TF01 36

When Shi Yi arrived at Ying Ming’s place, the door wasn’t even closed.

Skipping the whole knocking routine, he simply pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Ying Ming taking out a bottle of red wine from the fridge, he raised an eyebrow. “Going all out, huh?”

“Of course. Hosting the great Young Master Shi, how could I possibly be casual about it?”

Ying Ming spoke as he wrapped the bottle in a cloth and set it on the table. Then, using a waiter’s corkscrew, he started opening it. “This wine needs to breathe for an hour. It’ll be just right by the time we drink it.”

Shi Yi stepped closer and glanced at the label. “Oh, a grand cru.”

“I’ve had this bottle for years but never got around to opening it.”

Ying Ming’s movements as he uncorked the wine were smooth and practiced, making it clear he had learned properly. Arms crossed, Shi Yi stood beside him. “Looks like I got lucky tonight.”

“Wine’s meant to be drunk. Drinking alone just doesn’t taste right. Besides, it’s an honor that Young Master Shi graced me with his presence.” Ying Ming chuckled as he pulled out the cork and set the bottle on the table. Then, he picked up another bottle, already opened, and poured a glass, handing it to Shi Yi. “Try this ice wine first.”

Shi Yi took a sip.

“Not bad.”

Since he had come over for drinks, Ying Ming had made sure everything was well-prepared. Dry white and red wines were both opened, and on the table, there were some Western-style pastries—probably something he had picked up on the way. The setup was just one candle short of a romantic dinner.

Shi Yi had been feeling irritated on the way over, but seeing all this, his mood shifted. A faint smile crept onto his lips.

“You’re not working tonight?”

“Of course I am.” Ying Ming glanced at him. “I was supposed to have a night shoot.”

“Then aren’t you falling behind?”

Despite saying that, Shi Yi didn’t look the least bit apologetic. He pulled out a chair and sat down, watching Ying Ming take a sip of the ice wine. The man shut his eyes briefly in satisfaction before smiling. “I talked it over with the director and moved it to tomorrow. You wouldn’t be calling me if you had anyone else to go to, right?”

His tone carried a teasing edge, but there was no malice in it. Ying Ming opened his eyes and smirked. “Besides, I was craving a drink this afternoon anyway.”

“You hold your liquor well.”

Shi Yi wasn’t asking.

He had tried getting Ying Ming drunk a few times before but never succeeded. That alone told him the man’s tolerance wasn’t low.

Ying Ming neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply swirled his glass lightly. “Ever since I got famous, I’ve been drowning in drinking engagements. Back then, I had to entertain all kinds of people. Bosses, agents, reporters. Anyone who asked you out, you had to drink with them. No one cared whether you were legal or not.”

But men generally have a higher tolerance for alcohol, and Shi Yi started drinking at an early age.

“When I first got into drinking, there was no such thing as red wine.”

Military banquets were different from regular ones. There was no red wine, only white liquor, and it was served in bowls. When visiting different units, they had to go from table to table, toasting one after another. Shi Yi’s first sip of alcohol was probably when he was six years old.

According to his father, no one from a military family could get away with not drinking.

It was practically a crime not to.

Ying Ming understood exactly what Shi Yi meant and chuckled. “My first film role was as a military brat. I wouldn’t say it was completely realistic, but at least it was somewhat accurate.”

“It wasn’t just accurate. It was spot on. You made a real impression on me.”

Shi Yi remembered watching that film when he was about the same age. The emotions it captured felt exactly like his own. Most people watched it for entertainment, but it had stuck with him ever since.

That feeling of being constantly overshadowed by the previous generation, carrying the weight of endless comparisons and unspoken rivalries, being trapped in an environment he could not break free from. He had lived through all of it.

“I think you are a great actor.” The comment came out of nowhere. Shi Yi looked straight at Ying Ming. “I rewatched all your movies the other day. I really like them.”

Ying Ming was stunned for a moment before raising his brows. “You should have said that earlier. I would have recorded it.”

“I mean it.” Shi Yi repeated himself. “You are really good.”

For a brief moment, the room felt strangely awkward.

Ying Ming had not expected Shi Yi to say something like that so suddenly. The two of them sat across from each other with two bottles of wine on the table and a single overhead lamp casting a dim glow over the room. It reminded him of the night they shared a bed during the rally.

He coughed lightly and shifted his gaze uncomfortably. “Uh, thanks.”

He had heard plenty of compliments before, but coming from Shi Yi, it felt different. Something about it was off.

Not knowing how to respond, he simply took another sip of his drink.

After a while, Ying Ming stood up. “Do you want to watch something? Just drinking is kind of dull.”

“What do you have?”

“I usually watch old movies.”

Even though Ying Ming was an actor, he was not particularly fond of watching television or films. He preferred news and sports channels. Most of the DVDs he bought were for studying other actors’ performances.

He had not received formal training, so he had to figure things out on his own.

Shi Yi watched as Ying Ming rummaged through the collection. As he glanced over, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

“Ying Ming, do you have Bad Young Master here?”

“Huh?” Ying Ming turned around from the DVD shelf. “You want to watch that?”

“Yeah, since we brought it up, I kind of feel like watching it.”

