That night, unable to sleep, Sheng Min stood on the balcony, eating two pieces of osmanthus candy. The wind in the city wasn’t as cold as in the town. He looked at the cars coming and going downstairs, thinking about when he recently drove back to the old family house that Wang Shuying and Sheng Hui were living in.
It had been a long time since he’d been back, and the moment he opened the door, it had felt unfamiliar. He stood by the door for a few seconds before stepping in, feeling as if he had accidentally entered as a stranger.
They really had left. It was a mess. The living room and bedroom were the same—everything was left in a hurry, with items scattered all over the place. They had only taken the necessary clothes and valuables.
Sheng Min didn’t know what method Li Xuan had used to make them leave overnight, and he didn’t want to know. He just thought, he couldn’t let Li Xuan do these things for him anymore.
The bedroom that had once belonged to him had long been turned into a storage room. The dust made him cough a few times before he found a few old photos of Sheng Zhe in a box, some of them faded.
He stared at them for a long time, but in the end, didn’t take them. He turned off the light as he had when he first opened the door and left.
Driving along the inner ring, he circled a few times and unknowingly ended up back at the old house. The drainage ditch was still there, with garbage bags and rotten vegetable leaves floating in it. It was hard to find a place to park, so he left the car at the corner and walked in. After a while, he finally remembered which house it was.
This was one of the few properties Sheng Zhe had earned, and even when he was gravely ill, he hadn’t sold it, but Wang Shuying had gambled it away. After being passed around several times, Sheng Min didn’t know who was living there now.
There were a few dusty flower pots on the balcony. A little boy, dressed in thin clothes, was squatting in the corner, holding a notebook and doing his homework.
Why not go inside? Was his little brother crying so he was being scolded by his mom?
In the blink of an eye, the boy was gone.
Sheng Min took a deep breath and looked up at the moon in the sky. He remembered the first time he went to film as a child. On the last day of filming, everyone else forgot about him, and he went to the set thinking the shoot hadn’t started yet. Unexpectedly, the shooting had already wrapped up.
At that time, being so young, he didn’t understand many things in life. As it turns out, so much of life was like this: beginnings without warning and endings that catch you off guard. All those years pass by in the blink of an eye.
The ringtone of his phone broke the chain of his countless thoughts. It was Li Xuan.
“Where are you?” Li Xuan’s voice sounded worried and urgent, pulling Shen Min out of his daydream. “Why is there no one at home?”
“You came looking for me?” Before Li Xuan could respond, Shen Min smiled lightly and said, “I just went out for a walk. I’m not at home. Could you come find me again? I know a place that serves delicious congee; I want you to accompany me there.”
….
Three days after returning to the city, Shen Min headed back to the film set. Before that, Li Xuan had accompanied him to a hospital visit. Though Shen Min’s mood fluctuated, on the whole, he wasn’t in too bad of a state when not externally triggered.
The psychologist’s professionalism matched the hefty consultation fees. Recognizing Shen Min’s identity, she glanced at Li Xuan a few times but maintained her decorum, never asking anything inappropriate from start to finish.
“Feeling low is normal. Celebrities are a high-risk group, but there’s no need to be overly concerned. Medication can be moderately reduced. If psychological counseling is needed, I can provide it, but don’t become overly reliant on it. The key is still to adjust emotions, focusing on things you find interesting. Apart from that, attention to diet, exercise, and avoiding weather triggers is also important.”
The short-haired doctor in her white coat put down her pen and glanced at her notes, then asked warmly, “Will you continue filming in a damp and rainy location?”
Shen Min shook his head. “We’ve already moved to the film studio.”
The doctor thought for a moment and mentioned a location.
Shen Min nodded. “Yes.”
“I went there on my graduation trip,” she said with a smile, pulling open the curtains. Sunlight streamed in. “This season should bring lovely weather.”
On the way home, Li Xuan seemed lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about?” Shen Min asked. “Did the doctor say something to you when I was on the phone?”
‘From the conversation and evaluation forms, it’s clear that his condition isn’t severe. Trust my professional judgment. However, celebrities are generally more sensitive, and minor emotional issues can easily be amplified. Their work environment is more complicated, and they’re often adept at hiding their feelings. This comes with the high level of exposure their job entails. While it’s unavoidable, encouraging hobbies could help.’
