The lights on the beach weren't particularly bright, but they were enough to illuminate the path clearly. One could see shells half-buried in the sand and the features of the person standing beside them.
From this angle, it felt like the opening of a movie. He was the camera, and Zhang Jin’an was the protagonist. The only difference was that while most films began with a monologue from the lead, this one was replaced by Jiu Chang’s intermittent shouting.
"Nyah nyah—can't catch me—"
"Here I come again, hee-hee—missed me—"
"Crap—I'm soaked!"
In the distance, Jiu Chang had rolled his pant legs up to his knees. Whenever a wave rolled in, he would run toward the shore; when it receded, he would stretch his legs out toward the water. But the waves were unpredictable, and one eventually splashed against his calves.
The leading man shook his head, finally delivering his first line: "Tsk, tsk. It’s good to be young, still able to test the waters like that. If I jumped around like him, I’d fall straight into the sea."
Jiang Siyang nodded seriously. There was a hint of envy and jealousy in Zhang Jin’an’s tone.
The lead continued, "But when I remember that you all will grow old too, I feel much better."
Jiang Siyang finally laughed, inwardly criticizing his own lack of professionalism—the shoot hadn't even lasted ten seconds before he broke character. Looking at Zhang Jin’an, he couldn't help but say, "I suddenly thought of today’s program."
Zhang Jin’an heard him and nodded. "The program?"
The waves lapped against the shore in layers before slowly retreating. The marks they left on the sand vanished quickly, as if they had never reached the land at all.
They walked within the safety zone, their paces unexpectedly synchronized, neither falling behind the other.
"Yeah, the theme this time was quite moving," Jiang Siyang said, looking at Zhang Jin’an and gesturing toward the sea with his left hand. "I didn't feel much at the time, but when I saw this ocean, I thought—"
"If you hadn't chosen this path back then and had pursued a different dream instead, or if I hadn't become an actor and had continued with university, or if we hadn't both gone to the mall that day... let alone chatting like this, we might never have spoken a word to each other in our entire lives..."
Zhang Jin’an parted his lips. "So..."
Jiang Siyang gave an awkward smile. "So I felt... I mean, I’m just thinking out loud, but it feels like everyone meeting now is really just a coincidence." He looked at Zhang Jin’an cautiously. "What do you think?"
"..."
In truth, Zhang Jin’an had also reflected on the very thing Jiang Siyang was thinking about.
It was the "Butterfly Effect"—a tiny variation could change the final outcome. If one were to trace their meeting back to its roots, they would probably have to start from a long time ago. Just as Jiang Siyang thought: if he hadn't filmed *The Best World*, if he had given up back then, if he hadn't gotten into university, if he hadn't learned a musical instrument, if he hadn't been born into his family—they might never have met. It truly seemed like a coincidence.
And yet...
Zhang Jin’an quietly watched the person speaking.
The people on the beach had mostly left or moved far away. Zhang Jin’an didn't bother counting them; he could only hear Jiang Siyang’s voice, and his eyes held only the one person standing before the boundless sea.
Seeing Zhang Jin’an’s silence, Jiang Siyang began to worry that the topic he’d raised was too awkward. Just as he was about to change the subject, Zhang Jin’an stopped walking. Jiang Siyang stopped as well.
Then, he heard Zhang Jin’an say, "I agree with the first half of your thought, but the second half is where we differ."
Jiang Siyang was pleasantly surprised. He had thought Zhang Jin’an wasn't interested in the question, but it turned out the silence was because he was thinking seriously. He immediately asked, "Then what do you think, Ge?"
"I don't think it was a coincidence. It was inevitable," Zhang Jin’an said.
Jiang Siyang grew curious. "How so?"
Zhang Jin’an flashed a smile at him. "I’m also just talking nonsense. Don't take it too seriously."
Jiang Siyang laughed too. "It’s fine, we’re just looking for something to talk about."
Zhang Jin’an nodded slightly, looking down at the grains of sand by his feet. "This is how I see it—people who are meant to meet will eventually meet. For those who aren't meant to meet, even if the Bodhisattva himself came down, they would remain mere passersby."
