Chapter 64

Act VIII: The Cat Who Wants to Become Human (8)

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After talking to Tan Yiming, Xiang Cai agreed with his point of view - blindly avoiding was not the way to solve the problem. If he still cherished Qi Ji as a friend, he must have an open and honest talk with her.

It was just that he needed to think carefully about how and when they would talk.

Before that, he tried to talk with Chen Ziran several times again. Unfortunately, Chen Ziran was too busy. Every time he manage to get a hold of Chen Ziran, Chen Ziran was called away by a director / agent / assistant / another artist.

guess: How busy are you, it feels that you are working 24 hours a day.

Face genius Chen Ziran: Not 24 hours, almost 20 hours.

Face genius Chen Ziran: I shot for three magazines yesterday, and rushed back to the crew to shoot for a big one at night. After removing my makeup this morning, I ran to variety shows and had to sleep in a nanny car.

[T/N: Nanny car = like a van / trailer, just a vehicle that can hold a lot of people (typically meant like a celebrity van)]

guess: ... Are you really not going to suddenly die like this?

Face genius Chen Ziran: There is no other way. Once you step into this circle, it's often not you who is making money, but money that is making your life.

Xiang Cai knew how hot his old classmate is now. Although he was not a first-tier fresh meat, his popularity was enough to cause airport congestion.

Face genius Chen Ziran: Sometimes I still envy you.

guess: Why do you envy me?

Face genius Chen Ziran: I envy that you are not so popular!

guess: ...

guess: [Mighty goose spreading wings].gif

guess: [Mighty goose madly pecking].gif

guess: [Mighty goose chasing dog].gif

Chen Ziran paid tribute to a short video - a swan flapped its wings to hit an old man, but the old man grabbed his long neck and it squawked.

Face genius Chen Ziran: Well, let's get serious.

guess: [Mighty goose doubting].jpg

guess: Serious things can still come out of your mouth?

Face genius Chen Ziran: My movie premieres next week, the award-winning literary film I told you about last time.

guess: You mean the film emperor’s movie where you showed up three times?

Face genius Chen Ziran: Don’t mention a pot you can’t open - don’t think I’m a third party. It took a lot of work for my company to send me into that group.

Face genius Chen Ziran: I have a few spots for relatives and friends in my hand. Here are two tickets for you to bring your little boyfriend.

Xiang Cai was hesitant for a moment, but quickly replied.

guess: One is enough.

Face genius Chen Ziran: What’s the matter, are you and your lover not going well?

guess: Don't think blindly.

guess: He is like a straight man. Except for basketball and games, he is not interested in literary works, and will fall asleep if he goes.

Face genius Chen Ziran: ... Xing Ba. [?]

Face genius Chen Ziran: It sounds like he and I have a common language.

guess: Then I quit, and you two become partners?

Face genius Chen Ziran: [No, I'm a straight man].jpg

Face genius Chen Ziran: But I'm really curious, how could you get together in a relationship if you feel that you don’t have anything in common between you.

In fact, Xiang Cai also wanted to know how he and Cen Manchuan, as opposite as north and south, had gotten together.

※

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the premiere.

In the venue, the brightly shining stars (celebrities) gathered together.

A film emperor often held several domestic and foreign awards before forty years, and usually had a low-key life, rarely appearing in the spotlight of the media.

Xiang Cai was also one of the little film emperor fans, and he was very curious, but he never asked Chen Ziran about the gossip of the film emperor.

The address of the premiere had been chosen, for the west of the city. The hall of the venue was large enough to accommodate thousands of people. Those in the front row were all people in the circle who had good personal relationships with the film emperor.

Chen Ziran's ticket to Xiang Cai was very close to the front: it was a seat on the side of the fifth row for easy entry and exit.

When Xiang Cai took a seat, he coincidentally discovered several familiar faces - it was the voice actors of Blockbuster Studio. It turned out that the group's miscellaneous and small supporting actors in this movie were contracted by Blockbuster Studio, so they also had admissions in their hands.

Xiang Cai was startled, and quickly opened Tan Yiming’s circle of friends in WeChat to take a look. When he found that he had posted an update about working in the United States a few hours ago, Xiang Cai was relieved.

