After the Divorce, the Whole World is Waiting for Us to Get Back Together - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The river water brought a wave of coolness to the increasingly warm summer day, washing away the fatigue from the long walk.

The camera zoomed in from afar, refocusing on the two figures standing side by side. The voice brushing past her ear, traveling through her thick, long hair, carried an ambiguity that sparked a thousand imaginings—as if beneath that simple phrase “It’s still here,” other implications lay hidden.

Meng Zhijin’s words seemed to come out of nowhere, yet there was a trail to follow. If Cheng Xi could remember what Meng Zhijin said in the car yesterday, then naturally, Meng Zhijin could as well.

The sunlight falling on the babbling river traced the contours of the flowing water. Cheng Xi realized that Meng Zhijin was answering the speculation she had made in the car the day before. She couldn’t tell if she felt enlightened or melancholy.

Cheng Xi looked at the surroundings that weren’t exactly familiar; Meng Zhijin’s silhouette was part of that scenery. Without the blanket of snow, the trees sprouting green leaves had straightened their trunks. Meng Zhijin was no longer wearing heavy winter clothes; her light skirt swayed with the breeze by the river.

Actually, if this were any other insignificant place, Cheng Xi would have been more than happy to pick up the conversation. She would have used her usual seductive, charming side, curling her red lips to tease Meng Zhijin.

But this place was different. Everything here looked more full of life than it did that winter. Perhaps the sunlight was too piercing, making it impossible for Cheng Xi to look directly ahead. She squinted slightly, withdrawing her gaze from the winter of her memories to look at the long-thawed river.

“Only it remains,” Cheng Xi said.

Her words were simple, seemingly just a sigh about the changes in the area after development. Yet, they seemed to carry another meaning.

Meng Zhijin’s gaze paused for a moment. Then, Xu Changyan’s voice drifted over from the side: “I remember according to the initial design plans released for this resort, this river was supposed to be diverted to the base of that hill over there.”

She seemed to have just finished checking the surroundings, her net pole stained with a bit of mud. “But this has its own charm. It didn’t destroy the natural scenery. Nature’s craftsmanship is truly the best.”

Yu Tong was surprised: “You actually looked at the design plans for this resort?”

“I just researched the place before coming,” Xu Changyan replied, then turned to look at Meng Zhijin. “I even saw Teacher Meng’s mother’s company listed on them. In that case, Teacher Meng could be considered a shareholder of this resort, right?”

This person spoke little, but when she did, she hit the mark. Meng Zhijin met Xu Changyan’s gaze for a second before looking away. Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke flatly: “You’ve done your research thoroughly.”

Cheng Xi heard their exchange clearly. The wind skimming over the river surface slipped through her fingers, leaving behind a chill that overlapped with the temperature of the winter they had sneaked out to ice-skate.

The river continued its tireless flow, unswayed by the wind. Simple clues clicked together like perfectly fitted buckles, and an unrealistic but irrepressible thought popped into her head: This river was left here intentionally.

Was it to maintain the natural landscape around the resort, or was it because…

“A-Yan! There really are fish in this river! I saw several, they’re so fat!” Yu Tong shouted impatiently, rushing excitedly into the river.

“The climate is suitable this season; it’s spawning time. The fat ones actually don’t taste good,” Xu Changyan said as she rolled up her pant legs and followed Yu Tong into the water.

“But I don’t see any thin ones…” Yu Tong looked distressed, then her eyes lit up. “Aha! There!”

“Slow down,” Xu Changyan said in her usual flat tone, but her eyes never left Yu Tong.

Cheng Xi’s thoughts were pulled back by the scene before her. Yu Tong possessed a natural innocence that made those watching her feel lighter. Remembering she was filming a show, Cheng Xi rolled up her sleeves, unable to hide her envy of the two in the water. “It’s good to be young. You can still act like a kid.”

“Aren’t you one?”

A counter-question came from beside her, cold yet carrying a hint of warmth. Cheng Xi turned her head and, as expected, saw Meng Zhijin looking at her with calm eyes.

The person who had just called her “Kid” earlier.

To use that address at the appropriate age is a statement of fact. But to use it past that age carries a certain ambiguity.

The camera was right behind them—a black machine impossible to ignore. Cheng Xi couldn’t tell if Meng Zhijin was speaking from the heart or simply cooperating for the sake of on-screen chemistry. She gripped her rolled-up sleeves and used her slightly taller vantage point to remind her: “I’m already twenty-five, Teacher Meng. I’ll be twenty-six in a few months.”

That rebellious voice, laced with a bit of pettiness, blended with the babbling of the river. Revisiting the old haunt, the shadows of their past selves overlapped in the sunlight.

Meng Zhijin gave a faint “Mhm.” The sound had no ripples; it was as straight as a line.

This was the first time that when Cheng Xi argued she wasn’t a kid, Meng Zhijin acknowledged it. Cheng Xi should have felt happy or satisfied, or at the very least, a sense of dull calm after the erosion of time. But for some reason, she felt as if she had lost something. Her knuckle made a click sound.

She pressed her thumb over her index finger and onto her middle finger. But before she could crack another knuckle, something heavy pressed down on her head. A palm pressed against her long hair, and cool fingers gently ruffled it.

Meng Zhijin turned her head calmly and said to Cheng Xi: “So you can pretend to be an adult now, kid.”

Splash!

The sound of something falling into the water rang out suddenly. Whether it was already about to jump or was startled by the sound, Cheng Xi’s heart gave a violent thud. Turning to look, it seemed Yu Tong had missed her step while trying to catch a fish and sat right down into the water.

