Chapter 47 - 2#
Jing Shun continued shifting his right foot, silently counting in his mind, “Two.”
He still managed to stay steady.
Chi Gui stared without blinking at the person before him, a tension he had never felt before gathering in his eyes. He hardly dared to breathe.
The third step, the fourth step—
A few short seconds stretched out like an entire century.
Until Jing Shun finally moved through the last step, truly standing firm in front of Chi Gui.
“…”
“…”
His heart pounded violently against his chest.
Jing Shun couldn’t help but let out a relieved breath. His legs suddenly lost their strength, but Chi Gui was quicker—he reached out and wrapped an arm around Jing Shun’s waist, pulling him into his embrace for support.
Jing Shun lowered his eyes, unable to put his feelings into words at that moment.
He wanted to cry.
And he could hardly believe it.
Just five steps—not even a full stride.
But no one knew how long he had been waiting for this moment. So long that he had almost forgotten what it felt like to walk at all.
“Chi Gui.”
Jing Shun instinctively grabbed a corner of Chi Gui’s shirt, unsure whether he was seeking validation or encouragement. “Did I do well?”
Suddenly, the arm around his waist tightened slightly. The response he received was unexpectedly gentle. “You did very well. You’ve always done very well.”
Jing Shun held back the sting in his nose, refusing to let the tears surface.
He looked up again at the person so close to him, a joy he couldn’t quite explain rising within him. “Chi Gui.”
“Hm?”
“So we…”
Feeling the steady strength around his waist, Jing Shun let go of the support pole with his right hand without worry and raised it to gesture. “Are this different in height.”
One meter ninety, facing one meter eighty.
No longer looking up from a wheelchair, no longer the height difference when being carried, nor the eye-level gaze that required Chi Gui to bend down.
It was visible—the genuine difference in their heights, real and true.
The corners of Chi Gui’s lips curved slightly. “Yes, we’re only this different.”
Jing Shun’s mood instantly lifted. “Mm. I’ll get back in the wheelchair. I need to go to the room to shower.”
From this moment on, perhaps the wheelchair would no longer be a tool he relied on for the rest of his life, but just a temporary means of getting around. Nothing more.
“Wait.”
Chi Gui stopped him from turning.
Suddenly, a slightly calloused finger brushed across Jing Shun’s nose, wiping away a trace of moist sweat, leaving behind a faint tingling sensation.
An indescribable sense of intimacy lingered in the air.
Chi Gui explained, “Your nose was sweating.”
Jing Shun’s throat moved slightly. “Oh. Summer’s here. It’s pretty hot.”
Chi Gui pulled the wheelchair over and helped Jing Shun sit down. “Go shower first. There’s someone I’ll let you meet afterward.”
“Hm?”
Curiosity flickered in Jing Shun’s eyes.
It wasn’t until he finished showering in the North Pavilion and came back downstairs that he saw an unexpectedly familiar figure in the living room.
“Jing Shun!”
Yu Zhen sprang up from the sofa in an instant, then rushed over to Jing Shun, enthusiastically hugging his friend in the wheelchair. “Long time no see!”
“…”
This “excessive” hug earned a stare from Chi Gui, but Yu Zhen, utterly oblivious, didn’t notice.
Jing Shun patted Yu Zhen’s shoulder. Once they pulled apart a little, he said, pleasantly surprised, “How did you get here?”
It had been a month and a half at most since they parted ways in Macau.
Jing Shun’s gaze drifted past his friend to Chi Gui, seated in the main spot on the sofa. “Is Qin Ye here too?”
Yu Zhen jumped in to answer, “Pfft, don’t mention him to me.”
“…”
Alright, got it. Looks like they had a fight.
Jing Shun understood instantly.
His peripheral vision caught the open front door. On the lawn, a cream-colored figure and a black one were tumbling around together, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
He brought Eone too? Must have been a pretty bad argument.
Jing Shun chuckled to himself. “How come you ran away from home with Eone?”
Yu Zhen retorted, “This isn’t running away from home. This is me living free.”
