Chapter 049

Filming lasted from summer into autumn, and finally, Lu Jianxing’s scenes wrapped.

On the day of the wrap-up, the staff presented him with a large bouquet and a small wrap-up red envelope¹. As usual, Qiao Man went to the dressing room to pick him up after work. This time, he didn’t wait at the door but went inside, sitting nearby to watch him shed his character’s look.

Changing out of the ancient robes, removing the headpiece, and wiping away the makeup bit by bit, the traces of the character vanished. Reflected in the mirror was a fresh, handsome modern young man.

Qiao Man rested his chin on his chubby hands, staring at Lu Jianxing in the mirror. “I won’t be able to see it anymore…”

During this time, he had accompanied Lu Jianxing to the set almost every day. He had seen Xingxing in costume more often than in everyday clothes, and he had grown quite fond of Lu Jianxing’s ancient look. The thought of not seeing it anymore left him feeling a bit reluctant.

“You’ll be able to see it again once the show airs,” said the stylist who was helping Lu Jianxing remove his wig. “Normally, it takes about half a year or so before it’s released.”

Qiao Man let out a “Wow” of surprise. “That long?”

“That’s actually considered fast. Some dramas get shelved for years and never see the light of day.” The stylist finished removing the look with practiced ease. She looked at the well-behaved child sitting nearby and felt a bit of reluctance herself. “Xiao Man, who knows when I’ll see you again.”

Since he came to pick up Lu Jianxing every day, Qiao Man had become quite familiar with them.

Most importantly…

“Baby, without your Sleep-Aid Talisman, how am I supposed to get a good night’s rest from now on!” This stylist was also one of Master Xiao Man’s loyal customers. She said wistfully, “Baby, can’t you just open an online shop?”

Master Xiao Man didn’t have an online shop. He couldn’t handle customer service, production, and shipping all by himself. Therefore, the temporary stall he had set up at the film set was now closed.

Even though Insect Repellent Talismans were no longer needed now that the weather was turning cold, they still really needed things like Sleep-Aid Talismans and Heart-Clearing Talismans!

Qiao Man comforted her, “If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again!”

The stylist sobbed, “Waaah.”

Once the last of the makeup was cleaned off, Lu Jianxing stood up and politely bid farewell to all the staff. “Thank you all for your hard work during this time.”

Qiao Man followed behind him, saying goodbye to each person in turn. “Sister Yanyan, Sister Xiaomeng… goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Xingxing.”

“Goodbye, Xiao Man.”

The big one and the little one held hands and left the Film and Television Base together.

It had been a scorching summer when they arrived, but it was already late autumn by the time they left.

The weather had turned quite cold. On the day they departed for A City, Qiao Man not only wore the hat Xiao Xia had made but also the sweater she had knitted for him. All the summer clothes he had brought for the trip had been replaced with winter wear. Already short, the child looked like a little rolling ball of fur in his bulky winter clothes, so round and roly-poly that his feet were invisible as he ran.

As it happened, when they went to the airport to catch their flight, there was a billboard featuring Lu Jianxing’s photo. It was for a product he had endorsed previously, and Qiao Man had even accompanied him to the shoot for that advertisement.

Qiao Man happily trotted over. Standing in front of the billboard, the child flashed a peace sign and a wide grin, showing off his little white teeth. He had Maomao take a photo of him with Xingxing and then posted it to his social media account.

Not long after uploading, many new comments flooded in.

He was quite the internet celebrity now!

The massive wave of popularity brought by the trending searches had subsided quickly. Since then, Qiao Man had only sold talismans within the crew and performed a few fortune-tellings without causing any more earth-shattering news. The netizens who had come just for the spectacle soon dispersed, leaving behind a substantial number of dedicated fans. They checked in every day to greet him, occasionally shared the talismans he posted, and left flattering comments whenever he shared an update.

However, Qiao Man still didn’t recognize all his characters yet. When fans left long messages, he had to rely on guesswork, taking forever just to decipher a single one.

