FLME Ch51

The internet was filled with romantic and sentimental people, and even the production team never expected things to develop this way.

In countless similar videos, people were seen running on the grass, running anywhere the wind can be embraced, dressed loosely and comfortably, with smiles brighter than the sun on their faces. They used objects to capture the outline of the wind, as if trying to catch it, but in reality, they were enjoying the freedom of racing against the wind.

People quote the words of a brave hero: “The fierce wind whipped past my ears, but all I felt was coolness. I think, I have conquered the wind… This bag of wind is my trophy.”

“Life is limited, so go conquer the wind, conquer the sky, conquer the mountains… conquer anything you want to; be a brave hero who charges forward without even needing a sword.”

These videos made even Yu Wen’s heart race with excitement.

Suddenly, he had a strong desire to act, to use his skills, lines, and performance to create another character that could make the internet cheer, just like how Nuwa molded humans with her bare hands, with every bone in the character crafted by his hand.

He finally agreed with what Chu Han once said — acting is an infinitely charming thing.

Yi Ming and the others discussed in their group chat about filming a similar video, but since their schedules were hard to coordinate, they eventually gave up.

Yi Ming regretfully said, “If we could shoot one, the fans would be thrilled.”

Today, Yu Wen had an engagement. Ever since his rise to fame, he had gotten a lot of endorsements and advertisements, though the company had clearly set his career path towards acting. They accepted ads, but not too frequently, to avoid making him too familiar to the public and losing his sense of mystery.

Today’s advertisement was for a luxury fashion brand, and the brand had sent them a lot of clothes in advance. His agent and assistant had also prepared an outfit for him.

Xie Heyu was waiting for him in the garden downstairs, wearing a simple white T-shirt from the same brand. The cut looked great, and as the wind blew, the fabric clung to his back, outlining his slender and fit back.

The wind was strong today, bending the plants in the garden. Xie Heyu lowered his head, watching the flowers and grass sway. From the second-floor staircase, Yu Wen walked past and thought about opening the window to call out to him.

Before doing so, Yu Wen noticed Xie Heyu’s shirt hem being lifted by the wind and suddenly recalled the videos he had watched that morning, and a phrase came to mind: Look, my body is now in the shape of the wind.

Look, Teacher Xie’s body is in the shape of the wind.

Yu Wen hesitated for a moment, and by then Xie Heyu had already noticed him and turned around.

The two locked eyes. Xie Heyu raised his eyebrows slightly, bent down to pick something from the flower bed, and then walked to the window, tapping on it lightly to signal Yu Wen to open it.

Yu Wen opened the window.

Xie Heyu cupped a dandelion in his hands, and as the wind blew from the right, the white seeds scattered.

The usually stoic cool guy smiled at him and said, “Look, the wind.”

–

Yu Wen had already changed into the brand’s outfit, also a white T-shirt, and after getting into the car, he realized that his outfit was very similar to Xie Heyu’s — almost like a couple’s outfit.

He sat in the passenger seat, sneaking glances at Xie Heyu’s profile.

That smile Xie Heyu gave him earlier was dazzling, and Yu Wen belatedly realized that it was probably the first time he’d seen Xie Heyu smile.

Normally, he didn’t go out of his way to keep a straight face, but he was generally expressionless, giving off a cold and distant vibe. In reality, he was just a bit introverted and not very expressive, though undeniably handsome.

Today, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Zhong had the day off, so it was just him and Xie Heyu in the car. By the time Yu Wen stole a third glance, Xie Heyu had caught his gaze in the rearview mirror.

Yu Wen: “…”

“Is there something on my face?” Xie Heyu asked.

Normally, or with someone else, Yu Wen would probably have fired off a straightforward compliment like, “Haha, I think you look super handsome when you smile; you should smile more often.”

But he opened his mouth and closed it again, feeling less candid than usual, a bit awkward even. So, he swallowed the words and instead asked, “Has President Feng’s merchandise not been released yet?”

Their speed wasn’t great—missing the chance to profit while it’s still hot.

Xie Heyu replied, “The first batch has already been rushed out, but it’s a bit special. This batch doesn’t need your signature…”

Curious, Yu Wen asked, “How special? I want to see.”

Xie Heyu took out a paper bag from the glove compartment.

Yu Wen opened the bag, and inside was… another bag.

“…Our merchandise is a bag inside a bag?”

The outer paper bag was printed with some not-so-exquisite but rather cute chibi characters of the Brave Hero Squad. Considering it was rushed, it was already decent. However, the cloth bag inside seemed pretty plain—no designs, and not very practical either.

Xie Heyu said, “It’s not for carrying.”

It was an ordinary cloth bag, dark brown, sturdy material, with a drawstring closure. When filled, it would likely puff up, looking like a fat little guy. The surface had no patterns.

Yu Wen flipped it over several times, about to praise its large capacity and practicality out of politeness, when Xie Heyu reminded him that it wasn’t meant to be carried.

So Yu Wen asked, “Then what’s it for?”

Xie Heyu parked the car on the roadside, opened the window, loosened the drawstring, and let the wind fill the bag until it puffed up.

