Chapter 52

After New Year’s Day, the filming of Love for a Long Time entered the rush period.

The age span of Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s characters transitioned from their teenage years to their more mature selves several years later.

Filming with the crew works this way—scenes with the same background are shot together in one location before moving on to the next.

Compared to playing the younger version of Sang Xue, Sheng Qingli found it much easier to portray Sang Xue in her twenties, as a married woman—more mature and confident.

The scenes opposite Ye Guangyuan were fairly trivial.

Both actors performed well, so the filming went smoothly. Even with Director Wan’s high standards, they rarely needed more than two or three takes to get it right.

However, the scenes where Sang Xue and Heng Yi meet again after several years proved to be more challenging.

Their relationship heated up during the summer after Sang Xue’s college entrance exams, and when she started university, Sang Xue confessed to Heng Yi and kissed him first.

She stirred up Heng Yi’s heart.

After that, they began secretly dating.

Sang Xue attended university in Shanghai, not far from home, which allowed her to return every week. After spending some time with her parents, she would sneak off to the villa.

Heng Yi’s housekeeper knew her well and always greeted her with a smile when she showed up.

Their relationship took a slight turn during the winter.

Sang Xue was born on December 6th, on a snowy day. That year, her birthday fell on a school day, which frustrated her for quite some time since she couldn’t spend it with Heng Yi.

Knowing her regret, Heng Yi, who hadn’t left the villa for a long time, decided to surprise her by waiting for her at school to celebrate her birthday.

Sang Xue had no idea Heng Yi was coming.

Nor did she know that his car was parked not far from the school entrance, watching her happily chatting with a male classmate. The boy was tall, handsome, and most importantly, perfectly healthy.

Of course, Heng Yi wasn’t the type to be discouraged by such a minor issue.

But it was on that day that he began to reflect, to struggle with whether or not he should seek treatment for his crippled legs.

The two spent New Year’s together.

After New Year’s, Heng Yi shared his thoughts with Sang Xue, who wholeheartedly supported him. Even if there was only a one percent chance, he should try.

Sang Xue promised she would wait for him to return.

At the start of the new school term, Heng Yi flew to Germany.

At first, they kept in frequent contact, but as his treatment intensified, Heng Yi reached out to Sang Xue less and less, while she also became increasingly busy.

A few months later, a sudden misfortune struck Sang Xue’s family.

Her father was diagnosed with a health issue and passed away within a month, leaving Sang Xue and her mother behind.

The breakfast shop her parents ran fell into disarray after her father’s death, and her mother, overcome with grief, caused an accident.

Sang Xue tried to call Heng Yi, but couldn’t get through.

With no one to turn to and desperate to solve her immediate problems, she married Feng Qingyu, played by Ye Guangyuan. He had some mental issues that weren’t apparent on the surface, but the Feng family was well aware. That’s why they approached Sang Xue—if she agreed to marry Feng Qingyu, they would take care of many of her current troubles.

The string of events transformed Sang Xue from a lively and cheerful girl into a melancholy housewife, burdened by the struggles of life.

The only thing to be grateful for is that she insisted on finishing college.

This was also one of the conditions for Sang Xue to marry Feng Qingyu: she had to complete her degree. The Feng family had such a requirement.

Sang Xue clearly knew that at that moment, she had no better options. She couldn’t abandon her mentally ill mother, as she didn’t have enough money or ability to do so.

Getting married was the best choice she could make at that time. It allowed her to care for her mother while continuing her education.

The script doesn’t go into too much detail about her suffering.

However, those who have read the script and know what she has been through are fully aware of how difficult her life has been when faced with sudden changes.

---

When Heng Yi returned to the country, it was the eighth year since Sang Xue married Feng Qingyu.

That year, she was twenty-six.

In the first few years after marrying Feng Qingyu, the Feng family continued to thrive.

Gradually, however, the Feng family declined both internally and externally. All these changes were blamed on Sang Xue; they felt she was a harbinger of misfortune, and perhaps it was her marriage to Feng Qingyu that led the family to its current state.

