Ⅰ
At the age of nineteen, Song Yan boarded a ferry from Shanghai to Hong Kong. In the sweltering heat, with the neon lights of the market buildings and the slightly damp sea breeze in the Victoria Harbour, Song Yan, who was sitting in a third-class cabin, imagined such a scene in Hong Kong. In the noisy surroundings, Song Yan breathed in and meditated silently, she will soon arrive in Hong Kong, and soon, her life will be different.
But compared to the dirty third-class cabin, Song Yan's life after schooling in Hong Kong was not much better. As the first batch of exchange students admitted by CUHK in the Mainland, she was called "Poor Can" when she first entered the school, but Song Yan couldn't afford the frozen lemon tea with eight mosquitoes and the wonton noodles with twenty mosquitoes.
Fortunately, in the second month of school, Song Yan found a part-time job on Broadway in Mong Kok - sitting behind the counter every day to check tickets, and occasionally watching a literary film at a late-night show.
At the end of the century, Hong Kong films were in a golden age. In early October of this year, "The City That Never Sleeps" starring Takeshi Kaneshiro was released in Hong Kong. On the premiere night under the autumn rain, Broadway in Mong Kok is more congested than usual.
It was also on this unusual night that Song Yan met Gu Qiaozhi for the first time.
At first, she found the clue in the large group of girls who poured into the theater. They were holding pictures in their hands, but the man on the cover was not the hero of the movie. Song Yan was puzzled, and before he stopped, there was a sound from the ticket booth.
Just as he turned his head, like a gust of wind, a figure appeared under Song Yan's counter.
The man in the dark brown trench coat hurriedly hid in the ticket booth and sat at Song Yan's feet. As soon as he looked up, his handsome and sloppy face was the cover character of the photo.
Song Yan was startled: "What are you doing?"
"Shh." The man raised his hand and said silently, "I'll take you here to avoid it. You don't want an accident in the theater, do you?"
Just as Song Yan was about to speak, another group of people poured in. The student girl handed over the ticket, and she hurriedly accepted it without changing her face. People came and went, and for five minutes, she and the man under the counter coexisted in silence like this.
It wasn't until the front was finally empty that Song Yan looked down at him: "Are you a star?"
Song Yan's Cantonese was so bad that the man seemed to not understand it. Seeing that his outline was as deep as a half-blood, Song Yan tentatively changed to English, and the man smiled: "You know me?"
"do not know."
Gu Qiaozhi is obviously a movie star who has been on the rise recently, but Gu Qiaozhi has eaten here. He replied, "My name is Gu Qiaozhi."
Song Yan was not polite. If there was an accident just now, she would be criticized for checking tickets. Thinking like this, she brought a reproach on her mouth: "Knowing that she is bright, why do you still come to such a public place?"
Gu Qiaozhi smiled again. He has peach blossom eyes that are raised upwards, and his brow bones are deep when he smiles. He didn't answer the question, but pointed to the movie pictorial on the pillar.
"Don't you think I look a bit like him?"
Looking in the direction of his finger, it was the hot movie "The City That Never Sleeps". Takeshi Kaneshiro in the pictorial was wearing a dark brown trench coat, and his dress and eyebrows were really similar. Song Yan was stunned for a moment: "A little bit."
"It's because of the image that I'm here."
The voiceover was unknown, and Song Yan felt a little helpless: "Then how long are you going to stay down there?"
Under the narrow ticket booth, Gu Qiaozhi sat very comfortably. He thought, "I want to ask you a favor."
It turned out that she hoped that she would open the back door of the staff to protect him from the theater.
At night in Mong Kok, there was a lot of traffic and crowds. Gu Qiaozhi, who had put up his windbreaker collar, approached Song Yan. In the night, he was slightly shorter, and there was only the sound of breathing. Song Yan looked up at him, and he saw the name tag on her uniform.
He took a step back, and then smiled at Song Yan: "Thank you, Miss Song, see you next time."
It was just a polite remark, his face flickered in the neon light and shadow, but Song Yan could see it. In the next second, he had already entered the stream of people, like a drop of seawater merging into the Victoria Harbor, without a sound, and the strange encounter of the night ended here.
II
The episode of meeting a star should not have been remembered, but when Song Yan saw the gossip tabloid the next day, she knew who Gu Qiaozhi was. The popular Xiaosheng was exposed to watch movies late at night, intending to become the "Second Generation of Takeshi Kaneshiro". This title made people laugh, but Song Yan paid attention to read a few more reports on Gu Qiaozhi's life experience.
