Huayu: Starting with Hextech

After the May Day holiday, the filming of "Beauty's Rival in Palace" entered its final sprint stage.

Lin Xiao's role became increasingly important, often requiring filming from early morning until late at night.

Tang Yan returned to the "Pandamen" crew, where her role was equally demanding. Zhou Jielun had extremely high requirements for filming, and it was common for a single shot to be repeatedly polished.

The physical exhaustion was bearable, but the psychological unease, like vines, tightened its grip on her heart.

This unease largely stems from Yang Mi's QQ space.

Since returning from visiting the set, Tang Yan has been checking Yang Mi's social media updates several times a day.

Yang Mi also seems particularly "happy to share" her daily life on the set of "Beauty's Rival in Palace".

Yesterday at noon, Yang Mi posted a nine-grid photo on her WeChat Moments.

The first few pictures show the daily life on set, and the last one is a selfie of hers.

The background is a film set, and she is wearing Mo Xueyuan's costume, smiling brightly.

In the corner of the photo, a figure in armor is talking to the director from behind. Although only his profile is visible, Tang Yan recognized him immediately as Lin Xiao.

The caption reads: [A typical day working with "General Zhou"~ He looks quite handsome when he's focused on his work (smirking) @Tangtang Look how well I'm taking care of your Lin Xiao!]

There are already dozens of comments below.

A mutual friend jokingly said, "Mimi, are you trying to steal from your own workplace?" Yang Mi replied with a (doge) emoji.

Some people said, "Lin Xiao's profile is killing me!" Yang Mi replied with a "(shy)".

Seeing this, Tang Yan felt as if a stone was lodged in her heart.

She opened her QQ chat window with Yang Mi. Their last conversation was a few days ago, when she asked Yang Mi about the weather in Hengdian, and Yang Mi replied:

"It's so hot! But thankfully Lin Xiao bought me some iced milk tea to keep me going (heart)"

Scrolling back further, there are similar posts almost every day, seemingly unintentional but actually ambiguous:

[We were filming a rain scene today, and Lin Xiao put his jacket on me. He's kind enough to do that!]

[Acting alongside Li Kun and Lin Xiao, they actually memorized their lines faster than I could! It's infuriating!]

[Finished work! Had a late-night snack with Lin Xiao to recharge~]

Each one was like a thorn, piercing Tang Yan's heart.

She did ask Lin Xiao.

Every time she saw these things, she would send a message to Lin Xiao, subtly hinting at the situation.

Lin Xiao's replies were always brief: "Filming." "With the crew." "Don't overthink it."

There was no explanation, no reassurance.

This behavior made Tang Yan even more panicked.

She started having insomnia.

When I returned to the hotel after work that night, my body was so tired it felt like it was falling apart, but my mind was unusually clear.

She couldn't help but wonder what Lin Xiao was doing in Hengdian at that moment.

Is he having a late-night snack with Yang Mi? Or is he discussing the script with Wang Likun?

Does he think that the gentleness and enthusiasm of the crew are more appealing than her, who is always away and often suspicious?

It was 11:47 PM.

Tang Yan sat up in bed once again.

The room was pitch black, with only the faint blue light from her phone screen illuminating her pale face.

She just scrolled through Yang Mi's WeChat Moments again.

Ten minutes ago, Yang Mi updated her status:

[Work done! Although I'm tired, time flies when working with interesting people (moon)]

The accompanying photo is an angle of the night sky over Hengdian, but at the edge of the photo, a man's hand is visible, with distinct knuckles and long, slender fingers, holding a bottle of water.

Tang Yan recognized it; it was Lin Xiao's hand.

"Interesting people"...

Tang Yan stared at those four words, her heart aching so much she could hardly breathe.

Reason told her that this might just be Yang Mi's habitual sharing, or even that she might have sent it to her on purpose.

But emotionally, she couldn't control the wildly growing speculations and imaginations.

Finally, as the clock struck midnight, she could no longer hold back and dialed Lin Xiao's number.

No one answered the first time.

The phone rang seven or eight times on the second call. Just when Tang Yan thought no one would answer and was about to hang up in despair, the call connected.

"Feed?"

Lin Xiao's voice came through, tinged with weariness, "Tangtang? It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

The moment she heard his voice, Tang Yan's tears, which she had been holding back, finally burst forth.

"Lin Xiao..." she began, her voice choked with sobs, almost incoherent, "I...I'm so scared..."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lin Xiao's voice became clearer, filled with concern: "What's wrong? What happened? Tell me slowly."

"I...I saw Mimi's post on WeChat Moments..."

Tang Yan sobbed, her words incoherent.

"She said you were an 'interesting person,' and you two finished work together... and those photos, those words... Lin Xiao, I'm really scared... I'm afraid of you... afraid you won't want me anymore, afraid of Mimi... she's so pretty, so proactive, and you two are together every day... and Wang Likun, the way she looks at you is wrong..."

She poured out all the anxiety, suspicion, and panic that had been building up over this period of time.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Xiao listened quietly.

He could imagine what Tang Yan looked like right now.

Huddled on the hotel bed, her face covered in tears, she looked like a child who couldn't find her way home.

He had actually just fallen asleep not long ago.

I filmed for a full fourteen hours today, and when I got back I didn't even have the energy to take a shower, so I just collapsed and fell asleep.

I was woken up by the noise, and my head is throbbing.

But hearing Tang Yan's cries, he suppressed his irritation and tried to make his voice sound gentle: "Tangtang, don't cry. Calm down."

"I can't calm down..."

Tang Yan cried even harder, "Lin Xiao, tell me, what's going on between you and Mimi...? Are you... already tired of me? I'm never around, and you're always so suspicious... Do you think they're better than me?"

"No," Lin Xiao answered decisively. "Yang Mi and I are just work partners, colleagues. She and Teacher Yu Zheng have been kind to me, and I respect her, that's all."

"What about Wang Likun?" Tang Yan pressed.

"They're colleagues too." Lin Xiao paused. "Tangtang, you're emotionally unstable right now. How about we talk again tomorrow? You have filming tomorrow, you need to rest."

"I don't want tomorrow!"

Tang Yan shouted, "Lin Xiao, I need you to tell me right now! Do you love me? Will you always love me? Will you... will you choose someone else one day?"

There was a long silence on the phone.

Time passed second by second, and every second was torture for Tang Yan.

Her palms were covered in cold sweat as she gripped her phone; her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

Finally, Lin Xiao spoke.

His voice was calm, almost cold:

"Tangtang, I love you. I knew that when I chose to be with you."

Tang Yan's tears flowed even more fiercely, but a faint glimmer of hope rose in her heart.

However, Lin Xiao's next words shattered that hope:

"But the word 'always' is too heavy. No one can guarantee what the future holds. All I can say is that right now, at this moment, you are the person I want to be with."