Video Editor

Han Ling heard about Huang Yunyun's pregnancy from Yang Ru.

During a break in the dance troupe's rehearsal that day, Yang Rulai delivered some documents and casually mentioned, "Sister Huang is pregnant and is currently resting at home. She has handed over all the work to me."

The dance shoes in Han Ling's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

"Pregnant? When did this happen?"

"It was discovered last month, and it's been almost three months now," Yang Ru said. "President Su told her to rest at home and not to overwork herself."

Han Ling stood there, stunned, speechless for a long time.

After Yang Ru left, Han Ling lost all interest in rehearsals.

She sat in front of the mirror in the rehearsal room, looking at herself...

At twenty-seven, she is still young and beautiful, and her figure is well maintained due to years of dancing.

But for some reason, I suddenly felt a huge emptiness in my heart.

Huang Yunyun is pregnant.

Huang Yunyun, who has always worked diligently alongside Suning, is going to have her own child.

And what about her? She has a career, a stage, and applause.

But when the night is quiet and I return to that luxurious yet empty apartment, I still feel like something is missing.

A thought suddenly took hold: she wanted a child too.

Once the thought appeared, it could no longer be suppressed.

After the performance that evening, Han Ling did not return to her own residence, but instead had her driver take her directly to Suning's villa.

Su Ning had just finished a conference call when Han Ling suddenly appeared, and she was a little surprised. "So late, is something wrong?"

"Su, I also want a child." Han Ling got straight to the point.

Su Ning paused in his pouring of water, looking at Han Ling in surprise. "What did you say?"

"I said, I want a child too," Han Ling repeated. "Huang Yunyun already has one, so I want one too."

Su Ning put her water glass on the table and rubbed her temples. "Han Ling, you're different from her. Huang Yunyun is determined not to get married, she only wants the child. What about you? You still have to manage the dance troupe and go on tour, where do you find the time?"

“Time can be squeezed out,” Han Ling said. “The dance troupe is now on the right track and has a professional team managing it. I can reduce my workload and, like Huang Yunyun, take a break when I’m pregnant.”

“You’re not Huang Yunyun.” Su Ning shook her head. “Huang Yunyun has been with me for over four years. She’s steady and knows what she wants. How long have you been with me? Eight months. Besides, you’re impatient, career-driven, and prone to overthinking. Have you thought this through before suddenly wanting a child?”

"I've thought it through!" Han Ling's voice rose. "Su Ning, I'm twenty-seven this year, and in a few years I'll be thirty. I have a career, money, a house, and a car. But I have no home, no family. Is it wrong for me to want a child?"

“That’s right, but it’s unnecessary.” Su Ning tried to keep her tone calm. “Han Ling, you’re doing very well right now… The dance troupe is doing very well, touring the country, and we’re about to go abroad. This is a career that so many people dream of. Why would you want to have a child at this time and disrupt everything?”

"Because children are more important than career!" Han Ling blurted out. "I can build my career later, but there's a time limit for having children. If I don't want them now, it might be difficult when I'm in my thirties!"

Suning remained silent.

I didn't expect Han Ling to be so resolute.

Huang Yunyun's decision to have a child was a well-thought-out one, driven by her personality.

Han Ling's desire to have a child seemed more like an impulsive decision; she saw that Huang Yunyun was pregnant and wanted one herself.

"Han Ling, think it over again," Su Ning said. "This is no small matter. Pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a child are not as simple as you think. Huang Yunyun can quit her job to stay home and take care of the child, but what about you? Can you give up the dance troupe?"

"I can!" Han Ling said firmly. "I can talk to the deputy commander, I can delegate the work to others. Su Ning, don't you always say that women should have their own careers, but also their own lives? Now that I have a career, is it wrong for me to want a life?"

These words left Su Ning speechless.

I did say that, but it was to encourage them to be independent, or even to entice them to compromise with me, not to encourage them to have children for me.

“Okay,” Su Ning conceded, “you go back first and calm down for a few days. If you still insist after a month, we’ll talk again.”

"I don't want to calm down!" Han Ling suddenly cried. "Su Ning, I know that in your heart, I'm not as important as Huang Yunyun. She was your first woman, she was with you for a long time, and you trusted her. I was just a later arrival, someone you snatched from Xiao Ran. But I was with you too, and I was devoted to you. Why can she have a child, but I can't?"

These words gave Suning a headache.

“That’s not what I meant. Your situation is different from Huang Yunyun’s…”

"What's the difference?" Han Ling interrupted him. "Aren't they all your women? Don't they all depend on you for food? She can have your children, and so can I!"

