Chapter 31
Warning: Mentioned (briefly) rape
He wasn’t wrong at all. This person, that person: none of them were as young as Yuan Ye had been.
Back then, Fang Shaoyi’s, “Do you like me?” had directly smashed onto seventeen year old Yuan Monkey’s head, instantly causing him to blank out.
Yuan Ye trembled while stuttering out, “What do you mean l-l-like you?”
Fang Shaoyi ultimately couldn’t bear to keep teasing him after seeing his nervous appearance. Yuan Ye was still young. Fang Shaoyi shook his head and laughed, then gestured at the other, “I’m just kidding with you. Come here.”
Yuan Ye scooted over. He sat next to Fang Shaoyi and heaved a sigh of relief. “You scared me so much. I thought you wanted to date me.”
Fang Shaoyi gently knocked him on the head with the script in his hand. He said, “Silly.”
Yuan Ye rubbed his head, then said, “I’ve never thought about this stuff.”
Fang Shaoyi made a noise of acknowledgement from behind him. The angle of his eyes and eyebrows were both gentle. “No rush.”
Yuan Ye honestly hadn’t thought about it before. However, it wasn’t like he was aromantic. Although Fang Shaoyi had said that he was just joking around at the time, as long as Yuan Ye thought about it, he would realize that their relationship was slightly strange. Additionally, he had an inexplicable admiration for Fang Shaoyi. He wanted to play with the other, wanted to talk with the other. There ought to be a reason for all this.
Only, he had never carefully thought about it before. However, Yuan Ye had never been dumb. He had a clever brain.
When he had largely sorted his thoughts out, he strolled around the film set. He kept his head lowered as he walked, so accidentally ran into someone. Yuan Ye leaned back and apologized, “Sorry.”
The other was a forty-year old man. Yuan Ye had seen him quite often on set. Fang Shaoyi had probably told him who this person was, but he never paid much attention to these things. The other used both hands to hold Yuan Ye’s arms to help him regain his balance. His smile was very warm. He told Yuan Ye, “Be careful when you’re walking.”
His palms were sweaty, so didn’t feel comfortable against Yuan Ye’s skin. However, Yuan Ye didn’t think much of it and only took a step back, avoiding the other’s hands. Then, he nodded and walked away, head lowered.
He didn’t know if he was overthinking things or overly sensitive, but in the instant that he had moved away, it had felt like that person’s fingers had squeezed his arm. It might not have been on purpose, but this accidental physical contact made Yuan Ye feel somewhat disgusted. The sticky feeling on his arms made him slightly uncomfortable.
Two people carrying a reflector passed by behind him. They shouted, “Passing through, please excuse us!”
Yuan Ye hurriedly hopped to the side to leave a path for them. And then he started looking around for Fang Shaoyi. Fang Shaoyi was in the middle of a conversation with the director. Yuan Ye lowered his head and walked over beside him, silent. He waited for Fang Shaoyi to finish speaking; he looked very well-behaved and compliant. As Fang Shaoyi spoke to the director, he turned around and glanced at the other, then turned back to continue his conversation with the director. Only, he reached a hand out and grabbed Yuan Ye’s wrist in greeting. He wanted Yuan Ye to know that he realized he was there.
After the conversation ended, Fang Shaoyi dragged Yuan Ye off to the side. Yuan Ye stuck his arm out further and pointed at the spot the other man had grabbed. He told Fang Shaoyi, “Touch me.”
Fang Shaoyi didn’t know what he was thinking again. He sometimes couldn’t keep up with Yuan Ye’s thoughts. Thus, he caressed the area Yuan Ye pointed at. Yuan Ye pointed at the other side. “Here.”
“What’s wrong?” Fang Shaoyi gently pinched his arm, then rubbed it while asking, “Did they bump into you?”
“No,” Yuan Ye finally smiled. He said, “I just wanted to feel it.”
Fang Shaoyi couldn’t do anything about him. He squeezed the back of the other’s neck and said, “What is in your head all the time?”
It truly felt different. No matter how Fang Shaoyi squeezed or touched him, he found the sensation very comfortable. He didn’t dislike it at all. Instead, this pleasure completely replaced that slight disgust he had just felt. For some reason, he also felt something very sweet in his heart. Maybe it was because he could more clearly realize those strange, youthful thoughts on his mind.