While waiting in the departure lounge, Lu Jianxing picked up his phone and noticed he had received quite a few notifications.

Even though there hadn’t been any promotional activity lately, he opened the app and found that most of the messages originated from Qiao Man’s social media account.

Guessing his itinerary from the child’s update and figuring they were heading home, the fans commented: [You’re on vacation! Hurry up and take our Xiao Man out to play!]

[Go to the amusement park!]

[Xiao Man stays with Xingxing while he films, Xiao Man is so good. Xingxing is busy with work and doesn’t take Xiao Man to play, Xingxing is bad.]

Lu Jianxing: “…”

However, this was actually something worth considering.

Previously, Xiao Jing had been taken to the amusement park by his parents and had brought back many photos. Qiao Man had been incredibly envious when he saw them.

He had never seen such a place up on the mountain. He had only seen amusement parks on television. Roller coasters, the Ferris Wheel, and carousels were all things that didn’t exist on the mountain. Although he hadn’t said it out loud, Lu Jianxing could tell he really wanted to go.

It just so happened that with the months-long shoot over, he only had a few minor tasks left, giving him plenty of free time to spend with the child.

Lu Jianxing put away his phone and asked, “Xiao Man, do you want to go to the amusement park?”

The head of the child, who had been watching cartoons nearby, snapped up instantly.

“The amusement park?!”

“That’s right. There’s a pretty big amusement park in A City. Do you want to go?”

“Yes, I want to go!” Qiao Man said impatiently.

Lu Jianxing gave a gentle smile and said, “Alright, then in a couple of days… let’s say the day after tomorrow. I’ll take you the day after tomorrow, how about that?”

That was wonderful!

Even after they got off the plane, Qiao Man’s excitement hadn’t faded. When he saw the fans waiting at the arrival gate, he immediately shared the good news with everyone.

“Xingxing said he’s taking me to the amusement park!”

The fans played along, saying, “Wow, that’s great.”

“I hope you have a lot of fun, baby.”

“Xingxing is so filial.”

Qiao Man sat atop the high luggage cart, his small face radiant. As he was pushed along, his tiny back looked grand and imposing, as if he weren’t headed to an amusement park, but to outer space.

After dropping the two of them off at their home in A City, Maomao finished his shift.

The house hadn’t been lived in for a while, but it wasn’t particularly dirty. Although a cleaning service came by regularly, Lu Jianxing still gave the place a thorough cleaning from top to bottom.

Qiao Man followed behind him clutching a small rag, wiping his precious toy car, his snack boxes, and making sure not to forget the championship trophy they had won on the show.

The Long-braided Ghost followed behind him, quickly completing a patrol of the entire house. He commented, “It is a bit on the small side.”

That was right—the Long-braided Ghost had come along too.

Although Little Master Xiao Man hadn’t agreed to let him take the position of a teacher for the children’s interest classes, who could blame him when Master Xiao Man didn’t actually know how to catch ghosts? He put his thick skin to good use and hitched a ride on the car and the plane, tagging along all the way here.

The Long-braided Ghost sighed with emotion. “When I was alive, though I wasn’t exactly fabulously wealthy, my home still had pavilions, terraces, and covered walkways. I never expected that after several hundred years, people would be living in places not much larger than my grave.”

“By the way,” the Long-braided Ghost said with great interest, “Little Master, there are only two rooms here. Which one will I be staying in?”

Qiao Man pointed toward the master bedroom. “That’s for me and Xingxing.”

The Long-braided Ghost nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

Qiao Man pointed toward the second bedroom. “That’s also for me and Xingxing.”

The Long-braided Ghost paused. “Uh…”

Qiao Man ran over to the window and pushed it open for him.

The bleak autumn wind blew in, feeling quite chilly. The Long-braided Ghost remained silent for a moment before obediently floating out through the window. Outside was the residential compound’s garden, which featured traditional pavilions and corridors, barely managing to provide a hint of the flavor of his hometown from centuries ago.

“Xiao Man?” Lu Jianxing, feeling the cold draft, turned around. “Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Oh.” Qiao Man obediently closed the window.

