No One Knows [Rebirth] - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Your Eyes Are Almost…

In her previous life, Qin Yu had always regretted not being able to introduce Ms. Wen and Tang Ruibai, let alone introducing Tang Ruibai to her parents in a serious and respectful manner.

She had once thought about taking Tang Ruibai to visit her parents’ cemetery, but for the first few years, both of them were rushing between different film sets. The time of a supporting actor was essentially worthless; even if you only had one scene that day, you still had to sit there and wait. So, it was difficult to find time. Later on, she was so sleep-deprived that she had long forgotten about the matter.

She never expected that after her rebirth, she would fulfill her regret so effortlessly. Furthermore, Ms. Wen liked Tang Ruibai even more than she had imagined. Naturally, Qin Yu was happy to see this.

Tang Ruibai didn’t want to agree, but she rarely encountered such a gentle elder, so after hesitating for a moment, she asked, “What is the date of the birthday?”

Qin Yu’s smile stiffened on her face, because her birthday was still twelve days away. That was a long distance from the phrase “coming up soon.”

But Ms. Wen remained calm and composed. “October 3rd. It’s during the National Day holiday. I’m planning to hold a birthday party for her, but I don’t really understand the preferences of you young people, so I am brazenly asking you to help me.”

Qin Yu remembered that adults’ perception of time was different from theirs. Let alone twelve days, even a month was “coming up soon.” By openly stating her needs and appropriately showing vulnerability, Ms. Wen had kept President Qin in the palm of her hand for over twenty years without ever failing.

“It’s still a while away,” Tang Ruibai thought for a moment and said. “I’ve never organized these things, and I’m not the one involved, so I can’t be of much help. But if you want me to help, I will brazenly accept.”

Qin Yu looked at Tang Ruibai in astonishment.

Tang Ruibai’s expression didn’t change; she still maintained that cold, indifferent demeanor of being uninterested in everything, as if the sharp, deflective words she had just spoken hadn’t come from her. Qin Yu felt like she was getting to know Tang Ruibai all over again.

In the process of their companionship over the years, Tang Ruibai had been introverted, sincere to others, and not adept at socializing—yet she managed to make everyone like her. “Cold yet smooth” was how Qin Yu evaluated Tang Ruibai’s style of conduct.

But now, Tang Ruibai was showing her sharp edge in front of an elder without any attempt to hide it. Her sharpness was subtle, not meant to hurt, just gently stating her thoughts. She had refused, yet in a way that wouldn’t make the other person feel too awkward.

Qin Yu had expected Ms. Wen to give up, but instead, Ms. Wen smiled. “Is my expression not obvious enough? It’s because I like you that I want to invite you to be a guest in my home.”

“I don’t work, and I don’t have much of a social life. If you go to my home to chat with me, I will be very happy.”

Ms. Wen spoke with such heartfelt sincerity that it made Tang Ruibai lose her focus for a second. She naturally knew that Wen Meiyun had good intentions; after all, she truly had nowhere to go after being discharged. If she went home, she would encounter Tang Mu; if she were lucky, she’d get a beating, and if she were unlucky, she’d be beaten to death. In her current state, she couldn’t go to school either. Besides, she wasn’t a boarding student; even if she went to school during the day, she would have to go back home at night.

Wen Meiyun was using this method to find a place for her, but… Tang Ruibai wasn’t good at accepting sudden kindness from others.

“No need…” Tang Ruibai opened her mouth to refuse, but saw Wen Meiyun press her temple. “Xiao Tang, I’m not feeling very well, so I’m going home to rest. You get some rest too. Why don’t you tell me your decision tomorrow when you’re discharged?”

Tang Ruibai pursed her lips, and the refusal turned into concern: “Please, get some rest.”

“Mm.” Ms. Wen reached out and patted her shoulder. “Don’t think too much; Auntie truly feels a connection with you.”

Tang Ruibai lowered her eyes, complex emotions piling up in her chest, constantly roiling. When they reached the door, Ms. Wen seemed to remember something; she turned back and whispered: “I have always believed that protecting children is the responsibility of every adult.”

After saying this, she called to Qin Yu: “Qin Xiao Yu, aren’t you coming to see me off?”

