Chapter 87

Ji Wei didn’t know why Lu Shenxing suddenly called him cute, but he still lowered his head and smiled shyly.

Lu Shenxing was making a seal.

The body of the seal was made from the famous Shoushan Tianhuang Jelly Stone from Fuzhou, which was translucent and incredibly lustrous. However, what he carved was just a simple stick figure of a person with large eyes and two pear dimples when they smiled.

Carving a seal was a very long process, especially when using a straight-edged carving tool. Carving curves required even more patience. It wasn’t until evening that he finally finished.

There was no paper on the desk.

Ji Wei stood up, wanting to get some paper.

But the man dipped the seal in ink and pressed the newly carved seal directly onto the palm of his own left hand.

Ji Wei sat down again, belatedly realizing that the carving… seemed to be of himself.

“It doesn’t look much like you.”

Lu Shenxing opened his hand and frowned.

“It does.”

Ji Wei, who had been quiet all this time, spoke with certainty.

“Weiwei.”

The man suddenly called his name.

Ji Wei subconsciously answered.

Lu Shenxing held out his hand to show him the seal on his palm. His long, narrow eyes crinkled, looking very happy. “You’re in the palm of my hand.”

Ji Wei looked at the little figure in Lu Shenxing’s palm, and his heart suddenly sped up. For some reason, he just wanted to rest his head on Lu Shenxing’s shoulder and nuzzle against it, and that’s exactly what he did.

He liked Lu Shenxing so much.

He closed his eyes.

Without realizing it, he fell asleep.

Lu Shenxing felt the young man fall asleep on his shoulder. After a while, hearing the boy’s steady breathing, he gently scooped him up by the waist and walked towards the bedroom.

He carefully placed the young man on the bed and tucked him in.

Only then did Lu Shenxing leave the bedroom and make a phone call. “Have you found anything on Ye Lang?”

“Ye Lang’s background is very ordinary. His grades during his four years in the oil painting department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts were also mediocre, nothing special. It’s hard to understand why Lin Yiqiu paid so much attention to him.”

The voice on the other end of the line was respectful. “However, we found that his last known appearance was in the town of Kolis, Russia. Someone took a photo of him at the time, but we couldn’t find anything more.”

He hung up the phone.

Lu Shenxing opened the photo.

Due to its age, the resolution was not high. A tall, thin man with a disheveled appearance was carrying a drawing board on his back. His eyes were blank and vacant. He bore some resemblance to Ji Wei; both had very light-colored pupils that looked like crushed gold in the sunlight.

He looked at it for a while, then called Ying Guanxiao. “I’m going to Russia tomorrow. Please make the arrangements.”

***

Today was the deadline for submissions. Just one second before the deadline, the CMS committee received a submission from across the ocean.

—Panzhou’s Ji Wei.

They had never heard of Ji Wei’s name, but they had heard of Panzhou, one of China’s most famous game companies. However, the games they produced were still different from true AAA titles, so no one paid much attention to this submission.

Because there was still a long judging process to complete that night and the next day.

To ensure the judges didn’t suffer from aesthetic fatigue, each judge was assigned a different set of artworks, but it was guaranteed that each piece of concept art would be reviewed by five judges.

Louis arrived the latest, so the entry numbers he was assigned were also the highest.

Although the entry number didn’t affect the quality of the work, as the most authoritative concept art competition, CMS selected the most outstanding concept art from numerous games every year.

Large companies had decided on their entries long ago; only small companies would be indecisive about whether to participate.

But there was nothing he could do. It was his fault for being late.

Louis could only sigh and pull up a chair to his computer.

As he had expected, the quality of the works with higher numbers was very average. It wasn’t that they weren’t exquisite, but that they were too exquisite. The character models or scene settings in every painting looked a thousand times the same.

He swore he would never be a judge again next year.

Looking at so many uninspired paintings at once gave him a massive headache.

It got to the point where he suspected that the concept artists from so many companies had all attended the same crash course.

