Huayu: Starting with Hextech

Lin Xiao's tone became more rational:

"Tangtang, we're not kids anymore. You know better than me how realistic this industry is. The most important thing for us now isn't to worry about who loves whom more or whether someone will change their mind. It's to seize opportunities, build our careers, and become stronger and more confident."

"Only when we stand firm on our own two feet, and have enough strength and choices, will we not be afraid of losing anything, and will we be qualified to talk about a long-term future. Otherwise, even if I swear to you now that I will 'love you forever,' what's the point of those vows if I fail to achieve anything in the future, or if your career is ruined because of our relationship being exposed?"

His words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Tang Yan's burning emotions.

Rationally, she knew Lin Xiao was right.

Sister Xu warned her more than once that this is a crucial period for her career to rise, and she must not be distracted by her relationship, let alone cause any scandals that would damage her image.

Neither she nor Lin Xiao have the luxury of being willful right now.

But emotionally, what she wanted was not this kind of calm analysis and planning.

What she wanted was a firm "I only love you," a reassuring hug, and a promise that would allow her to sleep peacefully.

"So...so you mean," Tang Yan's voice trembled, carrying a last glimmer of hope, "that as long as we succeed in our careers, we can be together forever, right?"

Lin Xiao sighed softly on the other end of the phone.

"Tangtang, 'forever' is too far away. Let's focus on the path ahead, okay?"

His voice softened a little, "I promise you, in my heart you've always been special and important. I will also work hard for our future. But the prerequisite is that we must both become better versions of ourselves first."

Especially important.

But it's not the only one.

Tang Yan understood the subtext behind those words.

Tears fell silently.

She got it.

Lin Xiao likes her, and may even love her.

But in his life plan, love is only a part, and may not even be the most important part.

His ambitions are great, his goals are far-reaching, and what she needs to do is not to be his only harbor, but to try to keep up with his pace and become someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Otherwise, you might fall behind.

"I...I understand." Tang Yan's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "I'm sorry, Lin Xiao, for disturbing your rest. I...I'll do my best in filming."

"Tangtang..." Lin Xiao seemed to want to say something more.

"I'm tired, I want to sleep," Tang Yan interrupted him, her voice filled with exhaustion. "Goodnight."

She hung up the phone before Lin Xiao could respond.

The phone screen went dark, and the room was plunged back into darkness.

Tang Yan sat on the bed, hugging her knees, her face buried in her arms.

The tears have all dried up, leaving only an empty, lingering pain.

She knew that from this moment on, things would be different.

She could no longer be as naive as before, believing that love alone could overcome everything.

In this circle, and in front of this man, she must become stronger and more valuable in order to keep him, or at least, not be left with nothing if she might lose him.

Outside the window, the night sky over Shanghai was devoid of stars, only covered by thick clouds.

Tang Yan wiped away her tears and picked up the script from the bedside table.

She has an important scene to film tomorrow and needs to get herself ready.

She turned on the desk lamp, and the warm yellow light illuminated her red and swollen eyes, as well as the dense notes on the script.

Since love couldn't give her absolute security, she decided to earn it herself.

Meanwhile, in Hengdian, Lin Xiao listened to the busy tone on the phone and silently placed his phone on the bedside table.

He rubbed his aching temples and got up to pour himself a glass of water.

He was not completely oblivious to Tang Yan's unease and pain.

But as he said, this stage doesn't allow for too much sentimentality.

Yang Mi's ambiguity, Wang Likun's gentleness, Tang Yan's dependence... these are all beautiful scenes on his path forward, but they are by no means the final destination where he can stop.

His goals are higher and farther.

After finishing the water in his glass, Lin Xiao lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

There's still filming to do tomorrow.

The road ahead is long; he must remain clear-headed and keep moving forward.

……

After that late-night phone call, Tang Yan and Lin Xiao entered a delicate "cooling-off period" in their relationship.

Tang Yan stopped sending messages to "check up" on him frequently, and she rarely posted those emotional updates on her WeChat Moments anymore.

She poured all her energy into filming "Pandamen," and the number of takes became less and less frequent.

But only Tang Yan herself knew that behind this "good condition" was a kind of self-torturing focus.

She wouldn't allow herself to overthink anymore, forcibly suppressing all her longing, unease, and suspicion towards Lin Xiao into the deepest recesses of her heart, using intense filming to numb herself.

Meanwhile, in Hengdian, Lin Xiao also noticed Tang Yan's "change".

The daily greetings are still there, but they've lost their previous stickiness and probing, and have become more formulaic and concise.

He was happy to have some peace and quiet, as "Beauty's Rival in Palace" was entering its final stages of filming and required his full attention.

However, one person keenly sensed the change in the atmosphere between the young couple.

Yang Mi.

After the ambiguous "threesome" movie theater scene during the May Day holiday, Yang Mi's interest in Lin Xiao only increased.

Lin Xiao's attitude of "neither refusing nor taking the bait" acted like a magnet, firmly attracting her desire to conquer.

She enjoyed the thrill of walking on the edge of danger and stirring the hearts of others.

In her view, Tang Yan's recent "quietness" is not a sign of letting go, but rather a sign of repression.

It is the calm before the storm.

This made her find it...even more interesting.

During a break, Yang Mi was scrolling through QQ on her phone when she saw that Tang Yan had just updated her status: "Finished work. Tired, but fulfilled."

The accompanying picture is a night scene from the "Pandamen" crew; there are no selfies.

Yang Mi raised an eyebrow, tapped her fingers on the screen, and sent a message to Tang Yan: "Tangtang, have you been busy lately? I haven't seen you online at all."

After a while, Tang Yan replied, "Yeah, I'm busy with scenes. What about you guys, Mimi?"

"We're almost done filming~" Yang Mi typed quickly, "Your Lin Xiao has been amazing lately, he's nailed several scenes in one take, which has made Director Wu very happy."

After sending the message, she stared at the screen, waiting for Tang Yan's reply.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Tang Yan replied: "Really... He must be very tired."

Her tone seemed calm, but the ellipsis revealed her concern.

Yang Mi's rosy lips curled into a sly smile.

She could almost see Tang Yan biting her lip and looking restless through the screen.

A mischievous thought grew wildly in her mind like a vine.

The next morning, they filmed a scene where Zhou Yafu and Mo Xueyuan "accidentally" meet in the palace corridor.

On the surface, this scene appears to be a chance encounter, but in reality, it is a "coincidence" deliberately created by Mo Xueyuan to test Zhou Yafu's attitude towards her.

In the script, the two should keep a distance and have a conversation that is full of hidden meanings.