Chapter 58: Priority

It was already eleven o’clock when they got home. Arriving with them was takeout from the Plum Garden restaurant.

Each dish was packed in a suitable container like a woven bamboo basket or a wooden box. The tableware was thoughtfully chosen plain white porcelain. It was unclear how they managed the temperature control, but when Shen Xici ate, the temperature and texture were just right, greatly soothing his hungry stomach.

The food tasted wonderful, but Shen Xici ate distractedly. Whenever a few scattered words drifted out from the study, his attention was drawn like a magnet, and he couldn’t help but glance in that direction.

It sounded like he was discussing matters with the New York office, his tone the usual cool and calm. Shen Xici poked at his rice with his chopsticks, his mind uncontrollably drifting back to what Sheng Shaoyan had said in the darkness: “No matter where I am, I will always respond to you.”

He couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling.

It seemed that for as long as he could remember, there had never been anyone who was willing to respond to him anytime, anywhere.

When he was a child in that home, he always tried to minimize his presence, to not attract Wu Licheng’s attention in the slightest. That was the only way he felt safe.

When Wu Licheng was out drinking or playing cards, he would feel a bit more at ease. But from the moment he could remember, he could sense his adoptive mother’s impatience with him. At first, he would bring back wildflowers and wild fruits he found in the mountain forests, or small fish and crabs he caught in the stream, showing them to Zhuo Suli with excitement and anticipation. But Zhuo Suli would always say, “Can’t you see I’m busy? I don’t have time for you,” or “Go away, go away, don’t get in my way again!”

So, he would wait quietly by the side, waiting for a moment when Zhuo Suli wasn’t so busy. But whenever she had a little free time, she would face the poster of Xu Lingjia on the wall, sewing small shoe insoles or knitting sweaters and making clothes, murmuring something in a gentle tone.

Slowly, he stopped trying to do that anymore.

He vaguely sensed that he was not in his mother’s eyes, let alone in her heart.

He stopped expecting a response.

Actually, thinking about it carefully, Sheng Shaoyan had done the same in their previous life. Even if it was something as trivial as him seeing a butterfly with beautiful wings on set, or a meaningless piece of nonsense like “the leaves fell from the trees on the roadside today,” the other man would always respond.

It was just that the Sheng Shaoyan of their past life had never said something like what he said today.

The trembling sensation seemed to linger at his nerve endings. Shen Xici restrained himself from thinking about it further. He picked up his phone, forcing his attention to shift, and opened his chat with Lu Jiming.

The last message on the screen was from yesterday. Lu Jiming said he had found a very good filming location, similar to the studio that had caught fire before. It was in the Republican era style, but the space was larger and the building’s texture was better. If the art team studied it well, the final effect might even be better than the previous one.

Shen Xici typed: [How’s the location? Is it confirmed?]

By this time, the film crew should have wrapped up for the day. Lu Jiming was most likely holed up in his hotel room, busy with editing.

Sure enough, after a short while, “typing…” appeared at the top of the screen.

[World-Famous Director: It fell through. Someone snatched it. I’m so angry I’m planning to go on strike tonight and not edit!]

Shen Xici raised an eyebrow and replied coolly with two words: [No.]

Lu Jiming sent a period, then meekly replied: [Fine, I’ll edit. Is it okay if I just edit…]

Shen Xici asked for details. The matter was simple. After discovering the location, Lu Jiming had contacted them. They had an open slot, so he immediately paid the deposit. Unexpectedly, the person in charge called him today, saying there was a problem and they couldn’t rent it to him.

Lu Jiming found it strange. Why turn down money? After some probing, he found out that a director with the surname Wu had intercepted it. The other party was wealthy and arrogant, offering three times the price to snatch the usage rights.

Over the phone, Lu Jiming shouted, “They said the director and the male lead of that crew both went. Those two are absolutely insane. It wasn’t enough to steal the location; they even cursed us, calling us some ‘no-name’ crew. They also said that with a name like Fleeting Life, it would never get released, and the production would definitely disband halfway through. Renting the location to us would be a waste of a good place. I’m so mad, so mad! They’re the no-name crew! They’re the ones who will disband!”