The further he went, the lower his scores became. When he saw the last painting, he rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong. When he realized he hadn’t, he almost jumped out of his chair.

He was so excited.

Compared to the mediocre works before it, this piece, numbered 12973, was simply stunning. The artist’s personal style was very strong and deeply influenced the work itself, presenting a calm, almost cold temperament.

He quickly ran through the list of famous concept artists in his mind and found that none of them matched this painting. Had someone changed their style?

He unhesitatingly gave this painting the highest score and then waited with great anticipation for the results. He was dying to know who the creator of this work was, and the name of the game.

The judging work concluded at noon the next day. The judges could finally talk and breathe. The most discussed topic was Humpback Whale Game Company’s new work for this year, which had been a hot favorite to win from the very beginning of the competition.

The results, originally scheduled to be announced at one o’clock, were delayed due to a problem. A staff member from the committee came out to explain: “The determination of the Grand Prize still needs to be confirmed by several main judges.”

There was a small murmur in the room. They didn’t think there was anything to confirm. Although Humpback Whale Game Company had always been criticized by players for its game plots, it had maintained stable sales for so many years precisely because its graphics were so good. Even last year’s subpar Wild Ambition 3 had won a first prize at CMS.

But Louis wore an expression of “I knew it.” A person next to him saw his expression and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you know all along?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it should be a work I reviewed. I gave it the highest score,” Louis said.

“Then I’m even more curious.”

The person’s interest was piqued.

An hour later, the staff finally announced the results. The audience wasn’t very enthusiastic about the second and third prizes. When Humpback Whale was announced as the first prize winner, the whole room was in an uproar.

“Humpback Whale didn’t win the Grand Prize?”

“The visual design of The Wave is so outstanding. I can’t remember any game released in the first half of the year that could compare to it.”

“This is such a huge upset.”

When the staff announced the Grand Prize: “Panzhou Game Company concept artist, Ji Wei.”

Hearing that it wasn’t this year’s hot favorite, Humpback Whale, most of the judges lost interest. After all, they hadn’t seen the work. Only a few had heard of Ji Wei’s name and lamented that this was a master crushing the competition. Meanwhile, Louis enjoyed the sudden sense of pride from his friend next to him.

By the time the news reached China, it was already evening, but everyone on Weibo was as if they had been injected with chicken blood, frantically reposting and commenting on the news of Ji Wei’s CMS win.

[A Bottle of Soy Milk] Awwwww Weiwei is so amazing, but what kind of competition is CMS? I’ve never heard of it.

[Want to Eat Egg Fried Rice] I read the explanation. CMS is the world’s top concept art competition, and no Chinese game company has ever won the Grand Prize. This is the first time since CMS was founded. In short, it’s just super awesome.

[If The Coke Isn’t Sweet, It’s Free] Oh my god! Weiwei is so amazing. I was so worried when I didn’t see him and Film Emperor Lu recording the show this episode. Now I can’t help but think, maybe Weiwei just took leave to draw.

[Bai Yi] Weiwei is definitely fine. I’m still waiting for him to stream games. Now I have to refresh Bilibili and Weibo every morning and evening to see if he’s appeared. Awwwww, Mom is so worried about you, Weiwei.

At first, the news spread within the gaming community and Ji Wei’s fandom. Later in the evening, when CMS released high-definition images of the winning entries, the popularity suddenly surged.

[White Boiled Shrimp] Holy crap, no wonder he won. This art style is incredible. It’s a completely different temperament from Ji Wei’s traditional Chinese paintings.

[Braised Prawns] Oh my god, what game is this? I suddenly want to play it. This concept art is too stunning. Ji Wei is truly outstanding. I want to ask, is there anything he can’t do besides giving birth?!

[Oyster Lettuce] Panzhou Games has come out to claim him! To be able to work at Panzhou as a sophomore… As a fellow art student, I look at my own hands. Why is the gap between people so big?