His mother is a lowly Portuguese girl in a casino. The father of a former real estate tycoon went bankrupt. His family was backward and returned to Hong Kong from overseas, and made his debut with an old-fashioned love movie. The tabloid laughed that he could only gain attention among his schoolgirls. Song Yan remembered his handsome and undisciplined face, and smiled to himself, noncommittal.
After flipping through a tabloid, the days at CUHK are still long and boundless. In addition to doing odd jobs to provide food and clothing, Song Yan has to work hard to read books. The professor of the college speaks Cantonese and English mixed, but fortunately, she got an A+ in the weekly test and got into the news club by relying on the transcript.
She joined the club to practice her poor Cantonese, but the members of the club regarded Song Yan as a mainland girl and ignored her everywhere. Song Yan didn't mind either, the manuscript was written, and he sat in the club's staircase to practice listening.
It was another lonely and boring day. As soon as Song Yan walked into the staircase, the atmosphere was different. The high-rent video equipment is all over the table, and the girls in the club are brightly dressed and in high spirits, as if they are going to a catwalk.
Song Yan went out with the members of the book. The weather was light and cloudy today. From a distance, she saw that the playground was surrounded by a movie set, and it was blocked.
Standing on the stairs, everyone could barely see the man surrounded by him. He was wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and a gray tie slackly draped over his shoulders, against the clouds in the sky, like a painting.
Song Yan lost his mind for a while.
Seeing Song Yan in a daze, the president explained mercifully: "George, Gu Qiaozhi, Can Mei from the Mainland watch the movie?"
The members were laughing again, holding the camera and crowding into the crowd. Song Yan was still standing in the same place, and it would be extremely difficult to get close to that person in the crowd.
Thinking of this, she turned around and went back upstairs without hesitation, not intending to waste a lot of time.
The news agency's staircase room is on the top floor, and going up is the rooftop. Song Yan sat on the top of the rooftop, carrying the club's old-fashioned radio and playing Cantonese tapes. The melody is melodious, and she sings Cantonese with her legs swaying in the wind. This is a rare private time.
The dusk is long, the setting sun is evening, and the door of the rooftop is opened. Gu Qiaozhi, who has finished work, sees this picture - a girl in a blue and white uniform sitting in the warm light, as if she is the only one left in the world. It's a pity that the girl didn't realize it. When she turned around, she thought that there was a thief coming from the rooftop. She screamed and almost fell.
Just as she was concentrating, she saw Gu Qiaozhi smiling and bending over.
"Miss Song, we meet again."
He was still in a white shirt and black trousers, but he was carrying a set of food boxes in his hand. When the popular Xiaosheng is full of fireworks, the food box is opened and it is a hot shrimp wonton. Gu Qiaozhi looked over and said, "Take a partner?"
The sixteen wontons were evenly divided into two parts, and the aroma was overflowing. Song Yan swallowed: "Why don't you eat it on the set?"
"I was scolded by the director just now." Gu Qiaozhi said lightly, but revealed a little grievance, "It's divided, let's eat."
It was already dinner time, so Song Yan was not polite and sat across from him silently.
It was getting late, and a bowl of wontons had reached the bottom. Gu Qiaozhi asked, "You were just listening to... Yesterday Once More?"
"Cantonese version, I'm learning Cantonese."
The person on the opposite side looked up thoughtfully, and after a while, a Chinese-Portuguese face was extremely serious: "Then my Cantonese is bad?"
It turns out that this is the reason why the popular Xiaosheng was scolded. Song Yan listened to him in a strange tone. He wanted to laugh and only replied: "It's similar to me, I'm from the mainland."
It turned out that they were both strangers. Gu Qiaozhi was interested in Cantonese tapes: "Can you listen?"
The tape was played backwards, the melodious singing came out on the afterglow, and the two people who met by chance sat on the rooftop and hummed softly. When the tape was over and the sky was twilight, Song Yan tilted his head to call him, but found that Gu Qiaozhi, who had been filming for a day, was so tired that he fell asleep.
The street lights in the low-rise building were dimly lit, and the man in the pictorial was in front of him. Song Yan stared at his deep brows for a while. As night fell, the only thing left on the rooftop was the sound of her heartbeat.