“It’s for holding ‘wind’,” Xie Heyu said, handing him the tightened cloth bag.

Yu Wen: “…”

Feng Chengzhou must be out of his mind.

Having a good business sense is fine, but this was a bit too avant-garde.

Yu Wen found it hard to understand, but then he realized that the risk was being borne by Huiteng Group. Even if it didn’t sell, it would be Feng Chengzhou’s loss. With that in mind, he relaxed, thinking to himself, “He’s a CEO after all. Let him make whatever he wants.”

The samples were made, and the next day, the simple cloth bags were listed online, surprisingly selling quite well.

The promotional slogan read: 【A bag of wind. Among the Brave Hero’s collection, there is a bag of wind. This bag is his trophy, symbolizing his poetic soul.】

The samples weren’t just sent to Yu Wen; they were also sent to numerous bloggers who had made videos on the “Look, this is the wind” topic. On the same day they received the samples, countless new videos popped up online. The original jackets and plastic bags were replaced by simple, lightweight cloth bags. The plain design allowed everyone to easily customize it, painting their favorite designs, adding their favorite charms, and then heading to their favorite places, running and laughing.

The comments below the videos were filled with excitement, with people expressing their love for the cloth bags and asking for purchase links and shipping dates.

「OMG! Brave Hero’s bag! It’s exactly like the one Yu Wen picked up in the Battle Royale scene!」

「Twenty years old, buying it in full! No need to say more.」

「The ‘bag of wind’ is out, can we also get the Brave Hero’s sword? I love both the cross holy sword and the broken sword.」

「I’m not picky, that weird-shaped broken stone looks pretty cool to me too…」

「And the dragon scales! Our Villain-Hero group needs to get in on this too!」

Yu Wen thought they were just joking around, but a few days later, Huiteng Group actually released these “broken items,” clearly having prepared them in advance. Yu Wen watched as the sales soared and fell into deep thought.

…Do people really like this stuff?

Huiteng basically replicated the entire Brave Hero’s collection, sending Yu Wen a full set of samples. Not only that, but Feng Chengzhou also kindly gifted him a large iron rack — yet another replica from the Brave Hero’s collection.

Yu Wen placed this large iron rack in the living room. At first, Xi Su and Chu Han found it distasteful, thinking the intentionally weathered iron rack didn’t match the luxurious decor of the villa, nor did it suit their style.

A couple of days later, Chu Han, hugging the cross holy sword, shyly asked Yu Wen, “Can I have this?” 

Yu Wen asked why.

Chu Han: “My fans said that when I hold the holy sword, I look like one of those super-powered warriors.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Xi Su also asked: “Can you sign that iron frame of yours and give it to me?”

Yu Wen let out a deep sigh and asked why.

Xi Su shamelessly replied, “I feel like it could sell for a lot of money. I saw someone online who’s collected the entire set of hero memorabilia, but they’re just missing the iron frame. What does that tell you? The one in your hands is a rare piece. With your signature, its value will skyrocket.”

Yu Wen closed his eyes.

The world had truly turned into something he could no longer understand.

Immortal Sect was still being updated, and in two days, it would reach its finale. The recent updates had hinted at a tragic ending, and every time Yu Wen logged onto the internet, he was bombarded with countless fans asking whether the ending would be happy (HE) or sad (BE). Afraid that he might accidentally let something slip, he decided to stay off the internet and lay low for a few days.

In the evening, he went out for a night run.

He hadn’t run far when he ran into a familiar bald uncle. Xie Jialin waved at him from a distance, clearly pleased to see him, and asked why he hadn’t seen Yu Wen recently.

Yu Wen hadn’t expected Uncle to be so concerned about him and, feeling a bit shy, said, “I’ve just been busy with work lately…”

Technically, they had only met five or six times and weren’t that close, but the bald uncle seemed like a straightforward, unpretentious person. If he liked someone, he was sincere about it, and his compliments to Yu Wen always felt genuine, not superficial. Because of this, Yu Wen always felt a little embarrassed when he saw him.

They ran two laps together, and somehow the conversation shifted to the jianbing (Chinese crepes) at the entrance of the neighborhood. Xie Jialin seemed to be quite the foodie and talked about it in great detail, making Yu Wen hungry in the middle of the night.

Xie Jialin invited him to go for a late-night snack, but Yu Wen, maintaining his discipline, said, “Uncle, I’m still an actor. If I eat late at night, my manager will scold me…”

“What kind of manager is that strict?” Xie Jialin said, “You’re still young, barely any meat on your face. This is the time to nourish yourself and eat well… You can eat strawberries, right? I’ve got some air-flown in from overseas, a special variety, big and juicy. They’re at my place, haven’t even been unpacked. Want to try some?”

Yu Wen was tempted.

Who could say no to big, juicy, special variety strawberries?

He politely refused a couple of times, but when Xie Jialin guaranteed they weren’t sour, his mental defenses crumbled, and he eagerly followed him.

Uncle’s place wasn’t far, just a short distance from the company villa.

On the way, Yu Wen asked how he should address him, and Xie Jialin said, “I’m the third child in my family; just call me Third Uncle.”

