Chapter 1-Meet for the First Time

"Duanmu Gongyu, I'm back. I've determined that I want to be with you. But I want to tell you in advance; if one day you stop having feelings for me, you can tell me. I will leave. But you can never like others while you like me. All I ask is your undivided love. I would hate you for a lifetime and never forgive you if you betrayed me!" The woman was shy, but she said these words firmly to the man. Her eyes sparkled. Gazing at the woman's beautiful face, the man could not help feeling touched. He said, "I get it! But I also want to tell you that I will love you with all my heart and soul. I will not give you any reason to leave me. I only beg you not to leave me again! I really can't bear the pain of losing you!" His face overflowed with tenderness, and his eyes were full of love. He held the woman tightly and lowered his head to kiss her. The man kissed passionately, and the woman was wrapped in tenderness. They were utterly lost in the passionate kiss... Suddenly, the scene changed. The tension was palpable that you could cut the air with a knife. The woman looked painful. She was almost suffocated by the pain she felt as if her heart was stabbed by a knife. She asked sharply, "Duanmu Gongyu, do you still remember what you said?" The man was panic-stricken and answered, "Of course, I remember. Xiao Xi, you are the only one I love!" The woman sneered and then burst into tears, "Huh... love me only! What is all that I have seen?" When the man was about to speak, the woman took the initiative to blame him angrily. She said to the man in indignation, "Duanmu Gongyu, you said that you would love me only in this lifetime. I trusted you and abandoned everything to love you! But what have you done to me? I never expected that you would make that choice and betray me in the end!" The woman's cheeks were wet with tears, but she just ignored it. She held up the wine bottle in her hand and drank off. As the pungent alcohol ran down her throat, she felt that bitterness was taking root in her heart. She tossed the bottle aside and then cried out, "Duanmu Gongyu, please remember that I will not love you anymore from now on!" The woman then fell back... The man cried, "Xiao Xi, no! Xiao Xi, come back..." -- A pleasant ringtone sounded... Yun Muxi was awakened by the ringtone. She rubbed her eyebrows, finding that her cheeks were wet. She had the same nightmare again. This nightmare had troubled her for four years. It was sweet but excruciating. Whenever she waked up, the pillow was wet. She put her hand on her chest, which was so painful as if it had been held tight by a big hand every time she woke up. Yun Muxi was still absent-minded. Her cell phone kept ringing. Once it stopped ringing, the cheerful sound would arise again. It seemed to tell her how worried the caller was! After a long while, she came to herself and picked up the phone. Yun Muxi said in a hoarse voice, "Hello?" A man with a gentle and deep voice began to speak. "Is that Yun Muxi?" Yun Muxi turned her head to look at the clock on the bedside table. It was 8:30 am. She answered, "Yes, this is." The man continued, "I'm Zhao Yi, the director. I have some ideas about a couple details in the script I'm going to work with you this time, so I want to invite you out to talk about these. The leading actor has been determined, and I'd like to introduce you to him." Upon hearing this, Yun Muxi suddenly sat up with her back straight. She said, "Hello, Director Zhao! I can meet you at any time. I'm at your disposal." Zhao Yi laughed gently and said tenderly, "Please come to the coffee shop in Shengxin Hotel at 10 o'clock this morning. I'll see you there." Yun Muxi laughed as well and replied, "Ok! I'll be there on time." -- In a private room of the coffee shop in Shengxin Hotel, at 10 o'clock. A delicate and elegant young woman opened the door and came in. The young woman had shoulder-length, pitch-black, soft, and bright hair. She had a thick bang covering her eyebrows and two thin braids hanging on her chest. She wore oversized black frame glasses on her palm-sized face. The glasses covered half of her face, which didn’t quite suit her. She wore a white dress with a lavender woolen cardigan. The slim-cut dress outlined her perfect curves. She looked slim and graceful. The young woman remained calm. She impressed others with her elegance. Although she was not short, with a height of 1.65 meters, she impressed others with delicateness because of her thin figure. A man at the age of 37 or 38, who looked learned and refined, sat on the couch. He had well-groomed black hair, gold-rimmed glasses, wearing a light grey handmade casual suit, and a khaki slack with a white shirt. His legs were crossed. He lightly leaned against the back of the sofa, with his left hand on his legs and his right hand on the arm of the couch, showing people a kind of warm feeling. When