Never Forget - Chapter 19

Earlier that afternoon, Ye Zhuyi had genuinely appreciated Xiao Qiao’s thoughtful and attentive nature. But now, sitting in the car and watching Qin Zhizhen get into Lian Rong’s vehicle, she couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: Too thoughtful! Her timing was too perfect! She even dragged Lian Rong into this, just to tear me and Zhenzhen apart!

It was too cruel. She hadn’t even had a moment to savor the lingering warmth of Zhenzhen’s smile.

Only after the car pulled away from the restaurant, and Ye Zhuyi had pressed her face against the window, twisting her neck to the limit until Qin Zhizhen vanished from sight, did she finally turn back and let out a heavy, dramatic sigh.

“Yezi, are you feeling unwell?” Xiao Qiao asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

Ye Zhuyi sat slumped in her seat. After a long moment, she replied mournfully, “Yes, I feel terrible.”

Xiao Qiao had seen Ye Zhuyi get drunk many times before. Once, things had almost turned serious, and the memory still made her shudder. That was why, the moment she saw Ye Zhuyi and Qin Shen standing together at the restaurant entrance, she had immediately called Lian Rong over to help escort their respective bosses.

She looked perfectly fine when she was standing with Qin Shen, Xiao Qiao thought. How did she become so miserable so quickly?

“There’s honey water in the thermos. Drink some to sober up,” Xiao Qiao suggested.

Ye Zhuyi glanced at the thermos in the car’s door pocket. She closed her eyes in resignation, then picked it up and took a small sip. The chilled, sweet honey water slowly washed away the dry heat from the alcohol.

Alright, I have to admit Xiao Qiao is incredibly thoughtful.

When Ye Zhuyi returned to the suite, the lights were on, but the main room was empty.

Is Zhenzhen back?

Sounds came from the kitchen. Ye Zhuyi gently closed the door and walked toward the noise. “Teacher Qin, is that you?” she called out softly.

“Who else would it be?” Qin Zhizhen replied without turning around, his back to her as he stood at the counter.

He was stirring a cup of honey water with a long spoon, the metal clinking softly against the glass.

“It could be Lian Rong,” Ye Zhuyi said.

Qin Zhizhen turned to face her, holding the cup. He noticed that some people became surprisingly bold when drunk, even talking back and getting feisty.

“If you miss Lian Rong that much, you can call her up now,” Qin Zhizhen said after a brief pause. “I don’t mind.”

Ye Zhuyi wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Qin Zhizhen’s tone sounded a bit cold, and the air around her seemed to grow heavy.

She says she doesn’t mind, but she actually does, doesn’t she?

Lian Rong was Zhenzhen’s assistant. Zhenzhen was possessive of her people and things. Was she jealous that Ye Zhuyi was thinking about her assistant?

Ye Zhuyi bit her lip and lowered her head, her voice soft and disappointed. “No need.”

The unmistakable sadness in her voice made Qin Zhizhen’s heart skip a beat. A strange feeling washed over her, but before she could process it, Ye Zhuyi’s tone turned cheerful. “Teacher Qin is still better.”

The sudden change left Qin Zhizhen stunned. She froze for a moment, pressing her lips together to stop a smile from forming. Trying to regain her composure, she quickly changed the subject. “Do you want some honey water? It helps with hangovers.”

Ye Zhuyi, who had already finished an entire thermos of honey water, nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

Qin Zhizhen handed her the cup.

“Thank you, Teacher Qin.” Ye Zhuyi took the cup with both hands, her posture respectful. She glanced at the counter and saw that Qin Zhizhen had only made one cup. “Aren’t you drinking any, Teacher Qin?”

“I didn’t drink,” Qin Zhizhen replied calmly.

He didn’t drink, yet he specially made a cup of honey water… Did he make it just for me? Ye Zhuyi couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild.

The honey water is so sweet!

But the next second, Qin Zhizhen added, “I’m giving it to you,” completely shattering her fantasy.

Ye Zhuyi let out a muffled “Oh.” She held the cup, took a large sip, and swallowed it slowly. A strand of her dark hair fell, and she tucked it behind her ear with a curved finger.

Qin Zhizhen’s deep gaze swept over her bulging cheek. As he turned to clean the counter, the lips he had been pressing tight couldn’t help but curve into a smile.

After finishing, Qin Zhizhen said, “I’m going back to my room now.”

Ye Zhuyi looked at her and nodded very, very slowly.

The sound of the door opening and closing echoed. As Qin Zhizhen’s figure vanished into her room, silence fell over the house. Ye Zhuyi sighed and turned to the sink to wash the cup.

