Chapter 8 – Grass Grows

Helping others till the end, after seeing off his pesky younger brother, Jiang Ruo and Xi Yufeng took the elevator downstairs together.

On their way to the parking lot, they ran into someone they knew – the casting director from the “Orioles” crew, surnamed Zhou. Jiang Ruo had met him during the second round of auditions.

Compared to the art-obsessed main director Sun Yao, Director Zhou seemed much more slick. He greeted them with a face full of smiles, praising Xi Yufeng for having good investment sense upon entering the entertainment industry. He said that their drama would definitely be a hit.

Then, he glanced at Jiang Ruo beside Xi Yufeng and said sincerely, “Even the person recommended by President Xi is so outstanding. When Mr. Jiang walked in, I knew he was perfect for the role of Xie Fangyuan.”

Jiang Ruo felt a bit uneasy and found it amusing. He thought to himself, ‘Director Zhou’s eyesight isn’t great, can’t he see that President Xi wants nothing to do with me?’

This flattery truly backfired.

They were escorted to the car, which was the same black business vehicle as last time.

Xi Yufeng verbally accepted the invitation to the party, and only then did Director Zhou leave with nods and bows. Once he was far enough away, Jiang Ruo dropped his fake smile, his cheeks feeling a bit stiff. He raised his hand to pinch his cheek.

Xi Yufeng noticed and gave him a faint glance, his emotions unreadable.

They stood there for about a minute. Seeing that Xi Yufeng didn’t seem inclined to say anything, Jiang Ruo inwardly mocked him for being too cold and aloof, even unable to say “thank you.” However, he didn’t show any hint of this on his face. Instead, he politely bid farewell to Xi Yufeng and turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, he stopped again.

Jiang Ruo didn’t eat grass again, but he liked to retrace his steps.

Xi Yufeng was still standing in place. As Jiang Ruo approached him, he subconsciously looked up, realizing he was half a head shorter than Xi Yufeng.

Short in stature, he made up for it in attitude. Jiang Ruo raised his chin and called out “President Xi” with an air of command.

To his surprise, Xi Yufeng actually responded, a low “Mm,” as if he was ready to listen attentively.

It made Jiang Ruo feel a bit uncomfortable.

But since the words were already on the tip of his tongue, there was no turning back.

“You shouldn’t make promises lightly if you can’t keep them. I know you’re just playing along, but…” He sighed and shrugged, looking as though he had no choice but to accept it, “I’m quite stupid, I take things seriously.”

When Jiang Ruo’s figure disappeared around the corner of the elevator, Xi Yufeng suddenly let out a soft chuckle from his throat.

As if tasting something interesting.

Driver Old Liu stepped forward, “Should I give Mr. Jiang a ride?”

“No need.” The smile faded quickly, Xi Yufeng got into the car, “Let’s go back to Nanshan.”

Nanshan was where the main residence of the Xi family was located.

Xi Yufeng deliberately went back later, thinking that Xi Wangchen would have already spread his “glorious deeds” throughout the family by now.

As soon as he entered the house, Aunt Fang hurried to the door to advise Xi Yufeng not to stay overnight tonight.

“Master was in a rage earlier,” she said in a lowered voice, “It might be better to avoid it for now, don’t walk right into the line of fire.”

Xi Yufeng ignored her advice and continued inside.

The first one to notice his return was Xi Wangchen.

Once Xi Wangchen noticed, the whole family knew.

Xi Chengli hadn’t gone to bed yet. Wearing his robe, he came downstairs, his face extremely pale.

Before he could sit down, he couldn’t help blurting out, “I heard from Wangchen that you’ve taken someone under your wing?”

Xi Yufeng didn’t deny it.

“You’ve become quite skilled,” Xi Chengli snorted, “I heard it’s a man?”

Taking the tea Aunt Fang offered, Xi Yufeng took a sip, not planning to respond.

His indifferent attitude successfully angered Xi Chengli. With a clang, the porcelain cup slammed onto the table.

Xi Chengli raged, “Playing around in private is one thing, but putting it on display and making the entire Xi family lose face?”

“It’s just playing around, as you said,” Xi Yufeng glanced at the mother and son peeking from upstairs, his eyes strangely cold, “Why can you play, why can he play, but I can’t touch anyone?”

