Contractual Love: Mistaken for True

(Chen Zihan and Shu Yuqing)

Xia Chen looked at the unconscious Chen Zihan and rubbed his forehead. He had come straight to the hospital after getting off the plane. Chen Zihan really did not take care of his health; he had only been away on a business trip for a short while, and here he was in the hospital.

Ping-Jie handed Xia Chen a cup of coffee and asked, “Do you know the relationship between Shu Yuqing and Zihan?” She thought that since Xia Chen and Chen Zihan were good friends, he should know about it.

“Shu Yuqing?” Xia Chen frowned. “She’s back in the country?”

Ping-Jie nodded, indicating that Xia Chen was aware of their relationship.

“Mr. Xia, since you know about their situation, please help Zihan sort it out. I’ve tried to get him to talk about what happened between them many times, but he refuses.”

“Actually, I’m not very clear either. I only know that they were once boyfriend and girlfriend, and then Shu Yuqing suddenly left, and it’s been four years since then. I don’t know the specific reason, and it seems like Zihan doesn’t know either.”

At that time, when Chen Zihan suddenly told him that Shu Yuqing had left, Xia Chen thought it was a joke. They were inseparable, always together; how could she leave suddenly without an argument or anything?

But looking at Chen Zihan’s forlorn expression, Xia Chen realized that he was truly in love, and around the same time, Murong Qing had also left. Both brothers had been abandoned.

When Chen Zihan woke up and saw Xia Chen sitting by his bed, he closed his eyes again, knowing that Xia Chen’s presence usually meant trouble.

“I know you’re awake. I just saw you open your eyes,” Xia Chen said as he picked up a fruit knife to peel an apple.

Reluctantly, Chen Zihan opened his eyes to look at Xia Chen. They didn’t say anything. Xia Chen finished peeling the apple and handed it to Chen Zihan, saying, “Get up and eat the apple. It’s your favorite.”

Chen Zihan didn’t take it and said, “She’s no longer my favorite.”

Xia Chen’s hand shook, nearly dropping the apple. “Didn’t you say apples were your favorite? You said that if you ate one, you wouldn’t think of Shu Yuqing anymore. Why isn’t it working?”

“Don’t bring it up,” Chen Zihan said gloomily as he sat up. “She said she doesn’t know me. Do you think I’ve changed? I haven’t changed at all. How could she say she doesn’t know me?”

“Who says you haven’t changed?” Xia Chen glanced at Chen Zihan and said, “You’ve gotten older and don’t look as good as you did four years ago.”

“What?” Chen Zihan was not pleased with that comment; he was still handsome, after all.

“Alright, you’re in a hospital bed now, so don’t overthink things. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”

After leaving the hospital, Chen Zihan flew directly to France. Since it was a secret trip abroad, no one knew, including Shu Yuqing. She made a quick visit to the hospital during a break from filming, only to be told that Chen Zihan had been discharged the previous night. Feeling disappointed, she left the hospital. It had taken her a lot of courage to see him, to check on his recovery, and to discuss that matter. It seemed that fate was keeping them apart.

Xia Chen accepted a role for Chen Zihan in a drama titled “Mu Yun,” but Chen Zihan was no longer inclined to take it. During his time in France, he had thought a lot, realizing that perhaps he should truly let go of the past.

Ping-Jie picked up the script and flipped through it before asking Chen Zihan, “Are you really not going to take this role?”

“Exactly, I’m not taking it,” Chen Zihan replied firmly.

“But the leading man and woman have a lot of kissing and intimate scenes. Are you sure you want to watch her get cozy with another man?”

As soon as Chen Zihan heard Ping-Jie say that, he immediately snatched the script from her hands and started looking through it. The more he read, the worse his expression became. What kind of director writes such a script?

“This role was specifically arranged by Mr. Xia for you. Didn’t he tell you?” Ping-Jie asked.

What Xia Chen wanted to do was his business. “He didn’t mention anything to me,” Chen Zihan said while continuing to flip through the pages.

