Chapter 103
Ji Wei’s face instantly turned red. He lowered his head and murmured an “oh.”
Though it was just a single word, he could hear the joy in his own voice.
—Unconsciously.
Under the vast moonlit sky, they walked on, slowly, slowly.
The cold, white moonlight fell upon their hair, as if they were walking through half a lifetime until their hair turned white.
When Ji Wei returned home, Huang Bo, fearing they hadn’t eaten enough outside, had picked some scallions from the rooftop and cooked them a bowl of scallion oil noodles.
Scallion oil noodles were simple, but the noodles were handmade by Huang Bo himself, and the scallions were freshly picked from their own rooftop. Topped with a spoonful of old soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil, the aroma drifted from the kitchen all the way to the living room.
Lu Shenxing only had a few bites, but Ji Wei finished the entire bowl.
He had a feeling… the weight he had lost would be regained soon enough.
After eating, he went to the study and stood practicing calligraphy from a copybook for an hour, then painted for another two hours before going to sleep.
In the middle of the night, a strange topic started trending.
—A Passerby’s Evaluation of Ji Wei
It was truly unremarkable. Although Ji Wei was quite famous, for a simple man-on-the-street interview to trend was a bit much. It really was.
No one knew which team had bought the topic.
Many people clicked on the trending topic with this thought in mind, but after watching the interview video, they immediately started reposting it with cries of “aww.”
The interviewer didn’t show their face and was likely a foreigner with a very non-standard accent, using very simple vocabulary.
In the video, even with a mask on, the man couldn’t hide his sharp aura. His slightly lowered eyelashes concealed his dark pupils, giving him an air of distance for no reason.
The video was less than a minute long, with only one exchange.
—”I heard his partner is an actor he likes. Don’t you think this boy is very lucky?”
—”It is his partner who is so fortunate.”
Yet, the comments below exceeded forty thousand.
[Pineapple Pastry] The passerby being interviewed is Film Emperor Lu! Ahhhhhhh! I can’t speak in anything but ‘ah’s anymore, does any sister understand me!
[Lu Wei is Real] I get you! My roommate is already asleep, and I almost screamed when I saw this. His tone is so doting!
[Xingzhi] I’m officially reporting Lu-Wei for excessive sweetness. How can they be so sweet!
[Jianghu Swindler] Isn’t Film Emperor Lu looking in Weiwei’s direction?! Ahhhhhhh, I’ve turned into a screaming groundhog. This CP is too addictive!
Ji Wei had gone to bed early and didn’t see this trending topic. He slept very soundly in Lu Shenxing’s arms.
In the middle of the night, a light rain began to fall. Perhaps feeling cold, he snuggled deeper into the man’s embrace, pressing against him without leaving a single gap.
At some point, the man got out of bed and took a cold shower.
***
In the morning, at Yancheng Airport.
“Teacher, should we really not worry about Lin Yishan? The hospital said his condition has improved. He might wake up any day now,” the student asked with concern.
Lin Yiqiu asked gently, “What are you trying to say?”
The student hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Teacher, you righteously exposed your own kin. I’m afraid he’ll be a threat to you after he’s discharged.”
Lin Yiqiu stared at him for a moment, as if pondering the truth of his words, before finally shaking his head gently. “He won’t.”
“Yuanyuan likes me.”
The student breathed a sigh of relief, remembering that Yuanyuan was still at the Mid-Levels Villa.
With Yuanyuan there, Lin Yishan naturally wouldn’t dare to do anything.
Actually, this was for the best. Being with a murderer father was far worse than being raised by Lin Yiqiu.
His teacher was knowledgeable and patient, with an effortless command of paintings from all periods. If it weren’t for the unjust disaster involving Ye Lang, he would have surely become an outstanding painter.
He admired his teacher from the bottom of his heart.
But the people at the Mid-Levels Villa were not so calm.
Ever since Lin Yiqiu went to Yancheng, the nanny had been having a headache for days. Yuanyuan had been a well-behaved child when Lin Yiqiu was around, but after he left, she refused to eat.
No amount of coaxing worked.
If she starved, the nanny couldn’t bear the responsibility.
“Yuanyuan, stop running.”
She chased after the girl, out of breath. “Sweetie, let’s eat first, okay?”
