Chapter 43 - I think… I may just be a little bit…swept away by you.

The psychological drama competition was in full swing. Thanks to Lin Xian’s outstanding script and the stellar performances from Shi Man and the rest of her classmates, their class advanced to the finals without suspense.

The finals were scheduled for the Friday evening one week before Christmas, to be held at the school’s auditorium, jointly organized with the Business Administration faculty’s psychological drama final. According to the arrangement, the first three rows in the auditorium—the prime viewing seats—were reserved for special guests. The first row was exclusive to school leaders, while the second and third rows were evenly allocated to the student council and representatives from each organization.

Lin Xian had gone out of her way to ask Xia Zhijin for a favor—if she could help her get a ticket for the guest section. She wanted to invite Xiao Wanqing to watch the performance. Xia Zhijin didn’t hesitate in the slightest and agreed immediately.

As expected, three days before the competition, Xia Zhijin came through and delivered the ticket to Lin Xian on time.

Noticing how tired Xia Zhijin looked, Lin Xian couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Manman… she still did not staying at home lately?”

Shi Man had been skipping classes quite often recently, although she barely passed her midterm in calculus. Still, she never missed a single rehearsal. Lin Xian couldn’t figure out what had happened between Shi Man and Xia Zhijin. As a friend, she had gently tried persuading Shi Man not to be so stubborn, but beyond that, she didn’t have the courage—or the place—to say more. As much as she wanted to help Xia Zhijin, she couldn’t do much else.

Xia Zhijin’s expression dimmed as she shook her head and said with a sigh, “No, she hasn’t come home yet. But I found out where she’s staying, so I feel a bit more at ease now.” She paused, then seeing the worried look on Lin Xian’s face, softened her tone and reassured her, “Don’t worry too much. I’ve spoken to her mom. Aunt Shi’s been on a business trip overseas and couldn’t leave, but she’ll be back in a couple of days. She’s flying in on Friday and will come straight to the performance. She plans to talk things through with Shi Man. Everything should be alright after that.”

When she spoke of Shi Jinglan, Shi Man’s mother, Xia Zhijin’s gaze was filled with unmistakable admiration and reverence.

Lin Xian felt a little relieved, but also surprised. Xia Zhijin’s tone when talking about Shi Jinglan was so different from Shi Man’s. From the few passing mentions Shi Man had made, Lin Xian had the impression that her relationship with her mother wasn’t that great. At the very least, she had never seen warmth or respect on Shi Man’s face when she spoke of her.

She hesitated for a moment before asking curiously, “What kind of person is Manman’s mom?”

A career woman, most likely? Shi Man had been acting strangely for over half a month. Even the class advisor had called her out during a year-level meeting, and yet her mother didn’t return until her work was finished?

Xia Zhijin’s cool expression softened immediately, her eyes filled with genuine respect as she replied, “Aunt Shi is a wonderful, gentle person. I admire her and am deeply grateful to her.”

Shi Jinglan had done so much for their family. Without her help, Xia Zhijin wouldn’t have made it through high school—let alone university. Without Aunt Shi’s support, her family would’ve fallen apart financially. No matter how hard they tried, even if they sold everything, her mother’s illness wouldn’t have lasted until her final year of high school.

To Shi Jinglan, her help may have been nothing more than a casual gesture, but to their entire family, it changed everything. It changed their fate—hers and her younger sister’s.

Before her mother passed away, she told her repeatedly to be grateful, to repay Aunt Shi someday, and to become someone useful—someone who could help others in need.

Later on, when she lost her mother—the pillar of her life—it was Aunt Shi who invited her to move in and said, “From now on, treat this place like your home.”

It was Aunt Shi who gave a lost girl a home and direction.

Xia Zhijin would never forget that kindness. She saw Aunt Shi as her benefactor, her role model… even half a mother.

“Oh… I see.” Lin Xian murmured.

But still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the Shi Jinglan Xia Zhijin spoke of… didn’t quite match the one Shi Man had described.

