Chapter 8: Who Couldn’t You Like?

The next morning, the post-apocalyptic steampunk-style motorcycle was parked under a banyan tree with lush branches and leaves. Shen Xici was sourcing materials on the spot, selecting his musical instruments.

“Flat, smooth, no jagged edges…” Muttering the criteria for choosing leaves, Shen Xici mumbled again, “Good thing this tree is big enough, otherwise if I plucked it bald, how could I bear it?”

Despite saying this, he quickly plucked over twenty leaves into his hand, a whole handful.

Grandma’s title as the strongest leaf-blower in the nine villages and eighteen stockades was indeed well-earned. Who would have thought that blowing a leaf, besides scales, glissandos, vibratos, and mordents, would also involve advanced techniques like air vibrato, single and double tonguing, and grace notes.

He didn’t know if this handful of leaves would be enough for him to practice.

“I have a feeling that after I finish filming the role of the mute boy, I’ll be able to post a leaf-blowing tutorial on Bilibili.” Returning to the motorcycle, Shen Xici looked at the person patiently waiting for him by the vehicle, dressed in black casual pants and a matching color-block sleeve sweatshirt. “A’Shao, are you driving today? I need to seize the time to practice the few techniques Grandma taught me last night.”

Looking at the simple handlebars wrapped with a few layers of burlap, Sheng Shaoyan instinctively felt he had never ridden this kind of motorcycle before. But Shen Xici’s tone was so matter-of-fact, it meant that before he lost his memory, he definitely knew how to ride one.

“Alright, I’ll drive. You sit in the back.”

Sheng Shaoyan swung his long leg over the seat. After Shen Xici was also seated, his fingers gripped the clutch handle, and while pressing the button, his left toe lightly hooked to change gears.

Muscle memory was still present; without him having to think much, the motorcycle started moving.

However, something wasn’t quite right. This vehicle was not only low, but also too slow.

In Sheng Shaoyan’s subconscious, he always felt that in the first second after starting, the motorcycle should shoot out like an arrow released from a bow. In reality, this vehicle only moved a slow few dozen meters.

In the back, after seeing Sheng Shaoyan change gears, Shen Xici’s body habitually leaned forward, lowered its center of gravity, and tensed his leg muscles. He subconsciously felt that something was about to go wrong.

In his previous life, the custom-built Augusta superbike Sheng Shaoyan rode, made of chrome-molybdenum steel and titanium alloy in a ghost gray finish, had a seat height close to a meter. It was like a giant beast of steel and machinery, with even palm-sized parts exuding an ultimate industrial design aesthetic. It could accelerate to 100 km/h in three seconds.

Shen Xici wasn’t sure if this situation was more of an injustice to Sheng Shaoyan or to the broken motorcycle. He quickly patted the person in front of him on the shoulder and shouted into the wind, “Don’t accelerate! Restrain yourself! If you dare to accelerate, this bike will dare to perform an on-the-spot disintegration for us! It can’t handle it!”

Sheng Shaoyan, who was just about to speed up, was anticipated again. He had no choice but to begrudgingly keep the speed at around forty or fifty kilometers per hour.

The scenery on both sides kept receding. Shen Xici was holding a large handful of leaves, which was really inconvenient. He was only wearing a blue cable-knit sweater today and had no pockets. After a thought, he simply put all the leaves into the hood of Sheng Shaoyan’s sweatshirt.

So clever!

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Sheng Shaoyan looked away and said nothing.

Using Sheng Shaoyan as a windshield to block the wind, Shen Xici picked a leaf with a standard shape, put it to his lips, and let out a “Wooo—”

Sheng Shaoyan’s hand on the handlebar froze.

Although the little tune Shen Xici played during filming was very pleasant, every time he started practicing a new technique from scratch, it was a pure disaster scene, extremely stimulating to the eardrums.

Carrying the source of the noise, his ears were finally safe again only after the motorcycle was parked next to the film set.

Lan Xiaoshan ran over, wielding the mosquito repellent spray and spraying furiously at the two of them. The wind in the mountains was strong today, and the mist was blown away as soon as it was sprayed. Lan Xiaoshan quickly added a few more sprays.

