She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 55

Fine rain droplets flowed in a straight line along the black eaves, like a pearl curtain hanging in front of the door. After a period of commotion, the small alley returned to a serene quietude. Occasionally, a few people would come out of curiosity, lingering at the door opposite for a while before hesitantly entering "Spring Banquet."

"Who's singing in the rain, raindrops sliding off the eaves, shattering the past in the song. We've been out of touch for so long, I know the number by heart but dare not dial..." A low, hoarse voice accompanied by guitar carried an inexplicable sadness, weaving together the desolate spring rain, like crafting a hazy dream of youth, full of endless sorrow and nostalgia for near misses.

When the proprietress emerged from the kitchen, she carried a bowl of translucent, ice-like celadon. The fragrant, soft glutinous rice was adorned with green peas and diced tender bamboo shoots. The scallions sprinkled on top intertwined their aroma with the glutinous rice, lingering in the room. At this time, the shop remained quiet, with no customers.

Cheng Henian set her guitar aside. When she came out after washing her hands, she had put on a different face. The melancholy and worry in her eyes had dissipated, leaving only a bright smile. Her gaze slid from the proprietress's face to the steaming glutinous rice. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and said, "It smells so good."

"Eat up," the proprietress lowered her eyelashes, her face bearing a gentle smile. This soft-spoken woman seemed never to have moments of impatience or fury. When Cheng Henian first came here with Ji Yaoguang and the others, she couldn't forget the delicious food. Later, during an extremely rare glimpse in the courtyard, she suddenly found a peaceful haven for her restless heart. In the past, when she lacked inspiration for composing, she would lock herself in her room and vent for days and nights. Now, she wished she could move into "Spring Banquet." Though the storefront looked narrow, the interior was surprisingly spacious, with a large courtyard connected to several rows of side rooms, most of which were empty.

As soon as the proprietress disappeared, the quick-tongued Xiao Zhao emerged from another corner, glaring at Cheng Henian with a mix of jealousy and dissatisfaction in her eyes. She kicked the chair leg and asked, "Besides freeloading here, what else can you do? Want me to take a photo and post it online? Let all your fans come running here."

Cheng Henian smiled at this and pretended to be generous, saying, "That would be great. Spring Banquet would be lively with more people. I'm just afraid we'd both be kicked out by the proprietress then." From her observations over this period, she found that the proprietress was actually quite laid-back. She didn't seem to care about the inn's income and expenses, as if running this place was purely for sentimental reasons. Only those who aren't short of money can afford such an attitude. Looking at the proprietress, Cheng Henian couldn't help but sigh. She too once had some unrealistic dreams, but in the end, weren't they all worn away bit by bit by reality?

"Hmph, that's right!" Xiao Zhao slightly raised her chin, snorting at Cheng Henian. When speaking of the proprietress, her eyes filled with admiration. "Our proprietress is different from that woman across the street. Look at her seeking attention, doing live streams to slander our Spring Banquet. She doesn't even think about where she came from, who helped her bit by bit! Now she's developing into a big star, how can small fries like us have any say? You know how violent and terrifying online rumors can be. Say a few honest words and you'll be drowned by the fans' spit."

Cheng Henian curled her lips, finding it quite interesting. She could only get limited information from the proprietress, but Zhao Xi was different. She was a big mouth, eager to pour out her grievances to passersby, trying to get them to take sides. "Sounds like there's a story. Care to share?"

"You celebrities are all unreliable," Zhao Xi rolled her eyes.

Cheng Henian, innocently caught in the crossfire, spread her hands and shrugged, "I'm no celebrity. Please call me the radio drama boss. By the way, Xiao Xi, did you listen to the radio drama I sent you before?" As she spoke, Cheng Henian winked ambiguously at Zhao Xi. Hearing her words, Zhao Xi exploded, jumping away like a cat, angrily embarrassed, "Don't give me those things to corrupt me! And don't call me Xiao Xi! It sounds like a maid." The last sentence was muttered so softly it was almost scattered by the wind. A call came from the kitchen, and Zhao Xi turned away, huffily carrying the empty bowl. Meanwhile, Cheng Henian pulled out a piece of paper and started scribbling. Ji Yaoguang had given her all the lyrics, but the task assigned to her by the show was far more than just composing for lyrics.

Completely immersed in her musical world, Cheng Henian didn't notice another guest quietly arriving at Spring Banquet. It was long past mealtime, so clearly not for food. When she finally drew the last musical notation, Cheng Henian stretched lazily and glimpsed the person sitting quietly nearby. It had been a while since she'd heard news of Lu Yusheng. At first sight, she was a bit stunned, but after a moment, she smiled lazily and said, "Oh, it's Teacher Lu. What a coincidence to meet you here."

