Chapter 39: Next Time

After forcing themselves to sit in the KTV room for a full five hours, not a single kernel of popcorn was left. Lu Jiming finished three large pots of tea and, before leaving, even took the remaining tea bags with him, planning to brew a cup to stay awake while writing his script late at night.

He brought Shen Xici back to the place he rented, a remote urban village with narrow alleys. The streetlights flickered on and off as if from a bad connection. Messy electrical wires crisscrossed overhead, casting distorted shadows on the ground. The cracks in the cement were filled with weeds and moss, and the air was thick with a rotten, musty smell.

Lu Jiming rented a room on the second floor of a concrete building. It was just one room in total, with the bed and desk all crammed together. At a glance, it was crowded and cluttered, but there was no odd smell, and the desk and floor were very clean.

There was only one wooden window with peeling paint in the room, and the security bars outside blocked the light. Lu Jiming turned on the lamp, and a pale white light flooded down. Shen Xici tiptoed carefully across the scattered papers on the floor and casually picked one up. It was a movie storyboard.

Gu Changsheng, wearing a three-piece suit he had won in a card game, was walking out of the shipyard.

Behind him, the dark clouds were not yet dispersed. The gray seawater was not clear. Nearby, simple fishing boats bobbed with the waves, and shabbily dressed boatmen were hunched over, unloading cargo.

The sea breeze lifted the corner of Gu Changsheng’s overcoat. He carried a leather suitcase in one hand and held down his hat with the other.

Black lines transformed the text into a picture, presented directly before his eyes with powerful impact.

And in this shabby, cramped rental room, there were at least several hundred such storyboard drafts.

Lu Jiming quickly stacked the various drafts into a large, teetering pile on the corner of the desk, barely clearing a space to sit. He told Shen Xici to make himself at home while he rummaged through the wastebasket by the desk.

Shen Xici didn’t dare touch anything else, only picking up the storyboard drafts from the floor, looking at them one by one, and then putting them back in their original place.

“Found it!” Lu Jiming stood up, excited. “That rich kid is actually pretty decent. After transferring two hundred thousand to me, he even gave me his business card and said if I had any hidden injuries from the crash or felt uncomfortable anywhere, I could find him.”

Shen Xici looked at the business card. It only had a name and a string of numbers.

“The smell of wealth is overwhelming! This business card isn’t even normal paper. Under the light, it looks like there are gold threads shining in it?” Lu Jiming nudged Shen Xici with his elbow. “Hey, you think if I pick out the gold threads inside, I can sell them for money?”

Whether the gold threads could be sold for money was debatable, but Shen Xici could feel it: the smell of poverty was overwhelming.

However, Cheng Mingye? He felt the name was a bit familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

Lu Jiming was a man of action. He immediately dialed the number on the business card.

After some pleasantries, Lu Jiming gave a rough outline of the script’s content and explained his intentions. After he finished, he couldn’t help but hold his breath.

After a short while, a lazy young male voice came from the receiver, saying nonchalantly, “You want to talk, sure. But, you have to have the ability to stand in front of me.”

Staring at the “call ended” screen, Lu Jiming confirmed with Shen Xici, “Are we being… indirectly rejected?”

“Although he kept saying ‘uh-huh’ and seemed very perfunctory, he didn’t interrupt you. He listened until you finished,” Shen Xici affirmed. “As long as he didn’t reject you outright, it means there’s still a chance.”

Just like in his previous life when he fought for roles with directors, going to one audition, then another, submitting character analyses he had written, performing scenes from the script on the spot in a hotel conference room—all of these were chances.

As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he shouldn’t give up.

“True, finding investors is like scooping money out of someone else’s pocket. It’s impossible to get it on the first try.” Lu Jiming’s spirits lifted again. “It’s just standing in front of him, right? Simple! Watch me work my magic!”

Two evenings later, Shen Xici and Lu Jiming were squatting behind a bush, looking from afar at a marble-white European-style building. On the stone pillars, ancient sages held the book of wisdom, and curly-haired angels with folded wings jointly supported an exquisite arched dome.