Water ran over the cup, and the wet patches spread across its surface. Suddenly, Ye Zhuyi remembered the gift she hadn’t sent yet, still sitting on her bedside table.

She set the glass down, rushed back to her bedroom without even closing the door, and grabbed the gift box. She was about to head to Qin Zhizhen’s room when she stopped abruptly in the main hall.

Zhenzhen should be showering right now, she thought.

The banquet had been a mix of alcohol, cigarettes, and various perfumes. With Zhenzhen’s personality, she would have gone straight to the shower the moment she got home. Why would she be in the kitchen making honey water? If it was for herself before bed, she could have just made it after her shower.

Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe Zhenzhen really had just given her own drink to Ye Zhuyi, like she’d said. But still, the sweetness of that honey water seemed to seep into Ye Zhuyi’s heart, spreading slowly through her.

Never mind, she decided. I’ll shower first to wash off this weird smell, then I’ll go deliver the gift when I’m all fresh and fragrant.

Fresh and fragrant…

Ye Zhuyi’s ears burned. Why does that sound like I’m offering myself as the gift? She shook off the stray, naughty thoughts and turned back toward her room.

Back inside, Ye Zhuyi closed the door softly and leaned against it. She opened the box and glanced inside. It was a ceramic mug. A 3D panda clung to the rim, a bamboo leaf resting on its head. The handle was shaped like a curved bamboo stem.

This was the birthday gift she had never been able to give Qin Zhizhen as a child. It was Zhenzhen’s own design, and Ye Zhuyi had saved up her allowance to make it by hand. But by the time she had enough money, she forgot to follow through, and Zhenzhen was gone. While studying abroad, she used her first paycheck from a part-time job to finally create it. She had ruined over a dozen attempts before perfecting the one now in the box.

After saving it for all these years, she could finally give it to Zhenzhen in person.

After her shower, Ye Zhuyi didn’t even have the patience to dry her hair completely. With her damp locks still loose, she hurried to Qin Zhizhen’s door.

Her heart raced. She raised her hand to knock, then dropped it, repeating the gesture over and over. Finally, after two deep breaths, she closed her eyes and knocked three times, neither too soft nor too loud.

Waiting for Qin Zhizhen to open the door was the most agonizing moment of her life.

Will Zhenzhen dislike it?

Will she even accept it?

Why isn’t she opening the door… Is she already asleep?

Just as Ye Zhuyi was debating whether to knock twice more or simply go back, the door swung open. Qin Zhizhen’s cool, jade-like face appeared in the shifting light. Her shoulder-length hair was tousled from the hairdryer, and her silk pajamas clung to her body.

A faint, elusive fragrance wafted toward her. Ye Zhuyi’s mind went blank. She swallowed unconsciously and awkwardly averted her gaze.

“I was drying my hair and didn’t hear the knock. What is it?” Qin Zhizhen crossed her arms and opened the door wider.

The bright light from inside the room spilled out. Her gaze shifted from Ye Zhuyi’s conservative, windbreaker-style pajamas to the box in her hand, and she frowned slightly.

Ye Zhuyi snapped back to her senses and held out the gift box. “This is a welcome gift for you, Teacher Qin. I didn’t know we’d have a group photo on the day of the engagement shoot, so I couldn’t give it to you then. It’s just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won’t mind.”

“I don’t accept gifts,” Qin Zhizhen replied, her voice cool and distant.

Ye Zhuyi’s hand trembled slightly. She bit her lip and forced herself to be brave, her voice soft and gentle. “It’s not anything expensive. Just some cookies I made myself.”

Qin Zhizhen raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly, “Cookies?”

“Hmm?” Ye Zhuyi blinked, momentarily stunned.

Suddenly, she remembered giving Lian Rong a small box of cookies that afternoon.

Ye Zhuyi didn’t know that after she and Qin Zhizhen parted ways at the restaurant entrance, Qin Zhizhen had gotten into Lian Rong’s car. Lian Rong had shared half the cookies with her, excitedly praising, “Teacher Ye is amazing! She dances beautifully, sings wonderfully, and her nougat cookies are delicious!”

“Ye Zhuyi gave them to you?” Qin Zhizhen asked, picking up a bag and glancing at it with a neutral expression.

The cookie box was lovely, and each cookie was individually wrapped, showing a lot of care.

“Mhm!” Lian Rong replied happily. She fastened her seatbelt and turned to Qin Zhizhen. “Teacher Qin, want to try one?”

