Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Changteng Entertainment Studio.

"Go, Sister Weiwei! Everything went smoothly with today's shoot!"

"Sister Weiwei, you got this!"

A large crowd of fans had gathered near the studio, kept behind barriers outside the activity area, but their enthusiasm for their idol remained undimmed.

As Bai Wei stepped out of the van, waves of screams erupted one after another.

She wore a crisp white blouse with ruffled sleeves, neatly tucked into black trousers, her entire look clean and sharp. Her high ponytail of long, wavy hair swayed in the breeze, the tips brushing against her slender, fair neck. Her face was free of makeup, yet still fresh and youthful, as she calmly waved and greeted each fan.

Among the fans were teenage girls holding up homemade support signs, calling out "Sister!" with tears of excitement in their eyes.

Shen Gali's taxi pulled up right behind her. Seeing Bai Wei, the gloom of early morning melted away. He was about to step forward and greet her—

"Hey." A familiar male voice sounded from behind.

Shen Gali turned to look. A foreigner—familiar face, but who was it?

Seeing his bewildered expression, Evan fully expected him to have forgotten his name again and reached out his hand first: "I'm Evan Rosander, the general agent for Lancer. We've met several times."

Shen Gali's brow slowly unfurrowed.

Oh, the Western ATM, that's who it is.

Shen Gali nodded at him as a greeting.

It wasn't that he deliberately tried to get Evan's attention this way; it was just his nature. He rarely bothered to remember people's names or faces—too much of a hassle, and awkward when he got it wrong. Besides, everyone was just a passing acquaintance, no need to get too invested.

And there was no reason for Evan to personally oversee the commercial shoot of a spokesperson. He had tons of underlings to handle it, so it shouldn't have been his responsibility. Yet he'd blown off an important negotiation meeting and come to the set in person.

The fans nearby, upon seeing him, assumed he was a model participating in the shoot and began snapping pictures frantically.

"Swear to god, next life I'm kissing a foreigner's mouth."

"Deal!"

Without any prima donna attitude, the shoot went smoothly and quickly. In addition to the duo shots of Bai Wei and Shen Gali, they also needed a solo shot of Shen Gali.

He wore a loose, casual white shirt and sat at a table, one hand clenched into a fist under his chin. The camera zoomed in for a super-clear close-up of the golden ring on his ring finger.

The ring was designed in the shape of a laurel branch, with a delicate diamond embedded in the center of the flower, wrapping around his slender, fair finger.

Shen Gali was always like this—expression blank, without a smile, unable to produce any meaningful expression as the director demanded.

But this very break from traditional ad techniques opened the door to a new world for the director!

In Greek mythology, the laurel tree was associated with Apollo, the sun god. Legend says that Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus, was exceptionally beautiful and sought freedom all her life. Unable to bear Apollo's pursuit, she begged her dad to turn her into a laurel tree. When Apollo learned of this, he was heartbroken and made a vow to the laurel tree:

"May your leaves be evergreen, adorning my hair and my lyre, making you the symbol of the highest glory."

Thus he expressed his longing and admiration for Daphne.

And in the shot, although Shen Gali's expression was not lively, it perfectly matched the emotions of this myth.

His face, originally aloof with a hint of melancholy, was accentuated by the gold, symbolizing wealth, highlighting an extreme, decadent beauty. Under the metaphor of the laurel branch design, it was as if people could see the eternally glorious sun god Apollo dimming his light for his beloved, the world losing its color, elevating the simple word "love" to a holy shrine, a sacred thing even the gods of power and wealth couldn't reach.

Watching the shoot from the sidelines, Evan stared at the camera, unable to look away for a long time.

If he had to draw a comparison, perhaps Shen Gali was like Apollo itself—born into wealth and power. In his short life, he had seen all kinds of beauties, but they were fleeting passersby, leaving only shallow memories.

No one had ever been like Shen Gali, using countless claws to grip the deepest part of his memory.

"Director," Evan dropped his voice, "can I have a copy of the sample footage?"

The director hesitated. Normally, such commercial samples couldn't be circulated before the official ad release. But since it was the brand asking, there was no reason to refuse.

Still, what did he need it for?

"We'll do some simple adjustments and touch-ups before sending it to you."

"No need, just give me the original footage."

After the commercial shoot officially ended, Bai Wei came over carrying her small lunchbox. Opening it revealed neatly arranged, exquisite pastries, each sparkling and translucent as if carved from crystal, using some unknown method.

