Chapter 061

It took several days to finish filming this portion of the location shots.

“Cut!”

After reviewing the footage they had just captured, Director Jin made a completion gesture toward the center of the set. Everyone on site breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The Assistant Director was all smiles. “That’s a wrap on this section. Everyone take a break; that’s it for this morning’s shoot.”

Small cheers erupted from the crew.

Finishing this location shoot didn’t mean all their scenes were done, but it meant they no longer had to wake up before dawn every day, nor did they have to travel all this way to endure the freezing wind. In this bitter weather, who would want to be outdoors when they could be inside?

Even Director Jin, sitting behind the monitors, looked a bit happier.

As the crew began distributing lunch boxes, he flipped through his script and work log. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a small shadow darting past.

Director Jin looked up instinctively and saw a familiar child running toward Lu Jianxing, circling around him.

“Xingxing, are you cold?”

“You’re sweating so much!”

“Xingxing, drink some water. Xingxing, slow down, the ground is slippery.”

The short little boy was like a tiny tail following behind, chirping concerns and fussing over him as he pattered past the director again.

“Qiao Man, come here,” Shao Jingqiu called out, stopping him as he passed. “Xiao Xia made some pork rib soup for me. Come have some.”

“I’m coming! Thank you, Auntie Shao.”

His assistant returned with a lunch box, and Director Jin withdrew his gaze. He opened the plastic container and took a few distracted bites before a call came in. He quickly set the food aside to answer it.

After finishing his soup, Qiao Man shouldered his water bottle and went for a post-meal stroll.

“Qiao Man, don’t go too far,” Lu Jianxing called out. “We’re heading back to the city this afternoon.”

“I know!”

With this part of the location shoot over, the staff began moving equipment to the next filming site. Expensive cameras had to be handled with extreme care, making the set a chaotic scene for the moment.

Not wanting to get in the workers’ way, Qiao Man kept his walk to the periphery. There were few vehicles, and while he didn’t go far, he stayed within the production’s activity zone. Having filmed here for several days, the crew members had played with him during their downtime, and Qiao Man had already walked the nearby area several times.

Since they were in the suburbs far from the city center, the scenery was beautiful. The winter Populus euphratica forest was draped in frost and snow, their bare trunks soaring high. The river was frozen solid, and the world was a blanket of frosty white, with the occasional bird landing on the ground to forage through the snow for food.

It had snowed just last night, leaving a footprint with every step. Being so small, his feet sank deep into the snow the moment he stepped down. Qiao Man looked at his wet little boots with distress. After a moment’s thought, he decided to step only in the footprints left by others.

Walking all the way to the end brought him to the edge of the frozen lake, where two actors sat together looking at the view.

“We’re heading back to the city this afternoon, and neither of us has scenes today. Yu Li, do you have any plans?”

“Not really.”

Jiang Xiao’s face flushed slightly. “Well, um, a friend of mine has a movie coming out recently and asked me to support him… no, I… you… didn’t you say before that you wanted to eat braised goose¹? I know a place that’s quite authentic. Do you want to go try it?”

The whistling cold wind whipped against the actress’s face. The tip of her nose was bright red from the cold, and her face felt stiff. “You called me all the way out here to blow in the wind just to say that?”

Jiang Xiao panicked, flustered as he tried to explain himself. “No, no, it’s just that we’re leaving soon, and the scenery here is quite nice. I thought you hadn’t seen it… Look!” He hurriedly pointed toward the opposite shore.

Across the frozen lake was a vast, continuous forest of Populus trees. A flock of birds suddenly took flight into the crystal-blue sky, their wings flapping as they quickly vanished from sight.

Jiang Xiao said dryly, “The… the birds flew away.”

Yu Li: “…”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

He covered his face in despair.

“What braised goose?” A fuzzy little head popped up between them. Qiao Man’s eyes were bright as he asked, “Is it really delicious?”

Jiang Xiao jumped in fright, while Yu Li looked at him with a pleasant surprise. “Baby, what are you doing here?”

