The two of them went from the playground to the boiler room, then passed through the dormitory and returned to the school gate. It was almost noon by the time they arrived at the gate. As the two were about to separate, Shi Lei suddenly asked, “Are you free at noon? I would like to invite you to lunch.”
“Not at noon. I have already made an appointment with the principal and the others,” Bai Qingquan said. “Maybe in the evening, I might be free.”
It was unlikely that he would be free in the evening. He finally returned, so he would have to have a meal with his uncle and aunt. After attending the school celebration at noon tomorrow, he would return to Nancheng for his birthday party. His itinerary was quite stressful.
However, once he was back in Nancheng, he would be fine. He had just finished filming a new drama and was currently on his rest period.
Shi Lei said, “Nn. Where are you going now?”
“Back to the hotel.”
“Then I’ll take you there.”
“No, it’s just at the People’s Square, and it’s only a few steps away.”
Shi Lei still insisted and said, “I will send you.” After speaking, he went to get his car.
Bai Qingquan saw an Audi in the parking lot with the lights turned on and saw Shi Lei going in and driving the car towards him.
Bai Qingquan wasn’t polite and directly opened the door on the passenger side. He entered with a smile and asked, “Does the passenger seat have a master? May I sit in it?”
Shi Lei said, “I have always been single.”
Bai Qingquan sat up, closed the door with a bang, and took off his mask.
He’s been single all this time.
He put his mask in his pocket and adjusted the seat a little. The car looked very new and was considered a more expensive model from the Audi brand. As soon as he sat down, he noticed Shi Lei leaning towards him. He was taken aback and hurriedly stretched out his arm, only to find that Shi Lei was buckling him in for him.
“I’ll do it myself,” he said as he fastened his seat belt.
Shi Lei smelled the warm and light fragrance coming from Bai Qingquan’s body, and it only made his heart become more passionate. He turned forward and started to drive. This was all like a dream. The person he could only see on the television screen was now sitting in the passenger seat of his car. It was exciting and unreal.
He sent Bai Qingquan to the entrance of the hotel. Bai Qingquan unbuttoned his seatbelt and said, “Thank you.”
His voice was as gentle as ever, and his appearance was even more fair and beautiful. The word temperament was simply tailored for him.
“You’re welcome,” Shi Lei said.
“Then I’m going now. I’ll contact you when I have time,” Bai Qingquan opened the car door.
“Then I’ll call you tonight,” Shi Lei said.
Bai Qingquan realized that he was referring to dinner plans tonight, so he gave a vague response and got out and left the car.
Shi Lei kept watching him leave before he left. When Bai Qingquan got to the entrance of the hotel door, he glanced back at him.
Shi Lei drove the car towards an intersection before parking it on the side of the road. He got out of the car, leaned against a tree, and started to smoke. He didn’t know if it was because of the cold or something else. For a while, his hand was shaking uncontrollably as he held the cigarette in his hand and was rubbing his chin with his thumb, only to find that there were stubbles there and he hadn’t shaved it.
He suddenly felt that Bai Qingquan was not as far from him as he imagined. Now, even if he were a big star, he could still reach him in reality. Compared to when they were teenagers, it seemed that there wasn’t much difference. Thinking back and forth, it seemed that the possibility of catching him was within reach.
The most tormenting thing was that before there was no hope, but now there was another possibility, and it was this possibility that gave him a single thread of hope. If he didn’t try his best, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
At least Bai Qingquan liked men.
—
As soon as Bai Qingquan entered the hotel room, he immediately took out his phone and called Shen Jintai.
“Hurry up, hurry up, tell me!” Shen Jintai said excitedly.
“Sister, I didn’t know you had time to gossip!”
“Don’t dawdle. Tell me quickly.” Shen Jintai inquired, “Tell me how you met and what happened. Don’t leave out any details!”
Bai Qingquan smiled as he laid down on the sofa and started recounting the moment the two met.
After only a few words, Shen Jintai interrupted him, “Is it really a coincidence? Why do I get the feeling that he was waiting for you?”
“It was on a whim that I decided to visit the school. Everyone knows that I’ll only be there tomorrow to participate in the school celebration. How could he have known in advance?”
Shen Jintai said, “If he is waiting for you, I feel that he still likes you. If he is not waiting for you, it’s just a coincidence. Holy shit, what kind of fate is this?”
Bai Qingquan said, “Seeing him suddenly, I really felt a little heartbroken. He is much more handsome than when we were in school. Super handsome and much taller than before.”
“You can tell by looking at the back,” Shen Jintai said.
Bai Qingquan continued to talk, and finally said, “When I got in the car, I tested him. Guess what he said?”
“What?”
“He said he has always been single.” Bai Qingquan deliberately exaggerated the word “always”.
Shen Jintai was excited when he heard it. “This guy sounds like a schemer. What do you think? Is he interested in you?”
Bai Qingquan said, “It’s possible.”
“Possible?”
Bai Qingquan’s face was a little red. “I think so. He kept sneaking peeks at me, and I pretended to be unaware, but it’s also possible that because I’m a star now, ordinary people will act like this when they see a star.”
“What about you? Do you like him?”
Bai Qingquan said, “It’s impossible for me and him, right?”
It wasn’t a question of whether he was worthy or not, but he couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the two of them to fall in love. He had never been in a relationship, but the people he had fantasized about were all rich second generations or big stars. It wasn’t that he valued money when looking for a partner. He just had a girly heart when he was in love, and he didn’t think he could meet other people besides the industry that he was in. His circle was full of people related to the entertainment industry.
He and Shi Lei were exactly two people from different worlds.
“He is different from Siqi and President Yan,” he said, as Shi Lei’s appearance came into his mind. He felt that this person had a strong sexual charm, but he wanted to fall in love, not just have sex. If he didn’t have that former condition, he could easily find someone to just sleep with. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find a high-quality person who fit his bill.
“I really didn’t expect that you would meet him when you went back this time,” Shen Jintai said emotionally.
“Indeed.” Bai Qingquan didn’t expect it himself. “But I recognized him at a glance, even though I haven’t seen him for so many years.”
Truthfully, he had liked Shi Lei in the beginning, but at that time he wasn’t courageous and knew too little. Later, when he realized that he had liked him, Shi Lei was no longer by his side.
For several years, he always remembered this boy from time to time. The first person he met in the real world was the same as him, and it was also the first confession he received from a boy in his life. How could it be easy to forget?
It was the love of youth. It was light and lasting, as if it could linger in his heart for a lifetime. It may not be considered loved, but it was still touching. It belonged to the love that only existed when you were a teenager, not an adult.
When he changed his name for his debut, the company asked him to pick out a few names by himself. He picked out three, of which Bai Qingquan was one of them.
The bright moon shone among the pines, and the clear springs and stones flowed up.
He selected his favorite line from an ancient poem that contained the characters that had Qingquan in it.
Later, when his company chose this name, they said that it was a good name, and he would definitely become very popular if he used this name to walk in the entertainment industry.
This was truly fate.
When he became a big star, he was loved by thousands, both male and female, and had received many confessions, but all he could remember was that misty morning many years ago, when a slacker with a bag over his shoulder had asked him in a domineering tone, “Bai Shu, would you like to fall in love with me?”
In fact, before Shi Lei left, he had followed him once. At that time, he hadn’t seen Shi Lei for a while. He only heard rumors about his fighting, his father’s imprisonment, and his mother’s illness. His heart was heavy, and he felt Shi Lei was very pitiful.
It wasn’t abnormal to like him.
Then one night, he felt as if someone was following him from a distance. His heart moved slightly. He wanted to turn back but didn’t dare turn back. After hesitating for a long time, he planned to turn around and apologize to Shi Lei. To tell him that he wasn’t a prevent and gently and solemnly apologize to him.
But when he turned around, he no longer saw the person following him. He ran back a few steps, panting, and looked around, but he didn’t see Shi Lei, only the sight of the first snow that had started to fall.
The snow fell very early that year, and it was also heavy, as it covered his shoulders.
Shi Lei had left his hometown that day. He wanted to take another look at the person he admired before the sixteen-year-old picked up his bag and resolutely embarked towards his job.
The author has something to say:
Sishi is a straight-laced man who is rough and silent on the outside and wild on the inside and loves his wife. Two types of good husbands for these good sisters.
Juvenile love is really moving, and consistency is even rarer.
Chapter 194: Do You Still Love Me After So Many Years?
After not seeing him for so many years, Bai Qingquan looked even better. His whole body seemed to be glowing, making him more vivid, authentic, and beautiful than the man that he had seen on screen.
Bai Qingquan was already very beautiful when he was in junior high school. He was tall, fair, and thin, but because of his docility and honesty, he failed to become the school grass.
The school grass was never just about appearance, but also needed some degree of popularity. The school grass of their junior high school was a boy named Zou Haifeng.
Once, a few of them slackers were talking about girls together when someone said, “Have you ever seen that kid Bai in 306? I think he’s more handsome than that kid, Zou Haifeng.”
“He’s not handsome. He looks like a girl.”
This was the first time Shi Lei had heard of Bai Qingquan. Among his buddies, there was one named Wang Yu who was chasing a girl in her second year of junior high. As a result, he found that the girl liked Bai Qingquan, so it made him scold him at least five times daily. “He’s just a kid with a little white face and barely any hair. One day, laozi will kill him.”
He later learned more about him from Wang Yu. What poked him the most was that he heard Bai Qingquan was orphaned when he was very young and lived with his uncle’s family.
Although there were hundreds of students in the school, it was the first time he had encountered someone who had similar family circumstances as him. Just from hearing about Bai Qingquan in a few sentences, he felt that he had already developed an inexplicable sense of closeness toward him.
This led to him paying more attention to Bai Qingquan, and the more he paid attention, the more he liked what he saw.
The young man’s love was pure and cautious, despite facing such a fearless devil gangster like him.
He thought that Bai Qingquan looked beautiful and tender. He was fascinated by his smile. His usual gentle and lively demeanor made Shi Lei want to pity and bully him.
He felt that they were extremely compatible when holding each other to keep each other warm. He wanted to kiss him, embrace him, and take care of him.
He didn’t like to study, and he couldn’t learn well; thus, he didn’t bother with school and spent all his time thinking about how to get to know Bai Qingquan.
He couldn’t come up with anything good, resulting in him just following Bai Qingquan around, which eventually led to him getting further acquainted with him, and then they started going to and from school together.
With each passing day, his love for Bai Qingquan grew. He felt that, as the son of a reformed prisoner, he had abnormal genes in his bones that caused him to like this person to an incredible degree. When he arrived at school, he would already look forward to self-study in the evening. As soon as he went to bed, he would look forward to the coming early dawn. If it was a holiday or Sunday and he couldn’t see Bai Qingquan, he would feel uncomfortable. When he had nothing to do, he would wander near Bai Qingquan’s home.
It seems that in his messy and dark life, there was suddenly light and hope that was worth chasing. He was no longer muddled, and his life suddenly had goals. He had experienced all the beautiful throbbing of first love for the first time in his life. It was beautiful, so beautiful that every time it would stun him, as he couldn’t believe that there was such a pleasant feeling that existed in life.
Bai Qingquan’s grandmother was poor in health and had severe rickets. Most often, she would sit alone in the front yard and bask in the sun. Bai Qingquan’s uncle usually isn’t home, while his aunt was a domineering woman with a powerful voice.
Bai Qingquan himself was very quiet, like a daughter-in-law. When he thought of a daughter-in-law, he became very excited. He felt that Bai Qingquan was very suitable to be his wife*. Despite wanting a boy to be his wife, he didn’t feel ashamed, or confused, but rather quite excited.
*Clarity: The term is (媳妇) which refers to the son’s wife/wife/married women. || Depending on context, the former is referring to a daughter-in-law, while he himself is referring to Bai Qingquan as his wife.
He was really deviant. Perhaps he was abnormal. As he was walking with Bai Qingquan in the dead of the night, when there was no one around, listening to Bai Qingquan’s slight breathing, he suddenly felt a strong, enthusiastic urge to kiss him.
But as with most normal people in the world, they are still normal and would react normally, as Bai Qingquan was scared away.
He was about to drop out of school. His mother had passed away, and he no longer needed to stay at home to take care of her. His grandparents were already old, and he couldn’t learn anything in school, so he decided to follow his relatives to work in the city. As he was leaving, there was no longer time to get along with Bai Qingquan slowly.
What Bai Qingquan told him was right. He was abnormal.
They barely spoke to each other. He hadn’t started to fall in love yet, and it could be seen as him just messing around, and on top of that, it was with another man. If it wasn’t perverted, then what was?
Such a beautiful person as Bai Qingquan shouldn’t be dragged into this messy life by him. He was like the stars and moon in the sky and should live the best life in the world. In the future, he would marry a wife, have children, and not be a pervert like him.
It was nice that Bai Qingquan didn’t like men.
Before setting off, he asked for a group photo of Bai Qingquan with his class. He put it in his pocket and followed his relatives with a bag on his back. He was only sixteen years old then, and with the little, beautiful love that he formed, he went to develop his own life.
He was courageous, hardworking, and able to endure all kinds of hardships. When he was particularly tired, he would dream of the best life he could have in the future and would have enough money. He would live with Bai Qingquan, work part-time, and attend college with him.
This was the best life that his mind could imagine at that time. At the age of a newborn calf, they dare to think of unrealistic romances and ambitions.
For someone like him who had no money, no power, and no education, he could still be considered a good guy, but Bai Qingquan was better than him. One year, he suddenly saw Bai Qingquan on a variety show. He had changed his name, but he still recognized him from just a glance.
Bai Qingquan, Bai Qingquan.
The bright moon shone among the pines, and the clear springs and stones flowed up.
He thought lovingly that this name might have something to do with him*.
*Clarity: The [Shi] (石) in [Shi Lei] (石磊) is stone, referring to the stone in the line “Clear spring stone flows upwards”. The clear spring in that line is [Qingquan] (清泉). || Shi Lei is wishfully thinking that Bai Qingquan chose his new name because he was thinking of him.
In the summer of that year, two people emerged in the entertainment industry. One was Shen Jintai, and the other was Bai Qingquan. The two of them were like a red and white rose. One was flirtatious and gorgeous, and the other was pure and beautiful.
Since then, he could see Bai Qingquan wherever he went. There were so many people who adored and loved him that he probably wouldn’t remember that there was once a slacker who wanted to eat swan meat*. Although it was reckless and abrupt, it was the first love of his life, and he gave it everything. Because he was abnormal, paranoid, and stubborn, ever since then he had not liked any others.
*The full idiom is the toad wants to eat swan meat (癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉) Refers to people who have no self-knowledge and want to get things that are impossible to get.
Although he saw Bai Qingquan through the screen, while beautiful, it wasn’t sincere. Seeing him now standing in front of him, Shi Lei felt overwhelmed with excitement.
Bai Qingquan’s hands were very warm and soft, with green onion-like fingers that were fair and slender, unlike his. Even though he had stopped doing rough labor in the past two years, his skin was tanned, and he looked rough around the edges.
The two released their hands as the bell suddenly rang. Bai Qingquan quickly put on his mask, as it was his instinctive reaction. After putting it on, he remembered his celebrity status. He thought that Shi Lei should have seen his works and knew who he was now.
Students began to pour out of the classroom. Bai Qingquan asked as they walked downstairs, “Did you come back to participate in the school celebration?”
Shi Lei said, “No.”
He wasn’t an honorary alumnus. He had learned from a friend in his hometown that Bai Qingquan was coming back to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration, and after thinking about it all night, he decided to return.
He wanted to see Bai Qingquan.
He didn’t know what he was going to do with it or what use it was. Ordinary people like him have too few opportunities to see Bai Qingquan. He felt that if he didn’t see him again, he may not be able to let this person go for the rest of his life.
But when he saw Bai Qingquan just now, he only felt his heartbeat getting stronger. Bai Qingquan was so excellent that he couldn’t touch him. Coupled with his juvenile filter, Bai Qingquan was truly like the bright moon in the sky and the treasure in his heart.
The deeper the gap between the two, the heavier the covetousness. Knowing that it was impossible, he could only suppress it and not reveal any hints of it.
He kept looking at Bai Qingquan, and when he noticed that Bai Qingquan turned his head to look over, he laughed. The ruffian aura on his body faded, and the tip of his nose was slightly red from the cold. He said, “I’ve watched many of your works.”
Bai Qingquan smiled. The mask was covering most of his face, but his eyes were curved.
“Have you visited the elders?” Shi Lei asked.
Bai Qingquan said, “No, I just arrived. As soon as I got here, I came to the teaching building and met you. Why were you upstairs in this building anyway? I remember that your class was in the east building.”
“I saw you,” Shi Lei said. “Thinking that it might be you, I came over to take a look, but I didn’t expect it to turn out to be really you.”
Bai Qingquan smiled and said, “I thought I was heavily armed and tightly wrapped up.”
He felt embarrassed, so he looked at the playground and said, “Nothing has really changed.”
“Let me show you around. I am familiar with this area,” Shi Lei said.
“Okay.”
Bai Qingquan took out his phone while walking, and his excitement gradually surfaced. He felt that this was too coincidental. With a heart of gossip, he immediately sent a text to Shen Jintai: [Guess who I met at school?!]
Then he sent an emoji of groundhogs screaming. After sending it, he put his phone back in his pocket and followed Shi Lei’s footsteps.
He had actually fantasized about seeing Shi Lei again many times before and made many assumptions. Now that he had truly met him, fortunately, he felt at ease. Their teenage years had long passed, and they weren’t who they used to be.
As he walked, he chatted with Shi Lei, asking about how he’d been over the years and what he was doing now. He felt moved when he learned that Shi Lei had opened a small company.
It was great that they all live a much better life now than before. Shi Lei was doing well, and he was happy for him. Knowing that Shi Lei was also in Nancheng, he was even more surprised. “If you have a chance in the future, we should meet and have a meal together.”
Shi Lei said, “Okay. Then let’s add each other as friends.” As he said it, he took out his phone.
Bai Qingquan did the same, and as he scanned his WeChat, they both became embarrassed… because Shi Lei’s avatar was Zhou Jing, the role he played in <The East Palace is Coming>.
Shi Lei didn’t expect that he could add Bai Qingquan on WeChat, so when he opened WeChat, he suddenly thought about his avatar. Bai Qingquan was even more surprised, and this made his heart jump wildly.
Shit. What does this mean? Shi Lei still didn’t really like him all this time, right…?
As soon as this thought came, he felt hot on his cheeks, and the mood in his heart suddenly changed. Probably because of his juvenile filter, while many others had liked him, compared to them, Shi Lei was different.
He actually liked Shi Lei, especially in the years when he was awakened to his sexuality. After realizing that he liked men, he would think of Shi Lei from time to time and felt that it was the biggest shortcoming of his adolescence.
“I like The East Palace very much,” Shi Lei said lightly.
Bai Qingquan said, “I see. Alright, I’ve accepted.”
After they accepted each other, Bai Qingquan clicked on Shi Lei’s friend’s circle and found there was no one in his circle of friends. He suddenly wondered if Shi Lei was still single. He only asked about his job, but he didn’t know his relationship or even marital status. He glanced at Shi Lei’s finger but did not see a ring.
His phone buzzed. It was a message from Shen Jintai: [Who did you meet? Your senior?!]
Fuck. Did Shen Jintai have clairvoyance and omniscience?!
He immediately replied: [???!!!]
