Chapter 39: Scammer Decides to Be a Good Person 14 – Amid These Countless Lights

Du Heng was not some irresistible heartthrob.

The crew members praised his snacks and side dishes for all sorts of reasons. Some, like Yang Chong, had been genuinely tortured by the crew’s lifeless boxed meals and sincerely thought the food was delicious. Some wanted to make more friends and could always find something nice to say about anyone’s things. Others were simply being polite for the sake of Yang Chong, the male lead and trendsetter of the set.

Du Heng knew perfectly well how much of it was real and how much was fake.

Still, he wasn’t ungrateful. As long as things stayed pleasant on the surface, a lively atmosphere wasn’t so bad.

Du Heng’s private stash was wiped out several times faster than he had expected.

In return, by the time his scenes wrapped, a whole bunch of people were exchanging phone numbers with him.

Some people on the crew used mobile phones, but not many. Du Heng, of course, was not one of them. The number he gave out was his home landline.

When he had called home some time ago, Shi Lan had told him the house had been bought, the renovations were done, and it was ready to move into. A landline had also been installed, and she had given him the new address and home phone number.

It came in handy now. Otherwise, he would have had no choice but to become someone nobody could reach.

His girlfriend was just too capable. In only a few months, she had managed to handle so many things all by herself. While Du Heng felt proud, he was also a little frustrated, with a faint sense of crisis. He seemed almost useless.

Without him, Shi Lan could still live just fine.

Du Heng hadn’t even brought back this round of pay yet, and she had already decisively bought a house. He did not even know whether she had had enough money.

He had asked about the money over the phone, but Shi Lan had not gone into detail. She had only told him not to worry and that they could talk when he got back.

He had no idea what kind of house it was, and he found himself looking forward to seeing it.

With filming almost over, he was desperate to get home.

After taking off his costume, Du Heng finally got the chance to wear the clothes Shi Lan had prepared for him, one of the outfits made by the tailor shop.

The moment he appeared on set in that outfit, it won praise far more sincere than the chili sauce had.

No matter the era, people in the entertainment industry were always among the first to keep up with fashion.

“We’re so used to seeing you in costume that when you changed clothes, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“That outfit looks amazing!”

“What brand is it? Do they have stores in China? I want to go take a look too.”

“Do they only make menswear? Do they have womenswear?”

“Hurry up, tell us the brand.”

“It’s from Brand D, right?”

“I don’t think so. It feels more like Brand A.”

Du Heng had not expected his coworkers to be so enthusiastic, and he found it a little hard to handle.

He also thought the clothes looked good, but were they really that good?

Du Heng quickly stopped them before the misunderstanding got any bigger. “No need to guess. It’s not some designer brand. My girlfriend had it made at a tailor shop.”

“Custom made, huh? No wonder.”

“That’s way more expensive than ready-to-wear.”

“What’s the studio called? Do they have branches in other cities? Actually, never mind, the branches might not be reliable. Next time I’m on a business trip your way, I’ll just go there and get something made.”

Du Heng really could not answer that question. “My girlfriend handled it, so I’ll have to ask her when I get back. And I think you’ve misunderstood. It’s really just a tailor shop.”

It truly was not as fancy as they were imagining.

“Oh? Then it’s an old-school tailoring craft? That’s even rarer. Little Du, once you’ve asked your girlfriend, make sure you remember to give us the number.”

Du Heng: “…”

Yang Chong was the most straightforward of all. He threw an arm around Du Heng’s shoulders like they were best buddies.

“I’m on break after this anyway, with nothing to do, so I might as well go back with you. Once the clothes are done, you can just mail them to me.”

He did not act polite with Du Heng in the slightest.

And he was not just talking. He directly told his assistant to call and change his flight.

When he found out Du Heng had not bought a ticket yet and had planned to go to the train station, he booked one for him too.

Du Heng: “…”

Could someone really make a decision this suddenly and this recklessly?

