Chapter 23.1 – The back of that young man just now… seemed somewhat familiar

Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen

This time, Wei Tingxiao was going to shoot a costume martial arts film called “Sword Mountain Blood Jade”, where most scenes would be filmed in the mountains.

The director was Wu Zhengrong, known in the industry as the “detail freak”, and the screenwriter was still Yao Lei, who had worked on his previous film. With both of them being perfectionists, Wei Tingxiao felt he wouldn’t be leaving the mountains so soon.

The filming location was on Moshan in Wuxian County, a vast expanse of interconnected mountain ranges.

The action director mentioned that upon reaching Wuxian County, the crew would be met at the foot of the mountain. He also emphasized that once they went up the mountain, they needed to stick with the group, not wander off randomly, as the signal was weak in the deep mountain forests, making it easy to get lost.

Before joining the project, Wei Tingxiao had a confrontation with Jia Chong. Now, everyone among the rich second-generation in the circle knew that Wei Tingxiao and Jia Chong had some conflict, but they didn’t know the reason.

Wei Tingxiao had a good reputation and image in the outside world, and the public’s love and admiration for him, the Movie Emperor Wei, were quite high.

Little did they know that Wei Tingxiao, in the business world, had resorted to all kinds of shameless means, all aimed at Jia Chong alone.

Both of them were adamant about not bringing up family issues in this matter. It seemed like whoever sought help from their family would be deemed the loser.

Currently, Jia Chong was the one being unilaterally attacked.

Initially, Jia Chong had no defences against Wei Tingxiao. He had been outsmarted multiple times, having had little contact with Wei Tingxiao before. Who would have thought this person would be so despicable?

He would even steal business deals that had previously been agreed upon. 

Many business partners had sought Wei Tingxiao based on his reputation. They would rather pay breach of contract fees than maintain Jia Chong’s face.

Jia Chong had been having a tough time these past two weeks, nearly bursting with anger.

Just as he was about to retaliate, a certain someone surnamed Wei headed into the mountains.

This silent conflict had temporarily ceased as Wei Tingxiao disappeared into the mountains.

Wei Tingxiao had Jia Chong figured out. Jia Chong wasn’t particularly competent, but he had a strong ego and was extremely arrogant.

If the opponent launched a surprise attack while a certain someone surnamed Wei wasn’t around, it would play right into his hands. He could then make a big deal out of Jia Chong’s “villainous behavior”.

Slandering and spreading rumors, wasn’t that what Jia Chong excelled at before? Wei Tingxiao could then say that he was simply learning from the best – treating others as they treat you.

Although both were shameless, it was challenging to attack Wei Tingxiao’s minor schemes. These things didn’t constitute his weak spot.

It was probably because Jia Chong had done too many despicable things in the past, causing dissatisfaction among some people in the circle. Previously, due to his status as the young master of the Jia family, no one dared to act against him. Now, everyone was starting to stir.

Wei Tingxiao had started this, stirring up a whole pond of water. The real “troublemaker” had disappeared into the mountains after hitting the water with a stick?

Let the bad apples fight among themselves; he was going to shoot a film and find some peace.

The car arrived at the foot of the mountain, where the crew members were waiting.

“Teacher Wei!” The person sent by the crew to guide them was flushed with excitement, the expression of seeing an idol.

Wei Tingxiao extended his hand in greeting, “Hello, how long have you been waiting here? Sorry for being a bit late. What’s your name?”

“Just call me Xiao Lei! Not late at all! The van up ahead is mine. I’ll drive you up.”

As a small assistant in the crew, he was responsible for various tasks like picking people up, delivering props, and distributing boxed meals.

But Xiao Lei was currently very excited. Hearing that Wei Tingxiao was the lead actor in this film turned his mundane tasks into a kind of benefit. His house was full of Movie Emperor Wei’s movie posters, a true fan.

“Thank you!” Manager Luo Hui shouted out the window.

