One Pet Gets Married

Chapter 71

After saying those words, Chang Ye, still in Zhou Yi's embrace, parted her lips slightly, gazing at the dim stairwell. Her brow furrowed as her left hand nearly crushed her right wrist.

What was she saying?

After being together for so long without being able to compromise, always failing to learn how to yield to each other, was it really worth trying again? If they tried and their relationship crumbled once more, they would truly become strangers, never to cross paths again. Perhaps that would be worse than their current situation.

Hearing Chang Ye's words, Zhou Yi's hand on her shoulder involuntarily tightened. She felt as if something was lodged in her throat.

"Chang Ye..." Zhou Yi looked at her, noticing the glimmer of tears in her eyes. It felt like a knife twisting in her heart. "I..."

"I'm sorry, I was just talking nonsense. Please forget I said anything," Chang Ye looked at her, then smiled and continued up the stairs.

Zhou Yi stared at the ground, then followed her.

At the door, Chang Ye took out her keys, opened it, and reached in to turn on the living room light.

The small two-bedroom apartment had a sofa, coffee table, and TV in the living room. The overall color scheme was beige. Though the space was limited and somewhat cluttered, everything was neatly organized and clean, looking comfortable and in stark contrast to the dilapidated exterior of the building.

"Have a seat, I'll go to the kitchen and make you something to eat," Chang Ye said, pointing to the sofa after changing her shoes.

"This time, let me cook for you," Zhou Yi said, glancing at the sofa before following Chang Ye towards the kitchen.

Chang Ye turned, looked at her for a moment, slightly confused, but finally nodded.

The kitchen was small but well-equipped, exuding a homey atmosphere.

Zhou Yi actually didn't know how to cook, at best she could only help with simple tasks, and even then she wasn't very good, always having to ask questions. She truly lacked talent, as did her entire family. As far back as she could remember, their family meals had always been prepared by hired chefs.

So she wasn't confident about whether she could make anything tasty today.

Chang Ye, while cooking rice cakes, watched Zhou Yi nervously and clumsily chopping cabbage and other vegetables, and found herself lost in thought.

At one point, Zhou Yi leaned forward, causing a necklace to dangle out from her collar. Seeing the necklace, Chang Ye was stunned.

It had a round glass pendant containing a photo of the two of them. Looking at the chain, Chang Ye turned her head, parting her lips slightly as she stared at the steaming pot, gripping the ladle tightly.

She remembered that customizing such trinkets for couples was quite popular back then, so she wanted one too and had it made.

The necklaces were cheap, just a few dozen yuan for both. When Zhou Yi received hers, she always complained about how ugly it was, but she wore it constantly.

Once, during an argument, Chang Ye threw both necklaces into a garbage bin full of mango peels, but Zhou Yi secretly fished them out, washed them clean, and hung them to dry.

However, Chang Ye never imagined that she would still be wearing it now. The color had even faded from the chain.

A person who could easily afford clothes worth hundreds of thousands of yuan, wearing a necklace that cost just a few dozen... It seemed...

Some things were better left unexamined. Thinking too deeply could easily lead to losing control. So Chang Ye took a deep breath and scooped up all the rice cakes.

A short while later, a plate of somewhat dark-looking stir-fried rice cakes was ready.

"Maybe... you shouldn't eat this," Zhou Yi said, looking at her "masterpiece" and then at Chang Ye.

"It's fine," Chang Ye shook her head. After washing two pairs of chopsticks, she took the plate of rice cakes and walked to the dining table in the living room.

Sitting at the table, Chang Ye handed a pair of chopsticks to Zhou Yi, then picked up a rice cake with her own and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Is it very bad?" Zhou Yi asked as she reached out with her chopsticks. The next second, after tasting it, she frowned. Indeed, it wasn't good. Too salty.

"It's okay, no one is good at something from the start. Everything is like that, unless you're truly gifted," Chang Ye said with a smile.

"Is it the same with relationships?" Zhou Yi asked, turning to look at her after swallowing the unpleasant rice cake.

"Huh?"

"I don't dare ask for your forgiveness. I just... I'm back now, and you..." Zhou Yi looked at the plate of stir-fried rice cakes, then back at her. "Are you willing to make room for me by your side again... to give me a chance to be there every time you look back?"

Hearing these words, Chang Ye involuntarily gripped her chopsticks tightly.

The next day.

Early in the morning, after waking up and having breakfast, Tang You'an and Song Xici left for the airport together, although Song Xici still looked a bit sleepy.

