Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After Tang Chen and I had been together for over a year, even my agent didn’t believe we were truly in a real, ordinary romantic relationship. Later, probably because the resources I got in the industry were nowhere near outrageously good and my company was still the one coordinating and managing everything for me, she finally had no choice but to believe that Tang Chen and I really were just dating. Pure and simple.

Tang Chen was probably the most emotionally mature person I’d ever met. He wasn’t actually that much older than me, but perhaps because he’d been raised from childhood as the head of the family, he’d gone through far more than most people. He considered things very thoroughly. Later, I occasionally asked him why it was me.

He was actually very indifferent when it came to women. He’d spent a long time on film sets and had seen plenty; sometimes four or five actresses in the same production might all have been recommended by the same coal boss. But Tang Chen wasn’t like that. There wasn’t even a female companion by his side, and I was the only serious girlfriend he had. Sometimes when I looked in the mirror, although I knew I was pretty, I also knew my own limits. Beauty alone couldn’t move Tang Chen. He wasn’t a lustful man.

Every time I pestered him with the question, he’d just look at me and smile without answering. He had no airs about him. After we got together, he doted on me and indulged me to an extreme degree, just like countless ordinary boyfriends who held their girlfriends in the palms of their hands. I could order him around. By that, I mean things like having him pay my utility bills and property management fees for me, or go to my apartment to open the windows and air the place out when I was stuck on set for long periods, or water my plants. I didn’t like hiring a housekeeper or hourly worker-but Tang Chen actually seemed to enjoy doing these trivial little things for his girlfriend, whenever he had free time.

When I was angry, I could hit him. When we were in a cold war, I could throw little tantrums at him too. Every single time, he would drop his airs and coax me, indulging me all over again.

The love he showed was so obvious that I never felt Tang Chen was someone far beyond my reach.

Once, in the van, Tang Chen and I got into an argument on the phone. Of course, it was me losing my temper one-sidedly. He was actually busier than I was, and we hadn’t seen each other in more than two months. The day we were supposed to meet, something came up again and he couldn’t make it back. I was truly angry-and hurt. I hung up before he could finish speaking. The moment I looked up, my agent was sitting across from me, staring with her eyes wide open. Carefully, she asked, “Was that Mr. Tang on the other end?”

I gave a brief “Mm.” The look on her face then was like she was watching Sun Wukong swing his cudgel around in front of the Buddha himself. She even gave me a thumbs-up.

During the time Tang Chen and I were together, he gave me a lot of surprises and romance. But of course, more than anything else, what he gave me was an illusion-an illusion that he loved me.

He gave me the overwhelming illusion that he loved me very, very much, just as much as I loved him. He made me think we would go on together forever. He made me think that perhaps, one day, I would marry him.

I remember it very clearly. On our second anniversary, we went to a restaurant for dinner.

It was a private restaurant, with beautifully arranged courtyards; each courtyard counted as a private room. Layer upon layer of flower shadows swayed against the hollow-carved, antique circular walls. We had only just sat down when someone came over to greet us. It was Tang Chen’s mother and his younger aunt.

His mother was a very graceful woman. She dressed simply and wore no gold or silver, but she was very beautiful and had excellent bearing. She first greeted Tang Chen with a smile. “Your aunt and I happened to be having dinner here. Old Zhang mentioned that you’d be here tonight, so we came by to see you.”

Then she turned to me, her expression kind and gentle, and apologized. “I didn’t realize this was a date. We didn’t interrupt you, did we?”

My face turned bright red. I was actually a little flustered and uneasy, but I could only pretend to stay calm as I stood up to greet her. She looked at me and smiled. “Ah Chen really has good taste. Miss Liang, I like you very much. I’ve seen your work. Wind and Moon is my favorite-you acted very well in it.”

I hurriedly thanked her. A warm smile spilled from the corners of her eyes. She turned to wink at Tang Chen and said, “Mom won’t disturb you two any longer. I’ll be going first.”

After she left, I was still foolishly marveling to Tang Chen over how approachable his mother was. At the time, he was lowering his head to pick up some squirrel fish for me-my favorite. He only gave a quiet “Mm” and didn’t look up.

I was so stupid.