Xiao Lei waved his hand, showing no need to be polite, and quickly hopped into the driver’s seat of his beat-up van, driving up the mountain.

Wei Tingxiao’s nanny car followed behind, and the two cars drove into a dense green area, one after the other.

On the way, they had already seen the village at the foot of the mountain. The terrain there was relatively flat, with houses clustered closely together.

It was said that there were villagers on Moshan, but their numbers were few, and the houses were far apart, making encounters unlikely.

However, the action director mentioned that there were guesthouses on the mountain. To ensure the comfort of the actors, they had booked the entire place in advance.

“Wu Zhengrong, the director, is considerate. If it weren’t for your presence, this gold bar, he wouldn’t bother booking guesthouses. I’ve checked the photos of the guesthouse for you in advance. It just opened recently, and the environment is nice,” Luo Hui chatted.

“Hey, stop it. I don’t like hearing that. While I may come from a wealthy background, I’m not a delicate little darling. Don’t make it sound like I can’t endure hardships. Hurry up and have the director cancel the guesthouse reservation. It will save the crew some expenses,” Wei Tingxiao replied, playfully rolling his eyes at Luo Hui.

“I say, calm down, Ancestor. Remember your arm was just stitched up half a month ago? You have a lot of fight scenes this time. You’ll be exhausted. The accommodation can’t be compromised. Ambulances must be prepared in advance for you!”

Wei Tingxiao couldn’t be bothered to listen to “Mother Luo’s” nagging. He put on his headphones and pretended to doze off, listening to the live version of the opening show song from the SAP boys’ music festival.

Especially when he heard Yan Shu’s singing part… a someone kept replaying it in his mind.

In a small courtyard in the mountains.

Yan Shu embroidered dandelions from morning till night. This time, he chose a light blue fabric as the base, aiming to capture a sense of being near the sky.

He wanted to embroider a group of dandelions flying into the distance. Starting from the composition, he had to handle the foreground, middle ground, and background positions well.

Dandelions in different locations varied in size, density, and spacing, each requiring different stitching techniques.

The three closest dandelions had the densest layer of threads. Despite all being white threads, they were embroidered in five different shades, some brighter and some darker.

This created a sense of light and shadow in the embroidered dandelions, making them look very three-dimensional.

The few dandelion tufts in the background were stitched a bit more simply. Once the center was set, they could be embroidered by circling around that point with varying stitch lengths.

A cluster of dandelions in the middle ground used the bubble seed needle technique. After the needle came out of the fabric, the thread was tightly pulled, wound around the needle’s end twice, and then manipulated by hand to create two layers.

These dandelions would have a raised bubble shape, providing a unique tactile sensation.

Yan Shu had recently learned some new stitching techniques and immediately put them into practice in this piece.

He was so engrossed in doing what he loved that he didn’t realize it was time for dinner.

If it weren’t for his grandmother coming to call him, he wouldn’t have noticed he was hungry.

Once he was interrupted, he felt his stomach growling.

“Your dad and your uncle probably won’t be back for dinner today. There are guests at the guesthouse, and your dad went to help your uncle, who might be too busy. I heard it’s a film crew, paying a three-month fee upfront, quite generous.”

Zhou Huaixiu walked over to the table with utensils, sitting down with a lively expression as she complained to Yan Shu.

Yan Shu listened with interest and was happy about the business at his father’s guesthouse. Was this a case of not opening for half a year and earning enough to live off for the next six months?

Who knew they could attract people from the film and television industry to this mountainous area? They probably needed to shoot a lot of outdoor scenes, after all, the biggest advantage here was the pleasant natural scenery.

“The house suddenly felt empty at mealtime, still so quiet. Look, there’s so much food left. Both of us have small appetites, the two hard-working men are the main eaters.” Zhou Huaixiu said with a smile, but there was a hint of loneliness in her tone.

Yan Shu noticed his grandmother’s thoughts and spoke up, “I’ll pack up this food later and take it over. I bet they’ve been too busy to remember to eat.”

