Chapter 65 - 1#
-Ten years ago-
In Hengcheng, the August heat was at its peak.
When Song Yu finished his last errand run for Camera Group B, it was already two in the afternoon.
“What’s up? Hey, there’s only this box left. No picking and choosing.”
“Okay, thanks Brother Yang.”
Song Yu shamelessly asked the crew coordinator for a boxed lunch and found a shady corner to quietly settle down.
He had finished work too late, so the food was already cold by then. The remaining box was unwanted, filled with nothing but vegetables like bean sprouts and seaweed.
Song Yu didn’t mind. He ate the cold rice with the cold dishes.
The cheap phone in his pocket vibrated. Song Yu casually pulled it out.
Seeing the short number on the screen, he swallowed his mouthful of food and answered, “Hello, Grandma.”
“Xiao Yu, you’re not busy, are you?”
“No.”
Song Yu put down the boxed lunch and leaned against the wall. “Grandma, I’m taking my lunch break. The crew treats me pretty well.”
Song Yu’s grandmother couldn’t detect anything strange in her grandson’s tone. She asked with a smile, “Last time you said you’d be done with work today and coming home, right? What time is your bus?”
“The bus leaves at six. I’ll probably get home around eight-thirty.”
Hengcheng wasn’t too far from Hangzhou. After taking the bus to the terminal, he could transfer to a rural bus to get home.
Song Yu had already planned his route home and instead reminded her, “Grandma, if you and Grandpa get sleepy, just go to bed early. Don’t wait up for me. I can manage on my own.”
“How can we do that?”
Grandma remembered that today was a special day. “August 24th, your birthday! Your Grandpa prepared eggs for you first thing this morning and even bought some meat. He’s waiting for you to come home tonight so we can make noodles!”
Life at the Song household had always been tight. Song Yu had grown up poor and never cared much for so-called birthdays.
He chuckled, “That’s quite a celebration.”
Grandma continued, “You’re turning eighteen, and you’re starting university in September. We have to make this one count.”
“Alright.” Song Yu agreed. “I’ll pick up my pay later and come straight home.”
“Good. Rest now then. I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll see you tonight.”
The call ended.
Song Yu slipped the phone back into his pocket, picked up the half-eaten box of cold rice, and continued filling his empty stomach without wasting a single bite.
He had been admitted to the Directing and Screenwriting program at the Shanghai Film Academy, with an internal recommendation that waived his tuition. He was supposed to report there in mid-September.
Although the Song family’s living conditions had improved somewhat over the past two years, they were still far worse off than an average comfortable household.
To lessen the burden on his family, and to gain early practical experience in his field—
Last month, after finishing his part-time job at a restaurant, Song Yu had gone out of his way to come to Hengcheng. Through his own efforts, he joined a costume drama crew.
He worked as a runner and general helper for the camera team. A full month’s work would net him 1,800 yuan.
Though the pay was less than what he got at the restaurant, at least every day he got to watch the crew film and operate. For a prospective directing student like Song Yu, it was a chance to absorb experience beyond textbooks.
From the day he joined the crew on the 22nd of last month until now, it had been exactly one month.
Song Yu swallowed the last bite of cold rice, threw away the trash, washed his face in the bathroom, and set out to find the head of the camera team to collect his pay.
The crew was set up in a remote scenic area of Hengcheng. Group B was only responsible for filming side storylines, so there weren’t many people on set.
Usually during lunch break, you couldn’t spot anyone around. But today, when he passed the filming area, unexpected liveliness sounded from inside.
“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~”
The cheerful birthday song came through, and Song Yu unconsciously slowed down.
Thanks to his relatively tall height, he spotted the birthday boy at the center of the crowd—a young, delicate-looking kid with a pretty face.
The birthday song reached its end.
The birthday boy blew out the candles and gave a lively bow to everyone. “Thank you all~ Thank you, big brothers and sisters!”
“…”
Song Yu caught the bright smile on the kid’s face and couldn’t help being infected by it.
Something about his face seemed familiar, so he asked a crew member he recognized from the outskirts. “Sister Yu, whose birthday is it?”
“You don’t know him? That’s little Jing Shun.”
“…”
Jing Shun?
A flicker passed through Song Yu’s eyes, as if something in his memory was triggered.
He heard Sister Yu continue, “He’s a child star. Don’t let his age—only twelve or thirteen—fool you; he’s already played lots of roles. He just wrapped up with Group A today, and now he’s joining Group B to play the male lead as a child, as a little beggar.”
Song Yu knew a bit about the script’s roles—
The male lead and the villain were originally twin brothers born to the same mother. But at birth, they were harmed by villains, and their fates turned upside down.
The elder brother became the adopted son of a prince, while the younger brother ended up a beggar on the streets.
Since it was a twin setup, the same actor had to play both when they were young. It seemed Jing Shun’s role was quite heavy?
Sister Yu next to him asked, “Where are you off to? Want to stay and have a piece of the little teacher’s cake?”
Song Yu looked at the delicately decorated cake on the table, then at Jing Shun holding a bouquet and taking photos with the people around him. His thoughts drifted.
There really are thousands of ways to live in this world.
Even two people with the same birthday: Jing Shun could be surrounded by love, flowers, and cheers, while he himself had never even owned a whole birthday cake in his life.
