Xiao Tang went to bed a little early tonight. While he was asleep, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He woke up in a daze and found that his phone was also ringing. He immediately sat up, went over, and opened the door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Shen Jintai standing outside.
He felt that Shen Jintai’s expression was not right, and all his sleepiness disappeared. “Brother Jin.”
Shen Jintai: “Hurry up and get dressed and take us to the hospital.”
Xiao Tang nodded and quickly ran back to put on his clothes. He didn’t even bother putting on his socks as he put on his shoes and hurried out.
The wind was howling outside, blowing snow everywhere. Yan Qiuchi sat in the back silently as Shen Jintai held his hand and kept saying, “They’re okay. They have to be okay.”
Fortunately, the hospital was nearby. When they arrived, Yan Qiuchi immediately opened the car door and ran out. Shen Jintai had never seen him in a panic like this before.
Xiao Tang was unaware of what was going on and had to find a place to park the car. He yelled, “Brother Jin!”
“You go and ask the crew for a break for me. I may not be able to film tomorrow.” Shen Jintai said as he got out of the car and hurried into the hospital. Xiao Tang wanted to remind him to wear a mask but didn’t have time to stop him.
He hurriedly parked the car and called Li Meilan. The phone rang for a while before she answered. Her voice was hoarse as she greeted him with a “Hey” then listened to Xiao Tang. After hearing what he said, she immediately sat up, waking up her husband, who was sleeping by her side.
“What’s the matter?”
“Something seems to have happened to Jintai,” Li Meilan said, getting up. “You keep an eye on the children. I’ll go over and have a look.”
Her husband opened the curtains and glanced outside, only to see that the wind was blowing heavily with snow outside.
“You’re still going with the weather like this?” Her husband knew that he couldn’t persuade her, so he could only send her out the door, saying, “Be careful on the road.”
Li Meilan nodded, kissed her husband, and hurried out with a scarf around her neck. When she arrived at the hospital, she called Xiao Tang. Xiao Tang ran out to pick her up and said in horror, “Mr. and Mrs. Yan have been in a car accident, and they have been hit by a series of collisions. They are all in the ER now.”
Li Meilan only felt her legs going soft when she heard this, and her heart pounded. “Where is Jintai?”
“He was waiting outside the operating room with President Yan,” Xiao Tang lowered his voice as he said. “A lot of people are here.”
Li Meilan and Xiao Tang took the elevator and went with Xiao Tang to the operating room. They saw a lot of people in the corridor and Shen Jintai was sitting next to Yan Qiuchi. Seeing her come over, he stood up and walked to her.
“Xiao Tang told me.” Li Meilan hugged Shen Jintai’s arm. “How is it? What did the doctor say?”
Shen Jintai’s eyes were red, but his expression was calm. He only shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”
As he finished speaking, he heard an elderly old lady walking over accompanied by others and asked, “Did you tell Yaoxuan?”
“He’s abroad.”
“Tell him to come back wherever he is!”
Shen Jintai’s throat bobbed, and he said to Li Meilan, “I can’t leave now. Tell the crew tomorrow. They’ll be considerate.”
“I know.”
Shen Jintai returned to Yan Qiuchi’s side. As the old lady came over, Yan Qiuchi stood up and called her “Grandma.”
Shen Jintai also stood up. Old Lady Feng held Yan Qiuchi’s hand and said, “It’s okay, dear. Don’t worry.”
As she said it, she looked at Shen Jintai and said, “Xiao Jin is here too.”
It seemed that she also knew about him. Shen Jintai supported her and said, “Please sit.”
Old Lady Fang sat down, and immediately several men in their 40s and 50s came over to greet her. Old Lady Fang greeted them politely, and when they walked away, she asked Yan Qiuchi, “Did you inform them?”
Yan Qiuchi nodded. “They’re all senior executives of the company, so I have to tell them.”
Old Lady Fang didn’t speak.
At this time, a man who came to greet him just now suddenly said, “I know everyone is very sad and worried now, but I still want to say something now. I hope everyone can keep the news a secret and not spread it until the situation becomes clear, so it won’t have an adverse impact on the company. Thank you.”
He bowed after speaking.
Yan Tiefeng was too important, and his influence was also great. If something were to happen, it would have an immeasurable impact on several companies under the Yan name. The sharp drop in their stock price was only a superficial impact.
Old Lady Fang said to Yan Qiuchi, “Your Uncle Wang and Old Li. They have always had a good relationship with your father and were promoted by him. If something happens, you can discuss it with them more, and they will help you. As for Deputy Director Liu, President Yun, and the others, you have to pick out and listen carefully to what they say. If they take the opportunity to seize power, you must not be soft.”
Shen Jintai felt that Yan Qiuchi’s life wasn’t easy at all. While his parents were in the ER with their lives uncertain, what he had to do was not just grieve but take care of business.
Yan Qiuchi nodded; his expression resolute.
The operation took a long time as everyone waited outside. When it was almost dawn, everyone’s phone started ringing, one after another. Yan Qiuchi’s second uncle had also rushed over. After greeting him, Yan Qiuchi got up and walked to the bathroom.
Shen Jintai hesitated for a moment and decided to follow him. When he arrived at the bathroom, he didn’t see Yan Qiuchi. After a while, he saw him coming out of the bathroom stall with red eyes.
He came over and hugged Shen Jintai and said, “It’s okay, I’m okay.”
Hearing this, Shen Jintai’s nose turned instantly sour as he patted Yan Qiuchi on the back. The two of them came out of the bathroom and walked back to where the operating room was. Suddenly they saw the light in the operating room had changed color, and a group of people immediately surrounded the entrance.
Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai also hurried over. A doctor came out of the room, took off his mask, and said, “Don’t worry, the operation was a success, but it hasn’t passed the dangerous period yet, and we need to keep them under careful observation.”
“Are all three of them okay?” Old Lady Fang asked anxiously.
“We need to keep observing,” The doctor said. “One’s situation is not very optimistic, so we’ll have to see how that turns out tomorrow. The other two shouldn’t be too big of a problem.”
With the situation unknown, nobody left. Everyone went into the VIP ward and waited. Old Lady Fang was a little dizzy and had already laid down. As dawn came, the snow was still falling outside, but the wind had slowly subsided. Li Meilan came over and whispered to Shen Jintai, “We brought some breakfast…”
When Yan Qiuchi heard this, he said to Shen Jintai, “Go eat something and lie down. You haven’t slept all night.”
Shen Jintai nodded and left with Li Meilan and the others. As soon as he got into the car, he immediately closed his eyes and laid down. His expression moved, as if he were about to cry but still held them back. He barely ate a mouthful of breakfast and only asked Li Meilan, “Did you tell the crew?”
Li Meilan nodded. “I did.”
Shen Jintai sat in the car for a while, then returned to the ward and saw that there were more people now, but Yan Qiuchi was no longer there. Fang Yun, who didn’t have makeup on, came over looking haggard. She whispered, “President Yan and a few directors went next door for a meeting.”
Among the three people, the driver was the most seriously injured, followed by Yan Tiefeng, then Mrs. Yan. Even so, she still hadn’t woken up. Suddenly there was a heartbreaking cry outside the ward. When Shen Jintai and others went out to the next door, they saw a woman in her thirties holding a little girl as she collapsed onto the floor.
Yan Tiefeng’s driver’s injuries suddenly worsened, and he was sent to the operating room again. Shen Jintai only felt his scalp go numb as he squatted against the door frame.
The day felt like it was the longest day of his life. He hadn’t seen Yan Qiuchi again since that morning. When it was evening, good news was finally ushered in. Mrs. Yan had woken up and was allowed to receive some relatives and friends for a visit.
Yan Qiuchi hadn’t returned yet. Shen Jintai was anxious and wanted to visit her, but he felt too embarrassed given his identity, so he didn’t speak up. He stood at the door and watched Old Lady Fang and the others go in. When they arrived at the door, Old Lady Fang turned her head and saw him, then said, “Come in too.”
Shen Jintai almost cried as he nodded and said, “Thank you.”
“She will want to see him,” Old Lady Fang said to Yan Qiuchi’s uncle.
Shen Jintai had never seen the ward before. Looking inside, he felt that it was not all that different from what he had seen in film and television. Mrs. Yan was lying on the hospital bed with a ventilator nearby. There were bruises on the corners of her eyes.
Old Lady Fang was calm as she sat down and took her hand. Mrs. Yan was still very weak and unable to speak. Old Lady Fang said, “Everything is fine, everything is fine. Even the driver has been rescued. It’s just that Tiefeng and the others haven’t woken up yet.”
As soon as her voice fell, the sound of rapid footsteps could be heard from outside, and then Yan Qiuchi came in. Shen Jintai suddenly couldn’t control his emotions and turned his head.
Mrs. Yan was still very weak, so they didn’t stay in the ward for long. Yan Qiuchi said, “You all go and eat something. I’ll stay here. It’s too chaotic when there are too many people.
Old Lady Fang nodded, and everyone went out. Shen Jintai stood beside him and walked behind Yan Qiuchi. Yan Qiuchi turned his head and beckoned him to come over. Shen Jintai squatted in front of the hospital bed and held Mrs. Yan’s hand.
Mrs. Yan, who had always looked glamorous, healthy, and cheerful, looked at him weakly at this moment with her arms covered in scars. Shen Jintai felt that he shouldn’t cry, so he lowered his head and leaned his forehead on the back of her hand, tears falling directly to the ground.
Fortunately… Fortunately, Mrs. Yan didn’t leave him and would be his mother in the future.
The two of them stayed in the ward until the evening, when Old Lady Fang came to take over and asked them to get something to eat.
“Even if you don’t want to eat, accompany Xiao Jin. Go,” Old Lady Fang said. “We have many relatives staying to watch her.”
When Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai came out of the ward, they saw two people suddenly running over from the end of the corridor. They both wore overcoats and had hurried expressions. Coming into view was Yan Yaoxuan.
Yan Yaoxuan stopped when he saw Yan Qiuchi. He walked forward, panting and teary-eyed, as he called to him, “Brother…” He rushed up and hugged Yan Qiuchi.
Yan Qiuchi hugged him back and said, “Mom has woken up. Go see her.”
“What about dad?”
“Haven’t woken up yet.”
Yan Yaoxuan’s eyes welled with tears, and his expression was extremely haggard. When he released him, he hurried into the ward, leaving a young man behind him, who greeted Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai.
The man was almost as tall as Yan Qiuchi. His eyes looked cold, and his appearance was quite handsome. He stretched out his hand and said, “I’m Yan Yaoxuan’s friend, Shan Cheng.”
The author has something to say:
I like Mrs. Yan so much. A good mother-in-law will live a long life and be a hundred years old.
We’re entering the ending, but still need to be heavily colored as everyone will shine and heat up.
Kinky Thoughts:
Well, this is indeed interesting, Yaoxuan. All that’s left is Bai Qingquan and his gong.
It was still snowing heavily outside. Since the restaurant where they planned to meet was next to the hotel, Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi didn’t take a car. The wind and snow provided good cover, as the passersby were in a hurry.
Shen Jintai had his mask on and came out of the hotel with Yan Qiuchi. The cold wind blasted on his face as soon as he stepped outside. Mixed with the snow, the feeling was extremely cold. The wind and snow were so strong that he became worried about the Yan couple’s safety.
When they arrived at the restaurant, he immediately called Mrs. Yan. The call quickly connected, and Mrs. Yan said, “You’ve already arrived? It’ll be about ten more minutes for us. It’s rush hour right now, and there’s a traffic jam that’s quite serious.”
“Just tell the driver to drive carefully and don’t worry about rushing here.” Shen Jintai said. After hanging up, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out. The restaurant had a very good view as it was on the 30th floor. Looking out, snow blanketed the city, creating a very desolate and magnificent look.
Since Yan Qiuchi arrived at the restaurant, he had answered two calls consecutively, so he waited outside for a while before coming in. Shen Jintai said, “So busy.”
“New Year’s is generally the busiest time,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai: “Is it time for Yaoxuan to return home? Chinese New Year’s less than a month away.”
Yan Qiuchi: “He’ll be back in a few days and will probably make it before New Year’s.”
As soon as Yan Qiuchi finished speaking, a knock came at the door. Yan Qiuchi turned around and said, “Come in.”
The waiter came in and brought in two bouquets of flowers; one of pink roses and the other of pink carnations. When he saw the roses, Shen Jintai thought they were for him, but seeing the carnations, he realized they were for Mrs. Yan.
“Today is my parents’ 27th anniversary,” Yan Qiuchi said.
Shen Jintai said, “Ah, why didn’t you tell me earlier. Now what am I going to do? I haven’t prepared any gifts.”
“I have already sent gifts on your behalf, and they were delivered to the house this morning. It’s in both our names,” Yan Qiuchi said. “The two of them thought that it wasn’t a 10-year event, so they didn’t think it was too important and didn’t tell anyone, and just planned to have a meal with us to celebrate.”
Shen Jintai: “I wanted to cancel tonight due to the weather being so bad, but Auntie Fang kept insisting that we have dinner together. It turns out to be because of this.”
After sitting down, Shen Jintai said, “27 years is really enviable.”
Yan Qiuchi: “We will have this day in the future. Not only 27 years, but 37, 47, 57, and maybe even 67.”
Shen Jintai laughed. “By then we’ll be two old men with gray hair.”
Shen Jintai noted today’s date on his phone and called Mrs. Yan again. Mrs. Yan said, “We’re entering the elevator right now, and we’ll be there soon.”
Shen Jintai got up immediately, hugged a bouquet of flowers by himself, gave Yan Qiuchi the other bouquet, and then told him, “You stand on the other side with those flowers in your arms.”
Yan Qiuchi was usually shameless in front of him as he piled on words of love, but in front of the Yan couple, he always acted serious, but now he acted a bit uncooperative when he heard this. Shen Jintai said, “Take it and stand there.”
Yan Qiuchi stood still and smiled. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard outside. Yan Tiefeng and Mrs. Yan pushed open the door, guided by a waiter. As soon as they entered, they saw Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai, each holding a bouquet of flowers, standing on either side of the door.
Mrs. Yan was momentarily surprised before hugging Shen Jintai first and taking the flowers from his arms. “Thank you.”
“Auntie and uncle, happy anniversary!” Shen Jintai said sweetly.
Mrs. Yan smiled and went to hug Yan Qiuchi. When Yan Qiuchi wanted to give her the bouquet, she said, “I can’t hold it all. Give it to your dad!”
Yan Tiefeng smiled and said, “Give it to me.”
He took it and said to Mrs. Yan, “They are your favorite, pink.”
Mrs. Yan had a girly heart and loves pink flowers the most. Seeing these today, she was incredibly happy. Since Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi had confirmed their relationship, she had been anxious to see the two of them. Last time she came to the hotel, she missed Shen Jintai due to him working overtime. As such, she had been anxious for several days now, waiting for this moment.
Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi still acted the same, as if they had not become any closer while in front of her, but she felt that their relationship felt different. From a glance, she could feel there were hints of intimacy between the two of them.
“I didn’t prepare any gifts for uncle and auntie,” Shen Jintai said.
“You have given enough gifts this morning. We can understand your intentions. We didn’t plan to make it a big deal. Besides, you are the best gift for me and your Uncle Yan.” Mrs. Yan smiled happily.
“You don’t know how happy your Aunt Fang has been these days. She’s been humming songs all day at home,” Yan Tiefeng said.
The Yan parents were really open-minded. Not only that, but they also have very good personalities. Probably afraid that Shen Jintai would get embarrassed, Yan Tiefeng said, “Let’s eat and we can talk while eating.”
During the meal, the topic between Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi was not brought up. The embarrassment and tension that Shen Jintai felt quickly disappeared. The four of them ate dinner like usual and mostly talked about work.
Because the year was coming to an end and annual reports were going to be released, Yan Tiefeng asked many questions regarding Sunshine Media. Due to the technical aspects, Mrs. Yan and Shen Jintai couldn’t really join the conversation.
“That’s normal between the two of them. They always talk about work when they meet,” Mrs. Yan said. “How has Qingquan been recently? I have also read the news. That child is so pitiful.”
Shen Jintai: “He is still adjusting. This incident had a great impact on him.”
Mrs. Yan: “It will be New Year’s Day in two days. Will your crew give you a break for New Year’s?”
Shen Jintai: “The filming process of our crew is going much slower than expected. We’ve been working overtime recently. Not only New Year’s, but I’m afraid even Chinese New Year’s will have to be spent with the crew.”
When Yan Qiuchi heard this, he turned his head and said, “You won’t be able to take a vacation during Chinese New Year’s. If you delay it any longer, I don’t know how much money we will have to spend on this project.”
Mrs. Yan smiled and said, “So business-like. You don’t even know how to feel sorry for others.”
Shen Jintai: “I also want to finish it quickly. The schedules behind me have been arranged, and they have all been disrupted by the current drama.”
“Overtime is overtime. I’ve taken a look at some of the rough cuts, and they aren’t bad.” Yan Qiuchi said to Mrs. Yan as he finished, “How much have you drunk?”
Mrs. Yan smiled, put down her wine glass, and touched her face, looking quite girlish.
“Your face is flushed. Aren’t you afraid it’ll swell the next day?” Yan Tiefang said softly.
He hadn’t noticed before, but seeing it today, Shen Jintai found that although Yan Tiefeng was quite dignified on the outside, in private, he was gentle and had a good relationship with Mrs. Yan, revealing a very ordinary love.
Looking at the time, Mrs. Yan saw that it was almost time to head back, so she called the driver and asked him to bring over the bracelet. When Shen Jintai saw that she was going to give him something, he stood up.
Yan Qiuchi asked, “This is your anniversary. Why are you gifting him something?”
Mrs. Yan probably also thought that the bracelet was a bit weird to give to a man, and she was afraid that Shen Jintai would not accept it, so she said, “You two are together, and your Uncle Yan and I are very happy, so we wanted to gift you something. It’s not expensive, but it’s meaningful. Just put it away and open it when you get back.”
If she didn’t allow him to open it and look, Shen Jintai couldn’t refuse, so with no other choice, he took it and said, “Thank you auntie. Thank you uncle.”
Yan Tiefeng smiled and stood up. “Okay, we should go back too. Let’s have another drink between us four.”
“It’s a pity that Yaoxuan is abroad and couldn’t come back.” Mrs. Yan said, holding the cup.
“Did he call?” Yan Qiuchi asked.
“At noon,” Mrs. Yan said. “It’s rare that he even remembers this day.”
The four of them toasted, and Shen Jintai said, “Once again, I wish you two a happy 27th anniversary!”
“Thank you,” Yan Tiefeng said.