Ⅲ
On the second day, the third day, for a week, Song Yan did not expect that Gu Qiaozhi would come to the rooftop to find her again.
"I finished work early, of course I came to learn Cantonese from you." Gu Qiaozhi skillfully mixed fish balls and car noodles, and talked about the scene on the rooftop. He learned Song Yan's way to correct the pronunciation of the lines in front of the Cantonese tape, and he made little progress.
"Fortunately, I don't have many roles, but I am a supporting actor in a vase." Gu Qiaozhi handed over half a box of car noodles, and by the way, he helped the gold-rimmed glasses on his face.
The gold-rimmed glasses are also one of the costume props. Song Yan saw his gentle face and felt novel: "What kind of person are you playing?"
"Master of the rich family, he was so fascinated by the heroine that he chased after her with a film camera all day long. It's superficial."
Song Yan heard his helplessness: "If you don't like it, why do you want to act?"
"After signing the contract, you have to work hard for the company to earn quick money." Gu Qiaozhi chewed the fish balls in a calm tone, "If you are a newcomer, even if you are eye-catching, you must work hard to gain a foothold in Hong Kong."
This is spoken earnestly and clearly. This year, the Hong Kong entertainment industry is full of flowers, and Song Yan always likes to buy evening newspapers after class. Gu Qiao was only popular for half a month at the beginning, and it was no more than a square-sized text message on the entertainment page. The student girl is infatuated with his mixed-race face, but chasing stars is always short-lived.
Hong Kong has entered the late autumn, the roof is windy, the gloomy day seems to be raining, only the fish ball car noodles is still steaming. The two faced the low-pressure cloud and were speechless for a while.
After a long silence, Gu Qiaozhi asked, "Miss Song, why did you come all the way to Hong Kong?"
"Me," Song Yan recalled the humid and narrow alleys in Shanghai, and the half-light of the sky peeking from the tube towers, "I used to live very hard, so I swear to myself that I want to live a different life."
Song Yan lost her parents since childhood and worked with her uncle's family to make a living. The family took her as a burden, so she had to study hard to save money, and finally boarded the big ship bound for Hong Kong. After arriving in Hong Kong for a few months, she was alone, and Gu Qiaozhi became the only person she could talk to.
Thinking of this, she took out a prepared purse: "Here you are."
"What is it?"
"Meals for the past few days."
Gu Qiaozhi smiled and waved his hand. Seeing that Song Yan insisted on giving it, he thought for a while before saying, "It's going to rain heavily. If you really want to cancel it, just go to a place with me."
The pattering rain began to fall at night, and the two walked under the dense neon light boxes in Causeway Bay, and finally walked into an alley.
Pushing open the door of the shop without a sign, this is a photo studio that has not yet opened, and the darkroom was rented by the film crew to develop the film. The dark room was cramped, Song Yan moved a small stool and sat in the corner, quietly watching Gu Qiaozhi taking pictures in a porcelain basin filled with potions.
"After the filming started, the set and crew were too busy, so I took over the work of developing the film." Gu Qiaozhi said in the dark, "I often come here alone and stay for most of the day."
There was no light in the dark room, Gu Qiaozhi picked up a wet photo with tweezers, and the bright colors and textures emerged, like crimson magic, Song Yan thought it was amazing for a while.
"The reason why I took this role is also because I love taking pictures." Gu Qiaozhi was silent for a while, "I haven't mentioned it to anyone. Actually, what I want to be is not an actor, but a photographer."
When he first went to the crew to apply for a job, Gu Qiaozhi prepared a whole book of photography works, but he was confused and pushed to the casting field. He was forced to sign an actor contract because of his livelihood, but he was restricted by the company everywhere. He made bad films and caused lace scandals, which pushed him further and further.
"I swore to myself, like you, to live a different life."
Gu Qiaozhi's profile was buried in the shadows, and he couldn't tell what it was like between the words. Only then did Song Yan realize how similar he was to her. In Hong Kong, they were both strangers.
"Here, look at this one."
Xu Shi's topic was too heavy, and Gu Qiaozhi deliberately changed the topic. In the dark, a photo was held up. Song Yan leaned over to look, the picture had not yet developed, Gu Qiaozhi quickly stepped back, revealing a sly smile.
Song Yan's curiosity was lifted: "What is it?"