It was obvious that Ying Ming had a copy. But watching his own movie with a friend felt a little weird.

Especially since he had been so young back then.

His hand hesitated over the shelf, and for a moment, he did not move.

Shi Yi, on the other hand, got up and walked over. “If you don’t have it, I can go home and grab my copy.”

There was no way Ying Ming was going to let Shi Yi run back home just to bring it over. He shook his head with a bit of awkwardness and finally pulled out the DVD, which he had not touched in years.

“I don’t think I’ve watched this since I turned twenty…”

Getting lost in memories was a way to escape reality. There had been a time when Ying Ming enjoyed revisiting old films, but he later realized that the more he dwelled on the past, the more frustrated he became with the present. So, he had stopped.

He loaded the DVD into the player and leaned against the sofa, remote control in hand. “Even if you feel like laughing, don’t do it in front of me.” He glanced at Shi Yi. “I just had a drink. My emotions might get out of control.”

Shi Yi, clearly unbothered by the warning, let out a small laugh. He grabbed their wine glasses, placed them on the coffee table, and sat down beside Ying Ming. “I always thought you were the type to be so full of yourself it made people want to smack you.”

Ying Ming only raised an eyebrow. “I can be narcissistic, but you falling for me is not allowed.” He tossed the remote onto the table and leaned back. “Don’t fall in love with me.”

The arrogance in Ying Ming’s gaze was completely unrestrained.

Shi Yi had not watched Bad Young Master in a long time either. Strictly speaking, the last time he saw it was probably even earlier than Ying Ming.

Yet, strangely enough, he still remembered the plot clearly.

He even pointed at the screen a few times, telling Ying Ming that he still remembered what would happen next.

Since it was an old film, the picture quality was far from the high definition of modern movies. The heavy grain of the film stock was evident. In the vast space of the warehouse, the only sources of light were the hanging lamp above the dining table and the glow of the television, casting shifting colors onto their faces.

At first, Ying Ming felt a little awkward. But as he kept watching, he found himself laughing along.

Revisiting his past work after so many years, he found plenty of ridiculous moments. Even the serious scenes carried an unintended sense of humor.

Shi Yi, on the other hand, was completely absorbed.

During the lighter moments in the first half of the movie, he occasionally made a few casual remarks. But as the film progressed, he became more and more engrossed.

When the character Ying Ming played was slapped by his father, Shi Yi suddenly let out a small laugh.

“You know, I’ve been through the exact same thing. Back then, watching this movie, I felt like you were acting out my life.”

Defiant, proud, unwilling to bow to anything.

Holding his sense of right and wrong above everything else. Meddling in things he had no business interfering with, never stopping to consider whether he was even capable.

Ying Ming turned to glance at Shi Yi’s profile. The other man did not look back, his eyes fixed on the screen. His expression was somewhat distant, his gaze filled with complicated emotions.

On the television, the young boy held back tears as he endured his father’s scolding.

Outside the screen, Ying Ming watched the version of himself that once felt familiar, yet now seemed so distant.

“I always told myself that if I wanted something, I had to fight for it on my own. If I wanted to listen to someone, I would. If I didn’t, I’d treat their words like fart in the wind. It’s not like I’m doing this to impress anyone. I do it because I want to, and no one can force me into anything. If I’m not happy, I’ll just drop it. No one can do a damn thing about it.”

Shi Yi spoke slowly, a faint smile at the corner of his lips. It was unclear whether he was talking to himself or to Ying Ming, and he never turned his head.

“When we were still in school, people wouldn’t stop droning on about how complicated society is, how messy human relationships are, how hard it is to start a business, and how shady the rules are. But after graduating, I realized even an elementary schooler who knows how to haggle at the market understands all this shit. Everyone can talk about it, but when it comes down to actually getting things done, barely anyone knows how to act like a proper human being. No one wants to suffer losses, but even an idiot knows how to take advantage of others.”

Shi Yi frowned slightly. “But I refuse to follow the script.”

He finally let out a long breath, gradually releasing the tension that had been pushing back against something unseen. His body slowly eased into the sofa as he closed his eyes.

“I know there are rules everywhere. You people in the entertainment industry have them, and we in the construction business have them too. If something needs to be followed, then follow it. But if it doesn’t, then giving in means admitting you’re a pushover. Not every road takes you straight to where you want to go, but taking a detour doesn’t mean you won’t get there. I’d rather run myself ragged than kneel in a cart and let someone drag me along.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned to Ying Ming and grinned. “So? Pretty badass, right?”

Ying Ming raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Badass.”

On the screen, the young man stood on the street, roaring at the Jeep speeding away.

“Fuck you and your ancestors! You think dressing up like a bunch of respectable men makes you any better? Piss off! Let me tell you, I have no interest in playing by your rules! Uncles, elders, who the hell do you think you are? I look down on all of you from the bottom of my heart!”

Ying Ming pointed at the screen. “What do you think? Not bad, huh?”

Shi Yi nodded. “Better than me.”

Then, the two of them burst into laughter.

Their laughter was loud and unrestrained, completely drowning out the sound from the television. It echoed throughout the warehouse, swirling together until it was impossible to tell one voice from the other.