NOVEL NEXT Chapter 742-749
Chapter 742: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (2)
Cheng Weiwan heard the sound of laughter and turned her head.
Han Zhifan happened to glance over to where Cheng Weiwan was standing and their eyes met.
Even though they were separated by some distance, Han Zhifan, whose eyesight was excellent, could clearly see the panic in her eyes. She instinctively wanted to avoid his gaze, but her attention was quickly captured by Lin Na.
She stared at Lin Na for a while like she was looking at some kind of strange creature. Then the blood from her fair face seemed to drain gradually, leaving her pale white.
Han Zhifan and Lin Na’s footsteps never stopped or slowed down because of Cheng Weiwan.
The two of them drew closer to her.
Knowing that they were going to quickly reach Cheng Weiwan, her eyes stopped over Lin Na then turned back to Han Zhifan’s face.
In contrast to her panic when their eyes first met, she now looked at him blankly as though she didn’t recognize him.
Han Zhifan acted as though Cheng Weiwan didn’t exist then swiftly withdrew his gaze and escorted Lin Na up the stairs towards his apartment building.
Back at his apartment, Han Zhifan let Lin Na do what she wanted. He took off his suit, walked into the bathroom, and took a shower first.
After he stepped out of the shower, Lin Na, who was sitting on the sofa while playing on her phone, immediately got up and walked into the bathroom.
Han Zhifan heard the sound of running water in the shower. Then he walked over to the tall windows.
Cheng Weiwan still stood outside the building foolishly, staring vacantly at the spot where he and Lin Na had just passed.
Lin Na quickly took a shower and came out of the bathroom.
She wasn’t wearing any clothes and came out with a bathrobe and bare feet. She walked behind him and hugged his waist.
“Zhifan,” she cried his name as her fingertips intentionally pressed into his firm abs.
Of course, Han Zhifan knew what she secretly meant by her actions.
As her fingers touched his waist, he suddenly raised his hand and held down her hands.
This wasn’t her first time trying to seduce him.
Naturally, he wanted to pull her away from him like before. However, just as he grasped her hands, he saw Cheng Weiwan standing outside the building with her head up, staring at his bedroom window.
The lights in his bedroom were on, so she could clearly see the silhouette of him and Lin Na on the balcony.
Han Zhifan suddenly stopped pushing Lin Na away. About three seconds later, he suddenly forcefully pulled Lin Na towards him and pressed her up against the window with his body.
He didn’t reject her like before, secretly exciting Lin Na inside and making her even more daring. Like a water snake, she hooked onto Han Zhifan’s waist and wrapped herself around his neck. She even raised her chin, slightly opened her red lips and rushed towards his lips.
Without hesitation, Han Zhifan turned his head and avoided her kiss by burying his head into her neck.
He hadn’t done anything yet, but Lin Na was already quietly moaning.
He let her hands tear his clothes off.
As she twisted and turned non-stop, her robe fell, revealing most of her upper body.
When Lin Na pushed her breasts up against him, his eyelids flickered up, glanced out the window, and looked down outside the building.
Chapter 743: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (2)
Cheng Weiwan already had her head down and was no longer looking up at the building.
About one or two seconds later, she turned around and walked over to the gates of the residential area.
She walked slowly and she paused every few steps.
There was one time when she stopped for a particularly long time. He thought she was going to look back, but she didn’t and eventually continued walking.
It took her a very long time to walk just fifty meters and leave his line of sight.
“Zhifan?” cried Lin Na who couldn’t help but say his name after finally noticing that he wasn’t reacting to all the effort she put into teasing him.
Han Zhifan lowered his head and glanced at Lin Na, who was full of anticipation. He didn’t say anything as Lin Na tiptoed in an attempt to kiss him. He took a step back and pulled her off his body. “I have some things to deal with. You should go get some sleep first.”
After he said this, Han Zhifan didn’t wait for Lin Na to react. He turned around and walked out the bedroom door.
Didn’t he make the first move? Why’s he now rejecting me?
Lin Na erupted in anger. “Zhifan?!”
Han Zhifan pretended to not have heard her and continued walking.
