Chapter 0454: A Token of Allegiance

For the casting of the new drama, Gu Yan was constantly shuttling between Hangzhou and Hengdian. As the screenwriter, she had to be present for both the preliminary and final rounds, the opening and closing acts. The success of the preliminary round was entirely within expectations.

"Cheers!" In a private room adorned with simple elegance sat a group of people who were anything but ordinary.

"I must propose a separate toast, to the most accomplished among us—Gu!" Cai Mei raised her glass with a bold, unrestrained air. "Drink!"

"To our reunion." Gu Yan lifted her glass in acknowledgment and drained it in one swift motion.

Li Min, seated nearby, regarded Gu Yan thoughtfully. He hadn’t expected the “Gu” that Xiao Mei spoke of to be none other than the playwright Alisa. The woman before him, though smiling, exuded an air of cool detachment and proud solitude.

"Cai Mei, let me toast you as well. May lovers always find their way to each other." Cai Mei’s gaze swept over Zheng Yingqi and Gu Yan, a knowing look flickering in her eyes, before she finished her drink with a laugh. The welcoming banquet went smoothly; throughout, Gu Yan said only two words to Li Min: “Cherish blessings.”

The next day, Gu Yan took Cai Mei back to Hengdian. As they left, she promised that this time, the leading man would indeed be Li Min. It wasn’t favoritism on Gu Yan’s part—this was reality. Relationships have always been the most crucial part of one’s ability.

Back in her familiar hometown, Cai Mei chose to visit the hospital first.

The ward was silent, save for the steady beeping of the ECG monitor. After just a few days apart, Gu Yan felt that the girl in the hospital bed had grown even thinner. Cai Mei’s lips quivered with sorrow, tears streaming down her face.

“Da Xian... Da Xian... it’s Smelly Mei, I’m here... Da Xian, Smelly Mei doesn’t want Li Min anymore, I’m back now. Gu, too—Gu doesn’t want Shen Hong anymore. Wake up, it’s been so many years, don’t let Jiang Yunkai torment you any longer, don’t make us look down on you. I know you can hear me. Wake up, please, wake up...”

Gu Yan could not bear to watch Cai Mei dissolve into tears any longer. She turned away, a single tear sliding down her own cheek. What she didn’t notice was that, at that very moment, a tear also slipped from the girl’s eye on the hospital bed.

In the end, Cai Mei decided to stay at the hospital. She said, “Xiao Yan, like you, I no longer have a 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, she barely had a moment’s rest—no wonder she was so exhausted.

“You wretched woman, you come back from Hangzhou and don’t even think to visit me. Don’t you know I missed you?” Wei Hao grumbled as he entered the room. Seeing Gu Yan fast asleep, his tone immediately softened. “Fine, I’ll forgive you this once.” He spoke as he gently stroked her face.

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

Sitting at the bedside, Wei Hao felt as if his heart had been struck. He had seen the wild and unruly Gu Yan, the talented and radiant Gu Yan, the cool and aloof Gu Yan, and the Gu Yan who could sob without restraint. Yet he had never seen her so fragile and helpless. In that moment, he realized that after three years together, he had never truly understood her. He should have expected this: returning to her childhood home, she had visited old friends, but the dearest family was absent.

Wei Hao suddenly felt an ache for this woman who was a few years older than himself, wondering just how much pain and sorrow she had endured.

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The meandering plot is about to end, and the story will soon enter a more dramatic phase.