Yao Shen looks up at Xin Hulei's stony expression and tries to disguise his panic as confusion.
"Uhm?" he says, trying to buy himself some time.
Xin Hulei doesn't repeat himself, but he crosses his arms in front of his chest, and his eyebrows draw a little tighter over his eyes.
There's no way Yao Shen can come up with a credible explanation on the spot, he needs to think things over.
"We don't have time right now, I'll tell you later," he says, and after patting Xin Hulei awkwardly on the shoulder, leaves to go stand besides Bi Jialu until Director Chen tells everyone to go again.
Eventually, they get through both scenes without any issue two more times, and Yao Shen keeps avoiding Xin Hulei and the issue entirely. Always finding something else to do when it looks like Xin Hulei is going to come closer to him.
He keeps trying to come up with plausible excuses but nothing comes to his mind.
The problem is that, realistically, there's nothing he could need a ghost's help with!
He has lunch with Bi Jialu, which he feels terrible about, first, because Bi Jialu is happy to be eating with him again, and has a lot of crew gossip to share, but also because he can feel Xin Hulei's eyes boring into the back of his skull from where he's seating with Tan Liansi across the hall.
While he's eating, he gets a text message.
[Jia Hao: Don't think that because that guy is a demon that I'm going to let the issue slide, you still owe me!]
[Jia Hao: I can bother you when he's not around, just wait!]
[Jia Hao: Hair will grow on your feet for breaking a promise!]
Eventually, Yao Shen just gives up an sends him a single text:
[Yao Shen: meet me in my trailer in five minutes]
The lunch break is almost over, so it's not like Yao Shen will have a lot of time, but Jia Hao will just continue to make his life hell if he doesn't get this sorted once and for all.
---
Jia Hao is already waiting for him when he slips inside his trailer, sitting down on a counter with his legs and arms crossed.
"Why has Gao Wu stopped replying to my texts?" he asks, his lower lip sticking out.
Yao Shen sighs and rubs his temples. "Because the way you texted him makes you sound like a manic stalker!"
It's clear that Jia Hao doesn't expect that answer because all his anger deflates immediately. "Did he...did he say that?" His arms fall to his knees, he starts worrying at the ugly, distressed, denin with the corner of his nail. He looks so young when he drops his cool guy act.
Yao Shen's is used to see him animated and full of life, it's easy to forget that he's dead actually, and that he died tragically young at that.
"No, not in those words," Yao Shen says, walking up towards Jia Hao and leaning against the counter he's sitting on.
"I've never had a boyfriend," Jia Hao admits, his shoulders slumping. "It wasn't exactly easy back...well, you know..."
Yao Shen nods, he does.
"It's not your fault, it's just that all these technologies weren't around in your time," Yao Shen says, trying to sound comforting.
"You must think I'm really stupid," Jia Hao says, with a derisive smile.
Yao Shen's throat tightens painfully, he shakes his head.
"Do you know why I even like him?"
He doesn't, but Jia Hao isn't waiting for an answer.
"I was walking through the main streets, when I saw this shop selling TV's. It was showing some drama, two boys wearing high school tracksuits, one of them was crying." He keeps his head lowered, gaze fixed on his knees. "One of the boys was confessing to the other one."
He shifts around, letting his legs drop from the counter.
"I couldn't look away after that. Gao Wu was playing the boy being confessed to. He told his friend that while he couldn't return his feelings, we was very flattered and wished him nothing but happiness in the future, and hoped they could remain friends." His voice grows heavy and gravelly, for a moment Yao Shen almost believes he'll start crying. "They hugged after that, he kept holding his friend until the stopped crying."
"You should tell him that," Yao Shen says, dabbing at his eyes with his knuckles, trying not to ruin his makeup. "Tell him how much his role, and that scene meant for you."
Jia Hao shakes his head and hugs one knee to his chest. "That would be embarrassing. I only told you because it's not like I like you."
Yao Shen snorts, letting out a watery chuckle. "Thanks a lot."
"No problem."
"Anyway, embarrassing or not, actors act because they want to leave a mark on people's lives. They want to know, or at least believe, that something they did changed something for the better."
He stops talking suddenly, remembering how much seeing Xin Hulei act impacted him, too. How it was seeing him that made him decide that he would be an actor, no matter what his dad said.
