Chapter 6: Who Would Have Thought

Before the sky had brightened, Shen Xici got up to wash. While brushing his teeth, he checked his oral health, then measured his blood pressure, blood oxygen, temperature, and heart rate. In the interval while preparing breakfast, he quickly put the stethoscope in his ears and skillfully listened to his own heart and lung sounds.

A simple breakfast of instant coffee and a sandwich was placed on the table. Shen Xici pulled open the curtains with a “swoosh” and turned to see Sheng Shaoyan, who was lying on the sofa, open his eyes.

It was only four in the morning. Shen Xici felt that Sheng Shaoyan didn’t look like he had just woken up, but more like he had been awake for a while, or perhaps, hadn’t slept at all?

He pushed open the wood-framed glass window to let the wind in and said, “Woke up so early? Or did you have insomnia and couldn’t sleep? Next time—”

He had originally wanted to say that such a good sleep schedule shouldn’t be wasted, so the tasks of frying eggs, washing lettuce, and cutting cucumbers would be handed over to him. But then he remembered Sheng Shaoyan’s culinary skills, which would make even a passing ant spit, and Shen Xici silently took back his words.

“Get up and have breakfast. We’re leaving at four-thirty.”

The weather forecast said the sunrise was at seven today. Shen Xici had to have his makeup done and be in costume, standing in a tree by six-thirty. Time was tight.

As for Sheng Shaoyan, Shen Xici was worried that he would run into the people sent by Second Uncle Sheng to find him if he went downstairs, so it was safer to keep him close.

“Okay.” Sheng Shaoyan’s gaze swept over the stethoscope casually placed on the dining table. Over the past three days, he had easily discovered that Shen Xici seemed to have moderate anxiety. Every time he came home, he would wash his hands and disinfect. He would measure and record his vital signs twice a day, in the morning and evening, and would never miss it no matter how busy he was. Sometimes he would wear black half-finger thin gloves and had the habit of wearing a mask when going out, as if there were viruses flying everywhere.

In addition, he had seen in the mirror that the wound on his back was indeed sewn up very beautifully, and the debridement was done very well. He guessed that Shen Xici was probably engaged in medical-related work, and a very serious case of occupational disease at that.

However, last night Shen Xici had said he would take him to work today. What would he take him for, a clinic visit? Ward rounds? And at this time, the night emergency shift was almost over, and it was too early for the morning shift.

After breakfast, Sheng Shaoyan held the doorknob, ready to open the door, but was stopped by Shen Xici. When he turned his head, an ugly fisherman’s hat was placed on his head, and a mask of the same style as Shen Xici’s was hung on his ears.

Sheng Shaoyan couldn’t accept such an ugly black thing on his head: “I don’t wear hats.”

Shen Xici righteously rejected his proposal: “No, you must wear it. Don’t you know how attractive your face is?”

Attractive? Sheng Shaoyan’s hand, which was about to take off the hat, paused—was he saying that he, or his former self, was a flirt, and did not abide by male virtues?

Walking down the concrete stairs, he saw that although Sheng Shaoyan’s height and long legs gave him an outstanding proportion, at least half of his face was covered, making him less conspicuous. At the very least, it reduced the possibility of someone coming up to him on the set, handing him a business card, and asking if he was interested in debuting as a star.

It wasn’t always a good thing for a man to be too beautiful; it was hard to hide!

It was really too early; there wasn’t a single pedestrian on the road. The cold wind blew between the small buildings, carrying the sound of distant wheels hitting the ground. A worn-out, dirty flatbed cart moved slowly, piled with bundles of fresh vegetables. It was a vegetable vendor from the morning market pulling goods.

Sheng Shaoyan looked around and asked, “How do you usually get to work?”

“Usually, I take a car with my colleagues, but the number of people is fixed, and there’s no seat for you in the car. So we’re not taking that car today. Wait for me, two minutes!”

Shen Xici walked away quickly, his figure disappearing around the corner of the alley downstairs.

Sheng Shaoyan withdrew his gaze and looked at the sky, which had not yet brightened. He felt that such a scene was familiar to him; it seemed that his former self had seen countless similar dawns.

But if he was still awake after four in the morning, what would he be doing? Working overtime? Or eating, drinking, and playing?

The “buzz—” of an engine sounded, sounding as if it would stall if it missed a single drop of gasoline. Having gotten used to the sound of roaring motorcycles these past two days, Sheng Shaoyan took a step back in advance.

