Chapter 421: Return to California
An Xiayue had been struggling in Hollywood a year ago. Although her treatment was not very good, and she didn’t have many great opportunities, and the Hollywood side disliked her using a Chinese surname and had once asked her to change it to an American surname, An Xiayue had not agreed. The good thing was that An Xiayue had become famous in Hollywood since she was a child, was a child star, and plus, her mother was a star who had left her name on the Walk of Fame. She still had enough resources.
As a mixed-race, An Xiayue should have been very popular in Hollywood, but it was precisely because of her surname that she was not well-received in Hollywood. In this era, there was no room for any racial discrimination, but there would still be some people who would look at people with the eyes of the past. Even though An Xiayue had more American blood in her than Chinese blood, because of her surname, some film producers in Hollywood did not want to cooperate with her. In this place, America, in the end, it still depended on your strength and your works. An Xiayue was extremely clear on this point.
After experiencing several box office failures, Hollywood had basically given up on her and no longer treated her well. Many people said that the daughter of the former Hollywood queen had fallen to the point of having no roles to play. During that period of time, An Xiayue had thought for a long time, thought a lot, and in the end, had decided to pack her luggage and go back to her home country, to seek development in another place.
“Belia, you must have had a hard time after you returned to China. The film technology there is not as good as here. It must have been very strenuous to film, right?”
Linda, her good friend, had basically lost contact with her since she had gone to China. It had been a long time since they had seen each other. A year had passed, and everyone had their own careers, and their own new developments. Linda had also become better, and her fame was also greater. And as a friend, An Xiayue seemed to have not yet found a suitable path.
“Actually, not really. China is pretty good. Although the technology is not as good, everyone is very dedicated and hardworking. I think my decision to go back was the right one.”
“Since you’ve said so, then I wish you good luck. Belia, you are a rival I recognize. I look forward to you returning to Hollywood.”
“I will.”
An Xiayue said with a smile.
When she had made the decision to leave Hollywood back then, she had made a great determination. After all, to start over in a new place was not an easy thing to do. But in the end, she had still decided to do so, just because she felt she was right. As long as she could prove herself again in a new place, and use this as a springboard, she would return to Hollywood’s sight again, although doing so was quite difficult.
After saying a few words to Linda, because Linda had other work arrangements, she said her goodbyes first. An Xiayue dragged her suitcase alone back to her own home. But to say it was home, it was actually more like a villa. Her home was in San Francisco. Her father was often outside because of work, but he insisted on coming home every few days, and his relationship with her mother was also quite good.
As for her mother, she was a figure who had been famous since the last century.
An Xiayue opened the iron gate of the villa, took out her keys, and opened the door. A group of maids were already waiting for her in the entryway. Seeing her return, they all respectfully came up to greet her.
“Young miss, welcome back. Madam has been waiting for you for a long time.”
“Mmm, thank you.”
An Xiayue skillfully handed her suitcase to a maid. The maids also habitually took it and had someone take it back to her room. An Xiayue was a bona fide young miss. Her father and mother were both big celebrities, and she herself had also come into this world with a halo. Her innate family education had given her excellent cultivation, and her parents also doted on her. She was living in this world with happiness. And she had been famous since she was a child, creating her own legend in Hollywood. The servants in her family all knew how many halos their young miss had.
“Mom.”
On the sofa in the living room sat a blonde young woman. Her hair was braided and placed on her right chest. She was wearing luxurious clothes and was reading a newspaper. Even though she was already a mother, the traces of time were not very obvious. Her skin was very well-maintained, and her charm still lingered. Even if someone said she was in her late twenties or early thirties, no one would doubt it.
After hearing her daughter’s voice, the lady put down her newspaper, looked up, and smiled.
“Yueyue, you’re back. Sit down. I’ll cook you a delicious meal for lunch today.”
“Thank you, Mom. Mom’s cooking is the best!”
“Haha, you’re just like your father when it comes to praising people.”
The lady was amused.
Catherine Davis had been a sensation in Hollywood ten or twenty years ago, with her own fans all over the world. In that era, she was the undisputed Hollywood superstar, and was also a person crowned with the title of queen. In her era, no one could compare to her. That was an era that belonged only to her. Whether it was the box office or the Oscars, she had not been left behind, and had had the honor of leaving her handprint on the Walk of Fame.
Catherine also had Chinese blood in her, but that had to be traced back to her grandfather’s generation. Her mother was British, and her father was already an American by nationality. By her generation, she was only left with an American identity. Later, Catherine had married a Chinese-American, which was An Xiayue’s father. Not long after, she had given birth to her daughter, Xiayue.
