Chapter 078

The car had already traveled quite a distance. They were halfway through the journey; if they turned back now and then headed out again, they would miss the scheduled shoot time.

Checking the time on his phone, Lu Jianxing looked down at the Little Paper Man in his palm, seeking its opinion. “It’s too late to send you back. I’ll have to trouble you to stay with me for the day, is that okay?”

The Little Paper Man tilted its head back, its black bean-like eyes staring at him without blinking, as if considering his proposal.

After a moment, it nodded in agreement and raised a tiny paper hand toward him. Lu Jianxing took a second to react before extending a finger to give it a high-five.

Maomao watched with envy. “Did Baby Xiao Man sneak that in? Wow, it even has two eyes. Brother Lu, can I touch it?”

The Paper Figurine looked up at him, then turned its back on the spot.

Its silhouette radiated rejection.

Maomao: “…”

Heartbroken, Maomao retreated.

The scenery outside the car window blurred past. The Little Paper Man climbed onto the edge of the window, its thin body pressed flat against the glass as it cautiously observed the fleeting landscape. Lu Jianxing watched its back. According to Xiao Man, the Paper Figurines with eyes were the leaders of the group at home, and also the smartest. He remembered that this square-headed Little Paper Man was the first one to learn how to use the washing machine.

Was it trying to memorize the way home?

Fearing he might startle the driver in the front, Lu Jianxing didn’t say a word, letting the Little Paper Man cling to the window and watch the road the entire way.

When the car finally stopped outside the studio, Lu Jianxing pulled open his coat pocket, and the Little Paper Man obediently crawled inside.

After greeting the staff in the studio, the photographer’s gaze fell downward. “Huh? Master Lu, did something fall out of your pocket?”

“Hmm?” Lu Jianxing looked down to see that the Little Paper Man had somehow poked its head out, hanging onto the edge of the pocket with its black bean eyes exposed.

Little Paper Man: “…”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

Without changing his expression, he pushed the Paper Figurine back into his pocket. “It’s a handicraft from the kid at home. I brought it along by mistake.”

Everyone knew he had Master Xiao Man at home. The photographer had a sudden realization and offered a casual compliment before continuing to discuss the day’s shoot.

Carrying the clothes provided by the production team into the dressing room, Lu Jianxing finally took the Paper Figurine out once he was away from prying eyes and cameras. He gently tapped the Little Paper Man’s square head with his fingertip. “You can’t let other people see you. You’ll scare them.”

Little Paper Man: “…”

The Little Paper Man lowered its head.

It seemed a bit dejected.

After changing into the required outfit, Lu Jianxing caught a glimpse of the Little Paper Man lying motionless on the edge of his pocket as he prepared to open the dressing room door. He thought for a moment and extended his hand. “We’ll pretend you’re Xiao Man’s handiwork, okay?”

The Little Paper Man looked up and happily scrambled into his palm.

The makeup artist was already waiting outside. When Lu Jianxing sat down, he specifically propped the Paper Figurine up in front of the mirror. It was just a thin slip of paper made from craft paper; its body was so light it should have drifted away with the slightest breeze, yet it leaned there steadily, its thin, soft body held straight and motionless.

“What’s this?” the makeup artist asked curiously.

Lu Jianxing said calmly, “It’s Xiao Man’s handiwork.”

“Baby Xiao Man made this?” Taking another look at the Paper Figurine, she could see it was human-shaped, but the head was square, the limbs were uneven lengths, and it was covered in strange scribbles. It was impossible to honestly praise the cutting skill. The makeup artist tried a different angle: “Baby Xiao Man is so sweet. Since he couldn’t come himself, he sent a Paper Figurine to keep you company? Haha.”

Lu Jianxing: “…Mm.”

The makeup artist picked up her tools and began applying makeup according to the pre-approved style.

Lu Jianxing was exceptionally handsome, especially with his clean, elegant brow bone. He looked great even without makeup, but with the added definition, his naturally gentle handsomeness took on a sharper, more striking edge.

The makeup artist was full of enthusiasm. “Xingxing, open your eyes… Yes! Perfect! This is the most perfect face I’ve worked on all month!”

Lu Jianxing couldn’t help but smile, his peripheral vision catching the Little Paper Man leaning against the mirror.

Even though the Paper Figurine had no facial features and its expression was unreadable, Lu Jianxing somehow sensed a certain seriousness from it. As the makeup artist selected tools from her vast array, the Little Paper Man tilted its body slightly, its black bean eyes observing her every move.

When it was time to shoot, he entrusted the Little Paper Man to Maomao.

Though he didn’t know why he had to keep holding this little slip of paper, Maomao was ecstatic that one of Xiao Man’s Little Paper Men was finally willing to be near him. “Don’t you worry, Brother Lu. I promise to protect it. I won’t let a single corner get wrinkled!”

The shoot began shortly after.

Maomao held the paper slip with great formality, looking like a little eunuch carrying an imperial decree¹.

