Chapter 68
When Ji Wei walked into the shop, Lu Shenxing handed him the phone. He let out a sigh of relief and put it in his pocket.
Thanks to the purchase limits, the shop’s inventory remained relatively sufficient, ensuring that every customer who came could buy at least one item they liked.
However, the Ru Ware Ice-Crackle Pattern Cups designed by Ma Liqing and the Cold Magpie Diagram Notebooks he designed had sold out by noon.
Many customers left disappointed, hoping to have a chance to buy them on their next visit.
[They still didn’t stock enough. They can be bolder next time.]
[Let’s set a small goal of one hundred million first!]
[…The imagination of the person above is quite good.]
As the clock on the wall approached 5:40, nearing closing time, Ji Wei sat by the cash register, rubbing his sore wrist from a full day of writing.
His gaze fell on the lucky draw box in front of Lu Shenxing. What puzzled him was that his name had not been drawn even once. In contrast, Zhao Yue and the others had taken photos and shaken hands with customers countless times. Was he that hard to draw…
By dinnertime, there were few people left in the shop.
Zhao Yue walked over, equally puzzled. He picked up the lucky draw box and examined it. “I remember I put several slips with Ji Wei’s name in here. How come not a single one was drawn?”
[You’ll have to ask Film Emperor Lu about that!]
[This all started this morning…]
[Film Emperor Lu’s expression is so calm. Can we say that’s to be expected of a Film Emperor?]
[Hahahahahaha, he is the youngest Triple Crown Film Emperor, after all!]
Lu Shenxing looked up and said slowly, “I drew one.”
“Are we allowed to draw?” Xiao Chi asked subconsciously as he was counting the items on the shelf. As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he had misspoken and quickly corrected himself. “I didn’t say guests can’t draw, so that means it’s allowed.”
Zhao Yue hadn’t intended to speak, but feeling Lu Shenxing’s gaze on him, he forced himself to chime in, “It is indeed allowed.”
Ji Wei didn’t notice the undercurrents. He turned to look at Lu Shenxing, his eyes full of confusion. “When did you draw it?” Why didn’t he have any memory of it?
“When you weren’t here,” Lu Shenxing said faintly. His tone was so certain that Ji Wei nodded blankly.
[Tsk, when he drew the slips out before the draw, Weiwei really wasn’t there.]
[The profoundness of the Chinese language!]
[Hahahahahahahaha, no lies detected!]
Ji Wei was curious to know what was on his slip. So, he asked, “What did you draw?”
Lu Shenxing took out a folded slip of paper and opened it. “Shake hands with Ji Wei.”
It was a very conventional interaction.
Ji Wei remembered that some young idols held handshake events. He said “oh” and turned back to sort and organize the packaging materials.
But then he heard the man’s low voice, “Handshake.”
Ji Wei couldn’t help but smile, revealing two faint pear dimples. He hadn’t realized his idol was so serious.
He reached out and shook hands with Lu Shenxing. His hand was very cool, but the moment the man held it, his right hand trembled slightly. Ji Wei suddenly felt a little hot, hot in every sense of the word.
After the handshake, Ji Wei let out an imperceptible breath. He was about to turn back, but then the man unfolded another slip of paper and said slowly, “Hug Ji Wei.”
His idol had another one…
Ji Wei’s body couldn’t help but stiffen, his breathing uneven. They were still streaming… He took a deep breath and whispered to Lu Shenxing, “Let’s do this after we get back.”
[I’m an adult! Why can’t I even watch a hug?]
[Aaaahhhhhh, I want to see it!]
[Weiwei is too shy. He should learn from Film Emperor Lu to be more composed.]
[Lu Shenxing: I feel personally attacked.]
The man didn’t insist, which made Ji Wei feel a little relieved. But before the breath he was holding could be fully released, the man took out another slip of paper, looked at him, and said, “Have Ji Wei call me ‘brother’.”
Call him brother…
Ji Wei’s face instantly flushed hot. For some reason, he found it difficult to say such an intimate term in front of Lu Shenxing. But he had just rejected one request, and it seemed wrong to reject another.
He could only lower his head, his gaze dropping so low it almost touched the floor. Not daring to look Lu Shenxing in the eye, he called out in a very small voice, “Brother.”
“A little louder.” The man lowered his eyes and said gently, “I didn’t hear you.”
“Brother,” Ji Wei called out again, his voice clear and crisp, full of youthful energy. After saying it, he ran into the backyard.
The man’s voice came from behind him, “I heard it this time.”
The moment he heard the man’s words, his heart suddenly sped up. He turned on the faucet in the backyard and splashed cold water on his face, finally managing to cool his blush.
[Aaaahhhhhh, brother! I can get behind this form of address!]
[I’m dying from sweetness. Lu-Wei is so sweet!]
