Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Meanwhile.

Nan Liujing turned down countless invitations from bosses and colleagues and left work on time.

He glanced at his phone again.

It was six o'clock, and he still hadn't received a birthday greeting from Shen Gali.

Was this man's heart made of stone?

Suddenly remembering the human-sized gift box hidden in the bedroom, and how he had deliberately sent Uncle Li to a nearby city, ensuring he wouldn't be back for a while, he couldn't help feeling annoyed.

When he got home, Nan Liujing didn't rush inside. Instead, he had the driver drive to the south gate.

As the original novel's main antagonist, it was standard to have a dark, secluded spot for his scheming.

The south gate was at the edge of the garden, lined with French plane trees, dense and quiet.

Whenever Nan Liujing was in a bad mood, he liked to calm down here and think up some devious tricks.

Shen Gali, this is your last chance. When I open my phone, I want to see your birthday wishes.

A moment later.

He hurled his phone viciously into the dirt. Shen Gali, you had your chance and wasted it. Don't blame me for being ruthless. Now, where did I put my little toy?

To retrieve it quickly, he pressed the forward button on his electric wheelchair and rolled forward with a low whir.

Passing through the dense forest of plane trees, he would see the well-maintained American redwoods, then the lawn as neat as a soccer field...

Nan Liujing's wheelchair stopped.

He stared at the suddenly open space before him: ?

Where... was the garden?

Only a vast expanse of white, stretching endlessly.

...

"Shen Gali!!!" The furious roar startled the birds cooing on the branches, sending them fluttering away in panic.

Nan Liujing stood up, grabbed his wheelchair, and strode off, the salt crunching under his feet.

The royal garden he had spent three years cultivating—gone. Vanished without a trace, not even an illusion.

Shen Gali! Shen Gali!!

"Bang!" Entering the house, Nan Liujing yanked the wheelchair and slammed it to the ground, then sat down and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

It didn't work.

He pushed open the bedroom door: "Shen Gali, get up."

Shen Gali slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the clock, and closed them again: "It's six o'clock. I'm asleep. Good night."

Nan Liujing grabbed him without a word and dragged him outside: "Take a look at what you've done."

Half-asleep, Shen Gali was pulled out the door. The sky after the rain was painted with brilliant red clouds, unobstructed as far as the eye could see.

He raised a hand to block the light, shamelessly: "A gift for you."

Nan Liujing gritted his teeth, his jaw jutting out.

He pointed at the bare yard: "You want to piss me off so you can inherit from me early, don't you?"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze.

Nan Liujing's sharp brows gradually softened, and disbelief filled his eyes.

On the distant horizon, flaming red clouds clustered like scales, resembling a phoenix spitting tassels, scattering into brocade.

The once pure white salt field had a thin layer of water rippling on its surface, like a smooth mirror reflecting the sky.

A straight, slender horizon split the world in two, the perfect replica making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion.

Nan Liujing's tightly clenched fists slowly loosened, his pupils trembling, dyed a passionate red by the sunset.

The Mirror of the Sky—the place he had longed to visit but never knew when he'd get the chance—was right before his eyes.

Shen Gali glanced at him silently.

"All good? If so, he was going back to bed."

Oh, and: "Happy birthday."

The lingering sunset clouds dispersed in the silent wind. Though they deliberately kept their distance, in the vast world, they seemed tightly intertwined.

Arriving promptly at six-thirty, Shen Lanqing rang the doorbell repeatedly with no answer. Worried something had happened to Shen Gali, he climbed over the wrought iron gate into the yard, only to see this scene and hear Shen Gali's indifferent "Happy birthday."

"Thud!" The bouquet fell from his hands, the water on the ground soaking the card tucked among the flowers.

The words on the card—"Happy birthday, brother. Let's be together forever"—blurred with water stains, edges frayed.

His lips trembled and his eyelids flushed red.

