About ten minutes later, Sheng Siwei’s car pulled up beside me. “Get in,” he said, throwing out two words. I followed his instruction. “Where to?” I asked. “A friend just opened a bar, and I invited some people to make a scene there. It’s called ‘The Queen’. Some of the cast members are going, so let’s go together and meet everyone.” “Oh,” I mumbled, “Have all the roles been decided?” “Pretty much, except for the lead actress. I think you might play the lead.” “No way, the lead in the book is a beauty.” “Well, I think you’re suitable.” I didn’t believe he was sincere. Sheng Siwei and I had dinner at a nearby restaurant. During dinner, a few younger girls came up to ask if Sheng Siwei was the male lead in “The Song of Eternal Youth.” Wow, how did word spread so quickly? Later, I learned that the local TV station’s entertainment news had done a special feature that day, interviewing the main creators of the show, including Sheng Siwei and Bi Lian Shu. While they were signing autographs, I kept my head down, using my hair to cover my face. I didn’t want to see their surprised looks or hear their whispers. Yes, the handsome Sheng Siwei dining with such an ordinary girl; I wondered what went wrong with him. And I, I was the one who should be pitied. That meal was quite uncomfortable with people constantly coming over to take pictures with Sheng Siwei; we hardly had a chance to talk. Being famous isn’t easy, it seems. After dinner, which lasted until ten, we left the restaurant where Sheng Siwei’s white sports car was parked outside. It was a gift from his father for his 18th birthday. Many rich kids in Wu De have money, but few drive to school, which shows Sheng Siwei’s unique status. We drove towards the city center. In the car, I sent a text to Xia Wei, saying, “I’m going to ‘The Queen’ with Sheng Siwei. If you see this, come find me.” After sending the message, I felt slightly relieved. I didn’t know if she’d see it tonight, but I really wanted to see her; my happiness seemed to be complete only when shared with her. Although she might feel a bit down, knowing I got into the cast while she didn’t, breaking our shared dream. But I was sure she’d be happy for me. Soon we arrived at ‘The Queen’, which was having its grand opening. Outside, there were many flower baskets, and people were coming and going, making it quite lively. ‘The Queen’ had an interesting exterior design. Sheng Siwei parked the car, proudly pointing out how “dizzying” the style was, crediting his genius. I smiled. Then I looked up to see Lin Xiaole standing outside with a fierce look. We immediately fell silent. I turned to look at Lin Xiaole, noticing she was dressed unusually ladylike today; from a distance, I almost didn’t recognize her – a light blue cheongsam with high heels, looking much better than her usual strappy dresses and sparkling skirts. When she saw me with Sheng Siwei, her expression changed instantly. Without saying a word, she stormed inside. I knew it was her way of showing her displeasure. Sheng Siwei called out, “Lin Xiaole,” but she ignored him. He directed me to a private room, saying he had something to deal with and left me there. I stood there for a while before pushing the door open. The scene inside was unexpectedly lively. As I opened the door, someone familiar greeted me; it was Xia Wei. There was also Xu Nuo, Dong Luo, Chen Yanan, and a few others from our class, along with some people I didn’t know well. I was taken aback, wondering how they all ended up together. Xia Wei was eating ice cream, made room for me, and mumbled, “You’re here.” Xu Nuo, however, shouted, “Ahhh, Xiang Xiaowu, Xiang Xiaowu!” Just as I stepped in, Lin Xiaole followed. I was puzzled how she was right behind me. She looked annoyed and snapped at Xu Nuo, “What’s all the shouting for? So annoying.” “None of your business!” Lin Xiaole snorted, sat down next to Dong Luo, picked up an apple, and bit into it with a crunch, as if she was biting Xu Nuo’s head. I asked Xia Wei, “Why was your phone off? I kept calling.” “Don’t mention it. Some petty thief targeted me.” “How did you end up here then?” Xia Wei pointed at Xu Nuo, “I ran into her on the road, and she said Sheng Siwei was throwing a party, and some actors from ‘The Song of Eternal Youth’ would be here, so I came to check it out. But where are the people? There are only two.” “By the way…”
She asked me, “I heard you joined the drama club too?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That’s great, now I’ll have an excuse to go out and have fun.”
“Haha.”
“Haha.” As we were talking, Lin Xiaole over there got upset and threw the fruit platter onto the table with a loud ‘thud’, then said sarcastically, “Some people really have no shame, not even looking at themselves. Just because you tried out for a role, you really think you’re the lead now?” My heart sank. Xia Wei immediately picked up the conversation: “Some people are even more shameless. Knowing full well that Sheng Siwei doesn’t like her, she still goes all out to adopt a ladylike style, just to catch his eye, ha, that’s laughable.”
“Hey, Xia Wei, who are you talking about?” Lin Xiaole stood up abruptly.
“I didn’t say anyone, but someone is desperately trying to make it about themselves, there’s just no helping it.”
“Don’t go too far.”
“And what if I do?” Xia Wei slammed her ice cream down on the table and stood up. Just as the tension was escalating, Xu Yang burst in, all flailing limbs. Right behind him was Gu Nanxiang. I looked at the person in front of me in surprise. I hadn’t seen him for twenty days; he looked the same, just with shorter hair and wearing a cool black T-shirt. I felt my throat go dry… Xia Wei sat back down on the couch, continuing to eat her large ice cream without looking up. Gu Nanxiang also noticed me, staring for a couple of seconds before shifting his gaze at the sound of Dong Luo’s crisp voice.
“Gu Nanxiang, sit over here.” He nodded with a smile and walked straight towards me, “Are you doing okay?” His voice was low, but you could tell it was a sincere greeting. I tried to calm myself, acting as if nothing was wrong, “Pretty good,” I said. What did he want to say? But at that moment, I didn’t want him to say another word to me. He didn’t say more, maintaining his cool demeanor. Xia Wei looked up, laughing like a sunflower, “Wow! What scene are we playing here, Gu Nanxiang? Can’t move because of a beauty? Come on, let’s have Xiaowu sign an autograph for him.” To go along with Xia Wei, Xu Nuo quickly pulled out a pen and a memo pad from her bag, handing them to me, and also laughed like a sunflower, urging, “Come on, Xiaowu, give him a signature, let’s see.” I was both amused and exasperated.