The evening Lin Xian received the ticket, she immediately invited Xiao Wanqing. Since there were no special assignments that Friday, Wanqing readily agreed.

But because Lin Xian was not only the director of her class’s play but also one of the two hosts for the competition, she was overwhelmed with responsibilities on the day of the finals. That afternoon, she had to guide the actors through several final rehearsals, put on makeup, and run through the script with the other host.

So naturally, she didn’t go home for dinner that night.

After work, Xiao Wanqing had a simple meal outside before driving straight to Jingnan University. With her ticket in hand, she entered the auditorium early and found her seat, settling in patiently to wait.

The auditorium seats were split into left and right sections, with a one-meter-wide aisle in the middle. Wanqing’s seat was on the left side, third seat from the center aisle.

Not long after she sat down, Lin Xian texted her, asking with concern:
“Aunt Xiao, are you here yet?”

Wanqing smiled and replied,
“Don’t worry, I didn’t get lost. I’m already at my seat.”

Lin Xian quickly sent back a cheeky, confident message:
“Aunt Xiao, just wait—you’re going to be absolutely blown away by me tonight!”

Wanqing let out a soft laugh. This kid...

At 6:45 PM, twenty-five minutes before showtime, the audience began filing in. The stage lights and big screen lit up. On Wanqing’s left, the seats were already filled. Only the two seats to her right—those closest to the center aisle—were still empty.

She pulled her DSLR from her bag and began adjusting the settings—aperture, focal length, the basics. In her mind, she couldn’t help but imagine how stunning Lin Xian might look tonight.

She had only taken two test shots when the owners of the last two empty seats arrived—Xia Zhijin, accompanied by a beautifully made-up, elegant woman radiating grace and poise.

Wanqing lowered her camera and turned her head with a gentle smile toward Xia Zhijin, greeting her softly, “It’s you…”

Then, her gaze shifted past Zhijin, toward the elegant woman sitting one seat away. Just as she looked over, the woman turned slightly, meeting her eyes with a calm, inquisitive gaze.

Zhijin smiled faintly, a little more reserved than usual, and greeted her politely, “Hello, Aunt Xiao.” Then she turned to the woman beside her and introduced with respectful clarity, “Auntie, this is Lin Xian’s aunt.”

And to Wanqing, she added, “Aunt Xiao, this is Manman’s mother.”

Back when Xia Zhijin turned sideways to introduce her, Xiao Wanqing had already recognized the woman — the recipient of last year’s “Most Influential Entrepreneur of the Year” award in Anjiang City, and the chairwoman of Shixing Group, Shi Jinglan.

At the time, their magazine had been trying to land an interview with her. The editor-in-chief had pulled every possible string. In the end, for fear of anything going wrong, she had gone to conduct the interview herself, and even personally wrote the article. During the interview, Shi Jinglan had appeared kind and gracious, answering every question without hesitation — so much so that Xiao Wanqing had even naively thought how approachable and easygoing she was.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that, when it came time for the final draft, Shi Jinglan would turn into an entirely different person — suddenly impossibly strict and picky. Xiao Wanqing had to revise the draft no less than six times based on feedback passed along by intermediaries before it was finally approved. The process had nearly driven her mad.

Because of that, Shi Jinglan had left a lasting impression on her — a tiger in a smiling disguise.

She nodded politely toward Shi Jinglan and greeted her, “Hello, Chairwoman Shi.”

Shi Jinglan returned the nod with a gentle expression and a faint smile. “Hello, Editor-in-Chief Xiao. I didn’t expect the ‘kind and gentle Aunt Xiao’ that Manman always talks about to be you. Thank you for looking after her — I hope she hasn’t caused you too much trouble.”

Xiao Wanqing replied politely, “Oh no, Chairwoman Shi. On the contrary, it’s my Lin Xian who’s been well looked after by your daughter and Zhijin. I should be thanking you.”

As the two continued their courteous back-and-forth, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed. The once-boisterous crowd fell silent with the shift in lighting.

The performance was about to begin.