“Now, will you take it or not?” Ping-Jie pressed, not revealing the reasons behind Xia Chen’s arrangement, only trying to find out if Chen Zihan would accept the role.

“If it can’t be released, it’s pointless to take it,” Chen Zihan said as he closed the script.

“Mr. Xia said he has a way. So, do you want to take it or not?”

Chen Zihan shot Ping-Jie a disdainful look. Wasn’t that obvious? Even if he wasn’t going to take it, he was still scrutinizing the script. In truth, he was curious about how many kissing and intimate scenes were in it, and there were indeed quite a few.

“Well, I’ll go notify them then,” Ping-Jie said with a smile as she left the lounge.

When Song informed Shu Yuqing that Chen Zihan had accepted the role, Shu Yuqing was genuinely taken aback. Chen Zihan being the leading man meant they would spend a lot of time together, and it would disturb the peace she had finally established in her heart. She considered dropping out, but Song disagreed; this was a major production, and such opportunities were hard to come by. How could she just let it go?

During the filming process, Chen Zihan didn’t bring up what had happened four years ago, which relieved Shu Yuqing. However, she was also puzzled-why had Chen Zihan changed after his trip to France? He had become more indifferent.

When Chen Zihan saw Shu Yuqing, he felt a surge of emotion within him. He reminded himself not to get too excited, to hold back his feelings. Often, when he saw her frown, he wanted to show his concern, but before he could approach her, Ping-Jie had already stepped in, shaking her head as a warning-there were many reporters around.

As the filming of “Mu Yun” approached its conclusion, Shu Yuqing accidentally twisted her ankle. She didn’t want to interrupt the filming schedule, so she didn’t mention it to anyone, including her manager, Song. During the last scene, the director asked her to perform a dance to win back the leading man’s heart. Under ordinary circumstances, dancing wouldn’t be a challenge for Shu Yuqing, but now that her ankle was hurt, she couldn’t complete the dance at all. They filmed the scene multiple times, but she failed to execute the choreography properly each time.

Chen Zihan only appeared on screen in the final moments of the film, so he wasn’t present to watch it live and stayed in the lounge. However, after an entire afternoon passed without Ping-Jie coming to find him, he started to get angry. Frustrated, he exploded at everyone without bothering to hear any explanations. It was at that moment that Xu Xiaoyou appeared. Xia Chen hoped to use Xu Xiaoyou to provoke a reaction from Shu Yuqing, reminding himself that if she got upset or anything happened, he wouldn’t give up on her. If nothing came of it, then he could finally let go.

After dropping Xu Xiaoyou off at her home, he realized his phone had died. As soon as he turned it on, he received a call from Ping-Jie, who informed him that Shu Yuqing had twisted her ankle and was now in the hospital. Chen Zihan initially thought Ping-Jie was joking. After all, she had been perfectly fine that afternoon.

“Why would I lie to you? Shu Yuqing is at the Central Hospital in City S. You can come check for yourself,” Ping-Jie said.

It wasn’t until late at night that Chen Zihan quietly arrived at the hospital but hesitated at the entrance. Shu Yuqing’s manager, Song, was inside with her, and he didn’t feel right intruding.

Sitting in his car, he lit a cigarette but didn’t actually smoke it, letting it burn instead. He didn’t usually smoke, and Shu Yuqing disliked the smell of cigarettes. Earlier, while waiting outside, he asked the doctor about her injury, who revealed that it was quite severe and had been bothering her for several days. Why hadn’t he noticed? He had even argued with her today-what a jerk he’d been. He couldn’t help but berate himself for his thoughtlessness.

If We Hadn’t Parted Ways (Mom Xia and Papa Xu)

If it weren’t for that moment of letting go, they wouldn’t have missed each other. They could have accompanied and supported each other into old age. But fate is often cruel; love plays tricks on those who care for one another, leaving them with an incomplete ending.

