Chapter 74

Every aspect…

An image immediately formed in Ji Wei’s mind. It was indeed very big… His face couldn’t help but flush. Fortunately, the cool night wind on his face was chilling, allowing him to rein in his thoughts in time.

He felt he really needed to reflect on himself. He couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild over such a simple sentence.

He pushed Lu Shenxing to buy tickets and enter the amusement park. There were many rides, and long queues for each one. Moreover, since the disabled access lane was closed at night, most of them were inconvenient for people with mobility issues.

Ji Wei was extremely frustrated. He should have done his research before coming.

After visiting the 3D art gallery and the starry sky cinema, there wasn’t much else they could do. Ji Wei pushed Lu Shenxing back, and they happened to pass by the night parade float.

The float was over a hundred meters long, decorated with blue lanterns.

On the float were various cartoon characters, from a roly-poly toy with a goatee to a fairy holding the moon and drawing a bow. Everywhere it went, gasps of amazement erupted, creating a very lively atmosphere.

On both sides of the float, young actors dressed as cupids handed out balloons and words of blessing to the tourists.

Because of the large crowd of onlookers, the balloons were in high demand. Often, as soon as a balloon was inflated, it was snatched up by someone.

However, because Lu Shenxing was in a wheelchair, he stood out in the crowd. A young actor stopped, blew up a heart-shaped balloon, glanced at Ji Wei, then at Lu Shenxing, seemingly pondering their relationship. Finally, he timidly handed the balloon to the man. “May you and your beloved grow old together.”

Lu Shenxing took the balloon, the corners of his lips curving upwards as he said, “Thank you.”

The young actor quickly ran away.

Because the little cupid spoke too softly, Ji Wei didn’t hear clearly. But seeing the man in a good mood, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What did he wish for you just now?”

“He wished—” The man lowered his eyes, paused for a moment, and said, “for us to grow old together.”

The noisy crowd around them seemed to vanish in an instant. The whole world fell into silence, and his senses became exceptionally sharp. Ji Wei heard his own heart pounding violently, and his hands and feet tensed up uncontrollably.

He thought he must look very foolish right now, just standing there dumbfounded.

He said, even more foolishly, “Oh.”

That was just incredibly foolish.

***

After returning to Hua Ting, Ji Wei was still thinking about it. As he was changing his shoes, he had an epiphany. He should have said, “I’m so happy,” instead of that silly “Oh.”

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

Ji Wei swiped the screen open. It was a WeChat message from Zhao Yue.

[Zhao Yue] We’re recording the show again in a few days. The shop only has hot pot equipment but no base. We should each prepare some more!

[Ji Wei] Okay, but I don’t know how to make hot pot base. Is store-bought okay?

[Zhao Yue] Of course, buy it. Hot pot tastes the same no matter what, right? Just see which brand on the market tastes good.

[Ji Wei] No problem.

Lu Shenxing watched him typing intently and narrowed his eyes slightly. “A message from a friend?”

Ji Wei nodded and put his phone away. “Zhao Yue.”

The man said nothing.

A moment later, his phone received a WeChat message.

[Lu Shenxing] Change your avatar. [Image]

The avatar his idol sent was from a photoshoot taken several years ago. It was handsome, yes, but he was wearing a formal suit with a stern expression, looking almost like… a passport photo.

Ji Wei didn’t really want to change it. He felt that if he did, not to mention his friends, even his dad probably wouldn’t want to click on his WeChat profile to chat.

But suddenly, he noticed that Lu Shenxing’s avatar had also changed.

It had changed from the default avatar to a photo of him.

—It was a picture from the streets of Nice. He was looking down, drawing, the wind lifting a corner of the paper and his shirt, with warm, bright sunlight everywhere.

A matching couple’s avatar?

At this thought, Ji Wei suddenly felt the passport photo wasn’t so unacceptable after all. With trembling fingertips, he changed his avatar too.

***

The next day, when he got up, he saw Huang Bo busy in the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes, walked over, and asked, “Uncle Huang, do you know which brand of hot pot base is good?”

