Fortunately, it’s just a ligament sprain, no injury to the bones. All that’s needed is physical therapy, applying medication, and taking some anti-inflammatory and swelling-reducing medicine. Of course, to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment and to ensure a speedy recovery for the ankle, the doctor couldn’t help but remind them to avoid spicy food before leaving.
It wasn’t until the bed sheets and quilt were replaced with new ones and everyone had left Lu Chenghe’s room that Zuo Ning hugged the quilt and timidly said in a small voice, “I’m sorry. I won’t jump around recklessly anymore. Please don’t scold me.”
Lu Chenghe was practically laughing in frustration, “Scold you? What’s the point of scolding you? When have you ever listened?”
Zuo Ning pouted. When had he not listened? Could anyone find him repeating mistakes he had already made? Wait, but he hadn’t really made any mistakes! Why, then, did it always feel like Lu Chenghe had scolded him countless times? It was almost becoming a psychological shadow!
Seeing that Lu Chenghe didn’t seem inclined to lecture him over today’s incident, Zuo Ning hesitantly added, “Then, can we not impose a food ban? I’ll eat less.”
Lu Chenghe glared at him, suddenly understanding that itch one feels to deal with a mischievous child.
Not hearing a direct refusal from Lu Chenghe, Zuo Ning took it as agreement, instantly regaining full energy. Thinking about how the butler had seemed to glance at him several times earlier, he couldn’t help but laugh and say, “The butler must be very curious about how I came here. Lu Chenghe, do you think this might make people suspicious? I always appear suddenly, and whenever I’m here, Little Pudding is gone. Over time, people might start connecting the dots. I think the butler might already be suspicious.”
“If you don’t want people to suspect, stop causing these sudden incidents.”
After some thought, Zuo Ning suggested, “How about you make Little Pudding disappear? One day, you can take me out and then claim he’s lost. From then on, I’ll only appear in human form, and no one would suspect a thing.”
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately rejected the idea, “No, no, that wouldn’t work. If I follow you home every day, it would seem even stranger.”
Seeing him chatter endlessly, Lu Chenghe cast a cold glance at him, “Your foot doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”
Zuo Ning immediately shrank into the blanket, “It hurts…”
It was unclear whether the medicine Lu Chenghe used was some kind of exclusive high-class remedy, but the foot that had been burning with pain felt cool and comfortable after the ointment was applied. After a night’s sleep, as long as Zuo Ning didn’t run or jump forcefully, he could already walk slowly without any problem. Zuo Ning had thought he’d need at least two days of rest at home before he could go out again. He was even worried about falling behind in his lessons, which he had only recently caught up with.
Fortunately, today’s lessons were mostly demonstration classes, focused on analysis and explanation. However, Zuo Ning was attending acting lessons, not like the trainees who had to excel in acting, dancing, and singing altogether.
He had joined a group that Feixing was actively grooming, a team combination following the success of earlier female and male groups that became wildly popular. Feixing had tasted success with this model, so they continued with it. They signed a bunch of promising newcomers, grouped them, and trained them. Whoever demonstrated outstanding ability and emerged from the crowd was given opportunities and pushed into the spotlight.
If someone on stage encountered any issues, there would immediately be someone ready to replace them. Therefore, to maintain one’s position, one had to consistently appear in front of audiences and cultivate a loyal fan base.
Whenever Zuo Ning saw those trainees, seemingly harmonious on the surface but secretly competing and forming cliques behind the scenes, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for Lu Chenghe. Perhaps his previous social circle had been too simple, but the mind games of these youngsters now seemed incomprehensible and astonishingly deep.
No exaggeration. It seemed that even a bottle of mineral water could spark a convoluted and bitter rivalry.
It wasn’t clear whether the trainees’ managers had told them something or if their own gossip networks were particularly sharp, but Zuo Ning’s appearance didn’t provoke any ostracism, suppression, or bullying of the newcomer. This completely crushed Zuo Ning’s imagined scenarios where he’d be underestimated, mistreated, and eventually have Lu Chenghe retaliate on his behalf to dramatically humiliate them. None of his fantasy scenes came true!
Among the trainees, there was a 16-year-old boy named Bai Jia. He was an incredibly cute boy, with two sweet dimples that appeared whenever he smiled. His eyes always seemed to glisten as if filled with water, making him particularly appealing to “mom fans” and “sister fans”. He was also one of the more promising members of the group.
When Zuo Ning attended his first class, Bai Jia was the first to talk to him. He patiently and kindly explained the rules, where to collect certain items, and how to navigate the company’s cafeteria. He even waited for Zuo Ning and brought him to the cafeteria to avoid the awkwardness of eating alone.
People are strange. Sometimes, those who make a great first impression might not end up as friends later on, while those who initially seem unapproachable can unexpectedly become close.