"This part is a movie scene. As for my character, in order to attract the attention of the heroine, I deliberately didn't show her any pictures." Gu Qiaozhi pretended to be high-level and covered with his hands, "Do you want to know how he did it? "
"how……"
In the next second, the surroundings fell silent.
The dark room was dark and cramped, Gu Qiaozhi leaned over and pressed Song Yan against the wall, his breathing was hot, and there was an undercurrent between men and women. Song Yan's body softened, she closed her eyes, but the imaginary kiss did not fall.
Xu Shi's posture was too ambiguous, Gu Qiaozhi rubbed her hair and leaned back with a chuckle: "That's it."
Their eyes met, and the two of them couldn't help but look away, and no one spoke again in the night wind. No one knows that on a rainy night, two empty hearts are quietly approaching in the dark room, filling each other silently.
Ⅳ
The weather became more and more wet and cold, and the rainy days in Hong Kong continued until the early winter. At that time, Gu Qiaozhi's role in CUHK was finished, and Song Yan also ushered in the final week. Even if she writes essays in the dark, she does not forget to work part-time night shifts on Broadway.
There were few people watching the night movie, Song Yan behind the counter rested his chin in his hand and dozed off. When she was about to close her eyes, a tall figure flashed in front of her.
The alarm bell in his head started, Song Yan came back to his senses, a cup of hot stockings milk tea and a movie ticket for "City of Glass" appeared on the counter.
Holding up the movie tickets, there are 12 seats in 9 rows, the farthest side of the movie hall, Song Yan guessed who was coming.
I haven't seen Gu Qiaozhi for several days. He leaned in the corner in a black coat, and Song Yan sat down next to him with milk tea in his hands. She whispered, "Why are you here?"
"I've figured out your shift schedule."
It turned out to be the same time when we first met, and Song Yan suddenly realized that now that she had handed over to work, she also watched "City of Glass" in the late-night show. In 1998, the young Shu Qi and Dawn walked through the campus pavilions and corridors at midnight, riding bicycles and chatting under the street lights. Looking at it, it looked a bit like her and Gu Qiaozhi's days at CUHK.
Song Yan blushed in the darkness and turned to look at Gu Qiaozhi. He was watching the movie with all his attention, and following his gaze, Dawn in a red sweater showed his signature smile.
Gu Qiaozhi pointed to the screen: "How does he look?"
"Not as pretty as you."
Gu Qiaozhi was really amused, but his eyes were a bit dim. Song Yan realized his loss later, the brokerage company has always been secular, and Gu Qiaozhi has no backstage, so he can only star in some soapy romance films. She has seen the scenes in it, and his scenes are vulgar and superficial, and a handsome face is wasted in vain.
But he had no choice.
The movie ended with regret, and the warm lights of the theater turned on. Gu Qiaozhi put away his thoughts and looked at the milk tea with stockings in Song Yan's hands: "Is it delicious?"
"tastes good."
"Let's go, I'll take you to this restaurant for dinner."
Yau Ma Tei is a paradise for ordinary people in Hong Kong. The Temple Street night market is prosperous. Song Yan followed Gu Qiaozhi around Temple Street, and finally stopped in front of an ice house.
Chicken Chop Lo Mein with Hong Kong-style milk tea tastes so good that it is full of diners late at night. The two were feasting at the small table in the corner. Gu Qiaozhi said while eating, "When I first came to Hong Kong, I ran the production crew all day long to hand over my resume. At that time, I was so poor that I could only come to the night market to eat."
"The biggest wish in Hong Kong, in addition to standing out, is to not increase the price of the ice room in Temple Street."
Song Yan followed with a smile and looked around: "This is the first time I have come to Temple Street."
"No, isn't the biggest fun of a student girl is to go to the campus to eat in the cafeteria?" Gu Qiaozhi raised his eyebrows, "Mong Kok Ladies Street, have you been there yet?"
Song Yan shook his head.
"Peace Peak?
"Victoria Harbour?"
Song Yan thought seriously: "I have read reports that fireworks are set off in Victoria Harbour every New Year's Eve."
"School girls can't die studying," Gu Qiaozhi sighed, "Want to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks?"
Song Yan's eyes flickered. At first, he had imagined the prosperity of Victoria Harbor, so he nodded: "I want to."
Gu Qiaozhi agreed without end: "Okay."
