As Yu Feng accepted the IOU from Xie An’yu, he suddenly remembered that he had paid over six thousand yuan to ‘hire’ Xie An’yu for a month just a few days ago. He was puzzled—how could over six thousand yuan be spent so quickly in just a few days?
But the boy didn’t seem like someone who would squander money.
Yu Feng’s gaze lingered on Xie An’yu—his clothes were quite worn, with faded sweatpants and frayed cuffs. Even the backpack on the table had loose threads at the strap joints, clearly having been used for a long time.
If that few thousand yuan had indeed been spent, it probably wasn’t spent on himself.
Yu Feng’s phone rang. It was his assistant calling, asking when he would arrive at the company. He had an outdoor shoot scheduled for today and needed to head to the set soon.
The filming equipment had been prepared the previous day and was already in Yu Feng’s car. Normally, Yu Feng would drive to outdoor locations himself, so his assistant was likely waiting for him at the company. Yu Feng said, “Go with the wardrobe team. I’ll call the person in charge in a bit and ask them to take you along. I’m at the hospital right now, so going back to the company would be out of the way. I’ll head straight to the filming location.”
“You’re at the hospital?” Jiang Xiaotian was taken aback. “What’s wrong, Brother? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, it’s not me. I’m here to visit someone else.”
Jiang Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief. “You scared me for a second there! I thought you were sick. Well, I’ll head out with the wardrobe team then?”
Yu Feng hummed in agreement, hung up, and immediately called the person in charge of the wardrobe team.
Jiang Xiaotian had only recently become Yu Feng’s assistant. He was a few years younger than Yu Feng, young in age, and hadn’t yet become familiar with the company, making it difficult for him to interact with the veteran employees.
Xie An’yu was already packing up his belongings. Yu Feng stood at the doorway, watching his back for a moment before asking, “How are you getting home?”
Xie An’yu turned around and said, “I’ll take the subway.”
“Are you sure you’re well enough to ride the subway alone?” Yu Feng asked, concerned. “You’re not dizzy anymore?”
Xie An’yu hummed, “I’m not dizzy after eating the steamed buns.”
Yu Feng smiled, unsure if Xie An’yu was telling the truth or lying. “Is that steamed bun medicine? They worked so fast.”
Xie An’yu awkwardly rubbed his nose. “I was probably just dizzy from hunger this morning.”
“Are you absolutely sure you’re not feeling unwell anywhere else?” Yu Feng confirmed again.
Xie An’yu nodded firmly. “Mm.”
“Alright, I’ll get going then.”
“Thank you, Big Brother,” Xie An’yu said, his expression calm but his heart overflowing with gratitude for Yu Feng. Not only had Yu Feng helped him escape Lu Yang and his gang, but he had also taken him to the hospital for a check-up and even covered his medical expenses. Meeting such a kind-hearted person felt like incredible luck.
***
After being discharged from the hospital, Xie An’yu immediately rushed to Yue Lai’s house. Yue Lai was in the courtyard washing his grandfather’s hair and didn’t hear the knock on the door until his grandfather raised a hand to alert him that someone was knocking outside.
When Yue Lai opened the gate and saw Xie An’yu, he froze for a moment, then his face lit up with a smile. He instinctively signed, “What are you doing here?”
Xie An’yu couldn’t understand, so Yue Lai pulled him into the courtyard.
Yue Lai’s grandfather was lying flat on two long benches pushed together, cushioned with cotton pads underneath. He turned his head sideways and peered over. “Who’s there?”
Xie An’yu greeted him: “Hello, Grandpa.”
“Oh… hello, hello. You are… who are you?”
“I’m Yue Lai’s friend.”
“Ah?” Yue Lai’s grandfather seemed surprised, tilting his head slightly. “Yue Yue’s friend?”
“Yes.”
Yue Lai shook the water off his hands and ran into the house to get his phone.
The old man lay on the bench, his head covered in foam, unable to sit up or stand. He hurriedly said, “He’s washing my hair. You-you-you quickly come inside and sit down.”
As he spoke, Yue Lai returned, typing a text on his phone to Xie An’yu: 【I’m washing my grandpa’s hair. Wait for me a bit】
Grandpa Yue signed to Yue Lai, 「Just sign what you want to say. I’ll translate for you.」
Yue Lai smiled and responded, 「How can you translate for me while lying down?」
Grandpa Yue chuckled. 「Then hurry up and wash my hair! My head’s freezing!」
Yue Lai quickly sat down and continued washing his grandpa’s hair.