He had prepared all day, hoping for a wonderful evening with his brother. Yet his brother was saying "Happy birthday" to another man.

His lazy brother, who never replied to messages, had cut down trees and laid down salt for this man's birthday, creating a perfect, stunning view.

What was so good about Nan Liujing? A cripple stuck in a wheelchair forever—how could he give his brother the happiness he deserved?

His shoe crushed the flower petals. Shen Lanqing strode away, his fingers clenching, nails digging deep into his palms.

Back at the suburban villa, he violently tore at the tablecloth, smashed all the plates and bowls, and gripped a sharp knife and stabbed it furiously into the tabletop.

Shen Lanqing darkens 50%—

...

Not until the sunset had faded and the sky turned clear did Nan Liujing finally snap out of it.

He had been mentally preparing himself to say "thank you," but when he turned around—

Where had that big Shen Gali gone?

No need to guess; he'd definitely gone back to bed.

People who sleep too much are idiots.

Nan Liujing called his hotel to have dinner and a cake delivered, lit the candles, and placed a bouquet of pink roses in the middle of the long table.

Then he blew out the candles and removed the bouquet.

Otherwise, wouldn't Shen Gali think Nan Liujing had a crush on him?

He went upstairs, rarely knocking of his own accord, but this time he did, and since Shen Gali knew Uncle Li wasn't there, he just kept his eyes shut and ignored the knock.

Nan Liujing thought for a moment, then called Uncle Li and put it on speaker.

"Mr. Shen?"

Shen Gali sat up and opened the door.

Looking at the phone, Shen Gali clenched his teeth (gritting teeth meme).

Nan Liujing hung up the phone, his voice low: "Come down, there's something for you."

"No."

Shen Gali didn't want anything, except for the underground CBD.

"It's something you want," Nan Liujing said.

"I don't believe it," Shen Gali said, not buying it. There was no way he'd go downstairs and see Nan Liujing had dug out a matryoshka-style underground palace for him.

"You'll regret it," Nan Liujing lowered his voice, saying each word slowly and deliberately.

Shen Gali didn't understand. Was that supposed to scare him? In a few decades, everyone is just a pile of dirt. What's there to regret in front of King Yama?

He sent the guest away, closed the door, and lay back down.

Not long after, the door was pushed open, and a huge gift box was thrown onto his bed.

Shen Gali moved over a bit to make room for the gift box and closed his eyes again.

Nan Liujing couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Shen Gali's hand and guided his hand to unpack the box.

A round, plump cotton doll popped out with a "bang."

Shen Gali slowly formed a question mark in his head.

What... is this thing?

In all his years, he had never seen such an ugly doll. The suit on it was held together with double-sided tape, and on its bald head were three strands of yarn sticking up. The stitching was so messy that even Uncle Li would have thrown it out as trash.

And the best part? The damn doll was cross-eyed.

There was even a damn blood handprint on its shirt.

A cursed doll!

The doll's expression was fierce, clearly an object of evil.

Nan Liujing silently hid his hands behind his back, looking down at him arrogantly. "A gift."

Shen Gali: "I see, you want to curse me with this."

Nan Liujing: ?

He knew each word, but put together they made no sense.

Didn’t he like dolls? Why was his expression so flat?

Because Shen Gali said he liked dolls, Nan Liujing had pulled several all-nighters, stuffing cotton every day, a man who'd never even held a needle, now wearing a thimble and threading it, his hands pricked like a pincushion, accidentally leaving a blood-stained handprint on it.

But he was unmoved?!

“Say you like it.” Nan Liujing had never endured such hardship; his temper flared as he ordered arrogantly.

Shen Gali: ...

There were already enough ugly things in this world, and this man had to add more trash.

“You said you liked dolls.” Nan Liujing gazed at him, his eyes dark and deep.

It wasn’t that his efforts weren’t recognized—it was that Shen Gali didn’t seem interested at all.