The “he” referred to naturally was Xi Wangchen.

That one sentence left Xi Chengli speechless. Besides anger, there was also the shock of authority being challenged.

“You, you…” Xi Chengli pointed at Xi Yufeng for a long time, “Everyone says you’ve changed, I didn’t believe it at first, thinking you were sensible. But I didn’t expect you…”

Xi Yufeng put down the cup in his hand, remaining calm, “People change.”

“But you can’t… How can you face Meng Lan? Everyone outside knows she’s your fiancée.”

Unable to drink anymore tea, Xi Yufeng stood up, “Speaking of fairness, when you were fooling around outside, did you ever think about the wife at home?”

Back in his room upstairs, Xi Yufeng took out a suitcase from the closet and threw in the last few items of clothing he had left in this home.

Aunt Fang followed him in, earnestly trying to persuade him, “Master’s words may be harsh, but he really has your best interests at heart. If you don’t want to listen, just pretend to agree and yield for now. Why bother arguing with him, it’s just trouble…”

Xi Yufeng continued packing his clothes, his attitude not resembling that of someone throwing a tantrum, but rather, it seemed like he had planned this all along.

He also had the patience to listen to her long-winded nagging. After Aunt Fang finished speaking, he said, “No problem, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Aunt Fang was confused, “Sooner or later, what?”

Xi Yufeng didn’t want to explain further to her, so as not to worry her. He changed the subject, saying, “From now on, I’ll be staying in the house my mother left behind. It’s closer to the company, more convenient.”

Talking about daily life, Aunt Fang immediately veered off topic, “Then how will you eat normally? You can’t eat takeout, it’s unhealthy. How about I come by twice a week to cook some meals for you to store in the fridge. Just reheat them and you can eat…”

Xi Yufeng agreed to everything. After sending Aunt Fang out, his phone vibrated on the table. It was a message from Meng Chao.

It was just an inquiry: I heard you had dinner with your little lover tonight?

Xi Yufeng replied: Just happened to run into each other.

Meng Chao called, “Just happened to run into each other? You, a master strategist, think I’d believe that?”

With hands-free mode on, Xi Yufeng placed the phone on the table, “Believe it or not, it’s your choice.”

He had a few personal items to pack. While he listened to Meng Chao’s nonsense, occasionally responding.

“Now everyone in the circle knows that Little President Xi has returned to the sea.”

“To the sea?”

“It means he’s dabbled in debauchery. Before, you were all work and no play, and when you dated that actress, it didn’t last long. They thought there might be a problem in that area.”

“…”

“But this move worked. In just one night, your image as a playboy has been firmly established. If we had known earlier, we wouldn’t have wasted our time drinking all those drinks. We could have just found someone to take out for a spin.”

Hearing Xi Yufeng say he was moving out of the main house, Meng Chao wasn’t too keen on the idea, “Do you have to go that far? If you leave, won’t they be even more smug?”

Picking up a wooden picture frame from the desk, his gaze lingered on the beautiful woman in the photo for a few seconds. Xi Yufeng placed it at the top of the suitcase and closed the lid.

“Let them be smug.” A trace of warmth seemed to be locked inside as Xi Yufeng said coldly, “The higher they soar, the harder they’ll fall when the time comes.”

Meng Chao always supported Xi Yufeng in dealing with that mother and son who had taken over their nest. He even felt that Xi Yufeng had acted too late, allowing them to enjoy a few more years of happiness.

As for the reason for acting, Xi Yufeng had never told anyone. He only told Meng Chao that he would use the simplest and crudest method to kick that mother and son out of the Xi family. They weren’t worth his efforts.

Now, things were developing smoothly, all according to plan.

Except for the appearance of that person.

At the end of the call, Meng Chao teased him about it, “I heard the boy is an actor, so I checked him out. Guess what, our President Xi’s protégé doesn’t even have a Baidu Encyclopedia page. What’s going on? I’ve ordered someone to create one for him overnight.”

Xi Yufeng, carrying his suitcase, said, “Then I’ll have to thank you.”

“We’re family, no need to thank me,” Meng Chao pushed his luck, “By the way, you’re not getting him the lead role? If word gets out, won’t people laugh at President Xi for being stingy?”

Old Liu came forward to take the suitcase and put it in the trunk. Xi Yufeng got into the car, closed the door, leaving the noise outside.

