In the entertainment industry, the silly system claims it's the immortal realm.

Chapter 105 The Flowers Are Blooming, Honey Is Here

Hengdian.

A large private room in a hotel.

Ten large round tables were set up to the brim, and the crew of over a hundred people were crammed into the private room, creating a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and banter.

Today is August 30th, 2006.

"Palace" has finished filming.

Li Hua sat in the second-highest seat, a bright smile on his face.

The main seat next to it is empty; it's reserved for the boss.

Mu Tingting wore a light purple dress tonight, her hair was up, and she had put on exquisite makeup.

She held her juice glass, gazing at everything in the private room, her heart pounding with excitement.

This is her first leading role in a film.

From interning in Zhang Li's film crew last year to taking on the leading role of Qingchuan this year.

Only one year passed in between.

It was almost like a dream.

She would glance at the door every now and then, then look down at the juice glass, then glance at the door again.

Yang Mi sat at the table next to her, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, with her hair casually tied in a ponytail.

She doesn't have any scenes to film today; she flew in specifically from Yanjing.

Her gaze would occasionally drift towards the door, but she would quickly look away whenever Mu Tingting made the slightest move.

8:30.

The door to the private room opened.

Wei Yi walked in wearing his signature black windbreaker.

Behind him was Xiao Wang, and behind that was a man in his early thirties with a buzz cut, a square face, and a ramrod straight back. His eyes habitually swept over everyone in the room.

This man's name is Wei Hanwu.

You can tell from the name that he is a relative of Wei Yi from his hometown.

He was younger than Wei Yi in seniority but older than him, so he had to call him "Uncle" when they met.

Thirty-two years old, married with two children, a veteran, previously worked on construction sites and also at a security company.

This time, Wei Yi called him from his hometown to be his bodyguard and driver.

"Director Wei is here!"

Someone shouted out.

The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in applause.

"The boss is here!" Li Hua stood up, his voice drowning out all the noise. "Boss, we've been waiting for you! If you hadn't come, these guys said they'd drink me to death."

Wei Yi smiled and walked to the head seat, clasping his hands in a fist and palm salute to everyone in the private room: "Filming must have been hard work. Tonight, President Li is treating, so don't try to save me money."

"Boss, what you're saying is—" Li Hua was about to retort.

Wei Yi had already picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of braised pork, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and mumbled, "Anyway, it'll be deducted from your salary."

The whole place burst into laughter.

Let the feast begin!

After several rounds of drinks...

Mu Tingting stood up, turned to Li Hua, and bowed: "Senior Brother Li, thank you. You've worked hard these past few months."

""

Li Hua waved his hand: "Don't thank me. Thank you, boss."

Mu Tingting turned to Wei Yi. Her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

Tears fell first. One drop, two drops, pattering onto the tablecloth, leaving a small, dark stain.

Everyone at the table stared. No one spoke. Even the waiter at the next table, who was playing drinking games, stopped, his chopsticks hanging in mid-air.

Yang Mi stood up, took out a tissue from her pocket, and handed it to him.

Mu Tingting took the tissue, lowered her head to wipe her tears, and with great effort managed to finish speaking: "This is the most important film of my life. I... I am truly grateful to everyone."

After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply. Ninety degrees. She didn't straighten up for a long time.

Wei Yi put down his chopsticks, stood up, walked over to her, and reached out to help her up.

He looked into her eyes, his voice low, but every word rang clearly in everyone's ears: "Tingting, many more leading roles are waiting for you in the future. Are you planning to cry like this every time?"

Mu Tingting stopped crying and smiled. She nodded vigorously. A few more tears fell. Wei Yi gently patted her back twice before she sat down.

Yang Mi pushed the tissue box next to Mu Tingting and sat back down in her seat.

She picked up her beer glass and took a sip, her gaze shifting from Mu Tingting to Wei Yi, and then back to Mu Tingting.

At the next table, Zhang Xiaofei leaned close to Yuan Shanshan's ear and whispered, "I'm so envious. Senior Sister Mu really met the right person."

Yuan Shanshan blinked a few times.

Looking at the main table, watching Mu Tingting wipe her tears with her head down, and watching Wei Yi serve her food.

She shook her head and said softly, "Sigh, you can't compare people. Look, Mimi is in the same dorm as us, we're all sitting at this table, but she's at the head table."

These words made Zhang Xuan, who was also about to speak, immediately lose the will to speak.

Yes.

Mu Tingting was, after all, Wei Yi's senior sister and the first girlfriend he publicly acknowledged.