Shen Jintai: [Damn. When you said you were going back to your hometown to participate in activities for your alma mater, the senior you mentioned before came to mind. Isn’t this too coincidental?]
Since Shi Lei was still by his side, Bai Qingquan couldn’t keep looking at his phone, so he didn’t reply, but Shen Jintai kept texting: [Did you really meet? What does he look like? Take a picture and show me!]
Bai Qingquan secretly picked up the phone while walking but only photographed Shi Lei’s back. [Look at his back. It’s very handsome.]
It was tall and sturdy, with a crew cut that made him look like a dragon and tiger.
Honestly speaking, Bai Qingquan hadn’t expected Shi Lei to become so high-quality. He was tall, muscular, resolute, and heroic, with a deep outline that made him more handsome than when he was a teenager. He had the vigor of a wolf and a sense of maturity beyond his actual age. Bai Qingquan has been in the entertainment industry for a long time and has seen many handsome men. While Shi Lei wasn’t as good-looking as they were, he was still better-looking than the average passerby. He was a little rough around the edges compared to other celebrities, but this rough feeling wasn’t rustic, and he was like a walking pheromone.
At the age of 25, this was the prime age for a man.
Was it normal for ordinary people to use photos of celebrities as their avatar of people that they had a crush on in their youth?
That would be too coincidental.
Bai Qingquan put his hands in the pocket of his coat and couldn’t help straightening his waist as he strolled around campus with Shi Lei.
It was very cold, but Shi Lei’s palms were sweating. He could only secretly glance at Bai Qingquan when he wasn’t paying attention. Bai Qingquan was dressed in a famous brand outfit that complimented his tall figure. He exuded what seemed to be an endless fragrance, but he could only see his beautiful eyes as everything else was tightly wrapped and covered.
He had come here to let go of his knot, as he thought that, seeing how unattainable Bai Qingquan was, he would finally allow his feelings to die. He didn’t expect to meet Bai Qingquan again, and it only made his heart grow hotter as the urge to bite the swan meat rose again.
Even if he couldn’t eat it, it was still good to look at it.
Even if he couldn’t bite it, it was still worth dying for.
He was truly an abnormal pervert in this world. He thought about this person so paranoidly and had defiled him countless times in his dreams. He would indulge in them madly as he went crazy, committing adultery with him. He was not worthy of this person, but he was extremely eager to get him. If he could obtain him, he would give up everything that he could give.
The author has something to say:
If you don’t die, you can keep eating.
Sishi’s* story was very hard to read, but now you know everything!
*Author’s nickname for Shi Lei.
Kinky Thoughts:
Shi Lei’s and Bai Qingquan’s past makes my heart pitter-patter.
Xichuan County was a small city in the western region. It was still considered a poor county about eight years ago. No. 2 Junior High School was located on the south side of the old train station. It could be regarded as a suburb of the old county seat. From No. 2 Junior High School to Baijia, it took a little more than a ten-minute walk. After passing Renmin Road, it became a residential area where two- to three-story buildings populated both sides of the road. Because it wasn’t a main road, there were no streetlights; only the lights from the buildings could be seen.
Bai Qingquan had gone to self-study that night, so he was coming back a bit late. As he walked, he would glance back. He noticed that someone was following him and had been following him for the past two days now.
The person following him was also a student from his school because they were wearing the same school uniform. However, the figure was very tall and big, unlike a junior high school student.
He had walked this road countless times, so he wasn’t afraid of encountering bad people. He just wanted to know who was following him. As he continued walking, he suddenly turned around and ran towards the figure. The figure paused, but instead of running away, it stopped in place.
“You… Why do you always follow me?” Bai Qingquan asked.
The boy looked two years older than him, with a crew cut, a very energetic look, and surprisingly bright eyes. He only wore a school uniform on his upper body, and his pants were black. The school uniform was loose on him, and he had a playful image as he carried his school backpack on one shoulder and had both hands in his pockets.
“I’m asking you.” Bai Qingquan frowned, pretending to be fierce.
“I also go this way,” The boy said.
Bai Qingquan asked, “Where does your family live?”
“In Shixiao.”
Then it should be this way. Did he make a mistake?
Bai Qingquan felt embarrassed. He turned around and walked away, but the boy chased after him and asked, “What’s your name?”
Bai Qingquan looked back at him and asked, “Why are you asking this?”
“I know you. My name is Shi Lei,” the boy said.
When Bai Qingquan heard this, his heart tightened suddenly. Shi Lei was a well-known slacker* in their school. Rumor had it that his family was extremely messy. His father liked to drink, smoke, fight, and do everything of the like that eventually landed him in jail. Last week, he heard gossip from his desk mate that Shi Lei’s gang had met with a group of seniors from the vocational high school next door. They got into a huge fight that resulted in him beating up the seniors, who all ran away. His desk mate felt proud while telling the story and thought Shi Lei’s gang were pretty awesome.
*(学渣) Refers to students who do not study hard at ordinary times but only start to attack and crawl near the end of the term.
Although Bai Qingquan was also a slacker, his type of slacker was completely different from that type of slacker. He was the obedient and sensible kind. No matter how much he studied, he couldn’t improve his grades, and no matter how hard he worked, he still couldn’t learn much.
“My name is Zhang Dawei,” Bai Qingquan said.
Shi Lei laughed when he heard this but did not speak. He looked like a ruffian when he laughed, especially with that crew cut and the small scar on his head.
When he got up the next morning, it wasn’t even dawn yet. He had gotten up a little late, so he ran to school. At the corner near Shixiao, Shi Lei jumped out and joined him.
Bai Qingquan was taken aback. When he saw that it was him, he didn’t speak and continued running towards the school. Shi Lei followed him and asked, “Why did you get up so late today?”
Bai Qingquan ignored him, and it was not until he entered the school that Shi Lei parted ways with him and went to the teaching building next door.
After self-study in the evening, when Bai Qingquan left the school, he saw Shi Lei with his hands in his pockets standing on the road opposite of the school, whistling while leaning against a French sycamore tree.
Bai Qingquan lowered his head slightly, thinking that he could just walk by unconsciously. However, as soon as he passed Shi Lei, he turned and joined him, walking side by side. “The lights are already out at school. How do you even read in the dark?”
“I use a candle.” Bai Qingquan turned his head and glanced at him and asked, “Are you waiting for me?”
Shi Lei smiled and responded with a “Nn.”
Bai Qingquan felt weird. He had never dealt with such a ruffian. Shi Lei took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and asked him, “Do you smoke?”
Bai Qingquan said, “No.”
Shi Lei lit one for himself. As Bai Qingquan watched, he found that he was very proficient.
Truthfully, Bai Qingquan didn’t hate people like Shi Lei. While the other party may have a bad image and a ruffian look, it also poked his heart a little. Occasionally, he would like to be a bad boy who’s mischievous, smokes, and gets into fights.
As he was staring at Shi Lei, he suddenly turned to look at him. Bai Qingquan pursed his lips. He didn’t know what Shi Lei was planning. Why did he suddenly start following him? He even thought about whether he had offended someone who had sent Shi Lei his way to clean him up.
But nothing happened afterwards. Since then, Shi Lei would only follow him from school and back home. Just when Bai Qingquan thought that the two of them were going to become friends, one night as Shi Lei was walking with him, he suddenly pulled him into a back alley, and before he could speak, he felt Shi Lei had come up and kissed him.
This frightened him so much that he ran away.
He couldn’t sleep well that night. When he woke up the next morning, he was deathly afraid of meeting Shi Lei. For the first time in his life, he had mixed feelings for this person.
As a result, when he came around Shixiao, he saw Shi Lei, carrying a bag, standing on the corner, smoking. When he saw him coming, he immediately threw away the cigarette in his hand and ran over.
Bai Qingquan walked quickly as Shi Lei followed him and asked, “Bai Shu, do you want to fall in love with me?”
As if some kind of conjecture in his heart had been verified, Bai Qingquan was so scared that he ran away. Since Shi Lei was taller than him, he easily caught up, but he didn’t touch him. He just ran beside him and asked, “Would you like it?”
“You sick pervert!” Bai Qingquan yelled.
Shi Lei stopped suddenly as Bai Qingquan continued running for a long time. When he looked back, he saw that Shi Lei was still standing in the same spot.
Since then, Shi Lei had never escorted him to and from school again. In fact, neither of them said much to each other when they walked together. Shi Lei would always walk with him silently, looking like a rogue but more like a taciturn rogue, so they weren’t particularly familiar with each other.
Bai Qingquan felt as if he couldn’t let go of it. Every time he went to school, he would go to the corner, where Shi Lei would always wait for him. He would look around, but he never saw Shi Lei again.
When he didn’t see him, he breathed a sigh of relief but also felt disappointed.
He was only a teenager who didn’t know what homosexuality was. He didn’t understand what love was. All he wanted was just to know. He had told Shi Lei his name was Zhang Dawai, yet how did She Lei know his real name was Bai Shu? Did he find out later, or had he always known all along?
If it was the latter, then most likely Shi Lei had approached him purposefully.
How frightening.
Shi Lei continued to be a living legend at their school. Rumor had it that he would get into fights with anyone and anything. It was said that his mother had been ill for many years and recently passed away. The school radio station would still recite his name as a bad example.
Later, his name stopped coming up. Bai Qingquan had never seen him again, so he couldn’t help but inquire about it. It turns out that he had dropped out of school and gone to work in the city.
Bai Qingquan was very sad. He was still too young to understand love, but he already had vague regrets. He thought he should tell Shi Lei that he was sorry, and he shouldn’t have called him sick or perverted because he was the same way as him.
Now that so many years had passed, he felt that Shi Lei hadn’t changed much. His hairstyle was still similar, but the scar on his head had become lighter. His eyes were still as bright as ever, and his whole body was fierce and still had that ruffian-like aura. He instantly recognized him with just a glance.
Seeing him again, Bai Qingquan was surprised. With an “Ah”, he smiled and said, “You’re here too?”
He took off his mask. “Do you remember me? I’m Bai Shu.”
Shi Lei said, “Nn. How could I forget?”
He hadn’t forgotten for a single moment.
Bai Qingquan stretched out his hand, smiled, and said, “It’s been a long time since I saw you.”
Shi Lei held his hand as he stood on the lower step, looking up at Bai Qingquan. His hands were trembling.
The author has something to say:
I really love this kind of student crush.
For the sake of the clear spring stone flows upwards1, I gave the crew-cut guy a very popular name2, ahhahahaha.
1Reminder: This is part of the poem “The Autumn in the Mountains” by Wang Wei. 2Clarity: The [Shi] (石) in [Shi Lie] (石磊) is stone, referring to the stone in the line “The clear spring stone flows upwards”. The clear spring in that line is [Qingquan] (清泉). As you can see, their names are derived from this line of the poem.
Dong Zhi was still immersed in the story just now, and it was not until Long Shen patted him on the shoulder that he recovered.
“Then later, did the two tomb owners above also become demons?”
Long Shen said, “No, their souls have been absorbed by the bottom tomb, so we only need to deal with the bottom corpse.”
Dong Zhi was puzzled. “But the King of Chu hated the adultery between his concubine and the tomb’s owner. Why would he design such a tomb so the owner could absorb such demonic energy and have a chance to become a demon? Wouldn’t this only help him?”
Long Shen shook his head. “You are thinking from the perspective of modern people. In ancient times, they paid careful attention to allowing the dead to rest peacefully so that their descendants could be at ease. This method allows the dead to continue to be restless and thus is the ultimate form of torture for a person.”
Dong Zhi involuntarily shivered.
The conversation stopped as it would be too out of place to talk about corpses and demons during a meal. Dong Zhi wanted to talk more about romantic topics, such as what was Boss Long’s type, and whether he would dislike being pursued by others, but Long Shen rarely answers questions relating to himself. On the other hand, he was always open to talking about his work experience.
Dong Zhi took the menu and ordered dishes for the table, then ordered two bottles of baiju, which he personally poured Long Shen a glass.
“Boss Long, although it was He Yu who brought me to the door, without your guidance, I would never have made such great progress. Last time at the hospital, if it weren’t for the Qingzhu Sword, we wouldn’t have been able to solve Hui Yiguang’s matter so smoothly.”
Long Shen said, “You have thanked me many times.”
Dong Zhi was embarrassed. “But I don’t think it’s enough. I’ll drink this full cup, but you can feel free to do as you like.” He raised his head and drank the glass in one go.
As the alcohol entered his throat, redness quickly spread from his neck to his face. His skin was so easily irritable that it produced a physiological response as soon as he took a sip.
Long Shen was also dignified as he picked up his glass and drank it in one go as well. When finished, Dong Zhi poured him another cup.
“For this cup, thank you for your advice and guidance. My foundation is very poor, but you have never turned me away for it.”
He drank it again, making Long Shen happy, seeing his motivation.
“And last time in Yangcheng…”
Seeing that Dong Zhi’s face was getting too red, Long Shen pressed his hand and raised his glass, drinking the alcohol in his cup.
“No need to pour more.”
Dong Zhi stopped obediently and introduced the dishes to him.
“I have been to this restaurant before. Their crispy pork is a must. It’s fat but not greasy, so it’s really good.”
Long Shen didn’t have much desire for food in general. Seeing as how Dong Zhi highly recommended it, he took his chopsticks and said, “Are you getting used to training?”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “It’s going well. I have made a lot of new friends. Long Shen, what do you usually do when you don’t have work?”
The atmosphere had loosened up after three rounds of drinking. Without anyone else around, he unconsciously didn’t use honorifics, but it seems as if Long Shen wasn’t displeased by it.
“Nothing. I just go home.”
Dong Zhi thought the answer was strange, so he inquired further, “What do you do at home?”
Long Shen: “Play games.”
Dong Zhi: “…What game?”
Long Shen: “<The Great Wasteland>, the one He Yu plays.”
Dong Zhi: …
He couldn’t connect with the man in front of him as someone who plays games. He then thought of the noble and glamorous Deputy Director Long marrying someone or using a female character to call someone else’s ‘husband’ in the game and felt a bit guilty.
Dong Zhi: “I also play this game. Which district are you in?”
After the exams, the resumes of all candidates were placed on the desks of all the leaders of the Special Administration Bureau. Long Shen naturally knew that Dong Zhi had served as the art director for <The Great Wasteland>. “Same as He Yu’s. I just occasionally go online to play.”
“I’m in that area too. Let me show you around!” After his absurd fantasy, he became very excited.
Long Shen took out his phone, opened the game, and logged into his account. Dong Zhi stared wide-eyed involuntarily.
The first-ranked player on their server turns out to be Long Shen?!
Even He Yu was just a rookie and had to hug this “big brother’s” thighs, and forget about Kan Chaosheng, yet Long Shen was hiding such a big thing.
Dong Zhi: “It turns out you are ‘Shen Jian’. How rude of me*!”
*Clarity: He’s saying (失敬失敬) which is an expression of courtesy by apologizing to someone and blaming yourself for being rude.
Long Shen shook his head and said, “My account has been stolen before, so I bought this one. I only play occasionally in my spare time.”
Bluntly put, when it came to Long Shen’s abilities and status, not bothering to mention whether he lacked skills or not, there must be endless things he had to do every day. It was a rare luxury to be able to play games occasionally, but as soon as he did, he managed to buy the most powerful account on the server. It seems that he did have quite a competitive spirit.
Dong Zhi discovered that he had unknowingly discovered many aspects of Long Shen that had already subverted the indifferent and cold stereotypical image he had at the beginning.
Dong Zhi laughed. “I only play on my account leisurely, so I’ll have to ask Boss Long to take care of me. If someone bullies me in game, I’ll ask you to help me out!”
Long Shen nodded.
When the dishes were eaten, Dong Zhi called the waiter over to pay.
“There’s a park nearby. Let’s go for a walk to dispel the alcohol?” Dong Zhi suggested trying to take advantage of the situation.
Long Shen saw that Dong Zhi’s face was flushed and his eyes narrowed, as if he was drunk, so he let out a sigh.
Dong Zhi’s smile widened as his eyes got narrower. He wasn’t really drunk. It was just that his skin was easily irritable, so any small amount of alcohol would make it seem as if he had drunk too much. On the other hand, seeing as how Long Shen drank three full glasses and his face did not change color in the slightest or even his eyes narrowed, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright? Do you want me to help you?”
Say yes!
Long Shen said, “No, I don’t get drunk no matter how much I drink.”
He got up and walked out, with footsteps that were much steadier than Dong Zhi’s.
Dong Zhi: …
It seems that the trick of getting drunk and talking nonsense will not work. Oh, what a waste of two bottles of baiju!
The two left the restaurant and walked in the direction of the park. The night breeze came slowly as the summer heat gradually dissipated, bringing the faint breath of the evening. The sky was blue, as if it was reflecting a lake filled with lotus leaves, making a very refreshing sight.
Dong Zhi: “Have you been to the West Lake in Hangzhou?”
Long Shen thought for a while and nodded. He had been to many places in China, but usually it was for business, so he never seemed to have stopped specifically to enjoy the sights.
“There’s a Hangzhou restaurant on the side that makes fresh osmanthus lotus root noodles every year. As you eat them, you can smell the fragrance of the lotus roots, so it’s very enjoyable!” Dong Zhi smiled, and his eyes curved. It was as if he had returned to the West Lake. “I’ll take you there to eat next time. You can also invite Kan Chaosheng. I’m sure he’ll like it too!”
Long Shen discovered that the young man in front of him has a soft temperament, loves to eat and drink, and loves to play around. Such qualities aren’t suitable for the Special Administration Bureau and dealing with dangerous demons and monsters. He thought what a most unsuitable path Dong Zhi had chosen.
“Have you ever thought about doing something else?”
When he saw Dong Zhi turning his head and giving him a puzzled look, he added, “If you don’t enter the Special Administration Bureau.”
Dong Zhi said cautiously, “Is it possible that I’m not performing well enough, so I’ve been eliminated?”
Long Shen shook his head. “Just asking.”
Dong Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. “I was originally from an art background. Even if I don’t enter the Special Administration Bureau, I won’t starve. If I’m eliminated this year, it’s not a big deal. I’ll take the exam again next year. Don’t worry.”
Long Shen was quiet for a moment before he asked, “Have you ever felt that you’re not suitable for this job?”
Dong Zhi was confused. “Why?”
You should enjoy your life to the fullest. Eat what you want while you bask under the sun by the West Lake and fall in love with a girl, just like an ordinary person.
But Long Shen kept this to himself. The other party has his own thoughts, and they didn’t need to be swayed.
Dong Zhi thought that Long Shen felt that he was a halfway monk* and lacked abilities, so he smiled and said, “You lent me the sword. Don’t you think I have enough potential? You say that it’s dangerous, but you can choke to death from drinking water, or maybe even be killed by a car while walking down the street. If you have the ability to protect others, it’s better than being protected by others when encountering difficulties. Besides, I like He Yu, Kan Chaosheng, Zhong Yuyi, and you, so I’ll try my best, because that’s what I want to do.”
*(半路出家) Metaphor referring to changing careers to engage in work that you’re not trained for.
Long Shen nodded and didn’t stay on this topic. “Last time you asked me to help you find a good donation channel. I have asked someone to find a few, and they’re all reliable. I’ll send them to you later, and you can choose one yourself.”
Even if they just talked about boring subjects, as long as they ate or went on a walk together alone, it could be considered a date. Thinking of it like this made Dong Zhi very satisfied. He smiled brightly and was about to say something when he heard a voice calling, “Boss Long!”
Liu Qingbo ran over, surprised and delighted.
