Lu Xianqing’s tongue touched the wound, tasting the iron-tinged liquid. He felt something awaken inside him, like his cells were suddenly flooded with water, filling and leaping.
The finger was more delicious than he had imagined. He couldn’t resist exploring every inch, even between the joints.
He craved a complete, unrestrained release, using this finger as his focus.
The flesh was soft, even more tender than his tongue. The contact with the wound sent a tingling pain. Qin Sizheng shivered slightly, wanting to pull away but found he couldn’t.
He had endured countless injuries—since age thirteen in underground youth boxing, then professional youth boxing, through adulthood matches. Broken brows, ribs, noses—he’d never panicked. Yet a mere cut, pressed against his finger by Lu Xianqing’s mouth, made him feel like he wanted to run.
The sensation was indescribable. It was like facing a hidden beast in the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to spring, bite his throat, and swallow him whole.
“Senior Lu, it’s really dirty…” Qin Sizheng reminded him, still aware of the cameras. Blood is never sanitary.
The soft voice pulled Lu Xianqing back to reason. He lifted his gaze without looking directly and extended a hand behind him. Soon a small first-aid kit was handed over. Qin Sizheng hadn’t expected that his status would show even in such a situation.
Xu Zhao was right—fame really is everything.
Lu Xianqing still had a trace of blood on his lips. The red stained his thin lips, reminding Qin Sizheng of Fourth Bro in Slaughter Life, and for some reason, he felt a little afraid, unconsciously biting his own lip.
【Holy crap, this little scene of stopping the bleeding has me so turned on! Fourth Bro is so… seductive, and Qin Sizheng so soft. The lecherous yet charming older man and the obedient strong little cutie—shipping this hard, I don’t care!】
【Watch your mouth! He was just helping him stop the bleeding. Any decent person would do the same. Little Qinxian, shame on you.】
【Qin Sizheng is so obedient… I want to tease him!】
【He seems a bit afraid of Fourth Bro. If this wasn’t live, he’d probably run away by now, haha. He even said it was dirty—anyone else would think Fourth Bro was licking him or something. Not dirty at all, you’re the cleanest, baby.】
Lu Xianqing, unbothered by the cameras, lowered his head and disinfected Qin Sizheng’s now nearly healed cut. Qin Sizheng instinctively flinched from the sting. This time, Lu Xianqing didn’t pull him closer but spoke coldly:
“Put it back.”
Qin Sizheng hesitated. “Are you angry?” He trembled slightly as he extended his hand, carefully watching Lu Xianqing’s expression—it was as heavy as if he could kill someone. Why? He was the one hurt, not him.
Lu Xianqing’s eyes were icy, but his touch remained gentle. “If you don’t take care of this hand, I could cut it off for you.”
Qin Sizheng reflexively pulled back and stepped away.
Lu Xianqing stared at him, silent, and Qin Sizheng clenched his teeth, stepping forward again to hand over his hand. “I’m sorry. I know I was wrong.”
The apology seemed to calm him. He held Qin Sizheng’s wrist, gently rubbing the gauze, his tone both soft and dangerous:
“Protect your hand. Don’t let me see a single new cut. Understood?”
Qin Sizheng thought: It’s my own hand—I didn’t even say it hurt. Why are you scolding me QAQ?
But Lu Xianqing was watching. He couldn’t refuse. “Understood, Senior Lu.”
It was just a small incident. The show had to go on. Lu Xianqing went first. Qin Sizheng bit his lip and reached to tug on his sleeve.
“Senior Lu… blood.”
He paused. “Hmm?”
Qin Sizheng pointed at his lips. In his sudden movement, he accidentally brushed Lu Xianqing’s mouth. He quickly recoiled. “It’s my blood… it got on your mouth.”
Lu Xianqing nonchalantly used his thumb to wipe it off.
The casual motion struck Qin Sizheng’s heart, making it flutter uncontrollably. He blinked, took a deep breath, and followed him back to continue filming.
Little Tomato’s eyes were red, tears still clinging to his lashes. He timidly wanted to be held but feared hurting him. In a small voice: “Daddy, does it hurt?”
