Ge Lanjing said regretfully, “After working with them once, how can I ever look at other PR teams again? If only we could have a long-term collaboration, preferably an annual contract!”

“Who wouldn’t want an annual contract, but the bank account balance really doesn’t allow it.” Shen Xici was motivated to earn money again. “Sister Lanjing, you wait, wait until I have money!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be waiting,” speaking of money, Ge Lanjing, now the big manager of the studio, watched real gold and silver slip through her fingers every day, and she was worried too. “It’s already mid-October. At the end of November is the Jinyun Awards. ‘Mountain Range Line’ has submitted for it, and you’ll have to walk the red carpet. I haven’t decided what clothes and accessories you should wear yet.”

Shen Xici wasn’t very concerned about what to wear. “Anyway, male celebrities just wear suits back and forth. As long as it fits.”

“No way! That’s a common problem with top-tier handsome men! You’d look handsome even in a burlap sack, right? This is your first time walking the red carpet, and you’ll definitely be nominated for Best Newcomer. Xu Lingjia and his lot still want to label you as a pretty-boy idol. Can we tolerate that?” Ge Lanjing said with disdain. “Don’t you worry about it. Just focus on your filming. My competitive spirit is fired up. I will definitely make you blind their eyes!”

The next morning, Sheng Shaoyan arranged for a team of experts. After a morning of evaluation, they confirmed that he could be discharged, and only then did they feel at ease to handle the discharge procedures.

However, Sheng Shaoyan still treated him like something fragile. He didn’t even let him open the car door himself. Shen Xici got into the back seat and said to the person outside, “A’Shao, I’ve really recovered for the most part.”

Sheng Shaoyan’s hand rested on the car door. He lowered his head and gently brushed away the stray hair on Shen Xici’s brow bone, his voice a little low, “But I’m still scared.”

Shen Xici was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t expected that the incident of him being hit by the steel frame would still be casting a psychological shadow on Sheng Shaoyan a week later, because he himself hadn’t cared too much.

Perhaps it was because he had known since he was a child that he could die at any time, maybe from a fall, or maybe by suddenly fainting one day. So just being hit by a steel frame wasn’t a very serious matter.

But for Sheng Shaoyan, it seemed different.

During these few nights in the hospital, Shen Xici would wake up every night in the early hours. He would then sense someone moving lightly, using their fingers to test his breath, gently touching his face, even leaning down, their ear lightly pressed against his chest, confirming his heartbeat.

He would always try his best to keep his eyes closed, maintaining the rhythm of his breathing, until Sheng Shaoyan returned to the adjoining suite to sleep. Only then would he open his eyes, quietly sniffing the lingering scent of a moonlit mountain forest in the air, staring at a point in the darkness for a while, then curling up under the covers.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had been a very light sleeper since he was a child, he wouldn’t have even noticed that Sheng Shaoyan was still bothered by that accident.

During the day, besides taking an hour out of his busy schedule to eat with him, monitoring how much he ate, and checking the injury on his back and consulting the doctor about his recovery every day, Sheng Shaoyan showed no other obvious emotions.

He had never thought that one day, someone would care so much about his life and death, so afraid of his death.

Two bodyguard cars, one in front and one behind, followed the black Maybach as it deviated from the heavy traffic and drove into a stretch of shade. Shen Xici looked at the somewhat familiar streetscape outside the car window, not quite sure, “A’Shao, this doesn’t seem to be the way back to my place.”

Outside the car window, the ancient trees on both sides were deep and secluded. The dense shadows of the trees fell on the shiny, reflective car body in front. Amidst the green trees, the exquisitely curved eaves of Jiezhou Garden could already be seen.

Sheng Shaoyan was typing on his keyboard. He looked up. “Your film crew is currently filming inside. If you live in the garden, it’s very convenient to get to the set in the outer garden in the morning. It only takes five minutes.”

Because he had just been thinking about the scene of him pressing his chest to listen to his heartbeat, Shen Xici felt a little soft towards Sheng Shaoyan. Hearing this, he wavered a little more—it was indeed very close and convenient. What was the difference between this and living on set?

“Your place is a forty-minute drive from here. If you run into morning rush hour, the time on the road will be even longer. If you live inside, you can sleep for an extra hour in the morning.”

