Publicity Director Jia Ting had Yu Wanqiu's private WeChat. Originally, she intended to deliver the items to Yu Wanqiu's studio, but the director wanted to maintain a good relationship with Yu Wanqiu, so she decided to wait.
That wait lasted half a month.
The director made three tripsâall on weekends, visiting in the morning, afternoon, and eveningâbut no one was ever home.
Yu Wanqiu couldnât understand it. Lu Yicheng not coming home was one thingâhe had a girlfriendâbut what about Lu Shuangchen?
Never coming home, day after dayâwhat was he even doing?
Yu Wanqiu had just wrapped up filming that morning. Her scenes for The Poplar Forest were fully completed in less than two months, with the latter half progressing smoothly.
Tonight was the wrap party, and she planned to return to City B tomorrow.
During this time, Yu Wanqiu hadnât checked her phone, practically isolating herself from the outside world.
She messaged Jiang Lan on WeChat to say filming had ended, then scrolled through the backlog of messages, spotting one from Yuexiang.
Yu Wanqiu also wanted to know why no one was home.
She called Lu Shuangchen. "Hey, where are you right now? Yuexiang came by to deliver something three times, and no one was homeânot even on weekends. Have you stopped coming home altogether? What are you doing? Drinking? Or something else?"
Lu Shuangchen didnât answer directly. Instead, he asked, "You finished filming? Check WeChat."
Yu Wanqiu was furious. "Iâm asking why youâre never home! They tried to deliver something, and no one was thereâeven on weekends. What does WeChat have to do with it?"
Lu Shuangchen sighed helplessly. "Wife, Iâm not at home right now. Iâm out of town."
Yu Wanqiu glanced at WeChat. Lu Shuangchenâs chat had several unread messages. The earlier ones said he had come to X Province to see her and asked if he could visit the set.
She hadnât checked her phone in a long time, so she hadnât seen them.
The most recent message was just sentâa location pin from Lu Shuangchen.
It showed her current location.
"Why are you sending me my own location?" Yu Wanqiuâs voice carried a slight accent, but Lu Shuangchen found it oddly endearing.
Lu Shuangchen clarified, "Not your locationâmine. Iâve been here for a month. I tried telling you earlier, but you didnât respond. I called, but it didnât go through. I knew you were filming, so I didnât want to disturb you."
Yu Wanqiu held her phone, stunned for a long moment.
Lu Shuangchen continued, "Since you never replied to my messages, and I didnât know when youâd finish, I just stayed here."
"How long have you been here?" Yu Wanqiu asked.
If heâd sent the message a month ago, had he really been here the entire time?
Lu Shuangchen chuckled. "A month."
Yu Wanqiu: "What about the company? Youâre always in meetings. Are you so bored that you had to come hereâ¦?"
If he wanted to come, fineâbut staying alone for a whole month? Was he out of his mind?
Lu Shuangchen explained, "I can do video conferences. Documents get delivered to me. I treated it like a business trip. The environment here isnât badâmight as well be a vacation."
Vacation? This place was anything but nice.
Yu Wanqiu deflated like a punctured balloon. "Well, hurry over then. Iâll send you the address. Thereâs a wrap party tonightâcan you make it?"
Lu Shuangchen said he could. Heâd been here a month, and while the conditions werenât great, they were tolerable.
After hanging up, he packed his luggage. Heâd been handling work matters here just like in City Bânothing out of the ordinary.
The crew was busy dismantling the set, clearing props and backdrops.
Today was the happiest day for Liu Qingyun. Chen Yi, the director, was also present, overseeing the final touches.
So far, Tribute had completed all filming. What remained was post-productionâediting, dubbing, and scoring.
On-set audio quality was poor, so Yu Wanqiu would return later to re-record her lines, but those were minor issues.
Chen Yi smiled. "Congratulations on wrapping up."
Yu Wanqiu had cut her hair for the role. She wore old-age makeup, with wrinkles and age spots.
But youth had its charm, and so did age.
To Chen Yi, she still looked striking.
