Chapter 35: To Leap Down

“If you give it to me, it’s mine. Are you going to ask for it back?” Shen Xici slid the ring onto the middle finger of his left hand. It was a perfect fit. “When did you measure my finger size? It’s really, really beautiful!”

As the daylight faded, their reflections appeared on the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Sheng Shaoyan’s gaze fell on Shen Xici’s hand.

It was just as he had imagined. Shen Xici’s fingers were already long and porcelain-white, and with the ring on, it was as if he wore starlight on his finger.

However, he had originally thought that he would be the one to personally put this ring on Shen Xici’s finger.

“I measured it while you were asleep.”

“Thank you, A’Shao, I love it!” Shen Xici’s eyes were brimming with a smile. He examined the carved engravings and the wire-drawn texture, marveling at the intricate workmanship. “Was this ring very difficult to make?”

The words he had prepared to win affection and sympathy no longer had any meaning. Sheng Shaoyan’s reply was brief: “It was alright.”

He paused for a moment, then asked, “You’re wrapping up filming soon. Have you found a place yet?”

“You mean a place in Ningcheng?” Shen Xici nodded. “I’ve found one. One bedroom and a study, with a balcony much larger than this one. Most importantly, the security is very good, and the rent isn’t too far over my budget.”

Sheng Shaoyan thought, almost masochistically, why one bedroom?

Because he was never in Shen Xici’s plans.

The residual pain from his memories returning made Sheng Shaoyan feel as if his nerve endings were still in a state of stress. The slightest disturbance brought a continuous wave of pain.

He heard Shen Xici say, “A’Shao, I’m going to go over my script. What about you?”

“I’ll watch the news.”

The bedroom door closed. In the narrow living room, the sound of the television came on. Sheng Shaoyan sat on the sofa, his long legs in black trousers braced on the floor, his fingers unfastening the top two buttons of his collar.

The sky outside the window had settled into a deep blue. Sheng Shaoyan picked up an aluminum can and took a sip of the cold drink, the chill spreading from the tip of his tongue into his bones.

He had rummaged through almost all of his memories.

But his pre-amnesia self had not suffered a huge blow and degenerated into idleness, had not spent money extravagantly, had not lived off Shen Xici, and had not been unkind to Shen Xici.

He had not hugged Shen Xici, nor had he had any more intimate contact.

There was no so-called pre-amnesia attitude to follow.

Because he didn’t have a boyfriend at all.

In fact, he didn’t even know Shen Xici.

When he heard the reason for the ring, Shen Xici didn’t refute it. Clearly, Shen Xici was just a stranger who happened to have saved him.

The empty aluminum can was crushed in his hand and thrown into the trash with a loud clang.

The sound of the financial news broadcast filled the living room, but Sheng Shaoyan had no mind to watch or listen. He found himself staring at the bedroom door. A sliver of light escaped from under it. He quietly wondered what Shen Xici was doing now—perhaps sitting at his desk, flipping through the frayed script, writing lines belonging to the character in his notebook.

Until a familiar voice suddenly caught his ear.

On the television screen, the news cut to a curved conference hall where a press Q&A session was underway.

A short-haired female reporter in a white outfit stood up with a microphone. “Vice President Lin, rumors have been circulating for days that Chairman Sheng is critically ill and resuscitation efforts have failed. Is this news true?”

Lin Yueshu stood on the stage. “Pure rumor. Additionally, please ask questions relevant to this press conference.”

The reporter did not give up, speaking rapidly, “Vice President Lin, I have inside information that Mr. Sheng Junhong, a board member of Shenghe Group, dissatisfied with Chairman and CEO Mr. Sheng Shaoyan’s long-term failure to perform his duties, has jointly signed a written proposal with several other board members to convene an emergency board meeting tomorrow morning. At the meeting, they will vote on whether to remove Mr. Sheng Shaoyan from his position as CEO. Is this true?”

The room was in an uproar. All eyes fell on Lin Yueshu.

Lin Yueshu stood ramrod straight, her long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a black couture suit and stiletto heels. Even after the reporter finished, she maintained her smile, her speech pace unwavering. “Thank you for your interest in the group’s internal affairs, but this question is not related to the content of this press conference. If you have any doubts, you can follow the group’s subsequent announcements.”

