Bi Jialu leaves after making arrangements for Yao Shen's flight back to Beijing tomorrow.
All of this is so sudden he can barely catch his breath.
Maybe if he was a more prolific actor he would be more used to the flightiness of the entertainment industry.
As it stands the whole thing is giving him a bad case of whiplash.
He texts Xin Hulei as he said he would, but first he changes his display name on WeChat
[Little Menace: Did your assistant tell you?]
[Xin Hulei: About the hiatus until winter? I heard]
[Little Menace: That's what Lulu wanted to tell me too. It's very sudden]
[Xin Hulei: It's not so bad. Think of the positives, the production crew will be paid extra for more days of work, maybe they'll even have to hire new people in the winter]
[Xin Hulei: good opportunity for locals trying to break into the entertainment industry]
Xin Hulei's little nuggets of practical optimism do make Yao Shen feel a little better.
There's another unforeseen positive consequence of the sudden news that Yao Shen didn't consider.
He won't be in the same physical space as Xin Hulei, therefore, the ghost kings can't make demands of him.
The whole thing with the gu insect will have to be put on hold -- the ghost kings can't expect him to track down Xin Hulei while they aren't shooting together.
Without noticing, Yao Shen starts smiling down at his phone.
Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
He has his answer for the ghost kings, when the fortnight is up, and also the perfect excuse as to why he can't get near Xin Hulei.
By his own admission, the System isn't interested in collaborating with them, so it's not like they can call him out on his bluff.
He probes at the System but doesn't get any feedback from it. The corner of his mind it usually occupies is silent -- could it be because he has reached 100% closeness with Xin Hulei?
No, Yao Shen would never be that lucky twice in a row.
This has happened before. He has long held the belief that the System only occasionally drops in on him. Which often makes him wander what is he up to, the rest of the time?
He doesn't get an answer, but Xin Hulei texts him again in the meantime.
[Xin Hulei: will you miss me?]
Yao Shen stares down at his mobile for a while, reading and rereading the words over and over again. Xin Hulei doesn't usually show such a vulnerable side, it makes Yao Shen want to hug him and cover him in kisses.
His heart twinges painfully, he hates that he's keeping so much from him.
The right thing would be to step away. Use the hiatus as an excuse to put some distance between them. It would be fairer to Xin Hulei, but Yao Shen doesn't know if he could handle that.
The more he thinks about it the more his heart aches, so he stops.
Like everything else, Yao Shen will take it one step at a time.
Besides, he genuinely wants to help Xin Hulei. So maybe...
[Little Menace: will you?]
[Xin Hulei: don't answer a question with another question]
[Little Menace: I learned that from you]
[Xin Hulei: I should teach you more interesting things]
Yao Shen's body temperature rises immediately. How is it that Xin Hulei can always be so suggestive over text?
[Little Menace: how can you teach me anything if we're not going to be together anymore? poutingandcrying.emoji]
Xin Hulei has turned Yao Shen into some sort of clingy creature, that wants to be praised constantly, be pampered and cossetted like a beautiful love interest out of a drama.
It takes a moment before his face stops flaming enough for him to look at Xin Hulei's reply.
[Xin Hulei: Text me and I'll come get you, wherever you are]
That sends another delicious shiver down Yao Shen's spine.
He's like an addict, how can he let go of Xin Hulei when he's already in this deep?
A part of him yells at him that he's leading Xin Hulei on under false pretenses. It was fine when he didn't know the whole story, but now he's purposefully omitting important information from him.
An ever louder part rages at the injustice of it all. Yao Shen didn't ask for any of this. He didn't ask to be a ghost king. He didn't ask to be reincarnated and die over and over again in a senseless power struggle.
All his life, the only thing he has ever wanted was to be himself. He has sacrificed so much to chase his dreams, only to find out that the life he has carved out for himself isn't even fully his own. There are forces bigger than himself fighting over it.
Why can't Yao Shen have just a little happiness?
His first meeting with Xin Hulei was already ill-fated, why couldn't fate take pity on them this time around?
Yao Shen doesn't reply for a long time, and in the meantime, Xin Hulei texts him again.
[Xin Hulei: I like the new display name]
Smiling, Yao Shen sends him an emoji blowing a kiss.
---
The next day there's a lot of confusion and scrambling on set, everyone is running in several directions at once, complaining up and down about how short notice the hiatus is.
Director Chen is absolutely livid, and will say so to everyone who stands still for more than five seconds.
Shooting for the scenes scheduled for the day is rushed, and no one is doing their best. Luckily for Yao Shen at least, the scenes he's filming are relatively minor.
Almost every actor is on set today, as the production tries to cram as much filming as possible in a single day.
He doesn't see Xin Hulei except for a few glimpses here and there. Tan Liansi however is everywhere he turns, and she's positively gloating.
"So sad that the two of you won't be able to see each other for such a long time," she says, grinning from ear to ear.
Yao Shen humors her with an exaggerated frown. "A very long time."
Her smile widens. "He might even forget all about you."
Yao Shen sighs, raising a hand to his chest. "Most likely."
At that point Tan Liansi notices he's making fun of her and her smile turns into a frown. "My ge has been through enough, he doesn't need someone whose intentions are unclear dragging him down."
Before Yao Shen can get a word in edgewise, Ye Fang jumps up on Tan Liansi's back and wraps her arms around her neck.
"Jiejie! Thank you so much for the talisman, I slept really well, and I had no nightmares."
Tan Liansi is immediately flustered and extricates herself from Ye Fang's grip. "Are you a child? Jumping up on people's backs like that, have some decency."
Instead of being mortally offended like Yao Shen expects her to, Ye Fang's grin widens and she holds on to Tan Liansi's arm. "Who would have known that jiejie would be so thin faced?"
Her comment only makes Tan Liansi turn redder under her makeup. She tries to swat Ye Fang like a fly but her grip only grows stickier.
Yao Shen crosses his arms and considers gifting Ye Fang a basket of fruits for her kindness in putting Tan Liansi in her place much better than he ever could.
---
The day passes in a blur. Yao Shen is glad that no one seems to blame him, Xin Hulei or Tan Liansi for the sudden hiatus, but he can't help feeling guilty over the huge inconvenience their actions caused.
Gao Wu finds him during a break, sitting down on a low wall and contemplating how much his days will change. Filming is tiring, often hectic, but Yao Shen loves every minute of it.
He's going to miss all of it.
"Gege looks sad," Gao Wu says, taking a seat next to him. "Saying goodbye to the set?"
Yao Shen looks around, at the wooden replicas of a past long gone, and the incongruous green screens, camera equipment, and busy people walking to and fro tying it all to the present, and nods.
"I'm going to miss it."
Gao Wu bumps his shoulders with his. "A temporary parting, good for strengthening the heart."
Is that so? Yao Shen wouldn't know.
He turns to face Gao Wu. "What about didi?"
"I will too," he smiles, "but I think I'll be reminded of it often."
That perks Yao Shen's curiosity, his mind immediately flying to Jia Hao. "How so, does didi have other work lined up?"
"Gege is acting very coy for someone who set me up with a shadow."
"That...," Yao Shen starts, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Nevermind, gege was right, he's not so bad."
Just then, a literal shadow falls over the two of them. When Yao Shen looks up he finds Xin Hulei giving him a serious look. "Can I borrow you for a moment?"