“Han Zhifan!” Lin Na was so angry that she stomped her feet.
Han Zhifan closed the bedroom door, leaving Lin Na behind. He headed to his home office.
Lin Na put on her bathrobe to cover up her body then went after him, but before she could reach the door to his home office, she heard the lock clicking from the inside.
She angrily walked over to the door and forcefully pounded on the door a few times. There wasn’t a single peep coming from the door as the man inside showed no signs of opening the door.
“Han Zhifan, what do you mean by this?! You called me over! You’ve taken things too far!”
Lin Na was annoyed that her hand was hurting from pounding the door, so she grabbed a clay object and smashed it at the tightly-shut door.
Han Zhifan stood on the balcony of his office and stared down below the building, without paying any attention to the crazy woman beyond the door.
…
After that night, Han Zhifan didn’t receive any messages from the security guard again.
Just as Han Zhifan thought Cheng Weiwan had completely disappeared from his world, he accidentally bumped into Chen Bai at a business dinner and heard news about her.
He didn’t hear the news at the dinner table; it was when he went out for a cigarette. That was when he happened to see Chen Bai as he stepped out of the restroom and walked over to him.
Out of habit, Chen Bai was very polite to Han Zhifan, just as he was with He Jichen. “Mr. Han.”
Han Zhifan glanced at Chen Bai but didn’t say a word and handed him the pack of cigarettes.
Chen Bai shook his head and didn’t take it.
The two of them didn’t say anything for a while. When his cigarette was almost finished, Chen Bai suddenly said, “She left Beijing a week ago. Did you know?”
Chen Bai didn’t say who “She” was, but Han Zhifan, who had a cigarette in his mouth, finally got it after a while. Chen Bai was talking about Cheng Weiwan.
He didn’t utter a word. Chen Bai was silent for a while before he continued to say, “Miss Ji told me Cheng Weiwan only said goodbye to her.”
Han Zhifan shuddered slightly with the cigarette in his mouth as the ashes drifted away.
“Miss Ji said that she sold her apartment in Beijing, handled everything she could, and threw everything away that she couldn’t deal with.”
Chen Bai paused for a few seconds then said, “I think this time, like Mr. He, she doesn’t have any plans on returning.”
Chapter 744: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (4)
Han Zhifan remained quiet as usual, but he stopped smoking.
“In the beginning, Mr. He and Miss Cheng put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into ‘Jiuchong Palace.’ They’ve finished filming, so now the editing team can work on it. After two or three months, it’ll be broadcasted all over the internet. However, the person who produced it and the person who wrote the script have both left…”
As Chen Bai said this, he let out a soft sigh. Quite some time had passed before he finally said, “Mr. Han, do you really not feel the slightest thing for Miss Cheng?”
Again, Han Zhifan didn’t reply to Chen Bai, but this time, he put out his cigarette and threw it into the garbage can. Then he straightened up and headed back to his private room.
Having not had too much to drink, Han Zhifan ended up drinking too much that night.
In the evening, when Han Zhifan’s driver passed security on the way back to his apartment, the car was stopped by the guard. The guard gave the driver a parcel.
Han Zhifan, who was already a drunken mess, had to be carried back to his apartment by the driver. After he was carried to his bed, the driver placed the parcel down on the bed and left.
That night, after getting completely drunk, Han Zhifan slept until it was bright out.
His hangover left him with a splitting headache and pins and needles.
He rubbed his head and sat up on his bed to discover that he was still wearing his suit.
The curtains weren’t drawn and the sun shone brightly, illuminating the entire room.
He couldn’t help but raise his hand and shield himself from the light. Then he got out of bed, removed his clothes, and walked into the bathroom.
After he washed off the smell of alcohol from his body, he came out of the bathroom and instinctively looked for his phone. Then he noticed a parcel on the bedside table.
The parcel only had his name and address.
Unknown sender.
He knew the driver who took him home put it there. Without thinking too much about it, he opened the parcel.
Inside was a pair of keys and a thin piece of paper.
He recognized those keys – they were the keys to his apartment.
Aside from him, only one other person had them – her.
Han Zhifan clutched the keys for a long time then opened up the piece of paper.
