Chapter 48: He Doesn’t Know

“Brother Shen, I missed you so much!”

Shen Xici was reading his script in the actors’ lounge when he was startled by a sudden loud voice. He looked up to see Lan Xiaoshan standing at the door with a large black bag on his back, his spirits as high as his voice.

Swallowing the “Are you tired?” he had been about to ask, Shen Xici asked him, “Why didn’t you let me pick you up?”

Lan Xiaoshan patted his chest and said proudly, “I’m familiar with this place, Qintai Film and Television City! More than half of the crews I’ve followed before filmed here. I even know which place has the best box lunches and which boss is stingy with the meat!”

He rushed over to Shen Xici in a few steps, his eyes shining with amazement as he looked from the golden dragon-shaped hairpiece on Shen Xici’s head to the dragon patterns embroidered with gold thread on his clothes. “I saw the video the crew’s official account posted on the way here, you look super handsome! There was even a debate in the comments section. Some people said you should have this ancient costume permanently welded onto you, while others hoped the limited-edition skin of the Mountain God’s Son could be changed to a permanent one!”

Remembering something, he lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Brother Shen, a lot of people are shipping you and Teacher Zhong as a couple. Will Brother Shao get angry if he sees it?”

Suddenly hearing that name, Shen Xici was dazed for a couple of seconds, then found it strange. “Why would A’Shao be angry?”

Lan Xiaoshan was full of admiration. As the man behind Brother Shen, Brother Shao was truly magnanimous!

Besides, even though everyone was happily shipping the CP, Brother Shao was with Brother Shen all the time. He must know very well that Brother Shen and Teacher Zhong were not close at all; it was all just work.

“Huh, where’s Brother Shao? Why don’t I see Brother Shao?”

Lan Xiaoshan finally realized why he had felt something was off since he entered the room.

Where was my Brother Shao, who was like Brother Shen’s pet bodyguard, always present everywhere?

Unconsciously folding the paper in his hand, Shen Xici looked away. “Your Brother Shao didn’t come.” He then handed the script to Lan Xiaoshan, changing the subject. “Come on, let’s take the time to run through the scene. My scene is up after Zhong Yue and the others finish filming.”

Reaching for the script, Lan Xiaoshan went along with it. “Okay, okay. I was shocked when I saw the call sheet. Who would have thought the very first day on set would be a big all-night shoot!”

As he spoke, he was secretly pondering. Seeing Brother Shen’s evasive and unwilling-to-talk appearance, plus the fact that Brother Shao had been following him so closely in Sui County but didn’t come this time, could it be… they broke up?!

Hiss—

He had always thought Brother Shen and Brother Shao were a perfect match! When the two of them stood together, it was a complete feast for the eyes. He always felt that just a few glances would cleanse his eyes, making them feel exceptionally comfortable!

What a pity.

The first scene was in the grand hall of the film city. Silk and bamboo music played during a feast, bright candles illuminated the hall, and palace maids moved back and forth, pouring wine and tea. The ministers sat in rows on both sides, yet there was a dead silence.

Lan Xiaoshan stood outside the camera’s view, craning his neck to watch. He hadn’t had a chance to read the entire script yet, but he knew that the person kneeling and crying with his court tablet on the floor was the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. He had once been a teacher to the emperor played by Shen Xici and was a close confidant. But this time, he had been impeached, with the charges filling half a memorial.

When they were rehearsing in the makeup room, he had read the lines of this Grand Tutor, which were all about when His Majesty was young, he taught him to read; when His Majesty was young, he brought him pinwheels and red bean paste sweet porridge from outside the palace; when His Majesty was young, he blah blah blah.

“When I was young, the Grand Tutor indeed took great care of me. I have always been grateful to the Grand Tutor.”

The words were spoken slowly and methodically, like pearls falling onto a jade plate. The words had weight, and Lan Xiaoshan’s heart tightened.

The Shen Xici at this moment was completely different from the one who had rehearsed with him. Although he knew this was how actors acted, Lan Xiaoshan still had the illusion: Oh no, my Brother Shen’s soul has been possessed!