Yang Chong answered him with his actions: yes.

Their final scenes had been in the same shoot, and Du Heng had even tagged along to the wrap party for Yang Chong, the lead actor.

After Yang Chong’s assistant finished the call, he came over to report that they had booked a flight for today, landing at eight in the evening.

Du Heng said, “Isn’t that a bit rushed? It’ll be hard to find a hotel at night.”

Yang Chong was completely carefree. “We’re going to your place, and you’re still going to make me stay in a hotel? Come on, with our relationship, obviously I’m staying at your house.”

Du Heng shrugged off the arm Yang Chong had slung over his shoulder again. He really wanted to say that theirs was a very simple relationship based on sharing meals, and that Yang Chong had mostly just shamelessly mooched off his private stash. They really were not that close.

Then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He asked, “You’re not going just to get clothes made, are you?”

Yang Chong chuckled. “Well, I definitely have to try my sister-in-law’s cooking again.”

Du Heng instinctively wanted to refuse. He could not stop Yang Chong from going to whatever city he pleased, but he really did not want to bring him home.

Seeing him stay silent, Yang Chong grew unhappy. “No way, brother, are you really that stingy? You’re not actually going to turn me down, are you?” Clutching his chest, he cried out dramatically, “I’m devastated. My heart has shattered into pieces.”

Du Heng watched Yang Chong’s performance expressionlessly.

Yang Chong did not care at all. He tilted his head and lifted his chin, crossing his arms. “Only lots and lots of good food can heal me!”

He looked as if, if Du Heng refused, he would drop to the floor and start rolling around the next second.

It was honestly painful to watch.

Pressing his lips together, Du Heng said, “Pack up. We’re going to catch the car.”

“Got it.” Yang Chong instantly revived and said to his assistant, “Hurry up and give me my luggage. You can go back, no need to follow me. I’m going off to have fun for a couple of days.”

Of course, Du Heng had not changed his mind because of Yang Chong’s childish act. Before the words of refusal could leave his mouth, he had only thought of the things Shi Lan had asked him when he went back last time.

“Do you get along well with the other people on the crew?”

“How are your relationships with them? Have you made any friends?”

“I’ve heard this industry is full of complicated connections and favors. Has anyone given you trouble?”

“Are the people on the crew all interesting? Is it a lot of fun working with a bunch of artists? Are there any coworkers you find interesting?”

“Or have you heard any juicy gossip?”

She was like a parent sending a little kid off to kindergarten, worried the child might get bullied in a new environment, worried the child might fail to make friends and be unhappy, and at the same time curious about the life the child experienced where she could not see.

Du Heng did not want to seem, in his girlfriend’s eyes, like some child who could not function without someone looking after him and made her worry endlessly. But when he met her expectant gaze, he had struggled to answer those questions.

It was just work. It was the same as getting along with coworkers back at construction sites. He was not used to people getting too close to him, and he was not used to taking the initiative to get close to others either.

The only reason he had managed to become familiar with the others on this set was because of the unexpected variable that was Yang Chong.

Sighing inwardly, he felt that this unexpected variable had now attached itself to him and would not shake loose.

If he brought Yang Chong home, Shi Lan would probably feel more reassured about how he got along with people outside, wouldn’t she?

Yang Chong had no idea that he had been turned into a tool for comforting someone’s girlfriend, and happily began looking forward to the new trip.

Du Heng had originally wanted to make a phone call and let Shi Lan know they would have a guest at home.

No one answered. She was probably busy at the shop.

On the way, he was still feeling relieved that they had a new house now, with an extra room. If it had still been their old little courtyard, then no matter how shamelessly Yang Chong insisted on coming home with him, there would have been nowhere to put him.

He glanced at Yang Chong, who was sprawled asleep in the seat beside him with his mouth hanging open, and felt that the kid really was absurdly lucky.

