Chapter 109

What if his phone was waterproof?

Ji Wei was about to nod, completely bewildered, but then he remembered Lu Shenxing’s previous sentence, and like a flash of lightning… he understood.

After he hung up, the heat in his body showed no signs of subsiding.

When he finished his shower, his cheeks were still tinged with a faint blush.

He got into bed and buried his head under the covers.

After a while, he finally made the video call, saying with very little confidence, “My phone… isn’t waterproof.”

The man was propping his head up with one hand and flipping through a script with the other. Hearing his words, he looked up, gently choosing not to expose him. “Then Big Brother must have remembered wrong.”

Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

The rest of the conversation was very casual. Lu Shenxing asked him if his classes were tiring, if he was going to see Professor Song on time, and even what he ate every day…

He was treating him like a child who needed to be taken care of. He couldn’t help but say in a small voice, “I’m already nineteen.”

He could take good care of himself.

He didn’t need to be so worried about him.

“I know.” The man looked at him, paused, and then said, “But you’re still a kid.”

“My kid.”

So he needed to be cared for, needed to be looked after.

Even if they were miles apart.

Every word seemed to strike his heart.

In the quiet room, his heartbeat was endless.

Ji Wei clutched the spot over his heart and feigned composure with an “mhm.”

He couldn’t sleep that night.

He missed Lu Shenxing so much.

He got out of bed, opened his diary, and wrote in it, stroke by stroke.

—Day four, a little bit of insomnia.

Then, he closed the book.

***

The day of Lin Yiqiu’s funeral was a rainy day.

Most of the people who came to offer their condolences were upper-class celebrities and students Lin Yiqiu had taught.

“Sigh, Old Lin was such a good person.”

“He never fought for fame or fortune.”

“He sponsored so many poor students. What a pity.”

“In the end, he was even dragged into a money-laundering scandal by his own student. A noble person like Old Lin probably couldn’t stand being suspected by others, which is why he would rather commit suicide.”

The guests were all dressed in black, bowing one by one in front of Lin Yiqiu’s mourning hall.

The oppressive and solemn environment was highly infectious. Regardless of how sincere the attendees were, their eyes couldn’t help but redden in the mourning hall.

“Hasn’t Lin Yishan arrived yet?” Lin Yishen, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt in the hall.

The secretary, also dressed in black, said in a low voice, “He probably won’t be coming.”

“It’s better if he doesn’t.”

Lin Yishen was genuinely afraid that his younger brother would show up with a sullen face, making the Lin family a laughingstock. Although the Lin family’s reputation was already in tatters due to the infighting, an elder had passed away, and there should still be some semblance of decency.

Just then, a man holding a little girl’s hand walked into the mourning hall.

“Why are you here?”

Lin Yishen stood up in surprise. The secretary hurried forward to hand over the mourning clothes.

Lin Yishan didn’t take them.

The surrounding guests had already started to murmur.

“Why is he wearing red?”

“Isn’t that a great disrespect to the deceased? How deep must the hatred be?”

“The Lin family’s affairs run deep.”

Lin Yishan scanned the mourning hall, his gaze falling on the funeral couplet.

—A plain carriage carries a guest mourning Yuan Bo; an exquisite melody, no one continues after Guangling.

He spoke, and all the guests were shocked. “You want me to wear sackcloth and mourning? Is he worthy?”

Lin Yishan walked forward and took down the funeral couplet.

He tore it up.

“Get him out of here quickly. Don’t let him go crazy at the funeral.” Lin Yishen was so angry that his finger pointing at Lin Yishan was trembling. He was clearly furious.

But Lin Yishan had clearly come prepared today, bringing his own men.

No one could get near him.

“Me, go crazy? Am I going to be driven crazy like Ye Lang was?” Lin Yishan said slowly. “My own uncle, Lin Yiqiu, is the biggest madman of all. Brother, did you really not know at all?”

“What was I supposed to know?” Lin Yishen frowned.

“When Grandfather passed away, he didn’t leave Lin Yiqiu any property besides the trust fund. He didn’t even want to see him one last time. Haven’t you ever thought about it? If you can’t figure it out, I’ll tell you. It’s because he did something wrong. He imprisoned Ye Lang and killed my sister.”