“Do you remember the way?” Zhou Huaixiu worried that her grandson might get lost.

“I remember. My dad took me there once before. I can go by myself. It’ll be fine,” Yan Shu nodded.

It was now evening, and in winter, the night fell quickly, with barely any light outside.

Zhou Huaixiu brought out a lantern for Yan Shu, “This is also a little gadget your dad made. It’s quite handy. It has batteries inside. Press this switch, and there are different brightness levels. We also have flashlights at home. Which one do you want?”

Yan Shu looked at the round ancient-style lantern, feeling quite warm inside. He had a similar one in his childhood, bought at a lantern festival. However, over time, that lantern had broken completely.

“I like this one.” Yan Shu smiled, picked up the lantern, and turned on the switch.

The dim outdoor area instantly lit up, the warm light enveloping the boy.

With a food container in one hand and the lantern in the other, Yan Shu put on his coat and set off.

The night view in the mountains was nice. Looking up, he could see the stars. In the winter woods, it was quiet and peaceful, occasionally hearing birds active at night.

Yan Shu enjoyed the process of walking alone on this mountain road, unaware of how long he had been walking until he saw his destination not far ahead.

The area around the guesthouse was clearly more lively. His dad had specifically laid a wooden platform outside, surrounded by railings with spherical lights hanging all around.

At this moment, they were warmly lit up, illuminating the entire guesthouse.

The house wasn’t small, with a main building of three floors. An annex on the east side of the first floor was connected to a two-story building, totaling 15 rooms. Some rooms were large, accommodating four or six people.

Some crew members were directly staying in makeshift containers set up at the filming location, making it easier to start work the next day.

The guesthouse accommodated actors, writers, and assistant directors. Even the director Wu Zhengrong slept there, adapting to the harsh conditions. Yan Shu, of course, was unaware of these arrangements. He had no interest in gossip and focused on doing his job as a delivery person.

Regardless of which crew stayed at their guesthouse, he sincerely thanked these patrons in his heart.

He was grateful for them supporting his dad’s business, hoping the film produced by this crew would be a great success, bringing prosperity to all.

Yan Shu’s timing was quite fortunate, catching the crew members outside who hadn’t returned yet.

Inside the guesthouse, only a few actors’ assistants were placing things in the rooms.

At this time, the actors were all gathered by the director, reading scripts together. Nobody dared to slack off; everyone was waiting on set.

“Dad, Uncle Lan.” Yan Shu quickly found the two figures in the front hall.

The two of them were busy laying down carpets.

Some household items and furniture had just arrived today and needed to be arranged.

This guesthouse had never welcomed such a large group of guests before. Typically, the most visitors they had here would occupy only a few rooms. This time, the whole place was booked.

Moreover, the guests were public figures from the entertainment industry, so security and confidentiality needed to be ensured.

In order to make the guests stay more comfortable, some hardware and software needed upgrades, keeping them busy all day.

“Oh? Xiao Shu, why are you here?” Zhou Lan clapped his hands to dust them off.

“I’ve come to bring you food. Just by looking at you, I could tell you haven’t eaten yet.” Yan Shu placed the food container on the counter and started taking out the dishes one by one.

Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the air, and the two slightly disheveled men couldn’t help but salivate at the same time.

Indeed, they were very hungry…

“Have you had dinner yet? Want to eat together?” Yan Jin felt touched by his son’s gesture of personally delivering the food, so he asked with concern.

“I’m already very full. I tried my best, but I couldn’t finish all these dishes. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy Grandma’s cooking today.” Yan Shu was starting to learn how to tease people.

Yan Jin and Zhou Lan were stunned for a moment, unable to respond, but then burst out laughing simultaneously.

Zhou Lan picked up his chopsticks and took a big bite of rice, “Thanks to Mom and thanks to our great nephew, we will definitely devour every bit of this delicious meal!”