Once the cleaning was finished, Qiao Man drove his fully charged toy car out for a stroll.

The child, who hadn’t been seen for months, made his reappearance, and the elderly residents of the neighborhood were delighted.

“Master Xiao Man, you’re finally back!”

“Master Xiao Man, you were away on business for quite a long time this time.”

“Master Xiao Man, when will your fortune-telling stall open again? I lost something and wanted to ask you to help me find it.”

“I also want to get a reading on my daughter’s marriage.”

Qiao Man gripped his steering wheel, answering them as he drove along. “Wait until I get back from the amusement park.”

“Xingxing is taking me to the amusement park the day after tomorrow.”

“It’s a really, really big amusement park!”

“And it has a really, really long roller coaster!”

Although they didn’t see what a roller coaster had to do with fortune-telling, it didn’t stop everyone walking in the neighborhood garden from learning that Master Xiao Man was about to go play at an amusement park.

After Qiao Man had driven several laps around the compound and returned home satisfied, he received a phone call from Pei Xiwang.

“Master Xiao Man, I heard you’re back.”

As one of the first people to follow Master Xiao Man’s social media account, Pei Xiwang was always on the first-tier of internet surfing. Consequently, as soon as fans posted content about meeting them at the airport, he had seen it immediately. He continued over the phone, “I happen to have no work for the next few days. Let me take you out to have some fun!”

Qiao Man said happily, “Xingxing said he’s taking me to the amusement park.”

Pei Xiwang was overjoyed. “That’s perfect! How did you know I was just thinking about going to the amusement park?”

Qiao Man blinked. “Huh?”

Pei Xiwang said, “There’s no better day than today. I’m coming with you!”

Qiao Man let out a confused, “Ah?”

And so, two days later.

After resting for a day to build up their energy, Lu Jianxing got up early that morning. He helped Qiao Man change his clothes, and while the child was washing up, he packed the thermos and other essentials into a backpack. Then, after eating breakfast, he put on his backpack, donned his coat and hat, and the two of them set off.

As they walked downstairs hand-in-hand, they saw an obviously expensive car parked at the entrance of the compound. The driver’s side window slid down, and Pei Xiwang, with his cool silver hair, raised a hand and greeted them.

Lu Jianxing was stunned. “What are you doing here?”

“Master Xiao Man invited me.” Pei Xiwang waved his phone. “I’ve already bought the tickets. Get in.”

Pei Xiwang was well-prepared, having placed a large bag of snacks that children would like in the back seat. As soon as Qiao Man climbed into the back, he was practically buried in snacks.

The Long-braided Ghost phased through the side of the car, found an empty seat, and sat down with a face full of joy. “This is good. I don’t have to float anymore.”

He had never been to an amusement park either and wanted to see what it was all about.

Lu Jianxing was the last to get in. As he buckled his seatbelt, he looked up to see Pei Xiwang watching him through the rearview mirror. When their eyes met, Pei Xiwang immediately said, “You weren’t planning on taking Master Xiao Man there on the subway, were you?”

Lu Jianxing replied, “…Is that not allowed?”

Pei Xiwang snorted, knowing he had guessed correctly.

He felt more than a little smug. It was a good thing he had come, and he had even specifically driven the most expensive car in his garage.

He started the car and followed the navigation toward the amusement park, saying casually along the way, “Speaking of which, when I was looking up guides online, I saw some news about this amusement park. They say it’s haunted.”

“Haunted?” Qiao Man asked curiously.

“That’s right. Things like lights suddenly turning on in the middle of the night, seeing ghostly figures, visitors encountering ‘ghost walls²‘ and getting lost… ” Pei Xiwang took the opportunity to lay on the flattery³. “But with Master Xiao Man here, even if there are ghosts, they wouldn’t dare come near us.”

Qiao Man murmured, “Um…”

He felt too embarrassed to mention that there was actually a ghost in the car right now.

Qiao Man grabbed the edge of his hat and pulled it down quietly, covering his guilty little face.