Not only did Ji Wei’s win trend, but when the official media reposted the news that Panzhou Games’ concept artist Ji Wei had won the CMS Grand Prize, praising it as the ringing of the bell for the spring of domestic games, even the topic of Panzhou’s new game trended.

The episode of Focus People that aired on the same day was completely overshadowed.

Someone started a thread on a gossip forum to promote Gu Huaiyi.

[Original Poster] Did everyone watch Songsong’s Focus People today? I’ve become a fan of Gu Huaiyi. He’s such a hardworking person. After recording the variety show, he still goes home to practice the guzheng for two hours. His emotional intelligence is also very high. He’s a very interesting person. I highly recommend him!

Focus People was ultimately a high-brow program, and few young people would sit in front of the TV to watch it. Therefore, there weren’t many responses, but there were still about a dozen replies.

[Coo Coo Coo] Maybe my standards for influencers have gotten higher. I used to admire little brothers who could play the zither, but now… he only knows how to play the guzheng?

[Help Me Up] Hahahahahaha, person above, I know who you’re talking about. I feel like the original poster’s promotion skills need improvement. I’m tired of hearing ‘my brother is so hardworking.’ If we’re talking about hard work, I really think Ji Wei is very hardworking. He was still painting and participating in competitions even when his mental state wasn’t good. I definitely couldn’t do that.

[Did Zhao Yue and Xiao Chi Break Up Today] Sigh, when will Weiwei be back on the show? Without him and Film Emperor Lu, it feels like there’s no point. Especially since the editing keeps trying to ship Yueyue and Xiao Chi. Don’t they know the two fanbases have already had a falling out?

[Pork Soup Dumpling] I hope Weiwei is safe. Now when I watch his old videos, I just want to cry. Such a good person, why did he have to be treated like that?

Gu Huaiyi sat on the sofa and turned off his phone.

He had thought the people who invited Ji Wei to draw were from a small studio, but he never expected it to be Panzhou.

Sometimes he really felt that people’s fates were different. Ji Wei always had good luck, unlike him, who had to fight for everything he got.

He had done all sorts of dirty and tiring work on shows, while Ji Wei got sympathy from the entire internet just because he had some psychological problems.

There was no comparison.

Gu Huaiyi laughed self-deprecatingly, stood up, and went to practice the zither again.

***

“I have to go on a long trip tomorrow.”

After showering, Lu Shenxing used a towel to dry his dripping black hair. After drying it, he got into bed, held Ji Wei in his arms, and gently rested his chin on the young man’s head.

The moment he heard the words, Ji Wei wrapped his arms around Lu Shenxing’s waist and nuzzled his head against the man’s hard chest.

He didn’t want to be separated from Lu Shenxing.

The young man spoke in a muffled voice, his tone a little hoarse from disuse. “I’ll be very obedient.”

As if afraid Lu Shenxing wouldn’t believe him, he repeated it again.

He didn’t know how heart-wrenching this looked to others. He only heard Lu Shenxing remain silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll take our Weiwei with me.”

Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could fully relax, the next second, the man covered him. The world suddenly spun, and he subconsciously closed his eyes.

The man’s kiss landed on his closed eyelids.

An incredibly warm touch—

With a moist trace, his eyelashes trembled. Lu Shenxing’s lips trailed downwards, finally landing on his own.

He didn’t need to know how to kiss, because every time, Lu Shenxing led him. He just needed to follow the kisses, which were like the tide before sunset, coming again and again.

But there were too many.

And they were too deep.

Ji Wei was kissed until he was out of breath, but the man still unhurriedly conquered his mouth. When he was dazed and lost in thought, he would even bite him, forcing him to be fully immersed in the kiss.

By the end, he had no strength left. He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep. In his dream, there were many cats, and he had also become a cat.

He was no different from the other cats. Fluffy, with soft ears pricked up, he lay quietly in the courtyard.

Lu Shenxing walked into the courtyard, and many cats gathered around the man’s legs. He suddenly panicked, so worried that his idol wouldn’t recognize him, and anxiously paced around.

