Chapter 86: Transition
Hai Di gripped Jiang Si’s palm, speaking with the imposing air of a main consort: “Take care. Next time, Jiang Si and I will invite you out to play together.”
Luo Shannü, who had already taken a step forward, paused. “…”
Suddenly, the arm carrying the designer bags felt heavy, as if twenty pounds of dog food had just been dumped into them, weighing her down.
Tsk, as if I care, she thought.
Without looking back, Luo Shannü quickened her pace and left.
Having subtly asserted his dominance, Hai Di shifted his gaze to Jiang Si, whose eyes were darting everywhere but at him. A certain someone was staring at the sky, the ground, and making a show of scrolling through his phone, completely avoiding eye contact.
“Let’s go home,” Hai Di finally said. Jiang Si immediately let out a sigh of relief and eagerly walked toward the exit. “Sounds good!”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Sijiucheng with her?”
Jiang Si faltered for a moment, trying to laugh it off. “Ah, well, it was such an emergency, I completely forgot to mention it.”
“It would have only taken a few seconds to type a message. If you had told me, it’s not like I would have chased after you to cause a scene,” Hai Di said naturally, his tone as calm as a businessman negotiating at a conference table.
That is, if you ignored the fact that his grip on Jiang Si’s hand was tightening by the second.
“I know, I know. I’ll tell you next time.” Jiang Si still didn’t look at him, readily agreeing.
“There’s going to be a next time?” Hai Di frowned.
Jiang Si found the situation amusing but kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t until they were in the car, with the door firmly shut and Hai Di sitting rigidly while fastening his seatbelt, that Jiang Si finally made a move.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Si leaned over, cupped Hai Di’s face in his hands, and asked with a teasing smile, “Are you really mad?”
His eyes were crinkled into crescents, showing zero concern for Hai Di’s brooding mood.
Hai Di released the seatbelt, instinctively unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and leaned his head back slightly, meeting Jiang Si’s gaze calmly. “Why would I be mad?”
“Okay, my mistake.” Jiang Si leaned in and placed a light kiss on the corner of his lips, brief as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface.
“How could my boyfriend possibly be that petty?”
Having a high hat placed firmly on his head, Hai Di found himself completely unable to argue. All he could do was watch Jiang Si smile. “Don’t overthink it. I’m just worried about your safety.”
“Mm-hmm,” Jiang Si nodded. “From now on, I’ll tell you exactly where I’m going and who I’m with. That way, if I run into danger, you can ride in on a magical cloud to save me.”
Hai Di: “…”
The tender atmosphere lasted barely a minute before it was broken. Fortunately, Hai Di had long since adapted; regardless of the mood, he knew the perks that were rightfully his couldn’t be skipped.
Ever since they had crossed that line, he wanted to be by Jiang Si’s side every waking moment outside of work. Yet this guy had the nerve to just up and leave without a word.
Last night, Hai Di had come home with a bouquet of flowers, only to open the door to complete darkness. Forget a person, there wasn’t even a ghost around.
He had spent the entire night sitting alone with the flowers.
On the road, Jiang Si mentioned, “I ordered a Suzhou embroidery silk scarf. They didn’t have it in stock at the boutique, so I left our address for them to ship it once it arrives. When we visited your mom in Ning City last time, it was so sudden I didn’t bring a gift. When you go back home next time, take it with you and say hello to your parents for me.”
“My parents don’t lack those kinds of things. You don’t need to spend your money.”
Jiang Si shot him a look. “It’s the thought that counts. I already ordered it anyway, and it wasn’t that expensive.”
Hai Di smiled helplessly. “Alright.”
.
In Sijiucheng, inside a studio marked with a news media sign.
To score exclusive news on Yun Shu, Xiao Yang had camped outside the hospital for an entire day and night. After finally managing to sneak in by tailing Li Jiming, he had accidentally stumbled upon that gory, horrifying scene in the ward.
He had scrambled out of the hospital, running back to his studio as if chased by a ghost.
Back at his desk, his heart was still racing, his pulse pounding like a drum. He was torn, utterly unsure if he should publish the photos he had taken.
After a long period of contemplation, he typed his first headline: Shocking! The newly minted top male star was murdered in a hospital ward.
His thirst for traffic completely eclipsed his moral compass and judgment. Fired by adrenaline, he banged out an article relying almost entirely on pure speculation and uploaded it immediately, attaching the photos he had taken.
Minutes later, the article skyrocketed to the top of the trending lists. Fans and casual netizens alike were plunged into shock.
What was this?
Li Jiming’s head being dangled like a radish in someone’s hand?
Was this seriously not a movie prop?
Many people’s first reaction was that the image had to be Photoshopped. They began cursing the author for not only using movie stills to chase clout, but for cursing the actor himself.
Seeing these comments, Xiao Yang threw caution to the wind and spilled everything he had seen, even dropping the hospital’s address and adding two more photos.
[Those questioning if my pictures are photoshopped can go get them analyzed. Also, all the information I’ve shared is real. I saw everything with my own eyes. This morning, Li Jiming went to the hospital to visit Yun Shu, but he was murdered right inside her ward.]
