Chapter 659: Chapter 362: How Do You Want to Sleep Tonight
The night deepened, and the Central Television building remained brightly lit.
After the Spring Festival Gala ended, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only a few cars and the sound of hurried footsteps in the vast parking lot.
Meng Wanning declined the dinner gathering and, wearing a black down jacket, headed straight for the exit.
"Hey, I’m here," she sent a message.
She looked up and saw Yu Xinwei’s nanny car parked on the roadside with its hazard lights flashing.
She glanced at it from afar, thinking about something, and hesitated slightly in her steps.
Just as she was wondering whether to take a detour, the nanny car door opened, and Yu Xinwei approached quickly after seeing Meng Wanning’s figure.
"Miss Meng, I’m sorry to bother you so late."
Yu Xinwei walked up to Meng Wanning, removed her mask, "Could I take a few minutes of your time?"
Meng Wanning politely nodded, "Miss Yu, is there something you need?"
"...Are you heading...to Brother Cheng’s place?"
"Yes."
Meng Wanning answered promptly, leaving Yu Xinwei momentarily speechless as her prepared words got stuck in her throat.
She paused slightly, "Well...actually...I..."
"Could you...bring me along?"
Meng Wanning asked curiously, "He didn’t call you?"
"No."
"I thought...," Meng Wanning spoke as though she realized something, "It must be Sister Lin who didn’t call you, right?"
Yu Xinwei nodded, "I know my request is a bit abrupt, but during this time of reunion, I also want to go to the courtyard and personally wish Brother Cheng a Happy New Year."
Meng Wanning looked at the glamorous celebrity, who now showed a kind of vulnerability and helplessness, and felt her heart soften.
She understood Yu Xinwei’s feelings for Chen Cheng and was aware of the complex and unresolved past between them.
Though Chen Cheng had chosen her now, Yu Xinwei still held a special place in his heart.
Besides, who wants to be alone during the New Year?
"Let’s go," Meng Wanning took out her phone, "I’ll message him first, letting him know that we’re coming together."
"Thank you, Miss Meng! Thank you so much!"
"It’s nothing," Meng Wanning smiled, "It’s New Year, after all, it’s meant to be lively."
"Then let’s get in the car," Yu Xinwei invited.
"Yeah!"
The two got in the car and headed straight to the courtyard.
"Miss Meng, do you have any plans for the New Year?" Yu Xinwei suddenly broke the silence in the car.
Meng Wanning looked at her with some surprise, "Me? No."
She looked out the window; the street lights flashing past in the night stretched her shadow long but reflected a smile on her face, "To be honest, this is the first year I haven’t spent New Year with the Beijing Opera troupe."
Yu Xinwei responded with an "Mm," her gaze also turned towards the window.
Her fingers lightly rubbed her thigh, seeming to be reminiscing about something.
"In past years, I spent New Year in the troupe,"
Meng Wanning continued, her tone tinged with nostalgia, "It’s rare to get time off, and we’d gather as brothers and sisters, eating and chatting. Although not home, it’s still warm."
Yu Xinwei nodded, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth, "I understand that feeling."
Her voice was light but made Meng Wanning turn to look at her.
Yu Xinwei’s face held a slightly bitter smile, her eyes showing a complex emotion.
"What about you?" Meng Wanning asked.
"It’s been a long time since I spent New Year at home," Yu Xinwei sighed, "I used to be so busy, busy making money, busy with events, busy with endorsements. Now suddenly having free time, I don’t know what to do."
Her voice dropped, "Miss Meng, you know? Actually, I’m envious of you."
"Envious of me?"
Yu Xinwei nodded, her smile became more pronounced, "Yes, even though you’re not spending New Year at home, you have your own stage, your own passion. But I..."
"You don’t like what you’re doing now?" Meng Wanning queried, "You’re a household name, everyone knows Yu Xinwei."
Yu Xinwei smiled bitterly, shook her head, "You don’t understand, Miss Meng. I’ve gone through so much, through the challenges behind fame and glamour. All people see is the smile on the red carpet, the brilliance on the screen, but no one knows that behind it all, I’ve long lost myself."
"I don’t know if Brother Cheng told you," she paused for a moment, opened up to the girl she had hardly met, "I was initially with Sister Lin."
Meng Wanning slightly nodded, and Yu Xinwei continued, "Before, Sister Lin was an unavoidable resource and background for me, I thought I could use her to reach greater heights. But...later, I found out, I was merely a toy in her hands."
Meng Wanning frowned slightly, intrigued by her past, asked, "What did she make you do?"
Yu Xinwei still lacked the courage to reveal her past with Wen Shulin, she just said:
"I once thought that if I worked hard enough and succeeded enough, I could escape all this. But I was wrong; the higher I climbed, the deeper I fell. I was like a bird trapped in a golden cage, seemingly glamorous, yet truly without freedom."
"Then, I met Brother Cheng."
Yu Xinwei’s voice became softer, "He was like a ray of light, illuminating my dreary world. He made me realize there are things more important than fame and fortune, like true feelings and freedom."
"He helped me a lot and changed me a lot," Yu Xinwei’s eyes brightened, "So I just really want to say Happy New Year to him, Miss Meng, please don’t misunderstand."