Chapter Fifteen: Parting Ways

All things in the world develop according to certain patterns—this was a truth Chen Ling had always believed. No matter the situation, as long as one examined it closely, the clues would eventually surface.

But when it came to Jing Tian wanting to break up with him, Chen Ling finally understood what it meant for life to be unpredictable, for the tables to turn without warning.

Perhaps the signs had been there all along, only he hadn't noticed, or perhaps he simply hadn't considered the possibility. So it never occurred to him, not even in his wildest dreams, that while he was busy with the premiere of his film, he would receive the news of Jing Tian wanting to end their relationship.

It all began with a reporter interviewing the cast of "The Warring States" and asking Jing Tian a few pointed questions.

“There are rumors outside that the actor playing the male lead in 'Love in Thirty-Three Days' is your boyfriend. Is this true?”

“All those rumors are false. We’re simply classmates, nothing more.”

“If you’re not a couple, then why did you take part in 'Love in Thirty-Three Days'?”

“Because of the film itself, of course. It’s not as if I have to fall in love with my co-star every time I make a movie. 'Love in Thirty-Three Days' had an excellent script, the director and cast were all from my university, and I happened to be available, so I joined. It’s not as the rumors say, that it was because of any romantic relationship.”

“In your opinion, which script is better—'Love in Thirty-Three Days' or 'The Warring States'?”

“These two films aren’t even the same genre…”

When Chen Ling first saw the news, he didn’t pay it much mind. In the entertainment industry, maintaining the image of being single was common. Moreover, Jing Tian was still a newcomer, only two years into her career, and still a student. A public romance at this point would do neither of them any favors.

Even their classmates who saw the news didn’t think much of it.

But when two days passed without any response from Jing Tian—no messages, no calls—Chen Ling realized something was wrong.

In all the time they’d been together, she’d never gone missing like this. Even when she was shooting, she always replied as soon as she finished. Two days of silence was anything but normal.

What boyfriend wouldn’t be anxious if his girlfriend suddenly vanished?

Just as Chen Ling was beginning to panic, Chai Biyun found him in the classroom and handed him a letter from Jing Tian.

The moment he took the envelope, Chen Ling felt a sense of foreboding.

The letter was handwritten in Jing Tian’s delicate script. Its contents were simple: their personalities were incompatible, their backgrounds and upbringings too different, and it would be better for both of them to part ways now than to suffer in the long run.

The letter was long, with much explanation, but Chen Ling didn’t believe a word. All this talk of incompatible personalities and unhappy times together—he could tell it was all just an excuse.

Suddenly faced with being dumped, Chen Ling naturally wanted to understand why. But with Jing Tian not answering calls or messages, all he could do was stew in his frustration.

After thinking it over, he decided to visit the Hengdian film set in person to get to the bottom of it. He’d never be at peace otherwise—he was someone who took relationships seriously.

Just as he was about to drive to Hengdian, a man calling himself Lu Zheng phoned him.

The call was brief; Lu Zheng invited him to meet that evening at a private restaurant. Chen Ling knew exactly who Lu Zheng was—Jing Tian had mentioned him often, though they’d never met.

Given the situation, Chen Ling guessed this meeting would be about the breakup, so he had no reason to refuse.

When Chen Ling arrived that evening, Lu Zheng was already waiting in the private room. The room was spacious, and just the two of them occupied it. As they ordered, Chen Ling sized Lu Zheng up.

He’d been with Jing Tian for over half a year, but this was his first time meeting her “uncle.” Lu Zheng looked to be in his forties, not tall, with a touch of gray and a receding hairline. He wasn’t overweight, and his demeanor was calm—one could tell at a glance he was used to being in charge.

As Chen Ling observed Lu Zheng, the older man was also scrutinizing him—quite intently.

This young man was not only presentable, but had already written and directed his own film just one semester into university. He could compose music, too—Lu Zheng hadn’t seen the film, but he’d heard the songs and was impressed.

Lu Zheng knew all this about Chen Ling, including his family background. Were it not for certain circumstances, he thought, Chen Ling and Jing Tian would make a fine couple. A pity, really.

Thus, the two men quietly finished sizing each other up.

“Jing Tian must have mentioned me before, but I’ll introduce myself anyway. I’m Lu Zheng, her uncle. Our families have been close for generations—I watched her grow up. When she entered the entertainment industry, her parents asked me to look after her, so I’m also her agent.”

Lu Zheng made no mention of being a director at Wanda Group, nor did he speak of running Starlight Entertainment. He simply explained the family connections and emphasized his role as Jing Tian’s elder.

“So that’s why Starlight Entertainment only ever signed Jing Tian and no one else,” Chen Ling thought.

“President Lu, I assume you asked me here for a reason,” Chen Ling said, getting straight to the point, uninterested in the family background. He addressed Lu Zheng politely but with no particular warmth.

Lu Zheng smiled, “That’s right. It’s about what you care about most—why Jing Tian broke up with you.” Clearly, he was a man who preferred directness.

“As I said, our families are very close. I watched her grow up. If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on her, her parents would never have allowed her into the entertainment business. Her parents, you see, are quite traditional—set in their ways. They look down on the entertainment industry. If it hadn’t been Jing Tian’s lifelong dream to be a star, even with my support, they wouldn’t have agreed.”

Lu Zheng frowned as he spoke of Jing Tian’s parents, clearly exasperated. After a sip of tea, he continued, “I knew about your relationship from the start, since you began recording songs together. I have nothing against young people dating in college—it’s normal. And if we set aside background and family, you and Jing Tian would actually be well-matched. I agree with that. Like her, I don’t put much stock in a person’s background.”

