuan’s envelope, his expression changed. The envelope was so old that at that moment he seemed even more cautious than Xi Mo. When he took it out, he was extremely gentle, as if afraid of damaging Jian Yuan’s relics.
After reading the few lines, his face suddenly darkened.
Xi Mo understood, there was no need to say more. Her father would know what to do.
“I’ll investigate this,” Xi Ji said.
“Mm, then you focus on that, Dad.” Xi Mo had other urgent matters, and seeing that Xi Ji now had a direction for investigating Jian Yuan’s affair, she turned and left.
Xi Ji stood at the study door for a while before closing it behind him.
Xi Mo called Auntie Zhou and asked how to clean the stuffed toy thoroughly, and if there were any tricks to remove the musty smell. Seeing that she had pulled out several old gifts and seemed unwilling to throw away the boxes, Auntie Zhou planned to clean the boxes along with the gifts. She said, “This is quite a lot. I’ll help you with it together with others. You just rest.”
Xi Mo had been raised in comfort since childhood and hadn’t done much at home. Auntie Zhou cared for her too much to let her do this herself.
“I’ll do it myself,” Xi Mo insisted stubbornly. “Just tell me some tips.”
She paused, her expression growing serious, and added, “Wait, actually you should watch me while I do it. If I mess up anywhere, correct me immediately.”
These were gifts from Ruan Yesheng. Xi Mo wanted to clean them herself and put them away properly. Her effort was sincere. But she worried that she didn’t know how to handle them well and might accidentally damage something, especially the plush toys. If she ruined them, she would deeply regret it. So she decided to have a professional supervise.
“Okay, I’ll watch you from the side.” Auntie Zhou rarely saw Xi Mo so focused on such daily chores and smiled.
After that, Xi Mo and Auntie Zhou busied themselves with the gifts and letters.
The tickets to the aquarium, the vinyl CDs, and the little lotus-shaped bronze piece were easy. Stored in the gift boxes, they were fairly clean and just needed the slight musty smell removed. The dolphin stuffed toy was trickier. It could easily deform if soaked in water, so it required dry cleaning.
The manor had professional dry cleaning equipment.
As for the gift boxes, Xi Mo wiped them carefully, one by one. After wiping, she sniffed them. If there was still a faint residue, she sprayed perfume directly.
She also sprayed it on the letters.
Ruan Yesheng came over to check her progress, only to be hit by the fragrance.
It was still limited edition.
“These gift boxes and letters just got really expensive now.” Ruan Yesheng had never seen anyone spray such expensive perfume on empty boxes and envelopes, and she couldn’t help laughing. “The value multiplied greatly. After being stored away for so long, they finally pay off.”
Xi Mo lowered her head and said nothing, being teased by Ruan Yesheng.
This was her own doing, so Ruan Yesheng could joke all she wanted.
“I’ll take good care of them from now on,” Xi Mo said after a while.
Ruan Yesheng sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand, looking at Xi Mo. Thinking of all the waiting from her youth, she felt it had all been worth it. She said, “Actually, I feel it's a little fortunate.”
“Fortunate about what?” Xi Mo asked.
Ruan Yesheng was clear and straightforward, her tone half-joking, half-serious. “Fortunate that you’re only seeing these gifts and letters now. If it had been back then, at least they wouldn’t have been treated with your perfume, so fancy.”
If it had been back then, after some time, Xi Mo might not have even remembered receiving these gifts.
After all, at that time, the distance between her and Xi Mo was far greater than it is now.
Xi Mo understood Ruan Yesheng’s meaning and strangely felt a little fortunate too.
She was glad she had missed the “back then” gifts and letters.
Receiving them after so long made it so that she would never miss them again.
At dinner, Ding Ru also came over. At the Xi family manor, he felt just like he was at his own home. Seeing Ruan Yesheng there, he was both surprised and happy, and he came over to talk with her for quite a while. Auntie Lan watched Ruan Yesheng with satisfaction, and the three of them chatted happily together.
