In the hospital past one in the morning, the snow-white corridor was completely silent. Ni Kai Lun was in Jiangxi accompanying Lin Xin Hui for a reality show taping and couldn’t come to Beijing immediately. The film crew sent a colleague to express sympathy, who then left. Only assistant Little Ning remained to watch over her hospital room.

Zhao Ping Jin came in and first sought out the doctor. The on-duty physician showed him a new examination report: “The X-rays have been taken, the wound has been stitched with several sutures. She lost a bit too much blood, so pay attention to nutritional supplements. Otherwise, there are no other problems.”

He felt relieved and walked back to the hospital room. The VIP room still had its lights on; Huang Xi Tang hadn’t fallen asleep.

Seeing Zhao Ping Jin enter, her eyes were watery, showing a hint of timidity.

Zhao Ping Jin pulled up a chair and sat by her bed, asking in a flat tone: “Still not sleeping?”

Xi Tang secretly raised her eyes to look at him.

Zhao Ping Jin pretended not to notice: “I just spoke with the doctor. It’s just a minor external injury, nothing serious.”

Xi Tang nodded and hesitantly said: “You…”

Zhao Ping Jin shot her a stern glance, frightening Xi Tang into immediately stopping.

Zhao Ping Jin didn’t respond to her words and continued with instructions: “The hospital provides nutritional meals. If you don’t like them, I’ve already asked my secretary to make arrangements. Just have your assistant call and have the hotel deliver something.”

Xi Tang finally gathered the courage to ask: “Did… something happen at your company?”

A sarcastic smile appeared on Zhao Ping Jin’s fair face. With his hands resting on his knees, he simply said: “Nothing happened. Thanks to you two, I even signed a big business deal.”

Xi Tang’s eyes widened.

Zhao Ping Jin touched her left arm, wrapped in thick bandages. The light made his complexion appear somewhat pale. His lips carried the hint of his customary flippant smile: “Now you don’t have a good arm left.”

Confusion filled Xi Tang’s eyes, but she dared not ask or respond.

The smile on Zhao Ping Jin’s face slowly faded, revealing a trace of undisguisable weariness in his eyes: “Huang Xi Tang, you’re truly ruthless. Old Gao has fallen by your hand.”

Zhao Ping Jin got up and left.

Xi Tang was discharged from the hospital early the next morning. She returned to the film crew to complete her remaining scenes. The following day, “The Last Princess” wrapped up production. After one hundred and twenty-seven days of intense filming, the entire project was completed.

The film crew dispersed from the hotel where they had been stationed, with all colleagues setting off on their respective journeys home. Ni Kai Lun returned the following afternoon and accompanied Xi Tang as she moved into the company’s hotel in Anhui Li.

Since this was her first time filming such a major production, by the end she had become somewhat dazed, unable to separate herself from the character. Ni Kai Lun didn’t dare push her too hard, instructing her to heal the wound on her arm while selecting the script for her next film.

In the evening, Xi Tang was sleeping in her room when the phone kept flashing outside. Ni Kai Lun walked over, glanced at it, and picked up, saying impatiently: “Alright, alright, stop calling. She’s asleep.”

Zhao Ping Jin was stunned for a second on the other end: “Ni Kai Lun?”

Ni Kai Lun said: “Yes, it’s me.”

Zhao Ping Jin pushed aside the documents in front of him and gestured for his secretary to leave: “Where is she?”

Ni Kai Lun responded curtly: “She’s asleep.”

Zhao Ping Jin glanced at the clock on the wall—a little past six in the afternoon: “What’s wrong with her?”

Ni Kai Lun said: “The wound is a bit infected, I think. She had a low fever yesterday, but she’s better today.”

Zhao Ping Jin came over after nine o’clock at night. Ni Kai Lun opened the door for him. He appeared to have just finished a business dinner, his tie slightly loosened, his body emanating the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. He was carrying two takeout boxes. Ni Kai Lun glanced at him, clearly not interested in dealing with him, and pointed inside: “She’s awake.”

Ni Kai Lun opened the door and left.

Xi Tang, dressed in pajamas, was sitting on the sofa. Seeing him enter, she stood up: “Why did you come?”

Zhao Ping Jin grimaced and said: “Why is she still so fierce?”

Xi Tang smiled awkwardly.

Zhao Ping Jin felt her forehead and still thought she felt a bit feverish: “I brought you chicken soup and some rice. It’s quite mild. Would you like some?”

Xi Tang nodded.

Zhao Ping Jin opened the box and handed her a spoon.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I just came from a dinner. Let me catch my breath.”

“Does your hand still hurt?”

Xi Tang shook her head.

Zhao Ping Jin raised his hand to pull off his tie, crumpled it in his hand, and tossed it aside: “These past two days have run me ragged. I’ve made countless calls to Old Gao, but he hasn’t answered a single one. I asked Lang Qian to be a mediator and invite him to dinner, but he flatly refused to show his face. Do I have it easy? The trouble you and Xiao Min caused, I’m the one cleaning up this mess.”

Xi Tang looked up at him, her eyes suddenly reddening.