Then, the man walked towards him and held him steadily. He felt so comfortable in Lu Shenxing’s arms.

He heard the man ask, “Do you like brother?”

It was as if it was in a dream, yet also in reality.

He couldn’t tell the difference.

It seemed he had been asked this question before. This time, he didn’t shyly hide, but said with certainty, “I do.”

He liked him so much.

The next second, he felt the man’s arms tighten around him, so tight that he couldn’t break free. And it was getting hotter and hotter, so hot that the tips of his ears turned red.

***

The next day, when Ji Wei woke up, he was a little dazed. He looked down in a stupor, not knowing when he had been changed into cat-ear pajamas. He turned his head to look at the pajamas lying on the floor, a crumpled mess.

His idol must have changed him.

His face inexplicably heated up. Thinking that he had to go out today, he washed up, opened the closet, changed into a light blue shirt, and sat on a chair, quietly waiting to leave.

The bedroom door opened.

Huang Bo came in with a bowl of congee and a plate of greens. Ji Wei lowered his head and called out very softly, “Huang Bo.”

Huang Bo paused in the act of putting down the breakfast, and after a moment’s reaction, he cheerfully replied, “Yes!” Then, as usual, he urged him, “Weiwei needs to eat more to get better quickly.”

Ji Wei ate the entire large bowl of congee and greens, then swallowed all his medicine with the warm water Huang Bo brought.

He and Lu Shenxing ran into a problem before they left.

Ji’s Father had come. He read the doctor’s diagnosis letter, word by word, and after confirming that Ji Wei did not have autism, tears almost fell from his eyes.

As long as it wasn’t, that was good. After all, autism was too difficult to cure.

As for the issue of not being talkative, he had never thought it was a big deal. Perhaps it was hereditary; his mother wasn’t very talkative either. He didn’t think it was a major issue.

The heart that had been hanging in suspense for days finally settled. He went to the kitchen to pour tea and secretly wiped his tears with the back of his hand.

Huang Bo also walked into the kitchen, patted Ji’s Father’s shoulder, and handed him a piece of paper.

“Thanks.”

Ji’s Father also felt embarrassed. A man in his forties still crying all the time. He wiped the corners of his eyes and turned to see two suitcases in the middle of the living room. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are they going out?”

“Yes.”

Huang Bo opened the refrigerator, worried that Ji Wei and Lu Shenxing would get hungry on the road. He wanted to make some fried pumpkin sticks for them to take before they left. “To Russia.”

Huang Bo’s tone was so casual that Ji’s Father couldn’t help but try to recall which city in China was called Russia. After thinking for a long time and coming up with nothing, he realized they were going abroad.

Although traveling was good for one’s mood, going so far away all of a sudden made him uneasy. He insisted on going with them.

“If Weiwei is going, I’m going too.”

When Ji’s Father spoke up, Huang Bo finally had some backing. He politely negotiated with him, “Mr. Ji, when you talk to A-Xing, could you also mention me? I have to go too. No one is better at raising children than I am.”

Being unexpectedly belittled, Ji’s Father felt a little emotional.

Ye Zhi’s work was special. Sometimes she wouldn’t be home for half a year, and he couldn’t even get a message from her. He had raised the child by himself, being both a father and a mother.

Thinking of this, Ji’s Father couldn’t help but say, “…………I’ve done a pretty good job raising Weiwei too.” He suggested using more modest words.

Huang Bo didn’t catch Ji’s Father’s displeasure and cheerfully used data to make his point. “A-Xing is a head taller than Weiwei.”

Ji’s Father looked behind him. Lu Shenxing was standing there, fixing Weiwei’s collar. He really was a full head taller. He felt a little envious. “How did you raise him?”

Huang Bo placed the pumpkin on the cutting board and began to chop, recalling, “When A-Xing was six, I made him run a thousand meters every morning. When he was seven, I took him winter swimming. At eight, I took him to South Africa to practice shooting. He got dengue fever, but luckily, he was saved…”

Ji’s Father: This method of raising children… Xiao Lu is really lucky to be alive.

