FLME Ch103

Chapter 103: Epilogue

The host asked what the little story posted on Weibo meant, and the 28-year-old Yu Wen smiled.

“The inspiration comes from the various friends around me. I’ve always felt that meeting them is a lucky thing. Fans often say the cat in the story is like me, and they’re right—the cat is me.”

At 28, Yu Wen had passed his peak career period, and his unmatched popularity was a thing of the past. He was now firmly established in the top tier of domestic celebrities. In recent years, his company had strengthened its cooperation with international production companies, stepping out of his comfort zone to expand his business range.

A few months ago, he starred in a Hollywood commercial blockbuster, playing a half-orc. Afterward, he posted a short story on Weibo, about 1,000 words long, light-hearted and humorous, telling the story of a lost cat who wandered into an unfamiliar forest, experienced adventures and growth, and eventually settled in the forest.

At first, fans thought the short story was written for his half-orc character, especially since Yu Wen had mentioned in an interview that the half-orc’s other half was of the Devon Rex cat breed. The storyline seemed to fill the void left by the character—having no name, no family, a life expectancy of only fourteen days, and his body turning to ash after a big fire, with his last words being, “The sunlight is beautiful.”

Yu Wen wrote this story partly as a way to make up for that character’s regrets.

In the story, the cat accidentally entered the forest and received help from many small animals along the way, but it still couldn’t find its way home. The optimistic cat then decided to build a small house in the forest.

Fans really liked this little story. It was optimistic, carefree, and filled with fairy-tale beauty. Not long after it was published, it broke a million shares, and when the movie came out, it hit the trending searches again. As the attention grew, deeper analyses of the story began, and some netizens noticed that the small animals in the story vaguely resembled people around Yu Wen.

“Younger snow leopards, younger snow leopard’s uncle, younger snow leopard’s dad… this family tree…”

“It’s obvious Xiao Yu has no imagination; he just took material from his surroundings.”

“Not pretending anymore, Xiao Yu is great, and I already have candidates for the bad guys.”

“So, the question is, those two Husky brothers…”

“Director Feng: Definitely not me.”

“Xi Su: Same here.”

Facing the curious follow-up questions from netizens, Yu Wen only responded after a month.

After winning the most prestigious domestic and international awards with an art-house film, his life rhythm slowed down. His presence in front of the camera significantly decreased, and he only posted on Weibo every ten days or so, adopting a style that seemed to have already entered early retirement.

Having reached the peak of his career, his fans didn’t rush him to work. When they missed him, they’d go to his Weibo to get riled up, and if Yu Wen saw it, he’d occasionally pop in to give them a bit of comfort.

Yu Wen: [The snow leopard is Xie Heyu, and the long-tailed tit is Yi Ming… I have a lot of cute friends, and I’m happy to share them with the cat.]

The cat was the nickname for the half-orc character.

The cat had no name, but its cat-like features were obvious, and the audience usually referred to it as “the cat.”

Netizens were thrilled and asked if the Husky brothers were Xi Su.

Yu Wen replied in the comments: […Xi Su refuses to admit it.]

Writing wasn’t Yu Wen’s forte, but this simple and delicate utopian story was enough to move hearts, and with his reply, fans urged him to continue writing.

The demand was too high, and Yu Wen couldn’t pretend not to hear it. Gradually, every ten days or so, he’d post a few hundred words on Weibo, writing about the dull yet interesting daily life in the forest.

Netizens gave this series of short stories a name: Animal Forest.

In this interview, the host asked many questions about the Animal Forest series, such as whether there were plans to adapt it into a film, whether it was a setup for transitioning into production, and who the cat’s inspiration was…

Yu Wen answered one by one.

“My story can’t support a full movie. Ultimately, these words are just carriers for some emotions, not complete. I don’t have any aspirations to be a producer. I know many actors switch to behind-the-scenes work after reaching the peak of their careers, but that’s not for me. I don’t have such a goal of branching out.”

“As for the cat’s inspiration, it’s the cat, and it’s also me.”