It didn’t matter if he had a guilty conscience, or if he wanted to cover up, but Xiang Cai at this time was really not ready to meet Tan Yiming.

Soon, the lights dimmed.

On center stage, the host in a long silver dress stood and said her speech with a smile.

Xiang Cai was listening carefully, when suddenly, his cell phone vibrated.

He took a look and found that it was a message from Cen Manchuan.

Teacher Cen: Cai Cai, which of these houses do you think is better?

Teacher Cen: [Sharing the rent information 1, 2, 3, 4...]

Teacher Cen: No. 1 is next to my school, but the price is a bit expensive.

Teacher Cen: No. 2 is cheaper, but I think the interior is too bad, I'm afraid of cockroaches.

Teacher Cen: Although No. 3 is a little far away, there are several buses around it, and the traffic is very convenient.

Teacher Cen: For the 4th...

guess: Wait.

guess: Didn't we agree that it’s okay for a while until you've saved enough money, then we will talk about moving in together?

guess: It's too early to hunt for a house now.

Teacher Cen: It's not too early, houses are already very popular in the graduation season.

Teacher Cen: And I have money now!

Xiang Cai was stunned.

Had money? Where did Cen Manchuan’s money come from?

Xiang Cai talked to him about this and suggested that he could make a lot of money during the summer vacation if he found a job. With his academic qualifications, going to the gym as a personal trainer or as a basketball coach for children could earn a lot of money. And, the job could be developed on a sustainable basis so that he did not have to reach out to his family for living expenses when he would go to graduate school.

But it had only been a bit more than a week since their last meeting, did Ceng Manchuan find a job that could advance his salary?

guess: ... You didn’t ask uncle and aunt for money, right?

Teacher Cen: How could that be possible?!

Teacher Cen: I sold my motorcycle.

guess: ???

guess: Don't you like that motorcycle very much??

Teacher Cen: [Golden retriever wagging tail].gif

Teacher Cen: But Cai Cai, I like you better.

He should have been touched by the affectionate confession from his boyfriend, but in fact, he felt very powerless.

The motorcycle was a 20th birthday present from Cen Manchuan's parents, which was of special significance.

Cen Manchuan wanted to live with Xiang Cai, and even sold his most beloved motorcycle for this. But he didn't think about this: if his parents asked about the whereabouts of the motorcycle, how would he explain it?

Xiang Cai was angry with Cen Manchuan countless times, and felt guilty countless times for his anger.

After all, Cen Manchuan was just a 21-year-old boy who lived in a happy family and had never encountered setbacks. And Xiang Cai was far more mature than him.

Xiang Cai suddenly realized that—maybe in this relationship, it wasn’t that ‘Cen Manchuan was not suitable for him’, but ‘he was not suitable for Cen Manchuan’.

When he realized this, the bitterness in Xiang Cai’s mouth was a bit overwhelming.

guess: I’m at the premiere of Chen Ziran's movie, I can’t play with my phone all the time.

guess: Let's talk about renting when we meet.

Teacher Cen: Eun~

Xiang Cai simply set his phone to airplane mode and put it back in his pocket.

He sat in his seat, absent-minded and dazed.

He and Cen Manchuan had only been dating for three months, but they had run into walls several times because of their different ways of thinking.

If he really had to describe it, it was like they had a bungee rope connected to each other. If one wanted to go left, the other one wanted to run to the right. Neither of them wanted to let go, so the one who won in the end, would only seriously hurt the other person.

Xiang Cai once thought this was love, but now he was not so sure.

On the stage, the host had left and the movie began to play on the screen.

Xiang Cai tried hard to focus on the movie several times, but couldn’t. In the end, he could only look at the close-ups of the film emperor and give up on the idea of ​​watching the film.

It was all dark, when at this moment, a figure approached from the darkness.

It was a girl with a bob wearing a long skirt. She was slightly chubby, but still good-looking.

She stopped by Xiang Cai and whispered, "Is there anyone sitting next to you?"

Xiang Cai was awakened from his contemplation, and looked sideways: "No one, no one, please sit ..."

The rest of his words were swallowed into his stomach - because he was facing a pair of familiar, smiling eyes he hadn't seen in many years.

"Old classmate, it’s been a long time." Five years later, Jin Qi Ji, who was already a mature beauty, raised her eyebrows, still looking round and cute.

