12 There Is No Venus in the World

"Not at all… "

Looking into Amélie's smiling eyes, Yuan Ge knows that he cannot get out of the topic without saying something. After thinking about it for a while, he sighs, "Actually, I can't put my finger on it. The short answer is that she needs to have the ability to inspire me, I guess. Art requires a Dionysian spirit and I am often too bound by reason to push the boundaries. Perhaps the presence of that person will give me a glimpse of the true nature of art and ignite a passion in me that I cannot hold back from burning myself out."

"You make it sound so vague and ethereal. Can you be more specific?"

"But the spiritual world is supposed to be ethereal. I often find myself walking through the misty woods, trying to catch the spectrum of the Divine from the dappled light seeping through the branches, searching for the feathers of angels among the trees. Perhaps there will be a spirit who can decipher the special characters recorded by these feathers of light, and with her leaps and flutters, songs and dances, join me in describing the miracles and recreating the ethereal world. Such joy must be spellbinding."

Amélie makes a face, "No wonder they say that artistic men are the hardest type to catch. You're a man who chases the light, and the woman who can make your heart sing probably has to be Venus herself."

Yuan Ge laughs, "Yes, she is the ultimate, the purest white of the snowy mountains, the deepest blue of the vast oceans, the bone etching heat of the corona centre, the virgin red of the cherry blossoms… "

When it comes to artistic pursuits, Yuan Ge becomes eloquent again.

Amélie sighs inwardly.

Yes. It indeed has to be Venus herself who can make an artist fall in love. A mere mortal, no matter how good she is, is not in the same league; without the magical power to shake the soul, she could only be mediocre.

She thinks to herself.

She gently swirls the glass in her hand, her emotions swirling together with the onyx-coloured liquid. It feels good to be slightly tipsy, to indulge herself in just the right way under the guise of alcohol.

Amélie listens quietly as Yuan Ge continues to describe the artistic sanctuary in his heart. If she disregards reality, such topics would always enthral her and make her fall into his world -

A man like him... I will never meet a man like him again in my life if I let him slip away.

This thought keeps flashing through her head, suddenly causing Amélie to panic and feel a great sense of loss.

There are only a few tables left in the restaurant and a French love song is playing in the background. The soft but resolute vocals of the female singer catches Amélie's attention and makes her listen closely to the lyrics.

"...

Ma peau brûle de tes caresses

Mon cœur est hanté par ta solitude

Pouvons-nous abandonner ce faux-semblant ?

Je ne peux pas prédire comment ça va finir

Tu peux tout avoir de moi

Mon cœur, ma vie et mes désirs

J'ai mis mon âme à nu

Parce que tes yeux sont dangereux

Dis-moi de qui tu rêves

dans ton sommeil le plus profond

Je briserai la défense de ton cœur

même s'il est fait de roche et de glace !"[1]

Amélie is captivated by the lyrics. Here is a woman who has fallen for a man, that burning desire, that exhilarating and palpitating feeling, sung so truly, so, like herself.

Do I have the same faith and determination before crashing and burning with no way back, before I fall completely and hopelessly in love with him?

Could I break his heart's defence, even if it is made of rock and ice?

Immersed in the music and the infectious lyrics, Amélie becomes optimistic again. Her pride, competitiveness and innate desire to win all seem to be stirred up and her heart is full of hope.

There is no Venus in the world. She has no obvious rival, at least not yet, so she must seize the opportunity to make the most of this vantage point she has . There is no absolutely impenetrable defence. If one is brave and strong enough to hit a rock, how do you know she won't win in the end?

Thinking of this, she regains her old confidence and says briskly to Yuan Ge, "My great artist, it is getting late. Let's go back."

Raising her glass, she makes a gesture of toasting to the man opposite her. The candlelight is dancing in her eyes like two flames, and her cheeks look even more charming under the crimson colour of the wine.

"To the success of our film, to the future of Dragon Dreams, to you, and to me!"

After saying these words, Amélie drains her glass of wine without waiting for Yuan Ge's reply.

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[1] English translation of the French lyrics is roughly as follows:

My skin's burning from your caress

My heart's haunted by your loneliness

Can we give up this pretence

I can't predict how it ends

You can have my all

My heart, my life and my desires

I've bared my soul

For your eyes are dangerous

Tell me who you're dreaming of

in your deepest sleep

I shall break your heart's defence

even if it's made of rock and ice!