She Got Revenge on Her Ex-Girlfriend Through a Kiss Scene - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The celebration for Ai Ye’s 80th birthday was held at her villa in the suburbs. Only those closest to her attended—Peng Ke, Chu Jin, Xi Jisheng, Lou Ningyu, and a few of Ai Ye’s former students. Wen Bixu was there too, bringing the pilot screening of her newly completed trilogy. Zhu Jinhe couldn’t make it back from her aurora project in Norway, but she sent a gift and a video message.

The villa was decorated warmly; there were no extravagant ornaments, only fresh flowers, old photographs, and soft, amber light. A photo wall displayed the images of Ai Ye’s life—stills from her youth, photos with Jiang Yanan, scenes of her teaching students, and recent pictures with Xi Jisheng and Lou Ningyu.

“Teacher, Happy Birthday.” Xi Jisheng and Lou Ningyu presented their gift—the silk scarf from Paris and a meticulously crafted photo album.

The album contained old photos of Ai Ye and Jiang Yanan that the two had spent six months collecting, restoring, and organizing from various archives. Below each photo, the date and background were handwritten.

Ai Ye’s tears fell the moment she opened the first page. It was a photo of her and Jiang Yanan at the film studio. Two young women stood side by side, the backs of their hands lightly touching—not quite a hand-hold, but the love in their eyes was unmistakable.

“This one…” Ai Ye’s fingers trembled as she stroked the image. “I thought it was lost forever. When I moved that year, so many things disappeared…”

“We found it in the film studio’s archives,” Lou Ningyu said softly. “It was pressed at the very bottom of a crate, slightly damaged. We had a professional restorer fix it.”

Ai Ye turned the pages in silence, weeping. There were photos of them writing scripts together, rehearsing, their first trip abroad in the eighties, and photos of Ai Ye caring for Jiang Yanan after she fell ill in the nineties. On the final page was their last photo together in the hospital garden. Jiang Yanan was in a wheelchair, and Ai Ye knelt beside her; both were smiling, though their eyes shimmered with tears.

Below the photo, Xi Jisheng had written:

“Love is not possession; it is companionship. It is not ‘forever’; it is cherishing every ‘now’.”

Ai Ye closed the album and pulled both Xi Jisheng and Lou Ningyu into a hug. “Good children… thank you.”

…

Dinner was simple—home-cooked dishes, all of Ai Ye’s favorites. After the meal, Wen Bixu turned on the projector. “Teacher, I have a gift too. This is the first time my documentary trilogy is being screened in its entirety.”

The lights dimmed.

Part I: Beyond Echoes—The seven years of Xi Jisheng and Lou Ningyu.

Part II: Meeting at the End of the World—Wen Bixu and Zhu Jinhe’s journey to Antarctica.

Part III: The Far Side of the Moon—Reflections on love and idealism from everyone interviewed.

The film ended with an interview of Ai Ye filmed a month prior. The eighty-year-old woman sat by the window, sunlight spilling over her silver hair. She spoke slowly to the camera:

“In this life, I am not most proud of how many plays I’ve acted in or how many awards I’ve won. I am most proud of watching all of you… dare to love, dare to persist, and dare to claim a life without regrets.”

The camera panned to the golden ginkgo trees outside. Ai Ye’s voice continued: “Ningyu, Jisheng, be happy.”

When the film ended, the room was filled with tears. Ai Ye wiped her own away and laughed. “Alright, alright, it’s a happy day! Why is everyone crying? I haven’t lived enough yet. I want to see you make more movies and live even better lives.”

…

On the drive back, Xi Jisheng leaned on Lou Ningyu’s shoulder.

“Ningyu.” “Hmm?” “Teacher mentioned… a wedding.”

Lou Ningyu smiled. “Why? Do you want one?”

“I don’t know,” Xi Jisheng said honestly. “I just feel like things are fine as they are. It’s not legally recognized anyway; a wedding is just a formality.”

“Formality is important too,” Lou Ningyu said. “But there’s no rush. Whenever you want one, we’ll do it. If you don’t, we can just live like this for the rest of our lives.”

“Live like this for the rest of our lives?”

“Yes.” Lou Ningyu nodded. “Frying eggs for you every morning, reading scripts with you every night, celebrating every birthday and New Year together. Every ordinary day.”

Xi Jisheng’s eyes grew wet. “That sounds… wonderful.”

…

A week later, Xi Jisheng’s new movie began filming. Lou Ningyu’s visit to the set was captured by the media. The photos of Lou Ningyu watching Xi Jisheng act with a focused, tender gaze went viral, but it was no longer “explosive” news—it was a comfortable, expected constant for the public.

However, a certain director said in an interview that same day: “Some actors might feel a relationship is a good publicity point. But a truly good actor should let their work speak for itself.”

Lou Ningyu saw the clip during a meeting. She didn’t get angry. Instead, she posted a rare response on Weibo:

@LouNingyu: “The relationship between Jisheng and me is a part of our lives, not an accessory to our careers. We work hard and love sincerely, with a clear conscience. As for ‘publicity’—if loving someone for seven years and bearing all the public pressure counts as publicity, the price is far too high.

Finally, ‘let the work speak’? Echoes grossed 500 million, won double nominations at the Golden Rooster and Hong Kong Film Awards, and the play Twin Stars sold out thirty shows.

Pray tell, what other work is required?”

Xi Jisheng shared the post immediately:

@XiJisheng: “//I concur with my fiancée. //@LouNingyu”

It was the first time she had publicly used the word “fiancée.” The public sentiment was a total landslide in their favor. The bitter director deleted the interview, but “I concur with my fiancée” became the top trending phrase of the day.

…

That night, at dinner, they opened a bottle of red wine.

“Actually,” Xi Jisheng swirled her glass, “I’m quite grateful to that director.” “Why?” “Because she reminded me how hard it was to get here. Seven years of secret love, three years in the open. Every choice required courage. But we made it.”

Lou Ningyu raised her glass. “To have courage.” “To courage,” Xi Jisheng clinked her glass. “And to the future.”

…

Later that evening, Lou Ningyu mentioned: “The casting for The Depths of Time is set. Young Ai Ye is Chen Ling, and young Jiang Yanan is Qin Ting—the girl you recommended. And filming starts next month. Will you come and do a cameo as the older Ai Ye?”

Xi Jisheng was stunned. “Me? Playing Teacher Ai Ye?”

“Yes,” Lou Ningyu laughed. “Teacher Ai Ye handpicked you. She said only you can portray that feeling—of loving for a lifetime, waiting for a lifetime, and finally accepting everything with peace.”

Xi Jisheng’s heart swelled. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

As the lights of Beijing glowed outside their apartment, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. Three years had passed. From secrets to the public eye, from controversy to acceptance, they had proven with time that love and career could coexist, and that truth and success could grow together.

Xi Jisheng dreamed of a future many years from now—they were both old, their hair was white, but they were still walking hand-in-hand down a road covered in flowers. The road was long, but their steps were steady.

Because they knew as long as they held each other’s hands, there was no destination they couldn’t reach.