049 The Buddha Is My Neighbor

For the casting of the new drama, Gu Yan constantly shuttled between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, she had to be present at both the preliminary and final rounds—the very beginning and the very end. It was no surprise that the preliminaries were such a success.

"Cheers!" In the elegantly simple private room sat a group of extraordinary individuals.

"I have to make a special toast to our most outstanding Gu Yan. Cheers!" Cai Mei raised her glass boldly.

"To our reunion," Gu Yan responded with a nod, then drained her cup in one gulp.

Beside them, Li Min studied Gu Yan thoughtfully. He had never imagined that the “Gu Yan” Cai Mei spoke of was the playwright Alisa. Though the woman before him smiled warmly, she emanated a cool, aloof grace.

"Cai Mei, I’ll toast you as well. May all true lovers find their happiness!" Cai Mei’s eyes flicked between Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan as she finished her drink. The welcome feast was going smoothly, and during it, Gu Yan whispered only two words to Li Min: cherish blessings.

The next day, Gu Yan and Cai Mei returned to Hengdian. Before leaving, Gu Yan promised that the male lead this time would be Li Min. It wasn’t favoritism; this was reality. Connections always played the pivotal role alongside talent.

Back in their familiar hometown, Cai Mei first went to the hospital.

The ward was quiet except for the steady beep of the heart monitor. After only a few days apart, Gu Yan noticed the girl in the bed had grown even thinner. Cai Mei’s lips trembled, sorrow deep in her eyes, tears flowing steadily.

“Da Xian... Da Xian... Stinky Mei’s here... Da Xian... Stinky Mei doesn’t want Li Min anymore, Stinky Mei’s back. Gu Yan too, Gu Yan doesn’t want Shen Hong anymore. Wake up, it’s been so many years. Don’t let Jiang Yun continue to hurt you, don’t let us look down on you. I know you can hear me. Wake up, please wake up...”

Unable to bear seeing Cai Mei so broken, Gu Yan turned away, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Unbeknownst to her, as she turned, a tear also traced down the girl’s cheek in the bed.

In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay in the hospital. She said, “Xiao Yan, like you, I have no home to return to. Let me stay and take care of Da Xian.” Back at the hotel, Gu Yan collapsed into sleep. These days had been so busy and restless; it was no wonder she was exhausted.

“You wicked woman, you come back from Hangzhou without even checking on me. Do you know how much I’ve missed you?” Wei Hao said as he entered the room. Seeing Gu Yan sleeping, his voice faltered. “Fine, I’ll forgive you this time.” He gently stroked her face.

“Dad... Mom...” A tear slipped from the corner of the woman’s eye.

Sitting by the bed, Wei Hao felt as if his heart had been struck. He had seen the fierce, unreasonable Gu Yan; the talented, vibrant Gu Yan; the cold, proud Gu Yan; the Gu Yan who cried out loud—but he had never seen her vulnerable and helpless. At that moment, he suddenly realized that in three years he had never truly understood her. He should have realized earlier that returning to the hometown where she grew up, she had met friends but never her closest family.

Wei Hao suddenly felt a deep ache for this woman older than him by a few years, wondering just how much pain and sorrow she had endured.

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The drawn-out scenes are about to end; the story will soon enter the sharp and vivid narrative phase.