Our Tender Harmony

A couple hours later, Xia Ruyun welcomed a guest into her room. The guest, out of breath after coming straight from dinner, set her bag down before exploring the room. “It’s nice in here! You’ve turned it quite cozy for a place we’re only in for a few months.”

“It’s not bad at all,” Xia Ruyun nodded, offering a fresh cup of tea to Li Feiling. “Feng Wei doesn’t cheap out on taking care of the more minor cast members, which I appreciate. I still remember my first production...”

“They must have treated you quite well, no?” Li Feiling raised an eyebrow. She walked to the table in the center of the room and took a seat. “They wouldn’t dare disrespect you back then.”

“They didn’t,” Xia Ruyun chuckled, pouring another cup for herself before taking a seat as well. “I saw the living conditions of some other actresses though… life changing. I felt so bad…”

“Mn, some directors have been getting boycotted over it,” Li Feiling leaned back in her chair. “It’s a worthwhile movement.”

Xia Ruyun paused.

After a second, she squinted. “… Weren’t you the one who initiated this movement? This sounds awfully-”

“I wasn’t!” Li Feiling laughed, leaning forward to stop Xia Ruyun from continuing. “It was founded by a couple other actors and actresses! They just have less of a following, and since I joined fairly early on, it’s often misattributed to me.”

“I understand,” Xia Ruyun smiled. “Should we start calling you Miss figurehead as well?”

“You and your names…” Li Feiling shook her head before reaching over to her bag. “Oh yeah, are you sure it’s not too late? I don’t want to keep you up.”

Xia Ruyun froze.

She suppressed the yawn threatening to escape and smiled. “No, no it’s fine. I… quite enjoy spending time with you, sacrificing a little sleep is nothing. Although we don’t share scenes, I’m happy to sit here and listen as you practice.”

Li Feiling narrowed her eyes, her hands hovering over the zipper.

Something prickled at her.

Her eyes wandered over Xia Ruyun.

She… seems tired though.

But I also do want to spend time with her…

But I also don’t want her to push herself too much…

Argh, why is this so complicated… why do I overthink so much with her?

In the end, Li Feiling unzipped her bag and pulled out her script. “If you say so, just make sure to take care of yourself, okay?”

Xia Ruyun, having checked her phone and missed out on the entirety of Li Feiling’s internal conflict playing out on her face—one more obvious than Li Feiling could have ever imagined—just returned Li Feiling’s concerned gaze with a light laugh. “Of course. I took care of myself quite well these past few years after all.”

Well, maybe not that well, but she doesn’t need to know about all that.

And with that brief interlude passing, the two settled into their work. The two women traded some scenes, yet spent most of their time taking notes or chatting. The room’s gentle glow enveloped them. As the night deepened, their scripts intertwined, the pages overlapping as they spread over the table.

A cozy alcove away from the harshness of reality.

---

On the other side of the hotel, two other people met in an alcove of their own: Chu Changfeng and Feng Wei. The two stood on the roof of the hotel wreathed in half shadows as cold wind snaked through the air. Feng Wei stood with his back against the railing, staring up at the starless sky. Chu Changfeng, beside him, rested his forearms against the railing, his eyes lost in the sea of cars tracing their paths in the city below.

“Did you know that Li Feiling and Xia Ruyun have been meeting up at night?” Chu Changfeng broke the silence with a chuckle.

“How would I know that?” Feng Wei rolled his eyes. “More than that, how do you know that?”

“I have my ways,” Chu Changfeng broke into a wide smile. “For those with money, having connections in a hotel like this is no big deal.”

“… Sure,” Feng Wei pursed his lips.

Bro what a weirdo.

Seeing no more words come from Chu Changfeng, Feng Wei followed up. “What about it then? I’ve tried my best to separate them as you’ve asked. There’s not much I can do about them meeting up at night. If anything, it’s a tad concerning because I need them to sleep enough for maximal performance during the day.”

“Mn… I agree, it’s slightly concerning,” Chu Changfeng’s smile widened. He traced a lone bird flying through the sky, returning to its nest far too late. “I know it’s concerning, but I’m sorry, you’ll just have to deal with it. This is the situation I’d like them to be in.”

