Chapter 67 - 1#
It was not until five in the morning that the two fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Jing Shun’s body temperature hadn’t fluctuated, and he slept soundly all the way until one in the afternoon, when his empty stomach woke him with hunger.
The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with Chi Gui sitting by the bed, handling some work.
“Mm.”
As soon as that unconscious sleepy sound escaped him, Chi Gui immediately looked over. “Baby, you’re awake?”
He set down his tablet and leaned in to stroke his lover’s cheek. “Still sleepy? Hungry?”
“Not sleepy anymore.” Jing Shun sat up and glanced at the overcast sky outside the window. “What time is it?”
“A quarter past one.”
Chi Gui gave the exact time. “You were sleeping deeply. I was planning to force you awake to eat if you weren’t up by two.”
Jing Shun felt the gnawing ache in his stomach from hunger. “I’m really hungry. Let me wash up, and then we can go eat together?”
From yesterday morning until now, he’d only eaten a few crackers in the car. Now that everything had settled, both his emotions and body had relaxed, and his stomach was immediately protesting.
“Alright.”
Chi Gui suggested, “How about the restaurant on the third floor of the hotel? I’ll call ahead to arrange it, and we’ll head down to eat directly.”
Jing Shun nodded and threw off the covers.
Chi Gui asked worriedly, “Still need the crutch?”
“No need. I’ll take this chance to slowly wean myself off relying on it.”
Jing Shun skillfully took Chi Gui’s arm and stood up with his lover’s support. “Sooner or later, I have to depend on myself.”
After the sudden amount of walking yesterday, his legs were now sore and trembling, but he could still bear it.
Jing Shun tried letting go and cautiously took a step. Fortunately, he could maintain his balance.
He smiled and couldn’t help showing off to his lover. “See? I’m already a normal person who can walk freely now.”
Everything was heading in the right direction—both his body and his mental state.
Chi Gui finally relaxed and didn’t hold back his praise. “Great. Go wash up. I’ve already prepared all your toiletries separately.”
“Mm.”
Ten minutes later, the two entered the hotel’s third-floor restaurant together. It was past the meal rush, so there weren’t many guests inside.
Jing Shun and Chi Gui found a relatively quiet corner. “Have some soup first to warm your stomach.”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun took a few slow sips, then caught sight of a familiar figure at the entrance—
Chen Yiming had arrived after receiving his boss’s message.
Chi Gui met his eyes and gestured. “Have a seat. Have you eaten?”
“Sir, I’ve already eaten.”
Chen Yiming got straight to business. “Sir, as you instructed, I’ve arranged for Gao Ruxia to be admitted to the First People’s Hospital of Chuan City. A full set of tests has been done, and the surgery isn’t too complicated.”
However, due to long-term malnutrition and severe anemia, Gao Ruxia would need a good period of recovery before the craniotomy could be performed. As for the treatment and follow-up expenses, Chi Gui would cover them entirely under his personal name.
Jing Shun let out a sigh of relief. “It’s good that he can be treated. How bad is the disaster situation in their village?”
Chen Yiming replied, “It’s severe. And it’s not just Gao’s village—several small mountain communities in the Yi County area have been hit by natural disasters.”
According to the official report this morning, the number of casualties had already exceeded thirty, and some people were still missing, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
In the face of natural disasters, human life and death seemed so insignificant.
Jing Shun frowned deeply, suddenly losing his appetite.
Chen Yiming, recalling the “loss of contact” from yesterday, also felt a lingering sense of dread. “Sir, thank goodness nothing happened to you.”
Otherwise, if news had gotten back to Haishi, the Chi Group would have been in turmoil again!
“Chen, do you have any official donation channels for disaster relief?” Jing Shun considered. “I want to help Yi County in some way—anonymously, if possible.”
Given his current physical condition, volunteering as a disaster relief worker was still a stretch, so donating money was the only way he could contribute a little.
Mindful of his identity as an actor, Jing Shun only wanted to keep a low profile, to avoid being suspected by troublemakers of just putting on a show.
Chi Gui shared the same thought. “Yiming, call the headquarters’ administrative office. Tell them I’ve approved it—have the Chi Group allocate ten million yuan as disaster relief funds. Then find someone to liaise with Yi County’s rescue task force.”
As a well-known Chinese enterprise, the Chi Group should contribute in times like these.
Chi Gui paused, then looked at his lover. “Shunshun, contact the person in charge of this charitable initiative and have your personal donation combined into the corporate donation. That way, you won’t draw too much attention, but you’ll still have public proof on record.”
In the future, if any smear campaigns emerged, there would be documented evidence to back them up.
Jing Shun thought it over and found it reasonable. “Alright.”
…
The two stayed an extra day in Chuan City and didn’t return to Haishi until the next day.
As soon as they got off the plane, Jing Shun received an unexpected WeChat message from Xie Congjin:
“Free to talk?”
Since their parting on the Macau cruise, the two hadn’t met or chatted on WeChat.
