The night deepened, and the Central Television building remained brightly lit.
After the Spring Festival Gala ended, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only a few cars and the sound of hurried footsteps in the vast parking lot.
ng Wanning declined the dinner gathering and, wearing a black down jacket, headed straight for the exit.
"Hey, I’m here," she sent a ssage.
She looked up and saw Yu Xinwei’s nanny car parked on the roadside with its hazard lights flashing.
She glanced at it from afar, thinking about sothing, and hesitated slightly in her steps.
Just as she was wondering whether to take a detour, the nanny car door opened, and Yu Xinwei approached quickly after seeing ng Wanning’s figure.
"Miss ng, I’m sorry to bother you so late."
Yu Xinwei walked up to ng Wanning, removed her mask, "Could I take a few minutes of your ti?"
ng Wanning politely nodded, "Miss Yu, is there sothing you need?"
"...Are you heading...to Brother Cheng’s place?"
"Yes."
ng Wanning answered promptly, leaving Yu Xinwei montarily speechless as her prepared words got stuck in her throat.
She paused slightly, "Well...actually...I..."
"Could you...bring along?"
ng Wanning asked curiously, "He didn’t call you?"
"No."
"I thought...," ng Wanning spoke as though she realized sothing, "It must be Sister Lin who didn’t call you, right?"
Yu Xinwei nodded, "I know my request is a bit abrupt, but during this ti of reunion, I also want to go to the courtyard and personally wish Brother Cheng a Happy New Year."
ng Wanning looked at the glamorous celebrity, who now showed a kind of vulnerability and helplessness, and felt her heart soften.
She understood Yu Xinwei’s feelings for Chen Cheng and was aware of the complex and unresolved past between them.
Though Chen Cheng had chosen her now, Yu Xinwei still held a special place in his heart.
Besides, who wants to be alone during the New Year?
"Let’s go," ng Wanning took out her phone, "I’ll ssage him first, letting him know that we’re coming together."
"Thank you, Miss ng! Thank you so much!"
"It’s nothing," ng Wanning smiled, "It’s New Year, after all, it’s ant to be lively."
"Then let’s get in the car," Yu Xinwei invited.
"Yeah!"
The two got in the car and headed straight to the courtyard.
"Miss ng, do you have any plans for the New Year?" Yu Xinwei suddenly broke the silence in the car.
ng Wanning looked at her with so surprise, "? No."
She looked out the window; the street lights flashing past in the night stretched her shadow long but reflected a smile on her face, "To be honest, this is the first year I haven’t spent New Year with the Beijing Opera troupe."
Yu Xinwei responded with an "Mm," her gaze also turned towards the window.
Her fingers lightly rubbed her thigh, seeming to be reminiscing about sothing.
"In past years, I spent New Year in the troupe,"
ng Wanning continued, her tone tinged with nostalgia, "It’s rare to get ti off, and we’d gather as brothers and sisters, eating and chatting. Although not ho, it’s still warm."
Yu Xinwei nodded, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, "I understand that feeling."
Her voice was light but made ng Wanning turn to look at her.
Yu Xinwei’s face held a slightly bitter smile, her eyes showing a complex emotion.
"What about you?" ng Wanning asked.
"It’s been a long ti since I spent New Year at ho," Yu Xinwei sighed, "I used to be so busy, busy making money, busy with events, busy with endorsents. Now suddenly having free ti, I don’t know what to do."
Her voice dropped, "Miss ng, you know? Actually, I’m envious of you."
"Envious of ?"
Yu Xinwei nodded, her smile beca more pronounced, "Yes, even though you’re not spending New Year at ho, you have your own stage, your own passion. But I..."
"You don’t like what you’re doing now?" ng Wanning queried, "You’re a household na, everyone knows Yu Xinwei."
Yu Xinwei smiled bitterly, shook her head, "You don’t understand, Miss ng. I’ve gone through so much, through the challenges behind fa and glamour. All people see is the smile on the red carpet, the brilliance on the screen, but no one knows that behind it all, I’ve long lost myself."
"I don’t know if Brother Cheng told you," she paused for a mont, opened up to the girl she had hardly t, "I was initially with Sister Lin."
ng Wanning slightly nodded, and Yu Xinwei continued, "Before, Sister Lin was an unavoidable resource and background for , I thought I could use her to reach greater heights. But...later, I found out, I was rely a toy in her hands."
ng Wanning frowned slightly, intrigued by her past, asked, "What did she make you do?"
Yu Xinwei still lacked the courage to reveal her past with Wen Shulin, she just said:
"I once thought that if I worked hard enough and succeeded enough, I could escape all this. But I was wrong; the higher I climbed, the deeper I fell. I was like a bird trapped in a golden cage, seemingly glamorous, yet truly without freedom."
"Then, I t Brother Cheng."
Yu Xinwei’s voice beca softer, "He was like a ray of light, illuminating my dreary world. He made realize there are things more important than fa and fortune, like true feelings and freedom."
"He helped a lot and changed a lot," Yu Xinwei’s eyes brightened, "So I just really want to say Happy New Year to him, Miss ng, please don’t misunderstand."
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