Leaving Qingyi Village

After delivering the fish, Qin Qingyan turned to leave.

Someone called out to her in a panic; it was one of the villagers playing an extra.

She looked back, only to see Director Liu spring up from his seat and hurry over with a walkie-talkie in hand, brimming with excitement.

“Yes, yes, you. Don’t go yet.”

When he got closer and saw Qin Qingyan’s face clearly, he grew even more thrilled. He hadn’t expected such a small place as Qingyi Village to yield such a huge surprise. He stared at her for a long time with a smile, and only came back to himself after Yan Yue gave a soft cough.

“We—I mean, we’ve got a role that needs someone. Do you want to give it a try?” he asked in a lowered voice, looking at Qin Qingyan expectantly.

He had directed dozens of productions and worked with countless actresses, from newcomers to reigning film queens; he’d seen every kind of face. The girl in front of him was exquisite and beautiful, but that wasn’t what struck him most. It was her eyes.

As long as she stood there, even if she did nothing at all, the whole frame came alive.

“I can’t act,” Qin Qingyan said.

“It’s not hard, and there aren’t many scenes. I’m sure I can get you through it. Extras are one hundred; how about I count you as three hundred?” he coaxed.

“I can’t.” She turned to leave.

Director Liu hurriedly cut in front of her. “T-then how about just one shot? Just one shot; it’ll only take a few seconds. Still three hundred. That should be fine, right?”

Yan Yue watched them with interest. Earlier, Director Liu had somehow found her too and insisted that she play a role, pestering her for four or five days like his life depended on it.

How had she refused him then? She thought about it for a moment. Oh, right; she had said that if she saw him one more time the next day, she guaranteed the entertainment industry would lose a middle-aged director surnamed Liu.

And indeed, he never bothered her again.

In the end, Qin Qingyan couldn’t stand his persistence, and with the villagers helping persuade her as well, she agreed after confirming it really would only be a very short scene.

Filming officially began.

Yan Huan trotted forward and called out to the girl in the distance, “Hey! Miss, do you know how to get to Secretary Jin Yushui’s house?”

Qin Qingyan carried a backpack basket on her back. She stopped, turned, and gave her a cool, faint glance before walking down from the fields.

Director Liu called cut in satisfaction.

After watching the footage once through, he couldn’t help but sigh that the most delicious thing in the world was when the heavens fed you. He had to figure out a way to give her more scenes; he had a feeling this girl had what it took to become wildly popular in the entertainment industry.

He wanted to find Qin Qingyan and talk, but couldn’t see her anywhere.

“Where’s that girl from just now?” he asked the person beside him.

“After filming, she went home on the way.”

When Qin Qingyan got home, she heard noise coming from inside. She set down the backpack basket quietly and moved closer to listen.

“You should listen to Granny. If you insist on staying this time, then in the future you’ll never be able to leave this little place again,” Jiang Granny said.

“I’m going wherever Qingyan goes, and why can’t there be one more person? I’m not leaving,” Jiang Ruoxin argued stubbornly.

“This time the Jiang family wants to take you abroad. Forget about staying in the country; things are much more complicated overseas. For that girl Yan, maybe staying in Qingyi Village is the best thing.”

“I won’t!” Tears welled in Jiang Ruoxin’s eyes. “Qingyan and I play best together. If I leave, who knows how Zhao Qian and those hoodlums will bully her. If Qingyan can’t leave, then I won’t leave either.”

Jiang Granny let out a long breath, truly not knowing how else to persuade the child. If she could, of course she would be willing to take Yan girl along too, but...

If it really came down to choosing one or the other, Ruoxin was the one she had watched grow up. She had no reason not to lean toward her. As for Qin Qingyan, perhaps all she could do was feel guilty.

Qin Qingyan showed no expression. Just as she had come, she slipped away soundlessly.

Walking along the narrow path, she mentally tallied the money she had saved. Roughly three or four thousand, she guessed. She had not been outside in a long time; the world beyond was full of unknowns and hardship. But she couldn’t drag them down with her.

She returned to the film crew, and under Director Liu’s delighted gaze, she reached out expressionlessly. “Three hundred.”

Director Liu froze, then immediately understood and handed her three red envelopes at once. “I’ve kept track. I was planning to have someone send it to you after filming.”

“Tomorrow, I still have another scene I can give you. There are a few more shots, but I can add more money. Want to try?” Director Liu tested the waters. If there was a chance, he’d try; if she refused, he’d try again.

This time Qin Qingyan didn’t refuse outright. After a moment of silence, she nodded. “Okay. Thank you.” She needed money.

Just as she turned to leave, a familiar female voice stopped her.

“Have a bowl?” Yan Yue glanced at the large pot of fish soup that had been brought out behind her and signaled to it.

Three fish floated inside; one of them was probably the one she had delivered.

If it had been any other time, she might have refused and would have preferred to go home and help Granny with the farm work. But now, she didn’t want to return; in fact, she wanted to avoid it.

A group of people sat together, drinking fish soup and eating peanuts, with a few mouthfuls of beer, chatting and laughing.

It was already late spring, and with the rare sunshine, it wasn’t cold.

Yan Yue had taken off her overcoat. Beneath it was a white shirt, tucked into a pair of loose jeans. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing pale, slender arms, and a delicate silver watch rested on her wrist.

Qin Qingyan sat to her left, and Yan Yue casually served her a bowl.

“Thank you,” Qin Qingyan said.

Yan Huan looked on, frowning slightly. She lowered her head and saw that there was still more than half a bowl of soup left in her own bowl; at once, it tasted bland.

“Want more?” Yan Yue asked.

She was asking her!

