TF01 11

After finishing his movie, Ying Ming grabbed his backpack and left the city.

He didn’t stay even a single extra day.

He had cleared over a month from his work schedule, switched his SIM card, and cut off all contact except for a few numbers, just his family and a couple of people who might need to urgently reach him.

This was one of his work habits.

He never explained where he was going, nor did he plan how far he would travel. He simply picked a destination and wandered, sightseeing along the way and entertaining himself.

This time, he was gone for almost forty days.

He finally turned back when his agent contacted him, saying the film needed some reshoots.

As soon as he arrived at the airport and switched back to his usual SIM card, a call came through.

It was Kou Jing.

Ying Ming answered while walking toward the bus stop. From the other end of the line, Kou Jing’s voice sounded like he was being chased by wild dogs. “Damn it, Mingzi, you finally picked up! Where the hell have you been?”

“I went on a trip. Didn’t I tell you before?”

“Who knew you’d disappear for so many days? Damn, where are you now?”

“At the airport.”

Sensing that something was wrong, Ying Ming stopped and stepped aside to a quieter spot. “What’s going on? You sound panicked.”

“I’m coming to pick you up. Something happened!”

“What happened?”

“Wang Yiqi and Shi Yi are at it again. They’ve set up a race tonight, and everyone’s already gathering!”

“What?”

Kou Jing quickly explained and hung up, leaving Ying Ming standing there with his phone, still trying to process what he’d just heard.

Damn, what the hell is going on now?

On the way to where Wang Yiqi and Shi Yi had arranged to meet, Kou Jing filled Ying Ming in on what he knew about the situation.

To be honest, he didn’t have all the details.

Apparently, it started with Shi Yi’s friend, who had some kind of misunderstanding with Wang Yiqi. One day, Shi Yi ran into Wang Yiqi, and the two of them started arguing. Shi Yi mocked him on the spot and later even had someone smash Wang Yiqi’s car. Furious, Wang Yiqi swore he wouldn’t let it slide. Eventually, things escalated to the point where they ended up arranging an illegal street race.

Ying Ming frowned so hard his brows were practically knotted. “All this… over something that trivial?”

“These guys are just bored.”

Kou Jing kept his eyes on the road, letting out a cold sneer, clearly unimpressed.

Still, Wang Yiqi was his friend, and no one wanted anything bad to happen.

If Ying Ming hadn’t come back, Kou Jing wouldn’t have had a clue how to deal with this mess.

“Good thing you made it in time. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to handle that lunatic Wang Yiqi.” In their circle, Ying Ming was the only one who could talk sense into Wang Yiqi. No one else’s words carried any weight.

Sitting in the back seat, Ying Ming lit a cigarette and cracked the window a little, remaining silent in response to Kou Jing’s comment.

It was past 11 p.m. The so-called racetrack was basically just one of their regular hangout spots. Tonight, the place was packed, buzzing with energy. Kou Jing had to circle around a few times before barely squeezing the car in. People were everywhere, and the scene was getting wild.

Eventually, the car couldn’t move any further. Ying Ming and Kou Jing had no choice but to get out and search for their friends on foot. Ying Ming called Wang Yiqi, who, judging by his rowdy tone, had definitely been drinking. He shouted over the noise, telling Ying Ming to come and back him up.

“Back up your ass!”

Ying Ming cursed into the phone, then pushed his way through the crowd. The spot with the biggest cluster of people was likely where Wang Yiqi and Shi Yi were. Kou Jing followed closely behind, bumping into people as they made their way through.

They finally found Wang Yiqi, who was still sitting in his car.

He ignored the group of guys and girls gathered around him. Without hesitation, Ying Ming pounded on the car window. “Get out of the car!”

Seeing Ying Ming fired him up even more. Wang Yiqi opened the door and stumbled out, loudly shouting, “Ying Ming!”

His shout caught Shi Yi’s attention. Shi Yi turned his head and glanced in their direction.

Watching Wang Yiqi’s drunken antics irritated Ying Ming. He shoved him hard. “What’s wrong with you? Did you finally hit your head so hard in a door that you decided to shove it back in for good? What the hell are you doing?”

Had he really eaten his fill and gotten bored enough to pick a fight with Shi Yi?

Wang Yiqi was clearly upset by Ying Ming’s sharp criticism. His face darkened as he snapped, “Damn! You came over just to yell at me?”

“Do I need to specially come over just to yell at you?” Ying Ming kicked the car door. “If you want to act crazy, do it at my place. Don’t come here acting like a brat. Come on, let’s go.”

“Don’t joke around!”

Wang Yiqi raised an eyebrow, a cold laugh escaping him. “I’m not letting this slide today. You’ll see who’s acting like a brat in a minute!”

His last words were clearly aimed at Shi Yi, though his tone was high, suggesting that he was hinting at something.

Shi Yi stood quietly behind them, watching as they argued. He didn’t move, but Ying Ming could tell that Shi Yi was just holding back his anger for the moment.

Ying Ming furrowed his brows at Wang Yiqi. “I know you’re not drunk, so stop pretending with me!”

“Ying Ming, it was Shi Yi who started this!” Wang Yiqi yelled, his voice loud. “If I don’t get my revenge today, I swear I’ll change my last name!”

Wang Yiqi’s shout was forceful, and Ying Ming raised an eyebrow, pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Your damn last name doesn’t make a difference whether it’s written forward or backward.”

Kou Jing, unable to hold it in any longer, burst out laughing.

He slapped Wang Yiqi on the shoulder. “Alright, Yiqi, you can’t make a scene like this and expect it to end well. Just let it go.”

