“…”

“???”

“!!!”

Xia Chi froze in place, his pupils slightly dilated.

He just... was scolded by a cat?

Xia Chi stared at the direction the cat left, and vaguely saw a golden tag tied under the round head.

"That's a stray cat Shi Lu picked up outside. I heard he was found on June 6th, so he's called Dafu. We all call him Sangbiao."

A clear female voice suddenly echoed beside him. Xia Chi turned and saw Wenhao Xiaozhou from the makeup team standing nearby. The girl, clutching her makeup bag, looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Hello, Taoist Priest."

"Sang Biao?" Xia Chi repeated subconsciously, his mind still recalling the strange behavior of the civet cat.

etc……

Taoist priest?

Xia Chi slowly turned his head and met Xiao Zhou's expectant eyes.

When has this tomboy ever been so polite to him?

"Master, please sit down," Xiao Zhou pushed him down on the folding chair without saying a word, with such force that he almost fell.

"Master, you've worked hard. Here's a Coke for you." She smiled so hard that her teeth were visible, and put her hands on his shoulders and began to squeeze. "Let me loosen you up a bit. Is this strength okay?"

Xia Chi was so embarrassed by her that he grimaced: "Stop! If you have something to say, just tell me." If someone is too attentive without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief. He narrowed his eyes and said: "You are not looking for me... to seek marriage, are you?"

A hint of shyness flashed across Xiao Zhou's face: "How can that be! I'm not the type of person like Fatty Zhao."

Xia Chi heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that, raised his Coke and took a sip: "Ha, that's good..."

Xiao Zhou suddenly put his hands together, his eyes shining frighteningly: "I just want to ask for a... talisman."

"amulet?"

“No, it’s a wish-granting talisman.”

"May your wishes come true?" Xia Chi almost choked. "This... is too abstract. Just tell me what you want to achieve."

Xiao Zhou bit her lip and thought for a moment, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. She took a deep breath, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and closed her eyes devoutly: "Specifically speaking..."

"I was hoping that on my way home I'd accidentally pick up a handsome man in distress being hunted by the traitors, and when I got home and washed him up, I'd find out it was Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan fell in love with me at first sight and has been deeply in love ever since. To express his gratitude for saving my life, he pampered me in different ways every day, waking me up with a kiss in the morning and making me heart-shaped bento boxes. I glanced at the window of a jewelry store, and he bought out the entire counter and sent it to my house. I casually mentioned that I liked the stars, and he built an observatory on his private island. He was paranoid and affectionate, transferring all his property to my name and saying to me: 'My money is your money, and I am yours too.' I tried to... I refused, but he didn't even give me a chance. He simply carried me onto his private jet, saying he was taking me somewhere. When the plane landed, I found myself standing on his private island. The azure sea, the sky, the coconut trees, the beauty of a dream. Jiang Nan hugged me from behind and whispered, "From now on, this will be our home. You can lie down whenever you want, count the stars whenever you want, and I won't let anyone disturb you again." From then on, I spent my days watching the sea, basking in the sun, counting the stars, and waking up every morning with my eight-pack abs as my pillow.

Xia Chi: “…”

Xia Chi: “…”

Xia Chi: “…”

Xiaozhou seems pretty normal on a normal day, but when her imagination starts to open up, she's like, "I'm out of this galaxy!" She's not asking for a talisman, she's clearly asking me to wholesale Jinjiang Literature City VIP chapters.

[I finally understand now. Getting something for nothing is the ultimate dream of all mankind.]

【The literature of picking up men will never go out of style.】

[Did Tu Sihai's comeback cause such a huge shock to the crew that everyone started going crazy in broad daylight?]

"Master?" Xiao Zhou blinked, "Why aren't you talking?"

Xia Chi took a deep breath and said, "How dare you be so bold? You are really... too frank!"

【How should I put it, we are kindred spirits.】

[It was a wonderful dream. Don’t have it next time.]

"Of course!" Xiao Zhou puffed out his chest proudly. "You've got to have dreams! So..." She leaned closer, her eyes shining like searchlights. "Can it come true?"

"Yes." Xia Chi agreed immediately.

Xiao Zhou's eyes lit up: "Really... can it really work?"

"Of course, it doesn't have to be as complicated as a wish-fulfilling talisman. I can help you change your fate right now." Xia Chi's lips curled up mysteriously, "But there's one condition—"

"I agree to any conditions!" Xiao Zhou stomped his feet excitedly.

"The condition is very simple, that is..." Xia Chi suddenly put his hand on her shoulder and said sincerely: "You have to be brave."

"Be brave? That's all?"

"Yes, be brave!" Xia Chi suddenly exerted force with his wrist and rotated her 180 degrees on the spot.

Xiao Zhou stumbled to his feet and took a deep breath.

Jiang Nan had stood behind her at some point, still wearing the same Republic of China-era suit he had just worn for the performance. His carefully styled hair had a few strands of hair scattered on his forehead, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

His thin lips were slightly parted, his expression awkward, and he didn't know whether to smile or pretend to pass by.

The air froze for three seconds.

"Gogogo!" Xia Chi high-fived her from behind. "Go, girl! Fly like a bird to your mountain! Passion!!!"

"ah--!!!"

Xiao Zhou let out a short scream, his face flushed red in an instant, he covered his face with his hands in panic, turned around and ran away -

"Hey, hey, don't run!" Xia Chi shouted from behind: "Where's your courage? Where's your courage?"

The boat disappeared in a flash like a frightened rabbit.

"Why is Ye Gong so fond of dragons?" Xia Chi shook his head: "This is considered as you giving up voluntarily, not because I am not effective."

Only Xia Chi and Jiang Nan were left in the yard.

