Against the Light - Chapter 167
Chapter 167: The Whole World Collapsed
Gu Xinran helped Xiao Ye take off her shoes and tossed her into the tent. The little one stepped onto the air mattress and let out a cry of surprise.
“Wow~” The little one had a look of pleasant surprise on her face, running and jumping inside the tent, feeling like everything was new and exciting.
Gu Xinran also took off her shoes, got into the tent, sat down, zipped it up, and glanced around to make sure no bugs had flown in.
“Ooh! I can see outside from here!” Xiao Ye pressed against the window, which was a layer of transparent film that offered a clear view of the scenery and people outside.
“Mama, look, that’s Auntie Lin!” Xiao Ye pointed outside with her little finger.
“Hm? It really is. Then how about Xiao Ye sits here quietly and watches Auntie Lin?” Gu Xinran took the blanket beside her, folded it, and placed it behind Xiao Ye.
“Okay!” Xiao Ye nodded and sat down obediently. Her little head was just at the right height to reach the window, and she happily watched Lin Yuqing working outside.
Gu Xinran sat beside her, resting her cheek on her hand and watching her. Suddenly, she saw the little one stand up, anxiously shifting from side to side. Gu Xinran turned her head to look and saw that a crew member was blocking Lin Yuqing, so Xiao Ye couldn’t see her anymore.
Xiao Ye pressed against the window, waiting obediently for a moment. Soon, the crew member walked away, and only then did she beam with a smile and sit back down.
Not long after, it seemed filming had paused again, and the entire crew was taking a break.
Xiao Ye turned to look at Gu Xinran and gave her a meaningful look.
Gu Xinran was taken aback. “What’s with that strange expression? What are you up to now?”
Xiao Ye stuck out her little tongue and smiled sheepishly.
“Mommy’s on a break again.”
“And then?”
“Mama, can you call Auntie Lin over?”
“??? Heh, in your dreams.”
Xiao Ye pouted, her little lips almost touching her nose, so pronounced you could hang an oil bottle on them. She huffed.
“Hmph!”
Gu Xinran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She hugged her and gently stroked her little shoulders.
“Why does Xiao Ye like Auntie Lin so much?”
“Um… pretty~” Xiao Ye shrank back shyly.
“Oh? But there are lots of pretty aunties. Mama has many beautiful friends too, but I haven’t seen Xiao Ye take a special liking to any of them.”
Xiao Ye secretly glanced at her with her big eyes. “None of them are as pretty as Auntie Lin~”
“Hey! You can’t say that to other people!” Gu Xinran put a hand to her forehead. This kid really dared to say anything!
Xiao Ye immediately covered her mouth and gave her a mischievous grin.
“Hey, Mommy!” Xiao Ye suddenly stood up, pointing at the window.
Gu Xinran took a look, saw Yilan walking over, and quickly unzipped the tent to let her in.
“Mommy~” Xiao Ye immediately hugged Yilan’s neck, nuzzling against her affectionately.
“Mmm~” Yilan also enjoyed her daughter’s dependence, hugging the little one and kissing her again and again.
She looked at the small child in her arms and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “If only Xiao Ye could stay little forever, then Mommy could hold my little baby like this every day.”
“But Xiao Ye wants to grow up quickly,” Xiao Ye said seriously, her little brow furrowed.
“Oh? Why is that?”
“When Xiao Ye grows up, I can hug Mommy and Mama every day.”
“Oh?”
“Because Mommy and Mama hug Xiao Ye every day, and it’s so warm and happy. Xiao Ye wants to grow up quickly so I can hug Mommy.”
The two of them were stunned when they heard this. They looked at each other, their hearts melted by the little one.
“Thank you, baby~”
Gu Xinran heard some noise outside, glanced out the window, and saw the crew moving equipment back into the wooden cabin.
“What’s going on?”
“The weather forecast said it would rain today. The weather outside doesn’t look good, it looks like it’s about to rain, so I had everyone start packing up.”
“Is it going to rain?” Xiao Ye asked.
“Yeah, Xiao Ye, look up at the sky. There’s a big dark cloud up there.”
“Ooh, then Xiao Ye will hide in the tent, and I won’t be afraid of the rain!”
“Mmm, that’s true. So Xiao Ye should stay in the tent and not run around, okay?” Bai Yilan said.
“Okay!”