It was midnight after the supper, and Gu Qiaozhi sent Song Yan back to the outside of the CUHK campus. She was already used to going over the wall and returning to the campus. But seeing Gu Qiaozhi in a coat under the street lamp, for a moment, she was reluctant to say goodbye.
Going back in time to the first meeting, I thought it was just a chance encounter, but aside from everything, Song Yan had an illusion after getting along for many days.
They are like an ordinary couple dating.
Such unrealistic thoughts were quickly suppressed, Gu Qiaozhi stood there and waved his hand, his schedule was full, and he didn't know when the two would meet again. Song Yan felt lost in his heart, but he still smiled and said goodbye to him in the dark.
Girls always have many fantasies. The purest and most profound romance in the world is just to make ordinary girls' dreams of spring come true.
So when the New Year's Day came quietly, Song Yan did not expect that there would really be a handsome man wearing sunglasses and a black jacket riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle all the way to the CUHK campus in a high-profile way, just to pick her up from school.
"Miss Song, get in the car."
The engine roared, and amid the envy of the classmates, Song Yan put on his helmet and wrapped around the man's sturdy waist.
Before everyone recognized it, he took her on the gas and drove away from the school. Under the violet-blue sky, the traffic was turbulent, and the wind was whistling in his ears. Song Yan asked him loudly, "Where are we going?"
"Climb to the Peak and watch the Victoria Harbour fireworks!"
The year 1998 was about to come to an end, and there was mist on Mount Taiping. They overlooked a splendid night view of Victoria Harbour, and the countdown to the new year came to an end.
"three."
Victoria Harbor was crowded, and countless people were waiting under the neon.
"two."
A large piece of fireworks cut through the sky at this moment, and it was as bright as day for a moment.
"one."
Gu Qiaozhi approached gently and put a black jacket on Song Yan. Hair touched the tips of his ears, and he dropped a kiss on her cheek.
He said to her, "Happy New Year, Song Yan."
Ⅴ
Song Yan has made many wishes in her life. In the dilapidated tube building and on the noisy ferry arriving in Hong Kong, she vowed to be loyal to herself. She never thought that she would also put another person in the expected tomorrow.
On the first day of 1999, she secretly fell in love with Gu Qiaozhi.
The girl's love is beginning to open, and the dream also seems so unreal. Song Yan lost her mind at the academy meeting and almost missed the all-excellent transcript issued to her by her supervisor. Song Yan just wanted to share this bright joy with the only person, Gu Qiaozhi.
During the long winter vacation, Song Yan went straight to the orange tenement building in Wanchai. It was the rental house where Gu Qiaozhi stayed. Although it was dilapidated and small, it was big enough to accommodate a young couple.
Song Yan was lying on the sofa, holding up the report card and thinking about the future: "The outstanding students of CUHK are enough to go to the biggest "Oriental Daily" for an internship. This job is well done, and I will stay in Hong Kong in the future... "
Gu Qiaozhi followed with a smile: "Yes, yes, you must stay and be the number one talented woman in Hong Kong."
They ate beef brisket noodles with iced lemon tea in the hut, and pulled up the curtains to put plates at night. Song Yan looked sleepy, rubbed his eyes and looked at the wall of the hut, which was covered with Gu Qiaozhi's photographic works.
The filming locations were in Portugal, Paris, Switzerland... Song Yan looked at the entire wall and felt incredible: "Gu Qiaozhi, you are so inspired in every photo you take."
"Reading can't compare to you, you still have some talent for photography."
"Has the photo album that you handed out before are available?"
Gu Qiaozhi once took that photobook to the crew, and after he became famous, he did not forget to entrust the company to help contact him, but seeing Gu Qiaoyi's momentary lonely expression, Song Yan knew that they might all sink into the sea.
"It doesn't matter." Song Yan lowered his eyes wisely. The TV in the room timely broadcast Gu Qiaozhi's debut novel, soap operas, and old-fashioned lines, all relying on the female lead Ruan Jiayi to drive his popularity, he also became popular.
But even Gu Qiaozhi himself didn't want to watch more. He reached out and turned off the TV, and the room fell silent. Song Yan sat up in the darkness, she straightened Gu Qiaozhi's shoulders, and wanted to say something to cheer him up. Gu Qiaozhi also looked at her earnestly. After staring at each other for a long time, the two of them couldn't help laughing out loud and lay down together.
