Chapter 431: An Unsettling Future
“Phew…”
Yu Linna walked on the street, took off her mask, and let out a hot breath. The weather was really getting much colder. The recent weather was really too cold. Even in the south, it was too cold. This kind of temperature was a bit scary. After getting used to the temperature of the southerners, this was the first time she had encountered such a cold weather this year. Yu Linna felt that this was not a good sign.
Although in her memory, she had experienced weather that was even colder than this, that was many years ago, after all. She had settled in Guangnan since she was 12, and so many years had passed now. She was used to it here.
“I’m almost there. Come out and pick me up.”
She made a phone call to the other party.
After hearing it, the person on the other end excitedly answered, “Okay.” And Yu Linna looked at the gloomy sky, thinking that this month was almost over.
Yes, it was almost the New Year.
Ye Zhiyun had promised her before that she would take her back to her old home in Shanghai to meet her parents and formally confess their relationship. She had not expected it to come so soon.
This, Yu Linna had not expected either.
They had been together at the end of last year, and now a few months had passed. Time really flew.
“Linna~ you’re finally here. I just got off work. Let’s go, let’s go and play.”
Fang Jiangning was wearing a down jacket, a scarf around her neck, and trotted over from the other side of the road. Seeing Yu Linna, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, she was very happy. She grabbed her small hand and took her away.
Yu Linna reached out to adjust her sunglasses, looked around. Fortunately, there weren’t many people. If she, Fang Jiangning’s, identity was recognized, then her, Yu Linna’s, identity would surely be exposed as well. As a public figure now, she was very sensitive to being recognized in private.
“Jiangning, although I only came over after I heard you were about to get off work, you’re a bit too anxious.”
“We haven’t played together in so long. Just accompany me for a bit~ My house is nearby. Let’s go to my house to play. Don’t worry, I won’t let you stream.”
Yu Linna remembered that in her 17th year, Fang Jiangning had used money to bribe her, tricking her into doing a live stream. That incident was also quite interesting. Thinking back on it now, Yu Linna still found it quite interesting. In two years’ time, Fang Jiangning had gone from a well-known uploader who was not allowed to show her face by her parents to a professional competition commentator. This change was quite big.
But it was also a fact that Fang Jiangning’s popularity was getting greater and greater. Now she would also find time to stream, to make videos, and to give back to her fans with love. It was just that after she had become a commentator, her updates were slower than before.
“Jiangning, how’s your work recently?”
“Pretty good. The game I’m commentating on is almost at the end of its contract. After the New Year, I’m leaving this place and going to be a commentator for another game competition.”
“Is that so? Then where are you planning to go?”
“It’s LOL!”
Fang Jiangning said with great enthusiasm.
Although Yu Linna didn’t like to play games, she had also heard of this game. After all, she had a neighbor who liked to play games very much, especially this kind of 5v5 competitive game.
And Zhao Yuyan’s gaming skills were also quite good, on par with Fang Jiangning’s.
Fang Jiangning actually wanted to be a commentator for LOL?
“It’s very difficult, right? To be a commentator for this game is not that easy.”
“So I’m preparing to take this as my goal. If I can be a commentator at the World Championship one day, that would be great! I want to commentate on LPL’s victory live!”
“Keep it up.”
“I will! In any case, congratulations to FPX!”
“What’s that? A team or a group?”
“You wouldn’t understand, Linna. You don’t even play this game!”
Seeing Fang Jiangning’s enthusiastic appearance, Yu Linna smiled and said nothing.
This winter was really very cold.
After entering her house, Yu Linna rubbed her hands. Fang Jiangning turned on the heat and prepared tea and snacks for her. Fang Jiangning turned on the TV in the living room and watched a recent entertainment program with her.
“The weather is really cold. The Cantonese have failed to enter winter.”
“Didn’t you say before that the Cantonese get through winter with a righteous spirit?”
“Times are different, my lord.”
The two of them smiled at each other, munching on small cookies and watching an entertainment program. The atmosphere couldn’t be better.
In the blink of an eye, they had known each other for so long. When Yu Linna had first met Fang Jiangning, they were not particularly close. But Yu Linna had been tricked away by a cup of her milk tea. Thinking back on it now, it was still quite funny. Although she was not short of milk tea now, with her personality, she would probably still be tricked away by milk tea if she were to go back to that time.
“Linna, have you noticed that in these two years, you’ve gradually stopped loving to smile?”
“Have I?”
“It’s quite obvious. You, you weren’t like this before. Although you loved to take advantage, you were cheerful and optimistic. You also pretended to be cold in class, but actually, you’re a complete softy.”
“I’m angry at that last sentence.”
“But, Linna, I don’t know when it started, but you’ve really become a cold and unsmiling person. It gives me a rather scary feeling. The cheeky, mischievous Yu Linna I used to know seems to have disappeared without a trace.”
“…”
“But after you got together with Zhiyun, I found that you seem to be slowly coming back. I’m very happy, Linna. As a friend, I hope you can smile more.”