“Why am I the Husky?”

Xi Su, crunching away at cucumber slices, ghosted behind Yu Wen, repeating the above question again and again.

This was another home of Yu Wen and Xie Heyu, located in the bustling district in the city center. It was a three-bedroom, two-living room, two-bathroom apartment. Not as luxurious as a villa, but it was peaceful.

Two years ago, Yu Wen and Xie Heyu went to the civil affairs bureau and registered their marriage, becoming legally recognized partners. Having relatives and friends nearby had its pros and cons—on the plus side, it made visiting easy, but on the downside, it also made them constantly drop by.

When they heard that Xie Heyu had gotten married, the overzealous relatives from all over the country returned to S city, and for a while, the whole neighborhood became lively, with members of the Xie family strolling around, greeting everyone with, “Hey, did you know our Xiao Xie got married?”

Once the novelty wore off and most of the relatives had left, Yu Wen thought they could finally enjoy their quiet time, only to have the unrelenting Xi Su still hanging around.

After six years, Xi Su’s emotional intelligence hadn’t improved at all. He was still completely oblivious to social cues. When he got tired of eating takeout at home, he’d come over to Yu Wen’s to “mooch” meals, frequently interrupting their private time.

“Going back? It’s still early.” When Yu Wen reminded him, Xi Su was completely unaware. “Isn’t Xie Heyu washing fruit? I’ll leave after I finish the fruit.”

After eating the fruit, he started craving late-night snacks.

At the end of last year, Yu Wen couldn’t take it anymore. He bought a house in the city center, a 50-minute drive from the neighborhood, and moved there with Xie Heyu.

Xi Su finally realized he’d been the third wheel for over a year and called to apologize, though he didn’t sound particularly remorseful.

“Did I disturb you? Hey, just say it directly, what’s our relationship? Why be so coy?”

Yu Wen: “If I ask you not to come, will you not come?”

Xi Su: “No.”

See?

This greedy little rascal, it’s pointless to tell him not to come. The most he’ll do is call before visiting next time, but he’ll never stop coming.

Not only is he greedy, but also lazy. After Yu Wen moved far away, he didn’t come over once for half a year. Recently, when Chu Han happened to be working nearby, he invited him over for hot pot. This little guy said he’d fallen and hurt his back.

Chu Han was worried about him getting into trouble and, together with Yu Wen, drove like lightning back to the dormitory. They saw this bastard sitting with his feet up in the living room eating watermelon.

“……”

What a load of crap, everything was just an excuse for laziness.

This time, for a ‘Husky,’ he had actually traveled thousands of miles, crossed mountains and rivers, and worked tirelessly… coming out of the mountains to question Yu Wen.

The doorbell rang. When he saw Xi Su, Yu Wen thought for a moment that the sun must have risen in the west.

“Because the Husky is cute, just like you,” Yu Wen said, not changing his expression, making things up.

Xi Su finished eating the cucumber, rummaged through the fridge, and took out a carrot, asking Yu Wen if he could eat it.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? I’ve seen your Weibo. That Husky is so stupid, how is it cute?”

The cat dashed out from the room. Yu Wen quickly grabbed it and placed it on the cat climbing frame, then took out some cat food from the cabinet.

The cat was a Devon Rex breed. Yu Wen had gotten it after filming a movie, and it didn’t have a name—just called “Cat.”

Xi Su crunched on the carrot, and Yu Wen, bending down to pour the cat food, watched the cat tiptoe as if it was about to jump, full of energy.

Yu Wen: “Being dumb and being cute aren’t contradictory. Did it affect your money-making?”

“…… Not really,” Xi Su thought about it and added, “Then next time, give me some highlights. Being too dumb affects my ability to get roles.”

As they spoke, the smart door lock beeped, and Xie Heyu returned from walking the dog, wearing a sports headband, with a slightly damp collar.

Xi Su turned and saw Xie Heyu walking in with a… Husky.

