FLME Ch44

That night, Chu Han refused to go back to his room to sleep, claiming he would die with his eyes open. Yu Wen and Xi Su had to half-drag, half-carry him back to his bed. Yu Wen pulled the blanket over his head, mumbled a string of gibberish like a monk chanting sutras, and sorrowfully told him to rest in peace.

The next day, when Yu Wen went out for his morning jog, he ran into the bald uncle again. After running two laps, they crossed paths for a third time, and the uncle took the initiative to greet him. “Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before.”

Yu Wen stopped to chat with him. After talking for a bit, the uncle said, “You look incredibly familiar. Are you a celebrity?”

Yu Wen’s looks and personality naturally made him a favorite among elders. With just a single smile, the uncle’s eyes filled with fondness.

“I’m just a minor actor. I don’t have any gigs right now, so I’m on vacation.”

The uncle mentioned that he didn’t watch much TV, so he didn’t ask what shows Yu Wen had been in. Since both of them had finished their runs, they walked back together, chatting idly along the way.

The bald uncle said, “Where is your family? You should come over to uncle’s house for dinner sometime. The chef at my house cooks amazing food. I went through a lot of trouble to poach him years ago; he’s the disciple of a former imperial chef! My son learned his cooking skills from him. Even just picking up a fraction of his skills, he could open his own restaurant…”

“I live with my friends.” Yu Wen was getting a bit hungry just listening to him. He pursed his lips and tried to decline politely, even though he really wanted to see what an imperial chef’s disciple could cook. “That would be imposing…”

The bald uncle waved it off. “It’s nothing. Uncle is retired now, I have too much free time anyway. Our house is just lacking the cultural influence of a great artist like you.”

This was the first time anyone had ever called Yu Wen a “great artist.” He was instantly flattered to the heavens, feeling so good he almost lost his bearings. “Ah, Uncle, you’re exaggerating, exaggerating!”

Yu Wen, who had always been invincible when it came to raining rainbow-fart flattery on others, had finally met his match.

He figured a big shot like this didn’t need to be buttered up anyway, so he simply kept him company and chatted. Sure enough, high-end socializing often only required the most down-to-earth approach. Whenever Yu Wen smiled, the uncle beamed, looking at him the same way an avid angler looks at their favorite little fishing rod.

Before they parted ways, they exchanged contact information. The uncle repeatedly urged him to bring his friends over for dinner whenever he wasn’t working.

The uncle’s house wasn’t far—just two turns away, less than three hundred meters.

After bidding farewell to his newly acquainted young friend, Xie Jialin hummed a little tune as he walked home.

It wasn’t too late in the evening. The sky was a deep, dusky blue, with a twilight golden hue fading in the distance. As Xie Jialin was mentally debating what to eat for dinner, about ten meters from his front door, he saw the second-floor lights flick on. A tall, slender figure stood there with hands in his pockets, waving at him with mild indifference.

Oho, his family’s silent gourd had returned.

Xie Jialin’s interest piqued instantly, and he broke into a hundred-meter sprint back home. His silent gourd was incredibly fun to tease. Although you couldn’t pry a single word out of him even with ten sentences, his temper was exceptionally good. Whenever Xie Jialin had nothing better to do, he loved coming up with terrible ideas just to mess with him and see his stifled, speechless expression.

“Oh, my precious son, hurry downstairs and let Papa look at you—”

Xie Heyu walked downstairs at a leisurely pace, only to be immediately blinded by Xie Jialin’s gleaming, hairless head. His expression froze. “…Are you becoming a monk?”

Xie Jialin hadn’t originally thought of that, but seeing Xie Heyu’s expression, he played along. “That’s right! A master told me I have a destined affinity with Buddha. I’ll be holding my ordination ceremony in a few days. From then on, our worldly father-son relationship will be null and void…”

Xie Heyu shot him a sidelong glance and looked away.

Xie Jialin: “Did you just roll your eyes at me?!”

Xie Heyu said flatly, “No.”