Not long after, a low rumble of thunder came from the horizon. Bai Yilan subconsciously looked at Xinran. Although Xinran hadn’t been as afraid of thunder in recent years, she still worried instinctively.
“I’m fine.” Gu Xinran met her gaze and gave her a small smile.
“Wow, it’s thundering!” Xiao Ye sat up straight, perking up her ears to listen carefully.
“It is. Is Xiao Ye afraid of thunder?”
“Not afraid!”
The little one had just finished speaking when another loud clap of thunder sounded, as if exploding right next to their ears.
“Waah!” Xiao Ye cried out and threw herself at Yilan, burrowing into her arms. Gu Xinran also instinctively hugged her delicate wife.
Looking at these two scaredy-cats, Bai Yilan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Weren’t you not afraid?”
“It’s too loud! Xiao Ye is scared.”
“Scaredy-cat~”
“Wuwu, Xiao Ye is not a scaredy-cat!” Xiao Ye pouted, her face full of displeasure.
“Alright, you, stop your little antics.” Bai Yilan slapped Xinran again. This woman, the hand she was using to hug her was restlessly squeezing and pinching. Wasn’t that a bit much?
Gu Xinran laughed and stole a glance at Xiao Ye.
“What little antics?” Xiao Ye blinked curiously.
“Little kids don’t need to know so much,” Gu Xinran said smugly.
As they were chatting, they suddenly heard the pitter-patter of rain.
Xiao Ye looked up at the tent, reached out her little hand and pressed it against the tent fabric. A raindrop happened to land right where her hand was touching with a pat. The little one pulled her hand back, looked at her little paw, and felt it was incredibly magical, stomping her feet in excitement.
“Should we go back to the cabin?” Gu Xinran suggested.
“Xiao Ye wants to stay in the tent!” Xiao Ye protested, looking up at the tent with her head tilted back. The corners of her mouth turned up unconsciously, as if she really enjoyed the pattering sound of the rain on the tent.
Gu Xinran was helpless against her. Thinking that mountain rain comes and goes quickly, she agreed.
The family of three huddled in the tent, listening to the pitter-patter of the heavy, urgent rain outside.
Xiao Ye pressed against the window, looking out. Her little eyes were full of surprise, as if it were the first time she had seen such heavy rain. The raindrops formed solid lines, constantly smashing against the ground and kicking up a series of splashes.
“How is it raining so hard?” Gu Xinran also glanced outside. Because the rain was so heavy, visibility had dropped sharply. Now, she couldn’t even see the wooden cabin.
“Can this tent hold up?” Bai Yilan listened to the whooshing sound of the rain, a little worried about the tent.
“It looks pretty sturdy, it should be… huh?” Before Gu Xinran could finish, she let out a soft cry, looked down at where her finger was touching, and found the edge of the air mattress was a bit damp.
“It’s not leaking, is it??”
“It can’t be… huh?” Bai Yilan also reached out to touch the edge. It seemed water really was getting in.
“Is the bottom of the tent getting soaked?” Gu Xinran crouched up and felt around, clearly feeling the rainwater slowly seeping in.
“Ah? Water’s coming in?” Xiao Ye didn’t see any problem at all and even gave a happy smile.
“Why are you so happy that water’s getting in?” Gu Xinran picked her up, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Can Xiao Ye splash in the water?” the little one asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Of course not. Xiao Ye just got sick and had a shot a few days ago, have you forgotten so soon?” Bai Yilan put on a stern face, suddenly remembering that back home, Xiao Ye always wanted to run out and play in the water whenever it rained.
“Mmm.” Xiao Ye touched her forehead uneasily.
“This rain won’t stop anytime soon. We should hurry back to the cabin,” Gu Xinran said, picking up Xiao Ye and having her hide inside her clothes.
“Okay.” Bai Yilan also tightened her collar. As soon as she unzipped the tent, she was beaten back by the heavy, urgent rain.
“Wahaha, what heavy rain!!” Xiao Ye was incredibly excited.
“How about you hold her, and I’ll go to the cabin to get an umbrella and come back for you,” Gu Xinran said.
“Alright.”
“Mama! Auntie Lin is here!” Xiao Ye suddenly pointed outside the window.
“Huh?” Gu Xinran was startled and looked in the direction she was pointing, but saw nothing.
“There’s no one there. Did Xiao Ye see wrong?”