Qin Sizheng lifted his hand. “It’s okay, not even a little. Uncle Lu wrapped it up for me, see?”
Little Tomato blew gently on his finger, cute and endearing: “Whoosh whoosh, pain gone.”
He Du scolded his son and then apologized to Qin Sizheng. “I’m so sorry you got hurt. Are you okay?”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Qin Sizheng hurriedly reassured him. “Don’t scold Dou Dou, he’s just curious. I’m fine.”
He Du felt deeply guilty. “Look at this mess. I really am sorry.”
Qin Sizheng repeatedly said he was fine. Liu Mianmian stepped in to smooth things over. “Then guide us from the side. Be careful not to get your hand wet—it could get infected.”
Qin Sizheng was moved by their kindness. He wanted to insist he was fine but didn’t want to seem like he was taking credit, so he just nodded.
The chaotic meal began. There wasn’t much color on the plates, but the aroma was good.
Liu Mianmian exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness for you, Xiao Qin. Otherwise, we’d all be starving today.”
Qin Sizheng smiled shyly. “It’s everyone’s effort together. I didn’t really do much. You’ve worked hard too, Jie Mianmian.”
A few words and Liu Mianmian was pleased, tilting her chin proudly. “Well, of course. Hahaha, I’m a big chef now. Call me Chef Liu from now on.”
The kids, long hungry, dug in. Little Tomato said, “Daddy, I want shrimp.”
Earlier, when he fetched ingredients, he had brought back a small basket of Green River shrimp. Now they were cooked, vibrant orange-red, incredibly appetizing.
“All right, Daddy will peel them for you.” Qin Sizheng reached for one, but a hand intercepted, snatching the shrimp from his chopsticks.
?
Lu Xianqing carefully picked half a bowl of shrimp, methodically peeling them. Qin Sizheng realized—he must like eating shrimp. There weren’t enough for everyone to share.
He couldn’t stop Little Tomato from eating either. Just as he was thinking how to ask Lu Xianqing to share, he noticed a peeled shrimp tail in his own bowl. He blinked.
Another shrimp tail… then another… until half a small bowl of peeled shrimp tails stacked up.
Qin Sizheng froze. What did this mean?
“Can you peel shrimp?” Lu Xianqing asked, seeing him stunned.
Qin Sizheng looked at his neatly bandaged finger, ears flushing. He had thought Lu Xianqing was stealing his shrimp, but it turned out he was helping peel them.
“Thank you, Senior Lu.”
Lu Xianqing lightly chuckled. “Planning tricks in your head, are you?”
Caught, Qin Sizheng’s cheeks flushed. “I-I wasn’t…”
“If you dare, I’ll twist your head off.” Lu Xianqing handed him a shrimp tail with sauce on the edge of the bowl and then took a wet wipe to clean his hands.
Little Strawberry, seeing Little Tomato eat shrimp and noticing Lu Xianqing peeling them, whispered, “Daddy, I want shrimp too.”
Si Qianqiu, already ravenous, looked on in disbelief as Lu Xianqing peeled shrimp for Qin Sizheng.
Qin Sizheng was really clever at this! How did he not think of this method himself?
So he smiled and leaned closer, softly speaking in Little Strawberry’s name: “Oh, there’s still shrimp? Let’s ask Uncle Lu for one to try.”
Lu Xianqing still had the last shrimp in his hand. Hearing Qin Sizheng, he glanced at him sideways. “Your hand’s injured too?”
Si Qianqiu’s face changed slightly, but he quickly masked the awkwardness and took the chance to jab at Qin Sizheng.
“…Haha, I’m joking. As juniors, we should be peeling it for you. How could we let you do it for us? That’s just disrespectful.”