“You are here too!”
Long Shen: “What’s up?”
Liu Qingbo said, “The air here is good, so I come here every evening to practice my tona. What a coincidence meeting you here. Are you going to dinner?”
Since he didn’t live inside the Special Administration Bureau, naturally he wouldn’t have an access card to go to the rooftop to train.
Dong Zhi smiled. “We have just finished eating.”
Liu Qingbo also smiled but directed it at Long Shen. “That’s good then. Can you spare some time for some guidance?”
Long Shen nodded, and Liu Qingbo was overjoyed. “This way, please!”
Dong Zhi looked at Liu Qingbo’s back and wanted to kick his ass.
As if he felt something, Liu Qingbo turned his head and smiled. “Junior Brother Dong, since you’re not a swordsman, there’s no need to delay your time. You can go on ahead and work on your own practice!”
Dong Zhi grinned back as he said, “No, it’s fine. Boss Long has just lent me a new sword, so I have to practice hard. I want to observe and learn from Senior Brother Liu.”
Liu Qingbo didn’t hold back. “Don’t you have the Qingzhu Sword?”
Dong Zhi: “The Qingzhu Sword has been returned to its original owner. Boss Long has lent me another, the Changshou Sword.”
Liu Qingbo thought to himself that he could easily dump his opponent 18 blocks down in swordsmanship, but he had not touched a single sword from Boss Long. He regretted showing the hidden swords in his house too early. Now that Long Shen knew he had a famous sword on hand, naturally he wouldn’t lend him another sword. On the contrary, he gave it to this kid!
But he would never admit that he was jealous, and his heart was so vexed that he wanted to snatch the Changshou Sword from Dong Zhi’s mouth. He could only smile since Long Shen was still present. “Then congratulations, Junior Brother Dong. We should have a good exchange next time!”
Dong Zhi smiled back. “Senior Brother Liu has been training in swordsmanship since he was a child. I’ll surely not be able to beat you. Didn’t I already admit defeat today when you invited me to a duel on the rooftop?”
While Long Shen wasn’t paying attention, Liu Qingbo glared at him fiercely. ‘You villain who talks about others behind their back!’
Dong Zhi glared back at him with a bright smile. ‘This is called a face-to-face complaint!’
Long Shen didn’t notice the small movements between the two of them. He turned his back to look at the lotus leaves. After waiting for a while, he didn’t hear anything from Liu Qingbo, so he turned around and frowned. “Didn’t you say you wanted some guidance?”
Liu Qingbo smiled dryly. “Seeing you enjoying the scenery, I didn’t dare disturb you just now.”
Long Shen said, “I can distinguish between good and bad just by listening to the sound. You can go at any time.”
If others had said this, Liu Qingbo would sneer and laugh at them for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth*, but he himself comes from a swordsmanship family. His grandfather once told him that there are people in the world who can play chess blindly, so naturally there would be people who can distinguish swords by their sound.”
*(不知天高地厚) Refers to having an exaggerated opinion of one’s abilities.
Seeing him say this, Liu Qingbo had to put the “enemy” aside for the time being and concentrate on winning the favor of his future master. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Since Dong Zhi didn’t know much about swordsmanship, he couldn’t say anything and could only remain as an outsider watching the excitement. So far, he had seen two people use swords. One was Long Shen and the other was Ba Sang. Needless to say, the former was an expert among experts. In his hands, the sword was no longer a weapon but an embodiment of a living thing. As Long Shen said, the mind is interlinked with the sword. This is the highest level of swordsmanship, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Ba Sang had used his sword and danced brilliantly, but in the end, it didn’t have the charm of actual swordsmanship.
Compared with these two people, Liu Qingbo has another style.
Jab, lunge, sweep, slash, and feint, his swordsmanship combined all the skills of a swordsman, but there was no craftmanship to them. He looked light and agile, and only the rustling sound made from the wind from his sword sweeping from time to time revealed its murderous aura.
Dong Zhi was keenly aware that a layer of white mist had formed around Liu Qingbo’s body along with the sword.
Is this the sword’s qi?
After his performance, Liu Qingbo was sweating profusely. With a smile on his face, he was about to ask Long Shen for comments, but found that he was surrounded by a group of uncles and aunties, all of whom looked at him with great interest. Seeing him stop his sword movements, they all clapped their hands.
Liu Qingbo blushed.
An auntie stepped forward and said, “Young man, you performed very well. Next month, we’re hosting a Mid-Autumn Festival art show. There’ll be square dancing. How about you come and sword dance in front of us?”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.
Liu Qingbo’s face turned dark. “No!”
The auntie didn’t give up. “A TV station will also be there to do interviews. When the time comes, I’ll ask them to give you a close-up shot. You can stand in the front and be in the limelight!”
Liu Qingbo’s face almost distorted. “I-no, I don’t to!”
Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, the uncles and aunties slowly dispersed. Dong Zhi couldn’t stand it any longer and squatted down, covering his stomach with his arms, as his shoulders shook uncontrollably from laughter.
Liu Qingbo tried his best to ignore him, looked at Long Shen, and said expectantly, “Boss Long, what do you think?”
Long Shen didn’t smile. He only nodded and said, “You have just formed your sword qi. If you cross this threshold, you can be considered a master of swordsmanship.”
Liu Qingbo was overjoyed. His father had said the same. He was so happy at the time that he even took him to worship their ancestors, saying that the Liu family had finally produced a genius. However, after seeing Long Shen use his sword, Liu Qingbo’s joy was actually more about his dedication to worshiping him as a teacher.
Long Shen said, “The next step depends on personal comprehension. I have nothing more to teach you.”
Liu Qingbo was dumbfounded. He didn’t expect that him doing too well had now become an obstacle.
Dong Zhi wanted to laugh again.
Liu Qingbo ignored him and hurriedly said, “Boss Long, don’t be modest. My father said that your swordsmanship is the best in the world. If I can get your guidance, it’ll be better than three years of hard training on my own!”
Long Shen frowned slightly. “I’m not lying. Your family background is enough for you to become the best in swordsmanship. In fact, it’s all the same whether I’m the best or not. If there’s anything you lack, it would only come down to your own experience and heart.”
Liu Qingbo struck while the iron was hot. “You’re right. I just don’t have enough experience and I still need discipline, which is why I must be taught by a strict teacher. My father often says that I am too rebellious, arrogant, and not humble enough. If I can have a master by my side that can give some guidance from time to time, I will not be led astray.”
These days, you only had to blacken yourself in order to look appealing for an apprenticeship. Witnessing this was an eye-opener for Dong Zhi. He smiled and said, “Senior Brother Liu is too humble. As the saying goes, capable talents have capital and pride. This just shows that you are already too good!
You’re so powerful, why do you need to be taught by a master. Just go and train by yourself.
Liu Qingbo motion his eyes, ‘Shut the fuck up.’
Dong Zhi returned his look with a harmless smile. ‘I won’t.’
Long Shen didn’t care about their exchanges and was silent before saying, “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”
Liu Qingbo smiled hurriedly and said, “Let me take you back.”
Dong Zhi said, “Boss Long drove here.”
Liu Qingbo: “That’s great, then Boss Long, please give me a ride!”
Dong Zhi: …Don’t you have any shame?
Long Shen made no objection, which made Liu Qingbo return a smug look to Dong Zhi. Their first “date” died in the middle with the intrusion of a “lightbulb” halfway through. Still, Dong Zhi wasn’t depressed. He happily went back with the Changshou Sword, took a shower, and then sat cross-legged on the sofa while looking at the sword carefully.
The hilt of the sword seemed to be made of shark skin but was later wrapped up. It had turned white over the years but was still smooth and felt good to touch. If he compared it with the Qingzhu Sword, the Qingzhu Sword was lighter and its body slenderer. The Changshou Sword was just about three feet long, which made it slightly heavier, but not impossible to lift. If he practiced drawing calligraphy with weighted stones on his wrists every day, it shouldn’t be difficult.
The most contrasting thing about this sword is that the body felt dark and a bit frosty to the touch. He didn’t know what material it was made from. There are two characters engraved on the sword’s body an inch away from the hilt. He looked at it for a while before recognizing that it was the engraving of “Changshou”.
He flicked the sword’s body with his finger and heard a loud humming sound coming from it. It sounded similar to that of music chimes, but the sound made by the sword was much heavier.
His nails bounced on the sword body. With a clank, a long buzzing sound sounded. He had heard the music of chimes before, but now the sound of playing the sword had the weight of a chime.
Keep a righteous heart*, with sincerity and virtue. This should be the meaning of the sword’s name, right?
*[Changshou zhengxin] (长守正心) The sword’s name is part of this line, which translates to keeping a righteous heart (integrity).
Dong Zhi looked at it for a while longer before hanging it on the wall solemnly.
A few days later, Long Shen’s course came to an end and was replaced by two elective courses. Candidates could choose between the course. invitation to Gods or go visit a burial ground.
The invitation to Gods was taught by Zhong Yuyi. He specifically stated that this course required people with yin characteristics to be able to attend, while the other class was led by a man named Ding Lan. It was said that he was the deputy leader of Group Three and was also a person with deep qualifications in the Special Administration Bureau.
The location of the burial ground was in a foreign province. A new tomb had just been excavated and something strange has happened. The archaeological team reported to the higher ups, and the matter was transferred to the Special Administration Bureau. Deputy Director Song Zhicun suggested letting the rookies go there for some hands-on experience. With Ding Lan leading the team, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
Dong Zhi was very curious about this, of course, but his bazi was heavily yin, so he was very suitable for Zhong Yuyi’s class. Besides, he had seen Zhong Yuyi invite the Huanhou, Zhang Fei, with his very own eyes in Long Shen’s office that day, so he was quite interested. After weighing the two options, he finally chose invitation to Gods with Gu Meiren, Chi Banxia, and Liu Si.
Unsurprisingly, Liu Qingbo, Zhang Song, Li Ying, Ba Sang, and the others followed Ding Lan.
The course for invitation to Gods was held on the outskirts of Beijing in a farmhouse near the Ming Tombs. While the rooftop of the Special Administration Bureau is quiet and won’t be disturbed by others, due to the space being expanded by magic and being enclosed in an enchantment, it wasn’t easy to invite spirits, so it wasn’t a suitable place to hold this course. The classroom had to be temporarily moved to here.
The farmhouse was opened by a family member of an employee from the Special Administration Bureau. The owner specially cleared the venue for a week and gave their employees a leave of absence so that they could attend class here, so they wouldn’t scare innocent passersby if they unknowingly invited something.
The yard of the farmhouse was large and was surrounded by pear trees. When the flowering season came, it would become a tourist attraction. It was said that it was quite popular, but now wasn’t the time. Everyone sat on wooden stools in the yard near trees to get their shade, so they didn’t feel too hot.
Zhong Yuyi still had his sleepwalking expression. With a single request, it shocked everyone.
“This course lasts for half a month. For your first day, you need to search online for a historical celebrity you’re interested in, then memorize their information. Even if you can’t memorize them, you must at least remember their birth date and year of death, place of origin, and any major life events.”
Everyone had faintly guessed that this strange request might be related to the course on the next day.
Chi Banxia raised her hand. “Excuse me, teacher, is this related to inviting spirits?”
Zhong Yuyi said slowly, “Yes, tomorrow I will teach you how to invite Yin Gods*. The difficulty of this technique is quite high. Only by reciting the materials well can you express sincerity to the spirit. After inviting them in, it’s also conducive to communication.”
*(阴神) Part of the five different kinds of Gods (Yin Gods, Yang Gods, Soul Gods, Jade Gods, Holy Spirit). In Confucian culture, Yin Gods are evil gods and ghosts that are enshrined and enslaved.
His speed of speech is about twice as slow as an ordinary person, making him sound a bit weird. Everyone showed uncomfortable expressions except for Dong Zhi, who was used to it. If anything, he would find it strange if Zhong Yuyi spoke at a normal speed.
Ou-Yang Yin also asked, “But what if the Yin god we want to invite has already disappeared?”
Zhong Yuyi: “If you can’t invite the Yin God, there are generally two situations. One is that you lack the ability, and the other is that its spiritual energy is too weak, or, as you said, the soul is gone. This can only be known through practice.”
Everyone probably understood what he meant. Originally, they thought the course would be boring. At the very least, it wouldn’t be as interesting as going to a burial site, but now it sounds like tomorrow’s class would be quite exciting and everyone was looking forward to it.
Dong Zhi raised his hand. “Teacher Zhong, I have a question.”
In front of everyone, he gave Zhong Yuyi a lot of face, and didn’t call him Old Zhong, but obediently called him Teacher Zhong.
Zhong Yuyi: “Speak.”
The act was quite good.
Dong Zhi inwardly laughed as he asked seriously, “If you invite God, can you only invite a domestic one? Can you invite one from, say, a foreign country instead? What if we invite a late president of the United States? Do we have to communicate in English?”
Everyone couldn’t help laughing, but they all wanted to know the answer.
Kinky Thoughts:
Poor Dong Zhi.
Dong Zhi: I’m trying to get along with you so I can chase you! Here are some interesting topics we can have a conversation about.
Long Shen: All this kid talks about is food and drinks and having fun. Not suitable at all for exorcism!
“How can you act like this? Do you still want to be Boss Long’s apprentice? If you lose before the war, do you dare say that you’re inferior to me in front of Boss Long?!”
His sentence was three points of anger and seven points of provocation.
Dong Zhi said with a smile, “I think Boss Long accepts apprentices not only based on abilities but also on character. As long as you’re realistic and are kind and humble, even if your ability is slightly insufficient, you’ll always make progress in the future. Only such an apprentice is worthy of teaching, am I right?”
Seeing that his opponent refused to make a move, Liu Qingbo gave him a fierce look and did not bring up his duel with Li Ying. Rather, he turned around and left, angrily.
Dong Zhi shrugged.
Ba Sang said, “I have long disliked him. He acts crazy all day long. Don’t mind him!”
Others didn’t speak out as bluntly as Ba Sang since they dared not talk about Liu Qingbo.
Li Ying patted Dong Zhi on the shoulder and continued his big brother persona, “Don’t take his words to heart.”
Gu Meiren said worriedly, “Isn’t his family background deep? Will he wear small shoes* for you?”
*(穿小鞋) Metaphor referring to secretly attacking or making things difficult for others (AKA A tough nut to crack).
Li Ying said, “No matter what his relationship with his family is, they can’t get involved in the recruitment of the Special Administration Bureau. Don’t worry.”
Hearing what he said, Gu Meiren and Ba Sang breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Alright then.”
Dong Zhi wasn’t worried. He had disagreed with Li Ying’s father during the interview at that time, but he still passed, so it could be seen that the Special Administration Bureau was still relatively fair and just. Besides, Liu Qingbo was the first to provoke the matter, and he didn’t bite the bait, so he didn’t do anything that would warrant trouble.
As soon as Liu Qingbo left, there was one less person who could raise their nose and eyes vertically*. The atmosphere became more relaxed. Seeing that there was no longer any excitement, Zhang Song went to find Xiang Yongnian to train with him.
*(横挑鼻子竖挑眼) Metaphor meaning picky in every possible way. A nitpicker who finds faults in a petty manner.
Gu Meiren said, “Boss Long was really powerful just now. I even learned that such a legendary immortal swordsman truly exists in the world!”
Whether they be men or women, who didn’t dream of martial arts. Gu Meiren made a leisurely and fascinating appearance, but there were also traces of regret.
“It’s a pity that I already have a master since elementary school. Otherwise, I would definitely worship Boss Long as my master!”
Ba Sang was in high spirits. “Dong Zhi, don’t you also use swords? Can you use yujian*?”
*(御剑) Ability to control swords through magic such as using them to fly or moving them to fight with just your mind ect. || There’s no English equivalent that I can think of, so I’ll keep it in pinyin.
Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “Are you kidding me? I don’t even know the basics of how to use a sword. This Qingzhu Sword is used as a talisman aid!”
He touched the body of the sword and thought how truly wasted this Qingzhu Sword was in his hands. He couldn’t even use 10% of its power compared to Boss Long.
Ba Sang said, “Can I borrow your Qingzhu Sword?”
“Of course you can.” Dong Zhi handed the sword over.
Ba Sang drew out his sword, weighed it in his hand, and then danced in front of them. They were stunned by his elegant maneuvers, as his sword dance was like a tiger in the wind. When he finished, they all, including Dong Zhi, applauded.
“So you can use a sword too!”
Ba Sang returned the sword to Dong Zhi and said embarrassedly, “When I was a child, I practiced swordsmanship with my master. This is a sword technique. Don’t you see what I did just now wasn’t like using a sword at all? A sword is mainly used to slash, stab, and chop. Weapons are different and their usage varies. That is to say, while you laymen watch it with excitement, the experts would laugh to death seeing this.”
Dong Zhi said thoughtfully, “How did you do it the same as Boss long and lift the sword like it barely weighs anything? Honestly, this sword is already quite light, but I still get sore after holding it for a long time. The last time we fought those demons during Hui Yiguang’s incident, I almost dropped it several times.”
Ba Sang: “Practice your strength. You don’t have enough strength. Here, reach out.”
Dong Zhi was perplexed but did as he said and stretched out his hand. Suddenly, the other party grabbed and twisted it, causing him to scream in pain.
“You’re so soft like a girl. You need to build some muscles in your arms and wrists.” Ba Sang patted his arms to show off his hard muscles. “I’ve been practicing since I was a child. I carried large buckets of water for three hours and ran with them back and forth for several miles!”
Dong Zhi asked worriedly, “Where can I find buckets of water in the Special Administration Bureau?”
Ba Sang said, “Just take something and hold it flat. Don’t bend your arms and keep practicing like this every day!”
Dong Zhi nodded and wrote it down.
The next day was Long Shen’s class again. Everyone came to the rooftop entrance earlier than yesterday. When Long Shen arrived, everyone looked at him even more intensely than yesterday. Long Shen had shown them the highest level of swordsmanship and left them not only dazzled through his breathtaking demonstrations, but also a yearning for the pursuit of the strong.
Those who could pass five levels and cut six generals* were not ordinary people. Everyone had their own insights and expertise. Ba Sang was inspired by this and planned to apply it to his own sword technique, while Dong Zhi saw a gap so wide like the boundless sky between him and Long Shen.
*(过五关斩六将) Metaphor for being brave and determined to overcome difficulties. From Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
“I won’t demonstrate anymore today. You can practice on your own. If you have any questions, you can ask them.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Qingbo stepped forward to ask for advice. Everyone secretly chastised themselves for being too slow.
Dong Zhi did not stay in place to listen to their conversation. This wasn’t because of any prejudices he had against Liu Qingbo, but because he knew that his current understanding of swordsmanship wasn’t deep enough. It’s taboo to run before you learn how to walk. Instead of rushing to the next level, it was better to begin with the fundamentals.
When Liu Qingbo finished, several other people came forward to ask questions. After waiting for a long time, Dong Zhi finally had his chance to tell Long Shen his questions and difficulties.
Long Shen agreed with him. “If you want to learn swordsmanship, you must first familiarize yourself with its basic movements so that you can make rapid attacks and react quickly in order to take the lead against your enemies.”
He took the Qingzhu Sword and turned his wrist.
“This is the sword flower technique*. If the speed is fast enough, it can keep the enemy from approaching for a while.”
*Sword technique where you spin the sword with your wrist. See this YouTube video for a demonstration.