Suning knew that they wouldn't be able to reach an agreement tonight.

Han Ling is currently very emotional and won't listen to anything anyone says.

"You go back first. I'll take you."

"I'm not going back!" Han Ling sat motionless on the sofa. "I won't leave until you agree today!"

"Han Ling!"

"Su Ning!" Han Ling looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please, just say yes! I promise I won't let pregnancy interfere with my work, and I'll recover immediately after giving birth. I'll take care of the child myself, so you don't need to worry about it. You just... just give me a child."

Seeing Han Ling like this, Su Ning suddenly felt very tired.

Huang Yunyun has just been reassured and told to stay home and rest during her pregnancy.

Han Ling started making a scene again.

Moreover, Han Ling is more difficult to deal with than Huang Yunyun—Huang Yunyun is obedient, sensible, and knows her limits.

Han Ling is impatient and wants whatever comes to mind without considering the consequences.

"Han Ling, how about this?" Su Ning tried to negotiate, "Wait another year. Wait until the dance troupe is stable, and until you come back from your overseas performances, then we can think about having a child."

"A year?" Han Ling shook her head. "I'll be twenty-eight in a year! Su Ning, you don't understand, the risks of childbirth increase for women after thirty. I don't want to wait!"

"What about your dance troupe? The national tour is already scheduled until next year, and the performances in Hong Kong and Singapore are also booked. If you get pregnant at this time, all the plans will be disrupted."

"Adjustments can be made! The tour can be postponed, and the overseas performances can be rescheduled. Suning, the dance troupe is important, but for me, the children are more important!"

The two were deadlocked.

Finally, Suning compromised, "Okay, I agree. But there are two conditions."

"Please speak!"

"First, the normal operation of the dance troupe must not be affected. Performances that need to be performed should be performed, and work that needs to be done should be done. If your pregnancy causes significant losses, then forget about the child."

"I promise it won't cause any problems!"

“Second,” Su Ning looked at her, “if you get pregnant and have the child, you can’t have a second one. I can’t have too many children, I can’t manage them all.”

"Okay! I agree!"

Han Ling burst into laughter through her tears, rushed over and hugged Su Ning, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Su Ning patted her back, but in his heart he was thinking: This is troublesome.

Huang Yunyun was already enough for him to handle, and now there's Han Ling too.

Moreover, given Han Ling's personality, who knows what trouble she might cause if she gets pregnant.

But he knew he had no choice but to agree.

Han Ling is emotional right now; if we don't agree, she'll make a huge scene.

"Stay here tonight!" Su Ning said. "Go back tomorrow."

"Yes!" Han Ling nodded vigorously.

Tonight is destined to be sleepless; Han Ling is going completely crazy.

Han Ling has been practicing yoga for a long time, so she gave it her all.

Afterwards, lying contentedly in bed, Han Ling touched her belly and began to fantasize about having a child.

Suning, who was smoking to stay awake, had messy hair, stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide open, and his mind was a mess.

Su Ning understands Huang Yunyun's desire to have children; it's a way for her to find emotional support.

Han Ling wants a child, but Su Ning doesn't understand...

Why add more burdens to yourself when your career is thriving?
Perhaps all women experience this impulse when they reach a certain age...

In any case, once you've made a promise, you have to keep it.

Starting tomorrow, I'll have even more responsibility.

The night in Shenzhen is deep outside the window.

Inside the room, the two people, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, were unable to sleep.

Han Ling is looking forward to the future, while Suning is having headaches about the present.

He knew that from now on, his life would become more complicated.

But that's the result of the choice.

Choosing these women means taking on these responsibilities.

There is no turning back.

"Suning, shall we continue?"

"Stop messing around! Aren't you tired?"

"Not tiring at all! On the contrary, I enjoy it immensely."

"Oh dear! Let me teach you a lesson, you little vixen..."

"Ha ha……"

……

Xiao Ran noticed that Han Ling was constantly clinging to Su Ning, and it pained him to see it.

Xiao Ran sat in his office, staring at Han Ling's photo for a long time.

He flung the cigarette away abruptly when it burned his fingers.

pain.

It's not my fingers that hurt, it's my heart that hurts.

Han Ling and Su Ning's relationship is getting better and better, and the sweetness on their faces is almost impossible to hide.

The woman who once said she loved him and wanted to be with him for life is now obediently staying in another man's arms.

Xiao Ran suddenly remembered Chen Qiming.