【Si Qianqiu is so polite, I love him! He’s always respectful to seniors, even when flustered he stays humble.】
【Seriously, some people need to reflect. Sitting there like a lord expecting others to peel shrimp for you and even needing Fourth Bro to serve you—do you think you’re on vacation?】
【Typical behavior. Before, Qin Sizheng used to go out with seven or eight assistants. Someone would always pick the bones out for him. Even slightly warm soup, he wouldn’t touch. And there’s more coddled behavior later.】
【Can Qin Sizheng just leave this show? I really don’t want to see him clinging to Fourth Bro all the time. Isn’t he supposed to be the rival? Where’s his awareness?】
【Why did Fourth Bro even agree to this show? The first step off the pedestal and he’s already in the mud. Xu Jinhan could’ve targeted anyone, but he chose Fourth Bro—heart soft, good-natured—and got him into this trashy show?】
【Can’t Fourth Bro stop sacrificing himself for friends? Taking on any crappy show… wouldn’t it be better to shoot a few movies a year and stay our divine being?】
Lu Xianqing fed the peeled shrimp to Little Tangyuan. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qin Sizheng trying to sneak one. With a swift chop to the back of his hand, the shrimp fell back into the bowl.
Qin Sizheng yelped, looking at him with a small frown. “Senior Lu?”
“You’re injured and still trying to eat shrimp?” Lu Xianqing’s gaze swept over his fingers, the shadow beneath his eyes betraying a rare intensity. He had to protect those hands, no scars allowed.
Qin Sizheng pressed his lips together, too timid to touch the fish or eat the shrimp, instead quietly picking a piece of sweet marinated mushroom and eating just a little.
Next, a braised pig’s trotter was placed in his bowl. Lu Xianqing’s tone was slightly cool: “Eat what restores what’s hurt.”
Qin Sizheng bit into the pig’s trotter and muttered softly, “My hand isn’t a pig’s trotter.”
Lu Xianqing tilted his head, and Qin Sizheng immediately dropped his gaze, pretending to focus on the trotter. “Thank you, Fourth Bro. It’s really tasty.”
He Du had always been slightly annoyed with Qin Sizheng, but after seeing him rescue Dou Dou, he realized the instinctual reaction couldn’t be faked. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he tried to start a conversation with this quiet, non-showy kid.
“Xiao Qin, any plans for the future?”
Qin Sizheng paused for a moment, then responded, “I want to work hard at my career, improve myself, and hope to have opportunities to collaborate with others, to become really capable.”
He Du chuckled inwardly. “For you, building a career will be a bit challenging, huh?”
“Then for my next project, come work with me. I’ll help you advance your career.” A half-serious, half-polite remark. Qin Sizheng responded politely, “Thank you, He Ge. I’ll do my best.”
Lu Xianqing said coldly, “Call him senior.”
Qin Sizheng, realizing he shouldn’t be so casual, quickly corrected, “He Qian—Senior He.”
He Du didn’t think much of it, smiling. “Call me whatever you like. But when I’m directing, I’m strict. No crying when being scolded.”
“I won’t cry. You just scold away.” Qin Sizheng felt He Ge wasn’t joking, but he dared not overthink it. He hadn’t expected to join a cast yet; he was still a total beginner.
He Du liked this attitude. Laughing, he shared a few fun stories from filming.
Liu Mianmian, not from the industry, tilted her head curiously. “Xiao Qin, do you have an idol? Like… a crush? Whose wall have you climbed?”
Qin Sizheng froze for a second, then instinctively glanced at Lu Xianqing. The original owner loved him obsessively, wishing he could hand himself over, while the two sides were rivals.
He definitely couldn’t say his crush was Lu Xianqing—Fourth Bro’s fans would tear him apart. He didn’t want to die!
His gaze landed on Little Tangyuan. Inspiration struck. “I like Senior Xu Jinhan. His dramas are really good. If I get a chance, I’d love to work with him!”
He breathed a sigh of relief after saying it. Thankfully, Xu Jinhan wasn’t here, giving him the perfect “excuse.” But he didn’t notice Lu Xianqing’s eyes darken beside him.
【Hahaha, Fourth Bro’s face must have turned green! Right next to him and he doesn’t even notice. Qin Sizheng looks so proud of himself, patting his own little red flower in his head. Is he serious? Now’s the time to boost his popularity!】
【Baby, why haven’t you learned yet? You’re supposed to say it’s someone here! Why Xu Jinhan? Say Fourth Bro! You’re making me nervous! Someone teach him the rules of the entertainment industry!】
【Qin Sizheng is clever, though. Earlier he told Fourth Bro he liked him, now he’s saying Xu Jinhan in front of him? What a master move… ugh.】
【Shameless, Fourth Bro doesn’t need him liking anyone. Just standing next to this person is enough to make me nauseous.】
The meal ended, and today’s filming wrapped. Everyone went back to rest.
