Chapter 63

All the red billiard balls rolled into the holes, ping-pong, announcing the outcome of this game.

Yan Zhao blinked, his vision alternated between light and dark. After confirming that there was only one lonely cue ball left on the table, and Shen Yuanting scored the remaining substantial points, he confirmed that Shen Yuanting had won.

His face flushed with excitement, he rushed over and praised him without hesitation: “Brother, what kind of divine technique is this? So cool!”

The young man’s eyes shone brightly, like a sprinkle of stars, making Shen Yuanting’s heart soften, and he smiled at him: “I promised to win back for you.”

Yan Zhao was ecstatic: “I knew you would win!”

Shen Yuanting asked, “Really? Is that what you really think, or did you change your mind after seeing me win?”

Yan Zhao didn’t notice the lack of confidence in his tone, and said: “What are you talking about, in my heart, you have never lost.” He was proud as if the winner was him.

Shen Yuanting was slightly stunned, for a moment, he wanted to hold Yan Zhao in his arms, without any lust, just purely kiss him lovingly.

But before he had time to do so, he was interrupted by Shan Zhou’s loud voice: “I’m not as skilled as you, I lost.”

Shen Yuanting didn’t humble himself with him, he never made such a pretense, just said: “You are great.”

Shan Zhou laughed boisterously, gracefully accepting his praise. He usually had no special hobbies, other than watching the news or engaging in fitness and sports, but unfortunately, the people around him can’t beat him. Finding a worthy opponent was rare, so he intended to recruit two members and make some billiard friends: “Are you interested in joining the QW Snooker Club? We could play together regularly.”

Shen Yuanting: “No, thanks.”

He was already a member of this club, although they deducted the membership fee from his card every year, but Shen Yuanting hadn’t visited in a long time, and he saw no need to tell a stranger about this.

Yan Zhao also has no intention of joining. Compared to billiards, he is now more obsessed with being a winner.

Being rejected, Shan Zhou was not frustrated or annoyed, just nodded at them and said: “I have to eat to replenish energy, see you again if we are destined.”

Then he rubbed his neck, took out the old-fashioned phone, and sent a scathing message to his friend who had left him there, and left leisurely.

There was a casino on the third floor. Yan Zhao and Shen Yuanting went to play, and saw Sheng Xin persuading Ying Hongyu to bet on big or small.

Yan Zhao said: “If you want to play, play by yourself, why force someone else to gamble?”

Sheng Xin replied: “Hongyu is lucky!”

Ying Hongyu: “Don’t worry, if I lose, it’s on him.” Sheng Xin was trying to cheer him up by inviting him to play; losses were on Director Sheng, and winnings were his.

He was trying to cheer himself up, but Ying Hongyu felt even worse.

Yan Zhao found an excuse to pull Shen Yuanting aside and asked, “What is their relationship?

Shen Yuanting replied : “…Unrequited love?”

Yan Zhao nodded thoughtfully and didn’t ask any more.

There is no result in loving a straight man.

The cruise ship arrived at the destination at four in the afternoon.

Yan Zhao had to return to the set to continue filming, and Shen Yuanting accompanied him to the airport. In the quiet VIP waiting room, the man handed him a keychain.

A small one, with a black back and a white belly, two pointed little ears on the head, and a very arrogant cat face.

It’s a Wang Zai wool felt.

Shen Yuanting: “I wanted to use cat fur, but it wouldn’t stick.”

The keychain was soft and light, Yan Zhao held it in his palm, speaking softly, afraid to blow it away: “Did you poke this yourself? It’s so cute.”

Shen Yuanting: “You’re even cuter.” At home, a row of small things made of cat fur are all tied next to Wang Zai’s hammock.

Yan Zhao looked at him with slanted eyes: “Are cat balls also cute? Wang Zai seems to dislike it, all of them have been sat on and ruined.”

Shen Yuanting: “Just the wishful thinking of a neutered cat.”

Shen Yuanting is skillful, even made Wang Zai’s slim tail, and under the tail, there were two little balls, one black and one white, forming a yin-yang symbol.

Yan Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, Wang Zai’s wish was fulfilled here: “You’re overdoing it, Wang Zai has lost his soul.”

Shen Yuanting: “The model is for reference only, the actual product may vary.”

Yan Zhao: “I really want to record this sentence for Wang Zai to hear.”

Far away at home, Wang Zai slowly woke up, curling up his cat legs, and began licking the fur on his belly.

The days with balls are so far away.

It was almost time for Yan Zhao to board his flight, he observed the man’s facial expressions, knowing it might be ten days to half a month before they could meet face to face again.

