Chapter 063

When the medical report came out, the Assistant Director was stunned.

The results were right there in black and white, leaving him no choice but to believe them. The CT scan showed that his pancreas had already undergone pathological changes. Looking at that small organ on the film, the Assistant Director began to question his entire life.

He had always been in good health. He could eat, drink, run, and jump without feeling any pain or discomfort. He rarely even visited a hospital. How could a single checkup result in a cancer diagnosis?

Accepting that one has a terminal illness is never easy. Holding the report, Assistant Director Du fell into a deep depression for a long time.

Everyone knew he had gone to the hospital for a checkup, and soon enough, everyone knew the results.

No one expected that a colleague they worked with day in and day out would be struck by such a disease. The news shocked the entire crew. As soon as he heard, Director Jin went to find his Assistant Director.

“Director Jin, you heard too?” Assistant Director Du had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, just biting down on it. Noticing Director Jin’s disapproving look, he gave a bitter smile and took it out. “I’m not smoking. I won’t. I was just trying to find the feeling.”

Director Jin asked, “What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said it’s lucky we caught it early. If I’d waited any longer, it would have been too late.”

The Assistant Director still felt a lingering fear as he spoke.

The doctor told him that early-stage pancreatic cancer often shows no symptoms, making it extremely difficult to detect. Most people only realize something is wrong when it reaches the late stages. If Master Xiao Man hadn’t performed that fortune-telling for him, he never would have imagined he had such a serious illness, nor would he have focused his checkup on his internal organs.

The diagnosis was terrifying, but once he processed his emotions and calmed down, all that remained was a profound sense of relief.

Pancreatic cancer deteriorates quickly, is difficult to treat, and has a high mortality rate.

Without Master Xiao Man, he definitely would have postponed his physical because of his busy schedule. Even after finishing this film, he would have moved straight onto the next one. Perhaps in just a few months, by the time he realized his body felt wrong and went for a checkup, the cancer would have been terminal. He would have been facing a dead end.

But now, the doctor said that because it was caught early, there was a chance for a cure.

Though the success rate wasn’t a hundred percent, it was far better than a death sentence. Even if the treatment failed in the end, he would have enough time to settle his affairs and spend time with his family… Though it sounded like gallows humor, it was the truth.

The Assistant Director pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it into the trash. “I told my wife. She said she bought a plane ticket for tonight and is coming over immediately… Director.” He looked at Director Jin with a hint of guilt. “I want to…”

Director Jin patted his shoulder. “It’s fine. Your health comes first.”

Cancer doesn’t wait for anyone. The man needed to enter the hospital for treatment immediately; he obviously couldn’t continue filming halfway through the movie. No matter how strict Director Jin usually was, he wasn’t so cold-blooded that he would disregard a human life.

Having collaborated on many films, the two were old friends. At this moment, for both professional and personal reasons, he hoped his old friend would make a full recovery.

Director Jin rarely showed people a kind face, and his expression remained grim as he spoke. “Hand over your remaining duties to the others. Focus on your treatment and try to live a long life. Don’t worry about the movie anymore.”

The Assistant Director forced a small smile. “Right. I still want to see our movie hit the theaters and win awards… Ah, no, that sounds like I’m jinxing myself. I’ll be leaving soon, but before I go, I have to thank Master Xiao Man.”

If not for Master Xiao Man, he really might have reached a dead end.

Thinking of this, the Assistant Director felt incredibly lucky. He had only gone to join the fun and get a reading from Master Xiao Man yesterday, and he’d managed to snag the first slot thanks to his quick reflexes.

In Master Xiao Man’s words, it was because they shared a karmic bond.

The next day, the Assistant Director handed over his work to the other assistant directors on the crew, packed his bags, and left the set to focus on his treatment.

After Assistant Director Du left, the most noticeable change was the surge of people seeking out Qiao Man for fortune-telling, specifically asking if they were ill.

These days, especially for young people, staying up late was a common occurrence. When stress got too high, many turned to overeating for comfort. Although they were aware of the need for health, few actually exercised daily. When they asked, quite a few people actually discovered issues.

However, while their bodies had some problems, none were as severe as Assistant Director Du’s. After their checkups, they were mostly diagnosed with chronic conditions that weren’t life-threatening.

Though they often joked about their own health, no one actually wanted to die, nor did they think a terminal illness could be so close. With Assistant Director Du’s case right in front of them, the crew members grew tense and began paying close attention to their well-being.

They went to bed early whenever work didn’t require them to stay up. Consequently, Qiao Man’s Sleep-Aid Talismans became bestsellers again. They also made sure to exercise when they had free time. When Qiao Man went for his post-meal walks, people started following behind him. Maomao didn’t even dare to drink milk tea anymore; he started learning how to make nourishing soups from Xiao Xia, and his thermos was filled with health tea every day.

Even Director Jin’s eating habits became regular as he started eating on time.

After finishing the last shot of the morning, Director Jin called out “Cut,” and the stagehands began distributing lunch boxes.

His assistant brought him a meal. Director Jin set aside his work, picked up a pair of disposable chopsticks, and finished his lunch while it was still hot.

As he tossed his trash into a large communal bag, he looked up and saw a small, short child walking past with a little water bottle on his back. A string of people followed behind him like a tail.