Recalling the doctor’s words, Li Xuan just smiled. “She suggested you focus more on things you enjoy. I was just thinking about what you might like.”
“Did you come up with anything?”
Feigning deep thought for a moment, he replied with mock seriousness, “Me.”
Shen Min pursed his lips lightly. “Such narcissism.”
Though he joked about that, the doctor’s words stayed with Li Xuan.
…..
One day after filming, Shen Min received a large package from N City. Opening it, he found snacks, theater scripts, and recordings of stage plays.
“Your office must be out of space, so you sent everything to me?” Shen Min teased as he tidied up and called Li Xuan. “There’s only a month left of filming—how am I supposed to go through all this?”
“It’s not like you’re studying for a theater PhD. You don’t have to finish everything. As long as it’s around for you to pick up whenever you’re bored.” Li Xuan’s keyboard clicked away in the background, the sound somehow reassuring.
“Don’t tell me you also bought flowers.”
“How about I send you a bouquet every day?”
“No.” Shen Min issued a warning that carried no real threat. “Don’t overdo it.”
“Don’t your fans send you flowers?”
“Are you one of them?”
“I can be,” Li Xuan said, laughing heartily on the other end. “When you’re home, I’ll buy you some.”
Shen Min chuckled too. “Okay.”
“There’s a theater tour next month. I’ve already got tickets. If you have time when you’re back, I’ll take you.”
“How many shows did you book?”
Li Xuan didn’t reply.
After two seconds, Shen Min softly scolded him, “Such a spendthrift.”
“It’s better to have them than not. You can go whenever you feel like it.” Li Xuan defended himself. After a pause, he added, “I thought long and hard, but I couldn’t figure out any other hobbies you might have. So I just focused on this one… Am I not doing a great job as your boyfriend?”
“You love using this trick…”
“What trick?”
Shen Min didn’t answer, but from the sounds on the other end, he seemed to be pouring himself a glass of water. Li Xuan asked again, and Shen Min finally said, “Are you waiting for me to compliment you?”
“How could I?” Li Xuan feigned surprise. “So, will you?”
Shen Min laughed lightly. “I’ll praise you when I’m back.”
“Alright.” Li Xuan laughed too, lowering his voice. “I miss you a lot. Come back soon.”
The drama ‘Pick Your Moon’ had finished recording. Recently, Shen Min had been focused on filming and didn’t have any work requiring him to return to N City. It had been over half a month since they’d last seen each other.
Shen Min’s heart softened instantly. He nodded instinctively but, realizing Li Xuan couldn’t see, replied softly, “Mm.”
A month isn’t a long time, and as the calendar flipped to the next page, summer clothes disappeared from wardrobes, replaced entirely by autumn wear, signaling the season’s near end.
During this time, Wang Shuying had tried to contact Sheng Min, but not once successfully. Her attempts grew incessant, and Li Xuan, tired of her persistence, also worried she might trouble Sheng Min directly. Wang Shuying “accidentally” broke her leg, and Sheng Hui ended up enjoying a brief stint in a detention center for disturbing the peace, which quieted things down significantly.
With the software no longer buzzing, the world felt a lot more peaceful. One day, during a break in meetings, Li Xuan went to the pantry to pour himself a glass of water. Looking up, he noticed the leaves on the trees across the street had turned red. He snapped a photo and sent it to Shen Min. A couple of minutes later, he received a production schedule in response.
“Finished filming?” Li Xuan zoomed in on the image, startled, and typed, “Wasn’t it supposed to wrap on Friday?”
“Not yet. It’s been moved up. Today’s the last scene—I’m heading to makeup now.”
This was a pleasant surprise. Li Xuan’s lips curled into a smile as he was about to ask when Shen Min would return. Before he could, flight details arrived in his inbox.
“My flight is tomorrow afternoon, but I have a scheduled video platform interview first. I’ll head home after that, so don’t bother picking me up.”
The message ended with a head-patting emoji, leaving Li Xuan with no room for anger. After some thought, he typed another message: “I’ll pick you up at the airport and drop you off for the interview. What do you want to eat then? I’ll make a reservation.”
“Doesn’t that seem like a hassle?”
Li Xuan could imagine Sheng Min’s expression while typing that reply: his lips pressed together, but the corners of his eyes must have been lifted in a faint smile—just like Li Xuan’s own smile at that moment.
“Such a hassle. So make sure to get here quickly tomorrow.”