There was no signature – just a small, elegantly handwritten passage which seemed just like her. “I heard you’re with someone new. From here on out, I’m the hero who will fight the battles and bleed everywhere.”
After those words, there were four very small words, but Han Zhifan still managed to read them: “I love you. Goodbye.”
–
Time flew by and in the blink of an eye, a year and five months had passed.
This was everything that happened during the time that passed: Ji Yi graduated from university. Also, ever since “Jiuchong palace” premiered a year earlier, it set a precedent by becoming the most famous TV series in recent years. Because of “Jiuchong Palace,” Ji Yi’s value sky-rocketed, just as He Jichen planned. She sped up the list of A-list female celebrities, and she had endless jobs sent her way. Bo He let Li Da chase after her and the two of them got married while Tang Huahua felt like she wasn’t suitable for acting, so she followed Zhuang Yi to learn to become a manager. Now, she was Ji Yi’s assistant. Also, in the past year and five months, Ji Yi often stole or ruined Qian Ge’s jobs. All in all, she never let Qian Ge have a single day’s peace…
There had been dramatic changes over the past year and five months. However, the only thing that hadn’t changed was He Jichen, whose whereabouts were still unknown.
Chapter 745: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (5)
…
The second Spring Festival after He Jichen left happened to land on Valentine’s Day. Although it was the lunar new year, Ji Yi was preparing for an interview that night.
Since Zhuang Xu, Zhuang Yi’s brother, was about to get married and Zhuang Yi hadn’t spent Chinese new year dinner with her parents for two years now, Ji Yi let her go back home. She kept only Tang Huahua and a new assistant at her side.
The media outlet interviewing her was TX. Their meeting place was TX’s own cafe.
The cafe was open to the public, but because it was Chinese new year, there weren’t any customers around.
Ji Yi’s interview location was on the second floor. After clearing the floor, the only people left were her, some assistants and TX’s staff.
The official interview started at nine.
The interview questions were relayed between TX and Tang Huahua. On the whole, the questions were about the dramas Ji Yi starred in for the past two years.
The female presenter was very entertaining to talk to and had worked with Ji Yi many times in the past two years. Even though they weren’t close friends, their relationship wasn’t bad. They could joke around and make fun of each other. The entire interview was filled with plenty of jokes.
Towards the end of the interview, the final section of the TX exclusive online episode welcomed questions from fans.
At the very beginning, the questions were simple like:
“Ji Yi, what color do you like?”
“Xiao Yi, when will you go to Chengdu for a fan meeting?”
Also, some fans were cheeky and deliberately asked prank questions like, “Xiao Yi, between cake-flavored chocolate and chocolate-flavored cake, which would you choose?”
There were thirty whole exclusive TX questions. In the end, there were some questions about the present: “I want to ask out Goddess Ji Yi. Will she be celebrating Valentine’s Day? And who will you spend it with?”
When the presenter finished asking this question, Ji Yi instinctively lowered her eyes to hide the dreariness in them.
Valentine’s day… Since He Jichen left, days like this seem farther and farther away.
Every Valentine’s day, Christmas, Chinese Valentine’s day, and the famous online 520 day… When Ji Yi walked the streets and saw sweet couples embracing, her heart felt hollowed out and in pain…
“Xiao Yi? Is this question difficult?” The presenter saw Ji Yi not uttering a word and was afraid of an awkward silence. She found an appropriate time to speak and switch up the atmosphere: “You can’t really want to celebrate Valentine’s day, right?”
Ji Yi lifted her gaze to reveal her clear yet dark pupils and smiled emotionlessly. “Nope, I just remembered that I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s day.”
“Woah, does that count as a super big scoop?! You’ve never celebrated Valentine’s day which means you’re completely pure when it comes to love?” The presenter had been interviewing for many years, so she knew that the whole nation paid attention to artists’ relationships, so she immediately took advantage of the opportunity and started to discuss it further. “So, Xiao Yi, are you still single?”
Single?
I’m not single; I’m married. However, I’m as lonely as a single person…
Ji Yi tried her best to prevent her smile from disappearing due to her heartache. She shook her head at the presenter and said with a soft and gentle voice, “No, I’m not single, I’m just waiting for someone.”