Yan Huan gulped down the rest in two or three mouthfuls, then obediently handed over her bowl. Yan Yue smiled and filled it for her.

As they chatted, the conversation eventually turned to the drama.

“I’d like to thank you all on behalf of the entire village for helping advertise this little place. Otherwise, who would even know Qingyi Village exists in Nanjing City?” Zhao Baishu said, his cheeks slightly red and his voice booming.

Director Liu toasted him back. “Don’t thank us too much. We also have a big boss backing the investment, or we wouldn’t have had the budget.”

Ye Bai asked curiously, “Which big boss?”

Director Liu put a finger in front of his mouth, tipsy, and slowly said a name: “Lu Jingming.”

Him?

“Didn’t he always only do real estate? Why is he investing in the film and TV industry too?” Ye Bai asked.

He looked to Yan Yue in confusion. Yan Yue drank her soup calmly, showing no expression.

Lu Jingming...

Qin Qingyan’s hand paused. She had a good memory, so she remembered someone she had seen on her phone not long ago, also in real estate, also surnamed Lu.

A while ago, she had heard someone say that Qingyi Village was about to be developed into a new district, so this production was clearly being made for publicity.

“Surnamed Lu?” Zhao Baishu glanced at Qin Qingyan and asked everyone with a smile, “What’s the relationship between Lu Yuancheng and this Lu Jingming? I think I heard Yan girl mention it before.”

Everyone turned to Qin Qingyan, surprised and puzzled.

Yan Yue answered first. “Father and son; the younger one is Lu Yuancheng.” Then she looked meaningfully at Qin Qingyan. Although she was smiling, there was an unreadable expression hidden in it.

Qin Qingyan lowered her head, holding the bowl, silently staring at the steaming fish soup.

“Oh, so there’s really some connection. Then how did you know all that, Yan girl?” Zhao Baishu asked with a grin.

“Magazine, books, phone; I don’t remember,” Qin Qingyan said.

She had only mentioned it offhand back then; she hadn’t expected him to actually remember it.

Zhao Baishu relaxed. After Jiang Granny moved away, he had been planning to make Qin Qingyan his daughter-in-law. If her background connections were complicated, he’d have to think it over again; fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

As everyone continued chatting, Yan Yue leaned slightly toward Qin Qingyan, their arms brushing. In a low voice, she said, “You seem to know a lot.”

Qin Qingyan looked at her. They were close enough that the faint, elegant fragrance she’d caught earlier was now much clearer. It had been Yan Yue’s scent.

She turned back and quietly drank her soup, saying nothing.

Yan Yue could only sit back down helplessly and made no move to continue the conversation; the child was far too guarded.

As things drew to a close, everyone was busying themselves.

Yan Yue was still seated, her fingers tapping lightly against her arm as she thought.

Ye Bai was cleaning up when she suddenly asked, “What do you think; compared with Qingyi Village, which piece of land in Bai District is more worth investing in?”

“Qingyi Village may indeed be able to make some profit, but Bai District is Bai District. Over the years, Lu Jingming has always valued that side highly, so the risk is relatively much lower. If it were me, I’d still choose Bai District,” Ye Bai said as he sat down.

Yan Yue nodded and continued, “Then what if the person looking to work with me on Qingyi Village is Lu Yuancheng?”

Lu Yuancheng? Ye Bai was puzzled. He fell silent to think, and after a moment, understanding dawned.

Bai District was a smokescreen; the real center was actually the Qingyi Village area!

“But...”

“You want to ask why Lu Yuancheng would specifically choose me as a partner?” Yan Yue smiled.

Ye Bai nodded.

“Then maybe it’s because of Yan Group; the Lu family was returning them a favor. Lu Yuancheng came to talk to me about cooperation, the TV drama’s filming happened to pick up Xiao Huan, and the investment came from Lu Jingming. They’re telling me that the Lu family may have its internal disputes, but when it comes to利益, their objectives are still the same.” Yan Yue raised her head and looked at the cloudless sky.

Yan Group...

After returning home, Qin Qingyan could clearly feel the atmosphere had turned stiff. She acted as though she knew nothing and went back to her room. From the wardrobe, she took out a box and poured all the money out, counting carefully. Including Director Liu’s three hundred, she had more than 4,700.

She looked around the house she had lived in for five years once more, then lay down quietly and listened to her own breathing.

When she was nine, her mother died, and she followed her father back to Qingyi Village. Less than half a month later, her father disappeared too. She spent another two years living under others’ roofs with six or seven relatives, and up until now, she had already lived with Jiang Granny for more than five years.

Five years; they had already taken good care of her. That was enough.

Early the next morning, Director Liu rushed excitedly to Qin Qingyan’s home, only to find something was wrong. Jiang Granny’s face was full of worry, and Jiang Ruoxin’s eyes were also brimming with tears. Yan Yue had come with Director Liu; she was leaving in the afternoon and had come specially to say goodbye to the child, only to find such a scene.

“Where is Qin Qingyan?” Yan Yue asked.

Jiang Granny was full of self-reproach and kept scolding herself.

“Qingyan left a letter; she’s gone,” Jiang Ruoxin said, her eyes red.

Yan Yue stepped forward. The letter had already been opened; there was nothing extra in it. It said a few words of thanks, left a few blessings, and that was all. It did not say where she had gone, nor why she had left.

“Yan girl knows everything. It’s my fault, it’s all my fault...”

Jiang Granny was filled with remorse.

But even if she went through it all over again, what other choice had she had?

“What does this mean?” Yan Yue asked.

So Jiang Granny told her everything, word for word.

After listening, Yan Yue’s heart was complicated. She had wanted to help Qin Qingyan a bit, but now the person was already gone, and with the world so vast and the sea of people so endless, they might not even meet again.