Yuanyuan squatted on the ground, playing with sand and ignoring her. She was much quieter than when she had first arrived.
“Qin Jie, why don’t you buy some things that kids like? French fries, hamburgers, and such,” a foreman suggested from the side. “My son doesn’t like to eat his meals, but he loves that stuff.”
“Can the young miss be the same as you people?”
Qin Jie frowned, afraid of getting dust from the workers on her.
The foreman, having been snubbed, said no more.
“Yuanyuan, let’s eat, okay?”
She tried coaxing again, but the girl didn’t even lift her head. She was getting impatient. Just as she was about to pick her up, she suddenly heard a young man’s voice, “Let me say a word to her. I have a way to make her eat.”
“You’re just a wet-behind-the-ears kid, what way could you have?” The foreman pulled Fang Hao back to his side and said to Qin Jie with an apologetic smile, “Qin Jie, he’s new to this line of work and doesn’t know any better.”
Qin Jie looked up at the young man. The scar on his face was quite terrifying; even she was startled.
She was about to scold him, but then she glanced at Yuanyuan. Maybe a little scare would do the trick. So she pointed at the scar-faced young man. “You, come here.”
Meng Hao walked over. “I need to speak with her alone.”
“Why are you so troublesome, kid?”
The foreman, afraid he would anger Qin Jie, scolded him first, then pulled Qin Jie away with a placating smile. “Make it quick, you hear?”
Meng Hao nodded and squatted down in front of the girl.
He didn’t know how to coax children, nor did he have the patience for it.
He only said two things.
“Eat.”
“I can take you home.”
The girl lifted her head.
***
In the afternoon, Ji Wei went to see Professor Song, accompanied by Lu Shenxing.
He had gradually gotten used to chatting with Professor Song; it was actually a very comfortable process.
Most of the time, he was the one talking while Professor Song listened, but they never fell into an awkward silence. Whenever he didn’t know what to say, Professor Song would always bring up a new topic.
After the three-hour session, Professor Song prescribed him medication on the computer. “You should be done with the last prescription, right?”
Ji Wei nodded.
“Your condition has stabilized a lot. I’ll switch you to a different medication. The effect is slower, but the side effects will be much smaller.” Professor Song typed on the keyboard.
He hadn’t expected the young man to refuse. After all, most patients who came to him hoped to avoid medication if possible, and if they had to take it, they wanted the side effects to be as minimal as possible.
However, to his surprise, the young man shook his head. “I want to get better quickly.”
Is it because he doesn’t want his family to worry…?
He was a very considerate patient.
He stopped typing and kindly advised, “Medication is only one aspect. Weiwei, you don’t want to be on medication for the rest of your life, do you? If you want to get better quickly, it’s very important to maintain a good mood. For example, waking up early and going to bed early, exercising more, and hanging out with good friends.”
Although the latter sounded simple, it wasn’t an easy thing for patients with psychological issues. They often found it hard to feel enthusiasm and thus lacked motivation.
He remembered the first time he met Ji Wei. The young man was like a pile of dim ashes, shutting himself away in his own world.
But he had seen that pile of ashes carefully shielding a faint spark, preventing the wind from blowing it out. If he wasn’t mistaken, that spark’s name was Lu Shenxing.
Professor Song then added, “Or communicate more with your partner.”
Only then did Ji Wei slowly hum in agreement.
He thought of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop and asked, “Then, can I go on the show?”
Go on the show?
Professor Song pulled up Ji Wei’s file on the computer. It showed that he had participated in a variety show produced by the Forbidden Palace and had received a lot of positive feedback from the audience.
If it were any other variety show, he would have to think carefully. But the director of the Palace Museum was Ji Wei’s uncle. Going on the show would allow him to interact more with people, so it was worth a try.
“If you feel uncomfortable, don’t go on.”
He added worriedly, “How about this, let’s change the weekly consultations to twice a week.”
Although he didn’t know why Ji Wei insisted on going on the show, he needed to keep a close watch on his condition.
“Thank you.”
Ji Wei stood up to thank him.
Professor Song smiled. “It’s what I should do as a doctor.”
In fact, people online were already speculating when Ji Wei and Lu Shenxing would return to the show. Lu Shenxing was joining a film crew at the end of the month and probably wouldn’t be on for a short while, but Ji Wei should be back soon.
Quite a few people were participating in the speculation.