But from the few posts Xie Congjin had shared on his Moments, Jing Shun learned that over the past half-year, Xie Congjin seemed to have gone abroad to film a China-US co-produced action movie—a great opportunity—and had just wrapped up earlier this month.
The WeChat message had been sent about ten minutes ago.
Jing Shun typed back: Just got off the plane. Free. What’s up?
Less than half a minute after he sent it, Xie Congjin’s voice call came through directly.
“…”
Jing Shun paused for two seconds, halting his steps.
Chi Gui asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jing Shun deliberately showed his lover the incoming call screen and then answered. “Hello, Mr. Xie?”
Xie Congjin seemed to dislike such formal address. “Just call me by my name. Or if you’re not used to it, call me Xie Er.”
“Xie Er.”
Jing Shun switched without hesitation. “Why the sudden contact? What’s up?”
Xie Congjin asked first, “Are you in Haishi? How are your legs recovering?”
Accepting the concern, Jing Shun replied, “Not bad. I can walk slowly now. Another two or three months of recovery, and I should be just about there. Why?”
He paused for a beat, then probed, “Are you trying to recommend a job for me, Er Shao?”
Xie Congjin didn’t beat around the bush. “Yeah. Like I said last time—if a suitable movie opportunity comes up, I’ll pass it your way.”
“…”
Really?
Jing Shun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What movie?”
Xie Congjin, as if expecting him to ask, suddenly dropped his straightforward tone. “Well… it’s complicated to explain over the phone. How about this—find your agent, and we can meet up in the next couple of days to discuss it in detail.”
“…”
How could someone slip up so quickly after just three sentences?
Jing Shun suddenly saw through Xie Congjin’s game and couldn’t help but laugh as he called him out. “You just wanted to see Brother Yu directly, didn’t you? Why go through all this trouble?”
Now it was Xie Congjin’s turn to fall silent on the other end.
Jing Shun still didn’t know the full history between Yu Xiuzhu and Xie Congjin, and he didn’t want to casually become their go-between—he might hurt Yu Xiuzhu without even realizing it.
“Xie Er, if you really have a good movie opportunity for me, you can have someone contact Bamboo Grove Entertainment’s official email. If Brother Yu doesn’t want to see you, there’s not much I can do to help.”
“Jing Shun.”
Xie Congjin revealed before Jing Shun could hang up, “It’s Director Mo Fengsheng’s new film.”
Jing Shun hadn’t hidden the voice call from Chi Gui.
Hearing the director’s name, Chi Gui’s expression shifted slightly. Having studied film directing for two years, he knew the major names in the industry—
In the Chinese film circle over the past decade or so, there was a ranking known as the “Four Greats and Five Smalls” among directors.
Among the nine most nationally recognized directors, Mo Fengsheng had once been hailed as “China’s Top Director.” He had won numerous domestic awards and had a strong international reputation.
In recent years, as the themes of Chinese films grew more restricted, many directors had gradually shifted their focus.
Mo Fengsheng had adapted to the times and moved toward commercial films, but his two most recent films had still received exceptionally high praise.
It could be said that no actor would ever turn down a chance to work with Mo Fengsheng.
Jing Shun exchanged a shocked glance with Chi Gui. “Are you serious? Does Director Mo really have a new film coming?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
Xie Congjin had no reason to deceive him, but he also seemed a bit resigned. “Yes, I’m taking a roundabout way to see Yu Xiuzhu. Just tell him the truth. Whether you want to meet me or not, the decision is yours.”
Yu Xiuzhu was Jing Shun’s agent—there was no way he wouldn’t want Jing Shun to land a great film role.
Knowing this, Xie Congjin set a deadline. “I’m only staying in Haishi for three days. Within three days, I’ll wait for your answer.”
With that, he hung up first, turning the tables on Jing Shun.
“…”
Jing Shun clenched his phone and looked at Chi Gui. “What do you think?”
Chi Gui analyzed, “From what little I know of Xie Er, he genuinely wants to pass the opportunity to you, but he also genuinely wants to see Yu Xiuzhu.”
Jing Shun was tempted by the mention of “Director Mo’s new film.” “It’s still early. How about… I go talk to Brother Yu?”
Chi Gui supported whatever he decided. “Alright.”
…
Bamboo Grove Entertainment.
Yu Xiuzhu had just finished another monthly meeting when he saw Jing Shun waiting at the door of his office.
Their eyes met, and Jing Shun walked over first. Though his steps were still small, Yu Xiuzhu couldn’t hide his delighted surprise.
“Brother Yu.”
Jing Shun spread his arms toward Yu Xiuzhu, like a child showing off to an older brother. “Look, I can walk steadily without a crutch now.”
“Great news!”
Yu Xiuzhu gave him a warm hug. “Have you been waiting long? Come on, let’s talk in my office.”
“No, I just got here. The receptionist said you were in a meeting, so I didn’t interrupt.”
Jing Shun followed him into the office and deliberately added, “But I came straight to the company after landing.”
“I heard about the disaster in Yi County too. Good thing you reported your safety to me early this morning.”