Gu Qiaozhi rubbed her hair silently, how similar they are, they have suffered from the bottom of the valley, and the road is not easy to go straight, he understands what she didn't say.
They have to work hard for the unknown destiny.
The second half of the junior year is the internship period. Song Yan saved money to buy a suit and plaid skirt at Sogo Department Store, and wore it on the tram to the daily office. The editor of "Oriental Daily" looked at Song Yan's resume again and again, and asked questions in Cantonese and English. Song Yan resisted the pressure and answered fluently.
The sun was shining on the glass building, and the sharp-edged editor finally nodded to Song Yan.
Gu Qiaozhi, who heard the good news, came after work. He didn't have time to take off his black suit, and just made a pair with Song Yan. With a big wave of his hand, he gracefully invited her to the revolving restaurant for western food.
The night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was gorgeous. Song Yan excitedly talked about today's interview. Gu Qiaozhi put his hand on his chin and listened carefully. The eyes of both of them were full of light. the way.
Twenty is the best time of their lives.
However, Song Yan's life in the Oriental Daily was not so smooth. She joined the economic news group. There are many seniors in the group, and no one cares about the newcomers. Her manuscripts have been repeatedly questioned for their professionalism. Song Yan was unwilling to do odd jobs in the group, so he gritted his teeth and started studying international economic materials from scratch.
It was also when he was working overtime in the company that Song Yan met Jessica, a newcomer in the entertainment page group. They were all young and motivated girls from prestigious schools, and they chatted smoothly in the tea room. With the aroma of coffee, the two chatted with Gu Qiaozhi.
"Gu Qiaozhi, the mixed-race male protagonist in "Best Mature Woman"?" Jessica thought for a while, "Didn't he go to the female lead Ruan Jiayi after the filming? It seems that he has a relationship with her recently. New show coming...whoops, did I miss something?"
Song Yan fell into silence. She suddenly remembered that she was busy with work and hadn't contacted Gu Qiaozhi for two weeks. And he has no way of knowing about his scandal with the hot actress.
Seeing that her face was not good, Jessica looked confused.
"The little girl likes his one..." Jessica's tone revealed a hint of surprise, "Do you like him too?"
Song Yan opened her mouth to defend herself. She wanted to tell Jessica that Gu Qiaozhi was a very talented photographer and would never be willing to be a vase. But when these words came to her mouth, she swallowed them again.
Because even she didn't know what Gu Qiaozhi was busy with recently.
In the typhoon season in April, the Observatory hangs the No. 7 typhoon signal, Song Yan and Jessica have become friends. During the lunch break, Jessica quietly told her that the famous Hong Kong director was looking for a photographer. Song Yan's eyes lit up after hearing this, and begged Jessica to give her a test shot letter.
The typhoon made the Tanglou crumbling. Song Yan went to find Gu Qiaozhi at night. The door knocked and knocked, but no one was home.
She put the test shot letter tightly into the crack of the window, and called Gu Qiaozhi again. He on the other end was also very excited, but he hung up the call in a hurry because he was filming.
On the day of the test shoot, Song Yan deliberately came to the scene. But she waited from day to night, but she never waited for that person.
Gu Qiaozhi never showed up during the test shoot.
VI
Typhoon "Leo" hit Hong Kong for several days and it rained heavily. Gu Qiaozhi returned to the wet tenement building at midnight, but there was someone waiting for him in the hut.
Song Yan, who was wearing a gray dress in the workplace, sat on the sofa with a hint of tiredness on her delicate face. In fact, Gu Qiaozhi had already given her the key to the Tanglou, and she seldom came to live there on weekdays, but this day was too special.
The test shot letter she had been begging for was spread out on the table, but no one had ever opened it.
Gu Qiaozhi suddenly understood everything: "Ayan, sorry, I've been too busy recently..."
"Do you know which great guide you missed?"
Song Yan really felt pity for the name Jin Cancan on the test shoot letter. What a great opportunity this is, maybe he will be able to reverse the image in the circle by preparing carefully and soar across the line.
But he wasted his life.
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, but when they met again, their faces were sullen. The atmosphere suddenly dropped to freezing point, and only the sound of midnight rain was still supporting the performance.
"Actually... I'm so busy for a reason."
After a long silence, Gu Qiaozhi turned his back pitifully, and pulled out the gift he had carefully bought from his bag—a gorgeous pearl necklace.