Yan Zhao: “Take a picture for me before I go.”

Shen Yuanting was about to take his phone, but Yan Zhao said, “Use yours, to leave you a keepsake.”

Yan Zhao, dragging his suitcase, left Shen Yuanting with a side profile photo. According to him, a side profile was more suitable for showing off.

After Shen Yuanting finished taking the photo, Yan Zhao said: “I finally became a star who poses for farewell photos at the airport.”

Shen Yuanting replied: “This is a photo I took for you, it doesn’t count.”

“Oh…” Yan Zhao said, “Can I post it online?”

Shen Yuanting glanced at him and didn’t speak.

Yan Zhao knew that he had a strong possessiveness, so he said: “I won’t post it.”

Shen Yuanting smiled helplessly, “Post it if you want to, after all, you’re mine.”

Yan Zhao laughed and praised him: “Your photography skills have improved!”

Shen Yuanting watched as Yan Zhao’s figure disappear at the boarding gate. After a few minutes, a push notification appeared on the top of the mobile phone screen. Yan Zhao had posted the photo on Weibo: [You have to miss me a lot.]

The tone was intimate and ambiguous.

In the comments section, fans who were clueless about the truth howled:

[I miss you, I miss you, I miss you every day.]

[The wild geese in the sky sometimes line up in a straight line, sometimes in the shape of a person. When I take a closer look, they line up into the two words ‘miss you’!]

[Don’t worry, I’m now going to worship Buddha with my grandmother every day. She offers incense to the Buddha, and I vote for you on the side.]

There was also a fan who remembered him almost tripping when boarding the ship:

[Brother looks much better, it seems that he has had a good rest on the cruise ship!]

[You must take care of your body, otherwise Salt Soda will cry in front of the crew!]

He was well-loved by everyone, and Shen Yuanting couldn’t help but smile, and left a comment: [Waiting for you to come back.]

Yan Zhao messaged him on WeChat: [I’ll call you when I get off the plane.]

Shen Yuanting: [Okay.]

Yan Zhao: “Next time we meet, you can use this photo as a standard to see if I have lost or gained weight… then, you can do as you please.”

Before Shen Yuanting could reply, Yan Zhao quickly sent another message, making his escape: “About to take off, turning off my phone! Bye!”

Shen Yuanting let out a sigh, finished flirting and ran, huh… bad habit, it needs to be corrected.

He casually refreshed Yan Zhao’s Weibo, and suddenly found a new comment being topped: “Zhao Zhao, promise me, don’t post such deadly angle photos anymore! I’m going to unfollow!”

Shen Yuanting: “…” How come Weibo doesn’t have a dislike function.

…

“Trace Back to That Night” is an anthology series, mostly telling the stories of others, with the past of the male protagonist, Zhou Ye, interwoven throughout. This protagonist had a period of despondency—his initial ambition wasn’t to be a forensic doctor. To him, the dead were long gone, and it seemed more meaningful to save the living than to deal with the dead. This thought lingered with him for a long time as he aimlessly got by in life, until the death of a good friend completely changed his creed.

Wei Zhengping was a narcotics police officer, who shared the same ideals as Zhou Ye. During a mission, he lost contact with the police and disappeared for five years. People said he was dead, that he had betrayed them, and the final outcome seemed to be a mix of both—he committed suicide in the suburbs, and the autopsy showed he had developed a drug addiction.

But Zhou Ye didn’t believe Wei Zhengping would betray everyone. The friend he knew was an upright and just idealist. To clear his name, Zhou Ye proposed to conduct another autopsy, this time by himself—

Wei Zhengping’s part wasn’t much, just two or three days of shooting. To save money, the director invited an acquaintance to cameo for free.

When Shan Zhou joined the crew, Yan Zhao had just changed into his costume. The shirt and a white lab coat were a perfect match, but he wore the medical mask on his chin and had a lollipop in his mouth, sitting on the autopsy table, killing the cold abstinence vibe in its cradle.

Shan Zhou realized, “So you’re Yan Zhao.”

He already knew who he was for a long time, but Yan Zhao still lightly replied in the same form of acknowledgment: “So you are Shan Zhou.”

Shan Zhou laughed and said: “I’ve heard your name, but I just couldn’t match it to your face, sorry.”

Shan Zhou was a busy man, his schedule only allowed for a short three-day shoot.

Following Shan Zhou’s suggestion, they decided to shoot in chronological order, as it was easier for the actors to immerse themselves emotionally. Although moving the shooting location was more costly than flipping pages, it was deemed more effective for developing the male protagonist’s emotions.

