1968: Forlorn

Forlorn

His mood lightened the moment he saw her smile.0

He was, in fact, deeply infatuated with the actress but kept it hidden inside him.

Showbiz was a place littered with dirt, so he was awestruck to find this down-to-earth woman in it.

She had a nurturing presence; it was therapeutic just being next to her even when they were not talking. Hence, he enjoyed her company.

However, he did not consider an unscrupulous guy like him to be worthy of such a lady, so the thought of going after her had never crossed his mind.

She was perfect in his eyes, whereas he had accumulated all sorts of filth from his climb to prominence. His past was something he could not recall without feeling ashamed.

Because of that, he kept a distance from everyone else. He would not let himself be hurt again.

Never did he expect that a day would come when there was someone whom he wanted to protect so much.

Love could be so elusive and complex.

It could come in a flash and would be irrevocable.

He gazed softly at her and was so mesmerized by her side-profile that he drawled, "You look so beautiful when you smile; it's even lovelier than a rose."

The lady beamed when she heard his compliment, her eyes forming into arches like crescent moons.

Qin Zhou, who was sitting at one side, could not help getting goosebumps from his sappiness.

I ought to give it to him! This young chap sure has a way with girls!

In retrospect, this should not come as a surprise.

When the boy was still working at a bar, he was dubbed as the best rent-boy. Thus, flattering words should come naturally to him. He was apt at making girls happy and could make even the most difficult ladies succumb without an issue.

The actress suddenly thought of something and challenged the idol, "Roses are too flashy for me."

"Erm… What kinda flower do you like, then?" he asked.

"Can you give me any flowers that I like?"

The man kept quiet.

The illusionist would need the right equipment to perform his magic tricks, without which, he would be unable to strut his stuff.

Of course, those experienced professionals might be able to perform any tricks at their whims, but this was unfortunately not the case for him.

She could not read his mind and, taking him for a true magician, pressed on. "Can you change this rose into a Bengal Crimson?"

The chap was feeling too awkward to answer.

Her manager burst out laughing at this juncture. "Shishi, don't be demanding. He'd be omnipotent if he could vanish a rose without any fanciful tricks."

The idol indignantly replied, "What's so difficult with making it disappear?!"

Following which, he took the rose from her hand. It miraculously vanished from their sight in the blink of an eye.

That did not wow her sufficiently, though, and she persisted in asking for her flower from him. "Where's my Bengal Crimson, then?"

"Shishi…" hedged the man beside her, looking forlorn and innocent.

There was no way he could come up with that flower for her.

"Alright. I'm only teasing you; I know you won't be able to give me that!" As she said that, she reached out her hand again. "Now, give me back my rose."

Hua Jin: "…"

He could not tell her that the rose had been destroyed, could he?

What a tough order!

pqdm.com