What about Yang Mi?

We all lived in the same dormitory and met Wei Yi on the same day in the cafeteria.

Even the three of them joined Hehuan Film and Television before she did.

But now.

She played the second female lead.

I sat down at the head table.

What about them?

I could only sit at the secondary main table with a bunch of assistant directors, script supervisors, and camera assistants.

It was only a little over a meter away from the main table.

However, the distance that needs to be traversed is far more than just a meter in physical terms.

Zhang Xuan picked up her beer glass and downed half of it in one gulp.

Sour and astringent.

She felt this feeling all over her heart.

It was almost 11 o'clock when the show ended.

Most people have switched to karaoke bars.

Li Hua packed three large bags, saying he would sing until dawn.

Mu Tingting originally wanted to accompany Wei Yi, but this was her first time playing the lead role in a drama series, and she had a deep affection for the production team.

She turned to look at Wei Yi, who waved at her, "Go ahead. Have fun."

He won't go himself.

Last time, when Na Ying and the others visited him on set in Bangkok, they asked him to go to karaoke with them, but he didn't go.

Reborn until now.

He accompanied Han Sanping to the Chang'an Club a few times.

But that was for business; karaoke and drinking were secondary, and there wouldn't be any chaotic activities.

The main reason is that he has never liked the atmosphere of KTV.

Mu Tingting bit her lip. "I'll be back to be with you right away."

Wei Yi exchanged a few words with Li Hua and then headed up to the third floor.

Han Sanping had urged him twice about the promotional plan for Detective Chinatown, so he needed to take a look.

The corridor on the third floor of the hotel was covered with a dark red carpet, and the wall lamps cast a warm yellow light, illuminating a row of antique-style picture frames on the wall.

He took a dozen or so steps. Suddenly he stopped.

Yang Mi stood at the corner of the corridor, leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back.

The warm yellow light shone on her beautiful face, and the shadows cast by her eyelashes trembled gently.

"Wei Yi." Her voice was softer than usual, so soft that it couldn't be drowned out by the television sound coming from the end of the corridor.

"Honey? You didn't go to karaoke?"

"He went. Then he came out again."

Yang Mi took two steps forward and stood in front of him.

The two were less than half a meter apart. A faint scent of jasmine wafted through the air from her.

"Boss, I have a question for you."

Wei Yi leaned against the wall on the other side of the corridor, looking at her without saying a word.

"I heard you're helping Bingbing switch jobs. You're helping her negotiate the breach of contract fee and arranging new roles for her."

Wei Yi did not deny it.

"Then—" Yang Mi paused, as if gathering some strength, "my contract has now been completely transferred to Hehuan."

"Um.

""

"I want to ask—" Her voice trembled slightly, but she didn't avoid his gaze, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Where do I rank in your plan?"

The corridor became quiet.

The elevator dinged, but no one came out.

The air conditioner vents were blowing out cold air with a buzzing sound.

Wei Yi was silent for a moment, then said to himself, "The second female lead in 'Palace' is just for you to practice on. It's not your end point, just the beginning."

Yang Mi opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Wei Yi added a third sentence.

"I have another book in my hand. It's called 'Scarlet Heart.' It's a time-travel story, but it's different from 'Palace Lock.' It's more serious, more profound, and more substantial."

He looked at her and said, slowly and deliberately, "I need an actress who can carry the weight of the entire story for the lead role. Do you think you can?"

Yang Mi's lips moved slightly. They were rosy and moist. For a moment, she couldn't speak.

It's not that I don't know what to say.

There's just too much I want to say.

But in the end, she only said one sentence: "I... I can try."

"It's not a trial." Wei Yi pulled a room key from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand. The gesture was as casual as offering her a cigarette. "It's either good or it's not."

Then he straightened up and walked past her.

Yang Mi looked down at the room key in her hand, frozen in place.

She looked up and saw that Wei Yi had already walked several steps away.

He left with a message, not loudly: "If you think it's okay, then come over in your costume."

I went back to my room.

As soon as the door closed, Yang Mi slid down slowly with her back against the door panel and sat on the carpet.

The room key is still in my palm.

She looked down for a long time before confirming that she wasn't dreaming.

She turned the room key over.

The front has the hotel logo and room number, and the back has a magnetic strip.

I hesitated for a moment.

She dialed Yuan Shanshan's number, but hung up after one ring.

I swiped to Zhang Xiaofei's contact list, looked at it for a few seconds, and then switched away.

Finally, she dialed Zhang Xuan's number.

It rang for a long time before I answered.