Shen Gali couldn’t recall where he’d said that, but he had indeed said it.

But definitely not this cursed doll.

Shen Gali hated beating around the bush and said bluntly, “It’s ugly. Would you like it? What I want is the doll in the storage room.”

Nan Liujing was about to say that if someone gave him this thing, he'd have Uncle Li throw it out, but he couldn't lose face.

“I like it.”

Shen Gali shoved the ugly doll into his arms: “If you like it, take it. If you want to give me something, give me the one in the storage room.”

That doll was just as unappealing—it looked like a mini clone of Nan Liujing—but for some reason, holding it made him sleep especially soundly.

“That one’s not for you.” Nan Liujing closed his fingers, his tone growing colder.

Shen Gali couldn't care less why. If it couldn’t be given, it couldn’t be given. Knowing the reason wouldn’t get it for him.

Forget it, time to sleep.

As soon as he got into bed, in the darkness, Nan Liujing spoke in a low voice: “Do you know why I can’t give it to you?”

Shen Gali: I didn't ask, you don't need to tell me.

“That doll was given to me by my mother on my sixth birthday.” Nan Liujing's voice sounded like it came from a distant lifetime, tinged with a trace of loneliness.

Shen Gali: I seriously didn't ask. Stop talking to yourself.

Nan Liujing’s eyes slowly dropped, as if lost in recollection of the past.

He had planned to let this secret rot in his belly forever, because the conniving people around him didn't deserve to know. But somehow, learning that Shen Gali liked that doll so much stirred a strange fluttering in his chest.

He thought, maybe this person would understand me.

Nan Liujing’s biological mother came from a prestigious family, a well-known lady of high standing whose suitors could line up all the way to the neighboring city. But she wasn’t interested in any of them; she fell head over heels for Nan Feng at first sight and took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance.

To her, this man in his thirties had a fatal allure, but he wasn’t interested in her. The more she couldn’t have him, the more she wanted him. Under pressure from his father, Nan Feng married Nan Liujing’s mother.

Their marriage was far from happy. No matter how hard his mother tried, Nan Feng remained cold and rarely came home. She thought having a child would change things. In their first year of marriage, she gave birth to a son, whom they named Nan Liujing.

In ancient lore, Nan Liujing represents the sun.

But contrary to expectations, Nan Feng was not only cold towards his mother, but also exceptionally distant with Nan Liujing, never even calling him by his childhood nickname, always addressing him sternly as "Nan Liujing, come here."

Insisting on chasing someone who doesn't love you is bound to end in utter ruin.

His mother learned of Yu Huaisu's existence, even knew that woman had secretly borne Nan Feng a child, and that Nan Feng often brought Yu Huaisu home under the guise of a "friend."

His mother dared not ask, fearing that once she voiced it, their marriage would truly be over.

The long-suppressed depression and resentment, the unrequited love transformed into a hatred that grew legs, spreading wildly through her body. It formed a cage that trapped her, suffocating her until she could barely breathe.

After that, his mother's mental state grew unstable. She would often talk to the wall, asking strange questions, then answering herself with a cackling laugh. Eventually, it escalated to the point where she vented her fury on the young Nan Liujing, barely five or six years old, raising a sharp knife and demanding to know why he had betrayed her, even lifting him high as if to throw him to his death.

Occasionally, she would have moments of clarity. When she saw the child covered in bruises, she would hold him and sob uncontrollably, repeatedly expressing guilt and remorse. Later, she handed him a pair of scissors, telling him that if she relapsed, he should use them to kill her.

This doll was a birthday gift that his mother, in a rare moment of lucidity, had sewn for him on his sixth birthday.

But after that day, she never regained lucidity.

In the end, his mother lay in the hospital, emaciated like a withered rose, crying and begging Nan Liujing to remove her oxygen mask.

Nan Liujing was still young at that time, but he understood that his mother was in immense pain. The mental torment had turned into physical agony, tearing her body apart.