Qin Sizheng held Little Tomato’s hand as they returned, singing loudly along the way: “We are the successors of communism…”
Chen Yue wanted to laugh but couldn’t risk her voice being recorded, holding it in until her lungs hurt.
Back at the small courtyard, Qin Sizheng boiled water, put a plastic bag over his hand to avoid the camera, and bathed Little Tomato. Wrapped in his little towel, the boy kicked to get dressed while asking if Qin Sizheng could tell stories.
He honestly couldn’t anymore.
Little Tomato said, “Then Daddy, I’ll tell you a story! I’m really good at it!”
“Okay, then lie down and think of the best story to tell me. When I come back, I want to hear the best one.” Qin Sizheng worried about him catching a cold, covering him with a small towel.
After washing up, he came back to find Little Tomato sitting on the bed with his bottle, fanning himself. “Daddy, I’m so hot… I can’t sleep.”
It was late July, the hottest part of the year. Seeing that it was still early, he suggested, “How about Dad takes you out for a walk? It should be cooler over at the plaza.”
“Yes!” Little Tomato was full of energy and immediately scrambled to his feet.
The two of them—one big, one small—strolled toward the plaza. Before they even arrived, they heard a strong, rhythmic beat. Only then did he realize it was a group doing plaza dancing. He felt a bit helpless—so it turned out that no matter which world you were in, people loved plaza dancing.
A few aunties spotted them and waved with a smile. “Come dance with us!”
Qin Sizheng waved his hand. He didn’t know how to dance this kind of thing, but he couldn’t resist the aunties’ enthusiasm and got pulled in to twist around with them anyway. Little Tomato copied him move for move. The two of them together looked ridiculously adorable no matter how you looked at it.
Chen Yue was practically dying of laughter. If the cameraman hadn’t been afraid of shaking the footage, he would’ve been squatting on the ground laughing already. This guy seriously had zero idol baggage!
On camera, Qin Sizheng’s plaza dancing looked more like shadowboxing—fast and powerful, completely off from the rhythm and flow of plaza dance. And yet, somehow, it had a bizarre kind of cuteness to it.
The live comments were losing it too, the screen filled with question marks and “hahahaha.”
【Holy shit hahahahaha is this Qin Sizheng??? That elegant, aloof Qin Sizheng is now a plaza-dance contestant at the senior activity center??? I must be blind. I’m donating my eyes to someone in need—free shipping included.】
【I’ll donate too, count me in. I’m laughing so hard I startled chickens three kilometers away into wanting to date me. My mom came at me with a slipper asking why I’d gone insane.】
【Other people relax peacefully after a long day—he takes his kid to dance plaza dance? Can you at least take the kid to do something normal? Plaza dance hahahahaha how did he even think of that.】
【It’s over. I suddenly think Qin Sizheng is really cute. Brothers, I might have to eat my words.】
【Hahahahaha damn it, I’m cringing so hard I want to hijack a plane overnight and run. It’s so corny my scalp is tingling, but it’s also so addictive. I’m exhausted. I want to sleep with this man. Someone please beat me to death. I’m tired of living.】
Compared to the barrage of laughter in the comments, the dance steps in the plaza gradually started to change too. In the end, even the aunties were led astray by him, drifting more and more in the direction of fierce Muay Thai.
One aunty turned off the speaker and walked over with her hands on her hips. “Kid, what are you dancing? You dragged all of us off beat!”
Only then did Qin Sizheng remember to feel embarrassed. Seeing the camera, his face flushed bright red all at once. “S-sorry, Auntie. You all keep dancing. I was just dancing randomly—I won’t mess you up anymore.”
The aunty didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh. “We were dancing The Most Dazzling Little Tangerine, and you turned it into The Herdsman of the Steppes. But honestly, yours was kind of fun. I even worked up a sweat.”
Qin Sizheng couldn’t tell whether that was praise or scolding. Blushing, he grabbed Little Tomato’s hand, planning to apologize properly and head back.