From the moment Ms. Wen began her heartfelt approach with Tang Ruibai, Qin Yu had sensed the shift in Tang Ruibai’s emotions.

Tang Ruibai is sad.

This realization made Qin Yu sad as well, so she kept her eyes fixed on Tang Ruibai. Wen Meiyun’s light call pulled Qin Yu’s wandering thoughts back. She stood up and took two steps, but turned back to look at Tang Ruibai again.

Looking with deep affection.

Tang Ruibai saw those four words in her gaze and frowned slightly. Wen Meiyun gave a low cough: “Qin Xiao Yu.”

“Coming,” Qin Yu replied, yet she kept staring intently at Tang Ruibai, her eyes falling on the bandage on the back of Tang Ruibai’s hand.

Tang Ruibai hid her hand behind her back and turned her head to look out the window, her voice cold: “I’m not leaving.”

Qin Yu hadn’t said anything, but she seemed to understand exactly what Qin Yu wanted to know. She’s afraid I’ll run away. Having received the answer she wanted, Qin Yu felt more at ease and left behind a single sentence: “Keep your word,” before going to see Ms. Wen off.

Outside the hospital room, Ms. Wen coughed several times, her face turning pale. Qin Yu patted her back. “You should just rest at home. If anything comes up, I’ll send you a message. You were already weak; if something truly happened to you, I would blame myself for a lifetime.”

Wen Meiyun waved her hand. “It’s fine. It suddenly cooled down today; this is just an old ailment.”

The mother and daughter talked in low voices, and the topic shifted to Tang Ruibai.

“Xiao Tang is a strong-willed girl. At your age, people have strong self-esteem, but one must learn to show vulnerability at the right time. It’s not shameful; it’s just a survival wisdom.” Wen Meiyun urged her: “Talk to her gently and help her open up; don’t let her get stuck in a rut. Ultimately, our family is large enough that if she lives with us for a while, it’s just one extra pair of chopsticks.”

Qin Yu listened quietly, but was curious: “Why are you so good to her?”

Wen Meiyun glanced at her. “It’s all because of you.”

Qin Yu: “…”

“Your eyes are almost stuck to that girl.” Wen Meiyun didn’t lean toward the idea of a romantic relationship; after all, same-sex marriage was not yet legalized in the country.

Qin Yu remembered that in her previous life, the legalization of same-sex marriage had happened in the winter of 2020. She and Tang Ruibai had caught the wind of the era, but they hadn’t been impulsive enough to register their marriage right away. It wasn’t until late summer in 2021 that Qin Yu became a scorching star thanks to the film Night White.

From a supporting actor to a Best Actress winner, she had walked her own path to success, rising rapidly. The internet was flooded with her hot searches—from her acting skills to rumors, from her roles to her “shipping” couples.

And she and Tang Ruibai had spent messy and ambiguous nights in bed. For two days straight, the curtains in the room hadn’t been drawn open. By the third day, she opened the curtains; the sky was overcast, and a light drizzle was falling. She pulled Tang Ruibai to wash, change clothes, and apply light makeup. Then she took out their household registration books, grabbed their ID cards, and drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Qin Yu’s social ties at the time were incredibly simple; she was the only one left on her household registration. Tang Ruibai was the same. When the two of them went to the Civil Affairs Bureau, there was almost no one there, and they received their marriage certificate smoothly.

Tang Ruibai looked at her with eyes like glazed glass and asked: “Why?”

Qin Yu’s fingers interlaced with hers, laughing: “The four great joys of life: sweet rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, the wedding night, and passing the imperial examination.”

That year, the summer in Beicheng had only rained once, and it was unbearably hot. So that rain had been a rare gift of sweet dew.

Qin Yu said: “We gathered them all in one day—isn’t that romantic?”

The truth was, when Qin Yu woke up, she had seen Tang Ruibai playing on her phone. The screen was plastered with rumors linking Qin Yu to her new co-star. She had caught Tang Ruibai’s expression out of the corner of her eye—she didn’t look happy.

So, she wanted to tell Tang Ruibai: No matter how much success Qin Yu achieves, you will always be the one legally and rightfully standing by her side.