Chapter 40: Breakup

The night grew deeper, and windows across the neighborhood lit up with warmth, though one house in particular flickered with candlelight.

The sound of singing drifted through the crack of the door as everyone joined in on a celebratory tune.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

"Log, make a wish. It works better if you close your eyes," urged Grandmother.

"Log, blow out the candles quickly, all in one breath," prompted Auntie.

"Oh gosh! Damn Log, you blew it all right in my face," complained Zhang Min.

"Xixi, turn on the light right now," commanded Sister Li.

"Damn Log, what are you doing? I'm going to kill you," shrieked Xixi.

Amidst the playful bickering and giggles, the lights finally flickered back on.

Xixi's face was smeared with cake frosting, and she glared indignantly at Liu Jing.

"Liu Jing, are you bullying your sister again?" Teacher An interrogated.

"She called me a pig just now," Liu Jing tattled.

"No I didn't..." Xixi felt a pang of guilt and decided to temporarily suspend her feud with the Log.

When everyone had been singing the birthday song earlier, she had quietly joined in, changing the lyrics to "Happy 'pig'-rthday to you," never expecting to get caught.

"From now on... don't bully your sister anymore; remember to protect her. After today, you'll be eight years old. As a man, you must protect your family well. In this foreign land..." Teacher An choked up slightly as he spoke.

"Old An, it's Liu Jing's birthday today, stop talking such disheartening nonsense," Sister Li scolded.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Auntie quickly intervened, "Time to cut the cake! Brother-in-law, you get the biggest piece."

"Uncle An, why are you sounding like you're leaving a final will?" Liu Jing scratched his head. Wait, something was terribly wrong. Could a new round of the Cold War be starting?

"I have some matters to attend to, you guys go ahead and eat." Teacher An swallowed back a flood of words, abandoning them to the winds.

He shook his head, pulled on his coat, and let out a soft sigh.

This home wasn't actually Teacher An's own, but rather Grandmother's house.

Today was November 11, 1995, Liu Jing's seventh birthday.

A year ago, Zhang Min had taken Liu Jing to a banquet, which ended in a shooting incident.

Teacher An had taken time off work, flying directly to Hong Kong with Sister Li to terminate their contract with the company.

The master fortune-teller's warnings still echoed in their ears, and naturally, the company refused to let them go.

Left with no choice, Teacher An issued a warning that everything must proceed strictly according to contract terms. Liu Jing's filming schedule could only be arranged during winter and summer vacations.

All scripts had to be submitted to him for review beforehand.

All commercial activities required strict security measures.

Given Teacher An's rising status, the company didn't dare treat the matter lightly, especially since Hong Kong's future would soon depend on the mainland's favor.

That day, Liu Jing had displayed incredible prowess, beating back numerous enemies and leaving everyone present utterly stunned.

The opposing party had agreed quite readily, which was why Liu Jing had only filmed three movies over the past year.

During the winter vacation, he shot *Little Fists*.

During the summer vacation, he filmed *God of Gamblers Returns* and *Tricky Risk*.

*God of Gamblers 2* had been released on December 15, 1994, achieving massive box office success in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, earning Liu Jing over forty thousand points of entertainment aura.

Capitalizing on the tabloid gimmick of his "former girlfriend," the Hong Kong box office hit 56 million Hong Kong dollars, making it the first Hong Kong film to break the fifty-million mark.

The Taiwan box office reached 150 million New Taiwan dollars, representing the final glorious era of Hong Kong cinema.

*Fist of Legend* was released on March 8, 1995, pulling in 18.79 million Hong Kong dollars locally—not particularly high. However, its global box office surpassed ten million US dollars, and its word-of-mouth reception was excellent.

As one of the main leads with a heavy workload, Liu Jing garnered over fifty thousand points of entertainment aura.

Through just these two films alone, he had amassed one hundred thousand points of entertainment aura, while Win's Film Production made a fortune.

In his subsequent roles in *Little Fists*, *God of Gamblers Returns*, and *Tricky Risk*, Liu Jing performed brilliantly, with quite a few audience members heading to the theater specifically to see him.

Wong Jing naturally capitalized on this trend, expanding Liu Jing's role significantly. His character was elevated from a mere supporting role straight to a primary co-lead, second only to the top-billed male star.

After several films, Liu Jing's fame was unparalleled, and the company naturally treated him with even greater leniency.

[Host: Liu Jing]
[Level: Level 2 (Requires one million points to upgrade)]
[Bonds: 0/6]
[Entertainment Aura: 371749]
[Ability One: Daily Appraisal. Once a day. Want more attempts? Pay extra.]
[Ability Two: Photographic Memory. Everything within sight is permanently retained in the mind. Consumes ten points of entertainment aura per hour, with a one-hour minimum activation.]

