Ming Li nodded. She wanted to ask if she had been waiting for her, but thought it unlikely. To avoid making the atmosphere awkward, she decided not to ask such a self-indulgent question.
Ming Li asked, “Have you showered?”
“Not yet.” Gu Qingshuang studied her carefully, then asked hesitantly, “You did something to your hair?”
“Yes.” Ming Li set her bag down. “I got a perm.”
“What made you want to change your hairstyle all of a sudden?”
“I just wanted a change of mood,” Ming Li said. “So I went for it.”
Gu Qingshuang said nothing for a moment. As Ming Li picked up her pajamas to head into the bathroom, Gu Qingshuang suddenly commented, “It looks good. It suits you.”
Ming Li smiled. “I’m glad.”
Once Ming Li was in the bathroom, Gu Qingshuang’s frown deepened. Lately, Ming Li had become increasingly silent, barely even acknowledging her.
“Barely acknowledging” wasn’t quite right.
It was a state of profound exhaustion. She would still respond when spoken to, but her reactions were entirely flat.
Gu Qingshuang looked at the chat log on her screen. Liu Siwang had just sent a reply: [Better not to go.]
Before Ming Li had returned, Gu Qingshuang had received a message from Shen Lideng. Shen said her previous injury was quite severe and she still couldn’t leave her wheelchair. She pointed out that she hadn’t seen Gu Qingshuang at all these past few days and questioned if Gu Qingshuang had no regard for their past. Did getting married mean they couldn’t even be friends?
Gu Qingshuang had been hesitant. It was just then that Liu Siwang had asked how Ming Li was doing.
Gu Qingshuang had reached out for advice, and Liu Siwang had given her that answer.
At the same time, she received another message from Shen Lideng: [If you’re afraid your wife will be jealous, you can bring her with you. I heard you both met with Siwang already. There’s no reason to exclude me, is there?]
Gu Qingshuang replied: [She won’t go to see you.]
Shen Lideng: [Fine. Are you really not coming?]
Shen Lideng: [Should I transfer to your hospital then?]
Gu Qingshuang: [No.]
Shen Lideng: [Then please come see me, okay?]
Shen Lideng: [I won’t do anything. I won’t ask to get back together. Just as ordinary friends.]
Gu Qingshuang didn’t reply. She was exhausted to the point of helplessness.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Ming Li had finished a quick shower and makeup removal. She told Gu Qingshuang to go ahead and wash up. Gu Qingshuang agreed, left her phone on the table, and went in.
Ming Li did a simple skincare routine. During the process, Gu Qingshuang’s phone screen lit up twice. She controlled herself and didn’t look.
But as she finished and prepared to get into bed, the screen lit up again.
Shen Lideng: [If what you value is her willingness to give up dancing for you and go into business instead, I can do that too.]
Shen Lideng: [Why did you change?]
Ming Li was momentarily stunned into silence by those words.
Even though she knew the truth of the situation, it still stung.
What stung more was that Gu Qingshuang was still in constant contact with Shen Lideng.
Then again, it was only natural for them to be in contact.
Ming Li took a deep breath, pretended she hadn’t seen anything, and got into bed. Just then, she received a message from Liu Siwang—a PDF file.
Liu Siwang: [This is the content related to the character: a character biography and some lines. Take a look.]
Liu Siwang: [I’ll say it again—if you’re interested, contact me anytime.]
Ming Li couldn’t help but ask: [Is there really no one more suitable than me?]
Liu Siwang: [You were born to be on camera.]
Liu Siwang: [I can capture a beauty in you that surpasses your own self. My lens needs you.]
Ming Li opened the document. The content, less than two thousand words, was a quick read, but it summarized a person’s entire life.
From a depression patient covered in scars to a queen of the stage radiating charm—it was a journey of ups and downs, brilliant and intense.
Ming Li felt the role was more suited to Sun Xihan.
She shared this thought with Liu Siwang, but Liu Siwang replied with a “NO” emoji.
Ming Li asked: [Why?]
Liu Siwang: [She has already finished that process, so for her, it would just be a reproduction. But you are different.]
The wall Ming Li had slowly built up over the past few weeks suddenly suffered a massive crack.
Liu Siwang messaged again: [You can experience that journey in my film.]
Liu Siwang: [It is also a form of self-rescue.]
Liu Siwang: [If you don’t save yourself, no one can save you.]
The wall collapsed entirely.
The feelings Ming Li had been hiding were seen through so easily. She thought she had hidden them well, and she thought Liu Siwang had just made a lucky guess last time.
She hadn’t realized Liu Siwang had truly seen right through her.
With trembling hands, Ming Li typed: [Will things get better if I dance again?]
Liu Siwang: [I can’t guarantee it, but what’s the harm in trying? Just treat it as an extra hobby.]
It had to be said that Liu Siwang was a master of human nature.
Just a hobby. It wasn’t much screen time anyway. But one more attempt meant one more possibility.
Just then, Sun Xihan sent two messages. One was a video of Ming Li dancing in university, and the other was text: [I thought about it, and you should probably keep a copy of this video for yourself too.]
Another followed immediately: [When I was injured, I watched this video of yours constantly. Without it, there would be no “Thorn Crown.” That’s why you’re the best person to dance the B-roll.]
Ming Li stared at the screen in silence.
After a long time, she finally steeled her heart and replied: [Do you think I can do it?]
Sun Xihan: [Of course.]
With trembling fingers, Ming Li typed: [I’ll dance.]
She sent the same sentiment to Liu Siwang: [I’ll act.]
Sun Xihan was right about one thing: as long as the body was busy enough, the soul wouldn’t feel the pain.
Right now, her pain had begun to turn into numbness.
But she wanted to live. She didn’t want to be like her father, jumping from a rooftop.
She still had her mother, Ming Xi, and Zhu Hanxing.
If she died, they would all suffer.
In this moment, Ming Li suddenly empathized with Gu Qingshuang’s self-harming behavior.
But she wouldn’t do what Gu Qingshuang did.
Ming Li chose to suffer and to bloom.