Shen Xici held his breath, afraid that a few inhales would poison him with this concentration. After the spraying was done and they were walking inside, he finally asked, “How is Department Head Ji? Is he injured?”

Sheng Shaoyan, wearing a bucket hat and a black mask, walked beside him with a hood full of leaves. Hearing this, he glanced lightly at Shen Xici.

Lan Xiaoshan shook his head. “No, I just saw Department Head Ji coming out of the director’s place, walking as fast as if he were flying. His arms and legs are completely intact, not a single one missing! I even heard Department Head Ji’s assistant comforting him, saying that if Young Master Xu’s fortune-telling was so accurate, why would he be here acting? Wouldn’t it be great to live-stream fortune-telling and earn a million a day?”

“That’s good.”

However, reminded by what Lan Xiaoshan said, Shen Xici suddenly realized that in the week since his rebirth, between filming, pondering his new character, learning to blow leaves, and Sheng Shaoyan, he had barely paid any attention to Xu Lingjia.

So far, from what he knew, Xu Lingjia had done three things: one, he had switched roles with him; two, he had used some method to conceal the matter of Zhuo Suli swapping the babies back then; and three, he had predicted that Lao Ji would be injured.

Xu Lingjia was part of the Xu family and had grown up in this circle. He certainly knew many future events, both public and private, after his rebirth. But Xu Lingjia seemed a little too quiet.

Xu Lingjia arrived at the set after having an early lunch. He hung up the phone and patiently waited for his assistant to apply swelling-reducing ointment to a mosquito bite on his arm, having no fondness for this deep mountain forest.

This place was far from the county town, and the boxed meals were always lukewarm by the time they arrived. He had just mentioned on the phone again that he wanted his family to find a chef to cook for him in his nanny van, but both his mother and godmother disagreed. They said that in the crew, only the male lead, Zhong Yue, had brought a chef. Even Wen Yage ate the boxed meals with everyone else. He couldn’t be too high-profile, as it would easily offend people.

This wasn’t allowed, that wasn’t allowed. Xu Lingjia was extremely annoyed. After walking a few steps, he saw that the mountain wind was so strong it almost blew his assistant’s hat off. This wind was good; the fortune he had told for Lao Ji yesterday should have come true. Thinking of this, his mood improved a little.

He understood the psychology of these people in the industry too well. As long as it came true once, he would gain the special regard of those around him. If it came true a couple more times, it wouldn’t just be gratitude and admiration; countless people would offer him money and opportunities.

In the distance, a person wearing a baseball cap was walking hurriedly. Xu Lingjia didn’t pay much attention at first. When the person got closer, he frowned. “Uncle Ji? Why aren’t you lying in the hospital?”

Lao Ji’s steps faltered, and he felt a bit displeased.

Anyone would be uncomfortable hearing yesterday’s words, but it could be also interpreted as a kind reminder to be careful.

What did today’s words mean? What, was he disappointed that he wasn’t lying in the hospital?

But having been on film sets for so many years, Lao Ji had long known what to say to what kind of person. No matter how unhappy he was, Xu Lingjia had famous parents and a godmother with extensive connections and a lot of money behind him. His expression and tone showed no hint of it. “I’m safe and sound, nothing happened. Wouldn’t going to the hospital be taking up medical resources from others?”

“Safe and sound? How is that possible?” Xu Lingjia’s face darkened. Where did something go wrong? He turned and walked away. His assistant called from behind, “Teacher Xu, it’s time for your makeup!”

Makeup? None of that was important right now. Xu Lingjia only felt a strong sense of panic that made even his breathing tight.

He was certain that in his dream, Lao Ji was injured this very morning by a falling lighting rig. He was there at the time and remembered it clearly. Lao Ji’s left leg bled a lot, and he was sent directly to the hospital. After he was discharged, he still walked with a slight limp until the movie was released.

How could that lighting rig not have fallen?

If it didn’t fall—

Did that mean his dream was just a dream, that it was fake, that he wasn’t the one chosen by fate, not the special one, but just as those who laughed at him in his past life said, he, Xu Lingjia, was just the son of two ordinary, poor, and ugly country folk, a fake young master who would turn back into a pheasant once he shed his pretentious phoenix feathers?

