She Got Revenge on Her Ex-Girlfriend Through a Kiss Scene - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The Echo film is set in the ancient Yunnan town.

At 9:00 AM, the crew discovered that both leads were missing.

Xiao Li, the script supervisor, stared at the empty dressing room, scratching his head. “Are Teacher Xi and Teacher Lou both on leave today?”

Assistant Director Lao Chen sighed, waving his phone. “Just got the notice. Filming is suspended for two days. Both teachers have private matters to handle.”

The news spread like wildfire. The crew’s group chat was buzzing:

“What kind of ‘private matter’ requires both of them at the same time?”

“Could it be that the rumors are…”

“Don’t speculate. It’s likely a family business.”

But online, fans had already sensed the anomaly. On the Super Topic page, @SeeingNingyu posted: “Ningyu didn’t post on Weibo today! Her schedule said she was filming! The studio hasn’t updated anything, what’s going on?”

@ShadowFollower was also worried: “Teacher Jisheng is silent too. No morning check-in. I’m getting worried.”

At 10:00 AM, the official Echo account issued a brief statement: “Thank you for your concern and understanding. Please grant the actors the necessary private space.”

The statement was short, but it set the internet ablaze. On the trending list, #EchoSuspendsFilming climbed rapidly. The comments were chaotic:

“Both leads are taking leave at once? What a coincidence.”

“The ‘waist-holding’ GIF from yesterday’s set visit… that look in their eyes. There’s definitely something there.”

“Stop trying to explain it away. They’ve literally ‘disappeared’ together. Isn’t this confirmation enough?”

This time, neither team responded. Lin Wenxun and David had reached a silent pact—no denial, no admission, no explanation. They let the public’s imagination run wild. This silence, paradoxically, made everyone believe: their relationship was far more than just “classmates.”

…

The ancient town was quiet after the rain. Wen Biexu walked the empty streets with her camera. She decided to film “the set in their absence.”

She filmed the library, where the sun sliced through the blinds to illuminate the empty chairs where they had sat. She filmed the deep alley where the prop streetlamp was still lit—a yellow glow in the morning mist, like an unfinished dream. She filmed the resting area, focusing on Xi Jisheng’s half-open thermos and Lou Ningyu’s script, marked with “XS” in the margins.

Every empty scene told the story of those who were missing.

At noon, Wen Biexu received a video call from Zhu Jinhe, who was now in the Sahara for a new project.

“Hi, left-behind child,” Zhu Jinhe joked.

“You made it?” Wen Biexu asked.

“Just pitched my tent.” Zhu Jinhe turned her camera to show the desert stars. “How’s it going? They left?”

“Yeah, back to Beijing. Family emergency.”

Zhu Jinhe fell silent for a moment. “Is it serious?”

“I don’t know. But Lou Ningyu went back with her.”

Zhu Jinhe leaned back and lit a cigarette. “Wen Biexu, if my family were sick, would you go back with me?”

The question was sudden. Wen Biexu hesitated.

Zhu Jinhe smiled on the screen, a look of understanding in her eyes. “See? You hesitated. That’s why Xi Jisheng pushed Lou Ningyu away back then. It wasn’t a lack of love; it was too much love. She loved her enough to feel she didn’t deserve to drag her down.”

“Do you think… that was right?” Wen Biexu asked.

“There’s no right or wrong. Only choices. Xi chose to push; Lou chose to wait. Now, they face the choice again. Will Xi continue to push, or accept help? Will Lou continue to wait, or intervene?”

Zhu Jinhe exhaled a cloud of smoke. “I bet Lou won’t let go this time. And Xi… she can’t push anymore. Seven years of guilt, her mother’s illness, and a love that never died—it’s all too heavy to carry alone.”

…

11:50 PM, Hospital Rooftop

Xi Jisheng couldn’t sleep. Her mother was resting, and she finally had a moment to escape the suffocating tension of the ward. The Beijing wind was strong, whipping her hair into a mess.

She leaned against the railing, eyes closed. The same hospital, the same rooftop, the same midnight from seven years ago flashed in her mind.

A coat was draped over her shoulders, carrying Lou Ningyu’s scent.

“You’ll catch a cold,” Lou’s voice was soft in the wind.

Xi Jisheng pulled the coat tighter. “Seven years ago… the night of my mom’s first surgery, I sat on this rooftop all night.”

“I know.”

Xi whirled around. “How?”

Lou stood beside her, her profile sharp in the dark. “Teacher Ai Ye told me. I bought the first flight and got here at 4:00 AM. I saw you crying on the roof. I didn’t dare come up.”

“Why?” Xi’s voice trembled.

Lou turned to her. “Because you said ‘don’t look for me after we break up.’ I was afraid… afraid I’d lose the right to even look at you from afar.”

The wind made Xi’s eyes sting. “Since then,” Lou continued, “I anonymously sent money to your mom’s medical account every month. Not much, because I didn’t want you to find out. But I kept track of her check-ups through Teacher Ai.”

Xi Jisheng couldn’t speak. She remembered the mysterious payments, the ones her mother thought were from a charity. It was her. It had always been her.

“Lou Ningyu… why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Lou smiled bitterly. “That I still love you? That I can’t let go? That I’ve regretted every day for seven years?” She stepped closer, her eyes searching Xi’s. “I don’t want your gratitude, Jisheng. I didn’t do this so you’d feel you owe me. I just want you to know—”

She took a deep breath. “In these seven years, there hasn’t been a single day where I stopped loving you.”

The world went quiet. The city noise faded into the background.

Xi Jisheng did the bravest thing she had done in seven years. She reached out and took Lou Ningyu’s hand. Not interlacing their fingers, just holding it. Her cold hand in Lou’s warm one.

Lou’s tears fell instantly. She didn’t wipe them; she just gripped Xi’s hand back, tight, as if afraid she’d slip away again.

“This time,” Lou choked out, “let me carry it with you. Okay?”

Xi Jisheng looked at her, her own tears flowing freely. For seven years, she had been a fortress. Now, the walls were crumbling. She finally admitted she needed her.

“Okay,” Xi whispered.

It was just one word, but it took all her strength.

They stood there on the rooftop, holding hands under the dark red Beijing sky. There was no hug, no kiss, no more words. But the distance that had spanned seven years vanished in the touch of their palms.

The rain that had been falling in their hearts for seven years had finally stopped.