Suddenly, a cry of pain rang out. Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a man lying on the ground, a circle of people gathered around him. Qin Sizheng immediately scooped up Little Tomato and ran over.
“It hurts so bad—my arm really hurts.” The man’s arm lay limp on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, his complexion deathly pale.
Beside him lay a huge stone mill and a rope, both tipped over on the ground.
Qin Sizheng judged that it was likely a dislocation, possibly a fracture. He immediately asked, “Sir, what were you doing right before your arm started hurting? Can you tell me?”
The man could barely speak. The people around him answered instead. Qin Sizheng was almost certain it was a dislocation. He set Little Tomato aside, walked over, and held the man’s arm while talking to him. “Don’t panic. It’s just a dislocation. I’ll massage it a bit and it should be fine.”
The man looked doubtful, and the onlookers didn’t quite believe it either. Could such a young man really treat injuries? And he was a small celebrity too—what if he turned a deaf person mute? That would be disastrous.
“Are you sure you can do this?”
Faced with the doubt, Qin Sizheng smiled softly. “I can.” His eyes were full of sincerity and reliability, so bright that people unconsciously trusted him.
In his previous life, he’d been injured often and was extremely familiar with things like dislocations. While chatting to distract them and watching the man’s expression, he suddenly twisted his wrist with force when the man wasn’t paying attention, snapping the misaligned joint back into place.
“Ah!!!” The man screamed. The crowd thought his arm had broken and was about to start accusing him, when the next second the man suddenly started moving his arm. “Huh? It’s better? I’m better? It doesn’t hurt anymore! Kid, are you a doctor? You’re amazing!”
Qin Sizheng narrowed his eyes and smiled. In his youthful gaze seemed to lie an entire galaxy, yet his voice was soft like spun sugar. “Be more careful next time, okay.”
The man thanked him profusely. The onlookers praised him too, making his face turn red again. He waved his hands awkwardly. “Please don’t praise me, it was just… really simple. It’s fine, really. No need to thank me.”
Watching Qin Sizheng surrounded by people, Chen Yue suddenly felt a wave of emotion. When she first took over this group, she’d been met with cold stares and sarcasm. Even she herself had come here steeling her nerves, already prepared to resign at any time. She never expected Qin Sizheng to be this charming.
So well-behaved, and so sincere.
He was like a sunflower just emerging into the world, full of sunshine, untouched by darkness, still facing the world with positivity and optimism.
He didn’t know how to curry favor or put on a show the way people in this industry did. He only had instinctive kindness, nothing more.
A phrase suddenly surfaced in Chen Yue’s mind: Do good deeds, and don’t ask about the future.
Qin Sizheng was like a little star, emitting his own light. No matter what others thought or how they tried to smear him, he could still shine. Even if the light was faint, as long as you looked directly at him, you would be won over.
After giving the injured man some follow-up advice, Qin Sizheng noticed that most of the people in the plaza were elderly or children. Guessing this was a village full of left-behind residents, he had a sudden idea. “How about I teach you all a set of boxing exercises? It’s good for strengthening the body.”
“Oh, that’s great. Tai chi?” several elders asked at once.
“It’s the Five Animal Frolics.” Qin Sizheng demonstrated it for them first, explaining as he went. He looked like an instructor at a middle-aged-and-elderly health class, teaching carefully and seriously, patiently correcting their postures.
The live comments were once again filled with question marks.
Everyone suddenly realized that whenever Qin Sizheng appeared, the screen was almost guaranteed to fill with question marks and laughter. It made countless people start doubting their own eyes. Could he please, just once, remember who he was supposed to be?
【Baby, promise me—you’re only eighteen this year, not eighty. Forget this. Let’s go dance something appropriate for your age.】
【At my age, as a flower-season maiden, I should be watching pljj and pldd survival shows, not sitting here watching an eighteen-year-old kid teaching people tai chi and doing plaza dancing.】
【Qin Sizheng is way too cute hahahaha. What did he even grow up eating? I can’t take it anymore—I want to crawl out of bed and learn with him. What kind of boxing set is this? It’s way too fun. Wait—is this the monkey one?】
Qin Sizheng taught for more than an hour. Feeling that everyone had more or less learned it, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “This is really good for your health. If you have time, you can practice it. Adults and kids can both learn it.”