An extra hour of sleep! The already tilted scales in Shen Xici’s heart tilted a little more.

The car stopped outside the quaint main gate of Jiezhou Garden. Sheng Shaoyan pressed down the screen of his laptop. “I’ve called my family’s chef over. If there’s anything you want to eat, you can have them arrange it in advance.”

With a “snap,” the scales completely tipped. Before Shen Xici could react, a “yes” had already escaped his lips.

He regretted it as soon as he agreed. Shen Xici turned his head and stared at the reflection of the person sitting next to him on the car window glass, complaining in his heart—how did he just agree? It must be because this man is too good at bewitching people!

The main gate was opened from the inside. The butler was a Chinese man, dressed in a formal uniform, his figure thin and straight. He waited respectfully by the side of the gate.

Seeing Sheng Shaoyan and Shen Xici get out of the car, he came forward and bowed slightly. “Young Master, Young Master Shen.”

The Sheng family was a large Chinese family that retained many old-fashioned traditions, and forms of address were one of them. The first time Shen Xici was respectfully called “Young Master Shen” in his past life, he had wanted to look up at the sky above him and see if it had been lit by the torch of socialism.

But after being called that for two or three years, he had gotten used to it. Shen Xici said politely, “Hello.”

From the time Sheng Shaoyan was brought back to the Sheng family by Old Mr. Sheng at the age of seven, the butler, Laisen, had been arranged to take care of Sheng Shaoyan’s daily life. After twenty years, he knew Sheng Shaoyan very well. So, since Sheng Shaoyan’s return after being attacked by Sheng Junhong, he had clearly noticed a change in him.

He had had many guesses, and at this moment, the correct answer was almost right in front of his eyes—this person was the entire reason for the young master’s change.

Butler Laisen spoke up, “I have already had Shuyu Shanfang tidied up. Shall I have Young Master Shen’s luggage sent over now?”

Sheng Shaoyan nodded. “Yes, send it over.”

“Very well.” In Jiezhou Garden, Shuyu Shanfang was the main residence. Seeing that Sheng Shaoyan did not object and point to a guest room for Shen Xici, Butler Laisen silently raised the reception standard in his heart—understood, this is the future young mistress.

However, so much time had passed, and it seemed his young master still hadn’t won the person over.

Butler Laisen was a little worried—why is the efficiency so low?

After lunch, Sheng Shaoyan went to the company. Shen Xici followed Uncle Laisen for a slow stroll around the inner garden.

The inner garden of Jiezhou Garden had been meticulously renovated, retaining the quaintness and elegance of the ancient architecture while adding many modern, hidden facilities, ensuring the comfort of the owner’s stay without destroying the landscape and architecture. He was already very familiar with these from his past life, but Shen Xici still listened attentively, mainly because no matter how boring the content, it would become very interesting when spoken from Uncle Laisen’s mouth.

After graduating from a butler academy in England, Uncle Laisen had begun to serve the Sheng family. He held a professional butler license, was fluent in Chinese, English, and French, and from selecting red wine to placing cutlery, from how to grow the most vibrant flowers and make the most delicious little cakes, to how to fly a helicopter, Shen Xici had felt in his past life that Uncle Laisen was like a silent shadow. As long as the employer needed, he would appear anywhere, like an omnipotent NPC.

Just like now, after a walk to aid digestion, Shen Xici sat in the Feipu Pavilion to read his script, eating the afternoon tea desserts made by Uncle Laisen, and felt the whole world brighten up!

He lazily checked his schedule for tomorrow with Lan Xiaoshan on his phone. A new message popped up on the screen: [Brother Shen, should I drive to your place to pick you up tomorrow? I’ve already checked the fastest route. Including traffic, we can definitely get to the set in an hour and ten minutes!]

From this position, if one listened carefully, one could vaguely hear Lu Jiming holding a megaphone and telling the crew to change scenes. Shen Xici felt inexplicably a little guilty and replied: [No need to pick me up tomorrow. You can go directly to the set. I’ll get there myself.]

[Lan Xiaoshan: Okay!]

Just as Shen Xici breathed a sigh of relief, Lan Xiaoshan sent another message: [By the way, Brother Shen! Latest news! I heard the owner of this garden is back!]

