Chapter 23: “Then Should I Come Find You?”

A few minutes later, Jiang Dong Min and Yu Man Qi were escorted away by the production assistant. They turned their heads back several times as they left.

Seeing this, Sheng Li sneered and walked over to Yu Chi. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she asked, “Yu Xiao Chi, what are you thinking about? Can you tell your girlfriend?”

“Do you have to call me Yu Xiao Chi?” Yu Chi frowned and looked down.

“What else should I call you?” Sheng Li suggested solemnly, “Dear? Baby? Or should I join your classmates and call you Brother Chi?”

Yu Chi smirked slightly. “Then call me Brother Chi.”

Sheng Li narrowed her eyes. “You’re five years younger than me, yet you dare let me call you Brother Chi? How shameless.”

Right after calling him shameless, the next second, she cheerfully called out, “Brother Chi.”

“…” Yu Chi hadn’t expected her to actually say it. He gave her a speechless look. Amidst the busy preparations for filming, he lowered his voice. “Didn’t you just call me shameless? Then why did you still say it?”

Sheng Li confidently replied, “Isn’t it to make you feel better?”

Yu Chi silently stared at her for a few seconds. Afraid of drawing attention, he turned his head and looked ahead, his voice very low. “I wasn’t thinking about much, just felt a bit disgusted by the way they looked at me—such blatant greed. After all these years, it hasn’t changed. It makes me feel like a cheap commodity.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “When they sold me off back then, it really was quite cheap. If Jiang Nan had offered 3 million, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so bad. 300,000 was too little. If I didn’t resemble my mom so much, I’d even doubt if she really gave birth to me.”

Sheng Li had initially thought to offer to buy him out, but she held her tongue. The contract Jiang Nan signed years ago was surely not simple; the penalty for breach of contract must be high, likely reaching several million. Now that they were officially dating, given Yu Chi’s personality and pride, he definitely wouldn’t accept her money.

How could she make him accept it?

Sheng Li turned to look at him and suddenly whispered, “Tonight, do you want to come find me?”

Yu Chi: “...”

Did she not think the topic shifted too quickly?

Sheng Li didn’t think so at all. Seeing that he didn’t respond, she changed her wording: “Then should I come find you?”

“Cough cough!”

Yuan Yuan loudly cleared her throat behind them, reminding them to mind the setting and not flirt openly everywhere! Just then, the assistant director came over and called Sheng Li away, rescuing Yuan Yuan from the constant vigilance of preventing their relationship from being exposed on set.

After Sheng Li left, Yuan Yuan looked at Yu Chi with a complex expression, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Yu Chi spoke indifferently. “Anything else?”

Yuan Yuan: “...No.”

She simply sighed again at the importance of having a handsome face.

—

Yu Chi only had two scenes tonight, one of which was merely as an extra. By the time his scenes were done, it wasn’t even ten o’clock. After Director Liu called “Pass,” he said, “Yu Chi, come here for a moment.”

Yu Chi walked over.

Director Liu lit a cigarette, took a drag, and then asked, “When is your agent coming? You started acting without discussing your salary. As a newcomer, you probably don’t know the industry standards. It’s best to have your agent come soon to finalize the contract.”

Yu Chi guessed that Jiang Dong Min must have already called Jiang Nan. He calmly responded, “Probably tomorrow.”

“You’re doing great, with a steady personality and undeniable looks. You’ll definitely become famous,” Director Liu said satisfactorily, patting his shoulder. “Go rest now.”

Yu Chi didn’t have an assistant, so during filming, his phone was temporarily kept by Yuan Yuan. She handed it to him. “Your phone rang a few times earlier. One was from Xu Yang, and the other was an unknown number.”

The unknown number was probably Jiang Nan, since Yu Chi had never saved his number and had even blocked him once. Taking the phone, he said, “Thanks.”

After changing clothes, Yu Chi came out, walked away from the crowd, and made a call to Xu Yang from a secluded pavilion.

