Chapter 35 - 2#
He quickly moved to open the door. “It’s fine, I’m good now.”
Chi Gui had already changed clothes outside and gave him a briefing. “In about an hour, the cruise will dock. I still have to stay a few more days to handle the Zhang family and the dock project.”
“If you’re not in a hurry to go back, why not stay with me for another three or four days?” Chi Gui added. “It won’t affect your follow-up appointment.”
Jing Shun didn’t have any pressing schedules lately. The only event, the celebration banquet for the show, hadn’t been set yet.
After confirming he was free, he nodded. “Okay.”
…
An hour later, the cruise docked precisely at the private pier.
Jing Shun sat on the second-floor observation deck, looking down—
Guests were gradually departing, leaving the pier in various luxury cars.
Someone called out from behind him. “Jing Shun.”
Jing Shun turned to see Xie Congjin’s face. “Mr. Xie, you’re not leaving yet?”
“Aren’t you still here?” Xie Congjin countered, then explained on his own, “My flight back to Dijing is at 5:30. I’m leaving soon.”
Jing Shun nodded but didn’t reply.
Xie Congjin seemed to hesitate, then after a long pause, spoke awkwardly. “Hey, let me ask you—how is Yu, Yu Xiuzhu doing lately?”
Jing Shun guessed why the other had approached him. “You could just check his Moments.”
Though he constantly interacted with industry insiders and social media, Yu Xiuzhu loved sharing his life and never set time limits.
Anyone could see his posts if they wanted to.
Xie Congjin paused for a few seconds, then said vaguely, “I can’t see them.”
Jing Shun asked immediately, “Did he delete you?”
Xie Congjin clearly choked. “Jing Shun, has anyone ever told you that you talk like you’re asking for a punch?”
“No.”
Jing Shun replied bluntly, then pressed, “So, what did you do that was so unforgivable that Brother Yu, who’s so gentle, would take the initiative to unfriend you on WeChat?”
He gave Xie Congjin an incredulous once-over. “You’re a scumbag?”
“…”
Who’s the real scumbag here?
Xie Congjin gritted his molars. “How did you come to that conclusion?”
Seeing that the man seemed about to explode, Jing Shun backed off. “Brother Yu has been doing well these past two years. His new company is steadily developing.”
He paused, then added the key point. “From what I can see, he doesn’t seem to have a new partner.”
He emphasized the word “new” deliberately.
Xie Congjin’s mood improved slightly, and he took the initiative to open WeChat. “Let’s add each other as friends.”
Jing Shun was surprised. “You want to add me?”
Xie Congjin raised an eyebrow, a touch arrogant. “What, you don’t want to? My WeChat isn’t easy to get.”
Besides being a Dijing rich kid, Xie Congjin was also a popular actor. Ordinary people indeed couldn’t get his private contact.
“You’re in the entertainment industry, and so am I. I have plenty of connections and resources.” Xie Congjin opened his WeChat QR code and handed it over. “When you’re fully recovered, I can recommend suitable scripts to you.”
Hearing the latter part, Jing Shun couldn’t help but smile.
He looked at the QR code offered to him and didn’t hold back. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it.”
The friend request went through smoothly.
Xie Congjin dropped the pretense and seized the opportunity. “From now on, I’ll recommend resources to you, and you screenshot Yu Xiuzhu’s Moments for me. Fair, right?”
Hearing this, Jing Shun replied, “Then I’ll just delete you.”
He wasn’t about to betray Yu Xiuzhu.
Xie Congjin’s forehead twitched. “…Forget I said anything.”
His phone screen lit up again—a reminder from his agent.
Xie Congjin sent a quick reply, then said to Jing Shun, “I’m off. If you ever come to Dijing, feel free to contact me.”
Jing Shun nodded and watched him leave.
Xie Congjin walked a few steps toward the stairs, then turned back. “Hey, Jing Shun, one more favor—”
“What?”
“Don’t tell Ji Er about me getting stomach bleeding from drinking before. He was just rambling yesterday.”
Xie Congjin finished, then let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Never mind, forget it. He wouldn’t care anyway.”
He waved a carefree hand behind him. “I’m off.”
“…”
Jing Shun sat in his wheelchair, watching Xie Congjin’s back disappear.
After a moment’s thought, he picked up his phone and told Yu Xiuzhu, who was far away in Haishi, the truth. “Brother Yu, I ran into your ex-boyfriend.”
Yu Xiuzhu replied quickly. “What?”
Jing Shun pressed the voice button and briefly recounted meeting Xie Congjin on the cruise, then concluded, “If I’m not mistaken, he’s the ‘kid’ you mentioned before, right?”
Yu Xiuzhu on the other end neither confirmed nor denied.
His silence spoke volumes—he didn’t reply to the WeChat message.
Afraid there might be some unresolved conflict between them, Jing Shun added honestly, “We just added each other on WeChat. He initiated it.”
