Fake blood streamed into Qin Sizheng’s eyes, mixing with his tears until everything blurred together. The makeup artist rushed over to wipe him down, smearing blood all over his face and hair in the process.
Qin Sizheng had not fully come out of the scene yet. His voice was hoarse, his eyes red, and his body was still trembling slightly.
Everyone knew it was his final day on set. They had prepared gifts in advance and came over one after another to give them to him. Qin Sizheng was well liked; no one wanted to see him go. Some were even teary-eyed, begging Zhou Changjiang to give him more scenes.
Flustered, Qin Sizheng accepted the gifts one by one. His heart was filled with mixed emotions. When he had first transmigrated into this world, everyone had been hostile toward him. Now, he was receiving so much kindness.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Zhou Changjiang walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Remember what I told you. Take the road ahead seriously. Be responsible for yourself.”
Qin Sizheng nodded repeatedly, thanking him for his guidance and patience all this time. He promised he would not let him down.
Chen Qiu, still in full makeup, bounced up and down outside the crowd with her hand raised. “Sizheng, Sizheng! Hey, make some room! I cannot even give him my gift!”
Xing Yue turned her head and argued with someone. “What are you doing? Fighting girls to be first? Sizheng, ignore them—take mine first!”
“Why should he take yours first? He should take mine!”
Qin Sizheng accepted them one by one. The mountain of gifts and the overwhelming warmth moved him deeply.
Not far away, Lu Xianqing stood watching Qin Sizheng surrounded by people. His fingers slowly clenched. A thought surged up from deep within him, impossible to suppress any longer.
Holding several gifts in his arms, Qin Sizheng turned around. Lu Xianqing was standing there, looking at him. He walked over. “Fourth Brother.”
“Want a gift?”
“Did you prepare one for me?” Qin Sizheng did not really care about gifts, but since he had asked, he could not help hoping. What if Lu Xianqing had prepared something? It would be nice to have something to remember this by.
“No. I never prepare wrap gifts for anyone.”
Qin Sizheng froze for a moment, then quickly smiled again. “That is okay. A gift does not matter. I am very happy to have worked with you. I hope I will still have the chance to learn from you in the future.”
Lu Xianqing saw through the smile he was forcing. “You really do not care?”
Qin Sizheng nodded.
“If you do not care, then I will not give it to you.”
The moment he said that, Qin Sizheng knew he must have prepared something after all. He hurried to backtrack. “I do care. What did you prepare?”
Lu Xianqing stepped in front of him, his gaze dark as he looked straight into Qin Sizheng’s eyes. “What I am about to say—if you feel offended, you can hit me. I will not fight back.”
Qin Sizheng’s nerves tightened instantly. Why was he suddenly so serious? Did he find him annoying for asking about a gift?
Regret washed over him. “Then I do not want the gift anymore.”
Lu Xianqing grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, turning and pinning him into a blind corner behind the set. The distance between them shrank until they could feel each other’s breath.
“Before filming, you asked me why I told you those things. I said I would tell you after you finished filming.” Lu Xianqing spoke slowly, giving him time to process.
Qin Sizheng nodded cautiously.
“Now I will tell you why.”
Qin Sizheng swallowed with difficulty, staring at his lips, afraid of missing even a single word.
Lu Xianqing said, “Because I like you.”
Qin Sizheng seemed stunned by the words. He blinked, unable to respond.
Lu Xianqing reached out and tapped his forehead. “Cat got your tongue?”
Qin Sizheng’s heart nearly leaped out of his mouth. The word like hit him like a hammer, making his head spin, yet he forced himself to ask, “When you say you like me… do you mean the way a teacher likes a student? Or a senior liking… a junior?”
He did not want to misunderstand, but another voice in his mind urged him to press on. What if Lu Xianqing meant that kind of like?
His eyes reddened with urgency. His chest felt tight and swollen. He wanted to look into Lu Xianqing’s eyes, yet did not dare, afraid he would suddenly laugh and say he was just joking—or that it was simply a teacher’s fondness for a student.