“How can store-bought base be as good as homemade? Weiwei wants to eat hot pot? I’ll go to the supermarket at noon and buy some ingredients,” Huang Bo said, wiping his hands on his apron and noting “hot pot for lunch” in his memo.

“It’s not for me,” Ji Wei quickly shook his head. “It’s for entertaining guests on the next show.”

“Alright then,” Huang Bo said after washing his hands, and continued chopping vegetables.

Ji Wei didn’t understand what that meant and thought it meant “no need.”

Since Lu Shenxing didn’t have much to do these two weeks, he stayed mostly in Yancheng. His rehabilitation was so successful that by the time they were ready to leave on Saturday, he no longer needed a wheelchair.

However, Ying Guanxiao still quietly pulled Ji Wei aside and mysteriously stuffed something into his hand.

“What is this?”

Ji Wei squeezed the object in his bag. It was quite heavy, like it was made of aluminum alloy.

“Shh,” Ying Guanxiao glanced towards the bedroom, made sure the person inside wouldn’t be out for a while, and then whispered, “This is a foldable cane. Old Lu is too proud to use it. Weiwei, you hold on to it for him.”

Although he couldn’t associate being proud with his idol, Ji Wei still put the foldable cane in his backpack. Only then did Ying Guanxiao leave.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, he was about to go into the bedroom to pack his change of clothes and pajamas when Huang Bo came over with a large bag. As he got closer, he could smell the aroma of hot pot base.

Only then did Ji Wei realize that what Huang Bo had said last time—”Alright then”—meant “Alright then, I’ll prepare it for you.” He took the bag, which contained a hundred small packets of beef tallow hot pot base!

“You even know how to make hot pot base?” Ji Wei was a little overwhelmed by the favor.

“I learned it from an old master when I went to Yu City a few years ago. It took a year of pestering him before he taught me,” Huang Bo recalled with effort. “Before you cook it, stir-fry it in the pot first. The flavor will be better.”

A few years ago?

Making hot pot base involved numerous ingredients and tedious details. To be honest, he was a little worried if Huang Bo could remember it all, but he was still very touched. “Thank you, Uncle Huang.”

Huang Bo waved his hand shyly.

So Ji Wei opened his suitcase, replaced the store-bought hot pot base with Huang Bo’s homemade version. Because it was packed in individual bags, there were a lot of them, and placing them one by one was time-consuming. It was almost time to leave, and he hadn’t even packed his clothes yet.

He zipped up the packed suitcase and placed it by the door. As he hurried to the bedroom, Lu Shenxing came out with two suitcases and said flatly, “I’ve packed for you.”

“Let’s go then.”

Afraid his idol would get tired, Ji Wei quickly took the suitcases from his hands.

Huang Bo easily lifted the suitcase full of hot pot base by the door and saw them downstairs.

***

By the time they arrived in St. Lawrence, it was already dusk.

Due to the purchase restrictions from the last episode, far fewer fans had traveled from afar. Most were residents from nearby St. Lawrence, curiously taking pictures of the closed shop door.

After getting out of the car, considering Lu Shenxing’s condition, the staff thoughtfully helped them carry their luggage into the shop.

Ji Wei walked side by side with Lu Shenxing. The man’s pace was very slow. Remembering Ying Guanxiao’s words, he took the foldable cane out of his backpack and persuasively said, “You’d definitely look especially good using a cane.”

Lu Shenxing was a head taller than him. When he looked down with his eyes half-closed, he had a condescending air. He said softly, “No need.”

But what if he falls?

Just as Ji Wei was about to persuade him again, the man suddenly took his hand and said firmly, “This is enough.”

Lu Shenxing’s hand was cool, but he held it tightly, their fingers intertwined.

Ji Wei, however, felt the air seem to grow hotter. All of creation seemed to flow with a passionate energy. The temperature of his palm suddenly rose, and his breathing quickened.

They were the first to arrive at the shop. Half an hour later, all the guests had arrived except for Zhao Yue, whose flight was slightly delayed. There was also one more person.

“Hello everyone, I’m Ning Qing.”

A refined-looking man with glasses, wearing a brown suit, introduced himself.