The crowd was in an uproar.

“Wasn’t the murderer Lin Yishan?”

“He admitted it himself.”

“Is he trying to throw dirty water on a dead man?”

Lin Yishan continued speaking, “I was only sixteen then. I witnessed the whole thing, how he tampered with my sister’s car. Besides me, a nurse at the hospital also saw it. Her name is Nie Jie.” He suddenly took off his shirt, revealing a terrifying scar. “If Lin Yiqiu hadn’t held Yuanyuan hostage, why would I have taken all the blame on myself, even wanting to take my own life? The case is already fifty years old. Who could prove my guilt?”

“Yuanyuan, is that really what happened?” Lin Yishen asked the girl.

The girl nodded timidly. “He wouldn’t let me leave. He wouldn’t let me see Daddy.”

“You can’t insult our teacher!” Seeing that many people were starting to believe him, a student who had been sponsored by Lin Yiqiu stood up and accused, “You have no proof. Why should we believe you, a madman who’s causing a scene at his own uncle’s funeral? Besides, our teacher’s right hand was injured by Ye Lang. He couldn’t have performed such a delicate operation.”

Several students were filled with righteous indignation, all except for one.

“That’s enough.”

That person placed a bouquet of white chrysanthemums on Lin Yiqiu’s portrait.

“You were with the teacher during his final moments. You must find this ridiculous too, right?”

“Why would a nephew have such malice towards his own uncle?”

“Hurry up and say something for our teacher.”

That person just put down the flowers and only spoke after a while. “The teacher’s hand wasn’t injured.”

“I saw him paint a picture with my own eyes. When I went back, all I saw was a charred corpse.” He closed his eyes, clearly struggling.

“I don’t know why he would tell a lie for fifty years, letting Ye Lang live under the condemnation of having injured his benefactor, wandering from China to Russia.”

“He was kind to me, so I don’t want to speculate.”

“But my conscience won’t let me remain silent.”

He turned and left the mourning hall.

The remaining few students were still arguing vehemently, but when Lin Yishan took out Lin Yiqiu’s diary, they saw the familiar handwriting and said no more, leaving in silence. One of the students even took the flowers from the mourning hall before leaving.

The guests looked at each other, whispering among themselves.

“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Even his own students are disgusted. I never thought Lin Yiqiu was this kind of person.”

“Who would have thought?”

“I thought it was strange at the time. How could Lin Yishan just commit suicide like that? And after he was discharged, the police investigated but didn’t press any charges.”

What truly sparked a nationwide discussion was a news report.

The writer had interviewed Lin Yishan, Nie Jie, and the family of Bureau Chief Fang, presenting a simple narrative.

But anyone with discerning eyes could see the connections hidden in the brief words. Some dedicated individuals even dug up the previous video of Lin Yishan and analyzed his micro-expressions frame by frame, reaching a startling conclusion.

[Apricot Blossom Wine] According to Nie Jie, Bureau Chief Fang had arranged to meet her in Yu City, but he was murdered at the train station. OMG, it’s not just me being a conspiracy theorist, but doesn’t anyone else think that’s too much of a coincidence?

[Spicy Crayfish] You’re not the only one who thinks so. It’s such a pity about old Bureau Chief Fang. He never gave up searching for the truth for so many years. Lin Yiqiu is truly terrifying when you think about it.

[Spicy Lobster] And! And! In that previous video of Lin Yishan, he was the one who handed over the knife! Watching it again gives me goosebumps.

[Whale Island] I can’t sleep after reading this. A blood-soaked executioner was revered for so many years, while Ye Lang wandered to a foreign country and died there. His feelings for Ye Lang weren’t simple hatred, but it wasn’t love either.

[Wahaha] He’s just a pervert, a well-dressed pervert hiding in the crowd.

Unfortunately, on the same day he finished the interview, Lin Yishan died in a car accident.

He left behind a daughter who was only seven years old.

A cleaner at an art museum read the newspaper. Two members of the Lin family had passed away in succession. Lin Yishen, who had just returned from a summit, seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

He threw the newspaper into the trash can and diligently cleaned the first floor.

