Chapter 1: Born with a Defect

“Assistant Director! The light stand fell! It smashed right through the camera lens! The light is broken too!”

“The light stand fell? Why didn’t you fall with it? All of you, stand still and wait for a scolding! This thing’s grandpa is worth a hell of a lot more than me…”

His ears were ringing with a cacophony of various chaotic sounds flooding in like a tide. The feeling of being separated by a thin film was gradually washed away. Shen Xici caught a few words and thought to himself, so it’s true that before you die, your life really does flash before your eyes, frame by frame, like a movie projector.

He had a very good memory since he was young. The incident with the light stand smashing the camera lens happened on the set of Mountain Range Line. It was his first time acting in a film, and also the first time he learned of his true parentage.

“Born with a defect, fated to have weak ties with family, and destined for an early death,” was the fortune a village fortune-teller had given him when he was brought to be named just a month after his birth.

His father, Wu Licheng, wanted to smash him to death on the spot, saying it would be a waste of food to raise him, but he was stopped by the fortune-teller.

The fortune-teller changed his surname, named him Shen Xici, and had him recognize a mountain outside the village as his godmother, saying it might allow him to live a few more years.

Wu Licheng was a gambling alcoholic. When he lost money and came home drunk, he would turn violent. His mother, Zhuo Suli, was timid by nature and would often weep about her bitter fate, telling Shen Xici not to blame her.

From the time he could remember, Shen Xici understood that no one would help him. In that house, he could only protect himself.

Later, he started boarding at school during his middle school years, finding any way he could to earn money during holidays. One time when he returned home, he was already taller than Wu Licheng. When that man raised his fist towards him, a look of fear appeared on his face for the first time.

From that moment on, when he heard a noise at the main door in the middle of the night, he could finally stop holding his breath.

He had always thought his fate was to have a father without kindness and a mother without love. It wasn’t until later, when he saw Zhuo Suli crying to a camera on the trending news, that he learned the truth. In order to let her own biological son escape the generational poverty and the beatings and curses of the mountain village, Zhuo Suli had seized an opportunity. During a heavy snowstorm that sealed off the mountains, a popular actress named Cheng Ningyu, who was there to do charity and build a primary school, suddenly went into labor. While the midwife was delivering the baby at the village chief’s house, Zhuo Suli had secretly swapped the two infants, bringing the newborn him back home.

Shen Xici finally understood why, when he was five, after a celebrity parent-child travel show became a massive hit, Zhuo Suli would plaster the walls with posters of one of the children, a boy named Xu Lingjia. The posters stayed up for over a decade, and she couldn’t bear to take them down even when they yellowed and faded. Meanwhile, a photograph of Cheng Ningyu was carefully treasured by Zhuo Suli in a small wooden box.

A mother’s love was indeed great. This woman, who had never left the mountains, had been determined from the very beginning to find her own child.

As for him, she naturally didn’t spare a single thought.

Perhaps it was a fulfillment of the phrase “weak ties with family.” Even with a blood connection, time was the greatest barrier. The Xu family did not welcome Shen Xici’s appearance; they were even annoyed and repulsed by it.

But thankfully, at twenty-one, he was an independent adult. He had his own past and future, and was no longer the naive child waiting at the door, hoping for his parents to look back at him.

He just wanted to act well and live with all his might.

Shen Xici felt that although his life was short, he had no regrets.

He had always tried to hold on tightly to what he could grasp, not caring about what he couldn’t obtain. So, in his five years of acting, he had treated every role, good or bad, with his whole heart. He had been nominated for Best Newcomer, won Best Supporting Actor, and been invited by a famous director at an awards ceremony to collaborate. Many people would go to the cinema specifically for him.

If he had to name a regret, it would probably be that he died a few days too early, not knowing if the first movie he starred in as the male lead had won an award at the Flanders Film Festival.

The voices in his ears grew clearer.

“We’ve been filming for a few days, and now he suddenly wants to change roles? What kind of madness is this young master Xu Lingjia on?”

“Who knows? I just know a lot of people in the crew are about to cry. The daily call sheets have to be rewritten, he’s shorter than Shen Xici so their costumes have to be remade, the makeup and styling have to be redesigned, the character stills have to be reshot… Tsk, what, are the lives of us working folk not lives?”

“Keep it down! But how could the life of a beast of burden be a life? They’ll just say you can’t handle pressure and can’t keep up with Young Master Xu’s pace!”

“That hits home! Sigh, if I also had a pair of superstar parents, and a godmother who’s a producer, I’d order three lunch boxes for lunch. One with rice, and the other two with seven meat dishes and one vegetable dish!”