As a result, Sang Xue was driven out of the Feng family.

She divorced Feng Qingyu and moved out with her mentally unstable mother, returning to the place where she lived as a child. They rented an apartment there.

After Heng Yi returned to the country, he did not immediately seek out Sang Xue.

Sang Xue only found out about the high-paying caregiver job by chance while browsing a website. During the interview, she realized the person needing a caregiver was Heng Yi.

The scene with Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci went smoothly.

When they saw each other, the emotions reflected in their eyes moved the surrounding staff.

Sang Xue’s eyes reddened instantly, and she quickly turned away to hide her embarrassment.

She paused for a few seconds before decisively turning to leave.

She didn’t want Heng Yi to see her in such a sorry state.

“Cut.” Wan Hongru called out as she ran out of the frame, “That’s a wrap.”

He turned to Sheng Qingli, saying, “Qingli performed well.”

Sheng Qingli took a deep breath and stepped toward the monitor. “Director Wan, let me take a look.”

Wan Hongru made space for the two as they approached.

After watching, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci exchanged glances.

Taking advantage of the crew setting up for the next scene, they quietly slipped away to a little corner where no one was paying attention.

“Feeling down?” Pei Qingci looked at her.

Sheng Qingli nodded, “A bit.”

She exhaled, “Sang Xue is too unfortunate.”

Pei Qingci understood her meaning. After a pause, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing this, Sheng Qingli was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you apologizing?”

“I’m apologizing to Sang Xue on behalf of Heng Yi,” Pei Qingci replied. “He let her go through such a difficult time alone.”

Sheng Qingli was stunned and softly said, “Heng Yi didn’t mean to.”

Heng Yi really wasn’t ignoring Sang Xue; after flying to Germany for treatment, he was initially clear-minded. But as treatment progressed, his awareness became muddled, and he even started having hallucinations, forgetting about Sang Xue. His mental health deteriorated, and treatment had to be interrupted.

By the time he remembered Sang Xue, she had already married Feng Qingyu.

The person responsible for investigating Sang Xue and relaying messages to Heng Yi had already been bribed by the elders of the Heng family, providing Heng Yi with only half-true information. He thought Sang Xue was extremely disappointed in him and had fallen for someone else, which was why she married Feng Qingyu.

For Heng Yi, who had difficulty walking, Sang Xue’s choice seemed normal.

She was still so young; compared to him, her decision to marry Feng Qingyu was correct and justifiable.

It was this twist of fate that led to their eight-year separation.

Thinking about their situations, Pei Qingci suddenly felt regretful. “If I had known…”

“What?” Sheng Qingli asked.

Pei Qingci was about to say something when they heard Tong Tong’s voice not far away. “Sister Li Li!”

Sheng Qingli turned around, “Over here.”

Pei Qingci lowered his gaze. “Go on, we can talk later.”

Sheng Qingli gently blinked, probably guessing what he wanted to say.

“I’ll get back to filming now.”

“Okay.”

---

After finishing several scenes that evening, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci parted ways to return to the hotel.

On the way, Sheng Qingli received the next day’s call sheet from the crew. After opening it and reading through, she fell silent.

Tong Tong was chattering away about the two scenes from that evening, saying how painful they were to watch. She felt that the audience would definitely shed tears in the cinema.

As they spoke, she noticed Sheng Qingli lost in thought.

“Tong Tong called out, “Sister Li Li.”

She waved her hand in front of her. “What are you thinking about?”

Sheng Qingli came back to her senses, closing her phone. “I’m contemplating life.”

“Huh?”

Sheng Qingli turned to her, took a deep breath, and said, “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Tong Tong was momentarily stunned, then suddenly thought of something and quietly asked, “Are you filming a kiss scene with Mr. Pei tomorrow?”

“… It’s not a kiss scene.” Sheng Qingli said coldly.

Tong Tong understood that if it wasn’t a kiss scene, then it would be a bed scene.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but ask, “Will Director Wan clear the set?”