Unexpectedly, this motorcycle stopped with a “screech” in front of him.

Shen Xici gestured with his chin towards his back seat: “Get on.”

Sheng Shaoyan looked at Shen Xici, then at the motorcycle under him.

Dirty tires, a rusty metal shell and exhaust pipe, peeling paint, and the grip cover on the handlebar was broken, wrapped haphazardly with a piece of linen cloth.

He was silent for two seconds and found a descriptor: “Do you like the post-apocalyptic steampunk wasteland style?”

“Of course not. This motorcycle is just this broken. I was in too much of a hurry to find anything else,” Shen Xici twisted the handle. “Hurry up and get on, we’re going to be late!”

At first, Sheng Shaoyan was worried that the motorcycle would fall apart before they got very far. Unexpectedly, they drove out of the county town, up the mountain road, and into the deep mountain forest. The bike was still carrying two people just fine, the exhaust pipe’s sound whining, as if on its last breath, but never actually dying.

The surroundings became more and more desolate. The distant stars were sparse and cold. Only the car’s headlights illuminated the dirt road ahead. Night birds perched on branches were startled into flight. The headlights swept over a large tree that would take several people to encircle, and a flash of green phosphorescence passed by, like some kind of fungus growing quietly.

There were no houses, no signs. By his estimation, they were already more than twenty kilometers away from the county town.

A crescent moon hung above the mountain mist, the night air heavy. A deep blue, like the cold fog rising from a winter river, filled Sheng Shaoyan’s eyes.

He never trusted his intuition easily.

Even if his intuition told him that Shen Xici was harmless to him.

For the past three days, he had not allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep any night. He had not completely let his guard down with Shen Xici, even though Shen Xici had not shown any suspicious behavior on any of the nights he was awake, not even opening the bedroom door.

Until now.

What kind of work would suddenly require leaving after four in the morning, and taking him along?

The sound of the motorcycle engine echoed faintly in the mountains. The front wheel rolled over gravel and dead leaves, the kicked-up debris making a low, dense sound as it hit the exhaust pipe. The wind in the dense forest was full of moisture, hiding a few traces of the smell of decaying plants. Sheng Shaoyan spoke calmly: “This road is not easy to walk on.”

Shen Xici’s voice was a little tense: “Yes, there’s a sharp turn ahead. Don’t talk to me for now. This is my first time riding a motorcycle on this kind of road. If we flip over, we’re both done for.”

It was indeed a sharp turn. The tires passed over rocks and mud pits, and the bike’s body jolted a few times.

Shen Xici was wearing a white hoodie with a black print today. From Sheng Shaoyan’s angle, he could see a section of his clean nape, with a slight protrusion of bone due to his thinness, clear and smooth like a jade arc, dazzling in the dim light.

The hand that had been resting on the back seat was now placed on Shen Xici’s shoulder.

Shen Xici glanced at Sheng Shaoyan in the rearview mirror: “Is the road a bit bumpy? It’s indeed more stable to hold on. This road is also miserable, having been run over by large truck wheels who knows how many times. When it rains in the mountains, it becomes a big mud pit, specifically to trap people.”

Sheng Shaoyan only replied, “It is a little.”

“What time is it now?”

“Five sixteen.”

“It’s a bit late. Hold on tight, I’m taking a shortcut!”

The dilapidated motorcycle left the dirt road and plunged into the forest.

Just as Sheng Shaoyan was planning in his mind how to attack from behind, subdue the person in front of him within seconds, and at the same time seize control of the motorcycle, a white light suddenly shone through the dense forest leaves.

Next to the crescent moon, a long metal pole hung a huge white square lamp. Human voices came from afar, piercing the silence of the jungle.

“We’re almost there!”

There?

The motorcycle sped up and rushed over in one go. Before the bike had even come to a steady stop, several people ran over, shouted “Teacher Shen,” and dragged Shen Xici inside in a hurry.

Teacher Shen?

It was as if a soundproof glass had been shattered.

The clamor poured into Sheng Shaoyan’s hearing from all directions.

Around him, countless props and equipment were being moved. The sound of wheels rolled past his ears. Someone was shouting, “Who hasn’t gotten their mosquito repellent cream and spray? Don’t come crying to me if your face gets bitten and swells up!” “Who took my magic leg?” “Where’s the gaffer tape? Who the hell used my gaffer tape and didn’t return it?” “Has the lighting master had breakfast? The director is calling for you!”

