Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Two days later, Shang Xueyan rose before 5 a.m. He was due on the set of "Great Wind Rising" at 8 a.m., but the commute was long—at least two and a half hours, assuming no rain or traffic.

He headed to the bathroom to wash up, but recoiled a few steps upon entering. Beside the toilet, yellowish stains reeked, and on the beige floor, a man's smelly socks and dirty trousers lay strewn about.

Shang Xueyan endured it for three seconds, then turned and exited the bathroom, his face impassive.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* He hammered on the door, his expression rigid.

About half a minute later, an irritable voice emerged from the narrow room partitioned off the living area. "Who is it?"

Shang Xueyan kicked the door.

The man, who had just drifted off, abruptly threw off his crumpled, greasy blanket and climbed out of his single bed. He opened the door, his breath foul. "Knocking in the middle of the night, you..."

"If you treat the bathroom like your personal trash can again, next time I'll come for you with a knife," Shang Xueyan stated, his face devoid of emotion, his tone chilling.

Shang Xueyan possessed a strikingly handsome face—classically defined by sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes, exuding vigor. His eyes had distinct double eyelids and jet-black pupils, yet when filled with coldness and ferocity, they became unsettling.

A shiver ran down the man's spine. He instinctively glanced at Shang Xueyan's hands, which were empty.

"Go clean it up now," Shang Xueyan commanded icily.

"Why should I clean it? What proof do you have that it was me..."

Shang Xueyan turned to leave. Believing he had successfully dismissed him, the man cursed and moved to close the door.

Shang Xueyan emerged from the kitchen, a fruit knife in hand.

The man, a bully to the weak but a coward to the strong, saw the knife and his smug expression vanished instantly. Shang Xueyan lowered his gaze and asked expressionlessly, "Are you going to clean the bathroom?"

The man licked his lips, capitulating. "I'll go, I'll go right now."

The "Great Wind Rising" production was a Y2K-era entrepreneurial drama spanning over a decade. Shang Xueyan's minor role was an employee in the female lead's company, who regarded her as his constant inspiration.

After meeting the director and changing into his costume, Shang Xueyan went to the set to await his scene.

An actor a few years his senior chatted with him for a while, then offered, "Let me tell your fortune?"

Shang Xueyan chuckled. "Brother Xu, you can tell fortunes?"

"I Ching hexagrams, Tarot, birth charts, fortune-telling—you name it, I do it," Brother Xu declared proudly, raising an eyebrow.

Shang Xueyan looked intrigued. "How does it work? What do I need to do?"

Brother Xu replied, "Give me three numbers under a hundred."

Shang Xueyan rattled off a few numbers.

Brother Xu committed them to memory, then dramatically counted on his fingers before scrutinizing Shang Xueyan's features.

Shang Xueyan asked eagerly, "When will I make my first million? Is it possible for me to hit it big in this lifetime?"

Brother Xu said mysteriously, "Soon, you'll earn a million very soon. As for becoming famous, it'll take a bit longer, but you're destined for purple. You're fated for a life of wealth and prestige."

Shang Xueyan wasn't entirely convinced. In this life, he had no father, no mother, no elder brother. His friend, who had been wealthy and influential in his past life, now owed hundreds of thousands in medical debt, and he had a meddlesome boss watching him like a hawk. He had no idea when he'd successfully terminate his contract.

"Also, I've calculated that your romance star is stirring. You should be meeting your fated partner very soon," Brother Xu said, furrowing his brows in thought before a smile spread across his lips. "A week, no, within three days, you'll meet your fated match."

"Thanks, Brother Xu," Shang Xueyan said, lacking enthusiasm.

He had no interest in romance; he just wanted to make money.

Just then, the director called him over to block the scene. Shang Xueyan immediately rose from his folding stool and headed toward the director.

After the first scene was shot, since they weren't changing locations, they continued filming scenes set in the same spot. Shang Xueyan went to the wardrobe department to change into another outfit.

Returning to the set, he noticed dozens of cups of milk tea laid out in an open area. The props team informed him that a friend of the male lead had visited the set and brought treats for the crew and cast.

Shang Xueyan was about to pick a cup of milk tea when, before he could get close, he saw two young men emerge from a door catty-corner from him. One was the male lead of his series, and the other was none other than Jiang Lan.

The two were chatting about something, both smiling.

Jiang Lan was talking to Zheng Ming as they stepped out of the glass door. His eyes casually swept the area and landed on Shang Xueyan not far away. He stopped short, frowning.

*Damn, what luck.*

Shang Xueyan walked away.

Brother Xu loudly slurped his mango milk tea and, seeing Shang Xueyan sit down beside him empty-handed, asked curiously, "Why didn't you get any milk tea?"

"I'm on a diet lately," Shang Xueyan said with a smile.

"What are you looking at? Do you know him?" Zheng Yu followed Jiang Lan's gaze.

Jiang Lan's lips stiffened into a strained smile. "Shang Rong is signed to the same agency as me."

Shang Rong had once acted in a fairly popular short drama, but there was a clear divide between short and long dramas. Plus, with little exposure in recent years, very few in the industry knew him now.

Zheng Yu, recalling their exchanged glances earlier, asked, "Are you two on bad terms?"

Jiang Lan sighed, hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Actually, we got along quite well when I first met him. But later, I found out he has violent tendencies and likes to hit people. And look at his face—it's quite handsome, but he's shady with relationships. Rumor has it he even pressured a girl into getting an abortion..."

Jiang Lan inquired, "Brother Zheng, what role is he playing in your series? An extra?"

"Not exactly an extra. He has a dozen or so scenes, and his character is actually pretty decent," Zheng Yu said disgustedly.