“Meiyun, wait for me. Once I make it in City Y, I’ll come to get you. It won’t take more than three years. You have to wait for me,” Xu Qianlin said, holding Su Meiyun’s hand tightly before getting into his car.

He had to leave the woman he loved to pursue his dreams. Despite their reluctance to part, they both understood it was necessary.

“Senior brother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely wait for you to come back. Just focus on your work,” Su Meiyun reassured Xu Qianlin.

At that time, they were both young, believing that perseverance would bring hope. Yet, year after year, day after day, Xu Qianlin never returned.

Xia Qin, who stayed by Su Meiyun’s side all those years, never left her. He knew that her heart belonged solely to Xu Qianlin, but he could never bring himself to walk away. If he left her alone, who would take care of this lonely woman?

Then one day, news came that Xu Qianlin had passed away several years prior. Su Meiyun was stunned by the news and it took her a while to regain her composure. Afterward, she began to pack her things, determined to go to City Y. Even if she couldn’t meet anyone, she had to see his grave or anything else related to him.

“You’re crazy,” Xia Qin exclaimed as he grabbed her arm. “Xu Qianlin has been dead for years. What do you hope to find in City Y? His ashes? His belongings? He might not even have left anything behind.”

“No…” Su Meiyun pushed Xia Qin away. “Senior brother isn’t dead. I can’t believe he would leave me. I won’t believe it.”

“Meiyun, listen to me,” Xia Qin pleaded as he embraced her tightly. “If you trust me, let me accompany you. I have contacts over there who might know more about the situation. You’re a single woman going to an unfamiliar place; what good could come of it?”

In the end, they asked the local police department; it was confirmed that Xu Qianlin had indeed died in a car accident the year he left. No wonder he had never called. It turned out he had already…

After returning from City S, Su Meiyun fell silent, saying not a word. Xia Qin watched her with growing concern. He feared she might do something irrational, so he stayed close by her side. However, everyone needs a break at some point, and while Xia Qin was asleep, Su Meiyun slipped away. She knew Xia Qin cared for her, but her heart belonged to her senior brother, and she couldn’t envision a future with Xia Qin.

After Su Meiyun’s departure, Xia Qin became a shadow of himself, aimlessly working day after day.

Worried that their son might forget about the important things in life-like getting married and starting a family-Papa Xia and Mom Xia began to arrange a marriage for him. Xia Qin didn’t refuse, but when the two families agreed on a wedding date, he suddenly had a change of heart, for Su Meiyun had returned.

On a stormy night, Su Meiyun knocked on Xia Qin’s door. When Xia Qin saw her standing outside, he was so overwhelmed with excitement that he momentarily forgot to breathe. Once he regained his composure, he wrapped his arms around Su Meiyun, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she returned his embrace.

Xia Qin then learned that Su Meiyun never truly left City S; she had only gone to settle Xu Qianlin’s affairs. Once she was done, she realized that, without her noticing, she had fallen in love with Xia Qin. However, just as she was coming to terms with her feelings, she learned that Xia Qin was getting married. She wanted to congratulate him, but the thought of saying those words filled her with immense sorrow. It was then that she recognized the depth of what it meant to have Xia Qin by her side all along.

“Xia Qin, do you still want me?” she asked.

“Of course… I do…” Xia Qin replied, his voice eager with emotion.

“Even though I was once his woman, you don’t mind?” she questioned hesitantly. They had already given themselves to each other in the past, and she was fearful.

Xia Qin shook his head. “To me, you will always be perfect.”

Unbeknownst to them all, Xu Qianlin was not actually dead; he had merely pretended to have died in a car accident, hoping that Su Meiyun would forget him. He knew he couldn’t provide her with a good future, so he chose to step aside. When he learned that Su Meiyun was about to marry Xia Qin, he returned to City S to witness their grand wedding. “Sister, as long as you’re happy, I would do anything,” he thought.

At the moment he turned to leave, that melancholy figure struck my heart deeply.

(The End)