Xie Jialin walked over and hooked an arm around his shoulders like they were bros. “So what if you did? You’re so young, why are you always so lifeless? You need to be more cheerful, otherwise you’ll never find a wife. Speaking of which, I met a boy today around your age. Now that kid was bursting with energy. When he smiles, it feels like spring blooming; it makes you so happy just looking at him…”

Xie Heyu raised an eyebrow.

Xie Jialin yelled, “Xiao Xie, you rolled your eyes again!”

Xie Heyu usually lived on campus and was rarely home. Now that it was summer vacation, he was running all over the place with Xie Jiamao, so he barely came back either.

The dynamic between the Xie father and son wasn’t like a normal family’s. Xie Heyu was raised free-range; not only did he know how to take care of himself, but he had also learned how to take care of others at a young age. Xie Jialin never needed to coddle him or fret over his well-being, but not fretting didn’t mean he didn’t care.

“What is Xie Jiamao busy with these days?” At the dinner table, Xie Jialin cracked open two steamed hairy crabs that had been flown in fresh that morning. He piled the snowy, tender crab meat into a bowl and pushed it in front of Xie Heyu. “That guy is a loose cannon. If you’re too busy, just leave him be. Worst case, I’ll hire a few corporate management talents for him.”

Xie Heyu tasted the crab meat. It was smooth, fresh, and sweet. He nodded absentmindedly. “What else could he be busy with? Company matters. He just signed two new artists and is short on staff, so he’s been expanding the operation lately.”

Xie Jialin couldn’t help but laugh. “I really didn’t expect him to stick with it this long. Looks like he’s finally found an industry he actually likes.”

Xie Heyu remained noncommittal.

Xie Jiamao was famous for his three-minute passions. Everyone accommodated his whims and let him do whatever he wanted, but in reality, no one expected him to achieve anything substantial. Xie Jialin always assumed it was because he hadn’t found his true calling, but Xie Heyu disagreed.

Xie Jiamao simply lived too freely, following his heart. In truth, he loved every single industry he boldly dipped his toes into.

The reason Starlight Media had lasted this long without going bankrupt wasn’t because Xie Jiamao had suddenly grown a spine of perseverance—it was because Starlight Media had Yu Wen.

Xie Jiamao always said he had to take responsibility for Yu Wen, and he was dead serious about it.

Now they had signed two more. Xie Heyu estimated that it would be a very long time before Starlight Media’s slapdash troupe ever disbanded.

The housekeeper had taken a leave of absence to deal with personal matters. After eating, Xie Heyu stood up to clear the dishes, but Xie Jialin forced him to sit back down, insisting that since he rarely came home, there was no reason for him to do chores…

Old Xie confidently stepped in to grab the dishes. Unfortunately, he lost his grip at the kitchen entrance, and with a slip of his hand, the bowls and chopsticks crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

“…” Staring at the mess all over the floor, Xie Heyu said calmly, “Get out.”

Old Xie replied obediently, “Alrighty.”

He leaned against the wall outside the kitchen, watching Xie Heyu clean up while snacking on post-dinner fruits and making idle chat. “Xiao Xie, you’re not getting any younger. Tell your old man, what kind of partner do you like?”

Xie Heyu was busy sweeping up porcelain shards and had no time for him, answering perfunctorily: “A lively one.”

“Lively? What kind of lively?” Xie Jialin instantly thought of his newly acquainted young friend. “Let me tell you, I met a super sunny kid today. Next time, I’ll invite him over for dinner and introduce you two. You’ll definitely hit it off! A personality like his is the perfect counter to a silent gourd like you…”

“No need.” Xie Heyu said plainly.

—He was already keeping his eyes on a little sun.

Xie Heyu didn’t stay much longer. After dinner, he prepared to head out again.

“You’re still working this late?” Xie Jialin asked in surprise.

Xie Heyu replied, “Going to check on some friends. It’s not far.”

Xie Jialin didn’t ask further and went upstairs.