“You have such lofty ambitions, hahaha…”

The staff members joked and laughed. Shen Xici frowned. Change roles? What role did Xu Lingjia want to change to?

A sense of discord surfaced. Shen Xici was very certain that in his memory, Xu Lingjia had never requested to switch roles.

Mountain Range Line was the latest masterpiece from the internationally renowned director Wan Shan after a three-year hiatus. The producer was Xu Lingjia’s godmother, who had specially reserved the best role in the film, aside from the male lead, for Xu Lingjia.

On the edge of the country’s border lay a vast mountain range, marked on maps as the “Hundred Thousand Mountains.” Because crossing the mountains led outside the country, many criminals would hire villagers as guides to pass through and escape pursuit.

The role Xu Lingjia played was that of a mute boy in a mountain village.

Although the part was less than half an hour long, it was practically the ‘eye’ of the entire film, with every single shot meticulously crafted.

How could Xu Lingjia possibly be willing to trade this role away?

“What are you all whispering about over here? The crew is about to serve lunch. If you don’t go line up, you won’t even get a speck of minced meat!” A somewhat familiar voice rang out, scattering the surrounding staff. Someone lightly patted Shen Xici’s thin shoulder and called out cautiously, “Brother Shen, don’t sleep, it’s time to eat. Brother Shen?”

It was as if all his body’s senses reawakened from the spot where his shoulder was patted. Shen Xici struggled to open his eyes and saw the clean-cut young man with single eyelids in front of him. He spoke with uncertainty, “…Xiaoshan?”

“Brother Shen, you’re awake?” Lan Xiaoshan placed three stacked disposable lunch boxes on the table in front of Shen Xici. While breaking apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, he surreptitiously observed Shen Xici’s expression. “Brother Shen, are you okay? Don’t mind my young age, I’ve been on several film sets, big and small. Power crushes people, influence crushes people, and money crushes people too. But it’s okay, Brother Shen, you’ll definitely become famous in the future. Once you’re famous, no one will dare to bully you!”

Lan Xiaoshan wasn’t just flattering him; he genuinely thought Shen Xici was handsome.

He had been assigned by the crew to be Shen Xici’s on-set assistant. When he arrived at the studio, he happened to see Shen Xici finishing a scene.

At that time, Shen Xici was wearing a white shirt, having been drenched in rain for several hours. His hair was plastered to his face, and there wasn’t a dry spot on him, making him look particularly wretched.

But even so, when Shen Xici turned to look at him, Lan Xiaoshan felt a jolt run through him.

His hair was as black as ink. From the cold, his face was as white as frost. His eyes were like drops of black lacquer, and his lips were a rich, vibrant red. The color contrast was extreme, making him look like a spirit emerging from an ice spring—utterly bewitching!

Lan Xiaoshan hadn’t finished high school, so he didn’t know what words to use to describe that one glance. He only felt that such looks were rare even in the entertainment industry, at least he had never seen anyone like that on the several sets he had worked on.

It wasn’t until the assistant director who had brought him over to make introductions yelled, “What are you still gawking for? Don’t you know how to work?” that he hurriedly found a large towel and handed it to Brother Shen.

Shen Xici took a couple of beats before accepting the proffered chopsticks. Looking at the disposable plastic lunch boxes in front of him, he could tell at a glance that this was definitely not the standard of the crew’s meals. “You bought this from outside?”

Lan Xiaoshan chose his words carefully, “Yes, my mom often says that when you encounter trouble, you should first have a good meal to have the strength to face it.”

Everything was too real.

The rough splinters on the bamboo chopsticks in his hand, the aroma of freshly cooked food, Lan Xiaoshan’s concerned gaze, the mixed smell of smoke, machine oil, and perfume in the studio air—it was all too real to be a hallucination.

Had the hands of time turned back? He hadn’t died, but had returned to the time of filming his first movie?

Seeing Shen Xici remain silent, Lan Xiaoshan grew anxious. “When I just got back, I happened to see Xu Lingjia sending his godmother off. Brother Shen, if you’re upset, just say it. Always keeping it bottled up—”

Shen Xici recalled the words he had heard in his hazy state and interrupted him, “Is Xu Lingjia switching roles with me?”

“Yeah, when the producer went to discuss it with Director Wan, the assistant director and others happened to overhear. When the producer came out of the room, she was still scolding Xu Lingjia on the way, saying she had to fly over overnight just to sort out this role-switching matter for him, and had to postpone two meetings today. She told him to be more sensible and not to switch back after a few days of acting.”

Lan Xiaoshan rubbed his straw-like arms, finding it hard to take. “Xu Lingjia is in his twenties, yet he was acting coquettishly with his godmother, saying something like this undercover agent role is so good, he’ll definitely be able to play it well and will absolutely not change his mind again. After filming, he’ll definitely be able to break out and win an award with this role.”