"Why do you say that?" Jiang Siyang asked.
"How should I put this... hiss," Zhang Jin’an pondered how to explain. Looking at Jiang Siyang, he suddenly remembered a line that fit the current moment perfectly. "Do you remember a line from *The Best World*?"
Jiang Siyang listened intently. "Which one? I should remember it."
The line didn't belong to Zhang Jin’an’s character, nor was it one of the most famous quotes from *The Best World*. Zhang Jin’an couldn't guarantee he could recite it perfectly, but he was certain Jiang Siyang would know it. After all, Jiang Siyang was the type of person who, if he picked up some directing and editing skills, could probably recreate the entire movie from memory. This line would definitely be a piece of cake for him.
"Even if every choice had changed..."
Sure enough, when Zhang Jin’an got halfway through, Jiang Siyang’s eyes lit up. Zhang Jin’an made a "go ahead" gesture with his hands. "You finish it."
"I remember... those were the words spoken by the Captain of the Second Squad, Chen Si, to her boyfriend, right?" Jiang Siyang tentatively offered the correct answer.
Seeing Jiang Siyang’s hesitant gaze, Zhang Jin’an smiled. "Do you remember the whole thing?"
Seeing that he was right, Jiang Siyang felt a bit more confident. "I do remember it all, but weren't you the one speaking..."
Before Jiang Siyang could say more, Zhang Jin’an crossed his arms. "Then recite it."
Jiang Siyang was stunned. "Huh? So suddenly?"
Zhang Jin’an gave an encouraging smile. "Consider it a test of your delivery."
He claimed it was to test Jiang Siyang’s acting, but in reality, he had forgotten the second half of the line. Zhang Jin’an praised himself inwardly; luckily he’d reacted quickly, otherwise he would have embarrassed himself in front of Jiang Siyang.
Jiang Siyang was clever, though. He asked suspiciously, "...Ge, you didn't forget it, did you?"
Zhang Jin’an immediately shook his head. "How could I? I can recite the lines of that movie backward."
Jiang Siyang gave a soft chuckle, though it was unclear what he was laughing at.
Zhang Jin’an felt that the laugh was eighty percent an indication that he’d seen through the lie. But because this was Jiang Siyang, he wouldn't expose him; he would only let it slide with a smile. And also because this was Jiang Siyang, he would definitely recite it.
Whether he knew it was a lie or not, Jiang Siyang’s current behavior was a display of high emotional intelligence. This was another of the thousands of virtues Zhang Jin’an had discovered in him: he never made others feel uncomfortable.
Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but want to meet Jiang Siyang’s parents. What kind of family and education could produce such a gentle and delicate person? They really ought to publish a parenting manual for the parents of bratty kids everywhere to study.
When Jiang Siyang opened his eyes again, Zhang Jin’an could see that he had already channeled the necessary emotions.
This scene was from just before the Captain of the Second Squad went on a mission. Feeling that she might not return, she shared a soulful farewell with her boyfriend. The setting back then was extremely similar to the sea under the night sky now. Zhang Jin’an felt that if a piano piece started playing at this moment, it would be just like a movie.
He was a camera, and Jiang Siyang was the male lead within the frame.
For the first time in all these years, Zhang Jin’an realized that the lights here were actually quite gentle.
"Even if the initial choices were different, as long as you were still that same youth, as long as we met just once—even if only in passing—I would still love you, and we would still have a story."
Jiang Siyang’s voice was slow, his gaze deep and affectionate, carrying a different charm than the original work.
If the original performance was like a sharp blade stabbing into the audience's heart, making it ache every time they remembered it, then Jiang Siyang’s version felt to Zhang Jin’an like this very sea.
He had always felt that the ocean was a sanctuary of tolerance, capable of holding all emotions—
The night gave it darkness, and so it became a vast, shadowy expanse; but when the streetlights and the galaxy offered their gifts, every cresting wave was draped in light.
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Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 48 | An Inevitable Encounter | Novela.app | Novela.app