He looked up at the second floor.

—That was Ye Lang’s exhibition.

He swept even more carefully.

***

Ji Wei was not invited to Lin Yishan’s funeral. They only picked up Yuanyuan from Yancheng.

But Ji Wei still sent a wreath.

“I wonder if they’ll be good to Yuanyuan.”

Ji Wei stood on the terrace, watching the Lin family’s car drive out of Hua Ting.

“They won’t be too good to her,” Huang Bo said, pushing up his glasses. He then added, “But they won’t be too bad either.”

Only then did he feel a little relieved.

Due to Lin Yishan’s death, he had been in low spirits for several days.

Until the premiere of Sun Eater on Thursday.

The Super Topic was in a frenzy.

[Far From Gone] Ahhhhhhh, it’s finally released! The last time I went to the cinema was before the New Year!

[Cicada’s Seasonal Rain] The wait was so hard, but it’s finally here!

[A Night’s Cry] It’s the New Year, it’s the New Year! Let’s get the box office numbers up. It has to be at least 500 million, right?

[Xingzhi] The reviews from overseas critics are very high, and many people on Weibo are saying they’re going to see it. The first day’s box office will be high, but breaking 500 million will still be difficult.

Sun Eater didn’t have many showtimes, so he could only get a ticket for the two o’clock afternoon show.

This meant he had to skip class.

Skipping class just a few days into the semester made him feel particularly guilty. He didn’t even dare to call and ask Huang Bo if he wanted to go with him. He secretly went to the cinema and bought the tickets himself.

“Are you sure you want two tickets?” the cinema staff asked, seeing him alone.

He nodded.

“Okay, please wait a moment.”

He scanned the payment code, and after getting the tickets, he waited in the lounge area.

The poster for Sun Eater featured Lu Shenxing’s face, and the words on it were written by him.

He suddenly felt a sense of pride and honor.

As if he were standing together with Lu Shenxing.

He couldn’t help but take a picture.

After the movie started, he walked towards Theater 7. He had bought seats in the front row.

Because he had to look up to watch the movie, he was the only one in the front row.

But he always sat in the front row when watching Lu Shenxing’s movies.

—Because it was the closest position to the screen.

Ji Wei carefully placed the other movie ticket on the seat next to him, pretending that Lu Shenxing was also there watching with him.

The movie slowly began.

The protagonist was assigned to stand guard at a post in a border town. On this vast and barren land, there was only him and his family. He quietly guarded this rarely visited part of the country.

His family, unable to endure the harsh environment, left him one by one.

He was the only one left, standing guard for twelve years.

So long that the organization had forgotten there was still such a person there.

But he was still there.

As a road was built through the town, more and more people started to come. Even after he was commended by the organization and discharged from the army, he still chose to stand guard on the snowy mountain.

How foolish.

So when the hero’s halo faded, in a place that hadn’t seen the sun for years, people began to test the limits of his endurance. First, they hid his national flag, then they damaged his military uniform, and finally, his leg was lamed.

But he still stood guard in silence.

On his last trip to stand guard, he encountered even more fatal treatment. He was beaten until his head was bloody by people whose faces he couldn’t see. For the first time, the hero picked up a knife, stabbed four people to death, and still crawled to the guard post.

Before he closed his eyes, he didn’t see the sun.

Only a deathly darkness.

It was incredibly powerful.

Ji Wei heard sobbing in the cinema. He finally understood why this movie had taken so long to pass the censorship review. It depicted the evil of human nature in vivid detail.

He also finally understood why the film critics were so disappointed when Lu Shenxing missed out on the Silver Bear Award.

—A textbook performance.

He spoke with a fluent Northwestern accent, even lowering his voice. He wore a worn-out military coat, had a buzz cut, and his face was bruised and battered.

Whether it was his clear and innocent appearance when being commended, or his violent and fierce eyes during the fight, there was not a trace of Lu Shenxing’s shadow.

This was what it meant to be an actor of a thousand faces.

When Ji Wei reached the cinema entrance, he was still breathless from the movie’s ending.

