Perishing in Her Least Loving Moment

Part 10

Jasmin had been filming all night, and by the time it wrapped, dawn was breaking.

The first thing she noticed upon seeing the missed calls on her phone was Hank's number.

It was William's.

Without a second thought, Jasmin dialed back immediately.

However, after two or three attempts, the calls didn't connect.

It was only a little past six in the morning; perhaps he had fallen asleep again.

Ever since meeting the real William during the interview, his youthful, pale face had lingered in her mind, impossible to shake off, like a thorn lodged in her throat.

Sometimes, even when she saw Hank, her thoughts would drift unknowingly to that hospital room, faintly scented with jasmine.

Filming had left Jasmin with a profound emotional knot; just reading the script had brought her to tears for the male lead multiple times, and it took her a long time to recover from the experience.

So she wanted to help William fulfill his wish.

Perhaps only when William found happiness could she finally free herself from "Love on the Road" and reclaim her own life.

After failing to connect, Jasmin paused for a moment before messaging Hank.

To her surprise, Hank called her right back.

His voice was a bit hoarse, as if he hadn't slept all night.

"Did you finish filming?"

"Yeah, we'll wrap in a few days."

Hank remained silent for a long stretch. Jasmin could hear his breathing fluctuating on the other end, and she thought there might be a signal issue.

Finally, Hank spoke, his voice quivering slightly.

"Jasmin, I want to ask you something."

"When you agreed to be with me and accepted my proposal, was it because you truly love me, or because you couldn't separate from the character after filming 'Love on the Road'? Or do you feel obligated to marry me as a way to repay me for helping you before?"

"What's wrong?" Jasmin was taken aback. "If I didn't love you, why would we be together?"

"Can you differentiate between loving me, Hank, as a person, and loving that character?"

She had thought the answer would come easily, but after reflecting, Jasmin realized she didn't know how to respond.

In the end, she chose the simplest answer.

"I love you."

After hearing this, Hank's mood lifted, and they chatted for a while longer before hanging up.

Jasmin leaned against the edge of her bed, her gaze resting on the photo on her bedside table.

It was a still from "Love on the Road," featuring Hank.

He had lost ten pounds for the role, sitting on the bed in a baggy hospital gown, looking so thin and fragile that he seemed like he could break at any moment. During the shoot, the director had called his name, and Hank turned to meet his gaze.

That still was taken just before the first scene, where the male lead was about to be wheeled into the operating room, teetering on the edge of life and death.

Jasmin, embracing the still-unfamiliar Hank, had cried inconsolably.

It wasn't until the director called "cut" and approached her to offer comfort that they finally separated.

Since that moment, every time Jasmin saw Hank, she felt a unique and thrilling sensation, as if she were worried he might vanish at any moment.

Even after filming wrapped, thoughts of him lingered in her mind.

Jasmin gazed at the photo, her fingertip brushing against Hank's face, a pang of guilt rising within her.

Ever since she got busy with this project, Hank had shown signs of insecurity more than once.

She resolved that after filming, she would need to dedicate quality time to him.

After a while, Jasmin turned off the lights and lay down, tossing and turning.

Even though her body was exhausted, sleep eluded her, as if a tight string within her remained unrelaxed.

She recalled a sleep app she had used during a prolonged period of depression and anxiety.

After downloading it again, Jasmin searched for soothing white noise.

But accidentally, she stumbled upon the sleep recording feature.

It was an audio from three years ago.

In the recording, her voice was choked with tears, shaky and intermittent.

"William, wait for me, I'll earn money soon..."

"William, we'll be able to cure your illness soon..."

"William..."

～～～～～
End......