Shen Xici quickly typed: [How do you guys know?]

[Lan Xiaoshan: Someone in the crew saw it. They said a convoy bypassed the front gate and stopped at the inner garden gate. A whole line of Maybachs, each one worth several million!]

A string in Shen Xici’s heart tightened—someone in the crew saw it?

[Lan Xiaoshan: But he didn’t dare to get close to see. He just guessed from the procession.]

Shen Xici: “…”

People who leave you hanging like that really give you a heart attack!

[Lan Xiaoshan: I heard Mr. Sheng is also of mixed race and very handsome. I wonder if the news is true. Our Brother Shao is also a bit mixed-race. Brother Shen, have you ever met Mr. Sheng? Is Mr. Sheng more handsome, or is our Brother Shao more handsome? I think it must be Brother Shao. I’m a fan of Brother Shao’s looks!]

Shen Xici didn’t know how to answer for a moment, mainly because it was too long a story. He silently typed: [Maybe, they are equally handsome?]

On the other side, the autumn rain began to fall, drenching the entire city. The modified black Maybach slid into the stream of traffic. Sheng Shaoyan was handling business matters when a notification of a new private message popped up on his Weibo backend.

The Weibo account he was currently logged into was the one he had registered in Sui County. He would use it from time to time to check on Shen Xici’s news. He only followed Shen Xici and Shen Xici’s personal studio, and had no other social interactions.

Sheng Shaoyan opened it and found the ID of the person who sent him the private message was very familiar.

[DazedLittleSheep: Hi sis! Do you remember me? After the ‘Son of the Mountain God’ photo set taken by the bird-watching grandpa went viral, I was the one who went to the bird-watching grandpa to get authorization to print photo cards. You bought ten sets of photo cards from me. I’m here this time to ask on behalf of other sisters, are you willing to part with a few of your ten sets?]

The light from the streetlights outside the car window reflected on Sheng Shaoyan’s face, casting a shadow on the bridge of his nose and brow bone. He typed.

[User7e92th5yn: What do you mean?]

[DazedLittleSheep: This set of photo cards is Cici’s first set, and it’s the ‘Son of the Mountain God’ photo set. I only got authorization for 2,700 sets back then. Many people are cherishing them and unwilling to sell.]

[DazedLittleSheep: You can go search on second-hand markets. The price for a complete set now is astronomical, a pure sea-view villa! Even if you sell them one by one, a single card can sell for several thousand! Sis, do you want to consider it? The sisters in my group are willing to pay a high price!]

Sheng Shaoyan ignored the form of address. In the spirit of seeking knowledge in a new field, he asked: [Why did it suddenly become so expensive?]

[DazedLittleSheep: Have you been busy and not online recently, sis? Of course it’s because of that Xu Rotten Mud incident. Our Cici’s hidden identity as the Son of the Mountain God can no longer be hidden! One sister put this set of photo cards on her bedside table, and her difficult client was hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis that night. The next day, he was quickly replaced with a normal client! Another sister put a photo card in her phone case and unexpectedly ended up eating at the same table as her crush in the cafeteria! Not to mention the bird-watcher’s metaphysical operations. Anyway, this set of photo cards has now become the strongest metaphysical tool.]

[DazedLittleSheep: But of course it’s not that magical. Everyone is just being cyber-superstitious. Believing in anyone is superstition, so why not believe in Cici? At least he’s easy on the eyes, right!]

[User7e92th5yn: I understand, thank you.]

[DazedLittleSheep: So, are you selling the photo cards, sis? The sisters in the group are super rich and are already lined up with their wallets open!]

[User7e92th5yn: You’re right, this is his first set of photo cards. Could you please help me ask in the group if anyone is willing to sell? I’ll pay triple the price, five times is also fine.]

[DazedLittleSheep: ???]

[DazedLittleSheep: !!!]

The main gate of Jiezhou Garden opened. Sheng Shaoyan strode inside. Butler Laisen asked, “Young Master seems very happy?”

The corners of Sheng Shaoyan’s lips curved. “Yes, I closed three deals.” He then asked, “How is he? Is he comfortable?”