Xie An’yu had come simply to check on Yue Lai. He was relieved to see him safe at home. He’d originally planned to leave after confirming Yue Lai was okay, but then remembered some questions he wanted to ask. So, he found a small stool in the courtyard and sat down to wait for Yue Lai to finish washing his grandpa’s hair.
Worried about his grandpa catching a cold, Yue Lai wrapped a dry towel around his head. The old man, still unsteady on his feet, quickly shuffled over to Xie An’yu, his face beaming, “This is the first time someone’s come to our house looking for Yue Yue! Good Boy, what’s your name?”
Hearing the old man call him so intimately, Xie An’yu felt a little unaccustomed. “My name is Xie An’yu.”
“That’s a nice name. My family’s Yue Yue’s name is nice too, right? His surname is pronounced ‘yue’, like the ‘yue’ in music[mfn]音樂 (yīn yuè): T/N: The yue in 音樂 (yīn yuè) is the same as Yue Lai’s 樂來 (Yuè Lái) surname. And this is how I realize I’ve been reading Yue Lai’s name wrong 😬😬. I thought it was Le Lai all along… This 樂 could also be read as lè, which means happy; cheerful; to laugh.[/mfn].”
Xie An’yu smiled and nodded. “It’s a good name.”
“Wait here a moment, I’ll go get you something tasty to eat,” the old man said, his tone like he was coaxing a child.
Xie An’yu quickly refused, “No need, Grandpa—”
“Nonsense, you sit down.” With that, the old man, still wearing the towel on his head, shuffled into the inner room. He walked with a limp in his right leg, his movements somewhat labored, but his spirit seemed bright, his eyes shining.
Although Yue Lai couldn’t hear his grandpa’s conversation with Xie An’yu, seeing his grandpa’s excitement, he could probably guess what the old man was chatting about with Xie An’yu.
He smiled, put the benches and water basin back in their original places, tidied up the yard, and then came to greet Xie An’yu.
He continued to communicate with Xie An’yu through his phone.
【We don’t usually get many visitors, especially ones looking for me. My grandpa’s probably a bit overexcited. Did he scare you?】
He’s definitely overexcited, Xie An’yu thought. He even called him ‘good boy’.
He smiled and shook his head.
【I can tell your face is stiff】
【Is it just you and your grandpa at home?】
These two small single-story houses, with separate kitchens and living rooms, didn’t seem like they could comfortably accommodate more than two people.
【Mm, just the two of us】
【Why did you come? You look a bit pale; what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?】
【I stayed up too late last night; I’m fine. I came to ask you, does Lu Yang know you live here?】
【No, he doesn’t. Don’t worry, he won’t come looking for me here】
【Did you ever show him your ID card?】
Yue Lai shook his head.
Xie An’yu was confused. Hadn’t Lu Yang checked Yue Lai’s ID card when he applied for the job at the restaurant?
Yue Lai asked: 【Did he see your ID card?】
【Mm, I thought they always checked those when hiring. Maybe it’s because I’m not from around here】
Since ID cards contain residential addresses, it was best that Yue Lai’s hadn’t been seen.
Relieved, Xie An’yu was about to leave when Grandpa Yue emerged from the house, carrying a handful of sachima[mfn]沙琪瑪 (shā qí mǎ): Sachima is a sweet snack in Chinese cuisine made of fluffy strands of fried batter bound together with a stiff sugar syrup. It originated in Manchuria and is now popular throughout China.
[/mfn] and a small bag of old-fashioned egg cakes[mfn]老式雞蛋糕 (lǎo shì jī dàn gāo): This Chinese Old Fashioned Cake has a long history that can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the first cakes in China to be made in a mold, influenced by Western baking conventions. Chinese northerners known it as 槽子糕 (cáo zi gāo). Cáo zi means mold. But Chinese southerners known this as a plain egg cake, 蛋糕 (dàn gāo) or honey cake, 蜂蜜蛋糕 (fēng mì dàn gāo). More information: Link. T/N: I remember eating these cakes before (not that I know the name at the time). It’s super sweet & dense—one is enough to make you feel quite full.
[/mfn], anxiously saying, “Oh, why are you leaving so soon? You haven’t even had any water!”
“I can’t stay, Grandpa. I have something to do.”
“You have something to do? Then I won’t delay you. Here,” he stuffed the sachimas and the bag of old-fashioned egg cakes into Xie An’yu’s arms, “Take these, eat them when you get back.”
Xie An’yu glanced at Yue Lai, who shrugged with a smile. He didn’t refuse again, gathering everything into his arms, and said, “Thank you very much.”
“Come again next time! Today I was in such a hurry—I haven’t even bought groceries. Next time, eat here!”