The snowstorm outside seems to be getting worse. The snowflake looked denser under the streetlights, perhaps due to the heavy wind. There were barely any cars on the road on such a bustling street at this time. Mrs. Yan didn’t forget to instruct Shen Jintai, “Put on your mask.”
As Shen Jintai put on his mask, Yan Qiuchi, who saw him holding the box, took it from his hands and asked him to put his hand in his pocket. Seeing this, Mrs. Yan smiled and stretched out her hand to hold Yan Tiefang’s arms. She staggered a bit, probably due to drinking a bit too much.
The driver drove the car up to the restaurant and stopped in front. Yan Tiefang got into the car first and said, “On such a cold day, you should head back as soon as possible.”
Mrs. Yan hugged Shen Jintai again, patted him on the back, and said, “Auntie is so happy that you two are together.”
“Thank you, auntie.” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi, who was next to him, said, “Mom, I have to thank you too. For him to promise to me, half of it was due to your efforts.”
Mrs. Yan and Shen Jintai both laughed when they heard this.
“I know.” Mrs. Yan patted Shen Jintai on the back again, let him go, and said, “Okay, I’m leaving. You two can head back and open the gift.”
“Be careful on the road and drive slowly,” Shen Jintai said to the driver.
The driver smiled in response. After closing the door, he immediately went around to the other side and got into the car. Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi stood on the side of the road, covered in snowflakes. After the car drove off, Shen Jintai put his hands in his pocket and said, “Let’s go. So cold!”
The whole city has become a world of ice. There were few cars and people on the road right now. The streetlights cast an image of cold beauty, which can rile people up. Couple this with a bit of tipsiness, and Shen Jintai couldn’t help but run a few steps forward and spin a few times in the wind. While the mask covered his face, his eyes sparkled as he looked at Yan Qiuchi with a smile.
Yan Qiuchi asked as he walked, “You didn’t drink too much today, did you? I think your face is flushed.”
Shen Jintai: “My face is always like this when I drink. I didn’t drink much, but I think Auntie Fang drank a lot tonight!”
“She is probably really happy,” Yan Qiuchi said. “My dad is actually quite happy too.”
“By the way, let me see what Auntie Fang gave me.” Shen Jintai said as he leaned forward to open the box in Yan Qiuchi’s hand. Under the streetlight, the diamond-inlaid bracelet looked like a treasure. Shen Jintai smiled and said, “Wow! How can she give me this?”
Yan Qiuchi was also surprised. He didn’t know about the bracelet.
Shen Jintai said, “No wonder Auntie Fang said not to open it until we get back and to just put it away.” Such a gorgeous bracelet was obviously made to be worn by a woman.
The two returned to the hotel, and when they arrived at their rooms, Shen Jintai grabbed the box from Yan Qiuchi, waved his hand, and said, “President Yan, go back and rest early.”
“President Yan is not sleepy yet,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Can I come and sit in Mr. Shen’s room?”
“In the middle of the night, it’s not good for a man to accept a kiss, right?” Shen Jintai said.
Yan Qiuchi smiled, took out the room card from his pocket, and opened the door. He then hooked his arm around Shen Jintai’s collar and dragged him inside.
Shen Jintai shrank his neck, smiled, and asked, “Uncle Yan, do they know that you are like this in private?” In front of Yan Tiefeng and Mrs. Yan, he had a picture-perfect image.
Yan Qiuchi pressed Shen Jintai against the door and asked, “Like what?”
Shen Jintai raised his head slightly and blocked Yan Qiuchi’s body with the box in his hands. Yan Qiuchi leaned forward when his phone suddenly rang. He took out his phone and looked to see who was calling. It was Yan Tiefeng’s driver. He quickly answered the phone. The voice on the other line was so loud that even Shen Jintai could hear it. His cries were heard mixed together with the howling wind.
Yan Tiefeng’s driver was lying on the ground with blood covering his face. The car was overturned, and the wheels were still spinning. Half of his body was sprawled out of the car door as his blood dripped on the snow.
The box that Shen Jintai was holding fell to the ground, breaking into pieces as the bracelet inside fell out.
The author has something to say:
It’s the second half where all the main characters will appear.
Xiao Tang stood at the entrance to the room in utter shock, the breakfast in his hand almost falling to the ground. “Yan… President Yan.”
Yan Qiuchi put on his robe and said, “Nn. Come in.”
Xiao Tang: “I… Do you want me to buy another breakfast…”
He didn’t know that Yan Qiuchi would be here, so he only bought breakfast for Shen Jintai alone. Could someone tell him why Yan Qiuchi was in Shen Jintai’s room so early in the morning?! Wasn’t this moving too fast?!
“No, I don’t need it,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Come in, and I’ll leave.”
Xiao Tang and Yan Qiuchi passed by each other. When the door behind him closed, Xiao Tang immediately ran to the bedroom and looked. He saw Shen Jintai sleeping soundly with one arm exposed and his pajama shirt dangling from one side of his shoulder. Looking at his position, Yan Qiuchi slept on the left side yesterday. Xiao Tang was so shocked that he hurried back into the living room.
He sat there for a while, until he heard a knock on the door. He hurriedly opened it and saw that it was Li Meilan, Wang Nan, and the others. Li Meilan undid her scarf and said, “It’s freezing to death outside. Is Jintai up yet?”
“Not yet… not yet,” Xiao Tang said.
“We need to get started soon. It’s already snowing, so there will definitely be traffic jams. We should leave early.” Li Meilan went into the bedroom as she was speaking and woke Shen Jintai up.
Shen Jintai rubbed his eyes and sat up. Li Meilan said, “It’s snowing so hard outside.”
Shen Jintai got out of bed, opened the curtains, and took a look. He saw snow heavily falling as the strong wind blew them around. The snowflakes were dancing wildly in the air, and the sky was so dark that the cars on the road had their headlights turned on. He inadvertently shivered at the sight.
“I have good news for you,” Li Meilan said. “The official account of Headline Entertainment has been blocked.”
Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment. “When did it happen?”
“I got the news last night, and I went to their Weibo page, and it was indeed blocked. At the same time, there were several other Weibo gossip accounts that were blocked as well,” Li Meilan said. “I did say that Headline was barking up the wrong tree.”
Shen Jintai took out his phone to search for news and found that Sina had posted an announcement clarifying their position on why several accounts had been blocked. The reason they stated was [Malicious speculations on celebrity topics, which could be vulgar or slander, are not conducive to the Weibo ecosystem.].
Shen Jintai immediately took a screenshot and sent it to Bai Qingquan, hoping it would provide him with some small relief. He wasn’t sure if Yan Qiuchi had anything to do with it. He didn’t realize when Yan Qiuchi had left. He could only vaguely remember that he was about to go to bed last night when he noticed Yan Qiuchi gently caressing his waist, being quite restrained, knowing that he was too tired to do anything else.
After breakfast, they rushed to the crew. They encountered a traffic jam on the road, so it took them half an hour longer than usual to get to the filming location. To cope with the blizzard, almost all traffic police in Nacheng were dispatched. The blizzard was so heavy that it made many people feel uneasy. Shen Jintai called Yan Qiuchi and said, “We’re going to have dinner with Uncle Yan and the others tonight. The weather is so bad right now. Perhaps we should reschedule it for another time.”
“I called and asked, and my mother said it was fine and to pay attention to safety on the road.” Yan Qiuchi asked, “What time are you finished? I’ll pick you up.”
“You can just go directly to the restaurant and wait for me. I will go back with Xiao Tang and the others.”
Due to the heavy blizzard, filming was affected. The Xu family courtyard in the movie was an old courtyard that they rented on the outskirts of the city. The home had no heating except for two stoves in the room. On snowy days such as this, with various staff members coming in and out, the floor of the room was covered with mud and water, making it even colder and unsightly.
Fortunately, they only needed to film a short cutscene, and after filming was done, they moved location to a lamb hotpot restaurant nearby to film the scene of Xu Xingchen and Yu Chenglin eating. To prevent a crowd, the crew did a good job keeping things confidential when they chose the location. In addition to the blizzard, there were no other guests in the restaurant besides the crew members. Despite this, the owner was full of excitement and even volunteered herself to appear in the movie, which was rejected. She took out her phone and recorded a clip to send to her daughter, who was off in college. “Look! They’re all big stars, and it’s your favorite, Shen Jintai!”
Shen Jintai was originally sitting in a chair, but when he heard this, he turned his head and waved his hand. The staff went up to block the owner’s phone. “No pictures. No pictures.”
To improve work efficiency, Qiu Hong gave up on the idea of using amateur actors, so all the extras were all professionals.
“Director, hurry up and start shooting so we can keep warm after eating,” Gu Jin said with a smile.
The light technician finally adjusted the angle of the light plate again and made an “ok” gesture. This scene was an important one. Yu Chenglin was regarded as the only bright aspect in the movie. His relationship with Xu Xingchen was restrained and subtle. It was interesting to say that what they had was love but wasn’t love, but it wasn’t entirely correct to say that there was no love, giving off a very tender and warm feeling.
Originally, the script only said that they would eat together but didn’t say what they would eat. Following a discussion among the creators, they decided that hotpot was the best option. As the pot steamed and boiled, the thick soup roiled as two old lovers acted polite yet alienated. Hotpot had such Chinese characteristics that it added a nice human touch to the scene.
If it weren’t for another chance encounter on the street, Xu Xingchen probably wouldn’t have eaten with Yu Chenglin. When they met at the farmer’s market, he only said it as a common courtesy.
The hotpot restaurant was very lively. Four of the six tables were filled. Xu Xingchen sat across from Yu Chenglin, picked up a glass of alcohol, and poured one for him.
Yu Chenglin said politely, “Thank you.”
“Do you remember this shop?” Yu Chenglin asked.
“This wasn’t a hotspot restaurant before, was it?” Xu Xingchen said.
This shop was next door to their school, facing the old railroad station. It looked like an ordinary restaurant that also sold steam buns in front of the shop. At that time, they didn’t have money, so at most, they would come here for a meal on weekends, and all the dishes they ordered would be vegetarian. Xu Xingchen liked eating the fried mung bean sprouts from this shop the most, and the cabbage and bean curd soup was also very good. This was the first time he had gone inside with Yu Chenglin.
“It’s been more than ten years,” Yu Chenglin said.
Xu Xingchen stared at him, and said, “When I look closely, you haven’t changed much. Just a little tanner and stronger. I used to remember that you were lighter than me back then.”
Memories came to his mind, but the love did not rekindle. It was more of an emotion that arose from nostalgia. At that time, life was difficult, and middle school was boring and exhausting. Their first love was bitter and had a tragic ending, but when he recalled it more than ten years later, the pain was forgotten and only the warm memories were left.
“What does your partner do?” Yu Chenglin squeezed the glass and pointed to the ring on his middle finger with it.
Xu Xingchen rubbed the ring on his hand and said, “Ordinary office worker. How about you? How are you now?”
“I have been with a girl, but in the end, I didn’t want to hurt her. When I was about to get married, we separated, and I’ve been single ever since,” Yu Chenglin said.
Xu Xingchen nodded but didn’t continue to ask.
Yu Chenglin himself said, “But the most difficult time has passed, and my family has let me be.”
Xu Xingchen nodded again, his mood suddenly rose as he drank his glass of alcohol. The hotpot continued gurgling and steaming. He fished some out and took two bites of the food as sweat condensed on his forehead.
“Cut!”
Qiu Hong said, “Okay, I’m going to film the next scene.”
The movie was not a romance film, so it didn’t spend much time describing their feelings. When they moved to the next part of the scene, Yu Chenglin had become drunk and had his head plastered down on the table as he silently sobbed.
Suddenly, there was a burst of emotion. What was Yu Chenglin thinking? Was he still in love with Xu Xingchen? How did Xu Xingchen spend the past 10 years? These things were not mentioned in the script, and there was no dialogue to support them either.
Xu Xingchen had helped Yu Chenglin home. When Yu Chenglin’s mother saw him, she was surprised. They exchanged a few awkward polite words before Xu Xingchen left. While their emotions were not directly expressed, Qiu Hong made sure that many hints were hidden in the small details, some so subtle that the audience might miss them.
For example, there are several photos hanging in Yu Chenglin’s room. One of them was a class photo of him and Xu Xingchen. This was discovered by Shen Jintai himself, leading him to believe that there were many other props that he did not notice. They weren’t placed casually, and Qiu Hong refused to explain it to him, saying, “You don’t need to know the things that Xu Xingchen doesn’t know.”
Adult emotions were nuanced, and not everything was simply love or hate. What Qiu Hong wanted were the subtle feelings that forced them to break up in the first place and the feelings they felt when reunited ten years later.
On the snowy street that was devoid of people, Xu Xingchen walked home silently.
After filming this segment, Shen Jintai was almost completely frozen. Despite drinking, it still didn’t work. It was too cold, and he kept trembling from the cold. The wind and snow were blowing too strongly, creating a harsh environment that was no longer suitable for filming. Qiu Hong said, “Let’s end here today. Thank you for your hard work.”
Qiu Hong gave Shen Jintai a hug and found that Shen Jintai’s hands were particularly cold: “Go back and have a good rest so you don’t get sick.”
Shen Jintai nodded and got into the car, shivering. Li Meilan quickly handed him a cup of hot tea. “Warm up.”
Shen Jintai: “What time is it?”
Li Meilan: “It’s not even four yet.”
Shen Jintai took a few sips of hot tea, then rubbed his hands and said, “Go back.”
The snow on the road was very thick. Many of the roads were blocked, and the drivers were driving slowly. It was almost six by the time they returned to the hotel. Shen Jintai took a shower and changed his clothes. As he was still dressing, Yan Qiuchi came over.
“It’s so cold, and you’re just wearing this?” He asked Shen Jintai.
Shen Jintai: “Today I want to look good.”
Yan Qiuchi: “You look good in whatever you wear. It’s not the first time you’ve seen them. You can wear whatever you want.”
Still, Shen Jintai didn’t listen to him. He felt that this meeting with Yan Tiefang and Mrs. Yan had a different meaning. He couldn’t dress too casually. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater with a light gray-mid-length coat on the outside. Yan Qiuchi said, “Put on your scarf.”
As Shen Jintai went to grab his scarf, his phone rang. He took it out and looked at who was calling. He smiled and said to Yan Qiuchi, “Auntie Fang is calling.”
Mrs. Yan’s voice was crisp, and she couldn’t conceal her joy. “Xiao Jin, we’re heading out!”
“Then Qiuchi and I will wait for you in the restaurant,” Shen Jintai said. “Tell the driver to drive slowly on the road as the conditions aren’t good.”
“I know. You are so close. You don’t need to go out so early. I will see you later. I have brought you a gift!” Mrs. Yan hung up the phone happily.
Yan Tiefeng helped her put on her coat and said, “You’re seeing them later, yet you still have to call.”
Mrs. Yan wrapped up a bracelet that she took out of a sandalwood box as Yan Tiefeng continued, “You’re really giving it to him.”
Mrs. Yan: “When we got married, your mother said that this bracelet was an heirloom of your Yan family and wanted me to pass it on to the eldest daughter-in-law. To me, whether they are a man or woman, I would consider them my daughter-in-law. This bracelet was not originally intended to be worn but was mainly used to express the wishes of our family. When two young men like them are together, they especially need something with a sense of ceremony. I am also doing this for Qiuchi.”
Yan Tiefeng: “If you give this now, what will you give when they get married?”
Mrs. Yan: “Your mother gave it to me when we were engaged.”
“Really?” Yan Tiefeng said.
Mrs. Yan snorted coldly and said, “As if you could remember.”
“I remember that today is our wedding anniversary.” Yan Tiefeng leaned forward as he spoke, and he kissed her on the cheek.
Mrs. Yan smiled and gave him a push. She picked up the box and said, “Let’s go, let’s go! I can’t wait to see the two of them!”
At this moment, He Yu let out a snort. Although he was talking nonsense with Dong Zhi, his eyes never left the compass in his hand. Suddenly, the compass needle vibrated slightly, then the vibration started to grow.
“Master, please stop at the next station. We have to get off!” Dong Zhi shouted upon seeing this.
The driver didn’t respond. Dong Zhi wasn’t sure if he had heard him. Only then did he realize that they were most likely on the last bus, and it was so late that there wouldn’t be anyone waiting at the bus stop. The bus kept moving forward without stopping once, and the other passengers inside never asked to get off either.
He couldn’t help but look around and notice that the bus route sign that should’ve been posted was blank. He wasn’t sure if this was due to the staff’s negligence or for a different reason. Suddenly, his wrist was caught, startling him as he turned his head back.
He Yu also found that something was amiss with this bus and whispered to him, “I’ll talk to the driver. Stay at the door and, as soon as possible, get out!”
He nodded nervously, and the two got up and walked to the driver’s seat.
“Master, what’s the next stop? We want to get off the bus, so can you please stop!” He Yu exclaimed loudly.
When passing by the other seats, Dong Zhi deliberately glance at the passengers. Their sight shocked him. There was a middle-aged woman who looked pale and was staring blankly. She didn’t seem to notice him as she remained motionless.
What was more shocking was her clothes. Her chubby upper body was wearing a plain striped dress. The fabric was a bit rough, and the corners had some stains on them. She looked to be a blue-collar worker who was used to working all year round. The issue was… such coarse clothes and style were obviously not the daily wear of people in modern cities!
The bus stops in this area adopted the method of swiping cards and coins at the entrance, so passengers could get on the bus directly when it entered the stations. When they got on the bus, they entered through the back, so they didn’t pay much attention to the outfits of the other passengers.
Dong Zhi suppressed the chill he felt inside and walked quickly, as if nothing was wrong, and caught up with He Yu.
After He Yu shouted a few times, the driver slowly turned his head, glared at him, and said in a hoarse voice, “You can get off at the terminal.”
“How can you say this? I’m going to file a complaint against you!” He Yu said.
The driver cackled, causing him to tremble from the sound. The bus was still moving forward. Dong Zhi found that the driver’s feet were flat on the ground and there were no brakes or gas pedal near his feet!
“Laozi told you not to play tricks!”
He Yu raised his right hand, which was already holding a talisman between his second and third finger and stuck it on the driver’s forehead. As soon as the talisman was pasted, the driver grunted and hissed. His whole body shriveled down at a speed visible to the naked eye and soon turned into human skin that limped flatly on the seat.
The speed of the bus slowed down, and He Yu quickly pressed the button to open the door.
“Get off!”
As he was speaking, Dong Zhi had already run to the side of the bus by the door and jumped out. He Yu quickly followed closely behind and landed steadily as the bus continued slowly moving forward.
The passengers by the window turned their heads towards Dong Zhi. Under the dim lights, it reflected their blue and pale faces, looking eerie.
“Where is this?” He Yu looked around.
Everywhere was gray, and the faint sound of water could vaguely be heard. In the mist, there seemed to be a few figures walking about, but they couldn’t see clearly.