“Blue fur had an exceptional performance today, running four laps around the lake,” Xie Heyu said as he bent down to change his shoes, not noticing Xi Su in his peripheral vision, and smiling casually, “This week’s exercise goal was met.”

This Husky had been raised earlier. In the second month after moving here, Yu Wen had picked it out from a pet store. It often destroyed things, but mostly was lazy. When it came to exercise, it pretended to limp, like a fake dumb Husky.

The Husky walked in, and as soon as it locked eyes with a stranger sitting on the couch, it froze.

Xi Su: “…… What do you call it?”

Only then did Xie Heyu notice Xi Su sitting on the couch, hesitated for a moment, and looked at Yu Wen.

“Blue fur,” Yu Wen said, petting the cat, then turned to him and added, “Don’t you think it looks just like you?”

Especially the way it pretended to limp. It was like looking in a mirror.

Man and dog stared at each other silently.

The dog’s gaze was wise and deep. Xi Su felt it looked exactly like him.

His blue hair had been dyed back a few years ago for filming, and this Husky’s fur had nothing to do with blue, but Xi Su still felt that this dog shared some similarities with his younger self.

So wise, with the posture of an old friend.

Xi Su reached out a hand to Blue fur:

“Woof.”

In the evening, Chu Han called to ask about the future direction of the lop-eared rabbit and the cat in Animal Forest.

Yu Wen was silent, “Later, later there’s a world crisis, aliens appear, kidnap the cat, and then the lop-eared rabbit transforms into a bloodthirsty Saiyan to save it…”

Before he could finish, Chu Han excitedly interrupted, “Really?!”

Yu Wen: “……”

A man remains a boy until death. Teacher Chu was the perfect example of this.

Through relentless analysis and research by online fans, all the animals that had appeared in Animal Forest were decoded, and the lop-eared rabbit was revealed to be Chu Han.

The lost cat entered the forest and met its first animal, an older snow leopard, who licked the rainwater off the cat’s body and gave it a leaf to shield it from the wind and rain.

The second animal it met was a lop-eared rabbit.

The lop-eared rabbit was shy and timid, initially hard to approach. The other animals in the forest didn’t play with it, but it had a small, rundown cabin. On a rainy day, the cat shook off the water and knocked on the door.

The lop-eared rabbit peeked out from behind the door.

The cat, soaked through, with leaves scattered on its body, looked lively, with long and strong limbs, and a lively tail. It asked, “Excuse me, which way should I go to leave the forest?”

“I don’t know,” the lop-eared rabbit replied softly. After thinking for a moment, it added, “But I think the other animals must know. I know where they live, I can accompany you to find them.”

The cat smiled brightly and said, “Thank you.”

The cat and the rabbit began their journey to find the way out.

The lop-eared rabbit took a leaf-made umbrella from home, and the two animals squeezed together under it, forming a small bundle. When the cat got tired, the lop-eared rabbit let it grab its ears. When the lop-eared rabbit got tired, the cat wrapped its tail around it.

Both the character and timing of the lop-eared rabbit clearly pointed to Chu Han. The easiest to recognize animals in the entire series were the snow leopard family and the lop-eared rabbit.

Yu Wen and Chu Han’s six-year friendship was repeatedly reminisced by netizens.

Once people started reminiscing about their friendship, the wedding from four years ago would inevitably come up for ‘posthumous beating.’

Feng Chengzhou and Chu Han had gotten their marriage certificate early. A few years ago, they participated in a dating show, and not long after it ended, they went to the civil affairs bureau to get the stamp. The wedding ceremony was held later, and Yu Wen attended as the best man.

During the bouquet toss, Chu Han aimed at Yu Wen. But at the time, Yu Wen didn’t understand his intentions, just stood there, watching the excitement. Chu Han turned around, saw he wasn’t moving, and rushed into the crowd to fight the bridesmaids for the bouquet.

“…… I’ll toss it again.” In the end, Chu Han, with a head full of broken grass leaves, rolled out of the crowd, fortunately catching the bouquet.