Without hesitation, Nan Liujing removed the oxygen mask, tears streaming down his face, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, softly bidding her farewell.

When others rushed in, what they saw was Nan Liujing personally removing his mother's oxygen mask.

The labels "pervert," "demon," and "murderer" were mercilessly slapped onto a six-year-old child. The world never cares to trace the root of evil; it simply believes what it sees is the truth.

Nan Liujing hated that doll—it always reminded him of his unbearable past.

Several times he tried to throw it away, but could never bring himself to do it, because looking at the doll reassured him that his mother had loved him, and always would.

Just before his mother breathed her last, Nan Feng sat by her bedside, assuring her that he would raise the child well. But before the first seven days of mourning were over, Yu Huaisu moved in, bringing along her four-year-old son.

How could a perfectly good stair railing suddenly break, precisely on the route that six-year-old Nan Liujing took every day? This coincidence left him bound to a wheelchair for twenty-three years.

Nan Liujing wanted to tell his father that if he didn't love her, he could have simply not married her, but looking at Shen Gali, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Some things are beyond one's control.

He had become a demon just like his father, filling himself with fear and robbing himself of peaceful sleep.

Shen Gali lay in bed, with his eyes tightly shut, breathing evenly, as if asleep.

But he wasn't asleep.

He had listened to the entire story without missing a word, and wondered—was this also why his own biological father, whom he had never met, cruelly abandoned him and his mother?

If you don't love someone, you can simply not marry. Is it that hard to understand?

The room was silent. Nan Liujing stared at Shen Gali for a long time, thinking he was asleep.

A soft sigh echoed in the darkness.

It was better that he hadn't heard, he thought. Who would accept someone who removed their own mother's oxygen mask? Living under the same roof as such a person would be frightening.

Nan Liujing turned to leave.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him.

Looking back, he saw Shen Gali sitting up.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, forming a hazy halo around his body.

He still looked groggy, rubbing his sleepy eyes, and said softly, "I suddenly feel like some cake."

Eating something sweet on a birthday: so his mother in heaven could share the sweetness with him.

Nan Liujing chuckled softly: "Alright."

Shen Gali always felt Nan Liujing was different from the overbearing CEOs in novels. He ate simple home-cooked meals for all three meals, rarely indulging in luxury abalone or shark fin, never splurging millions on birthday parties. He was quite frugal, and even the birthday cake was just an ordinary twelve-inch fruit cake, with only the two of them in that vast house.

Nan Liujing, for once, took the initiative to cut a piece of cake for Shen Gali, and it was the piece with the most fruit.

"Shen Gali," he suddenly said.

Shen Gali slowly looked up. The next second, a dollop of cream appeared on his cheek.

A smile tugged at the corners of Nan Liujing's lips, his fingers still bearing the traces of his crime.

He thought, given Shen Gali's vengeful nature, he would surely retaliate by smearing cream back on him. This was a scene he had seen on TV—two protagonists smearing cake on each other, playfully tumbling into an embrace.

Ha, childish. What adult would do such a thing?

But, it would be fun.

He raised both hands in a defensive stance, only to see Shen Gali looking at him askance, looking thoroughly disappointed.

Nan Liujing: ...

Not quite what he imagined.

"Fun, is it?" Shen Gali said flatly. "Wiping food on your face—wasting food and water."

So he couldn't understand such behavior. Did people actually enjoy it?

Try it?

Adhering to the principle of not wasting food and water, Shen Gali's eyes slowly shifted to the trash bin.

He pulled out the bag containing sauce...

Nan Liujing watched him dip a finger into the sauce and felt a wave of intense unease.

He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly, eyeing Shen Gali warily as he approached: "What are you doing?"

Shen Gali: "Getting revenge."

He raised his sauce-coated finger and aimed it at Nan Liujing's face.

Nan Liujing grabbed his hand: "You can't put that stuff on someone's face!"