Dong Zhi stared at the bus that was gradually getting further away and shuddered.
“I suddenly remembered something,” he said calmly. “There doesn’t seem to be a bus No. 588 here…”
He Yu said, “When I was talking to the driver just now, I found out that it was a ghost car.”
Dong Zhi trembled. “Are those people in the car really not human?”
He Yu shook his head and said, “Not human, but not ghosts either. It should be the same kind of situation we encountered on the train last time.”
The compass needle in his hand was spinning frantically as the two walked along the side of the road. The ground was bumpy. Judging from the drive just now, it was impossible for them to have reached the countryside.
Dong Zhi pondered, “We may have been targeted and deliberately guided here. The person who misled us was probably the same as the person manipulating the Sneaky Yaksha on the train.”
He Yu nodded. “I think so too. Let’s take a look around and find out more about this place. Chung Hui is very likely to be trapped here. Follow me closely and don’t get separated.”
While he was a little nervous, his psychological tolerance had greatly improved since the events on the train and Changbai Mountain, so this nervousness wouldn’t affect his judgement.
With no light around, the two turned on their phones to illuminate the way. As they walked, they got closer to the sound of water. The gray mist had gradually dissipated, revealing a bridge. A stream was gurgling under the bridge, and the forests were densely packed on both sides. If this had been a normal day, this could have been an ideal place to go for leisure or relaxation.
All Dong Zhi could feel now was a chill that was steadily increasing and spreading all over his body.
He Yu snorted, “Why is there a bridge here? Is this supposed to be the Naihe Bridge*?”
*(奈何桥) Bridge across the Naihe River that all souls must pass through in order to reincarnate. See Kinky Thoughts for lore.
Dong Zhi: “…Brother, there are four characters on the bridge.”
“Oh, ‘By the Naihe Bridge*’ is exactly four characters.”
*Clarity: He Yu added a (边) which means by/side to Naihe Bridge (奈何桥).
“Your joke sucks.”
The two bickered as they approached the bridge. He Yu took out his phone and shined it on the characters.
“Liu, Hua, Ancient, Bridge?”
Dong Zhi inhaled, taking in the cold air. He looked intently at the four characters of Liuhua Ancient Bridge that were engraved on the side of the granite. The bridge had wooden railings on both sides.
Wrong.How could it be such a desolate scene near Liuhua Bridge?
He grabbed He Yu and prevented him from moving. “This place is near the train station, but I remember it’s not like this.”
“What’s it like?” He Yu asked.
Dong Zhi frowned and said, “There shouldn’t be so many trees and it’s in an urban area where there’s a lot of traffic…”
Suddenly, he noticed something strange. He Yu’s voice didn’t seem to be so dull… His heart seized, and Dong Zhi quietly reached into his pocket, squeezed the talisman inside, and turned to look at He Yu.
Even if he was mentally prepared, one look and he still felt distraught. Where He Yu was standing was the passenger that was sitting by the window on the bus!
Dong Zhi hastily took out the talisman, threw it at him, then turned around and fled without saying a word, disregarding whether anyone was chasing after him.
He was in a panic and didn’t know how far he had run. He suddenly saw a group of people in front of him, and thinking he was out of danger, hurriedly ran towards them, only to find that it was actually a group of prisoners who were being escorted.
The prisoners were all wearing single-clothed gowns, and the people who were escorting them wore uniforms that didn’t resemble policemen. They were more like the military police of the Republic of China that you would see on TV. Some still had braids behind their heads.
Dong Zhi’s arrival had alarmed them, and everyone looked over. Their eyes were cold and expressionless. Before he could turn around and escape, he felt his shoulder sink as he was already being held hard on both sides of his shoulders.
“Turns out there was a fish that slipped through the net!” A cold sneer entered his ears.
“We’re short one for today’s execution, so we can take him to make up the number!” Another person said.
Though Dong Zhi struggled and yelled, it was to no avail. The opposing side was extremely powerful, as they dragged him away. He reluctantly turned his head around, but all he could see was two people dressed as military police.
He was up the creek without a paddle*. He shouted He Yu’s name loudly, but he didn’t know where he was, and He Yu never appeared. Scared beyond wits and at the point of helplessness, he suddenly heard a voice.
*Called the heaven and earth and got no response (叫天天不应，叫地地不灵) full saying is: Cry out to the heavens, but the heavens don’t respond. Cry out to the earth, but the earth is impervious. It means being without aid.
“It’s me. Don’t speak.”
Not He Yu. Long Shen!
He was surprised and couldn’t help getting excited. The voice was like a star in the dark night, suddenly giving the lost lamb a guiding light. Dong Zhi held his breath as his heart beat wildly, barely able to suppress his elation.
Long Shen said, “Listen to what I say and respond in your mind. Don’t make a sound.”
Dong Zhi didn’t dare to look up, for fear of exposing the other party, so he quickly agreed in his mind.
Long Shen said, “I don’t know what the situation is on your side, so let’s talk about it first.”
Dong Zhi didn’t know Long Shen found him, let alone tell him where he was now, and the situation made him unable to ask in detail, so he could only quickly relay how he was separated from He Yu then said in his mind, “I don’t know where they are taking me!”
There was a moment of silence, but a few seconds felt like a long winter to him. Dong Zhi was hanging by a thread and forgot to struggle as he let the other party escort him forward and merge into the long line of prisoners. He was pushed hard, staggered a few steps, and almost bumped into the person next to him.
Faint cries ahead came one after another, like a whimpering cat in the dark night, chilling his bones. Some of the people who were dressed in the single-cloth gown had shaved moon heads like those of the Qing Dynasty, but their whole bodies seemed to be covered with a layer of white mist that blurred their image.
“I seem to recall a rumor,” Dong Zhi murmured in his mind. “The locals say that near Liuhua Bridge was an execution ground during the Republic of China. The clothes of these people aren’t like modern day. Could it be…”
But this kind of thing felt too fantastical. They were just on a bus in the city. How could they have come to the Luahua Bridge that existed hundreds of years ago.
Long Shen finally said, “I am using someone’s mind to communicate with you right now, so help is limited. You must save yourself.”
Dong Zhi cheered up. “I will do as you say. He Yu may also be in trouble, so I have to find him!”
Long Shen: “Do you have a talisman on you?”
Dong Zhi: “Yes, three!”
Long Shen said, “According to what you say, you’re with a group of prisoners who’re being taken to the execution ground and are about to be beheaded. Look for an opportunity where your opponent’s defense is most lax and use it as a chance to escape. Run east.”
Dong Zhi: “…It’s dark all around. I don’t know where east is.”
The silence resumed, and just as he was about to feel uneasy, he heard Long Shen say, “Let go of your mind and don’t think about anything. I’ll borrow your eyes to take a look.”
Dong Zhi didn’t know what he was planning to do, but he subconsciously trusted Long Shen. He took a deep breath when he heard the words and swept out as much of the messy thoughts in his mind as possible, made a space, adjusted his breathing and calmed his mood.
He suddenly felt as if his heart had been pulled. While it didn’t hurt, it felt a bit weird. His spirit gradually slackened, as if he couldn’t control it. His ears were buzzing as if he had been separated by a glass screen. Dong Zhi opened his mouth but couldn’t make any sound. His body suddenly became lighter and he started floating up little by little.
Looking around, the surrounding area was covered with gray. The military policemen behind him and the prisoners in front of him all melded into the fog. As the angle of view slowly rotated, only a little light flickered not far behind him, blinking uncertainly.
“Right behind you. Run in the direction of that little light. He Yu is there too,” Long Shen said.
With this, Dong Zhi felt that his body fell heavily and sank back into his body. His ears had regained their clarity, and the sound of crying came from the front again. He gasped for breath as his heart was palpitating.
“Do you remember?” Long Shen asked again.
“Yes!” he said hurriedly.
Here, time seemed to have become an existence of nothingness. He had lost track of how long they had been moving before they finally stopped. Dong Zhi quietly took out a folded talisman from his pocket and squeezed it into the palm of his hand.
The prisoners were taken to the execution ground and lined up one by one as they were shot. Following the order of the warden, the sound of distinct gunfire was heard as the prisoner bodies fell down, motionless.
The surroundings were full of onlookers, but on closer inspection, those people’s faces were covered by a layer of white mist, so their faces couldn’t be seen clearly.
The number of people in front of Dong Zhi dwindled in batches until it was about to be his turn. He hesitated for a quick moment before pushing the crowd away fiercely and running forward.
Commotion was heard as verbal abuse came from behind. Dong Zhi turned his head and found that several military personnel had quickly caught up to him, their faces blue as they bared their teeth at him, showing a hideous expression. They weren’t holding guns but knotted rope, trying to lasso him from time to time. The scene was thrilling as they barely caught him several times.
Dong Zhi gritted his teeth and threw out the talisman in his hand! It cut through the heavy mist and landed on the head of one of the military personnel. The personnel let out a scream as it burst into flames. The flames then soared into the sky!
Looking back, Dong Zhi saw the other chasers temporarily pause their pursuit as the waves of fire caused by the explosion caused them to hesitate. However, the light from the burning fire quickly faded and the personnel turned into a mass of scorched ashes that scattered all over the ground.
He only had three talismans, and one had just been used. It was impossible to eliminate all his pursuers with just the remaining two. Dong Zhi didn’t dare look behind him again and continued to run forward as fast as he could.
Facts have proven that people have unlimited potential when they are exposed to extremely dangerous situations. In the past, when he was still in school, he hovered on the edge of getting a passing score on a 1-kilometer run, but if you were to ask a physical education teacher to time him now, he would probably at minimum meet the standard of a national athlete.
The roaring behind him was frightening, as the sounds of ghosts crying and howling got closer. It was like they were close at hand and at any moment they would be entangled with him again. The hairs on his entire body stood up, and he subconsciously wanted to look back.
Long Shen, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, seemingly aware of his thoughts, shouted at the right time, “Don’t look back!”
This shocked Dong Zhi and caused him to stop his action. Even if the other party was thousands of miles away, hearing his voice had reduced a lot of his fear.
The point of light gradually became bigger, signifying that he was getting closer. Dong Zhi discovered that it was the light from a phone that was lying flat on the ground with the flashlight turned on.
He Yu was close. There was also a young man sitting next to him, with a ban inch head* in gym clothes. The two of them sat cross-legged, with their eyes closed, motionless.
*Ban brush/Board size (板寸头) It’s a specific hair style like this. It got its name because it has about an inch of hair, and it is short like a board. I’m not sure what the English equivalent name would be.
“He Yu!” Dong Zhi called to him excitedly. However, the other party’s eyebrows furrowed, as if he had fallen into some kind of nightmare and didn’t notice his movements at all.
The chasers behind him got closer. Dong Zhi clenched his teeth, threw another talisman back, then charged forward and yanked He Yu up!
…didn’t budge!
He Yu was much larger than he was, but the motionless reaction almost made Dong Zhi fall on him. There was no time for hesitation as Dong Zhi took out the last talisman and stuck it on He Yu’s forehead.
He Yu’s body shook, and he suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had awakened from a deep slumber.
“Why are you here?” He said, confusingly.
Dong Zhi dragged his body up and ran without saying anything. Now that he was able to move, He Yu followed him, staggering a few steps. Seeing that there were pursuers close at hand, He Yu took out a talisman, bit the tip of his tongue, sprayed blood on the talisman paper, pinched his fingers, recited a mantra, and reflexively put the talisman on the ground.
When the talisman landed, a loud bang was heard, and a huge wall of fire suddenly ignited, separating them from their pursuers. He Yu slapped the young man next to him with his backhand a few times, and the latter spit out a mouthful of blood as he slowly opened his eyes with a blank expression.
“…Teacher-brother?”
“Run!”
He Yu grabbed him with one hand and started to run away. The three of them tried their best as they ran a few dozen meters. Dong Zhi had used his phone flashlight to light the way when suddenly, they saw the edge of a cliff appear in front of them. They immediately braked, causing He Yu to fall to the ground.
Below, the cliff looked bottomless. He Yu casually threw a stone down but couldn’t hear a sound.
“How is there a cliff in this place?!” Dong Zhi was flabbergasted.
“Goddamn it*, if it weren’t for laozi’s injury, how would I be caught in this mess!” He Yu scolded.
*Grandma’s leg (奶奶个腿) Depending on the usage, it could be a bad curse phrase or a light catchphrase that one would say before you start complaining about something. In this case, it’s the latter.
The fire was gradually dying out, and the number of soldiers chasing them increased. Behind the wall of fire, the flames revealed the mottled faces of the military policemen, exposing white bones underneath the flesh and blood. Some had no eyeballs, leaving two round empty holes. They smiled grimly at them, waiting for the fire to be completely extinguished.
He Yu panted. “I ran out of talisman just now, and I don’t have enough blood, so I can’t draw anymore. Do you still have any?”
Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “The last one is on your forehead!”
There was an abyss in front and demons in the back. What could they do?
At this moment, Long Shen’s voice suddenly sounded, “Jump!”
Dong Zhi immediately said to He Yu, “Boss Long told us to jump!”
He Yu was taken aback. “Are you sure?”
Dong Zhi nodded. “Boss Long said that the abyss may just be a trick.”
Probably…
In other words, it may not be. If they jumped, there was a possibility that they would shatter into pieces. He Yu smiled bitterly, gritted his teeth, and made a quick decision. “Jump!”
Dong Zhi had no objection. He would rather believe Long Shen’s words than deal with things that are neither human nor ghosts. Cheng Hui was still lost in a daze, and before he realized what was happening, he was pulled by He Yu. The three of them held each other’s arms and leapt off the cliff in a posture of martyrdom!
He Yu’s screams echoed in the darkness. “I forgot my phone-“
The last bit of power on Dong Zhi’s phone emptied and everything turned pitch black. Unable to see, his body fell sharply, and he couldn’t help but close his eyes, grit his teeth, and pray silently. At this moment, he didn’t care that Long Shen could glimpse into his inner world as messy thoughts flashed through his mind subconsciously.
“Ouch!” He Yu yelled.
There was no shattering to pieces as expected. When they landed, except for the blooming of their asses*, all other parts of their bodies were still intact.
*(屁股开花) Means an ass injury. It derives from adults telling children to obey if they don’t want to get a spanking.
It was the middle of the night. Occasionally, a few cars sped by, and the city night lights remained lit, emitting a warm glow. Everything was so familiar that it brought them to tears. The two of them panted, slumping on the side of the road like a dead dog, with no manner, so to speak.
He Yu was still mourning the untimely death on his phone. “Wuwuwu…”
Dong Zhi apologized and said, “I just pulled you away and left the phone next to you!”
He Yu was distraught. “There were many old masters in the collector’s edition that it’s difficult to find them now!”
Dong Zhi: …
He mustered up the courage and asked Long Shen in his mind. “Boss Long, how did you contact me? Why didn’t you communicate directly with He Yu just now?”
“Last time you met with Zhong Yuyi, he saw that your complexion was dark and said that you might run into a catastrophe on this trip. He Yu’s injuries have not healed yet, and he was afraid that it would be difficult if you ran into a strong enemy, so I called you into the office to take a piece of your hair,” Long Shen said after a brief pause. His tone was calm.
Dong Zhi suddenly recalled Long Shen’s ambiguous behavior when he was in his office last time. It turned out that he was trying to save his life. He felt ashamed of his crooked thoughts and hurriedly wanted to express his gratitude. Perhaps knowing that they were out of danger, Long Shen unilaterally cut off contact. After that, Dong Zhi did not receive any further messages from him.
He Yu gasped and asked Dong Zhi, “How did you find me?”
Dong Zhi said, “Boss Long uses his mind to communicate with me and help me find your location.”
He Yu was surprised. “Wow, the boss used telepathy*?”
*Heart Connection [Xintong] (心通) Ability to communicate telepathically. See lore for details.
Dong Zhi nodded. “Zhong Yuyi said that we might encounter trouble when he saw me, so Boss Long took a piece of my hair, but now he’s no longer answering me.”
He Yu: “Of course, telepathy is an extremely mentally-consuming technique. What’s more, we just went to a place that was isolated from the real world. The boss was already injured, and now it’ll probably be worse. Since I lost my phone, lend me yours. I have some questions to ask him.”
Dong Zhi was worried and said, “Will Boss Long be okay?”
“He’s much more powerful than you think. It’s better to worry about yourself than him.” He Yu pointed to Cheng Hui. “We also have this guy!”
The author has something to say:
Last time, some people were surprised that Boss Long took Dong Zhi into his office, but it was impossible to predict at that time. That foreshadowing comes into fruition in this chapter.
A small theater that’s irrelevant to the novel:
Long Shen: I don’t think you’ll learn your lesson if I just deduct your wages and bonuses now.
He Yu: ???!
Long Shen: From now on, your office and phone will be disconnected from the internet to prevent you from downloading any bad movies or playing any games. You can come to my office if you need to work.
He Yu: Dear god! You’re killing me here!
Kinky Thoughts:
I’m not sure if “heart connection” has any deeper significance than just meaning telepathy. My wishful thinking is the deeper meaning is that they are connected to each other’s hearts and that’s why the author called it “heart connection”. After all, they are the pairing of this novel.
—
Naihe Bridge
In Chinese folklore, after death, all souls must cross the bridge on the Naihe River. The bridge is divided into 3 layers. The good souls can pass safely through the bridge on the upper layer. The half-good souls cross the middle section, and the wicked and evil the lower section. These souls are often stop by ghosts in the filthy water and bitten by copper snakes and iron dogs.
At the end, they will meet an elderly female deity called Meng Po who feeds them Meng Po Soup that makes them forget all the memories of their past life before they reincarnate.
—
Heart Connection [Xintong] (心通)
Buddhist term and one of the six links of Buddhism. Xintong is telepathy, which means that you can understand what others think without language. It referred to as “thinking sensing”, which means that this super ability can sense the thinking (thought waves) between people or animals and can transmit perception in unknown ways.
The characteristics of xintong is that when interacting with people, you don’t need any internal information. You will be able to analyze their inner world to know who they are, their characteristics, what they are thinking, ect.
Applied spirituality, it is divided into three categories:
Spirit Healing: it refers to channeling to cure diseases, which is similar to the miracle doctor in China. It can cure diseases with hands or voice.
Geodesy: it is a method of measuring underground water sources or minerals with psychic power.
Psychometry: a psychic can know everything about something someone has used, or can detect sealed letters, or items placed in the next room.
After the fight, Kan Chaosheng walked away with a pile of snacks, while He Yu went out with an ambitious Dong Zhi.
“What kind of job can ordinary people like me hold if I enter the Special Administration Bureau?” He was motivated at the beginning when He Yu and Old Zheng had encouraged him to join, but Long Shen’s words kept circling in his ears, whittling away at his confidence. It was a trivial matter to die by himself, but it would be a big deal if he implicated others.