“This entire building, six floors, including the garden and fountain in the back, belongs to a top-tier private club called ‘M1N Club’. I heard this was originally the site of a foreign consulate, but it was later bought. It’s said to be incredibly luxurious and beautiful inside. A simple plate of stir-fried greens costs eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan, and it’s especially bad.”

Shen Xici thought silently, he didn’t know if stir-fried greens cost that much, but the food inside was actually quite good. In his past life, he would lose his appetite whenever he got sick, but here, he could at least eat half a bowl of rice. Sheng Shaoyan had accompanied him here to eat several times.

“Are you sure Cheng Mingye is inside?”

“Positive!” Lu Jiming raised his eyebrows proudly, his face screaming, “Ask me how! Ask me how!”

Shen Xici was indeed curious and played along, “How did you know he was inside?”

Lu Jiming: “After you left that day, I first went on Instagram and found some pictures of beautiful mixed-race female influencers, gave myself the name ‘Chloe’, then found an influencer who cultivated a rich-girl persona with an IP address in Ningcheng, and sent her a private message.
She was dismissive of me, but that’s okay. Based on her latest post about fighting with her rich and handsome boyfriend, I gave her a few pieces of advice. The next day, she came to me excitedly, saying they had made up, and she even received jewelry worth six figures as a gift.”

Shen Xici’s expression gradually turned to shock as Lu Jiming spoke. “And then?”

“And then, that night, as her dear bestie, I chatted with her until five in the morning, teaching her how to act cute, how to flirt with small gestures, how to be a ‘green tea’ and a ‘white lotus’, how to be suggestive and hesitant. The next day, I slept until noon, and when I woke up, she had pulled me into a group chat of fake socialites dedicated to landing rich guys.”

It can be done like this?!

Shen Xici’s tone was complex: “She really recognized your abilities.”

“Of course!” Lu Jiming’s fair, boyish face was glowing. “Man, which rich kid drives what car, wears what watch, which places they frequent, whether they like girls with long legs, big eyes, or the cold and aloof type—they’ve practically compiled a whole dossier!
I spent an afternoon becoming the go-to strategist for the twenty-something fake socialites in that group. That night, when I showed interest in getting to know Cheng Mingye, they even advised me against it, saying that although Cheng Mingye is the youngest son of his family, foolish and loaded with money, he only has eyes for cars, cars, and more cars. He’s completely blind to women. They had already hit a wall with him and advised me to pick a different target.”

There were too many details to praise, so Shen Xici didn’t know where to start. He asked, “So, they told you that Cheng Mingye is at this club today?”

Lu Jiming nodded: “Someone in the group said her bestie’s bestie’s good friend saw Cheng Mingye here, a genuine sighting!”

Shen Xici praised him sincerely, “Director Lu, you will succeed at whatever you do!”

His legs were numb from squatting. Lu Jiming shifted his weight between his legs and stared at the men in black suits standing at the club entrance. “The main entrance is definitely out. Do you think it’s better if we climb through a window, or climb the wall into the garden?”

Shen Xici felt that neither was a good idea. Both options would either get them caught as thieves or result in serious injury.

But they had already come this far, just one last step remained.

Shen Xici stood up: “Follow me.”

Lu Jiming didn’t react. “Follow you? Where are we going?”

Shen Xici looked down: “Director, have you forgotten? I’m an actor.”

The fountain scattered like a curtain of pearls, refracting golden lines of light in the sun. Lu Jiming followed beside Shen Xici, whispering anxiously, “Do you think they’ll let us in if we just walk up to the main entrance like this?”

He looked at Shen Xici, dressed in a simple, wide-cut, vintage-style black shirt, tucked into his trousers to accentuate his waistline. His expression was calm and relaxed, every bit the young nobleman. His figure was tall and proud, as if he never needed to bow his head, because everything would be presented before him for his choosing.

He took back his previous words. “Someone who looks like you, they’ll definitely let you in. But someone like me, there’s no way I’m getting through the main gate!”

“We have to try.” Shen Xici led Lu Jiming past the fountain and to the foot of the steps, where, as expected, they were stopped by a man in a black suit wearing an earpiece.

The man was polite, his expression a mix of superior vigilance and assessment. “Do you have a reservation, sir?”

Shen Xici answered, “No.”

