Chapter 4 — When Love Runs Dry

Having some spare time, I called my grandmother at the nursing home. At that moment, a caregiver was gently supporting her as she practiced walking. Once the line connected, she fell into her familiar habit of offering reassurance:

Ninh Ninh, I am doing very well here. Just focus on your work and do not worry about me.

She was always like this, mindful of my busy schedule while wanting to spare me any anxiety on her account. To keep me from feeling sad, she had never once proactively brought up anything concerning Feng Chen. After chatting with her for a while, I finally finished my shift and returned to the Feng family estate. By the time I arrived, Feng Chen was already home. Lately, his workload seemed far less demanding than before. He lit a cigarette, holding it delicately between his fingers. A thin plume of blue smoke escaped his lips, veiling half of his face before dissolving into the air.

You are back?

Yes.

With that, I went to remove my makeup. Feng Chen followed close behind, leaning against the doorframe. It was then that I noticed he had been drinking.

Where is my gift?

I looked at him in utter confusion:

What gift?

He furrowed his brows slightly:

Today is my birthday.

Before I could even process his words, he pinned me against the wall.

So, how do you plan to make it up to me?

His lips brushed close to my ear, and his warm breath sent a shiver across my skin. Before he could take things any further, I bluntly cut him off:

Happy birthday.

With that, I practically bolted away. Deep within Feng Chen's dark eyes flickered a rare trace of profound loss.

The following day at work, Feng Chen offered to drive me to the production set. In the past, whenever we were out in public, he was obsessively cautious about letting anyone discover our relationship. I tactfully declined:

I can manage on my own.

Besides, Su Jingyan is also there. Aren't you worried she might misunderstand?

Feng Chen's lips curled into a smirk, though the amusement never reached his eyes.

Your car is still at the repair shop.

If you do not want everyone on set waiting for you, you had better get in my car.

Inside the vehicle, Feng Chen did not initiate any further conversation. That had always been his habitual demeanor. Back then, I used to cling to him endlessly, chattering away about every little thing. The only result was his cold, detached response:

Sam Ninh, I have no interest in the things you talk about.

This was hardly the first time I had been doused with a bucket of icy water by him. In just twenty minutes, Feng Chen dropped me off at the destination. Before stepping out, he turned his gaze toward me.

Shall I go inside with you?

I pressed my lips together:

There is no need.

Yet because of that brief hesitation, we were spotted by a colleague from the crew. They asked with mild curiosity:

Sam Ninh, the two of you are...

I carefully weighed every single word:

We just ran into each other by chance. President Feng was here to visit Su Jingyan and simply gave me a ride on his way.

The moment I turned around, I caught sight of Feng Chen's smile freezing into a grim, dark expression. Fortunately, my colleague failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. As we walked along, one of them remarked:

President Feng is truly both wealthy and deeply devoted.

I merely nodded, reminding myself not to let it weigh on my mind.

At noon, Feng Chen unusually took the initiative to send me a text message.

What did you have to eat today?

Previously, he was tied up with work while I was busy filming. Our break times hardly ever coincided. To bridge the distance between us, I used to share every trivial detail of my day with him. What I ate for lunch. Whether I slept well. Any joyful or sorrowful moments on the set. Sometimes he would leave me on read. Other times he would simply reply with a single grunt of acknowledgment. Yet even that solitary character was enough to keep me happy for a long time. Not wanting to prolong the conversation, I typed back:

Busy.

The other end fell completely silent. I went back to filming. During one of the scenes, I was forcefully dragged forward by another actor. Su Jingyan was dissatisfied with my performance, forcing me to repeat the take numerous times. By the time it finally wrapped up, my body was covered in bruises and scrapes. Suddenly, my phone rang—it was Feng Chen:

I am coming to pick you up today.