He Yu shrugged. “There are many things you can do. Not everyone has to rush to the front line. There are some ordinary people like you in logistics. You usually do reports and pay wages. What do they need magic for to do that kind of job? In addition, we now have regular exchanges with other Department of Exorcism in many foreign countries. Your English is good, right?”
Dong Zhi nodded. “I also know a little Russian.”
He Yu: “There are many people like me in the bureau who have been training in the mountains for years and have not received a formal education. Don’t think that just because someone’s a master1 means they are omnipotent. Except for the boss, most of the others in our group don’t even speak a foreign language. There are so many foreign devils2 from so many different countries that speak so many different languages that they all sound the same to me. If you join us, we won’t need to go to another department to borrow someone when we go abroad in the future.”
1High Man (高人) Refers to someone whose spiritual ability surpasses ordinary people. 2[Yang Guizi] (洋鬼子) The term is generally use as contempt to describe foreigners.
Dong Zhi said, “Boss Long looks like a master who cultivated deep in the mountains, not like someone who could speak a foreign language.”
He Yu laughed. “You are mistaken. As far as I know, he can speak at least five foreign languages.”
Dong Zhi praised him in his thoughts, ‘So amazing! The male god is truly a male god!’
He Yu wrapped an arm around his shoulder and said solemnly, “Don’t worry. There are 360 lines* but there’s only one apprenticeship. Besides, the boss can scold you to the point where you wouldn’t be able to lift your head, so the fact of the matter was, you got off easy. It can be counted as him being polite to you. Don’t stress about it. After you pass your exam, the higher-ups will know what to do. Also, my uncle likes a good kid like you, so when he accepts you as an apprentice, wouldn’t that mean you have a solid background?”
*Refers to all walks of life.
Dong Zhi nodded earnestly. “Thank you.”
He Yu instantly gave him a goofy smile. “Since you want to thank me… can you help me get the autographed collector’s edition peripheral kit from the development team of <The Great Wasteland>? It’s been so popular that it sells out as soon as it hits the shelf! I can’t get my hands on it!”
The corners of Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched, and all the emotions he previously felt vanished. “…Yes.”
Before he had the chance to even regret what he said, He Yu urged, “Then it’s settled! Yesterday I said I’d take you to a place. It’s just ahead. Hurry up before we’re late and they won’t let us in!”
The two crossed the road, and He Yu led him to the National Museum, next to the Ministry of Public Security.
Dong Zhi looked dumbfounded. “What does this place have to do with the exam?”
He Yu took their ID cards and went to get their admission tickets. There weren’t many people around since it was a weekday. He quickly got the tickets and handed one to Dong Zhi.
“According to the experience I have gathered in interviews and entry training exams over the years, they like to ask questions relating to things in the National Expo the most. The questions are usually about the origins or the roles of various cultural relics or their makers. In short, they’ll test you on every relic imaginable.”
Dong Zhi: “…Are your leaders lovers of cultural relics?”
He Yu shrugged. “Maybe it’s because the Special Administration Bureau has produced a few bigwigs that transformed from them.”
Transform… from this?
Dong Zhi didn’t react at first, too shocked at the thought. “You mean cultural relics can become human?”
“Is it weird?” He Yu said with a relaxed tone. “Didn’t you already see a bone dragon and Kan Chaosheng turning into a cat? I know there are also legends about the fox spirit and the white snake spirit, but generally speaking, there are few animals that could transform.”
Dong Zhi thought for a bit and said, “Because most animals have a shorter life span than humans? Can’t they break through their lifespan limit?”
He Yu snapped his fingers, praising his quick wit. Dong Zhi remembered the fox-eared boy they had seen when he first entered the office and couldn’t help but raise some doubts.
He Yu explained, “The Hu family is a bit special. It is said that their ancestors have the blood of the white fox, but as their bloodlines age, it becomes thinner. The one you saw looks weak, but it’s actually the best of its generation. It’s like sailing a boat against the current, if you don’t advance, there’s only retreat. The same is true for racial evolution.”
After lunch, the primary school students who were on a field trip with their teacher left. It became much quieter in the Sui and Tang Dynasties Museum as there were few tourists about.
The National Museum was classified by dynasties, each with a collection of cultural relics that were in a variety of colors. When Dong Zhi had visited last time, he was still young and had followed a group of second-year students to mess around and get into mischief. He couldn’t appreciate the breadth and depth of these antiques. Now that he’s looking at them from a perspective of an art student, he could feel the charm of each of them that were indescribable.
Each piece was filled with ingenuity, reflecting the great craftsmanship it took to create them. In addition to admiring their appearance, Dong Zhi also read every text description carefully. If he couldn’t remember, he took pictures of them on his phone. After a while, he started feeling dizzy and light-headed.
“The bigwigs you mention; what are their original forms? Are they foxes? Is Kan Chaosheng one of them?” He asked with interest.
He Yu sneered, “That little fart a bigwig? How rich. Regarding their original form, unless they are willing to tell you, or you find the answer yourself, I can’t say.”
After less than three seconds, he spoke bitterly. “Actually, I really want to talk about it, but we have confidentiality rules. After you officially join, if you still don’t know by then, I’ll share with you all the gossip to your heart’s content. You don’t know how hard it is for me to hold back when I see those who are engaging in secret affairs with each other!”
Dong Zhi: …
The two of them whispered while walking. He Yu had been to so many exhibitions here that he could almost count all the relics with his eyes closed, as if he was one of the guides here. He casually pointed to a separate showcase in the middle. “That’s the most famous secret color* porcelain of the Tang Dynasty. There are only a dozen pieces unearthed in the world, and this is one of them.
*The secret color is a layer of mysterious color that is put on Yue Kiln porcelain during the Tang Dynasty. It wasn’t until 1987, when some of these artifacts were excavated, that people could bear witness to the secret color that could only be imagined through the verses of Lu Guimeng’s works. The meaning of secret color varies.
Dong Zhi walked in front of the secret color porcelain bowl. The azure porcelain glowed softly under the light, as if a puddle of water was slightly rippling in it, mesmerizing people so they were unable to look away. Its shape and color contain the ultimate beauty and fragility.
Dong Zhi suddenly asked, “Even if porcelain has a long history, it really can’t transform, right?”
He Yu snorted. “Why do you think that?”
Dong Zhi said, “I just thought of it suddenly. Although these porcelains are beautiful, they are also very fragile. Once they are broken, they are almost impossible to restore to their original condition.”
He Yu: “The person I like is so smart! You are right. If you want to transform and take shape, you must have enough time to absorb the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, and at the same time, you must have a sturdy shape. Generally, folk-made artifacts are rough, and it’s difficult for them to absorb spiritual energy. Although the kiln porcelain is an exquisite work of art, it’s too fragile and cannot be cultivated.”
Dong Zhi blinked. “So, antiques made of gold, silver, copper, and iron are easier to cultivate?”
He Yu shook his head and said, “That also depends on the specific circumstances. Some antiques were stolen by tomb robbers too early, and they fell into human hands and were contaminated too much with worldly evil spirits. Anyone, or thing, who can cultivate into a human form must have the advantage of time, place, and people, among a variety of other factors.”
After that, he scratched his head. “Didn’t I tell you that one of my junior brothers failed the exam last year? Just now, you asked if porcelain can be transformed, which was one of the interview questions last year! Alas, he was also a disciple of the Hezao Sect, which made me lose face and our school scolded me for a long time!”
Dong Zhi said strangely, “He failed by just this question?”
Famous disciples have a strong family background that generally specializes in art. How could they not even answer a question like this?
He Yu shook his head and said bitterly, “No, he was eliminated in the written test. The multiple-choice questions ask about the core values1. Isn’t the last one friendliness? He actually stupidly chose well-behaved! What’s even more hateful is that the reviewer said that if he can’t even remember this kind of basic knowledge, he needed to go back and rebuild2 before he comes back!”
1The values are patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness. 2It means one shortcoming shouldn’t be there, which makes it difficult for the other party to change, so he needs to rebuild it. In this way, he can start over, and those shortcomings will disappear. This is usually used in a derogatory way.
Dong Zhi: …
He Yu said, “At that time, I was out in the field, and I couldn’t intercede on his behalf. Those bastards really eliminated him. Last year, the papers were changed by the people of Longhu Sect. I have heard that they are jealous of our Hezao’s Zhong Lingyuxiu, who’s smart and cute…”
Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched, and he hurriedly interrupted him, “What other questions were asked in the interview last year?”
He Yu thought hard, scratched his head, and said, “I don’t remember the others. There was a question on adaptability that asked if you were out in the field with a female colleague and you happen to be in danger, and suddenly you find that you forgot to bring your cinnabar, so you can’t draw talismans, what should you do?”
Dong Zhi asked with a blank face, “What should I do? Just roll up my sleeves?”
He Yu: “Wrong. You ask your female colleague for her lipstick and use it to draw the talisman!”
Dong Zhi: ???
“You have to review the questions carefully. First, the question is related to drawing talismans, so you can’t think of other ways. Second, the female colleague is a clue on how you adapt to the situation,” He Yu said sadly. “Little comrade, it’s easy for you to lose points if you’re like this!”
Dong Zhi was speechless. “What if a female colleague doesn’t like makeup and doesn’t wear lipstick? There may not be cinnabar in lipstick!”
He Yu: “The person who asked the question just assumed a situation. What they want to see is if your on-the-spot thinking is quick or not. You don’t need to overanalyze. Just say what the most suitable plan would be.”
Dong Zhi sighed. He thought he understood the thinking of the person who asked the questions but didn’t realize that they did their best to set traps and pits for candidates. No wonder few people could pass the exam every year.
He Yu said, “The Special Administration Bureau has a wide range of jurisdiction. We oversee strange things that cannot be solved by other departments. In the past few years, our benefits and perks have been greatly improved. Therefore, there are more candidates who want to join these days. Many of them rely on relationships and get in through the backdoor, so the Bureau had to introduce some measures to limit the number of people. Although the exam questions are tricky and strange, as long as you pass, it shows that you are indeed capable, and others won’t be able to talk down to you.”
Dong Zhi nodded. What he said has some truth. It seems that no matter where you go, this kind of thing is inevitable. He thought it was a little funny to think about those monsters walking through the backdoor with gifts.
While his mind was on the subject, he said, “I’ve always been curious, why do monsters cultivate themselves into human form? Could it be that because humans dominate the legends of the world and think that all monsters want to be human?”
He Yu spread out his palms and let Dong Zhi see the palm lines.
“You see, from the index finger to the pinky finger, there are a total of twelve sections*, which exactly represent the twelve areas of the zodiac. When those Fengshui masters are pinching their fingers, they are actually calculating units with them. The lines on the palm of your hands condense your whole life, which is extremely long and unpredictable. Except for humans, there is no other creature that possess this.”
*I don’t even think there’s an English term for this area. Translation was giving me knuckles, but it’s not really knuckles. From what I read, they are referred to as the short section, central section, and shorter section III. Click the link to see the area that He Yu is referring to.
Dong Zhi also looked at his palm. Except for a thin callus on the tiger’s mouth due to holding a pen all year round, the rest of the area was fair and tender, as the ten fingers did not touch spring water*.
*(十指不沾阳春水) Metaphor to describe a person whose family conditions are such that they do not need to do laundry or housework. Typically refer to people who are pampered, mostly referring to women from wealthy families.
“Three lights, sun, moon, and stars. Three talents, heaven, earth, and man*,” he murmured.
*From “Three Character Classics” written by the poet Wang Yinglin from the Song Dynasty.
He Yu smiled approvingly. “Since human beings are the three talents that can be juxtaposed with heaven and earth, it can be seen that they have great spiritual wisdom. Therefore, those who are capable of spiritual cultivation will only choose to cultivate in human form. In their view, being born as a human being is a great blessing. It is a pity that many humans do not cherish this unattainable blessing.”
Dong Zhi sighed. It took the Hu family many years to cultivate, and this generation only produced a single shapeshifter. In contrast, humans often easily give up their own lives and some don’t even take other lives seriously.
He looked around. “When you said this, I suddenly felt that the museum was full of eyes, all staring at us.”
He Yu laughed. “Don’t be afraid, those who can transform have already transformed. The spiritual energy in the museum is thin, and now with the pollution from outside, it’s difficult for these relics to cultivate. However, it’s good to come and walk around here often. Remember Zhong Yuyi, who you recently met? He’s very interested in cultural relics. Maybe you can learn more from him in the future.”
Every time he learns more about the other side of the world, the more interested he becomes. If it was impulse guiding him to join the Special Administration Bureau at that time, now that impulse had been transformed into exploration and liking. With so many role models in front of him, Dong Zhi was invigorated.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of an exhibit. It showed: [The Bronze Sword of King Helu of Wu].
Dong Zhi’s mind drifted slightly as he recalled the two swords hanging in Long Shen’s office. At that moment, he heard the phone ring.
After He Yu answered the phone, his expression became serious. He said to Dong Zhi, “Something’s happened to my master. It seems that we have to set off early.”
Seeing that he was rarely serious, Dong Zhi didn’t ask much. The two hurriedly left the museum, their leisurely itinerary ruined. Dong Zhi was sent back to the dorm to rest while He Yu went to settle his own business.
He Yu’s dorm room had been relatively cleaned up. It had air-conditioning, a TV, a washing machine, and the overall condition of the room was good. However, it hadn’t been occupied for a long time, so there was an inevitable smell of dust.
Dong Zhi opened the window to diffuse the smell and went to the supermarket to buy some daily necessities, then came back to clean the remaining areas. After the room was fully cleaned, it was almost dusk. He was so exhausted that he didn’t even want to lift a finger. After taking a shower and changing into a new set of clothes, he skipped dinner and went straight to bed, immediately falling asleep.
When he opened his eyes, it was past dawn. Since he was young, his physical strength recovered quickly. He stretched his waist and felt refreshed. He looked at his phone and saw that He Yu had called around 6 AM. He was still sleeping, and the phone was on silent, so he didn’t hear it. Now, it was already 9.
Dong Zhi quickly called him back. After the phone rang twice, He Yu answered and said, “Where are you? Come over for breakfast!”
He Yu told him the location was near Wangfujing and, after hanging up, he went out and found it shortly after. He Yu and Kan Chaosheng were sitting together in the breakfast café. Their table had cups and plates scattered everywhere, creating a mess. When He Yu saw him, he said, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “Not bad. Thank you for letting me stay in your dorm. Yesterday, Boss Long asked me to fill out the form. The bonus should be sent soon, so let me treat you to this meal. Are you full? Would you like to order more?”
“No, no, no!” He Yu hastily said.
Dong Zhi thought he wanted to be polite until the other party said, “This meal is too worthless. At least treat me to Jude*!”
*I think this is referring to Jude Huatian, which is a corporation that owns multiple restaurants.
Kan Chaosheng followed suit. “Jude is too cheap. I want Tan Jiacai*!”
*(谭家菜) There is a restaurant named this in Beijing, but I think he’s referring to the dish itself. It’s one of the most famous government dishes in China. You can read more by clicking the link.
Dong Zhi burst out laughing as he clasped his fist and obediently acknowledged the slaughter. The two uncles expressed their satisfaction and stopped fooling around.
He Yu said, “I am going to Guangzhou and will leave in the afternoon.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback. “Aren’t you going to Jiangxi to celebrate your uncle’s birthday?”
He Yu sighed. “My junior martial brother is missing. It’s the one I told you about yesterday who failed last year’s exam.”
He Yu’s junior brother was named Cheng Hui. While the Hezao sect was known for their talismans, Cheng Hui was more proficient in divination. Two years ago, after the death of He Yu’s elder martial uncle, Cheng Hui’s master took over the mantle and became the best diviner in the Hezao sect.
After failing the exam last year, Cheng Hui didn’t return to the school, but instead continued to travel abroad. The hexagram* corresponds to fate, so it’s not possible to know the world’s affairs behind closed doors. Therefore, it was necessary for Cheng Hui to travel thousands of miles to increase his knowledge and consult with experts in his field.
*Also known as the I Ching book, consists of 64 hexagrams. The hexagram lines are traditionally counted from the bottom up, so the lowest line is considered line one, while the top line is line six. Hexagrams are formed by combining the original eight trigrams in different combinations. Each hexagram is accompanied by a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description. || I believe, in this context, they are using the hexagram as the divination method.
After the Changbai Mountain Incident, He Yu contacted Cheng Hui, who was on his travels, and asked him to use his divination skills to check on the matter. After he raised the hexagram, Cheng Hui told him that he had reached a breakthrough and that the matter was most likely related to something in the south. He happened to be traveling there himself, so he would help He Yu look for any clues along the way.
As a result, He Yu had received news yesterday that his junior brother had disappeared.
“Can’t you use any communication device to contact him?” Dong Zhi asked.
He Yu shook his head. “Don’t talk about communication tools. After he came out, his passion became playing games. I have his account number, so I went to check up on it. His teammates said that he hadn’t played games for the past few days. While he may be a bit aloof, he wouldn’t disappear without saying a word for no reason. Yesterday, I asked someone to check the IP of his phone and confirmed that he last login to play his game when he was in Guangzhou before he disappeared.”
Kan Chaosheng suddenly asked, “What of his natal lamp*?”
*(本命灯) It’s the lamp of one’s life and the light reflects the person’s condition (i.e. if the light is strong, the person is in good condition). If the light goes out, it means the person is no longer alive.
“Master said it was still on, but it was much dimmer than before. He might’ve encountered something and become trapped temporarily. I’m going to go and check to see if this is the case.” Because of this, He Yu didn’t seem particularly worried.
He turned his head and asked Dong Zhi, “Why don’t you stay here for the time being. I’ll let you know when my affairs are over. Then we can meet directly in Jiangxi.”
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Let me go with you. I am familiar with Guangzhou and can guide you around.”
Kan Chaosheng said coldly, “Yes, take him away; otherwise if the boss sees him dangling in front of his eyes all day long, he’ll get annoyed and will give him a low score during the exam, then he’ll really have no place to cry.”
Dong Zhi: …
He Yu said, “Also that.”
Dong Zhi suddenly felt his knees was shot with countless arrows.
He asked He Yu, “Are we the only two going?”
Kan Chaosheng rested his hands on his chin and, with regret, said, “I would like to go. Guangzhou has so many delicious foods, but unfortunately I have other tasks on my hand.”
Dong Zhi said, “Why don’t you write down what you want to eat, and I will buy some that I can bring back.”
Kan Chaosheng waved his small hand. “It won’t taste as good when it’s not fresh. When I’m done this time, I’ll take an annual leave to go to Guangzhou for ten days!”
He Yu said, “You’re such a glutton. Why are you so greedy?!”