The man in the black suit replied matter-of-factly, “I’m sorry, you cannot enter without a reservation.”

Just then, a nanny van slowly glided to a stop in front of the club’s steps.

The car door was opened by a black-suited man waiting nearby, and someone stepped out of the car.

Xu Lingjia had seen this scene from the car. He raised his eyebrows in a surprised expression, which quickly turned into a friendly, familiar smile. “Brother Shen, what are you doing here?”

Shen Xici hadn’t expected to run into Xu Lingjia here, but the Xu family was based in Ningcheng, and it had already been a week since he wrapped up his filming. The crew’s work was almost done.

He answered briefly, “I’m here to find someone.”

“Brother Shen knows people who can get into this place, so you should know, it’s not a place just anyone can enter.” Xu Lingjia didn’t say whether he believed him or not, then added cheerfully, “If you want to get in, just tell me. I can take you in. After all, we’ve filmed together for so long. Speaking of which, it’s been a while since you wrapped up, Brother Shen. What are your plans next? Do you have a new project?”

Shen Xici replied, “It’s still in the works.”

“Oh, no project yet. No rush, it’s good to rest more,” Xu Lingjia’s smile deepened as he continued, “Unlike me, I’m constantly busy. I’m about to join the next crew with Brother Zhong. Godly Capital Robbery and Murder, you’ve heard of it, right? The one that’s always trending on the hot search. Brother Zhong strongly recommended me for the second male lead. It’s hard to refuse. This news hasn’t been officially announced yet, so help me keep it a secret, Brother Shen.”

Saying these words, Xu Lingjia felt a weight lift from his chest.

He didn’t feel this way when he said these things to Ye Mei or his other friends.

The shadow of being the wrongly swapped child would never fall on him again. His path was destined to be smooth.

Shen Xici spoke: “Congratulations, Teacher Xu, on getting what you wished for and landing another role you like.”

Xu Lingjia subconsciously felt there was a hidden meaning in Shen Xici’s words, but on second thought, what could Shen Xici possibly know? He looked at his watch. “It’s getting late. I have a dinner appointment. Those investors from the capital that Brother Zhong knows are eager to meet me. We’ll chat next time.”

He turned to look at the club’s main entrance. “I was going to take you in, but I don’t have time now. Brother Shen, you should contact my assistant. I’m heading in first!”

After stepping through the main door, Xu Lingjia walked a few steps, then turned back to look at Shen Xici, still blocked outside by security through the narrowing gap of the door. He smiled, then paid him no more mind.

The club’s main door closed again. Lu Jiming looked at the disappearing figure. “Tsk, we didn’t even exchange that many words. How can he be so ‘green tea,’ so ‘white lotus,’ so pretentious and annoying? Did you offend him?”

“Something like that.”

Lu Jiming tactfully didn’t press further. “So what now?”

His back was tense. He had already mentally rehearsed how he would be thrown out after saying they had no reservation, and what position to land in to avoid getting hurt badly. Then he heard Shen Xici speak in a calm and composed tone.

“Is Song Xinghuai here today?” This club was the Song family’s property, and Song Xinghuai had taken it over. In his past life, when he was with Sheng Shaoyan, he had met Song Xinghuai a few times.

The man in the black suit replied with some impatience, “I’m sorry, there is no one by that name here.”

Lu Jiming hissed internally, thinking, It’s over, it’s over, we’re really going to be thrown out now. I should have just tried climbing through a window!

Just then, the man in the black suit tilted his ear slightly, as if listening to something. His expression changed, and he immediately dropped his faint air of superiority. Bowing his back slightly, he said, “I am very sorry, my clearance is not high enough. Our manager will be here shortly to assist you. Please, come in.”

Seeing Shen Xici walk past the men in black at the entrance, calmly striding inside, looking straight ahead without even a glance at the people beside him, naturally exuding the air of an honored guest, Lu Jiming quickly followed.

What’s going on? We just got in like that?

Stepping on the magnificent hand-woven carpet, the sound of his footsteps completely absorbed, Lu Jiming had no time to admire the legendary top-tier club. The priceless collectibles displayed on both sides didn’t attract his attention either. He only tried hard to suppress his excitement, shouting internally—this is Gu Changsheng! A living, breathing Gu Changsheng!

