Part 4
Now it was Hai Di’s turn to be surprised. “Why are you suddenly thinking about this? What did the Yinchai say to you?”
Jiang Si looked up at him. “Nothing much. It’s just me not being able to figure it out. It feels particularly meaningless.”
“You’re unhappy? Because of the players who died?” Hai Di looked down and could only see his straight nose and a bit of cheek meat squeezed out from his palm.
His heart softened, and he couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle Jiang Si’s fluffy short hair. “You always seem so at ease with everything. I thought you were used to these things. I didn’t expect you to feel low too.”
“No matter how much I see, those are still human lives.” Halfway through, Jiang Si suddenly felt he was splitting hairs.
He was regretful, yes, but it wasn’t his fault. To be able to settle the grievances as best he could was already enough.
“Forget it, let’s go.” Jiang Si sighed helplessly, stood up, went around the counter, and walked outside.
Hai Di was surprised by his rapid emotional shift and followed closely.
Outside the lonely shop, many police officers had been pulled in for duty, pulling up blue-and-white cordon tape to seal the shop. Seeing this, Jiang Si paused, suddenly remembering that he hadn’t seen Lou Qilei for several days.
A few days later, Ge Kai received another call from Jiang Si.
At that time, he was enjoying a long-overdue break with a cup of tea. When he saw Jiang Si’s name on the screen, he almost choked.
He hesitated for a long time before answering.
This time, Jiang Si didn’t intentionally needle him. He asked calmly if Zhang Shuo had left the company and how the final statement for Bi Shi would be released.
Ge Kai was surprised. “Don’t you know he was fired long ago? They say someone blacklisted him, and he couldn’t survive in this industry, so he had to go back to his hometown in the Northwest.”
Jiang Si was stunned and continued to listen.
“Our company was acquired, and I’ve already resigned. As for Bi Shi, the copyright has been transferred. You didn’t know about this?” Ge Kai was puzzled. “Didn’t President Hai tell you?”
Jiang Si really couldn’t hold back this time and glanced at Hai Di, who was nonchalantly playing with his phone.
With his hand wrapped in gauze, he had finally given up his intention to drive himself and let the family driver do it.
“No.” Jiang Si asked Ge Kai, “When did this happen?”
“Just two days ago, after meeting at that private restaurant. The next day, President Hai’s assistant came to discuss it.” Ge Kai was silent for a moment. “Jiang Si, tell me the truth. Does Old Qin’s death have anything to do with you?”
“Why would you think I wanted to kill him?” Jiang Si was very puzzled. “There was you, there was Zhang Shuo… if I were going to kill someone, shouldn’t I have started with you two first?”
“…” Ge Kai was shocked. In hindsight, he realized that as colleagues in the same department, he and Zhang Shuo had indeed offended Jiang Si more.
Jiang Si continued, “My life is quite good now. I don’t need to ruin my future because of him.”
Ge Kai: “I see… and about Lou Qilei, right? Old Qin didn’t have a penny left after gambling, so I took my own money to settle his family… Consider it the last bit of compensation I can make for Old Qin.”
He went on to ramble a lot. Since resigning, he had suddenly become idle, and as if having an epiphany, Ge Kai had begun to reflect on previous management problems.
This industry is absolutely grueling in any country, but is it right for everyone to be so exhausted?
Jiang Si interrupted his nonsense and asked curiously, “What exactly was your relationship with Qin Zhansheng?”
This stingy man would actually take his own money to atone for Qin Zhansheng?
Ge Kai: “Can’t I have a conscience?”
Jiang Si was speechless, having thought he had discovered some big gossip. His interest dropped instantly, and he didn’t want to talk anymore, so he hung up.
Hai Di had no idea Jiang Si already knew. Taking advantage of his mother’s desire to thank him in person, he lured Jiang Si back to his home and handed over a prepared document.
“What’s this?” Jiang Si cooperated and put on a puzzled look.
“Take a look.” The corners of Hai Di’s mouth could barely be suppressed. He subconsciously crossed his arms and leaned against the edge of the desk, watching Jiang Si’s expression with interest.
“…Mhm.” Jiang Si had already guessed when he saw the title Bi Shi on the first page. He skimmed it, smiled, and handed it back. “Congratulations.”
Hai Di didn’t understand his calm attitude and confirmed again, “You really finished reading it?”
“Yes, I did. You bought the film and merchandise rights for Bi Shi, didn’t you? It’s the result of my hard work and many others’. We just hope it can be released smoothly and seen by more people. It should develop better in your hands.” Jiang Si smiled. “I have confidence in it; you definitely won’t lose money.”
“Did you see this?” Hai Di was silent for a moment, then flipped the contract to the second-to-last page, pointing at the words indicating the “Party A” company held the agency rights.
Party A was the film company under Hai Di.
“Agency rights?”
“I think a work should only belong to its creator. So I prepared other contracts as well.” Hai Di explained that the person leading the project would not only have the credit they deserved but also the corresponding dividends and copyright.
After a long while, Jiang Si sighed and gave his evaluation: “You’re really not a qualified capitalist.”
“We are a socialist country.”
Jiang Si squinted and laughed. The rippling smile spread from his amber eyes to his brows and danced in the warm light of the clear glass chandelier, climbing up step by step until it gripped Hai Di’s heart.
“What should I call you? Boss, boyfriend, or ‘dear’?” he said slowly. “It would be great if you recovered your memories.”
“You don’t like the current me?”
“No.” Jiang Si subconsciously rubbed the red sandalwood beads on his wrist, looking directly at Hai Di without avoiding him. “I don’t want you to interact with me with a sense of guilt and a desire to compensate.”