“It is Auntie Lin, she’s here to get Xiao Ye!”
Xiao Ye begged Bai Yilan to open the tent. Bai Yilan reluctantly did so, quickly unzipping it for a look. There was no one outside, only a torrential downpour.
Xiao Ye looked disappointed. “How can there be no one?”
Seeing the little one’s dejected look, Gu Xinran took out her phone, wondering if she should call Lin Yuqing and ask her to come over. Before she could act, she heard a voice…
“Sister Ran?”
Gu Xinran froze and exchanged a look with Bai Yilan. That voice sounded like…
“Xiao Qing?”
“Yeah, the rain is too heavy. Let’s go back to the cabin to take shelter.”
“Auntie Lin! Xiao Ye is here!”
The little one responded immediately, dancing with joy.
The two were astonished. Bai Yilan unzipped the tent and saw Lin Yuqing standing outside, holding an umbrella to shield herself from the rain, with another umbrella in her hand.
Lin Yuqing handed the umbrella to Bai Yilan, then crouched down and nodded at Xiao Ye. Before Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan could react, Xiao Ye ran out with a patter patter and crashed right into Lin Yuqing’s arms.
“I’ll take her back first. Don’t worry, I won’t let her get wet.” After speaking, Lin Yuqing nodded at the two of them, stood up with Xiao Ye in her arms, and disappeared into the rainy mist in the blink of an eye.
The two looked at each other, speechless.
“Are those two telepathic or something??”
As for Xiao Ye, she had her arms around Lin Yuqing’s neck, gazing at her adoringly.
“Auntie Lin finally came to get Xiao Ye!”
“Hm? Did Xiao Ye know I would come?” Lin Yuqing looked at her, her eyes curving into a gentle smile.
“I knew!”
“Why?”
“Because one time before, it rained really hard, and Auntie Lin came to get Xiao Ye then, too!”
Lin Yuqing was slightly startled. She was talking about their past life.
That was the first time Xiao Ye had joined a film set, on the same crew as her. A sudden downpour started, and because Xiao Ye was taking care of another young actor, she didn’t make it back to the shelter in time. The rain that day was as heavy as today’s, making it almost impossible to see the path ahead.
When she appeared in front of her holding an umbrella, her eyes were shining.
That night, Xiao Ye got a fever from being soaked in the rain. She stayed with her, taking care of her all night. After that, she realized just how much she cared about her.
Lin Yuqing pulled back from her thoughts and unconsciously tightened her arms. “But Xiao Ye, Auntie Lin has never met you before.”
The little one scratched her ear. “But Xiao Ye remembers.” She tried to recall, looking troubled.
Lin Yuqing gave a faint smile.
“If you can’t remember, don’t force it.”
“Mmm,” Xiao Ye responded, looking at her, then looking from side to side.
“What little scheme are you plotting now?” Lin Yuqing caught a glimpse of the little one’s big eyes darting around out of the corner of her eye. She could tell she was up to something.
Xiao Ye gave a mischievous grin and lowered her head. A moment later, she stole another glance at her, brought her little head close to her face, puckered her lips, and gently kissed her on the cheek.
A beautiful curve appeared on Lin Yuqing’s lips.
“Xiao Ye, you’re being naughty. How could you steal a kiss from Auntie?”
“Ha~” Xiao Ye didn’t care about that. She got her kiss, that’s what mattered~
Her little body wiggled rhythmically, overjoyed.
“Eh? You’re back? I was just about to go look for you,” Jin Shuang’s voice sounded. Seeing Lin Yuqing had returned, she turned and led them toward the cabin.
They reached the cabin in just a few steps. Lin Yuqing placed Xiao Ye on the table and checked her over to make sure she didn’t get wet.
“Mommy isn’t back yet!” Xiao Ye said suddenly.
“Okay, Auntie Jin Shuang will go get them.” Jin Shuang replied, pinched her little cheek, and turned to go outside.
“Xiao Ye, what happened? Why are you so happy?” a nearby crew member asked curiously, seeing her sitting on the table swinging her little feet.
Xiao Ye giggled and shyly fell into Lin Yuqing’s arms, leaving everyone stunned for a moment, then not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
After a short while, Jin Shuang brought Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan back.
“The rain is so heavy, we probably can’t film today, right?” a crew member asked.
