82 – Meeting That Person from the Past

Chapter 82 Meeting That Person from the Past

“It’s okay. I’ll take you.”

“You should sleep more, Hyung. You didn’t get any proper sleep yesterday.”

“Stop this pointless tug-of-war and just go. It’s fine. You can come back and rest later.”

Xie Qingcheng’s voice paused briefly and then continued.

“The suitcase?”

“It’s in the closet.”

“Are you taking it with you? Or will you come back for it in the afternoon?”

“No, I have to leave immediately after filming. My mom contacted me [Read on Read BL Novels]saying [unauthorized copy]my maternal grandfather is coming to Huzhou tonight.”

“Alright.”

Xie Qingcheng said.

“Then I’ll carry the suitcase. Let’s go.”

The sound of a door opening and closing. The footsteps of two people and the sound of suitcase wheels receded in unison.

He Yu sat up abruptly, his hair completely disheveled.

He hadn’t misheard. Xie Qingcheng was intending to take Chen Man to the Team B filming set.

Yesterday, Chen Man came to see Xie Qingcheng, and today, Xie Qingcheng was taking Chen Man.

That damn gay bastard Chen Man is really turning my stomach before he leaves.

He Yu abandoned his intention to lie in the room like a corpse. His vision unauthorized copyblurred from the high [Read on Read BL Novels]fever and [unauthorized copy]the craving for blood burned fiercely, but he determined to force himself up and go out.

He had to get to the set somehow.

The final scene Chen Man was directing was the police academy scene. A shoot involving a large number of people required overseeing the acting of hundreds of extras. The filming location was a nearby police university.

By the time he finished grooming and crossed over to the site, the morning sunlight was already pouring down. The field director, who had already filmed the first take, was adjusting the movement of some groups. Others whose turn had not yet come were resting in their own ways.

There were so many people that he couldn’t find Xie Qingcheng. It was only after circling around once that He Yu spotted Chen Man and Xie Qingcheng standing under a plum blossom tree.

Xie Qingcheng stood with his back to He Yu, saying something to Chen Man under the bright yellow morning sun.

Even from a considerable distance, their voices could be heard faintly and sporadically.

“…It’s okay, Hyung. I’m just an extra. My face won’t even be shown.”

He didn’t know what Xie Qingcheng replied.

Regardless, Chen Man laughed brightly at Xie Qingcheng’s words.

“Just once, think of it as a commemorative gift for the final shoot, okay?”

This time, Xie Qingcheng’s voice was clearly audible.

“You’re not even an actor, what do you mean ‘commemorative gift’?”

A commemorative gift for filming?

It was only when he stepped closer that the two of them became clearly visible.

Just then, Xie Qingcheng turned around. The straight back disappeared, and his handsome face came into view.

He Yu unconsciously stopped in his tracks.

Unexpectedly, the clothes Xie Qingcheng was wearing were the police academy uniform.

Deep, black eyes were hidden under the shadow of a slightly lowered unauthorized copypolice cap. Thanks to the tightly fastened Read on Read BL Novelssilver buckle belt, his slender waistline was revealed. The navy-blue winter uniform further accentuated his tall, lean physique. His aura had become colder and more rigorous than usual.

Turning around under the white plum tree in such a look, it was hard to tell whether the flowers were colder or the man was.

As Xie Qingcheng turned, a winter breeze blew. White plum petals fluttering in the wind brushed past his uniform like falling snow. Upon discovering He Yu, he seemed to hesitate for a moment, then raised his hand to adjust his police cap and looked away entirely.

It was an attitude that showed he truly found He Yu an eyesore.

He Yu felt he didn’t need to think hard to know why Xie Qingcheng was wearing those clothes.

Crowd scenes involving extras require makeup to be finished in advance, but a modern style like a police university student is completed simply by putting on the uniform without special makeup. Especially for a great “clothes hanger” like Xie Qingcheng, changing into the uniform was enough, skipping makeup or styling. Of course, Xie Qingcheng had only come to drop off Chen Man, but it would have been uncomfortable to just stand there while a huge crowd was filming. Seeing this, Chen Man must have suggested he participate as an extra. Since it was a scene filmed from a distance and he was just an extra to fill the numbers, there was no need to worry about his face being captured.