Yuan Ye smiled at Fang Shaoyi, revealing a mouth full of white teeth. “Yi ge, I want to pursue someone!”
This sentence caused Fang Shaoyi’s heart to fall into his stomach. He gently furrowed his brows and asked, “Who?”
Yuan Ye started shamelessly laughing again. Then, he answered, “The moon!”
“What moon,” Fang Shaoyi said in a low voice. “You’re still young. Don’t get involved in such things.”
“Haha, I’m almost eighteen! Can’t I start dating if I’m almost an adult?” Yuan Ye asked while looking at him. “I don’t know how to pursue people. Teach me.”
Fang Shaoyi refused to answer him. He left him on the little stool and turned around to keep filming. Thus, Yuan Ye propped his head up with one arm and happily watched Fang Shaoyi act. The other was wearing a white collared shirt. Paired with his short hair, he looked extremely handsome.
After reaching an epiphany about some things, the thoughts that followed were often like a blaze setting fire to the plains. At this age, others started thinking day and night about the girl they had a crush on. Yuan Ye started thinking day and night about that clean and extremely handsome youth. However, his youth was too impressive. Yuan Ye wasn’t the only one thinking about him. He was also a celebrity. One of them was in the sky while the other was on the ground. From background to identity to everyday life, they had absolutely nothing in common. Fang Shaoyi was the bright, white moon hanging in the sky while he was that monkey squatting in the tree and looking at the reflection in the water.
Yuan Ye felt like there was nothing really likeable about himself. He didn’t have a good temper, was extremely stubborn, and had a one-track mind. But so what? He still decided to try. If he couldn’t successfully pursue the other, he would worry about that after he actually failed. He at least needed to try first.
Yuan Ye sent a text to his childhood best friend, Ning Lu: How do you guys normally pursue girls?
Ning Lu very shamelessly replied: Ge never needs to pursue anyone. It’s always the girls who pursue me.
Yuan Ye ignored his bluffing and asked again: Then how do girls pursue you?
Ning Lu: Stuff like watching me play basketball, asking me out to eat, giving me love letters.
Yuan Ye wasn’t quite satisfied with these options. How could they be so old-fashioned? These methods had already been overused by movies and dramas. They weren’t innovative at all. These techniques could only be used to pursue people on your level. They’re too rudimentary to be used to pursue my Yi ge.
These days, Fang Shaoyi ignored Yuan Ye a lot because Yuan Ye kept asking him how to pursue people. Fang Shaoyi was unhappy in his heart but also couldn’t bear to get angry at the other. Thus, he only decided to rarely speak to him. He didn’t know where the heck the other had gotten a moon from on set. Fang Shaoyi had purposefully kept Yuan Ye close so he could keep an eye on him, but had still failed.
One night, he was showering in the bathroom. Yuan Ye knocked on the door and leaned against the doorway to say, “Yi ge, I want to give you something.”
The water was loud. Fang Shaoyi couldn’t clearly discern what he was saying. He thought the other was asking him for lessons on pursuing again, so only answered, “Wait until I come out.”
Thus, Yuan Ye stood there the whole time and waited. When Fang Shaoyi walked out, he had already finished dressing. Yuan Ye pulled something out from behind him and stuffed it into Fang Shaoyi’s hands “For you.”
Fang Shaoyi was slightly surprised. He looked down at his hands and saw the carved wooden……trophy? It was probably a trophy. He cocked an eyebrow. “What’s this?”
Yuan Ye laughed a bit sheepishly. He scratched his head and answered, “A trophy. Film emperor, you know. I’m giving it to you in the hopes that my Yi ge will be able to become a film emperor sooner. It’s a bit ugly, but I didn’t have any tools. If I had tools, it would be slightly prettier.”
Fang Shaoyi’s heart felt soft and full. He asked the other, “When’d you make this?”
“These few days,” Yuan Ye blinked. “Didn’t you notice that I haven’t been staying on set and watching you film these days?”
Fang Shaoyi rubbed the monkey at the top of the trophy. He chuckled and softly said, “I thought you went to pursue someone.”
“You’re right, I was pursuing someone,” Yuan Ye nodded.