“Hey, don’t I remember there being a few indoor scenes? Those scenes are also supposed to take place in the rain. Doesn’t this save us the trouble of making our own rain?” Jin Shuang slapped her forehead. As soon as she finished speaking, all the crew members looked at her with resentful expressions.
“Xiao Qing, are you ready?” Bai Yilan asked.
“Anytime,” Lin Yuqing nodded.
“Alright then. While the rain is still heavy, everyone set up the equipment. We’ll finish early and wrap up early today.”
“Okay.”
The crew members responded and got busy with their tasks.
Gu Xinran immediately picked up the Little Milk Bun to prevent her from disturbing everyone’s work.
It was Xiao Ye’s first time watching filming from so close. Seeing the crew handle the equipment, she was full of curiosity, asking about this and that.
Gu Xinran patiently answered her questions one by one.
Before long, all departments were ready.
“Ooh, it’s dark!” Xiao Ye suddenly exclaimed softly. As soon as she said it, Gu Xinran covered her mouth.
“Xiao Ye, be good. You can’t talk during filming, you’ll disturb everyone.”
The crew looked back at her and chuckled.
“It’s not dark. An auntie outside is blocking the light to pretend it’s nighttime,” Jin Shuang explained.
Gu Xinran carried the Little Milk Bun to the side and patiently explained why they did that. The Little Milk Bun listened with extra seriousness.
“Okay, all departments, get ready.” Bai Yilan glanced at the crew, then at Lin Yuqing, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes dark and gloomy, already in character.
“Action.”
With that word, the camera pushed in.
Lin Yuqing hid her scar-covered arm in a wide sleeve, revealing only two fingers, which were tightly clutching a scrap of cloth.
The white piece of cloth was slightly yellowed, its edges blackened, clearly having been burned.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and the scrap of cloth in her hand trembled along with her movements.
There wasn’t much of a sad expression on her face; her whole being seemed somewhat listless.
Her gloomy eyes glittered in the candlelight. The moment she clenched the cloth scrap bit by bit in her palm and pulled it back into her sleeve, the light in her eyes gradually faded, becoming incredibly dim, devoid of spirit or charm.
Everyone present felt a sense of oppression.
Gu Xinran felt it most intensely, staring at Lin Yuqing without blinking, her eyes gradually turning red.
Just as she was feeling distressed, a small hand suddenly covered her eyes, instantly pulling Gu Xinran out of her emotional state.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Xinran asked in a whisper.
“She’s my Auntie Lin, Mama’s not allowed to look!” the little one said in an adorably fierce tone, pouting with dissatisfaction.
Gu Xinran choked. She thought the little one had covered her eyes because she was afraid she would cry, but it turned out it was because of this…
Gu Xinran clutched her chest, putting on a heartbroken expression.
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow, looked at her with a conflicted expression for a moment, then reached out her little hand to rub her chest. “Mama, don’t cry!”
“Cut,” Bai Yilan called out, letting out a long breath. She turned her back to the crowd, tilted her head up, and calmed her emotions.
The crew was already used to her losing her composure like this. For some reason, ever since this movie started filming, the director’s sensitive nerves seemed to have been activated. She was always wiping away tears, and many times she had even explained scenes to people while crying.
“Mommy?” Xiao Ye saw Bai Yilan’s state, ran over with a patter patter, and hugged her mommy’s leg.
“Hm? Mommy’s fine. Xiao Ye, go play quietly on the side for a bit. Mommy is working.”
“Mmm, then Mommy, don’t cry. Xiao Ye’s heart hurts,” the little one said, patting her own chest.
“Aww, the Little Milk Bun is so good at comforting people!” The crew members were practically dying of envy.
“Okay, Mommy’s not crying. It’s just that your Auntie Lin acted so well, it really moved Mommy.”
Hearing Lin Yuqing being praised, Xiao Ye looked proud and nodded seriously. “Yeah, Auntie Lin is amazing!”
Bai Yilan smiled and patted her head, then glanced at Xinran, who immediately came over and carried the little one away.
“Okay, prepare for the next scene,” Bai Yilan said, composing herself.
Lin Yuqing adjusted herself and opened her eyes. She immediately spotted Xiao Ye standing in the crowd. Xiao Ye made a small fist and gave her a “fighting” gesture, which made her laugh right away.
