ISWMQ – Chapter 122

She was a little anxious, and a little angry.

But she also found it ridiculously funny.

After some thought, she lowered her head and shared a long, lingering kiss with Chu Feiliang.

The kiss wasn’t deep, but when they parted, Rong Guang was still a little short of breath.

Rong Guang guessed that her eyes must be shimmering with moisture. She looked at Chu Feiliang, who was also slightly breathless, pursed her lips, and asked in a low voice, “Are you still upset?”

Chu Feiliang took one of Rong Guang’s hands and said with a light laugh, “I’m not upset. Who can be upset about these things all day long? That would just be torturing myself.”

Rong Guang nodded gently.

Everyone has encountered unpleasant things to varying degrees—she could understand Chu Feiliang’s current mindset.

Not every person with depression wants to wallow in self-pity until they meet their end. There are always people who, before reaching their breaking point, are still constantly struggling to survive.

Besides, there was an old saying passed down by the elderly.

Time is the best medicine for healing everything.

Rong Guang didn’t doubt the truth of this saying, but time itself still had to be walked through by the person in question.

If they couldn’t walk through it, then time became a deadly poison.

Chu Feiliang had walked through that most difficult period on her own. Even though she still got sick, she had managed to endure it.

Rong Guang let her play with her palm, feeling that the way Chu Feiliang was touching her was just like how she used to touch Zaixiang’s paws in her past life… Her eyes curved into a smile, and Rong Guang said, “But tell me the truth, do you still think about it sometimes?”

There was a period when Chu Feiliang had a strong aversion to meat, to the point where she would gag at the sight of it.

She always said it was because of an upset stomach, a stress reaction caused by eating vegetarian food for too long to control her weight… Now, it all made sense.

Anyone who had an animal carcass left at their doorstep during their childhood would develop a stress reaction.

Chu Feiliang nodded generously and said, “There’s no fixed time. Who knows which day my mood will dip, and I’ll start to self-destructively think about those unhappy things… But when I have someone with me, it’s usually much better.”

Rong Guang nodded in silence.

This might also be one of the reasons why Chu Feiliang worked so desperately.

The film set was the most crowded place, and everyone was busy from morning till night. Once your body and mind reached a certain level of exhaustion, you no longer had the energy to think too much.

If you don’t think about it, it won’t get worse.

So Chu Feiliang threw herself into filming almost as a form of self-rescue. In her most prolific year, five of her films were released, and she never worked on multiple projects at once. The production crews even issued a joint statement. It was also from that year that Chu Feiliang’s god-like status was firmly established, and she herself was called that year’s miracle.

Rong Guang mumbled softly, “Then I’ll stay with you from now on. I definitely won’t let you get lost in your thoughts when I’m by your side…”

Chu Feiliang seized the opportunity to add, “And we can do more of that kiss therapy—come on, give your sister another kiss.”

After being lovey-dovey for a long time, Rong Guang stayed with Chu Feiliang until she finished her meal, then watched her slowly head off to work.

Chu Feiliang hadn’t had time for a noon nap, so Rong Guang was a little worried if she could keep up. She watched from the side for a while.

Chu Feiliang’s performance was consistently excellent. After watching for a bit, Rong Guang saw Chu Feiliang wave at her during a break when the makeup artist was touching up her makeup.

Rong Guang looked around, then trotted over and said, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Feiliang pointed to the behind-the-scenes crew not far away and said with a smile, “See them?”

The crew member was also an acquaintance. Rong Guang nodded and said softly, “I see them.”

Then Chu Feiliang wrapped her arms around Rong Guang’s waist, stepped onto a nearby container, and leaned down to kiss Rong Guang on the cheek.

While Rong Guang was still stunned, she heard Chu Feiliang say nonchalantly to the behind-the-scenes camera, “Did you get that? You got it all, right? Make sure to edit it in and release it later. Teacher Rong came all this way to visit the set, it would be too cruel not to include it.”

The crew member laughed and bobbed the camera up and down, also making an OK sign from behind the lens.

Rong Guang, blushing, retreated again, completely at ease.

At least she could talk about those past unhappy events without any reservations… It probably meant that Chu Feiliang had truly let them go in her heart.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t sad anymore, just that it was no longer that important.

On her last night before leaving, Rong Guang secretly went to the small convenience store downstairs.

The store owner knew her well. When he saw Rong Guang, he subconsciously glanced around and asked with a smile, “Where’s Teacher Rong’s little tail? Didn’t she come with you?”

“Chacha has started school,” Rong Guang smiled and said, “She has classes recently and is quite busy, so she didn’t come.”

Chacha had promised her she would try being a day student for half a month to adapt. If things went well, she wouldn’t have to continue being homeschooled.

Rong Guang wanted Chacha to have more contact with the outside world, so she always kept her by her side, routinely telling her to greet people and be polite. It seemed the effects were quite significant now.

The owner nodded in understanding, pointed to a small shelf in the back, and said, “The red envelopes are all this year’s new designs. They’re on the bottom shelf, still in the packaging. Does Teacher Rong want to buy some now? How many?”

Rong Guang’s face flushed. “Just one.”