Kan Chaosheng bared his teeth. “Leave me alone!”
While the two of them bickered, Dong Zhi went to solve his breakfast problem and took care of the bill. He ordered a bowl of bean curd and two deep-fried cakes. The catch is that the bean curd here wasn’t sweet. After ordering, he beckoned the boss to check out.
The boss said, “Thank you! It’s 307 yuan. I’ll give you the discount and round it down, so it’ll be 300-yuan total!”
Dong Zhi thought there was something wrong with his ears. “How much?”
The boss brought a long list of bills and nodded at Kan Chaosheng with his chin. “He has a big appetite.”
Dong Zhi looked at the meal on the bill and couldn’t believe it. “Are they finished?”
“Finished!” The boss obviously often treats Kan Chaosheng and the others, so he wasn’t surprised. He pointed to the plates that were stacked high on a table next to him. “Before you came, he ate all of this.”
He Yu gloated and said to Dong Zhi, “Now you know how much he can eat. Forget Tan Jiacai, even KFC would bankrupt you!”
Kan Chaosheng said angrily, “It’s not that I eat this much every day!”
Dong Zhi habitually smoothed out his hair as he said, “Okay, okay. Just eat it and don’t waste it. Don’t be angry. I’ll go and buy you some candied gourds later.”
Kan Chaosheng angrily harrumphed and cast a triumphant glare at He Yu and didn’t care that Dong Zhi was coaxing him like a child. On the contrary, he found this beneficial to him.
Instead, it was He Yu’s turn to speak sourly. “Why are you treating him so well?”
Dong Zhi blurted out, “He’s cute!”
He Yu: “Then who is cuter, me or him?”
Dong Zhi: …
This kind of question could be answered without thinking.
Seeing his appearance, He Yu covered his heart and said, “You hesitated! You actually showed a hesitant expression! I want to break up with you!”
Kan Chaosheng was elated as he sneered at He Yu.
Their flight was at 2 in the afternoon. Based on the traffic conditions, there wasn’t much time left. The three came out of the café, and Kan Chaosheng went back to his own place. He Yu and Dong Zhi returned to pack their luggage and then meet downstairs.
The building he was staying at was divided up, with the upper floors being office workspace, while the lower floors were staff dormitories. Dong Zhi left his laptop back in the dorm and packed two simple outfits in his backpack, then brought his drawing board that he always takes with him and headed out.
Coincidentally, as soon as he opened the door, he saw Long Shen coming out of the opposite door. Dong Zhi was stunned, and it took him a while to react.
“Long—Boss Long!” Just as he spoke, he felt that calling him that was inappropriate, so he hurriedly changed his words. “Long Bureau is awesome!”
Long Shen nodded, didn’t care about how he was addressed, and didn’t even bother to look at him as he left in a hurry. Dong Zhi wanted to stop him but couldn’t find a reason. When he went downstairs, He Yu was already waiting there, and started complaining that he was dawdling. Dong Zhi told him that he ran into Long Shen.
He Yu sighed. “The boss’ dorm is opposite of mine. He has a house in the city but usually stays in the office like me, though he rarely goes back to the dorm.”
He thought he was being empathetic, so he comforted him. “Don’t worry, few people can stand his stepmother face*, but you won’t meet him often in the future!”
*(晚娘脸) In a broader sense, refers to a face that is very big, unsmiling, fierce-looking, or wretched.
Dong Zhi blinked, wanting to say that he didn’t dislike meeting him, but when he spoke, he changed his words. “Isn’t Boss Long particularly busy lately?”
He Yu said, “The trip to Changbai Mountain last time involved a lot of things. The news of the stone tablet has not yet been released. The higher ups must have been asking questions, so he’s probably quite overwhelmed right now.”
Dong Zhi said curiously, “He became a Director* at such a young age. Are there many people who are not convinced?”
*Secretary (局长) This is the title of the highest official of a department in China who manages certain administrative affairs of a city or county (i.e., the current US Department of State is Secretary John Kerry.)
He Yu touched his face. “Is he young? Isn’t he close to my age?”
He smiled and said, “Who dares to be unconvinced?! Shou Xinggong hanged himself thinking his life was too long*!”
*(寿星公上吊) It’s an idiom that refers to someone who must be tired of living/courting death. The story goes that Shou Xingong is a metaphor for a long-lived old man who hangs himself because he thinks his lifespan is too long and wants to die.
Dong Zhi: …
Well, when it comes to narcissism, no one can match He Yu.
The flight time from Beijing to Guangzhou was less than three hours, but flight delays at the Capital airport were commonplace. Today, they were lucky to be delayed by only an hour. When they arrived in Guangzhou, it happened to be just as night fell and around dinner time.
The two of them had a meal on the plane, so they weren’t hungry. They hurriedly found the hotel that they were staying at, and after checking in and throwing their luggage into the room, they went to investigate the place where Cheng Hui was last seen before his disappearance, an urban village in Tianhe District.
Around this time, 6-7 PM, the streets were bustling with people coming and going. The nightlife had just started in this southern city, which was on par with Beishang.
“Where do the two of you want to go?” The taxi driver, who was stopped by Dong Zhi, asked in Cantonese. This was a typical old Guangzhou driver. They normally don’t speak Mandarin at the start. If the guests don’t understand the answer in Mandarin, they will switch to speaking Mandarin. This was a unique sense of superiority in their industry, and outsiders who are new to the city will feel the local characteristics when they first arrive. For tourists, Lingnan culture were not obtained from food or scenery, but from experiencing the accents of these drivers.
Dong Zhi was already familiar with this kind of routine, and when he heard the taxi driver, he told him the location in Cantonese. The driver thought they were out-of-town tourists. When he heard Dong Zhi’s accent, he suddenly became energetic. Along the way, he chatted with Dong Zhi endlessly, ignoring He Yu, who was sitting in the backseat.
Poor He Yu was forced to fill his ears with “bird language*” that his ears were still buzzing when they got off the taxi.
*(鸟语) Has 3 meanings. In this context, it refers to incomprehensible language.
“What hell was he saying? What were you talking about?”
Dong Zhi said, “He was just complaining, saying that the recently popular rideshare app had robbed him of a lot of business.”
He Yu complained, “You should have pretended to sleep just now, and he would have shut up.”
Dong Zhi shrugged. “Then he will just turn his head and talk to you in Mandarin.”
He Yu rolled his eyes.
“This is where we are looking.”
Walking in from under the archway, there was no barrier from the wall, but it seemed to have an invisible boundary of its own. Long queue lines stretched outside, and the traffic was bustling as a surge of people moved about, as if this was a night market. There are restaurants everywhere, and a stove grilling oysters was placed on the side of the road, making passersby hasten their steps. Inside and out, it was full of people chatting, and laughter rang everywhere, mixed with the sound of cups and plates, creating an atmosphere like fireworks.
He Yu looked around. “The buildings here are so dense. Can you find the specific location where he was staying?”
“Yes, but we don’t have a key.”
He Yu said, “I have already contacted his landlord, who lives on the first floor of his building.”
Dong Zhi nodded, not surprised. Nowadays, most of the residents in urban villages were people who came from abroad to work, and there were also many recent graduates. They fancy the low rent here, and it could be used as a residence during the transitional period.
Dong Zhi was a little curious. “The Special Administration Bureau has a Northeast branch, so do they also have a southern branch?”
“In the past, there were only two branches, North and South. Later, when there were too many things and the Bureau got too big and had to expand, four branches were then created, Northeast, South China, Northwest, and Southwest. The Logistics Department of the General Administration Bureau also manages the hinterlands of the Central Plains.”
He Yu spoke eloquently. “The headquarters of the Southern Branch was originally in Guangzhou, but later the South China Branch was moved to Shanghai, and the leader was also promoted to the General Administration Bureau, so there are only a few people here, and their abilities are average. Moreover, this is a personal matter, so there’s no need to bother them.”
While talking, the two followed the directions to the address, finding an eight-story building. It was nestled in the alley, separated from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The alleyway was narrow and dark as there were no streetlamps to light the area.
He Yu made a call, and after a while, the sound of footsteps could be heard. The security door opened, and the head of a middle-aged auntie poked out from inside.
“Are you Cheng Hui’s cousin?”
The other party’s expression was a bit wary. It was obvious He Yu’s appearance didn’t give her enough peace of mind.
He Yu nodded, took out his phone, and showed her a group photo with Cheng Hui as well as his ID card.
This still didn’t dispel the Auntie’s doubt. “You should go to the police station tomorrow and get a certificate and come back. Otherwise, if he comes back and says he doesn’t know you, I won’t be able to explain it.”
At this time, Dong Zhi stepped up to the plate. He moved forward and said warmly, “Hello, elder sister. I’m Cheng Hui’s classmate. I’m the one who told his cousin about his disappearance. He ran away from home after causing trouble with his family, and we’re all afraid he might have been abducted by some MLM* organization, so I wanted to come and have a look. If there’s really no clue, we’ll call the police, but his parents are a bit worried right now.”
*Multi-level marketing organization. Basically, a more “legal” pyramid scheme org.
The landlady had a better impression of Dong Zhi. He hesitantly glanced at He Yu and asked, “Is he really that person’s cousin?”
He Yu: …Hey, we just met, yet you treat Dong Zhi like your nephew and me like a thief. Isn’t this unfair?
Dong Zhi nodded with a smile. “Really, we just want to go in and have a look. We’ll leave in half an hour. You can guard the door. This is my ID card. Here, take a look.”
The landlady took the ID card of the Dong Zhi and glanced at it and said, “You look so handsome in your ID photo. Do you have a girlfriend?”
He Yu: …
Dong Zhi said shyly, “Not yet.”
The landlady said enthusiastically, “Which school did you graduate from? Do you work in Guangzhou now? What do you do?”
He Yu couldn’t bear to listen anymore, so he coughed vigorously to remind the others of his existence. The landlady glared at him and finally let them enter.
“Cheng Hui paid the rent for half a year, and the utility bill was just paid a week ago. He lives on the sixth floor. I don’t see him very often, so I don’t know if he’s been back these last few days. It’s not easy to raise a child nowadays. Make sure you don’t let any marketing organization deceive him…”
The auntie chattered endlessly, half in vernacular and the other half in Mandarin, while guiding them to Cheng Hui’s room. The one-bedroom space wasn’t large. The living room and bedroom were all connected, with no walls separating them. There wasn’t a TV, and the only valuable thing was a desktop computer. The layout was rudimentary, and from a single glance you could see everything.
He Yu frowned.
“How is it? Have you found anything?”
He Yu said, “He disappeared four days ago. I didn’t see a backpack or any belongings in the room. This means he hasn’t come back since he went out from here.”
“Can you locate him via his phone?”
He Yu shook his head. “The signal is completely dead. There is another way; we can use the earth.”
He took a piece of Cheng Hui’s clothes from the bed, sniffed it, spread it on the floor with disgust, then brought an abandoned flowerpot from the balcony. The plants inside had withered long ago, but the soil was still there. He took a handful of it and strewn it around the four corners of the room.
“Go and see if you can find chopsticks.” He said to the Dong Zhi.
Cheng Hui didn’t cook, so the kitchen was empty. There was nothing but a kettle. After rummaging through the cabinets, Dong Zhi finally pulled out a few pairs of chopsticks from a pile of debris on the balcony. It was probably left there by the former tenant.
The auntie looked at He Yu’s weird actions and suspiciously asked, “What are you doing?”
He Yu ignored her and asked Dong Zhi to hold the chopsticks on top of the clothes while he held a mantra in both hands and recited the words. “Cheng Hui, a disciple of Hezao, was born on April 15, 1992, and is missing here today. Please, creatures passing by from far and wide, lend me your strength and help me find someone! Rise!”
After a while, without opening his eyes, he quickly said to Dong Zhi, “Let go!”
Dong Zhi hurriedly let go of the chopsticks. It didn’t fall, but instead stood firmly in place. Not only was Dong Zhi wide-eyed, even the landlady was stunned.
“Heavenly Emperor1, the secluded pass2 of the earthly world3, please follow my wishes and find someone! Go!”
1(太帝阳元) Also known as Emperor Tianguan, is one of the three official emperors of Taoism who bestow blessings on the world. 2(幽关) In Taoism refers to the area (secluded pass) between the two kidneys. 3(四罗) In Taoism refers to the human world.
“West.” He Yu let out a long sigh. “Cheng Hui went west.”
Returning the key to the landlady, the two left the building. He Yu took out a small compass the size of a palm from his beloved Rilakkuma backpack and measured the azimuth.
“This way.”
They left the urban village and followed the direction of the compass, heading west. After walking for more than 20 minutes, the compass didn’t change, and He Yu started getting impatient.
Dong Zhi proposed, “Why don’t we take the bus and get off as soon as there is movement on the compass? It’s also more convenient this way as well.”
Naturally, He Yu has no opinion. There was a bus stop not far from where the two were. They wasted a lot of time at the rental house, so it was already 11 at night. Since it wasn’t the weekend, there were very few people waiting for the bus. After they entered the station, Dong Zhi looked for a bus heading west on the roadmap.
Just then, a bus slowly pulled into the platform. He glanced around and vaguely saw that the bus route was heading west, so he hurriedly dragged He Yu to get on. There weren’t many passengers onboard, and no one got off when the bus stopped, and there were still many vacant seats, so they went directly towards the back, picking the rearmost seats. As they sat down, He Yu coughed twice and thumped his back.
“Are you okay?” Dong Zhi noticed that his face didn’t look good.
He Yu complained, “The injuries I suffered in Changbai Mountain were too serious, and I haven’t fully recovered, wuwuwu*.”
*[Ying ying ying] (嘤嘤嘤) buzzword that express grievances and crying but has a cute attribute. It’s mainly used to act coquettish. || When translated, it’s hum hum hum or ying ying ying pinyin form, but that doesn’t really make any sense, so I personally use wuwuwu, which is more fitting of the meaning. This is noted due to Dong Zhi’s response after this line, because generally this is mainly used by girls.
Black lines appeared on Dong Zhi’s face. “Speak properly! Don’t learn from girls!”
“That kid Cheng Hui doesn’t know what he’s doing. If he’s really abducted by some MLM organization, after finding him, I’ll give him a proper beating to dispel my hatred!”
“Doesn’t Cheng Hui have the ability to protect himself?”
He Yu shook his head. “Don’t think that all practitioners are proficient in all eighteen martial arts*. There are very few people like me who can draw talismans and fight, okay? Many people spend their entire lives learning to be proficient in one subject, which is already a remarkable feat. Now I am the quintessential genius of the world, and no one else can compare to!”
*(十八般武艺) or known as the 18 weapons (十八般兵器). It refers to a variety of skills/weapons and the list varies depending on the time period. The modern list includes: knives, spears, swords, halberds, axes, tombs, hooks, forks, whips, mace, hammers, guns, ge, tungsten, lances, sticks, spears, and rakes.
Dong Zhi complained, “If you’re the quintessential genius, then what’s Boss Long?”
He Yu crossed his legs and sighed. “The bad thing is that my parents didn’t give me a good name, so I already lost at the starting line.”
Dong Zhi grabbed He Yu’s bear backpack and started punching it. It felt so good that he couldn’t help pinching the bear’s head a few more times before casually responding, “What does that have to do with the starting line?”
He Yu began to run his mouth again. “His name is Long Shen! Think about it. The dragon roots1 are thick and long. For men, what could be more impressive than this? So, I shouldn’t be called He Yu. If I were called, He Qida2, it’d certainly be bigger now3!”
1(被苏) Refers to the root of a wild orchid. 2(其大) Translated means it’s big. 3Clarity: He’s making an innuendo. The Long in Long Shen is also used in dragon root [Longen] (被苏) which refers to a wild orchid root. Supposedly, they are thick and long. The He (何) in his name translate to how/what. So, if he was named He Qida, when people call his name, they’re basically saying “How big!” (in reference to his dick).
Although he wasn’t drinking water, Dong Zhi almost choked on his own spit.
Kinky Thoughts:
I tried my best to translate the spell chants orz.
My god, this was a long ass chapter, probably the length of 5 regular chapters combined.
He sounded as if he couldn’t contain his excitement.
Shen Jintai: “It’s been a long time since I saw you.”
“Yes it has! Dear, there hasn’t been much progress recently. The male protagonist’s aversion to you and Bai Yueguang’s love for you have not improved. Xiao Ai is very anxious for you!”
“Are you sure you are anxious for me?” Shen Jintai sneered.
“Hee hee~,” Xiao Ai said. “Well, Xiao Ai is happy for you. You finally figured it out, and you’re only one step away from success!”
“I just wanted to ask you,” Shen Jintai said. “Yan Qiuchi and I have confirmed our relationship. Haven’t we completed the final step yet? Didn’t you say that he was the kind of single-minded man who would only love one person all his life?”
“It stands to reason that you have indeed completed the task, but the instruction given to Xiao Ai by the system is that you must confirm the unity of your spirit and flesh before you can complete the ultimate task. After all, this is the most intuitive.”
Shen Jintai: “…Ha ha ha, is this the requirement of your harmonious system? It doesn’t sound very harmonious.”
“Hee hee~ Dear, if I were you, since you’re already in love, why not just roll in the bedsheets right away? After you finish rolling, you’ll be completely free. Not only will you get a new life, but you will also get the best single-minded gong in the world. You’ll have such a mind-blowing experience that you’ll be addicted! Oh, it seems Xiao Ai said too much.”
“Hurhurhur, at least you have some self-awareness.” Shen Jintai felt skeptical. Is it really such a mind-blowing experience?
“Dear, do you doubt the ability of the male protagonist of a danmei? If you can’t send your partner to heaven, can you even be considered a gong?!”
That’s true.
It’s just that he felt that with Yan Qiuchi’s power, he’d probably be tossed to death.
“No, dear, think about the rewards you received. Which gong in the world can withstand it? Which gong will be able to resist being in the palm of your hands? If Yan Qiuchi is not fascinated by you, you can complain to my manager!”
Hehehehe.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Xiao Ai suddenly screamed like a groundhog. From his screams, you could imagine what vulgar things were running through his imagination.
Shen Jintai: “Stop it! You can go offline!”
“Dear, you may not believe it when I say this, but while Xiao Ai hopes that you will complete the task as soon as possible, I also hope that you can take it slower. Xiao Ai is a bit reluctant to part with you.”
These words finally succeeded in alleviating Shen Jintai’s feelings of sorrow and anger. “When everything is over, we won’t see each other again, will we?”
It was rare for Xiao Ai to be so serious. “Nn. There is no banquet that never ends.”
“I will miss you.”
“So will Xiao Ai.”
Shen Jintai was silent for a while as he didn’t know what to say. He then heard a beep as Xiao Ai went offline. The weather was gloomy, as it had been windy all day. The forecast said that there would be a blizzard coming in on Friday.