Chi Gui took the chance to interject, “Qin Ye called me this afternoon and asked us to look after Yu Zhen for a while. He said he’d come over once he’s finished handling some matters in Macau.”
Yu Zhen huffed, “Tell him not to come. I’m perfectly fine living on my own.”
Jing Shun soothed him, “Then we’ll just ignore him~”
Yu Zhen broke into a smile. “Jing Shun, I knew you were on my side!”
Then, bending down, he whispered in his friend’s ear, “Hey, keep your man in check. Don’t let him meddle and tip anyone off. I don’t want to see Qin Ye right now.”
“…”
The smile on Jing Shun’s lips widened as he exchanged a glance with Chi Gui on the sofa.
Chi Gui looked back at him and gave a subtle shake of his head.
If he had Chen Yiming pick up Yu Zhen from the airport, it was naturally because Qin Ye had informed him.
Chi Gui had no desire to meddle in the affairs of those two lovebirds, but he was willing to help look after Yu Zhen and Eone for a while, out of friendship.
Chi Gui checked the time. It was almost dinner.
He asked Jing Shun and Yu Zhen, “How about we eat at home tonight? We can go out tomorrow?”
Yu Zhen was indifferent. “I’m fine with anything.”
Jing Shun agreed. “Mm.”
With a friend coming from afar, it was only right to offer a warm welcome.
Then he remembered something else. “Oh, by the way, Brother Yu just texted me. He said he’d be stopping by later.”
Yu Zhen asked casually, “Who’s that?”
Jing Shun explained, “My manager, Yu Xiuzhu.”
“That name sounds familiar?” Yu Zhen muttered, then said, “Let him come. We can all get to know each other.”
“Mm.”
…
Dinner was prepared lavishly.
Chi Gui still sat at the head of the table, while the seat next to Jing Shun was taken over by Yu Zhen.
Yu Zhen said, “By the way, you two know already? The preliminary verdict for Zhang Aode and his son came out last Wednesday.”
Jing Shun had no idea. “That fast?”
Chi Gui said, “With Qin Ye putting pressure behind the scenes, and conclusive evidence, Zhang Aode got five years. His son Zhang Mingxuan and the other thugs got three years. The father and son didn’t accept it and appealed.”
Yu Zhen snorted. “They brought this on themselves. It won’t matter how many times they appeal.”
Jing Shun agreed, nodding.
Yu Zhen changed the subject. “Jing Shun, I’ve had nothing to do this past month, so I binge-watched a lot of the dramas you’ve been in. Your acting is amazing—I even cried at a few scenes!”
Jing Shun took a sip of soup and teased, “No exaggeration?”
“Of course not. Why would I lie to you?” Yu Zhen said. “Oh, and since you still have a manager, does that mean you’ll have a chance to go back to filming?”
The question wasn’t offensive.
Jing Shun thought of the upcoming opportunity. “I’m about to join a new production. I’ll be playing a villain supporting role.”
Yu Zhen was both surprised and delighted. “Wow.”
Jing Shun explained, “Mm. That character is also in a wheelchair, so it works out well for me.”
Just as he finished speaking, Butler Lin brought Yu Xiuzhu in. “Mr. Yu has arrived.”
Jing Shun set down his chopsticks and met Yu Xiuzhu’s eyes as he approached. “Brother Yu.”
Yu Xiuzhu glanced at Chi Gui at the head of the table, then at the completely unfamiliar young face beside Jing Shun. “Xiao Jing, who is this?”
“Oh, Brother Yu, let me introduce you—”
Jing Shun, rarely playing the role of intermediary, said, “This is Yu Zhen, a friend I met in Macau not long ago. He’s visiting Haishi for a while and will be staying for a bit.”
Yu Zhen, as always, was quick to warm up to people. He stood up on his own, following Jing Shun’s form of address. “Hello, Brother Yu! I’m Yu Zhen. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello.” Yu Xiuzhu remembered now. “Xiao Jing mentioned you before. Good thing you two didn’t end up hurt.”
He had learned about the kidnapping incident in Macau later.
Butler Lin set out another set of utensils for Yu Xiuzhu. “Mr. Yu, please have a seat?”