But the director was troubled, “It rained a few days ago, and the outdoor set is flooded, we can’t shoot until at least tomorrow. Ah, this film city really needs some repairs, especially the drainage system, it’s embarrassing.”

So, they started with the indoor scenes, which were the last ones.

People outside the autopsy room whispered, “Is that necessary? His betrayal is a foregone conclusion.”

“Have some sympathy, they were good friends…”

“But whether evidence from this autopsy will be accepted is hard to say; it was already a favor from the director to let him—”

As the figure in a white lab coat appeared, the whispering stopped abruptly.

Shan Zhou closed his eyes, breathing slowly and calmly.

For a movie star to shoot a TV drama was considered a downgrade, but the director had shown him kindness, so he didn’t bother about what others say.

However, meeting Yan Zhao here was somewhat unexpected for him. The director had been boasting on WeChat every day about securing a great actor, claiming this show could easily sweep all the major awards. It turns out that the person he was talking about is “Yan Zhao”.

“Tian Yuan” is the biggest blockbuster of the year. Shan Zhou had also heard of its great reputation, but he was filming abroad at the time and had forgotten about it upon returning to the country, so he didn’t recognize Yan Zhao’s face.

“Pass me the scalpel.”

In the darkness, Yan Zhao’s indifferent voice came through. The operation of the scalpel would be shot separately; this scene mainly focused on the micro-expressions of the actors, which was a pity for Shan Zhou, who had his eyes closed and couldn’t see.

“There is an abnormality in the stomach, further tests are needed.” Yan Zhao recited his lines, accompanied by the rustling sound of a recorder taking notes.

After the autopsy was completed, the recorder went out to submit the record. In the empty room, Shan Zhou suddenly heard a gasping sound, somewhat trembling. Only when a person’s emotions are about to collapse, will they make such a sound.

Shan Zhou thought, at least the audience listening to this scene with their eyes closed, could feel the emotions of “Zhou Ye” on the verge of breaking.

“Cut.” The director praised, “The performance is good without tears flowing out.”

Shan Zhou opened his eyes and climbed down from the autopsy table.

Yan Zhao, wearing a mask, pulled down the rope with his fingers skilfully. His eyes were drooping, filled with sorrow, anger and despair to the extreme. He blinked, and a tear fell out, and only then did Shan Zhou understand what the director meant earlier.

However, Yan Zhao quickly snapped out of his acting state and walked over to the monitor to review his performance, and said “I think this part can be improved, should we reshoot?”

Shan Zhou followed him, stared at the monitor for a while, and then looked at Yan Zhao.

Yan Zhao: “…Is there a problem?”

Shan Zhou: “Your acting is quite good, I’m looking forward to acting with you.”

Acting as a dead person doesn’t require acting skills, nor does it require acting against each other.

Yan Zhao caught the meaning in his words and asked, “So you weren’t looking forward to it before?”

Shan Zhou coughed: “I’ve heard Director Fang praise you, but I only believe what I see with my own eyes.”

Yan Zhao raised his eyebrows: “Oh.”

…

At night, Shen Yuanting had just finished a remote meeting. The door handle of the study room clicked as it was pushed down. Wang Zai opened the door by itself, swaggered in, and hopped onto Shen Yuanting’s lap, kneading and purring.

After kneading, it was time to sleep.

Wang Zai didn’t drool randomly while kneading nor did he extend his claws; he only used his paw pads to knead.

Shen Yuanting touched its head, took out an unprocessed file, and looked through it with cold eyes.

After Yuye and the Shen family joined forces against Yuanzhao, the company’s affairs had indeed become much busier.

But he was used to these, and he handled them with ease.

Besides the company’s documents, there were also some other materials on the desk.

For example, the rising data of the Shen Yan CP… or the recent activities of certain people.

For example, Ning Yunfan had received a script and was making connections, hoping to make a comeback.

And then there was Yu Wei actively clashing with Shen Zhuo, the two seemed to be on the trend of reconciling, which made Tang Jingyan very nervous, affecting the distant relatives of the Tang family she had placed in the Shen group.

In the past, he might have explored what Yu Wei was planning, but now, she could do whatever she wanted as long as she didn’t bother him.

Now, most of his emotions were invested in one person.

Shen Yuanting took a shower, came out of the bathroom, and saw the breathing light on his phone flashing.

He checked it and saw that in the middle of the night, Yan Zhao, not sleeping, had rambled on about a lot of things and sent him a selfie.

Seeing the photo that revealed a large portion of his collarbone, with his chest also vaguely visible, Shen Yuanting knew that Yan Zhao must have been drunk.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to flirt with him in the middle of the night.