Not even bothering to take off his makeup, Shen Gali picked up a piece of light purple grape milk custard, took a bite—tangy-sweet, and it melted in his mouth.

He couldn't help but think of his mother from that other world. On days off, she also liked to make pretty little pastries and bring them to the orphanage to share with the children. The kids felt her motherly love and would hug her and call her "Mom" enthusiastically. He even got jealous of the other kids because of it, but his mother always had a way to cheer him up.

And Bai Wei, after her divorce, she'd been devoted to supporting orphanages, often visiting the children and bringing them homemade snacks. She always clung to hope that her own son might be one of them. If he were, she hoped her good deeds would bring him blessings and fortune, that his life would be full of warm, kind people who would love him in her place.

Watching Shen Gali’s silly expression as he licked the cream from his fingertips, she felt the relief of having found what she lost, mixed with regret for not witnessing her son's growth.

But no matter how many years of bond had been lost, she always believed a mother and child are connected at heart. When they met again, they would be bound together again by the invisible bond of family ties.

Bai Wei pulled out a wet wipe and gently cleaned Shen Gali's fingers, as if taking care of a little child: "If you like it, Mom can make it for you every day, okay?"

Whether she was forty, sixty, or eighty, this boy would always be her little one.

Shen Gali hugged the pastry box and nodded: "Sure, don't share it with anyone else. Just for us two."

He'd share anything, but he couldn't bear to share his mom's love.

As they were chatting, Evan approached:

"You two must be tired from the shoot. It's still early. If you both are free, I'd love to take you to dinner. Would you do me the honor?"

Bai Wei replied, "Then we'll thank Mr. Rosander for his treat."

Shen Gali didn't want to go. He figured that with Evan's nitpicky nature, his mom would end up waiting on him hand and foot. But since his mother had agreed, he had no reason to refuse.

Evan’s original intention was to invite only Shen Gali, but with so many eyes around, if word got out, it could be misconstrued. So he had to include Bai Wei as well, making it seem like the brand was simply treating the spokesperson to dinner, which was reasonable and appropriate.

Bai Wei's reason for agreeing was simple: Evan and Huanhai Electronics were in the process of negotiating a partnership. As a member of Huanhai Electronics, it would only benefit the company's future cooperation for Gali to build a good relationship with Evan in advance.

The dinner venue was again the British restaurant where Shen Gali had been treated last time.

When the waiter saw this guy, his heart sank.

"Not again?! Have mercy on us! Even though you didn't file a complaint last time, the boss figured it out from the look on your face when you left that our service was poor and docked our pay in anger. Once is enough, but twice and thrice?! This British dude just wants to make our lives miserable!"

This time, the waiter was more cautious than ever, and even the restaurant owner personally came to serve.

The owner, also British, had lived here for decades. Besides perfecting local specialties, he had also learned a few Chinese dishes.

He respectfully handed over the menu. Evan glanced at it, then closed it and placed it on the table, asking instead:

"Don't you have braised pork belly and green pepper beef?"

The boss broke out in a cold sweat: "Mr. Evan, what you mentioned are traditional Chinese home-style dishes. Our restaurant is an English-style restaurant and currently does not serve such dishes."

Evan was silent for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and asked the two across: "Well then, how about we switch to a Chinese restaurant?"

Shen Gali gritting his teeth.

Has he already gone crazy, finding fault through another method? Looking for Chinese food in a Western restaurant, and saying it's not intentional?

He was already exhausted from a day of shooting ads and didn't want to move again.

Before he could speak, the boss suddenly interrupted with a flattering smile: "Mr. Evan, please wait a moment. Isn't it just braised pork belly... We have it!"

The final "have it" was almost forced out through gritted teeth.

Damn it, now that he thinks back, the employees had miserable faces explaining it wasn't their fault, and he didn't believe them. Why didn't he believe them? Got slapped in the face!

The boss never imagined that one day he would roll up his sleeves and race against time tossing the wok in the kitchen, flames leaping from the wok, sweat pouring like a waterfall, while a group of blonde, blue-eyed Western chefs stared in awe, clapping and marveling at his culinary skills.

Luckily, the little Chinese cooking knowledge he had learned back then hadn't all been returned to the teacher.

Half an hour later, the drenched restaurant boss made a grand entrance with dishes like braised pork belly.

As a service industry professional, he knew well that the customer is God. Even if the other party was riding a donkey looking for a horse, he could lead a mule over.

