VOLUME 3: Distant Star

35. 4 Years Later

Four years later, at A City Airport,

The airport is a magical place, always witnessing farewells and also witnessing reunions.

Yu Yue got off the plane and went to pick up his luggage first. While waiting for his luggage, he received a message from Han Danhang.

Not Hangzhou’s Han: “I saw your plane has arrived. Have you landed?”

Yu Yue replied when he had a moment: “I’m already on this side waiting for my checked baggage.”

Not Hangzhou’s Han: “That’s good. With such heavy snow, I thought there might be delays or something. I was worried that something might happen. It’s good you landed safely! I’m waiting for you outside.”

Yu Yue replied with a simple “Okay.”

He had a lot of luggage, and it was quite heavy, and this was just his daily necessities.

After all, having lived abroad for so many years, moving back to China meant having a lot of things, and after sorting through them, he found that he was unwilling to throw anything away, so he could only bring them back and figure it out later.

Moreover, the truly valuable filming equipment, Yu Yue carried on his person, and for those he couldn’t carry, he entrusted friends to bring them back to China. For such valuable items, he was reluctant to check them in, let alone ship them.

Pushing two large suitcases to the exit, Yu Yue immediately spotted Dan Hang.

Not having seen each other for several years, Dan Hang already had the appearance of a successful person.

Time passed so quickly. Yu Yue’s first thought in his mind was this. The last time he saw Dan Hang… it seemed to be when he and his parents came to the West District of A City, and he and Dan Hang had agreed to go out together.

At that time, both he and Dan Hang were still high school students.

In the blink of an eye, it had been ten years.

Yu Yue pushed his luggage to Dan Hang.

Dan Hang stared at Yu Yue for a long time, with an expression that was somewhat hard to fathom.

The first meeting after five years wasn’t as strange as Yu Yue had imagined. He wore a windbreaker, with a tall and attractive figure, wrapped in a scarf. His facial features were still the same as before, and when he smiled, his eyes would curve, making him appear very approachable.

In fact, after so many years, Yu Yue hadn’t changed. He was still the same as before he went abroad. However, it seemed that something had changed, something Dan Hang couldn’t quite put into words.

Without thinking too much, Dan Hang opened his arms first.

He smiled and said to Yu Yue, “Welcome back to China, my fish.”

Yu Yue also smiled and gave Dan Hang a hug.

After the hug, Dan Hang nervously asked, “Hey, there won’t be any media or paparazzi secretly taking pictures, right? Will our hug make the headlines tomorrow?”

Yu Yue replied, “No, no one would bother to chase after a little-known director like me.”

Dan Hang disagreed, “Who says you’re a small director? You’ve won awards.”

“But that was just for a short film.”

Yu Yue pushed his luggage out and took the opportunity to say this to Dan Hang.

Dan Hang watched Yu Yue’s back and still felt that something about him had changed.

It seemed like he had matured?

There was an aura lingering around Yu Yue, a kind of distant laughter and something even more indescribable than maturity. Moreover, this thing made Dan Hang feel very familiar.

For a moment, Dan Hang couldn’t remember where this familiarity came from.

They went to the parking lot, and Dan Hang helped Yu Yue stuff his things into the trunk. The back seat was also filled, and the two of them took their respective seats.

As the car left the airport, the snowy road was slippery, and it was 7:30 in the evening, causing traffic everywhere, slowing down the speed.

Dan Hang chatted with Yu Yue, asking casually, “So, how does it feel to be back in A City? Does it make you nostalgic?”

After asking, Yu Yue, who had been responding diligently, suddenly fell silent.

In the suddenly quiet car, Dan Hang glanced at Yu Yue beside him. The light flowing outside the car window passed over his side face, quickly moving, twinkling like a distant star. It seemed very close but lonely.

And in this kind of feeling, Dan Hang suddenly recalled that last week, he had taken his girlfriend to the cinema to watch a movie. He had seen a similar profile on the big screen.

