The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 37

Since you insist on hearing it, I’ll tell you then.

Lin Zhixia ran into Yan Huaiqing.

In Nan City.

At the most picturesque moment of sunset glow, by a flower-lined path, amidst the shimmering reflections on the lake.

She was wearing an apricot-white casual maxi dress, with a straw hat of the same color, walking up the steps against the wind. The wind drifted down from the treetops, caught the ribbons of her hat, and brushed past the hem of her skirt.

She seemed to have stepped out of an unfinished poem, walking neither too fast nor too slow, her steps composed, as if she had never taken a wrong step in her life.

She wasn’t distant, not coldly aloof, nor unattainably high and mighty. She was gentle and unhurried with everyone she passed, like a warm spring breeze. Yet, the closer she got, the more distant she felt, as if no matter how long you walked, you could never truly get close to her.

But it was this very person who was now slowly walking toward you. As if she were on vacation, or as if she were here for a chance encounter.

In her hand, she twirled a small white flower.

At that moment, Lin Zhixia felt at peace with the entire world.

She stood still, quietly waiting for the gaze beneath the hat brim to meet hers.

“Long time no see, Teacher Lin.”

“Long time no see, Teacher Yan.”

They exchanged smiles and greetings, but this chance encounter felt more circuitous than the wind in Nan City.

“What are you looking at, Teacher Lin?”

“Just seeing how much wind has sneaked into Teacher Yan’s sleeves.”

Yan Huaiqing lowered her head and smiled, smoothing down the sleeves that had been ruffled by the wind. Her fingertips lightly twirled the small white flower, making it spin a few times.

Lin Zhixia’s gaze shifted from the exposed part of Yan Huaiqing’s arm to her fingertips, and she smiled too.

How wonderful it is when someone walks toward you, twirling the essence of spring in their hand.

“Teacher Yan has found time to come out for a stroll,” Lin Zhixia said, her eyes still fixed on the small white flower.

Yan Huaiqing also looked at the flower in her hand, twirling it twice as if letting it shake its head for her. “I came out to find someone.”

“Find someone?” Lin Zhixia tilted her head and looked at her. “Who are you looking for, dressed so beautifully?” She glanced around and asked, “Is it someone I know? Can I help you look?”

“Xia Xia,” Yan Huaiqing called her name.

“Hmm?” Lin Zhixia turned her head unconsciously, only to see Yan Huaiqing winking at her. “I’ve already found her.”

Was Lin Zhixia someone who could keep her composure?

Probably not, when faced with Yan Huaiqing.

She couldn’t help but ask, “I only posted one photo. How did you find me?”

“If you wanted me to find you, then of course I could,” Yan Huaiqing always knew how to phrase things impeccably.

“That was just to let you know I was safe,” Lin Zhixia turned her face away, looking toward the distant lake.

“Oh, so I misunderstood,” Yan Huaiqing said with a smile, glancing in another direction. “I thought it was a declaration of war a challenge.”

Lin Zhixia laughed but stubbornly refused to turn her face back.

The two stood quietly for a moment, the flow of passersby pushing them out of the scene as if they were in a movie.

Yan Huaiqing was always the master of subduing others without showing any trace. She turned, took two steps forward, gently removed the straw hat from her head, and placed it on Lin Zhixia’s stubborn head. Then, she turned and walked toward the guesthouse.

“Let’s go,” she said, still using her voice to take Lin Zhixia’s hand.

Lin Zhixia adjusted her straw hat and followed behind her, gradually moving to her side before suddenly realizing, “Teacher Yan, don’t tell me you’re staying at the same guesthouse as me.”

“Mm, this afternoon I saw you playing with the puppy in the courtyard,” Yan Huaiqing replied with a soft laugh, her gaze lowered as if reminiscing.

“You were spying on me,” Lin Zhixia said, feeling embarrassed.

She hadn’t eaten lunch, and in the afternoon, she’d sat in the courtyard eating a meat and egg burger while a puppy watched her with wagging tail, hoping for a share she didn’t give. Had someone witnessed such a guilty act?

“I wasn’t spying. I’d just checked in and didn’t have time to say hello,” Yan Huaiqing explained, a hidden smile in her voice.