The young emperor sat on the imperial couch. He took the bowl of red bean paste sweet porridge presented by a eunuch on behalf of the Grand Tutor and studied it quietly. No one could tell what he was thinking.

With a soft “clack,” the bowl of porridge was placed back on the wooden tray. The young emperor leaned his elbows on his legs, his upper body leaning forward, and stared at the person kneeling in the center of the hall, his eyes cool and detached.

The Grand Tutor looked up, his face full of wrinkles. His voice trembled, “When Your Majesty was a child, you liked sweets, but the late Emperor forbade it. So every time I entered the palace to lecture, I would secretly bring Your Majesty a bowl of red bean paste sweet porridge.”

The young emperor hummed in acknowledgement. “I remember.”

A glint of someone who had escaped death appeared in the disheveled Grand Tutor’s eyes. He crawled forward two steps on his knees, knocked his head heavily on the ground, and then raised it again. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am loyal to you!”

The young emperor watched the Grand Tutor. The candlelight beside the imperial couch reflected in his dark eyes. His gaze did not move, he only raised a hand and said lightly, “Bring the arrow.”

Soon, a eunuch placed a bow and arrow in his palm.

Just sitting on the imperial couch, the young emperor raised his hand, wide sleeves draping down. He skillfully drew the bow to its fullest. With a “thump,” the arrow was released from the string. In the blink of an eye, with a “thud,” it embedded itself in the Grand Tutor’s chest.

Amidst the silence of the hall, short gasps and intakes of breath were heard.

Tossing the empty bow to the ground, the young emperor rose and walked step by step to the center of the hall, casually crouching beside the Grand Tutor.

The Grand Tutor clutched his chest, blood seeping from between his fingers. He still couldn’t believe why the emperor he had watched grow up would be so ruthless as to strike him down. Choking on blood, his voice was like a broken bellows. “Your Majesty, everything I did was for Your Majesty. Why… why…”

Looking at the person lying on the ground, the young emperor dipped his fingertip in the blood on the floor tiles, rubbed it, and even brought it to his nose to sniff lightly, a smile playing on his lips.

He gave the answer in a low voice: “Because, what I give to you, I can also take back at any time.”

Then, the young emperor reached out, gripped the long shaft of the arrow, and pulled it upwards with force. With another “squelch,” the entire arrow was pulled out.

Blood splattered across his face.

Like cinnabar on white jade.

After a couple of glances, he lost interest. Tossing the bloody arrow back onto the Grand Tutor, the young emperor patted the non-existent dust from his clothes and returned to the imperial couch. With his blood-stained hand, he picked up the bowl of red bean paste sweet porridge, took a taste with a jade spoon, and smiled. “Not bad, it’s indeed the taste of my youth.”

“Cut! That’s a wrap for this take. Shen Xici is in great form!” Director Rao Qingping called out from behind the monitor. “Where’s the makeup artist? Hurry up, everyone get ready, we’ll go again in a few minutes!”

Just watching from the side, Lan Xiaoshan held his breath, a string in his heart pulled taut. He felt that Brother Shen’s smile, his gaze, and the tone of his voice all had a sense of calm insanity. Yet, his face was exceptionally handsome, and this contrast was particularly stimulating and captivating.

It was normal to film the same scene over and over, especially with so many actors in the shot. It required close-ups from multiple angles, and even the expressions of the extras in the corners couldn’t be wrong. Everyone had to be on their A-game. After watching two more takes, Lan Xiaoshan said his goodbyes, left the main hall, and returned to the hotel where the crew was staying.

Shen Xici had been sent to the set, but his luggage was still at the hotel’s front desk. Lan Xiaoshan planned to get the luggage first, tidy up the room a bit, and then buy some fruit. That way, when Brother Shen got off work, he would have something to eat if he was hungry and could go to bed as soon as possible.

As he was recalling which fruit store in the film city had good produce, Lan Xiaoshan stepped into the hotel lobby. He hadn’t walked far when his gaze suddenly froze.