Similarly lonely and indifferent profile like a distant star.

At that time, Dan Hang’s girlfriend, as a fan of the person on the screen, had desperately held Dan Hang’s hand, whispering, “Look, look! Is he very handsome? And he’s an actor! Only twenty-eight years old this year, super talented! Let me tell you, his name is…”

Sitting in the cinema chair, Dan Hang slid down, thinking that he knew more about the person on the screen than his girlfriend did, because he had met that person for the first time in a barbecue restaurant with his best friend.

But Dan Hang didn’t tell his girlfriend about it because it involved the privacy of another person.

Considering his girlfriend’s personality, once she knew, she wouldn’t sleep the whole night.

So, at the cinema, Dan Hang just pretended to yawn sleepily, saying, “Of course, he has good acting skills. He’s an actor. Can actors have bad acting skills?”

It was unclear whether it was fate or not, but Dan Hang had just watched a movie by that person last week, and this week, he was picking up Yu Yue.

Speaking of which… Dan Hang recalled Yu Yue’s profile just now.

As he drove, Dan Hang thought, how is it possible that after so many years apart, these two are becoming more and more alike?

It’s not about looking alike, but the kind of temperament.

Both are equally distant and lonely.

Just as he was thinking, Dan Hang unexpectedly heard Yu Yue beside him say, “It’s a bit nostalgic, but not much.”

Dan Hang was stunned for a moment, then quickly laughed, instinctively trying to change the topic, “Hearing you say that, I should be part of what you miss, right?”

Yu Yue turned his head and looked at Dan Hang.

His eyes were very beautiful; when the light shone on them, they seemed to have many stars twinkling inside.

After a moment of silence, Yu Yue smiled and said, “If I don’t miss you, who else can I miss?”

One sentence left Dan Hang speechless for a while.

He thought of the face on the big screen again, and couldn’t help but think that there might be a hidden answer in Yu Yue’s heart about who else he could miss. However, some things are hard to say, and maybe the person involved has long forgotten. It’s better not to mention it.

The journey in the snowy weather was quite slow and eventually came to a standstill.

“Ah…” Dan Hang sighed, “It’s so congested. I made a reservation at a restaurant tonight. I don’t know if I can make it.”

Yu Yue said, “It’s okay. If we can’t make it, we can go to my place for dinner.”

Dan Hang thought about it and agreed.

So, he adjusted to a comfortable position, leaned back, and, on the snow-covered congested road, turned on the car’s radio, intending to listen to some interesting news.

As soon as he turned on the car radio, it was entertainment news.

The female host laughed in the broadcast, “Last week, our youngest Best Actor, Xu Yuanzhe, released a new movie, breaking 100 million in daily box office for four consecutive days…”

Dan Hang reacted quickly, slapped the radio off with a “snap.”

After turning it off, the silence inside the car was more frightening than he had imagined.

Dan Hang regretted turning off the radio and regretted his exaggerated reaction, which was like a blatant cover-up.

He turned on the radio again, but this time quickly switched to another channel, probably a song request program.

The previous broadcast seemed like an insignificant interlude, and no one cared about it except Dan Hang.

Leaning against the car window, Yu Yue looked at the slowly falling snow outside, gradually feeling sleepy. The long journey of more than ten hours was both lengthy and exhausting. He closed his eyes and quickly fell into a dream.

It was a pure white dream with nothing in it.

Yu Yue had never had such a quiet dream.

Knowing that he was in a dream, yet there was nothing.

After driving for an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived downstairs at Yu Yue’s home.

Dan Hang parked the car. He had entered the address Yu Yue gave into the navigation system. Upon reaching the address, he realized it wasn’t the villa area where Yu Yue used to live.

Not only was it not a villa area, it seemed to be an… old and dilapidated residential area.

Dan Hang was a bit bewildered. He tilted his head and looked out the window, thinking he might have gone to the wrong place.