Sheng Qingli glanced at her and thought seriously for a moment. “… He should.”

If he didn’t clear the set, she really wouldn’t be able to continue filming.

Seeing her look of distress, Tong Tong couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sister Li Li, don’t be nervous. You have to believe in yourself.”

“…”

Sheng Qingli didn’t want to speak; she really had no confidence when it came to bed scenes.

Silently, she returned to the hotel.

Sheng Qingli hadn’t had time to freshen up when her phone dinged with a message from the person in the next room: “Do you want to rehearse after you’ve washed up, or now?”

Sheng Qingli replied: “…There’s no need to rehearse for tomorrow’s scene, right?”

Who rehearses bed scenes?

Pei Qingci replied: “Isn’t there?”

Sheng Qingli: “No.”

Seeing her answer so firmly, Pei Qingci silently curled his lips into a smile: “I miss you.”

Sheng Qingli: “…Don’t use that sweet talk on me.”

Pei Qingci chuckled: “Not effective?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She really suspected Pei Qingci was doing it on purpose.

After a brief silence, Sheng Qingli slowly typed: “I need to take a shower first.”

It was too cold; she felt her body couldn’t warm up without a shower.

Pei Qingci: “Waiting for Ms. Sheng’s call.”

Sheng Qingli: “.”

Over an hour later, Pei Qingci walked openly into Sheng Qingli’s room.

They exchanged a glance, and Sheng Qingli turned her gaze away, her cheeks slightly flushed, “Please, Mr. Pei.”

Pei Qingci covered his mouth with a smile, not exposing her embarrassment.

The door closed.

Before Sheng Qingli could turn around, she was hugged by someone who hadn’t walked inside.

She turned slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, and poked him on the shoulder, “Mr. Pei, I’m a bit worried about this.”

Pei Qingci raised an eyebrow: “Worried about what?”

“Worried about you tomorrow.” Sheng Qingli said seriously.

Pei Qingci: “…”

After a few seconds of silence, he reached up to pinch Sheng Qingli’s cheek and quietly asked, “On purpose?”

“How dare I.” Sheng Qingli’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

They joked around for a while and then sat down on the sofa.

However, Pei Qingci sat on the couch, while Sheng Qingli was… on his lap.

There was a script beside them.

Pei Qingci picked it up and glanced at it, then asked, “Are you sure we don’t need to rehearse in advance?”

“No need.” Sheng Qingli looked down vaguely, “Don’t make things harder for yourself.”

Pei Qingci was at a loss for words.

They held each other quietly for a while.

Suddenly, Sheng Qingli asked him, “What did you want to say when we were on set?”

“I kind of regret agreeing to be apart from you.” Pei Qingci said candidly.

If he had known earlier, he should have stubbornly clung to her.

But there were too many things he didn’t know back then; at just over twenty, Pei Qingci’s thoughts weren’t as mature as they were now, and he didn’t act as calmly either.

Their unwillingness to lose, their stubbornness, and the exuberance of youth were all too evident at the beginning of their relationship.

Hearing this, Sheng Qingli moved closer and leaned against his chest, saying, “We’re doing pretty well like this now.”

At least they were luckier than Sang Xue Hen Yi.

Pei Qingci murmured, holding her a little tighter, “Ms. Sheng.”

Sheng Qingli: “Hmm?”

She felt his warm breath brushing against her ear.

Pei Qingci lifted a hand, cradling her face and asking, “If we’re not rehearsing, should we have a kiss instead?”

Sheng Qingli looked up at his face, so close, her long lashes fluttering, “If I feel uncomfortable, I won’t care about you.”

Pei Qingci chuckled, bending down to kiss her lips.

Actually, Sheng Qingli was also a bit impatient. She wrapped her arms around Pei Qingci’s neck, sitting in his lap while they kissed, feeling his presence. Through the thin fabric of their clothes, the kiss had a sense of deep entanglement, as if they wanted to merge each other into their bodies and blood.

It lasted for a long while.

In the end, Sheng Qingli softened and lent a hand.