He tossed it again, but Yu Wen still didn’t get the hint, staying where he was and eating melon seeds. Chu Han rushed back into the crowd for the bouquet once again.

Back and forth three times, it became a famous wedding scene.

Feng Chengzhou couldn’t bear to watch it and said, “Just give it to him directly.”

In the end, Yu Wen was pushed onto the stage to receive the bouquet.

He probably only realized it at that moment, with a slight hint of restraint and politeness. When his gaze met Chu Han’s cold one, he felt guilty.

In the blink of an eye, that chaotic wedding had already been four years ago.

Netizens dug up their group photos from early on. Six years ago, they were much more youthful than now, but upon closer inspection, it seemed like they hadn’t changed much.

“Such great faces, it feels like they’ll never grow old.”

“I’m kind of curious what they’ll look like when they get old…”

“Same here.”

“hh two old men chatting and sunbathing together would be so much fun.”

“Yay! The cat and the lop-eared rabbit will always be together.”

The Forest series was made up of numerous short fragments.

The story lacked completeness but was filled with warmth. After some time, Yu Wen’s updates became less frequent, probably because fans were afraid that he might stop updating altogether one day. Fans cried out, begging him to give the cat a conclusion.

Yu Wen had no choice but to open the old document from back then and reorganize the entire story.

The cat met the kind snow leopard uncle, the gentle lop-eared rabbit, and then the snow leopard uncle introduced the most agile young snow leopard from his family to the cat.

“Don’t let his youth fool you, he’s the fastest runner in our snow leopard family! He’ll soon get you out of the forest!” Snow leopard uncle said enthusiastically.

The cat looked up.

…So tall.

The young snow leopard was aloof, not close to people, and not close to the cat. The lop-eared rabbit was somewhat afraid of him.

But the cat wasn’t scared.

“Snow leopard, do you know where the exit of the forest is?” The cat walked up to him, its long tail swaying, wrapping around the snow leopard’s front paws.

“…I don’t know,” the snow leopard moved slightly but didn’t struggle. “I’ve never left the forest, but there are long-tailed tits in the forest who know a lot. I can take you to ask her.”

So the cat and the lop-eared rabbit rode the snow leopard’s special express line, weaving through the trees, enjoying the speed of the wind.

However, a little accident happened along the way. The cat failed to hold onto the snow leopard’s neck fur and fell off its back.

He was thrown into the jungle by inertia, making a loud crash.

The lop-eared rabbit was so anxious it almost cried, while the snow leopard paced outside the bushes, wanting to go in and find the cat, but afraid of accidentally stepping on him.

At that moment, the cat rolled out of the bushes by himself.

“I’m fine,” he said, shaking off the grass from his fur and standing up with his chest out, like an unyielding little warrior. Despite the many wounds on his body, he looked pitiful, “It’ll heal in a few days. Let’s keep looking for the long-tailed tit!”

“The exit of the forest?” The long-tailed tit’s voice was crisp and pleasant, but her curiosity was even more outstanding than her voice. “Why do you want to leave the forest? What’s outside the forest? Is it a new world? Are you from the outside…”

The cat answered every question seriously, waiting for her to give the answer he hoped for.

However, the long-tailed tit pondered for a while and said, “I’m not sure… But I know a lot of little animals. You can come to my house to rest for a night. I’ll ask around for you!”

The cat felt disappointed, but still politely said, “Thank you.”

The long-tailed tit’s house was very sturdy and not drafty. It was one of the finest “mansions” in the forest.

The cat and the lop-eared rabbit snuggled up and fell into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night, the cat felt something warm and soft licking his body.

It was the snow leopard’s tongue.

The snow leopard carefully licked the wounds the cat had gotten from the fall, moving gently and with a touch of sympathy and apology.

The cat woke up, stretched out his paw to hold the snow leopard’s front foot, and softly said, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt. I can lick it myself.”

The snow leopard gently nudged him with its nose, breathing out warm air.

