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墨書 Inktalez
**Chapter Seven**
A month later, both major productions at the company began filming simultaneously. Cui Jie and I started our respective busy schedules. However, as long as we weren't on location, we could always find time to visit each other's sets under some pretext.
Even though we finished work late in the evening, it didn't stop us from walking together through the bustling streets illuminated by neon lights and the dimly lit alleys. In the midst of our busy schedules, my thoughts were filled with images of Cui Jie. This feeling was both torturous and blissful...
Our relationship could no longer be hidden. With it came blessings and sarcastic remarks...
“ Hua, you need to be careful,” Cao Feng joked as we wrapped up for the day.
I was surprised. “Careful about what?”
Cao Feng countered, “What do you think? How often do you see your partner these days?”
I sighed, “It's hard for us to find time together; we see each other less and less.”
Cao Feng smirked, “You need to strike while the iron is hot. By the way, Director Zhang has invited the station chief to dinner at six tonight; don’t be late.”
That evening, after the dinner ended, Deputy Director Sun stumbled into a cab with Director Zhang and Director Song, leaving me to take care of a similarly tipsy Cao Feng and actress Xu Yingying.
After several hours of effort, I finally got these two nearly drunk individuals home safely. As I stood outside in the cold wind, starting to sober up a bit, I opened my phone to find several missed calls from Cui Jie.
I called back, but no one answered. I thought maybe she had already gone to sleep and comforted myself...
In a half-dream state, my phone rang urgently.
Cao Feng's frantic voice came through: “ Hua, what’s going on? Did you spend the night with Xu Yingying? You didn’t come home all night!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I'm lying in my own bed right now,” I replied groggily.
Cao Feng shouted back, “You’re still lying down? Get up and check the news! Your scandal with Xu Yingying has blown up!”
“Oh no,” I jolted out of bed and turned on the TV.
“Popular male star Guo Hua was spotted having an intimate late-night rendezvous with second-tier actress Xu Yingying;”
“After wrapping up their new film, popular male star Guo Hua was seen out and about with second-tier actress Xu Yingying;”
“Second-tier actress Xu Yingying seduces male star Guo Hua;”
“Popular male star Guo Hua cheats with a female cast member...”
Last night, our station received reliable tips that popular male star Guo Hua was seen near a high-end hotel with actress Xu Yingying, where they were behaving intimately...
“Who the hell is spreading these rumors?” I exploded in anger.
Chapter Eight
By the time I arrived at the film set, the newspapers and tabloids were plastered with photos of me helping Xu Yingying last night and from the press conference yesterday. The paparazzi had captured the most awkward angles; our polite smiles were twisted into something suggestive, implying flirtation in public. My gesture of assisting Xu Yingying home was misrepresented as us embracing while entering the building.
Cao Feng muttered, "Do these paparazzi ever sleep? The news, papers, and tabloids are out so quickly; it's ridiculous."
Fuming at the flood of false reports, I seethed, "These bastards are ruining reputations. I'm going to sue them." I found the security guard from the building that could verify my return home that night and then sent a lawyer's letter through the company.
A few days later, that entertainment news company issued a statement clarifying it was a false report. Finally, things seemed to settle down, but then I realized I hadn't contacted Cui Jie in several days. I called her number, but no one picked up.
"She must be busy," I thought to myself.
That night, I slept fitfully, feeling as if my phone was ringing, only to find it lying quietly by my side when I opened my eyes. The next morning, I tried calling again and finally got through.
Cui Jie said, "I'm about to start working," and quickly hung up.
In the following days, whenever I called, either no one answered or she would say she was busy, her voice devoid of any emotion. It finally dawned on me that something was wrong. After work, I dragged my exhausted body to the location where Cui Jie was filming.
When she saw me, there was no surprise in her eyes—only calmness.
"Why are you here?" Cui Jie asked.
"I wanted to see you. Are you done for the day? Let's grab a meal together," I replied.
"Sure," Cui Jie agreed readily.
On the way there, I had a thousand things to say, but once we met face-to-face, I didn't know where to start.
"Xiao Jie, I..."
" Hua, let's break up," Cui Jie interrupted.
I thought I misheard her; it felt like something had struck me in the chest.
"Why? Is it because of the rumors these past few days? It's been clarified; Xu Yingying and I are innocent."
"I know," Cui Jie replied calmly.
"Then why?" I pressed on.
" Hua, during your absence these past few days, I've had time to think. Given our current situation, it's not suitable."
Cui Jie’s expression remained calm, though her voice trembled slightly.
I couldn't understand what had happened. My mind felt foggy and overwhelmed.
"What’s unsuitable? Things were fine before! Have you fallen for someone else? Is it Liang Hao?" I probed cautiously.
Cui Jie suddenly raised her eyes, her expression a mix of shock, anger, and disappointment, which gradually faded.
Her gaze sent a chill through me, making me realize I had said the wrong thing, yet a stubbornness held me back from saying anything else. "I was just hesitating whether I was being impulsive, but your question gave me the answer," Cui Jie said before turning to leave.
I quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arm, asking excitedly, "What do you mean? What answer did I give? Why is this happening?"
"Do you want an answer? Fine. Because I don't want to live in expectation every day only to be disappointed. I'm tired of overthinking alone. Are you satisfied now?" Cui Jie became increasingly agitated as she spoke.
I felt urgency rising within me. "I'm not satisfied! It's not just you waiting. When I have time, you don't; when you have time, I don't. Our work makes it this way, and you know that!"
Cui Jie fell silent.
I continued, "You can tell me what you're thinking! Why do you have to overthink everything alone?"
Cui Jie looked at me with a complex and resentful expression and said, "What can I say to you? Don't you think that every time we meet for those brief moments, all we talk about is work? There's nothing else!"
She clenched her hands tightly around the hem of her clothes. "Don't you think that when all these rumors started swirling around, you never thought to explain things to me? Did you even consider how I felt? Or do you think it doesn't matter whether you explain or not?"
"Xiao Jie, let me explain..." I tried to say something but found myself at a loss for words.
"From the moment your scandal with Xu Yingying broke until it was clarified, did you ever call me once?"
"If the roles were reversed, how would you feel?"
"When I suggested breaking up, did your first thought really jump to me liking someone else?"
"When I suggested breaking up, all you wanted was a reason. You only cared about how you felt—did you ever care about how I felt?"
Cui Jie’s voice trembled as she spoke.
During this time, I had indeed been exhausted and hadn’t paid much attention to her. But she hadn’t called me either; why was it suddenly all my fault?
Thinking of this made me feel indignant. "I’ve been busy and didn’t get a chance to explain myself! But you didn’t call me either! Is this really enough reason for a breakup?"
Cui Jie raised a hand to signal for silence and maintained her composure as she said, "I was waiting for you—not for the news to break. When something happens, it's just your issue; I'm just an outsider."
After saying this, Cui Jie turned and walked away without looking back, while my feet felt as if they were glued to the ground, refusing to move after her.
I watched helplessly as her figure disappeared into the crowd.
A week later, after finishing her filming at Hua Xing Company, Cui Jie left for Yeshi Film Company. The rumor was that Liang Hao was the one who introduced her to Yeshi Film Company...
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