The next few scenes went very smoothly. Lin Yuqing’s acting was on point the entire time. Occasionally, when there were parts where she couldn’t quite delve into the character’s heart, Gu Xinran would give her a few pointers from the side.
At times like these, the crew would once again look at Gu Xinran with admiration. After all, being able to get to the heart of a character with just a few words is impossible without sufficient experience and skill.
As evening approached, the day’s filming finally ended.
The rain outside had also lessened. Everyone happily packed up the equipment, ready to call it a day.
Lin Yuqing was removing her makeup. The little one sidled up to her, tilting her head to watch.
“Isn’t Xiao Ye scared?” The makeup artist removed the burn makeup from Lin Yuqing’s face and showed it to Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye looked disgusted, dodged to the side, then turned back to look at Lin Yuqing. With the makeup off, Lin Yuqing had returned to her original appearance, and the little one couldn’t take her eyes off her.
Xiao Ye slowly inched over to Lin Yuqing’s leg, placed her two little hands on her knee, and leaned her little body against her.
Seeing no reaction from Lin Yuqing, she continued to scoot and wiggle until she was sitting on her lap, looking at her with a grin.
“What good things are you thinking about now?” Lin Yuqing was already used to her mischievous smile. She put an arm around her little body to keep her from falling off her lap.
Xiao Ye giggled, scooted forward, and settled onto Lin Yuqing’s lap.
“Aiya, what is our little baby doing? Acting spoiled with Auntie Lin?” the makeup artist chuckled. She looked away for one second, and the little one had already practically climbed into her arms.
“Mmm-hmm~” Xiao Ye wiggled her little body, overjoyed. The next second, she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck.
“I take my eyes off you for one second and you’re running off again!” Gu Xinran lifted the little one up, pressed her into her arms, and huffed.
The little one pouted. She wasn’t done being affectionate with Auntie Lin yet!
Before long, everyone was packed up. The group headed down the mountain in a large procession, the day’s work successfully completed.
In the blink of an eye, another half a month passed.
Early in the morning, Bai Yilan was nudged awake by the little one in her arms.
She opened her eyes, half-asleep, and saw the little one had climbed out of bed on her own, carried a small stool to the bathroom, and was standing by the sink, starting to wash up.
She couldn’t help but chuckle and patted Gu Xinran beside her.
“Hm?” Gu Xinran woke with a start. Still dazed, she looked down and saw the child was gone, which instantly woke her up completely.
“Where’s Xiao Ye?”
“There.” Bai Yilan lifted her head slightly.
Gu Xinran turned to look and saw her little baby clumsily scooping water with her hands to wipe her face.
“Why is she being so good today?”
“You still have to ask? Don’t you remember what you promised her yesterday?” Bai Yilan shot her an annoyed glance.
Gu Xinran was taken aback, then it dawned on her, and she slapped her own forehead.
For the past two days, they hadn’t taken Xiao Ye up the mountain to play. The little one was getting restless and pestered her for a long time. She had told her that if she could wake up the next morning and wash up by herself like a good girl, she would reward her with a trip up the mountain.
She hadn’t expected the kid to actually take it seriously and put it into action!
The two of them watched in unison as Xiao Ye washed up by herself, feeling a bit gratified, a bit moved, and also a bit sad.
As Bai Yilan watched, her eyes almost turned red, which startled Gu Xinran.
“What’s wrong?”
“Seeing her like this, I feel like it won’t be long before she grows up and leaves us,” Bai Yilan complained in a low voice.
Gu Xinran furrowed her brow. Hearing her say that, it did seem to be true. Compared to other children her age, Xiao Ye was indeed a bit too sensible.
The two stared at her for a while longer. Gu Xinran got up, walked over, and ruffled her little head.
“Washing your face, Xiao Ye? You’re being too perfunctory. Who washes their face by just dabbing it with water? Hey, your cheeks didn’t even get wet, you little dummy.”
“Mmm, Mama, teach Xiao Ye!”
“I’m not teaching, Mama will wash it for you.” Gu Xinran rolled up her sleeves and, without taking no for an answer, helped the little one wash her face. She even put on some facial cleanser, making the little one dodge and squirm.
Gu Xinran played with her while washing her face. By the time they were done, the collar of the little one’s shirt was all wet.