Director Jin: “…”

He watched the scene with disbelief, especially noticing many familiar faces in the “tail” who were members of his own crew.

Leading the line, Qiao Man stopped when he passed the director and took the initiative to greet him. “Grandpa.”

A scattered chorus of “Director Jin” followed from behind him.

Director Jin: “…Mm.”

Qiao Man glanced at the trash bag behind the director, then at his stomach, and said happily, “Grandpa, you’re eating properly. That’s great.”

Director Jin nodded and took the initiative to ask, “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking a walk,” Qiao Man said. “My master said that if you walk after a meal, you’ll live to be ninety-nine. Although I don’t know when Master died, he lived to be at least seventy-eight. Grandpa, do you want to come with me?”

Director Jin: “…No thanks.”

“Oh.”

Qiao Man had only asked in passing and didn’t insist. He said goodbye obediently, “Goodbye, Grandpa.”

Director Jin watched as the boy walked away with slow, leisurely steps, his little tail of followers trailing behind him just as slowly.

Director Jin: “…”

He had originally intended to go straight back to the set, but as he lifted his foot, he took a turn in the opposite direction of the walking party. He took a long detour before returning to lie down on his lounge chair for a midday nap.

…

The Assistant Director’s illness had caused a minor stir within the crew, but as the filming progressed day by day, everyone soon became overwhelmed by the daily shooting schedule. They had no mental energy left to worry about anything else.

However, Qiao Man had gained a new friend.

And that friend was Director Jin!

No one knew exactly how it happened, but one day, Lu Jianxing suddenly realized that the boy’s relationship with Director Jin had become quite close. This was evidenced by the fact that whenever Maomao made soup, the child would specifically set aside a bowl for Director Jin. If he ate something delicious, he saved a portion for Director Jin. Even when distributing snacks, he never forgot to include the director. It was only then that Lu Jianxing learned Director Jin had a fondness for mint-flavored candies.

Even more shocking was the day Qiao Man invited Director Jin to go for a soak together.

When he found himself staring blankly at Director Jin inside the bathhouse, Lu Jianxing had to summon every ounce of his acting skills just to keep his composure.

Ultimately, Director Jin only went once and never returned, much to Maomao’s immense relief.

One afternoon at the filming location, while the actors were busy shooting, Qiao Man sat in a corner doing his schoolwork.

His phone watch rang. He glanced at it and saw it was Pei Xiwang, whom he hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Qiao Man put down his pencil and pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Master Xiao Man,” Pei Xiwang’s voice came through the watch. “How have you been lately? Are you still accompanying Lu Jianxing on set? I saw the updates you guys posted. The snow looks so heavy over there, and the temperature is so low. Have you caught a cold?”

As soon as the call connected, Pei Xiwang spent a long time asking about mundane daily matters.

Since his earmuffs made it difficult to hear the call, Qiao Man took them off and pressed his small ear against the watch. He heard the voice on the other end continue, “…Would you like to come over for a soak in a hot spring?”

“A hot spring?”

“Exactly!” Pei Xiwang said. “I have a friend who owns a Hot Spring Villa. It’s a natural spring where you can look at the scenery while you soak. In this weather, a hot spring is so warm!”

Qiao Man’s interest was lukewarm. “Maomao took me to the bathhouse the day before yesterday.”

Pei Xiwang: “…”

Although the north was cold, the bathhouse culture¹ was thriving. The bathing centers were decorated more luxuriously than palaces and were fully equipped with facilities. Not only were there places to soak, but there were also massages, games, movies, buffets, and even overnight accommodations. The soaking pools were enormous. Qiao Man could swim in them; he enjoyed floating in the warm currents, comfortably drifting with the tide until he accidentally floated onto a certain chubby uncle’s large belly and was fished out by a rushing Maomao.

Most importantly, it was high quality and affordable. After discovering the fun of it, Qiao Man wanted to go every two or three days.

Pei Xiwang was a bit stunned. “But… but… it’s so cold over there. You’re out in the wind and snow every day with Lu Jianxing. It’s so hard on you. I saw your photos, and your face is all red from the cold. Why don’t you come back for a bit to escape the chill?”

Qiao Man refused decisively. “No, I want to stay with Xingxing while he works.”

“You can have Lu Jianxing come back with you. One more person won’t make a difference.” The sound of footsteps came from Pei Xiwang’s end, as if he were deliberately ducking into a secluded corner. He whispered, “Master Xiao Man, could you come over for a business trip?”

“A business trip?”

“It’s like this… a friend of mine, his family is having some trouble…”

Before chasing his dreams in the entertainment industry, Young Master Pei was a genuine second-generation rich kid. His social circle consisted of other wealthy heirs of similar backgrounds. Any minor gossip from their circle could easily become a trending news headline.

Pei Xiwang lowered his voice. “…He recently discovered that he isn’t his parents’ biological child. It seems there was a mix-up at birth back then. This matter isn’t easy to go public with yet, at least not until the real child is found. So, he came to me, hoping to ask for your help in finding where the biological son is.”

Wow!

Qiao Man’s eyes widened instantly.

He had seen this episode in TV dramas before—it was the Real and Fake Young Master² trope!

Translator’s Notes