Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 51

Chapter 51

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After returning from the island, Xu Yan flew abroad to participate in an event. As soon as it ended, he immediately returned to the country. After less than five hours of sleep, he got up and went to shoot a cover for Yu Xue.

When he arrived at the island, the villa gate was open. Xu Yan went upstairs, where the makeup artist was applying makeup to Yu Xue, who was intently reading a script. She had taken a temporary leave from the crew. Although Yu Xue usually seemed carefree, she was very serious about acting and incredibly dedicated to her job. Xu Yan guessed this was why the audience had a high tolerance for her, her acting skills and attitude were impeccable.

"Long time no see." Xu Yan walked closer while taking photos, treating it as behind-the-scenes material.

Yu Xue looked up, her gaze wandering as if she hadn't yet left her role. After a while, she asked, "You're back?"

Even though she usually loved to chatter, this was an exceptionally redundant question.

"Mhmm, I arrived in the middle of the night." Xu Yan focused the lens on Yu Xue's small white flower earrings. "Have you checked out the sunroom? The lilacs are blooming beautifully."

Yu Xue slowly looked towards the camera and gave a faint smile. "I saw them, they really are blooming well."

"Then I'll go take a look first, once your makeup and hair are done, we can start."

"Mhmm."

Twenty minutes later, Yu Xue arrived at the sunroom. The weather was good today. Xu Yan had scouted the location the previous week, so he was familiar with the site and the shoot went smoothly. However... as he looked at Yu Xue through the black-and-white viewfinder, he felt she seemed different from usual.

Yu Xue's makeup and styling were very simple today, making her look like a student in her early twenties. Her gaze was neither flirtatious nor frivolous. When she looked over, it was clean and pure, as if she were gazing at something else through the lens, something far away, yet not empty, with an inexplicable hint of sadness. Throughout the shoot, Xu Yan found himself repeatedly drawn into her emotions. The sound of the wind and waves faded away, and he captured something akin to nostalgia.

When he put down the camera, Xu Yan sighed in his heart. An actor's eyes truly could speak, transforming them into another person.

After wrapping up, while others were packing up, Yu Xue sat in a chair, staring dazedly at a few fallen lilac flowers on the table. Xu Yan walked over, sat down next to her, and opened a bottle of water for her. "Tired?"

"No, just thinking about something."

"Mhmm," Xu Yan responded.

Yu Xue raised her head and looked at the lilacs in full bloom. "My first set of photo shoots used lilacs as the background."

"That photographer surely never expected the girl he photographed would become a big star," Xu Yan said.

"Yeah, he definitely didn't expect that." Yu Xue leaned forward on the table, resting her chin in one hand. "When I was a sophomore, he took pictures of me under the lilac trees. The flowers were in full bloom then. He said he liked lilacs, and I thought this seemingly aloof photographer had a surprisingly delicate taste."

"Later, I found out he wasn't a photographer but a student from the police academy who loved photography, and he was a year younger than me. It was clear he liked me first and approached me to take photos, but it ended up with me pursuing him. He was proud and awkward, and my personality wasn't great either. After we got together, we often quarrelled."

"When I graduated, I was in a few web dramas. I was looked down upon because I wasn't famous and even faced sexual harassment. One time, I couldn't take it anymore and flipped a table, then ran out to find him waiting at the door. I said I didn't want to act anymore. He said it was okay and that he'd take care of me, that we should go home because it was cold outside."

"Later, he became a police officer and was extremely busy. At that time, I also lost direction and felt immense psychological pressure. Every time we met, it ended in an argument, and we were both exhausted. Once, during dinner, we argued over something trivial. He suggested we take a break to cool off."

"I agreed and went back to my hometown the next day to clear my mind. I didn't contact him for a week, but the day before I was supposed to return, he texted me, saying it was too exhausting to be together and he didn't want to continue. He suggested we break up and not see each other again. I don't even remember how I got through that period. I stayed in my hometown for another two months, completely lost."

At this point, Yu Xue stopped talking. Xu Yan remained silent for a long time before saying, "If it's not suitable, parting ways is a good thing."

"If the story ended there, it would be fine." Yu Xue looked up at the sky through the roof. "Later, I went back and still missed him. Once, I got drunk and called him. His mother answered. I asked where he was and if she could let him take the call. She said no, and then she cried."

"I only found out later that the day I went back to my hometown, he was hit by a suspect during a mission. He was rushed to the hospital and after a week of surgeries, he lost a leg and an arm. The first thing he did when he woke up was break up with me."

"For some reasons, the case was suppressed. He couldn't accept that he had become disabled. Not long after, he wheeled himself to the riverbank in the middle of the night and jumped in." Yu Xue spoke softly. "The day he committed suicide was the same day we had gotten together three years earlier."

Xu Yan looked at her, stunned, unable to say a word.

"I went to his house and asked his mother to take me to his grave. She told me that in his suicide note, he had instructed to bury all the gifts and love letters I had given him, along with a bouquet of lilacs, under his tombstone. He had already arranged everything. She also gave me a photo album containing all the pictures he had taken of me, with a sentence he had written inside."

"'Lilacs are beautiful, but they are only beautiful with you, you are the most beautiful.'"

Xu Yan wanted to hand her a tissue, but Yu Xue didn't shed a tear.

"Strangely, I didn't cry when I learned of his death. I just drank myself into a stupor every day, passing out drunk. It wasn't until much later, one day, when I was passing by a park and saw a tree full of blooming lilacs. My legs suddenly went weak, and I squatted on the road, crying so hard I couldn't stand up."

Her emotions seemed stable, as if she didn't need Xu Yan's comfort. Her eyes were just a little red.

