Chapter 12: The Fallen Child Star (12) part 2

Even as the three arrived at the café, Xu Weiheng and Zhang Qingyi remained immersed in the stellar world Yao Rong had described.

Yao Rong ordered coffee for herself and Zhang Qingyi, and milk for Xu Weiheng. “And three portions of tiramisu, please.”

The server quickly brought their order.

“The ending is breathtakingly romantic yet tragic, leaving a lasting impression,” Zhang Qingyi remarked, savoring a bite of tiramisu and reflecting on the story once more. She affirmed, “Yao, you’re bound to be a hit.”

Though not in the industry herself, Zhang Qingyi’s cultured background lent weight to her aesthetic judgment.

Xu Weiheng’s praise was more direct: “I never imagined it could be written so well.”

Having acted in both ‘2050’ films, Xu Weiheng had developed a particular fondness for science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels, having read many such books. It wasn’t that he viewed Yao Rong’s novel through rose-tinted glasses; he genuinely felt that the book lacked neither plot nor romance, and certainly not thematic depth.

At the very least, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yao Rong raised an eyebrow, smiling as she asked the two, “Is it that impressive?”

Zhang Qingyi nodded vigorously, very supportive: “Absolutely amazing.”

Xu Weiheng gave Yao Rong a thumbs up, answering with the gesture.

As they chatted, the publishing house editor responsible for ‘Starry Sky’ arrived, displaying great enthusiasm.

“Such a science fiction novel, balancing romantic fantasy with profound humanistic reflection, appeals to market preferences while satisfying industry tastes. It has great potential for both market success and reviews. I haven’t seen such a refreshing sci-fi novel in a long time.”

More remarkably, the writing was sharp and seasoned, every word a gem, completely unlike that of a newcomer.

The editor took out a contract from his briefcase and handed it to Yao Rong. “Ms. Yao, please review the contract. Our publishing house has high hopes for your book. To show our sincerity, we’re offering royalties and initial print run terms that are not typical for new authors.”

He had great confidence in Yao Rong.

Such generous terms were naturally aimed at securing future collaborations with her.

Throughout this process, Yao Rong remained quietly composed, smiling and occasionally responding to the editor’s comments.

Xu Weiheng, sitting diagonally across from Yao Rong, couldn’t help but observe her closely.

He sensed in Ms. Yao an air of equanimity, unaffected by either praise or criticism.

After signing the contract and briefly discussing the new book, the editor took his leave.

Zhang Qingyi rushed to pay the bill.

Only Yao Rong and Xu Weiheng remained at the table.

Xu Weiheng lifted his milk glass with both hands, finished the last sip, and licked his lips to remove any residue. Curiously, he asked, “What made you suddenly want to write a novel?”

Yao Rong put away the contract: “Do you remember giving me a bank card?”

She continued without hiding anything.

“After the divorce, I was in a terrible state. For years, I didn’t find another job, relying solely on income from running a guesthouse to support myself.”

“But after receiving the bank card from you, I realized I couldn’t go on like that anymore.”

“You had been through many difficulties then, but you were still so young. I didn’t want you to end up like me, stuck in place for over a decade because of one failure.”

Zhang Qingyi returned from paying at the counter.

Yao Rong shouldered her bag, walked to Xu Weiheng’s side, and playfully adjusted the brim of his baseball cap. As he looked bewildered, she pulled him up from the sofa.

“So I started moving forward, leading by example. Fortunately, I succeeded.”

Xu Weiheng followed Yao Rong for several steps, using his free hand to straighten his cap.

He understood the implication in Ms. Yao’s words.

She wanted to tell him that if she could move forward, so could he, even more so.

Whether he decided to continue acting or choose a new career path didn’t matter. The most important thing was that his life should always be moving forward.

After a long silence, Xu Weiheng parted his lips, emitting a faint sound.

“…Alright.”

Leaving the café, it was getting late.

The three browsed the mall, bought some new clothes, had hot pot for dinner, and then booked two rooms at a nearby hotel.

That night, as Yao Rong sat at the desk pondering her new novel, Xu Weiheng suddenly visited.

He thrust a bag into Yao Rong’s hands and turned to leave.

“A gift for you. Get some rest early.”

Yao Rong opened the bag to find a new mobile phone inside.

Her old phone was three or four years old, with several cracks on the screen and insufficient memory. It would lag whenever used frequently.

She had been meaning to get a new phone but hadn’t gotten around to it. She didn’t expect Xu Weiheng to buy one for her before she could act on it herself.

“Who was that?” Zhang Qingyi, who was brushing her teeth, opened the door upon hearing the commotion.

Yao Rong closed the door: “Weiheng bought me a new phone.”

Zhang Qingyi’s eyes lit up as she came closer to examine it: “Oh, it’s the same model as his. Not cheap at all.”

Xu Weiheng’s phone had a black case, while Yao Rong’s was light cyan.

Yao Rong smiled, removed the packaging, and inserted her SIM card into the new phone.

After syncing the data, she sent Xu Weiheng a message on the new phone: 「I really like this phone, it’s much better than my previous one」

He quickly replied: 「Glad you like it」

After spending a day in the city, the three began exploring the surrounding areas the next day.

D City featured unique karst topography, resulting in strikingly rugged stone mountains and crystal-clear rivers.

Summer was the perfect time for river rafting. The three ate ice cream, admired waterfalls, and then rafted down from the waterfall.

Xu Weiheng was thoroughly engaged.

The Xu family organized two family trips each year, but they never included him, nor did he want to go and suffer.

Later, after becoming a celebrity, flying around on planes became routine, but only for work commitments.

This was the first time he leisurely appreciated the beauty of nature with a relaxed mindset.

After three days of sightseeing, Yao Rong suggested going to an amusement park to ride roller coasters.

On a trip, one should try some thrilling activities.

Zhang Qingyi reluctantly agreed, while Xu Weiheng was eager to try.

After queuing and riding all the roller coasters, Zhang Qingyi leaned against a tree, exhaling deeply: “Finally, it’s over.”

Her voice was hoarse from screaming.

What frustrated Zhang Qingyi even more was that she was the only one who had been scared and screaming throughout. Yao Rong had calmly enjoyed the scenery the entire time, while Xu Weiheng’s occasional outbursts were excited laughs from the thrill.

This irritated her greatly.

Xu Weiheng helped Zhang Qingyi sit down, patting her back to help her catch her breath: “You two rest here, I’ll go buy some water.”

The store was nearby, with a clown holding about a dozen balloons swaying in front of it. Xu Weiheng glanced at the clown a few times, bought three bottles of water, and headed back.

As he was almost back to where Yao Rong and Zhang Qingyi were, Xu Weiheng realized the clown had been following him.

He stopped and politely asked, “Hello, is there something I can help you with?”

The clown, wearing a comical smile, separated one balloon from the bunch and placed it in Xu Weiheng’s hand, then bounced away.

Xu Weiheng stared at the balloon.

The round, plump balloon had a big smiley face drawn on it, as if saying: Keep smiling.

So Xu Weiheng couldn’t help but break into a radiant smile, his long, bright eyes curving into crescents.

A ‘click’ sounded as the shutter was pressed.

Not far away, Yao Rong had captured this beautiful moment with Zhang Qingyi’s camera.