“Yanyan, lift your head.”
Qin Sizheng met his gaze, and his heart skipped violently.
Lu Xianqing looked at him and said, word by word, “Not a teacher for a student. And not Ding Chenhai for Chu Jing.”
Qin Sizheng’s breathing slowed with every word, almost to the point of suffocation.
“It is me. Lu Xianqing to Qin Sizheng. I like you. I want to be with you. I want to cherish you, to love you. Do you understand?”
Behind him was a wall; in front of him stood Lu Xianqing. Qin Sizheng swallowed again before finding his voice. “The kind of like you are talking about… are you sure it is that kind?”
“Yes. I like you. The way one grown man likes another.”
Seeing him still frozen, Lu Xianqing hooked a finger under his chin and tilted it upward, then leaned down and kissed him.
It was nothing like the fierce, stormy kisses in their scenes. This kiss was like a cool spring breeze through willow branches—light, gentle, full of tentative care.
It did not last long. In the blink of an eye, he pulled back. His hand remained at Qin Sizheng’s chin, his thumb brushing softly across his lips to wipe away the moisture. “Is that clear enough?”
It was not that Qin Sizheng did not understand. It was that he was completely stunned.
So while he had been secretly in love with Lu Xianqing, Lu Xianqing had been liking him too.
The joy nearly overwhelmed him. It felt like a dream—one he had imagined countless times—finally coming true, his feelings returned in kind.
Qin Sizheng’s eyes were slightly red. Lu Xianqing’s fingers still lingered at his lips. “And you? Do you like me?”
The gifts in Qin Sizheng’s arms slipped from his grasp and scattered across the floor. He crouched down to pick them up.
Lu Xianqing crouched with him and placed a hand gently on his head. “I know you might not be able to accept this all at once. I will not force you to answer me right now. Think it over.”
Qin Sizheng could not even stand up. His voice would not come out. When he first arrived in this world, he had treated Lu Xianqing like a flood or a wild beast, desperate to stay far away from him. Yet after all the twists and turns, he had still fallen for him.
Unlike the tragic ending in the original novel, Lu Xianqing actually liked him too.
Lu Xianqing smiled. “Actually, that was not your wrap gift. I prepared something else.”
“Something else?”
Lu Xianqing extended his hand, palm up. Qin Sizheng hesitated, then tentatively placed his own hand in it. Lu Xianqing closed his fingers around his and led him back to the dressing room.
No one was inside. Qin Sizheng felt a little nervous.
Lu Xianqing picked up a small square box from the table and placed it in his hand. “Your wrap gift. Open it in the car.”
Qin Sizheng stared at the box. Lu Xianqing could not help but laugh. Such a child’s temper—see a gift and immediately want to open it, without caring about anything else. He had planned to take this chance to talk about how much he had missed him. Forget it.
“Call me when you get to the airport.”
Qin Sizheng grabbed his hand. “Fourth Brother.”
Lu Xianqing saw his reddened eyes and reached out to brush his cheek. “Do not feel pressured. Even if you reject me, the studio still welcomes you. No one will make things difficult for you.”
He had not meant to confess so soon. But the scene at wrap had given him a sense of crisis. Qin Sizheng was simply too lovable.
And he would still be stuck in the production for a long time. Every day would be torture.
“Take your time. Do not rush.”
Qin Sizheng gritted his teeth, stepped closer, grabbed Lu Xianqing’s arm, closed his eyes, and kissed him lightly on the ear.
Lu Xianqing froze. “Yanyan.”
Qin Sizheng lowered his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I like you too.”
Lu Xianqing had sharp hearing. He did not miss a single word, yet he still felt as though he had misheard. “What did you say? Say it again!”
Qin Sizheng lifted his head and kissed him on the lips to give his answer.
