Chapter 26: Filming a Documentary—Every Smile and Frown Is a Scene of Beauty

“Director Zhang, Director Li.”

Gu Bin came to his senses and exchanged polite greetings.

“So you’re little Bin,” Director Li from the municipal publicity department was quick to speak, his gaze warm and affable. “I know your mother—we’ve dealt with each other a few times.”

Gu Bin’s mother worked in the provincial organization department, while Director Li was with the municipal publicity department. There was little connection between the two, and their relationship seemed somewhat forced. Sensing this, Gu Bin smiled knowingly but refrained from pointing it out.

“How is Elder Gu’s health these days?” Director Zhang from the tourism bureau, not to be outdone, also tried to strike up a conversation. “I visited your home during the New Year, and just like that, half a year has passed since we last met.”

“My grandfather is in great health,” Gu Bin replied with a flawless smile, his tone perfectly appropriate. “He gets up every morning at dawn to exercise at Liberation Pavilion, plays chess with his friends, and doesn’t come home until noon.”

“It’s not a short walk from your place to Liberation Pavilion, is it?” Director Zhang sounded slightly surprised. “If he goes on foot, it must take more than an hour round trip.”

“My grandfather loves exercising.” As Gu Bin spoke, as if by some instinct, he shifted slightly and glanced toward the gate of Courtyard No. 9.

Lin Xiyu, having heard that reporters had arrived, stepped out to greet them. The moment she came through the gate, her eyes met a pair of clear, spirited eyes.

Her breath caught, and she instinctively looked away.

Gu Bin narrowed his eyes, a flicker of doubt in their depths. Even if he were slow to realize, it was clear enough now—she was deliberately avoiding him.

He was sure he hadn’t offended her, so why had her attitude changed so much in just a few days?

Could it really be, as her cousin had hinted...?

—

Lin Xiyu had heard Gu Bin and the two officials exchanging pleasantries from the passageway. The more she listened, the more stifled she felt, unable to suppress a wave of vexation.

Their families stood on either side of an unbridgeable gulf, making it impossible for her to ignore reality.

She averted her gaze, purposefully avoiding Gu Bin’s eyes.

Gu Bin, a testament to his grandfather’s lifelong guidance, maintained a perfectly composed exterior, smiling with impeccable grace and responding to everyone with ease, even though his emotions churned within him.

—

The film crew held a brief opening ceremony at the courtyard gate. After a quick ribbon-cutting and bidding farewell to the three officials, filming for the documentary officially began.

Li Yan wandered around the courtyard with a microphone, her eyes sparkling as she laughed and chatted. Her words brimmed with admiration for life in a traditional courtyard, and she mentioned her envy so often that the sentiment was unmistakable.

Lin Xiyu’s grandmother’s home was just over thirty square meters—too small for so many people to fit in the living room. After some discussion, the crew decided to film under the grape arbor in the yard.

It was mid-June; the grapes had not yet ripened, and clusters of pale green fruit hung between the leaves, draping densely from the bamboo trellis. On either side of the arbor, the pomegranate trees had already borne thumb-sized fruits—small, rosy orbs that contrasted charmingly with the green grapes, making for a delightful scene.

Once the camera was set up, Lin Xiyu accompanied her grandmother to sit beneath the vines for the interview.

Lin Xiyu resembled her grandmother closely, sharing the same striking features. In her youth, her grandmother had been a beauty: skin as fair as snow, a delicate nose and cherry lips, her radiance unmistakable. Even now, age had not diminished her elegance. Her white hair was meticulously combed and pinned with a leather band, covered by a black silk net, exuding a refined, classical beauty.

The elder and the young woman sat beneath the grape arbor, their bright eyes and easy laughter painting a picturesque scene with every glance and smile.

Gu Bin’s lips curved in a faint smile as he watched the lively, radiant girl—his heart stirred in spite of himself.