Chapter 119
Fifty Years Rewound began filming in mid-March. Based on its content, location scouting, and shooting schedule, it should have wrapped up by July. However, Li Chu and Ning Manqing ended up meticulously working until August, significantly extending the production time.
A major contributing factor was the director. Sometimes, her artistic impulses would take over, leading her to discard previously filmed versions in pursuit of the "perfect" shot. She was unlike any director Li Chu and Ning Manqing had worked with before. Ning Manqing's personality wasn't particularly compatible with the director's style. If it weren't for working alongside Li Chu on this film, she might have withdrawn from the project long ago.
Ning Manqing chose her roles based on emotional depth and logical consistency. Her meticulous nature demanded a high level of coherence in the narrative. However, this director prioritized artistic expression, willing to exhaust both a veteran actress and a popular rising star—even if they were the investor and the investor's wife—in her quest for visual perfection.
It could be said that under the guise of one film, she made two. First, she completed her passion project, a more niche art film. The ending was bleak, depicting the inescapable entanglement of love and desire. Even the crew members observing on set felt a sense of despair.
Perhaps because of this, the director's approach to filming the original, redemptive storyline became even more vibrant and nuanced. It was as if she swung from one extreme to the other, with every frame meticulously crafted to portray beauty.
Wu Tang and Zhou Nian were both Betas. One was born into a large, working-class family, while the other grew up in a squalid, chaotic slum. Wu Tang, the eldest sister, cared for her two younger brothers and a sister. After graduating high school, she didn't pursue further education, despite receiving a university acceptance letter. Her family couldn't afford her tuition due to her younger brother's illness and their already strained finances.
Wu Tang worked for three years before being pursued and choosing to marry. She didn't see a better path, or rather, she believed she had no better options. She thought marriage would alleviate her financial struggles, only to discover she had hastily chosen an even worse path.
However, she quickly adjusted her mindset. Her wife's salary wasn't enough to comfortably raise a child, so they didn't have any in their two years of marriage. Wu Tang balanced family and work, enduring the constant criticism and nitpicking from her harsh mother-in-law.
It was in this state of life that she met Zhou Nian. She offered the young girl, around the same age as her siblings, familial care and love, without any ulterior motives. She listened to Zhou Nian's worries, brought her homemade food whenever possible, and encouraged her to continue her studies. Zhou Nian fell in love with her, but knowing Wu Tang was married, she kept her feelings hidden.
Yet, even unspoken, the hidden desires would occasionally surface. Zhou Nian would deliberately say things like, "Someone like me... probably no one would ever like me, right?"
Wu Tang would reply, "That's not true. There will always be someone who likes you for who you are." There's no accounting for taste.
The young Zhou Nian would toss and turn for nights after hearing those words, eventually reaching a decision. Whether she was pushed away or rejected, she had to confess her feelings, then leave.
But when she finally mustered the courage, she learned that Wu Tang had been in an accident, distraught after discovering her wife's infidelity.
Undelivered feelings have only two outcomes: they either fade with time, dissipating like a gentle breeze, or they deepen with each passing moment, replaying in memories, transforming into an unshakeable, unforgettable obsession.
Time rewound, an aged soul returned to its youthful body, reclaiming what was lost, and obtaining what was missed.
When the director focused on filming romantic scenes, the conveyed emotions were genuinely beautiful. Li Chu, immersed in her role, felt a sense of comfort throughout the process.
Recalling the ruined version made her sigh even more. Even with the same two individuals, a slight deviation in personality or actions could completely rewrite the ending. Every decision a person makes is a crossroads, leading to different branches in life. Even the same person can experience thousands of different lives.
Li Chu sometimes wondered, if she and Ning Manqing were Wu Tang and Zhou Nian, would she willingly become Ning Manqing's possession? Li Chu thought probably not. Even if she loved Ning Manqing, she wouldn't be morbidly subservient. Love stemmed from the points of compatibility with another person, and perhaps that's why love could both grow and diminish.
She cherished the freedom of her soul, and Ning Manqing had always protected that freedom, even elevating her to a broader world. She no longer saw Ning Manqing as her guiding lighthouse. Ning Manqing said she was Eros, but wasn't Ning Manqing also a deity, transcending the pages of a book, bridging reality and fiction, to bestow her with a compassionate kiss?
The day filming wrapped coincided with the beginning of autumn.
During post-production, two versions of the film were created. One was the publicly released fantasy romance, Fifty Years Rewound . The other was etched onto a disc, becoming a private treasure.
After filming ended, Li Chu took some time off, while Ning Manqing focused on work, collaborating with Tiange Group on a crucial project that demanded meticulous attention.
Hearing Mu Xiao's name from Ning Manqing, Li Chu felt a sense of detachment. She hadn't interacted much with the original male lead. Only when she heard his name did she vaguely recall her identity as a transmigrator. This identity blurred as she spent more time in this world, forming deeper connections. Sometimes, she even felt it was perfectly normal for the world to have three genders, her habits shaping her perception.
"Is he going on a blind date?" Li Chu was surprised by the news. It felt odd, yet considering Mu Xiao's workaholic nature, it also seemed perfectly normal.