With so many people and prying eyes on set, it was almost impossible to keep a secret. The situation and details had long since spread.

This role was good?

Shen Xici’s gaze deepened slightly.

Seeing Lan Xiaoshan’s eyes turn red after he finished speaking, he found it amusing. “Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”

In his past life, Lan Xiaoshan was his first on-set assistant. It was only two or three years later, when Shen Xici sent someone to look for him, that he found out Lan Xiaoshan’s family only consisted of a mother with a chronic illness, who was kept alive by medication. That was why he had come to the film set as an assistant at such a young age, doing all sorts of tiring work. He had a large appetite but ate little to save money, which led to a severe stomach condition, often leaving him tossing and turning in pain at night.

It was said that after his mother passed away, Lan Xiaoshan returned to his hometown and was never heard from again.

But Shen Xici always remembered that in his previous life, when he was cornered by Xu Lingjia’s fans and a baseball bat swung towards him, it was Lan Xiaoshan who blocked it for him, grimacing in pain but insisting he was fine.

“I feel wronged on your behalf, Brother Shen!” Lan Xiaoshan poked at the crew’s lunch box with his bamboo chopsticks, nearly piercing through the already poor-quality container. “You won the role of A’Zheng yourself by participating in the open auditions and beating so many people. On what grounds can Young Master Xu switch just because he says so? He didn’t even bother to discuss it in advance, it’s so disrespectful!”

“You already said that in this circle, power, influence, and money are all oppressive. I’m just a newcomer now, why should anyone respect me?” Shen Xici comforted him in return, then moved the biggest pieces of meat into Lan Xiaoshan’s lunch box, speaking slowly. “And what’s so bad about switching? Director Wan really likes this character. He drew a whole stack of storyboards just for the mute boy. He’ll definitely film it well. Maybe when it comes out, it’ll be even more outstanding than the undercover agent.”

Shen Xici had seen the final cut of Mountain Range Line in his previous life. Ignoring the actors themselves, the storyboarding for the mute boy character was extremely detailed, with several shots designed to a world-class level.

Although a mute character was indeed difficult to play, it wasn’t impossible to play well.

“Really? This role is better than your original one, Brother Shen?” Lan Xiaoshan’s eyes were no longer red. He put a piece of twice-cooked pork into his mouth and almost cried again. “This is too delicious! There’s been so little meat in the crew’s lunch boxes recently, and I haven’t heard that pork prices have gone up!”

Lan Xiaoshan was straightforward. Seeing that Shen Xici was genuinely not unhappy and that the new role was quite good, he happily went back to eating his meat.

Shen Xici didn’t pick up his chopsticks right away, habitually waiting for the food to cool down a bit before eating.

His mind was wondering why the situation had changed so much compared to his past life. Or rather, why would Xu Lingjia think the role of Ah Zheng was good, going so far as to beg his godmother and risk offending a major director just to switch roles, and being so certain that the undercover agent role would break out and win awards in the future?

A staff member ran over and said the director was looking for him. Shen Xici’s train of thought was interrupted. He stood up, told Lan Xiaoshan to continue eating, and went to the lounge by himself.

Director Wan Shan was already sixty years old. He wore a dark blue baseball cap, and next to him was a thermos filled with red dates and angelica root tea. Hearing the door open, he peered up from under his reading glasses with eyes that were not at all cloudy. “You heard the news? What are your thoughts?”

Director Wan was from the southern coast, and his speech carried a local accent, giving his words a unique rhythm.

Shen Xici didn’t say much, just nodded. “I know. I’ll follow the crew’s arrangements.”

Although many of his scenes were cut in the final release of the movie in his past life, it was Director Wan who had given him his first role and had the finance department pay him the day after he wrapped up to help him in an emergency. Later, Director Wan had recommended him for auditions on several other crews.

Therefore, Shen Xici had always been grateful to Director Wan.

Hearing Shen Xici say this, Director Wan thought to himself that at least there was one who was worry-free. He picked up a brand-new script from the side and handed it over, his tone softening. “Although the role has been changed, the shooting schedule can’t be delayed. Familiarize yourself with the new character as soon as possible.”

“Okay, Director, don’t worry.”

The lounge fell quiet, the clamor from outside becoming white noise. After replying to a few messages, Wan Shan looked up again and found that perhaps because he hadn’t spoken, Shen Xici hadn’t left yet. He was sitting in a chair, head down, reading the script.

This was the crew’s lounge, with a few blue plastic chairs scattered about. The long table was messily covered with various papers and black pens, and equipment of all sizes was piled up untidily. But in this ordinary, not-even-a-set setting, Shen Xici’s fingers were loosely holding a pen, marking up the script. A sense of solitude emanated from him, spreading throughout the scene.