Incidentally, he answered, “He chose to play the second lead himself.”

Meng Chao was amazed, saying this young actor was interesting.

Immediately after hanging up, he sent Xi Yufeng a video, telling him to watch it, saying there was a surprise.

Xi Yufeng thought he was joking. Plus, he disliked using his phone in the car, so he didn’t open it immediately.

When he arrived at his residence and settled in his belongings, he lit a cigarette on the breezy terrace at night. With his other hand free, he casually opened the phone and pressed play.

White walls, blackboard, desks and chairs, classroom scene.

In the square-shaped frame, a tall and slender youth walked in, thus finding the camera’s focus.

The lazy afternoon sun fell lazily on the empty space in front of the podium, and the top of the youth’s head and shoulders were also stained with mottled afterglow.

He bowed deeply to the camera, straightened up, and a pair of bright eyes seemed to convey his confidence to the world through the lens, matched with the ambition that accompanied it.

“Hello teachers, my name is Jiang Ruo, I am seventeen years old, and I am applying for the modern dance major at the Acting Academy.”

One week later, dozens of kilometers away at the film base, the twenty-two-year-old Jiang Ruo shivered violently in the still cold night of early spring.

Tomorrow, “Orioles” would officially start filming. Jiang Ruo took the latest bus here today. There was still some distance from the station to the base. At this hour, the shuttle service had stopped, so he had to walk to the hotel booked by the production team.

He came directly from the hospital. An He’s health was weak after surgery, so Jiang Ruo personally took care of him until he could get out of bed and walk. Still not reassured, he hired a caregiver to watch over him before leaving.

There was no time to prepare the things he needed for the shoot. He packed the things he had used while staying in the hospital and headed out. Along the way, he calculated that he still needed a towel. Upon entering the film city, he first went to the 24-hour convenience store.

Having mixed around for two years, Jiang Ruo was as familiar with this place as Uncle Security Guard at the gate.

Upon entering, he greeted Boss Lady Wang first, asking if her child had started school.

The round-faced middle-aged woman at the cash register said, “He started a long time ago, crying and yelling that he didn’t want to go. School feels like a funeral.”

Jiang Ruo laughed heartily, picked up the cheapest towel from the shelf, and grabbed a discounted facial cleanser, then went to the counter to pay.

There were few customers at night. While scanning the barcodes, Sister Wang chatted idly with Jiang Ruo, “What show are you shooting this time?”

“‘Orioles,’ starting tomorrow.”

“Oh, a big production, they were handing out red envelopes at the gate today.”

“Really? So lively.”

“Who are you playing in it? Do you have a name?”

“The second male lead, what do you think?”

“Pfft, the first time you came here two years ago, you said you were the main character. Our Xiao Bao even asked you for an autograph. And what happened?”

“And what happened?”

“He’s already in elementary school, and you haven’t become famous yet.”

Jiang Ruo laughed again, “Don’t throw away that autograph, you never know, maybe I’ll really become famous this time.”

Sister Wang treated his words as nonsense, not taking them to heart. After finishing the payment and putting the items in a bag, she picked up a box of band-aids from the shelf next to the counter and put it in the shopping bag.

Jiang Ruo just exclaimed “Eh,” when Sister Wang cut him off, “It’s for you, carry it with you. You often get bumps and bruises during filming. Next time you come to me covered in blood, I won’t bandage you up.”

Pretending not to know what she was referring to, Jiang Ruo smiled and said, “Alright, next time I’ll just lie down right there. Whoever hurts me, I’ll extort a sum from them.”

Sister Wang rolled her eyes, “How ambitious.”

Carrying the items to the door, he heard Sister Wang say, “You’re still young, you have plenty of time and opportunities. If you can’t make it in this industry, trying something else isn’t a bad option.”

His footsteps paused. Facing the door, the lights in the distance reflected in Jiang Ruo’s eyes.

“No thanks,” Jiang Ruo heard himself say, “Once you’ve experienced different lives, even once, you can’t go back.”

Just like getting into character, once fully immersed, it’s hard to detach.

Moreover, he had once been so brilliant, how could he settle for mediocrity?

Stepping outside, Jiang Ruo looked up at the sky, stretching out his thumb and index finger straight, comparing them to form the number eight, the fingertips touching each other to form a frame, enclosing the brightest star in the night sky within it.