Many moviegoers were crying, and many girls were wiping their tears with tissues.

He didn’t know how the movie’s box office would do, but it didn’t matter anymore.

His idol had delivered the best performance of his career.

He was very proud.

Very, very proud.

Just as he was about to leave the cinema, a reporter suddenly called out to him, “Hey, are you Ji Wei? Just finished watching Sun Eater?”

Ji Wei stopped and nodded.

“Can I interview you for your thoughts on the movie?” Fearing he would refuse, the reporter quickly added, “It won’t take long, just one question.”

His thoughts on the movie.

He agreed without much thought. “Okay.”

The reporter breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “What do you think of Film Emperor Lu’s performance in Sun Eater?”

This question stumped Ji Wei.

He didn’t have a talent for language. While other fans were coming up with all sorts of excessive praise, he could only dryly repeat the same phrase over and over again.

He became even more nervous in front of the camera, swallowed, and answered sheepishly, “Good, very good.”

“What was good about it?” the reporter asked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He answered subconsciously, “Everything was good.”

But he never expected that this interview video of his would go viral online.

[Zashiki-warashi] Awwwww, Weiwei is so sweet! The kind of sweet where he doesn’t even know it!]

[Lu Wei is Real] Ahhhhhhh, I’m dying from the sweetness. Please give me more of this sweetness!]

[All the CPs I Ship Sink] I’m suddenly tempted to get into the Lu-Wei ship!]

[All the CPs I Ship are Real] No! I recommend Xiao-Yue to you! Go stan them now!]

***

Shengjing, Becoming King film set.

Everyone knew that today was the premiere of Sun Eater, and the set was a bit restless. But Lu Shenxing was still focused on filming, and all his scenes were done in one take.

The last take was one he himself wasn’t satisfied with, so he filmed it again.

Everyone couldn’t help but look at him with admiration.

By the time filming wrapped up, it was already six o’clock.

Lu Shenxing changed out of his costume and opened his phone.

Perhaps to watch a video, the man put on his headphones.

Ying Guanxiao walked over and handed him a bottle of soda water with the cap already unscrewed. “I’ve bought the tickets for you. You said Weiwei’s class schedule is tight, so I bought tickets for Friday. Should I send them to your phone?”

“No need.” The man took a sip of water and said faintly, “He skipped class.”

Who skipped class?

It took Ying Guanxiao two seconds to realize he was talking about Weiwei. So he had skipped class to go see the movie.

Belatedly realizing he had been fed another round of public displays of affection, he couldn’t help but say, “Skipping class is not something to be encouraged, especially to see your movie.” So stop showing off!

“He’s already been criticized,” Lu Shenxing said calmly.

Ying Guanxiao was speechless. You think I’ll believe that?

You probably couldn’t even bear to say a single harsh word to him.

Seeing Ying Guanxiao arrive, a few young actors greeted Lu Shenxing and then joked with Ying Guanxiao.

“Brother Ying, Senior Lu’s new movie premiered today, and the real-time box office is already at seven million. It feels like it could break the box office record for an arthouse film. Shouldn’t you treat us to a late-night snack?”

“It doesn’t have to be too expensive. The crayfish place across from the set is fine.”

Ying Guanxiao had gotten to know them well over the past few days. He pointed at Lu Shenxing. “You should ask this one to treat you.”

There was a sudden silence.

Lu Shenxing was too unapproachable.

One actor changed the subject. “How can we let Senior Lu treat us? Anyway, I saw on Weibo that it’s all praise. You know that film critic Su Cheng, right? There are few domestic films he doesn’t criticize. Director Zhang hates him to death. This time, he even gave a very high rating.”

“Su Cheng, I know him. For movies of the same quality, he gives domestic films a six, British and American films an eight, and Japanese and Korean films a nine.”

“I don’t really follow him, but I saw this afternoon that Ji Wei said it was very good.”

Lu Shenxing had been filming all day, and his throat was tired. He just listened quietly. When he heard the last sentence, he suddenly spoke, “I’ll treat.”

“I’ll treat everyone.”

When he finished speaking, everyone was pleasantly surprised.

Senior Lu seemed to be in a particularly good mood today.