No, he couldn’t accept it!

His hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Xu Lingjia clenched his fists and strode past a large pile of messy filming equipment, nearly bumping into Shen Xici, who was just walking in.

Pressing his lower lip tightly, Xu Lingjia stared at Shen Xici for a few seconds, then turned and walked away quickly, heading to the A-set’s filming area.

The lighting rig that should have fallen was still standing there firmly.

What on earth went wrong? Xu Lingjia stared at the several-meter-high metal lighting rig. Why didn’t it fall? Why?

He rushed forward fiercely, grabbing the lighting rig and shaking it a few times. The three-legged stand, several meters high, did shake, but it showed no signs of toppling.

A member of the lighting crew nearby was adjusting the lighting and was so scared he shouted, “Oh my god, my ancestor, don’t shake it, don’t shake it! The light is going to fall! It’s really going to fall!”

Xu Lingjia gritted his teeth, let go, and squatted down to examine the lighting rig carefully.

To prevent the lighting rig from being too high and the supported lighting equipment from being too heavy, the lighting crew would use C-clamps and carabiners to fix sandbags to the crossbar of the lighting rig, hanging them some distance from the ground.

Right now, the sandbags here added up to a counterweight of fifty kilograms, firmly securing the lighting rig.

That’s not right.

Xu Lingjia reached out and grabbed a handful. He found a thick layer of sand spread in the cracks of the grass on the ground. Obviously, just like in his dream, the seams of the sandbags had worn out and burst, the sand inside leaked out, the sandbags became lighter, and with the strong wind, they couldn’t hold down the lighting rig at all.

But the hanging sandbag was still intact, without a single leak.

His dream was real! A wave of ecstatic joy from the drastic ups and downs washed over him. Xu Lingjia stood up and asked sharply, “Who replaced the sandbags here?”

Many people around were looking at him. A gaze pierced him from behind. Xu Lingjia turned around to find that Lao Ji had followed him over. He was standing a few steps away, arms crossed, staring at the sand on the ground with an ugly expression.

“Uncle Ji, I—” Xu Lingjia’s heart skipped a beat. He realized he shouldn’t have come to check the lighting rig directly. But then he thought, he’s just a crew worker. So what if he was offended? Could this guy surnamed Ji really do anything to him?

Calling him “Uncle Ji” was only because he had known since he was young that speaking sweetly could get him more benefits.

Anyone who could survive in a film crew, especially in the crew of a major director like Wan Shan, had a quick mind.

Although they didn’t know how Xu Lingjia was so sure that Department Head Ji would be the one hit and not someone else, by connecting the current scene with yesterday’s fortune-telling, those who understood, understood.

Lan Xiaoshan ran to the makeup room. Seeing that Shen Xici and Sheng Shaoyan were running lines while waiting for the makeup artist, he couldn’t hold it in and gasped, out of breath, “Holy crap!”

Realizing his voice was too loud, he quickly covered his mouth, lowered his volume, and first quickly described what he had seen. Then he continued, “So Young Master Xu knew in advance that the sandbag on that lighting rig was leaking, the counterweight was insufficient, the rig would fall, and Department Head Ji would be there. That’s why he predicted yesterday that Department Head Ji would have a bloody disaster and break an arm or a leg today? This… this—”

He patted his chest, unable to understand. “What’s his motive? Isn’t his relationship with Department Head Ji pretty good?”

Shen Xici handed him a bottle of mineral water. “What his motive is has nothing to do with us. It’s good that the lighting rig didn’t fall.”

Lan Xiaoshan was thirsty from running and chugged a few large mouthfuls of water. “That’s true. That lighting rig is so tall and heavy, and the HMI light hanging on it is really heavy. If it really fell, wouldn’t it leave a pit in the ground?”

Sheng Shaoyan had an impression of that lighting rig with the HMI light. Yesterday after the set wrapped up, all the crew members left for the county town in the cars arranged by the crew, but Shen Xici carefully checked every single lighting rig in the group.

As for the new sandbag Lan Xiaoshan mentioned, he had watched Shen Xici hang it on the crossbar. He had wanted to help, but was frozen in place by Shen Xici’s words, “If your wound tears open, do you think I’ll be angry?”