Yu Wen sweetly called out, “Third Uncle.”

Xie Jialin beamed with joy. “Ah, good, good. Third Uncle will save you a share of strawberries from now on. Such a good kid. We only have one child in the family, and he’s so quiet. My sisters have been trying to get him to call someone uncle for twenty years, and he’s never done it. If he were as cute as you, I’d laugh in my sleep.”

Yu Wen immediately thought of Xie Heyu. Teacher Xie also had a quiet personality, but he wasn’t boring. In fact, he was quite fun.

Yu Wen said, “My manager doesn’t talk much either, but he’s really cute. He’s the type who, when you tease him, doesn’t get mad. Instead, he responds very seriously. Sometimes his thinking is kind of quirky, and the way he talks and acts is different from most people. Overall, he’s very proper, which makes him really fun.”

Xie Jialin replied, “Oh, that sounds more interesting than my boy. My kid used to cry when we teased him as a child. Now, when he gets teased, he just stands there and glares at you with a look that could kill. He’s got a good temper, though, doesn’t talk much. If I hear him say more than two words, I’m thanking the heavens.”

Yu Wen thought, yeah, that does sound kind of dull.

“But you’re interesting, Uncle! Your son being steady just complements your personality.”

Yu Wen thought that, but he wouldn’t say it aloud—after all, Bald Uncle was a good person who was treating him to strawberries!

Xie Jialin laughed, “You’re good with words.”

Uncle’s house was decorated similarly to the company villa. Yu Wen wondered if the whole area had uniform decor, as even the layout was almost identical.

Xie Jialin poured him a glass of water and went to the kitchen to wash the strawberries. Yu Wen couldn’t sit still, so he followed along to help. Xie Jialin started chatting again, “Too bad my son’s not home today. Otherwise, I’d introduce you two. Maybe you could get him to open up a bit.”

Yu Wen exaggerated, “Steadiness has its own merits, Uncle. People who hang out with me tend to lose their inhibitions too much, and that’s not always a good thing. I’m already dealing with the consequences.”

Xi Su was a prime example.

Xie Jialin chuckled, “He’s not steady, he’s stiff. Always has to do things in a certain order, like his life depends on it. But hey, recently, he’s made a new friend, and he’s been a bit more cheerful. Sometimes I even catch him smiling at his phone. The other day, he took some cherries from the house—didn’t leave me a single one. Probably gave them to his new friend… not even one for his old man.”

Yu Wen righteously said, “That’s too much! How could he not leave even one?”

Xie Jialin replied, “Right? You think so too, huh? Totally unfilial.”

Yu Wen said, “I had cherries the other day, too. My manager bought them. They were really sweet.”

Xie Jialin commented, “You two must have a great relationship…”

After finishing his business, Xie Heyu headed back to the company villa, but Xi Su told him that Yu Wen wasn’t home.

Xie Heyu asked, “Where did he go?”

Without looking up from his game, Xi Su answered, “I think he went for a night run.”

Xie Heyu frowned, “… He usually doesn’t stay out this late when he runs.”

Xi Su looked up, realizing this made sense. “He didn’t run into some stalker fan, did he? I’ll text him and ask.”

The strawberries were incredible.

No wonder they were special, air-flown, giant strawberries!

Yu Wen and Xie Jialin each took a bite, and their eyes lit up. They exclaimed in unison, “Delicious!”

Xie Jialin grabbed a bag and generously filled it up, handing it to Yu Wen. “Take these back with you to share with your friends.”

Yu Wen hesitated, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”

But his body betrayed him as he happily stashed the bag away after two token refusals.

His phone pinged—it was Xi Su’s message.

Blue Hair asked: [Where are you? Still running?]

Yu Wen replied: [I’m at an uncle’s house, eating strawberries. They’re as big as my palm! (Cute cat shaking head.gif)]

“He’s eating strawberries,” Xi Su informed Xie Heyu.

Xie Heyu asked, “Where?”

Assured that Yu Wen was safe, Xi Su didn’t care about his exact location and resumed his game, saying, “Some uncle… I don’t know who.”

Uncle?

Xie Heyu asked, “Do we know him?”

Xi Su replied, “Nope, must be a new friend.”

Xie Heyu frowned.

Security around here was tight, but it wasn’t foolproof. Since it was a wealthy area, some people used the assumption that “everyone here is someone important” to worm their way in and scam others.

There had been incidents like that before. Yu Wen, with his trusting face, would be an easy target…

Xie Heyu called Yu Wen.

The call connected quickly, and Yu Wen’s voice sounded cheerful, “Hello~”

Xie Heyu relaxed a little, softening his tone, “Where are you?”

“I’m at a new uncle’s house! The uncle is super nice—he’s giving me strawberries!”

A new acquaintance? Already at his house?

Xie Heyu said, “… It’s getting late. I’ll come pick you up. Where are you?”

“It’s not far, I think… Ah, wait, I spilled something on my clothes. I’ll call you back—”

Xie Heyu: ?

The cool guy stared at the phone, alarm bells ringing in his head.

Something was wrong—very wrong.

Inviting someone home right after meeting? This uncle was definitely up to no good!