But Yu Yue woke up, rubbed his eyes gently, and said, “We’re here. Why didn’t you call me?”

Dan Hang hurriedly said, “I thought I had come to the wrong place. I was observing.”

Yu Yue smiled, “You didn’t come to the wrong place; it’s right here.”

After saying that, he got out of the car and went to the trunk to get the luggage.

Dan Hang got out of the car, slowly closed the door, still a bit bewildered, unable to come back to his senses. In front of him was an extremely old and run-down residential area, the kind with staircase-style buildings. The lights in the hallway seemed to be frequently malfunctioning.

“Why are you…” Dan Hang walked to the back of the car, helped Yu Yue with the luggage, “Why do you live in a place like this? Where are your parents?”

Yu Yue thanked him and said, “I started from scratch, set up my own film company, invested all the money I earned abroad into it. My team is waiting for me to pay their salaries, so I didn’t save much money. I’m making do with this place; it’s not too bad.”

Dan Hang couldn’t imagine that the former little prince, who used to live in villas everywhere, could live in a place like this.

“You don’t think I can’t adapt, do you?” Yu Yue picked up his luggage and smiled at Dan Hang. “When I was filming overseas, during the times when we were the poorest and lacked funds the most, my team and I even squeezed into a basement and lived in a moldy and leaky house.”

Dan Hang was stunned.

He opened his mouth but hadn’t said anything yet when Yu Yue continued, “Before going abroad, I also lived in a place like this, so it’s nothing.”

Carrying their luggage, the two went up the stairs.

On the upper floor, Yu Yue opened the door.

He had already arranged for a real estate agent to come in advance and have the house cleaned. So when he turned on the lights, the small house appeared relatively clean, just lacking a homey atmosphere, feeling cold.

After putting all the luggage away, Dan Hang checked the time and said, “We can still go for dinner. What do you think? After dinner, we can grab a drink and catch up.”

Yu Yue squatted beside his luggage, unpacked the most important personal belongings, took out the camera, checked it, and then stood up, saying to Dan Hang, “Let’s go then.”

Today was probably not their lucky day.

When Dan Hang and Yu Yue arrived at the restaurant, the waiter regretfully told them that because they were too late, the reserved table had been given to someone else, and they would have to wait for another available table.

Yu Yue didn’t mind, and Dan Hang didn’t care either.

Standing outside, they chatted and waited.

There were two girls sitting next to them, also waiting. Both were holding their phones, chatting away about some lively topic.

Dan Hang is a somewhat gossip-prone person, so he eavesdropped for a bit.

Not listening would have been better, but as soon as he tuned in, he heard a familiar name.

One of the girls holding a phone said, “Last time, paparazzi caught a glimpse of Xu Yuanzhe returning home. His house is a huge villa, and that picture really shocked me. It’s super luxurious… I heard that the villa covers an area of three to four hundred square meters, but he lives alone. Wouldn’t that be very lonely?”

Dan Hang subconsciously glanced at Yu Yue.

Yu Yue also tilted his head to look at the two girls.

At this moment, the girl with a bob haircut said, “What if he’s hiding a girlfriend there? Secretly dating someone.”

The girl with a ponytail said, “Huh? No way. Xu Yuanzhe has been in the industry for so many years, and he hasn’t had any scandals. Plus, I heard he doesn’t like girls.”

The girl with a bob haircut replied, “I just said it casually, but how did I hear that Xu Yuanzhe doesn’t often go to his villa? It seems that paparazzi have captured him returning home not to the villa but to a rundown residential area in City B. It even trended on hot searches. Some people thought he was selling a frugal image…”

The girl with a ponytail was surprised, “Really? He’s bought such a big villa, why would he live in a place like that? I know about the rundown residential area you mentioned. Probably where he lived before he became famous and started acting. But that place is so run-down…” She paused, expressing disbelief, “Moreover, who would live there for five years!”

Dan Hang didn’t know if it was an illusion.