The window was open, and the wind blew in, causing a few more lilac flowers to fall from the tree. Yu Xue suddenly smiled and turned to Xu Yan, "Let me tell you a secret."

"What secret?"

"Let me tell you, when Lin Yan first walked into my flower shop, I thought I saw him." Yu Xue placed a finger to her lips, shushing, her eyes red and her expression mysterious, "Only you know this, you can't tell anyone else."

"Okay," Xu Yan replied with a smile.

On the way back to the crew, Yu Xue sat in the car with her eyes closed, resting. Her phone rang, and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Finished the shoot?" Lin Yan asked. "How are the lilacs you planted? I haven't been to the island this year. You visit whenever you can but never send me any photos."

"They're blooming beautifully, but they only look beautiful with me. I'll show you the photos once Xu Yan sends them to me."

"Of course." Lin Yan chuckled softly, "You're the most beautiful."

After returning to the company from the island, Xu Yan felt distracted, thinking about Yu Xue. That evening, he went to his parents' house for dinner. Seeing his lack of energy, Fang Hui asked if he was too tired and needed to rest. Xu Yan nodded, "I am a bit tired, I'll take a few days off soon."

After a brief chat, Xu Shen stood at the staircase holding a teacup and called Xu Yan to the study.

Xu Yan was at a loss, unsure of what his father wanted to discuss. Entering the study, the room was filled with the scent of ink, and Xu Yan admired Xu Shen's painting. "Dad, your painting is so good, you could hold an exhibition."

"I want to ask you something." Xu Shen sat in a chair, unmoved. "That Shen Zhi, has he been visiting you frequently?"

The hand holding the painting paused, and Xu Yan looked up, caught off guard. "huh?"

"Don't play dumb."

Xu Yan smiled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"You'd better know." Xu Shen frowned, "If you can't change and you really like men, we won't stop you. But not him. Don't forget what you've been through. You're an adult now, think about your own dignity."

In reality, he didn't want to say these things. He cared deeply for his son, but he was genuinely afraid Xu Yan would repeat past mistakes. So, he hardened his heart and said the harsh words.

Xu Yan was stunned for a few seconds, then forced a smile, "Of course, don't worry."

He went downstairs and said goodbye to Fang Hui. She had probably guessed what Xu Shen had said, but she only advised Xu Yan to take care of himself and come home for meals more often.

Xu Yan left the house, got into his car, and had just fastened his seatbelt when his phone rang. It was a call from Shen Zhi. Since their return from the island, this was the first time Shen Zhi had called him, asking if he felt unwell or had caught a cold. Xu Yan said he hadn't. They were silent for a while before Xu Yan said he was going to sleep, and Shen Zhi wished him goodnight.

Now, Xu Yan stared at his phone, motionless, until the call went to voicemail.

The next morning, Xu Yan woke up and checked his phone. A colleague had sent him a message with a link to a Weibo post. Clicking it, surprisingly, it was news about Yu Xue and Lin Yan – someone had photographed Lin Yan visiting the set and then entering Yu Xue's trailer.

Xu Yan wasn't too worried. This situation wasn't enough to confirm a relationship, just a rumour at best. Yu Xue's company had already issued a clarification, and members of the crew had testified that Yu Xue's assistant and makeup artist were also in the trailer at the time.

That fact is that it's no big deal. Xu Yan turned off his phone and got up to wash.

It wasn't a big deal to him, but it was different for Shen Zhi.

He carefully read through all the relevant news. The clarifications were convincing, but Shen Zhi couldn't help but hold onto a sliver of dark hope that it was true. If it were true, then Xu Yan and Yu Xue... But after thinking it over, he hoped it was all just baseless rumours. He didn't want Xu Yan to be upset because of it.

Shen Zhi contacted Lin Mian and sent her the Weibo link, since Lin Yan was her older brother. Lin Mian quickly replied: Since when does Lawyer Shen care about this stuff?

Shen Zhi usually didn't follow gossip, but ever since he learned that Xu Yan was dating Yu Xue, he had been paying attention to news about her – this was the first time he had seen Yu Xue and Lin Yan's names together in the news.

He replied: Just looking, it seems to have been clarified.

Lin Mian: Yes, it's been clarified, so why did you send it to me?

Shen Zhi couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, yet relieved for Xu Yan. But his heart felt empty, unsure when he would have the chance to openly pursue Xu Yan.

Just as he was about to turn off his phone, Lin Mian replied again: Forget it, since we're acquaintances, I'll tell you a secret, although you might not be interested.

Shen Zhi felt his heartbeat gradually quicken, not knowing what to expect and having no time to think about it.

Lin Mian: Yu Xue has been with my brother for quite a while. Exclusive secret, please don't leak!

Five seconds later, she retracted the message.

Shen Zhi took a full two minutes before typing again: Don't lie to me.

Lin Mian: Even though I retracted it, what I said is true.

Shen Zhi felt his hand trembling and replied with a simple "Okay." His heart was racing, a long-lost excitement and thrill surged within him. As he stood in front of the garage, he even felt a bit impatient – the automatic door was rising too slowly, not fast enough... Why couldn't people teleport?

Over an hour later, Shen Zhi arrived at Xu Yan's company entrance, and suddenly realised he hadn't checked if Xu Yan was working today, if he was out on a shoot, or if he was even at the company.

He messaged Tang Yunyan, asking if she knew where Xu Yan was.

Tang Yunyan: Lawyer Shen, you're in luck, Xu Yan is in my office.

She added: He's helping me try on a qipao.

———

The author has something to say:

Shen Zhi: Shocked, my wife is actually single.

Lin Yan: Damn, I was just a substitute.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: September 27, 2024 by Angel

Edited: October 26, 2024 by Angel