Originally, it was just Ji’s Father and Huang Bo who wanted to go, but when Director Lu came to visit and heard about it, he wanted to go too, and even Mother Lu called.

What was supposed to be a trip for two to Russia for Ji Wei and Lu Shenxing turned into a large family tour group.

Ji’s Father had to go back to pack his luggage and tea. Mother Lu had even more things to bring: clothes, bags, cosmetics… A whole morning was not enough to pack, so the departure date had to be changed to the afternoon.

Meanwhile, far away in Shanghai, Lin Yiqiu walked alone to the seventh floor of the art museum. No one was allowed to enter here. He opened the door.

The empty floor contained only a single oil painting.

—A beautiful woman holding a child in her arms.

It was hard to describe what kind of painting it was. It looked like an oil painting but also didn’t. It was different from any existing style in the world. At the bottom, only a single character, “Ye,” was signed.

Lin Yiqiu looked at the painting, seemingly lost in memories of the past, and finally sighed. “So it was in Russia.”

“Ye Lang.”

***

There was still some time before departure. Huang Bo went to the mailbox to deal with the mail from the past few days, which was usually just utility bills and subscribed newspapers.

But to his surprise, the mailbox was stuffed full.

—They were all letters forwarded from Lu Shenxing’s agency to Ji Wei.

He handed the thick stack of letters to Lu Shenxing.

Lu Shenxing raised an eyebrow as he took the letters. He opened one; it was a letter from one of Ji Wei’s fans.

His expression softened slightly. He took the letter and walked into the bedroom.

The young man was no longer hiding in a corner but was leaning over the table, drawing. He painted stroke by stroke, very focused, and didn’t seem tired at all.

It seemed to be a starry sky. The reason he used “seemed” was because this starry sky was silent and dead. Dark matter shrouded a lonely planet, with only a tiny bit of light twinkling.

When Ji Wei finished painting and was about to turn to the next page, Lu Shenxing finally spoke. “Do you want to hear the letters people wrote to you?”

Hearing Lu Shenxing’s words, Ji Wei’s body stiffened. He gripped his pen tightly in resistance, his knuckles turning white. But his idol’s tone suggested that he wanted him to listen, right?

Then he would listen.

Ji Wei suppressed his timidity and nodded gently.

Lu Shenxing lowered his gaze, opened a letter, and slowly read it out loud.

“Hello, Brother Ji Wei: I finally found the address to send a letter. I don’t know if you still remember, but you signed an autograph for me at the comic convention and encouraged me to study hard. I got forty-fifth in my class on the final exams this semester. Although it’s still near the bottom, my teacher praised me… This time, it’s my turn to encourage you. You must get well soon. We are all waiting for your live stream.”

“Hello, Ji Wei: I’m Yang Xixi. We met at the police station. I’m a loyal fan of yours. Art appreciation requires a certain threshold. For example, my idiot roommate can’t understand why Pollock’s paintings are so highly regarded… After saying so much, I just want to say that your paintings are amazing. Don’t doubt yourself.”

“Hello: You might have an impression of me. Yes, I’m Cheng Liang from Hua University. I said a lot of regrettable things online before, and I’m very sorry… Your mother, Academician Ye Zhi, is a very outstanding person, and you are a very outstanding person too. I wish you peace.”

…

Ji Wei’s grip on his pen slowly relaxed. He had never thought that so many strangers didn’t think he was a monster, that they were worried about him and offered their blessings.

Even though they didn’t know if their letters would ever reach him, they still wrote thousands of words, which traveled thousands of miles, finally turning into the warm words spoken by Lu Shenxing.

He kept his head down, not realizing that Lu Shenxing had finished reading the letter in his hand.

The man was silent for a moment, looking at the dark planet in Ji Wei’s painting. He lowered his eyes and said, “This world has day and night because the planet rotates.”

“But I hope it stops rotating.”

“So your world will only have light.”