Xie An’yu smiled and hummed in agreement. Noticing the towel still wrapped around the old man’s head, Xie An’yu said, “You should go inside and dry your hair quickly, Grandpa. Don’t catch a cold.”
“I know, I know.” Grandpa Yue waved his hand, “Go on, Good Boy, don’t delay your business.”
Xie An’yu didn’t have any particular pressing matters; he mainly wanted to find a new job as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to waste time and planned to stroll around the streets whenever he had a spare moment.
He hadn’t been using a smartphone for long and wasn’t used to looking for jobs on recruitment apps. Besides, the legitimate jobs on those apps were probably beyond his reach anyway. Back on the island, he’d always found work by walking around, asking at each place he passed.
He sometimes feels that he is a little behind the times. Being behind the times didn’t bother him, but if being behind the times caused inconvenience in his life, then he couldn’t ignore it.
Everyone around him was moving forward; he couldn’t just stay stuck in place forever.
***
Yu Feng had been waiting on set for ages. The equipment was set up, the wardrobe, props, and lighting teams were all in place, but the main model was nowhere to be seen.
The cover model for this shoot was a rising star, a newcomer who had recently skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit primetime drama. His popularity had soared, catapulting him to the top of the industry.
Yu Feng had watched the drama himself—a suspenseful thriller that was indeed quite good. The actor’s performance was commendable, and with his striking looks, his meteoric rise was no surprise.
However, while this young man’s professional skills were decent, his work ethic left much to be desired.
He hadn’t even reached the level of the Four Heavenly Kings[mfn]四大天王 (sì dà tiān wáng): (Buddhism) Four Heavenly Kings, the four guardian gods who protect each of the four cardinal directions; the lokapālas; (colloquial) a group of four prominent individuals; (pop culture) a slang term for four of Hong Kong’s most famous male Cantopop singers, namely Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung and Leon Lai. In the 1990s in Hong Kong, the “Four Heavenly Kings” (四大天王) — Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok — dominated pop music, and coverage in magazines, TV, advertisements and cinema. More information: Link 1, Link 2.
[/mfn] yet, but his ego had already inflated to such proportions. He was nearly an hour late for the scheduled shoot.
Yu Feng already had a poor impression of the actor from the moment he took on this project. Before every shoot, he always made it a habit to discuss the theme and concept of the shoot with the model beforehand, clearly explaining his vision and ideas. This greatly improved rapport between the photographer and subject, allowing the model to immerse themselves more fully and boosting the efficiency of the shoot.
Yu Feng had prepared the photoshoot plan well in advance, intending to email it to the actor and then have a detailed discussion about the shoot. However, the actor’s manager politely declined, claiming that their schedule was too busy to spare time for communication and that on-site communication on the day of the shoot would suffice.
Left speechless, Yu Feng’s meticulously crafted plan now lay gathering dust on his computer.
《Charm》 was a highly reputable fashion magazine with a branch in Italy. It had a clear brand identity, established reputation, and loyal readership. It’s not the kind of magazine that relies on celebrity endorsements to boost sales. Naturally, it doesn’t have to rely on the hype of trending stars.
Receiving a cover shoot invitation from 《Charm》 was already a testament to an artist’s popularity and recognition. For many, appearing on 《Charm》’s cover opened doors to valuable fashion resources. Consequently, most invited celebrities usually conduct themselves with professionalism and restraint, rarely resorting to diva-like behavior.
Jiang Xiaotian muttered, “Why isn’t he here yet?”
Yu Feng sat in his chair, fiddling with his camera, and glanced at his watch.
Nearly an hour had passed. When he called earlier, he was told the actor was almost there. Now, half an hour later, there was still no sign of him.
Yu Feng’s patience wasn’t particularly strong. He’d encountered tardy individuals before and had never tolerated them. In the end, they’d always been the ones to apologize first. Everyone in the industry knew he wasn’t easily fooled.
Jiang Xiaotian asked Yu Feng in a low voice, “Brother, would you like some coffee? I saw a coffee shop in town when I came over.”
“A coffee shop in this place?” Yu Feng glanced at the small, ancient town before him. It was completely isolated, with a pristine natural environment and equally primitive living conditions.
“Yeah, I took a stroll over there earlier out of boredom.” Jiang Xiaotian chuckled. “Should I get you a cup?”
“You just want one for yourself, don’t you?” Yu Feng shot him a look. “Go ahead and get one. Don’t bother with one for me; I don’t drink coffee.”
Jiang Xiaotian grinned, “I’ll be right back.”
The group waited anxiously, their eyes darting to Yu Feng to gauge his impatience. The Planner in charge of the shoot approached Yu Feng to apologize. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t coordinate properly with them.”