He thought this gentleman would be satisfied, but—

Evan looked around, slowly raised his eyes: "Excuse me, but for Chinese food, didn't you prepare chopsticks for us?"

Boss: ...

He would never forget this humiliating day. As a leader in the Western dining industry, he was betrayed by a foreigner.

Bai Wei and Shen Gali across were equally silent. They looked at the boss's sorrowful, tearless face and silently mourned for him in their hearts.

Bai Wei said: "Soba is a very famous Western restaurant. Its service philosophy is to make every expatriate feel the warmth of home. So, to give everyone a sense of belonging, whether it's the decor or the tableware and dishes, they strive to perfectly replicate Western characteristics. It's normal not to have chopsticks. We can use knives and forks."

She spoke to comfort him, afraid that the nearly two-meter-tall burly man would burst into tears in front of the guests.

Evan, however, disagreed. He looked at Shen Gali and asked softly: "How about I send a waiter to the nearby mall to buy chopsticks?"

Evan wasn't intentionally being difficult. His reasoning was simple: if Shen Gali couldn't adapt to the eating habits after returning to the UK with him, then he was willing to learn to use chopsticks for Shen Gali, even have the entire family learn. In such an environment, Shen Gali wouldn't miss home and could live peacefully with him.

Shen Gali was nearly annoyed to death by his scheming. He couldn't even be bothered to glance at him, saying coldly:

"Not good. Don't the waiters need rest? Spare the poor workers."

The waiters shot Shen Gali a grateful look with tears in their eyes:

A good person, this young man is definitely a good person!

Evan, scolded harshly, reined himself in a bit and scratched his head: "Well... knives and forks then."

During the meal, to regain favor in Shen Gali's eyes, he began to subtly flaunt his wealth:

"I have a very large garden in London, housing all kinds of rare plants from around the world. It's huge—you couldn't walk through it in a day. If you have time to come to London, I'll take you for a stroll."

Shen Gali thought of Nan Liujing's courtyard, which he had chopped into a barren wasteland, and reasonably suspected that this Evan was trying to trick him into the UK as free labor.

Evan continued: "I have an ancient ancestral manor on Lake Windermere in Manchester. From the top floor, you can see the entire largest lake in the UK. This season, goldeneye ducks inhabit it—it's very beautiful. Maybe you've seen Harry Potter? The Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed there. If you're interested, I'll take you to visit, and we can take a cruise to the island to buy souvenirs."

Shen Gali was speechless.

Souvenirs made in China? He could buy those in Yiwu as well.

Evan kept rambling, even though Shen Gali was completely uninterested and didn't want to respond. Although she didn't say it, Bai Wei could see Evan's intention: he wanted to coax Shen Gali into divorce and return to the UK with him.

Indeed, beauty is the original sin. My dear Li Li is the best.

Bai Wei finally couldn't help interrupting Evan: "Mr. Rossander, Chinese food is best enjoyed hot. Li Li hasn't eaten much all day. How about we eat first?"

Trying to destroy my son's marriage? No way.

Evan showed a hint of embarrassment, picked up chopsticks clumsily, his fingers twisting: "Sorry, I got too excited. Let's eat, let's eat."

After a silent meal, Shen Gali decided to stay at his mother's house for the night and texted Uncle Li that he wouldn't be home tonight.

Meanwhile.

Police cars roared through the streets, stopping in front of a narrow, cramped alley. Messy footsteps echoed through it, and a sanitation worker immediately approached, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he stammered to the police:

"It's inside—looks like a body. It scared me, I didn't dare look closely. Truly, if you live long enough, you see everything."

The sanitation worker didn't call the police immediately after discovering the abnormality. Overwhelmed by fear, he ran to the street shouting "Murder!", attracting many onlookers to investigate.

The narrow alley was already packed with the crowd. The police quickly dispersed them and set up a cordon to prevent further damage to the scene.

But when they approached to check, they were startled to find it was no corpse at all.

A young man, about twenty years old and looking like a university student, had been stripped of his clothes, leaving only a pair of boxer shorts. He was bound to a utility pole, and his exposed body was covered in large characters written with a marker:

"Scum," "Waste," "Parasite of society," "Should die."

The young man wasn't dead, just unconscious. When he woke up, he saw a dozen police officers surrounding him, with onlookers behind them holding up phones to take pictures.

A cold wind blew, making him shiver. Looking down, he realized he had been stripped and his body was covered in insulting words.

He burst into loud sobs, twisting his body to cover himself, but the police told him to endure a little longer for scene investigation to find evidence...

