“How can I trust you?”

“The letter she left you was written in blue ink, in a white envelope, with a silver ring inside.”

Xi Tang’s tears slowly flowed out.

She slowly put down her phone, only now feeling that her entire body was trembling. She jumped into bed, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, stuffing her hand into her mouth to bite down, breathing deeply for a while until the shaking of her body finally gradually subsided.

She opened her phone again.

She wasn’t dreaming after all.

Xi Tang felt she had a companion.

Perhaps not necessarily an ally, but someone lurking in the darkness, with an unclear identity, someone she didn’t know was friend or foe.

At least someone remembered Zhong Qiao.

If this person was real, at least someone else was dwelling on the same memories with her; she wasn’t completely helpless.

She sat on the bed holding her head, carefully thinking through everything. First, she suspected Gao Ji Yi was playing tricks. Gao Ji Yi might want to tease or stop her, but the letter Zhong Qiao left for her had been delivered through absolutely secure channels, handed to her personally by Ni Kai Lun via Liao Shu Ru. Besides, Xi Tang understood people like them too well. Someone like Gao Ji Yi, just like Zhao Ping Jin, honestly didn’t consider her, Huang Xi Tang, worth their attention. If he wanted to deal with her, he wouldn’t stop using tactics like sending anonymous text messages. If it wasn’t Gao Ji Yi—then who could it be? Lu Xiao Jiang had helped her check the account, but Lu Xiao Jiang would never do anything against Gao Ji Yi’s interests. Liao Shu Ru? No, Ru Ru wouldn’t send her anonymous messages. Someone who knew Qiao Er, and also knew her phone number—who could this person be?

Xi Tang went through everyone she knew one by one, feeling that everyone was suspicious but unable to confirm anyone. All day today, Xi Tang kept checking her phone, but the other party didn’t send any more messages.

Zhao Ping Jin glanced at Huang Xi Tang again. She seemed completely unaware of their conversation. The bowl of soup on the table had barely been touched. She had been in a daze all day.

Zhao Ping Jin gently tapped the edge of her table: “Don’t space out, eat.”

Just then, the dishes on the table rotated, and Xi Tang responded with a slight movement. Obediently, she reached out and scooped half a spoonful from the dish that had just stopped in front of her, about to put it in her mouth.

Zhao Ping Jin suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Xi Tang looked down and saw that she had almost eaten half a spoonful of corn wrapped in egg white. She smiled embarrassedly and awkwardly put down her spoon.

Zhao Ping Jin frowned at her and said in a lowered voice: “Focus when you’re eating, don’t be absent-minded.”

After the meal was finished, the men gathered in the living room to drink tea and chat. Usually, after meals, when they got together, they would smoke for a while, but today happened to be when Fang Lang Kui announced his good news, so no one dared to light up. Qing Qing naturally understood their little concern, and she directly pulled Xi Tang along. She had noticed earlier that Xi Tang had been gloomy all evening: “You men chat; we’ll go shopping in the mall downstairs. Xi Tang, will you come with me?”

Xi Tang just wanted to go out for some fresh air, so she immediately nodded when she heard this.

Jiang Song Xue chimed in: “Great, I’ll go too.”

The men saw them out. At the door, Fang Lang Kui said to Qing Qing: “Be careful when you walk. We’ll sit upstairs for a while. Call us when you’re done.”

Qing Qing walked slowly, holding Xi Tang’s arm. The elevator descended to the luxury mall on the ground floor. As soon as Jiang Song Xue stepped out of the elevator doors, she put on a pair of pitch-black sunglasses.

Qing Qing first went to look at mother and baby products, browsing enthusiastically and buying a lot. Xi Tang helped carry them out, and Qing Qing took out her phone and said: “I’ll call Lang Kui to come down and get these.”

The two walked out and went to the jewelry counters on the third floor where Jiang Song Xue was waving for them to come over and look.

Qing Qing’s enthusiasm didn’t wane: “Let’s go look too.”

As the three women browsed together, Xi Tang spotted a wristwatch at a counter. It wasn’t a very big brand, priced at over 100,000 yuan.

Qing Qing immediately encouraged her: “If you like it, try it on.”

The shop assistant, with her sharp eyes, naturally knew these ladies were valued customers and eagerly took it out.

Xi Tang extended her wrist.

She always had good taste. Her slender wrist rested on the black velvet, with the platinum watch band and a circle of small diamonds, making both her hand and the watch look beautiful.

Qing Qing let out a delighted sigh: “Xi Tang, it’s so beautiful. You should buy it.”

Xi Tang smiled and shook her head.

She took off the watch without even daring to look at it longingly for a few more glances, and directly walked away a few steps, whispering to Qing Qing: “My work income can’t afford this yet.”