It was as if doing so meant the light belonged to him.

Afterwards, he couldn’t help but mock himself for being childish. Jiang Ruo put down his hand, exhaled, and then strode forward.

Even if he could never achieve it in this lifetime, he would stand in the place closest to his dreams.

In late March, the last wave of cold air quietly left Feng City. In the lush season of grass and trees growing, the television series “Orioles” officially started filming.

The most common place for Jiang Ruo’s character Xie Fangyuan to appear was the rehearsal hall, so he was assigned to Group B. Aside from important shots, the assistant director supervised here, so the shooting schedule wasn’t too tight. Ten to twelve hours of shooting every day, occasionally pulling an all-nighter, it wasn’t to the point of coffee with goji berries yet.

The working atmosphere was relaxed, and the people were naturally easy to get along with. Even Tang Jiani, the female lead who only shot a third of her scenes here, liked Group B. Every time she came, she treated everyone to milk tea, spending her free time busy gathering people to play cards, calling it enjoying life after work.

She especially liked to play with Jiang Ruo. Jiang Ruo’s card skills were pretty good, always quietly standing behind Tang Jiani, giving pointers at critical moments. Tang Jiani said that since entering the industry, she had wandered among the card tables of various crews and had never won so easily.

She would also discuss dance-related topics with Jiang Ruo. The reason why the female lead actress Tang Jiani was chosen was largely due to her dancing background, ballroom dance. Although the female lead danced ballet in the drama, there was little overlap in technique between the two, but Jiang Ruo, who was trained in dance, had solid fundamentals and provided her with a lot of guidance and suggestions.

Occasionally, the two would eat together. Tang Jiani was a popular young actress who had gained attention through a movie in recent years. One could tell she came from a good family; she didn’t eat the crew’s boxed lunches, her assistant bought meals from outside for her every meal.

Seeing this, Jiang Ruo wasn’t envious. He held his own boxed lunch and ate it with relish, making Tang Jiani also want to try it.

Trying it, she frowned at the first bite, “What’s good about this?”

“You haven’t gone hungry,” Jiang Ruo said, “When there’s nothing to eat, even shoe soles stir-fried can taste good.”

Tang Jiani imagined stir-fried shoe soles and reflexively pinched her nose, “Ugh — how stinky.”

As they interacted more, the fact that Tang Jiani and Jiang Ruo were close became well-known throughout the crew.

Initially, no one thought much of it. They often joked, “What should we do, our female lead is going to run off with the second male lead, we should get the screenwriter to rewrite the script.”

Later, it was unclear who spread the news from the neighboring crew, saying that Jiang Ruo had brought money into the group and was a man who rose to prominence by selling his body.

Such things were commonplace in the industry, and everyone knew it. It wasn’t a big deal. Unfortunately, Jiang Ruo was close to Tang Jiani, and when certain people saw this, they added a layer of “clearly gay, but dragging the female lead into a CP for publicity,” making it complicated.

Moreover, what kind of major financial backer outside the circle could it be? Wasn’t it just sitting at the same table during the crew dinner before filming began? They didn’t exchange a single word throughout the dinner, and after the dinner, they went their separate ways. This wasn’t a relationship between a backer and a kept lover, they were clearly strangers.

What kind of person was the eldest son of the Xi family, cold as ice, eyes above the clouds, how could he look at such a small fry?

And wasn’t he interested in women? Zhou Xinyao, who was shooting in the neighboring crew, he spared no effort to promote her into a real celebrity.

Oh, so not only was Jiang Ruo a man who sold his body, but he was also a vain liar, daring to associate with the Xi family, was he brainless or suicidal?

These rumors also reached Xi Yufeng’s ears, far away in the center of Feng City.

It was Meng Chao who told him. Apart from him, no one cared about such trivial matters.

He didn’t speak directly, but beat around the bush, “President Xi really only cares about killing and not burying.”

Xi Yufeng was sitting in the car on his way back, asking the other, “Who did I kill?”

“It’s that little actor of yours,” Meng Chao said over the phone. “You used him and then walked away, leaving him in the line of fire. Isn’t that what Mr. Lu Xun meant by ‘killing with kindness?'”

Xi YuFeng furrowed his brow slightly and said, “What happened? Speak clearly.”