"Not a coincidence," Lu Yusheng shook her head, pressing her lips together. "I came here specifically to find you."

"Find me?" Cheng Henian pointed at herself, chuckled lightly, and then feigned disbelief. Pretending not to understand the emotions in Lu Yusheng's eyes, she neatly stacked the scattered papers on the table before asking leisurely, "How have you been lately, Teacher Lu?"

"Not bad, and you?" Lu Yusheng blinked, her face instantly covered with a light smile.

"Busy, busy as a dog," Cheng Henian twirled a pen between her fingers round and round. Without waiting for Lu Yusheng to inquire, she voluntarily brought up, "Took on some work, even indefinitely postponed the radio drama club stuff."

Lu Yusheng asked, "Is it from Ji Kaiyang's side?"

"Yes," Cheng Henian nodded, resting her chin on her hand and smiling sideways. "You already know all this, don't you, Teacher Lu?"

After a moment of silence, Lu Yusheng spoke again, "You joined Beidou Entertainment? Why did you refuse when I invited you before, but now—"

"It's not what you think," Cheng Henian interrupted Lu Yusheng. The frivolous smile on her face had completely disappeared. "My thoughts haven't changed. I don't want to drift in the entertainment circle, but you're all right about one thing—because of my hobby and work, I can't completely separate from this circle. I've always taken on composition work, my name won't disappear from the circle for now. But under these circumstances, my heart and my person are still free. I've long tired of facing countless audiences on stage, releasing my voice in that noisy and clamorous environment. It doesn't suit me." Glancing at Lu Yusheng's face and seeing her listening attentively, she continued, "Actually, there's another reason. True, the work I took on before was mostly small-scale and trivial. I never touched the olive branches extended by the circle's bigwigs. I took this one firstly because of Ji Yaoguang, and secondly to thank Beidou's CEO Ji for helping me resolve some previous troubles. I don't want to owe any favors."

"I understand," Lu Yusheng sighed lightly. "I respect your choice. I'm sorry for pressing you so hard before without considering your feelings."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Cheng Henian smiled easily. "Many people are like this. The stubborn side of my nature must have caused you quite some trouble. I should apologize to you."

Lu Yusheng chuckled lightly, "You've changed a lot in attitude after not seeing you for a while." She remembered the flamboyance at their first meeting, the prickly arrogance that seemed to want to hurt anyone who came close. Had her bad habit of speaking without filters gradually changed after experiencing one online storm after another? Cheng Henian was a very talented person, but almost everyone who met her would only be left with an impression of arrogance and flamboyance—not necessarily bad, but definitely not good.

Cheng Henian half-jokingly said, "Because I've started studying Buddhism. You know, the first thing for a monk is to have a peaceful mindset."

"Is that so?" Lu Yusheng curled her lips. "The irritable Taoist has entered the Buddhist gate? Then, Monk Cheng, may I ask one thing—are we still friends now?"

"Amitabha," Following Lu Yusheng's words with a Buddhist chant, Cheng Henian pressed her palms together, suppressing a smile as she said, "All within the four seas are brothers. Every devotee I meet is this poor monk's friend." Just missing a kasaya robe and alms bowl, she could mount a white horse and roam... no, journey to the West for scriptures.

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The lingering rain pattered, a breath of spring stirring in the damp soil.

Siren leaped from the shrubbery onto the corridor, shaking off the rain. Its elegant steps left a string of damp footprints on the wooden walkway. It placed its paws on the door frame, meowing, but its owner didn't respond to its calls. Siren suddenly twisted its body, raising its tail and turning its bottom towards the door, but soon its attention was drawn to something else. Landing lightly on the railing nearby, it huddled, watching someone running back and forth in the rain, jumping around where she placed things, messing up the neatly arranged wood scraps.

The wood materials Chang Yu brought back were all placed in the courtyard. If they got wet in the rain—

All of An Muyu's thoughts revolved around Chang Yu. The moment this lingering rain began to fall, she stood on the corridor watching. After a long while, she hurriedly rushed into the rain curtain, bit by bit "rescuing" the rain-soaked wood blocks.

"Achoo—" The cold penetrated to the bone, water droplets streaming down her damp hair. An Muyu glared hatefully at this troublemaking little cat, her fierce gaze seeming to want to swallow it alive.

Siren instinctively sensed the danger. With a meow, it darted into another corner, quickly disappearing from An Muyu's sight.