LMMY chapter 50

Li Xuan didn’t return home that night as planned. By the time he left the office, it was almost dawn.

As he went downstairs, Li Xuan planned to stop by a nearby cake shop to buy a rose condensed milk cake for Sheng Min for breakfast before driving back home, hoping to sleep for two hours.  

He glanced at his watch—less than four hours until the new day’s filming began. While walking, he mentally listed tasks for the day: confirming special effects designs with Chu Tianheng and calling Zhu Zhou to have money delivered to Qingshui Lane.

Street cleaners had begun sweeping the roads, the rhythmic swish of brooms breaking the brief silence that had enveloped the software park overnight. Soon, the area would return to its usual bustling state.  

Li Xuan pulled out a mask and put it on, quickening his pace toward the parking lot. Just as he stepped out of the software park gate, he spotted Sheng Min.  

The sun was beginning to rise, and the boundary between night and day blurred. The moon still hung in the sky, reluctant to disappear. The air was damp and cool, carrying a faint chill. Sheng Min was wearing a light T-shirt with a cream-colored shirt over it, sitting on a bench at the edge of the open parking lot. White locust blossoms from the nearby trees rested on his hair and shoulders. In his hand was a piece of bread, which he was breaking into crumbs to feed the birds.  

Sensing something, Sheng Min turned his head to find Li Xuan watching him from across the street. He smiled, scattering the remaining crumbs on the ground, and walked over.  

Birds took flight behind Sheng Min. For a fleeting moment, Li Xuan thought Sheng Min himself resembled a white bird, now flying to his side.

“Why are you here?” Li Xuan asked.

“You didn’t come home,” Sheng Min said, stopping a step away from him.  

“Why come up in the office?”  

“I was afraid you were busy.”  

Li Xuan coughed lightly. “There was a lot to handle.”  

“Is it all taken care of?” Sheng Min asked.  

“Yes.”  

“That’s good.” Sheng Min looked up at him, wrinkling his nose slightly. “You look exhausted. Did you smoke? Cut back on it, okay?”  

A sleepless night left his face haggard, but Sheng Min didn’t look much better, faint shadows underlining his eyes.  

“Alright,” Li Xuan replied evasively, changing the subject. “How long have you been waiting?”  

“Not long, just got here.”  

But his hem was damp with dew, betraying that he’d been there for a while. Li Xuan didn’t call him out. “Are you hungry? Let’s get breakfast.”  

“I saw a place serving fresh fish porridge on my way here,” Sheng Min suggested after some thought.  

“There’s a branch of your favorite cake shop right next to it,” Li Xuan remarked.  

Sheng Min blinked, evidently not having noticed.

“Let’s go,” Li Xuan said with a smile, brushing a fallen flower off Sheng Min’s shoulder. “We’ll get porridge first, then cake.”  

…

The day’s filming started much like the last, sparing Li Xuan the need for lengthy introductions. Trainees who earned an A covered their mouths in delighted surprise, while those with lower grades promised tearfully to improve by the next evaluation.  

Li Xuan watched indifferently, his thoughts drifting back to Sheng Min.  

Two years ago, Sheng Min had received a C in his first evaluation. Apart from his good looks, he had little to show for himself. But he didn’t cry—too calm, standing out like an anomaly among the emotional crowd. He simply nodded, thanked the judges, and left the stage quietly.  

Li Xuan realized he’d never seen Sheng Min cry.  

The day’s filming went smoothly until the final day of the session when something unexpected occurred. Qin Zhengchen, who was scheduled to open the show, failed to show up.  

“Where is he? He should have arrived long ago. It’s already started, and he’s still not here?” The director paced anxiously at the edge of the stage. “We’re holding up everyone’s schedule because of him! Has anyone found him yet?”  

“No,” the coordinator replied. “We can’t reach him, and his agent can’t be located either. He might’ve gotten drunk somewhere…”  

“This is unacceptable. He insisted on coming, and now this? Get someone to find him immediately!”  

As the delay stretched on, the trainees began whispering among themselves. Their hushed voices, multiplied by the crowd, created a buzzing like a swarm of bees.  

One judge, annoyed, muttered, “This is so frustrating. I have a flight tomorrow morning for a magazine shoot. I hope this doesn’t delay me.”  

Another judge tried to smooth things over. “Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe he got caught in traffic. We’ve all overslept and missed gigs before, right? Back then, we’d get scolded by our agents…”  

The first judge wasn’t placated. “He’s not some kid. He’s just putting on airs. Look at Xiao Min—oh, Xiao Min!”  

“Hmm?” Li Xuan turned his head.  

“Is that your phone ringing?”  