"Log, what did you wish for just now? Did you include me?" Xixi wiped her little face clean, her curiosity reignited.

Her birthday had been over two months ago, and she had included Liu Jing in her wish, so she naturally hoped the Log had done the same for her.

A little girl's thoughts were always that simple.

"Xixi, you mustn't say your wish out loud, or it won't come true," Auntie smiled and said.

"Aunt Wenqiong, the last time the Log asked me, I said it out loud," Xixi pouted. You were right there when I had my birthday, Auntie. Why didn't you mention wishes not coming true when the Log asked me then? Some auntie you are, totally biased.

Liu Jing brought his thoughts back to the present. There was nothing unsayable about it. A wish was merely a pleasant aspiration. People had countless wishes in life, yet how many actually came true?

Whether it would come true or not didn't matter much to him; he only followed the custom because others cared about it.

"I wish Uncle An good health and continued career success. I wish Sister Li eternal youth and ever-growing popularity. I wish Auntie a happy marriage soon and flourishing career. I wish Sister Min endless happiness and an easy life. I wish Xixi becomes both prettier and smarter," Liu Jing rattled off a perfunctory, deadpan response.

Outside the door, Teacher An felt a warmth in his eyes and mocked himself, "I'm getting old, I can't handle hearing things like this."

Inside the room, Grandmother chewed on a piece of cake and sighed heavily, "I'm old and nobody wants me around anymore."

Liu Jing paused for a second, then added, "And I wish Grandmother longevity like the immortals of the Southern Mountains and boundless blessings like the pine trees of the Eastern Sea."

"Liars! In just a few seconds, there's no way you could make that many wishes," Xixi said, highly displeased. Wishing for me to become prettier and smarter clearly meant she thought she was currently ugly and clumsy!

Everyone burst into laughter, making Xixi even more disgruntled as she mentally noted down another grievance in her little ledger.

This was the fifth birthday Liu Jing had celebrated since being adopted, and the first one spent at Grandmother's house.

In the past, it was always just their immediate family, occasionally with Auntie joining in.

Today, many of Sister Li's biological family members and relatives had shown up.

Initially, most of them hadn't been entirely supportive of Sister Li adopting Liu Jing.

But their attitude had shifted completely over time, and no one ever brought up the adoption anymore because Liu Jing could make money.

A single commercial appearance commanded a performance fee ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands—sums many people could never earn in a lifetime.

Liu Jing had transformed from a taboo subject into the pride of the entire extended family.

As the friends and relatives gradually dispersed, Zhang Min stayed behind until the very end.

Just before leaving, she looked at Liu Jing and asked, "Log, I'm heading out now. Aren't you going to walk me out?"

"You've been here so many times already. Don't you know the way by now?" Liu Jing didn't want to go out; the buttercream cake was simply too delicious.

Zhang Min gritted her teeth, grabbed the back of Liu Jing's collar, and said, "Put on your jacket and walk me to the door."

Liu Jing understood immediately. This woman had something on her mind. If she had something to say, she should just say it—why use walking her out as an excuse? Oh women, women, you are always so indirect.

The night was dim and the wind still, while the Milky Way hung high and the moon shone bright.

Withered leaves crunched softly beneath their footsteps as they walked.

The two moved forward in silence, neither speaking, almost as if competing in a stubborn contest of wills.

Ultimately, Zhang Min broke first. Letting out a sudden, long sigh, she asked, "Log, how many years have we known each other?"

Liu Jing pondered, unable to guess what she was getting at, and answered honestly, "Let me calculate... almost four years now. The first time I saw you was at the beginning of 1992, on the set of *King of Beggars*. Back then, you were a big star, and I was just a little brat."

"A little brat—you could have just said that instead of being so long-winded," Zhang Min scoffed.

"Goodbye then," Liu Jing waved his hand. This woman seemed to be in a bad mood.

Zhang Min sneered, making no effort to stop him. She crossed her arms and simply watched him.

Five steps, six steps—definitely fewer than ten steps later, Liu Jing turned back and walked over. "Alright, spill it! What do you want to say? I forgive you."

"Hmph!" Zhang Min continued walking, her expression melancholic and her tone drifting. "We've only known each other for three years, but I've known him for nine years. How many nine-year stretches does a person get in life? And how many nine-year stretches of youth? For the past nine years, I've lived for him. From now on, I plan to live for myself. I'll be happy, joyful, and live as a contented person."

"Then you definitely won't pull it off," Liu Jing popped her bubble.

"We broke up," Zhang Min blurted out, feeling as though a thousand-pound weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders, leaving her with an instant sense of relief.

"Oh," Liu Jing replied.

"What kind of attitude is that?" Zhang Min grew annoyed again, shocked that the brat showed not a shred of surprise.