ISWMQ – Chapter 139

Rong Guang didn’t remember every single word.

But some words, when spoken at a specific moment, and from Chu Feiliang’s lips, always managed to be more memorable.

That was Rong Guang’s first time on one of Zhang Nanchuan’s sets. She had been incredibly anxious, afraid she would do something wrong, leave a bad impression, and even affect her future… and more importantly, affect Chu Feiliang’s impression of her.

Because of this, she was on edge all day, wishing she could even take her script to the bathroom. During meals, she would be watching Chu Feiliang’s past videos, hoping to learn something.

Day after day, she practiced every possible script scenario with Chacha in front of the mirror, making detailed notes of every idea. She watched the playback videos over and over, found problems, and then continued to practice repeatedly.

Zhang Nanchuan had said more than once that she was talented.

But only Rong Guang knew that her talent was far from being on par with Chu Feiliang’s. She had a spark, but it wasn’t enough. No one’s spark could be maintained without practice and study, and as a newcomer at the time, all she could do was work even harder and practice desperately.

That was a long time ago.

And those words were what Chu Feiliang had said to her back then.

Perhaps it was because she saw how hard Rong Guang was practicing that Chu Feiliang had the idea to chat with a junior.

At that time, Rong Guang had been filled with awe and trepidation. She remembered every word Chu Feiliang said with perfect clarity, and after so many years, she had never forgotten.

She especially couldn’t forget Chu Feiliang’s delicate and indifferent features, and the cup of warm water she held loosely in her hand as she spoke.

Rong Guang stared blankly at Chu Feiliang. An almost impossible thought appeared in her mind—but, was it really possible?

Rong Guang’s lips moved, and she found it difficult to even speak. “Sister…”

Chu Feiliang looked at her intently. In just a short moment, she had already composed her shocked expression and said slowly, “So…”

Rong Guang licked her lips, her fingers unconsciously gripping the armrest of her chair. She said softly, “Should we… exchange a secret code…? I don’t know if I guessed right or wrong.”

“You didn’t guess wrong.” Chu Feiliang was, after all, much more composed than Rong Guang and had experienced far more.

Hearing this, she closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and stared at Rong Guang’s face, saying slowly, “This is really…”

Unbelievable. Or had heaven finally opened its eyes?

Rong Guang was a little nervous. This fact was simply too incredible; even now, she found it hard to accept.

But Chu Feiliang looked at her, not focusing on that point at all, and just murmured, “Teacher Rong, since we’ve already reached some kind of consensus in the unseen… can I ask, have you been in love with me since a long, long time ago?”

Rong Guang nodded.

Chu Feiliang covered her forehead and slowly let out a breath.

“All these years…” Chu Feiliang murmured, “I’ve truly lived in vain. I wasted all that time.”

Even feeding it to the dogs wouldn’t have been such a waste.

By this calculation, just how much had she and Rong Guang missed out on?

Chu Feiliang stood up and moved her lounge chair closer to Rong Guang’s.

But the lounge chair still had an armrest separating them, leaving a gap between them. Seeing this, Chu Feiliang simply gave up on moving the chair, walked over to Rong Guang’s side, and with a bit of effort, squeezed in. “Teacher Rong, move over a bit… I want to hold you.”

Rong Guang immediately scooted back and patted the non-existent dust off her chair.

Chu Feiliang settled in as she wished, wrapping her arms around Rong Guang and whispering, “When did you…” She organized her words. “Wake up?”

“The day I returned to my hometown, before I terminated my contract with the company,” Rong Guang said in a low voice. “I had a high fever that day. In the past… at that time, my emotions collapsed, and my body broke down along with them. It took many days to recover. That’s when I woke up, at home.”

Chu Feiliang’s throat bobbed twice, hard. After a long moment, she said in a low voice, “Me too.”

Rong Guang looked up, her gaze as gentle and clear as water as she looked at her.

Chu Feiliang pressed her forehead against hers, her voice as light as the wind. “I know that after you terminated your contract with the company and had your Farewell Stage, you were depressed for a long time because of Duan Nong… and after that, your grandmother passed away, followed by Chacha leaving. Rong Guang, I don’t want that almost fatal blow to be repeated on you. I was crushed, but I had family and friends back then. They could pull me out of the mire… Once you get through it and look back, it’s all just a small matter.”

“But I didn’t want to watch you fail to get out of it, completely trapped in the sorrow of the past. At that time, you had nothing left.” Chu Feiliang said softly, “There is nothing more painful than the death of a loved one, especially when all you had left were your grandmother and Chacha… When even they were gone, putting myself in your shoes, I don’t even know what I could have done to endure it. In the past, I couldn’t be by your side, couldn’t muster the courage to bear it with you, but this time, I did it.”

Rong Guang’s tears suddenly became unstoppable.

A sharp, stinging sensation welled up in her nose. Rong Guang’s voice became nasal as she said hoarsely, “So you… that’s why you personally went to the public audition for The Eldest Princess…?”

Chu Feiliang hummed a low, “Mhm.”

In her past life, not long after the company’s incident, Rong Guang’s endorsements were withdrawn, she was forced to terminate her contract, and Duan Nong, in a fit of pique, even used her family’s connections to prevent Rong Guang from getting a foothold in the industry, waiting for Rong Guang to bow her head and apologize to her—she had seen it all, one thing after another.

Even if she had wanted to intervene back then, the Rong Guang of that time completely ignored her work, almost entirely detached from the industry, constantly running around, completely dejected.

She had no way to even start.

Because at that time, they weren’t even friends.

So this time, she had to act first, to solve the problem at its root.

Give Rong Guang work, give Rong Guang connections, give Rong Guang everything, every possible way to help her pull herself together and not repeat the tragedy.

And it was truly fortunate.

Fortunately, heaven let her wake up at that very moment, not too early and not too late.

That was not only a regret Rong Guang could never erase in her lifetime, but it was hers as well.

To only be able to watch the person she loved repeat the most difficult path she herself had once walked, with no way out ahead and no path of retreat behind… Chu Feiliang never wanted to experience that kind of powerlessness a second time in her life.

And she certainly didn’t want Rong Guang to experience it again.

It was a helplessness and powerlessness that rose from the very roots, enough to completely crush a person—sometimes she would even think, if Rong Guang’s grandmother and Chacha both passed away, leaving Rong Guang all alone in this world with no ties, would she have followed them and left too?

She didn’t dare to think too deeply about this possibility, because it was often just a matter of a single thought.

Thinking of the past, Chu Feiliang couldn’t help but raise a hand and press hard on the space between her eyebrows.

Rong Guang squeezed Chu Feiliang’s hand, her eyes red-rimmed. “You’re so good to me, what am I supposed to do now…”

“I’m good to you, but aren’t you good to me?” Chu Feiliang let out a soft laugh. She blinked, glanced around to see no one was there, then leaned closer to Rong Guang and whispered, “Tonight…”

Rong Guang’s face gradually turned red, the blush spreading from her earlobes all the way down her neck, yet she still nodded lightly.

Chu Feiliang’s arm around her tightened. She closed her eyes and cursed something under her breath. After a moment, she leaned close to Rong Guang again and said indistinctly, “Teacher Rong, let me take a bite…”

This time, Rong Guang only hesitated for a moment before lifting the hair on the side of her head, revealing her fair skin. She whispered, “Be gentle, don’t leave a mark that won’t fade for too long…”

Who could possibly resist this?

Chu Feiliang bit her lip, her eyes turning red.