Chapter 746: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (6)
Maybe Ji Yi’s words were too beautiful because the presenter let out a “Woah.” Then she looked over at Ji Yi and asked, “Xiao Yi, does this mean you like someone? You’ve been waiting for the person you like to come back?”
Many artists didn’t dare expose their love lives for fear of losing fans and affecting their partners…However, after the presenter finished asking Ji Yi questions, she didn’t hesitate to let out a gentle nod then she quietly replied, “Yes, I’ve been waiting for him to come back.”
One day without him back, I’ll wait a day; A year without him back, I’ll wait a year; If he never comes back in my lifetime, then I’ll wait for you in the underworld, where I’ll continue to wait for you.
“It looks like Xiao Yi really likes someone, but Xiao Yi, would it be alright if we ask you a few questions now? Xiao Yi, I know it’s too much to make you confess right here. After all, some people might be ordinary people who don’t want to be exposed to everyone. So I want to ask you could you describe the person you like?”
The person I like – what kind of person is he?
As those words crossed Ji Yi’s mind, He Jichen’s face instantly appeared before her eyes.
He was really tall, handsome, his temper stunk and he liked to put on a poker face all the time… When you deeply loved someone, you really remembered them in flesh and blood. A year and five months had already passed, yet she could clearly remember every single detail about him.
But Ji Yi didn’t speak what was on her mind. “He… He’s the best person in the world, so no one else can enter my heart.”
“Woah…” the presenter murmured, “Today, this interview was truly full of great scoops! However, we’ve been off topic for a really long time and there are a few unasked questions from fans. Time’s ticking, so we must hurry…”
Ji Yi nodded gently but didn’t say a word.
The presenter started to read the questions, but when it came to the final question from the fans, Ji Yi’s heart was brutally stabbed.
“Xiao Yi, I wanted to know – among all the Chinese characters, which one do you like the most?” The presenter repeated it twice and asked oddly, “For as long as I’ve done interviews, this must be the most puzzling question. Why would they ask about your favorite director?”
The presenter turned her head then looked over at Xiao Yi. “Even though I don’t understand this question, Xiao Yi, please answer it regardless. Come on now, who’s your favorite Chinese director?”
Ji Yi answered unusually directly, “Ji.”
“Ji, as in Ji from Ji Yi?”
Ji Yi smiled slightly without uttering a word, but in her heart, she added another line: Also the Ji from He Jichen.
Time really was limited, so the interview ended there.
Ji Yi and the presenter chatted casually for a while then they removed their make up.
After everything was packed away, it was already eleven in the evening when the cafe closed for business.
When Ji Yi and Tang Huahua came downstairs, the waiter on the first floor told the remaining table of customers to leave.
After Ji Yi and Tang Huahua both stepped into the women’s restroom, He Jichen, dressed in a black trenchcoat, pulled open the doors of the men’s restroom and stepped out.
Chapter 747: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (6)
Back at the cafe, He Jichen hadn’t left his seat when a short waiter ran over to him with an apologetic look on his face. “Sir, we’re terribly sorry, but we’re closing now. Today is Chinese new year, so could you please settle your bill right now?”
He Jichen gently nodded without saying a word then pulled out his wallet. Then he handed the waiter two red notes.
“That’s a total of one hundred and sixty-eight. Your change…”
The waiter hadn’t finished what he was saying when He Jichen flatly said, “It’s okay.”
Then he bent down to pick up his laptop and headed for the front door.
Just before He Jichen opened the door, Ji Yi and Tang Huahua emerged from the women’s restroom one after the other.
“Xiao Yi, I wanna buy a hot chocolate. Do you want one?” asked Tang Huahua.
He Jichen raised his hand and pushed the door. He suddenly paused silently for two seconds before continuing to push the door open and walking out.
Ji Yi shook her head at Tang Huahua. “No thanks.”
After she said this, Ji Yi pointed at a seat beside them. “I’m going over there to wait for you.”
“Alright.” After hearing Tang Huahua’s reply, Ji Yi turned around and walked towards the spot she just pointed at. After taking just two steps forward, a familiar silhouette flashed before her eyes.