Xi Mo saw Ding Ru and couldn’t help but think of the letter he had once given her.
She couldn’t figure it out, and naturally felt tangled inside. But she didn’t dare mention it to Ding Ru. After all, he had repeatedly told her to read the letter, and she had left it on the coffee table. After that, the letter had disappeared.
Where did that letter go?
Even though Xi Mo had learned the contents from Ruan Yesheng, not having the letter itself made her feel a sense of emptiness. For her, all seventeen letters mattered, not a single one could be missing. Now that one was gone, it was like a gap had opened in her heart, making her unable to control her lingering thoughts.
She didn’t even know if she was thinking about the letter.
Or something else.
That gap made Xi Mo feel strange. Before sleep, she lay in bed, unable to let it go, always feeling uneasy inside. She turned and tossed, finally picking up her phone and sending Ruan Yesheng a message: “Are you asleep?”
“No,” Ruan Yesheng replied instantly, clearly also looking at her phone.
Seeing the reply, Xi Mo suddenly didn’t know what to say, so almost on impulse she asked, “The aquarium you wanted to go to with me before, it’s still open, right?”
“Still open.” Even through the phone screen, Ruan Yesheng could feel the sweetness in Xi Mo’s tentative question. She bit her lower lip lightly as she typed, “The ticket I gave you back then is long expired. Are you going to pay me back for the aquarium ticket?”
“Mm, I’ll pay,” Xi Mo replied. “It’s just that it might be inconvenient for a while. We still need to get familiar with the script, so let’s stay home these days.”
Xi Mo took this movie very seriously, and so did Ruan Yesheng. This was her second collaboration with Gu Ru. Though filming hadn’t started yet, she had been looking forward to it for a long time. Especially since Gu Ru’s script this time was gripping. In the past few days, Ruan Yesheng had read through the scripts like following a serialized novel, gaining a deep understanding of the plot and character relationships, and growing even more fond of the story.
The feelings between the two female leads weren’t explicitly stated.
But Ruan Yesheng could sense the hidden emotions. They weren’t shallow or ambiguous, they were genuine, life-and-death, saving each other.
To film a double female lead movie like this with Xi Mo, she wished she could fly to the set right away and act alongside her.
“Go to sleep. We’ll go back tomorrow,” Xi Mo sent Ruan Yesheng a voice message. “Good night, Yesheng.”
Ruan Yesheng opened the short voice message, held the phone to her ear, and listened to it repeatedly before finally turning off her phone, content, and fell asleep.
The next day, Xi Mo brought all the cleaned gifts and letters back from the Xi family manor. She had a room specifically for storing vinyl CDs, but the CDs Ruan Yesheng had given her weren’t placed there. Instead, together with the sixteen letters, the lotus-shaped bronze piece, and the aquarium tickets, they were all stored in the study, in a specially prepared space, as if it was exclusively for Ruan Yesheng’s gifts and letters.
As for the cleaned dolphin stuffed toy, she placed it next to her pillow.
Before sleeping, while lying in bed reading the script, Xi Mo hugged the dolphin plush toy.
It was soft and smelled nice.
Xi Mo put down the script and held the little dolphin up with both hands, examining it carefully. Maybe she just liked dolphins, or maybe it was because it was so soft, but she did something even she couldn’t believe.
She leaned in and buried her face in the dolphin’s soft body.
But she quickly pulled back, seemingly startled by herself.
Is she… sick?
Xi Mo didn’t even want to look at the script anymore. She turned off the light, lay down, and cuddled the dolphin to sleep.
The days at home with Ruan Yesheng passed pleasantly, but perhaps too pleasantly. When time suddenly slipped away, it felt fleeting. Soon, it was already time for the script reading. Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng packed their luggage and flew to Beijing.
….
After Gu Cen and Li Siran returned from Heizhugou, Sichuan, they rushed to finish a schedule and then had nothing else to do. Gu Cen stayed home, while Li Siran, being diligent, went to the company to practice and returned home late. Today, however, Gu Cen said she was coming over, so Li Siran stayed in.