Yu Wanqiu replied, "It was a team effort."
Everyone had worked hard.
Chen Yi asked, "Whatâs next for you? I have another scriptâa urban suspense thriller. I think youâd be perfect for the lead."
His films were critically acclaimed, and taking this role would further cement her career.
But âââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââYu Wanqiu shook her head. She was exhausted.
This film had drained her, and her body couldnât keep up like before. Though reluctant to admit it, she wasnât as young as she used to be.
"I need a break. I have work lined up for winter break, so I wonât take on anything new for a while." Sheâd already done two projects this year. Though Tribute had a short shoot, it left her emotionally spent. Wu Qingâs influence lingered, and she needed time to recover.
Chen Yi was disappointed but nodded. "Rest well. Letâs collaborate again in the future."
From the rushes, he could see her acting had improvedâno small feat for someone already at her level.
Yu Wanqiu thanked the crew members personally. Theyâd been indispensable, and she was genuinely grateful.
At 3 p.m., Lu Shuangchen arrived on set.
He was taken aback when he saw Yu Wanqiu. He knew sheâd cut her hair, but he hadnât expected her to look like this.
She hadnât removed her makeupâshe wanted to see his reaction to her aged appearance.
A flicker of heartache crossed Lu Shuangchenâs eyes.
He took her hand, gently smoothing her hair. "Your hairâs gone white."
Yu Wanqiu shrugged. "Itâs dyed. Not really white."
Lu Shuangchenâs own hair was half-gray, untouched by dye. Side by side, they looked like theyâd grown old together.
Yu Wanqiu glanced up at him and couldnât help smiling. "Alright, letâs get packed. Weâre heading to the hotel soon. Where were you staying? Why didnât you come to the set earlier? If youâd just said somethingâ¦"
If he had, sheâd have sent him home sooner.
Lu Shuangchen said, "I rented a small courtyard. Paid for a month. The owners were kind."
He held her hand as they walked to her temporary lodgings. After two months, her belongings had multiplied.
The room was spartan. Silently, Lu Shuangchen packed everything, loading the suitcases into his car.
"Double-check for anything left behind," he said, pulling her close. She felt too thin in his arms. "Want to remove the makeup now or later? Thereâs food in the carâhomemade. Have some to tide you over."
The celebration dinner was still hours away, and Yu Wanqiu was hungry.
She decided to stop testing him.
"Iâll take it off now. This makeupâs too heavy." She smiled at him. "Thank you for coming. Even if I didnât know, if youâd told me sooner, Iâd have been happier."
She hugged him tightly. "I mean it."
Lu Shuangchen said, "No need to thank me. I just hope you donât blame me for coming late, Wanqiu. I should have been here to accompany you sooner."
The hardest days were already over, and he hadnât been able to help much.
He shouldnât have hesitated out of fear of disturbing her. He should have stepped up when Yu Wanqiu needed him.
Yu Wanqiu didnât think it was late at all. She hadnât even expected Lu Shuangchen to come. At their age, dwelling on such things felt overly sentimental. "Letâs go," she said.
That evening, the crew held a wrap party, enjoying a hearty meal together. The next day, Yu Wanqiu flew back to City B. Lu Shuangchen had a private jet and rerouted the flight, arriving at the airport by 1 PM.
Jiang Lan had been waiting at the airport for a while, her eyes fixed on the arrival gate. "Why arenât they out yet?"
Lu Yicheng reassured her, "They just landed. Give it a little more time. Donât worry."
The past month had been incredibly busy for Yu Wanqiuâjuggling filming, memorizing lines, and studying. Jiang Lan had barely been able to reach her.
A whole month had passed. She wondered how much Yu Wanqiu had changed.
Just as Jiang Lan glanced at her phone to check the time, she heard someone call her name. She looked up and saw Yu Wanqiu emerging from the VIP gate.
Yu Wanqiu waved at her. "Long time no see."
She looked effortlessly stylish todayâher hair even shorter, the dyed color now faded. Dressed in a sleek gray-green jumpsuit with a black belt cinched at the waist and sturdy combat boots, she exuded an undeniable charm.