With the sudden drop in temperature, Cai Jun fell ill with a high fever at a critical moment. However, he remained dedicated and took his illness into battle, but he still severely coughed during filming. Qiu Hong filmed him in this state and changed the script slightly to add in a sick scene.
During winter, late one night, when Xu Xingchen was sleeping heavily, he suddenly felt a warm hand touching his face in the dark. He was taken aback and sat up at once. He hurriedly touched the lamp at the head of the bed, but because he moved too quickly, he pushed the lamp to the ground. The plug of the lamp was still inserted in the jack, creating a little spark at the moment the lamp fell.
Xu Xingchen hurriedly found his phone and used its faint light to shine it on the person, only to find that it was Xu Dahai.
He let out a long breath. “You scared me to death. What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night.”
Xu Dahai was wearing his pajamas. His eyes were confused, and he seemed to be anxious. He said, “Xiao Chen, get up quickly. Your mother is dying. Go to the hospital with dad.”
Xu Xingchen felt all his hair stand up. “What are you talking about…”
He suddenly recalled that when he was in elementary school, it was also in the middle of the night when he was awakened by Xu Dahai who told him that his mother was about to die.
“Hurry up and get dressed,” Xu Dahai said. “If we’re late it will be too late.”
“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Xu Xingchen was frightened and confused. He hurriedly got out of bed and turned on the headlight in the bedroom.
Xu Dahai seemed to be taken aback when he saw him. Xu Xingchen was shocked and said, “Are you confused? Are you dreaming?”
Xu Dahai had gray hair, and his face was full of wrinkles. He looked extraordinarily old. His pajamas were a size too small to completely cover his fat stomach. His tone was anxious as he hesitantly said, “Xiao Chen. Your mother is dying. The two of us have to go to the hospital quickly.”
“Mom has been dead for many years. Did you dream of her?” Xu Xingchen put on his slippers and held Xu Dahai’s arm. “Ah, are you dreaming?”
Xu Dahai’s eyes gradually became clearer, but his expression was still confused.
Xu Xingchen said, “It’s okay, it’s okay, you are dreaming.”
He coaxed Xu Dahai and helped him back to the master bedroom. Xu Dahai seemed to have recovered, as he remained silent the entire time. Xu Xingchen covered him with a blanket and rubbed his eyes as he said, “It’s only midnight, so go back to sleep.”
Xu Dahai suddenly said, “Tomorrow, come with me to the Housing Authority. I will transfer ownership of the house to you. I heard that they’re demolishing it in two years.”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow,” Xu Xingchen said.
Xu Dahai said, “Your Uncle Zhang died last year. The house was supposed to belong to his daughter. However, he heard that there was a problem with the procedures, and his daughter almost couldn’t inherit the house. I want this proof, so it’s better to transfer the house to you now.”
He wasn’t sure if Xu Dahai’s dream just now influenced him to be like this. This was the first time he had said so much to him. Xu Xingchen helped tuck him back in and said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Go to bed first.”
Xu Dahai didn’t speak again. He only opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, coughed a few times, and then slightly covered his mouth with the blanket.
“Cut!” Qiu Hong said. “After that, we’ll shoot another panoramic shot.”
Shen Jintai looked serious, with slightly red eyes, as he looked at the director. What Qiu Hong wanted was the kind of restrained, seamless grief, which gradually penetrated deeply, just like the chill of a winter’s night.
He knew that Qiu Hong was right. Xu Xingchen was emotionally restrained, like his father. He would not easily shed tears. This kind of feeling wasn’t as good as crying, because it built up a backlog inside his heart.
All of Xu Xingchen’s emotions must collapse and be released at the moment when Xu Dahai can no longer recognize him. Qiu Hong knew that he was uncomfortable, so he didn’t give him any close-ups of his face in this scene but only recorded a long shot of his back.
This backshot alone took more than 20 minutes. Body language was an integral part of the performance, and to get the best result, Shen Jintai had to keep trying to uplift his spirits. When Qiu Hong shouted “Cut”, he fell limp, let out a sigh of relief, and turned to look at Cai Jun, who had been lying on the bed.
“Okay. This shot is good. Everyone has worked hard,” Qiu Hong said.
Shen Jintai found that something was wrong with Cai Jun. “Teacher Cai?” He patted Cai Jun only to get a frown in response. Cai Jun had fainted. The crew was so frightened that they hurriedly took Cai Jun to the hospital. Xiao Tang ran over and handed Shen Jintai a down jacket.
The crew’s shooting schedule was already tight, so they couldn’t stop filming due to Cai Jun’s illness. They had to temporarily adjust their shooting plan for tomorrow, intending to shoot a scene between Yu Chenglin and Xu Xingchen.
“The filming in the past two days has been too rushed and always goes overtime,” Xiao Tang said.
“It’s mainly because it’s too cold, even with so many lights turned on,” Shen Jintai said.
Xiao Tang: “If you shoot in a studio, it’ll definitely be much warmer. Director Qiu is too good at grinding actors.”
“I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling chilly for the past two days. My hands and feet feel like they’re frozen solid.” Shen Jintai was exhausted. He wrapped a blanket around his body and thought about Yan Qiuchi. He missed him and his body, which was filled with hot firepower. He didn’t have skin hunger, but he still likes the feeling of being hugged. It was very satisfying.
But Yan Qiuchi won’t be back until Friday afternoon.
“Can you check the weather for tomorrow,” he said to Xiao Tang.
Xiao Tang checked it on his phone and said, “The forecast says there’s a blizzard coming.”
With the way the wind was whistling, the possibility of a blizzard was high. He wasn’t sure if it would affect Yan Qiuchi’s flight. When he got inside the car, he warmed up and felt even more tired. He closed his eyes and said wearily, “I’m too tired, so I’ll sleep for a while. Call me when we get to the hotel.”
After lying down, Shen Jintai touched his phone, turned it on, and read the message he sent to Yan Qiuchi around noon. It was now late at night, but Yan Qiuchi hadn’t replied to him yet. Influenced by his cold body and the depressing scene he had to film today, at this moment, he felt like he missed Yan Qiuchi very much. After thinking about it, he decided to call him.
The phone rang, but no one answered. He closed his eyes again and fell heavily asleep. The nap was short, and they shortly arrived at the hotel. He was awakened by Xiao Tang. Muddleheaded, cold, and sleepy, they walked to the elevator. Xiao Tang asked while inside, “Brother Jin, do you still have snacks?”
Shen Jintai fought with his eyelids while still wrapped in a blanket and responded, “I don’t want to eat or shower. Just sleep.”
After returning to his room, Xiao Tang put down his things and said, “Then you should rest early.”
Shen Jintai took off his coat and threw himself on the bed. “You have worked hard too.”
He had no more strength to speak and buried his face in the pillow, keeping his eyes closed. He vaguely heard Xiao Tang talking but didn’t bother paying attention. When he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly felt someone sitting on his bed and said, “So tired?”
Despite being overwhelmed by sleepiness, he immediately sat up when he heard the voice. Turning around, he saw Yan Qiuchi sitting at the head of his bed. He was overcome with joy that he suddenly hugged him. “Why are you back? Didn’t you say that you won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. I sent you a message but you didn’t reply or answer my call!”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “I wanted to surprise you. Miss me?”
Shen Jintai said, “Stop talking nonsense.”
He was surprised, but all he could feel was the heat returning to his body. He was still cold inside, but the chill had softened. Yan Qiuchi touched his hands and said, “It’s so cold.”
“I’ve been frozen this whole time.” Shen Jintai said. Taking a closer look, he saw that Yan Qiuchi was still dressed in his suit, making it obvious that he had just returned. “You just came back?”
Yan Qiuchi said, “Nn. I originally planned to come back tomorrow, but thinking of you, I bought the earliest flight.”
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“I ate it on the plane,” Yan Qiuchi said. “You go to bed first, and I will go back and change clothes.”
Shen Jintai let go of him and laid back down on the bed. He was tired and gave a gentle smile. Yan Qiuchi went back to his room, took a shower, and changed clothes. When he returned, he found that Shen Jintai was already asleep.
He turned off all the lights and got into bed quietly. When he got in, Shen Jintai moved slightly, and Yan Qiuchi said softly, “Sleep.”
After speaking, he laid down and held Shen Jintai from behind, wrapping his legs around Shen Jintai’s feet. In a daze, Shen Jintai found that he was finally warmed up from head to toe, from the inside to the outside. He vaguely felt Yan Qiuchi’s hand reaching into his clothes and rubbing his skin. The corner of his mouth raised slightly and he instinctively held Yan Qiuchi’s hand.
He then vaguely heard Yan Qiuchi say, as if he was calling to him while he was asleep. “Baby*, be good.”
*Clarity: Yan Qiuchi calls him [Baobao] (宝宝). This is similar to [Baobei] (宝贝). As far as I know, they are used interchangeably, and both mean the same thing (baby/babe/darling/sweetie ect.) when used on someone you like.
Shen Jintai responded drowsily, “Be a good boy.”
The author has something to say:
A handful of dog food in winter.
Kinky Thoughts:
Ahhh so full from this dog food but I want MORE, cause I’m a greedy bitch.
Yan Qiuchi felt that he was very happy. It turned out that falling in love could be such a beautiful thing; it could make people feel warm even when they were standing in the cold.
Shen Jintai smiled and patted Yan Qiuchi on the back, which excited him. Yan Qiuchi felt he had to maintain what little sanity he had left; otherwise, the two of them would crackle like dry wood when encountering a fire.
“Alright, alright,” Shen Jintai said as he patted Yan Qiuchi like an old father.
Yan Qiuchi hugged him for a while, then let him go, and the two of them continued along the riverside road. Yan Qiuchi said, “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. I have to go home tonight and pack my things.”
Great, it seems that there’s no need to “torture each other” tonight.
Shen Jintai said, “Nn. Can you come back on Friday?”
Yan Tiefeng and his wife made an appointment for them to have dinner together that night.
“I’ll be back on Friday afternoon,” Yan Qiuchi said. “You can also ask Uncle Shen and the others to see when they are free. Let’s have a meal with them first, and then the two families will get together.”
“There’s no need.” Shen Jintai whispered. It felt too much like meeting the in-laws.
Yan Qiuchi: “We have to ensure everyone is okay with this. Before we make it public, we should meet with Uncle Shen and have a meal together, lest he have opinions.”
“Okay,” Shen Jintai said. “Then let’s go. It’s getting late. You should go back and pack. What time is your flight?”
“A little past 7.”
Shen Jintai turned around and was about to walk back when Yan Qiuchi took his hand and dragged him back. He wrapped his arms around him and said wearily, “I won’t see you for two days.”
Shen Jintai noticed what he wanted to do and thinking that he would not be able to see him for several days, he acquiesced and let Yan Qiuchi kiss him. After they kissed for a while, Shen Jintai staggered and said, “…Okay, don’t go on forever. It’s already enough…”
Yan Qiuchi chased his lips like a puppy chasing a bone. “Not enough…” He really wanted to kiss more.
Shen Jintai had never seen anyone who liked kissing so much. If he didn’t actively stop him, Yan Qiuchi could intermittently kiss for hours.
The two of them were on the brink of disclosing their relationship. Shen Jintai felt that what he could do was limited. The best way was to make good movies and solidify his career so that his fans are mainly career fans who won’t pay attention to his emotional matters.
Xiao Tang had also built momentum for the two of them by having someone send a water army into the Gold Powder Family and subtly steer their opinions to treat Yan Qiuchi better.
……
Since his alt was exposed, Bai Qingquan had not appeared in public for several days. The news had left a dent in his fan group as many moonlight powders had abandoned ship, some even turning into black powder. How deeply they loved him at the beginning made them hate him all the more for being so blind. Every time Shen Jintai contacted Bai Qingquan, he only said one thing: “Don’t go online.”
Unfortunately, as a person who’s inseparable from gossip, Bai Qingquan could not resist and, as such, only furthered his misery. Due to this, Bai Qingquan didn’t want to participate in the promotion of <When You’re Older>, even though it had officially entered its promotional period; this was delayed for a while due to his scandal breaking out.
Bai Qingquan felt he didn’t have the courage to stand in front of the public, and knowing the theme of <When You’re Older> there would be inevitable interviews where he would be asked questions by reporters regarding his sexuality. After pretending for so many years, he didn’t have the strength to stand under the spotlight as a star who came out of the closet.
Thus, all the publicity for <When You’re Older> was transferred to Shen Jintai. With the movie being officially released on Valentine’s Day, the roadshow will begin in early February. The creative team had divided up into several routes. With his roadshow arrangements, Shen Jintai would have to travel to nearly 30 cities across the country in 20 days… During this period, he would also have to continue filming <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night>.
<Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> filing was originally scheduled to be completed in mid-to-late February, but because Qiu Hong’s filming was too slow, it would be a miracle if it could be done in early March. This raised the issue of the schedules of the two movies colliding.
Li Meilan was extremely worried about this. She had been discussing the roadshow schedule with Xingyun, the producer of <When You’re Older>, for the past several days.
“Except for Qingquan and Jintai, there are literally no other famous actors in this movie. Teacher Chen is a special actor, but he doesn’t have a large part, and he’s too old, so it’s not easy for him to go on tour. Now that something has happened to Qingquan, Jintai can’t do this roadshow alone.” Sun Sihai said.
Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan were basically 90% of this movie and the driving forces at the box office. Without one of them, a huge part of the gimmick would be ineffective. Besides, <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> schedule had been arranged in advance. Now that filming was going over, the time that had to be squeezed out would have to come from it.
In the end, Qiu Hong was still a newcomer director with little clout. Shen Jintai was also a big star, so he didn’t dare speak up regarding this matter. In addition, the producer has been urging him to speed up the shooting process, so they had to shoot overtime every day. Fortunately, Cai Jun and Shen Jintai were cooperative.
The middle parts of <Welcome Rain on a Spring Night> were easier to shoot as they dealt with trivial daily routines. Xu Dahai’s condition had worsened, and his forgetfulness had become more serious. After much consideration, Xu Xingchen decided to resign from his work and stay in his hometown to take care of him. This move warmed Xu Dahai, and tension between father and son eased.
Xu Xinghen went back to Beijing to deal with his resignation and met with Sun Mingzhi. Due to his father being seriously ill, he urgently needed support, so he chose to forgive him. However, he found out that during his absence, Sun Mingzhi had taken advantage of it and hooked up with someone.
He could have turned a blind eye, but the seeds of doubt had already sprouted in his heart. While hoping to live a good life with Sun Mingzhi, he carefully observed every corner of the household, trying to find traces of Sung Mingzhi’s infidelity. The trust had eroded, and he had been sure that Sun Mingzhi would cheat while he returned to his hometown.
Cheating once could lead to countless other times. The moment one cheated, the physical and mental stimulation felt too great, in contrast to the plain life an old couple could give. Once experienced, it was like opium, and you would never be able to quit.
With his love completely broken, Xu Xingchen left behind a letter as he left with just a suitcase.
Shen Jintai wanted to cry when filming this segment. He couldn’t stand it. Even though he knew it was acting, it still made him extremely uncomfortable when he entered the act. He felt the betrayal of ten years of his feelings was too painful. Sun Mingzhi wasn’t a bad person either. He was just an ordinary man who had given Xu Xingchen a lot of warmth and still regarded him as his most important person. He never thought of leaving Xu Xingchen, as he still loved him.
This was why it was so painful as things become complicated after ten years of affection. It was no longer just about love, and the cheating wasn’t done with heinous intent. On the contrary, in a situation like this, a happy outcome was impossible. Compromises had to be made that would undoubtedly harm one of them*.
*Clarity: Just to expand on this, he’s saying that after 10 years something is wrong with their relationship, and in order to make the relationship “work” compromises have to be made, but such compromises will make either one unhappy. Sun Mingzhi most likely wasn’t getting the physical satisfaction he wanted in the relationship, so either he remains unhappy sexually or he cheats to satisfy his desire. One hurts him, the other hurts his lover, and this is why his cheating isn’t “heinous” in the sense that he’s not doing it to purposefully hurt Xu Xingchen. Whether you agree or not, that’s a different debate.
Before leaving, Shen Jintai couldn’t hold back his tears as he separated from Sun Mingzhi at the station. Qiu Hong had disagreed with his creative concept and insisted that Xu Xingchen not cry. “We must save the crying scene until the emotional outburst at the end.”
Xu Xingchen was relatively silent and tough, but Shen Jintai’s heart was too soft. After all, he’s still just an outsider, and in addition to the love and hate of the characters, he felt lament for the demise of his love. In the end, Shen Jintai was persuaded by the director to film as how Qiu Hong wanted. After filming, he felt uncomfortable as he sat in the car alone.
He had entered too deeply into the act and felt crushed by the betrayal. That night, he video called Yan Qiuchi and talked to him about it.
Shen Jintai: “I am a person who can live alone for the rest of my life. If I find out that you have betrayed me, there is no room for negotiation. I won’t eat a mouthful of rotten apples.”
Yan Qiuchi said, “Don’t say that. Even if I had such a thought, I wouldn’t dare. The gold powders would tear me to pieces. And what kind of character you are, I know in my heart that you’re not one who would divorce. I can’t live without you, and I worry about you every day. How can I have the heart to betray you?”
Shen Jintai became embarrassed. His words had a subtle meaning behind them: He didn’t love enthusiastically enough. He was still rational and still considered love as the icing on the cake. Of course, it was good to have it, but even without it, his love for his career alone could still give him a fulfilling life. With money and fame, he can live a happy life without love. It was enough to make movies.
From his actions and words, Yan Qiuchi probably didn’t feel that his love was as explosive as his own.
“You are so full of words now. Are you not afraid of being slapped in the face in the future?” Li Meilan asked him.
Shen Jintai put down his phone and listened to Li Meilan. “It’s hard to talk about feelings. Take me and my husband, for example. He chased me desperately, and when I married him, I didn’t love him very much. I felt he was the one with the best condition among people I could find. Choosing him as a marriage partner was the result of weighing the pros and cons, but after a few years of marriage, I started falling more and more in love with him. Now the two of us can’t see each other, but we still make several calls a day. My husband has said that our relationship is better now than when we were in the stage of falling in love.”
“Are you telling us this story because of Brother Jin and President Yan?” Xiao Tang pushed his glasses up and said solemnly, “I read online that after a relationship occurs, the relationship between lovers will advance by leaps and bounds.”
Li Meilan let out a snort. “Xiao Tang has never even been in love yet. However, that theory does make sense.”
Shen Jintai didn’t expect Xiao Tang to be so powerful. He and Yan Qiuchi had just started their relationship, yet he was already able to tell! His face blushed slightly, and he said, “What a bullshit theory.”