Because the shop door wasn’t closed, a fan standing outside recognized Ning Qing and posted a surprised status update.

Out of respect for the show’s copyright, no photos were uploaded, but the news was so shocking that it was reposted on Weibo by a Chinese student blogger studying abroad.

[In North America, Just Got Off the Plane] Someone on Twitter revealed that the internationally renowned composer Ning Qing is participating in the recording of “The Forbidden City’s Little Shop.” What kind of godly lineup is this? Holy crap!

Soon, someone commented.

[Blue Mountain] Ning Qing? Is that the Ning Qing who won the Oscar for Best Original Score? I’m shocked! That’s a national treasure-level musician!

[Rising Evil] Are there so many fans of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop? Lol. They drew a composer last time, and I didn’t expect it to be Ning Qing. If the ratings don’t break 1, it would be an injustice to this lineup!

[When is Bean Updating] After all, it’s sharing the golden hour slot with Yancheng Television. I don’t think either variety show will have exceptionally high ratings. Shouldn’t The Forbidden City consider moving its broadcast time to the weekend? Then they wouldn’t have to worry about clashing with the live stream.

[Witch] No picture, just talk? Although I’m a fan of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop, since the production team hasn’t made an official announcement, let’s just keep quiet.

[Slime] +1, I really can’t believe it. That’s Ning Qing! How could he agree to be on a variety show? The appearance fee must be in the tens of millions!

In fact, it didn’t cost much money at all.

Director Lu opened WeChat. The family group chat was buzzing.

[I did what I said I would and invited Ning Qing!]

[Lu the Third, you’re something else. You said you’d get a composer, but I really didn’t expect it to be Ning Qing. He’s such an arrogant person, doesn’t even greet people.]

[That’s just with you. We’re all family, what’s there to be arrogant about? But I really went all out this time!]

[What do you mean, all out?]

[I lent out that Nine Heavens Ringing Pendant…]

***

As evening approached, the supermarkets were about to close.

So, everyone didn’t waste time with pleasantries with Ning Qing. Especially the latecomer Zhao Yue, who had no idea who Ning Qing was, and unceremoniously instructed, “You’re in charge of the vegetables. We need to buy cabbage, potatoes, French parsley, tomatoes…”

Ning Qing had lived for half a century, and apart from the elders in his family, this was the first time someone had spoken to him like that. He found it rather interesting and followed everyone to the supermarket to buy groceries.

They bought a refrigerator full of beef and chicken, including freshly sliced beef rolls and whole beef steaks. Vegetables were more expensive than meat; bell peppers were $1 each, and the common long cucumbers in China cost $1.30 a piece.

Drinks were cheap, with a two-liter Coke costing only a dollar.

Overall, since they were buying from a retail supermarket, the cost was more than a little higher than a typical hot pot restaurant’s wholesale price. But they… could sell it for a higher price.

For example, a box of shiitake mushrooms for $3 could be split into three plates and sold for perhaps $2 a plate.

Lu Shenxing stayed in the shop to write the menu. By the time Ji Wei and the others returned from the seaside night market where they had pre-ordered seafood for the next day, it was already nine o’clock.

He picked up the page Lu Shenxing had written and saw that the price for a serving of shiitake mushrooms on the menu was… $4.

When Zhao Yue came over with a rag to wipe the table, he also glanced at the menu and couldn’t help but blurt out his thoughts, “Pricey, so pricey.”

Lu Shenxing looked over at him.

Being looked at like that, Zhao Yue immediately realized his mistake and quickly complimented, “Just kidding. Different countries, different prices. I think the pricing for these shiitake mushrooms is very reasonable.” Fearing Lu Shenxing wouldn’t believe him, he even called over Xiao Chi, who was mopping the floor. “You think so too, right?”

Xiao Chi hadn’t heard what he was saying, but seeing Zhao Yue’s nervous look, he remained silent for a moment before nodding. “Senior Zhao makes a lot of sense.”

Only then did Lu Shenxing look away.