The noise from the KTV was blasting from the receiver; someone was wailing "I'll Love You Till I Die," it was absolutely heart-wrenching.

"Mimi? Where did you go?"

"Xiao Xuanzi." Yang Mi's voice was very soft. So soft that it was almost drowned out by the background noise of the karaoke room.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Zhang Xuan's voice suddenly became clear.

She must have run out of the private room; the background noise turned quiet, with only the faint sound of background music from the corridor: "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"Xiao Xuanzi, I have a question for you."

"Hurry up and ask, I still have to go sing karaoke."

Yang Mi took a deep breath: "Suppose—I mean, suppose. Something you've been planning for a long time might happen soon, but you don't know if it's the right thing to do. What would you do?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Zhang Xuan's voice rang out, carrying the straightforwardness unique to northern girls: "The thing I've been planning for so long might actually happen soon? Damn, I'd laugh my teeth out! Who cares about right or wrong? Mimi, what's wrong? Everyone's singing, why are you suddenly—"

"You're right," Yang Mi interrupted her, "I'm laughing so hard my teeth will fall out."

She paused. A smile curved her lips.

"Thank you, Xiaoxuanzi."

"??? What are you thanking me for?!"

The call has already ended.

Zhang Xuan stared at her phone for a long time.

Yang Mi's voice sounded a little strange just now.

It wasn't his usual tone of voice.

She couldn't quite describe the strange feeling; it was like excitement, or perhaps a decision she had made.

She remembered the question Yang Mi had asked.

Something that has been planned for a long time.

It is possible.

I don't know if it's right or wrong.

A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

But she didn't dare think any further. She put her phone back in her pocket, pushed open the door to the private room, and went inside.

Meanwhile, Yang Mi had already stood up.

She walked to the wardrobe and unzipped it.

There were two sets of clothes hanging inside.

One set is Su Yan's costume, a light blue palace dress. The other set—is Qing Chuan's. The female lead's.

Her hand hovered between the two costumes for a moment. Then she picked up Qingchuan's costume.

early morning.

12:10 AM.

At the end of the fifth-floor corridor, Yang Mi stood in front of the door, clutching her room key.

The corridor was deserted, and the wall lamp cast her long, thin shadow on the opposite wall.

She took a deep breath. She swiped her card. Click. The door opened.

The lights in the room were on.

Wei Yi leaned against the headboard, his laptop on his lap, the light from the screen reflecting on his face.

Without even looking up, he said, "You're here."

Yang Mi stood in the doorway. Her voice was so soft it was barely a whisper: "Coming."

Wei Yi looked up. Then he paused.

She wasn't wearing Su Yan's costume.

It's Qingchuan's.

It's the outfit Mu Tingting wore in the drama.

The light blue cross-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) has delicate intertwined floral patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and the waist belt is tightly cinched, outlining a slender waistline.

Her hair had been combed again and styled into a simple bun, with a silver hairpin swaying gently as her body trembled slightly.

"I brought both sets."

She stood in the doorway, twisting her cuffs with her fingers, her voice growing softer and softer, "Tonight—tonight I want to be the leading lady. So I'll wear this first. If you don't like it, I'll change into Su Yan's clothes."

Wei Yi closed his laptop and placed it on the bedside table. He looked at her for a long time.

It went on for so long that Yang Mi felt like the tips of her ears were about to burn.

Then he spoke.

"Only children make choices."

He stood up and walked towards her.

"I'm an adult, I want it all."

Noon the next day.

Mu Tingting was the first to arrive at the buffet restaurant.

She was dragged to a karaoke bar last night, and after singing two songs, she couldn't sit still anymore.

She ran back to the hotel to look for Wei Yi, only to find that he wasn't in the room.

When I called, Wei Yi said he was too busy and had already rushed back to Yanjing.

The explanation given was that Han Sanping was pushing hard for the promotional plan for Detective Chinatown.

She was a little disappointed.

But she knew he was telling the truth.

Detective Chinatown was released during the National Day holiday, and it's now the end of August, so there's less than a month left for the promotional period.

He is indeed busy.

So she went back to the karaoke bar and sang two more songs, then went home to rest at midnight.

Since I didn't have to film anymore, I slept until the sun was high in the sky, and when I woke up, the sun was already shining on the foot of the bed.

She looked great. She wore light makeup. She seemed to be in a good mood.

She had just picked up two fried eggs from the plate when she saw Yang Mi walk out of the elevator.

Yang Mi wore a loose white shirt with a Hehuan Film and Television badge pinned to the collar.