He didn’t dare to recognize him at first, mainly because of the suit that looked incredibly expensive and an aura that was somewhat different from before, which was a big departure from Lan Xiaoshan’s impression.

But that face, Lan Xiaoshan would never mistake it!

He said with pleasant surprise, “Brother Shao?”

With his jacket neatly folded over his arm, Sheng Shaoyan just stood there, and the hotel lobby seemed to brighten considerably.

Lan Xiaoshan hurried over to greet him. “Brother Shao, are you here to see Brother Shen? Brother Shen is still on set. It’s a big all-night shoot today, so he definitely won’t wrap up until late at night, almost dawn.”

Seeing Lan Xiaoshan, Sheng Shaoyan guessed that Shen Xici must have hired him again as his on-set assistant.

He had noticed before that Shen Xici was very nostalgic. Perhaps because so few people had been good to him growing up, he cherished every one of them and always wanted to repay them.

Instead of answering Lan Xiaoshan’s question, Sheng Shaoyan asked, “Why are you back early?”

“I was just thinking of helping Brother Shen bring his luggage back to the room and tidy up a bit, so I came back first. I’ll go back to the set to wait for Brother Shen after I’m done.”

Lan Xiaoshan thought to himself, It seems they really did have a fight. In the past, Brother Shao rarely smiled, but his expression and gaze were quite gentle. The current Brother Shao has such a cold aura, a super heavy presence. Just standing in front of him makes me subconsciously want to stand at attention, shoulders straight, hands at my sides.

Sheng Shaoyan spoke, “I’ll go with you.”

“Okay, okay,” Lan Xiaoshan readily agreed.

It seemed his guess was correct. They really had a fight, a very serious one, to the point of breaking up. Now, Brother Shen came to film alone, and Brother Shao followed right after to apologize and coax him.

After getting the luggage from the front desk, Lan Xiaoshan led Sheng Shaoyan upstairs to Shen Xici’s room. Standing at the door, he opened it with the room key and confided, “Brother Shao, Brother Shen seems to be in a good mood, not particularly upset.”

He doesn’t seem very angry, so your chances of being forgiven after apologizing are quite high!

Sheng Shaoyan noted the room number and nodded. “Okay.”

Turning on the lights and the air conditioner, Lan Xiaoshan put down the suitcase and quickly tidied up the room, saying, “The journey must have been tiring. Brother Shao, where did you come from? Why don’t you rest for a bit?”

“From Ningcheng,” Sheng Shaoyan said as he walked into the room, speaking seriously. “Thank you.”

Lan Xiaoshan waved his hand and sighed with a subtle look in his eyes. “Ah, it’s nothing. I get it, I get it!”

Isn’t it just a chance to kneel on a washboard? I’ve seen the script for ‘chasing after your wife for a thousand miles to beg for forgiveness after a fight’!

Although it’s not very moral, but… I want to see it, I love to see it! More, please!

Before leaving, Lan Xiaoshan even poked his head through the crack in the door. “Brother Shao, you can do it!”

Sheng Shaoyan, standing in the middle of the room, paused for a moment. “Okay.”

Taking off the heavy costume that weighed several pounds, Shen Xici was still thinking on his way back to the hotel, Does this count as working out while filming? I even saved money on a gym membership.

Swiping the hotel room door with his key card, Shen Xici took a step inside and suddenly froze—

There was someone inside.

The lights were off, and there was only the sound of very steady breathing, as if someone were asleep.

He quickly thought it over. This was his first day in Qintai Film and Television City. The rooms in this hotel could only be opened with a key card. Before, the only person who had been in this room was Lan Xiaoshan. At the elevator, when Lan Xiaoshan handed him the key card, he seemed to want to say something but held back.

So, Lan Xiaoshan knew. The person inside must be someone Lan Xiaoshan thought he knew, and was even very familiar with, to let them into the room.

The light from the corridor spread out at his feet. Shen Xici quickly thought of the only possible person and called out uncertainly, “Mr. Sheng?”