Qin Zhizhen put the cookie back in the box and said coolly, “No. They were for you, not me.”

Lian Rong paused. Wait, why does Teacher Qin sound so sour?

“You’ll gain weight,” Qin Zhizhen added.

Lian Rong, who had recently gained five pounds, felt like she’d been stabbed.

“It’s not cookies,” Ye Zhuyi said, opening the box. “It’s a cup.”

Qin Zhizhen looked down at the panda cup inside. A sense of déjà vu washed over her again. She stared at the cup, lost in thought, feeling as if something from a dream had suddenly appeared before her eyes.

“Giving you a cup, giving you a lifetime.”

“What did you say?” Qin Zhizhen snapped out of her reverie and looked up sharply at Ye Zhuyi.

Ye Zhuyi, holding the box with one hand and rubbing her fingertip with the other to ease her nerves, was momentarily stunned by the sudden question. “I said… it’s not a cookie, it’s a cup.”

Did I mishear that? Or was it a voice from my memories? A sharp pain throbbed in Qin Zhizhen’s temple. She frowned, then quickly relaxed. Taking the box, she asked, “Did you design this yourself?”

“…No.” Ye Zhuyi’s heart, which had just begun to settle, leaped back into her throat. She dug her nails into her fingertip and replied vaguely, “A friend designed it.”

Ye Zhuyi was flustered, terrified that Qin Zhizhen would keep pressing about this “friend.” Fortunately, Qin Zhizhen only hummed in response. “I like it very much. Thank you.”

“I’m just glad you like it, Teacher Qin.” Ye Zhuyi breathed a sigh of relief, her face lighting up with a soft smile that deepened the dimples in her cheeks.

The smile was too bright. Qin Zhizhen looked away and closed the box. “I’m sorry I didn’t prepare a gift for you.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Knowing you like the gift makes me happier than receiving one myself,” Ye Zhuyi said sincerely.

Qin Zhizhen was pleased by her words and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile. A thought suddenly struck her, and she asked, “Did you prepare a gift for everyone?”

“Just for the lead actors and a few directors.”

In truth, Ke Shu had been the one to prepare the gifts. Ye Zhuyi had simply swapped out Qin Zhizhen’s for the panda mug.

“Hmm.” Qin Zhizhen nodded, her voice sounding a bit muffled. The faint smile on her lips vanished, and she took a step back. Her expression returned to its usual cool detachment as she asked coldly, “Anything else?”

“N-no… that’s all.” Ye Zhuyi couldn’t quite read Qin Zhizhen’s mood. She felt like the other woman might be upset, but then again, maybe not. One thing was certain: Qin Zhizhen was about to close the door. “Teacher Qin, good night.”

“Hmm.” Qin Zhizhen’s hand paused on the door. She glanced at Ye Zhuyi through the crack one last time and added, “Sweet dreams.”

That’s an improvement over last time.

The door closed, cutting off the last sliver of light. In the darkness, Ye Zhuyi grinned like an idiot. She practically skipped back to her own room, even doing a little hop when she reached the main hall.

That night, Ye Zhuyi didn’t toss and turn until dawn in the strange bed as she usually did. Instead, she fell into a deep sleep, her heart full of joy.

Ye Zhuyi dreamed of the past.

Back then, she and Qin Zhizhen would share the same bed, just like they had so many times before. Even though they were exhausted, they would keep talking, their conversation drifting as they stared at the star-patterned ceiling under the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

Qin Zhizhen turned her head to look at Ye Zhuyi and reminded her gently, “Eleven, it’s almost the end of October.”

October 30th was Qin Zhizhen’s birthday. Ye Zhuyi smiled, her expression practically glowing. She turned to face Qin Zhizhen and saw the unmistakable anticipation in her eyes under the warm light.

“I haven’t forgotten! I’m already preparing for it,” Ye Zhuyi said earnestly.

Qin Zhizhen yawned and rolled onto her side, resting her head on her arm. Fighting off sleep, she kept her eyes fixed on Ye Zhuyi. “What are you getting me?”

Ye Zhuyi also lay on her side, gently stroking Qin Zhizhen’s head. “I’ll give you a cup,” she said softly. “A cup for a lifetime.”

“I want a panda on it,” Qin Zhizhen murmured. “And bamboo. The panda should be 3D, and the handle should be a bamboo stalk. A cup for a lifetime… we’ll be together for a lifetime…” Her voice trailed off as she drifted off to sleep.

When daylight broke, Ye Zhuyi was awakened by a phone call from Xiao Qiao.

On August 1st, Army Day, the spy thriller Jing Que officially began filming.

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