But this time it was not a fleeting brush. That small movement was like a butterfly beating its wings in Siberia, stirring a tidal wave in Lu Xianqing’s heart.
He could barely suppress the surge of joy and excitement. He cupped the back of Qin Sizheng’s head and kissed him again and again, sucking fiercely until Qin Sizheng was almost out of breath. He did not loosen his hold—if anything, he grew more intense, as though he wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole.
Qin Sizheng did not resist. He let him take control. The slight sting of pain gave him a sense of reality and safety. He could not help but wrap his arms around Lu Xianqing, erasing the distance between them, feeling the same frantic heartbeat pounding in the other man’s chest.
“Fourth Brother? Director Zhou is calling you. Something about a shot not being right.” Someone called from outside.
Qin Sizheng came back to himself and gently pushed him. “You should go?”
“In a minute.” Lu Xianqing looked at his swollen red lips and wanted to kiss him again.
Blushing, Qin Sizheng said, “Later… we can kiss later. Hurry up. If Director Zhou cannot find you, he is going to scold someone.”
Lu Xianqing muttered something Qin Sizheng did not catch. He instinctively asked, “What?”
Lowering his head, Lu Xianqing bit his ear lightly and said, “Do not tell Xu Zhao. Do not tell anyone that we are together. We will wait until the contract ends.”
Qin Sizheng nodded.
Seeing how obedient he was, Lu Xianqing smiled. “Why are you not asking why? Aren’t you afraid I will keep you hidden and refuse to go public with you?”
“You are not that kind of person.”
Lu Xianqing felt touched and leaned in to kiss him again, but Qin Sizheng covered his mouth and pushed him back. “No more kissing.”
Lu Xianqing pulled his hand away and intertwined their fingers against his chest. “I will not hurt you. Trust me.”
He rested his forehead against Qin Sizheng’s and asked softly, “Yanyan, really no more kissing? After you wrap, we will not see each other for a while. Will you miss me?”
Qin Sizheng flushed from the tips of his ears down to the back of his neck and nodded carefully. The next second, he was lifted by the waist and pressed against the door, forced to endure the overwhelming rush of affection again.
“Fourth Brother?” An Ning knocked on the door. The assistant director had not been able to find Lu Xianqing and sent her instead.
“Mm… Fourth… Fourth Brother, Director Zhou…” Qin Sizheng pushed him, trying to remind him between broken breaths, but Lu Xianqing ignored everything and focused only on kissing him.
Hearing the noises, An Ning panicked. “Fourth Brother! What are you doing?”
She thought Lu Xianqing had lost control and was bullying Qin Sizheng inside. Terrified, she pounded on the door. “Fourth Brother, calm down! Do not do anything reckless! Fourth Brother! Sizheng! Are you okay?”
The next second, the door opened.
Lu Xianqing stood there looking dark and thoroughly unsatisfied. Beside him, Qin Sizheng’s cheeks were flushed, his clothes rumpled, his lips red and swollen, unable to meet her eyes. An Ning nearly fainted.
“Fourth Brother, if you are annoyed with me, just fire me. Do not treat me like this.”
Lu Xianqing ground his teeth. “If you have something to say, say it.”
An Ning had forgotten whatever she came for. Even if the sky fell, it would not be more important than this. She almost dropped to her knees in front of Qin Sizheng. “Baby, please do not be angry with him. You know his mental state is not very stable…”
Qin Sizheng reached out and held Lu Xianqing’s fingers.
An Ning blinked. Lu Xianqing lowered his head and, right in front of her, kissed Qin Sizheng again, making the young man blush even harder.
“Understand now?”
An Ning blinked again. “You two…?”
Qin Sizheng nodded gently.
Clutching her chest, An Ning collapsed into a chair. “Damn, you scared me to death. I thought he finally lost control and was about to land himself in jail. No, I need to call Sister Xingxing!”
The moment she dialed, she suddenly remembered. “Oh right. Director Zhou is looking for you. He said to hurry.”