---

The next day at noon, Sheng Qingli appeared at the filming location with a sense of dread.

The afternoon scenes went normally, but the evening involved a heavy rain scene. Because of this rain, Sang Xue was forced to stay overnight at the villa as a caregiver for Heng Yi. Then, due to Heng Yi’s provocative words, she kissed him and went to bed with him.

“…”

The weather forecast said there would be rain in the city that evening.

By dusk, the sky darkened.

After finishing the afternoon scenes, Sheng Qingli found a small corner to start preparing for the evening’s scene.

Around seven o’clock, the heavy rain came as expected.

However, the rainfall wasn’t strong enough to achieve the effect Director Wan wanted, so he had artificial rain set up to drench the courtyard, while Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci also made their preparations.

Worried about Sheng Qingli’s nerves, Wan Hongru and Wu Nuanshu took turns talking to her about the scene, guiding her.

“Don’t be nervous once we start shooting.” Wan Hongru said softly, “I believe in your acting skills and your explosive talent.”

He reassured Sheng Qingli, “I’ll clear the set of unnecessary personnel. You can perform without too much pressure.”

Sheng Qingli exhaled lightly, “I know, Director Wan. I’ll do my best.”

After Wan Hongru finished, he went to talk to Pei Qingci about the scene.

Once Wan Hongru left, Wu Nuanshu approached her, “Are you nervous?”

“A little bit.” Sheng Qingli looked at Wu Nuanshu, “Ms. Wu, I’m worried I won’t perform well.”

Wu Nuanshu smiled, patting her shoulder, “You have to believe in yourself; I believe in you.”

She looked at her, “I believe in you; you won’t let me down.”

With Wu Nuanshu’s words, Sheng Qingli felt even more pressure.

About ten minutes later, everything was ready.

All unnecessary staff left the house, leaving only a dozen people behind.

The lights in the villa dimmed.

Outside, the sound of rain pattered against the window, hitting the glass again and again, like a heartbeat for Sang Xue and Heng Yi.

The two had just gone through a fierce argument.

The instigator of the argument was Sang Xue’s ex-husband, Feng Qingyu.

At this moment, both of them were still fuming.

The sound of rain intertwined with their breathing. Sang Xue rubbed the corner of her eye unwillingly, not wanting Heng Yi to see her tear-streaked face. Meanwhile, after his hurtful words slipped out, Heng Yi felt regret.

He hated himself for using such words to provoke her.

The heavy rain caused a power outage in the villa.

Heng Yi couldn’t see Sang Xue, and there were no light sources nearby. He could only rely on his senses to navigate the wheelchair toward her, moving closer. “Miss Sang, I’m sorry.”

His tone was cold, keeping a certain distance from her. “About what I said earlier…”

Because he couldn’t see and was in a wheelchair, he accidentally bumped into something, nearly toppling over.

At that moment, Sang Xue reached out to steady him.

Their skin touched in the rainy night, and it felt electric.

Both were acutely aware that once this situation erupted, they couldn’t maintain the relationship of caregiver and employer anymore.

Sang Xue instinctively wanted to withdraw her hand, but Heng Yi held onto her wrist.

After a fruitless struggle, Sang Xue asked angrily, “Heng, please have some self-respect. You can’t be thinking of sleeping with me now that I’m divorced—”

Before she could finish, Heng Yi interrupted, “Sang Xue.”

He could no longer bear it and stopped addressing her as Miss Sang politely.

Sang Xue paused, looking at him through the faint light coming in from the window. “What? Are you regretting it now, Heng?”

She pressed on, “If it wasn’t for you…”

Sang Xue wanted to blame him; if he hadn’t gone abroad and disappeared, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.

But then she realized she couldn’t blame him.

She couldn’t expect others to solve her problems. Her family matters, she had to rely on herself.

They stood in silence, one standing and the other sitting.

After a while, Sang Xue sighed lightly. “I’ll take you back to your room to rest.”

Heng Yi replied, “It’s raining too heavily outside. You’ll stay in the guest room tonight.”