Shen Xici’s gaze deepened.

The required scenes were similar, both set in the Republican era, and the other director’s surname was Wu. It was hard for Shen Xici not to connect this to Director Wu Ya’s film, Two-Faced.

But why were they so sure that their film wouldn’t be released?

“Alright, don’t be angry. Getting angry too much can make you sick, and getting sick means going to the hospital, and going to the hospital costs a lot of money,” Shen Xici asked him. “Are there any other backup options?”

Lu Jiming thought, getting angry costs money? No way! He quickly adjusted his mindset and replied, “I’m looking. Actually, I do have a backup that’s not really a backup.”

“What do you mean?”

“That place is on a whole other level. I wouldn’t dare call it a backup. I should say, it’s my ‘white moonlight.’ It’s because that place is definitely impossible that I’ve been looking for these substitutes.”

Lu Jiming’s tone was dramatic as he sighed, “But a substitute is just a substitute. It only has the form of the white moonlight, not its soul. There are always some flaws here and there. So even though the location I had my eye on was snatched, I don’t feel too heartbroken.”

Shen Xici was very interested in this tale of substitutes. “Where is your white moonlight?”

Lu Jiming immediately perked up. “Let me tell you, aren’t you impersonating Sheng Yuen in the movie? In real life, the Sheng family has an ancestral garden called ‘Jiezhou Garden.’ The name comes from that line in Free and Easy Wandering, ‘If you pour a cup of water into a hollow on the floor, then a mustard seed will serve as a boat.’ It’s an incredibly famous private garden in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area, exceptionally beautiful. It’s still the private property of the Sheng family. For two days a week, they open half of it to tourists, and they close it down whenever they feel like it.”

Shen Xici was a bit surprised. “You want to film inside Jiezhou Garden?”

“How could I not want to! But I have to be able to get in first.” Lu Jiming imagined it excitedly. “That’s a real, centuries-old garden. Can these modern replicas and film studios even compare to that kind of heritage? They say even the paintings on the walls and the porcelain on the tables are priceless antiques. Besides, if Gu Changsheng were to enter Jiezhou Garden to carry out his fraudulent activities, that scene, tsk tsk, just thinking about it is exciting!”

In his previous life, Shen Xici had actually been to the part of Jiezhou Garden that wasn’t open to the public. He had even spent a night there with Sheng Shaoyan, lying on a carved wooden bed, which truly gave the illusion of having traveled back a hundred years in time.

“It’s a pity. The Sheng family’s status is just too high. I asked in the fake socialite group I’m in if anyone had connections to that big shot from the Sheng family, even a peripheral one would do. All I got was a wave of silence. They said I had the guts of a leopard to even set my sights on that Mr. Sheng. They told me to just aim for some second or third-generation rich kids and give up on the idea. The Sheng family is not someone I can even think about.”

Lu Jiming complained, “I just want to make a movie! Now, every now and then in the group, they advise me to give up my fantasies, be practical, and focus on the rich heirs in front of me.”

Shen Xici was silent for a moment, then spoke. “I can contact that Mr. Sheng.”

“As for the rich heir in front of me, although Cheng Mingye is our god of wealth, his family doesn’t have a garden—” Lu Jiming’s voice trailed off abruptly. He processed what Shen Xici had said, then exclaimed belatedly, his voice changing pitch, “What, what? You can contact him?”

It sounded like he had sat up straight in his chair. After a rustling sound, he asked again, cautiously, “You can really contact that Mr. Sheng?”

Footsteps sounded. Shen Xici, still holding his phone, turned his head and saw Sheng Shaoyan walk out of the study. Seeing that he was on the phone, Sheng Shaoyan quietly sat down on the sofa and opened his laptop to look at something.

He spoke into the phone, “Yes, really.”

Shen Xici thought, Of course I can contact him. The man is right here on my sofa.

After hanging up, Shen Xici was wondering how to bring this up with Sheng Shaoyan. Asking to film in someone’s ancestral home, even if they would mostly use the part open to the public, still felt a bit presumptuous.