Perhaps noticing his gaze, Shen Xici turned his head. In front of the bright makeup mirror, Shen Xici was wearing a pure white homespun robe. The earring made of blue crystal by his ear swayed a few times with his movement. He put a finger to his lips and quickly made a “shh” gesture at him.

Sheng Shaoyan, holding the script, nodded in cooperation.

As the sky darkened, after returning to Sui County, Shen Xici first went to find the grandma selling fruit downstairs to report his practice results.

The grandma’s wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were filled with smiles as she praised him, “Aiyo, A’di is not only talented in literature, but also a fast learner. Your Qi Xiong is truly fortunate!”

Last time, when Sheng Shaoyan asked him what “Qi Xiong” meant, Shen Xici had said it meant sworn brothers and brushed it off. But perhaps out of guilt, as soon as Shen Xici heard this term, even though the grandma said it in dialect, he couldn’t help but quickly glance at Sheng Shaoyan.

Unexpectedly, his gaze met Sheng Shaoyan’s.

Why is he looking at me?

Just as the question arose, the grandma stuffed a handful of fresh longans into Shen Xici’s hands. “Take them and share with your sworn brother. They’re very sweet, try them!”

The longans were round, and Shen Xici scrambled to hold them properly. A smile blossomed in his left dimple. “Thank you, Grandma!”

The weather was neither cold nor hot. The two didn’t go upstairs immediately but strolled aimlessly along the not-so-wide streets of the county town, peeling and eating all the longans along the way.

Passing a small supermarket, Shen Xici went in and bought two cans of ice-cold Coke, giving one to Sheng Shaoyan.

On both sides of the road, the beige exterior tiles of the small buildings under the streetlights took on the granular texture of an asphalt road illuminated by car headlights. Walking along the outer wall, the cold metal rim against his lips, the carbonated drink created popping bubbles on his tongue.

Not far ahead, a plainly dressed old woman was dragging a light green woven bag, searching for plastic bottles with a long pair of iron tongs.

Shen Xici’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed twice. He took a few steps forward and quietly placed the Coke can into the woven bag behind the old woman.

Sheng Shaoyan crushed the empty can and followed Shen Xici’s example, placing it inside as well.

After walking away, Sheng Shaoyan turned his face and asked, “Is this a secret too?”

“Pretty much,” Shen Xici turned around, facing Sheng Shaoyan, and walked backward slowly on the empty street. “Letting the grandma sell two more Coke cans is about the same as preventing someone on the crew from being hit by a lighting rig. A respected elder once told me, you don’t have to always think about returns for everything you do; just do it as a matter of course.”

Sheng Shaoyan did not agree with this kind of grand principle. He watched the person in front of him. “Why didn’t you let Lao Ji know that you were the one who hung the sandbag?”

Shen Xici understood immediately and laughed. “Are you thinking that I should have let Department Head Ji find out about this in a not-so-deliberate way? He’s familiar with Director Wan and has worked in various crews for so many years, so he must have a lot of connections. This favor must be repaid to me in equal value without any shortfall?”

The chaotic light from the shop signs’ neon and street lamps fell on Shen Xici’s face, still looking like a carefully arranged play of light and shadow.

Sheng Shaoyan showed no embarrassment at being seen through. “Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

As expected of a black-hearted capitalist, who always believed in maximizing profits. But Shen Xici found it puzzling. In his past life, Sheng Shaoyan had saved his life. According to this person’s usual way of doing things, he would surely have squeezed every bit of value out of him, but Sheng Shaoyan hadn’t done so, essentially making a losing deal.

Being friends didn’t require thinking the same way about everything. Shen Xici shared his own thoughts: “I really just did it as a matter of course. It doesn’t matter if Department Head Ji knows or not. As long as no one got hurt and no one lost their job because of it, that’s enough.”

His gaze fell on Sheng Shaoyan, and he changed the subject. “I saw Wen Yage talking to you yesterday.”

This was actually none of his business. Who Sheng Shaoyan associated with was his freedom. But given that Sheng Shaoyan had no memory now and his mind was a blank slate, he still had to protect him a little, at least for this month.