“So, the ones who disapprove are Jing Tian’s parents?” Chen Ling was beginning to see the real issue.

If the problem wasn’t with Jing Tian or Lu Zheng, it almost certainly lay with her parents.

“Exactly,” Lu Zheng nodded. “As I said, her parents are very particular. I knew about you from the beginning, but I didn’t tell her parents right away. First, because Wanda Pictures had just been founded and I was busy. Second, because Jing Tian asked me to keep it secret. At the time, her parents were traveling constantly between countries and weren’t paying much attention, so it was easy to hide.”

“But after the New Year, her parents returned to the country. It was impossible to keep it from them anymore. You should know enough about her background to realize that, for her parents, investigating something is effortless. There was no way to keep it secret.”

“So, what you’re saying is, it was Jing Tian’s parents who wanted the breakup, not her?” Chen Ling asked, though his mind was already racing.

Looking back, he realized Jing Tian’s mood had started changing during the filming of “My Beautiful Boss.” At the time, he’d thought she was just exhausted from work.

Now it all made sense—her eagerness to film “Love in Thirty-Three Days,” her urging the crew to start early, her insistence that Chen Ling finish his album quickly—all those oddities were explained. She’d made up her mind to leave long ago.

Lu Zheng continued, “Does it really matter? I don’t know how her parents convinced her, but since she’s agreed, what good would it do for you to pursue her? Even if she stood by you against her family, what then?”

“Her parents knew about you two before the New Year. The fact that she held out this long is remarkable.”

Lu Zheng spread his hands, expressing helplessness. Faced with Jing Tian’s family, there was nothing he could do; ultimately, it was their family’s business, and he was just an outsider.

“I hoped Jing Tian could live simply and happily, like an ordinary girl. That’s why I helped her keep your relationship secret. But I’m not really family—I can’t make decisions for her. Protecting you as much as I have is the best I can do.”

Though helpless, Chen Ling nodded in agreement. Given what he knew of her background, he realized that if her family wanted to punish him, he’d have no way to resist. Despite having lived a second life, he was not fearless—everyone has a weakness, and his was his family. That thought made him fall silent.

Who would have thought that, even after a second chance at life, he’d encounter something so stifling?

“Are her parents planning to arrange a proper marriage for her?” Chen Ling asked.

“No,” Lu Zheng replied. “As I said, they’re very traditional and look down on businessmen and people in the entertainment industry. She’s still so young—it’s hardly time to discuss marriage.”

“I see. In their eyes, the entertainment world is full of actors and actresses, people not fit for polite society,” Chen Ling said, his smile tinged with sarcasm. He knew, after all, that the industry could be a mess.

Then another thought struck him: the older generation, traditional, disdainful of both businessmen and entertainers… but surely they’d value those who bring honor to the country? Could it be that table tennis player was the one her parents introduced to her?

Fantastic.

The idea that he might lose out to a table tennis player left Chen Ling deeply frustrated.

“You’re still young. Who knows what the future holds? There might be a chance to turn things around,” Lu Zheng tried to comfort him. Yet, in his view, the situation wouldn’t change anytime soon.

“There’s something else. 'Love in Thirty-Three Days' will be released as planned, but you can’t do any promotional events or appear on TV shows. Her parents insisted—you two mustn’t meet. Don’t worry about the screenings, I’ll handle Wanda.”

“No offline promotion, no TV interviews. What about China Film Group? They did invest in the film. It’ll be hard to explain to them,” Chen Ling said. After all, it was highly unusual not to promote a film before its release.

“I’ll speak with them. The investment was small, and if we give them more screenings, they’ll agree,” Lu Zheng said, clearly having anticipated the issue.

“Alright, if China Film Group agrees, then I have no objections.”

For a moment, Chen Ling felt utterly deflated. With his girlfriend gone, he had no heart for anything else.

“To support your film, we’ve scheduled Jing Tian’s 'My Beautiful Boss' for release during the National Day holiday,” Lu Zheng added, sharing news Chen Ling hadn’t heard before. The female lead from a major production starring in another film was sure to attract attention.

“Thank her for me. And please pass on a message: I hope that when we meet again, we can still be friends.”

Gazing at Lu Zheng, Chen Ling wanted to be sure his words were relayed.

He felt a wave of heartache at how things had ended. They were only human—how could they be unfeeling, especially when both had truly cared?

In the months they’d been together, Jing Tian had come to mean a great deal to him. But fate had played its hand, and she had made up her mind to leave. No matter how much he didn’t want to let go, there was nothing he could do—after all, he was an adult at heart.

And from all the signs, it was clear that Jing Tian had genuine feelings for him as well. The breakup had been hard on her too. If he kept pursuing her, it would only hurt them both more. They were destined to meet, but not to be together.

“I will. Doing all we can to keep this from impacting you and your family is the best Jing Tian and I can do. I hope you understand.”

“I do,” Chen Ling replied. He understood exactly what Lu Zheng meant.

“After all, both of us have families.”

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Lu Zheng said, satisfied that his purpose was fulfilled.

After their meeting, with all the facts laid bare, Chen Ling lay awake that night, sleepless. He’d thought that with a second chance at life, everything would go smoothly and he’d live freely.

Yet here he was, having barely begun to enjoy dating a star, only to be dumped.

And it seemed he’d even fallen for her for real. In this new life, before he’d ever tasted the heights of success, he was first to experience the sting of heartbreak…