The villagers surrounded him, asking all kinds of questions. Qin Sizheng was stuck in the middle of the crowd, their chatter so loud that even the cameraman couldn’t squeeze in and had to film from far away, the shot shaking violently.
Qin Sizheng showed no impatience at all. He gently asked everyone not to crowd together, then answered each question patiently, one by one.
After everyone had taken turns, an aunty suddenly asked, “Kid, you’re so good-looking—do you have a girlfriend? There must be lots of young girls who like you.”
Qin Sizheng was startled. His face flushed bright red. “N-no, no! No one likes me, and I’ve never dated anyone. Auntie, don’t say things like that.”
【Who says no one likes you! I love you, did you hear me? I love you! Mom will always love you!】
【Genuine question—is this some new kind of humblebrag?】
【Qin Sizheng has people who like him? Trash like this should get out of the entertainment industry. I don’t know why he can still appear in public, or why he even has fans. It’s baffling.】
【Hey, do you think only you have a mouth? If you want to hate, go somewhere else. Why are you spewing crap here? Get lost.】
They kept pressing him about what kind of girl he liked. His face burning, Qin Sizheng had no idea how to answer. Just then, Little Tomato started getting sleepy. He immediately picked the child up and, as if fleeing, said to the elders, “I’ll head back now! If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me tomorrow.”
“Wait.”
An aunty came over carrying a bamboo basket. Inside were a few oranges and a small watermelon, meant for him to take home.
“No, no, really, you should keep these for yourself,” Qin Sizheng said quickly, refusing. Last time they’d already given him peaches—he couldn’t take more things from people again.
“Take it, take it!” the aunty said, forcing it onto his arm and giving him a push. “The kid’s sleepy. Hurry home.”
Qin Sizheng thanked her. Carrying the child in one arm and the basket in the other, he headed back.
Wild Fox Village wasn’t big—fewer than a hundred households in total. It was surrounded by mountains and water, with lovely scenery. The houses were built rather freely, and there were plenty of narrow alleys.
Today’s filming was basically finished. Chen Yue smiled warmly and told him he’d done really well today. Teaching seniors health-preserving boxing would definitely attract fans. He shouldn’t worry about what people online said—just keep being himself.
Qin Sizheng didn’t quite understand why she suddenly said that, but hearing her approval made him feel content anyway. “It’s not far. I can go back on my own.”
Chen Yue nodded. As soon as she left, Jiang Xi arrived. Qin Sizheng was just about to speak when he saw that Jiang Xi’s expression was unusually grave. His heart sank—had those things come again?
Little Tomato was asleep on Qin Sizheng’s shoulder. He handed the basket to Jiang Xi and took the phone. The content on the screen was even more direct than before.
—I don’t like hearing you say you like other people. It makes me want to kill them. Don’t make me hurt you. Be good.
—You belong to me.
—If you hurt your hand again next time, I’ll personally teach you what “being good” means. But you listened to me today, so I’ll forgive you once.
Qin Sizheng paused slightly, his gaze settling on the line “you listened to me today.” A vague suspicion arose—it might be someone from the production crew.
Who could it be?
A guest? A cameraman, the director, an assistant, the driver, the script editor—anyone who had been here could be the one.
He’d spoken to so many people today. Every single one of them could be sending messages like this from the shadows, brazenly spying on him.
“Maybe we should just call the police,” Jiang Xi whispered. “This is way too scary. This isn’t just a sasaeng anymore.”
“Not yet,” Qin Sizheng shook his head. “Pay attention to who’s using their phone when the messages come in. Let’s talk after filming wraps up.” If they called the police now, the show would stop recording. He didn’t want so many people to be affected because of him.
Jiang Xi couldn’t help cursing, “But having someone like this around us is terrifying. What if he hurts you? He should be arrested!”
Suddenly, there was a soft noise, like a wooden bucket being kicked over. Jiang Xi tensed instinctively. “Who’s there?”
Qin Sizheng heard it too. “It sounds like someone… did they get hurt?”
