A lifetime of peace and care

55

The soft sound of his breathing lingered not far from her, and she thought to herself that this was the best sound. 

Suddenly, the man calmly stretched out his hand and held her hand gently. The touch was hot and familiar, and she felt shy but still held his hand back in this dark projection room. Then, they began to watch Director Gu’s new work, Farewell to Moonlight.

This was a simple and heartwarming story that explored the gaps between ideals and reality. The ending was actually very different from Gu Tingchuan’s previous films. Nearly everyone in this film got what they wanted. The only exception was Peng Shaohui’s character. He was the brightest touch of color in the whole drama and always warmed the hearts of the people around him. However, in the end, his ambition was not realized. 

The cause of this character's death was actually rather ridiculous. He was hiding in the underbrush, rushed out, tripped, fell into the river, and drowned. This sort of carelessness usually happens all the time and would ordinarily be ridiculously funny if not for it's tragic ending. Moreover, when inserted into the plot, it became the worst point in the movie. 

Even if the audience did not shed tears on the points of love and reunion, they would not be able to help but sigh over the impermanence of life once they'd viewed the river edge scattering the students' flowers.

Not to mention, there was also Sui Jinzhi’s voice dubbing, which added the finishing touch.

As a non-professional voice actor, Male God Sui had shown more professional voice acting skills than even professional. The ability to deal with the character’s emotional conflicts was impeccable, and his portrayal also gave the character more depths. 

Yi Ran was an elementary school teacher so her feelings on this subject was particularly deep. She dared not say that she had devoted her life to teaching as deeply as those teachers in the movie, but she had also seen many similar individuals around her, fighting alone for their own ideals and goals. 

Sometimes, they would also be weak and weep, but even if a person was crying at home with tears in their eyes, in the face of life’s difficulties, they will still be like towering giant trees that will not fall. The many storms will not bring them down for they were always proud and fearless. 

Despite the turbulent emotions coursing through Yi Ran's heart, she still sat calmly, waiting for the credits to roll.

However, toward the end of the show, before the credits, a few words appeared in the center of the dark screen. They seemed to wrap up the film concisely, but the script made her feel a subtle familiarity.

"Let’s have a lifetime of love.”

The words appeared, disappeared, and changed into:

“Then life will become a journey that you and I will never forget.”

After three seconds of darkness, the credits began to roll. 

Yi Ran didn’t know why but when she saw those words, her chest tightened suddenly. The wrenching ache was not due to anxiety or panic. Truthfully, she didn’t fully understand what she was so nervous about. Therefore, she could only pinch her hands in order to maintain her calm facade.

Gu Tingchuan looked at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What is the purpose of these two sentences?”

He looked at her quietly for a moment, raised his hand and caressed her cheek. Then, he blinked and focused on meeting her gaze, "This is my selfishness. I not only wanted to depict the view of the whole show, but also to represent my thoughts." 

Without this woman in front of him, he would not be able to complete the filming for this movie, nor would this movie have even existed. 

In fact, she was the moonlight in his life. 

It was only because she was with him that he became brave enough to overcome his shadows and be reborn. 

Yi Ran, in this journey called life, I also hope that you and I will travel it smoothly together.

Yi Ran didn’t respond for a few seconds. Then, she could no longer hold back. She covered her eyes and burst into tears.

She hadn’t expected such an answer, and she never imagined that, one day, someone would confess to her at the end of a movie. 

Gu Tingchuan leaned down and hugged her gently, not caring about the company leaders and friends sitting in the movie theater.

The gradually brightening light illuminated the top of their heads, casting a faint shadow not far away and hiding his intentions.