Xiang Cai was hit by this unexpectedly huge surprise, and the corner of his mouth raised uncontrollably: "Qi Ji?! When did you return to China?"

Qi Ji took a seat and smiled, saying, "I only came back yesterday. Chen Ziran and I discussed it and decided to give you a surprise."

For Xiang Cai, this was indeed an unexpected big surprise.

...

When the premiere was over, Chen Ziran only hurriedly showed up at the celebration after-party, and then came to meet Qi Ji and Xiang Cai.

The three discussed where to sit and talk.

Qi Ji said, "After leaving for so many years, what I miss the most is the fried chicken milk tea shop behind the school ... Is it still there?"

"Still there." Xiang Cai said, "But Chen Ziran ..."

"I'm okay." Chen Ziran put on his mask. "This evening, the students have all gone back to work, and no one will eat there."

So, the three took a car and went straight to Huawu Academy.

Huawu Academy was not far. After Xiang Cai went to college, he would occasionally come to the academy’s back street.

The backstreet of their former academy was narrow and shady. When it rained, the ground would be covered with mud. But even this did not prevent the students from coming here every rest day.

This place was renovated the second year after they'd graduated. There were colorful floor tiles at their feet, and similar-looking signs were hung on the shops on both sides of the street. The street lights were on, and Qi Ji looked left and right, searching for memories.

"I remember there was a fried skewers stall here. The uncle was grumpy, but his wife was very beautiful."

"I remember that this place originally sold crinkle-cut potatoes. It cost three yuan for a big box. I can't find them in Korea anymore."

"And there, the noodles were especially spicy. After I ate it once, my mouth swelled for two days ..."

Chen Ziran unceremoniously complained to her: "Miss Jin, are all your memories of high school inseparable from the food court at the back door of the school?"

Qi Ji put a hand on her hip. They hadn’t seen her for many years, but she still looked as young and charming as she was at the age of 16: "What's wrong? Chen Ziran don't think that just because you’re famous laoniang won’t hit you! Believe it or not, I can hit you and make sure you make headlines tomorrow! "

"Okay, didn’t you fly here? I'm not as thick-faced as you, and I’d be ashamed to share my interview in the circle of friends. What ‘Chinese Flower Jin Qi Ji, Shining in the Hall of Korean Stage Play’? F*ck, what kind of flower wouldn’t be ashamed."

[T/N: I’m sorry I don’t understand this conversation.]

Seeing their quarreling, Xiang Cai couldn’t help but laugh.

How strange, that in the past five years, each of them had developed in their respective fields, but when they got together, it was still as if they were teenagers.

When they heard Xiang Cai’s laughter, the two looked at him with enmity: "Why are you laughing at! Haven’t we been here for a long time, why don’t you hurry up and lead the way!"

Xiang Cai quickly begged for mercy, obediently leading the two to the milk tea fried chicken shop at the end of the lane.

At this time, the store was about to be closed.

Seeing three people suddenly come in, the owner auntie hurriedly said, "If you snooze you lose, we’re closing!"

Qi Ji hurriedly put on a pitiful expression and said distressedly: "Auntie, don't you remember me? I used to be a secondary school student here. Having already graduated for several years, the first thing I did when I come back here, is to eat your fried chicken, all right!"

The owner auntie glanced at her, and then looked at her a few times again. She suddenly said, "Are you the little girl who can speak Korean?"

Qi Ji hurriedly agreed.

"I remember you!" Said the aunt. "At that time, you could order all the fried chicken legs of the shop by yourself. I would make more every time you came."

Qi Ji: "..."

The three found a table and sat down.

Qi Ji touched her belly and said, "In the evening, if you eat too much, it’s not good. I’ll first order two pairs of chicken wings, a piece of original chicken, and three chicken legs. Also, a large cup of milk tea, full sugar, plus Zhenbo coconut!"

[T/N: Zhenbo coconut = milk tea with pearls, coconut and tea (or something).]

"..." Xiang Cai said, "A glass of lemonade and a burger."

Chen Ziran was still sitting there wearing his mask. He flipped through the greasy menu, thinking about the weight of his agent's words in his ears, and could only say, "I just want a glass of plain water."

