Chapter 83

By the time they returned to Hua Ting after the movie, it was almost eleven o’clock. Ji Wei took a shower and went straight to bed.

Lu Shenxing turned off the light but didn’t go to sleep right away. Instead, he took out his phone.

He opened Weibo.

He searched for the Weibo account he had seen earlier, and several posts immediately popped up.

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] I really like Lu Shenxing so much.

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] Reposting “Becoming King” interview video.

…

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] My partner didn’t kiss me today. Has the seven-year itch started? But we’ve only been married for 98 days.

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] I like my partner so much.

When he reached the last post, Lu Shenxing’s hand, which had been scrolling through the screen, stopped.

The curve of his lips slowly, slowly turned upwards, eventually forming a smile.

His long, narrow eyes crinkled as he smiled, and the lower half of his face softened. The sharp features that usually exuded coldness lost their edge, even revealing a hint of imperceptible childishness.

Only then did he put down his phone. He leaned over and kissed the sleeping Ji Wei on the forehead, whispering in a low voice.

“Me too.”

I’m glad you do too.

Immensely, glad.

***

When Ji Wei woke up in the morning, Lu Shenxing had already left.

It was an ordinary day.

Warm sunlight streamed in through the glass window, warming the quilt on the bed. Huang Bo was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, and he could smell the aroma of congee with greens and lean pork.

He got out of bed and turned on his phone.

His idol had sent him a WeChat message.

[Lu Shenxing] I’m going to Berlin for the opening ceremony. I’ll be back tomorrow.

[Ji Wei] Okay.

The film festival lasted for two weeks. In addition to the main competition, films by new-generation directors and actors would also be screened during this period.

Although the Berlin Film Festival didn’t require the large-scale promotional campaigns of the Oscars, it still more or less considered a film’s popularity, and promotions were carried out when possible.

The competition for the Silver Bear for Best Actor in Berlin was fierce this year. He didn’t want to put too much pressure on his idol, so he just silently wished him “good luck” in his heart.

Suddenly, he received a friend request.

The note said… Xu Sheng.

He didn’t know if it was a prank. Wasn’t Xu Sheng already detained for questioning?

A strong sense of unease washed over him, preventing him from accepting Xu Sheng’s friend request. Instead, he turned off his phone and prepared to leave the bedroom.

The moment his hand touched the doorknob—

His phone vibrated again.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

—Are you sure you don’t want to know why I’m looking for you?

—Or are you afraid? Afraid of me telling the truth? But you are sick, with the same illness as me, and the same illness as your grandfather, Ye Lang.

His grandfather?

Ji Wei froze. Ms. Ye Zhi had grown up in an orphanage and rarely mentioned his grandfather, because his grandfather had abandoned her when she was five and had been missing for over thirty years.

It was impossible not to be curious.

He called the number back and asked hesitantly, “You know my grandfather?”

“Of course I do. All the teachers at the Central Academy of Fine Arts know,” Xu Sheng said with a laugh.

“Ye Lang was a poor student who came from a remote area. Back then, my teacher had just become a lecturer at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He not only took care of his daily needs but also introduced his niece to him.”

Ji Wei listened, his lips pressed together.

Xu Sheng’s teacher must be Lin Yiqiu.

He had never heard Ms. Ye Zhi talk about the past.

“But he’s a madman!” Xu Sheng’s tone suddenly became agitated, filled with an undisguised disgust that he made no effort to hide.

“He walked onto the lecture platform with a knife and slashed my teacher’s hand in front of everyone. He lost his mind, abandoned his wife and child, and lived like a lunatic, with nothing in his heart but his paintings.”

Ji Wei’s grip on the phone tightened. “I don’t know why you’re telling me this. My grandfather is my grandfather, and I am me.”

He said it with unusual certainty.

“Really?” Xu Sheng’s tone was noncommittal. “But the person closest to you doesn’t think so, right? Otherwise, why would he visit the most renowned psychology professor in South China? He must think you’re sick too, right?”

Ji Wei’s breath caught in his throat. An invisible pressure weighed on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His fingertips turned white from his tight grip, but his voice remained calm. “Who is it?” Was it his father?

“Lu Shenxing.”

Xu Sheng’s answer was sharp and clear.

“It’s a pity you didn’t add me on WeChat. I have a photo of him with that professor. You can also ask him yourself. I don’t think someone as proud as him would lie.” He sighed and suddenly said, “It’s almost time.”

Time for what?

Even after hanging up the phone, Ji Wei remained uneasy.

But nothing happened.

Until he logged onto Weibo.

A video was trending.

It was a very old video, the picture extremely dim. One could only make out a seven or eight-year-old child with very pale skin. His pupils were empty, his eyes fixed straight ahead on a drawing board as he began to paint with oils.

As he painted, stroke by stroke, the image of an exaggerated, distorted woman gradually took shape.

The woman’s head and legs were fused together, her body divided by bold blocks of color, yet her expression was a happy smile, her blood-red mouth taking up half her face, looking extremely bizarre.

But the child was completely oblivious, painting earnestly, stroke by stroke.

Below, there were many frightened comments.