Zhao Yue breathed a sigh of relief. He suddenly missed the Lu Shenxing from when they first met—gentle and amiable. Only after getting to know him did he realize that was all just politeness. In reality, he was cold and unapproachable. Only Ji Wei could tolerate him, he thought sourly.

Lu Shenxing continued, “I’ve contacted Ms. Anna at Leo Mall. She’ll be sending over a batch of better wine tomorrow morning, but we’ll have to cover the shipping costs.”

In the food and beverage industry, alcohol sales are a major source of profit.

It seemed his idol wasn’t interested in the barely profitable Coke. Ji Wei felt he didn’t even need to ask the price of a bottle of wine; it was bound to be very expensive.

Everyone was busy until eleven at night, even deciding on what groceries to stock. Only then did they finish the preparations for opening the shop the next day. Ji Wei suddenly thought of a problem: “Do we have a food service business license?”

“All the permits have been taken care of for you,” said a staff member following the cameraman.

Only then did Ji Wei feel relieved.

Everyone was tired after a long night of work and headed to their rooms. Since there were no spare rooms, Ning Qing shared a room with Ma Laoyezi. Fortunately, the room was spacious and had two beds, which was enough.

Ji Wei and Lu Shenxing also returned to their room.

His clothes were soaked with sweat. He browsed Weibo for a while. The episode of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop that aired tonight had its ratings rise to 0.9, while the ratings for Great Nation’s Artifacts had dropped. An industry insider posted on Weibo.

[Film and TV Person Liu Ze] The Forbidden City’s Little Shop, airing in the same time slot, has still put considerable pressure on Yancheng Television. Everyone knows about the unofficial ratings, but the aunties around me are all watching The Forbidden City’s Little Shop. It’s set to be the blockbuster of the year!

Below his Weibo post, some agreed, and some disagreed.

[Diving Crucian Carp] Although Yancheng Television’s rating coefficient is higher than CCTV’s, it’s still objective compared to other satellite channels. There’s no need to step on one to praise the other. No matter what, you can’t change the fact that Great Nation’s Artifacts is the number one variety show in terms of ratings.

[Beer Duck] This blogger follows Ji Wei… the bias is pretty obvious, right? I advise the fans to tone down the hype. Isn’t selling a painting for a million dollars enough to brag about? Though I think there’s a lot of hot air in that, it’s probably just marketing!

[Battered Chicken] What did the blogger even say? You guys are already getting worked up. I can’t be bothered to argue with you. Just look at the line graph of online broadcast volume and you’ll know that the next episode of The Forbidden City’s Little Shop will definitely break 1 in ratings. If it doesn’t, I’ll eat my phone!

Ji Wei didn’t know much about ratings. He had watched one episode of Great Nation’s Artifacts. Although it was made by the original team of National Style, Yancheng Television was too impatient.

For the sake of ratings, the tasks they designed were increasingly difficult, like repairing a high-voltage tower at a great height. He had a feeling something would go wrong.

Ji Wei put away his phone, planning to take a shower first. So he walked to the bed, opened the suitcase with his clothes, and wanted to take out his pajamas.

On top was a folded blue shirt.

He had never seen it before, and it was brand new, with the tag still on. He unfolded it and held it against himself. The clothes were his size.

Ji Wei was a little puzzled. “This doesn’t seem to be my shirt.”

Could the staff have taken the wrong suitcase?

“I bought it for you online,” Lu Shenxing said in a flat tone.

“Thank you.”

A warmth spread through Ji Wei’s heart. He never thought that after he had refused the haute couture, his idol would buy him clothes online. He lowered his head, carefully folded the shirt, and put it back in the suitcase.

Under the shirt were trousers, then a jacket… all in his usual style.

His idol had folded them very neatly.

After rummaging all the way to the bottom, Ji Wei finally found a set of cotton pajamas. He pulled it out by a corner.

A white cat-ear pajama set appeared before his eyes. The tips of the ears were a fluffy, pale pink, and the fabric felt incredibly soft.

It was very cute.

Ji Wei’s face instantly turned red. He had never worn such clothes in his life.

Just as he was about to refuse, the man lowered his gaze and asked in a matter-of-fact tone, “Don’t you like cats?”