After speaking, Long Shen started to turn his wrists several times in a row causing the sword to gleam like a light as if it was a flower* blooming. As soon as he stopped, the sea of flowers disappeared, and the myriad of changes closed in his palm. Long Shen pierced the sword flatly at a willow leaf hanging in front of him.
*Named after the White-Fleshed Pitahaya flower (also known as the Sword Flower).
“This is a lunge. Practice your wrist strength and eyesight.”
He raised his wrist slightly, holding the tip of the sword facing up.
“This is a feint.”
The sword’s body swept forward flatly, and the branches broke in response.
“This is a sweep.”
Long Shen put the sword back in its sheath and handed it back to him.
“The movements of using the sword are very simple. As long as you practice these movements to the extreme, no ordinary person will be a match for you. You don’t have to rush to learn swordsmanship now. Just learn these basic moves first.”
Dong Zhi recalled his movements just now and thoughtfully said, “How ingenious. It’s so simple.”
Long Shen nodded approvingly. “Swordsmanship is extracted from basic movements and combined with actual combat experience. It can be regarded as a collection of essence, but you haven’t learned it yet.”
Dong Zhi’s questions weren’t long. After quickly answering them, Long Shen moved on to help others. Dong Zhi stayed behind and recalled Long Shen’s words just now as he tried to imitate his movements. He stabbed the sword over and over again, recovered, then repeated his stabbing motion.
At first, he couldn’t hold on for even ten minutes, and he had to take a break after a while. Eventually, the practice time increased and the rest time became shorter. His wrists and arms seemed to become more accustomed to this kind of force. At first, when he stabbed using the sword, he couldn’t last long at all, but gradually, in addition to improvements in his accuracy, the hand holding the sword was much more stable as well.
Dong Zhi knew that he wasn’t as good as those orthodox practitioners who had studied their techniques since they were children, but he could make up for his shortcomings with diligence. If he continued his practice, he would be rewarded one day. Heaven rewarded the diligent. That was all that needed to be said.
—
There was no meeting today. Since he had no other arrangements except for giving classes to the potential recruits, it was rare for Long Shen to get off work early.
Though he had a house in the city, it was only him who lived there, so he never went back on ordinary days. Long Shen thought that he would have to clean it up when he returned, so he dispelled that thought and instead went back to the dorms.
When he reached the door to his room, he saw that the door to the opposite room was closed. He paused for a bit before turning around to knock on it.
“Who is it?” A voice inquired from inside.
“Long Shen.”
A bang sounded so loudly that even Long Shen could hear it through the door. After a while, the door opened, showing Dong Zhi limping with a bitter face.
Long Shen frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Dong Zhi revealed a painful smile. “Nothing. Ba Sang said I didn’t have enough strength, so I was practicing my arm strength with two stools and accidently dropped one on my foot.”
He let Long Shen in. “What can I do for you?”
Long Shen saw two round stools made of wood and surmised it was one of those that hit Dong Zhi’s feet.
“I was negligent last time. With your current ability, it’s a bit too advanced to use the Qingzhu Sword. If you use an ordinary peach wood sword, the effect should be the same.”
Dong Zhi asked nervously, “Then you want to take back the sword?”
Long Shen looked at his round cat-like eyes. He originally wanted to say no, but somehow, he had an urge to tease him.
“What if I say yes?”
The hair on Dong Zhi’s head seemed to droop along with his eyes. He didn’t want to beg or cheat, so with a pitiful cry, he turned around and took down the Qingzhu Sword hanging on the wall and obediently handed it to Long Shen.
Besides, the sword was originally lent to him for practice, and Long Shen never said he wanted to give it to him. Now that the rightful owner wants it back, it was only reasonable.
Seeing how Dong Zhi took it so seriously, it was hard for Long Shen to say anything. He took the sword and heard Dong Zhi say, “Boss Long, when I have the strength to be worthy of this sword, can I borrow it again? Er, I mean, as long as you’re not using it, of course.”
Long Shen couldn’t help but laugh.
“Go and wait for me in front of my office. I need to get something first.”
Huh? Dong Zhi was confused, but before he had time to think about it, Long Shen had already left. He climbed the stairs all the way to Long Shen’s office and loitered around for almost 20 minutes before he saw Long Shen coming.
He saw that Long Shen wasn’t holding the Qingzhu Sword any longer but instead two stones the size of a baby’s fist. This only made Dong Zhi more inexplicable.
Long Shen took out his key and opened the door, put the stones on the coffee table, turned around and rummaged in the drawer, taking out two red silk threads.
“Reach out,” he said.
Dong Zhi didn’t ask much, and obediently stretched out his hand. Long Shen wound the silk thread around the stone a few times, then tied it into a knot. He then tied the extra length of the other end to Dong Zhi’s wrist.
The red silk thread wrapped around his fair wrist three times before Long Shen tied it into a loose knot.
“In the future, if you want to practice, stick a piece of paper on the wall and then practice calligraphy upright. This is the ancient ways of practicing calligraphy by hanging weights on your wrist. Don’t tie it to your joints, as it’ll hurt your bones, so go up half an inch. To increase your strength, gradually replace the stone to make it heavier. This in turn will eventually give you a more powerful force when practicing your sword. The characters you draw must be correct with no smudges from trembling.”
Dong Zhi’s eyes shone like stars. This was a great method, and he wouldn’t be hit by a stool when using it. He picked up a pen on the coffee table and immediately gestured in thin air. Although his hands were soon sore, it showed that this kind of practice was indeed useful.
Long Shen got up and untied one of the swords hanging on the wall. “Practice with this from now on.”
Although the scabbard was well maintained, it still had traces left by the years. The few gems inlaid on the scabbard were slightly dim, but its former magnificence could still be vaguely seen.
Dong Zhi still remembered that when he came to Long Shen’s office for the first time, he saw two swords hanging on his wall. At that time, he made up a lot of dog-blooded stories in his mind regarding their history, but never would he have imagined that Long Shen would give him one of them without even blinking an eye.
“The Qingzhu Sword is too valuable, and this one is even more beloved to you. How can I take it?”
Long Shen shook his head and said, “A sword’s purpose is for it to be used, not something to be beloved.”
Dong Zhi blurted out, “Isn’t it from your lover?”
Long Shen frowned. “Who told you that?”
Dong Zhi: ‘…I made it up by myself.’ But he couldn’t say this, so he could only dryly laugh and play dumb.
Long Shen said, “This sword is called Changshou.”
Dong Zhi: ‘Eh, what a strange name!’
It was no wonder Dong Zhi had developed such an imagination. After all, the Qingzhu Sword had hundreds of years of history behind it, but Long Shen had lent it to him so casually. These two that had been hanging in his office must be at least the level of Mo Ye*, but he had never heard of their names before.
*Reminder: Swords made by couple Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. See lore glossary for details.
Long Shen said, “The original scabbard of this sword has been lost. The current scabbard was rebuilt by its owner during the Ming Dynasty. The owner was a wealthy businessman, so the scabbard was extremely gorgeous.”
Dong Zhi suddenly realized why the sword, which looked so simple, didn’t fit with the scabbard. The difference in their styles was quite incompatible.
Wait!
He asked tremblingly, “If the scabbard came from the Ming Dynasty, how old is this sword?”
Long Shen: “Fortunately, it’s just from the Sui Dynasty*.”
*Clarity: The Sui Dynasty is from 581-618. The Ming Dynasty is from 1368-1644. This novel takes place in 2017, so it would make this sword at least 1,400 years old.
What do you mean just?!
It’s from the Sui Dynasty?!
Are you a local tyrant? Most definitely a local tyrant!
Dong Zhi suddenly felt that he was holding a hot soldering iron in his hand.
He gulped for a moment. “Has this sword been insured?”
If he lost it, he couldn’t afford to pay it back.
Long Shen said lightly, “It doesn’t matter. A sword is a murder weapon. If someone tries to steal it, the thief will not meet a good end.”
The male god was a local tyrant. Dong Zhi felt he was under great pressure. How could he chase someone that could easily throw out a sword from the Sui Dynasty so casually?!
Is this the real reason why Long Shen never had a lover?
It was very likely that a person who stood on the top of a high mountain and overlooked all sentient beings would not even spare a glance at ordinary humans who were still climbing said mountain.
Dong Zhi guessed that Long Shen would probably only appreciate the value of someone like Bill Gates*. Thinking of this, Dong Zhi imagined a scene of Long Shen and Bill Gates falling in love and suddenly felt guilty.
*Co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world.
No matter how powerful Long Shen is, he couldn’t guess what was going on in the head of the person that was sitting opposite him right now.
“This sword is slightly heavier than the Qingzhu Sword, but if you continue to practice your wrist strength, there should be no problem.”
Dong Zhi nodded, then immediately thought of something and said, “Boss Long, can I take this sword out? Will it be damaged if I encounter a powerful monster on the level of an Archfiend?”
Long Shen originally wanted to say that this sword was given to him, so it was his own business if it broke, but when he saw that the other party thought of it as something borrowed instead of given, he estimated that Dong Zhi would categorically refuse to accept it, so he said. “No, this sword has been blessed with incantations, so it’ll be more helpful than the Qingzhu Sword.”
For a sword from the Sui Dynasty, it was estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. During this period, he didn’t know how many hands it had passed through and how many heroes had wielded it. Being able to be passed down all the way until now, its previous owners were most definitely not ordinary people. It was said that the more blood soaked the sword, the more ferocious it was. In this way, this sword must be more precious than the Qingzhu Sword.
Having thought that, first he was given the Qingzhu Sword, and now the Changshou Sword. Liu Qingbo didn’t even get scraps, let alone this, so did this mean that the male god had some bias in his heart?
“Thank you. I will try my best to live up to it.” He held the sword with a pure and sincere expression. “Last time I said that I wanted to invite you to dinner. You just happened to be free today. I found a nice private restaurant. Would you like to try it?”
He Yu and Kang Chaosheng had both gone on a business trip, and Zhong Yuyi wasn’t here, so there was no “lightbulbs” around. This was the perfect opportunity that he needed to seize. Sure enough, Long Shen had no reason to refuse. He hesitated for a bit before nodding.
Dong Zhi struck while the iron was still hot. “Then let’s go. There’s no traffic on the road now.”
Strictly speaking, this should be the first time the two of them have gone out for an engagement alone. With a smile on his face and a happy heart, Dong Zhi decided to take advantage of this meal to improve his favorability. It does seem more feasible to get closer when alcohol can loosen them up.
Despite inviting Long Shen, he felt embarrassed as Long Shen was the one who had to drive. But what could he do? He was still a “drifter*” in the capital. Let alone a house, he didn’t even have a car.
*[Beipiao] (北漂) Refers to non-locals or foreigners who work and live in Beijing.
The car moved forward, and the scenery flew past them outside the windows as Long Shen drove steadily.
“Boss Long, when did you come to the capital?”
Long Shen thought seriously for a while, then shook his head. “I forgot. It’s been so many years ago.”
How many years is many years? Dong Zhi recalled that he asked him where he was from last time, the other party’s response was also vague. There didn’t seem to be any intentional concealment, as if he really couldn’t remember.
Dong Zhi: “When you first arrived at the Special Administration Bureau, what was it like?”
Long Shen: “It wasn’t called the Special Administration Bureau before. It was just an office under the jurisdiction of the Public Security Bureau. At that time, there were only a few people, just two or three. Zong Long, who you met last time, was the head of the department then. Later, it became a sub-branch of the National Security Bureau. It’s only in recent years that it has separated and become its own department.”
Dong Zhi thought this was odd. “How many years ago? Zong Lao looks very young!”
“In the early days after the founding of the People’s Republic of China,” Long Shen said.
“Isn’t it impossible to be refined from essence after the founding of the People’s Republic of China?”
Long Shen turned his head to look at him. “Who told you such rules?”
Dong Zhi smiled. “It’s a joke that’s circulating online, which can’t be regarded as true. Of course it can’t be true!”
He thought that Zong Lao would be in her 60’s at this time, but if her roots traced back to the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, then just how old was Zong Lao?
Could it be that she’s not a human? This would make the most sense. The Special Administration Bureau had Kan Chaosheng, so it wasn’t unusual for there to be others like him.
He couldn’t help but cast his gaze in the rearview mirror to look at Long Shen, who was driving intently. If he didn’t speak, Long Shen would rarely take the initiative to make conversation.
The atmosphere was a bit stuffy, but even so, even if Long Shen didn’t speak at all for an entire day, Dong Zhi would still feel happy that he could share such a moment alone with him. Metaphorically put, it was like facing your favorite rose. Even if the rose couldn’t speak, just by looking at it every day, it could still motivate one’s heart. What was more, this was the most unique rose in the world in his opinion.
“Since you have been in the Special Administration Bureau for so many years, you have probably encountered something particularly weird or dangerous. Can you tell me any stories?” He smiled as he asked.
Long Shen was a person who didn’t like to speak nonsense. He wouldn’t mince words and would just directly state them without any superfluity. Even when he was teaching, he didn’t act like Director Jiang, who would ramble incessantly.
Dong Zhi had never seen him chatting with others. Outside of work, it looked like he was always alone, seemingly having no friends or no forms of entertainment, but it didn’t seem like he resented communication. At least he never showed any impatience when he was speaking.
This was a very good start, and a good start is half the success.
Long Shen remained quiet for a while, as if he was thinking about the past. Then he said, “One year, a batch of artifacts were unearthed in Hubei, which brought out a stacked tomb of three.”
Dong Zhi interrupted embarrassedly, “What do you mean stacked tombs?”
“Some places are regarded as having good fengshui, so they will be repeatedly surveyed as burial sites. Future generations may not know that there were already tombs there in place, so they built another tomb on the same site, thus creating the stacked tombs.”
Dong Zhi became intrigued.
“At that time, the tomb at the top was a feudal king in the Ming Dynasty, and in the middle was an eunuch in the Tang Dynasty. The tomb at the bottom can be traced back to the early Spring and Autumn period*. At that time, the area was in real estate development. If the Ming tomb was found at the construction site and reported to the archaeological department, construction would have to be shut down. The developer didn’t want to delay profits, so they hid the matter, but accidents kept happening on the site.”
*Corresponds to roughly the first half of the Eastern Zhou period 770 to 476 BCE.
Long Shen wasn’t really a suitable storyteller. The ups and downs and eeriness of the story told by him came across as too flat and straightforward. It was too concise, but it still sent chills down Dong Zhi’s spine.
“What happened after?”
“Eventually, something from the crane fell and killed a person on the spot. The developer turned the incident into a small matter and suppressed it. After a few days, a shelf collapsed, killing around six workers. The matter couldn’t be concealed any longer. The person who put up the shelf insisted that he didn’t cut corners, but it was inexplicable how the shelf had collapsed. The worker who drove the crane also said that he had watched the hook slowly straighten with his very own eyes.”
Dong Zhi took a deep breath. “And then?”
“Later, this matter was handed over to us. We went to investigate with the archaeological team and discovered that there was an Eastern Zhou tomb below, and the owner of that tomb was sentenced to death for adultery with the King of Chu’s concubine. The King of Chu hated him so much that he ordered people to bury him there so that he would live there forever and never surpass him. After years of resentment, the tomb became a hostile place, nourishing on blood and bones, creating a perfect environment for evil spirits. If we had been one step too late, the demonic energy of the coffin would’ve leaked out and the spirits would’ve taken shape. Don’t bother mentioning the construction site, but even nearby residential areas may not have been able to escape.”
Dong Zhi thought it was strange. “But didn’t you say that the place was regarded as having good fengshui?”
Long Shen said, “There are no absolutes in the world. Misfortune is dependent on blessing, and blessings are dependent on misfortune.”
Dong Zhi replied, “Everything is relative. An auspicious place can be transformed into an unfortunate place, and likewise, the reverse is true.”
Long Shen nodded. “The <Book of Burial>* states the energy of life disperses as the wind rises, and halts as the water becomes restricted. The ancients gathered the wind so as not to let it disperse, so water could continue to flow. Henceforth, this is known as fengshui. Fengshui flows endlessly and never stagnates. However, the tomb of Chu used eight black nails to crucify the eight compass points of vitality, cursing the tomb. Based on outward appearance, the site remains a good place for fengshui. However, once the deceased are buried, not only will they be unable to bless their descendants, but they will also never rest in everlasting peace and their souls will be bound to the tomb.”
*Book proposing the theory of fengshui.
Dong Zhi asked thoughtfully, “Did the King of Chu also have the purpose of deceiving latecomers by doing this? The two people in the Tang Dynasty and Ming Dynasty thought it was a fengshui treasure but never suspected it was a cursed place.”
A look of approval appeared in Long Shen’s eyes. “Yes, according to our speculation, the King of Chu probably had this purpose at the time. The entire cemetery was designed to have a wide top and a narrow bottom, similar to a funnel, so that vitality could be continuously transmitted. The two tombs above served as nourishment for the bottom tomb to continue endlessly circulating resentment that eventually transforms into demons.”
“Did everyone see Bai Qingquan’s interview yesterday? He actually said that the next thing he wanted to do most was fall in love!”
“Seeing that my good sister is so happy, don’t you feel moved?”
“Ah, I just wanted to paint him as a wall head, but when I saw this, it immediately reminded me of how he really is on his alt account.”
“Bai Qingquan is ashamed to fall in love. His alt is full of longing for love, and almost all of the posts are not suitable for children.”
“It’s really hard to imagine that he’s such a fairy on the outside and such a fool on the inside. I don’t know what kind of man he will find.”
“Of course, it’s a danmei stallion who can stay in bed for three days and nights! I didn’t see him say in his alt that he wants a real man!”
“Please, everyone, really stop talking. You’re making my phantom limb rise.”
“In fact, if you think about it carefully, Bai Qingquan would be quite boring if on the inside he’s just like his fairy appearance. This kind of persona is quite boring, but also very sentimental.”
Moonlight powders didn’t dare to scold when they saw this kind of comment. They could only swipe quietly and try to control the comments. Let alone them, even passersby thought his comment was very reasonable. Their brother was indeed craving love.
They could only hope that their brother would associate with Shen Jintai more and that his professionalism would rub off on him.
—
A commercial vehicle slowly drove into the underground parking lot of a TV station. The car door opened, and Bai Qingquan’s assistant, Xiao Feng, got out of the car first, and then Wei Ge got out with Bai Qingquan.
Bai Qingquan was here today at the TV station to record a variety show. His new drama, <The Sunshine’s Just Right>, was about to air on the station’s primetime slot. Participating in this variety show called <Wisdom and Courage> was to promote the new drama.
<Wisdom and Courage> was a popular variety show on the station. This was the second time he had participated on it. When he was on set two years ago, the host, Chang Qing, took special care of him and left a good impression on him.
Chang Qing, who was tall and stout*, was like a transparent cabinet. Everyone knew that he was gay, but he hadn’t made it public. As a well-known host in the industry, he was known as the most unscrupulous big brother in China and especially liked to help the younger generations.
*Five big and three rough (五大三粗).
There were also rumors in the industry that he loved to sexually harass male celebrities, especially newcomers who had just debuted. Many of whom had been harassed by him; thus, the two of them were extra vigilant when they were on his show the first time. Fortunately, they verified that the rumors were completely false, and Chang Qing was quite upstanding and amiable.
However, this time around, Bai Qingquan vaguely felt that Chang Qing looked at him a little differently than before. When they were playing a game of catching chicks with the eagle1, Chang Qing hugged him from behind and kept eating tofu2.