[Emotionless Candy-Eating Machine] Holy crap, first thing in the morning, and this is what gets pushed to me??! Fucking Sina.

[==] Is this video real? The person painting doesn’t look human. It’s giving me goosebumps all over.

[123 Red Light Green Light] This kid looks a bit familiar.

[Sweet and Sour Fish] Whispering quietly, he looks a lot like Ji Wei.

[Cicada’s Seasonal Rain] Don’t fucking talk nonsense. Where do they look alike? This kid is so scary, he doesn’t look like a normal person.

He doesn’t look like a normal person…

This sentence seemed to take root, replaying endlessly in Ji Wei’s mind, and he couldn’t control his reaction.

His face began to turn pale, a sickly white, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

He himself was unaware of it, continuing to mechanically read the comments below, each sentence deeply imprinted in his mind.

The memories deliberately buried deep in his mind seemed to find an outlet, breaking through layers of suppressed seals and finally surging forth with a vengeance.

He had studied oil painting as a child, not traditional Chinese painting.

Back then, his family lived in the remote Border Town, which bordered Russia. The winters there were very cold, unlike the winters in Yancheng, which never snowed.

From a young age, he had followed Ms. Ye Zhi to art exhibitions. His mother liked them, and so did he. The abstract paintings seemed to be etched in his mind, and the things he drew were completely different from the other children’s doodles.

In kindergarten, he was very eager to go to elementary school because he could carry a schoolbag to school and put little desserts his father had made by hand inside.

But gradually, he became less eager.

It started with quiet whispers during art class. He instinctively felt a distance from his classmates. Later, when his textbook was torn, he recited all the texts from memory, and the way his classmates looked at him became even stranger.

They didn’t dare to talk to him.

They didn’t dare to take the little desserts from his hand.

He became much quieter, instinctively feeling sad, until he discovered another world. Although there was no one there, and wild grass grew to block out the sun, it was silent and cold, but it wasn’t as unbearable anymore.

He got used to it.

Even when he heard himself being called a monster, he would just silently lower his head.

He thought, it wasn’t wrong for everyone to be afraid.

His grandfather was sick.

He was sick too.

He probably really was… a monster.

Ji Wei clenched his fists, slowly opened the closet, and crawled inside.

He pushed the closet door shut, and the world suddenly became quiet. In the dark, small space, Ji Wei felt a great sense of security.

He lowered his head and hugged his knees, curling himself into a small ball, as if trying to merge with the darkness.

The little monster wanted to clumsily hide himself in the crowd.

But he had still, failed.

***

There weren’t many people at school during the holidays, and the dessert shop didn’t have much business. Liang Heng picked up his phone, feeling a little worried, and stopped when he saw a trending topic on Weibo.

—The Strange Boy’s Painting

It seemed like a purchased trending topic.

The level of discussion wasn’t as high as other trending topics, but things took a turn at ten o’clock when someone revealed that the boy was Ji Wei. The entire internet was in an uproar.

[Moon Grass] Does Ji Wei have some psychological problems? He looks pretty scary.

[Lu Wei is Real] ??? I asked my classmate from the Academy of Fine Arts. His painting style is just a bit avant-garde. What does that have to do with being psychologically healthy?

[Mango Ice] +1, it probably has something to do with the video quality too. Anything filmed in such low quality would look scary.

[If The Coke Isn’t Sweet, It’s Free] Are the fans trying to control the comments? I saw the account that broke the story say that his classmates didn’t dare to interact with him, and his grandfather was a madman. The right thing to do is to persuade him to get treatment. It would be bad if he hurt other guests on a variety show.

The person who broke the story had come prepared. Even their classmates didn’t know that Ji Wei’s grandfather was a madman. They only knew that his mother had grown up in the local orphanage and was, in the words of the adults, even more reclusive than Ji Wei.

Perhaps the video was posted by that very person.

As Liang Heng thought about it, he felt a secret sense of alarm.

As he was thinking, the door to the dessert shop was pushed open.

A woman in professional attire greeted him politely. “Hello, you must be Mr. Liang Heng, right?”

“Do you need to order a cake?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m a staff member from Yancheng Television Station. We’d like to do a character interview. I was wondering if you have time?”

“Me?”

Liang Heng’s mouth fell open in surprise. His dessert shop’s business wasn’t that good. Why would a TV station come to interview him?

“No, it’s about Ji Wei.”

The woman said politely, “Our station is very interested in his past experiences and would like to do a special interview. We learned that you were his elementary school classmate, so we’d like to invite you on the show.”

“Aren’t there other people?”

Liang Heng couldn’t help but ask.

“They’re all in Border Town, which is too far. Of course, if you don’t participate, we’ll have no choice but to invite them,” the woman explained.

Liang Heng hesitated for a moment, thinking of Ji Wei’s face, and finally nodded.

Meanwhile, in the CCTV building, Du Ruosong and others were also called into a conference room. The director frowned and said, “To ensure the show proceeds smoothly, the interview list needs to be readjusted. We cannot invite a guest with an unstable psychological state. This is also for his own good.”

Everyone present knew who he was talking about. What the director said did make sense. Many unexpected situations could arise during an in-depth interview, so it was, of course, better for the guest’s mental state to be as stable as possible.