When the police asked if he had seen the suspect's appearance, the young man thought for a while and said uncertainly: "Seemed quite tall, wearing a baseball cap, didn't see the face clearly... they knocked me out with a bat."

Scene photos were quickly posted online by onlookers and immediately trended on social media.

Netizens who had watched many crime dramas jumped in to speculate, finally reaching a consensus:

"The criminal has a high level of education—the character for 'parasite' was written clearly. And the victim is also a university student. Perhaps it's someone they know."

Some also said:

"The perpetrator is definitely a psychopath. The victim is my classmate, outstanding in character and studies, always helpful. Everyone speaks highly of him, and I've never seen him offend anyone. Maybe he was just too excellent and attracted jealousy. This is truly an undeserved disaster."

While pitying the victim, people also lamented the unsafe world. Some even dragged out extreme statements, causing widespread panic, with many saying they'd better not go out in the coming days.

...

As soon as Nan Liujing got home, he habitually asked Uncle Li: "Where's Shen Gali?"

Uncle Li: "Mr. Shen just sent me a message, saying he's staying at Ms. Bai's place tonight."

Nan Liujing paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes. "Got it."

It was normal for Shen Gali to want to stay at his birth mother's place for a night after not seeing her for so long, but Nan Liujing inexplicably felt a hollow feeling. He went upstairs, pushed open Shen Gali's door, and didn't spot the usual slacker who'd been lazing in bed for years—only an unmade bed remained. A strange emotion welled up in his heart.

This was the first time Shen Gali had stayed out overnight since moving in, and also the first time he himself was spending the night alone at home.

He had gone out early to shoot an ad, but didn't send a single message to update him. Though he knew Shen Gali wouldn't text, he still waited all day. Near the end of work, he couldn't help but send a message asking if he should pick him up. There was no reply.

Fine, if he wasn't here, he wasn't here. No need to coax him into eating, no need to deal with his moods—he could enjoy some peace and quiet.

Uncle Li had specially prepared a lavish dinner to help the young master regain his strength. These past few days, the second young master had been new to the company and needed hands-on guidance, and the young master had visibly lost weight.

At the dinner table, Nan Liujing kept cutting into the steak on his plate. He sliced off a piece, brought it to his lips, but pondered for a while before putting it back, then continued cutting the next piece.

"No appetite, young master? Is it because Mr. Shen isn't here?" Uncle Li noticed the signs and deliberately pointed it out.

Nan Liujing shot him a cold glance, saying nonchalantly, "If I lost my appetite just because he's not home, how did I survive the first twenty-eight years of my life?"

Uncle Li smiled. The young master's tongue was sharper than diamond and granite combined.

To keep the young master from constantly thinking about the absent Shen Gali, Uncle Li tried to change the subject:

"Have you seen the news, young master? A male college student was stripped, tied to a utility pole, and had insulting words written all over him. Tsk tsk, what's this world coming to?"

In the original story, the villain had indeed done plenty of such things to the original protagonist. Perhaps having inherited that indifference from the original text, Nan Liujing remained indifferent:

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing, but the crime scene is near the old town, right along your commute. You should be careful."

Nan Liujing let out a soft sigh, put down his knife and fork, and said, "I don't have much appetite. Uncle Li, you finish it all—don't waste it."

With that, he wheeled himself upstairs.

Passing by Shen Gali's room, he suddenly stopped, backed away a few steps, and after a moment of silence, entered the room.

This house had only been his home since the marriage, about five months, and this room had welcomed its owner on the first day of their marriage.

Its owner was lazy, spending twenty-five hours out of twenty-four in bed, though occasionally diligent—like when he cut down his carefully tended garden without permission.

From Shen Gali's window, one could see the now-gone courtyard.

Since then, Nan Liujing had no desire to replant anything. The salt marsh remained, occasionally reflecting a stunning reflection of the sky on rainy days.

As a child, no one remembered his birthday. Though born into a conglomerate, he only got a simple little cake from Uncle Li on his birthday.

As he grew older, he gradually stopped caring. But then, more and more people, seemingly from out of nowhere, would send him rare treasures on his birthday, along with countless texts and calls wishing him "Happy Birthday, President Nan."

Perhaps because none of it was what he truly wanted, no matter how precious the gifts, they ended up gathering dust in the storeroom.

But this year's birthday was unexpectedly unforgettable, fulfilling a long-cherished wish.

In a daze, he seemed to be hallucinating, seeing Shen Gali lounging on the bed, asking him when he'd leave.