Upon reaching the front door, Xie Heyu remembered something and turned back toward the kitchen.

He found a plastic bag, stuffed the remaining steamed hairy crabs inside, and took them with him.

When Xie Jialin came back downstairs later, planning to steam another crab for a late-night snack, he opened the fridge to find it completely empty.

“…Where are my crabs?!”

At 9 PM, Yu Wen and Xi Su were fully armed, preparing to engage in the art and methodology of processing raw ingredients into a meal.

In short: cooking.

“Spatula,” Yu Wen commanded. Xi Su immediately unhooked the spatula from the wall and respectfully placed it in his hand.

“We shall now commence step one of tomato and egg stir-fry: pouring the oil.”

Yu Wen picked up the oil dispenser. Chu Han, who had been standing at the kitchen doorway, instantly retreated ten meters away. Xi Su didn’t understand. “Why are you running? You’re outside the door, the oil won’t splash you.”

Standing in the very center of the living room, Chu Han shot him a look. “I have the Explosion-Attracting Physique! What if I get too close and it blows up?”

“…”

Yu Wen, who was just about to pour the oil, couldn’t help but pause. Xi Su fell silent for a moment before saying, “Makes sense.”

He was too lazy to correct him anyway. Teacher Chu believed literally anything you told him. Even if he clarified it now, Chu Han would just blindly believe the next absurd thing.

It was better to just let him think that.

All three of them were garbage at cooking. Having a rare craving for a home-cooked meal today, they had studied a recipe for an hour, watched a video tutorial frame-by-frame for another thirty minutes, and ultimately settled on a rather challenging dish: tomato and egg stir-fry.

“I must clarify,” Yu Wen stated. “Tomato and egg stir-fry is not difficult. The fact that we can’t make it is purely because we suck.”

Xi Su urged him, “Just start frying already. If you wait any longer, the tomatoes are going to cook themselves out of sheer anxiety.”

Yu Wen said solemnly, “Don’t rush me. I’m searching for the right ‘feel’.”

Xi Su: “…”

At this critical juncture, the doorbell rang.

Perhaps due to some mysterious telepathic connection, Yu Wen killed the stove with lightning speed, dashed to the front door clutching his spatula, and threw it open. The moment he saw Xie Heyu, his entire face lit up.

“Look!” he proudly introduced to his two companions. “My ‘feel’ has arrived.”

Not only did Xie Heyu rescue the three starving ghosts from the abyss, but he also brought them six fresh hairy crabs.

“Oh my god.” Yu Wen’s eyes sparkled as he watched Xie Heyu place the hairy crabs into the steamer, gulping down his saliva. “Teacher Xie, where did these come from?”

The blue-haired guy craned his neck by the kitchen counter, his face practically buried in the steam.

Chu Han clung to the kitchen doorway, swallowing hard.

“I thought they tasted pretty good, so I brought some over for you guys.” Xie Heyu checked the time. “About ten minutes, it’ll be done soon.”

Whenever Xie Heyu cooked, Yu Wen loved standing behind him, tugging at the hem of his shirt. He couldn’t help with anything, but he just loved watching.

Xie Heyu felt a sudden weight press down on his shoulder.

Yu Wen rested his cheek against his shoulder, staring intently at the steam rising from the pot.

“…”

Life is truly full of tests at every turn.

Catching movement in his peripheral vision, Xie Heyu saw Xi Su stretching his neck to sniff the aroma of the steaming crabs. He warned, “Teacher Xi, back away a bit, you’ll get burned.”

Yu Wen swung his spatula, smacking Xi Su squarely on his right shoulder.

“Blue hair! Get out! Were you a starving ghost in your past life? What if you burn yourself?!”

Xi Su was genuinely exasperated. “When we first met, you called me Teacher Xi. Later you called me Xi Su. Now you’re calling me Blue hair?! Can you show me a little respect—”

Yu Wen swatted him with the spatula again. “Get out!”

Xi Su rolled out, fuming with indignation.