Lin Zhixia pouted, her eyes darting around before she suddenly brightened. “So, Teacher Yan checked in, changed into pretty clothes, then chose the most scenic path to ‘accidentally’ run into me?”

Yan Huaiqing didn’t deny it. With a smile, she pushed open the guesthouse’s picket gate and led her toward the flower trellis.

The sunset glow was brilliant, the sun half-sunk by the lake. The dappled shadows of the trellis blocked the sunlight but not the view.

They sat on a bench with half a person’s distance between them, admiring the distant lake and mountains.

“Was that statement about terminating the collaboration sent from here?” Yan Huaiqing broke the silence first.

Lin Zhixia took off her straw hat but didn’t immediately return it. Wrapping the ribbon around her finger, she let out a soft “hmph.”

“Personal behavior has nothing to do with the scenery here. It won’t interfere with Teacher Yan enjoying the view.”

“Xiaxia, don’t you want to talk to me about it?” Yan Huaiqing withdrew her gaze from the distance, slightly turning to look at her, trying to discern whether the distance she maintained was out of politeness or wariness.

“What does Teacher Yan want to hear?” Lin Zhixia also turned her face, though only glancing sideways at her hands and the flowers she held.

“Your thoughts, your anger, your dissatisfaction, your plans.”

“Or anything you want to say.”

Yan Huaiqing shifted her gaze back to the small flowers, giving her enough space.

Lin Zhixia released the ribbon and placed both hands on the hat brim, thinking for a moment before speaking.

“Teacher Yan, have you ever thought about it? What kind of emotions must someone carry to write a story about a nation destroyed and families completely lost?”

Yan Huaiqing shook her head, listening quietly.

“I’ve always believed that when an author writes a book, they must either carry love, or hatred, or some other extreme and pure emotion. Otherwise, they can’t make it to the final punctuation mark.”

“When I first started writing ‘Several Layers of Mountains,’ I was actually filled with extreme dissatisfaction and resentment.”

“There was a senior in my department at university, same major as me. She came from a very remote area and had worked her way through school since the day she entered, never returning home.”

“She was already in her second year of graduate school.”

“That summer break, for some reason they said she was tricked into going home under various pretexts and she never came back.”

“The department sent people to her home to inquire, but they couldn’t find her. No matter what they did, they couldn’t find her. They filed a police report, opened a case, but still nothing. To this day, there’s been no resolution.”

Lin Zhixia lowered her gaze, exhaling a heavy breath through her nose before speaking again after a long pause.

“Actually, most women are born as wandering princesses. Though their blood flows with self-respect and dignity, everything within the royal city never belongs to them. They spend their entire lives drifting outside the city walls, walking through endless mud.”

“Fortunately, along the way, they would encounter mentors, confidants, and like-minded companions. They would support each other, struggling to break free from the mire.”

“But when they gathered their strength and tried to storm the imperial city to reclaim what was rightfully theirs, they were often dragged back into the filth, left tarnished and infamous, meeting a tragic end.”

“That’s why I want to write about the collapse of the court and the burning of the imperial city. I want to see them personally destroy all this filth and bury everyone.”

“I began writing with intense hatred, but by the end, I felt no hatred. I love them I love the blood and flesh of every one of them, I love their souls, I love them to the extreme.”

“So, I must defend them. Even if it takes all my cunning and every means at my disposal, I will never compromise.”

Lin Zhixia spoke calmly, her gaze fixed ahead, serene and composed.

Yan Huaiqing’s eyes occasionally drifted to her brows, the corners of her eyes, and her lips, but she avoided meeting her gaze, not wanting to disturb her.

When she finished speaking, Yan Huaiqing lowered her gaze, watching the pulsing veins on the back of Lin Zhixia’s hand, contemplating her.

She seemed like someone who shouldn’t have to worry about anything relaxed and gentle like a spirit, facing the world with a tranquility that transcended the mundane. When her eyes wandered aimlessly into the distance, she seemed lost in thought.

Yet, she clearly cared about so much more things far grander and more enduring. Only, her resentment and discontent flowed solely in her veins, and her sharpness and ferocity were entirely wrapped in that gentle demeanor.