A breeze blew through the corridor, swaying the leaves, bringing with it the unique freshness of this season, and blowing a few sycamore leaves to the feet of the two people.

The sunlight shines through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the bluestone slabs.

Jiang Nan's hair was gently lifted by the wind, and his slender shadow slanted across Xia Chi's trouser legs.

The cheers of the girl group's supporters coming from afar made this corner seem even quieter and more frozen.

"Ahem," Xia Chi touched the tip of his nose to ease the awkward atmosphere: "The little girl just made a joke."

[Just kidding, you read out all my thoughts. ]

[What can I do? I want to be as brave as a bear and a leopard when I see you.]

[Who wouldn't covet such beauty? ]

Jiang Nan bit her lower lip lightly, watching his eyelashes tremble.

"Master..." He suddenly spoke, his voice a little lower than usual, like velvet soaked in night dew, "I..."

Xia Chi's brows suddenly jumped——

【etc!】

【Why do you call me Taoist priest?】

"You're not..." Xia Chi laughed dryly, "You're here to ask me for a marriage, right?"

[Wow! What an auspicious day today is.]

[Are there collective red flowers blooming? 】

[You're not planning to write a "man-picking literature" either!]

Jiang Nan was stunned.

A fragment of a dream suddenly popped into his mind, and he suddenly remembered a man he had picked up.

It was amidst a sea of purple hydrangeas that blanketed the hills. He parted the wet branches and saw the man lying face up among the flowers. His pale face, glistening from the rain, yet his lips were a startling red, like cherry blossoms fallen on the snow.

In the dream, I was kneeling in the mud, my fingertips rolling over the man's bloody lips. Hydrangeas soaked in raindrops were sticking to the side of his neck, cold as tears, but the temperature between his lips and teeth was surprisingly hot.

There was a raging storm, corpses were scattered all over the ground, and he kissed those lips, not knowing what heaven and earth were.

Jiang Nan's throat rolled.

The person’s inner voice is still roaring.

[Could it be that Jiang Nan also has the courage to eat? ]

[Is there anyone in this world he can't get?!]

[Oh my god! Has my house been robbed?]

[Who! Who is this shameless person who is so ungrateful?]

“…”

Jiang Nan looked at him helplessly.

if……

If you could hear my voice.

"Master," Jiang Nan said in a hoarse voice, "I want to tell my fortune."

"Fortune telling—"

Xia Chi's gaze fell on his slightly haggard face.

“That’s easy.”

He stroked his nonexistent beard in a pretentious manner, led Jiang Nan to the stone table beside the flower bed, and pretended to brush off the dust with his sleeve: "Please."

"Look at your palm." He said seriously.

Jiang Nan obediently placed his hands flat on the stone table.

The sunlight shines through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, casting flickering shadows on the slender knuckles.

[Tsk, who still reads palms?]

Xia Chi was secretly delighted. [This kind of work of art is a must-see!]

[It must be carved from ivory.]

He pretended to examine the lines on his palm, but in fact he was carefully tracing them with his eyes.

The knuckles are long and distinct, with a light pink tint at the joints. The pale blue veins are faintly visible under the skin on the back of the hand, bulging slightly with the pulse, like the lively ink lines in a landscape painting.

The most moving thing is the curvature of the wrist. The protruding wrist bone draws a breathtaking curve, which reminds people of the charred wood at the end of the guqin.

[It's delicious and tasty...it's even more tempting than the pork knuckle at the Full Moon Banquet!]

[Wait, what on earth was I thinking?! ! !]

"Master, Master."

Jiang Nan felt like his saliva was about to flow onto his hands.

"Ah?" Xia Chi restrained himself for a moment, swallowed his saliva, and said seriously, "Lately... haven't you been sleeping well?"

There were faint black lines on Jiang Nan's fingernails - as if someone had used a very fine ink pen to scratch cracks on a beautiful jade.

Jiang Nan's sore spot was touched and his eyes darkened.

"It's indeed... difficult."

It's more than just difficult.

In the past, I could still manage to sleep for three or four hours thanks to the numbness of alcohol.

Ever since Tang Bo set him up, he even gave up drinking red wine before bed. Now that his studio has disbanded, he has turned down all announcements except for the drama "Silent" and locked himself in an empty house.

The room was as cold as an ice cellar, and the blue light from the smart home was particularly glaring late at night. He often lay on the sofa, staring at the wall, counting the seconds until the morning light filtered through the window screen. Occasionally, when his physical strength was exhausted to the limit, he would fall into a deep sleep, but he would always wake up in the middle of his dream -

Xia Chidong saw the faint flame of his life, and his chest suddenly felt so oppressed that he couldn't breathe.

How did Little Bitter Melon get a script to go down to earth and experience tribulations? He's been schemed against by those around him, reviled by countless people, and exploited like a blood bag by capital for so many years. If he hasn't gone crazy, it's a sign of a strong heart. If he can even fall asleep, it's a miracle.

[If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. But after all the hardship comes happiness, the youthful spirit has been extinguished.]

What's the point of suffering so much?

Xia Chi looked at Jiang Nan, his eyes full of pity.

【Growing up is a huge farewell. 】

You must tear open your own flesh with your own hands, extracting those innocent bones. You must let your blood seep into the soil and blossom into thorny flowers. You must break your tender wings with your own hands, watching the burned wounds scab over and over again. Only then can you grow a new backbone from your crushed pride.

Until one dawn, I saw myself in the mirror, my eyes as sharp as a knife, a smile in the corners of my eyes, and then I realized with a start that the person I once was had long since died in the middle of a night unknown to anyone. There was no farewell, no tombstone, only ashes drifting in the wind: that unconditional young man would never come back.

[But Jiang Nan...]

[Look, I can even be reborn from the icy river water.]

Please don't fall before dawn.