Jiang Song Xue had been watching from the side, following behind them, and happened to hear this. She said in surprise: “Oh my, Xi Tang, you’re such a big-name celebrity, and you can’t afford a watch worth 100,000? I heard your pay is very high, tens of thousands per episode.”

The shop assistant who was tidying up the jewelry immediately looked up to examine them.

Xi Tang’s face turned red instantly.

Several customers near the glass counter heard this and looked over. Someone exclaimed and immediately turned to excitedly whisper with the person beside them.

The men came down from upstairs, just out of the elevator walking toward them. Qing Qing pulled Xi Tang quickly away from that counter, hurrying toward them. Zhao Ping Jin happened to witness this scene. He walked over with large strides and said quietly to Huang Xi Tang: “What did you like?”

Xi Tang wanted to leave.

Zhao Ping Jin called after her: “Huang Xi Tang.”

People around had already raised their phones. Xi Tang’s face grew redder, and she lowered her head.

Zhao Ping Jin stood in front of her, turned to look at Jiang Song Xue with displeasure, his face dark and his voice low: “Try provoking her again and see what happens!”

Zhao Ping Jin took Huang Xi Tang’s hand and turned to leave.

Jiang Song Xue pushed her sunglasses up, looking innocent: “I didn’t mean to, she’s already so famous…”

When Zhao Ping Jin got home, his work assistant called. He answered the phone while loosening his tie, finished giving work instructions, hung up, and began to lose his temper: “Now I see clearly, is it because I haven’t given you enough money? You let people bully you outside—isn’t that embarrassing me?”

Xi Tang ignored his unreasonable outburst: “Who bullied me? Let her say whatever she wants.”

Zhao Ping Jin threw his phone and bag forcefully onto the sofa: “Just for that little bit of money, you let people look down on you. Aren’t you deliberately making me look bad?”

Xi Tang turned to look at him acting like a spoiled young master again: “Who are you venting your anger on? Embarrassed by me? How did I embarrass you? There are so many people shopping in Beijing city—can everyone afford things there? Are you being reasonable at all?”

Zhao Ping Jin glared at her: “Huang Xi Tang, you’re just being difficult, daring to be tough with me. Have I mistreated you? You say you’re a big celebrity with a grand style and spend a lot on shopping, but you’re this stingy. What have you been buying?”

Xi Tang shouted at him: “Yes, I’m reluctant to spend! My manager is saving for me, alright? I want to buy a house in Shanghai for my mother and me to live in!”

Zhao Ping Jin was speechless for a second, then fell silent.

When Xi Tang woke up the next morning, she hadn’t slept well. She dozed off in the morning, and when she woke up again, it was already past eleven. She climbed out of bed and saw that wristwatch on her dressing table.

In a pure black wooden box, opened to reveal dazzling light on velvet.

Xi Tang knocked on the study door.

Zhao Ping Jin was in the study facing his computer. When he saw her walking over, he looked up.

Xi Tang said softly: “Thank you.”

Zhao Ping Jin turned his head away, ignoring her words, and directly said: “I’m hungry.”

Xi Tang went to the kitchen to toast bread for him and heated milk to bring to the study.

After Zhao Ping Jin finished his work, he came out and saw her sitting on the sofa with a script spread on her knees, but she wasn’t looking at it, appearing lost in thought.

Zhao Ping Jin passed by her: “Anything wrong lately?”

Xi Tang was in a daze and hesitated for a moment before shaking her head: “No.”

Zhao Ping Jin scrutinized her. He had been busy lately and hadn’t seen much of her. Filming must be exhausting; Huang Xi Tang’s usually radiant, fair skin showed signs of fatigue. He silently clenched his fist, put his water cup beside the sofa, sat down next to her, and glanced at her sideways: “Why have you been like an inflating balloon lately?”

Hearing this, Xi Tang looked up at him with her usual good nature and smiled: “The crew’s food is good. I ate too much.”

Zhao Ping Jin said she was constantly gaining and losing weight, but this couldn’t be helped—it was required by her roles. She kept Da Ge Ge in her heart. Yin Nan had told her that actors must learn to get into character and, more importantly, to get out of character, but she found this too difficult. Recently, Da Ge Ge’s scenes had been sorrowful, and she cried almost daily in front of the camera and even cried at night back at the hotel. Yin Nan played her husband in the drama, a third young master from Beijing Police Station who married the golden branch and jade leaf Da Ge Ge from the Jin family, only to discover that Da Ge Ge already had someone in her heart before marriage. In his anger, he abandoned his family, left his newlywed wife, and went to the anti-Japanese front as a medical officer amid the gunfire. Finally, after experiencing the sorrows and joys of war and separation, they resolved their misunderstandings and recognized their true feelings for each other. That day, after Director Feng called “cut,” Yin Nan let go of Xi Tang and tried to cheer her up: “My good Ge Ge, you’ve turned into a tear person. As your husband, I don’t know what to do.”

