Chapter 95

In the second episode where Xiang Feiran saved the day, the show set a new viewership record, even surpassing the first season of that year. Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating more of him on screen, rumors began to spread from the subsequent recording sessions—Portney had replaced the drummer again, and Xiang Feiran was no longer present.

“Portney’s performance was great, and the new drummer is also good, but he’s not Xiang Bo. Over.”

“They signed a non-disclosure agreement, so they can’t say much. The host on site asked several times if Xiang Bo would come back, but the lead singer’s response was that Xiang Bo only agreed to help for two episodes.”

“Before Portney appeared, it was all ‘Wow, wow, wow,’ and after Portney appeared, it was ‘Ah, ah, ah?’ Hilarious. Who says the rock circle doesn’t care about looks? It used to be embarrassing to watch before!”

“With a bit of connections, the show offered several million for an appearance (note, per episode), but they still couldn’t get him.”

The public’s memory for new faces and events is as short as a goldfish’s. Amidst the daily influx of new trends and topics, with the steep drop-off of exposure, Xiang Feiran eventually faded from the public eye as he wished.

In retrospect, he was the victim. Originally, he needed to hire a secretary for daily administrative work, but due to this incident, to avoid a flood of irrelevant resumes, he had to postpone the hiring plan and endure the hassle of handling his own invoices and reimbursements.

The finance department had a sour attitude towards everyone; misaligned invoices were treated as a grave offense. The only exception was Xiang Bo, who was treated with starry-eyed enthusiasm: “Mr. Xiang, can I ask you a question for my child?”

“Mm.”

Typically, she would ask about the Olympiad or studying in the U.S. directly. Based on past experience, it was more likely that she would pull out a competition question.

Finance: “Does playing the drums help with brain development?”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

Fortunately, there were no annual party performances in the department, or he would have had to show off his skills at the year-end party.

Time progressed steadily into late September.

After attending an academic conference in Copenhagen, Xiang Feiran was called in on his first day back at the department.

Also in the office were a well-known documentary director named Yang—one of China’s top nature documentary filmmakers; an official from an external provincial publicity department; and a representative from a prominent nature conservation organization.

These individuals were not strangers to him. Over the past two years, they may have met at various conferences or exchanged business cards. Their presence here was quite clear—he was about to be sent out on a new assignment.

The department leaders expressed their inability to help; after all, he was famous now. While many scholars could handle documentary narration, the higher-ups specifically requested him.

“Don’t take it too hard, Xiang Bo,” the director said, patting him on the shoulder. “You said it yourself. As long as the attention on you can be converted into attention on nature conservation, it’s all good.”

For the first time, Xiang Feiran experienced what it felt like to be shooting oneself in the foot.

The location for this documentary was a tropical rainforest, with the departure set for a week later.

Xiang Feiran’s team was working on research related to the regulation of flower development networks, examining the effects of whole-genome duplication events on these genes. He had to move the team meeting forward, organize their progress and difficulties, and spend two all-nighters revising their submitted papers.

On the day of departure, Xiang Feiran traveled light. From waiting at the airport to boarding and throughout the flight, he was busy reviewing and commenting on the backlog of manuscript submissions.

Upon landing on the island, as he descended the gangway and took the shuttle bus, the warm, windy climate reminded him of the time he landed in Hong Kong years ago.

Strange, although he hadn’t thought about Shang Mingbao during the two days he was sharing at the forum, in the similar wind, he absentmindedly recalled the feelings from that night.

It was also a shuttle bus and nighttime. At the end of the queue waiting to board, the tower lights were cold, and he was eager to see her, having been apart for just ten hours.

After collecting his luggage and arriving at the arrivals hall, the production team had sent a special person to pick him up. The whiteboard sign prominently read “Xiang Bo,” and another sign displayed the name of the documentary.

A young woman from the production team, named Hui Wen, who had previously chatted in the group, said, “Oh, Mr. Xiang, you’re out so soon?”

Seeing his carry-on, she continued, “Professor Fu is on the same flight as you and is likely waiting for his luggage. I’ll take you to the car first; he should be arriving soon.”

She explained on the way, “Professor Fu was recommended by her mentor to join the team. They are working on a Chinese local tropical flower anatomy guide, so it won’t affect our shooting schedule. Also, Teacher Xiaobao will arrive tomorrow morning. He has connections with Director Yang and will be joining the recording as well.”

Xiang Feiran displayed an indifferent detachment, nodding slightly. “You handle it.”

After boarding the business vehicle and waiting a moment, the electric door was quietly opened again. Xiang Feiran, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, was busy replying to emails on his phone. Hearing the noise, he lifted his gaze slightly and said, “Nice to meet you.”

Hui Wen introduced him, “This is Professor Fu,” then turned to the girl, “This is Mr. Xiang; you must know him.”

“Of course,” the girl named Fu Yu said with a smile, “Hello, Mr. Xiang.”

