Chapter 55: Visiting

Ever since Gu Yu had left, Jiang Bomu had been suffering from insomnia for three days.

It was her own choice. She couldn’t blame anyone else. So, no matter how late it was before sleep came, she remained calm, never resorting to medication. She simply lay there with her eyes open, waiting for sleepiness to arrive.

Her days and nights had flipped entirely.

She could sleep through the day, then rise when twilight descended to watch the sunset. Once darkness swallowed the last light, she’d wash up, then either read her script or watch a movie, keeping herself occupied.

She thought she was acting perfectly normal. But when Tao Tao came over, she was visibly startled. “Sis Mu, how did you lose so much weight?” she asked, helplessly.

The radiant star from just three days ago now looked haggard, eyes dull and bloodshot.

Jiang Bomu calmly lied. “I’m just contemplating the psychological state of Cheng Zhixin after the sexual assault.”

Cheng Zhixin was the name of the female lead in her next movie.

“You scared me to death!” Tao Tao patted her chest, then advised, “But don’t push yourself too hard. There are still about twenty days left. Don’t wreck your health.”

Jiang Bomu gave an “Mm” and went back to studying the script.

“By the way, where’s Teacher Gu? Did she go out somewhere?”

At those words, the words on the script seemed to float up into the air. Jiang Bomu stared blankly at the now-blank page and answered softly, “She went home.”

“So suddenly?” Tao Tao felt a bit regretful. “I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”

Neither did I, Jiang Bomu thought silently.

She had left so resolutely. She must have been completely and utterly disappointed by then, right?

“But what about all this stuff? The cat tree and things?” Tao Tao looked around. “Should it just stay here?”

Jiang Bomu gave another “Mm.” This place was so vast and empty. A few more belongings actually made it feel a bit more alive.

“It’ll just go to waste sitting here. Sis Mu, I think you could get a cat yourself,” Tao Tao suggested. “Like a Ragdoll. Not only are they beautiful, but they have gentle personalities.”

“No cat could ever be better than Wan An,” Jiang Bomu blurted out.

Tao Tao smiled warmly in agreement. “True. After all, it’s the first cat you and Teacher Gu raised together, right?”

After Tao Tao left, Jiang Bomu put down her script and scrolled through her phone’s photo album.

She’d taken pictures and videos of Wan An every single day. Well over a hundred now. She’d looked through them countless times, but the feeling of longing was still just as fierce.

More often than not, she missed the girl holding the cat.

It was a form of self-inflicted torment. She knew that after the yearning came even deeper pain, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She had brought this on herself. She couldn’t blame anyone.

At midnight, Jiang Bomu returned to her bedroom. She did half an hour of yoga, then half an hour of meditation. Once her thoughts settled, she began analyzing the script.

She valued this movie immensely. She didn’t want any personal failing of hers to flaw its presentation.

Nearing two a.m., she rubbed her sore eyes and reached for her phone, intending to find some soothing music to help her sleep. A WeChat notification popped up at the top.

Sleepless Tonight: [Do you have some free time? My parents would like to invite you over for dinner.]

Jiang Bomu froze for a second. She opened it, confirmed it was a message from Gu Yu, and immediately began typing a reply.

But what should she say…

After two minutes of deleting and rewriting, the other party spoke again. [If you’re busy, never mind. Sorry to bother you.]

Jiang Bomu hesitated no longer. Biting her lip, she replied: [I’m free. What time?]

Gu Yu forgot to reply for a moment, stunned. She had actually stayed awake. Normally, she was in bed by ten.

Maybe she had something going on tonight. Gu Yu didn’t want to overthink it. They were strangers now anyway. This meal was essentially their farewell dinner. She casually typed back: [Tomorrow, noon, 12 o’clock.]

She sent the address, tossed her phone aside, and went to sleep, not caring whether the other party responded.

Gu Yu slept soundly through the night.

Jiang Bomu suffered another sleepless night. When she finally woke, it was already evening.

Drowsily, she got up to brush her teeth and wash her face. Glancing into the mirror, she froze at the sight of the disheveled woman staring back. Her heart thumped. She could barely recognize herself.

Remembering she was supposed to visit Gu Yu’s parents during the day, her heart filled with anxiety. How could she meet anyone looking like this?

No more hesitation. She went to a beauty salon. By the time she got home, it was already noon. Perhaps it was exhaustion, but she collapsed into bed and slept soundly, waking in the middle of the night to set an alarm before finally drifting off peacefully.

At eleven o’clock the next morning, Jiang Bomu got up and headed out the door.

Yue’an Mansion and Yunhua Mansion weren’t far apart. She arrived at her destination at eleven-thirty, half an hour earlier than the agreed time.

Still, arriving early was better than arriving late. She stepped into the residential complex but then withdrew her foot. She seemed to have forgotten to bring a gift. Showing up empty-handed to someone’s home was terribly rude.