But Wang Yiqi shoved Kou Jing’s hand off his shoulder. “Let it go my ass! I told you, someone’s got to be the brat today!”

To be honest, this was the first time Ying Ming had ever seen Wang Yiqi this furious.

Although he wasn’t usually the type to keep a low profile, it wasn’t every day that he made such a scene.

He furrowed his brows and glanced at Shi Yi behind him.

What kind of person could stir up this much trouble…

He couldn’t even remember what the man who grabbed his clothes that day looked like.

But this thought was fleeting in Ying Ming’s mind. Right now, what he needed to focus on was how to calm Wang Yiqi down. Seeing him persistently pestering Kou Jing, Ying Ming frowned, grabbed Wang Yiqi’s phone, and dialed a number right in front of him.

The people around didn’t understand what he was doing, and out of curiosity, their voices grew quieter.

The number quickly connected. Ying Ming glanced at Wang Yiqi and calmly spoke into the phone, “Is this 110? I want to report a group of people racing on Huamen North Road…”

Before he could finish his sentence, many faces around him changed.

Even Kou Jing was a bit stunned as he looked at him. Wang Yiqi, with a cold face, listened to Ying Ming finish the phone call to the police. As soon as he threw the phone back to himself, he erupted, “Ying Ming! Are you out of your mind!”

People around them had started to leave.

Playing was one thing, but once the police were called, it wasn’t fun anymore. No one wanted to risk getting involved.

Ying Ming looked at Wang Yiqi. “You’re not crazier than me. Now, are you leaving or not?”

That phone call wasn’t just for show. Wang Yiqi definitely heard the voice from the dispatcher.

The two of them stared each other down for a couple of minutes before Wang Yiqi kicked the car door in frustration and then slammed it shut before reversing the car and speeding off.

He was an actor. If the police got involved, his career would be ruined.

“Damn it, Ying Ming, you’ve got guts!”

As he was leaving, Wang Yiqi shot Ying Ming a fierce glare, then turned to Shi Yi and spat, “This isn’t over between us.”

Soon, the sound of the car’s engine grew fainter and fainter.

Shi Yi kept his eyes on Wang Yiqi as he drove off, and when the crowd had mostly dispersed, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Ying Ming. “I’ve always been curious, how do you end up with such a reckless friend?”

Ying Ming lowered his head and lit a cigarette for himself.

He could already hear the sound of police cars approaching, but he wasn’t in a hurry. He glanced at Shi Yi, who was leaning against the car door. “Actually, if you two had really gone at it, you wouldn’t have beaten Wang Yiqi. He’s competed in professional races before.”

“Then why did you stop him?” Shi Yi asked.

“Because in the competition he participated in, no one had the ability to stand here and wait for the police.”

Ying Ming’s blunt words made Shi Yi laugh. He looked at Ying Ming, still dressed in the camouflage outfit he wore for a trip, his feet in military boots, calmly smoking in front of him. At this point, only a few people remained, and most of them didn’t have cars.

“Then why aren’t you leaving?”

“I made the call using Wang Yiqi’s phone, and I didn’t drive,” Ying Ming replied, turning to look at Kou Jing. “This car is Kou’er’s.”

“Damn it!”

After watching the scene for a while, Kou Jing finally realized what was going on and turned to get in his car, but Ying Ming stopped him. “If you drive off now, you’ll definitely get stuck on the way. The crowd’s mostly gone, the police won’t ask much.”

Guilty consciences make thieves nervous.
If the police have already arrived, driving off now would make it too obvious.

Kou Jing had no choice but to wait with them. The police got out and asked a few questions. Ying Ming answered honestly, confirming that there were a lot of people earlier, but they had already dispersed.

When asked what they were doing here, Ying Ming smiled and said, “Chatting.”

Shi Yi nodded from the side. “We’ll be leaving soon.”

After the brief questioning, Ying Ming and Shi Yi finished their cigarettes. They had agreed to grab a drink together, and before getting in the car, Shi Yi called out to Ying Ming. “Get in my car.”

Kou Jing still had some things to take care of, so he didn’t go with them. Ying Ming’s luggage was in Kou Jing’s car, and it was initially planned to be sent to his home, but in the end, it was moved to Shi Yi’s car. It was just a backpack anyway.

Shi Yi glanced at the backseat. “Did you just get back?”

“Just returned.”

After getting off the plane, he headed straight here, not even stopping by his house.

Leaning back against the car seat, Ying Ming rubbed his slightly sore neck. He had originally planned to head home, catch up on sleep, and rest properly, but that plan seemed out of reach now.

Shi Yi noticed his expression and casually asked where he had been.

“Nowhere specific, just wandered around. Stayed a few extra days wherever felt right.” The best places are often not listed in travel guides.

The driver nodded. “That sounds just like you.”

Ying Ming had assumed they were going for a drink, but when they arrived, he realized it was a luxury business resort.

“You need this much formality just to have a drink?”

At this hour, it felt like a bit much.

With his hands in his pockets, Shi Yi smiled as the resort staff helped them park, opened the car doors, and led them inside. Only then did Ying Ming notice that it was an outdoor hot spring.

“I come here every now and then. You look pretty tired. This will help you relax.”

After briefly explaining, Shi Yi gestured to the staff that they could leave. He seemed familiar with the place.

Since it wasn’t the weekend and it was late at night, the resort wasn’t crowded. There wasn’t a single person at the outdoor hot springs, so it felt like they had the place to themselves. Both of them wrapped towels around their waists and stepped into the water. Ying Ming let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

He had to admit, this was a lot more comfortable than taking a shower at home.

Watching Ying Ming’s relaxed expression, Shi Yi suddenly asked, “Ying Ming, are you gay?”