Qin Sizheng watched Lu Xianqing leave with a visibly irritated expression to find Zhou Changjiang. He could not help spinning in place twice, wanting to punch something just to release the excitement.
Lu Xianqing had confessed to him!!!
Ahhhh!!!!
When Shen Changfeng came to look for him, he found his face still red, alternating between grinning foolishly and throwing playful punches into the air. Completely baffled, he asked, “What are you doing?”
Qin Sizheng tucked his smile away inside his heart. “I am not telling you.”
Shen Changfeng turned to An Ning. “What is wrong with him?”
An Ning clearly understood what was going on but pretended not to. “Maybe he picked up some money? Ask him. If it is a lot, share some with me.”
“…Then you finish picking up all that money. I will wait for you in the car.”
Qin Sizheng had originally planned to leave right away, but after everything that had just happened, he thought it over and asked An Ning for an envelope. He slipped his house key inside.
He also left a note.
—This is the key to my place. If you ever want a home-cooked meal, come over. I will cook for you.
At the end, he drew a little sun, hoping Lu Xianqing would cherish his life and never again entertain thoughts of ending it. Being able to live once was already too rare. No matter how bitter or difficult life was, only by staying alive could one experience it.
An Ning stood to the side in silence. Over these past months of working side by side, she had seen Qin Sizheng’s effort with her own eyes. If his acting was weak, he forced himself to improve. If a take did not pass, he did it ten times.
Zhou Changjiang had scolded him more than once. There was a scene where he was blasted with a high-pressure water gun—over forty takes. His body was left bruised and mottled from the impact.
In another scene, he had to act inside a fire set. The air was thick with smoke, and he could not wear protective gear. He coughed himself hoarse for three days, his eyes red and aching for nearly a week, relying on eye drops every day.
He had never complained once. The moment Zhou Changjiang said a take was good, he lit up with happiness.
Just thinking about someone so hardworking and well-behaved still being smeared online made An Ning’s heart ache. She wanted nothing more than to tear apart those haters and force them to open their eyes.
Thankfully, there was Lu Xianqing. He might be intense and a little unhinged, but he would not let Qin Sizheng suffer that kind of grievance again.
Qin Sizheng placed the envelope on the table. “Sister An Ning, goodbye.”
An Ning’s eyes reddened. She turned away and gave a muffled “Mm.”
“This is for you.” In Qin Sizheng’s palm lay a small kite, wrapped with instrument strings. It was his fan support item, something he had always carried with him.
The moment An Ning took it with both hands, tears streamed down her face. “Baby, you must do well from now on. I hope your career is smooth sailing, with no more storms!”
Qin Sizheng reached out and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Little String.”
The nickname made An Ning cry even harder. She pointed toward the door. “Go already. Let me cry by myself for a bit. Get out, hurry up.”
Qin Sizheng got into the car. Shen Changfeng was looking down, replying to someone’s message. Qin Sizheng closed the door, told the driver they could go, then unwrapped a milk candy and popped it into his mouth.
“Changfeng, thank you.”
Shen Changfeng knew what he meant. Over this period of time, he had realized that Qin Sizheng truly did not understand the entertainment industry. He was like an outsider who had stumbled in by accident, carefully trying to adapt.
“I am your assistant. It is my job. No need to thank me.” He paused, then turned and smiled. “If you really want to thank me, give me a raise.”
“Done. Starting tonight.”
The driver chimed in, “Do I get one too?”
Qin Sizheng laughed. “Everyone gets one. Would not be fair otherwise. Starting tonight, each of you gets one extra dollar.”
The car filled with easy laughter. They left the set and soon merged onto the highway toward the airport. Only then did Qin Sizheng carefully take out the gift Lu Xianqing had given him.
He opened it with reverence and found a CD inside.
There was also a card.
On the front, it read:
—When the galaxy fades, Qin Zheng keeps his promise. For the best Qin Sizheng on stage.