he saw her, the man asked with a smile, "Yun Muxi?" Yun Muxi answered as she nodded, "Hello, Director Zhao. I'm Yun Muxi." She said in a calm and polite mood. Zhao Yi straightened up slightly, pointed at the seat opposite him, and said with a chuckle, "Oh, please sit down. Although we've talked about the script for a long time, it's my first time to meet you in person. " A smile crept over the corners of Yun Muxi's mouth as she said, "Director Zhao, please call me Xiao Xi. I've heard of you before. Your profession and reputation are admirable. It's my honor to have a chance to work with you. I will take this opportunity to learn from you." Her words were fair-spoken and sincere, so it did not sound hypocritical but enjoyable. Looking at this generous and elegant girl in front of him, Zhao Yi appreciated and liked her more. Zhao Yi poured a cup of tea for Yun Muxi and put it on the table in front of her. He suddenly looked serious and said, "This script is well written. Xiao Xi, I really appreciate your talent. I've rarely seen a talented young woman like you." As Zhao Yi finished speaking, the door opened again. Zhao Yi’s smile widened and hurried to greet him, "Gong Yu, here you are! Come on, sit here! Allow me to introduce you to each other. This is Miss. Yun Muxi, the scriptwriter of this film. Xiao Xi, this is Gong Yu, the leading actor who plays Mu Lengyu." Yun Muxi immediately stood up and turned around to look at the man with a polite smile. When she saw him clearly, her smiles froze on her face. She was stupefied on the spot as if she had been struck by lightning. Gong Yu wore a black shirt, black suit pants, and a black woolen overcoat. He was handsome with a cold and indifferent expression. The short pitch-black hair made him look neat and fresh. His face was a masterpiece; Those long and narrow eyes were sharp and calm. The brow ridge was high and stood between his eyebrows like sheer cliffs and steep mountains. His lips were thin, and his nose was pointy with a straight bridge and narrow nostrils. His indifference expression did not stop people from admiring his handsomeness. Instead, it displayed a sense of grandeur about him. Without any facial expressions, he just remained indifference, which distanced himself from others, making him look proud and calm. If he were someone else, Yun Muxi would definitely exclaim that this man was handsome and charming. Right now, she could not exclaim at all but feel a little terrified. An imperceptible evil smile flashed across the corners of Gong Yu's mouth. His eyes were as deep as the ocean, which was unpredictable. Yun Muxi was aware of her discomposure and instantly adjusted her state of mind. With a polite smile, she said courteously, "Mr. Gong, nice to meet you." Then, she handed over her white and delicate right hand to him. A hint of anger rose from the depths of Gong Yu's eyes, but soon, it disappeared. He responded in an attractive but cold voice, "Nice to meet you!" Gong Yu held Yun Muxi's hand more fiercely. He stared at Yun Muxi with a pair of amber eyes, as if he would see through her soul. Yun Muxi felt pain in her hand, and she was shocked by his eyes. She knitted her beautiful eyebrows lightly and stared at Gong Yu in displeasure, with warnings in her eyes. Zhao Yi stood behind Yun Muxi and did not discern anything. He called them with smiles, "Come here and sit down. Let's talk." Gong Yu released Yun Muxi's hand as if nothing had happened. He walked calmly and sat down beside Zhao Yi. Yun Muxi also turned around and sat back in her seat. When they all sat down, Zhao Yi poured a cup of tea for Gong Yu and handed it to him. He spoke to Gong Yu with a smile, "Gong Yu, the script you've seen is written by Xiao Xi, who is a talented woman. She is a senior student from Z University. It's rare to see a young person who has such an unusual literary talent." Gong Yu took the teacup and sipped a little bit. He remained indifferent and answered in a low voice. "She's really a rare talent! I wonder how can Miss Yun write such a wonderful story at such a young age?" Gong Yu raised his eyebrow and looked at Yun Muxi with his eyes. Yun Muxi felt uncomfortable and pretended to be calm. She answered, "It's just a whim. Little girls love fantasy." She quirked up the corners of her mouth, held the cup, and took a sip of tea. Gong Yu’s mouth curved into an evil smile. He asked sarcastically, "Miss Yun, is it possible that it's your personal experience?" Yun Muxi was panic-stricken. Obviously, Gong Yu was hostile. Yun Muxi remained calm and sneered, "Ha... How is it possible? What I wrote is a time-travel play, so it's evidently a fiction. Mr. Gong, you're really good at joking!" Gong Yu stared at Yun Muxi and said in a cold voice, which made her feel a little nervous, "Okay, yeah, that's just a joke. No offense! But... Miss Yun, you know? You look very much like my ex-girlfriend. "