That old classmate who jumped from the 38th floor.

He used to not understand why someone would commit suicide because of failure.

Now Xiao Ran understands... When the pain reaches a certain level, death truly is a relief.

Xiao Ran walked to the window and looked down at the twenty-story building below.

Jump down, a few seconds later, it's all over.

No need to think about Han Ling anymore, no need to think about Su Ning anymore, and no need to think about Yu Xueqing's messy affairs anymore.

How simple.

My phone suddenly rang; it was my secretary calling.

"Mr. Xiao, the models for this afternoon's advertisement shoot have arrived. Would you like to meet them?"

Xiao Ran took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

"I'm coming right away."

……

Inside the photography studio, a young girl is putting on makeup.

Her name is Wei Yuan, she is nineteen years old, graduated from a vocational art school, and has only been in the industry for half a year.

This time, I'm shooting a print ad for Yuxueqing's new face cream.

As Xiao Ran walked in, Wei Yuan happened to turn her head. For a moment, Xiao Ran was stunned.

so similar.

It's not that they look exactly alike, it's that kind of aura...

She was innocent, a little shy, and had bright, sparkling eyes.

She looks just like Han Ling when she first came to university.

"Mr. Xiao, this is Wei Yuan, today's model," the photographer introduced.

Wei Yuan stood up and greeted him somewhat reservedly, "Hello, Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Ran snapped out of his daze and nodded. "Take good pictures."

Filming has begun.

Wei Yuan was very professional, with a natural expression and precise movements.

But Xiao Ran wasn't paying attention to the filming results; his eyes were fixed on Wei Yuan.

As I watched, I found myself unconsciously hallucinating...

It seemed as if the person standing there wasn't Wei Yuan, but rather twenty-year-old Han Ling.

Wearing a white dress and a ponytail, she smiled at the camera.

"Mr. Xiao, what do you think of this photo?" the photographer asked, bringing over a sample photo.

Xiao Ran glanced at it and said, "Not bad. Let's use this one."

After the shoot, Wei Yuan changed back into her own clothes and prepared to leave.

Xiao Ran suddenly called out to her, "Wait a minute."

"Mr. Xiao, is there anything else?"

"Have you...have you eaten?" Xiao Ran asked abruptly.

Wei Yuan paused for a moment, then said, "Not yet."

"Let's grab a bite to eat together! It'll be a thank you for your work today."

Wei Yuan hesitated for a moment, but seeing Xiao Ran's sincere eyes, she nodded and said, "Okay."

……

The two went to a Western restaurant near the company.

"Mr. Xiao, you seem to be in a bad mood today?" Wei Yuan asked cautiously.

Xiao Ran smiled wryly, "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, you've been frowning the whole time."

"I'm a little troubled." Xiao Ran took a sip of his drink. "What about you? How long have you been a model?"

"Half a year. I started learning dance when I was six years old, but later I felt that dancing was not a way out, so I went to a nursing school and then switched to modeling."

"Dance?" Xiao Ran's heart skipped a beat. "Han Ling... is the head of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Song and Dance Troupe. She used to study dance too."

“I know Director Han!” Wei Yuan’s eyes lit up. “I’ve seen their performances, and they dance exceptionally well! I wish I could achieve half of what she has.”

Xiao Ran didn't reply. He stared at Wei Yuan, and the more he looked, the more she seemed to resemble her.

It's not that they look alike, but their love for dance and their yearning for the stage are exactly the same as Han Ling's back then.

Do you still want to dance in the future?

"I want to! But there's no chance anymore," Wei Yuan sighed. "Now I can only shoot commercials to earn a little money to live on."

"What if... what if there was a chance?"

"What opportunity?"

Xiao Ran didn't answer, but simply said, "Leave your phone number, I'll contact you again if I need advertising in the future."

"it is good!"

From then on, Xiao Ran began to frequently ask Wei Yuan to shoot commercials.

Yuxueqing's product line is expanding, including shampoo, shower gel, and skincare products, and each series requires advertising.

Wei Yuan became the go-to model.

As they spent more time together, the two gradually became familiar with each other.

Xiao Ran discovered that Wei Yuan not only looked like Han Ling when she was young, but also had a similar personality...

Naive, a little silly, and easily trusting.

Sometimes I speak without thinking, but I'm very sincere.

Xiao Ran started asking Wei Yuan out to dinner and movies, and giving her gifts.

It started as a working relationship, but later it changed.

Wei Yuan wasn't stupid; she could naturally sense Xiao Ran's special treatment of her.