A middle-aged man who looked like a manager hurried over and stood before Shen Xici, his words neither servile nor overbearing: “A pleasure to meet you. May I ask for your name?”

Shen Xici smiled politely: “My surname is Shen. ID code 7451xx002. Please prepare a room for us in Area A, adjacent to Cheng Mingye.”

Upon hearing the string of numbers, the manager immediately realized who this code belonged to. His posture didn’t change, but his expression became more respectful. He led Shen Xici to the lounge area and said carefully, “If you would please wait here for a moment, I need to ask for instructions from my boss.”

Shen Xici nodded: “Of course.”

At the other end of the lobby, Xu Lingjia saw Zhong Yue approaching and said sweetly, “Brother Zhong, you were so worried about me, you even came down specially to get me.”

As he spoke, Xu Lingjia caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Shen Xici?

No, impossible, how could he get in?

Just as he was about to take a closer look, he heard Zhong Yue instruct him, “These are major investors. Be sharp and perform well when you go up.”

Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Lingjia nodded quickly: “Don’t worry, Brother Zhong, I definitely won’t make you lose face!”

In the lounge area, the manager returned. “Mr. Shen, hello.”

He had called his boss, Song Xinghuai, but couldn’t get through. He wasn’t sure who this person in front of him was, but the ID code he provided did belong to Mr. Sheng. For that reason alone, he didn’t dare to be neglectful.

Seeing the manager’s troubled expression, Shen Xici raised his eyes and spoke: “What’s wrong, can’t it be done?” His gaze turned slightly cold. “If I remember correctly, when you invited A’Shao to join the club, you promised that all his needs would be met immediately.”

The subtle pressure made it hard for the manager to maintain his smile. He also felt that the tone of this Mr. Shen’s voice sounded somewhat similar to Mr. Sheng’s.

And also.

A’Shao?

The manager’s heart tightened. What was the relationship between this person and Mr. Sheng? Even their boss was not qualified to use such a form of address.

He pondered for a moment, then made a gesture of “please”: “Mr. Shen, it was my oversight. I apologize for the delay. This way, please.”

In the elevator hall, Xu Lingjia was chatting with Zhong Yue. Thinking about Shen Xici still being blocked at the door, unable to get in, his mood improved even more. He said affectionately, “Brother Zhong, I’ve only ever heard of this place. I’ve never had the chance to come in before. Do you come here to hang out often?”

Zhong Yue shook his head: “Jiajia, you think too highly of me. I only got the chance to come this time because people from the capital are here.”

Xu Lingjia was about to say something when his mind suddenly went blank—he saw the person who should have been blocked at the door, being led by someone who looked like a manager, walking through the resplendent lobby.

Wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him, Xu Lingjia stared at the figure until Shen Xici disappeared around a corner. He subconsciously wanted to chase after him to confirm.

Unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, he was stopped by a waiter who was guiding guests. “I’m sorry, that is the VIP elevator hall. You cannot go over there.”

Xu Lingjia’s expression darkened, his nails instantly digging into his flesh.

---

Ningcheng Airport.

Sheng Shaoyan, dressed in a three-piece suit, stepped onto the tarmac surrounded by a crowd. A private jet with the four English letters “Thyn” on its tail was parked not far away, its fuselage reflecting the sunlight.

His phone rang. He pressed the answer button: “What is it?”

“My people told me someone came to the club, used your ID code, and said his last name is Shen. He wasn’t sure what to do, afraid of slighting an honored guest, so he hurried to ask. I was thinking, I’ve never heard of you having someone like that around.”

Song Xinghuai joked, “Could it be another one who found a loophole and tried every means to get close to you?”

Sheng Shaoyan’s knuckles tightened on his phone, but he continued to walk forward, his voice tensing: “What did you say his last name was?”

“His last name is Shen. I thought it over several times, and I really don’t remember anyone with that surname.”

His leather shoes stepped onto the boarding stairs. Sheng Shaoyan stood in the wind and spoke: “If next time—”

“Kick him out directly?”

“Take him directly to my room on the top floor. That room is more spacious. Put all his expenses on my account.”

“Huh??”