All of a sudden, Ji Yi’s footsteps came to a halt as though her pressure points had been pressed.
She instinctively turned her head and looked out the entrance of the cafe. There was no one there.
Was I just hallucinating?
Ji Yi furrowed her brows and withdrew her gaze from the entrance, but just as she was going to continue walking, the silhouette popped into her mind again.
If it really was just an illusion, why did it feel so real?
“Xiao Yi, do you want to eat yellow peach cake…” asked Tang Huahua to Ji Yi after paying the bill.
Ji Yi ignored Tang Huahua and stood motionlessly on the spot.
“Xiao Yi?” asked Tang Huahua again as she sensed something was wrong.
Ji Yi didn’t even glance at Tang Huahua. The next second, she turned around and rushed towards the door.
She pushed the door open and was welcomed with a cold breeze.
Tang Huahua hugged her jacket as she was only wearing a thin hoodie. Moments later, she started to shiver from the cold.
But Ji Yi couldn’t even feel it as she rushed over to the street and looked left and right.
There were very few cars and people on the streets of Beijing during Chinese new year.
Aside from her and two or three cars driving by occasionally, there was no one else there.
“Xiao Yi!” Tang Huahua hurriedly chased after her from the cafe.
Just like before in the cafe, Ji Yi didn’t reply but turned her head endlessly, scanning the area. Ji Yi didn’t sluggishly turn her head and look at Tang Huahua until she put on her thick jacket.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” asked Tang Huahua.
Ji Yi shook her head. “Maybe I was just seeing things.”
“What did you think you saw?” asked Tang Huahua.
Ji Yi didn’t say anything but continued walking.
As she passed the entrance of the cafe, the silhouette entered Ji Yi’s peripheral vision once again. She suddenly stopped walking, turned around, and looked down the street, but she still didn’t see the familiar silhouette…
Chapter 748: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (8)
Just as the two of them reached the entrance of the cafe, the waiter came over with a takeaway bag containing Tang Huahua’s hot chocolate.
Tang Huahua took the bag and said “Thanks.” She looked back at Ji Yi, ready to say “Let’s go” when she saw Ji Yi turning her head left and right in a daze, glancing at the empty streets.
Tang Huahua swallowed her words then walked over to Ji Yi. “Xiao Yi, what’s up with you? You were fine earlier, but why are you now so distracted?”
Ji Yi continued staring at the streets for a few seconds then looked over at Tang Huahua after she spoke. “I think I just saw him.”
Although Ji Yi didn’t specify who she meant by “him,” Tang Huahua could guess right away that Ji Yi was referring to He Jichen.
Tang Huahua thought Ji Yi must’ve missed He Jichen so much that she was in a trance.
For over a year now, Ji Yi looked just the same as before, but she was a lot stronger and more mature. However, the people by Ji Yi’s side knew that although she had changed dramatically, whenever she wasn’t working, she often daydreamed if nobody snapped her out of it. Sometimes, when she was concentrating on one task for one or two hours, she would also space out like she did now. He Jichen obviously wasn’t here anymore, yet she often cried out “He Jichen” on a deserted street and ran out. She might look like she was eating three meals a day, but she ate very little. She said she didn’t stay up at night and climbed into bed at eleven every night, but did she really fall asleep? In the middle of the night, she often got up and went to the bathroom. She would stare at He Jichen’s photo in a daze and leave a bottle of sleeping pills by her side. That was when Tang Huahua knew that Ji Yi wasn’t as strong as she appeared. She was just trying her hardest to become the way He Jichen hoped she would be.
Seeing how sluggish Tang Huahua was at replying, Ji Yi knew that she misunderstood. Tang Huahua probably thought she was just as absent-minded as she was before, taking her hallucinations for reality.
“Huahua, I’m not lying to you. This time, it was real. I think I really just saw him.” Ji Yi pointed at the front door in fear that Tang Huahua didn’t believe her. “It was at those doors. He pushed those doors open after you said you were going to buy a hot chocolate…”
Ji Yi tried hard to describe the scene, but when she looked at Tang Huahua, her eyes ached and tears almost came out. “Xiao Yi, it’s getting late, we have to get going…”
Ji Yi’s low mumble came to a stop.