There was no doubt who “he” referred to. Butler Laisen reported in detail, “Young Master Shen was in the Feipu Pavilion in the afternoon and evening, lying down and reading his script. He only returned to Shuyu Shanfang when it started to rain. He had a portion of afternoon tea snacks. His appetite for dinner was good. He had a bowl of rice. Young Master Shen originally didn’t want to eat the medicinal meal you ordered, but I mentioned your name, and Young Master Shen still finished it. In terms of diet, Young Master Shen doesn’t have any obvious preferences. He seems to like all the dishes the kitchen prepared.”

Hearing these descriptions, Sheng Shaoyan’s pace quickened slightly. He said as he walked, “Good. Remember to tell the kitchen that he likes his food to be a little cooler before eating. No matter if it’s food, water, or tea, it can’t be too hot. Pay attention to the temperature. Also avoid foods that are irritating to the stomach or too hard. In addition, avoid ingredients with sharp thorns or hard objects.”

Butler Laisen confirmed rigorously, “You mean?”

“Foods that could easily scratch his mouth or fingers when he’s eating should not appear on his dining table.” Sheng Shaoyan stopped and looked at the butler who had been with him for twenty years, a rare display of emotion. “His health is not good. You can think of him as a fragile glass person. When I’m not home, I hope you can help me take good care of him.”

In his past life, Shen Xici had also stayed in Shuyu Shanfang when he came to Jiezhou Garden. He was not unfamiliar with the furniture or the layout. He leaned against the head of the bed. Outside, not far away, the sound of the waterfall from the rockery faintly reached him. Coupled with the rain, raindrops pattering on the banana leaves and the roof, Shen Xici held the script for tomorrow’s scenes, and became drowsy without reading much.

Until, in a daze, he smelled that unique scent. He struggled to open his eyelids and saw Sheng Shaoyan with his back to him, closing the window.

At first, he thought he was dreaming, until he felt the blanket covering him. Shen Xici sat up. “A’Shao, you’re back?”

His peripheral vision caught the pillow and blanket placed on the daybed by the window, which served as a sofa. Shen Xici asked a little slowly, “Are you sleeping here tonight?”

Sheng Shaoyan had changed into a different set of clothes, a black long trench coat from a London brand, with leather boots encasing his calves, which fully showcased the advantages of his figure. It had a bit of a classic British vibe, making Shen Xici indulge in the visual pleasure. He took one look and couldn’t help but look again.

As if sensing that he was mesmerized by his beauty, Sheng Shaoyan walked to the bedside, placed a hand on his shoulder, and gently kneaded the back of his neck. “Very tired?”

“Not tired. I just took a stroll in the garden with Uncle Laisen in the afternoon. The amount of exercise was quite small.” The feeling of his fingertips rubbing was very itchy. Shen Xici could almost imagine Sheng Shaoyan’s long and exceptionally clean fingertips pressing on his neck. An indescribable tingling sensation spread down his spine to his whole body, making him tremble slightly.

Sheng Shaoyan noticed but didn’t remove his hand, still kneading it rhythmically. “Remember to cover yourself with a blanket next time. It’s cool when it rains, easy to catch a cold.”

“Okay. The sound of the rain outside is too hypnotic. I had planned to read the script, but I didn’t expect to fall asleep.” Shen Xici couldn’t help but notice the pillow and blanket on the daybed and asked again, “Are you sleeping in this room tonight?”

According to his memory from his past life, Sheng Shaoyan’s bedroom was right next door, not far at all. The daybed by the window was wooden and looked hard and uncomfortable.

“Yes,” Sheng Shaoyan replied, paused for a moment, and found a reason. “The after-effects of that amnesia injury are acting up again. I have a bit of a headache today and will probably have trouble sleeping tonight. I’ll sleep on the daybed, is that okay?”

The amnesia injury was almost half a year ago. The after-effects still hadn’t healed after so long?

But Sheng Shaoyan’s eyes were like rare, deep blue gems, exceptionally candid, as if he knew this excuse was terrible, even made up on the spot, but this person was certain that his goal would be achieved, that he would definitely agree.

The sound of the rain gurgled outside the window.

In the end, Shen Xici still complied with Sheng Shaoyan’s wish. “Okay.”