1Game where one person is an eagle, another is the hen, and everyone else are the chicks who stand behind the hen. The goal is for the eagle to capture the chicks while the hen blocks the eager and the chicks try to dodge the eagle and stay behind the hen. 2(吃他豆腐) To molest/take advantage of someone.
From time to time, he would squeeze his waist with his hands, and when his body shook, he would cling to his ass. There were more than a dozen people on stage having fun, and the audience was laughing hard, so Bai Qingquan suspected that he was thinking too much.
For a two-hour variety show, sometimes it would take an entire day to record. After the recording was finished, it was already late at night. When Bai Qingquan went to the bathroom, Chang Qing followed him in.
Bai Qingquan was a little wary and walked directly to the stall. As soon as he was about to close the door, Chang Qing stretched out his hand to block it, smiled, and said, “You still need to close the door when you pee?”
Bai Qingquan gave him a wary smile before stretching out his hand to unzip his zipper. When he glanced back, he saw that Chang Qing had come into the stall and shut the door, and with a click, he locked it.
Bai Qingquan felt his heart tighten as he took a step back, leaned against the wall, and said, “Brother Chang, what are you doing?”
“Nothing.” Chang Qing smiled, showing his double chin, and directly pinched his ass with his hands. Bai Qingquan grabbed his arm and threw it away.
He used so much strength that Chang Qing’s hand slammed against the stall. Chang Qing wasn’t angry, as if this wasn’t his first time doing this kind of thing. Bai Qingquan wanted to leave but was blocked by him. He suddenly hugged Bai Qingquan, causing him to push and shove.
Bai Qingquan truly deserves the title of the most beautiful man. His small waist was fantastic, and the fragrance on his body made him excited. The flushed look on his face only made him more beautiful. Chang Qing couldn’t resist, and he wanted to kiss him directly. He leaned over only to have Bai Qingquan push his chin hard, causing his head to bang on the door.
This time, Bai Qingquan used more force, causing Chang Qing’s face to change instantly. He has always been kind and calm in front of the camera, but now his face looks wretched and vicious, as he said, “What are you trying to pretend to be? Everyone in this world knows what kind of person you are.”
Bai Qingquan didn’t want to get into an altercation with him, so he opened the door of the stall and went out. Chang Qing said to him, “Little slut.”
Bai Qingquan suddenly turned around, grabbed Chang Qing’s head, and pressed it against the wall. His face was completely flushed. Chang Qing gasped and smiled without speaking, which only stimulated Bai Qingquan further. Bai Qingquan felt ashamed and angry. He was a person whose sensibility was far greater than his rationality. When he became impulsive, he ignored everything and said, “No matter how coquettish I am, I have standards. You, you disgust me.”
He let go of Chang Qing, opened the door of the stall, and staggered out. Tears almost burst from his eyes. He saw that there were two male stars who were also recording with him that day outside, and they seemed to look at him with panic.
They may not know what happened just now, or they may think that he was this kind of person in private. He had almost forgotten the shame and destruction that his alt account brought him, and those feelings all came back again.
In everyone’s eyes, no matter how he behaved, everyone probably thought that he was only a slut who only knew how to eat. Many netizens thought he was a low life just because he had written words like “sister” and “saucy chicken” on his alt and made inappropriate jokes not suitable for young children, which made them think he was a thirsty bitch.
Wei Ge and the others were waiting for him in the car. When he got in, he didn’t say a single word.
Xiao Feng said, “Brother Quan, this is a gift from a few moonlight powders waiting in the hall. They specifically begged me and asked me to give it to you.”
Bai Qingquan said “Nn” and said nothing else.
Wei Ge asked him in a warm voice, “Are you tired?”
Bai Qingquan said “Nn” again.
“It’s tiring recording this show,” Wei Ge said. “Sleep for a while, and I’ll wake you when we get to the hotel.”
“I want to take a break,” Bai Qingquan said. “Can work be pushed?”
Wei Ge was taken aback for a moment and said, “The further one can be adjusted, but it’ll be a problem for the closer ones.”
“What activities are there?”
Wei Ge turned on his mobile phone, took a look, and said, “There will be a brand platform event tomorrow morning. After that, we’ll have to go to your hometown.”
After Bai Qingquan took film emperor, although his fame did not return to its former glory days, his reputation remained good. Like Shen Jintai, he’s considered to be a rising actor of the new generation. His alma mater, No. 2 High School, just celebrated its 50th anniversary and invited outstanding students back for a reunion. Since he had taken the film emperor, he gladly accepted their invitation.
It is said that he is the first big star from their school, and he is a household name in Xichuan Prefecture and the glory of No. 2 High School.
“Do they really think that I am the glory of the school?” Bai Qingquan smiled and opened the car window a little.
Xiao Feng said, “Of course! You don’t know how much importance the school attaches to these two days. They’ve been calling a few times a day to confirm our itinerary. The first batch of award-winning students has also come out to provide scholarships in their name.”
Bai Qingquan still didn’t speak. The wind blew against his face, messing up his hair. His beautiful face was clean, and the bridge of his nose and chin looked delicate.
Speaking of scholarships, Wei Ge’s chatterbox opened.
Recently, the primary school in Xima Town was completed, mainly in part due to Shen Jintai’s donations. In a few years, students will migrate over. Although he kept a low profile, since he’s so popular now, if he’s careless, news about him will spread, so despite wanting to keep his donation a secret, it was eventually discovered and publicized.
Everyone praised him for his kindness, but when compared to him, Bai Qingquan had always secretly done charity in private, and that was comparable to Shen Jintai.
Wei Ge said, “Why don’t we promote it too?”
It wasn’t that he wanted to rub Shen Jintai’s heat, but since he took the film emperor with Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan and Shen Jintai had been more closely tied together, and the effects of one plus one was greater than two had been fully realized. The two of them, together with Zheng Siqi and Huang Mingyuan, a resource coffee*, had been packaged by the media as the fourth generation of rising stars.
*People who rise to fame overnight through the use of finances rather than abilities and talent.
In terms of charity, Bai Qingquan had done it earlier than Shen Jintai. In the second year after his debut, he started to build roads for his hometown, but it was donated under his cousin’s name. It was shameful to say, but his original intention to do charity in the first place was based on superstition.
He thought that if he did more good deeds and left no name, God would make his path to stardom brighter and his love life more blessed.
While his road to stardom was smooth, the latter hadn’t been resolved yet.
In the past, he kept it hidden and didn’t dare let the outside world know his sexual orientation. Now it is well known that he likes men, but his peach blossom still hasn’t come. Rather, it only provoked rotten peach blossoms instead.
The alt incident was a black history and was a taboo subject, so Wei Ge and the others tried their best to never mention it. Bai Qingquan’s mind was too sensitive, and he needed face. In fact, he rarely opened his heart to others. When he was bullied by Shen Jintai, he would secretly close the door and cry behind it.
Crying secretly was his way of decompressing and was something that he felt only he needed to know. He was shouldering everything himself.
Back at the hotel, Bai Qingquan cried for a while as he took a shower. The sound of rushing water covered up his crying, even though there was no one outside. This was a habit that he developed.
After crying for a while, he went to an event the next day with a radiant face. After participating in the event, he took a car to Xichuan County. On the way, he received a call from Shen Jintai. “Come back early tomorrow. We’ll be waiting to celebrate your birthday.”
Shen Jintai only learned last month that Bai Qingquan’s official birthday wasn’t even released, and his real birthday was on the 11th of December.
His actual age is actually older than his official age, and the years and months did not match. All this was to keep his image of a fairy, but his mind was heavy with burden. He had always celebrated his birthday alone. He would secretly light a candle and eat a small cake by himself on each of his birthdays.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Jintai sat on the bed. Yan Qiuchi put down the tablet in his hand and asked, “I don’t see you so attentive when it’s my birthday.”
“Qingquan has started warming up to us recently. I know a lot of things that I didn’t know before,” Shen Jintai said. “Though he looks kind and gentle, in fact, his heart is like a hard shell. Perhaps he doesn’t even remember who he really is anymore. The better I get to know him, the more I feel sorry for him.”
It turns out that Bai Qingquan was an orphan. He had lived with his uncle’s family since he was a child, and it was his grandmother who loved him the most.
Just after he debuted and was able to make money, his grandmother passed away. According to his words, “A good day will eventually come. Before she died, she secretly gave me 736 yuan that she had saved all her life.”
These are all things Bai Qingquan said with a smile the last time the three of them drank together. After listening, Shen Jintai and Zheng Siqi glanced at each other, feeling distressed for him.
Regarding his history, no one really knows. Everyone only knew that he had come from a small county town and thought that he didn’t speak much about his past because his home conditions weren’t really good.
When Bai Qingquan and his party arrived in Xichuan County, he had a whim and wanted to stroll around by himself.
“I haven’t been back to my alma mater in seven or eight years. There will definitely be a bunch of elders around later, so I want to go around by myself first,” Bai Qingquan said.
Wei Ge said, “Make sure to wear a mask.”
Since today was a school celebration day, the gates were opened to all outsiders so they could freely enter and exit. Bia Qingquan got out of the car while wearing a mask and a black coat. He felt that it wasn’t enough, so he went back inside the car and asked Xiao Feng for his baseball cap.
There were already many people on the campus. As soon as he entered the school gate, he saw that the buildings were covered with red banners, and the square facing the gate was full of flowers. The students who were coming and going were wearing the school uniform that he was most familiar with.
Nothing has changed at all. The teaching building hasn’t changed, and the school uniforms haven’t changed. It’s just that the current students have a more western style than they did back then. A new teaching building was built on the north side of the playground, and the track field has become plastic.
He planned to go to his former classroom to take a look. He spent three years here in this classroom, 306 in building 2, which faced the playground.
At this time, class was still in session, so he couldn’t enter. He just snuck a peek through the window and glanced inside. It was currently self-study, so everything was quiet. He didn’t want to disturb them, so he planned to go back downstairs. As soon as he turned around, he saw a man coming down. He raised his head to look at him and then stopped.
He had a slightly familiar face with very short black hair and rough edges and corners. While not particularly handsome, he exuded a tough and heroic aura.
Suddenly, he was transported back to that year, where he turned his head and looked at a boy behind him with a crew cut. He was anxious and pretended to be fierce as he said to the boy, “You… Why do you keep following me?”
The author has something to say:
Xiao Bai’s pair is too distressing, right? We must make sure he’s fiercely happy!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
Bai Qingquan is my favorite character. His history is so sad it hurts my heart. You deserve all the happiness in this world, Bai Qingquan!
Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan walked towards the stage together. Bai Qingquan was still crying while walking, so Shen Jintai simply took his hand. For Bai Qingquan, this was a completely unexpected surprise. He didn’t even prepare an acceptance speech.
Shen Jintai looked much calmer in comparison, but there were tears in his eyes. He turned his head and smiled as he glanced at Bai Qingquan. Bai Qingquan smiled while tears continued to flow. Shen Jintai took him by the shoulder, and the two walked towards Lu Ming and Huo Siqin.
“Congratulations to Shen Jintai for winning your second trophy tonight!”
“Congratulations to Bai Qingquan. It’s not easy. I’m so excited to see this!”
“The award speech was great. The scene where they hugged each other just now reminds me of the tidbits posted by the official blog when <When You’re Older> was released. In the movie, they depended on each other and went through life and death. Outside of the movie, they have also supported each other and their best friends, who have won the award simultaneously. There’s nothing more complete than this!”
Gold powders and moonlight powders cheered even louder.
Whether it was for the gold powder or moonlight powder, this was an unexpected joy. The moonlight powder originally thought that the nomination was already a victory, but they never thought Bai Qingquan would actually win the award. Shen Jintai had just won best supporting actor, so the gold powder also acquiesced that there would be no awards for the night.
Shen Jintai made a gesture of invitation, but Bai Qingquan shook his hand and said, “I want to… slow down for a bit.”
There was a burst of kind laughter in the audience, and Shen Jintai stood in front of the microphone with the trophy and envelope. There was another round of applause in the audience, and Shen Jintai’s eyes lit up with tears, and he said, “Thank you, thank you.”
He took a long breath and said, “I’m really happy. Not only did I not expect to win another award tonight, but I also didn’t expect to win this award with Qingquan. The first project I starred in and in which I made my comeback was through Bai Qingquan’s introduction. I’m really happy to stand here on stage with him today. Thank you to the judges, and thank you to everyone who has liked and supported this movie. Thank you, Director Sun Sihai, for giving us the greatest performance space. Thank you, Song Chenchen, our screenwriter, for writing such an amazing story. For me, movies, like love, are the most important part of my life. Everything I have is given to the role. Whether it’s Li Xu, Chen Zheng, Luo Wensheng, or any other role I will perform in the future. Together, they have made me the actor named Shen Jintai, and for that I’ll always be grateful.”
Perhaps in another time and space, in another dimension, Li Xu, Chen Zheng, Yu Nuo, and Xu Xingchen are all truly alive. He had felt their pain and their happiness, so much so that every time he thought they might truly live in another world, tears would wet his heart.
Everyone loves Shen Jintai, so why don’t they love them?
Shen Jintai raised his head, and a close-up of his face appeared on the screen. His eyes were so bright and welled with tears.
Shen Jintai glanced back at Bai Qingquan amidst the applause of the audience, then took a step back. Bai Qingquan walked forward; his eyes were red, and he walked to the microphone.
“First of all,” he said with tears in his voice. “First of all, I would like to thank my company, Sunshine Media, for getting me such a good role. Secondly, I would like to thank Director Sun and Editor Song…”
He didn’t prepare any acceptance speeches at all. These were all temporary thoughts that he had just thought of after listening to Shen Jintai’s acceptance speech. “Thank you also, to the judges for giving me this encouragement. I especially want to thank Jintai.” As he spoke, he faced Shen Jintai and said, “Before walking the red carpet today, he told me that without me, maybe he wouldn’t be where he is today. I didn’t want to say it at the time, but now I can finally say it.”
“You are my favorite actor. I believe that even without me, you will shine brightly. You are the gold that glows wherever you go.”
Shen Jintai smiled and looked at Bai Qingquan very tenderly, as tears were about to flow.
“I have benefited a lot from working with you. Without you, I would not be standing here. Thank you.”
The causal fate of the two of them was wonderful and complicated. The appearance of Shen Jintai disrupted everything and created a butterfly effect that led up to this very moment.
Life has no ifs, and now this moment was the best in his life.
—
In Nancheng at the end of November, the north wind has already arrived. A tall and sturdy man with a crew cut held onto a cigarette in his hand as he raised his head to look at the big screen in the square. On the screen, Bai Qingquan was holding his trophy, smiling brightly with tears in his eyes.
A middle-aged man walked over, slightly drunk. “Boss, why don’t you leave?”
Following his gaze, he saw Bai Qingquan’s beautiful face.
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “Boss, you’re really chasing stars. I heard this from Xiao Fang in the office, but I didn’t really believe it.”
“Chase,” the crew-cut young man said with a resolute face. The aura around him was cold and ruffian-like. “I like him, but it’s been almost ten years.”
It was no longer possible for them. It was just hateful that whenever he wanted to give up, he would always see him when he raised his head.
Bai Qingquan was the white moonlight in his heart. He didn’t know if he would continue loving this white moonlight for the years to come.
He took a puff of his cigarette in the cold wind and continued to walk, eventually returning home. He closed the door and laid down on the bed. On the table at the head of the bed was a group photo. The boys and girls in the photo were only wearing blue and white high school uniforms. In the middle of the third row stood the teenage Bai Qingquan.
At that time, his family was poor, so he had no choice but to drop out of school to help out. He was able to obtain a class photo of Bai Qingquan, which he put in his chest pocket and took with him to the south, where he went to work.
—
The award ceremony was successfully concluded, and both <Pilot> and <When You’re Older> had their celebrations. Both films won many heavyweight awards, especially <Pilot>, which won best film.
After the media interviews, all the winners got up and prepared to head to their celebratory banquet.
“Where are you going?” Bai Qingquan put on his coat and said with a smile, “Do you still have to think? You must come to our side.”
Shen Jintai laughed. “Just now, Qiuchi called me to tell me that he wanted to host. He invited the crew from both sides to come together. The venue is large, and it’ll be more lively with everyone together. Teacher Song Wei and the judges were also invited so it’s going to be a big party.”
“Then I’ll tell Siqi and let him come with us!” Bai Qingquan said.
“On such a successful day like today, what’s the point of having money if we don’t spend it!” Fang Fengmei said gallantly, “Go to our five-star hotel!”
As soon as her voice fell, she saw Shen Jintai come in, surrounded by Li Meilan and others. Fang Fengmei hurriedly stood up. “Let me touch your trophy.”
Li Meilan and others quickly handed over Shen Jintai’s two trophies. After Shen Jintai greeted Shen Ruhai and the others, he saw Yan Qiuchi standing behind four elders, looking at him with a smile.
Shen Jintai was so happy that he rushed towards him immediately.
Yan Qiuchi smiled and hugged him. “Baobei, congratulations.”
Regardless of whether “baobei” was heard by Yan Tiefeng and the others, he was happy. Shen Ruhai and the others passed around his two trophies as Yan Teifeng interrupted, “Let’s stop standing around here and head to the hotel.”
Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi contacted the crews of <Pilot> and <When You’re Older> to invite them. Since Shen Jintai starred in both films and was the recipient of both awards tied to them, they happily agreed.
“Your fans have also come. Would you like to meet them?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
Shen Jintai nodded, and before going to the celebration banquet, he went to meet the gold powders first. On the way there, he suddenly remembered that after the Guohua Awards ceremony last year, he burst into tears when he saw the fans. He was afraid the fans would see it, so he hurriedly got into the car. Now that he was holding two trophies and thinking of it again, it seemed to be just a distant memory.
“Do you remember what you said in the car at the time?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
Shen Jintai smiled and shook his head. “What did I say?”
He didn’t remember, but Yan Qiuchi remembered it very clearly.
Shen Jintai finished crying in the car at that time and sat back and said, “I will make many works in the future, win many awards, and be a very successful actor so that everyone will know my name.”
At that time, he wanted to hug Shen Jintai, but because of the slightly unfamiliar relationship between the two of them, he only secretly stretched out his hand, pressed the back of Shen Jintai’s hand, and then gently moved away.
Now in this moment, he was holding Shen Jintai’s hand, the hand that had become his dearest lover.
When they got out of the car outside the restaurant, the gold powders who were waiting for him in the restaurant all ran out. He was greeted by gold powders with bouquets of flowers and a sea of light signs, all smiling at him in the cold autumn wind.
Shen Jintai shed tears in front of the fans this time, smiled and bowed, and said, “Thank you, thank you.”
The celebration banquet lasted until the early hours of the morning. Shen Ruhai and his wife were the first to leave. Not long after, Yan Tiefeng and Fang Fengmei also came out of the hotel holding hands. As soon as they came out, they saw a lot of reporters outside the hotel.
Because Yan Tiefeng was also very famous, most reporters recognized them and hounded them wildly. Since the couple were generous and in a particularly good mood today, Fang Fengmei greeted them sweetly. “It’s so cold right now, yet you’re hard at work. Thank you for all your hard work.”
A reporter smiled and asked, “Are Mr. and Mrs. Yan very happy tonight?”
Yan Tiefeng smiled but did not speak. Fang Fengmei said with a smile, “Of course. We are all happy for Xiao Jin.”
The driver had already opened the car door, and the couple got in as they gave a wave to the media.