The owner was taken aback. He moved his hand from the number keys, deleted everything with a few taps, and quoted a price.

Rong Guang scanned the code to pay, and only then did the owner say, “You can pick any style you like. Who is Teacher Rong giving this to? Did you come to the set specifically to give a red envelope?”

“For…” The title swirled on the tip of her tongue. Rong Guang remembered what Chu Feiliang had said these past two days, smiled with relief, and said, “For my girlfriend. She might have to rush filming at the set over the New Year and won’t be able to leave. I have to go back to my hometown for a few days… We’ll be apart for a while, and I’m a bit reluctant.”

The owner smiled knowingly.

After leaving the store with the red envelope, Rong Guang went straight back to her room.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but the hotel corridor, which usually felt quite bright, now seemed a bit gloomy. All the lights were on, but it felt as if they couldn’t penetrate the darkness.

She didn’t think much of it and went in after opening the door.

She placed the red envelope under Chu Feiliang’s pillow.

Rong Guang was leaving tonight and couldn’t even wait for Chu Feiliang to finish work. She could only write down what she wanted to say and place it under the meal she had prepared.

The hot food was still steaming. Rong Guang covered it all up, then reluctantly left with her suitcase.

She didn’t dare to look at her phone in the car, worried about getting carsick.

The journey was about four hours long. By the time she reached B City, there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. It would take nearly another hour to drive home from the station. By the time she got home and unpacked, the sky would be getting light.

So Rong Guang didn’t go straight home that night. She found a nearby hotel, planning to rest for the night first.

Since her documents were in order, Rong Guang checked in quickly and went up to her room with the key card in no time.

She threw herself onto the bed, dragged her travel-weary body to take a shower, and the first thing she did when she came out was pick up her phone again.

And then, Rong Guang was wide awake.

Chu Feiliang had found the red envelope she had hidden for her and even took a picture of it.

Not only that, she had also posted it on her social media feed.

Rong Guang’s face turned a little red. Seeing the simple caption Chu Feiliang had added, just two 9s, she felt an inexplicable sweetness in her heart.

Rong Guang quietly liked the post.

Instantly, a message from Chu Feiliang popped up. Rong Guang jumped, and seeing the three words Chu Feiliang had sent, ‘Still awake?’, her hands had already sent the rest of her message.

Chu: Still awake?

Rong Guang: Sister, you’re still awake?

Chu: I have a night scene. Just got home? Why so late?

Rong Guang thought for a moment, then typed: Is it convenient for you to take a voice call?

Without another word from Chu Feiliang, Rong Guang received a video call.

She smiled and accepted the call. Chu Feiliang on the other end was probably still in the studio, with a makeup artist doing her makeup beside her.

Rong Guang watched for a moment and said, “Can you rest for a day tomorrow?”

Chu Feiliang shook her head, closing her eyes to let the makeup artist touch up her eyelashes. She said, “No, these next few scenes are on a tight schedule. They’re all dawn scenes. If we miss that window of daylight, we’ll have to wait again. The weather in winter is unpredictable.”

Rong Guang nodded in understanding.

She was familiar with Zhang Nanchuan’s cinematography. He had a masterful grasp of lighting effects, which meant the actors had to work hard, filming at those specific times. If a take didn’t pass, they had to wait for the next day.

If the weather cooperated, it was fine. If it didn’t, they had to keep waiting.

Zhang Nanchuan was completely unwilling to make do with studio lights and post-production effects.

Chu Feiliang’s makeup touch-up was quick and finished in no time.

With no one else around, she opened her eyes, looked at Rong Guang with a light smile, and said, “Do you know why I’m looking for you so late?”

Rong Guang’s face turned a little red, and she said softly, “I know… I gave you a red envelope.”

Chu Feiliang nodded, fiddling with the red envelope with a grin. “Then let me ask Teacher Rong, what’s the meaning of putting nine hundred and ninety in this red envelope for me? It’s not even a round number. Were you short the last nine yuan to make it nine hundred and ninety-nine?”

Rong Guang said, “‘Long, long time’ sounds nice. But ninety-nine is too little… and nine hundred and ninety-nine doesn’t have much meaning.”

Chu Feiliang laughed, “How does it not have much meaning?”

Rong Guang thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with any good meaning for three nines.

So she fell silent, her eyes shining as she looked at Chu Feiliang.

Chu Feiliang couldn’t stand her looking at her like that, like the most innocent little cub, as if she could have anything she wanted.

Chu Feiliang paused, then said, “Fine, have it your way. Ninety-nine it is… But this missing nine yuan…”

Rong Guang blinked at her.

Chu Feiliang stared at Rong Guang in the camera for a while longer.

Rong Guang had just finished washing up. Water was still dripping from the ends of her hair, and her porcelain-white skin looked particularly radiant, fair, and tender.

Chu Feiliang’s lips curved into a smile. She propped up her chin and said, “This last nine yuan, you’ll have to make it up to me somewhere else.”

Rong Guang was just about to ask where.

But then, like a lightbulb flashing in her mind, she instantly guessed what it was—

A marriage certificate costs nine yuan.

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