Gu Lizhou replied to the message, then stood by the windowsill and stretched lazily.
Cao Zhiheng helped him bring in a few pieces of clothing and folded them, casually asking, “Did you tell the little brother that you’re leaving?”
“I did.”
“You did? You two are usually as inseparable as conjoined twins—why isn’t he seeing you off?”
Cao Zhiheng’s words made him dazed for a couple of seconds.
Close.
That word carried an inexplicable sense of intimacy, like hearing someone say when you were young that a certain teacher praised you in the office, inevitably giving you a slight fondness for that teacher.
Were the two of them considered close?
Probably.
Zhong Weishi seemed to call him for everything.
No one had ever treated him like that before. Even in the school dormitory, no one relied on him so much.
Now, suddenly having to return to the life of a lonely old man, he was a bit unaccustomed to it.
Gu Lizhou sighed, “He has to go to the set to film, it’s not like he doesn’t know the way—what’s the point of seeing me off?”
Zhong Weishi sent another sticker: two chubby little pandas hugging each other.
Gu Lizhou smiled. He didn’t usually chat much, and all the stickers he had saved were from his conversations with Zhong Weishi. After scrolling through for a while, he picked a sticker of a cat making a heart gesture and sent it.
These were the little stickers Zhong Weishi often sent when asking him to bring supper.
Who wouldn’t like a friend who was always full of enthusiasm and could bring laughter?
For the first time, Gu Lizhou found himself reluctant to leave.
At one o’clock in the afternoon.
The scorching sun hung overhead as Gu Lizhou sat in the taxi. The traffic radio station was broadcasting road conditions—an accident somewhere, roadwork somewhere else, and recommendations for drivers to take detours.
His ears were filled with noise, but his thoughts were entirely elsewhere.
Cheng Hang mentioned that he would be flying to over a dozen places for inspiration and wasn’t sure if he could make it back for the birthday. If he couldn’t return, he wondered if Zhong Weishi would be willing to go to City B…
To spend his birthday with him.
And maybe do a bit of touring…
While waiting in line to get his boarding pass, two young girls in front were chatting excitedly about a newly debuted star.
Feeling bored, Gu Lizhou opened his photo album on his phone.
He suddenly realized that he had quite a few short videos related to Zhong Weishi.
It made him feel like an old father recording his son’s growth moments.
The first clip was of Zhong Weishi doing a somersault and a handstand on the balcony. When zoomed in, one could see a medicinal patch on his spine, and every time he got close, there was a faint smell of medicine.
Next was the day of the square dancing, where Zhong Weishi pulled Da Fei to dance a yangko. There was also a photo of Zhong Weishi stuck on the railing and unable to get down, followed by him playing with the yo-yo…
And a photo from the day he got scratched by the cat.
He kept bumping into things every few days—Gu Lizhou wondered if his family would feel sorry seeing all this.
Would they?
Would parents who abandoned their child feel any remorse?
Or maybe, like Huangfu Qiang’s family, they had some kind of unavoidable hardship?
“So tragic, the ‘Xiao Ying’ crew must be cursed or something. I remember there was an accident during the first film too—the lead actor almost got burned to death.”
“Ah ya ya… That part that flew out, was it an arm ah…”
“Ugh—I’m not sure, maybe not. It could be some prop from the scene. But you see, that person hasn’t gotten up for a long time, even if they’re not dead, they’re probably crippled.”
“Good thing it was just a stunt double. If it were the lead actor getting disfigured, it’s over.”
“The stunt double is pitiful too ah! Hopefully, they’re okay.”
The moment he heard the word “stunt double,” Gu Lizhou’s heart clenched tightly. He turned his head to look at the screen on the girl’s phone.
It was a short Weibo video, and judging by the quality, it seemed to have been unintentionally filmed from a distance.
The girl’s fingertips swiped across the screen. Gu Lizhou, flustered and almost incoherent, stammered, “Excuse me, can I-can I take another look at that news, that short video? Who got hurt?”
“I don’t recognize ah.” The girl, seeing his face clearly, blushed and went back to the previous post. “Just a stunt double…”
Entertainment Fresh Report V: During the filming of “Xiao Ying II” at Yucheng Film & Television City, an accident occurred while shooting an explosion scene. The stunt double for lead actor Cheng Yue was blown out of the car, and the scene was horrifying…
The video was blurry, but it showed a figure in a uniform being blasted out of the car and collapsing on the ground, unmoving. A large crowd immediately rushed over, blocking the camera.