Gu Xinran picked up some skin cream. The little one saw it, giggled, and turned to run away. She scrambled onto the bed on all fours and dived into Yilan’s arms. “Mommy, save Xiao Ye!”
“Okay~” Bai Yilan immediately pulled the blanket over them. Mother and daughter huddled under the covers, hugging each other tightly.
Now, Bai Yilan finally felt at ease. This was the proper way to start the day!
The two got up and washed. Gu Xinran made a cup of formula for the little one and let her hold it and drink by herself.
After Bai Yilan finished washing up, she came out and saw Xiao Ye obediently holding her own bottle. She walked over, sat next to Xiao Ye, and helped her hold the little bottle.
“How about Mommy holds it for you?”
Xiao Ye let go of the nipple with a soft smack. “Xiao Ye can hold it herself!” she said, blinking her big eyes at Yilan.
“Of course Mommy knows you can do it yourself, but Mommy wants to help her baby hold it,” Yilan said, acting spoiled with the little one.
Xiao Ye giggled and immediately nodded, letting Yilan feed her the milk obediently.
Gu Xinran saw this and smiled helplessly. She walked over and patted Yilan. “Xiao Ye definitely inherited her spoiled side from you.”
Bai Yilan and Xiao Ye looked at each other. Mother and daughter both scrunched up their noses and huffed in unison, “Hmph~”
Xiao Ye was very well-behaved today, so she was approved to go up the mountain with everyone.
“Sigh, time flies so fast, doesn’t it? In the blink of an eye, we’re about to wrap,” Jin Shuang said with emotion, looking around, her words filled with a deep reluctance to part.
“Yeah, it’s mainly because Xiao Qing’s acting is so on point. The shoot was originally scheduled for a month and a half, but she finished it in a month.”
“Sigh, I wonder what it will be like when we come back next time. Tsk, I don’t even know if we’ll ever come back here again.”
“Don’t say it, it just makes it sadder. Let’s finish today’s scenes before we get sentimental,” Jin Shuang sighed.
“Sigh.”
Xiao Ye wiggled her little ears and scratched her head in confusion. “Mommy, what does ‘wrap’ mean?” she asked Yilan.
“Hm? It means filming is over.”
“Over?”
“That’s right. Today is the last scene. Xiao Ye, take a good look at the scenery here. We don’t know when we’ll be back next time.” Bai Yilan also felt a bit sad. Perhaps becoming a mother had made her more sensitive and delicate, and she disliked partings more and more. For the past month, they had spent every day with everyone, leaving early and returning late. They had left so many memories on this mountain. The sudden departure made her truly reluctant to leave.
“Ah?” Xiao Ye gradually understood. “But, but Xiao Ye really likes it here. Xiao Ye wants to keep living here, so I can see the aunties every day. All the aunties are so nice to Xiao Ye.”
The crew members nearby heard her words and couldn’t help but look at each other and smile.
Before long, everyone arrived in front of the small cabin. Jin Shuang directed everyone to start setting up. Gu Xinran also helped out. This scene was in the flower garden. In the protagonist’s final moments, she collapsed in the garden, lying in a sea of flowers, to be reunited with her beloved wife in another world. It was a bad ending.
Bai Yilan carried Xiao Ye and wandered nearby, looking at everything, deeply imprinting the countless memories and footsteps they had left here over the past days into her mind.
“Mommy.”
“Hm?”
“Xiao Ye is not happy.”
Seeing the little one’s pouting, slightly wronged expression, Bai Yilan lifted her up a bit higher, her lips resting against her forehead.
“Is it because we have to leave?” she asked softly.
“Mmm.” Xiao Ye nodded, wrapped her arms around her neck, and buried her face.
“Xiao Ye doesn’t want to go. Xiao Ye really likes it here.”
“Mommy knows. Mommy likes it here too and doesn’t want to leave. But we have our own work and lives, and there are many things we need to do.”
Xiao Ye pouted, indicating she didn’t understand.
“Xiao Ye, look at the scenery here. Remember it firmly in your heart.”
Hearing this, Xiao Ye obediently lifted her head, looked around, then closed her eyes and patted her chest. “Xiao Ye has remembered!”
“When Xiao Ye grows up, you can come back here, look at the scenery, and think about how a little, little Xiao Ye once spent a very warm and pleasant time here. Thinking about it like that, doesn’t it feel wonderful?”