Celebrities like Song Chenchen, Zhao Dongdong, Sun Sihai, Lu Ming, and so on came out the door of the hotel one after another. The atmosphere was joyful, and when they came out, everyone was full of food and their faces were red. They were polite to the media but did not accept any interviews. The Yan family arranged it carefully so that a luxury car would come pick them up and drive them home.
When Bai Qingquan came out, he ushered in the first small climax. The cameras flashed non-stop as he put an arm on Zheng Siqi’s shoulder and staggered a little. He had obviously drunk too much, as his face was completely red.
“Qingquan, accept our interview.” A reporter shouted loudly.
Bai Qingquan was too drunk, as after he heard this, he let go of Zheng Siqi and walked in front of the reporters with a smile.
“Congratulations on taking your first Golden Dragon Film Emperor Award.”
Bai Qingquan, who has always shown people the image of a lofty fairy, now looked flushed. His tone and eyes were full of charm. “Thank you.”
Bai Qingquan answered all their questions, but because he was too drunk, he didn’t know if he had answered truthfully or not. Finally, a reporter asked, “After winning your award, what do you want to do the most now?”
Bai Qingquan tilted his head, smiled, and said, “What I want to do most is to fall in love.”
Zheng Siqi hurriedly pulled him back when he heard those words, bowed to the media, and quickly dragged him into the car.
As soon as they left, Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai walked out from inside.
It had been more than half a year since the variety show <Honey, Let’s Travel> aired, but this couple still remained one of the most popular CP in the entertainment industry. In addition, Shen Jintai had won both the supporting actor and the film emperor awards tonight, so all the media rushed up to them. Cameras flashed nonstop as Yan Qiuchi smiled and bowed to everyone while slightly shielding Shen Jintai’s eyes with his hand.
Shen Jintai seemed to have drunk too much and kept holding Yan Qiuchi’s arm as his entire body seemed to be snuggling up to him. During dinner, he had drunk too much and spilled some wine on his coat, so now he’s wearing Yan Qiuchi’s coat, which was much bigger in size. Yan Qiuchi was only wearing a white shirt that tightly fitted his body, showing off his muscular figure.
Some reporters discovered that Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi were wearing their well-known couples watches.
“Jintai, Jintai, accept our interview!” The reporters shouted loudly.
Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “I’m sorry, he drank a little too much today, so he won’t be accepting interviews. Thank you all.”
Shen Jintai was drunk, but he hadn’t forgotten his “professional ethics”. He has always cooperated with the media, so he slid his hand down Yan Qiuchi’s arm and crossed fingers with him before giving the media a smile and raising their hands, recreating the classic scene from the variety show.
This move ushered in dense shutter sounds as the two got into the car and out of the spotlight. After closing the door, the media was still recording wildly at the car window.
As the car slowly started, Shen Jintai covered his face, laid on the seat, and said in a soft voice, “I drank too much.”
Yan Qiuchi smiled, unbuttoned his coat for him, and said, “When I’m there, you can drink whatever you want.”
Shen Jintai opened his eyes and smiled, then leaned towards him and leaned on his shoulder.
Yan Qiuchi’s phone rang suddenly, and he connected it. After saying a few words, he put the phone to his ear and said, “Yaoxuan’s calling.”
Shen Jintai took the phone and said with a smile, “Yaoxuan.”
“Congratulations, I heard you took film emperor!”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “So you know.”
“I… I had something going on. Otherwise, I would definitely be the first to congratulate you!”
“Have you caught a cold?” Shen Jintai said, “You sound really nasally.”
It seemed like his nose was airtight, so either he had a cold or he was just crying.
Yan Yaoxuan responded vaguely, and when he heard someone next to him seem to be saying something, Yan Yaoxuan said vaguely, “Get out.”
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment, and then he heard the sound of shoving on the other end of the phone. Shen Jintai asked, “Who is it?”
“Shan Cheng,” Yan Yaoxuan’s tone sounded as if he was gnashing his teeth. “I won’t say more. I’ll talk to you when I return home in a few days…”
Suddenly, an “owah” sounded, and Yan Yaoxuan’s voice was vaguely heard saying, “I want to talk to him!”
The line was cut, leaving Shen Jintai looking up in a daze. However, he’s now drunk, so while he was a little confused, he had no interest in the gossip right now. He leaned on Yan Qiuchi and fell asleep after a while.
He didn’t know how long he slept, but when he woke up, he saw Yan Qiuchi reaching out to hug him. He pursed his lower lips and wanted to get out of the car by himself. When he stepped out of the car, his legs became soft, but fortunately Yan Qiuchi was there to support him.
Yan Qiuchi simply picked him up and carried him as Shen Jintai wrapped his arms around his neck and said softly, “I just had a dream.”
Yan Qiuchi asked, “Nn. What did you dream of?”
Shen Jintai did not answer him. He carried Shen Jintai into the lobby on his back, and then as they were going up the elevator, Shen Jintai said in a barely audible voice, “I hope that Li Xu, Chen Zheng, and Yu Nuo will all be happy.”
He leaned on Yan Qiuchi’s back, pressing his head against it as he said, “As happy as I am in this moment.”
For the last time in his life, he shed tears for the three of them. The tears were warm and wet as they dampened Yan Qiuchi’s neck.
It would be great if everyone in this world could be happy.
Yu Nuo and Luo Wensheng would have the most ordinary and smoothest lives, Chen Zheng would be born in an era of peace, and Zhou Ying would wait for his Li Xu.
This was what he dreamed of. Perhaps in a certain world in another timeline, it would be like this.
[END]
The author has something to say:
May everyone be happy.
Next is the long side stories (how long is it, I don’t know!). The first appearance is Xiao Bai and his crew-cut guy. A fairy on the outside, but lusty underneath. He’ll meet his straight-laced gong, crew-cut guy. After years of harboring a secret love, it’ll finally come true. He’ll hold him in the palm of his hand for fear of him falling and hold him in his mouth for fear of melting. A pure adolescent crush turns into a fiery adult love.
Then there’s Yaoxuan and Shan Cheng’s side story. Two second-generations who are both gongs and refuse to yield to each other.
In this, there is a possible mix of more Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi, but they are not the focus.
The purpose is that everyone in the text must be happy!
Thank you to everyone who has followed the novel to the present. Thank you very much.
Closing remarks: The text of <Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day> is over. *Sprinkle flowers*
This novel has achieved unexpectedly good results. Thank you again to all the readers who are chasing it.
In fact, judging from the title and introduction of the novel, (many people complain about Xiao Bai). I know that this novel was originally written with the theme of cool and sweet in mind, but it slowly became more serious, especially the drama, which was particularly abusive.
I’m really embarrassed that I abused everyone.
The novel “Rivals” was on the gold list and ranked in the top three. Some of it was through my own diligence, but the most important thing is that I can’t do it without everyone’s support. Thank you for chasing the novel and for your hard work!
I think the happiest thing is that when I write what I feel is very sweet, and I see the comments are full of groundhogs barking. When I write about sad moments and the comments are all saying that they are moved (I really appreciate the reader’s tolerance. Most of them were so moved that they felt so abused that they were crying, but they still didn’t scold me.) This kind of experience with consistent emotions is really cool.
I wish to be with you forever, and I wish you’ll be with me forever.
Kinky Thoughts:
Well, this is the end of the main story. I honestly did not expect to get here so soon. I initially picked up this project because I wanted to read it, but then suddenly developed a hobby in translating novels.
I hope everyone enjoyed the story. If you did, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. I used Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.
I really enjoyed this novel. I think it is one of the best entertainment novels I have read so far. While not perfect, it gave me a wealth of emotions while reading it. With so many ups and downs, tears and laughter, it brought immense entertainment for me, and at the end of the day, that’s all I ask for in a novel.
The ending really ties together smoothly all the plays that Shen Jintai had acted in. I hope that in a different timeline, all these characters get the happy ending that they deserve.
While sad that Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi CP is over, there are still 41 chapters of side stories that revolve around Bai Qingquan’s and Yan Yaoxuan’s pairings so it’s not time to say goodbye yet. There are also portions of sweetness between the main couple as well, so I’ll see you all in the extras!
Finally, I would like to thank everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations. It in part fuels my motivation to release so frequently and try to finish this novel as soon as possible. If you enjoy my translations, I do have another project I’m currently working on called Bu Tian Gang that I hope you’ll check out (there are also a few more planned in my pipeline but nothing concrete yet).
Shen Jintai was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence tonight. After walking the red carpet with the crew of <When You’re Older>, he changed into a gray suit and ten minutes later walked it again with the crew of <Pilot>. This time, he changed his undershirt and put a red rose on his chest.
“It’s my brother’s signature look. He’s so handsome today!”
“I hate that I can’t go to the scene to see my brother!”
“He must take best actor tonight!”
“If he can get best actor tonight, it will be a complete success!”
The gold powders swiped the screen.
Unsurprisingly, walking the red carpet twice became a hot search, and the comments of passersby were also very good.
“Walking the red carpet twice by himself shows two points. First, Touhua has good resources. Two of the movies he’s in are nominated for movie of the year. Second, he’s nominated for both movies, which shows that he has the ability and is worthy of said resources.”
“The organizer is very fond of him tonight. The two interviews with him by the host were the longest. On the video website where I watched the live broadcast, his profile picture is also the largest and occupies the C position among big movie stars, which is very similar to Li Xu back then. Is this not worship?”
“His outfit tonight is exactly the same as when he participated in the Guohua Awards last year, and the situation is also very similar. He’s evenly matched, so it’s hard to tell how the awards will end tonight.”
“Whether he wins or not actually has little effect on him, right? Regardless, Touhua is already a proper first-tier superstar. He only has two movies out, but they’ve already grossed more than 8 billion yuan. He has a great reputation in the public eye, so whatever movies he stars in will definitely attract everyone’s attention. The most important thing is for a male star to be able to carry the box office.”
“That being said, I, a passerby, hope he can win because that’ll just be awesome.”
“I think everyone supports him to win, mainly because of The East Palace last year. That incident was so hot that everyone couldn’t make peace with it.”
“The award ceremony is about to begin! I’m so nervous!”
Not only were netizens nervous, but so was Shen Jintai. He was even more nervous than when he participated in the Guohua Awards. Although he repeatedly told himself to act normal, he didn’t know what was wrong this time. He was excited and vaguely had the feeling that since he didn’t take the golden bell last time, if he were to take Film Emperor now, wouldn’t he be so handsome?
He and Bai Qingquan sat in the front row, with stars far bigger than when they participated in the Guohua Awards. They raised their heads to look at the countless stars that surrounded them. Shen Jintai glanced back, trying to find where Yan Qiuchi and the others were sitting, but there were so many people that he couldn’t find them.
At 8 in the evening, the award ceremony officially began, kicking off with a musical performance. The guest performer turns out to be Zheng Siqi.
“Are they going to play The East Palace card?”
“The more the organizer acts like this, the more worried I am for Touhua. I feel that it’s building up his expectations too high.”
“Why do you only mention Touhua? I think Bai Qingquan’s performance in the movie is also amazing. The most exciting part is their rival scenes.”
“Shit, if in the end the film emperor goes to Bai Qingquan and Touhua disappears, wouldn’t that be ironic?”
“<Pilot> has the most nominations and the most momentum. It already took the lead and won best cinematography.”
“<When You’re Older> actually failed to win that? Sun Sihai’s background is amazing, and his shots were so beautiful.”
“Honestly, <Pilot> wasn’t bad, but I still regret not going to <When You’re Older>.”
Just when netizens were lamenting for <When You’re Older>, screenwriter Song Chenchen won best screenwriter.
“Damn, this screenwriter is so fucking handsome.”
“Song Chenchen is the most handsome screenwriter ever. Didn’t he turn red when the movie was released? He’s not inferior to Touhua or Bai Yueguang, and he’s a super-rich second generation.”
As the awards were handed out, Shen Jintai became happier. Since he acted in two movies, no matter which one won, he was happy.
The organizers also gave him a lot of face tonight. When the two movies were showing the nomination clips, his figure also appeared on the screen. The contrast between the characters that he played in these two movies was huge, and they appeared so closely together. One was unkempt, while the other was a sunny youth. Because his shots were connected, they triggered a small climax within the audience.
But this was just the beginning. <When You’re Older> had seven nominations, and <Pilot> had twelve.
“Guess how many times Shen Jintai will appear on the big screen tonight” had become the focus of heated discussion among netizens.
In addition to walking the red carpet twice, the gold powders were crying with excitement.
The night of Touhua did not end in failure!
“Next up is the nomination for best supporting actor for the 28th Golden Dragon Awards. We like to invite our presenters, Song Wei and Chen Fang, to the stage.”
Shen Jintai was shocked when he heard this.
Song Wei, who played Empress Xiao in <The East Palace is Coming>, and Chen Fang had a deep relationship with him. One he had previously worked with, while the other he competed against for best actor in the Guohua Awards and lost.
“Fuck, fuck. Is Touhua going to win best supporting actor?”
“I hope he doesn’t. It’s reasonable to say that they would only award him with one. If he takes the best supporting actor, he probably won’t win film emperor.”
The gold powders were nervous. They hoped Shen Jintai would win, but at the same time wouldn’t.
Song Wei and Cheng Fang walked on stage to the sound of passionate music. Shen Jintai pursed his lips and applauded with everyone. Bai Qingquan patted his knee lightly, causing him to turn his head toward him and give him a smile.
Bai Qingquan was also very nervous. He really hoped that Shen Jintai would win.
Song Wei and Chen Fang spoke a bit as they lightly jabbed all the candidates. Shen Jintai was the key target, causing bursts of laughter in the audience and making his face completely red.
Fang Fengmei and Shen Ruhai laughed with the audience. They were all so proud of Shen Jintai today.
The movie clips of each candidate were played one by one. When it was Shen Jintai’s turn, it showed a clip of him skydiving on the big screen. The background voice said in a loud and emotional tone: “<Pilot>, Shen Jintai.”
Although it was short, it felt profound. Shen Ruhai applauded excitedly that his palms were completely red. Liu Qi, who was sitting next to him, smiled as she softly pressed his leg.
Chen Fang opened the envelope, approached the microphone very neatly, and shouted, “The winner of the 28th Golden Dragon Awards for Best Supporting Actor is “Pilot”, Shen Jintai!”
The organizers were quite shrewd. When his name was announced, the camera switched to capturing Yan Qiuchi in the audience. This caused the barrage to explode.
“Oh, my god, the organizer is too good.”
“Watching an award ceremony and also stuffed with dog food.”
Yan Qiuchi’s expression was calm as he smiled while applauding. This was Shen Jintai’s first award since his debut, so inwardly, he was actually extremely excited. He had secretly prepared a celebration banquet for Shen Jintai, and now it can be held.
At such a young age, it was already powerful to win best supporting actor. This shows that he has a very promising future.
Shen Jintai stood up with a smile. Bai Qingquan jumped up one step earlier than him, hugged him, and said, “Congratulations!”
He didn’t expect Shen Jintai to take best supporting actor, as after taking it, there would be little hope to win film emperor. Still, hearing Shen Jintai’s name being called, he couldn’t help feeling excited and happy for him.
It’s better to win an award than no award, and Shen Jintai was worthy of it!
Lu Ming, the director of <Pilot>, was sitting in front of him, also stood up and gave him a hug. Then Shen Jintai walked on stage amidst the sound of music. He felt a little dizzy. The rocker camera followed him as he moved in front of him from behind. He smiled towards it, showing that his eyes were already moist, as he heard a thick male voice sounded in his ears. “Shen Jintai contributed extraordinary acting abilities to the movie <Pilot> and shaped the image of the flesh and blood of what a hero pilot should be like during that time. The character Chen Zheng, who he plays, was fragile, tough, and passionate, which ignited this summer and the hearts of the audience.”
Teacher Song Wei was holding the Golden Dragon trophy and was already waiting for him with a smile.
“Congratulations,” Song Wei smiled and said, “I knew you would win an award sooner or later.”
“Thank you, Teacher Song.”
Song Wei hugged him and handed the trophy to him. Shen Jintai breathed a sigh of relief, shook hands with Teacher Chen Fang, and took the envelope in Teacher Chen’s hand.
Chen Fang smiled and made a gesture of invitation, and Shen Jintai stood in front of the microphone. Glancing out, it was the first time he had witnessed such a scene. The applause from the audience continued as lights shone on him from all directions. He could no longer see who was in the auditorium, and an instant blankness filled his mind as he was trying to recall his acceptance speech.
There was nothing else in his mind besides the memory of last night, when he was cuddling with Yan Qiuchi. Yan Qiuchi asked him, “Have you prepared your acceptance speech?”
He looked up at the audience, smiled, and the applause rang out again.
Whether it was him or the gold powder, they had long forgotten his chance of winning Film Emperor. Regret slowly dissipated, replaced by excitement and joy.
After the applause stopped, Shen Jintai said, “Thank you. Thank you everyone, and thank you to the judges of the Golden Dragon Awards. This is the first award I’ve received in my life. I will continue to work hard and strive to become a great actor. Thank you.”
He bowed to everyone, and when he was about to step down, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to thank many people, so he smiled and returned to the microphone. “I’m a little too excited.”
Everyone laughed and applauded, and Fang Fengmei cried with excitement. This time he wasn’t sitting on a cold bench all night. She wiped away her tears, glanced at Yan Qiuchi next to her, and saw Yan Qiuchi smiling and staring at the stage warmly.
“I would like to thank Director Lu for choosing me to play the role of Chen Zheng. I hope everyone can remember the sacrifices of these heroes. Because of them, we are where we are today. I would also like to thank my company, Monsoon Entertainment, my team, my manager, Sister Lan, and my family and friends who have always supported me.”
He didn’t know if he would have a second chance to go on stage again, so he thanked all the people he could and finally raised the Golden Dragon trophy in his hand. “Thank you to all my fans. I didn’t disappoint you this time. Thank you to everyone who loves and supports me. Thank you!”
He bowed, and the gold powders burst into tears.
“Oh, my brother has never let us down, never.”
“Not even last time! Brother has always been the king in our hearts!”
“Damn, I cried like an idiot.”
Compared with the excitement of the gold fans, passersby said their blessings but still felt regretful.
“Best actor for Touhua is now hopeless, right?”
“There’s a high probability that it is. The judges wanted to motivate young actors, so they gave him Best Supporting Actor.”
“It’s a pity. I really had hope he could win Film Emperor.”
“The competition for male actors is too fierce this year, and it is not easy to win such an award.”
Yan Qiuchi touched his phone and sent a message to Gao Qiao, asking him to start contacting the gold powders waiting outside the venue to prepare for the celebration banquet tonight. It was going to be held in the largest and most luxurious restaurant in Nancheng.
When Gao Qiao received the news, he told Fang Yun, and Fang Yun jumped up with excitement.
“Let’s go and prepare things now.” Gao Qiao said.
Shen Jintai took a break and then returned to the audience. Bai Qingquan said excitedly, “I will take a photo with you later. You have to let me touch your trophy!”
Shen Jintai laughed. “Alright.”
After winning best supporting actor, he calmed down because he knew there was a high chance that he wouldn’t win Film Emperor.
Bai Qingquan was even calmer. If Shen Jintai couldn’t get it, then what would be his chances? How could he beat veterans like Zhang Wei and Wei Wenyao? Film Emperor would most likely belong to either of them.
Although it was hopeless, their shots appeared on the big screen every three to five times. Most nominations for <When You’re Older> were all their shots, as there weren’t any supporting roles in the movie, and with so many women in attendance, whenever their clips showed, it would always cause a commotion.