Due to Ji Wei and Lu Shenxing’s absence from recording, the show had invited two new guests: one was the veteran actor Ke Zhenyu, and the other was the new-generation domestic singer Bai Ye.
[Wangzai Milk] If Ji Wei comes back, one of them will have to leave, right? It’ll probably be Bai Ye. It’s a pity it’s not Ke Zhenyu. His temper is awful. The show used to be known for its good reputation, but ever since he came, there’s been a huge fight every episode.
[Merlin Luncheon Meat] Ke Zhenyu really is… I’m actually quite reluctant to see Bai Ye go. He’s hardworking and down-to-earth. Personally, I don’t think he’s any worse than Ji Wei on the show.
[Huai Shui Yi Yi] I checked the poster above’s profile. They’re a fan of Bai Ye. This has nothing to do with our Huaiyi.
[Listening to Maple Without End] Hahahaha, are Gu Huaiyi’s fans being this cautious now? I admit Bai Ye is hardworking and down-to-earth, but not worse than Ji Wei on the show… Just look at the plummeting ratings of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop. Don’t the fans have any self-awareness? After Ji Wei and Film Emperor Lu left, they’ve been crushed by Yancheng Television.
Bai Ye’s agent read the online comments to him one by one. “Ji Wei might be coming back. You should have a sense of crisis now, right?”
Bai Ye asked, overjoyed, “Does that mean I don’t have to participate in the show anymore?”
He was so sick of it.
Senior Ke didn’t know anything but loved to boss people around. Even the usually good-tempered Ma Laoyezi had gotten into arguments with him. He was the youngest on the show and had no say in anything. Every time he went on the show, it was a form of torture.
The agent was speechless.
“What are you thinking? Even if Ji Wei comes back, the production team called and told me Ma Laoyezi is leaving. You don’t have a chance,” the agent said irritably.
How I envy him, Bai Ye sighed.
But then he thought, with the oldest, Ma Laoyezi, gone, and someone younger than him, Ji Wei, coming, wouldn’t the show be completely dominated by Senior Ke?
He felt even more hopeless.
He let out another heavy sigh.
The agent thought, …This kid is a lost cause.
***
Lu Shenxing accompanied Ji Wei out of the hospital and into the car. As the man fastened his seatbelt for him, he asked calmly, “I see you got a new prescription. Did Professor Song say anything?”
“Professor Song said my condition has improved and switched me to a milder medication. He suggested I wake up and go to bed early, exercise more, and hang out with friends—”
Ji Wei recalled Professor Song’s words, pausing slightly at the last sentence.
He thought the pause was unnoticeable.
Unexpectedly, Lu Shenxing didn’t miss any of his reactions. After fastening his seatbelt, he didn’t move away.
Instead, he leaned in closer.
Their breaths intertwined without warning. The man stared into his eyes and asked, “What else?”
“And—” Ji Wei found it a little hard to breathe under that gaze. He lowered his head slightly and said, “communicate more with my partner.”
Lu Shenxing nodded thoughtfully.
The car drove for half an hour, returning to Hua Ting.
As they reached the elevator, the man suddenly turned his head, looked at him, and said, “I dreamed about you last night.”
Ji Wei’s heart suddenly sped up. He walked into the elevator with Lu Shenxing and swallowed.
Should I ask…
Should I ask…
Before he could press the button, he finally asked, “What… did you dream about?”
The moment he finished speaking, a weight suddenly fell on his shoulder!
Before he could react, he was pressed against the mirrored wall of the elevator by Lu Shenxing. A dense flurry of kisses rained down on him.
Exceptionally fierce—
The elevator was lined with mirrors. As the man’s kisses moved, inch by inch, from his lips to his neck…
He could clearly see his own expression in the mirror. He hadn’t known that when he was being kissed, his pupils would glisten with a liquid sheen and his face would be flushed, looking completely unlike himself.
He was so worried they would be seen by others.
Perhaps due to a lack of strength, his legs began to spread wider apart.
It looked even more embarrassing.
Fortunately, Lu Shenxing let him go.
He let out a true sigh of relief.
Unlike his own open collar, Lu Shenxing was still impeccably dressed.
The man, wrapped in a well-tailored suit, looked incredibly ascetic. He lowered his eyes and asked him, “Still want to know?”