This sense of solitude wasn’t intense or sharp, but rather calm and peaceful.

Director Wan had been making movies his whole life; his eyes were his camera. He realized that in just two short days, Shen Xici’s aura had changed considerably.

Any breathtaking shot relied on precise camera angles, countless experiments with light and shadow, plus detailed props and just the right set dressing to capture a perfect frame.

But Shen Xici, just by sitting there, possessed an exceptionally rare atmospheric quality, making one want to study and appreciate him frame by frame.

A person like this was born for the big screen.

Wan Shan had originally been hesitant about whether Shen Xici could play the role of the mute boy.

But now, because of the Shen Xici before him, he suddenly had several new inspirations for the mute boy’s storyboards.

As a director, he always had a bit more fondness for actors who were naturally photogenic, easy to work with, and didn’t cause trouble. His tone was downright gentle, “You can go back for now. Regardless of the two roles, this time it was Xu Lingjia who snatched your role. You’ve been wronged. We’ll add another hundred thousand to your originally agreed-upon salary.”

No words sounded better than “add another hundred thousand.” Shen Xici sincerely thanked Director Wan, immediately labeling him a “great guy” in his mind!

This good mood lasted until he saw Xu Lingjia walking towards him.

Xu Lingjia approached with three assistants, glancing at the food on Shen Xici’s table. “Yo, your little assistant is quite thoughtful. Knew you were upset and specially got you a private meal?”

Shen Xici didn’t respond to his taunt, asking patiently, “Is there something you need?”

A victorious smile played on Xu Lingjia’s lips. “Nothing much. Just wanted to tell you that the role of the mute boy is pretty good too. Playing a mute means you don’t have to memorize lines, saves you half the effort. I was quite reluctant to give it to you.”

Give?

Shen Xici reached out and held back Lan Xiaoshan, who was about to curse. After all, Director Wan had given him a hundred thousand for crew harmony. He patiently watched Xu Lingjia’s performance. “So I should thank you?”

“I heard your family is extremely poor. You came to the open auditions because you urgently needed money and wanted to make a quick buck in the entertainment industry?”

Being called out in front of everyone, Shen Xici didn’t deny it, admitting frankly, “Yes, your information is very accurate.”

He did indeed urgently need a sum of money. To earn such a large amount in a short time, aside from illegal activities, the only way was to enter the entertainment industry. That was why in his past life, he had taken a break from his studies to sign up for the Mountain Range Line auditions.

“Then you really should thank me. I didn’t even have my godmother kick you off the set.” Xu Lingjia crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Shen Xici. “Since I’m being a good person, I’ll give you a couple more pointers. The mute boy role has no lines, so just smile more. When the movie is released, the response will definitely be great!”

After Xu Lingjia and his assistants had walked away, Lan Xiaoshan frowned, holding his chopsticks. “Would Young Master Xu be so kind? But what he said seems to make sense. Brother Shen, you’re so good-looking and photogenic. If you smile at the camera, wouldn’t all the viewers in front of the screen be completely mesmerized?”

Seeing that the food had cooled down, Shen Xici finally picked up his chopsticks and smiled. “That’s some nice flattery, Xiaoshan. I’ll reimburse you for lunch later.”

Lan Xiaoshan’s eyes widened, and he said anxiously, “No, how can I let you—”

Shen Xici’s eyes, with inner corners that curved downwards and outer corners that lifted slightly, had double eyelids that were narrow in the front and wide at the back, a classic small fan shape. When he wasn’t smiling, he appeared cool and distant. He delivered a finishing blow unhurriedly, “Between you and me, who has the higher salary right now?”

“…You.” Lan Xiaoshan couldn’t refute it and could only say sullenly, “Thank you, Brother Shen!” He then continued his great enterprise of eating.

In the distance, they could hear Xu Lingjia humbly lowering his stance, apologizing for the trouble he had caused everyone, and then announcing that he was treating the entire crew to hotpot in the city that night, and that there would be milk tea, coffee, and desserts delivered to the set in the afternoon.

Cheers erupted.

Shen Xici nudged Lan Xiaoshan with the tip of his foot and reminded him in a low voice, “Remember to eat more meat tonight. Someone else is paying anyway.”

Lan Xiaoshan understood instantly and nodded vigorously. “Okay, okay, I’ll just finish these two pieces of meat and save my appetite!”

Watching Xu Lingjia, who was surrounded by countless people flattering him and wearing a broad smile, Shen Xici withdrew his gaze and calmly took a bite of rice.

It seemed that rebirth was something not only he had experienced. Xu Lingjia must be the same as him.