Darkness gradually lifted. A cascade of colored lights flooded the stage, and two spotlights appeared, one on the left and one on the right. From the left side, a tall, graceful young woman walked onto the stage with poised, delicate steps.

She was wearing a crimson off-shoulder evening gown with a high-low hem that trailed elegantly behind her as she moved. Her long, seaweed-like black hair was intricately braided and pinned up at the back, with large, soft curls framing her collarbones like fluttering wings. Dangling crystal earrings caught the light and shimmered with each movement.

Elegant and radiant, yet full of youthful vibrance — it was Lin Xian, a version of Lin Xian that Xiao Wanqing had never seen before.

In her gentle eyes, Lin Xian’s silhouette shimmered, glowing with breathtaking beauty. In that instant, she even forgot to lift her DSLR to capture the moment — so stunned was she by Lin Xian’s poised and dazzling appearance.

“Respected leaders, esteemed teachers…” Lin Xian greeted the audience calmly and gracefully, offering a dignified, confident smile. Her eyes sparkled like stars; her voice was as clear as spring water.

“Dear students…” came the deep, magnetic voice of the male host, dressed in a sharp black suit, stepping up beside her.

“Good evening!” The crisp, melodious voice of the girl and the rich baritone of the boy harmonized perfectly.

Xia Zhijin leaned in toward Xiao Wanqing and whispered sincerely, “Aunt Xiao, Lin Xian looks absolutely stunning tonight.”

Xiao Wanqing kept her eyes on the radiant girl on stage, whose every move seemed to shine with light. Her gaze softened, like a pool of clear spring water reflecting moonlight. She lowered her head slightly, looking through a boy’s raised phone screen in the row ahead, watching Lin Xian’s glowing smile. She nodded, softly and proudly, and murmured, “She really is beautiful.”

Unconsciously, her expression brimmed with affection as she finally lifted her DSLR and began taking photos — one by one, carefully and earnestly, capturing every graceful moment of Lin Xian on stage.

Lin Xian’s class was the fifth group to perform.

Shi Man, the female lead, was clearly made up with care. Though her costume was modest and in line with the story’s setting, her face appeared more delicate and radiant than usual — so much so that it was hard to look away. Onstage, she was Shi Man, and yet… not quite Shi Man. Her spoiled, petulant, and naive mannerisms flowed naturally, without the slightest hint of affectation — as though she weren’t acting at all, but simply living it.

Every moment gripped the heart.

In the end, the stage lights went dark, save for a single dim spotlight that landed on Shi Man. She collapsed to the ground, covering her face, sobbing with all her heart. Her anguish, her heartbreak — it all unfolded in perfect sync with the hoarse, sorrowful melody of Chopstick Brothers’ “Time, Please Slow Down”.

“Time, time, please slow down,
Don’t let her grow older anymore.
I’d give up everything I have
If it could buy her more time…”

The lyrics tugged at everyone’s heartstrings, drawing tears and a lump in the throat.

Xiao Wanqing bowed her head, quietly brushing away the tears at the corners of her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xia Zhijin biting his lip, and under the soft lighting, his face shimmered with tears.

Shi Jinglan, on the other hand, remained stoic as she stared at her daughter on stage, her gaze deep and unreadable. After a moment, she heard Xia Zhijin’s faint sniffle and sighed. She took out a pack of tissues from her purse and handed it to him. Xia Zhijin didn’t feel embarrassed — he reached out and accepted it.

When the performance ended, the applause that followed was clearly louder and longer than for any of the previous acts.

Xiao Wanqing raised her camera once more, looking through the lens at Lin Xian, who now stood front and center, composed and calm as she led the cast in preparing to take their bow.

Just as she pressed the shutter, Lin Xian turned — as if she’d sensed the camera — and looked straight into her lens. She smiled softly, her eyes bright with joy and warmth, dazzling like spring blossoms in full bloom.

Xiao Wanqing’s breath caught for a moment, and a line of poetry surfaced in her mind—

“In those affectionate eyes, waves dance lightly, like flowers blooming in their fullest.”

I think… I may just be a little bit…swept away by you.