"Do you know Ruan Jiayi? She wore a necklace like this when she was playing with her." Gu Qiaozhi smiled, "It's really beautiful, I think your skin is so white, you must look better than her... …”
"Ayan, I've been saving money for a long time filming, I just want to buy you a gift."
Looking at Gu Qiaozhi's sincere face, Song Yan couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or not. She was not greedy for gifts. The only thing she wanted to see was that both of them were fighting for the life they wanted to live.
However, Gu Qiaozhi left the track, Song Yan's eyes flicked over the pearl necklace and stopped on the entire photo wall.
She asked endlessly: "When was the last time you raised your camera?"
Her answer was silence.
She was a little anxious for a while: "I just don't want you to keep making films like "Best Mature Woman"."
"What's the meaning?"
As soon as the words came out, Song Yan suddenly realized that the words were contemptuous. Gu Qiaozhi was mocked by the paparazzi so often that he did not expect to hear the same words from his lover.
"I don't blame you," Gu Qiaozhi calmly pushed the jewelry box in front of her, "it's just that I tried my best, maybe I can only make a movie like "Best Mature Woman"."
The typhoon was raging outside. He got up and put on his coat, opened the door, and walked silently into the rainstorm.
This is the first conflict between Song Yan and Gu Qiaozhi. Sitting in the dark night, Song Yan has a panicky premonition. She noticed the eyes of Gu Qiaozhi's dark blue eyes. It seemed that he had a deeper difficulty in working hard, but he didn't want to mention it to her.
For a moment, Song Yan began to be afraid, afraid that a crack would develop between her and Gu Qiaozhi, and that they would grow farther and farther from each other.
Song Yan's hunch really began to come true.
Gu Qiaozhi's drama became more and more frequent. He often went home dressed in perfume after finishing the liquor bureau, and sat on the sofa smoking a cigarette against the photo wall. On the contrary, Song Yan's internship is gradually on the right track. The two are too busy to squeeze time to meet, and they are always silent when they meet.
Hong Kong has a long summer, and they have known each other for almost a year. Song Yan and Gu Qiaozhi met in Causeway Bay. The photo studio that was rented by the crew has opened. They sat in front of the blue screen and took a group photo. The photographer smiled at Gu Qiaozhi, who was wearing sunglasses and looked like a star, but he never took off the sunglasses when the flash appeared.
As they left they passed the dark room. Gu Qiaozhi's schedule was full and his pace was in a hurry, but Song Yan stopped and looked towards the dark room. At that time, they still had the whole night, and the only thing she wanted to do was to quietly watch his favorite photos in the china basin.
I don't know when, the common belief between her and Gu Qiaozhi is slowly shattering.
Song Yan put the group photo in the wallet's mezzanine as a souvenir. One day later, she and Jessica were dining at Sogo Department Store, and when they were fighting over the checkout, Jessica's eyes swept over Song Yan's wallet, and her movements suddenly stopped.
The entertainment editor's eyes were so sharp, but Jessica didn't break it. Many clues were strung together and became a kind suggestion.
Jessica sighed: "How can the fairy tale of male stars and Cinderella exist in reality?"
Does it really not exist? Song Yan's heart was also hesitant, but her dream was true, she had firmly put Gu Qiaozhi into the blueprint for the future. They sit on the rooftop, believing that they can reach out and catch the light of the whole city. But this light finally dissipated - it was an ordinary evening, and Song Yan received a call from Shanghai.
It turned out that my uncle fell down the stairs while working and was in urgent need of care in the hospital. The aunt on the other end scolded Song Yan for being an idiot, her tone was urgent, and she ordered her to rush back to Shanghai immediately. It seems that the uncle's family is still the same, so that when she is awakened, it is not like her relatives.
Hanging up the phone, Song Yan only smiled bitterly. She packed her luggage silently in the dormitory and told herself to be grateful. But before leaving, she couldn't help but go to the Tanglou.
Song Yan was full of grievances. She wanted to say that she was reluctant to take care of Gu Qiaozhi, she wanted to say that she was about to become a regular intern, and she was only one step away from staying in Hong Kong, but everything went wrong. She burst into tears while knocking on the door, all she wanted was a hug from Gu Qiaozhi—
The landlord opened the door, and behind him, the house was empty, with no disc player, no photo wall, and no Gu Qiaozhi.
The landlord explained that the tenant had moved a few days ago. His voice fell into Song Yan's ears intermittently, but it was difficult for her to distinguish it.