"He expressed interest and even asked me to introduce him to someone reliable. I declined. Besides you, I don't know any other Omegas well enough." Li Chu chuckled. She found it endearing how Ning Manqing delivered such straightforward lines with a serious expression. And she loved it.
Their conversation drifted to other topics as Li Chu relaxed in the plush seat.
Since moving to the hillside villa, Li Chu developed a habit of leaving lights on. She used to be unable to sleep with any light source, but now she could peacefully slumber under soft illumination. She would even prepare late-night snacks for Ning Manqing when she returned late, though her culinary skills were limited to boiling pre-made dumplings or wontons left by the housekeeper, or occasionally making noodles.
Their situation was practically like being married. Li Chu occasionally wondered when Ning Manqing would propose.
Of course, Li Chu had also considered proposing to Ning Manqing. It wasn't an obligation for either of them, but despite brainstorming, she hadn't come up with a good plan, so she held back.
September 13th was Li Chu's birthday, which also happened to be Ning Manqing's susceptible period. With all urgent work taken care of, the Alpha naturally wouldn't suppress herself with suppressants.
All unnecessary personnel had left the villa, leaving the scent of Cloud Mist Tea to permeate the air freely.
Alphas during their susceptible period become exceptionally clingy. Their cognitive abilities decline sharply, and their inner "true self" takes over. Like children, they express their desires directly and without restraint.
"So fragrant." Ning Manqing practically glued herself to Li Chu, burying her face in Li Chu's neck with undisguised adoration.
Li Chu couldn't even grab an apple because of the human-shaped pendant attached to her. She had just coaxed Ning Manqing to let go, but before she could take two steps, Ning Manqing looked at her with moist eyes, like a well-behaved, slightly aggrieved big baby.
Who could resist such a Ning Manqing? Certainly not Li Chu. She immediately abandoned the idea of the apple. What apple could be more important than giving Ning Manqing a hug?
She released more pheromones to soothe the restless, clingy, and insecure Alpha, exchanging light kisses with Ning Manqing.
"I like Tao Tao the most," Ning Manqing mumbled, nuzzling against Li Chu.
Her clear eyes, usually sharp and mature, now held a sweetness like honey.
Li Chu was practically drowning in Sister's spring water, but she still mischievously teased Ning Manqing, because this side of her was so rare.
"Really? I don't believe you."
"You have to believe me." Ning Manqing, oblivious to the teasing, replied anxiously.
Li Chu laughed inwardly. This was too much fun.
She hummed, "I just don't believe you."
Ning Manqing furrowed her brows in distress, then suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, she jumped out of bed and ran out.
Unsure of what she was doing, Li Chu quickly followed.
Ning Manqing went to the study, rummaged through a locked drawer, and retrieved a small box, presenting it to Li Chu like a treasured offering.
"Here, I prepared this for a long, long time. It's for you. Do you believe me now?" Ning Manqing looked down at Li Chu, her eyes full of anticipation.
Looking at the ring in the black velvet box, Li Chu gulped. Oh no... seems like... I messed something up...
Unaware of Li Chu's stunned silence, Ning Manqing quickly took out the ring, grabbed Li Chu's hand, and slipped it onto her ring finger.
"Now you have to believe me. I've claimed you. You're mine," Ning Manqing nuzzled Li Chu's cheek, declaring seriously, "No one can take you away."
Looking at the ring, Li Chu thought, Teacher Ning, this isn't my fault. You did this yourself during your susceptible period.
She curved her lips into a smile and nodded. "Mm, I'm yours. No one can take me away."
Waves of intertwined pheromones filled the air, like soft, rain-laden clouds.
A pinkish-white hue flushed Li Chu's skin. The diamond on her finger sparkled, reflecting the light, captivating the heart.
When Li Chu woke up the next day, she saw Ning Manqing sitting silently by the bed, staring at the diamond ring on her finger with a conflicted expression.
Ning Manqing's eyes were filled with regret, wishing she could go back in time and scold her irrational self for proposing so carelessly. No, that wasn't even a proposal, it was more like an abduction, just putting the ring on directly.
Ning Manqing had been agonizing over how to propose, discarding twenty-four different plans, only to have her susceptible period ruin everything.
"Teacher Ning, are you having second thoughts?" Li Chu teased, fiddling with her finger. The ring looked beautiful no matter how she looked at it.
"It was too impulsive..."
"I don't think so. It was your instinctive, unfiltered, and uncalculated expression of love for me." Li Chu hadn't envisioned this scenario, but she thought that if Ning Manqing had proposed formally in a specific setting, it might have been more surprising, but this wasn't bad either.
Years later, she could laugh with their children about how amusing the proposal was, a mature lover, devoid of rational thought, presenting a ring and declaring ownership.
It was an unexpected blunder for both of them, but wasn't that what made life interesting?
Seeing Li Chu's smile, Ning Manqing seemed to understand. She snapped out of her regret and knelt by the bed, which was covered with a soft rug. Taking Li Chu's hand, she kissed her fingertips with reverence.
"Li Chu, will you marry me?" Despite already knowing the answer, Ning Manqing still felt nervous asking the question.
"I will."
Warm currents flowed, unspoken emotions lingering in the air.
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