Usually, when he commuted to work, talked about business, turned on the car radio, chatted with friends, or drove to any place, passing by shopping malls or squares, he never felt this way. He never paid attention to who was on the big screens.

However, since Yu Yue’s return.

Dan Hang felt as if he were surrounded by someone.

That person was “Xu Yuanzhe.”

News about Xu Yuanzhe played on the car radio, people around were discussing Xu Yuanzhe, and the giant screen in the square directly opposite the restaurant repeatedly played brands endorsed by Xu Yuanzhe. Everything made Dan Hang feel like he had entered Xu Yuanzhe’s world.

Dan Hang has always been afraid to mention Xu Yuanzhe in front of Yu Yue or let Yu Yue recall Xu Yuanzhe.

Looking back over the many years as childhood friends with Yu Yue, Dan Hang thought Yu Yue was a very faithful person. He wasn’t sure if his thoughts were correct, but he believed that Yu Yue probably hadn’t let go.

Although five years might seem long, for some people, twenty years might just be a blink of an eye.

Yu Yue belonged to the type of person who, if he let go, it was over, but if he couldn’t let go, not five years, ten years, or even twenty years could change that.

In the past five years, Dan Hang and Yu Yue have stayed in contact, and there haven’t been any rumors or relationships for Yu Yue abroad. Dan Hang had probed before, and the result was that Yu Yue had no interest in romance, focusing solely on work.

From the age of sixteen to twenty-six, Yu Yue had only introduced one boyfriend to Dan Hang, and that was Xu Yuanzhe.

Although it was hard to believe that someone like Yu Yue, a little prince, would date a poor guy who once worked at a barbecue shop, Dan Hang had always wished them well in their relationship.

Despite seeming incompatible, they appeared to genuinely like each other.

However, they eventually went their separate ways.

Furthermore, Dan Hang knew that Yu Yue and Xu Yuanzhe didn’t break up due to relationship issues. If it were just a breakup, it would have been better, but it wasn’t. Hence, the more it was like this, the harder it was to forget.

Dan Hang always avoided discussing Xu Yuanzhe with Yu Yue.

He also didn’t want Yu Yue to recall or see anything related to Xu Yuanzhe.

But who would have known that after Yu Yue returned to China, Dan Hang felt like he was fearing something that inevitably came true—everything around him was related to Xu Yuanzhe. It was hard not to look or listen.

During dinner, Dan Hang kept steering the conversation toward the movie Yu Yue was going to shoot, and Yu Yue answered every question without any abnormal reactions.

Dan Hang breathed a sigh of relief.

Discussing the movie, Dan Hang learned that Yu Yue was currently preparing to shoot a film and was in the process of casting.

“Has the male lead been selected?” Dan Hang initially wasn’t paying close attention, “So now it’s just the female lead left?”

Without looking up, Yu Yue paused his steak-cutting motion, “No.” He glanced up, a faint smile in his eyes, “It’s two male leads, and only one has been confirmed.”

Dan Hang almost dropped his jaw, “Tw—two male leads? What kind of film is this, like ‘Infernal Affairs’?”

“No,” Yu Yue denied again, “It’s a literary art film.”

Dan Hang gasped for cold air.

He couldn’t eat anymore and whispered to Yu Yue, “You just returned to China, and you’re filming this type of movie. It might not be well-received because the current trend in China is driven by popularity. No popular actors will be willing to film such a movie; it’s easy to ruin their careers. Moreover, commercial films are popular in China now. Why not start with a few commercial films before making an art film? Doing it this way is very likely to…”

“We’re aiming for awards,” Yu Yue interrupted, looking at Dan Hang. “My screenwriter, my team, and I have great expectations for this film.”

The light fell into Yu Yue’s eyes.

Dan Hang opened his mouth, and his last words turned into a sigh. He didn’t know whether to say that Yu Yue didn’t understand the domestic market or that Yu Yue wasn’t afraid of a total loss.