Song Yan only knew that Gu Qiaozhi had also left, and he left without saying goodbye.
VII
In fact, Song Yan never gave up looking for Gu Qiaozhi.
For several months after returning to Shanghai, my uncle was bedridden, and the medical expenses were astronomical. For a while, his studies at CUHK were put on hold, and Song Yan could only return to the tube building to live a difficult life, taking odd jobs to take care of his uncle's family.
The communication between the two places was poor, so Song Yan sent a letter to Jessica, asking her to help contact Gu Qiaozhi. The day I received the reply happened to be the end of the century, the millennium came, and the fireworks in Victoria Harbour must have been unprecedented. Song Yan opened the letter while imagining the romantic scene.
Inside the envelope was a clipped entertainment newspaper.
In "Mature Woman Leader Ruan Jiayi's Love Exposure", the actress in the newspaper clipping snuggled up sweetly beside the man, Song Yan watched for a long time and finally recognized that the man was Gu Qiaozhi.
Gu Qiaozhi, who accompanied her across the road late at night and took her to watch the Victoria Harbour fireworks.
The tabloids still laughed at him as a vase actor, but this time even Song Yan wanted to scold him for being superficial. She sat up Jessica angrily, but she didn't reply, but there was still a little thought in her heart.
She thought persistently, maybe Gu Qiaozhi will come to her, she just needs to wait.
But it took another few years. In the past few years, his uncle passed away, Song Yan transferred to Fudan to complete the rest of his studies, and stayed in Shanghai to work after graduation. She has never heard from Gu Qiaozhi, but fortunately, with the development of the Internet in the 21st century, she tried to search for the name of Gu Qiaozhi on the Internet.
The only information that can pop up is a bunch of soap love pieces, and one word, back off.
At the end of 2000, Gu Qiaozhi and Ruan Jiayi broke up peacefully, and later announced their withdrawal from the circle. His fans' enthusiasm faded, and no one remembers him, except Song Yan.
She noticed that Gu Qiaozhi had not heard from him after a year.
What happened in 2000?
The biggest accident in Hong Kong that year was the sinking of a ferry bound for the mainland.
Later, Song Yan developed the habit of watching Jade Channel news every day. She didn't know what she was stubbornly waiting for, but her wish finally came true. On an ordinary day, she received a call from her longtime friend, Jessica.
Today, Jessica has become the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper. This year, Hong Kong was swept by the financial turmoil, and the Wanchai tenement area was also facing demolition.
In that dilapidated orange tenement building, there is a cage house that has been empty for several years, but it is covered with aura of photographic works. The reporter rushed to hear the wind and searched extensively inside, and finally found out the identity of the photographer - the male star Gu Qiaozhi, who has retired for many years.
Where did Gu Qiaozhi go?
Countless people began to search for Gu Qiaozhi's traces, only to learn his embarrassing story. He made his debut after his father went bankrupt. He secretly signed a gambling agreement with the company, mass-produced bad films, and agreed to fall in love with an actress. He finally paid off his father's debt two years later and announced his retirement.
In late 2000, Gu Qiaozhi boarded a ferry from Hong Kong to Shanghai, also known as the Hong Kong version of the Titanic.
"That year, I told him you were in Shanghai," Jessica said over the phone, "but no one knew he was on that ship..."
No one knew that Gu Qiaozhi fell in love with Song Yan back then. He left without telling him because the creditor chased after the Tanglou. He had no choice but to move, but inadvertently missed Song Yan. So it took Gu Qiaozhi two years to finally become a free man, looking for the girl he loves.
Before leaving, he bought the Tanglou hut and arranged a surprise carefully. He thought that Song Yan must still remember that on that night in the dark room, he concealed a photo that she was not allowed to see.
Before Jessica hung up, she suddenly remembered something in the tenement building.
"Ayan, in the center of that wall, the person in that photo is you."
The fairy tale of the male star and Cinderella came true. At the beginning of the fairy tale, Gu Qiaozhi quietly took a photo of Song Yan sitting on the rooftop. He always remembered that evening, when they sat on the rooftop and hummed "Yesterday Again" carefree.
It was also at a similar twilight that Gu Qiaozhi boarded a ship that remained forever in the millennium.
Yesterday could not be reproduced, and in the following life, he never returned as scheduled.
Last updated: October 7, 2022