But Song Yu didn’t envy, didn’t resent, and never thought of complaining about fate’s injustice.
To him, even if the starting chips in life were different, he could still change the course of his fate through his own hard work.
“No need. I’m going to find Brother Bao.”
Song Yu let his gaze linger on Jing Shun for two more seconds before quickening his pace to attend to his own business.
…
Inside the private rest room filled with cold air, Bao Tianxiang, the head of the camera team, was leisurely sipping coffee.
He looked at the silent Song Yu who refused to leave, pretending to be clueless. “What’s wrong? Sign the receipt, take the money, and you’re free to go.”
“Brother Bao, this pay isn’t right, is it?”
Song Yu clutched the thin stack of 1,000 yuan in cash, trying to fight for what he was owed. “When I joined the crew, it was agreed I’d get 1,800 for a full month’s work.”
That missing 800 yuan—
To others, it might be nothing.
But to Song Yu, it could cover an entire month’s living expenses!
“Xiao Song, I remember the agreed amount was 1,000, wasn’t it? I don’t recall it being 1,800.” Bao Tianxiang showed obvious exploitation and turned the tables to lecture him. “You’re young. Lying through your teeth isn’t good.”
Song Yu tightened his grip on the money. “I have chat records from before I joined.”
Bao Tianxiang slammed his iced coffee heavily onto the table and straightened up. “Is that so? I recall you said you joined to learn, and at that time you weren’t even eighteen yet, right?”
“I took you in as an exception. Group B’s filming isn’t finished—there’s still a whole week until the end of the month! And now you’re leaving? I’ll have to find a replacement on short notice. What a hassle.”
“Even so, I still asked finance to get you some pay. Now you’re acting like I’m cheating you?”
“Here’s the thing: take this money or leave it! Once you walk out that door, besides me, see who else would bother with you!”
“…”
Song Yu was silent, his chest heaving.
What was this? It was clearly bullying him for being young and having no connections on the crew!
Bao Tianxiang stood up, a veteran slicker’s posture. “What? Think that just because you’re tall, you can stand here and refuse to leave?”
“Song Yu, if you keep dawdling, I’ll call security! Then you won’t get even that money in your hand!”
“…”
Society was always too real. Song Yu had learned this lesson early. Suppressing his full unwillingness and resentment, he left that rest room where even the cold air could freeze a person.
Only after watching Song Yu close the door and leave did Bao Tianxiang open the drawer.
He took out another stack of 1,000 yuan in cash and smiled smugly. “Think you can go up against me?”
Indeed, easy to deal with just-out-of-school poor kids.
When recruiting, he promised 1,800 base pay, but reported 2,000 to finance. At settlement, he gave half and pocketed the other half!
That extra grease easily slipped right into his own pocket.
…
It was still early before the bus departure.
Song Yu didn’t rush to leave the set. Instead, he grabbed his already packed backpack and went to the outermost corridor. He sat down on the bench railing by the railings.
Mental fatigue far outweighed physical exhaustion.
Song Yu took out his baseball cap, pulled the brim down low to cover his reddened eyes, and forced himself to close them. But every time he thought about the 800 yuan he’d been cheated out of, his mood couldn’t lighten.
“Hmph~ hmph~”
Suddenly, there was a strange commotion near his feet, as if something was sniffing at the leg of his pants.
Song Yu opened his eyes and saw a white mutt standing by his leg. He had no idea where it had come from; it was bent over, sniffing intently.
“…”
The childhood shadow of being bitten by a stray dog instantly surfaced.
Song Yu nearly jumped to his feet, stepping back two paces abruptly. “Go away!”
The white dog seemed startled by his reaction and backed up a step. “Woo~ Woo~”
The next second, footsteps came running from the corridor, along with a clean, refreshing voice.
“Milk Ball! Come here! Don’t scare people!”
Jing Shun ran up and immediately clipped the leash onto his dog. “Sorry about that, I let go of my dog for a moment.”
Jing Shun turned to apologize, but couldn’t clearly see the face of the person in front of him—
Song Yu’s face was half-shadowed by the brim of his hat, but the tight corners of his mouth revealed his current unpleasant mood.
“…”
Jing Shun’s guilt intensified. He remained squatting beside his dog, rubbing its head to soothe it while explaining to the person.
“Our Milk Ball is very good, never bites. It only wanted to play. Don’t be scared.”
With that, Jing Shun stood up and bowed deeply to Song Yu. “I’m really sorry. I’ll apologize on behalf of my dog.”
Jing Shun held the leash firmly with one hand and pressed the dog’s head down with the other, urging softly, “Ball, hurry up and apologize too!”
Milk Ball understood its owner’s request.
It could only lower its “pressed-down” head and let out a pitiful whimper. “Woo~ woo~”
“…”
How could a kid press his dog’s head down and bow together to apologize?
Song Yu watched this childish scene and felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.
He composed himself. “It’s nothing. I overreacted. It’s not you or your dog’s fault. No need to apologize.”
Jing Shun straightened up and dutifully replied, “Thank you.”
He had just turned thirteen, but he hadn’t fully grown yet.
Looking up at Song Yu, who was much taller than him, Jing Shun felt a vague admiration and blurted out, “Big brother, you’re so tall.”
“…”
Song Yu was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.