Li Meilan: “Don’t say that. What Xiao Tang said really makes sense. Otherwise, how can you say that sex isn’t important? When water and milk blend*, and the souls are connected, you might change your thinking then. Don’t pester others when that time comes. They are busy with everything else and don’t have time to accompany you every day, hahahaha.”
*(水乳交融) Metaphor for a very harmonious relationship.
Shen Jintai: “Tsk, you married women are so shameless!”
Xiao Tang blushed even more.
Shen Jintai felt that the conversation he had with Yan Qiuchi just now was indeed a bit redundant. There are many men in this world who are unreliable, but there are also many responsible and single-minded good men. Yan Qiuchi is one of them, and he knew it.
Even when Yan Qiuchi is 60, his love for him would still remain strong, single-minded, and enthusiastic. Shen Jintai felt ashamed when he thought about it, but then became embarrassed when he recalled Yan Qiuchi’s passion for kissing and hugging. It made him think of Xiao Ai.
Speaking of Xiao Ai, it’s been a long time since he talked to him. He and Yan Qiuchi have already confirmed their relationship, and he remembered that Yan Qiuchi was the kind of person who would devote his entire lifetime to a single person once he identified him. This should mean that he had completed his task, right?!
“Hello, Xiao Ai!”
The author has something to say:
Xiao Ai smiled again: You’re just one step away, dear!
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow, I didn’t expect a movie in a novel to depict such realism and deep insight about relationships. Sun Mingzhi is still scum, but I can see why he cheated. A relationship is all about compromises, but there are few things that you can rarely compromise on: marriage, sex, and children. If two people don’t see eye-to-eye on these things, well… usually the relationship won’t work out.
“You don’t need to bother,” Shen Jintai said. “I have a driver.”
Yan Qiuchi: “I’m not going only to pick you up. I have other things to do.”
Shen Jintai: “What things?”
“Let’s talk about it when we meet,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Give me a call when you are almost finished.”
When Shen Jintai hung up, Xiao Tang said, “President Yan is so sticky.”
Shen Jintai said, “You are not very familiar with him. Later, you’ll know that he is completely different in public and in private.”
Xiao Tang laughed when he heard this. “President Yan has surprised me recently.” The change was too great.
When Shen Jintai, Qiu Hong, and Cai Jun arrived at the restaurant, Ji Fengxing was already waiting inside. He was quite enthusiastic when he saw him, and immediately stood up when he saw him enter, then called out to him, “Jintai is here.”
“President Ji.” Shen Jintai smiled as he greeted him.
He sat down to the right of Ji Fengxing, who asked him, “Can you drink?”
“A little bit.” Shen Jintai said.
Though there were no outsiders here, at the end of the day, Ji Fengxing was still his boss, so he needed to give him a bit of face and accompany him for a bit. Ji Fengxing poured him a glass of wine. Shen Jintai held the glass with both hands and said “Thank you” politely.
As they were all in the industry, the conversation mainly revolved around films. After three rounds of drinking, the topic finally moved to their personal lives as they talked about Cai Jun’s wife.
“I heard that your wife is pregnant. Congratulations,” Ji Fengxing said.
After drinking, Cai Jun became more talkative. When he heard what Ji Fengxing said, he became a bit emotional. He had fallen in love, chased his wife for more than ten years, and didn’t get married until he was almost 40. After getting married, there was no movement after a few years, and he thought that he wouldn’t have children in this life. Who knew his wife got pregnant all of a sudden?
“My wife is much older than when women usually have their pregnancies, and she’s by herself abroad. I have to video call her every day, so I have an appointment with her after returning to the hotel. A pregnant woman has a lot of emotional ups and downs. It’s been difficult for her, and I love her very much,” Cai Jun said, turning to Qiu Hong, “So Director Qiu, we have to shoot quickly so I can hurry back to accompany my wife.”
Qiu Hong smiled and said, “I know. I’ll try my best.”
“Meticulous work produces fine products,” Ji Fengxing said.
“Am I the only one here with children?” Cai Jun asked, pinching the wine glass. It was a rhetorical question.
“Perhaps this is the life for others. President Ji still like to play around?” Cai Jun said with a smile. “It’s almost time to settle down. Isn’t your old man not in a hurry?”
Ji Fengxing smiled; his face flushed with wine. He glanced at Qiu Hong and Shen Jintai and said, “I’ve been thinking about it recently. Maybe I’m getting too old now and don’t want to play anymore. Sometimes, when I think about the absurd things of my past, I find them boring now, but it’s not so easy to settle down. I have to find someone I really like.”
“I agree with that,” Cai Jun said and looked at Shen Jintai. “It also depends on fate. Some people get married late, and some meet the right person at a young age, such as Xiao Jin.”
Shen Jintai was touched. He smiled without hesitation or embarrassment when he heard this, but because he drank, his face was slightly red, making him appear shy. However, the faint red glow made his complexion all the more attractive. Ji Fengxing couldn’t help but keep staring at him, and the more he looked, the more he liked what he saw.
Lately, he had been experiencing hell. He had been thinking about Shen Jintai recently, especially when he saw Yan Qiuchi’s splendorous confession, which only made him think about him even more. He thought it was just a momentary interest in a handsome guy that caught his attention, but instead, he was missing him these days. After he realized this, he found that Shen Jintai was suddenly good in every aspect. He had the looks, the figure, and the talent. The more he looked, the more he fell.
Then he saw the hickey on Shen Jintai’s neck. As a playboy who comes and goes like the tide, he naturally understood what this meant, and his heart trembled slightly; the blow was far greater than what he expected.
“Are you sure about your relationship with Yan Qiuchi?” He asked Shen Jintai.
Shen Jintai nodded and said, “We just started dating, but I haven’t made it public yet.”
Ji Fengxing felt uncomfortable. He didn’t expect it to be confirmed so fast.
“Whether you two are public or not, I don’t think there would be a difference,” Qiu Hong said with a smile.
“The two of you may not know that Jintai has a complicated relationship with Yan Qiuchi. In the beginning, he chased him for several years, but Yan Qiuchi was quite arrogant and ignored him, so now Jintai’s fans really hate him,” Ji Fengxing said.
Qiu Hong knew about it, but Cai Jun had been abroad and didn’t bother with domestic gossip. After listening, he said, “It’s okay for stars to fall in love, whether it’s public or not, but it’s best to take care of the emotions of your fans. This matter may have to be well publicized. When I fell in love with my wife at the beginning, I also lost a layer of skin.”
Ji Fengxing smiled and said, “Teacher Cai was also a pop idol.”
“The male god of our school days,” Qiu Hong said.
Cai Jun: “I’m still no match for Xiao Jin. I haven’t been in the country much in the past two years. I’m really out of touch. Last time the crew went to the farmer’s market to shoot that scene, I wanted to go over and watch it, but there were so many people that I didn’t dare get out of the car. I knew he was popular, but I didn’t expect him to be this hot.”
Ji Fengxing couldn’t help but feel a bit depressed when he thought about how popular Shen Jintai was and how such a person ended up falling in love with his nemesis. It would have been nice if he had interfered earlier.
With his current relationship with Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai caught in the middle, when the two-year contract expired, there was a good chance Shen Jintai would leave Monsoon Entertainment. He was so popular now, and part of that was Monsoon’s effort, but it turned out to be cheaper than Yan Qiuchi. To say the least, he was quite irritated.
When dinner was almost over, Shen Jintai’s phone rang. He got up to answer and said, “It’ll be for a bit.”
Ji Fengxing became jealous and asked, “Why? Has President Yan already started to check up on you now?”
Shen Jintai smiled and said, “He said he’d pick me up and asked if I had finished eating.”
“Is he here?” Cai Jun said. “Let him come and join us.”
“No, he’s just asking me when it will end,” Shen Jintai said.
He got up and went to the bathroom. Ji Fengxing stared at him for a while, while Qiu Hong looked at him coldly as he smiled and lit a cigarette. His eyes were quick to catch Ji Fengxing’s tone when he talked about Yan Qiuchi. Looking at the way he was looking at Shen Jintai, he felt Ji Fengxing was even more subtle.
“It’s a pity that to fall in love at 21,” Cai Jun said.
“He’ll be fine. He’s more special, and everyone knows that he will not lose any fans when he falls in love,” Qiu Hong said. “Yan Quichi is also a top match and very reliable. What does President Ji think?”
Ji Fengxing took a cigarette and started smoking. He leaned back in his chair and said, “Everyone comes of age in their early twenties. The first relationship can be talked about for a few years, but who knows after that.”
“That’s true.” Cai Jun smiled.
Jing Fengxing was bored, so he drank a few glasses of wine by himself.
When they came out of the restaurant, Cai Jun took the initiative and said, “Director Qiu, take my car, and we’ll go back together.”
Qiu Hong smiled and said, “Obviously, I can’t get into Jintai’s car.”
“Has Yan Qiuchi arrived yet?” Ji Fengxing asked. “If not, I will send you.”
“He had some errands and will arrive in a bit,” Shen Jintai said.
Qiu Hong said, “Its fine. We’re all staying at the same hotel anyway.”
Cai Jun’s driver drove the car over first. As Qiu Hong and Cai Jun got in, Ji Fengxing sent them off before walking back to Shen Jintai. He turned to him and said, “Why don’t I take you?”
“Is President Ji always so considerate to your company’s artists?”
Ji Fengxing and Shen Jintai glanced back and saw Yan Qiuchi walking towards them. Shen Jintai smiled and asked, “Where’s your car?”
“It’s on the opposite side. I’ve been waiting for you for a while. It’s just I couldn’t park here.” Yan Qiuchi looked at Ji Fengxing, smiled, and then said to Shen Jintai, “You go back to the car first. I have to talk to President Ji for a bit.” As he said this, he handed Shen Jintai the car keys.
Shen Jintai picked up the car keys. “Then I’ll leave first President Ji.”
Ji Fengxing smiled and nodded, but as soon as Shen Jintai left, his face drooped as he looked at Yan Qiuchi. When he got into the car, Shen Jintai looked through the car window and saw Yan Qiuchi and Ji Fengxing standing around talking. Yan Qiuchi had a serious expression, while Ji Fengxing smiled. Suddenly, he didn’t know what Yan Qiuchi said, but Ji Fengxing’s face became serious.
After a while, Yan Qiuchi walked over and got into the car. Shen Jintai was sitting on the passenger side. He put on his seatbelt and said, “What did you talk to him about?”
“Just gossip.” Yan Qiuchi glanced at him and asked, “You didn’t drink too much?”
“Do you think I look like I drank too much?”
“Hold on.” Yan Qiuchi started the car. “In the future, try not to drink when I’m not there.”
“I don’t know if it’s my illusion,” Shen Jintai said, “I think President Ji…”
Yan Qiuchi glanced at him. Shen Jintai smiled and said, “It’s nothing.”
“Stay away from him in the future,” Yan Qiuchi said. “He’s a bit too attentive to you.”
Shen Jintai also felt it, but Ji Fengxing hasn’t made any movements or said anything astounding, so he couldn’t be sure. If he hurriedly said that Ji Fengxing liked him, that would feel a bit self-indulgent. After all, didn’t Ji Fengxing never eat grass near his nest?
“Let me tell you this. You may think that I am jealous of him,” Yan Qiuchi said, “but he has very high means and many small tricks. He’s also your boss right now. It’s not easy for you to offend him, and it’s easier for him to manipulate you, but no matter what happens, you don’t have to be afraid. You still have me.
Shen Jintai nodded and said, “Nn.”
“Always remember this. I may not have a lot of abilities, but I still have the means to support your acting career. In the entertainment industry, no matter who you face, don’t let yourself be wronged. Don’t do things you don’t want to do, and don’t meet people you don’t want to meet. With me, it’s enough for you to realize your dreams wholeheartedly. This is what you value, and I value them as well as your lover.”
Shen Jintai’s heart was surging upon hearing what he said. Truthfully, it had been pretty smooth for him so far. He had gained both fame and fortune and stood at the top of the industry, so the possibility of him being wronged by others was very small, as there were people supporting him wherever he went. But these words had entranced him, and now he had fallen completely for Yan Qiuchi. He felt he needed to do something to express his love.
“Is there a riverside park ahead?” He asked. “Let’s take a walk and then go back.”
Yan Qiuchi parked the car on the side of the road. It was chilly out, and the sky was cloudy, hinting that it was going to snow again. The area was dark with very few streetlights, and there were no people around due to the weather. Shen Jintai put on his hat, pulled up his zipper, then grabbed Yan Qiuchi’s hand.
The movement was so sudden that Yan Qiuchi was unprepared. He didn’t expect Shen Jintai to take the initiative to hold his hand in public. Thinking about it, the progress between the two of them was different from the route of an ordinary couple. They have already kissed, touched, and even slept in the same bed, but they haven’t held hands yet.
For a couple holding hands, with fingers touching each other, compared to kissing and hugging, the feeling of desire fades and the sense of happiness was stronger. However, men often have deeply ingrained bad habits. As they held hands for a while, Yan Qiuchi saw the occasional couple on the side of the road holding each other and felt itchy.
He also wanted to hug. He wanted to hold Shen Jintai at all times, especially now that it was so cold.
“If you hadn’t given me that kind of look just now, I would’ve forgotten.” Shen Jintai looked tiny due to his oversized hat and jacket. He chided, “You made such a big mark on my neck last night that the director saw it.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Yan Qiuchi said. “Your skin is so tender, and you don’t let me touch you below your neck.”
Shen Jintai: “Who let you bite.”
Yan Qiuchi: “I’m not really biting.”
Shen Jintai: “I’m serious, Yan Qiuchi. I’m filming now, and you need to come up with a way to get through this. You have to learn restraint, or don’t even think about the next step.”
Yan Qiuchi was silent for a while and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I just have so much energy in me.”
He was scared. The more he hurt him, the more he wanted to hurt him. He felt that he wasn’t born to be a gentle man in bed. It could also be due to the influence of his skin hunger, which made him abnormal in this regard.
Just like in this moment, he became inexplicably excited again. He hugged Shen Jintai tightly and said, “Anyway, we have already determined the relationship. You have to accept me for who I am, and I will change it slowly, okay?”
Shen Jintai said, “Then relax and stop suffocating me.”
Yan Qiuchi smiled and said, “In fact, I know you like it too.”
Shen Jintai: “You know shit.”
The sound of the flowing water came from the nearby river. Yan Qiuchi continued smiling as he hugged him, staring out towards the river, and asked, “Are you happy?”
Without waiting for Shen Jintai to answer, he said to himself, “I’m very happy now.”
The author has something to say:
Shen Jintai: I’m also very happy.
Kinky Thought:
I’m happy too!!! For the two of you! This chapter made my heart melt~ especially when Yan Qiuchi said:
“Always remember this. I may not have a lot of abilities, but I still have the means to support your acting career. In the entertainment industry, no matter who you face, don’t let yourself be wronged. Don’t do things you don’t want to do, and don’t meet people you don’t want to meet. With me, it’s enough for you to realize your dreams wholeheartedly. This is what you value, and I value them as well, as your lover.”
With the vinegar these two presidents are brewing, I could have a year’s supply.
The two of them chatted until the early hours of the morning. Shen Jintai was exhausted and gradually became sleepy. When his feet were mostly warm, Yan Qiuchi let go and said, “Go to sleep.”
Shen Jintai immediately laid down, and Yan Qiuchi laid next to him and said, “What do you think about my human body heater? I will warm you every day from now on.”
Shen Jintai gave him a tired smile and said, “I’m afraid you’ll get angry*.”
*Double entendre. (上火) describes someone who gets “heated up” in the sense of getting angry, but it also means someone who suffers from excessive internal heat.
Yan Qiuchi lit up upon hearing this. He restrained his smile, but his eyes were beaming. His face grew taunt, and his lips pursed. He looked at Shen Jintai as energy filled him as if he were about to pounce.
“You should know,” Yan Qiuchi said. After speaking, he hugged Shen Jintai tightly, as if something had suddenly exploded. He made a muffled groan similar to a coquettish sound and buried his head into Shen Jintai’s neck.
Shen Jintai said, “What did I say!”
“You are mine,” Yan Qiuchi said, “The object of my desire is lying in bed, and all we do is talk without doing anything else. Is this in line with the laws of nature?”
Laws of nature my ass!
Shen Jintai said, “Ah, yes, don’t easily agree to lie on the same bed as your desire, then say it’s my fault.”
He smiled and pushed against Yan Qiuchi’s body with both hands and feet, but Yan Qiuchi caught his ankles, causing the entire bed to move and slam into the bedside table. Half of Yan Qiuchi’s body fell off the bed, leaving his feet dangling in the air, looking quite unscrupulous.
In the end, Yan Qiuchi was still a novice and couldn’t release all his inhibitions. He was also afraid that he was being too presumptuous and that Shen Jintai wouldn’t accept him, so he lifted the blanket and plunged into it. He was just teasing Shen Jintai. After a while, the two stopped making trouble, and they were both sweating. He hugged Shen Jintai and kissed him on the cheek and said, “Go to sleep. If you make trouble again, I’ll really be angry.”
However, he wouldn’t just hug him and then go to sleep. He laid a deep kiss on him as they lay by each other’s sides, but the style was different from last time, which felt as if he was gobbling Shen Jintai up. This time, it was more lingering and softer, quite like what a warm lover’s kiss should be.
“I may not be able to sleep if I don’t hold you in the future,” he said to Shen Jintai. “I don’t know why. I have always slept alone, but if I don’t hold you, I will feel uncomfortable. I had always wanted to hold something since I was a child.”
In fact, he still wasn’t satisfied. Because of his skin hunger, the thing he wanted was skin-to-skin contact, and they were both still wearing pajamas. One day, these pajamas will be taken off.
—
Shen Jintai and Yan Qiuchi had confirmed their relationship, so Yan Tiefeng felt that everyone should have a meal together. There was no need to explain things. It was simply a casual meal to express their support for the couple.
Mrs. Yan, of course, was delighted. “Last time I had dinner with Mrs. Zhao, the restaurant they chose was pretty good. The chef is famous, and it’s also close to the hotel where they are staying right now.”
Yan Tiefeng asked, “Qiuchi been staying in a hotel recently?”
“He’s only stayed for a few days. You get the moon first when you’re near the water tower*. Can’t you see? Isn’t he able to get it?”
*Metaphor for getting benefits or convenience because of being close to the person/thing.
Yan Tiefeng smiled and said, “How is laoer? I haven’t seen him call me recently.”
Mrs. Yan told him about his transfer. Yan Tiefeng was shocked and said, “I didn’t know anything about this.”
Mrs. Yan: “You’re not home all day. What can you know?”