While waiting to be served, the three chatted about their current situations.

Needless to say, Chen Ziran was full of news. His idol dramas starring a Taiwanese actress as his partner had caused a boom in Taiwan.

Xiang Cai was now a well-known new actor in the domestic musical scene. Although he was young, he had talent and worked hard. His debut was a masterpiece directed by Director Tang. He was rushing around in crews before he graduated.

As for Jin Qi Ji, she had also made her debut in South Korea, but her focus was on dramas, step by step from the small theater in Daewoo-ro, Seoul, to the Thousand People Auditorium.

"Have you come back to visit relatives this time?" Xiang Cai said, "Or are you going to stay and work in China?"

"... Neither." Qi Ji smiled, her eyes curved and full of happiness.

She took out her hand from under the table and rested it on top of the table. On her left hand’s middle finger, a silver platinum ring sparkled. "I brought my boyfriend back to get engaged."

Xiang Cai: "..."

Chen Ziran: "..."

The two did not control their volume, and shouted in unison: "Are you married????"

"Not yet." Qi Ji laughed. "He is Korean and he is six years older than me. He wants to settle down first in fear that I’ll run away."

Chen Ziran was stunned.

Xiang Cai was so shocked that he couldn't say a word, completely dumbfounded.
 

He had only just learned the true meaning of the sentence in his classmate record a few days ago, and kept tossing and turning for this reason. Before he could even have a talk with Qi Ji about it, the girl personally informed that she was engaged!

Xiang Cai’s mind was in confusion. Had all of the previous things been his own misunderstanding? Was it that Qi Ji had written that sentence without any special meaning just to amuse him?

But ... but ...

Chen Ziran's face was so pale that even his mask couldn't hide it: "Why did you get engaged suddenly, and with no news in your circle of friends!"

Qi Ji asked in reply: "Dating in a relationship is a private matter between me and him. Why should we tell the world in the circle of friends?"

She said: "I met him in a working relationship. He was a senior and I was a foreigner. When we first fell in love, I was not very optimistic about the relationship and always felt that it would not last long... but gradually, we grew a tacit understanding. I began to realize that he was the person I had been waiting for. So, when he proposed to me, I agreed."

Speaking of her lover, Qi Ji’s face was covered in a smile bathed in love.

That smile could not be faked.

Xiang Cai hesitated for a moment, then asked from the perspective of a caring friend: "How long have you been dating, is he your first love?"

"He is my third boyfriend." Qi Ji said frankly, "Do you think that I, Jin Qi Ji, have such little charm that I can't even find a boyfriend?"

"No ... no."

The girl smiled and fell into her memories: "My first boyfriend ... Actually I don't know if I should call him a boyfriend. He was someone I met when I first transferred schools. He, like myself, had families from North Korea so went there to study. However...whether it was ourselves or our family, we thought too easily about studying abroad.

"Even if we spoke the same language, we were not the same as Koreans. We were Chinese, we had different living backgrounds, different accents, different cultures ... and in drama, there were mostly women, even as backup for men. The men in the group were simply a shrinking circle, which is more complicated than in Huawu Academy. I had also suffered a lot of discrimination because of my nationality and appearance.

"It might be because of loneliness. But, the boy and I had come together ... to support each other and encourage each other. If you asked us whether we loved each other, I would say yes, we gave each other everything we could give back then. But after college, we naturally broke up. "

Xiang Cai didn't know what to say, but Qi Ji’s experience seemed faintly resonate with himself.

Xiang Cai didn't let himself think about it, patting her hand and comforting her: "...First love always leaves regret."

"First love?" Qi Ji smiled, her round red-rimmed eyes staring at him. She murmured, "He was not my first love."

With just this glance, just this sentence ... It seemed that something in Xiang Cai’s heart had broken.

He understood that the sentence Qi Ji wrote in the classmate record was not a harmless joke.

It was a thick stroke left in the mark of their youth.

When she grew up, she could recall such a past with a nostalgic smile..

Xiang Cai wanted to say sorry, but felt that the apology came too late.

Chen Ziran looked at her and then at him, and the popular artist didn't say a word.

"Actually ... When I met true love, I realized that no matter whether it was a first love that was a hidden worship or a companion that came out of loneliness, they were not love." Qi Ji said slowly and firmly, withdrawing her hand from Xiang Cai’s.

