That night, unable to learn anything about Leyao, I searched online for the latest news about her. However, news reports were inevitably one-sided and could not reflect Leyao’s true emotions at this moment. So, in my anxious state, I dialed Roben’s number again.
Before I could even speak, Roben cut straight to the point, asking, “You’re calling me about the big shot, right?”
“How is she?”
“How should I know? I’m not her. Do you think I can read her mind?”
“I would ask her directly if I could get in touch with her!”
“Zhaoyang, don’t you really know why the big shot won’t contact you?”
“She might be afraid this mess will bring me trouble.”
“What do you mean ‘might be’? Anyway, you’ve long flown away from her and disappeared without a trace. It’s pointless for me to talk about this with you now. Let’s talk practically. Have you contacted CC? I’m leaving Beijing tomorrow.”
“I did contact her. Her signal was bad, and after the call dropped, she hasn’t replied again. But she should have already learned about Leyao’s situation.”
“You should contact her again. The big shot attended a press conference today, then locked herself in her room for half a day after returning home. She wouldn’t even eat. She’s like a hermit cultivating in seclusion, leaving me to guard outside her room like a guardian. She didn’t say a word to me the whole time. I’m really at my wits’ end. I just got back to the hotel.”
“You should persuade her to eat. With such low spirits, not eating at all—how can she endure it?”
“I can only persuade her if she cooperates. Am I supposed to kick down her door?”
“You really treat her like a deity. Some doors need to be kicked down when necessary.”
“Then why don’t you come and kick it down?”
Worried as I was, I softened my tone and pleaded with Roben, “Please don’t mind the trouble. Can you buy her some night snacks and go back to check on her? Her physical condition is poor, and you know that well.”
“This isn’t about minding the trouble. Buying snacks is no big deal. The problem is I’m leaving Beijing tomorrow, and CC might not make it back in time. What should I do then?”
“What about her agent?”
“Come on, her agent has been so busy recently that it’s already good enough if she can come to see Leyao at night. Let me tell you, all of Leyao’s appointments have been canceled. Judging from the trend, she might even be blacklisted by the company!”
“How could the company be so despicable? How can they take advantage of her at a time like this?”
“What’s the point of complaining? Isn’t this just how the entertainment industry works? Affected by this malicious hype incident, the company will definitely reassess Leyao’s value as a star.”
I fell silent. Even though I was merely an observer, my heart still ached for Leyao. Once again, the image of her shooting in the river less than a month after an abortion flashed through my mind. Why, after giving her all with such effort, could she still not overcome a mere baseless rumor? What exactly is wrong with this world?
Roben spoke again, “Zhaoyang, I’ll stop here for now. I’m going to buy some night snacks for the big shot. If she still won’t open the door, I’ll really kick it down this time.”
“Go ahead. I’ll call you later.”
Roben simply grunted and hung up. Actually, I knew he had his own opinions about me in this matter. He couldn’t understand my current predicament. In fact, I wanted to go to Beijing more than anyone else. As for kicking down doors—acting in such a crude and rude manner—I was more suitable for that than he was.
Feeling helpless, I took out a cigarette and lit it. Then I took out my phone and dialed CC’s number again. However, as if fate were mocking me, her phone was still switched off. At this point, I began to worry about her. Logically, she should have gotten back to me by now.
So I turned on the light in my room and, in the quiet of the night, went to Mizcai’s door and knocked, asking, “Are you asleep?”
Mizcai didn’t respond at first. I asked again before she sleepily answered, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
“I want to ask you something… Has CC contacted you in the past couple of days?”
“We haven’t been in touch for almost a week.”
Mizcai’s answer increased my concern. I continued, “Can I come in?”
“The door isn’t locked.”
I pushed the door open and walked in, turning on the light. Mizcai was lying in bed wrapped in a blanket, her voice still somewhat groggy as she asked, “Why are you suddenly asking about CC?”
“I called her a couple of days ago, but the signal was bad. The call dropped halfway through, and I haven’t heard from her since. I’m getting worried!”
“She’s on a hiking trip. It’s normal for her to lose signal for two or three days in some places.”
I didn’t know how to explain to Mizcai, but I understood in my heart that if CC had learned about Leyao’s current situation, she would definitely try every possible means to contact Leyao. It was a rare occurrence for her to be unreachable for two days. Once it happened, it usually meant an accident.
After weighing my thoughts for a while, I finally told Mizcai, “When I contacted CC that day, I actually wanted to ask her to come back and accompany Leyao. Leyao’s current situation is really bad, and Roben is busy preparing for his show recording… Considering CC’s relationship with Leyao, even if there was no signal, she would definitely find a way to get in touch. It’s been two days with no news at all. Now I’m worried that something unexpected might have happened to her.”
After I said that, Mizcai’s expression turned serious. She picked up her phone from beside the bed and dialed CC’s number. As expected, the call couldn’t get through.
I could feel Mizcai’s inner anxiety. Despite knowing it wouldn’t connect, she dialed two or three times repeatedly… Then she looked at me helplessly.
I tried to comfort her, “Don’t panic yet. Maybe we’ll hear from her soon.”
But Mizcai couldn’t calm down at all. Her voice was filled with anxiety as she asked, “What if something really happened to her?”
I was even more worried than Mizcai, but even if we went to Nepal right now, it wouldn’t help. Given the vastness of the region, we didn’t know CC’s exact location. All we could do at this moment was to calm ourselves down and wait for news.
I poured a glass of milk for Mizcai to help her relax, then sat beside her. After a long while, she finally asked me, “How is Leyao doing now?”
“Not well… She might be blacklisted by the company. I think she’s on the verge of a breakdown.”
Mizcai put down her milk glass and said to me, “Zhaoyang, besides worrying about CC, you actually want to go to Beijing, right?”
I looked at Mizcai but found it hard to give an answer that was true to my heart. So I just remained silent. But silence itself was also a kind of answer…
Mizcai nodded slightly but didn’t make any clear statement immediately. I seemed to see the fragile sensitivity in her heart…
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