Li Jiming’s fans, furious at his lack of repentance, organized to spam him with hate, threatening to call the police and sue him for defamation.
Xiao Yang: [Go ahead, call the police. If they get there too late, the body might already be gone.]
While Xiao Yang and Li Jiming’s fans were warring in the comments, another faction of netizens had entirely shifted their focus.
[I don’t know if I should say this…]
[I have no shame, so I’ll just say it. Who is that incredibly handsome guy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.]
[The one standing next to Tong Yong? Is he a rookie in the entertainment industry? It’s rare to see such a high-quality newcomer. You can tell he’s drop-dead gorgeous even through this blurry pixelated mess.]
[I’m just going to go ahead and call him Husband, hahahahaha]
[Who is he? Are there any fans here to claim him?]
The online storm raged for over an hour before Li Jiming’s assistant finally noticed it.
He stared at his phone in shock and ran to find Tong Yong. “Director Tong, look at this.”
Tong Yong frowned as he looked at the screen, instantly infuriated: “How did this reporter get in? Didn’t we say the ward was secured? How did he manage to take photos?”
The assistant stammered, too afraid to admit it had been Li Jiming’s own idea to bring the paparazzi in.
“Forget it, it was probably a security lapse. Go take a photo of Li Jiming right now and post it on his social media account. Have the lawyers draft a cease and desist letter while you’re at it. That’ll shut down the rumors immediately.”
The assistant whispered a reminder: “But Brother Li hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Li Jiming still hasn’t woken up?” Since Jiang Si hadn’t seen the news, he was the first to receive Tong Yong’s call. He offered a few words of reassurance: “He’s fine, just extremely weak. Have someone boil a soup of ginger and coptis root and force it down his throat. Ginger disperses stasis, coptis root clears toxins. Two bowls of that and he’ll wake right up.”
Tong Yong noted it down, sighing with a bitter expression. “What a mess all of this is. Am I cursed lately? Both the male and female leads of my movie have ended up in the hospital back-to-back.”
“Sometimes it’s just a coincidence. I looked at your fortune, and you’re perfectly fine. Don’t give yourself negative psychological suggestions, or else fake bad luck will become real.”
Jiang Si’s words acted as a shot of adrenaline. Tong Yong felt a bit better. “Thank you.”
He then asked about the short film Jiang Si was working on. “I heard it’s going to be a series. How’s the filming going?”
Mentioning this gave Jiang Si a headache. “The script is finalized, but we haven’t figured out the location scouting. I’m still discussing it with Wang Zhao.”
“What’s your theme?”
“Nuo ghosts. Exorcism rituals are ancient, but they closely border on theatrical performance. The story is about people performing Nuo dances and singing operas to drive away evil spirits, only to run into a real Nuo ghost.”
Tong Yong pondered for a moment before offering a suggestion. “Why don’t you film it in the mountains? I visited the Southwest region before. There are endless, sprawling mountain ranges there, and it happens to be the birthplace of Nuo theater. If you have the budget, filming on location there would look absolutely stunning.”
Jiang Si took the advice to heart and planned to discuss it with Wang Zhao later.
At the moment, he had no idea he had become a minor viral sensation online. Fortunately, before his true identity could be dug up, Li Jiming’s studio posted the lawyer’s letter, effectively squashing the heat around the topic.
Not that he would have cared anyway, because Shen Hu had shown up at his door.
10:00 PM.
“Why are you here?” Hai Di’s expression betrayed neither anger nor joy as he looked at the man outside the door.
Although Shen Hu had already guessed the nature of their relationship, he hadn’t expected them to be living together. Under Hai Di’s imposing gaze, he fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “I’m looking for Jiang Si. Where is he?”
“Master Shen, you do realize what time it is, don’t you?” Hai Di said pointedly. “Is there something you couldn’t handle over a phone call, that required you to come here personally so late at night?”
Shen Hu knew it was a bit rude to visit this late, so he kept his temper. “I have urgent matters to discuss with Jiang Si.”
“He’s working.” After a brief standoff, Hai Di stepped aside to let him in, but didn’t immediately let him see Jiang Si. “Master Shen, you belong to the Celestial Masters Association, but Jiang Si doesn’t. He has his own legitimate career. It’s one thing for him to help you with things that don’t concern him once or twice, but is it really appropriate for you to keep dragging him into this?”
“He took a late-night flight to Sijiucheng yesterday and only got back today. He barely ate before rushing back to his own work, and he hasn’t rested properly in days. I know you helped me before, and you can ask me for a favor anytime, but he is different from me.”
Hai Di hadn’t wanted to be this blunt. Jiang Si considered Shen Hu a friend, and he shouldn’t interfere in their affairs. But it was 10 PM; if Shen Hu dragged Jiang Si out for another all-nighter, Jiang Si definitely wouldn’t refuse. Hai Di simply couldn’t let Jiang Si keep destroying his sleep schedule like this.
Constant all-nighters would break even a body made of iron, let alone Jiang Si, whose health wasn’t great to begin with.