“Isn’t it our wedding anniversary in two days? I want to free up a few days to spend time with you. I have been busy recently,” Yan Tiefeng said. “I think Qiuchi’s new company has done a great job, and the shareholders recognize him. In two years, I will start to hand over the burden to him. At that time, Yaoxuan will also graduate. If I can help him a little bit, I’ll be able to take a break. At that time, I’ll spend more time with you at home until you get bored.”
“Oh please. Others can’t be free, and you can’t be idle either,” Mrs. Yan said. “Don’t worry about Yaoxuan’s affairs. Qiuchi has always been in charge of him. Since he switched schools, he’ll deduct his living expenses. After a while, I’ll fly over to visit him. There’s nothing to worry about. Qiuchi is stricter with him.”
Yan Tiefang’s company was too large, keeping his plate full. He couldn’t even get through all his meetings in an entire day, and he sleeps on average four to five hours a day. Even his meals were all business-related. It was quite troublesome for him to take time out for this dinner. Mrs. Yan first confirmed the time with him, then called Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai to confirm their availability. It was truly hard to set up a dinner for three people who were so busy.
Fortunately, Shen Jintai’s current project was with Sunshine Media, which gave Yan Qiuchi a lot of say in his schedule. Shen Jintai’s shooting itinerary was relatively easy to change, and it was finally determined for Friday night.
The next morning, only Xiao Tang and the others came, as Li Meilan had other plans. Wang Nan found that Shen Jintai’s lips were swollen again, just not as much as last time. Shen Jintai felt embarrassed. He didn’t understand why Yan Qiuchi loved kissing so much. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of it, so he kissed him incessantly until he fell asleep.
—
“Cut!” Qiu Hong stood up. “Jintai, come here.”
Shen Jintai walked over, thinking that there was something wrong with the shot. When he came over, Qiu Hong gently pulled on his collar, gave it a quick glance, and then gave him a sly smile.
Shen Jintai turned instantly red and hurriedly pulled up his collar.
“Give him a new look.” Qiu Hong didn’t reveal anything. “Change it to a turtleneck sweater.”
The people behind the monitor all knew, but they were afraid of embarrassing Shen Jintai, so they all turned a blind eye. When the closeup shot was done just now, the camera caught a hickey that was on Shen Jintai’s neck. From afar, it would be fine, but when it was zoomed in close, anyone could recognize what it was at a glance.
Shen Jintai knew he was busted. He texted Yan Qiuchi, scolding him. It wasn’t Yan Qiuchi’s fault, though, as he didn’t do it on purpose. As a novice, he just didn’t know how to kiss. He had always respected Shen Jintai’s career as an actor and knew that he was always diligent about his privacy. He, too, didn’t want others to see what he and Shen Jintai did in private.
He could only apologize profusely and say he would never do it again, but he avoided the issue by saying he would not kiss the neck but didn’t mention anything below it.
Since the scene setting was indoors, it would look too weird if Shen Jintai wore a scarf, so the turtleneck sweater was a better option. However, once he put it on the sweater, Qiu Hong thought he looked too handsome in it, so he asked to mess up the stage a bit and dim the lights before reshooting.
The scene they were filming was him cooking dinner and then having a meal together with his father. The atmosphere was depressing. The desolation in the room reflected the relationship between father and son. Just as Xu Duhai was about to take his medicine, Xu Xingchen picked it up to look at it.
Xu Dahai finally spoke and said, “You don’t need to come back.”
Xu Xingchen was taken aback for a moment, then was silent for a while as he fidgeted with the medicine bottle in his hand before saying, “You’re always like this.”
“That’s how I am. Don’t see me if you don’t want to hear what I have to say.” Xu Dahai said. “Why did you even come? What’s the use?”
“Didn’t you have a son so you could just pass on your legacy?” Xu Xingchen said, “The legacy may not continue, but you can still raise a family until the end. It was you who wanted to sever our relationship, but I have still always regarded you as my father.”
There was no awkwardness in his words, which had a hint of irony but were warm.
Xu Dahai said, “What about that Sun kid? Why didn’t he come back with you?”
Xu Xingchen: “If he came, would you let him into the house?”
“Too ashamed to face me?” Xu Dahai said.
Xu Xingchen got up when he heard those words and began cleaning up the dishes. He was angry, but he held back. He harshly threw all the dishes into the sink, loudly turned the faucet on, and slammed his hand onto the sink table without saying a word.
“If you don’t want to come back, don’t come back and show your face to me!” Xu Dahai roared in the living room.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Xingchen rushed out of the kitchen. Xu Dahai subconsciously shivered as he leaned back slightly; he looked angry but had a trace of fear as he saw Xu Xingchen directly open the door and walk out, slamming the door loudly behind him. Xu Dahai sat alone motionless in his chair, and after sitting for a long time, he suddenly moved again, as if distracted, and then his mind became clear again.
Shen Jintai thought Cai Jun was really good at acting. He played an old man with a weird temper and a strong personality who had become a little fragile due to aging and disease.
This was a father and son who had complicated feelings for each other. It had cracked to the point of hatred, yet they still care about each other. Their relationship fell apart because of the son’s unchangeable sexual orientation, but finally reached a reconciliation because of the father’s illness and imminent death. Thinking about it, it was quite sad.
“Let’s have a meal together tonight.” Cai Jun said and asked Shen Jintai, “Do you have time?”
“No problem,” Shen Jintai said with a smile.
Cai Jun patted him on the shoulder. “The relationship between father and son is about to ease, and it’s time for us to make contact with our feelings.”
He and Cai Jun had met a few times and shared a few meals before filming started. Later, because of their estranged feelings of the father and son on set, the two rarely contacted each other outside the studio. Shen Jintai occasionally felt the two of them were too unfamiliar and feared that they wouldn’t act well when the father and son reached the reconciliation stage.
“Would you like to report to President Yan?” Cai Jun joked.
However, Shen Jintai really did have to tell Yan Qiuchi, as he was waiting for them to have dinner together. They both have busy lives, so the only time they could usually meet was in the evening. Shen Jintai felt that if they only met in bed, things wouldn’t progress very well. It wouldn’t seem like a normal relationship, so they should meet as often as possible in normal circumstances.
He considered whether to call Yan Qiuchi.
“Who is going?” He asked Cai Jun.
Cai Jun said, “You, me, the director, and your boss.”
His boss being Ji Fengxing. Ji Fengxing and Cai Jun had a good relationship as they were old friends, and he was the one who was able to pull Cai Jun into this movie. Thinking about the sour relationship between Ji Fengxing and Yan Qiuchi, he decided not to tell Yan Qiuchi yet.
On the way to dinner, Shen Jintai called Yan Qiuchi, who hadn’t gotten off work yet. He asked him where he was going.
Yan Qiuchi: “Why don’t I host and invite Cai Jun and Qiu Hong to have a meal.” This was also his way of showing support to Shen Jintai, and Cai Jun and Qiu Hong already both knew about their relationship.
“I heard that this time it’s President Ji’s treat,” Shen Jintai said. “You two don’t quite get along with each other.”
Sure enough, as soon as Yan Qiuchi heard the words “President Ji”, his tone became more subtle. “He’s quite courteous.”
He asked for the specific address again, and Shen Jintai said, “Are you really coming?”
“I’ll pick you up after you finish,” Yan Qiuchi said.
The author has something to say:
In the previous chapter, someone asked about vinegar, so, vinegar is here.
It was too late to close the door, and when he saw the other party looking at him, he could only show an awkward polite smile. After all, he wasn’t an employee, but he still hangs around here all day long. He felt a little embarrassed and feared he might have left a bad impression.
Long Shen asked, “What’s wrong?”
Dong Zhi said honestly, “Couldn’t sleep.”
He didn’t dare tell him that the two of them were playing games all night long. Long Shen didn’t ask any more questions, nodded, and said, “Come with me.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback for a moment, and thought that it was because he looked pleasing to the eye that he planned to open the backdoor for him and recruit him in advance, right? He followed into the other party’s office, half anxious and half expectant.
Deputy Director Long’s office was just like him. Simple and clean. The only special thing to take note of was two swords hanging on the wall. The scabbard was worn and looked old. Even the gemstones inlaid on it were covered by a layer of fog.
“Fill this in.” Long Shen took out a form and pushed it in front of him.
The form requested his personal information and even his bank account number. Was this his remuneration for his job?
Dong Zhi asked shyly, “Do I need to fill it out so soon? Isn’t it a bit unfair to the others who haven’t passed the exam yet?”
Long Shen was puzzled. “What test? Didn’t He Yu tell you that you made great contributions on Changbai Mountain, so he applied for a 20,000-yuan reward for you. The account should arrive within ten business days after submitting the form.”
Dong Zhi: …
Red quickly spread from his neck up, ashamed of his self-indulgence.
The smile in Long Shen’s eyes flashed away, and he slowly asked, “I heard He Yu say you want to be admitted here?”
“Yes, I will study hard!” Dong Zhi said hurriedly.
Long Shen said, “I suggest you give up this idea.”
Dong Zhi was stunned. He was full of enthusiasm only to be slapped by cold water. “Why?!”
“Because you are not suitable.” Long Shen’s expression was faint. “Everyone here has a special and extraordinary origin. Take He Yu for example. He was born in the Hezao1 sect. This sect originated from the Tang Dynasty. It was once one of the three great sects, on par with Maoshan2 and Longhu3. It was only during the Ming and Qing Dynasties that it gradually became low-key. You are indeed clever, but it stops there. After all, you are still only mortal. There are dragons and tigers hidden here. You can’t get in, so don’t waste your efforts.”
1Famous Taoist Mountain and is the ancestral mountain of the Taoist Lingbao School. 2Famous Taoist Mountain and is the birthplace of the Taoist Shangqing School. 3Famous Taoist Mountain where Zhang Daoling forged alchemy there. Eventually his 4th generation grandson, Zhang Sheng, settled in the mountains during the Three Kingdoms and their descendants have inherited it for over 63 generations.
Dong Zhi opened his mouth but couldn’t refute. He knew that what Long Shen said was right. He Yu could draw talismans, Chaosheng could become a cat, and even Lao Zheng had a whip that could deal with those Sneaky Yaksha. What could he do? Even the talisman that he painted was taught by He Yu.
But he wasn’t reconciled. Just like when he was a child and a teacher said that his hands were too clumsy, and he was unsuitable for painting. It only made him more stubborn and want to work harder to prove him wrong.
“Boss Long, I know that people with abilities like yours look down on me. I also know that I don’t know anything compared to you, but He Yu said that there will be training after the exam, and there will be individuals who don’t know any techniques. After passing the training, they can take the lead…”
“And die on the front line.” Long Shen interrupted.
Dong Zhi was shocked.
Long Shen said coldly, “There was a person who was an outer disciple of Wudang*. His qualifications were much better than yours, and he also passed the exam. He worked in logistics here. There was an incident in the Southwest more than ten years ago. At that time, we had insufficient manpower, so he was sent over, but, in the end, he died while on the mission. Even if you are admitted, you can only be a logistics officer at most. If you’re given an order, you must do it. I won’t spare the lives of my subordinates, but I won’t let them die for no reason either!”
*Famous Taoist Mountain associated with the god Xuanwu. The Wudang Sect (sometimes known was Wu-tang sect) is a fictional martial arts sect that based off of this mountain.
Seeing that the other party was silent, Long Shen said, “It’s just nonsense, but I hope you take my words into consideration.”
“Thank you for your suggestion. I will think about it clearly.” Dong Zhi said earnestly, striving to show sincerity, but inevitably feeling like a wilted flower. He turned around and was about to leave but was stopped by Long Shen.
“Wait.”
Dong Zhi stared blankly at the other’s outstretched hand as the slightly cool fingertips touched his neck, causing him to shrink subconsciously. As the other party’s breath got closer, Dong Zhi’s mind went blank, and his heartbeat accelerated. His mouth felt like it was stuck together with glue, as if he had forgotten how to open it.
“You…” Long Shen finally spoke.
What did he want to say?
Dong Zhi’s mind ran wildly with random guesses, and the more nervous he was, the easier it was to trust the horse to take the reins*.
*(信马由缰) Metaphor referring to let things take their natural course.
Is it because of his beauty? Should he accept or refuse it if he wanted to use unspoken rules*? Why hasn’t he spoken yet? Is he waiting for him to take the initiative himself?
*(潜规则) Refers to certain industries/groups of people that impose certain behavioral constraints that are implicit rules that are widely exercised and generally observed by all parties involved. Examples are bribes, glass ceilings, offering sex in exchange for benefits.
“There is something on your collar.” Long Shen retracted his hand, and there was indeed a piece of hair on the palm of his hand.
Dong Zhi: …
If it weren’t for the fact that he’s his male god, Dong Zhi would probably have cursed.
“It probably got there when I was out!” He stammered, not knowing what kind of expression to put on.
Long Shen snorted, “You can go.”
The corners of Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched. He wanted to rush up and grab the other’s shoulders and shake them vigorously, roaring at him to covet his beauty; Telling him if he wanted unspoken rules, come quickly! Why dilly-dally and make excuses!
But he didn’t dare. He could only inwardly cry cowardly and then prepare to leave feeling aggrieved.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and after a few times, the door opened, and a head was thrust in. He Yu looked at Long Shen and then at the listless Dong Zhi. “What’s the matter?”
Long Shen looked at him coldly. He Yu chuckled dryly, feeling that a hole was burning through his body from just his gaze. He picked up Dong Zhi and ran out, not forgetting to take the form on the table with him.
“Boss, I’m taking Dong Zhi back to Hezao Mountain today. I asked you for leave before! We’ll head out first. I’ll give you the form when I come back!”
When they returned to He Yu’s office, Dong Zhi saw that there was someone there. He saw Kan Chaosheng sitting in an office chair, eating snacks as his two short legs dangled off the ground. His cheeks were bulging.
He Yu said, “If it weren’t for Kan Chaosheng, who saw you being called in by the boss just now, I wouldn’t have been able to save you. Are you okay? What did the boss say?”
Dong Zhi’s mouth deflated, and he repeated what Long Shen had said just now.
Kan Chaosheng patted the snack debris on his hand and said, “I think the boss is right. You really know nothing, and He Yu is completely fooling around!”
He Yu rolled his eyes. “I’m not messing around, thanks. Dong Zhi is indeed very talented at drawing symbols. This time, I plan to take him back to my school. I have a martial uncle who has no children or disciples under him. I plan to recommend my little baby Dongdong to him.”
After speaking, he patted Dong Zhi’s shoulder. It was obvious he was depressed as his shoulders were slumping. He Yu said, “Don’t be hit by the boss’ words. Compared to his level, let alone you, even I am invisible to him. It doesn’t mean you are useless. The boss just doesn’t want you to regret it in the future or die because of your own impulsiveness, so he’s being a bit more serious!”
Dong Zhi smiled bitterly and said, “I know that Boss Long is kind, but I really want to join and fight side by side with you!”
“What’s the use of being sincere when you have no strength!” Kan Chaosheng’s poisonous tongue lashed out as he threw a piece of potato chip at He Yu, then resumed chiding mercilessly. “He Yu, you are like those parents who dot on their children unequivocally!”
He Yu beckoned to him with a loving smile. “Son, you have eaten so many snacks from dad. Come and say thank you to your father.”
Kan Chaosheng smiled grimly. “If you want to be my father, let me knock all your teeth out!” He threw the snacks in his hands at He Yu as he rushed towards him, and the two immediately got into a scuffle, turning into a big ball of dust.
Despite his small figure, he didn’t seem disadvantaged at all when fighting against a tall, burly guy like He Yu. He even managed to strike him with a few punches, causing him to say, “If you have true skills, don’t release your true form!”
Kan Chaosheng clamored, “I don’t need my true form for laozi to make you kneel and beg for mercy!”
With a wave of his hand, the water from the two goldfish tanks in the office flew up at the same time and poured onto He Yu’s face.
He Yu yelled with anger and threw out a talisman. “You cheat!”
Before the talisman reached Kan Chaosheng, he pointed in the direction of Dong Zhi. Dong Zhi felt something and quickly avoided it. The water in the water cup behind him was suddenly sucked up out of thin air and turned into a water arrow that flew straight to the back of He Yu’s head.
The office instantly descended into chaos*, leaving Dong Zhi dumbstruck.
*Chicken flying dog jumping (鸡飞狗跳) Idiom referring to panic and chaos. Describes the scene of frightening chickens to fly and dogs to jump around.
Half an hour later, the two fought so hard that they were completely out of breath. They finally stopped and slumped onto the sofa while panting like dogs with their tongues out. Dong Zhi handed each of them a drink and opened a can of Coke for himself.
Luckily, he had the foresight to put aside the drinks when they started fighting. As expected, during the battle, snacks spilled everywhere as several generations of unopened potato chip bags were trampled on.
He Yu kicked Kan Chaosheng. “Hey, do you have any good opinions of him?”
Kan Chaosheng gave him a blank look. “The boss doesn’t want him. What can I do?!”
He Yu said, “Eat people with short mouths*. Don’t think I don’t know. You ate a lot of snacks from my little baby Dongdong on the train. Aren’t you monsters the most concerned about cause and effect? Spit it out quickly!”
*Eat people with short mouths, take people with soft hands. (吃人嘴短啊) Idiom refers to not eating and taking casually. It’s a warning to people to not take benefits of others and when you accept benefits, you must give others face and help them in return.
Kan Chaosheng kicked him back in anger, gulped down a big mouthful of Sprite, then said, “Don’t you want to take him back to your school? If your uncle is willing to accept him as an apprentice, there’s no need for me to do anything!”
He Yu smiled and said, “Then I’ll take it as a promise!”
He said to Dong Zhi, “Don’t underestimate Chaosheng. He just likes to pretend to be soft, but in fact, he’s an old monster. If he’s willing to help you, then you won’t need me to do anything!”
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Will this be too much trouble for you?”
“Che, don’t think too much. I’m just paying you back for the snacks you gave me!” Kan Chaosheng snorted and cocked his chin. It was impossible to associate his behavior with his actual age. “First pass the written exam, interview, and training test. At most, I can only plead for you in front of Zong Lao. If you don’t live up to expectations, there’s nothing I can do about that!”
Dong Zhi was determined to be successful. The more others looked down on him, the more he wanted to prove himself.
He wanted to pass the exam and impress Long Shen, so he’d retract what he said to him before. He’ll enter the Special Administration Bureau in a dignified manner, and from then on, little by little, he’ll reach the pinnacle of his life, and eventually the male god will praise him!
Of course, Dong Zhi wants to fight for it. The more others look down on him, the more he has to prove himself with strength.
His depressed mood only lasted for half an hour, and like a child, Dong Zhi immediately became ambitious and lively again.
Kinky Thoughts:
Long Shen is certainly going to be opening a certain backdoor, that’s for sure…
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