Feng Wei raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Didn’t you want them separated.”

“Mn… but this has its advantages too,” Chu Changfeng stood back upright. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep doing what you’re doing, you’re doing well.”

After getting perhaps the vaguest answer known to man, Feng Wei let out a long sigh. “Is that all you called me here for? Haven’t you made things difficult enough for me in this production? 10 PM meetings are quite the poor practice, even as the main investor.”

“Don’t worry, it’s important,” Chu Changfeng reached over, patting the much more slender man on the shoulder. “You’ll find out.”

After patting Feng Wei on the shoulder Chu Changfeng turned to leave. With one hand on the door, he turned back with a gentle smile. “I’ll give you a bonus for this meeting, how about that? Two week’s salary. It should soothe the soul a little. Or you can think of it as a fee to keep your lips sealed.”

Feng Wei paused. He took a step forward.

Yet, then he came to a halt. A second later, his voice reached Chu Changfeng’s ears, carried by the night wind.

“… Sure.”

“Keep working hard then,” Chu Changfeng swung the door open. As he disappeared into the hotel, he left one more parting comment. “Your mother would be proud.”

“… That she would,” Feng Wei leaned back against the railing. He stared upward into the sky, searching for a cloud, searching for a bird, searching for… anything.

Would she really though?

Are you watching me, mom? From wherever you are?

Are you proud?

---

The next day, shooting continued, unfettered by the director’s personal woes. Feng Wei, after a fitful night of sleep, ran between floors, directing the most important scenes across the two companies.

Coming down the stairs, he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Li Feiling, are you ready? Other execs? Is the food in place? Is the party décor set up?”

After getting confirmation, he sat down in the director’s chair. “Alright, let’s begin!”

---

A woman in a crimson suit walked into the board room. A wide smile danced across her red lips, half manic. “Everyone… everyone. Oh, how fate has smiled upon us.”

A phoenix danced behind her, its fiery glow warming the room. She snapped her fingers to bring the presentation screen to life. “Golden Scale Investment is near bankruptcy! They will be fighting for their life for this next deal. Are you all ready?”

“““We’re ready!”””

Hearing the chorus of agreement. Zeng Xiaojing shook her head. “You all are not ready. Not. At. All. You all are nothing.”

Silence.

She spread her arms, pointing at each person individually.

“You’re useless.”

“You’re having an affair with your secretary.”

“You’re spending more time at the golf range than at the company.”

“And… you’re just stupid.”

“I’ll spare the rest of you for now.”

Zeng Xiaojing grabbed a nearby chair, spinning it to sit with her legs spread and arms resting against the back. “However, you’re all lucky to have… me. What would you all do without me?”

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a black drive. “Because what I have here is their reverse scale. I have here all their plans for this upcoming negotiation round. Do you all understand? Their plans, their tricks will be nothing in front of us. We’re going to crush them.”

Zeng Xiaojing swiped her thumb across her lips, smudging her lipstick as the phoenix behind her spread its wings, filling the room with intangible flames. “We’re going to burn them to the ground, understood little worms?”

“““Understood, boss!”””

With everyone in the room jumping out of their seats and saluting, Zeng Xiaojing just laughed. She laughed her heart out. She… cackled. Calming down after a couple seconds, she blew a kiss to everyone in the room. “For now, though, let’s party. Let’s celebrate Jiang Jinlong's downfall! Let’s celebrate the start of the new age. Our age!”

---

Across the city, a different scene was playing out.

A dark office.

A darker expression.

Jiang Jinlong wanted to murder someone. He looked like someone had just told him his favorite child had contracted terminal brain cancer.

A golden dragon coiled around him, brooding, sucking all the warmth out of the room.

Who was it?

Who leaked our internal affairs? What did they take? Was that all of it?

Yet, at that moment, his phone rang. Buzzing atop his desk, its light piercing through the darkness. Seeing the unknown number, Jiang Jinlong’s hand hovered for a moment before answering the call.

“Jiang Jinlong… have you considered an angel investor?”