Shen Gali: "Are you allergic to it?"

Nan Liujing: "Not really."

Shen Gali gave up arguing and leaned his full weight onto Nan Liujing, using his body to pin down his resisting hands.

The next second—

Nan Liujing was too strong. Every time the sauce approached his own face, he forcefully pushed it away. Tired, Shen Gali gave up on revenge.

He lowered his hand, his head lolling weakly into Nan Liujing’s shoulder and neck, his entire body clinging to him, motionless.

In that instant, Nan Liujing’s body went rigid.

He hated overly intimate physical contact. Getting too close felt like all his inner thoughts would be exposed, revealing the carefully hidden blind spots to others.

He didn’t want blind spots in his life.

“Your heart,” Shen Gali murmured with eyes half-closed, his voice faint. “It’s beating so fast.”

Nan Liujing froze for a second, then turned his head away. “My heart has always beaten fast.”

Was that true? He didn’t know. But one thing was certain—his heartbeat was now so fast that even he could feel it.

After that, Shen Gali said nothing more. When Nan Liujing looked down, he realized the man had fallen asleep again.

With the other person asleep, the already spacious room grew even quieter. So quiet that a falling needle could be heard. And that only made his own heartbeat louder.

In the silence, his sense of smell became sharper. Nan Liujing knew that Shen Gali had a unique fragrance. He had once asked Uncle Li what brand of laundry detergent Shen Gali used. Uncle Li said they all used the same detergent, and he had never noticed any special scent on Shen Gali.

Then Uncle Li told him that the reason Nan Liujing could smell that special fragrance on Shen Gali was a matter of genetics.

The human body constantly secretes pheromones. These pheromones aren’t detected through the nose, but through the vomeronasal organ on the bridge of the nose. This organ has a filtering function—only the pheromones one is interested in can be detected. In other words, it’s determined by an individual’s genetic makeup whether they can perceive the pheromones another person’s body releases.

Nan Liujing looked down at Shen Gali.

So, my own genes chose him.

?

How strange.

Can genes not only control the perception of another’s pheromones, but also influence the brain’s desire to approach and touch that person?

As he pondered this, his hand seemed to have completely left the control of his brain, silently moving to rest on Shen Gali’s lower back.

Was it also a genetic choice to find a man’s body soft? Otherwise, why had he never thought Uncle Li was soft?

Troublesome genes.

Nan Liujing quietly gazed at Shen Gali’s sleeping face—cleansed by moonlight, yet warmed by a hint of candlelight.

He breathed a soft sigh of relief. “Happy birthday.”

After a long pause, he added, “Next year, let’s celebrate your birthday together too.”

When Uncle Li returned from the neighboring city, it was already past midnight. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was stunned.

He rubbed his eyes to make sure he hadn’t walked into the wrong house.

The once lush garden landscaping was now completely bare, as if stripped down to the dirt. Shocked by this and the unusual silence, his mind immediately conjured up an image of the young master dismembering Shen Gali and cooking him in an iron pot.

Uncle Li stood frozen like Edvard Munch’s *The Scream*, then proceeded to make a spectacle of himself, scrambling in panic.

“Young master! Absolutely not! In your current physical condition, if you end up in jail, you can’t even operate a sewing machine!” Uncle Li wailed as he rushed through the door.

The next second, his cries abruptly stopped.

The pristine white tablecloth reflected the flickering, gently trembling shadows of the candle flames. Though the candlelight was small, it was enough to illuminate every corner, casting all sorts of shapes and shadows.

And by the floor-to-ceiling window, the two figures were wrapped in the tender, warm candlelight—peaceful and serene.

Nan Liujing had fallen asleep in his wheelchair, with Shen Gali lying sound asleep in his arms. As if afraid he might roll off, one hand gently supported his lower back, and in his sleep, he patted it every now and then, as if soothing a child.