For a moment, Sheng Shaoyan had the illusion of stepping into a strange and bizarre market hidden in the mountain forest, like something out of “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.”

At this moment, Shen Xici turned his head and shouted loudly, “A’Shao, you follow Xiao Shan! I’m going to work!”

Then, he shouted at a skinny, single-eyelidded boy who looked like a bamboo pole, “Xiao Shan, help me take care of him. Remember to spray him with mosquito repellent!”

The person called “Xiao Shan” patted his chest: “Don’t worry, Brother Shen, I’ll definitely spray him from head to toe! I won’t miss a single square centimeter!”

Sheng Shaoyan: “…”

That’s not necessary.

The makeup on Shen Xici’s face was not heavy; it could basically be considered a bare-faced appearance. He changed clothes, did his hair, put on earrings, and successfully squatted in a tree at six-ten, starting to cooperate with the lighting crew to adjust his position and angle.

Squatting high, one can see far. With one glance, Shen Xici saw Sheng Shaoyan standing next to Lan Xiaoshan, his hat and mask worn properly.

But even though he was covered up, he still looked like a powerful investor and big boss, bringing his fledgling assistant to visit the set. The kind who would pull funding if anything didn’t meet his satisfaction.

Passing staff would curiously take a few more glances, but the set was busy and chaotic, and for the time being, no one had time to pay attention to Sheng Shaoyan.

Shen Xici remembered Sheng Shaoyan’s sleepless eyes when he drew the curtains and thought to himself, Now he can sleep peacefully at night, right? Staying up all night every day is really not conducive to wound recovery.

Lan Xiaoshan conscientiously sprayed another layer of mosquito repellent on Sheng Shaoyan, which made him sneeze. He put away the spray bottle, looked around warily, then looked at him guardedly again. He stood up straight, trying to put on the air of a senior, and asked, “Are you Brother Shen’s assistant?”

He really liked following Shen Xici. When they went back to the crew’s living quarters after filming, all the assistants were close to each other. It only took a few days to see clearly which actors were troublesome and had bad tempers, and which actors were good-tempered and easy to get along with. Several assistants envied Lan Xiaoshan for being able to follow Shen Xici and wanted to switch with him.

Sheng Shaoyan: “No.”

Lan Xiaoshan’s imposing manner immediately dissipated. He said happily, “That’s good!” and then asked, “Then you are—”

Sheng Shaoyan glanced at Lan Xiaoshan’s expression: “You are his assistant. Shen Xici told me.”

“Brother Shen told you about me?” Lan Xiaoshan’s face lit up with surprise. He then thought, This person’s status in Brother Shen’s heart is definitely higher than mine. But he didn’t even answer my simple question. Maybe this is a secret, the kind that can’t be told to others. Hmm, I understand!

He brought over a plastic stool and wiped it diligently: “Brother Shen is a very good person. When the crew was distributing boxed lunches, one was missing, and I didn’t get one. Brother Shen had just joined the crew that day, and he immediately told the set crew to give his own boxed lunch to me. I want to follow Brother Shen until he finishes his part and leaves the crew!”

After placing the stool, Lan Xiaoshan blew off the dust again and said with a smile, “Brother, have a seat!” He made a “zip it” gesture and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry, about you and Brother Shen, I’ll keep it a secret!”

At this moment, a voice came from the loudspeaker: “Alright, quiet, we’re filming!”

Lan Xiaoshan held up his index finger and “shushed” at Sheng Shaoyan, then pointed to where Shen Xici was, telling him to watch.

After getting lost, the leader of the pursuit team, Zhang Xun, spent a night in the forest with his team. As soon as the sky brightened, he took the youngest police officer, Xiao Lin, to find a way out. As a result, they stepped into a trap in the forest and ended up in a sorry state.

They continued to walk towards the sunrise. Suddenly, the sound of a flute came through the layers of forest leaves. Unlike a bamboo flute, this flute’s sound was slightly astringent, playing a light and ethereal little tune, like a water droplet rolling over a lotus leaf and falling into the water with a “ding-dong.”

Xiao Lin said in pleasant surprise, “Chief, there’s someone! We can finally get out of this damn place!”

“A warrior of materialism shouldn’t talk about ghosts,” Zhang Xun said, his eyes vigilant. He pulled out his gun and held it in his hand, stepping through the grass and walking forward, following the sound.