Jing Shun chimed in, “Brother Yu, perfect timing. Why don’t you join us for a bite?”
Though not particularly hungry, Yu Xiuzhu sat down anyway.
At the head of the table, Chi Gui remained silent, leaving the conversation space to the three of them.
“Brother Yu, has the filming schedule for the production been confirmed?”
“Yes, it’s set for August 8th. The overall shoot will take about ten days.” Yu Xiuzhu had come specifically for this. “I specially negotiated with the production team—”
“Every three days, there will be one day off for you to rest and adjust. If the filming goes smoothly, your character’s scenes will wrap up within half a month.”
Jing Shun felt relieved. “Good.”
“One more thing.” Yu Xiuzhu glanced at Chi Gui at the head of the table, then turned his gaze back to the person across from him. “Xiao Jing, originally, I should have accompanied you for the entire shoot.”
Whether out of consideration for Jing Shun’s physical condition or as part of his duties as a manager.
“But my grandfather’s ninetieth birthday (by lunar calendar) is next month. I have to go back to Dijing for four or five days, so I might not be able to stay with you on set the whole time.”
Yu Xiuzhu explained the reason first, then proposed a solution. “What do you think about finding a temporary, reliable assistant?”
While filming on set, there would inevitably be minor tasks requiring someone to run errands: coordinating call times with the production team, changing costumes and makeup, picking up meals, and helping with bathroom visits…
Although these were small matters, they required assistance.
Jing Shun’s current situation was still different from other actors. He needed someone he could trust to help out.
Jing Shun didn’t object. He also felt it was necessary to find someone to lend a hand.
Chi Gui had caught Yu Xiuzhu’s signal earlier and was about to speak when Yu Zhen volunteered, stealing the spotlight. “How about I do it?”
Jing Shun was surprised. “You?”
Yu Zhen nodded eagerly. “It’s better to have me than some assistant you don’t know, right? I’ve been bored lately with nothing to do. The small stuff Brother Yu mentioned, I can handle it.”
Jing Shun hesitated. “You’re a guest. How can I ask you to do these things?”
Yu Zhen retorted, “What’s that got to do with anything? I’m a guest, but I’m also your friend, aren’t I?”
Jing Shun still felt he shouldn’t impose. “That may be, but…”
Yu Zhen cut him off. “No ‘buts.’ Just think of it as me being curious and wanting to tag along to see what a real movie set is like.”
He looked at Yu Xiuzhu and added, “Brother Yu is only gone for four or five days, right? I can fill in temporarily. It’ll be enough.”
Jing Shun heard the reason his friend had presented and smiled. “Alright then. I’ll trouble you for a few days?”
Seeing that Jing Shun had already agreed, Chi Gui could only add, “Let Yiming tag along too. If something really comes up that you can’t handle, he can step in.”
“Okay.”
Yu Zhen accepted on Jing Shun’s behalf. “Then it’s settled!”
He raised his water glass, toasting with water instead of wine. “Here’s to a smooth shoot for Jing Shun!”
Yu Xiuzhu, who had taken an immediate liking to this young man he’d just met, cooperatively raised his own glass. “To Xiao Jing’s smooth start on set!”
Jing Shun smiled. “We still have a few days before filming starts. What are you two doing?”
Before he could finish, Chi Gui unexpectedly chimed in, “A toast is in order.”
His eyes met Jing Shun’s in tacit understanding, exchanging a secret message in front of the other two. “For no other reason—today is a day worth celebrating.”
Jing Shun understood the hidden meaning. He thought of those five short steps he had just taken, a flicker of joy gathering in his heart.
He raised his glass, smiled, and echoed, “Mm. A toast is indeed in order.”
Yu Zhen felt like they were being fed dog food. He could only grumble to Yu Xiuzhu, who sat diagonally across from him, “I feel like they’re talking about something different from us.”
Yu Xiuzhu could see the thickening, ambiguous atmosphere between Jing Shun and Chi Gui and rarely teased back, “Those two have their secrets. Let’s not try to guess.”