And after she got married and had a family, she rarely appeared in the entertainment industry. In the first few years, she was still relatively active, but she didn’t know when it started, but she had gradually faded out of Hollywood, and had no heart for filming movies, and had slowly retired. She was now enjoying the life of a noble lady at home, occasionally taking on a few commercials, and then going to the company to show her face, do some planning, and no longer had the style of a Hollywood queen.
And the form of An Xiayue’s “An” was the Chinese surname of Xiayue’s great-grandfather.
She herself had never registered this name. On her official ID card and nationality, she had not used this surname. Only in China had she used this surname as a stage name.
“Yueyue, how do you feel after returning to the country?”
Catherine patted her daughter’s head and said with a smile.
“Mmm, although it was a bit hard, I think it’s not bad. My new movie is about to be released soon. I hope it will be a great success.”
“Then I wish you good luck, my daughter.”
Catherine hugged her own daughter and said gently. An Xiayue also unceremoniously rubbed against her. She liked to act spoiled in front of her mother the most.
“You’re already so big, and you still like to drill into me.”
“What does it matter? I’m your daughter. Don’t you dote on me?”
“Alright, alright, I dote on you the most. Yueyue, come down. I’ll go and cook for you.”
“Okay!”
An Xiayue got down from the sofa, smoothed out her skirt, and went to sit on the sofa to watch TV. Catherine smiled, said a word to a maid, and then went to the kitchen. Although Catherine was also from a young miss background, she had learned to cook when she was young. When she was dating Xiayue’s father, she had conquered him with her cooking skills.
After getting married, although there were servants in the family, sometimes Catherine would also cook, cooking for her family. Her daughter liked to eat very much, especially the dishes she had personally made. And Catherine was very fond of her daughter. As long as she asked, she would basically cook for her.
An Xiayue was watching TV out of boredom. A maid handed her a notebook.
“Carol, what is this?”
“I found it in an old cardboard box. It seems to be a notebook of yours from when you were little, young miss.”
An Xiayue took this yellowed notebook and opened it. It was full of her childhood doodles and her extremely childish handwriting. Fortunately, what was written on it was all in Chinese. Otherwise, if the maid had seen what she had written, she would have been ashamed to death.
And on one of the pages in this notebook were written the three characters “Yu Xiayue.”
It was really nostalgic. That was something she had written casually when she was little.
So many years had really passed.
An Xiayue, or rather, Yu Xiayue, she was born in the United States, spent her childhood in China, and later returned to the United States, growing up in California, and now she had returned to China to develop. So many years had passed in a flash.
That small figure, now, could no longer be seen.
If only she were still here, how wonderful it would be.
Yu Xiayue had thought so countless times, and had also had such a dream many times. But in the end, it was just a fantasy. That could not be reality.
“Mom, did you go and send flowers?”
She lay on the sofa, thinking towards the kitchen and asked.
“Send what flowers?”
“Don’t we have to go every year?”
“That, let’s wait until your dad comes back first.”
Every time she talked about this topic, Catherine would always give a symbolic answer, and then she would not be willing to continue. This point, Yu Xiayue was very clear about.
After all, that was a lifetime of pain for her, a shadow she could never walk out of in her life.
To this, An Xiayue also understood quite well.
…
Catherine made a Western meal, and she and her daughter had lunch together. And Yu Xiayue, because she had no work and didn’t have to go out for the time being, could also stay at home and accompany her mother. Coincidentally, Catherine also didn’t have to go to the company for these few days, and she also knitted sweaters with her daughter at home.
“Is this sweater for me?”
“Yours will be given to you after the New Year. This one is for your father.”
“Can I take a look at my sweater?”
“No, endure it.”
“Please, Mom.”
“No.”
“Wuwuwu, please…”
“Acting spoiled is useless.”
“Mom, you’re mean.”
Catherine chuckled, put down her ball of yarn, and rubbed her little head. This daughter, she was already so big and still like a child. How should she put it? As a mother, she simply couldn’t stand it. So cute.
It was better for this child to always stay by her side. It would be better not to let her get married.
It was just…
Catherine would occasionally think of what had happened many years ago, of the pain that she could never forget in her life. Her chest would always ache faintly. She might never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life. What the police had said to her back then was still vivid in her mind. So many years had passed. She should have accepted this reality.
She patted Xiayue’s head, her smile gradually fading, her eyes becoming dejected. She held her daughter in her arms, feeling her warmth. Her cold heart gradually warmed up.
She only had this one daughter left.
She couldn’t lose anyone anymore.
“Mom? Are you thinking of that matter again?”
“I’m fine. It’s an old problem. Come on, let’s knit a sweater.”
“Mmm!”
The mother and daughter chatted harmoniously, talking to each other one sentence at a time. The warm afternoon was filled with gentleness.
The birds outside the window flew by, carrying a few worms and flying back to their nests. A few petals fell, landing on the ground and being swept away by the wind. This piece had been floating and floating, floating to a certain corner…