“Don’t you think…” He tried to find the right word, “that you’re too accommodating to me?”
“…” Hai Di felt that the books he had asked his assistant to find were all fake. Didn’t they say one should be submissive to their lover to deepen the relationship?
He would throw those books away in a moment.
“Ahem—” Hai Di moved closer. Once Jiang Si’s gaze shifted from level to slightly looking up, he spoke softly, “Actually, I have other motives; I’m not as good as you say.”
Without waiting for Jiang Si’s reaction, he placed a hand behind Jiang Si’s head, his palm sliding down to the back of his neck. He applied a slight force to the firm skin, leaned down, and kissed him.
This was the first time Jiang Si noticed the difference between the person in front of him and that soul.
Hai Di’s fingers were too hot, and the skin they touched felt almost scorched. It was not at all like the bone-chilling sensation from many days ago.
The combination of cold and heat had finally formed a living, breathing person.
“Xiao Di—” Mother Hai habitually knocked on the door first and then opened it directly.
In an instant, she froze mid-entry. The two people in the study were also frozen in place.
Jiang Si lowered his head sharply, his forehead resting against Hai Di’s shoulder, refusing to look up and face reality.
Hai Di turned his head helplessly, with a touch of无奈 (wunaí – frustration) and a bit of shame, and said to Mother Hai, “Mom, could you wait for my answer before opening the door next time?”
Mother Hai didn’t say a word and bang, she shut the door.
The atmosphere was quiet for a few seconds. From outside the door, she added in a self-deceiving manner, “Xiao Jiang, the auntie left some late-night snacks downstairs. Remember to eat a few bites when you’re done.”
“…”
Jiang Si had never been this embarrassed in his life. He couldn’t even imagine how to face Hai Di’s parents in the future. He could only zone out, resting his forehead against Hai Di’s shoulder, and said muffledly, “It’s all your fault.”
Hai Di didn’t take it to heart at all; instead, he found it rare to see Jiang Si like this. He squeezed the back of Jiang Si’s neck and tried to coax him, “Since we’ve been caught anyway, they definitely won’t come back. Shall we kiss a bit more?”
“Huh?”
The Next Day
Jiang Si intentionally didn’t get up early, waiting until ten o’clock to go downstairs. To his surprise, Mother Hai had already gone to the company, but Qi Shanmu was still in the living room reading. Hearing a sound, he greeted him without looking up.
“You’re up?”
Qi Shanmu didn’t know what had happened yesterday. He only knew that after Mother Hai returned from the study to the bedroom, she started rummaging through things. When he asked her, she wouldn’t say. This morning, she gave him a blue velvet box and told him he must hand it to Jiang Si and make sure he accepted it.
So, Qi Shanmu had been waiting in the living room.
“…Mhm.” Jiang Si felt an urge to turn around and go back.
“Your aunt told me to give that to you. Keep it.” He gestured toward the box on the table with his chin.
Jiang Si was puzzled. “What is this?”
Could it be some kind of dharma treasure for him to look at?
Thinking this, he curiously picked it up and opened it. To his surprise, it was a men’s wristwatch.
Seeing him pick it up, Qi Shanmu assumed he had accepted it. Feeling his mission was accomplished, he turned and left the living room, not giving Jiang Si a chance to react.
Looking at this expensive watch, Jiang Si hesitated, really wanting to know if Mother Hai thought he wasn’t good enough for her son and had thrown a luxury watch at him to tell him to back off.
So he went to consult Hai Di.
Hai Di was eerily quiet for a moment before giving the definitive answer.
“She probably felt that giving you a family heirloom bracelet wouldn’t be appropriate, so she changed it to a watch. Mhm, this is a sign of her recognition of your status.”
Jiang Si remained skeptical. But until he left Ning City, he didn’t find an opportunity to return the watch in person.
Seeing that his own negotiations with the company were over, Lou Qilei’s industrial injury compensation was in place, and his daughter’s chemotherapy was continuing, Jiang Si felt he should return to Rongcheng to continue running his own shop.
If he didn’t go back, his shop would completely close down.
Hai Di tried to get him to stay for a few more days in Ning City.
Jiang Si spread his hands. “I don’t want a long-distance relationship either, but I still have several… ghosts and monsters to raise at home. If I don’t go back, I’m afraid they’ll come looking for me in Ning City. Besides, I have to go back to film; the script is already written.”
Hai Di had no more to say. He held Jiang Si for a long time before personally taking him to the airport. Before they parted, he repeatedly urged Jiang Si to call him often.
Jiang Si smiled and agreed, then turned and left.
He was in a good mood as he carried his luggage back to his house. Looking at the house he hadn’t been back to for a long time, he thought he would go out to eat first and then clean up when he returned.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he was met with deafening music.
Powerful DJ beats pulsed with rhythm, red and green lights flashed, and among the countless figures, a certain “Little Phoenix” in red was particularly eye-catching.
She was wearing her flowing opera costume and was dancing on the coffee table in the living room to the music… clubbing?
Jiang Si took a deep breath, unable to believe his eyes.
A few seconds later.
He walked into the room and flipped the breaker. The music stopped abruptly.
The entranced Bai Qiniang shouted angrily, “Who is it!”
Turning around, she saw Jiang Si standing behind the crowd of ghosts, staring at them expressionlessly.
Her raised arm slowly lowered. She straightened her sleeves, stood obediently, and passed the word to Little Phoenix.
“Jiang Si is back!”
Translator’s Note: And that’s a wrap on the Ning City arc! Our boy Jiang Si is finally home, only to find his “employees” have turned his house into a haunted nightclub.
Recommended Reads
![The League’s Hei Yueguang Has Fought His Way Back [E-sports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/hei-214x300.jpg)
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)