With everyone gathered, the business vehicle headed straight to the city hotel. That evening, a small welcome banquet was held in the banquet hall. Shang Mingbao and Essie had just finished packing their two suitcases.

The production team was contacted by Essie. She was an assistant with a keen eye for opportunities. Seeing Shang Mingbao struggling for inspiration on tropical plants, Essie used her internal connections to secure a spot for her in this documentary project, successfully arranging for her to join as a self-funded external staff member.

After a year of investigation, Shang Mingbao trusted Essie’s abilities and let her handle the arrangements.

In the suitcase, the camera was still the set she had used when following Xiang Feiran. She also packed a large stack of blank loose-leaf notebooks and sketch pads. Although she initially didn’t want to bring an assistant, Sophie insisted that Essie accompany her in case she needed help.

Before eleven, Shang Mingbao turned off the lights and went to bed.

The night in the rice fields was exceptionally quiet, with crickets chirping long and short, keeping her awake as she dreamt about the flight to the island the next morning at five.

The drive from the hotel to the forest was nearly six hours. Time was tight, and after breakfast at 8:30 a.m., the entire crew prepared to depart.

“Mr. Xiang, you and Professor Fu will sit in this car,” Hui Wen had already assigned the seats.

Xiang Feiran had reviewed manuscripts until 2 a.m. the previous night, slept for three hours, and then attended a multinational meeting at around 5 a.m. By now, he was on the edge of exhaustion, with his brain shutting down all energy-consuming choices. He was flexible about the arrangements and showed a notably accommodating and quiet demeanor.

Once in the car, after greeting the driver, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The window was slightly lowered, and with the sun not fully risen, the outside was buzzing with sounds of the island’s fountain.

“Teacher Xiaobao’s car has arrived,” someone called out. “Hui Wen!”

Hui Wen’s voice was heard from the window, getting closer then fading away: “Teacher Xiaobao, thanks for your hard work. The early flight was exhausting.”

The voice of Teacher Xiaobao was very low.

Another voice continued in greeting on her behalf: “Not at all, it’s good that we weren’t late; otherwise, it would have delayed everyone’s departure.”

More idle chatter drifted through Xiang Feiran’s confused subconscious.

Suddenly, the voice drew nearer, and Hui Wen introduced: “Today’s drive will take six hours. If you need to use the restroom, you can do so now at the hotel.”

Shang Mingbao shook her head.

“823, 823…” Hui Wen muttered the license plate number—each guest’s car was a BMW X3, all sponsored, all identical. She looked at the plate number and remembered, “Oh, right, this is Xiang Bo’s car.”

There are probably more than one Xiang Bo with a doctorate in China; why would hearing “Xiang Bo” make one’s heartbeat skip?

Shang Mingbao lifted her eyes, not having time to think or show any expression. She simply passed by the half-drawn dark car window under the morning sun—

The head resting against the back of the rear seat, black hair covering white skin, the face slightly tilted down, thin lips naturally pressed together.

Shang Mingbao’s mind went blank.

That moment was as slow as a slow-motion shot.

As they were about to pass the window, those closed eyes unexpectedly opened, meeting Shang Mingbao’s gaze with a dark, clear, emotionless look.

Unable to show any emotion, he was sleepy, in a dormant state.

The slow-motion shot ended. The glance exchanged with him stole the time; she walked past his window, her steps unable to halt.

“Xiang Bo is very busy; he was replying to emails the whole way from the airport yesterday,” Hui Wen said with a carefree tone, showing her ignorance of the world.

Essie covered her mouth: “Oh, My, God!”

She couldn’t believe it: “Xiang Bo? Is he the consultant for this documentary?”

Hui Wen proudly replied: “He’s the on-screen host.”

Essie’s voice, though lowered, still betrayed her excitement: “How did you manage that?”

Hui Wen laughed it off and directed them to another BMW X3: “This is your car.”

Once in the car, Shang Mingbao’s pupils remained unfocused.

“Babe, why is your face so red? Are you allergic?” Essie asked with concern. “You should put on some sunscreen.”

Shang Mingbao was reminded and touched her face with the tips of her fingers—she wasn’t wearing makeup! She hadn’t had time to wash her face! She must look very ugly and haggard…

“I’m going to use the restroom. Can you tell Hui Wen for me?” She pushed the door open and quickly ran into the hotel’s revolving door.

The ladies’ restroom was fragrant, and Shang Mingbao splashed cold water on her face, examining the redness and faint dark circles under her eyes, trying to judge her complexion in the harsh lighting.

She applied some rose-colored lip gloss and, after leaving the corridor, unexpectedly ran into Xiang Feiran, who had just gotten out of the car.

“…”

“Feiran…” Shang Mingbao mouthed silently.

Xiang Feiran narrowed his eyes slightly and tilted his chin a little.

“Xiang Bo.” Shang Mingbao stopped herself just in time, using a neutral address.

She had only called him that in bed before.