Shen Hu had been so focused on his objective that he genuinely hadn’t considered Jiang Si’s usual routine. Being called out so directly made him feel a flush of shame.
He glanced toward the closed bedroom door and nodded. “You’re right, I was too hasty. In that case, I will come back and find him tomorrow.”
Hai Di fixed his icy gaze on him for a moment before stepping back half a pace. “This is the last time.”
He turned to call Jiang Si. Pushing the bedroom door open, he saw Jiang Si wearing headphones, one hand resting on the keyboard and the other massaging his neck, his eyes glued to the screen in absolute concentration.
“Are your shoulders and neck sore?” Hai Di approached, placing his large hands over Jiang Si’s, gently massaging his neck while looking at the image on his drawing tablet. “How much more do you have left on this?”
“If things go smoothly, I’ll finish it tomorrow.” Jiang Si pulled off one side of his headphones and glanced behind him. “Did someone come over? I thought I heard you talking.”
Hai Di’s expression darkened slightly, his tone completely flat. “It’s Shen Hu.”
“It must be about Gong Tianye.” Jiang Si was about to stand up to see him, but Hai Di firmly pressed him back down into the chair, massaging his shoulders while saying flawlessly, “He said it’s not urgent. I’ll give you a massage first. Is it sore right here?”
“A little higher.” Jiang Si chuckled. “Your technique is getting more professional. You could give the masseuses at the parlor a run for their money.”
Hai Di humored him. “My mom knows an old Chinese medicine doctor who’s amazing at tuina massage and acupuncture. I’ll take you to try it sometime. You’re so young to have cervical spine issues; what are you going to do when you’re older?”
“When I’m older, my lower back will hurt too.” Jiang Si shot him a sideways glance. “And whose fault will that be?”
Between the dark, messy hair and the dark collar of his pajama shirt lay a stretch of shockingly pale skin, so thin and delicate it looked like glass, revealing the faint blue veins beneath. Hai Di could clearly feel the pulsing of the blood vessels beneath his fingers, every pump as vivid and vibrant as the man himself.
He couldn’t resist applying a bit more pressure, instantly leaving a red mark on the pale skin. Jiang Si didn’t seem to mind, merely looking at him questioningly.
“It’s nothing.” Hai Di offered a gentlemanly smile, thoughtfully adjusting the slightly slipped collar to cover the mark. “Shen Hu is waiting for you in the living room. Go see him.”
As Jiang Si stood up, Hai Di pulled him in for a quick peck on the lips, making Jiang Si laugh. “Is this really necessary?”
“Get rid of him quickly,” Hai Di sighed. “He’s getting in the way.”
Sitting on the sofa, Shen Hu remained entirely oblivious to the fact that he was once again being perceived as a nuisance. Seeing Jiang Si emerge in his long-sleeved pajamas, he said apologetically, “I’m so sorry for bothering you this late.”
“It’s fine. What’s going on?” Jiang Si poured him a glass of water and prepared to listen. “Did Gong Tianye say something?”
Shen Hu gave a solemn nod. “He confessed everything in front of the cameras. The situation might be far worse than we originally thought.”
After pausing for a moment, he reorganized his thoughts to explain it to Jiang Si. “Essentially, their schemes against Huaxia are much grander than we anticipated. It’s not just about excavating ancient tombs and smuggling artifacts. Their activities in the Southwest region are primarily focused on setting up arrays to disrupt the dragon veins and interfere with our national destiny.”
Jiang Si was stunned at first, then pursed his lips, his expression turning grave.
Shen Hu had placed spells in that room to restrict the use of any metaphysical arts, but he hadn’t anticipated Jiang Si using paper figures to craft an illusion, coaxing Gong Tianye into spilling his hidden secrets.
“I explicitly restricted the use of spells. How did you manage that?”
“I asked Bai Qi-niang to put a curse on the paper figures. She specializes in using mediums to construct illusions.” Jiang Si explained the source of the paper figures before pressing forward. “So what’s your plan now?”
“The Gong family patriarch will be entering the country in a few days. We plan to secretly monitor their movements. Since they’ve been planning this for decades, they won’t give up easily. Before, they were in the dark while we were in the light, leaving us constantly on the defensive. Now it’s time to flip the script and take the initiative.”
Shen Hu pondered for a moment. “Because of confidentiality rules, I can’t share the exact details with you. I came today mostly to warn you: you must be careful. Once Gong Tianye is out, he will definitely seek revenge. When we get busy, we might not be able to keep an eye on you.”
Jiang Si scoffed. “Let him come. I’m not afraid of him.”
“You still can’t let your guard down. Nanyang hexes are highly unpredictable, and coupled with Dongying’s Onmyoudo arts, you might not be able to defeat him.” Shen Hu warned him repeatedly. “If you sense anything wrong, you must let us know.”
Jiang Si agreed.
Having said his piece, Shen Hu stood up to leave. Jiang Si walked him to the door and added, “You need to be careful too. Given Gong Tianye’s vindictive nature, his first target for revenge is either going to be me or you.”
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