This was their first phone call since their last falling out. Xu Yang picked up quickly, cheerfully saying, “Brother Chi, why haven’t you answered my calls for so long?”

Yu Chi got straight to the point. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I’m going to the film city with my agent tomorrow. Let’s meet up if you have time,” Xu Yang said, seemingly unaware. “They said we might get to meet directors and producers. If there’s a chance to land a role, it’s good to start acting early.”

Yu Chi frowned. “Don’t you want to be a singer? There are so many talent shows every year. You can sing and dance. Why not try participating?”

Xu Yang sighed. “He said it’s hard to become a singer, and there’s a lot of backstage manipulation. Without money or resources, it’s tough to make it far.”

Yu Chi inwardly sneered and asked, “Did he mention anything about me?”

“Mention what?” Xu Yang was puzzled.

Yu Chi sat down in the pavilion. From this higher vantage point, though dimly lit, he could see the nearby filming location where Sheng Li was shooting an intimate scene with Wei Cheng. He watched as they embraced, Wei Cheng leaning down to kiss her forehead. Unable to suppress his frown, Yu Chi pulled out a cigarette pack, lit one, and took a frustrated drag.

Yu Chi had never talked about his past in front of friends. Regarding the six-year contract with Starshine Entertainment, before Sheng Li persuaded him to audition, his plan had always been to let those six years pass idly. By the end of those six years, he would only be 24, likely pursuing graduate studies or starting a career. His life would have strayed far from the dream of acting. Perhaps, except for Yu Man Qi, Jiang Dong Min, and Jiang Nan, no one would remember that he had acted as a child or signed with an agency. No one would know that he had been sold off like a cheap commodity by his own mother.

After starting high school, it took Yu Chi about three years to excise that childhood dream from his body and consciousness, accepting another path in life. Although every time he heard Hu Yi Yang mention Sheng Li, or when the girls in class mentioned Lu Xingyu, he felt a sharp pang of confusion and suffocation, he still found a dark satisfaction in disappointing Yu Man Qi. If she thought his refusal to act was rebellion, then he would rebel entirely, defying her expectations.

If, after the college entrance exam, there hadn’t been that unexpected encounter with Sheng Li…

If Sheng Li hadn’t seduced him at every turn, precisely targeting his pain points, and easily seen through his heart, offering herself as a treasure, sweet-talking him into believing he was her discovered gem…

He wouldn’t have been consumed by jealousy and desire, auditioning and competing with Lu Xingyu for the role of Yang Ling Feng.

Yu Chi turned his back to the filming location, choosing not to see as a way to maintain peace of mind.

On the phone, Xu Yang pressed, “What are you talking about? Why aren’t you speaking? Is the signal bad on your end?”

Yu Chi leaned against the railing, exhaling a puff of smoke, the half-smoked cigarette dangling between his fingers resting on his crossed legs. His tone remained calm. “Xu Yang, I still have a six-year contract with Starshine Entertainment. My agent is Jiang Nan.”

The news shocked Xu Yang into silence for several seconds before he forced a laugh. “Brother Chi, what joke is this? Don’t you hate Jiang Nan? Didn’t you beat him up and tell him to leave in your second year of high school? When I told you I signed with him, you called me an idiot.” He grew increasingly perplexed. “Are you joking with me? It’s not April Fool’s Day!”

“I didn’t sign the contract,” Yu Chi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he chuckled self-deprecatingly. “My mom signed it four years ago.”

Xu Yang uttered an astonished “Ah” and fell silent. After a while, as if recalling something, he hastily asked, “Was the kid in the movie Flower Assassin who looked so much like you… was that you?”

This was no secret in class. A female classmate first noticed it, and later Zhao Shutong excitedly brought a photo to Yu Chi. “Yu Chi, look! This kid looks exactly like you.”

In school, a handsome, cool, and academically excellent boy like Yu Chi was undoubtedly the most popular among girls, both overtly and covertly pursued by many. Though Yu Chi usually treated female classmates coldly, he never publicly embarrassed them. However, that day, his face instantly turned icy. “Which eye sees him looking like me? You need glasses.”