Xi Tang, with red eyes, quickly wiped away her tears and smiled at him shyly.

Last month, Da Ge Ge began to get pregnant in the story, and the director required her to gain weight. Xi Tang wasn’t sleeping well, eating several meals a day, and even daring to eat cheesecake as a midnight snack. Her face was puffy, and on camera, the authenticity of pregnancy was deeply convincing.

When Ni Kai Lun came to see her, her first words were: “Why have you gained so much weight?”

Xiao Ning explained from the side: “She’s filming pregnancy scenes, the director wants her to be a bit heavier.”

Ni Kai Lun quite disapproved: “Usually, female celebrities just wear more clothes. You’re sacrificing your figure. Be careful, when you lose the weight, your skin will be wrinkled.”

Ni Kai Lun instructed her assistant Xiao Ning: “Don’t let her eat so much anymore.”

Zhao Ping Jin watched her drifting off again and said lightly: “If you’re feeling unhappy, take my card and buy something.”

Xi Tang obediently answered: “Okay.”

Zhao Ping Jin also knew that she now complied with everything when with him, and they got along politely. She wouldn’t tell him what was on her mind anymore; the estrangement between them was too deep. The card he had given her before would send all consumption records to his phone, but she had never used it.

After noon, Xi Tang packed her things to return to the film crew.

Xi Tang sat on the edge of the sofa, secretly glancing at Zhao Ping Jin. He hadn’t noticed at all, sitting leisurely on the sofa drinking water.

Her heart suddenly started beating a bit faster.

Xi Tang quietly took a deep breath and said in a relaxed tone: “Tomorrow morning I’ll be filming my last scene, in Song Zhuang. I can ride horses. Do you want to come and watch?”

Zhao Ping Jin said curiously: “Didn’t you finish filming a few days ago?”

Xi Tang steadied her breathing and answered matter-of-factly: “That media meeting was pre-arranged. Director Feng pursues perfection in filming, and we’ve been rushing to keep up with the schedule.”

Zhao Ping Jin asked casually: “You don’t have strength in your hands, how can you ride a horse?”

Xi Tang almost used her acting skills to control her facial expressions, making herself appear natural and smooth: “There’s a stunt double for the running scenes.”

“Then how do they film your face?”

“Sometimes I have to run myself.”

Zhao Ping Jin paused for a few seconds, then asked: “What time?”

Xi Tang thought for a few seconds, then told him: “We’re leaving early, at six from the city. The scene will probably start around eleven.”

Zhao Ping Jin looked at the small figure crouching by the sofa packing her makeup bag. She was completely different from other female celebrities he had dated before. Huang Xi Tang never thought of showing him off; she avoided him as much as possible. Just like this time—she had been working in Beijing for more than three months and never once asked him to visit the set.

Zhao Ping Jin couldn’t help but recall when she was in college, just starting to make movies. He used to visit the set frequently, at the old site of Duan Qi Rui’s Executive Office in Iron Lion Hutong. It was summer then, with sunlight shining brightly on the gray brick rooftops. He would go over during lunch breaks to eat with her, often finding Huang Xi Tang still working. Film work is very tedious, shooting the same scene over and over again. He and Huang Xi Tang were both young then, their love intense, finding everything fresh and interesting. Zhao Ping Jin watched her from under the shade, with her two small braids, wearing a white dress, with a long, slender frame, running and smiling again and again under the sun, her smile as beautiful as the bright sun of early spring. In his heart, he felt infinite tenderness. After breaking up with her, he began to dislike all film sets, like the one in Hengdian before, feeling the conditions were too poor, hot in summer and cold in winter. Now this show was almost over, and this was the first time Huang Xi Tang had invited him to visit the set. Zhao Ping Jin opened his phone to check tomorrow’s schedule: “I’ll come to see when you start.”

Xi Tang smiled with pursed lips, seeming a little happy. She picked up her bag: “Then I’ll go back to work.”

Zhao Ping Jin sat lazily on the sofa and said: “Come here.”

Xi Tang obediently walked over. Zhao Ping Jin put his arm around her waist, held her in his arms, hugged her affectionately for a long time, and finally kissed her hair: “Go on then.”

The car drove out of Jianguomen Outer Street. Xi Tang leaned back in the rear seat of Zhao Ping Jin’s car, which held his scent. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew that seeing him was also one less time each time they met.