Foreseeing the Future: The Scheming Film Queen and I Got Married - Chapter 5

It was as if the world had been muted.

Gu Shiqiu ran over and crouched down in front of her, her expression anxious. She said something, but Dong Yao could not hear it.

Gu Shiqiu pressed a tissue against the wound on the back of Dong Yao’s hand, trying to stop the bleeding.

The cut was deep. The bleeding would not stop.

Gu Shiqiu’s hand, the one pressing down on the wound, was trembling. Even her eyes had turned red.

Dong Yao tilted her head and looked at her, feeling somewhat puzzled. She was the one who had been cut. She was the one in pain. So why did Gu Shiqiu look as if she was hurting even more than the injured person herself?

“Don’t be scared. It’s all right. We’ll go to the hospital.” Gu Shiqiu’s voice was shaking.

Dong Yao felt a little guilty. She should not have made her so anxious. She wanted to speak and comfort her, but the scene before her eyes gradually blurred, slowly disappearing completely.

The noise from the television woke the sleeping person.

Dong Yao stared blankly at the back of her perfectly uninjured hand. Just now, the pain from that cut on the back of her hand had been so intense.

Was that a dream?

It seemed that believing it was a dream was the only reasonable explanation, but at this moment, Dong Yao wavered.

It could not have been a dream.

That absolutely could not be called a dream.

If it was not a dream, then what was it? Transmigration?

Zhong Ximei came out of the kitchen carrying bowls. The braised chicken with rice that Dong Yao had been talking about for days was finally brought to the table, but Dong Yao only stared at the back of her hand. She had lost interest in the food she had been longing for all these days.

“You’ve been shouting every day that you wanted to eat it. I went through all this trouble to make it for you, and now you don’t want to eat?” Zhong Ximei narrowed her eyes. “I spent so much effort on this. If you dare say you won’t eat, I’ll pour it down your throat!”

“Mom.” Dong Yao raised her head. “No matter how realistic a dream is, it shouldn’t be possible to clearly feel pain, right?”

Deep down, Dong Yao vaguely had an answer, yet at the same time, she could not confirm that answer.

Or perhaps it was not that she did not believe it.

It was that she did not dare believe it.

Something supernatural like this—how could it be possible?

Boom.

The bowls on the table shook with the sound. It was the sound of a violent explosion.

Immediately after came noisy shouts.

“There’s a fire! There’s a fire! Hurry, come put out the fire!”

Dong Yao and Zhong Ximei looked at each other in confusion. Then they quickly ran to the door and looked outside. Straight ahead, not far away, flames reached into the sky, and thick black smoke billowed upward.

“Isn’t that the convenience store? Uncle Li’s place?” Dong Yao frowned. She immediately picked up a bucket, filled it with water, and quickly ran toward the source of the fire.

The other residents in town also ran out one after another. Some connected hoses, and some carried buckets.

The town was remote. If a fire broke out, they could only rely on nearby residents to save themselves.

Dong Yao carried a large bucket of water and threw it into the fire. Back and forth, fetching water and splashing water, she was soon drenched in sweat. But the fire showed no sign of easing.

Fortunately, Uncle Li’s house was a separate building, so it would not implicate the other houses. That could be considered a blessing amid misfortune.

Just then, Auntie Li suddenly tried to rush inside, and everyone worked together to stop her.

“The fire is so big! You can’t go in!”

“My Old Li is still inside! Hurry and let me go! I have to go in and save him!”

“This…”

Everyone looked at one another. They did not dare let Auntie Li go, but no one dared rush in to save someone in her place either.

Seeing the fire grow bigger and bigger, Auntie Li cried until her heart seemed to tear apart, begging everyone to let go of her. But once they let her go, if she rushed in and something happened, what could they do?

Dong Yao’s delicate brows knitted tightly. Looking at the raging fire, she gritted her teeth and raised the bucket in her hand.

With a splash, she poured the entire bucket of water over herself from head to toe.

The water was too cold, and Dong Yao shivered.

She took a deep breath and rushed into the flames.

Outside was a raging fire. Inside was thick smoke. Dong Yao covered her mouth and nose, coughing nonstop as she moved forward with difficulty.