Gu Lizhou’s chest felt burning hot, his gaze shimmering with moisture.
“Do you still want to watch?” The girl turned her head, only to see the man staring at the screen in a daze, his eyes red.
It seemed… it seemed like he was about to cry.
Gu Lizhou’s breathing became rapid, and his mind raced to piece together several key phrases: “Do you know Cheng Yue?” “I’m his stunt double ah.” “Lots of explosion scenes.” “People can get blasted away…”
He couldn’t seem to catch his breath.
The temperature in the airport lobby was low, but cold sweat quickly covered his back. His trembling fingers repeatedly tapped the video on the screen, his mind blank.
In a daze, he seemed to hear the boy’s voice next to his ear: “Anyway, don’t forget about me, okay? I’ll always let you know wherever I go…”
He had just sent him a message that morning.
He had clearly said he would come to pick him up.
Zhong Weishi was only 22!
He hadn’t even started his life yet!
“Are you okay?” The girl noticed that he was trembling all over, tears streaming down his face. Worried, she patted his shoulder. “Are you feeling unwell? Ah?”
“Where is that film crew?” Gu Lizhou was so anxious he could hardly breathe. Only after asking did he realize that it was a useless question.
No one here would know.
No one in the comments knew how Zhong Weishi was doing—after all, he was just a little stunt double.
Apart from him, no one knew or cared.
Gu Lizhou’s hands trembled as he unlocked his phone, tapping the contacts list several times before finally hitting the right spot. His legs were so weak that he could only squat on the ground.
When he saw the words “Little Beast” on the screen, tears surged up uncontrollably. He wiped the tears off the screen and dialed the number.
He kept praying in his heart that nothing bad had happened.
“The number you have dialed is powered off…”
He slumped to the ground, the massive suitcase crashing heavily onto his thigh.
Dizziness hit him.
It felt as if all his cells had died in that instant.
It wasn’t the first time Gu Lizhou had experienced this feeling. The summer of his first year in high school, when the homeroom teacher informed him that his grandfather had passed away. It was the same…
Cold, panicked, helpless, and desperate.
Like someone had drained all his strength.
After storing his suitcase, he ignored all the gazes and sounds around him and sprinted madly in the opposite direction.
The sun outside the airport was scorching, the air suffocating hot. As soon as he stepped out, his T-shirt was soaked with sweat.
He hailed an airport taxi, but when the driver asked where he was heading, he was at a loss.
Where?
The Film & Television City was enormous—he didn’t know where the crew was.
He froze for a couple of seconds before suddenly looking up. “The hospital! The nearest hospital to Yucheng Film & Television City!”
The Film & Television City was nearly 150 kilometers away from the airport. Drivers rarely took trips there. After checking on his phone, the driver asked, “Is it the Fifth People’s Hospital?”
At this point, Gu Lizhou could only nod.
Once the car started moving, he began searching for hospitals near the Film & Television City. Besides the Fifth People’s Hospital, there were several others within a five-kilometer radius.
He sent several WeChat messages to Zhong Weishi, but there was no reply. Then, he opened Weibo, hoping to find updates about the incident.
He had been in such a hurry earlier that he hadn’t paid attention to when it happened—maybe about two hours ago?
What was the keyword again?
His heart had been pounding like a drum the whole time, as if it were about to explode.
The trending topics on Weibo were all about celebrities gaining weight, losing weight, laughing, or crying. Frustrated, he pounded his thigh hard.
How could something involving a human life not make the hot searches!
He scrolled through the real-time trending list for a long time but couldn’t find that post, so he searched for “Cheng Yue’s stunt double” and found the previous Weibo post.
The comments were mostly expressing sympathy for Zhong Weishi, though there were also a few discordant voices.
User 285724: If he dies, the crew will be in big trouble with compensation.
The replies were filled with people cursing.
Gu Lizhou rubbed his nose, exited Weibo, and opened Zhong Weishi’s Moments.
He wanted to see his smile again, to hear his voice.