Uncle Li immediately dropped his dramatic expression. Smiling through tears, he silently pulled out his phone and opened the camera, aiming it at the two.

*This old man is shipping them so hard. I never thought I’d see the day the young master sheathed his claws and fangs, docile as a little lamb. His soothing pats are completely out of rhythm and stiff, but it’s his first time doing this—he tried his best.*

Thinking of the typical lines from CEO romance novels, Uncle Li couldn’t help but murmur, “I haven’t seen the young master this gentle in a long time.”

After all the hardship, joy finally came. Uncle Li cried joyfully, took over a hundred photos, then covered them both with a blanket, blew out the candles, and quietly slipped into the study.

*

When Nan Liujing woke up, Shen Gali was still asleep, having spent the entire night lying on him in that awkward position.

He wanted to shake him awake, but when his hand reached out, he hesitated.

In the end, he just pulled the blanket up a little higher, his gaze drifting toward the window, where the salt marsh was covered by clear water.

Wait, what was that?

Outside the window stood a stone pavilion with a line stretched from one side to the other, hung with photos.

He wheeled his chair closer to take a look—

The photos showed him holding Shen Gali as he slept last night. Hundreds of photos, all of the same scene, with only slight variations in movement. And there was Uncle Li, humming a tune, hanging up the photos…

Not only that, but when Nan Liujing turned around, he saw that the living room wall had also been arranged with photos into a giant heart, gently fluttering in the draft…

Uncle Li… if you don’t want your salary, just say so.

Whatever, I’ll let it slide this time.

But when he looked down, he found Shen Gali had woken up at some point, still in that same position, staring blankly at the photo heart wall.

Nan Liujing instinctively explained, “I didn’t put those up.”

Shen Gali nodded dazedly, got off him, and rubbed his sore lower back and hips.

He didn’t care who put them up. He just said, “As expected, you’re not as comfortable as my mannequin.”

With that, he walked away.

Nan Liujing clenched his fingers tightly into a fist.

This guy really has a knack for pissing people off.

Back in his room, Shen Gali grabbed his phone and glanced at it.

Hundreds of text messages, over a hundred missed calls—terrifying.

Despite the volume of messages, they came from only a few annoying people, with one or two texts and calls from Bai Wei interspersed.

Bai Wei!

Shen Gali perked up and opened the text messages:

"Li Li, good morning! (*^▽^*) Happy birthday. May the days ahead be guided by your heart and may all your wishes come true. I've prepared a birthday gift for you. Let me know when you're free; I'd like to visit and deliver it in person. Looking forward to your reply — Bai Wei"

The message was sent at 7:00 AM the previous day.

To avoid the harassment of texts from annoying people, he ignored his mother's eagerly anticipated message all day. What kind of person does that?

He quickly called Bai Wei back, frantically coming up with an apology in his mind.

Bai Wei answered promptly. Shen Gali said good morning to her and explained that he hadn't checked his phone the day before. Bai Wei said, "It's okay. I guessed you were busy. Did you have a good day yesterday?"

Her voice was gentle and soothing, alleviating most of Shen Gali's concerns.

"Happy..." Of course, it wasn't happy, but to avoid worrying Bai Wei, he could only say pleasant things.

"That's good. By the way, I have a gift for you. Are you free tonight? I have a shoot during the day, and I'll bring it to you in the evening, okay?"

If it had been anyone else, Shen Gali would surely have said, "No time. No time for the next year either. Don't come." But if it was his mother, it was different.

"Can I come to you?" He didn't want Bai Wei to make an extra trip after a full day of shoots just to deliver a gift. Besides, his patience wouldn't allow him to wait until evening.

Bai Wei readily agreed and gave him her address.

This was the first time Shen Gali felt the need to dress up properly. The last time Bai Wei had seen him, he was sweaty and disheveled. This time, he was determined to redeem himself in her eyes.