Those were company-issued name tags; she never wore them normally.

Yang Mi walks very slowly. Her steps are very small.

Every step felt like I had to stop and catch my breath.

Mu Tingting raised an eyebrow: "Mimi, is your friend alright?"

Yang Mi didn't attend the KTV party last night because a friend of hers in Hengdian was in a car accident, and she had to rush over to take care of her.

"It's nothing. A minor issue. It was fine after the traffic police arrived."

Yang Mi walked over slowly and carefully.

She picked up an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it with her head down, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I only got back late at night, I'm very tired."

"She's really tired. Her voice is hoarse." Mu Tingting leaned closer and noticed faint dark circles under Yang Mi's eyes.

Yang Mi was startled.

She screamed for most of the night last night. At the time, she didn't realize it, but she felt uncomfortable if she didn't scream, and she was also unable to stop screaming.

The price I paid was that my voice is now as hoarse as sandpaper.

"It's probably because you have too much internal heat."

She popped an orange segment into her mouth, trying to keep her tone calm, "I've been filming non-stop lately, and last night I was running around so much that I didn't get to sleep until very late."

There's no running up and down.

But I was kept up until very late before I could sleep, that's for sure.

Mu Tingting didn't doubt it. She squeezed chili sauce onto her fried egg and casually said, "That's how it is when filming wraps up. Once filming is finished, people relax and are more likely to get sick."

Yang Mi lowered her head and continued peeling the orange. She didn't reply.

the other side.

After receiving Yang Mi's phone call last night, Zhang Xuan felt something was off.

She tried calling back to find out, but no one answered after several attempts.

The last time I called, the phone simply said, "The number you dialed is currently switched off."

Yang Mi wasn't there at the time.

Wei Yi was not there either.

There's also Yang Mi's slightly strange question.

These points, when pieced together, resemble a jigsaw puzzle missing its most crucial piece; they just don't look right.

It kept her tossing and turning all night.

I fear both that my sisters will suffer and that they will ride the Wei River with ease.

As a result, she didn't get up until noon.

Yuan Shanshan and Zhang Xiaofei dragged them to a buffet. As the three of them came out of the elevator, they immediately saw Yang Mi and Mu Tingting sitting by the window.

"Honey!"

Yuan Shanshan ran over first and plopped down next to Yang Mi. "Why was your phone off last night? Xiao Xuanzi said you called her and then she couldn't reach you."

Yang Mi picked up her milk glass and took a sip, her tone calm: "My phone died. My friend was in a minor car accident, so I went to help, and then I went back to the hotel and slept."

Zhang Xuan sat down opposite her. She didn't say anything. She stared at Yang Mi for several seconds.

Yang Mi looks a little different today, not because she's wearing any makeup—she's basically bare-faced.

It wasn't that she was wearing any new clothes; she had worn that white shirt before.

It's the feeling that emanates from the whole person.

Well, how should I put it?

Like a flower.

It was a bud before, with the petals still tightly wrapped around the stamen.

It's open now.

And it looks like it's been thoroughly watered.

It felt as if every petal was unfolding, exuding an indescribable beauty.

Zhang Xuan picked up the soy milk cup, pretending to drink it, while continuing to observe from above the rim of the cup.

How does Yang Mi usually walk? She walks like a typical Beijing girl, with long strides and a brisk pace; she'd rather run than walk.

What happened when she walked over just now?

Small, quick steps.

It felt like my legs were tied up, and I couldn't move.

and also.

She sat down very slowly.

First, he held onto the armrests of the chair, and then slowly sat down.

Once settled, he even adjusted his posture slightly.

It's like searching for an angle that won't make me feel uncomfortable.

There are too many suspicious points.

But Mu Tingting was right next to him, and Zhang Xuan didn't dare to ask a single question.

She picked up a piece of watermelon and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing for a long time but couldn't taste anything.

Zhang Xiaofei and Yuan Shanshan were still talking about their upcoming flight back to Yanjing, while Yang Mi lowered her head to drink her porridge, occasionally responding with a word.

After finishing her fried egg, Mu Tingting casually asked Zhang Xuan, "What time did you leave the karaoke bar last night?"

"A little past one o'clock," Zhang Xuan replied absentmindedly, her gaze drifting back to Yang Mi.

Yang Mi was taking a sip of porridge when a faint red mark slipped from her sleeve onto her wrist.

It's not deep, but just enough for people to see clearly.

It looks like it's been bound by something.

Zhang Xuan put down her chopsticks.

She suddenly felt full even without eating.