Luckily, Xu Changyan was quick. Before Yu Tong could even process what happened, Xu Changyan had grabbed her thin arm and hauled her out of the water. Then, like a parent, Xu Changyan led Yu Tong to Meng Zhijin: “Teacher Meng, it’s not convenient for you to enter the water in a dress. Could you please keep an eye on her for me?”

Though Xu Changyan’s words were slightly offensive to her own age, she was well-mannered. Meng Zhijin liked juniors like this and was willing to help, so she nodded: “Alright, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Teacher Meng.” Xu Changyan nodded and handed the net in her hand to Cheng Xi: “Teacher Cheng, shall we?”

By now, Cheng Xi had rolled up her sleeves, and her racing heart had calmed down. She nimbly took the net from Xu Changyan and tilted her head: “Let’s go.”

The sun gradually climbed to its zenith, spilling light across the ground as the first signs of summer heat appeared. Meng Zhijin found a spot where she could both bask in the sun and watch the two struggling in the river.

Fortunately, with Xu Changyan there, Yu Tong’s clothes weren’t completely soaked, and she hadn’t suffered any wardrobe malfunctions. A quick shake and some sun would dry them off.

Meng Zhijin watched the camera crew, who had all turned toward the river because Yu Tong was currently indisposed for filming. As if looking for a topic, she asked unnoticeably: “You have a very good relationship with Cheng Xi.”

She wasn’t close to Yu Tong; their only link was Cheng Xi. Yu Tong, who was quite simple-minded, nodded: “Mhm! Sister Cheng Xi is four years older than me, she’s like an actual older sister.” After saying this, she felt it might be ambiguous and quickly corrected herself: “I mean, the real kind of sister.”

Meng Zhijin understood, continuing the conversation: “You’ve known each other for a year?”

“Yes.” Yu Tong nodded, giving a shy smile. “But I actually saw Sister Cheng Xi back in high school. She probably doesn’t know. We went to the same high school. At that time, she had just won Best Newcomer at the Jade Awards, and it happened to be the school’s anniversary, so she was invited back.”

Listening to Yu Tong’s recollection, Meng Zhijin gave a soft “Mhm.” “It rained lightly that day.”

Yu Tong, unaware of their past relationship, looked at her in surprise and confusion: “Teacher Meng knows?”

Meng Zhijin’s expression paused for a moment. But before she could explain, Yu Tong seemed to remember something and let out a few “Ohs,” explaining for her: “I forgot, Teacher Meng was the lead in Daylight. Back then, you and Sister Cheng Xi must have had a lot of contact.”

Yu Tong leaned her head over to look at Cheng Xi, who was still battling in the river, her eyes full of uncontainable smiles. “To be honest, a lot of people in my class shipped you and Sister Cheng Xi as a CP. That day, we were even betting on whether you would show up too.”

Meng Zhijin was somewhat surprised. When Daylight became a massive hit, many people indeed shipped the CP of her and Cheng Xi’s movie characters, and it even spread to their real-life personas.

Cheng Xi’s success was due to her appearance, but so was her downfall. Those who liked her thought the contrast between her and Meng Zhijin was a great ship—like mutual salvation and integration. Those who disliked her felt that someone as flamboyant and flippant as her didn’t deserve the ethereal Meng Zhijin, and that she was merely using underhanded tactics to “tie” herself to Meng Zhijin to climb the social ladder.

During that time, various “materials” flew everywhere; CP fans rejoiced while solo fans were enraged. Cheng Xi was a newcomer with no fan base and was targeted by many of Meng Zhijin’s solo fans and anti-fans. And because of that, they had performed a public “severing of ties.”

Looking back now, that wasn’t “cutting off a limb to save the body.” It was cowardice.

“But Sister Cheng Xi was really beautiful that day. My friends and I fell for her instantly.” Yu Tong’s voice pulled Meng Zhijin back to reality.

Meng Zhijin watched Yu Tong as she described seeing Cheng Xi: “It was an indescribable kind of beauty. Even though she dressed very simply and properly, there was something radiating from her bones… sexy, charming but not vulgar, flamboyant and confident.”

However, Yu Tong’s tone dropped significantly at this point. She gently shook the half-dry clothes in her hands, sharing her inner thoughts without defense. “I don’t know if it’s because seeing her then was too stunning, but working with her this time, I feel Sister Cheng Xi doesn’t have that same bold, unbridled feeling she had on stage back then.”

“Maybe because of the negative news from those two years, she doesn’t dare to be like she used to be.”

Hearing this, Meng Zhijin’s eyes darkened. Beneath her lowered lashes lay emotions that the sunlight could not penetrate.

The surroundings grew quiet. Yu Tong clutched the clothes in her hand, stole a glance at Meng Zhijin, and quickly looked away. Relying on the brief contact they had during the board game yesterday, she grew a bit bolder and asked tentatively: “Teacher Meng, actually, your relationship with Sister Cheng Xi isn’t as bad as the rumors say, right?”

“Do you… also want Sister Cheng Xi to go back to how she was when she filmed Daylight with you?”

Meng Zhijin looked at the suddenly bold Yu Tong with unreadable eyes.

Suddenly, a sound came from the river. The sound of flowing water was interrupted by footsteps, and the camera crew’s lenses all pointed toward the girl in the center of the river.

The net was suddenly lifted, sending countless droplets of water splashing down. The net in Cheng Xi’s hands moved constantly as an exceptionally large fish struggled, curving into a bow. Cheng Xi had sloppily rolled up her sleeves and pant legs; her long hair, tied low behind her head, was soaked with water. She looked somewhat unkempt.

But she didn’t care about that at all. Her demeanor was entirely the unbridled, flamboyant energy of her early twenties. Holding up the fish she had chased for so long and finally caught, she excitedly showed it off to Meng Zhijin nearby, a habit slipping from her tongue:

“Sister! I caught it!”

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