<Pilot> became more courageous for the next few battles and won almost all its technical awards, including best visual effects, best editing, best sound effects, best art design, best modeling design, and the like. Lu Ming, as one of the best directors in China, won the Golden Dragon Award for best director for the first time, pushing the award ceremony into another small climax.
Finally, after best director was best actor. The award ceremony was interspersed with advertisements at this moment.
“Holy shit, has the number of online viewers broken a record?”
“I’m so anxious, why did they go to commercials at this time!”
“Because everyone knows that this is the highlight of tonight. The most anticipated moment of this Golden Dragon Awards!”
“Although I think it’s unlikely for Touhua to win, I still prayed for him three times over!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhh, my hands are shaking with excitement!”
The group of gold powders who had been chirping, at this moment, became neat and orderly as they all sent praying emojis.
Gao Qiao, Fang Yun, and the others sat in the restaurant with the gold powders, who came to help for tonight’s event, staring nervously at the big screen.
“Is there a delay in the webcast?” Gao Qiao clenched his fists nervously.
“Isn’t it announced live nowadays?”
“No news has come yet.”
While the advertisements were playing on the big screen, Fang Fengmei couldn’t help but feel anxious. She turned to look at Yan Qiuchi, who was sitting there calmly.
“Aren’t you nervous?”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and let go of the hand that had been clenched tightly and full of sweat.
After the long advertisements, the award ceremony continued.
The presenters for best actor tonight were Huo Siqin, last year’s Golden Dragon film queen, and Lu Ming, who had just won best director. Lu Ming was still excited when he came directly from backstage. With a smile, he said, “I’m on stage again.”
Huo Siqin smiled and said, “I know that three of the candidates this time have acted in your movies. The list will be announced soon.”
Lu Ming smiled and said, “Let’s take a look at the big screen first.”
Shen Jintai directly grabbed Bai Qingquan’s hand. Although he felt that there was little hope, at this moment he became nervous again.
The names of the five candidates were read out in turn.
“Zhang Wei, <I Want Us to be Together>.”
“Wei Wenyao, <The Year of Destiny>.”
“Zhou Kangming, <A Place Within a Stone’s Throw>.”
“Shen Jintai, <When You’re Older>.”
“Bai Qingquan, <When You’re Older>.”
The barrage flooded the screen. “Reproduce the grand scene from The East Palace!”
“Touhua and Bai Yueguang appeared on the big screen of the awards ceremony again!”
“It’s really exactly the same as The East Palace back then. I just beg that there will be no more regrets from The East Palace! “
Yan Qiuchi, Fang Fengmei, Yan Tiefeng, Shen Ruhai, Liu Qi and others all looked at the stage nervously.
Huo Siqin smiled and said, “The winner of 28th Golden Dragon Awards for best actor is…” She smiled and handed the envelope to Lu Ming. Lu Ming said, “I just experienced it. I know they are all suffering right now, so I won’t milk it.”
He opened the envelope to the laughter of the audience.
Shen Jintai grasped Bai Qingquan’s hand tightly.
Lu Ming opened the envelope, glanced at it, and let out an exclamation.
“Oh my god, this is really a replica of the Guohua Awards last year. The presenters reacted the same way when they saw the list!”
“What do you mean? Upset? Is Zhou Kangming the winner? Or is it Touhua?!”
Close-ups of the faces of the five candidates appeared on the screen. Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan didn’t smile at all, as their eyes seemed full of light looking at the stage motionlessly.
Huo Siqin couldn’t help but glance at him and cover her mouth with a “wow”.
Lu Ming smiled and said, “I’m just milking it.”
All five candidates laughed this time, but almost all the audience members at the scene were excited. The battle for the best actor was too intense at this moment.
“Two people,” Lu Ming said.
There was an immediate commotion in the audience, and Shen Jintai only felt that his mind was blank. The two meant that his chances of winning the award were a little higher, right? But he just won best supporting actor.
Bai Qingquan was the first to notice the sign and suddenly grasped Shen Jintai’s hand.
“One of them has acted in my movie,” Lu Ming said.
Commotion rang in the audience again, and many celebrities looked at Shen Jintai. Although Shen Jintai, Zhou Kangming, and Zhang Wei have all acted in Lu Ming’s movies, everyone seems to have the same kind of premonition.
Lu Ming smiled, lowered his head slightly, and approached the microphone and said, “Congratulations, Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan! “
“Congratulations to the two young actors!”
The audience suddenly boiled over, and Director Sun Sihai took the lead in jumping up. Yan Qiuchi shook his fists with both hands and almost stood up.
Fang Fengmei had held back for so long that she couldn’t help but let out an “Ahhh”, while Yan Tiefeng quickly stretched out his hands and applauded loudly.
Shen Ruhai was crying with excitement as Liu Qi leaned on his shoulder with a smile, shaking his arm violently.
Meanwhile, the two winners, Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan, were completely stunned. Sun Sihai patted Shen Jintai on the shoulder, motioning for them to go on stage. Bai Qingquan and Shen Jintai got up together as everyone from the crew rushed up to hug them. The situation was a bit chaotic at one point as everyone was too excited. No one had expected this, especially when Shen Jintai had already won best supporting actor.
The award-winning speech was even more touching. “Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan, two young actors who performed amazingly in the movie <When You’re Older>. Their role span was large, their performance was rich, and their delicate interpretation has made countless people shed tears. Luo Wensheng and Yu Nuo are two inseparable people in life and death. As such, Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan deserve to be on the podium together.”
Bai Qingquan hugged Shen Jintai and cried, just like in the moment when the movie was finished, “Yu Nuo”, who couldn’t move on, hugged “Luo Wensheng” and cried bitterly.
Shen Jintai was filled with tears as he was infected too, and he patted Bai Qingquan’s head with his arms.
“I cried!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh”
“I can’t stop crying!”
The author has something to say:
Touhua took Bai Yueguang to the throne for Film Emperor. The twins are inseparable both inside and outside the play.
Kinky Thoughts:
Yasssss~ How unexpected that they both won. I’m so glad Shen Jintai didn’t get snubbed this time.
The next chapter is the final chapter of the main story!On a side note: I do recommend you read <When You’re Older>, which I have translated. Just know that it’s pretty dog-blooded, but it’s worth it because you can enjoy their victory more knowing how they acted in the movie.
Shen Jintai wasn’t in Nancheng for filming this time. Yan Qiuchi couldn’t accompany him, so he could only take time to visit Shen Jintai on weekends. Their filming this time was particularly arduous, as Shen Jintai was under a lot of pressure for his role. When they went to bed, he would always restrain himself and do nothing, only hugging Shen Jintai as they slept.
He had the endurance, and he wanted to support Shen Jintai’s career.
It was only now that Shen Jintai said at that time, “I’ll ask for leave to prepare for the award ceremony next week. I’ll have three days off,” Yan Qiuchi finally got the day he had been waiting for. He had been holding back for over half a month now.
For a young man in his twenties like him, going dry for half a month was truly suffocation to the extreme.
He leaned into Shen Jintai’s ear and said a few words gently. There weren’t any outsiders in their room, so no one would hear if he spoke louder. However, Yan Qiuchi loved to bite his ears, so he was deliberately doing it. Shen Jintai shrank his head back as his breath sprayed into his ears.
His ears are one of Yan Qiuchi’s favorite places to play with.
Yan Qiuchi said, “I saved it all for you.”
Yan Qiuchi’s lewd remarks always made his face flush. He felt Yan Qiuchi had been more talkative in bed recently. Shen Jintai’s face turned red, and he had a hunch that another violent storm was approaching.
Tomorrow morning, he would attend the shortlisted cocktail party; in the afternoon, he would prepare for the red carpet, and in the evening, he would attend the award ceremony. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, he and Bai Qingquan would participate in the party with the crew of <When You’re Older>. It was estimated that he would be extremely busy until the early hours of the morning.
However, he could be regarded as having experience now. He couldn’t hold Yan Qiuchi back, because that would only have one ending, and it was himself who always suffered, so this time he decided to compromise.
Still, he had overestimated Yan Qiuchi’s endurance, as he was executed with just half a push in. Fortunately, Yan Qiuchi supported his work from the bottom of his heart, so he was very gentle as he said he wanted to “moisturize” him.
Facts proved that Yan Qiuchi was right, as the next day, he was able to move freely without any discomfort. When Wang Nan was putting on his makeup, he said, “Brother Jin, you look great today.”
Indeed he did, as he was a man who had been “moisturized” by a ton of “love”.
Shen Jintai looked at himself in the mirror and felt radiant. Well, Yan Qiuchi certainly served him well from head-to-toe last night.
“Are you nervous?” Li Meilan asked him.
Shen Jintai nodded. “Nervous.”
The feeling of winning this time wasn’t as big as when he was striving for the golden bell, but he was also one of the hottest candidates, so his chances weren’t impossible. This kind of inability to know whether he could win or not made him particularly nervous.
Compared with Shen Jintai, Bai Qingquan was much more relaxed. Just as he was shortlisted last time for the golden bell, he still felt that his nomination now was already a victory, and it was probably his fate to just accompany Shen Jintai.
If Shen Jintai’s chances weren’t great, what kind of chance did he have? Although he contributed his best acting skills since his debut in <When You’re Older>, he still thought his performance wasn’t as stunning as Shen Jintai’s in terms of aura. Shen Jintai played the old and ugly, so this point would be favored by the judges.
“Why are you still so insecure?” Wei Ge said with a smile.
Bai Qingquan said, “Our film has received nine nominations. To win any award is the victory of the whole crew.”
“Hurry up, hurry up,” Fang Fengmei put on her coat and walked out, urging Yan Tiefeng. “What are you doing?”
“Can’t you just go with Qiuchi. I don’t need to go, right?” Yan Tiefeng said.
“Hurry up and cut the nonsense.”
Yan Tiefeng walked up to her and raised her chin. Fang Fengmei took the tie in his hand and tied it for him. “Qiuchi said Xiao Jin has a winning chance this time. If Xiao Jin wins, he hopes that we can all be witnesses to it at the same time. Even Shen Ruhai and Liu Qi are going.”
“If you have such high expectations and Xiao Jin doesn’t win, I think you-“
“You and your crow’s mouth again. Last time he lost because of your crow’s mouth!” Fang Fengmei poked his head.
Yan Tiefeng said, “Yes, definitely, Xiao Jin will win best actor this time around.”
When the couple came downstairs, the driver was already waiting for them outside. Yan Tiefeng asked, “Where’s Qiuchi?”
“He went to pick up Shen Ruhai and his wife and went with them.”
Yan Tiefeng became a bit jealous and said, “Such a flatterer.”
“You and Lao Shen are really interesting. Originally, he used to be awkward, but now he’s well adjusted, and you’re starting up again,” Fang Fengmei said.
“I just hope Qiuchi still remembers who his father is.”
Fang Fengmei laughed and walked out the door, holding his arm.
<When You’re Older> received a total of nine nominations, including several of the most important awards such as best film, best director, best adapted screenplay, and two best actors. As a major director’s work, <Pilot> was a box office record holder and received 12 nominations, which basically encompassed all the award categories in the ceremony. Among them, it had a good chance of winning best film.
“Come, come, come. Let’s bet on tonight’s Golden Dragon Awards. Who will win what?”
“The film queen will go to Song Wei. No need to discuss it. The other nominations can’t compare.”
“There shouldn’t be any suspense for the best picture. <Pilot> is guaranteed. It’s a national blockbuster film. With good word of mouth and box office numbers, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for it to win best director either. The Golden Dragon Awards have always owed Lu Ming an award.”
“The most unstable top award for <Pilot> is best actor. In addition to his poor performance, I feel that the judges won’t give all the awards to one movie. For best actor, I bet on Zhang Wei from <I Want Us to Be Together>. It’s a pure art film, so it should be very stable.”
“Then I’d better bet on Touhua, for no other reason than I just think he’s lucky. He has the greatest chance of going on stage. He has two best movies, one for best actor and one for best supporting actor. I can’t help but believe in his luck. He’s bursting with it this year, so it’s not impossible that he can win best actor.”
“But the votes can be split because of Bai Qingquan for <When You’re Older>. Honestly, his performance is on par with Touhua. One movie that had two male protagonists… Having said that, the two leading movies this year have no female protagonists, resulting in this year’s competition having very little suspense.”
“It’s hard to say if the votes will be split. There have been many double yellow eggs at the Golden Dragon Awards before. Perhaps Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan will have the one plus one is greater than two effect and can beat Zhang Wei. In short, the suspense for Film Emperor this year is really great. Zhang Wei has the acting skills, but this year is the year of Shen Jintai. His luck is too fierce.”
“I feel sorry for Sun Sihai. He should have been nominated for best new director this time and could have easily won, but Xingyun wanted him to be nominated for best director. There’s a high chance that he won’t be able to beat Lu Ming.”
“The highlight of tonight’s show is basically the Film Emperor. I hope Touhua takes it. The mole left by Li Xu still remains on the tip of my heart. It’s always been difficult for me that he didn’t win the Golden Bell.”
“I also hope that Touhua can take it. I have an inexplicable sense of cultivation for him. I watched his journey step by step, and I want to see him soar into the sky. Awards are his only shortcoming now. After taking the Film Emperor, he’ll directly go to the top.”
“Touhua is so awesome. He’s walking the red carpet twice! If he wins Film Emperor, my god, I’ll also become his fan!”
“Sisters, the red carpet has begun!”
“Touhua will walk the red carpet twice tonight. The night of Touhua has officially arrived!”
Like the last award ceremony, Fang Fengmei and Yan Qiuchi still came to the lounge to meet Shen Jintai before he took to the red carpet. Though the organizers have prepared many lounges, tonight there were more stars here than there were stars in the sky, and only big names like Shen Jintai could have his own independent lounge.
“Brother Jin, President Yan and the others are here.”
Shen Jintai hurriedly got up and saw that Yan Qiuchi and Fang Fengmei had already come in. There was a sudden restlessness in the lounge because everyone saw the male god Yan Qiuchi in the flesh!
Yan Qiuchi had been on fire for the whole summer and was the idol of many girls. Since he wasn’t from the entertainment industry, there were few chances to see him. He would only show up on Shen Jintai’s Weibo a few days in the month, and his own Weibo was nothing but Shen Jintai’s daily life.
A group of people followed him in the corridor outside, holding their phones and taking pictures of him. He only smiled, turned his head, and waved his hand, which caused a group of girls to scream.
So handsome, so tall, so fair. Much better than what they saw on TV!
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “You’re here to grab the limelight.”
Fang Fengmei smiled and said, “Don’t mention it. If you hadn’t brought him out, I didn’t even know how hot he could become. He’s just like a big star, which scares me.”
Shen Jintai wore a black suit this time but didn’t wear a formal undershirt. Instead, he wore a white t-shirt that had a small rose printed on it. The look was serious yet bright and playful. His whole body seems to be full of spring. Fang Fengmei felt that he looked stunning. A man who was both proud of his love life and career really shone wherever he went.
“Brother Jin, the crew of <When You’re Older> is about to walk the red carpet,” Xiao Tang reminded.
“Then you go quickly,” Fang Fengmei said. “We will wait for you.”
Shen Jintai nodded, and seeing Yan Qiuchi and the others about to leave, he suddenly stepped forward and hugged Yan Qiuchi. The little girls around stomped their feet excitedly, feeling that they were watching a live version of <Honey, Let’s Travel>!
Yan Qiuchi smiled and stroked Shen Jintai’s back. “Don’t be nervous.”
After speaking, he kissed his ear slightly and then let him go.
“Ahhhhhhh, did you see what the gold powder group just sent? The Touhua couple are so sweet!”
“Shit, I’m not a gold powder. Sister, don’t delay. Hurry up and release the video!”
“Did the Touhua couple make sugar again? I knew it! Let me get some nourishment!”
Someone immediately sent the video.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh, I’m screaming. This pair never lets me down!”
“Touhua must win the prize tonight!”
“The crew of <When You’re Older> is about to walk the red carpet. He’s here! He’s here! Touhua is here!”
Today’s Shen Jintai was no longer the Shen Jintai of the past. He was completely different from when he attended the Guohua Awards a year ago. When he looked up, it was all gold powders. His fans accounted for almost half of the entire fan circle.
The host shouted in the most passionate voice, “It’s now time for the crew of <When You’re Older> to join us. Let us welcome director Sun Sihai, screenwriter Song Chenchen, actors Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan, and other creators of the crew!”
Before the host could even finish, he was overwhelmed by the screams of the gold powders.
Shen Jintai walked slowly amid the cheers of fans as the night breeze blew across his cheeks. Facing such overwhelming cheers, he had already become a superstar and was now more relaxed and indifferent. He realized that he had become the most renowned actor in this country, and he wasn’t even 22 yet. The path beyond his stardom had just begun.
When everyone entered the classroom, they all paused at the same time. They raised their heads and observed their surroundings suspiciously, and some even took out a compass to measure their position. After finding that there were no problems, they walked in cautiously while looking at each other with bitter smiles.
This was the reaction from the aftermath of their previous lesson.
Ba Sang still had a lingering shadow and would reflexively touch his throat from time to time. The experience of slitting his own throat was so heavy that it left a deep scar on him.
“How are you?” Dong Zhi patted him on the shoulder.
Ba Sang turned his head and said with a bitter face. “I slept for an entire day yesterday and had countless nightmares of being pierced by a dagger. Every time I wake up, I will be sweating profusely.”
Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “I dreamt of being surrounded by zombies and they overwhelmed me. It made me freak out.”
Li Ying, who passed by them, overheard their conversations. He laughed. “It’ll be fine in a few days. Those are just conditioned reflexes!”
He lowered his voice after speaking. “Some people must’ve dreamt that they were trapped in the electrician’s room and couldn’t get out.”
He was referring to Liu Qingbo. Last time Boss Wu commented on everyone’s performance, he singled out Liu Qingbo, who hid in the electrician’s room for the whole night. Hearing the ridicule in his tone, Dong Zhi and Ba Sang’s hearts lightened.
Coincidentally, Liu Qingbo just happened to pass by and those words reached his ears. His face instantly became ugly. Even Ba Sang and Dong Zhi hadn’t had time to withdraw their smirks when they were caught by him.
“It’s a mule or a horse*! Why don’t you put yourself to the test rather than put on hot air!” Liu Qingbo said angrily.
*The full idiom is It’s a mule or a horse to go for a walk (是骡子是马拉出来遛遛). It describes a person who doesn’t want to say something nice and has little ability to do things, so he can’t distinguish whether it’s good or bad (AKA Put your money where your mouth is. If you are capable at your job, then start doing it and show people your ability.)
During the simulation training, Liu Qingbo ignored Li Ying’s advice and left on his own, causing Li Ying to be quite dissatisfied. As a result of his action, he was heavily criticized by Wu Bingtian for abandoning his teammates, which only further infuriated him.
Hearing Liu Qingbo’s quip, Li Ying responded back, “I’m neither a donkey nor a horse, and I can choose whether to walk or not walk*.”
*Clarity: He’s referring to the latter half of the full idiom. This response is basically saying he’s capable and has nothing to prove.
Others may be jealous of Liu Qingbo’s background, but Li Ying had nothing to fear from him.
Liu Qingbo immediately pulled out his Feijing Sword from his back while Li Ying pinched a talisman with one hand. Their movements were equally fast. As young people, they were easily prone to anger, and as practitioners, they were even more arrogant. With their backgrounds, Li Ying and Liu Qingbo would have a smooth path. Even if Long Shen and Wu Bingtian wanted to take action against them, they would have a lot of trouble. Therefore, they were both fearless among their peers.
