“Xiao Min.”
Sheng Min felt like his throat was blocked. He took a deep breath before he could force himself to speak: “Mom.”
“You’re not busy, are you?” Wang Shuying’s tone carried a flattering edge that made Sheng Min frown.
After the commotion on his birthday, Wang Shuying had called him several times. In the end, it was always about money.
“I’ve already sent the living expenses for this month,” Sheng Min said.
“You see, every time I call you, it’s not just about that.”
Sheng Min didn’t respond, and Wang Shuying, hearing his silence, quickly called out to him: “Xiao Min?”
“Mhm.”
“Are you still filming? …The weather is hot, you need to take care of your health. Don’t get heatstroke, oh my, young people don’t understand, but heatstroke is no joke, it could even cost someone their life…”
Her attempts at being a caring mother always felt off. Sheng Min was filming on a mountain, with high elevation and plenty of trees. At noon, the actual temperature felt like only around 20°C, and in the early morning and evening, it was a bit damp and cold. During his filming time, he had caught a cold twice due to the chill.
Sheng Min didn’t point this out and simply replied, “I know,” as Wang Shuying continued asking after his health. After a while, she seemed to be satisfied and changed the topic.
“When will you come back to N city? Your little brother keeps saying he misses you… And there’s some good news I didn’t get to tell you. He joined the school’s basketball team, and last month they had a big match with a neighboring school, and it seems like the city leaders came to watch. I can’t quite explain, but for someone who’s usually careless with his studies, he’s showing a bit of potential. I think in the future, he and you might both be successful…”
Her enthusiasm for this good news seemed very genuine, as she got more and more proud of it, before finally pulling herself back and saying, “Anyway, he won a prize, and he wants to invite you, his older brother, to a meal…”
Sheng Min had long been used to her differential treatment, so he felt no disappointment: “I’ve been pretty busy lately, filming is intense.”
“How busy could you be? I know. You don’t need to do the hard work, they have stand-ins for that, the news has already reported on it.”
Wang Shuying said dismissively. Then she seemed to realize how inappropriate her words were, awkwardly laughing and adding, “But I know you’re working hard… Your little brother is also training and studying, getting really thin. I just thought, remember the last time we talked about the house? I’ve seen one near his school. A three-bedroom apartment is not expensive. For you, it’s nothing. And your little brother could train more conveniently.”
That reasoning was unusual, something he hadn’t heard before. Sheng Min thought about it for a moment, keeping his tone calm: “The school has dorms, how would it be inconvenient?”
“How could it be the same? The school dorms, what are the conditions like? Besides, your brother is still young, he’s working so hard, I have to take care of him. Our home is so far from the school, what do you suggest we do?”
Her loud voice made Sheng Min feel a headache. He quietly stated a fact: “I started filming when I was five, younger than him.”
“How could it be the same? You had a whole crew supporting you, did you need anyone to take care of you…?”
Sheng Min listened silently, too tired to explain what it was like for a child star with few roles and no fame on set, but Wang Shuying probably knew this well. He regretted bringing it up, as it was pointless—she didn’t care.
Wang Shuying grew more passionate: “Back then your dad was in the hospital, how could I have time to care for you? You can only blame him for being useless, getting sick at the wrong time, dragging the whole family down…”
“Mom!” Hearing this, Sheng Min couldn’t hold it in anymore and interrupted, frowning, “Can you stop saying that?”
“What, I can’t say anything? Your dad passed away and didn’t care about us, now you don’t care either?!”
She cried loudly on the phone, so much that a staff member walking by could hear the faint sounds. They couldn’t help but glance and awkwardly called out, “Teacher Sheng?”
This wasn’t the first time Sheng Min had been in such an awkward situation. He straightened up and nodded, quickening his pace as he entered the lounge.
On the other end of the line, Wang Shuying’s crying continued, intensifying. Sheng Min, exhausted, sat down and said softly, “Stop crying.”
“My son is unfilial, how can I not cry? If I’d known it would be like this, I should have just hung myself instead, so I wouldn’t have to suffer your dad’s anger and yours!” She cursed bitterly, “Other families have older brothers who take care of their younger siblings. But you, you’ve never liked your little brother, I know. You don’t care about him, at least care about your mother. I’m a widow, raising you was hard enough… Do you think I’m just doing this for your little brother? No, I’m thinking, if he trains well, makes money, he can ease your burden.”
At times like this, Wang Shuying’s verbal skills were extraordinary. Like a vulture circling over its prey, she would not stop until she had torn away every piece of flesh and bone.
“If it’s for training, I can rent him a place next to the school. You can take a look, and I’ll pay the bills,” Sheng Min said, unwilling to argue further, conceding.
“A temporary rental is fine…” Wang Shuying heard there was a possibility, and her attitude immediately softened. She sniffled a couple of times, “But your brother, being a young man, should at least have his own apartment. We can rent one near the school for now, and then buy a new one. Once it’s renovated, he can move in. It’s a win-win…”
Her plans were well thought out, but Sheng Min had no idea where the ‘win-win’ was. What he did know clearly was that if this continued, Wang Shuying’s appetite would never be satisfied.
“There’s a newly opened community across from the school. The units will be ready next year, the environment is good, and it’s in a school district. In the future, when Xiao Hui gets married and has children, he won’t have to worry about schooling…”
The future she envisioned was always so perfect, and the best part seemed to be that it never considered Sheng Min’s position. All he needed to do was act as a dutiful ATM. Sheng Min felt a headache coming on, every second felt long, and he just wanted to find an excuse to end the call as soon as possible. Finally, there was a knock on the door outside.
“I have something to do, I’ll hang up first,” he said, relieved.
“Your brother’s apartment…”
“I’ll send you the rent money. The rest, we’ll talk later.”
Sheng Min hung up the phone, and his thin face reflected in the mirror. No matter how he tried, his expression didn’t look good, but at least his makeup helped cover it up.
He glanced at his phone. Wang Shuying’s call had been ringing for almost fifteen minutes, but there were no missed calls from Li Xuan, nor any messages.
Sheng Min bit his lip hard, flipped the phone face down on the dressing table, and forced a smile he had practiced many times before in the mirror. He stood up and got ready to open the door.
The door had already been pushed open from the outside.