“No.” Xiao Ye shook her head decisively, still unable to understand why they had to leave.
Bai Yilan chuckled lightly.
“Sister Lan, it’s almost set up,” Jin Shuang called out.
“Okay, coming.” Bai Yilan carried the little one to the front of the cabin.
“Wow!” Xiao Ye exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. In an instant, all her sadness about leaving was forgotten. She pointed at the sea of flowers in front of them, too amazed to speak.
Bai Yilan was also very surprised. She looked up at Xinran in the crowd.
Xinran was also looking at her, giving her a small smile.
Bai Yilan’s eyes turned red. The thought of all the things Xinran did for her after she was gone made her heart ache terribly, throbbing with pain.
“Mommy, are you crying?” Xiao Ye was looking when a teardrop suddenly fell on the back of her hand. She thought it was raining, but when she looked up, she realized it was her mommy’s tear.
“Why are you… don’t, don’t cry!” the little one hastily consoled her.
“Mmm, Mommy’s not crying.” Yilan raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
“Sister Lan, are you okay? What’s wrong with you all? Sister Ran is crying, you’re crying, and that one over there is crying too.” Jin Shuang was getting a headache.
Bai Yilan followed her finger and saw Lin Yuqing also staring blankly at the sea of flowers, a tear track on her face.
“Ah! Auntie Lin!” Xiao Ye also noticed that Lin Yuqing was crying. She anxiously asked Bai Yilan to put her down, ran quickly to Lin Yuqing, and hugged her leg. “Auntie Lin, please don’t cry, okay?”
Lin Yuqing looked down at her and nodded slightly. “Mmm, Auntie won’t cry.” She was just moved for a moment, seeing this scene and remembering how much Xinran had suffered alone in their past life.
“Don’t cry,” Xiao Ye said, staring intently into her eyes.
“Alright, Auntie is fine now.” Lin Yuqing patted her little head and gave her a faint smile.
“If we’re ready, let’s begin,” Bai Yilan called to the crew.
“Ready.”
“Xiao Qing?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” Lin Yuqing nodded, picked up Xiao Ye, and handed her to Gu Xinran. Then she returned to the front of the cabin and prepared her emotions.
“All departments, get ready.”
As Bai Yilan gave the signal to start, everyone watched Lin Yuqing with rapt attention.
Her figure was stooped, her gait unsteady, like an old woman in her twilight years.
This part of the scene was where she felt her end was near and ultimately chose to leave this world in the flower garden.
Lin Yuqing’s expression was very relaxed, no longer as oppressed and heavy as before.
Before long, she arrived in the flower garden. Her gentle gaze swept over each orchid one by one. Looking at these blooming orchids, a long-lost smile finally appeared on her aged face.
She sat in the middle of the sea of flowers, tremblingly took out the scrap of cloth from her sleeve, and stared at it for a while. She slowly dug up a patch of soil, carefully buried the scrap, and scooped dirt with her hands to fill the hole bit by bit. Then she pressed down with her hands to smooth the earth.
After doing all this, she paused for a moment, carefully parted the orchids behind her, and slowly lay down. Her head came to rest right next to the small pit where the cloth was buried. She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile on her lips, and looked up at the white sky.
Her dim eyes seemed to have regained their former brilliance.
After lying there for an unknown amount of time, she finally closed her eyes slowly.
A faint smile hung on her lips from beginning to end.
A gentle breeze blew past, and all the orchids swayed in unison, as if seeing her off.
Bai Yilan shouted, “Cut!”
Lin Yuqing didn’t move, still lying in the sea of flowers.
“Xiao Qing?” Bai Yilan called to her.
“Auntie Lin, get up quickly, the ground is cold!” Xiao Ye was the first to rush in, hastily grabbing Lin Yuqing’s hand, trying to pull her up.
Lin Yuqing was still in character. The little one’s tug brought her back to her senses. As she opened her eyes, a stream of hot tears suddenly fell.
“Why did you come in? Didn’t I tell you not to disturb Auntie during filming?” Lin Yuqing wiped away a tear and asked.
“I-I heard Mommy shout ‘Cut’!”
“Oh? Does Xiao Ye know what ‘cut’ means?”
“It means it’s over!” Xiao Ye nodded, her face full of certainty.