The rest of the movie would be filmed in Wenhua City, so Tang You'an and Song Xici brought quite a lot of luggage.

Upon arriving in Wenhua City, they barely had time to rest before rushing back into filming.

In Tang You'an's view, Song Xici was truly an excellent actress. She always had her script with her, and whenever she had a free moment, she would take it out to study and practice scenes with Tang You'an.

Song Xici wasn't particularly skilled at action scenes, as most of her previous roles had been harmless types with few fight scenes, but she worked hard.

Without being told, Song Xici would often take the initiative to discuss martial arts moves with Han Yan, then practice them over and over, working up a sweat.

Over time, Song Xici's body was covered in various blue and purple bruises. Being unskilled, she often accidentally hurt herself, so she had many more injuries than Tang You'an.

But whether due to her good energy levels during this period or because she had fallen in love, Song Xici didn't feel tired. Although filming was exhausting, for an actor, being able to spend time with the person they liked was already something to cherish.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of May. The film was over two-thirds complete, and it seemed like it would be finished soon. It was also Director Ouyang Du's birthday.

So on Ouyang Du's birthday, after wrapping up work, everyone gathered for a hot pot meal. Liao Bixin didn't attend, citing other business, but the rest of the crew seemed to be in high spirits.

Since it was a birthday celebration, and her injuries had mostly healed, Tang You'an, who hadn't drunk alcohol in a long time, was a bit eager. With Song Xici's permission, she was allowed one glass of wine.

During the meal, Han Yan, with his face flushed from drinking, looked at Ouyang Du, who was peeling shrimp for his wife, then at Tang You'an, who was carefully removing bones from a piece of fish before placing it in Song Xici's bowl.

So Han Yan rubbed his hands together, looking like a stray cat, appearing particularly pitiful. What terrible luck he had.

As they ate and chatted, someone nearby remarked, "Another movie is almost finished."

Song Xici turned to look at the person who spoke, then turned back, resting her chin on her left hand and silently poking at the food in her bowl.

Seeing this, Tang You'an leaned in and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"I don't want it to finish so quickly," Song Xici looked up at her, her brow furrowed into a small hill.

"But if we finish earlier, you can rest and won't have to work so hard," Tang You'an said.

"But..." Song Xici turned to look at her, blinking. "I don't find it hard."

"Not hard?" Tang You'an raised her eyebrows, taking Song Xici's arm and pointing to a bruise on the inside. "Look, this is new from today. Doesn't it hurt? Isn't it tiring?"

Song Xici shook her head, looking at her: "This is nothing. As long as I can be with you, I feel like nothing matters."

Hearing this, Tang You'an was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently: "Even if you think it's nothing, it still pains me to see you hurt."

Song Xici listened, looked at her, and smiled slightly, pressing her lips together. Then she picked up a shrimp and placed it in Tang You'an's bowl. "Alright, eat up now!"

"Tsk." Finally, Han Yan turned his head away and moved to sit elsewhere, downing a glass of wine in one go.

The meal lasted about an hour and a half before everyone gradually dispersed.

Wenhua City was quite different from Rongcheng, which was bustling and often shrouded in smog. The air here was much better, and the temperature was very pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold year-round, with little difference between day and night. The night scenery was also quite nice, so Tang You'an and Song Xici decided to take a stroll after their satisfying meal, taking advantage of this rare bit of free time.

The night breeze was gentle, ruffling their hair, but their hands remained firmly clasped. The feeling of being able to see each other with just a glance or a turn of the head was truly wonderful.

As they walked along the river, a huge Ferris wheel came into view in the distance. Because it was night, all the lights on the Ferris wheel were lit, making it look beautifully transparent.

Tang You'an had seen it in TV dramas and noticed that many couples seemed to choose to ride it on dates.

Out of curiosity, she had researched it and had been thinking about when she could take Song Xici to ride it.

However, despite her thoughts, she hadn't yet had the chance to ride it with Song Xici. Now that they happened to see it, Tang You'an's desire to ride the Ferris wheel with Song Xici was stirred.

"Xici, that big wheel-like thing is the Ferris wheel, right?" Tang You'an pointed at it.

"Haha, what's up? Curious again?" Song Xici glanced at the Ferris wheel, then turned to look at Tang You'an.

Hearing this, Tang You'an smiled without speaking.

"Alright, let's go ride it! We still have some time. Actually, the view of the city at night from up there is quite nice. Meng Meng and I have ridden it many times before," Song Xici said.