The ring on her knuckles was very hard and very cold, running across the boy's palm.

She looked down at it, her eyes soft: "If you asked me what love is now, I would tell you - it's tolerance, mutual growth, companionship, and tacit understanding. It's when I’m by their side and thinking of our future together, and when he grows old, I will grow old, too.”

"Xiang Cai, Chen Ziran." The girl held their hands again, her round white fingers gripping them tightly.

She said word by word: "On this road of growth in which you can’t see the end, I wish that you can find the love that will accompany you in growing old together."

...

The meal ended late at night.

The owner auntie was still watching Korean dramas at the checkout counter. The voices were very low. Only when passing by, could they hear the female protagonist saying, "Oppa, saranghae".

[T/N: In Korean, the previous phrase means ‘Brother, I love you’ (but not blood-related brother)]

A taxi stopped in front of the milk ea shop, and a man in his early thirties got out.

He was mature, tall, and looked very ‘Korean’. He was not handsome or ugly, but had a good temperament.

Qi Ji introduced him, saying that this was her fiance, the male lead in her last drama.

The man’s Chinese was very poor. He could only say ‘nihao’ in jerky Chinese and then switched to English.

He said that he had often heard of Chen Ziran's and Xiang Cai's names from Qi Ji. He thanked them for accompanying her in her youth before he had arrived.

Xiang Cai said that he was welcome. For Xiang Cai, this girl was also a fond memory of his seventeen-year-old self.

Chen Ziran didn't speak, only nodding.

Qi Ji was not from Huacheng, her home was in the northern coastal area. This time, she brought her fiance to Huacheng specifically to meet her two friends.

Tomorrow, they would set off for Qi Ji's hometown.

After this encounter, they didn’t know when they would meet again in the future.

Before leaving, Qi Ji hugged Xiang Cai and then Chen Ziran.

Each hug was unusually long.

Xiang Cai’s eyes were red, but he didn't cry. He thought, ‘Qi Ji is going to get married. This is a blessing, it is inauspicious to cry.’

So he kept holding it in, watching the girl say goodbye and get in the car.

Until the taxi lights disappeared into the night.

Only then, did Xiang Cai allowed his tears to fall.

He was afraid that Chen Ziran beside him would laugh at him, so he wiped his tears, and secretly looked at Chen Ziran.

Never could he imagined that ... Chen Ziran would bury his head in his hands as his tears came out like rivers, crying uncontrollably.

Xiang Cai became frightened, and hurriedly asked him what happened.

Chen Ziran reassured him that he was ok, and just happy for Qi Ji.

But Xiang Cai knew that Chen Ziran was not ‘okay.’

A somewhat bold idea jumped into Xiang Cai’s head.

"Ziran, you wouldn’t be ..." he asked softly.

Xiang Cai instantly understood everything.

Chen Ziran had deliberately taunted Qi Ji, and deliberately acted mischievous, giving her careful glances over and over again ... all for one reason.

Xiang Cai wanted to confront him, but did not know where to start.

"Forget it." Chen Ziran wiped his tears and put on his mask again. "It's over."

Xiang Cai could only say: "If you wanted to find someone, you can find a girl who will love you very much."

"No." Chen Ziran smiled bitterly. "You don't understand. From the day I gave up the college entrance examination and entered this industry, my love and my marriage are no longer free."

"..."

"I'm an idol. What do you think I'm selling? Is it my acting skills, is it my singing voice, is it the level of the script that I still need to read? ... No, none of these. I am selling my boyfriend power. It is the love that countless fans put on me." Chen Ziran said," If I fall in love, who will be responsible for letting them rest their love somewhere?"

Unless he became misguided, he knew that the love of an idol artist was not his own.

Chen Ziran often joked, saying that he envied not being popular. Xiang Cai never knew how true this was.

Xiang Cai opened his arms and gave his friend a tight hug.

Chen Ziran bowed his head and wiped the tears from his eyes onto Xiang Cai’s shoulder.

"Xiang Cai," Chen Ziran's voice was very low, like he wasn’t talking to him. "I say, if everyone could be with the person they liked when they were seventeen, how lucky would that be."

***

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