It was Du Heng’s first time flying, and Yang Chong had left him the window seat.

The plane took off late, and there was no scenery left to see outside, but after they rose into the sky, he could see the dim golden afterglow of the sunset beneath the thick layers of cloud.

Half the clouds were pitch-black, while light glowed beneath the other half. The plane flew above the cloud layer, as if it were chasing the setting sun. It was wonderfully surreal.

What a shame the person sitting beside him right now wasn’t Shi Lan, Du Heng thought regretfully. Someday, he had to take a flight with Shi Lan. A daytime flight, for sure. The clouds should be even prettier then.

As he let his imagination wander, Yang Chong slept awkwardly in his seat and shifted into another position. This time, his hand stretched a little too far into Du Heng’s space, and Du Heng disdainfully lifted his sleeve and tossed it back over.

The plane began its descent, breaking through the clouds. A city glittering with lights came into view from afar, gradually revealing its full shape.

Du Heng’s heart leaped with joy, then softened all at once. Among those countless lights, one belonged to him.

Using the address of the new home Shi Lan had given him, he called a taxi straight to the residential complex.

At the entrance, security stopped them and questioned them for quite a while. Only after checking their information did they ask the guard which building they were supposed to go to.

Yang Chong teased from the side, “Bro, you don’t seem very familiar with your own home.”

More than unfamiliar, this was Du Heng’s first time here too. It would already be a success if he managed to find the front door.

When he said that to Yang Chong, Yang Chong naturally didn’t believe him and assumed he was joking.

“Hahaha, you’ve finally learned how to be funny.”

After the two of them dragged their luggage around the complex, went the wrong way twice, and doubled back, Yang Chong finally exclaimed, “Holy crap, wait, you’re serious? This actually works? While you were away, your little sister-in-law just up and moved the whole house behind your back?”

Du Heng shot him a glance. “Watch how you talk.”

“My bad, my bad. That’s on me.” Yang Chong immediately played nice. “Now I’m getting more and more curious about little sister-in-law. She’s definitely not an ordinary person.”

Then he asked, “You were even telling me on the way here that your family’s not well-off, and if I wasn’t used to it I could just stay at a hotel. Don’t tell me you were trying to drive me off like that? With this location, this neighborhood, and that custom-tailored outfit you’re wearing, how do you have the nerve to lie and say your family’s not well-off?”

As he spoke, he nudged Du Heng with his elbow. “Hey, tell me quietly, your family isn’t secretly filthy rich or something, right? And all that stuff about having poor conditions before was just you messing with me?”

Du Heng: “…”

This misunderstanding had gotten way out of hand. He had no idea what had given people that impression. Was he still not frugal enough?

Fortunately, they finally found the right building. Du Heng waved for Yang Chong to follow.

One elevator per unit, and the elevator was spacious.

When they reached the eighth floor, Du Heng knew he was home without needing to check again and again.

On the wall beside the door hung a wooden plaque. Painted on it was a chibi God of Wealth holding a lucky cat. Shi Lan had drawn it herself, then taken it outside to a shoemaker who also did seal carving and had him engrave it. The ridiculous request had annoyed the shoemaker to no end, and in the end, money was what settled the matter. Back when they had still lived in the little courtyard, this odd lucky-wealth plaque had hung at the courtyard gate. The drawing on the plaque was adorable enough that it had nearly gotten stolen by the neighborhood kids.

Yang Chong said, “Wait, why is a shoemaker engraving seals?”

Du Heng said, “Can’t a shoemaker just be multi-talented?”

When he’d first seen the wooden plaque, he’d asked Shi Lan the exact same question. That had been Shi Lan’s answer too. Now he passed it on to Yang Chong word for word.

For once, even Yang Chong, who always had endless things to say, showed a speechless expression. Du Heng felt like he was beginning to understand why Shi Lan sometimes loved talking nonsense.

Mm, it was actually kind of satisfying.