“Uncle Li! Uncle Li! Uncle Li, where are you? Uncle Li…”

She called several times, but there was no response. Seeing the smoke grow thicker, Dong Yao did not dare keep walking forward. She wanted to save someone, but only on the premise that she could protect herself.

She called a few more times, but still received no answer. Dong Yao had no choice but to give up and turn back.

Just as she turned around, a sound came from the direction of the master bedroom.

“I’m here!”

Dong Yao’s eyes lit up, and she rushed toward the master bedroom. As soon as she pushed open the door, the smoke inside was even thicker. Dong Yao choked and coughed twice.

She narrowed her eyes and looked inside.

Furniture was scattered all over the floor, a complete mess. Uncle Li had fallen to the ground, seemingly holding something in his arms. His leg was trapped beneath a fallen solid-wood cabinet, and he could not break free.

Dong Yao hurried over. Gritting her teeth, she used all her strength to lift the cabinet.

The moment she lifted it, her strength failed, and it crashed down again.

Fortunately, Uncle Li had already pulled his leg out during that brief gap, so his leg was not crushed a second time.

“Uncle Li, can you still walk?” Dong Yao asked.

Uncle Li nodded. “I can.”

Dong Yao walked ahead first. But just as she stepped out the door, the ceiling light came loose.

With a bang—

Dong Yao’s pupils widened, and she jolted.

The ceiling light smashed down right beside her foot.

Fragments of glass from the light splashed up, cutting the back of the hand Dong Yao had raised to shield her face.

It hurt.

Dong Yao sucked in a cold breath.

She stared blankly at the wound on the back of her hand. It overlapped perfectly with the cut from her dream.

“Stop spacing out. Hurry and get out,” Uncle Li urged.

Dong Yao came back to herself in a daze. Half-supporting Uncle Li, she moved outside with difficulty.

Only when the two of them had completely made it out did Dong Yao’s suspended heart finally settle.

Auntie Li rushed over at once, punching and kicking Uncle Li. “You old fool! Are you crazy? I told you to run, told you to get out quickly. But you! For the sake of a spirit tablet, you didn’t even want your life anymore!”

Only then did Dong Yao clearly see the thing Uncle Li had been holding in his arms. It was a wooden spirit tablet.

Uncle Li’s eyes were red. “Back then, we already left our youngest behind once. This time, no matter what, we couldn’t leave him behind again. We couldn’t leave him behind again.”

At this point, Auntie Li, who had been beating Uncle Li, quieted down. Then the two of them held each other and cried bitterly.

Dong Yao looked at the two of them crying in each other’s arms, and her own eyes reddened as well. Back then, the ones who had left were not limited to Uncle Li’s son.

Far too many people had died that year.

Dong Yao lowered her head and looked at the wound on the back of her hand.

If it was not a dream, but real transmigration, then perhaps…

There had been too many regrets that year.

If it really was transmigration, then was it possible to go back to the past?

Since this was supernatural, since it was an inexplicable phenomenon, then why would going back to the past be impossible?

At that thought, Dong Yao’s heart felt as if it had been struck heavily.

“You really are capable. You’re far too capable.” Zhong Ximei’s eyes were full of anger. After leaving behind those words, she turned and walked away.

Dong Yao came back to her senses and hurriedly chased after her. As she chased, she called out, “Mom, Mom, don’t walk so fast. Wait for your precious daughter~”

Zhong Ximei suddenly turned around. “I don’t have a daughter like you. Don’t you like saving people? Don’t you like playing the hero? Then go play your hero. Don’t call me Mom.”

Dong Yao grabbed Zhong Ximei’s hand, trying to comfort her, but Zhong Ximei mercilessly shook her off.

“You and your heartless father were carved from the same mold. You really are worthy of being his daughter. He died saving people. What, do you even want to copy the way he died?” Zhong Ximei’s breathing grew rapid.

Dong Yao put on a face full of ingratiating smiles. “Mom, don’t be angry. I absolutely won’t do that again.”

“I know I was wrong. Really. My good mom, please don’t lower yourself to my level.”