The screen cut back to the studio. “Shenghe CEO’s Life or Death in Question, Stock Plunge a Foregone Conclusion?” The words were highlighted in a glaring red. The financial anchor from a Hong Kong TV station held a card and pointed to the screen behind her:

“A reporter captured photos of Sheng Junhong visiting a major shareholder of Shenghe Group three days ago. Unlike Sheng Yujing, the chairman of Mingcheng Fund who was detained a month ago, Mr. Sheng Junhong is the biological uncle of Shenghe Group’s CEO, Mr. Sheng Shaoyan. There have been rumors for years of intense power struggles within the Sheng family…”

The financial news ended, and a commercial came on. After an unknown amount of time, the power button on the remote was pressed, and the television screen went black.

The living room fell completely silent.

Time ticked by, and the night grew deeper. Along the streets, the old men who sat outside their shops listening to opera stood up, folded their bamboo lounge chairs, and pulled down the rolling shutters. The signs above the doors went out, leaving only a few scattered light boxes still lit.

On the sofa, Sheng Shaoyan sat until late into the night.

His eyes were like the bright, silk-like moonlight shining on a quiet river, without a ripple.

The light in the bedroom had been off for a long time. There was no sound. Sheng Shaoyan stood up and gently pushed the door open.

The curve of the duvet rose and fell with breathing. Shen Xici was already asleep, and had still left a night light on for him.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sheng Shaoyan used the dim light to gaze wantonly at him.

The desire he had forcefully suppressed had not disappeared with the return of his memories.

When he saw him, he still wanted to hold him, to kiss him.

But what right did he have?

The shadow on the bedroom wall was like a silent play, the figure sitting by the bed a frozen silhouette.

After an unknown amount of time, Sheng Shaoyan reached out and touched the tips of Shen Xici’s fine hair. His touch was extremely light, like touching a thin layer of ice on the tip of a bamboo leaf.

The ring with his fingerprint was on the fingers resting on the duvet. After one last look, Sheng Shaoyan tucked the corner of the duvet for Shen Xici, got up, and closed the door.

On the balcony, Sheng Shaoyan gazed at the pale, cold evening stars in the distance and made a phone call.

“Arrange for someone to pick me up.”

The night wind passed through the low buildings. In the alley, a flatbed cart loaded with goods moved slowly forward, the sound of its wheels hitting the ground crisp and piercing.

Several black Maybachs stopped on the narrow street, making the already cramped road even more crowded. Several Caucasian bodyguards in black suits inconspicuously occupied certain positions. The late-night street seemed to be enveloped in a powerful atmosphere; even the motorcycle engines that often roared in the middle of the night fell silent.

A uniformed driver got out, opened the rear car door, and placed his white-gloved hand on the door frame, respectfully waiting for someone.

Sheng Shaoyan came downstairs.

He was still in the same black shirt and trousers, his presence imperious in the night wind, his dark blue eyes like sharply concealed daggers.

Under everyone’s gaze, he bent down and got into the car.

Everything was orderly and silent, not even disturbing the birds roosting in the trees.

Sheng Shaoyan looked out the car window.

He had passed this corner several times.

In the torrential rain that connected heaven and earth, he had walked through the curtain of rain and seen Shen Xici standing by the tungsten bulb hanging under the tarpaulin, waiting anxiously for his return.

The black vehicles started.

Sheng Shaoyan said in a hoarse voice, “Wait.”

The engine sound stopped.

The driver asked in a low voice, “Mr. Sheng?”

Sheng Shaoyan opened the car door and got out.

Climbing the concrete stairs, Sheng Shaoyan used his own key to open the dark green door. The dim yellow light from the corridor poured into the room, forming a bright geometric shape on the floor.

After entering, he turned on the kitchen light. Moving quietly, he skillfully boiled two eggs, took out prepared chicken from the refrigerator, washed and sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce, placed them in bread, drizzled on some dressing to make a simple sandwich, then sliced an orange and an apple, arranged them on a plate, and placed everything on the dining table.

The last trace of light in the living room disappeared.

Sheng Shaoyan closed the door.

Two hours later, a huge white private jet took off from the airport. On its tail fin were four conspicuous English letters: Thyn.

Shen Xici rode the motorcycle alone to the film set just after five o’clock.

The large lights were hoisted high, surrounded by flying insects. Lan Xiaoshan sprayed several layers of mosquito repellent around him, then asked strangely, “Does Brother Shao have something to do again today? Why didn’t he come with you?”

“He went back to Ningcheng.”