Unexpectedly, Sheng Shaoyan spoke first. “About filming in Jiezhou Garden, I’ll have someone arrange it as soon as possible. They will contact the crew to coordinate the schedule and location requirements.”

“You heard?” Meeting Sheng Shaoyan’s gaze, Shen Xici’s fingers, which were on the table, unconsciously traced circles on the surface. “If it’s inconvenient—”

“It’s not. As long as you need it, it won’t be inconvenient,” Sheng Shaoyan said seriously. “These are all small matters. I’m very willing to help you. I’m willing to help you with even more.”

He wasn’t afraid that Shen Xici had more ulterior motives.

On the contrary, he was afraid that Shen Xici had no designs on him at all.

However, after he said this, the room fell silent for a moment.

The roar of an engine whistled past outside the window.

Shen Xici avoided his gaze.

Taking the dishes to the kitchen, washing them, and putting them away, Shen Xici stared at the faucet in a daze for a while. Then he took the dried clothes to the bedroom and hung them in the closet, trying to find things to do.

While organizing, Shen Xici suddenly noticed that in just a few days, his closet had gained several suits and shirts, his drawers had more ties, and there were also several pairs of cufflinks and tie clips of different materials.

In the living room and study, there were also unfinished documents and a couple of books.

Without him even realizing it, his home had gradually filled with more and more of Sheng Shaoyan’s things.

Just like how he now said goodbye to Sheng Shaoyan every morning before leaving, talked about his day after coming home, and they would wish each other goodnight before sleeping.

The fine details of their lives were like the branches and leaves of two trees, intertwined.

After carefully arranging the cufflinks and tie clips, Shen Xici stood in front of the closet for a while, then opened the bedroom’s French window, planning to get some air on the balcony.

He walked out distractedly, not yet accustomed to the height difference between the bedroom and the balcony. He accidentally missed a step. Shen Xici steadied himself by putting a hand on the window frame, paused for a moment, then simply sat down on the floor. He took a slow breath and looked up at the sky.

You couldn’t see stars in the city, only the light spots of night flights slowly streaking across the sky above. The outlines of the clouds were faintly visible.

He gazed at the night.

The night was silent and lonely.

After an unknown amount of time, the distant neon lights went out. Shen Xici, wrapped in the chill of the October night wind, got up and went back into the room.

Passing by the study door, he saw Sheng Shaoyan was on the phone inside. Since he was at home, he was only wearing a black shirt. The tie was off, and the collar was open, adding an air of elegance and relaxation.

It was unclear what the other person said, but his voice was cold. “My order was to rescue those miners. If he can’t understand what I’m saying, and can’t distinguish whether human lives are more important or a good-looking report is more important, then he can pack his things and get out of his office within five minutes.”

Then, he made another call to Lin Yueshu. “…This matter can easily become a liability, used by Sheng Junhong as a tool to stir up public opinion. Before the market opens tomorrow, the public opinion must be controlled. Also, investigate if he has any connection with Sheng Junhong.”

When Sheng Shaoyan hung up, Shen Xici walked over. “Was there an accident at the mine?”

After the Sheng family immigrated over a hundred years ago, they started their fortune in mining and shipping. Shen Xici had seen the distribution map. The points of light representing the mines and ports under the Sheng corporation’s name twinkled densely on the map, spread across every continent, shining like a star chart.

Sheng Shaoyan buttoned the top two buttons of his collar and picked up the suit jacket draped nearby. “Yes, a machine malfunctioned at a mine in South America. The area is war-torn, and human lives are cheap. The person in charge there wanted to save the machine, not the few workers trapped in the mine.”

His words were tinged with sarcasm. “That person thought he understood human nature, believing my order to save the workers was just for show, for a good reputation. He took it upon himself to interpret my intentions, changed the order, and even came to take credit.”

Shen Xici recalled Sheng Shaoyan’s slightly angry tone and naturally tried to soothe him. “After you scolded him, he should know what to do now, right?”

“Of course, if he still wants to keep his job.” Sheng Shaoyan didn’t mind his subordinates trying to figure out the true intentions of their superiors, but he detested those who acted on their own authority.

Handing over the tie that was draped nearby, Shen Xici asked again, “Is the driver downstairs?”