[Sweet is sweet, but Film Emperor Lu doesn’t seem to have the persona of a cold artist. Why do I feel like…]
[I get you! I dare not say it, I dare not say it…]
When Ji Wei came out of the backyard, it was almost six o’clock. Everyone was in a relaxed, end-of-work mood. Suddenly, a middle-aged Asian man with a six or seven-year-old child walked into the shop.
The middle-aged man wore a woven sun hat and a wrinkled T-shirt. Judging from his shoes, he wasn’t wealthy.
“Daddy, I want this one,” the child said, pointing to a jigsaw puzzle.
So they were father and son, Ji Wei thought silently.
“Okay.” The father brought the Forbidden City panoramic jigsaw puzzle to the checkout. “How much is this?”
“Forty dollars,” Zhao Yue replied.
The father was clearly surprised by Zhao Yue’s answer, probably not expecting it to be so expensive. He stroked his child’s head and said apologetically, “Let’s come back and buy it next time.”
The child nodded obediently, but being just a child, his innocent gaze still lingered on the puzzle, full of longing.
[Sigh, usually when they say next time, it means they’re not coming back. When I was a kid, my parents tricked me like that too.]
[He probably thinks it’s too expensive. The markup on Forbidden City products is really high, but what can you do? They’re expensive in China too, let alone abroad.]
[He looks Asian, right? Can’t they give him a discount?]
Ji Wei noticed the man’s tour guide license, which was written in both Chinese and English. His Chinese name was Guang Lian.
“Are you a tour guide here?”
Although Guang Lian didn’t know why he was asking, he still replied with a hint of pride, “I’ve been a tour guide in St. Lawrence for over ten years. I know all the best places to eat and have fun here.”
Ma Liqing’s interest was piqued. He asked everyone, “We’re staying here for another night. It’s boring to stay in the shop. Why don’t we go for a walk around St. Lawrence?”
No one else had any objections.
“It’s the show’s money anyway,” Zhao Yue said with a frugal mindset. “It’s a waste not to spend it.”
Ji Wei thought for a moment and said to Guang Lian, “How about this? You take us on a tour of St. Lawrence, we’ll pay you your hourly rate, and we’ll also give you a box of the puzzle.” Ji Wei handed the puzzle back to the child.
Guang Lian’s tanned face showed a hint of surprise. He pressed his lips together and looked at his child, who was smiling happily with the puzzle. “I’ll give you a good tour.”
[Ah, that’s so nice!]
[Hahahaha, this is definitely a travel show now. They’ve even found a tour guide.]
[The night view of St. Lawrence is beautiful. I’m looking forward to it!]
St. Lawrence was just a small town. Besides the seaside, there weren’t many attractions, but there was a lot of good food.
At night, the streets and alleys were filled with the aroma of food, and strings of small night lights hung from the trees, making it seem even more lively than during the day.
The guests had dinner at a barbecue stall. The seafood was fresh, and it was already fragrant after being grilled with sea salt. Paired with the local specialty, red grape juice, it added another layer of flavor.
During the meal, Ji Wei learned that Guang Lian had come to St. Lawrence over ten years ago. Perhaps “tricked” was a better word. He had foolishly boarded an illegal deep-sea fishing boat with someone and had never returned to China.
Even so, he insisted on teaching his child Chinese, even though he didn’t speak it perfectly himself. Due to the lack of a language environment, his skills had degenerated a lot.
He said in broken Chinese, “It’s hard to leave one’s homeland.”
[Why doesn’t he go back? It’s not hard to buy a plane ticket back to the country, is it?]
[…Plane tickets aren’t cheap, are they?]
[His son is so cute!]
Ma Liqing had lived in Russia for a few years and was deeply moved by Guang Lian’s words. “Yes, it’s hard to leave one’s homeland.”
After dinner, Guang Lian took them to St. Lawrence’s largest market.
Ji Wei pushed Lu Shenxing forward.
Guang Lian’s child had picked some beautiful little flowers from somewhere, tied them together with a thin string, and handed them to him.
Ji Wei stopped, took the flowers, and squatted down. “Why are you giving me flowers?”
The child said shyly, “I like you.”
Lu Shenxing seemed to chuckle softly. “But he’s my partner. He can’t like you.”
Lu Shenxing had sharp features, and when he wasn’t smiling, his eyes were upturned, giving him a cold and unapproachable aura. The children didn’t dare to speak loudly in front of him.
Hearing Lu Shenxing’s words, Guang Lian’s child’s eyes filled with tears, looking a little wronged. He had given the little flowers to Ji Wei, so why couldn’t Ji Wei like him? Daddy said that’s what friends do.
Ji Wei gave Lu Shenxing a helpless look. The man’s face was calm, completely devoid of any shame for bickering with a child.