Before debuting, Li Siran’s family wasn’t well-off. Even though she had signed with a company and joined a girl group with many fans, the company’s high cut for newcomers meant she still hadn’t been able to buy a house in Beijing. She rented a quiet apartment to save up for a better one later.
Li Siran did some yoga at home. When Gu Cen arrived, she kept saying she was almost there but didn’t come right away. Li Siran, tired of messaging, went to the bathroom to shower.
Halfway through, she heard Gu Cen’s voice outside: “Where are you?”
Gu Cen had a key to her apartment and came in like it was her own home, with no courtesy at all.
“Bathroom,” Li Siran replied.
“Hurry and wash,” Gu Cen flopped onto the sofa, stretching her legs over Li Siran’s coffee table, acting completely without manners. “I’ll take you somewhere nice.”
Li Siran didn’t hurry. She had failed an audition earlier and was in a bad mood. After showering, she walked out slowly, wearing a white bathrobe, her long legs faintly visible as she moved.
“Where?” Li Siran dried her hair without even lifting her eyelids. “I don’t feel like going out today.”
“To my sister’s,” Gu Cen got off the sofa. “Today she’s having a script reading with the crew. Teacher Xi and Ruanruan are there. Let’s go see them.”
“…Not going.” Li Siran stood still. “Go yourself.”
“Are you worried about being embarrassed in front of the assistant director because you failed the audition?” Gu Cen came over and put a hand on her shoulder. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? I really recommended you to the assistant director, but he chose someone else. I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Li Siran paused her hair-drying motion.
“Come on, come on.” Gu Cen, eager to help, took the blow dryer and started drying her hair. “Finish drying, change your clothes, and we’ll go.”
Li Siran stayed silent, squinting at Gu Cen, enjoying her flattery but still refused.
When Gu Cen finished drying her hair and urged her to change, Li Siran said, “I’m not going.”
“I dried your hair for you, why won’t you go?!” Gu Cen said, her logic clearly missing.
“I never agreed that if you dried my hair, I would go,” Li Siran remained unmoved.
“Go, go, it’s no fun if I go alone.” Gu Cen tugged at her.
Li Siran looked at Gu Cen's watery eyes, like a little puppy staring at her, and couldn’t help but keep watching her. Their hairstyles were the same, but Gu Cen’s hair was fine and soft, it felt very nice to touch.
“I said I’m not going,” Li Siran said, even as Gu Cen tugged hard. The more Gu Cen pulled, the less Li Siran wanted to agree so soon.
She wanted to see the little puppy’s eager look.
It was kind of cute.
Though also kind of silly.
“Li Siran, stay with me,” Gu Cen said, hugging her and dragging her toward the room to change.
The tugging went a bit too far. Li Siran, wearing a bathrobe, got pulled and carried, and before she could react, her bathrobe had split open in front of Gu Cen.
Gu Cen’s hands still held her body, mouth open: “Wow… wow.”
Li Siran: “...”
Gu Cen’s eyes glanced downward.
Li Siran quickly turned, tying her bathrobe back on.
“Your forest down there isn’t shaved,” Gu Cen said, seemingly excited at her discovery. Luckily, her words were still fairly tactful, using “forest”, though where she picked that up, Li Siran had no idea. “I haven’t shaved either, but Duoduo told me it should all be shaved clean. It looks prettier that way, and supposedly it increases attraction in bed, but I think shaving isn’t good for the body; it’s protective. Seeing you didn’t shave, I’m relieved, we’re the same.”
Li Siran’s face turned red. She spun to glare at Gu Cen: “Why are you saying these things?!”
“What’s there that can’t be said?” Gu Cen said openly. “Isn’t this just women’s health?”
“I mean the part about being more attractive!” Li Siran was about to lose it. “Do you know what you’re saying? You’re a girl group idol! If you go outside and date someone, your career’s over!”
“I… I didn’t say I’m dating anyone,” Gu Cen said, confused.
“Then what did you mean by ‘increase… attractiveness’?” Li Siran wrapped her bathrobe tighter.
