037 The Secret of a Heart Full of Joy
This was an unprecedentedly grand opening ceremony, and in the little town of Hengdian it seemed almost startlingly out of place. Countless reporters and fans had surrounded the Paper Drunk Gold Hotel so completely that not even a drop of water could pass through. Most of them held signs bearing the names Wei Hao, Lee Min, and Alisa. Although the weather had begun to grow steadily warmer, the fans’ enthusiasm remained at fever pitch.
“Ah——!”
“Wei Hao! Wei Hao! Wei Hao...”
“Lee Min! Lee Min! Lee Min...”
“Alisa! Alisa! Alisa...”
The fans suddenly erupted in excited cheers, while the rapid clicking of shutters and flashing of camera lights rang out in a frantic rhythm. At last, the stars everyone had been waiting for arrived.
Apart from Lee Min, the popular Korean star cast as the male lead, the female lead was an entirely ordinary, unknown woman. Yet she was also the person most envied and resented that day. Perhaps only moments earlier she had still been obscure and unnoticed, but from that instant onward, her life was destined to shine brilliantly.
Why? Because she had become the leading lady of Alisa’s first production in mainland China—a role countless international actresses had fought desperately to obtain, yet failed to win.
“Dear friends from the media, welcome to the opening ceremony of *The Important One*, Alisa’s first inspirational production. Now, let us welcome the two leads of the drama, along with Zheng Yingqi, the young heir of Zheng Corporation, our sponsor, and Alisa herself, to cut the ribbon for the new production.”
Lan Ruo, Alisa’s assistant, was thoroughly accustomed to speeches of this sort.
“Clap, clap, clap——”
After the applause, the four of them stepped forward together, raised their scissors, and cut the red ribbon at the same time.
“Alisa, what are your expectations for this drama?”
“Why did you choose a Korean actor to play the male lead?”
“May I ask...”
At that moment, a familiar ringtone interrupted the reporters’ questions, its melody urging someone to be taken home along a country road.
“Hello!” With Lan Ruo’s help, Alisa made her way out of the crush of reporters.
“Hello, my ass!”
The moment Gu Yan heard that familiar voice, she began to tremble. Though it sounded somewhat weak and sickly, it was as arrogant as ever. She was so overwhelmed that she hardly knew what to say.
“Hey, Ancient One, you didn’t faint from excitement, did you?” The teasing voice came from the other end of the line once more, finally bringing Gu Yan back to herself.
“You’d better stay right there and wait for me!” Gu Yan hung up, then hurried straight to the hotel’s underground parking garage, ignoring the reporters staring at one another in confusion. Of course, quite a few quick-witted reporters had already captured images of her taking the call. If nothing unexpected happened, tomorrow’s entertainment headlines would read: “Mysterious Phone Call Makes Alisa Curse in Public—She Abandons Cast and Sponsor and Hurries Away.”
Gu Yan pushed the car to its highest speed and raced toward the hospital. She failed to notice that another vehicle was following close behind.
When Shen Hong saw Gu Yan’s car stop outside the hospital, the doubts in his heart were instantly resolved. The two of them had lived together day and night for two years, after all. There were things he never spoke of, but he had seen them all.
“You little wretch. So you finally decided to wake up.”
The moment Gu Yan entered the hospital room, she saw Great Immortal, Miss Vanity, Dawn Dream, and Ten joking together. Apparently, she was the last one to arrive.
“Come on, just look at those luxury handbags and designer dresses. Our Ancient One has struck it rich. Of course I had to wake up and fleece her a little.”
“Hoo——”
Gu Yan exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down. “Fine. You’ve come back from the dead today, so I’ll let it go.”
“Hahaha!”
Seeing Gu Yan’s solemn expression, the girls could not help bursting into laughter. After three long years, the five sisters had finally been brought together again.
Gu Yan leaned against the hospital-room door. When she heard the laughter inside, she quietly walked away.
Just as quietly as she had come, without anyone noticing.