“Then who should we invite?”

The assistant director was at a loss. He couldn’t think of a replacement for Ji Wei on such short notice.

Someone suggested, “What about Gu Huaiyi? He has good popularity, and he plays the guzheng well.”

“Let’s go with him then.”

With the deadline approaching and a sudden change of guest, the director’s requirements were not as high. He quickly finalized the choice.

***

While the internet was in a frenzy, Ying Guanxiao was accompanying Lu Shenxing, having just gotten off a plane in Beijing for a connecting flight to Germany.

Sun Eater being the opening film of this year’s film festival was seen by many as a sign that Lu Shenxing was about to win his second Film Emperor award. Many domestic media outlets had already started writing their drafts, so he was quite confident.

Just as he was about to board, he received a call from his assistant.

Lu Shenxing stopped in his tracks. He had never seen Ying Guanxiao look so serious. “What’s wrong?”

“Something’s happened to Weiwei.”

Ying Guanxiao took a deep breath and said, “I’ve already had the company take down the trending topic and delete the posts, but we were a step too slow. The internet is buzzing with discussion now.”

“What are they discussing?”

Lu Shenxing’s expression turned icy, and his voice became devoid of any warmth, sounding exceptionally cold and distant.

“You’d better not hear it.” Ying Guanxiao raised his wrist and glanced at his watch. “I’ll handle things back home. If you trust me, get on the plane. Leave the rest to me. Nomel is looking forward to meeting you.”

The selection process for the Berlin Film Festival was known as “elite judging,” with a jury of professionals making the decisions. As the president of the jury, Nomel’s opinion was crucial.

The conditions for the three major European film festivals were very strict, requiring participating films not to have been in any other international film festivals. Therefore, this was their only chance to win one of the big three. Moreover, not even attending the opening ceremony would undoubtedly be seen as arrogant.

Although Lu Shenxing had little public exposure, a considerable amount was spent on public relations each year.

But if he didn’t go to the Berlin opening this time…

He could already imagine what the media would say. They wouldn’t dare say it outright, but they would definitely make insinuations.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Lu Shenxing said calmly.

He and Ying Guanxiao had worked together for many years, from being nobodies to rising to fame. They could both unhesitatingly trust each other with their lives.

“But that person is Ji Wei.”

He lowered his gaze.

***

When Lu Shenxing returned to Hua Ting, it was almost two o’clock. As soon as Huang Bo saw him, he immediately took off his apron and hurried over. It was clear he had been waiting by the door for a long time.

“Weiwei didn’t eat breakfast or lunch today. He’s locked himself in his room and won’t come out. His friends and Xiao Meng came to see him, but he didn’t say a single word.”

“What’s wrong with Weiwei?”

Huang Bo didn’t usually go online and still used an old BlackBerry flip phone, so he had no idea what had happened and was extremely anxious.

Lu Shenxing closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said with restraint, “He’s fine.”

“He’s just not fond of talking.”

It was as if he was trying to convince Huang Bo.

And as if he was trying to convince himself.

Lu Shenxing approached the room and opened the door.

The bedroom was empty.

Only the faint sound of breathing could be heard coming from the closet.

The moment he heard the sound, his heart suddenly clenched, and an indescribable emotion flowed through his chest.

He walked over and opened the closet.

The young man was wearing only thin pajamas, curled up with his head buried in his knees, as if he had sealed himself off.

He couldn’t hear.

And he couldn’t see.

Even after hearing the noise, he didn’t look up, still stubbornly hugging his knees, only his spine trembled ever so slightly.

He looked like a small bundle, exuding an exceptionally fragile aura, like a beautiful piece of porcelain that would shatter at the slightest touch.

“I’m back. A little late.”

Afraid of startling Ji Wei, Lu Shenxing’s voice was low and hoarse.

Ji Wei didn’t speak.

For the first time, he felt that time was passing so agonizingly slow.

His Weiwei had retreated back into his shell, deeper than ever before, hiding himself away completely.

Perhaps it was to avoid getting hurt, so he didn’t let anyone get close, didn’t let anyone touch him, quietly isolating himself from the world, hiding in a dark corner.

He didn’t know how long he stood there.

The man’s expression was gloomy. He stood motionless, gazing at Ji Wei, his eyes filled with restrained emotions. He slowly began to speak. “If you want to stay in your own world, I’ll stay with you.”

“If you want to step out of your world and take a look.”

He quietly bent down and extended his hand to Ji Wei. “I’ll be with you then, too.”

He didn’t believe in absolute good or bad. Compared to what the world considered normal, he cared more about whether Ji Wei was happy. He was willing to give the choice to Ji Wei.

Rather than making the decision for him.

No matter what, he was the one-of-a-kind gift from the gods.

Time passed, second by second.

A long time passed.

So long that his leg had gone half-numb.

The young man remained in his curled-up position, like a mushroom growing on damp moss, exceptionally quiet.

But just as he was about to withdraw his hand, the young man took it.

—As if crossing a chasm ten thousand feet wide.

For the first time, he heard the young man call out, “Brother.”

Softly.