After speaking, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, as if choosing the best way to embrace the world.

Yan Huaiqing didn’t dare look into her eyes again.

In recent days, the studio had been pressuring them step by step, citing breach of contract and lack of cooperation, trying to secure greater adaptation rights. The situation had reached a deadlock.

It seemed they were truly on the verge of a messy confrontation.

Yan Huaiqing felt a pang of guilt.

If you can’t bear to look into the eyes of someone younger while doing something, it’s likely that the act will turn you into the kind of person you despise.

“Xiaxia, you don’t have to terminate the collaboration, and you won’t be in breach of contract. I’m already looking for a new production company,” she promised again.

“For this project, Teacher Yan has already put in so much effort. Are you really going to risk your future for it now?” Lin Zhixia leaned in, trying to catch her gaze.

“It’s not that serious,” Yan Huaiqing replied with a reassuring smile, her expression as calm as ever.

“Does Teacher Yan think the consequences of me breaching the contract would be more severe?” Lin Zhixia continued to stare directly at her.

“It’s not your fault. No matter the consequences, you shouldn’t have to bear them,” Yan Huaiqing said, her tone reminiscent of a domineering CEO.

“Then should Teacher Yan bear them instead?” Lin Zhixia retorted.

Yan Huaiqing’s gaze suddenly grew somber, but she replied in a soothing tone, “Didn’t you say it yourself? I’m the domineering CEO, how could I possibly fail to handle something like this?”

Lin Zhixia chuckled softly and countered, “Then let me ask you, Teacher Yan, what are you after?”

“Hmm?” Yan Huaiqing looked puzzled.

Lin Zhixia glanced at the small white flower in Yan Huaiqing’s hand, thought for a moment, and spoke slowly.

“Teacher Yan, do you think I’m like that little white flower in your hand?”

Yan Huaiqing focused, pondering the question, as unfamiliar and dangerous emotions began to stir within her.

Lin Zhixia stood up, took a couple of steps, and sat on the bench opposite, facing her directly.

“Well, let’s start with me.”

“I consider myself someone thoroughly disciplined by this world. I live cautiously, curled up in my shell, only baring my claws within my comfort zone. I approach human nature with heavy suspicion and sometimes harbor such intense malice that I wish to unleash chaos upon everything.”

“I was never an innocent little flower.”

“Terminating the collaboration is because there are things I must protect and defend. I have to do this.”

“Regarding the breach of contract, I’ve weighed the pros and cons repeatedly, proceeding with caution at every step. I know exactly what I’m doing, what responsibilities and consequences await, and I carefully consider whether I can bear them.”

“Therefore, none of my decisions are made impulsively.”

Something flickered in Lin Zhixia’s eyes as she blinked at Yan Huaiqing, then stood up and began to walk while speaking.

“Let’s talk about the institute now.”

“Every leader in the institute has their own agenda. Some focus on market and box office, some on reputation and mainstream appeal, while others must balance actor arrangements and personnel management. Naturally, they all strive for more adaptation rights.”

“Firstly, to maximize their own and the institute’s interests. Secondly, as a prestigious provincial institute, yielding to a minor author would undermine their authority and appear improper.”

Lin Zhixia walked over to Yan Huaiqing, stopping directly in front of her and meeting her gaze.

“But Teacher Yan, what about you?”

“As a subordinate, arguing vehemently before your superiors doesn’t that jeopardize your career prospects?”

“As a leading actress, you’re the female protagonist surrounded by more female roles won’t that steal your spotlight?”

“As a producer, the smooth production of a drama reflects your professionalism. Letting things take their natural course could save you half the time and effort, allowing you to focus solely on acting.”

“If we’re speaking as women, you might want to advocate for all leading actresses. But you’ve endured all these years and have only just secured your footing. Why suddenly oppose the institute over this single matter?”

“In this situation, everyone has different standpoints and motivations, yet they’re all fighting for what they believe are their rightful entitlements.”

“Except for you.”

Lin Zhixia leaned forward, looking directly at her, and asked word by word:

“Teacher Yan, you traveled all this way, ‘coincidentally’ met me, and told me you’d take responsibility.”

“The timing is off, and so are your motives.”

“What are you after?”