“Did something happen on their end?”
“No, no, they just said they’re still on their way.”
“This is their problem, what does it have to do with you?” Yu Feng said. “Let’s wait another ten minutes.”
“You mean…”
“If they’re not here in ten minutes, we’re calling it a day.”
“Ah? This…” The Planner looked troubled.
“They’re an hour late, which has already shortened our shooting time. He’s wasting everyone’s time and delaying the entire shoot. No one here is idle; we all have our own work to do. We carved out this morning specifically for him, and I have another shoot this afternoon. Are we supposed to just sit here waiting for him indefinitely?”
“But…” The Planning Director’s face showed his reluctance.
“I’ll report this situation to the Editor-in-Chief. You just need to coordinate with the other party. If they don’t arrive within ten minutes, tell everyone to pack up.”
With these words, the Planning Director felt reassured. He nodded, phone in hand, “Alright, I understand.”
***
Ten minutes later, the other party still hadn’t arrived. Jiang Xiaotian returned with the coffee to find the crew packing up their equipment. He couldn’t spot Yu Feng at first, but then his gaze flickered and he saw Yu Feng already sitting in the car.
Jiang Xiaotian had only been Yu Feng’s assistant for half a year and had never witnessed such a situation before. He stopped a familiar crew member and asked, “What’s going on? Why are we packing up?”
“Everyone’s going home[mfn]T/N: The way this person says this is actually quite humorous; 各回各家，各找各媽 (gè huí gè jiā, gè zhǎo gè mā), lit. each goes back to their own home, each finds their own mother.[/mfn],” the crew member replied with a smile.
“Ah?”
“We’re not shooting anymore. Teacher Yu said if the person didn’t show up in ten minutes, we’re all should just go about our own business. It’s actually great—I now have time to return these clothes to the brand.”
Jiang Xiaotian looked surprised. “Really? No more shooting?”
“What do you think? Look, they’re already packing up.”
“But… won’t this be hard to explain to the model? I heard they’re quite a big name.”
“Who cares how big a deal he is? He’s in the wrong. Even the biggest star can’t argue with that. You’re new here, right?” the colleague said. “Teacher Yu has worked with countless A-listers. Hardly any of them try to pull rank on him. Who does this guy think he is?”
After chatting with the colleague, Jiang Xiaotian got into the passenger seat of the car, his mood considerably more complicated.
For the past six months, whenever they had an outdoor shoot, Yu Feng was usually the one driving, taking him around. Although Yu Feng often seemed a bit aloof, Jiang Xiaotian had always found him approachable, easy to work with, with few demands and never making things difficult for anyone.
Today’s incident had deepened Jiang Xiaotian’s respect for his boss.
He thought to himself; how did he ever get the nerve to treat his boss like a chauffeur every day?
Jiang Xiaotian awkwardly held his coffee, feeling his backside go a little numb.
Yu Feng started the car and glanced at the coffee in Jiang Xiaotian’s hand. “That’s a pretty stylish cup”
His gaze drifted upward, noticing the stiffness in Jiang Xiaotian’s face and the tense line of his jaw.
“What’s the matter with you?”
“Brother… that, how about I drive for outdoor shoots from now on?”
“What’s the matter?”
“I… I’m your assistant, after all.” Jiang Xiaotian turned his head. “Don’t worry, I’m a pretty good driver. I promise I’ll drive smoothly.”
“You’re my assistant, not my chauffeur.” Yu Feng stepped on the gas and sped off. “Just focus on your assistant duties.”
The author has something to say:
Having written this far, how can I put it? I feel like Yu Feng and Xie An’yu’s relationship is like lukewarm water and strong liquor—warm on the surface, burning deep within.
I’ve never written anything like this before, so I wanted to try it. As I mentioned on Weibo, I aim to push my boundaries with each story, even if just a little. You’re not the only ones eager for them to get together; I’ve been just as impatient while writing, constantly wondering when I’d finally get to write their romance.
The answer is: let’s take it slow.
I want to walk this path with them, step by step, together with you all.
[dropdown title=”List of Idiom in Chapter 20″]
大手大腳 (dà shǒu dà jiǎo): wasteful; extravagant(idiom); to throw away money by the handful; be wasteful/extravagant/prodigal; originally refers to people with big hands and big feet. Later, it is often used to describe spending money and not being economical with things.無話可說 (wú huà kě shuō): to have nothing to say (idiom); to be wordless; can’t say anything more; to have no other opinion; to agree; to have great resentment for unacceptable actions.
[/dropdown]Check out my completed & current project at my carrd. If you like my translation, you can buy me coffee at Ko-fi~ Thank you.
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