He was so ravenous he grabbed the tomatoes he had just finished chopping, intending to pad his stomach. Before he even stepped out of the kitchen, Yu Wen called out: “Xi Su! Put the tomatoes back!”

Xi Su: “…”

Just let me starve to death!

Scavenging usable ingredients from their fridge, Xie Heyu whipped up two meat dishes and one vegetable dish at lightspeed. Paired with the hairy crabs and fragrant white rice, it amounted to a lavish feast.

He had already eaten, so he left the dining table to them and sat on the sofa, opening his laptop.

Yu Wen hadn’t eaten Xie Heyu’s cooking in so long, he was moved to tears. “Wuu… Teacher Xie! I love you so much!”

The person on the sofa stiffened imperceptibly. His prominent knuckles, hovering over the keyboard, curled inward in an unspeakable manner.

Without turning his head, he replied breezily, “Mm.”

Xi Su: “Our Teacher Xie has skills like this? Why didn’t you say so earlier! If I could eat Teacher Xie’s cooking every day, I’d even be willing to become a top-tier idol!”

Yu Wen: “…Don’t go making absurd wishes.”

Chu Han mumbled around his food, “Teacher Xie isn’t a nanny…”

That reminded Yu Wen of the past. Back when he was the only artist signed to the company, Xie Heyu really was dispatched by Xie Jiamao to check on him every single day. Back then, Teacher Xie cooked for him frequently and even brought him carefully selected little strawberries.

That wasn’t a human’s life; that was practically a deity’s life.

After dinner, Xi Su, who lost at rock-paper-scissors, was kicked to the sink to wash the dishes, while Yu Wen and Chu Han lounged on the sofa to digest.

Suddenly, Xie Heyu gently nudged his elbow. “Look at the trending searches.”

Yu Wen opened his phone as told. Sure enough, it was a trending search for Legend of the Immortal Sect. However, the focus wasn’t on tonight’s episode, but on the brand new trailer released by the official account.

There was a snippet in the trailer showing the moment Puyang Xi’s identity was exposed. As he attempted to leave Mount Yunxiao, his fellow disciples stood on the mountain path, drawing their swords against him one by one.

The initial premiere trailer had been lighthearted and goofy. Later on, they had released a CP-focused version, and even a heavy, angsty romance version. But this version was the heaviest of them all.

No matter how lighthearted the plot was, it couldn’t erase the fact that Puyang Xi stood in direct opposition to everyone else. No matter how much joy existed on Mount Yunxiao, it couldn’t mask the turbulent, unstable backdrop of their world.

Some stories are doomed to tragedy from the very beginning.

Yu Wen remembered filming the scene of Puyang Xi descending the mountain. Everyone crossed swords with him; some struck ruthlessly, while others held back. Everyone’s reaction was different.

The director had arranged for Yu Wen’s scene to be the very last. He was the final obstacle on Puyang Xi’s path down the mountain.

The director had originally wanted him to fight with all his might, arguing that since Chu Zhiyao had spent the most time with Puyang Xi, his reaction to the betrayal should be the most extreme. He even wanted some visceral, hand-to-hand combat, ending with a red-eyed Chu Zhiyao letting a heavily wounded Puyang Xi go.

But Yu Wen felt that scene wasn’t right. After discussing it with the director, they changed it.

Chu Zhiyao would be angry, but his core nature dictated that he would never raise a hand against his own people.

Even if the other person was the Demon King, a friend acknowledged by Xiao Koi was still a friend.

So in that scene, Chu Zhiyao simply stood at the mountain gates, staring at Puyang Xi with deep, profound disappointment for a long time.

“I have great luck, so anyone I run into is bound to be a good person.” After a long silence, he smiled faintly and sheathed his sword.

Holding his breath, lips pale, Puyang Xi waited for the mockery, the sarcasm, or the harsh words to follow.

“To this day, I still believe that.”

Chu Zhiyao stepped aside, clearing the path.

“Go.”

After a brief, stunned pause, Puyang Xi’s eyes abruptly turned red.