No one expected that a few words would end with rattling swords, and everyone rushed to ease the situation.
Dong Zhi spoke up, “Sorry, we shouldn’t have laughed just now, but Li Ying didn’t mean to be malicious. Class is about to start. Being seen by the leaders may affect your score. Let’s just drop this!”
Chi Banxia also chimed in, “Yes, we’ll all see each other regularly in the future, so why bother being so stiff!”
Everyone else also gathered around to persuade them, blocking the middle to avoid them from really taking action, as it would be difficult to clean up the mess.
After being persuaded by this, the two of them calmed down. Suddenly, Zhang Song came in from outside. When he saw this scene, he laughed and said, “You two want to duel? Fine by me. I’ll be your witness!”
He glanced at the people around Li Ying and then smiled casually. “Li Ying, are you helping others? I didn’t expect you to still be so helpful!”
The atmosphere that had been slightly relaxed became tense again in an instant. Where there were people, there were rivers and lakes, and where there were rivers and lakes, there were leagues and sects. Birds of a feather flock together. After the written exam and interview, Dong Zhi found that people from famous families and those with backgrounds would naturally converge, while those who were alone and had no standing, like Dong Zhi and Ba Sang, would get closer as well.
The interaction with Li Ying was purely accidental. After the interview, many people left the capital, either returning home or going off to have fun. Not many people stayed behind. Li Ying had gathered a few to develop his connections, yet coincidentally they stumbled upon Hui Yiguang’s situation. Going through that tribulation together had deepened the friendship between them. Though their personalities and origins were different, they usually got along well.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Song was eager to fan the flames, and the look in his eyes felt off. Zhang Song didn’t seem to be aware of it as he kept smiling and urging them, “I heard the next year’s World Exchange Conference will be selecting representatives to participate. Sooner or later, we will have to fight like this, so why not do it?”
Before this, Dong Zhi’s impression of Zhang Song was that he was a young and promising disciple of the Longhu Sect. When he dealt with the Archfiend in Yangcheng, it was Zhang Chong, who was also born on Mount Longhu, who helped him out. Although his skills were mediocre at best, he was easy to get along with and was quite funny. Looking at Zhang Song now, Dong Zhi sighed inwardly, lamenting how the same rice that nourished a hundred kinds of people, even if they were in the same class, could have such varied temperaments.
“What is the World Exchange Conference?” Ba Sang asked quietly.
Dong Zhi whispered, “I don’t know. It could be an exchange between practitioners.”
When Liu Si heard their whispers, he answered, “It’s a world-class spiritual exchange conference. Every two years, various countries and regions will send representatives to participate in it. It includes competition as well as consultation.”
Hearing his explanation, they became even more curious and wanted to ask more questions when Long Shen walked in.
Liu Qingbo and Li Ying weren’t fools. They both knew that this wasn’t the occasion for a fight, so they could only halt their ride on a tiger*. Seeing that the Deputy Director had come in, they dared not continue the confrontation any further and hurriedly stopped.
*(骑虎难下) Idiom referring to difficulties to carry on a task but the situation doesn’t allow it to stop halfway so it becomes a dilemma. || In this case, it’s the opposite, as normally it’s that they cannot halt their ride on a tiger, so it means they did stop halfway before the fight broke out.
Long Shen glanced at them and said nothing. Liu Qingbo couldn’t speak even if he wanted to explain, so he had to hold back. Everyone hurriedly took their seats, sitting upright for fear of making a bad impression.
“I will teach you in today’s training class,” Long Shen said. “But not here. Go to the top floor.”
Are they finally going to practice?
Everyone has long been afraid of Director Jiang’s long and exhaustive theory class, and they had lingering fears about the simulation training last time. Their hearts were all pounding as they were both anxious and filled with anticipation.
“Long-Boss Long, are we going to fight zombies again? I forgot to bring my compass today. Can you let me go back and get it?” Someone asked cautiously.
Dong Zhi subconsciously touched the Qingzhu Sword he had set on the table.
Long Shen said, “You don’t need to bring a compass. If you have a weapon, you can bring a weapon. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have one.”
He took everyone to the rooftop and swiped his card to open the door. The scene behind the door was very familiar as it was the spot that Dong Zhi practiced his exercises every day. To others who have never seen it before, their expressions and reactions were similar to Dong Zhi’s when he saw it for the first time. Exclamations followed one after another.
It was only later that Dong Zhi learned this kind of enchantment that extended space wasn’t uncommon, but it was rare to have such a large-scale one like the Special Administration Bureau. After all, many large sects are situated between lush mountains and flowing rivers. Only when you’re located in a downtown metropolitan area would the venue not have enough space for you to use this kind of method.
Long Shen stood under a tree and said, “I’ll teach and show you my best abilities, but how much you can learn and remember will depend on your own abilities.”
Hearing what he said, everyone quickly pulled their attention back from the vast and beautiful scenery in front of them.
Long Shen said, “I am good at swordsmanship. However, the sword is the head of a hundred soldiers, while the wielder is the general of the hundred. All objects have a spirit, and this varies very little. Some absorb the essence of the heavens, the sun, and the moon. Over time, wisdom is born, and the spirit takes form. This is the origin of essence. These objects are limited by their spiritual energy or their own creation, so it’s not enough for them to transform into human beings, let alone reach sentiency. However, they still have spirituality in themselves. If this spirituality can be integrated by the user, it can make the user even more powerful. Think of it as icing on the cake.”
Everyone listened intently, even if they didn’t understand what he was saying, as they all took notes to ponder carefully when they returned.
Long Shen said, “What I want to teach you today is to discover the spirituality of the weapons that you use.”
Chi Banxia raised her hand.
Long Shen: “Speak.”
Chi Banxia said, “Excuse me, Boss Long. What if you have no weapons?”
Long Shen said, “A flower, a leaf, a sword, a spear, a halberd, a whip, a flute, poison, witchcraft, and even a talisman; As long as you use them to attack an enemy, they are all considered weapons, but any objects used will have spirituality. Take the gu insects* for example. Poison itself utilizes creatures. I once saw a Miao girl in Miaojiang who was pregnant with two gu kings at the same time. One can cure hundreds of poisons while the other can transverse anywhere in the world. These gu kings are connected with her soul, so as long as she wills it, she can do what she wants without the use of spells.”
*Reminder: This is referring to gu/poison. Often, insects are used to create the poison. Refer to the lore glossary for details of gu.
Chi Banxia was shocked. “When I was a child, I used to hear about this from my grandmother, but at that time I thought she was humoring me. Is there really such a powerful person in the world?”
Long Shen nodded.
Since witchcraft and poison arts were in the same vein, they were interlinked with each other. Chi Banxia was fascinated to hear about this and wanted to know more.
“Boss Long, where is the expert now? Do you know?”
Long Shen said, “I have only met her once and haven’t seen her for many years.”
Although the Special Administration Bureau is an official organization, not everyone loves to be bound. China is vast and full of hidden dragons and tigers, with countless strange people.
Hearing this, Chi Banxia couldn’t help showing a look of disappointment.
Seeing as she had no further questions for the time being, Long Shen continued, “Not only are insects, but other objects can be applied the same way. Humans are the spirits of heaven and earth. Why? Because humans have unparalleled intelligence, that’s beyond the reaches of beasts and can carry more spiritual energy than any other living thing. From another point of view, human beings can be considered objects with spirituality, as there’s no exception. Your elders must have taught you that when using weapons, you must gather your qi first, then visualize it.”
Everyone nodded.
Although Dong Zhi bears the title of a disciple of the Hezao Sect, it’s only in name. He first learned how to draw the Sunlight Talisman from He Yu, then learned the Five Thunder Talisman from master Fang, and then got the Qingzhu Sword from Long Shen, thus his knowledge was one hammer east, one hammer west*. In terms of systematics, it wasn’t as good as a disciple who studied under the Hezao Sect or Longhu Sect since childhood and started from scratch.
*Refers to learning a bit here and there that you’re unfocused, so you end up not learning much at all.
He knew his only advantage was that he was quick to pick up things and had a talent for drawing runes, but if he was satisfied with the status quo, in the long run, let alone compared to people around him, it’s estimated he may not even pass the training exam. Not only did he listen very seriously in today’s lesson, but he also added the knowledge to his mind to seek confirmation.
Long Shen said, “The stronger the ability of the person, the shorter the time it takes to gather qi and visualization. For example, the current headmaster of the Longhu Sect can use talismans without reciting a mantra.”
There were two disciples from the Longhu Sect, including Zhang Song, who were present. When they heard this, they naturally had proud expressions.
“Take the sword as an example. Only the fast could not be broken in the world of martial arts. There are no limits except in your mind and heart.”
After Long Shen said these words, he stretched out his hand towards Dong Zhi. “Give me your sword.”
Dong Zhi hurriedly handed over the Qingzhu Sword with both hands.
Long Shen pulled the sword from its sheath and held it in his hand like a flower. It could be seen that his swordsmanship was extremely skilled. The sword in his hand was like a part of his body, light as if it weighed nothing, flexible, and adaptable. With one hand behind his back, and the other on the sword, he didn’t deliberately stand upright, but his back was straight and beautiful.
Everyone thought he was going to perform some moves with the sword, but in the next moment, they were speechless.
The Qingzhu Sword in Long Shen’s hand suddenly turned into a luminous light and flew into the sky. Long Shen raised his hand and drew it upwards, then drew an arc with it. Following his guidance, the light shot through the air, and seconds later, a stone not far away exploded.
A loud boom could be heard as pieces of the stone flew everywhere. The sword was inserted straight into the ground where the stone was previously laid; more than half of it was buried deeply. Long Shen’s finger moved slightly, and the light suddenly flew towards the crowd.
Everyone felt the sword’s qi as the wind rushed towards their faces! They subconsciously took a few steps back, and some people even involuntarily made a defensive stance.
As soon as Long Shen closed his palms, the light turned back to normal and returned to his hands.
Dong Zhi almost doubted that the Qingzhi Sword he had been using before was fake. It wasn’t just him, but everyone looked at Long Shen with eyes as if they were worshipping a god.
People who know little have only heard of Long Shen’s ruthlessness when slaying demons, but they didn’t know how powerful he really was. Those who didn’t know him well felt that his reputation was well-deserved.
Long Shen’s face was still indifferent, as if he hadn’t shown any incredible skills just now.
“Like I said, all objects can naturally be used freely when they are interlinked with your soul. Do you understand?”
Everyone nodded like a chicken pecking rice.
Among the crowd, Dong Zhi and Liu Qingbo had already seen Long Shen in action. The former had experienced it firsthand on Changbai Mountain, while the latter was rescued by him when he was in danger.
It was just that on Changbai Mountain, the power of the bone dragon was so shocking and Dong Zhi was fighting through life and death helping He Yu set up the array that he didn’t have the time or energy to carefully watch the battle.
Similarly, Liu Qingbo was chased by the Aoyu and almost lost his life, so he didn’t see Long Shen’s heroism. This scene in front of him today made Liu Qingbo more determined to become his apprentice. However, after today, besides Dong Zhi, there may be more competing for that position.
Long Shen asked, “Do you have any questions?”
Liu Si said, “Boss Long, I use a whip. Can you show me a demonstration?”
Long Shen looked at him for a moment, nodded, and stretched out his hand.
Liu Si took out a slender willow branch from his pocket, stretched it out slowly until the length formed a whip, and then respectfully handed it to Long Shen.
Long Shen held the whip and pondered for a moment, as if weighing it in his hand. Everyone held their breath and did not dare to make a sound, for fear of disturbing him. Suddenly, Long Shen slapped the ground with the whip, and the grass suddenly blackened and a crack appeared on the ground about a finger deep.
Immediately afterwards, another whip was made, and it hit the crack just now, but this time, the grass on both sides of the crack seemed to be affected by the power of the whip and quickly withered, spreading up to a meter away until it stopped.
He wasn’t done yet as he whipped again for the third time!
Everyone thought that this time the crack would get deeper, or more of the grassland would be affected, but to their surprise, while the crack was still deep, the withered vegetation on both sides was rejuvenated at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even small white flowers bloomed.
The earth around Long Shen’s figure seemed to have rejuvenated and become prosperous. Everyone watched this scene in amazement as Long Shen retracted the whip and handed it back to Liu Si.
“The choice is yours. True power lies not only in destruction, but also in creation and giving.”
Liu Si shook slightly, took the whip, and solemnly said, “I understand. “
Liu Qingbo hurried forward before the others recovered.
“Boss Long, I also want to ask you for guidance.”
He handed the Feijing Sword with both hands, looking at Long Shen eagerly.
Long Shen said, “I have already shown the sword just now, so leave room for others.”
Liu Qingbo was a little unwilling to give up. “But you demonstrated too fast just now, and I didn’t have time to see clearly. Maybe others feel the same!”
Others nodded one after another, wanting to see it again.
Long Shen didn’t pick up the sword but said, “When you visualize, there is one more point. Don’t be distracted. It’s easy to do since you usually practice in a quiet environment, but if you’re in a noisy area or surrounded by danger, if you manage to collapse Mount Tai without changing its color*, you can reach greater heights.”
*The full idiom is Collapse Mount Tai without changing its color, and the elk flourished on the left without blinking (泰山崩于前而色不变，麋鹿兴于左而目不瞬). Refers to being calm and unaffected by the outside world/being calm without panicking in the face of trouble (AKA as cool as a cucumber).
After he finished speaking, he looked at everyone. “All of you, come at me together.”
Everyone looked at each other, but no one moved. Their faces, though, showed eagerness to try.
Long Shen said, “Don’t worry, use your best abilities. There’s no need to hold back.”
Since he said that, everyone no longer had reservations. They stood around Long Shen in a circle, ready to go.
Dong Zhi clenched his Qingzhu Sword in his hand and pinched his other hands with his fingers and began chanting a mantra.
This was a test. Not a test for Long Shen, but Long Shen’s test for them. If they didn’t do their best, it would be considered sloppy and negligent.
Chi Banxia put one hand in her pocket. No one knew what she was touching. She took a step back and reached out her hand. To the eyes of others, it looked as if her hands were empty, but Long Shen seemed aware of it. He stretched out his hand in the air and grabbed at it, then threw it at the stone next to him.
The stone quickly turned black as corroded holes appeared on it one by one.
At this moment, Liu Qingbo yelled and raised his sword to attack Long Shen. The people around only felt the gust of wind from the aftermath of his blade, and they couldn’t help but move far away from him.
Although Liu Qingbo failed to refine his sword into light like Long Shen did, his sword still moved extremely fast. In addition, the Feijing Sword has killed countless people over thousands of years. With the blessings of magic, the murderous aura of the sword surged outward so that it was impossible to hide. Watching the scene from behind, Dong Zhi saw how fearless his opponent was and the vast potential he had. He suddenly understood why Liu Qingbo desperately wanted to become Long Shen’s apprentice.
No matter how powerful his swordsmanship is, it still has the aura of humanly fireworks of the world, while Long Shen’s sword has reached a state of being able to retract and release like a god. Liu Qingbo needs guidance from a master-level figure in order to improve his cultivation one level higher.
However, Dong Zhi had no intention of retreating and being virtuous. Since he had made up his mind, he must work hard in his conviction. He had passed the written exam and interviews, so there was no reason to back down now.
Dark clouds gathered from all sides as the sky above their heads quickly darkened.
Long Shen remained motionless. He stretched out his hand and blocked Liu Qingbo’s offensive as the Feijing Sword paused abruptly in midair. It was as if Liu Qingbo had hit an impenetrable rock as his whole body titled to the side and fell to the ground.
Others followed suit, yet they all failed to even shake Long Shen in the slightest.
Suddenly, a loud bang resounded! The dark clouds rolled endlessly as thunder roared in the clouds, arousing dazzling light. Lightning directly enveloped Long Shen’s entire figure, causing many people to scream.
“Boss Long?!”
“Boss Long!”
Dong Zhi’s heart skipped a beat, but when lightning struck, it was too late to stop it. Everyone could only watch as Long Shen was bathed in the majesty of the sky. Within a five-meter radius around Long Shen, no one dared to approach, including Dong Zhi. The heavenly thunder was so ruthless that one’s life would be in danger if they stood too close.
When the thunder dissipated and the lightning disappeared, Long Shen’s body was no longer there. Only ashes remained as they were blown off by the wind.
Everyone was stunned, and Dong Zhi looked even paler.
“Your reaction is too slow.”
When the familiar voice sounded, they turned their heads abruptly and found that Long Shen was standing behind them, completely unscathed.
What was that?!
They looked at the place where the lightning had struck, seeing the entire area empty as all the grass and leaves were wiped out, leaving only a piece of scorched earth.
Long Shen crossed his arms and said coldly, “If this was the enemy, you would be a cold corpse by now.”
Everyone lowered their heads in shame. In their respective fields of expertise, not to mention outstanding, they were considered rising stars. They were usually praised by their elders, but when they arrived here, they were punched down again and again. First, the simulation training only had half a survival rating, and now, despite so many people attacking Long Shen, they didn’t even make a single scratch. If he was really the enemy, they would have died a hundred times over by now.
Long Shen said, “There’s a problem at Fuxian Lake in Yunnan. A member of group three from the Special Administration Bureau had died there.”
Everyone was taken aback and subconsciously looked up at him.
Long Shen: “The setback that you feel now is to teach you, so you won’t lose your lives in the future. I hope that next time I give you a lesson, I can see your progress. Class is over.”
After speaking, he left.
Today wasn’t so much of a class but rather a blow to their egos. While everyone seemed to have benefited from it, it also made them painfully aware of the huge gap between themselves and the truly top practitioners.
After Long Shen left, Liu Qingbo kept touching the Feijing Sword silently. His eyes were filled with fanaticism. Others were pretty much the same.
At this moment, they heard Zhang Song say, “The previous duel, is it still on?”
Li Ying frowned slightly, feeling that Zhang Song was deliberately provoking him. Everyone who witnessed that confrontation had long forgotten about it, except this guy, who just had to bring it up again.
Zhang Song said, “As you saw just now, many of us are not capable of dealing with Boss Long. We should step up our practice. Outside the gates of Beijing, there are many demons and ghosts that need to be exorcised daily, so we should practice more when we’re free. Don’t you agree, Li Ying?”
Although he knew Zhang Song was provoking him, Li Ying couldn’t really refute what he said: “Why don’t we set a time every week in the future. Let’s discuss in groups, and we’ll go at that time. You can challenge your own opponents, and others will be your witnesses. How about it?”
This is a good idea. There are countless practitioners in the world. It’s inevitable that they’ll meet opponents when they go out in the future. Everyone has their own strengths, so as Zhang Song said, they can improve each other.
Zhang Song smiled and said, “Since the sun is still out, why not have a duel now.”
Li Ying felt that it would be too chaotic currently and was trying to find an excuse to push it off, but Liu Qingbo said, “Yes, but I don’t want to fight Li Ying. I want to learn from Dong Zhi.”
Everyone looked at Dong Zhi.
Dong Zhi said honestly, “Sorry, I’m not proficient in swordsmanship. I can only use talismans. With speed alone, I can’t beat you, so I don’t think this kind of exchange is meaningful.”
Liu Qingbo sneered, “Cut the crap, are you afraid?”
Dong Zhi looked at him innocently. “That’s right.”
Kinky Translations 