Zhao Ping Jin saw this and didn’t dare continue his irritation. He quickly lowered his voice: “I wasn’t scolding you… I, I’ll stop, okay?”

Xi Tang said: “Zhao Ping Jin, I’m sorry.”

Zhao Ping Jin replied irritably: “Enough, don’t give me that. Old Gao has fallen, and you’re secretly rejoicing behind closed doors.”

Xi Tang pouted, revealing an unattractive smile.

Zhao Ping Jin showed a look of disdain: “So ugly.”

The last two weeks of December.

Shen Min accepted a demotion and was reassigned to work on a project at the grassroots level in Guizhou. Before leaving, he called her.

Xi Tang insisted on going to the airport to see him off.

The luggage had already been checked in. Shen Min stood with her by the railing near the glass windows on the second floor of Terminal 3 at Capital Airport. He had visited her once at the hotel earlier, but with Ni Kai Lun present, he had simply expressed his concern and then left.

Xi Tang wore a gray sweater and a long black skirt, dressed no differently from ordinary travelers, her beautiful face hidden within a large scarf. She smiled and asked: “How long will you be gone?”

Shen Min’s expression had lightened considerably: “At least until this project is completed.”

Xi Tang said apologetically: “I’ve caused you trouble.”

Shen Min didn’t mind: “I’m on my own, so it doesn’t matter where I go. As for Zhou Zhou, with my position vacant and him not promoting anyone to fill it, he’ll probably have it harder than me.”

Xi Tang was silent for a moment, then raised her head to look at Shen Min. Since finding out it was him, she had been filled with questions.

Shen Min looked at her and said: “Xi Tang, I know you want to ask me why.”

Xi Tang gazed at him, and Shen Min knew she had always wanted to know.

Shen Min suddenly began speaking softly: “The day she left, I was perhaps the last friend to see her.”

Xi Tang was suddenly shocked, her eyes widening, momentarily unable to speak.

Lost in memories, Shen Min’s face appeared slightly dazed: “That day at noon, she came to find me. Back when you and Zhou Zhou were together, she was sometimes there too. We often hung out together. None of you could tell, but I liked her. I even pursued her before she got together with Gao Zi, but she rejected me.”

Xi Tang murmured: “She never told me about this…”

After so many years, Shen Min had buried these things for too long, never mentioning them to anyone: “She always moved among these rich kids in Beijing. She said she wasn’t right for me. After you and Zhou Zi broke up, we also didn’t see each other for a long time. That noon, she suddenly came to find me. We had lunch and chatted happily. She had some alcohol and said she had broken up with Gao Ji Yi. Then—it was her suggestion—we went to a hotel.”

A tremor rose in Shen Min’s heart: “She said she was going to Ningxia to film, but couldn’t find you. She missed you very much, so she wrote a letter in the hotel and asked me to deliver it. She said at that time all contact with you had been cut off. Qiao Er said to give it to your university classmate. She also said she regretted not becoming my girlfriend. She was always smiling and was still so beautiful. At that time, I didn’t notice anything unusual about her at all…”

Shen Min’s voice suddenly choked: “Xi Tang, before she left, she gave herself to me. She was my first woman.”

Xi Tang stared at the vast domed ceiling of the airport, holding back the gleam of tears in her eyes.

Below, travelers moved back and forth through the passage. Shen Min silently gazed at the gray sky outside the terminal building and saw a figure in the distance on the first floor: “Zhou Zi is here.”

Following his gaze, Xi Tang saw Zhao Ping Jin in the distance through the glass window, dressed in a black coat, tall and slim, moving nimbly among travelers pushing luggage carts, striding toward the elevator to the upper floor.

Upon suddenly seeing Zhao Ping Jin, Shen Min immediately became much calmer: “He may love you, but there are too many practical problems between you. Xi Tang, don’t be so reckless anymore. Always leave yourself a way out.”

Xi Tang nodded.

Shen Min said: “I don’t have the face to see him. Please accompany him back for me. Take care.”

Shen Min entered the gate without looking back.

Zhao Ping Jin reached the second floor and saw Xi Tang standing there alone: “Did he go in?”

Xi Tang nodded.

Zhao Ping Jin squinted, peering into the crowd, and cursed: “That little bastard.”

He then turned to glance at her and said sarcastically: “Since when did you two become so close? You’re even crying over him?”

Xi Tang said angrily: “How can you be so unsympathetic?”

Zhao Ping Jin said: “The two of you conspired against me. Shouldn’t I be the one crying?”

He directly took her hand: “Let’s go, let’s head back.”

The car merged onto the airport expressway. Zhao Ping Jin didn’t speak the entire way, just focused on driving with furrowed brows. Xi Tang secretly noticed that although he maintained his typically arrogant demeanor, he was particularly heavy with concerns today. As the car approached Wenyu Bridge, he said softly: “Things are chaotic at my home recently. I’ll take you back to your hotel apartment.”

Xi Tang glanced at him. He drove with his brows slightly furrowed, his complexion not looking well: “What’s the matter?”

Zhao Ping Jin hesitated for a few seconds before saying: “My grandmother isn’t feeling well… It’s nothing. Alright, I’ll take you back.”