Had it been said jokingly, it wouldn’t have mattered, but it was clear that Yu Chi’s expression was cold and disdainful, showing no trace of humor.

Zhao Shutong’s smile froze, her disappointment and wrongly nearly bringing her to tears.

Xu Yang hurriedly intervened. “He’s joking! Don’t let him scare you. If you cry, you lose…” Glancing at Zhao Shutong’s phone screen, he was startled. Turning back to Yu Chi, he exclaimed, “Wow, he really does look like you.”

Zhao Shutong put down her phone, looking at Yu Chi with an awkward smile. “Actually, he doesn’t look that much like you. Don’t be mad.”

That afternoon, Xu Yang impulsively sent Zhao Shutong a box of chocolates in Yu Chi’s name as an apology.

Yu Chi stubbed out his cigarette and said, “It’s me.”

Though not explicitly stated, Xu Yang was sharp enough to piece together the implications. “Wait, let me sort this out. When your mom signed the contract four years ago, you didn’t agree, right? Did Jiang Nan do something bad, which is why you dislike him so much? That’s why when I told you I signed with him, you called me an idiot?”

Yu Chi succinctly confirmed, “More or less.”

Xu Yang fell silent for a few seconds, muttering, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? If you had told me sooner, I might not have impulsively signed with him.”

There was no accusation in his tone, but Yu Chi paused briefly before replying, “Sorry.”

“Forget it, don’t apologize. Now I understand why your relationship with your family is so strained.” Xu Yang sighed deeply. “Let’s talk tomorrow when we meet.”

After hanging up, Yu Chi leaned against the railing and lit another cigarette.

He stayed in the pavilion for a long time until his phone rang several times in succession.

Sheng Li: [Baby, where did you go? Did you sneak home?]

Sheng Li: [I didn’t give you permission to leave. How could you go?]

Sheng Li: [Come back quickly.]

Yu Chi looked down at the screen, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. He stood up and headed back, replying: [Haven’t left. I’ll be there in five minutes.]

In the lounge, Sheng Li had already changed into a black off-the-shoulder dress, revealing her straight, fair collarbone. Her long, soft black hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders. Exhausted, she was lazily dozing off in a chair.

Yuan Yuan stood at the door and loudly called out upon seeing Yu Chi, “Yu Chi, you left something in the lounge earlier.”

Sheng Li forced herself awake and walked to the door. Yuan Yuan exaggeratedly gasped, “I forgot the kettle at the umbrella stand. I’ll go get it. Wait for me, Li Li.”

To avoid suspicion, Yuan Yuan was truly going all out.

Sheng Li glanced at Yu Chi and told Yuan Yuan, “Go ahead.”

It was already past eleven at night. Most actors had left after finishing their scenes, leaving only the crew to clean up. The site was some distance away from the lounge. Yu Chi subtly glanced at Sheng Li and entered the lounge.

The lounge was small. Standing behind the half-closed door, Yu Chi was 20 centimeters taller than Sheng Li, casting a shadow over her.

Sheng Li stepped forward, hugging his waist. She smelled the faint scent of cigarettes on him and looked up. “Where did you go just now?”

Yu Chi looked down at her, noticing her makeup was still on. He frowned slightly and whispered, “I went to the pavilion where you filmed this afternoon to make a call.”

Sheng Li lazily acknowledged with an “Oh.” She had returned late last night after their escapade and hadn’t slept much, making her extremely drowsy. She opened her mouth to yawn but quickly buried her face in his chest. When she looked up again, her eyes were moist, her lashes wet, as if she had just cried.

She smiled faintly. “So sleepy. I don’t have the energy to sneak around tonight.”

Yu Chi stared at her for a few seconds, then forcefully wiped her forehead with his hand, his tone indifferent. “After Sister returns to the hotel, remember to wash your face.”