Zhong Ximei had been full of anger, but after Dong Yao fussed and acted spoiled like this, most of her anger disappeared no matter how great it had been.

“All right, stop clinging to me. You’re soaked all over. Go back and change your clothes quickly. If you catch a cold later, I won’t care whether you live or die,” Zhong Ximei said stiffly.

Dong Yao immediately stood up straight and saluted. “I respectfully obey Madam Zhong’s teachings.”

Zhong Ximei raised her hand and slapped the back of Dong Yao’s head hard. “Still fooling around here? Go change!”

“Got it!” Dong Yao quickly ran home. After running for a while, she turned back. “Mom, you’re not angry anymore, right? Getting angry gives you wrinkles. You’re already an old auntie. If you get even more wrinkles, no old man will like you anymore.”

Zhong Ximei glared at her in amusement. Dong Yao stuck out her tongue, turned around, and ran off.

Zhong Ximei looked at the figure running away, her brows furrowing. She really was exactly like her father.

Zhong Ximei sighed and shook her head. With her being this similar, who knew whether it was good or bad.

After taking a shower, drying her hair, and applying medicine to the back of her hand, Dong Yao lay weakly on the bed. Today, she had both fought a fire and saved a person. She was exhausted in both body and mind.

She looked at the bandaged wound on the back of her hand and recalled how Gu Shiqiu had tried to stop her bleeding, clearly terrified yet still comforting her in a trembling voice.

Cutting the back of her hand with a fruit knife seemed to have frightened her.

She should not have done that.

The next day, Dongji Noodle Shop opened for business as usual. Dong Yao got up early in the morning to make preparations. When the sky was fully bright, customers arrived one after another.

Dong Yao busied herself inside and outside, helping Zhong Ximei.

Some people were discussing the fire from last night. They said the pressure cooker had exploded and caused the fire. When they talked about it, everyone even praised Dong Yao.

Dong Yao cautiously looked at Zhong Ximei’s expression and hurriedly changed the topic.

At noon, when there were no customers left in the shop, she saw Uncle Li walking in. He was limping, carrying a box of milk and a fruit basket.

Dong Yao greeted him with a smile. “Uncle Li, are you here to eat noodles?”

Uncle Li waved his hand. “The house has been burned into an empty shell. How would I still have the mood to eat noodles? I came today to thank you. If it weren’t for you last night, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Dong Yao smiled and did not stand on ceremony with him. She accepted the milk and fruit he had brought. “It’s nothing. Uncle Li usually takes good care of me too. It was only right. Besides, didn’t I earn myself a box of milk?”

Uncle Li sighed. “Your Uncle Li really doesn’t know how to thank you…”

Dong Yao cut him off. “What’s there not to know? From now on, when you come eat noodles, I’ll secretly raise your price by one yuan. Oh, right, don’t tell my mom. I’m going to pocket the extra money.”

Uncle Li was amused by her. “You child.”

After exchanging a few words of thanks and pleasantries, Uncle Li, busy dealing with the burned-down house, said goodbye and left.

He had walked halfway out when he suddenly turned back.

“What’s wrong? Is there something else?” Dong Yao asked.

Uncle Li searched through his pockets and took out two envelope-like items. “These are for you.”

Dong Yao looked closely. They were blue paper envelopes. From the outside, she could not tell what they were. The packaging was simple but very elegant and tasteful.

“These are two concert tickets. Originally, I planned to go with your Auntie Li, but with things like this now, I’m afraid we can’t go anymore,” Uncle Li said. “The tickets weren’t cheap either. It would be a pity to waste them. If you have time, find someone to go with you…”

Uncle Li had already walked far away. Dong Yao stared blankly at the uniquely packaged tickets in her hand.

The ticket envelopes had not been opened, but Dong Yao seemed to be able to see through the packaging to what was inside. She vaguely guessed something.

She opened one of them. Inside was a ticket, along with a postcard.

On the postcard, in elegant handwriting, was written:

I hope my singing can carry you through the bitter winter and into early spring.

Her gaze moved from the postcard to the ticket.

Gu Shiqiu 2021 “Year of the Gentle Wind” World Tour Concert — Tobei Stop.

Dong Yao’s hand tightened around the ticket.