She knew Tang Huahua didn’t believe what she said. She didn’t look at Tang Huahua and silently stared at the door for a while. Then she said to Tang Huahua, “Let’s go.”
The two of them walked over to their car.
Tang Huahua knew Ji Yi was feeling down, so she tried really hard to tell Ji Yi the latest gossip and funny anecdotes.
Ji Yi didn’t say a thing until they were about to reach the car. Ji Yi twitched her lips and interrupted Tang Huahua’s chattering: “Huahua, I really saw him.”
Tang Huahua turned her head and looked over at where Ji Yi was standing.
She wanted to comfort Ji Yi a little, but something was stuck in her throat and she couldn’t say a thing.
After they got into the car, after Tang Huahua waited for Ji Yi to fasten her seatbelt, she started the car up.
Chapter 749: I’m Not Single, I’m Just Waiting For Someone (9)
Soon after, the car drove quite some distance before disappearing deep into the night. Just then, someone in a black trenchcoat emerged from the alley by the cafe. The buttons were undone, so the corners of his clothes drifted in the cold wind.
He stared at the car driving off for a long time before he looked up at the sky. Then he walked over towards his car.
The breeze was strong and drifted into his ears non-stop.
He vaguely heard a woman’s voice in his ears.
“I’m not single, I’m just waiting for someone.”
“Yes, I’ve always been waiting for him to come back.”
“He… He is the best person in the world, so no one else can enter my heart.”
He slowly stopped walking forward.
Yeah, she was the best I’ve ever had in this world, so she deserves the best.
And I stopped being “the best” a long time ago.
…
On the way back, Ji Yi got a WeChat call from Zhuang Yi.
She wanted to chat about the new drama in the spring.
When Ji Yi left the house in the afternoon, she forgot to charge her phone. Soon after their phone call, her phone automatically popped up with a low battery notification.
Ji Yi quickly cut off Zhuang Yi and asked Tang Huahua for her phone. After Tang Huahua gave Ji Yi her fully-charged phone, she called Zhuang Yi again with her phone.
After about over ten minutes, she finally finished talking.
“Ask Xiao Yang to send the file straight to Huahua’s WeChat.” After Ji Yi hung up the WeChat call, she received the file on Tang Huahua’s phone.
She exited the chat window and clicked on Xiao Yang’s message. But then, she glanced at three words on Tang Huahua’s phone that just popped up: “He Xuezhang.”
From what I remember, Tang Huahua and He Jichen aren’t close. Why are they exchanging WeChat messages?
And my name was mentioned in the displayed message…
Ji Yi raised her head and glanced up at Tang Huahua, who was focused on driving. She hesitated for a moment then sneakily clicked the conversation with He Jichen.
Tang Huahua and He Jichen’s final message was last Chinese new year.
“He Xuezhang, Xiao Yi got in a scandal. They say she’s copying Qian Ge’s performance. I called her, but she didn’t pick up.”
Ji Yi furrowed her brows and continued to flick up. Most of the messages were sent from Tang Huahua to He Jichen, and each sentence was about her.
“He Xuezhang, Xiao Yi’s at the dorms and she seems to be in a good mood.”
“He Xuezhang, Xiao Yi ate the congee you asked me to give to her. Looks like she really liked it.”
“He Xuezhang, Xiao Yi’s not feeling well because of her period. She has some period pains.”
“He Xuezhang, I gave Xiao Yi the brown sugar ginger tea that Zhang Sao made.”
“He Xuezhang, look at these screenshots. Lin Ya’s Moment’s are saying this about Xiao Yi.”
“He Xuezhang…”
It was no wonder why Ji Yi had always been confused. The Yuguang Ge she met was He Jichen, but there were so many things she never told He Jichen, yet “Yuguang Ge” always came when she needed him most. So it turned out that… Huahua… was giving He Jichen intel.
The car stopped outside Ji Yi’s building. Tang Huahua got out and ran over to pull Ji Yi’s car door open.