Drifting on a String - Chapter 64
Chapter 64
The small courtyard by the river was a gathering spot for a few young people who were very familiar with the owner. As soon as they arrived, they ordered several pots of glutinous rice wine and rose brew, with just a single plate of drunkard's peanuts. They sat by the river to drink.
The owner had designed the riverside with great ambiance. There were no stools, only the bluestone slabs of the steps to sit on, with a few low tables placed intermittently between them.
A gentle breeze rustled the willows, and clear ripples lapped the shore. There weren't many stars in the night sky, which felt vast and safe.
A black-canopied boat, having completed its last run, was heading home. Perhaps a few cormorants had taken a sharp dive, sending a large splash across the water.
Chen Piaopiao was wearing a long, gradient dress of teal and black. She subconsciously looked for Tao Jin. Tao Jin hadn't come; only the studio's "Three Musketeers" were there: Arick, Tingting, and Fay.
The girls were laughing and joking, tacitly avoiding any talk of work. Tingting mentioned that Arick was leaving for another job, and the screenwriting team would be getting a replacement from the Shanghai studio named Niki.
Arick pouted. "Hot girl, I just got to know you, and now I have to say goodbye."
Chen Piaopiao expressed her regret and then, curious, asked them why they all had English names.
Fay said, "I don't know either. They're all like that. Later, I figured it's probably because calling someone Xiao X sounds too much like you're in a public institution, and using the last two characters of their name is too mushy."
Tingting chimed in, "It really is mushy."
Fay laughed as she complained, "Especially with reduplicated words. I'm not kidding, every time I say 'Piaopiao,' I get goosebumps."
"The way Tao Jin says Piaopiao is the mushiest of all, okay?" Tingting slapped her dramatically. "The first time I heard it, I was stunned."
"Is it okay for us to talk like this when she's not here..." Fay lowered her voice and giggled.
Chen Piaopiao found herself smiling unconsciously. Hearing others complain about Tao Jin like this sent her into a daze, as if she were back in the days with the Hippocampus. But now, no one called her "Baby Jin." Sometimes they called her "Teacher Tao," sometimes "Sister Jin," and sometimes "A'Jin."
They all sounded nice. Whatever they called her, it sounded nice.
Chen Piaopiao's mind drifted again, the sound of Tao Jin calling her "Piaopiao" echoing in her ears. She was still thinking about how Tao Jin had defended her. At that moment, she had looked deeply at Tao Jin, and a very abrupt thought had surfaced in her mind: regardless of whether Tao Jin was disappointed in her or angry with her, she would protect her. She would never let anyone else hurt her.
Even if this "protection" at that moment contradicted the "professionalism" she held as a golden rule.
This action was truly worth pondering. Because if Tao Jin had unhesitatingly chosen to "defend Chen Piaopiao" over "defending professionalism," then the possibility that she looked down on Chen Piaopiao because of so-called "professionalism" and "art" was greatly reduced.
Taking it a step further, her insistence on cutting the intimate scene, without even being able to produce a decent explanation, was even less likely to be because she looked down on Chen Piaopiao's professionalism. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for her to apologize and accept the suggestion.
What if, just what if, it was because... she was jealous?
The long-forgotten fox ears flickered in and out of sight in her hair. Her heart skipped a beat, and her lower abdomen instinctively clenched.
She didn't know if it was the alcohol, but just the thought of Tao Jin being jealous was enough to stir something in Chen Piaopiao.
It felt like long-dormant embers finally about to reignite. A few stray sparks slowly spiraled in the air. Chen Piaopiao watched them, wondering if they would start a raging fire.
She drank cup after cup, the urge to go and ask Tao Jin stirring restlessly within her, forcing her to use alcohol to suppress it.
The girls got tipsy and started telling stories—about the scumbags they had met, about crying their hearts out in love, about hitting walls everywhere in life, about how they often wanted to tell reality to go screw itself.
It turned out this drinking session wasn't without purpose; it was just that girls always hid their intentions so carefully.
They had once thought Chen Piaopiao was the stereotypical sheltered celebrity who knew nothing of the world's hardships. That was until they'd run into her doing her morning vocal practice a few times, until she argued her case for the play and wasn't ashamed to ask for guidance, until she stood by with her hands behind her back, listening quietly like a student every time, until she couldn't cry and stood on stage trying so hard to summon her emotions.
They gradually realized that Chen Piaopiao was only twenty-three, an age when most people had just left campus not long ago.