But Wei Yuan wasn't sure... Xiao Ran was the company's CEO, while she was just a small-time model; the difference was too great.

……

One night, Xiao Ran got drunk and called Wei Yuan.

"Wei Yuan, come pick me up, I've had too much to drink."

When Wei Yuan arrived at the bar, Xiao Ran was already completely drunk and unconscious.

It took her a lot of effort to help Xiao Ran into the car and take him home.

That was Wei Yuan's first time visiting Xiao Ran's home.

The house was large and luxurious, but empty and devoid of any human presence.

She helped Xiao Ran to the bed, and just as she was about to leave, Xiao Ran suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Don't go..." Xiao Ran murmured, "Han Ling, don't go..."

Wei Yuan froze.

Han Ling? Xiao Ran actually mistook him for Han Ling?
Wei Yuan tried to pull her hand away, but Xiao Ran held on tightly.

"Han Ling, I was wrong... I was really wrong..." Xiao Ran closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "Please come back... I'll change, I'll change everything..."

Seeing this usually dignified man so vulnerable, like a child, Wei Yuan's heart softened.

Next, she didn't leave. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed and let Xiao Ran hold her hand.

That night, Xiao Ran talked a lot in his sleep...

About Han Ling, about the past, about regret.

Wei Yuan listened, feeling both sympathy and complicated emotions.

……

The next morning, Xiao Ran woke up and was stunned to see Wei Yuan sleeping by the bedside.

"You... how did you get here?"

Wei Yuan was woken up and rubbed her eyes. "You were drunk last night and asked me to pick you up. Later, you grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me leave, so I..."

Xiao Ran looked at her, at her face that resembled Han Ling's, and at her innocent eyes.

Something deep inside me was suddenly touched.

"I'm sorry to bother you."

"It's alright." Wei Yuan stood up. "Then I'll be going now."

"Wait," Xiao Ran called to her again, "Let's have breakfast together."

"This……"

"Don't refuse."

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao."

From that day on, their relationship completely changed.

Xiao Ran began to formally pursue Wei Yuan.

Send her flowers, a necklace, take her to upscale restaurants, and drive her to the beach.

Wei Yuan was flustered at first, but she was quickly moved.

Xiao Ran is mature, rich, and good to her.

Although Wei Yuan knew that Xiao Ran still had feelings for someone else, she didn't care at all.

She considered herself just a small-time model with a vocational school diploma, and that being able to hook up with a man like him was like a windfall.

Moreover, Xiao Ran has no other women around him and is not married, making him a true eligible bachelor.

After the two got together, Xiao Ran changed very noticeably.

He treated Wei Yuan as a substitute for Han Ling.

He bought Wei Yuan clothes from brands that Han Ling liked, took her to restaurants that Han Ling frequented, and even had Wei Yuan imitate Han Ling's tone of voice.

Sometimes, Xiao Ran would stare at Wei Yuan for a long time, saying, "When you smile, you look just like her."

Wei Yuan felt uncomfortable, but dared not say anything.

She knew that her success today was all thanks to her temperament, which resembled Han Ling's.

Gradually, Xiao Ran became more and more addicted to this illusion.

He took Wei Yuan to live at his home, put away all of Han Ling's old things, and replaced them with Wei Yuan's things.

It seems that this way, the past can be erased.

He started taking Wei Yuan to various events and introducing her to others, saying, "This is my girlfriend."

Xiao Ran needs Wei Yuan, needs this living "Han Ling" to fill the void in his heart.

Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night and look at Wei Yuan sleeping next to me, I feel a moment of disorientation...

It's as if Han Ling really came back, as if nothing had ever happened.

But when dawn broke, the hallucinations disappeared, but the pain remained.

Xiao Ran knew he was deceiving himself.

But he just couldn't stop.

It's like an addiction; you know it's fake, you know it's harmful, but you still can't help wanting it...

Only by immersing himself in illusions can Xiao Ran temporarily forget reality.

Forget that Han Ling was obediently nestled in Su Ning's arms.

Forget that you are just a pawn of Suning.

I can't forget how desperate Chen Qiming felt when he jumped from the 38th floor.

Wei Yuan became Xiao Ran's painkiller.

Although the drug's effects are short-lived and its side effects are significant, he does need it.

In a corner of the city, a man embraces a girl who looks remarkably like his ex-girlfriend, seeking fleeting solace in his illusions.

Xiao Ran knew it was wrong, but he had no other choice.

...(End of this chapter)