It was the line he had tricked Lu Xianqing into writing when he was testing whether he was the anonymous pervert who had sent him messages. He had not expected Lu Xianqing to treat it so seriously. Guilt washed over him.
He turned the card over. On the back, it read:
—The only copy in the world. It is yours now.
The tears he had just managed to hold back threatened to spill again. So he had remembered everything.
Qin Sizheng had thought Lu Xianqing might feel offended—or simply brush it off. Instead, he had asked He Xing to retrieve it and personally deliver it as a wrap gift.
And he had confessed.
Qin Sizheng did not even know which part he should be more excited about.
Shen Changfeng finally could not take it anymore. “Pay attention to your image, will you? You are a celebrity. Stop grinning like an idiot with your mouth stretched to your ears. It is embarrassing.”
Qin Sizheng forced his expression back under control. “Is it really that obvious?”
“What do you think?”
Qin Sizheng nodded solemnly. “Okay. I will restrain myself.”
Three seconds later, he was smiling again.
Shen Changfeng gave up and turned to scroll through Weibo.
Since the incident with Yao Jinwei, along with that livestream sales event, Qin Sizheng’s casual fans had gradually increased. Even the Qing Shan You Si CP fandom had doubled in size.
Shen Changfeng felt both pleased and worried. He logged into Qin Sizheng’s account and posted a wrap update, attaching the photo of him holding a pile of gifts.
The goodwill from the production team was helpful for shaping Qin Sizheng’s public image. After posting, Shen Changfeng monitored the comments for a while, deleted a few malicious remarks, and relaxed once he saw the Little Strings defending him in the top comments.
Before boarding, Qin Sizheng sent Lu Xianqing a message. There was no reply—he was probably filming.
The moment the plane landed, he eagerly sent another message. This time, the reply came instantly.
Lu Xianqing: 【Tired?】
For some reason, those three words felt like they carried his voice. They scratched lightly at Qin Sizheng’s heart, making his fingers fumble over the keyboard before he finally typed back.
【Not tired. Are you working hard? I left something with Sister An Ning for you. Did you see it?】
Lu Xianqing: 【Got it.】
Qin Sizheng stared at the blunt reply. That was it?
Was he not happy?
A voice message came through. Lu Xianqing’s low voice carried a hint of laughter. “Already giving your boyfriend a key? Not afraid I will climb through your window in the middle of the night and bully you?”
The word boyfriend sent a tingling rush through Qin Sizheng. It was like a tiny electric brush tickling his ears.
【Not afraid. If I turn off the lights, you will not be able to find your way.】
Lu Xianqing: 【…】
Qin Sizheng hugged his phone and grinned foolishly again.
Shen Changfeng sighed. “Should we get moving? If you keep standing there any longer, the flight attendant is going to think you are planning to hijack the plane.”
Qin Sizheng quickly sent Lu Xianqing a message: 【Go ahead and get back to work. I just got off the plane.】
Shen Changfeng handed him a hat and a mask. Only after he was fully covered—nothing showing but his eyes—did he feel at ease. “Do not let anyone recognize you. The less attention you draw, the better. If you get surrounded, it will take at least half an hour to get away. And you do not have Lu Xianqing’s nerve to just tell people to get lost.”
Qin Sizheng imagined Lu Xianqing telling someone to get lost. So cool.
Shen Changfeng had no idea what he was thinking. He calmly pushed the luggage forward. Near the airport exit, they saw a noisy commotion ahead.
“Probably some unlucky guy who got recognized again.”
Qin Sizheng tilted his head to look. The person being surrounded was hard to see, but there were more than a dozen men in black suits nearby—likely bodyguards.
Shen Changfeng clicked his tongue. “That kind of lineup—whose pretty boy is that? Not very old, but quite the entourage. Impressive.”
Qin Sizheng was not one for rubbernecking and intended to avoid the disturbance with Shen Changfeng. But as they were about to go down the escalator, he noticed several girls being shoved toward the railing.
