Although they had divorced long ago, that fact only fueled public speculation.
After thanking everyone profusely, Wen Ming walked off the stage toward the break room in the back. Sui Yu was standing backstage. "Her singing almost brought me to tears. She hasn’t had it easy all these years."
Whatever she was thinking, Zhou Rong at least managed to keep a composed expression when Wen Ming returned to the main break room. Wen Ming harbored no ill will toward Zhou Rong; she wouldn’t stoop to taking her anger about Qi Ying out on someone else.
That would only make her seem petty and narrow-minded.
After Sui Yu’s performance, everyone gathered in the main break room, drinking tea and chatting, and from time to time, the director would pull someone away for a solo interview. This time, Wen Ming was the first to be called. The director probably had many questions he was itching to ask.
Wen Ming smiled the moment she saw the director. "You’re interviewing me yourself? I’m flattered."
The head director smiled back. "Ms. Wen Ming, let’s get straight to the point. When you drew the song ’Hidden Heart,’ what was your initial reaction?"
Wen Ming didn’t mince words. "To be honest, ’Hidden Heart’ was basically the catalyst for my divorce from Qi Ying."
The director’s eyes immediately lit up. Wen Ming didn’t leave him hanging. "Everyone knows Qi Ying and I were together once and that we separated years ago. Qi Ying... he’s a very talented songwriter. I won’t deny that."
"When ’Hidden Heart’ was written, I told Qi Ying I wanted to sing it, but he refused. Our conflicts grew deeper from that point on, right up until we divorced."
Wen Ming didn’t bring up Zhou Rong, but of course the director would. For the sake of ratings, there was no question he wouldn’t dare to ask. "And at the time, Qi Ying had Ms. Zhou Rong in mind for it?"
"It was. Ms. Zhou was a huge star back then, while I was just an undiscovered singer who had followed him to T Province." Wen Ming was perfectly candid. "Qi Ying had his own inclinations. I can understand that."
The director asked gingerly, "So what does it feel like to have sung it here today?"
"How I feel?" Wen Ming smiled. "I feel that... I used to think Qi Ying was exceptionally talented, but looking back on it now..."
She left the rest unsaid, but the omission only served to fuel more speculation.
The director probed, "Ms. Wen Ming, when you were singing, many people in the audience were crying. Even you, yourself, seemed... Are you comfortable talking about that?"
Wen Ming paused for a moment. "There’s nothing I can’t say. My parents weren’t around when I was a child. They were too young when they had me—still just kids themselves. How could they have possibly taken care of me?"
"I grew up with my maternal grandparents, so the figure of a father has always been absent from my life." Wen Ming smiled faintly. "People always crave what they lack most. Because I didn’t have a father, I subconsciously started seeking paternal love and someone to depend on in my romantic partners."
"But I eventually realized that no one can be my rock; the only person I can rely on is myself. The reason Qi Ying and I... couldn’t make it in the end, the more critical reason, was that the love I wanted had become a burden to him. He was willing and able to give it before. Later, he just didn’t want to anymore."
The director didn’t want to risk seriously offending Qi Ying, so he quickly changed the subject. "Ms. Wen Ming, ever since releasing your album of love songs four years ago, you haven’t put out another one like it. Do you have any plans to release another album of love songs in the future?"
Wen Ming considered this for a moment. "I have no plans to sing love songs at the moment. As for what the future holds, who can say?"
As Wen Ming came out of the solo interview, she happened to run into Qi Ying. She gave him a polite nod. Back when Tan You was around, they used to see each other often at major music award ceremonies.
Wen Ming often ran into Qi Ying at those award shows, but it was always from a distance. This was the first time they had come face-to-face like this.
Qi Ying froze for a second. He instinctively looked Wen Ming over before glancing out the window. "Long time no see," he said. "Can we... talk?"
Wen Ming also looked out the window. "It has been a long time. There’s nothing for us to talk about."
When Wen Ming turned to leave, Qi Ying reached for her arm. She sidestepped him. "We’re nothing to each other anymore. This is inappropriate."
Qi Ying gave a bitter smile. "I’ve spent all these years replaying the past. I was in the wrong when we divorced. You gave up your career in G Province to follow me to T Province, where you didn’t know anyone, and I failed to fulfill my duties as a husband."
"I promised to produce an album for you and never did. I failed to keep almost every promise I ever made to you. Later, when you were in the hospital, I didn’t take proper care of you. I even brought up divorce then, of all times."
Wen Ming pulled her shawl tighter, about to speak, when a camel-colored wool coat was draped over her shoulders. Wen Ming turned her head. "You’re still here? I saw you from the stage earlier and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
Chu Zheng said, "You saw correctly. I couldn’t finish up my work yesterday, or I would have come then. I figured I’d wait for you to be done and we could grab a meal, but I didn’t expect to walk into this."
He glanced at Qi Ying as he spoke, then tactfully averted his gaze. "I’ll wait for you over there."
He pointed to the end of the hall, and Wen Ming nodded. "I’ll have to ask you to wait a moment, then. I was supposed to be treating you. We agreed last time, I just haven’t had a chance."
Chu Zheng smiled, gave Wen Ming’s shoulder a pat, and went to wait at the end of the hall, his eyes occasionally glancing back in their direction.
Qi Ying glanced in Chu Zheng’s direction, then looked back at Wen Ming. ’Who is that?’ he wanted to ask, but what right did he have? He and Wen Ming had been divorced for eight years. They were strangers now.
Wen Ming slipped the wool coat on. "Qi Ying, it’s true I couldn’t accept it back then. I didn’t understand how someone could change in the blink of an eye, or how promises could be forgotten so easily."
"I only understood later that relationships are all about fate. Once that connection is gone, you can’t force it. Breaking up becomes inevitable."
"I used to resent you for refusing to help me with my album. But later I realized it wasn’t about the album. You just didn’t love me; you loved your career more. You would give up anything for your career."
Qi Ying argued, "I did love you. If I didn’t, why would I have married you?"
"You loved the me who stood on stage," Wen Ming said softly. "Wasn’t that why you pursued me in the first place? Because you admired me on stage? But after we were together, you wanted me to stay home and be a good, traditional wife."
"See? That’s how contradictory you are. When I was your wife, you didn’t like me. But the moment I broke free from the shackles of marriage, you suddenly find your heart stirring for me again." A small, mocking smile touched Wen Ming’s lips. "You’re... truly laughable. You don’t even know what you want."