The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 165: It's true it's old news, but old stories aren't necessarily true.

Zhou Yanruo's eyes gradually reddened, tears welling up in them. She seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, deeply empathizing with the weight and hardship behind Jian Zheng's words. At that moment, she realized that the loneliness and pain she had once thought of were actually just a thin thread in the complex web of life, and that everyone around her, including Jian Zheng, was silently enduring their own suffering and challenges in their own way.

So, what about him? Was he also going through something behind her back?

She slowly raised her head, her gaze piercing through the distance, as if she could truly see the tall, slender man in white, his bag slung across his shoulder, his back lonely and forlorn. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again, her gaze falling on Jian Zheng's seemingly calm and composed face as he sat opposite her.

Jian Zheng's gaze was empty and distant, fixed on a horizon only he could see, a place where his untold hardships and struggles lay hidden. His expression was calm, his lips pressed into a straight line, revealing little of his inner world. But it was precisely this silence that stirred an indescribable emotion within Zhou Yanruo—a mixture of sympathy and understanding for Jian Zheng, and a wistful acceptance of her own past. She realized that in this unpredictable world, everyone was moving forward in their own way, perhaps outwardly calm, but inwardly turbulent.

"Jian Zheng, I never imagined you would go through all that during that time. You..."

Jian Zheng looked away, and then a smile slowly bloomed on his face. "No, please don't say anything mushy like sympathy. My problems are all in the past. The fact that I'm here talking to you about these things today means that I've let go of them. As for you, where do you find the extra energy to sympathize with others? You should take better care of yourself. Others may not know, but you can't hide it from me. Those things haven't passed on in your heart."

Zhou Yanruo replied somewhat awkwardly, "Those are all old stories. Look at me, I'm doing just fine now, so there's nothing to hide from you."

Jian Zheng naturally understood what Zhou Yanruo meant by "old stories". He said firmly, "Old stories are true, but past stories are not necessarily true."

Zhou Yanruo didn't hear clearly and couldn't help but ask, "What did you say?"

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated. Zhou Yanruo picked it up, glanced at the caller ID, and saw it was Ding Jiajia calling. She gestured to Jian Zheng that she needed to take the call, then swiped to answer, "Hello, Jiajia."

Ding Jiajia's clear voice came through the phone: "Sister Yanruo, we've arrived at the studio. There weren't many cars on the road, so it went smoothly."

Zhou Yanruo replied, "That's good. I hope the filming goes smoothly so you can finish sooner and get some rest. You've all been working so hard lately."

"It should be fine. This studio is new, the conditions are excellent, and the equipment is top-notch. Sister Qingnan is here too; she wants to talk to you, so don't hang up."

Zhou Yanruo hummed in agreement. "Give her the phone."

Then, Qi Qingnan's voice came through the phone: "Yan Ruo, aren't you coming today?"

Zhou Yanruo replied, "Shang Yibo said they have enough manpower over there, so I don't need to go this afternoon. That's fine too, I still have some work to take care of here, so I won't go."

"Oh, I see. I was just thinking that it's been a while since I've seen you. If you came over, we could find a place to have a drink and chat. But it's okay, you go ahead and do your work. We can get together another time. Shang Yibo has a few new business collaborations, and I've almost finalized them. I'll send you a list later. Since there are quite a few categories, I need to filter them based on Yibo's situation. Take a look and give me your feedback."

Zhou Yanruo's phone vibrated slightly. She glanced at the screen and saw that she had received a WeChat message. Instead of checking it immediately, she continued the call: "Okay, send it over. By the way, I'll be going to the recording studio with Shang Yibo tomorrow morning. Will you be coming?"

Qi Qingnan replied, "I have other plans for tomorrow morning, so I probably won't be able to go."

Zhou Yanruo said, "It's alright. After I review the business list, I'll prepare a written explanation for you and send it to you as soon as possible. If there are any problems, we can discuss them online. It seems we'll have to schedule another time."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yanruo said to Jian Zheng, "It was Ding Jiajia who called. They have arrived at the film set safely."

Jian Zheng was putting the last cookie in his mouth, chewing and saying indistinctly, "They're pretty quick. I finally have time tomorrow, I have to ask Jiajia to go out for a walk. Oh dear, how did I finish all the cookies while you were on the phone?"

Zhou Yanruo smiled and shook her head, "So what if we ate it? Don't make a fuss."

Jian Zheng patted his belly and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "You guys are all handsome men and beautiful women, and I'm just a middle-aged man who looks so greasy. This won't do. I have to be careful not to look old when I stand next to you."

Zhou Yanruo couldn't help but chuckle, "Your absurdity hasn't diminished at all with age." She stood up, ready to leave, "Alright, I have things to take care of. Go for a walk outside, don't bother with dinner."

She was about to reach for the phone on the table when her phone vibrated first, the screen lighting up to show a WeChat message. As she opened WeChat, she said to Jian Zheng, "You go ahead, I'll reply to this message."

"Okay, I'll contact you again," Jian Zheng replied.

After watching Jian Zheng leave, Zhou Yanruo looked down at her WeChat messages. It was from Shang Yibo, two messages in a row: "We've arrived at the set." These were messages from over twenty minutes ago, probably received during her call with Ding Jiajia. Immediately following was another message: "Not replying to my messages again." This was accompanied by a string of "hammering" emojis.

"How childish," Zhou Yanruo chuckled softly, then replied to Shang Yibo with three words: "I understand."

......

Shang Yibo changed his clothes and walked out of the dressing room. He took the phone from Xiao Guangzi, but the screen was blank; he hadn't received any of the expected replies. He muttered to himself, "Not replying again."

So he sent Zhou Yanruo another message: "Why aren't you replying? Hammer, hammer, hammer (a string of emojis)."

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Yanruo replied: "Understood."

Looking at those three words, Shang Yibo couldn't help but think to himself, "Looks like I really won't get a reply unless I 'hammer' it? Does this mean I have to 'hammer' it every time I send a message to get it to work?"

"Why do you only reply with three words? Are you so stingy with words? Typing more won't get you tired. And 'I understand,' what do you understand? Pfft!"