The crowd surged. There were already cries and screams.
“Is there a stampede happening?” Qin Sizheng frowned at the dense crowd. If the pushing continued, those girls might be forced right over the edge.
Airport security rushed in to disperse the crowd but could not pull people apart. Qin Sizheng watched for a second, then suddenly ran toward them.
“Si—” Shen Changfeng swallowed the rest of his name and chased after him with the luggage cart. Before he could even reach him, he was stunned by what he saw.
Qin Sizheng tore off his hat and tossed it behind him, grabbed one girl’s hand, and practically hoisted her over the railing, leaving her dangling outside.
The crowd erupted in screams.
“Help!!!” the girl shrieked.
“Stop yelling!” Qin Sizheng barked.
Startled, she froze, trembling and crying. “Do not let go! I do not want to die! Please save me!”
“Do not be afraid. Calm down. Do not panic. I will pull you up.”
She was too frightened to use any strength. Qin Sizheng felt her wrist going limp. The railing was awkward for leverage; if this continued, she would not hold on much longer. He turned his head and shouted, “Why are you just standing there? Help!”
A young man reacted first. Together, they grabbed her wrist and hauled her back over the railing. The girl collapsed on the floor sobbing, her friend kneeling beside her to comfort her.
“Bro, you are amazing. How about you come be my bodyguard?”
Qin Sizheng glanced at the speaker. The young man wore a mask, revealing only a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes—golden irises like a cat’s. His hair looked blond too, and his Mandarin was not very fluent.
A foreigner?
“I am very sincere,” he added, gripping Qin Sizheng’s hand.
Qin Sizheng’s eyebrow twitched. Suddenly remembering something, he turned and saw Shen Changfeng standing there with his hands on his hips. He hurriedly told the young man he was not interested, snatched up his hat, and ran.
Behind him, the young man called out in heavily accented Mandarin, “What is your name?”
Shen Changfeng did not know whether to be angry or laugh. He grabbed the hat and jammed it back onto Qin Sizheng’s head. “You really are my ancestor. You ran so fast I could not even stop you! And I did not dare shout your name in case someone recognized you.”
Qin Sizheng tugged his brim lower. “It is fine. No one recognized me. Let us go.”
Shen Changfeng puffed up like an angry pufferfish. Once in the car, he alternated between scolding him, praising him, and scolding him again until Qin Sizheng felt dizzy.
“If something happened to you, how am I supposed to explain it to Xu Zhao? What if you could not hold on and got dragged over? There were so many bodyguards there. That is their job. Why did you rush in?”
Qin Sizheng muttered, “Those bodyguards did not protect anyone either.”
“Whose bodyguards were they? I could not even get close enough to see who it was. Did you see his face?” Shen Changfeng asked.
Qin Sizheng paused. He realized he had not paid attention. He had only focused on saving the girl.
Shen Changfeng let out a sound of understanding and went back to lecturing him. “I know saving people is a good thing. But you have to think about yourself too. What if you could not save her?”
Qin Sizheng replied lightly, “That kind of situation is nothing. I could handle two more.”
Shen Changfeng glared. “And you are still talking!”
“Okay, okay, you talk.” Qin Sizheng raised his hands in surrender. While unwrapping another milk candy for himself, he stuffed one into Shen Changfeng’s hand. “Have some sugar. More energy to scold me?”
“Do you know you were wrong?”
“Yes.”
“Will you dare to do it again?”
“Yes.”
Shen Changfeng nearly laughed from anger. “I am doing this for your own good, and you think I am just nagging!”
“Of course not. Mother Shen means well.”
Shen Changfeng slumped back in his seat, looking drained. “When will you ever listen to your mother and stop getting hurt?”
The driver chuckled and added, “You should listen to your mother. Maybe fall in love later too?”
Shen Changfeng high-fived the driver. “Finally, someone understands me.”
Qin Sizheng felt guilty. Too late. He was already in love.