Fortunately, Pei Xiwang didn’t notice. Only Lu Jianxing glanced at him and then scanned the surroundings, though his gaze found no point of focus.

Pei Xiwang said, “I checked the guides, and the haunted house in this park is the most famous. They say it’s incredibly realistic and terrifying. Maybe that’s why there are rumors about it being haunted?”

Pei Xiwang continued, “I guess you guys wouldn’t be interested in a haunted house anyway. Since Master Xiao Man can see real ghosts, how could he be scared by fake ones?”

Qiao Man immediately said, “I want to ride the roller coaster.”

Pei Xiwang slapped the steering wheel and said with pleasant surprise, “What a coincidence! I want to ride the roller coaster too! I saw it in the guides; this roller coaster is very famous. They say it’s incredibly thrilling.”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Lu Jianxing saw his overly exaggerated expression in the rearview mirror and silently looked away.

Once they arrived at the amusement park and passed through the main gates, the three people and one ghost headed straight for the roller coaster.

Perhaps due to the rumors of it being haunted, the amusement park wasn’t very popular today. There were very few tourists and the lines weren’t long, so it was soon their turn.

Just as they were about to enter, a staff member reached out to stop the group. “Gentlemen, the child cannot go in.”

Lu Jianxing and Pei Xiwang froze for a moment, then looked down in unison.

Qiao Man looked a bit bewildered. He watched another child go inside and pointed, saying to the staff member, “But he went in.”

“Our roller coaster is quite thrilling and intense, so there’s a rule that children must be over 130 centimeters to enter.” The staff member pointed to a height scale nearby, where a thick red line marked the 130-centimeter mark.

The child who had gone in before was several years older and quite tall and sturdy, clearly exceeding the limit. As for the one before him, Qiao Man walked over to measure himself. For a five-year-old, even including the two bear ears standing up on his hat, he couldn’t reach the minimum height requirement.

If he didn’t meet the height requirement, he couldn’t go in.

Qiao Man’s head slumped in disappointment, and the two ears on his hat seemed to wilt along with him.

Just then, a roller coaster rushed past with a loud whoosh, carrying the screams of tourists as it sped over their heads. Compared to the excitement of the others, the child’s sad little face looked particularly pitiful.

Lu Jianxing felt a pang of sympathy. “Xiao Man…”

The Long-braided Ghost whispered, “Little Master, let me help you.”

Qiao Man: “What?”

Soon, Qiao Man felt a pair of large hands wrap around his waist.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Qiao Man took flight right where he stood, slowly rising higher…

115… 120… 125… 130⁴!

First, the two little bear ears on the child’s head, then the top of his head, thinking he was being subtle, quietly rose past the red line of the height requirement. His dark, round eyes stared innocently, now level with that red line.

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Pei Xiwang: “…”

Staff member: “…???”

The staff member’s eyes suddenly widened. “What?!”

Before anyone could react, Lu Jianxing scooped up Qiao Man and turned to bolt, with Pei Xiwang following close behind.

“Sorry, we’re not riding anymore!”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. red envelope: Known as ‘hongbao,’ these are monetary gifts given in red envelopes during special occasions, festivals, or as a gesture of gratitude and good luck. In the film industry, ‘wrap-up’ red envelopes are traditionally given to cast and crew to celebrate the completion of filming and to share good fortune. ↩
2. ghost walls: A translation of ‘gui da qiang’ (鬼打墙), a Chinese folk belief where a ghost creates an invisible barrier or an illusory loop that causes a person to walk in circles and become unable to find their way out of an area, even if they are in a familiar place. ↩
3. lay on the flattery: The source text uses the internet slang ‘cui caihong pi’ (吹彩虹屁), literally ‘blowing rainbow farts.’ It refers to excessive, glowing praise or ‘fan-girling’ that makes even something ordinary seem wonderful. ↩
4. 130: Refers to 130 centimeters (approximately 4 feet 3 inches), a common height requirement for major amusement park rides in China. Children below this height are often restricted from certain attractions for safety reasons. ↩