The forest became much sparser. In front of a steep cliff grew an old tree that towered into the clouds, its branches and leaves luxuriant. The little tune was coming from inside the old tree.

Xiao Lin looked left and right, rubbing his arms. “I’m getting goosebumps, Chief. Could it be a mountain spirit or a tree demon?”

“A warrior of materialism—”

At this moment, a small stone fell at their feet. Zhang Xun and Xiao Lin looked up and saw a person sitting on a branch, their dangling feet pale and white, the curve of the protruding bone at the ankle delicate and beautiful. Further up, deep blue lantern-shaped pants were gathered above the ankle, and a white homespun robe hung down, fluttering in the morning breeze.

A young man was leaning against the tree trunk, his eyes slightly lowered, his scarlet lips holding a touch of green. The ethereal and melodious music flowed from the jade-like leaf to the sky.

His bare feet swayed gently with the tune. Behind him, the first ray of the morning sun pierced through the gaps in the leaves, and the entire forest, like a negative film immersed in developing fluid, emerged with colorful outlines from the inky blackness of the night. The reddish-gold light outlined his side profile with a golden thread, and even his eyes seemed to hold a touch of fiery light.

Xiao Lin’s eyes widened: “He, he—Chief, he’s so good-looking. He’s definitely not an ordinary ghost!”

The young man saw the two disheveled people standing under the tree, stopped playing, a touch of light blue moved by his ear, and the smile melted the frost-like coldness on his eyelashes. A hint of pride dotted his eyes and brows. He made a few gestures with his fingers, then picked up the leaf and blew a few more notes.

Xiao Lin opened his mouth, his face full of anger: “Chief, he’s scolding us! He’s saying we stepped in his trap, and that we’re fools from the outside!”

“…” Zhang Xun was silent for a second. “Did he speak?”

Xiao Lin said with certainty, “He did! Can’t you hear him, Chief?”

A few more notes sounded from the tree.

Xiao Lin said proudly, “He’s praising me for being smart!”

“Cut! Not bad. After adding the leaf-blowing, the mute boy can ‘speak’, and the scene is much more beautiful,” Director Wan said, looking at the monitor, and clapped his hands. “Come on, everyone, let’s work hard, hurry up, and move on to the next one!”

Sheng Shaoyan looked at Shen Xici sitting on the branch, still a little surprised—he hadn’t expected him to be an actor.

No wonder he left early and came back late every day, suddenly got his ears pierced, and even learned to blow on a leaf.

Although the person in front of him was still the same person, after the camera was pointed at him, the expression in Shen Xici’s eyes and brows changed, turning him into a clean young man who had grown up in the mountains and streams, never tainted by the dust of the world.

Lan Xiaoshan said excitedly from the side, “I told you Brother Shen would be famous in the future! He’s such a good actor, even better than yesterday!”

Sheng Shaoyan sat on the plastic stool, holding his phone, and was scrolling through the “Refunds and After-sales” section of his shopping history. He asked in a natural tone, “Is this his first play?”

“Yes, Brother Shen only participated in the open audition because he urgently needed a sum of money for an emergency,” Lan Xiaoshan had already analyzed it in his mind several times. “I’ve always found it strange. Brother Shen is so frugal, he usually eats boxed lunches with the crew, and he buys very cheap breakfast for himself. How could he be short of money?”

The finger tapping the screen paused. Sheng Shaoyan remembered the bank card tied to his phone, and Shen Xici’s instruction to “spend it sparingly.”

And his spending habits, his perception of prices, and the balance on Shen Xici’s bank card were clearly not proportional, and could even be said to be completely unrelated.

Lan Xiaoshan continued with his speculation, “It sounds like it’s not a small sum. I think it must be his family members who spend money extravagantly, shamelessly leeching off Brother Shen, and forcing him to fill this hole. That’s why Brother Shen is working so hard in the entertainment industry, filming tirelessly!”

The more he spoke, the angrier he got. Lan Xiaoshan looked at Sheng Shaoyan. “Brother, you must know, right? Am I right? Can you reveal a little, who is that person?”

In the “Refund Details,” it showed that the shopping payment of 9,687 yuan had been returned to the bank card.

Sheng Shaoyan turned off his phone, put his hands back in his pockets, and thought with a blank expression: You guessed right. Don’t guess next time.

The one who spends money extravagantly is very likely me.