If it were any other team, he wouldn’t have had to agree to act. But this navy-blue uniform was a dream he had cherished as a child and eventually given up. To be given the chance to wear a police uniform by participating as a psychiatric consultant. Perhaps it was a reward for his obsession.

Meanwhile, He Yu was more accustomed to seeing Xie Qingcheng in a doctor’s gown. The intellectual aura was cold, but thanks to the white gown, it felt somewhat sacred.

However, he didn’t know that a police uniform would suit Xie Qingcheng even better.

Epaulettes, belt, silver buttons, dark navy dress pants. The police uniform clung to visit our sitethe body much more than the doctor’s uniform. Thanks to that, his broad shoulders and long legs were attractively revealed. He was sharp and cold, like a sword covered in frost on a winter night. If the stolen contentblade tilted, it felt as if the ice-cold moonlight would reflect and shimmer.

He Yu only experienced severe fever when he had seizures due to Psychological Ebola. His fever had never worsened for any other reason.

But now, he felt the blood in his entire body becoming terrifyingly hot.

Xie Qingcheng wore the uniform because of Chen Man’s request.

To show it to Chen Man.

If he hadn’t followed him on purpose, he wouldn’t have seen such a scene.

A series of thoughts tormented He Yu’s heart.

Even though Xie Qingcheng wore a blatant expression that said, ‘This is ridiculous,’ He Yu walked toward him.

“Xie Qingcheng.”

At the sound of his name, Chen Man, who looked back, momentarily froze his smile.

“Oh, what’s going on?”

He Yu didn’t give Young Master Chen a single glance and walked straight forward, standing before Xie Qingcheng and looking at the man in front of him.

Then, he abruptly raised his hand.

Xie Qingcheng caught his wrist without hesitation.

Perhaps because of the stern atmosphere given by the navy uniform, Xie Qingcheng looked sharper than yesterday. Xie Qingcheng glared at He Yu and asked.

“What is it?”

He Yu stood still, his wrist held by Xie Qingcheng.

His entire body was hot due to the fever.

Xie Qingcheng, holding his wrist, must have felt this body temperature.

The two faced each other like that.

He hadn’t known Xie Qingcheng’s heart was this cold. Even though his illness and heat reached Xie Qingcheng’s chest directly, Xie Qingcheng didn’t even ask how he was doing.

Even after waiting for a long time.

Xie Qingcheng ultimately didn’t ask a single word.

The only thing he said was the same phrase as Chen Man.

—What is it?

The cool scent of white plums spread deeply.

Finally, He Yu smiled calmly and spoke arrogantly, yet with a hint of sadness.

“No, it’s nothing much.”

He shook off Xie Qingcheng’s hand and picked up a plum blossom that had fallen on Xie Qingcheng’s epaulette.

“Just, I saw a plum blossom had fallen on your shoulder.”

After speaking, he turned around. He put the plum blossom he had picked up with his fingers into his pocket, as if forgetting to throw it away.

Large-scale scenes naturally take a long time to film. Since He Yu arrived without notice, the director quickly arranged a spot for him in the production crew’s tent.

He Yu feels an urge to kill whenever he has a seizure. Sitting among people was like throwing a vampire among the living, so he declined the director’s kindness.

Once the actual filming began, Xie Qingcheng was nowhere to be seen. He decided to first head to Team A, which was filming an explosion action scene at the same police academy.

It was an unexpectedly right choice. Team A’s shoot had fewer people, and the scene being filmed was a bloody fight scene.

The protagonist in the camera was surrounded by enemies. All sorts of weapons lay scattered, and blood splashed everywhere. Fake blood splashed onto the large camera capturing the scene up close, staining the screen in blotches.

These scenes acted as a sedative, somewhat calming He Yu’s symptoms. Then, the director shouted “Cut!” During the camera setting time, He Yu stepped directly into stolen contentthe filming set. The bright red blood soaking stolen contentthe ground was fake, but just looking at it made his heart feel at peace.

While wandering leisurely, He Yu’s gaze turned toward the cast filming on the side.

A woman wearing padded clothes with hair that had turned half-white was acting as part of a panicked, fleeing crowd.

He Yu’s gaze paused on her face for a moment. For some reason, she looked familiar.

But the world is full of look-alikes. He Yu soon looked away indifferently.

And after a few seconds.

He Yu’s body stiffened. A certain memory suddenly flashed through his mind.

He quickly turned his head and stared intently at the woman’s face.