Sang Xue didn’t say anything.

Once she helped Heng Yi back to his room, she prepared to assist him onto the bed.

After helping him onto the bed, she was about to leave.

Just as she turned, Heng Yi grabbed her wrist. “Sang Xue.”

Sang Xue stiffened. “What do you want to say?”

“My words just now weren’t sincere.” Under the cover of darkness, he revealed his feelings. “I don’t dislike you; I don’t think you’re dirty just because you’re married. That’s not what I meant. I just…”

He was filled with regret, hating himself.

Why did he forget her during treatment, leaving her to bear those pains alone?

As Sang Xue listened, tears streamed down her face.

She remained silent for a long time.

Until Heng Yi raised his eyes to look at her and was about to say something else, Sang Xue suddenly asked, “Are you saying all this because you want to sleep with me?”

Heng Yi was shocked, seemingly unable to believe such words came from Sang Xue.

He opened his mouth. “Sang Xue, you misunderstood me.”

“Did I?” Sang Xue calmly retorted. “Heng, look at the way you’re looking at me. I’ve seen that same look from my ex-husband. Do you believe me?”

They were hurting each other once again.

The atmosphere in the room turned tense.

It was unclear who started it, but suddenly the camera shook, and Sang Xue moved closer to Heng Yi.

As the camera zoomed in, Sang Xue, with her long eyelashes fluttering, kissed Heng Yi. Her hands were positioned on either side of him, ensuring she didn’t crush his legs.

Heng Yi regained his senses under her kiss and raised his hand to push her away.

Sang Xue threatened, “Heng, if you push me away now, don’t even think about there being a next time.”

Upon hearing Sang Xue’s words, Heng Yi hesitated for a moment.

It was this hesitation that gave Sang Xue an opportunity.

The filming was discreet.

Sang Xue moved her kiss from Heng Yi’s lips downwards. She wasn’t the naive eighteen-year-old who dated Heng; she was a married woman.

She was acutely aware of her body’s reactions and Heng Yi’s.

As Heng Yi began to respond, Sang Xue straddled him, reaching up to unbutton his shirt.

In the room, the crew held their breath.

Everyone heard the rise and fall of their breaths and felt their ears heat up; some began to feel parched.

The scene unfolded in an orderly manner.

Heng Yi found it increasingly unbearable as Sang Xue kissed him, letting out muffled groans. He wanted to stop her, but with his legs impaired, he could only allow Sang Xue to “have her way.”

During the shoot, Pei Qingci sensed something amiss and struggled to pull over a nearby blanket, covering the two of them.

Seeing his action, Wan Hongru raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop him. He knew Pei Qingci wanted to avoid too many explicit visuals.

It was precisely this action from Pei Qingci that allowed for more imagination.

Hidden beneath the blanket, the woman’s body shifted, and the wrinkling of the blanket set the scene aflame with uncontainable thoughts.

The camera jumped from above, capturing the woman’s subtle movements, her tension, and desire flickering in and out of the frame.

The breathing grew louder.

The sound of their kisses became clearer. The zipper sounded, and as Sang Xue’s dark hair spread out, her clothes fell to the floor, contrasting starkly with the blanket, intertwining desire.

Time passed.

Once they achieved the desired effect of intimacy and the visuals and sounds aligned, Wan Hongru called out, “Cut.”

He looked up from the monitor. “That’s a wrap.”

Hearing Wan Hongru’s voice, the surrounding crew began to breathe again.

Some people walked out of the room to smoke, while others looked for water to drink.

The two assistants stepped forward, and when Sheng Qingli emerged from under the covers, her lips were red, and her cheeks, ears, and neck were also flushed. She took off her soft cotton clothing, and Tong Tong quickly wrapped her in a blanket. “Go rest over there.”

Sheng Qingli responded with an acknowledgment.

As she walked away, Pei Qingci closed her eyes, raised her hand to cover her eyes, and took a moment to gather herself. Then she accepted the long, loose down jacket that Fang Li handed her and stood up to leave.