People were constantly moving through the studio. Aside from the star being photographed, staff members were bustling back and forth. Maomao stood in place for a while, but soon, several workers passed by carrying large decorations. He stepped aside to make room.

Suddenly, he felt a slight itch on his hand. Looking down, he saw the Little Paper Man’s left hand tapping him. The movement was tiny, like it was being lightly rustled by the wind.

Maomao was baffled. “What does that mean?”

Another staff member passed by, and Maomao stepped further to the side. The Paper Figurine’s tapping grew more pronounced and more urgent than before.

Maomao: “…?”

He wasn’t Baby Xiao Man; he couldn’t understand this!

It was even more impossible to get the Paper Figurine to speak. Maomao stood there helplessly, turning in circles while holding the paper. When he turned toward a certain direction, the tapping suddenly stopped. The Little Paper Man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, flopped down onto his finger, and began watching with great interest.

Confused, Maomao looked up. Directly ahead, the flash was firing as the photographer clicked the shutter repeatedly.

Maomao: “…”

So it turns out this Paper Figurine just loves to watch the excitement.

During a break in the shoot, Lu Jianxing returned after changing his look, and Maomao couldn’t resist telling him what had happened.

“Is that so?” Lu Jianxing smiled. “He probably takes after his master.”

Their Xiao Man was also a child who loved a good spectacle.

The morning was dedicated to indoor shooting, while the afternoon was reserved for the outdoors.

Once the indoor session concluded, they rushed to the outdoor location. Before filming began, they sat down for a boxed lunch. The Paper Figurine didn’t need to eat; it sat quietly to the side, leaning against a water cup as it watched the constant flow of people passing by.

The outdoor set wasn’t like the studio. The weather was fine today, but the wind was a bit strong. In the middle of his meal, Lu Jianxing caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. Before he could even process what it was, he instinctively reached out and snatched the Paper Figurine back just as it was about to be swept away by a gust.

The Little Paper Man clung to his finger, still shaken.

The wind outside was too strong; it almost blew him away!

When the shoot resumed, the outdoor costume featured a loose trench coat with large pockets. The Little Paper Man had climbed in early to claim its spot. When Lu Jianxing reached into his pocket, the little thing gripped the fabric tightly, refusing to come out.

Fortunately, the pocket was large enough that a small slip of paper took up no space at all, so Lu Jianxing let it be.

“Even this part is just like your master,” he muttered.

The photographer held up his camera and signaled for him to take his position. “Teacher Lu, over here.”

“Right, coming.”

Lu Jianxing stepped into place. Staff members raised the reflectors, and the flash began to fire rhythmically once more.

The Little Paper Man lay peacefully in his pocket.

There were so many people outside, filled with unfamiliar scents and hidden dangers. Only a familiar person provided a true sense of security.

Outside, the camera shutter clicked incessantly, but having watched it all morning, the little creature’s interest had waned.

Having been away for a whole day, it wondered if the chores at home were being handled properly. Would its companions remember that today was the day to change the bedsheets?

Suddenly, it tilted its head up and sat upright in the pocket.

As a product of the supernatural, its very birth was steeped in the colors of fantasy. Its eyes could see a world invisible to ordinary people, and it could sense existences that others could not.

Something had suddenly appeared.

In the middle of the shoot, while Lu Jianxing was striking a pose, he felt something shifting in his coat pocket. The Little Paper Man inside was poking at his waist through the fabric, desperately trying to warn him of something.

Masking the strange movement in his pocket with a change of posture, Lu Jianxing pressed his hand over the pocket and walked over apologetically. “Sorry, can we take a short break?”

The shoot had been going smoothly so far, and the photographer was easygoing. He gave a thumbs-up and headed over to his camera to review the shots they had just taken.

The crowd dispersed as the staff set down their props to rest nearby.

Only after walking a certain distance away did the commotion in his pocket settle down. Lu Jianxing lifted the Little Paper Man out. “What’s…”

The words had barely left his mouth when a thunderous crash echoed from behind him, the sound vibrating through the air for a long time.

After a brief, stunned silence, the crowd erupted.

“What happened?!”

“Oh my god!”

“Is anyone hurt?!”

Lu Jianxing turned back, his face pale. A heavy billboard now lay on the patch of ground where he had been standing moments ago. If he hadn’t walked away—if he were still standing there for the shoot—that billboard might have crushed him if it had been just a few inches closer.

But could it really be such a coincidence?

His luck had returned; the string of misfortunes was supposed to be over. He was nearly hit yesterday, and now today as well?

The Little Paper Man hopped down from his palm and ran toward the billboard in a fit of rage.

Using the power of a natural breeze, it drifted off the ground and lunged forward. Its two tiny hands latched onto a corner of an invisible entity in mid-air, its paper body sticking tightly to the creature.

“Agh!”

The ghost in mid-air let out a shrill cry. Sensing the terrifying aura of a certain human emanating from the paper figurine, it frantically shook its leg to dislodge the paper. “Stay—stay away from me!”

Translator’s Notes