The fleeting emotion on Xiang Feiran’s face faded, returning to his usual emotionless, dormant state. “Good morning.”

“Good… morning?” Shang Mingbao hesitated, but Xiang Feiran had already passed by her, as if he neither questioned nor cared about her presence here.

In the restroom, she turned on the faucet to its maximum and splashed cold water for two minutes.

She didn’t actually need to wash her face; the moment she saw her, he had already been fully awake.

Returning to the car, a girl named Fu Yu had also arrived and greeted him warmly: “Mr. Xiang, sorry for the disturbance.”

Xiang Feiran nodded slightly: “No need to be polite.”

He was clearly absent-minded, his thoughts elsewhere, his gaze drooping with distraction, his whole demeanor filled with detachment.

The convoy set off, heading toward the tropical rainforest hundreds of kilometers away.

Shang Mingbao clutched her phone, the heat from her palm fogging a small area on the screen.

“Xiang Bo looks even better in person than on TV,” Essie’s topic never strayed from him. “No wonder the audience went wild when he removed his mask in that episode.”

Shang Mingbao responded with an “Mm.”

Should she send Xiang Feiran a message to explain something? If he misunderstood and thought she came specifically for him, he would be angry and dislike her, right? This was work; he surely wouldn’t want personal matters mixed with professional ones.

“I’m so envious of his ex-girlfriend; she had him at his best—wasn’t he incredibly handsome in his twenties?”

“No, no change,” Shang Mingbao replied instinctively.

Essie: “?”

Shang Mingbao realized and corrected herself: “I meant in the photos.”

“That’s true,” Essie said thoughtfully. “It also depends on genetics; some people age a lot in just a year.”

Shang Mingbao: “…”

She turned to Essie and seriously asked, “Do I look much older?”

“You’re only twenty-seven…” Essie was stunned by the question, examining her closely. “But if you have poor habits, you do look a bit haggard. People online call it ‘tired ugliness.’”

When accompanying him on trips to the wild, with poor food and uncomfortable sleeping conditions, she never thought about whether she looked worse because youthful collagen is the best beauty treatment. When suffering from altitude sickness and losing her glow, he would still unthinkingly say she was cute. Shang Mingbao now lacked the confidence to throw up in front of him; if she had to, she’d do it from a distance.

After over a hundred kilometers, the convoy stopped at a rest station, finally allowing them to stretch their legs.

Essie went to the restroom, and Shang Mingbao remained in the car. After a while, Hui Wen came to knock on the car window: “Teacher Xiaobao, come on, let’s get out and stretch. The weather is nice today.”

She had thought of her as a shy, reticent girl, easily intimidated.

Shang Mingbao had no choice but to get out of the car.

In the open-air parking lot, the production team’s vehicles were parked in order, with bright yellow paint marking the straight lines. Xiang Feiran was standing there, chatting with the other consultants for the documentary.

“I’ll introduce you,” Hui Wen said warmly. “You joined the team late and missed the welcome dinner last night, so you must feel a bit out of place.”

As one of the producers, Hui Wen knew everyone’s roles and the underlying relationships. She had come from Director Yang’s side. Although Director Yang had been vague and unwilling to give details, he had specifically instructed not to neglect any tasks.

Before the two girls could get close, the casual conversation had already ceased, and everyone was watching them.

Xiang Feiran’s gaze was indifferent, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his athletic pants.

No one knew that he was swallowing hard.

“Everyone, let me introduce this person. This is Teacher Xiaobao, a jewelry designer. She is joining our recording team and the research group mainly for fieldwork,” Hui Wen said clearly, then introduced each person one by one, mentioning their titles and affiliations, such as professors from various centers and researchers from botanical gardens.

Xiang Feiran was introduced last.

“This is Xiang Bo, Teacher Xiang Feiran. You must have seen him on the trending searches,” Hui Wen said with a smile.

Xiang Feiran did not show any reaction. His eyes, distant and indifferent, briefly settled on Shang Mingbao’s face.

Shang Mingbao didn’t want to trouble him and awkwardly attempted to appear as if meeting him for the first time: “Hello, Teacher Xiang. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Xiang Feiran remained expressionless and after a long pause said, “Hello, Teacher Xiaobao.”

Hearing him coldly pronounce “Teacher Xiaobao,” Shang Mingbao pressed her lips together, her ears visibly reddening under the bright sun.

“Oh, right, you’re not in our group yet,” Hui Wen said, snapping her fingers. “I’ll add you to the group now.”

The production team had several groups. Hui Wen added Shang Mingbao to the group with the consultants and guests.

After chatting for a bit, it was time to prepare for departure, so everyone returned to their cars. Shang Mingbao’s car was parked at the end of the lot, right after Xiang Feiran’s.

The consultants and Hui Wen got into their cars, leaving the two of them walking under the sun.

In reality, it was no more than fifty meters, but Shang Mingbao felt… so happy.

So happy.

Even though they were silent and no one spoke.