Although Yan Jin knew his son had become more obedient and well-behaved since coming back from outside, he still felt a bit dazed these days.

After so many years of not being close with his son, he was now starting to learn to be closer to him.

He reached out and patted Yan Shu’s head, saying with satisfaction, “Well done. I’ll take you back later. The road must be quite dark at this time, right?”

Yan Shu shook his head and pointed to the lantern he was still holding, “You made this lantern to light the way.”

9:30 PM.

Wei Tingxiao and his group returned to the guesthouse from the set. He was the first to arrive, followed by a group of actors.

He had gone straight to the set after heading up the mountain today. He had asked Xiao Lin to bring his luggage back.

This was his first time seeing the place where they would be staying for some time.

“Director Wu really put in effort. This guesthouse is indeed beautiful. It looks even better in person than in the photos, quite impressive.” Wei Tingxiao was an experiential person. He needed to experience things firsthand before making judgments. When he said something was “good”, it truly was.

He generously praised the design of the guesthouse and its unique interior environment.

Seeing Zhou Lan in the front hall, he greeted him casually, “Are you the owner of this guesthouse?”

Zhou Lan nodded with a smile, “Yes, my brother and I run this together. We’ve prepared everything you need today. Feel free to settle in. If you need anything, just give us a call.”

“Thank you very much. I think the design here is excellent,” Wei Tingxiao smiled.

“Oh, you’re too kind. My older brother would be secretly delighted if he heard your praise. He designed this entire guesthouse, and I just helped out,” Zhou Lan was also a talkative person. He knew who he was talking to and didn’t feel intimidated.

“Really? Your older brother is amazing then. Why haven’t I seen him around?” Wei Tingxiao didn’t let the conversation drop. Perhaps because he was new to the group and in good spirits, he couldn’t resist chatting a bit more.

“To be honest, my brother’s son just arrived, my nephew. Seeing that we hadn’t eaten, he brought freshly home-cooked food for us. It really moved the two of us. The child is going back to rest now, and my brother is personally taking him home. It’s a good opportunity for them to bond on the way, hahaha!” Zhou Lan looked out of the front hall’s French window, where they could see part of the road leading down the mountain.

He suddenly pointed not far away and said, “Look! Do you see those two figures? That’s my brother and my nephew. Their relationship used to be strained, but now they’ve finally grown closer. It’s quite touching to see…”

Wei Tingxiao followed Zhou Lan’s gaze and saw two slender figures walking down step by step.

The person on the left was slightly shorter, walking steadily. Clearly no longer a young man. The tall person on the right was a young man, holding a lantern.

It was unclear what they were saying, but the young man on the right exuded joy and carefreeness; even his silhouette radiated youthfulness as he swayed the lantern in his hand.

Youth is truly wonderful. Such a father-son relationship is admirable. He and that stinky old man of his family probably won’t achieve such closeness in their lifetime.

When he looked again, the father and son had already disappeared without a trace.

Wei Tingxiao, however, was still lost in thought.

The back of that young man just now… seemed somewhat familiar.

Suddenly, another beautiful face flashed through his mind, a person with a cold and serene demeanor, possessing a pair of captivating eyes.

Bah! He must be going crazy!

Here they were deep in the mountains, yet he was making connections with some random boy he saw.

Wei Tingxiao slapped his own forehead. He needed to snap out of it.

In this vast world, with so many people, connections between individuals have their limits. Whether he would ever see that kid again in his lifetime was unknown.

Wei Tingxiao had never been so fixated on a single person for this long. Was he truly enchanted?

“Are you okay?” Zhou Lan noticed Wei Tingxiao’s daze and self-slap, couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m fine, just tired. I’ll head back to my room first. You should rest early once you’re done with your tasks,” Wei Tingxiao awkwardly smiled at Zhou Lan and swiftly escaped upstairs.

His face felt a bit warm, needing to cool down.

Zhou Lan sighed, “Filming really isn’t easy.”

…

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