Yu Xiuzhu skipped the previous question and replied, “Why did he add you?”
Jing Shun omitted the part about screenshots. “He said he’d recommend suitable scripts to me. If you think it’s a bad idea, I’ll delete him right now.”
Xie Congjin didn’t seem like a bad person, but Jing Shun unconditionally sided with his own agent.
Yu Xiuzhu seemed to let out a quiet laugh over the phone. “Keep him. If he can give you good resources, it’s a waste not to take them.”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun nonchalantly circled back to his earlier question. “So you two really did date?”
Yu Xiuzhu sighed helplessly. “Xiao Jing, if you don’t become an actor, you could switch careers to paparazzi.”
In high spirits, Jing Shun joked back. “I’ll consider it. Thanks, Brother Yu.”
As soon as he sent that, Chi Gui and Wei Di walked over.
Chi Gui noticed the smile still on his face. “Who were you texting that made you so happy?”
“Brother Yu.”
Jing Shun put his phone away. “Finished your video conference?”
Chi Gui nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get off the ship. The driver’s waiting in the parking lot.”
“Alright.”
There was a small parking lot beneath the cruise, connected to land by a dedicated passage.
The three took the elevator down.
As they stepped out, Jing Shun’s sharp eyes caught something in the corner—
Qin Ye stood by the back door of what looked like an expensive luxury car, handing the abstract clay pony from the auction inside.
Someone inside reached out to take it—appeared to be a man.
Jing Shun squinted, trying to see more clearly, but Qin Ye seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, immediately turning to look back.
The parking lot was dim.
But the sharpness in Qin Ye’s eyes was like a venomous snake’s—momentarily intimidating.
However, upon recognizing Chi Gui and Jing Shun, his wariness eased, and he gave a slight nod in their direction.
Chi Gui returned the nod as acknowledgment.
“Let’s go.”
He said to Jing Shun.
Jing Shun set aside his “paparazzi” curiosity and followed Chi Gui to another parking spot.
He still felt a lingering nostalgia for the pleasant three-day sea voyage. “Chi Gui, where are we going now? A hotel?”
“No.”
Chi Gui stopped in front of the car and lowered the vehicle lift platform for him. “We’re going home.”
…
Songshan, Aoshi—a low-density private residential area.
Villas built along the mountain slopes, far from the city’s hustle but with enough greenery, offering a distant view of the coastline on clear days.
Jing Shun had seen similar features in magazines before, but never thought he’d end up here.
Staring at the imposing three-story house before him, he took a moment before asking, “Chi Gui, are we staying here for the next few days? Is this your property?”
Chi Gui saw the shock in his eyes. “The old man bought it before he passed. Said it was good for retirement, but he hardly lived here. Later, it was left to me.”
Wei Di noticed the lights on inside and added, “Sir, Yi Ming has already arranged for a butler and maid as you instructed. They should have everything ready. Shall we go in?”
Chi Gui nodded and looked at Jing Shun.
But before they could take a step, a loud, eager bark came from the yard. “Woof! Awoo! Woof~”
Jing Shun immediately looked toward the source.
A cream-colored figure impatiently pawed open the half-closed door and dashed straight for Jing Shun.
His wheelchair slid back a couple of steps from the impact. Chi Gui quickly steadied the handles, then looked at the culprit.
Dog Baby had no time for him, burying itself into Jing Shun’s arms and trying to lick his face.
Jing Shun instantly recognized his own dog, delighted and surprised. “Dog Baby, how are you here? Did you miss me?”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Baby missed you! Baby missed you so much!
“Okay, okay, I missed you too~”
“Woof~”
Dog Baby whimpered, sounding especially aggrieved.
As if it hadn’t been just three or four days, but three or four years.
“…”
Chi Gui had long heard from Uncle Lin about Dog Baby’s tyrannical behavior at home. Now seeing this dog’s dramatic performance, he silently thought: Pretty green-tea, isn’t it?
Of course, Jing Shun, completely immersed in the moment, didn’t notice.
He finally managed to calm Dog Baby’s enthusiasm, then looked to Chi Gui for an answer. “How did Dog Baby get here?”
Chi Gui explained, “I’m going to be very busy the next few days—lots of government-level projects that aren’t convenient for you to tag along. Afraid you’d be bored here alone, so I had someone bring Dog Baby over.”
Hearing its name, Dog Baby reluctantly glanced at Chi Gui.
Within seconds, it used its fluffy advantage to keep cuddling. “Awoo~ awoo~”
Jing Shun rubbed Dog Baby’s head, still smelling of bath products, and coaxed him. “Alright, no more tantrums. I’ll sleep with you tonight, okay? Be good.”
“Woof!”
Dog Baby understood, shot a smug look at Chi Gui, and wagged its tail even more happily.
“…”
Chi Gui caught the dog’s smug display.
For once, he regretted his well-meaning gesture.