The crew, who had been moved to tears by Lin Yuqing’s performance, all broke character upon seeing the little one. They truly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Auntie, the ground is cold.” Xiao Ye tugged on Lin Yuqing’s arm, trying to get her to stand up.
Lin Yuqing turned her head, looked at the orchids, still unable to pull herself out of the role. She lay back down again.
“Aun—!” Just as Xiao Ye was about to call out to her, she was pulled down into an embrace, ending up lying on top of Lin Yuqing.
“Don’t talk. Just lie here with Auntie for a little while, okay?” Lin Yuqing stroked Xiao Ye’s little head and closed her eyes.
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow, cooperatively closed her mouth, and obediently stayed quiet.
Lin Yuqing’s mind was flooded with memories of her time with Xiao Ye in their past life. Her heart ached terribly. At this moment, she missed her Xiao Ye more than ever.
Just as she was feeling distressed, she suddenly sensed a dark shadow before her.
She opened her eyes to see Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan looking at her with unfriendly expressions.
Lin Yuqing’s face stiffened. She instantly snapped out of her emotional state, looked down at Xiao Ye lying obediently on top of her, and gave an awkward smile. She placed the little one on the ground and quickly sat up.
“Uh, Sister Lan, how was that take? Was it okay?”
“Mmm, it was very good.”
“So… we’ve wrapped?”
“Yes.” Bai Yilan nodded, then looked around and shouted to the crowd, “Deep Love has wrapped!”
The crew instinctively cheered and applauded, then began to pack up the props.
“Sister Lan, since we finished ahead of schedule, can we stay for two more days before going back? We’ve been here for so long but haven’t had a chance to properly enjoy the place,” Jin Shuang suggested.
“Yeah, Sister Lan, everyone is reluctant to leave. Let’s stay for two more days.”
“Yeah, Mommy! Let’s stay for two more days!” Xiao Ye understood and joined in the clamor, instantly making everyone laugh.
“Alright, we’ll stay for two more days. Everyone can relax for these two days. I’m giving you a short break,” Bai Yilan said.
“—” The crowd immediately erupted in loud cheers, much louder than the cheers for wrapping the film just moments ago.
“Long live Sister Lan!”
“~Long live Sister Lan~” The little one got excited too, belatedly joining the crowd’s shouting.
Bai Yilan was taken aback. She picked her up and pinched her little nose. “Say that again, long live who?”
“Lan—huh? It’s Mommy! Long live Mommy~” The little one finally realized and started laughing at herself.
“Are you okay?” Gu Xinran walked over to Lin Yuqing’s side and patted her gently.
Lin Yuqing took a deep breath, looked at her, and nodded. “Mmm, I’m fine. I just couldn’t get out of it for a moment. I’m much better now.”
“Was my acting okay?” Lin Yuqing asked.
“It was great, really great. You have a very thorough understanding of the character. But don’t get too lost in it. After all, we’ve already passed through that darkest stage. There’s nothing left to be sad about.”
Lin Yuqing realized she was reminding her not to get too deep into the role and gave her a faint smile. “I understand, don’t worry.”
Gu Xinran looked at her, then turned and gave her a big hug. “You’ve worked hard. Thank you for bringing this character to life.”
“Xiao Ye, what are you looking for?” Bai Yilan asked the little one in her arms, whose little head was constantly turning around.
“I’m looking for Auntie Lin. I want to tell her the good news!”
“Oh, eh? Has your radar malfunctioned?” Bai Yilan chuckled. The kid could always spot Lin Yuqing in a crowd at a single glance, so Xinran had teased that she had a built-in radar.
“What’s a radar?” The little one scratched her head.
“It’s…” Just as Bai Yilan was about to explain, she suddenly noticed the little one’s expression had frozen. She was completely still, her eyes wide and fixed.
“Xiao Ye?” Bai Yilan was confused. She called her name twice, but got no response. Following her gaze, Bai Yilan was also stunned for a moment. She saw Xinran hugging Lin Yuqing, the two of them embracing tightly, looking exceptionally intimate.
She was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the little one. The little one’s mouth was turned down in a pout, looking very wronged. Her nostrils flared slightly, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Waaaaah—”
Before she could say anything, the little one burst out crying!
This cry startled everyone. The person next to Bai Yilan jumped in fright!
The little one cried her heart out, her sobs earth-shattering. For a moment, Bai Yilan even felt as if the little one’s whole world had collapsed…
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