Although he had always thought of Sheng Shaoyan as a ruthless capitalist, merciless and utterly cold when battling opponents at the negotiating table, Sheng Shaoyan would never look down on the lives of those at the bottom. On such major issues of right and wrong, he had firm, universal values, with a bottom line carved into his very bones.

Unexpectedly, Sheng Shaoyan, who took the tie, didn’t move. Instead, his gaze fell downward, and he frowned. “What happened to your ankle?”

The tips of Shen Xici’s fingers, which he had just pulled back, trembled.

He controlled his expression and quickly replayed the events of the last few hours in his mind. He thought of the misstep on the bedroom balcony, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

Sheng Shaoyan had already walked over and knelt down in front of him. “It’s swollen. Did you sprain it?”

Shen Xici lowered his head as well. Sure enough, his ankle was already swollen.

He said in a natural tone, “I twisted it on the bedroom balcony just now. It doesn’t hurt much, it just looks a little swollen. See, I had no problem walking from the bedroom to here. You should go first. I’ll just ice it in a bit.”

Sheng Shaoyan looked up. “Are you really okay on your own?”

Shen Xici replied without hesitation, “Why wouldn’t I be?” His tone was light. “I’m not a child anymore. It’s just a twisted ankle, and it’s not serious.”

Sheng Shaoyan seemed to be assessing the truthfulness and reliability of his words.

“Alright, really, you should go. I studied medicine, you know. I can handle a small problem like this. I’ll go to sleep after icing it.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Sheng Shaoyan had left.

Shen Xici sat down in the chair, bent over, and touched his swollen ankle. Based on past experience and his medical knowledge, he assessed the ankle’s mobility and stability. He determined that the sprain wasn’t severe, not a fracture. It was probably a mild sprain and didn’t require a trip to the hospital.

The first-aid kit had things like sprays and bandages, so he didn’t need to buy anything. Just as Shen Xici was about to get up to get some ice from the freezer to make an ice pack, he suddenly caught the sound of footsteps.

His eyelashes trembled. In that instant, Shen Xici didn’t dare to look up, worried that he was just hearing things.

Until the footsteps grew closer and closer.

He comforted himself that even if it was just his imagination, it didn’t matter. He was used to it, anyway.

However, when he summoned the courage and truly looked up, he saw Sheng Shaoyan, who had gone and returned, standing before him with a bag of ice.

“A’Shao?” Shen Xici didn’t know how to react for a moment. “You… why didn’t you leave?”

Sheng Shaoyan knelt on one knee, his long leg bent, the fabric of his black suit trousers tightening. He lowered his head and placed a simple ice pack made of gauze on Shen Xici’s ankle.

The cold made Shen Xici jolt, and he couldn’t help but hiss.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“It doesn’t hurt, it’s just too cold. I need to get used to it.” Shen Xici looked at the man kneeling before him. He held back for a moment, but still asked, “The public opinion matter… is it okay if you don’t go to the company?”

People are always greedy.

He had long grown accustomed to being alone, accustomed to never being the priority, always the option that was given up.

Just like when he had dragged his suitcase, brought many gifts, and walked a long way back home, only to find that his house had been demolished and the person he had called “mother” for twenty years had also left.

So, by refusing, by not putting himself in a position to be chosen, he could protect himself.

But, undeniably, a faint expectation had always been hidden in his heart.

Would there be a day when someone would choose him, and keep choosing him?

His hand, resting by his side, pressed against the edge of the chair. He couldn’t help but call out Sheng Shaoyan’s name again. “A’Shao—”

His voice was very low, filled with confusion and bewilderment, as well as the desire to ask, yet fearing the answer he might receive.

In his line of sight, Shen Xici’s skin was a cool, pale white, making the red, swollen area look particularly glaring. Sheng Shaoyan controlled the pressure of his hand, pressing the ice pack on, making sure the entire swollen area was covered. Only then did he look up. He met Shen Xici’s lowered gaze, and after two seconds, he spoke. “Do you really not know?”

Shen Xici was taken aback by the question. “Know what?”

“With me, you have always had the highest priority.”