“Oh, thank you.” Li Xuan rubbed his forehead and smiled apologetically. “I’ll take this outside.”  

“Go ahead. Who knows how long this will take.”  

Li Xuan signaled to the director that he was stepping out for a call. The director, preoccupied, waved him off without a second thought.  

Li Xuan made his way to the rooftop, dialed back the missed call, and spoke deliberately.  

“Is it done?”  

“Done,” came the reply, the voice belonging to the man nicknamed Skinny Monkey. “Like you said—two broken legs, right hand’s gone, and I left some marks on his face. I also sent his phone to the address you gave. It should arrive by this afternoon.”  

Standing on the 27th floor, Li Xuan gazed down at the traffic and pedestrians below, their figures blurred and indistinct.  

“You didn’t kill him, did you?” he asked casually, lighting a cigarette.  

“No, no. Just these injuries won’t kill him. I’m good with a blade. Besides, if I killed him, it’d cost you extra. The hand’s on the house, my treat,” Skinny Monkey chuckled. “It’s rare for you to call me for something. I thought you’d forgotten all about us now that you’ve made it big.”  

“I don’t know you, but if that online gambling den had been raided, you’d have been taken down with it too.”

“True, true. That’s fair. But it’s been three years since you’ve gone off the radar,” Skinny Monkey said with a hint of nostalgia. “I didn’t mind going in. Most of the people there were old friends. The real issue was my wife—she was about to give birth, and I would have missed the birth of our first child… I’ve never forgotten that favor you did for me.”

Li Xuan smirked faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “What about the guy?”

“Big Bin dumped him back.”

“You didn’t go with him?”

“I was there. I wouldn’t let anyone else handle your order. The moment I got back, I called you.”

“Was he conscious?”

“Of course. I kept his eyes open the whole time. You should’ve seen him…” Skinny Monkey clicked his tongue. “He was scared stiff. These celebrities may look glamorous, but they’re as soft as noodles on the inside. Pathetic. I didn’t even get the knife close to him before he was on his knees, bawling his eyes out. After breaking his legs, he didn’t even have the strength to cry anymore. He asked who he’d offended, and I just threw the photo you gave me in his face. He froze on the spot and started rambling nonsense. I can’t even remember most of it…”

His tone turned mocking. “That guy’s a male mistress, huh? Does things like this and still leaves evidence? Those photos were disgusting. Trashy. And that other man’s just as bad—has a wife but still fools around. Even in my line of work, I wouldn’t tolerate that sort of thing… Hey, Nineteen, what’s your connection to that guy’s wife? The couple who picked you up didn’t have that surname, right?”

“You’re asking too many questions,” said Li Xuan lazily.

“Just curious, man. It’s been ages since we talked. Can’t I ask?” Skinny Monkey grumbled. “I know you’re living it up as a young master now. That couple looked wealthy. Your life must be comfortable.”

“Yeah.” Li Xuan chuckled softly, taking a drag of his cigarette. The nicotine flowed through his lungs as he exhaled. “I’ve had the money delivered to the broken mailbox by my old place—60,000 yuan. I added an extra 20,000. Half’s for your brothers to buy drinks in this heat, and 10,000’s for your wife. She had the kid, and I didn’t go visit.”

“You…” Skinny Monkey sighed, half-jokingly. “I was going to waive the fee, but since you’ve already sent it, I won’t argue. On behalf of my wife and kid, thanks. If you have more work like this in the future, remember to find me.”

“We’ll see. I have something to do.”

“Alright, get to it… Oh, wait.” Skinny Monkey suddenly stopped him. “I remember, Snake Skin’s supposed to be getting out next month, right?”

After hanging up, Li Xuan massaged his temples. Conversations with Skinny Monkey always drained him, stirring up unpleasant memories. He flicked the ash off his cigarette, sent a message to Qi Boyuan, and asked him to help delete a location-tracking plugin.

[Who are you stalking now?] Qi Boyuan replied.  

[Someone who rubs me the wrong way.]

Qi Boyuan texted back with a shivering emoji before getting to work.

Li Xuan lowered his gaze, took out his SIM card, and lit it with his lighter. After it burned out, he threw the remnants along with the cigarette butt into a trash can.

When he returned to the recording studio, chaos still reigned. Having waited too long, the trainees’ hushed murmurs were no longer restrained. Staff members shouted through megaphones: “Quiet! Maintain silence!”

“Done with your call?” one of the female mentors cheerfully asked.

“Yes.” Li Xuan unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down, speaking softly. “Still not recording?”

“Not yet! Who knows where he is.”

“I see.” Li Xuan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled faintly as he lowered his gaze. “Then let’s keep waiting.”