Lan Xiaoshan nodded, understanding. “Brother Shen, you’re wrapping up soon. Did Brother Shao go back to Ningcheng to get things ready?”

He followed behind Shen Xici, starting to gossip about the events of the past few days. “Didn’t Xu Lingjia get a negative hot search bought against him? The one about domestic products being scrap metal. Sure enough, last night a domestic tech brand officially announced their spokesperson. It was Zhou Tingran, not Xu Lingjia! I heard from his assistant that Xu Lingjia threw a huge tantrum in his room.”

Lan Xiaoshan, who had witnessed the entire battle, summarized, “Xu Lingjia’s fans have super strong fighting power. They went to the announcement post to curse the brand for having no taste and changing their spokesperson at the last minute. Then they went to Zhou Tingran’s page to curse him for using dirty tricks and hijacking someone else’s endorsement, which infuriated Zhou Tingran’s fans. They stayed up half the night fighting. By the time I left, the battle wasn’t even over.”

Walking through the set, Shen Xici listened attentively to Lan Xiaoshan, but although every word entered his ears, it was as if he hadn’t heard anything at all.

After getting his makeup and costume done, Shen Xici stood under the ancient tree, waiting for the lighting crew to make their final adjustments.

Lan Xiaoshan waited with him, continuing to watch the battle on Weibo. Suddenly, he whispered, “Brother Shen, Brother Shen, it seems some big shot came to the area! In the main crew group chat, someone saw a huge private jet at the airport. On the tarmac, several tall bodyguards in black suits were surrounding a young man as he boarded. The aura was incredibly powerful. This person secretly took a couple of photos and asked if anyone knew who it was.”

Tapping open the photo, Lan Xiaoshan frowned. “This is too far away, and the quality is so blurry you can’t see the face at all. How can anyone recognize this?”

Shen Xici’s eyelashes trembled. He glanced at the photo.

Minimalist paintwork, with only four English letters on the tail fin.

Thyn.

The transliterated surname used by the Sheng family after they immigrated over a hundred years ago.

And at the bottom of the boarding stairs, he recognized at a glance Sheng Shaoyan, standing in the center of a group of people like the moon surrounded by stars, the very air seeming to tense with his steps.

Lan Xiaoshan looked at the new messages popping up in the group chat, gasping in surprise at the gossip. “Someone actually recognized it! They said it’s the symbol of the family behind Shenghe Group. Tsk, tsk, they say this Sheng family is incredibly powerful. The internet company Shengzhou Technology, and some company called Shenwei Capital, and Sinocare Biomedical Group, they’re all theirs. Wow, so rich, the vile capitalists!”

Shen Xici listened without speaking.

Just before filming began, Shen Xici handed the phone he had been holding to his assistant. “Xiaoshan, if someone calls me—”

After a pause, the next sentence didn’t come. Lan Xiaoshan was confused. “What?”

Shen Xici was silent for a moment. “Nothing.”

Sheng Shaoyan probably wouldn’t be calling him anymore.

The mute boy stood on a thick branch, his white homespun robe swaying gently in the morning breeze.

At that moment, behind him, the first ray of light pierced through the veil-like morning mist, and the entire forest surface was suddenly plated with a layer of flowing, satin light.

The pale blue of the horizon gradually transformed into a golden-red sunrise. The morning light suddenly became liquid, like the most magnificent oil paint.

The mute boy’s gaze was gentle and clear, like a mountain spring untouched by a speck of dirt. He gestured earnestly—”I’m going to find my mother and sister.”

He turned, facing the endless mountains and sea of forests.

The dark green mountains were like a pod of sleeping whales. The light of the rising sun scattered flecks of gold in his eyes, even his eyelashes were tinged with a glorious color.

In the morning light, the mute boy leaped down with incredible lightness.

Like a single leaf falling in the wind, through the four seasons of the mountain forest.

With a thud, Shen Xici landed on the soft cushion at the bottom of the cliff.

Cheers erupted around him and through the walkie-talkies.

“One take! Congratulations on wrapping up, Teacher Shen!”

“Congratulations on wrapping!”

“Teacher Shen has wrapped!”

Lying on his back on the safety cushion, his chest heaving, Shen Xici panted, his eyes squinting against the light of the newly risen sun.

A tear slid from the corner of his eye, leaving a wet trail. At the same time, Shen Xici broke into a smile.

At this moment.

The mute boy leaped down.

Shen Xici leaped into a new life.