There was still that half-used talent show coupon tucked into his phone case.
Would he ever get to use it?
It shouldn’t be the memento he leaves behind.
The driver noticed his odd mood, as if there were tear stains on his face. “Broke up with someone?”
Gu Lizhou couldn’t hear him at all, and a few pessimistic thoughts popped into his mind.
If Zhong Weishi was really gone, he’d find a good plot and give him a proper burial.
If he’d lost a limb, he’d take him back to B City, hire a caregiver to look after him.
If his face was ruined, he’d find a way to get it fixed and see if he could return to the entertainment industry. If not, he’d just support him—after all, he wasn’t short on money.
Once someone prepares themselves for the worst, their heart somehow feels a bit lighter.
Gu Lizhou suddenly thought of something and frantically called Cao Zhiheng.
“Are you sure he’s at the hospital? Which one?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t need you. I’m heading to the Fifth People’s Hospital right now. You go check out the other nearby hospitals around the Film & Television City. I’ll call you when I get there.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Cao Zhiheng hung up, tossed the spatula aside, turned off the gas, and rushed downstairs without even bothering to lock the door.
Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Gu Lizhou kept dialing Zhong Weishi’s phone number, but it was still powered off.
Did he drop it at the set? Why hadn’t anyone picked it up?
At least give him a bit of information ah.
Could it be that the phone was blown up too…
Cao Zhiheng ran through several emergency rooms at nearby hospitals but didn’t find Zhong Weishi. Gu Lizhou, drenched in sweat, also came out of the Fifth People’s Hospital.
“Anything on your side?”
“Nothing ah. I’ve checked all the emergency rooms at the nearby hospitals, but he’s not there. Maybe it’s not that serious, don’t worry too much.”
“How could it not be serious!”
Gu Lizhou recalled that video. That person had been blasted out of the car without any protection, couldn’t even get up, and his pant leg was still on fire.
“Hey, don’t yell at me ah. Didn’t you say it didn’t make the hot searches? It shouldn’t be too big of a deal. You know what they say, ‘scourge live long…’”
“You’re the scourge!” Gu Lizhou snapped, words slipping out without thought. “He’s only 22! Just a brat ah, a brat! What does he know? If the director tells him to do it, he’ll do it. With such a dangerous stunt, if the director pushes him, he’d just grit his teeth and go through with it ah! What else could he do?”
Cao Zhiheng, now feeling nervous too, stammered, “It can’t be that bad, right? The director wouldn’t really force him if he didn’t dare…”
“Why not? You don’t know him at all! He’s already been to the police station twice! When he got into heat of the moment, he just goes for it! Now it’s too late to regret it!” Gu Lizhou was so angry his liver hurt. “That damn director—just wants to make a name for himself and doesn’t treat the actors like people. Insists on realistic special effects—if something really happened, I’ll make sure he dies in a very realistic way! Let him prepare to be ruined!”
It was the first time Cao Zhiheng had ever heard Gu Lizhou so furious, and he was left dumbfounded, breaking out into a cold sweat himself.
“Old Gu, Old Gu, calm down first. Things might not be as bad as you think…”
“I can’t calm down right now!”
“Then stay agitated, but listen to my analysis first ah. Usually, with such a life-threatening incident, even if it’s someone from the 108th tier, it would have already made it to the hot searches ah. The official Weibo of the crew hasn’t posted anything, and neither have the marketing accounts…” As Cao Zhiheng was speaking, Gu Lizhou suddenly received a call.
Caller ID — Little Beast
Gu Lizhou’s eyes widened instantly, cutting off Cao Zhiheng’s analysis in a flash. He stammered, “Hello? Where are you? Is it really you?”
“Who else would it be if not me?”
The moment Gu Lizhou heard that familiar voice, his heart dropped back to where it belonged—at least he didn’t need to buy a burial plot anymore.
“Which hospital are you at? Why can’t I find you? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” He fired off a series of questions, then thought he should stabilize the little beast’s emotions and quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’m coming right over. No matter how big the issue is, I’ll handle it.”
Zhong Weishi frowned, “I’m at home ah. What hospital? You’re looking for me…” His voice suddenly cut off.
“Hello? Hello?” Gu Lizhou glanced at the screen and almost fainted from frustration.