“I’m out for a walk.” Qiao Man took a step back, looked at her, then turned to look at Jiang Xiao. A look of realization dawned on him. “You two-“

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Yu Li turned her back to the wind and took a sip of warm water from his little flask before saying, “We were discussing whether to go see a movie. Baby, do you want to come along?”

“See a movie?”

Qiao Man thought about it. “I have to ask Xingxing.”

Yu Li replied, “Why ask him? I’ll take you out to play.”

Jiang Xiao watched her expectantly, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“I’m taking Xingxing to eat goose,” Qiao Man said, swaying his head. “Xingxing has lost so much weight lately. His work is so hard, I need to nourish his body.”

Yu Li was left speechless. “…Baby, you really are a good dad.”

The ears on his bear hat twitched confidently.

“Then… then…” Jiang Xiao swallowed hard, asking tentatively, “Then shall we go see the movie…”

“Sure, I’m off this afternoon anyway,” Yu Li said straightforwardly.

Jiang Xiao was overjoyed, a silly grin spreading across his face. “Great! There’s a foreign film out recently with a good reputation. How about we see that?”

Didn’t he say his friend’s new movie was coming out… Yu Li didn’t call him out on it. “Okay.”

“I’ll buy the tickets right now!”

Yu Li sniffled and looked down at Qiao Man. “Baby, we’re heading back. Do you want to come with us?”

“Okay.”

Jiang Xiao immediately said, “I’ll carry you. The snow is a bit thick on the path; be careful not to fall.”

Qiao Man didn’t refuse and climbed onto his back, though he was still preoccupied. “Where is the delicious goose? I want to take Xingxing there.”

“I know,” Jiang Xiao said. “I’ll send him the name of the shop when we get back.”

On their way back, they happened to run into Lu Jianxing, who had come out looking for him. Jiang Xiao handed the child over and sent him the address for the braised goose while he was at it.

Lu Jianxing was completely bewildered. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“I’m taking you to nourish your body,” Qiao Man said. “My master said that children have to eat lots of meat and rice to stay healthy and not get sick. You’ve lost so much weight lately; you’ll get sick easily.”

Lu Jianxing: “…” Actually, he was losing weight for the role… Forget it, he would just train for an extra half hour when they got back.

On the way, Qiao Man also enthusiastically invited Shao Jingqiu.

Shao Jingqiu readily accepted. The group sat around a table for a meal of braised goose. The shop was steaming and filled with a rich aroma. They even ran into some enthusiastic fans. By the time they finished, everyone was full and satisfied, having inadvertently overeaten.

When they stepped out of the shop, snow began to fall again.

Lu Jianxing helped the child adjust his earflaps and gloves. A small, gloved hand slipped into his palm, feeling soft and pillowy. Qiao Man wobbled along beside him, leaving a trail of tiny footprints on the ground covered in a thin layer of snow.

The braised goose shop Jiang Xiao had recommended wasn’t far from their hotel, so the group decided to walk back to help their digestion. It was colder at night than during the day, but the pedestrian street was still crowded. Various scents wafted from the shops on both sides, leaking through the gaps in the wind curtains². The passersby found the smells enticing. By the time they reached the hotel, both Lu Jianxing and Maomao were carrying several bags of food.

Even Shao Jingqiu couldn’t resist. Caught up in the atmosphere, she bought some snacks for Xiao Xia.

As the group returned to the hotel and stepped out of the elevator, they happened to see Director Jin’s door open as he walked out.

“Going out, Director?” Shao Jingqiu took the initiative to greet him.

Director Jin shook his head with a serious expression. “I’m going to talk to the screenwriter about tomorrow’s filming.”

The aroma of food drifted from the bags in their hands, becoming exceptionally noticeable in the hallway. It was nothing to someone who had already eaten dinner, but it was incredibly tempting to someone with an empty stomach.

Director Jin’s stern gaze swept over the food in Lu Jianxing’s hands. Lu Jianxing instinctively straightened his posture and explained, “…This isn’t mine.”

Due to the requirements of his role, he had to control his weight. On camera, every pound of change was glaringly obvious. Director Jin was demanding and cared deeply about managing his actors, tolerating not even a sliver of error.

