Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Lin Nuan got choked by Bai Xiaonian’s words. She paused, then said, “It’s just like Song Yao said. We’re not young anymore. Before Wen Moshen returned, I liked him for eight years… but I don’t have the luxury of using eight more years on him like this. When Gu Hanyan asked me to find Fu Huai’an, I already made plans to sleep with him, but not to be in a relationship and marry him. I treated it like a transaction at the time—once we did it then nobody would owe each other anything. Then I’d find a normal man to marry. He didn’t have to be too handsome, as long as he was comfortable to look at. And he didn’t need to be too rich either, as long as our pay could let us live decently and travel overseas twice a year. Then it would be enough if we spent this life respecting and being loyal to each other.”
“So a normal man would be loyal? I’ve seen ugly, poor men marrying rich and beautiful women, yet they still shamelessly engage in affairs! You can’t make these general assumptions!”
Bai Xiaonian urged Lin Nuan in a lowered voice…
“Just like the Xue elder in this industry, Xue Zhiren. He was the standard handsome, rich man in his youth yet he still managed to stay in a loving, loyal marriage with his wife for years despite having no children. I’m not even as pessimistic as you and I’ve been hurt by a jerk!”
“In relationships, I’m not only pessimistic but also cowardly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lacked the courage to confess to Wen Moshen and let Gu Hanyan snatch him away.” Lin Nuan felt tears forming in her eyes as she said it.
She tried to hold back her tears so it didn’t mess up her makeup. “The second year I developed feelings for Wen Moshen was when he got together with Gu Hanyan. Since then my heart felt like it had a needle inserted into it—with each heartbeat it would get pierced and keep bleeding. In those four years that he went missing, my heart went missing with him and leaked out air… it was always cold inside. I didn’t have the courage to confirm that Fu Huai’an was a decent man, I was just willing to sleep with him simply because of desire.”
“So you’d rather spend your life with a normal man you don’t love than try a relationship with Fu Huai’an? Isn’t it because you have feelings for him and now you’re afraid he’ll hurt you?” Bai Xiaonian sighed. “Is it that hard to admit you like Fu Huai’an?”
“Using Wen Moshen as an example, do you really want to make the same mistake with Fu Huai’an?” Bai Xiaonian tried to convince Lin Nuan, “You clearly like him yet you’re holding it in. Are you just going to wallow in despair once he gets another woman?”
Lin Nuan felt tangled in her heart. She picked up the news documents again and began to read it. “Let’s leave it until we get home…”
…
Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian’s final recording for “Morning News Daily” went very smoothly.
Upon its ending, Yang Yuze and the staff of the show pushed over a huge cake and announced it was to welcome Bai Xiaonian and send Lin Nuan off, as well as wish Lin Nuan luck in advance for her new show.
Lin Nuan and Bai Xiaonian busied themselves distributing slices of cake. The overall atmosphere was warm.
Yang Yuze took the cake Lin Nuan passed to him and said to her in a low voice, “I have a feeling your show will get popular!”
“Thank you for your wishes,” Lin Nuan smiled gently and replied.
“Nuan…” Bai Xiaonian passed a cake slice with a strawberry on it to Lin Nuan.
As she took it, the phone rang in her pocket. The cake tiled in foil paper and cream splattered all over her hands.
“Help me hold this.”
Lin Nuan passed the cake over to Bai Xiaonian and saw that it was Liang Mulan calling. She held her cream-covered hands and walked outside the noisy recording studio as she answered it. “Hello, Mother…”