An actor's work changed his life. He has berated Xin Hulei enough for the whole actor survival show fiasco, but he has never thanked him for being the one to push him into seriously pursuing an acting career.
Maybe he should change that.
To Jia Hao he says again, "I think you should be honest with why you admire him, but don't come on too strong, let him get comfortable with you first."
Jia Hao nods, kicking his leg forlornly back and forth against the counter.
"After all, you might have liked him for a long time, but he doesn't know you yet."
At that Jia Hao shoots Yao Shen an accusing glare. "Well, he didn't know you that well before starting talking with you, even asking you out."
Yao Shen doesn't want to get into all the ways in which a face-to-face relationship is more intimate than a relationship over text, and how it takes more time to build trust when you don't get to talk in person with someone.
"Well, in his defense, it's not like he can see you," Yao Shen says, and immediately regrets it, when Jia Hao hangs his head head.
"That's right...there's no point in talking with him, it's not like he can see me, and even if he did so what?" He holds out his arms to encompass his entire ghostly existence. "It's not like we can touch."
That's true, objectively, but Yao Shen doesn't want to be the one discouraging Jia Hao -- besides, who knows how these things work, really? Certainly not Yao Shen.
"Don't be like that, you never know, besides you're talking with him now...that's a good thing." He wants to pat Jia Hao on the shoulder but remembers belatedly why trying to do that would be a bad idea -- probably a cruel reminder too.
"I'm going to talk with Gao Wu, I promise he'll text you." Jia Hao gives him an uncertain look but eventually nods, climbing down the counter.
Just before he disappears, Yao Shen tells him, "Share something about your life, before you died. You might be surprised at how much you have in common. That's how you'll grow closer to him."
True to his word, as soon as Jia Hao is gone, Yao Shen texts Gao Wu:
[Naughty Ghost: Hey there, didi, about those screenshots: I'm sorry if my friend scared you, I promise you he's not a stalker, he just really admires you, for some pretty personal reasons. Like I said, he grew up really sheltered, and that wasn't easy for him. I won't go into detail, because it's not my place to tell, but perhaps he'll open up with you. Just give him a chance to explain himself.]
By the time he gets back to set, Gao Wu still hasn't replied to him.
---
The rest of the day passes in a blur, with no sign of Jia Hao anywhere, so Yao Shen assumes that Gao Wu must have gotten back to him at some point.
Yao Shen manages to avoid Xin Hulei pretty easily the rest of the day, which probably means that Xin Hulei is staying out of his way on purpose -- which is a little upsetting, but Yao Shen still hasn't come up to any plausible reason as to why he would owe a ghost a favor.
He's feeling a little sorry for himself lounging around in bed switching channels aimlessly, when Xin Hulei shows up in his room in the usual flurry of flames.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask again," he says, climbing into bed next to Yao Shen.
Confused, Yao Shen makes room for him, but then remembers the ghoul, who could show up at any moment and report that Yao Shen is getting cosy with Xin Hulei and still not giving him the stupid gu insect.
"You know what? Why don't we go to your place?" Yao Shen says, jumping out from the other side of the bed just as Xin Hulei gets settled.
"Why can't we stay here?"
Yao Shen shrugs. "I just like your place better."
Xin Hulei doesn't question him, and takes his hand before whisking them away.
---
Yao Shen is under the impression that maybe they can cross something else off the spreadsheet, but Xin Hulei is quick to disabuse him of the notion:
"Sleep," he says, and kisses Yao Shen on the forehead before getting comfortable on his side of the bed.
Okay, so he might not ask any more questions about what Jia Hao said, but he's still going to punish Yao Shen for keeping secrets.
Yao Shen guesses he deserves that.
He pecks Xin Hulei on the lips with an indulgent sigh, and whispers "Goodnight," under his breath.
Not long after he falls asleep, Yao Shen realizes he's dreaming.
He's not in the brothel like usual, but he's somewhere equally ancient. It kind of resembles the Frozen Peak sect grounds.
After he gets his bearings, he notices a figure in light coloured robes in the distance, with a mole under his eye. He almost gasps when he recognizes Yan Shuyi. In front of him, and with his back to Yao Shen, is a tall man in bright red robes.
Yao Shen's heart tightens when he realizes what he's watching.
And then he notices the person standing next to him, crouching behind a thicket of bushes, watching the other two undetected.
His mouth falls open in shock, as he looks into the beautiful face of the person he fell asleep with.