"It's my house, why should I leave?" Nan Liujing replied instinctively.

Hearing no response, he realized—Shen Gali wasn't home.

Was he so driven crazy by a single night apart that he was hallucinating?

Nan Liujing gave a bitter chuckle, about to turn and leave, then stopped.

After a long pause, he calmly stood up, climbed onto Shen Gali's bed, pulled his blanket over himself, and wrapped himself up like a cocoon.

Every corner of the room was filled with Shen Gali's unique scent—a special fragrance only he could smell—enveloping him completely.

Nan Liujing felt like a loser. His mind was filled with that deepening kiss, that burning skin, that flickering blue light, and those pale eyes staring intently at him.

If he stayed clear-headed, he wouldn't fall deeper.

He pulled out his phone, found Shen Gali's number, and quickly typed a few words to send:

"Miss you."

When will you come back? Come back soon.

Shen Gali was visiting Bai Wei's place for the first time. Unlike what he had imagined, it was a simple residential area—a residential apartment just over a hundred square meters, with very minimalist decor.

*

Only the balcony had received some attention, transformed into a fully enclosed glass greenhouse filled with Lisianthus. It wasn't blooming season, so only a lush green expanse was visible.

This was also Shen Gali's first time staying overnight since transmigrating into the book, and at the home of a mother who had died three years ago—it felt somewhat surreal, as if it wasn't real.

He carefully observed every small detail, becoming more convinced that Bai Wei must be his mother. Whether it was her living habits or decorating tastes, they were almost identical.

Even minor habits like how she placed her toothbrush were strikingly similar to his mother's.

Bai Wei cut up some fruit for Shen Gali, then busied herself tidying up his room and making the bed. She usually lived alone, so the other bedrooms were always empty. Luckily, she had a habit of airing out the bedding regularly, so her beloved Li Li wouldn't have to sleep in dust and mustiness.

Shen Gali helped make the bed, just like when he was a child—changing pillowcases and duvet covers with his mother, then playfully diving into the duvet cover and shouting, "Mom, guess where I am!" She wouldn't scold him for being mischievous but would play along, searching frantically:

"Where's my little treasure Li Li? You're hiding too well—Mommy can't find you anywhere!"

Then he'd jump out of the duvet and hug her tightly: "Mommy's a silly goose!"

Seeing Shen Gali lost in thought, Bai Wei guessed he might be tired and said, "Get some rest early. If you think of what you want for breakfast tomorrow, you can write it on a sticky note and stick it by the bed."

Shen Gali was taken aback.

It was exactly like when he was a child—before bed, his mother would ask what he wanted for breakfast. If he couldn't decide on the spot, she'd worry about disturbing his sleep by asking in the morning, so she'd tell him to write it on a sticky note and stick it by the bed. This habit continued for years, after which he rarely ate breakfast.

The ceiling light was turned off. Bai Wei said goodnight and gently closed the door behind her.

Shen Gali lay in bed, staring at the moonlit ceiling. Despite his usual love for sleep, he couldn't fall asleep now.

He got up, turned on the desk lamp, grabbed a sticky note, and chewed on the pen, pondering what to write.

But inexplicably, he wrote two words:

"Get out."

Get out?

Of course, it wasn't directed at his mother.

It just suddenly reminded him of Nan Liujing—that troublemaker who always loved to disturb his peaceful sleep, popping into his room every so often. When told to leave, he'd insist it was his house.

Why couldn't he sleep? Probably because he hadn't had that sweet pumpkin porridge today—one of the few flavors he truly loved.

His mind was a mess, making him more awake, but his mind kept nagging him to get some sleep.

After mulling it over, Shen Gali got out of the car and went to knock on Bai Wei's door.

Bai Wei thought he wasn't comfortable with the place, but Shen Gali said:

"Mom, I'm sorry, I'm hungry."

Bai Wei said, "I'll cook you a midnight snack."

Shen Gali shook his head, picked up a bowl from the kitchen, and said, "I'm going back for a moment and will be right back. Mom, don't wait for me; go to bed early."

Bai Wei was confused; she thought he had a favorite late-night food stall and started to put on clothes to accompany him.

Shen Gali held her hand; he didn't want his mom, after working all day, to go to any trouble for him, so he said firmly:

"Mom, go to sleep quickly; I'll be back soon."

Bai Wei suddenly understood his thoughts, chuckled softly, and said, "Will you really come back?"

Shen Gali said firmly, "For sure."