Chapter 128: What's There to Talk About with a Mute?

Shen Chi Yan watched Song Qi Nian as she followed Gao Kunlun, dutifully distributing fruit and sushi to the film crew. His feelings were a tangled mess.

His phone buzzed again—Lin Qiu Tong, impatient with his silence, was calling him directly.

"Ah Yan, where are you? The mosquitoes are devouring me alive!" she complained.

Shen Chi Yan exhaled sharply in annoyance. "Coming."

The summer heat was at its peak, the air thick and heavy, perfect breeding weather for mosquitoes.

When he found Lin Qiu Tong, she was huddled beneath a massive tree, swatting frantically at the air.

"Ugh, these horrible mosquitoes! Leave me alone!"

The moment she spotted him, she jumped up and scurried to his side, her lips curved in a practiced pout.

"Fifth Master Shen, finally. Getting a moment alone with you is practically impossible these days."

She'd managed to protect her face from the bites, but her arms and hands hadn't fared as well.

Shen Chi Yan's frown deepened at the sight of angry red welts dotting her pale arms.

"The forest has even more mosquitoes."

"I just didn't want to cause any drama!"

Without a word, Shen Chi Yan pulled out a bottle of green mosquito repellent.

Lin Qiu Tong turned around obediently, letting him spray her.

The repellent's sharp odor made his scowl deepen, his mood souring further.

Gao Kunlun had sworn by this stuff's effectiveness, but failed to mention its awful smell.

Noticing the spray residue on his black gloves, Lin Qiu Tong quickly spoke up,

"Ah Yan, your gloves are getting stained. Shouldn't you take them off?"

"Mm."

Shen Chi Yan peeled off his gloves, revealing hands that were long, elegant, and perfectly formed.

Lin Qiu Tong caught her breath—it was the first time she'd ever seen his bare hands. Like his face and his build, they were faultless.

Despite knowing him since childhood, she'd never seen him without gloves. Not once, in any season.

Protected from the elements, his skin was marble-pale, traced with delicate blue veins.

Every time she'd touched him, there had always been a barrier—fabric or leather between them. Never his actual skin.

It felt like a metaphor for their entire relationship—she could never quite reach him.

But Song Qi Nian could touch him freely...

The memory of what she'd witnessed between them filled her with a toxic mix of jealousy and fury.

A mosquito landed on Shen Chi Yan's exposed hand.

"Look out!"

Lin Qiu Tong slapped at his hand, aiming for the insect.

The moment her palm made contact, Shen Chi Yan felt a sharp sting.

Looking down, he saw his skin reddening where she'd touched him.

Lin Qiu Tong barely had time to register how cool and smooth his skin felt before he jerked his hand away.

Her hand hung suspended in the air.

Shen Chi Yan saw how extreme his reaction had been and started to speak, but Lin Qiu Tong cut him off with a forced laugh.

"Your blood must be sweeter than mine—the mosquitoes have forgotten all about me since you showed up!"

Shen Chi Yan's mood darkened further.

He hadn't expected his body to reject Lin Qiu Tong's touch so violently.

But why was Song Qi Nian different?

Where had it all gone wrong?

Noticing Shen Chi Yan's darkening mood, Lin Qiu Tong rushed to change the subject.

"Ah Yan, do I look terrible?"

She wore a red vintage-style blouse, her hair in two braids. Even without makeup, her features remained soft and refined.

Shen Chi Yan pushed his thoughts aside and offered a slight smile.

"Not at all. Working with Director Yang is a rare chance—make the most of it."

"I will, I won't let you down. And when the movie comes out, we should watch it together!"

"Mm."

Lin Qiu Tong could tell Shen Chi Yan was still troubled, but she forced herself to play the understanding friend.

"We should get back. These mosquitoes are driving me crazy."

"Okay."

When they returned to the set, Song Qi Nian was nowhere to be seen.

Gao Kunlun came over, wiping sweat from his brow. "Fifth Master, everyone's got their food."

"Mm. Where's Song Qi Nian?"

Lin Qiu Tong's fists clenched at his words.

They'd barely been apart, and already he was asking about Song Qi Nian?

"Ah, Madam's assistant came by earlier. Said Madam wanted to see Young Madam, so she went with her."

"What!?"

Shen Chi Yan's face turned dark.

Though Shen Chi Yan knew his mother wasn't one to needlessly torment others, she had never hidden her disgust about Song Qi Nian's methods of securing their marriage.

He headed straight for Gu Zhiyan's rest area without hesitation.

At the door, Gu Zhiyan's assistant stepped in his path.

"President Shen, Miss Gu and Miss Song are having a private conversation. If you could wait..."

Shen Chi Yan's voice turned to ice.

"My mother doesn't even know sign language—what's there to talk about with a mute? Tell Song Qi Nian we're leaving."

The assistant gave a polite smile.

"Miss Gu specifically asked for more time."

The message was clear—Gu Zhiyan had known Shen Chi Yan would come for Song Qi Nian and had instructed her assistant to keep him out.

Since this was his mother's personal assistant, Shen Chi Yan couldn't simply force his way in without causing a scene.

Inside the Room

Song Qi Nian stared at the character backstory Gu Zhiyan had given her, tears running down her face.

As an actress, Gu Zhiyan had seen countless people cry on command or lose themselves in method acting.

But she'd never witnessed someone cry with such raw anguish.

For the first time in years, Gu Zhiyan felt her composure slip.

She started to sign something, but Song Qi Nian kept her eyes fixed on the script.

Finally, Gu Zhiyan let out an exasperated sigh and snapped,

"Enough! Stop crying!"

At her voice, Song Qi Nian looked up.

She tried biting her lip to stop crying, but the tears wouldn't obey.

Even in her grief, she didn't make a sound—yet the sight of her silent tears was devastating.

"I asked you here to help me understand Miss Shu's character, to grasp the inner world of a mute woman. How can we have any meaningful discussion if you're crying like this?"

When Gu Zhiyan took this role, Song Qi Nian was the first person she thought of.

Initially, Gu Zhiyan hadn't thought much of Song Qi Nian.

But after the "letter" incident and seeing her conduct at the Old Madam's birthday celebration, Gu Zhiyan's view of her had begun to shift.

Now, though, Gu Zhiyan was wrestling with the role.

She could portray Miss Shu, but something felt missing—as if she couldn't quite reach the character's core.

The director had praised her performance, but she knew it wasn't enough.

Seeing Song Qi Nian arrive had seemed like an opportunity—who better to offer insight than someone who shared Miss Shu's silence?

But she hadn't expected the character description alone to reduce Song Qi Nian to tears.

Song Qi Nian was crying so hard she'd started hiccuping.

She set down the script and dried her face before signing,

[Miss Shu's story breaks my heart.]

"...I know."

[For people like us, strangers' words don't cut deep. But when those closest wound us... that pain is unbearable.]

The tears kept flowing, but Song Qi Nian pushed through them to sign.

[Still, while we're alive, we owe it to life itself to keep going. No matter what hardships come, as long as we draw breath, hope remains. That's Miss Shu's truth too—despite everything she's endured, even if she ends up alone, even if life stays cruel, she'll fight to survive. Because that's the only way to truly say we've lived.]