Annoyed with herself, she turned back. Luckily, there was a shopping mall nearby. She quickly bought some items and then headed over.

When she knocked on the door, she glanced at the time. 11:59 ticked over to 12:00 on the dot.

Thank goodness she wasn’t late.

The door clicked open. Jiang Bomu looked up, meeting Gu Yu’s indifferent gaze. A pang struck her heart, and she hastily forced a smile.

Gu Yu didn’t spare her another glance. Turning around, she called out loudly, “Dad! Mom! The big star you’ve been waiting two days to see is finally here!”

“Come in, come in quickly!” Yu Qing poked her head out from the kitchen, giving Jiang Bomu a kind smile before chiding her daughter with a look. “Haven’t you been waiting, too!”

Jiang Bomu glanced swiftly at Gu Yu. But Gu Yu’s face only held a playful grin. “Yes, yes, I missed her the most!” she echoed.

Yu Qing came over carrying a dish. “Make yourself at home. Xunxun, be a good host.”

Gu Yu stood at attention and gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

The moment her mom returned to the kitchen, the smile vanished from Gu Yu’s face. She sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone, as if Jiang Bomu didn’t even exist.

Jiang Bomu pressed her lips together but said nothing, quietly observing the living room.

The room was large, with two wooden bookshelves packed with books. There were also many green plants and succulents she couldn’t name, lush and thriving. The bright yellow sofa was covered in throw pillows. A soft, white, circular rug lay on the floor. Sunlight poured in evenly, adding the final perfect touch to the warm and inviting space.

The aroma of braised fish drifted from the kitchen, accompanied by a woman’s soft complaint about overcooking it and a man’s calm, “It’s fine, it’ll still be delicious.”

The woman laughed. “I’m at ease when you’re the one cooking.”

Jiang Bomu had never seen a home so full of life’s simple warmth.

Her eyes grew slightly hot. She quickly lowered them, setting the gifts she’d brought aside.

“So polite?” Gu Yu’s words were cold, carrying a sharp, thorny edge.

Jiang Bomu murmured, “It’s just proper manners.”

No further words were exchanged.

Gu Zhenglin came out carrying the final main dish, Yu Qing following behind. Jiang Bomu greeted them with a smile, her voice soft as she called them Uncle and Auntie.

“Oh my, coming here is gift enough! Why bring presents?” Yu Qing exclaimed. “Xunxun lived at your place for two months, eating for free. I already feel terrible, and now this…”

“Those are separate matters,” Jiang Bomu said gently. “Xunxun and I are friends now. It’s a first visit to a friend’s house. I couldn’t possibly come empty-handed.”

No sooner had she spoken than an arm intimately linked through hers.

“Yeah, yeah, Sister and I are friends,” Gu Yu beamed radiantly. “Since we’re friends, let’s not stand on ceremony. Sit down and eat! I’m starving!”

Jiang Bomu looked down, feeling the slightly cool fingertips graze her skin before pulling away without the slightest hesitation. A sense of loss filled her heart.

Just an act, as expected.

Even she had almost been fooled.

“I heard from Xunxun you’re about to start filming a new movie?” Jiang Bomu snapped back to attention, smiling in response. “Yes. I’ll be joining the crew in about half a month.”

“Is it very tiring? You look even thinner than you do on TV…” Yu Qing commented.

Gu Yu, who had been focused on her food, lifted her eyes. She swept a seemingly casual glance over Jiang Bomu. In three days, she had indeed lost weight. But that beautiful face was still radiant, showing no signs of decline apart from a few stray red veins in her eyes.

Gu Yu looked back down and chewed her food. What was she expecting? Did being thin mean she’d been missing her?

Gu Yu, stop being so narcissistic.

She took a piece of bamboo shoot and bit down with a loud crunch. Hearing her mom mention her, Gu Yu instantly smiled brightly, playing the part of the loving sister with Jiang Bomu. The meal left her mentally and emotionally exhausted.

After lunch, both of Gu Yu’s parents had matters to attend to at the university and needed to leave. Jiang Bomu seized the opportunity. “Uncle, Auntie, I should be going too.”

“But you just got here. Stay a while longer,” Yu Qing urged her to stay.

“That’s alright,” Jiang Bomu said softly.

Gu Yu didn’t welcome her.

As if confirming her thoughts, Gu Yu laughed and chimed in. “Mom, she’s a very busy person.” Only Jiang Bomu could hear the sarcasm in her voice.

Yu Qing just took it as her daughter joking and shot her a glare. To Jiang Bomu, she said, “Who knows when you two will see each other again? Chat a little longer. Alright, go on, you two talk. I’m off.”

The sound of the door closing echoed, yet those words seemed to reverberate, lingering in the living room.

In the ensuing silence, Jiang Bomu passed the choice to Gu Yu.

“Xunxun… would you like me to stay a little longer?”