“Yes, she wanted to treat me to a meal. I refused.” Sheng Shaoyan had been waiting since yesterday for Shen Xici to ask him about this, not expecting him to bring it up so much later.

Shen Xici sized up Sheng Shaoyan’s overly handsome face and hissed inwardly. Yesterday was only his first day on set! As expected, a man with such a devastatingly beautiful face was hard to hide. He asked, “Anything else?”

Sheng Shaoyan concealed what Wen Yage had said about Shen Xici watching him so closely, only replying, “She also asked if I wanted to enter the entertainment industry. I refused that too.”

“Mm, with her personality, she probably won’t come looking for you again after being rejected once.”

Sheng Shaoyan’s eyes flickered. “You know her well?”

“I’ve just heard about her.” Shen Xici certainly couldn’t say that he had worked with Wen Yage once in his past life. “It’s said that she’s a decent person. She’s very faithful during her relationships and doesn’t cheat. She’s also very generous with sharing resources. It’s just that she tires of the old and likes the new, so she breaks up quickly, which is why it seems like she has a lot of boyfriends.”

Was this a test?

Remembering what Shen Xici had said yesterday morning about his face being very attractive to people, Sheng Shaoyan fell silent for two seconds before saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t like her.”

Don’t worry? What am I worried about?

Shen Xici’s heel landed on the pavement. Just as he was about to ask, his peripheral vision inadvertently caught two people walking out from around the corner, a man and a woman, who were two of the four people he had seen in the fruit stand’s mirror two nights ago.

Two days had passed, and they still hadn’t left Sui County. Had they discovered something, and that’s why they hadn’t given up and were still trying to search for traces of Sheng Shaoyan in the vicinity?

There was no harm in the fruit stand grandma and the landlord misunderstanding them as sworn brothers.

Shen Xici wasn’t very familiar with this road, but he had walked it a few times. He calmly continued to walk backward for a few more steps.

The two people seemed to have seen them. They lowered their heads and exchanged a few words. During this, one of them kept their gaze fixed on Sheng Shaoyan’s back.

The backward-moving heel paused. Shen Xici suddenly reached out, grabbed Sheng Shaoyan’s arm, pulled, and dodged into a narrow alley to the side.

The space between the small buildings was very narrow. Pressing Sheng Shaoyan against the wall, Shen Xici lifted his face while simultaneously grabbing Sheng Shaoyan’s collar and pulling it down. Their breaths staggered as he whispered close to Sheng Shaoyan’s ear, “A’Shao, hold me.”

As he spoke, the corner of Shen Xici’s eye watched the alley entrance, his gaze turning cold.

Old moss covered the base of the wall. Sheng Shaoyan’s back was against the cold, rough wall. The surroundings were dim. The headlights of a speeding motorcycle flashed by. He lowered his eyes and happened to see the silver stud on Shen Xici’s porcelain-white earlobe reflect a cold light, tremble, and then extinguish in an instant.

The person pressed tightly against him through their clothes was different from usual, seeming a little nervous. His breathing was faster than usual, his voice heavier, even the end of his words trembled.

Sheng Shaoyan thought, he had only made a shallow promise.

No, it wasn’t even a promise.

Shen Xici, who couldn’t you like? Why did you have to fall for a hard-hearted, profit-oriented person like him?

The one who invests more is more easily let down.

After a few breaths, Sheng Shaoyan raised his hands and embraced the person in his arms.

He didn’t know if he had ever held Shen Xici like this before he lost his memory. At this moment, he only felt that another person’s presence had broken through the barriers of his territory, gathered into his palm.

Shen Xici moved in his arms, his breathing becoming a little heavier. Sheng Shaoyan’s hand on his lean back patted reassuringly a couple of times, while his other hand cupped the back of Shen Xici’s head, the deep blue arc in his eyes bottomless.

In the bright alley entrance, elongated shadows cast by the streetlights outside approached. The sound of footsteps crushed shallow puddles of water.

The sound of voices came from far to near, accompanied by low murmurs of “Is it here?” and “Let’s check and see.”

Different from usual, Sheng Shaoyan heard for the first time a sharp edge and a warning in Shen Xici’s voice: “What are you looking at? Scram.”