Yu Wanqiu looked so cool.
Jiang Lan dashed toward her. "Yu Wanqiu! Happy wrap-up! Welcome back! I have flowers for you in the carâIâll grab them in a bit!"
Yu Wanqiu pulled Jiang Lan into a hug. "Itâs so good to be back in City B. Finally."
She hadnât even hugged Lu Shuangchen this long. Seeing Jiang Lan again felt wonderful.
"Iâm finally back. Over there, I couldnât eat anything properlyâhad to watch my weight. The food was terrible, couldnât even game, and itâs been ages since I had barbecue. Plus, I still have exams coming upâ¦" Yu Wanqiu had so much to tell Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan smiled. "But youâre back now! Itâs all good. Letâs celebrate your returnâwhatever you want to eat, my treat!"
Yu Wanqiuâs eyes lit up as she listed her cravings. "Hotpot, skewers, barbecue⦠I couldnât have any of it there. The only indulgence was cake and milk tea on your birthday."
Even then, sheâd barely eatenâjust two bites of cake and two sips of tea.
For two months, she had lived as Wu Qing, walking through her characterâs entire life. Now, Yu Wanqiu just wanted to be herself again.
Today, Jiang Lan would grant her every wish. If Yu Wanqiu asked for the stars, sheâd find a wayâlet alone something as simple as skewers.
Jiang Lan nodded. "Letâs go."
Meanwhile, Lu Yicheng stood beside Lu Shuangchen, who said, "We should head out too."
Over the past month, Lu Yicheng had handled a lot of company matters. Unlike the dramatic workplace conflicts seen in dramas, no one had given him troubleâpartly because his competence was undeniable. As the undisputed heir, everyone wanted the company to thrive.
Lu Yicheng nodded in agreement.
Jiang Lan had prepared a large bouquet of lily-of-the-valley for Yu Wanqiuâfresh and beautiful. Lu Shuangchen, however, had forgotten flowers again. With no florist nearby and no clear idea of when Yu Wanqiu would wrap filming, he hadnât managed to arrange any.
Next time, Iâll remember.
The family left the airport, with Lu Yicheng taking the wheel. Lu Shuangchen sat in the passenger seat as they drove to their usual skewer spot.
Two months had passed, and the restaurant had upgradedânow a two-story building with private roomsâbut the flavors remained the same.
Yu Wanqiu planned to rest for a couple of days after returning, then cram for her volunteer exam. Her progress⦠wasnât great.
The test was in two weeks, and December was just around the corner. Jiang Lanâs winter break was a little over a month away, and the documentary filming would start in December.
If things got desperate, Yu Wanqiu could always ask Lu Shuangchen for tutoring.
He wasnât good at much else, but his teaching skills were solidâhe could even make high school textbooks easy to understand.
As the family enjoyed their meal, paparazzi elsewhere finally delivered on their long-awaited mission. After two months, they had finally captured Yu Wanqiu on camera!
Ironically, they hadnât even been there for her. Their target was Xie Zheng, whose new drama had just wrapped. After his on-screen partnership with Ou Mingyang ended, Xie Zheng had sparked dating rumors with his new leading lady, making him a hot topic.
Several cars had staked out the airport, waiting for Xie Zheng. But then they spotted Jiang Lan.
The person beside her was unmistakably Lu Yicheng. The two had entered the airportâlikely to pick someone up, though not necessarily Yu Wanqiu. It couldâve been family or friends.
By 1 PM, Xie Zhengâs shoot was over, but Jiang Lan and Lu Yicheng were still there. Most paparazzi had left for lunch, but one stubbornly stayed behind, thinking, Just a little longer.
And thatâs how he scored the headline.
[Entertainment Buzz: 'Lanzhou Lamian' Reunited! Yu Wanqiu Returns to City B with Husband After Wrapping New Drama [Photos][Photos]]
"This headline is everything 'Lanzhou Lamian' fans could ask for."