So they wanted her to open up, to perhaps relax enough to laugh or cry.
But Chen Piaopiao still didn't. She held her cup, watching the water, listening to their antics with a quiet and gentle demeanor. Her expression was very much like Tao Jin's.
Finally, the girls' conversation returned to names. They sat by the river, talking about the meaning behind their nicknames or English names.
Fay said, "I've loved music since I was little. My favorite singer's English name is Faye. I chose this name, and they call me A'Fay. A'Fay. It makes me feel like I have some connection to the singer I like."
She smiled shyly and looked at Tingting, hugging her knees.
Tingting said, "Piaopiao might not know this, but my real name is Zhu Tingting. My grandma raised me, and she only speaks in our dialect. Every time she called me, it sounded like 'Zhu Tingting'—'Pig, listen, listen.' So my classmates gave me the nickname Tingting."
What about Arick? Did that uncommon English name have any meaning?
Arick didn't speak. She clinked her cup with Chen Piaopiao's. "See you in Jiangcheng if we get the chance. I'll tell you then."
Chen Piaopiao wished her all the best. On the way back, she wondered what the meaning of her own name was.
She had never asked her parents, but now she felt it was rather prophetic. If she had to explain it, it would probably be—drifting and uncertain, a fleeting life.
They returned to the guesthouse, laughing and joking. It was already very quiet, and they instinctively quieted down at the main gate. They said their goodbyes under the dim, atmospheric courtyard lights and went back to their respective rooms. Chen Piaopiao had to go up to the second floor. At the staircase, she passed Tao Jin's door. She glanced over subconsciously. The door opened, and Tao Jin stood there holding a script, looking slightly stunned.
"Just got back?"
"Were you looking for me?"
They spoke at the same time.
Then, they fell silent together for two or three seconds.
In the end, it was Tao Jin who spoke. "I was thinking about that scene in the script, whether there's a form of expression more suited to you. I wanted to discuss it with you."
"Let's go to my room." Chen Piaopiao's eyelids drooped as she leaned lazily against the handrail, like a lithe green snake.
Tao Jin moistened her lips, her eyes fixed on Chen Piaopiao's face. "You've been drinking."
"Mhm, but not much. I can talk about work."
Chen Piaopiao led the way upstairs, hearing the "click" of Tao Jin's door closing behind her.
"Click."
The living room light came on. Chen Piaopiao squinted her foxy eyes, adjusting to the light. Then, she sat down on the sofa in a drunken haze, hugging the armrest to clear her head for a moment.
"Where's the kettle?" Tao Jin watched her for a few seconds before asking softly.
Chen Piaopiao looked up blankly, then thought for a moment. "There's no kettle. You want hot water?"
"You never drink hot water?"
"Mhm, I order coffee. Coffee is hot." Chen Piaopiao's voice trailed off listlessly, but she forced herself to rally. She picked up the script from the coffee table, sat in the light of the floor lamp, and flipped it open. "How do you want to change this part?"
"You should rest first," Tao Jin said, noticing her speech was a bit soft. She prepared to leave. "I'll find you tomorrow."
Tomorrow... Chen Piaopiao felt a wave of dizziness. Would she really come find her tomorrow?
It had been too long since she and Tao Jin had been alone together so peacefully. Perhaps it was the alcohol going to her head, but she suddenly felt a little wronged. How could someone who wouldn't even bring herself to say "see you tomorrow" possibly come find her tomorrow?
"You can't make up your mind because you also think crying is the best choice, don't you?" Chen Piaopiao lifted her head and asked.
Her face was pale, thin, and small, the area around her eyes faintly red. She didn't look drunk, but rather like she'd been bullied.
"Yes, but you can't cry." Tao Jin sat down across from her.
Chen Piaopiao hugged the armrest and let out a soft "hiss," frowning.
Her spine must be hurting. Tao Jin paused for a few seconds, then said softly, "Do you want to go lie down?"
She remembered Li Yu saying that Chen Piaopiao was more comfortable on a mattress with the firmness adjusted to 53%.
Was this... concern? Chen Piaopiao peeked at her, then stood up from the sofa and headed toward the bedroom. "Then you come in, and we'll continue talking."
Tao Jin didn't move. She blinked, her gaze calm and clear as she watched her.
Chen Piaopiao suddenly smiled, then sighed. "You've seen everything, haven't you?"
Between them, what was there left to be afraid of?
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