"Then we definitely have to ride it. Everything she's done with you, I want to do too," Tang You'an smiled, then pulled Song Xici along, walking quickly towards the Ferris wheel.

Song Xici looked down at her hand held tightly in Tang You'an's, following her step by step, and chuckled, "Jealous much?"

"I am jealous."

"At least you admit it frankly," Song Xici said, torn between laughter and exasperation.

"Because I love you," Tang You'an stopped walking and turned to look at her. "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't care so much."

Hearing this, Song Xici tilted her head and glanced at her, the corners of her lips curling up as she continued walking. "If you're going to love me for a lifetime, does that mean you'll be jealous for a lifetime too?"

"I'm willing to be," Tang You'an replied.

"Be careful, or your teeth might get so sensitive from all that sourness that you won't be able to eat anything tasty!" Song Xici turned to face her, walking backward with her hands behind her back.

"Then..." Tang You'an thought seriously for a moment. "I'll have to trouble you to take care of me, accompanying me to eat congee every day."

"That won't do! I plan to eat spicy hotpot, crayfish, and beef tendon when I'm old, and be a uniquely cool old lady!" Song Xici glanced at her.

"Then what about me? Can you bear to see me eating plain congee while you enjoy delicious food? Wouldn't your conscience hurt?" Tang You'an caught up to her.

"Of course I couldn't bear it!" Song Xici said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Tang You'an's neck. "That's why I won't let you be jealous forever! Listen well! Ahem, I, Song Xici, love only you!"

Hearing this, Tang You'an smiled, her eyes crinkling with joy.

"Alright, alright, let's go ride the Ferris wheel!" Song Xici then linked arms with her and continued walking, humming an unknown tune, sometimes looking to one side, sometimes hopping to look at the other.

Tang You'an turned her head to look at Song Xici's beaming face, smiled, and quickened her pace.

When they arrived, they bought tickets and entered one of the blue cabins together, curiously looking at everything outside.

As the door closed, the Ferris wheel slowly began to rise, and everything on the ground gradually became smaller. It felt as if they were getting closer to the night sky.

"It's been so long since I last rode this..." Song Xici stretched her arms out in the air for a moment, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned to Tang You'an with a bright smile. "Well, is it fun?"

Tang You'an smiled and nodded, turning her gaze back to the view outside.

The city's neon lights intertwined, the endless stream of vehicles and pedestrians became tiny, and stars twinkled in the sky. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Then, as the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, Tang You'an turned and placed her hand over Song Xici's.

Song Xici, who had been admiring the night view, turned to look at her, blinking. The warmth from their hands was incredibly reassuring.

In the night's glow, Tang You'an's eyes looked incredibly deep, seemingly filled with infinite tenderness. Song Xici's heart began to race again.

"Why are you looking at me like that..."

Tang You'an didn't speak, just tilted her head and kissed Song Xici's lips. It wasn't a deep kiss, just a simple touching of lips.

Her breath washed over Song Xici, carrying a faint fragrance that lingered in her nose, subtle yet intoxicating, like having drunk a glass of wine.

Song Xici quietly opened her eyes, looking closely at Tang You'an's slightly closed eyes, her long lashes, and her high bridge of nose. She felt her heart beating rhythmically.

When Tang You'an slightly opened her eyes, Song Xici quickly closed hers tightly.

Seeing Song Xici's expression, Tang You'an couldn't help but smile. She held Song Xici's hand, interlacing their fingers, and quietly gazed into the distance. "They say if you kiss your other half when the Ferris wheel reaches its highest point, you'll be together forever, always moving forward."

Hearing Tang You'an's words, Song Xici suddenly turned to look at her. "So, is that why you wanted to ride the Ferris wheel with me?"

Tang You'an looked at the night view, moved behind Song Xici, and wrapped her arms around her waist, nodding. "Mm, because I want to move forward with you forever."

Hearing these words, Song Xici's eyes became exceptionally bright. Leaning back into Tang You'an's embrace, she placed a hand over Tang You'an's, gently caressing it. Shallow, sweet dimples appeared on her cheeks as she said softly, "Alright then, let's move forward together, through sickness and health, wealth and poverty."

"Mm..." Tang You'an rested her chin on Song Xici's small shoulder.

The night was dazzling, the Ferris wheel turned slowly, and embracing the person they loved while admiring this slice of the world, a faint sense of contentment and happiness lingered in their hearts. For Tang You'an, nothing could be more wonderful than this moment.