After a moment, a slightly hoarse voice sounded, “It’s me.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shen Xici turned to close the door and turned on the lights.

The scene in the room appeared before his eyes.

The curtains were drawn. His suitcase stood by the table, unopened. The bed was neat and clean, without a single wrinkle.

Sheng Shaoyan was lying on the sofa, looking over at him with some fatigue.

His tie and jacket were casually draped over the back of a chair. His height of nearly 1.9 meters made the old sofa seem both short and narrow.

Shen Xici couldn’t quite figure out why a Sheng Shaoyan would have grown out of the room’s sofa.

The key was, if he was here to deliver a ‘you’re screwed’ package, it didn’t seem like it. But to give up the bed in a grand villa to sleep on a hotel room sofa, had he lost his mind somewhere?

Shen Xici thought it, so he asked it. “Why is Mr. Sheng here?”

Why was he here?

Sheng Shaoyan had also contemplated this question while lying in the dark room.

In the end, he could only attribute it to his emotions not being under control.

In his past twenty-odd years, such a situation had been very rare.

His position, and the things he had to do, all required him to be sufficiently rational to deal with all possible situations. He could never act on impulse.

He had placed himself within a clear set of standards, never deviating by a single millimeter.

But when it came to matters concerning Shen Xici, he had, time and time again, done things that even he himself couldn’t understand.

Just like things “A’Shao” would do.

For example, rushing to the film city overnight and falling asleep on this sofa.

He turned his head and looked at Shen Xici, who was standing in place, not having taken a single step closer. His voice was still a bit hoarse. “I’ve been having frequent headaches lately, and it’s hard to fall asleep at night.”

Headaches? Could it be a side effect of his previous amnesia?

But during that time in Sui County, apart from the first few nights when Sheng Shaoyan was overly suspicious and wary of him, not daring to let himself fall asleep, hadn’t he slept well afterward?

Shen Xici walked over, stood by the sofa, bent down to touch Sheng Shaoyan’s forehead, and frowned. “Your temperature is normal. Where exactly does it hurt? Does it still hurt now?”

Being this close to Shen Xici again, Sheng Shaoyan breathed in almost greedily, feeling the warmth from his palm.

A thorny part of his heart had its thorns smoothed out by Shen Xici’s hand.

He didn’t mind lying for this. “It still hurts. This whole area hurts.” He added, “But I just slept for two hours.”

Having never seen such an illness, Shen Xici could only speculate, “If you fell asleep after getting to a hotel room, could it be due to psychological factors? Mr. Sheng, what does your medical team say?”

“Their opinion is similar to yours.”

Sheng Shaoyan had already confirmed that the ring was still on Shen Xici’s left middle finger, and the blue crystal bracelet was also on his wrist, not taken off.

Moreover, Shen Xici cared about him.

Although he still called him “Mr. Sheng” with every sentence, the concern on his face and in his eyes could not be faked.

Just as he was about to continue with his excuse, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Shen Xici was about to go open the door when he saw Sheng Shaoyan get up, stretch out a long arm, and block him. He buttoned the collar of his own shirt. “Filming all night is tiring. You rest. I’ll get it.”

The room door was opened.

Seeing the person standing at the door, who had raised his hand as if to knock again, the warmth that had gathered in Sheng Shaoyan’s eyes instantly faded.

Zhong Yue?

At this hour, why was he looking for Shen Xici?

Surprised to find that the person opening the door was not Shen Xici, nor his assistant, Zhong Yue checked the room number again. After confirming he wasn’t mistaken, he asked, “I’m looking for Shen Xici. May I ask who you are?”

Sheng Shaoyan blocked the doorway, separating the inside from the outside, and said as if it were a matter of course, “I’m his agent.”

Remembering what Shen Xici had said before, Zhong Yue found it strange. “Agent? But isn’t Shen Xici’s agent a woman, and still on leave?”

Sheng Shaoyan’s fingers, which were on the doorknob, suddenly tightened.

Shen Xici had an agent, and that agent was on leave—Zhong Yue knew about this, so why didn’t he?