There was no mistake.

Though a long time had passed and she looked more visit our siteshabby and older than [unauthorized copy]then, and though her features weren’t as distinct as before [unauthorized copy]due to the deep wrinkles on her face, He Yu still recognized the woman.

Because he had watched that control tower video featuring Xie Qingcheng countless times.

This woman was—.

The very ‘patient’ who had gotten into an argument with Xie Qingcheng in the video at the time.

As the break time for the group shoot approached, exhausted people collapsed in a heap on one side.

This lady was no exception.

The lady was uneducated but loved acting. That was why, even nearly thirty years after escaping an unhappy marriage, she never returned to her hometown. When she first came to the city, she held hot blood in her chest. She wanted to become a famous actor whose name everyone knew.

Of course, not everyone is born with the destiny of a protagonist. She, too, lived her entire life as an extra.

If there was a single moment she was in the spotlight, perhaps it was when the video of her and the doctor fighting during the control tower incident spread like a virus on the internet.

The lady was illiterate and clumsy with the internet. Coming from a remote countryside, unauthorized copyshe exuded a simple, earthy scent. So, even when she saw the video, she didn’t struggle to use [visit our site]the opportunity to gain fame. Instead, she would brag about it modestly to people around her.

-Did everyone see that video? I’m the one who fought with that doctor…

If someone asked out of curiosity, she would explain enthusiastically in a speech mixed with a thick dialect.

-It was really scary back then… but still…

Because her accent was so heavy it was barely intelligible and her story was jumbled and incoherent, people wanted to cover their ears as soon as she started talking. Some didn’t understand the content at all even after listening to the end.

Thus, people who approached out of curiosity soon became indifferent.

The fellow extras who were close to her called her ‘Mrs. Xianglin.’

They would often tease the woman.

-Mrs. Xianglin, what on earth happened back then? What kind of illness did you have to go to the hospital?

-Well, it wasn’t just a normal thing—.

At first, the woman tried hard to explain.

Then, she realized that everyone was just teasing her and that no one believed her.

Smiling with an awkward blush between her wrinkles, she would hesitate, unable to continue her words.

-Mrs. Xianglin is really too shy.

There were many who dismissed that awkwardness as shyness.

Knowing well that filming is grueling, the woman took a spot in the shade of the hallway and lay halfway down during the camera readjustment break. Whether it was dirty or not, it was important to save her strength and clear her mind first.

But then, someone quietly spoke to her.

“Excuse me.”

Startled, she turned her head and immediately met He Yu’s face.

Just by looking at his face, he was a person of a completely different class from the extra actors.

Due to years of discrimination based on her background, a sorrowful instinct kicked in. Her pride had long since become numb. Upon facing the wealthy-looking young man, she reflexively scrambled up and apologized repeatedly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll go. I’ll leave right now.”

She thought she had blocked the young man’s path or was lying in a place where she shouldn’t have.

However, He Yu stopped her.

“Wait a moment.”

The woman became even more flustered and looked at the young man, bewildered.

“I’m sorry, but by any chance, are you the patient who heard insulting remarks from the doctor in that control tower video?”

“…”

“Is it you?”

The woman quickly regained her composure and asked back.

“It is… why…?”

After a brief pause, He Yu smiled brightly.

“There’s a cafe outside the police academy; may I buy you a cup of coffee? There’s something I’d like to ask.”

Since it wasn’t a busy time, the cafe was very quiet.

He Yu found and sat in the furthest corner. The employee who came to take the order looked at this strange combination suspiciously.

An old lady with shaggy hair and scruffy clothes. A handsome, well-dressed young man.

Yet, they didn’t seem like mother and son. She didn’t look like a wealthy socialite.

The hesitating employee asked one thing.

“Are you together?”

The wrinkles on the old lady’s face deepened further due to sudden embarrassment. Her reddened face looked like a roasted walnut.

He Yu glanced at the employee with cold eyes.

“Yes. Two Americanos, please.”

Under He Yu’s gaze, which contained a silent pressure, the waiter quickly stopped staring and shut his mouth. Soon, he brought out two steaming cups of coffee.

Having learned the reason why He Yu approached her, the woman became severely nervous.

“Um… student, I can’t tell you everything… I have a promise with that doctor…”

“It’s okay.”

He Yu smiled refreshingly as he handed her the container of sugar cubes.