The phone had run out of battery.
But being able to hear his voice was already good news.
What did that little beast just say?
At home?
Forty minutes later, almost everyone on the entire floor of Lanshan Apartments heard what sounded like the roar of a furious dragon.
“Zhong Weishi!—”
“Little beast! You’ve got some nerve! Why didn’t you pick up my calls!!! Ah??”
Zhong Weishi was completely dumbfounded, his eyes wide like copper bells. The first thing out of his mouth was, “Hey, didn’t you blast off to the skies?”
Clenching his fists, Gu Lizhou’s chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing.
After exchanging information, the two finally realized it was a massive misunderstanding.
Early in the morning, Zhong Weishi hurried to the set of “When I Met You in My Youth” to audition. There were over a hundred people auditioning along with him, and by the time it was his turn and he was done, it was already past noon. He grabbed a quick meal near the Film & Television City, and Qiangzi asked him to help move some things.
After finishing up, he was exhausted and overheated. He took a car back home and dozed off for a bit, leaving his phone charging on the bedside table.
His crappy phone not only took two hours to charge for five minutes of call time but also didn’t have an auto-reboot feature. When he woke up, he found over a dozen missed calls.
Still groggy, he called back… only to find that Gu Lizhou’s phone was now off.
He figured it might be because Gu Lizhou had to turn off his phone for the flight, so he didn’t think much of it.
It wasn’t until this man suddenly showed up at the door of apartment 301 that he was stunned, wondering if Gu Lizhou couldn’t bear to leave and decided to stay. Before he could feel happy, Gu Lizhou started yelling at him.
He really felt aggrieved.
Cao Zhiheng let out a sigh of relief. “Aiyo, I told you it wasn’t a big deal, but you wouldn’t listen to me. Look, isn’t he just fine? You’re always worrying over nothing.”
“What do you mean I worry over nothing ah? Then what was that video about? Who was the one flying out ah?” Gu Lizhou asked.
When Zhong Weishi saw the video, he didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. “That’s a dummy ah. How could they let a real person perform such a dangerous explosion scene?”
“Huh?” Gu Lizhou’s mouth twisted in frustration.
That scene had been filmed more than a week ago. The person who recorded it was standing far away, so the footage was blurry. The marketing account made up a story based on the unclear image, and the rumor eventually spread as an explosion accident.
Zhong Weishi pouted. “Who told you to just sleep all the time instead of watching me film? I’m a stunt double and a nude body double. You know, like doing over-the-shoulder throws and slamming people to the ground— not a special effects stuntman. The lead actor has several doubles; I’m not the only one.”
“Whoa! Over-the-shoulder throws? That’s pretty impressive!” Cao Zhiheng widened his eyes and patted Zhong Weishi’s arm. “Didn’t expect that from you.”
“Of course.”
Gu Lizhou caught on to a completely different point. “N-n-n-nude, body double?”
Was this even a proper drama? Why would it need a body double?
“Ah,” Zhong Weishi replied. “When Cheng Yue filmed his first drama, his back got burned, so he couldn’t do any scenes requiring nude scenes. Bathing and sleeping scenes all needed a double. My body shape and skin tone are pretty similar to his.”
Gu Lizhou scoffed, “What’s the point of filming a bath scene?”
Cao Zhiheng retorted, “What do you know? Some viewers are really into that. Just think about it—a fresh and vibrant body, with well-defined collarbones, toned muscles, smooth lines, fair and tender skin, water droplets rolling down. How enticing is that…”
Zhong Weishi interrupted him, “Why does it sound so weird when you put it that way? Are we talking about roast duck?”
“…”
They talked about the stunt double topic for a while, but eventually circled back to the main point of the day.
“Not answering my calls!!! Do you know I almost picked out a burial plot for you!? Ah?” Gu Lizhou furiously poked his forehead.
Cao Zhiheng thought to himself that Gu Lizhou must have gotten so anxious today that his brain short-circuited. That was way too harsh.
Zhong Weishi squinted as his head was pushed backward from the relentless poking. He leaned back and ended up falling onto the sofa.
Despite that, his heart felt inexplicably happy, so happy that the corners of his mouth lifted and his chest warmed up.
A little pink flower seemed to bloom above his head.
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