“Mm.” Director Jin’s brow relaxed, and he said coolly, “Watch yourself.”

Lu Jianxing: “Yes, Director.” He would train for an extra hour tonight.

Holding his script, Director Jin walked toward the elevator without looking back.

Except for Shao Jingqiu, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Not even daring to speak loudly, they hurried toward their respective rooms.

Qiao Man’s footsteps faltered, and he pulled Lu Jianxing to a stop.

“What is it?” Lu Jianxing asked, puzzled, looking down at him.

In the next second, the child let go of his hand and ran toward Director Jin, clutching a bag of honey sponge cakes.

“Grandpa.” Qiao Man held out the honey cakes. “For you.”

Director Jin held the elevator door to prevent it from closing on him. Looking at the food offered to him, his face was full of confusion.

“You have sickness energy here.” Qiao Man patted his own stomach. “Grandpa, you need to eat your fill, or you’ll get sick.”

Director Jin: “…”

What sickness energy?

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but smelling the sweet scent of the honey cakes, his stomach began to cramp slightly. Thinking back, he realized he hadn’t eaten dinner.

His poor stomach was a chronic issue; he often got so busy with work that he forgot to eat. Usually, his assistant kept an eye on him, but since the crew had the afternoon off, the assistant had gone on break as well.

Meeting the child’s chubby, concerned face, he hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the cakes.

“Bye-bye, Grandpa.”

Qiao Man waved his little hand, turned around, and pitter-pattered back to Lu Jianxing.

The elevator doors closed, heading for another floor. Director Jin looked down at the bag in his hand. With a ding, the doors opened, and he walked out with the cakes and his script.

…

Master Xiao Man’s fortune-telling stall had officially opened on set!

Three readings a day, ten yuan a reading. If it wasn’t accurate, it was free.

Every day during the lunch break, after finishing his meal, it was his fixed time for a post-meal stroll. The child would wander around the set with his little water bottle on his back, then find a spot to set up his new sign. Usually, the moment he opened for business, the area would be packed.

Master Xiao Man could calculate anything: romance, career, or wealth. Not only was he incredibly accurate, but his fee was also cheap, making him extremely popular.

This was especially true after Jiang Xiao’s successful confession. He and his female co-star had become a couple both on and off-screen. Seeing the two of them acting all lovey-dovey during breaks every day was a major provocation to the single staff members. They lined up to ask about their own romantic prospects. Whether it was fate or coincidence, a few more couples actually formed. Likewise, a few couples broke up.

Ordinarily, Director Jin wouldn’t tolerate a single grain of sand in his eye³. He hated it most when people on set didn’t focus on their work. The high-pressure environment made the staff lose hair daily, but perhaps because of those strict requirements, the quality of Director Jin’s work was exceptionally high, making people both love and suffer through it. Yet this time, he turned a blind eye to the little master telling fortunes on set.

Then again, it was understandable. The child only did readings during the lunch break, only three a day, and never caused trouble. Outside of official duties, Director Jin didn’t meddle much.

Consequently, everyone became even more enthusiastic about the readings.

Even if they didn’t have anything to ask for themselves, it was fun just to listen to other people’s gossip!

Yesterday they discovered the lighting technician’s online girlfriend was a man; tomorrow they might find out the prop master’s boyfriend was secretly married with a child. All sorts of “melons⁴” kept everyone thoroughly entertained.

From the lead actress, Film Queen Shao, down to the background extras, everyone was a client of Master Xiao Man.

The lucky person who managed to snag Master Xiao Man today was the Assistant Director.

The Assistant Director tucked his phone away with a beaming smile, looking around at the others triumphantly. No one else’s scanning speed had been as fast as his.

“Master Xiao Man, please help me calculate…” The Assistant Director paused. Actually, he was just there for the spectacle. After a moment, he said, “Just take a general look.”

Qiao Man tilted his small face up, staring at him intently for a moment.

Then he said, “You look like you’re about to die soon”

The Assistant Director: ???

Translator’s Notes