Jiang Xi hurriedly said, “Don’t worry about it. What if it’s dangerous? Let’s go back and tell the production team to come take a look. Don’t get involved.”
Qin Sizheng hesitated. But the sound that reached his ears was low and pained, as if the person were suffering something extremely frightening, like they might suffocate at any second.
After thinking for a moment, he still decided to go over.
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
Summoning his courage, Qin Sizheng walked inside. He vaguely sensed someone groping around. Before he could see clearly, he heard bamboo poles clatter to the ground. A man staggered, nearly falling, fumbling along the wall before finally steadying himself.
Although it was already dark, there was still a bit of moonlight.
Was this person… blind?
Avoiding the scattered buckets and stones on the ground, Qin Sizheng stepped over the obstacles and came up behind him—only to realize in shock that it was actually Lu Xianqing.
Did he have night blindness?
Qin Sizheng waved his hand in front of his eyes. Lu Xianqing suddenly grabbed his wrist. In those unfocused eyes, cold, violent hostility almost solidified into something tangible—fierce and icy.
“Who is it?”
That look frightened Qin Sizheng so badly that he took a step back. His heart clenched suddenly, and his hand trembled without him realizing it.
“Who is it? Speak,” the man demanded again.
Qin Sizheng guessed that he probably didn’t want anyone to know about his night blindness, but he was also afraid that if he left him alone, the man might fall and get hurt. Left with no choice, he lowered his voice, making it rough and hoarse. “Security. Do you need to go back? I can walk you there.”
Lu Xianqing’s breathing hitched, then abruptly relaxed.
It was him.
He had slipped out earlier to secretly watch for a long time, avoiding the cameras, only to wander into this pitch-dark place by accident.
He had severe night blindness. Moonlight like this was completely useless to him. He hadn’t expected that a “beam of light” would suddenly shine in—small, so faint, yet so powerful.
His “little starlight.” One day, it would extinguish all its light in his arms and sink into darkness with him.
Qin Sizheng didn’t notice anything unusual. He held out a hand to him. “I’ll hold your hand. Don’t be scared.”
A broad, long-fingered hand clasped his, nearly enveloping it entirely. Qin Sizheng froze. Why was he holding hands like this?
“What’s wrong?” Lu Xianqing asked.
Qin Sizheng hurriedly suppressed his discomfort. He guessed that maybe Lu Xianqing just lacked a sense of security and needed to hold on like this to feel at ease. He said “It’s nothing” and led him forward.
With his hand held by the man, Qin Sizheng silently scolded himself for being useless. It was just guiding someone along, yet he was this nervous—his ears were even burning hot. Luckily, it was dark and no one could see.
“You’re the village security guard?” Lu Xianqing asked.
Qin Sizheng answered vaguely with an “Mm.” The corner of Lu Xianqing’s mouth lifted slightly. He was night-blind, not deaf. His nose wasn’t broken either. Besides… that palm was far too soft.
“Security guard big brother.”
Qin Sizheng’s legs went weak. Stunned by the way he was addressed, he nearly stumbled, falling into a warm embrace. He was quickly released, with no intention of taking advantage.
Qin Sizheng was breathing lightly. “Sorry, I tripped. I didn’t bump into you, did I?”
Lu Xianqing chuckled. “No. Security guard big brother’s palm is so soft. Your unit must have pretty good benefits. When I can’t make it in the entertainment industry anymore, can I come to your place and beg a meal?”
Qin Sizheng’s ears were scorching. He said softly, “L-let’s hurry. Little Tangyuan will get worried if he can’t find you.”
He quickly led him to the door, then immediately pulled his hand free. “We’re here. If you need anything, you can find the program staff. It’s not easy to walk around here.”
Lu Xianqing’s fingers closed on empty air. He guessed Qin Sizheng’s hand was probably red from being held so tightly, yet the kid hadn’t cried out in pain.
Qin Sizheng didn’t wait for him to say thanks. He hurried away, afraid someone might pass by and spot him. Lu Xianqing reached out and turned on the light by the door, looking at his empty palm.
If giving up his career meant he could imprison him—
he would welcome it with open arms.