[Hahahahahahahaha! Film Emperor Lu is even jealous of a child!]
[Why am I already used to this…]
[Aaaahhhhhh, me too!]
“There’s a shooting game up ahead. Let’s go check it out,” Ji Wei coaxed.
Children should like these things, right? Ji Wei thought silently.
They walked to the shooting booth ahead. Hitting eight to ten rings would earn a prize, like a pillow or snacks.
Guang Lian’s child was quite fond of the shooting game, but it was difficult for a six or seven-year-old to hit the eighth ring. He could only stare longingly at the prizes on the booth.
“You want one?” Lu Shenxing suddenly asked.
Ji Wei was afraid he would say something else and couldn’t help but feel nervous, ready to smooth things over at any moment.
The child nodded.
Lu Shenxing took the toy gun from the child’s hand, squinted at the target several meters away, and adjusted the muzzle.
The bullet comments initially paid no mind, but they soon realized they were wrong.
First shot, ten rings!
Second shot, ten rings!
…
Twentieth shot, ten rings!
[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Last time Film Emperor Lu said he had handled a real gun, I thought he was joking. I didn’t expect it to be true!]
[OMG, he can hit ten rings every time while sitting in a wheelchair. His mental fortitude is too good. I always get nervous when I play this…]
[I’m stunned!]
Ji Wei was also shocked.
His idol looked like an expert, obviously a seasoned pro. He was exceptionally calm when shooting, unconsciously drawing the attention of others.
Before long, a crowd of onlookers had gathered around them.
Lu Shenxing remained unfazed and won more than half of the prizes. He could have continued, but the booth owner begged him to move to another one, so the man finally stopped.
His idol’s eyes still showed no emotion. He gave all the prizes he had won to Guang Lian’s child.
The child excitedly hugged the stuffed animals, and his attitude towards Lu Shenxing became much friendlier. He even gave him a small flower.
[Has Film Emperor Lu’s conscience finally kicked in?]
[He probably felt bad for making the kid cry. Otherwise, why would a chronic slacker like him do anything?]
[True!]
Ji Wei pushed Lu Shenxing to meet up with the others. On the way, he couldn’t help but ask, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say you like shooting.”
Whether in magazines or interviews, he had never heard his idol mention shooting. Instead, he talked more about literature, poetry, and antique calligraphy and paintings.
“I wouldn’t say I like it. It’s just—” The man paused and said, “it gives me a sense of security.”
A sense of security?
Ji Wei was stunned for a moment. He belatedly realized that a child growing up in a family like his idol’s would be in much more danger than a child from an ordinary family.
He didn’t know what to say. He just silently pushed Lu Shenxing to the meeting point and sat on a bench in the square.
Lu Shenxing said something to Ma Liqing, and the two of them went back to the market to buy things.
Zhao Yue and Xiao Chi completely forgot their agent’s instructions to maintain their figures and bought a lot more grilled meat that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
They generously stuffed about ten skewers into Ji Wei’s hands. He couldn’t refuse, so he had to hold them with both hands, feeling the weight.
Just then, Ji Wei’s phone, which was next to him on the chair, vibrated.
He couldn’t answer it.
Besides, who would be calling at this hour?
It was inconvenient for him to answer the phone, so he asked Guang Lian’s child, “Could you help me see who’s calling?”
If it wasn’t urgent, he could call back later. Logically, it shouldn’t be anything urgent.
He put the barbecue skewers he was holding in both hands together. Inevitably, some grease dripped onto his hands. He took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped the spot where the grease had splattered.
The child felt entrusted with an important mission. Relying on his vocabulary of less than a thousand Chinese words, he struggled to read the Chinese screen. After a minute, he answered loudly, “It’s your baby!”
Although he was young, his voice was particularly loud. Both Xiao Chi and Zhao Yue, who were present, heard him very clearly.
Xiao Chi looked at Ji Wei in surprise. In his mind, Ji Wei was not an emotionally expressive person. He didn’t expect him to be so cheerful in private. He guessed it might be a good friend of Ji Wei’s, or someone else.
As for Lu Shenxing, he didn’t even consider it. That cold and distant man seemed to have no connection with a sweet word like “baby.” No, to be precise, it wasn’t that he seemed to have no connection; he was congenitally insulated from it.
Ji Wei was so shocked that his wiping motion paused for a beat. Wait, when did he have a “baby” in his phone’s contact list?
“Who’s Baby?” Ji Wei couldn’t help but ask the question on his mind. Why didn’t he have any memory of it? He took the phone, and before he could flip to the contacts interface, he heard the sound of a wheelchair rolling across the ground.
His heart skipped a beat. He looked up. The man lowered his eyes and said calmly, “It’s me.”
Completely without any embarrassment.