“You can just tell me the parts you’re able to share.”

The lady seemed thirsty and moistened her dry lower lip with her tongue.

Then she lowered her head and pondered for a long time. Although she had chatted about that video whenever she met people, she had kept the secrets she needed to protect until the end.

She also didn’t understand why the doctor had silenced her at the time, but since she had received money, she had to complete the mission.

No matter how dull she was, she clearly felt that the young man before her was different from the other extras. He didn’t seem to have come to gossip, but rather genuinely wanted to know the exact cause and effect.

Feeling lost on how to start, she took a sip of coffee with a trembling heart. However, due to the unfamiliar bitter taste of the coffee, she ended up choking.

“Ma’am, use this to wipe.”

As the lady coughed, He Yu handed her a tissue.

The lady’s ears turned red to the roots.

“I’ve been rude…”

“No, I was inconsiderate. You don’t like Americanos, do you?”

He Yu called the employee again and ordered a cup of warm tea.

Due to He Yu’s generous attitude, the lady slowly calmed down.

Now that she had met someone who truly came to hear the truth, she found it difficult to speak readily.

“Actually, there’s not much to tell… I don’t know the intention either, but that person told me to keep it a secret.”

“It’s okay. Then I’ll ask. You can just answer by nodding or shaking your head to my questions. If that’s also difficult, you can just let it pass quietly, considering I bought you a drink. How does that sound?”

The lady’s two feet fidgeted anxiously under the table.

In truth, dealing with such an honest and simple person was very easy.

“Ma’am, you said the doctor told you to keep a secret. But in the video, you fought with that doctor. Then, can I understand that the fight was fake?”

“…”

“You appeared in front of that doctor’s consultation room that day. Actually, there are claims circulating on the internet that your behavior was suspicious. Because you took a number for the OB-GYN but kept lingering in front of the Mental Health department. So, the doctor on duty that day suspected you. Since you were sticking to the front of his room with an OB-GYN number that had already passed its turn, he wondered if you were mentally unstable and called a security guard, which led to a conflict with you.”

He Yu looked at her through the warm steam rising from the coffee cup.

“Then, is it true that you were suffering from a mental illness?”

True to her honest nature, she quickly waved her hand.

“No, that can’t be. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Then why did you unauthorized copygo to the hospital Read on Read BL Novelsthat day and [unauthorized copy]sit in front of the consultation room?”

“…”

“Did you just cause a disturbance at the hospital?”

Of course, He Yu also knew that couldn’t be. The lady answered that question flusteredly.

“I… I’ve never done such an immoral thing in my life. No matter how poor or miserable I am, I’m not a bad person who would cause a scene for a doctor who treats people.”

He Yu stared at her and asked the rest.

“Ma’am, to be honest, you don’t seem like someone who hates that doctor. He hurled verbal abuse at you and even called security to kick you out. But looking at you now, how should I put it… it’s as if you actually want to keep his secret for him.”

“…….”

He Yu spoke calmly.

“You’re quite bad at lying.”

The woman’s face flushed deep red, and she could only look at He Yu with a troubled expression.

“You’re an actress, aren’t you? Forgive me, but may I make a guess?”

The woman shut her mouth and lowered her head. She bowed so deeply it looked as if she were about to bury her chin in her chest.

But even in that ostrich-like posture, she could not escape He Yu’s low voice.

“You were a collaborator invited by Dr. Xie Qingcheng for a specific purpose. Under an agreement with Dr. Xie Qingcheng, you acted out a scene, causing a commotion in front of the consultation room. The doctor didn’t reveal his purpose to you beforehand. Instead, he likely only asked you not to tell the truth to anyone. You were paid to act according to the conditions and then left the hospital as instructed. Then, a few years later, just as you were trying to forget the incident, a video of the control tower murder case suddenly spread across the internet. Only then did you recall what happened back then. Well, is my guess correct?”

The woman’s eyes widened in shock. As He Yu continued speaking, her eyes grew so large they looked as if they might pop out.

“No, I—that… how… how…”

She wanted to ask how he knew in such detail.

However, being so severely shaken, the woman was ultimately unable to form a proper sentence.

“…….”

Of course, He Yu had no need to wait for her words. His expression and gaze sank into a dark void in an instant.

The answer he wanted to know had already been told by the woman’s expression.