Initially, Zuo Ning thought it would be nice to have a friend with whom he could get along. However, as they interacted more, despite Bai Jia’s subtle demeanor, Zuo Ning, being observant, noticed certain things. Bai Jia was young and not very skilled at concealing his intentions, so Zuo Ning picked up on clues that Bai Jia’s friendliness was merely a calculated move to use him as a stepping stone. It seemed Bai Jia had heard rumors about Zuo Ning’s supposed background and was trying to curry favor with him.
After Bai Jia hinted more than once that he wanted Zuo Ning to take him out or introduce him to new friends, Zuo Ning grew reluctant to spend time with him. Especially after the first few days together, it felt as if Bai Jia had labeled him as a “close friend”. Even when Zuo Ning didn’t want to associate with him, he had to suppress his discomfort and maintain the appearance of friendliness.
On the other hand, there was another boy named Lan Shao. At first, Zuo Ning didn’t quite like him. Lan Shao seemed aloof and somewhat disdainful, always wearing a black cap and sitting at the back of the room. He had a small group of friends, but it was obvious that his group was far less active and lively than Bai Jia’s, almost like they were a backup for Bai Jia’s clique.
Zuo Ning had never spoken to Lan Shao before, but his impression of him started to change one evening when Lu Chenghe arrived late to pick him up. While Zuo Ning was waiting by the flowerbed outside the company, a few stray dogs ran over. Zuo Ning played with the dogs for a while, and then he saw them trot over to Lan Shao, who had just walked out. However, Lan Shao didn’t stop to interact with them and simply walked away.
At the time, Zuo Ning thought Lan Shao probably didn’t like dogs. But he was surprised when he overheard the stray dogs mention that the person who just left often fed them. They said they had eaten some delicious sausages from him earlier that morning.
And so, Zuo Ning began to slowly change his opinion of Lan Shao, though to this day they hadn’t exchanged a single word. At least Lan Shao was better than Bai Jia, who was always finding excuses to stick to him. There were several times when Bai Jia, seeing him waiting there, pretended to kindly say he’d keep him company. Who knew what his true motives were?
Zuo Ning could turn a blind eye to other schemes—it wasn’t easy for anyone in this industry—but daring to have designs on Lu Chenghe was absolutely unforgivable!
Zuo Ning would recount nearly every detail of what happened daily at Feixing to Lu Chenghe, but it was purely idle talk and venting while playing games in the evening. Each time, Lu Chenghe would sit on the bed reading a book, occasionally replying with a nonchalant “hmm” to show he was listening, but he never commented on Zuo Ning’s complaints.
After talking until his mouth was dry, Zuo Ning finished a round of the game, ran off to gulp down a large glass of water, then jumped straight back onto the bed, seeing Lu Chenghe comfortably lying there, treating him like air. He pounced and said, “What’s so interesting about books? You read them every day. Let me teach you to play games instead.”
Lu Chenghe glanced at the television screen displaying yet another loss in the five-on-five game, then cast him a cool look. “Teach me how to lose?”
Zuo Ning slapped the edge of the bed. “I’ve won games, too, you know!”
Lu Chenghe continued reading without looking up. “You should thank your luck for being matched with excellent teammates.”
Zuo Ning climbed onto the bed, leaned against Lu Chenghe’s other side, and nudged his shoulder. “Lu Chenghe.”
Having heard his name called countless times a day by this little troublemaker, Lu Chenghe had become adept at tuning it out. Initially, he thought this was just another bored call of his name, but to his surprise, Zuo Ning continued, “You know, sometimes I think Bai Jia is pretty pitiful. All that scheming and effort, just to debut and become a star. Then, when I think about myself, I feel so blessed because I have you. Lu Chenghe, you said you’d always stay with me. You can go back on any other promise, but this one must be kept. You can’t break this one.”
Lu Chenghe set down his book and turned to look at the little troublemaker leaning against his shoulder. After a brief emotional moment, the little troublemaker had darted to the edge of the bed, grabbed the game controller, and started another round. However, Lu Chenghe found he could no longer focus on the words in his book.
When he originally made that promise, he had thought the little troublemaker was a unique, one-of-a-kind spirit in this world. Not knowing how long a spirit’s lifespan might be, he had said he would accompany him to the end of his days to the best of his ability. But now that the little troublemaker had become human, if he could maintain this stable state and even meet someone who could accept him as he was, perhaps by then the little troublemaker wouldn’t need his company anymore.
As for his own future, Lu Chenghe had never really made any plans. Some people are truly once-in-a-lifetime encounters. When the person beside him isn’t the one he truly wants, the rest feels like settling. But he wasn’t willing to settle, not merely for the sake of compromising with life. Yet now, in the instant when the little troublemaker said those words, Lu Chenghe suddenly felt like the person he had been imagining no longer needed to come into his life. That way, he could fulfill his promise.
Watching the little troublemaker fail yet again and get killed in the game because of clumsy hands, Lu Chenghe shook his head with a helpless smile. The future is unpredictable. He could only do his best.