Yes, Yu Linna still looked good when she smiled.
That gloomy, cold and indifferent look didn’t suit her at all.
It was almost the New Year soon. Soon she would be with Zhiyun. In a little while, she would be able to be with Ye Zhiyun without any worries.
Yes, that’s what she thought.
Because her friends all supported her, were all willing to cheer her on. She felt that they could always be together.
Yes, that’s what she thought.
Always…
…
Where was Ye Zhiyun?
She was busy with work.
However, her work was not going smoothly. After working so hard for so long, desperately shortening the budget, constantly cutting scenes, and repeatedly shortening the edited content, the final product, Ye Zhiyun really found it hard to accept. But she had no choice.
This was the biggest benefit she could fight for.
If she didn’t agree to this, then this movie would only have the result of not being released. If it wasn’t released, there would be no box office. The final result would be the failure of the project. They would lose money until they vomited.
“Wenqian, tell me, am I particularly useless?”
Ye Zhiyun had learned to hide in her office alone, to buy a beer alone, to drink it down alone, and then to forget everything.
Dai Wenqian really felt her heart ache watching her.
“Zhiyun, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t written so much on the budget when we were setting up the project, it wouldn’t have become like this. It’s all my fault. I didn’t expect an investor to withdraw their investment. It’s all my fault.”
As she spoke, Dai Wenqian even cried, tears streaming down her face.
This person, who was usually so outgoing, lively, and could face any difficulty with a smile, was actually crying. It could be seen how helpless she was about this matter. Even if she worked so hard, what couldn’t be realized couldn’t be realized. What couldn’t be obtained couldn’t be obtained. She had worked hard, but in the end, she had gotten nothing.
“Don’t be like this, Wenqian. It’s my fault. I’m incompetent. I didn’t find the right partner, nor did I film this movie well. I have failed your trust in me. I’m sorry to the entire crew.”
Being treated like this by her, Ye Zhiyun’s heart ached even more. She also felt a little like crying. But she couldn’t.
She was the core of the company, the soul of their team. The responsibility of everyone was on her shoulders. She could not be weak. If she cried at this time, then who would support this company?
Zendaya silently smoked in the back of the door. As a partner who had returned from abroad to work with her friend, she did not have the emotional display of Dai Wenqian and Ye Zhiyun. If this time was not smooth and led to bankruptcy, at most she would just go home. But Ye Zhiyun and Dai Wenqian had come here with a dream. They didn’t want to go back without having done anything.
Ye Zhiyun comforted Dai Wenqian for a while. She herself was clearly the one who needed to be comforted, but she did not choose to ask for help. She chose to bear it.
When Ye Zhiyun watched the edited film over and over again, she knew that this was the biggest concession she could fight for. A 93-minute movie, in such a short time, to tell the story, was really too much to ask. But if she didn’t do this, this movie could not be released in cinemas.
The so-called compromise with capital, that was probably what it meant. Ye Zhiyun deeply felt her own powerlessness.
Was it really the right thing for her to continue to persist in her dream? Could she really create a place to live? She kept asking herself this question.
Ye Zhiyun dragged her tired body, left the company, packed her luggage, and got on a plane. She was going back to Guangnan. It was almost the New Year. The company would surely have a holiday. Although the movie was scheduled to be released on New Year’s Day, she could go home first and then do some promotion when the time came.
Although that was what she said, Ye Zhiyun could more or less guess the result.
“Zhiyun? You’re back? Come on over. I’ll cook you something delicious at home.”
Suddenly, Ye Zhiyun saw that golden figure in front of her. Her originally cold heart gradually warmed up. She opened her mouth, and no words came out, but for some reason, she wanted to cry.
She quickened her steps, one step, one step, two steps, a little faster, and she wanted to be even faster.
The other party’s expression, the other party’s confusion, everything about the other party, she wanted to see it all, a little faster.
I miss her so much. Really, I’ve always wanted to see her…
“Nana…”
She hugged this blonde girl, rested her head on her shoulder, held her tight, and never wanted to let go again.
“What’s wrong, Zhiyun? Is something on your mind?”
“No, I just wanted to see you. Let me hug you.”
Even if the work was hard, and her heart was bitter, but with Yu Linna around, everything would be alright.
She had always thought so.
Yu Linna looked at her, smiled wryly. This person, really, what is she doing at a time like this?
“Didn’t you say you were going to take me home for the New Year? What’s with this state? It’s a little scary.”
“Yes, I still have to introduce you to my parents. I want to tell them that you are my girlfriend.”
“Since you’ve already said so, then are you afraid I’ll run away? It’s about time you let go of me. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Mmm…”
Yes, she had to introduce Yu Linna to her parents, to her family. That’s what she had decided.
But…
Did she have the ability to bear the responsibility of her and Yu Linna? What if her parents didn’t agree? What would she use to guarantee her and Yu Linna’s life, to protect her?
Ye Zhiyun, for such an unknown future, felt a little uneasy.