He pushed aside the Lolita dresses and laid out all the clothes Nan Liujing had bought him on the bed.

Damn. He had no sense of style. What to do?

After thinking for a while, he stood at the stairwell and said to Nan Liujing below, with a blank expression, "Come up. I'll give you a chance to shine."

Nan Liujing thought: ?

Shen Gali thought that with Bai Wei as the driving force, changing clothes would be less painful.

But it was still awful. He didn't understand why shirts had so many buttons. Couldn't they just be pullovers?

After fastening two buttons, he was pinned to the bed, like a pure young man forced into a shameful situation. Staring at the ceiling, he mechanically fumbled with the buttons, his heart feeling dead like ashes.

Nan Liujing sat beside him, having done nothing, yet inexplicably feeling the guilt of forcing someone into prostitution.

Finally, the buttons were all done up. Shen Gali weakly spread his hands. "Does it look good?"

A light, clean pale yellow shirt over a simple white T-shirt, with high-waisted straight-leg jeans that accentuated his long, straight legs perfectly. Perfect for the hot summer, looking fresh and neat.

Nan Liujing curled his finger. "Come here."

Shen Gali didn't want to move. "Just say it from over there."

Without another word, Nan Liujing pulled him up, steadying his waist with one hand while tucking the shirt into the waistband with the other.

His waist and hips were slender and straight, without any extra fabric even when the shirt was tucked in. The outfit matched his light hair color perfectly.

Shen Gali checked the time and rushed downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Nan Liujing called after him.

Shen Gali didn't feel like answering. He didn't think he had to tell him his itinerary.

Nan Liujing wasn't one to keep hounding him either. He just told Uncle Li to get the car ready.

In the car, Shen Gali sighed deeply and couldn't help asking, "Why are you following me?"

Nan Liujing looked straight ahead and chuckled. "Is there a law saying I can't go where you go?"

And after dressing up so elaborately, he wanted to see who he had dressed up so carefully for.

Shen Gali glanced out the window. "No. In that case, let's act like we don't know each other."

Nan Liujing found it amusing. "Is knowing you something to be proud of?"

"No, so for heaven's sake, don't say you know me." Shen Gali was secretly delighted. That's exactly what he was waiting for. Please don't disturb his reunion with his mother.

Nan Liujing glanced at him and snorted coldly.

The address Bai Wei gave was a studio behind Changteng Entertainment. Shen Gali got out of the car, while Nan Liujing had Li Shu park at the back door. He would take a different route to avoid being seen.

As soon as Shen Gali arrived at the entrance, the ponytailed girl rushed up to him excitedly, introducing herself as Bai Wei's assistant. Bai Wei was in the middle of a shoot and had sent her to bring Shen Gali inside.

Shen Gali's normally calm heart was beating with an unusual rhythm. His mother's shoot—he wanted to see it.

The studio was large, with several AC units blowing directly on people, but it was still stuffy due to poor sealing.

With a light wave of his hand, he discreetly wiped his forehead.

Good. Cool and sweat-free. Mom, here I come.

He heard from the assistant that Bai Wei was shooting a jewelry ad today. In reality, his mother had never worn any accessories to save money—not because she didn't like them. Why else would she stop in front of a shop window, unable to walk away from diamond necklaces?

Today, he would see his mother shining in front of the camera in fine jewelry. For the first time, Shen Gali felt that being alive wasn't so bad. There would always be someone who made you start to like it a little.

Inhale—exhale—

In an unnoticed corner, the jewelry brand's representative respectfully led Nan Liujing to another corner of the studio, thoughtfully offering him a cold drink.

There were many people in the studio, including staff and other artists involved in the shoot. But it was completely different from what Shen Gali had imagined. He didn't see Bai Wei shining; instead, he saw a pretty-boy throwing a fit.

Though Shen Gali didn't know celebrities, he could tell at a glance that this pretty-boy was a big star. He sat in a director's chair, legs crossed, surrounded by dozens of assistants and staff, all hunched over, fawning over him.