“That’s what Duoduo said, it has nothing to do with me.”
Li Siran gave up on her. “Stay away from Liang Duo. She changes boyfriends faster than clothes. If you get photographed with her, it’s only a matter of time before trouble comes.”
Gu Cen’s brainwaves clearly don't match hers. She stared at Li Siran for a while, then said: “Actually, I think your forest looks very beautiful unshaved, way more attractive. So what Duoduo said about shaving for beauty is nonsense.”
Li Siran: “…”
What are you saying?!
“Are you going or not?” Gu Cen tried to drag her again.
Li Siran stepped back, afraid her bathrobe would be pulled open again. “I’m going, just get away from me.”
Satisfied, Gu Cen sat on the sofa and waited for Li Siran to change.
….
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo finally arrived at the script reading. Gu Ru’s assistant greeted them warmly.
Many people attended this reading. Gu Ru valued the script reading highly. Her readings were always professional. Besides the main actors for the film, the photography team, art and lighting, costume and props, and even the key post-production staff were all present. Everyone shared their thoughts and opinions freely, so they could reach consensus before filming, making the actual shoot smoother.
The screenwriter also needed to be there, though most of Gu Ru’s scripts were written by herself.
But Gu Ru hasn't appeared yet.
As soon as Xi Mo arrived, she became the center of attention. The actors either admired her genuinely or wanted to curry favor for their own benefit, all coming over to greet her. Many of them were Xi Mo’s acquaintances.
But soon she noticed that Ruan Yesheng knew even more people.
“Ruanruan, long time no see!” This time, Nie Qi, playing the third female lead, came over and hugged Ruan Yesheng. “Director Gu kept you hidden so well. I only found out this morning that you’re in the film. I’m so happy!”
“Please take care of me, Sister Qi,” Ruan Yesheng said sweetly, her eyes becoming more alluring.
The mastermind in this film was Ye Guangchao. He was a double Golden Film Award-winning actor. His looks weren’t particularly outstanding in this circle, but he had a special vibe. His eyes were narrow, and when playing a pervert, his expressions were precise and subtle, perfectly balanced; any more or less would ruin it.
Ruan Yesheng even chatted and laughed with Ye Guangchao, making Xi Mo marvel once again at her networking skills.
How many people did Ruan Yesheng really know?
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“Teacher Ye,” Xi Mo said, respecting him as a senior. No matter how many awards she had, she had to call him teacher.
“Xi Mo,” Ye Guangchao was friendly in daily life. He nodded at her and exchanged greetings: “I heard you and Ruanruan were hospitalized before. How is your health now?”
“I’ve fully recovered, thank you, Teacher Ye.”
They chatted for quite a while. Then Ye Guangchao called over Gu Ru’s assistant and asked, “Where’s Director Gu? Why hasn’t she arrived yet?”
"Teacher Ye, Director Gu is... is angry right now." Ye Guangchao and Gu Ru have a good relationship, like siblings. The assistant wasn't so reserved in front of Ye Guangchao and told the truth.
“What’s going on?” Ye Guangchao frowned.
“The supporting actress the assistant director scheduled before said she didn’t have time. She already went to a variety show and can’t attend the script reading. It’s making Director Gu angry. She’s scolding the assistant director, saying, ‘What kind of person did you cast?’”
The assistant was sweating: “She’s really angry, been yelling for ten minutes… and hasn’t stopped yet.”
Ye Guangchao raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t surprised Director Gu had been scolding for so long and smiled: “It looks like we still have to wait.”
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo listened quietly beside him. They didn’t say a word.
They both knew Gu Ru took script readings very seriously. But some actors in the circle now didn’t care about script readings, even thinking they were unnecessary.
Not attending a script reading, in Gu Ru’s view, was a bad attitude, and that hit her nerve.
Author's Note:
Xi Mo, you’re still fine. You just buried your face in the stuffed dolphin, but didn’t kiss it. You still kept the universe’s straight girl's last bit of dignity. [
Filming has started~
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