The cat realized that hugging the snow leopard was incredibly warm.

That night, he abandoned his good friend, the lop-eared rabbit, and rolled into the snow leopard’s embrace, having the most restful sleep since getting lost.

The next morning, the long-tailed tit, who had been asking around, brought back disappointing news.

“There’s no exit from the forest. The forest is just the forest. No little animal can leave, and no little animal can enter.” The long-tailed tit fluttered her wings, gesturing to convey the meaning of the wise ones in the forest.

…Though she didn’t fully understand.

But the clever cat understood.

He knew he couldn’t go home anymore.

The sunrise in the forest was exceptionally beautiful. The cat silently sat at the edge of a cliff, watching the sun rise. The lop-eared rabbit and the snow leopard sat behind him, carefully starting a conversation.

The lop-eared rabbit said, “Let’s keep looking. Maybe there’s a way…”

The snow leopard said, “I can take you out of here.”

They racked their brains to comfort the cat, but the cat remained silent and didn’t respond for a long time.

The sun rose from behind the towering mountains, its golden light spreading across the land.

“Let’s build a small house,” the cat suddenly said.

Neither the lop-eared rabbit nor the snow leopard understood what he meant.

The cat turned around and smiled at his two friends, looking bright and happy, with no trace of despair.

“I think… I need a little house of my own.”

Thus, the Forest series came to an end. Yu Wen received many calls from people wanting to buy the copyright, but of course, he declined.

He was aware of his own worth; the popularity of the story largely came from his own following. This story, full of flaws, could not support a movie. Rather than letting it be altered and fall into a storm of public opinion, it was better not to release it at all.

At the year-end red carpet event, a reporter asked why the conclusion of the Forest series was just a small house. Did the cat really not return home?

Yu Wen, dressed in a sophisticated high-end suit, smiled gently.

The 28-year-old Yu Wen looked no different from the 22-year-old version of himself. Time seemed to favor him, leaving only beautiful traces on him, such as his temperament and charm.

Compared to the lively and energetic young teacher Yu from a few years ago, he now appeared more composed and reserved, elegant and poised, with the calmness of a mountain that doesn’t shift even when it trembles, having walked through a few fashion shows. Now, he could stand anywhere and look like he was posing for a magazine.

“The cat wants to live in the forest, and he needs a little house, so the ending is a little house. Is that bad?”

The reporter awkwardly said, “It doesn’t seem very satisfying.”

Yu Wen smiled without responding.

The question was left unanswered.

As Yu Wen exited, he took the VIP channel. Passing through the lobby, he saw blue and yellow light signs forming a continuous line along the roadside. The night was vast, and the blue and yellow lights flickered like stars, countless in number, resembling a dazzling galaxy.

Yu Wen paused for a moment, then went out to greet his fans.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw several unread messages.

Xie Heyu said he was waiting for him in the car, asking if he was hungry and wanted some late-night snacks.

Chu Han invited him to hotpot, sent him an address, then a voice message came through. Yi Ming’s loud voice hit his eardrums: “Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu! Come quickly! Let’s have hotpot together, it’s all familiar faces, we’re waiting for you!”

Xi Su sent a message saying Blue Fur took it with him.

[The day before yesterday when I video-called you, it kept barking. Clearly, it missed me. I took it back to the dorm for a couple of days, I’ll make sure it’s well taken care of.]

Ever since seeing Blue Fur at his house, Xi Su had gotten the key code for his door. Sometimes, when Yu Wen was away and couldn’t take care of the cat and dog, Xi Su would run over from far away to feed them.

Yu Wen looked at this message and smiled despite himself.

He scrolled down and saw messages from Xie Jia Mao, Xie Jia Lin, and other friends… many mixed-up messages.

Yu Wen stood at the front entrance, put his phone away, smiled at the fans, and bowed as he left.

He didn’t go home.

But he built his own little house.

Author’s note:

I changed the order a bit. I’ll write a few scattered side stories first, and the final if line of Xiao Yu and Xiao Xie will be posted last.