The pretty-boy was drinking an iced coffee, his face as white as if coated with flour. His features were delicate and handsome, but his eyes were unpleasant—arrogant and overbearing.

"Mom... Sister Baiwei, where is she?" Shen Gali hadn't seen Bai Wei and felt uneasy.

Bai Wei's assistant sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Sister Weiwei had a small disagreement with her ad partner—that's him."

She gestured with her chin toward the pretty-boy. "He said his wrist is whiter and more delicate, so it's better suited for that platinum fine diamond bracelet. But Sister Weiwei and the advertiser had agreed on another solid gold bracelet. He thinks gold is cheesy, flat-out refuses to wear it. Sister Weiwei said to take a breather and went to the restroom."

Shen Gali:?

Was he... in the Qing Dynasty? Meeting an Aisin Gioro?

"Between him and Sister Baiwei, who's more powerful?" Shen Gali wasn't familiar with industry jargon, so he asked bluntly.

"You mean status, right?" The assistant lowered her voice. "Naturally, it's Sister Weiwei. But..."

She hesitated.

"But this Pei Jing... has a big shot investing heavily to support him. Hard to say what the relationship is, but that big shot is really not to be trifled with. So the other party has been acting arrogant. The director and the crew can't do anything about him."

The assistant grew more aggrieved. "Sister Weiwei has an interview to rush to at four. If he keeps dragging it out, she's going to be late."

As they talked, Bai Wei came out of the restroom. When she saw Shen Gali, her stiff, cold expression relaxed a bit.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Bai Wei smiled brightly, sizing up Shen Gali. "Are you hot? I'll have my assistant grab you a cold drink?"

Shen Gali glanced out of the corner of his eye at the young assistant, face flushed from the heat, and shook his head with a smile. "I'm not hot. I had a drink on the way."

"Oh, right, let me introduce you." Bai Wei led Shen Gali over to a middle-aged man. "This is Director He, the head director of the commercial shoot."

Director He was sitting off to the side, organizing his gear, while the other staff had all gathered around the pretty boy, fanning him, serving tea, and showered him with flattery.

Shen Gali felt awkward. Although he hated socializing, since it was his mother's introduction, he thought... well...

"Hello, uncle." He gave a slight bow.

Director He let out a low "hmm" and casually glanced up, then looked away out of habit. But halfway through turning his head, he suddenly stopped and then jerked his head up to stare.

His lips trembled, and he couldn't help standing up. "Who is this?"

Bai Wei smiled. "It's a child very close to me, his name is Shen Gali."

Director He's eyes already large and round were now as round as brass bells. His eyes widened in shock. "Which company's newcomer? I haven't seen him before."

"He's not a celebrity, just an ordinary student. He just graduated recently and came to visit the set today," Bai Wei said.

Director He's Adam's apple bobbed as he asked in a shaky voice, "Kid, would you like to give it a try?"

Shen Gali: No, reject first and then reject again. But... try what?

"You know Lancer Jewelry, right? High-end luxury. The brand specifically wants Bai Wei as their endorser, but since the jewelry is unisex, they also need a male endorser. So today we're doing auditions." Director He glanced at the pretty boy named Pei Jing not far away and deliberately raised his voice, "He's not willing, so how about you give it a try?"

Shen Gali: No way. Last time I shot a campus promotional video, it already wiped me out.

But if he didn't do it, wouldn't that pretty boy keep wasting his mother's time? She's very busy, okay? That guy has no sense of timing.

Shen Gali, ready to go all out for his mom: "Then let's give it a shot."

"Crash!" As soon as he spoke, a glass hit the floor with a sharp crack.

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound—

The pretty boy named Pei Jing finally stopped lounging with his legs crossed. He stood up, seething with anger, and let out a disbelieving "Ha!"

"What did you say? Him? The audition?"