After a long silence, as Yu Yue’s friend, Dan Hang chose to support Yu Yue in the end, “What about the other male lead? Couldn’t find a suitable one, or found one but couldn’t make the appointment?”

Yu Yue replied, “Both.”

Before Dan Hang could fully understand the meaning of these two words, Yu Yue took out his phone, opened WeChat, and showed a chat log to Dan Hang.

Dan Hang leaned over to take a look.

This chat log was from a group chat.

In the group chat, A said, “I’m telling you, choosing actors here is blinding my eyes. What kind of actors are these, all like crooked melons and jujubes… I can’t stand it anymore! Stop sending submissions to my email! The life of an assistant director is also a life! Do they not have any self-awareness?!”

B said, “Haha, good actors are nowhere to be found, and the bad ones come in droves.”

A said, “I really can’t take it anymore…”

After a while, A tagged Yu Yue, ” @Is a Fish Message Director Yu, boss, can we only choose from these actors? Can’t we actively invite some big shots? Maybe there are big shots or popular figures willing to take on the role?”

Yu Yue replied, “Such as?”

The group chat fell silent for about two minutes.

A said, “For example, that 28-year-old Best Actor? I think his image is top-notch, especially suitable for this role, and his acting range is broad, with no restrictions. Since we are aiming for awards, maybe he is willing…”

C said, “Are you crazy? Letting Xu Yuanzhe act in this LGBTQ+ romantic art film? You might as well close your eyes and dream; it would be easier to achieve.”

A said, “…Then you pick the actors; I really don’t want to see those faces again.”

The chat ended here.

When Yu Yue put away his phone, Dan Hang was still somewhat slow to react.

Indeed, “both.” On one hand, they couldn’t find a suitable actor, and on the other hand, even if there was a suitable one, they couldn’t arrange a meeting. After all, that was Xu Yuanzhe.

Dan Hang was a bit bewildered. He couldn’t understand how, in just ten years, a poor guy who once worked at a barbecue shop could become an unreachable and admired movie star, both for him and Yu Yue.

The topic, in the silent moments, seemed to have returned to Xu Yuanzhe.

After a long silence, Dan Hang struggled a bit before asking Yu Yue, “So… are you going to ask him?”

“No,” Yu Yue picked up the red wine glass, lightly clinked it against Dan Hang’s glass, took a sip, and then said, “Between Xu Yuanzhe and me, there’s a world of difference now. Besides, I lost my phone two years ago, you know, I even lost his contact information.”

Saying that name didn’t turn out to be as difficult as he had imagined.

Sipping the bittersweet red wine, Yu Yue couldn’t help but think this way.

Dan Hang didn’t notice these thoughts and suddenly recalled, “Ah, right, you found me back using QQ when you lost your phone…”

In that brief moment, Dan Hang inexplicably felt his heart empty for an instant.

Lost the phone, lost the contact information, and now, the last and only thing that could connect them had disappeared.

Dan Hang didn’t understand why he seemed sadder than Yu Yue.

He wanted to say something nonchalant to Yu Yue, “Hey, it doesn’t matter, you’ll become a great director in the future, making them look up to you…”

Before finishing his words, the mobile phone placed on the table vibrated.

Yu Yue turned his head slightly and glanced down.

It was an unfamiliar number from City B.

In that short moment, countless thoughts crossed his mind.

But Yu Yue quickly let those thoughts vanish, turning into emptiness, just like many days in the past. He picked up the phone, answered the call, and said, “Hello?”

After a brief silence, a woman’s voice came from the other end of the line, “Hello.”

With a slight pause, she continued, “Director Yu, I heard that you have returned to China.”

Yu Yue asked, “…Who are you?”

The woman’s voice was somewhat distant but very polite as it came through the phone, “Director Yu, I am Zhou Ling, Xu Yuanzhe’s agent. It’s like this, Xu Yuanzhe is quite interested in the movie you’re currently preparing, and he hopes to have a chance to talk with you.”