The two of them made eye contact and remained silent. Fang Shaoyi’s gaze was tentative and filled with questions. Yuan Ye’s eyes were clear. That’s right, I am pursuing you.
Fang Shaoyi previously hadn’t made this connection. Mainly because he honestly hadn’t thought that Yuan Ye’s immediate answer of “the moon” had anything to do with himself. He didn’t know where such a response came from. The repetitive and varying emotions prior to a relationship were always sour or sweet. When one was submerged in them, they would only find this experience pleasant. Who could bear to end everything in advance?
Fang Shaoyi’s lips curled up to form a beautiful crescent. He asked, “What award is this for?”
Yuan Ye licked his lips and said, “Golden……Monkey, I guess. Golden Monkey Award.”
“Okay,” Fang Shaoyi nodded. He joked, “Thank you to the judges, thank you to the guest presenter.”
Yuan Ye laughed for a long time. After, he said, “You’re welcome. Keep up the good work and continue working hard!”
Yuan Ye was actually very good at making these types of things. After all, he had grown up in the mountains. There weren’t any high-tech contraptions there, so since young, his toys had all been these natural things. His grandfather was very good at carving. Yuan Ye would stay by his side and imitate him step by step. If you gave him a reference, he could make a masterpiece. But if he didn’t have anything to model his carving after and was forced to rely on his own thoughts, he couldn’t do that great. Additionally, tools were needed. How could Yuan Ye have any suitable tools on set? Besides, it had been several years since he had last carved anything, so he was a bit out of practice. After having two knives in his hands these days, he had grown a couple blisters. He always tore the blisters open as soon as they grew; there were also little cuts he had accidentally made. He was too lazy to even put on a bandaid and didn’t care much for these trivial injuries.
He didn’t care much about them, but someone else couldn’t handle them at all. Looking at them made that person’s eyes hurt.
After showering, Yuan Ye washed his underwear in the bathroom. Fang Shaoyi passed by the door and heard Yuan Ye hissing in pain. He stopped in his tracks and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yuan Ye shook his head and said, “Nothing. The water’s cold.”
“There’s warm water.” Fang Shaoyi walked over and turned on the faucet, adjusting the temperature for him.
Yuan Ye bumped him with his shoulder. “No need. I’ll do it myself. Don’t you know that I’ll feel ashamed if you’re standing here while I wash my underwear?”
Fang Shaoyi couldn’t help laughing. He said, “I’ve never seen you ashamed before.”
As he spoke, he lowered his head and saw Yuan Ye’s hands. Then, he furrowed his brows. Fang Shaoyi turned off the faucet and grabbed Yuan Ye’s hands to observe the other’s fingers. He furrowed his brows tighter and tighter together.
There were actually quite a few old scars on Yuan Ye’s hands. They were remnants from his rowdy days in the mountains. The few round scars on his thumb were from when a rabbit had bitten him. Originally, after he ripped open his blisters, they would be able to heal in two days. However, touching water honestly made the wound hurt. Right now, the way Fang Shaoyi kept staring at him made him feel a bit embarrassed. He said, “Yi ge, what are you doing?”
Fang Shaoyi used a towel to gently rub his hands. When he dried them completely, he tugged the other out, brows furrowed tightly. In a low voice, he said, “Don’t touch water these days. Your hands are already like this but you’re still washing stuff? If you get soapy water on your wounds, you might get an infection. Wouldn’t that hurt?”
“Haha, it’s not that bad. They’re just a few blisters. No need to be so careful.” Yuan Ye withdrew his hands and told Fang Shaoyi, “Look, I shower, wash my face, and wash my underwear daily, but haven’t gotten infected. This is nothing. I’ve been this naughty since youth, so I’m not as precious as you celebrities.”
“Be quiet,” Fang Shaoyi scolded. “From now on, don’t make any more carvings.”
“That won’t do,” Yuan Ye furiously shook his head. “I still need to pursue someone.”
Fang Shaoyi said, “Switch methods.”
Yuan Ye looked over at him, cocking an eyebrow to say, “Then you teach me.”
Fang Shaoyi gazed at the little dip in his eyelid and nodded. “Okay, I’ll teach you how to pursue them.”
There were only bandaids in the room, but if you put bandaids on small injuries, this would actually aggravate the injuries more easily. Fang Shaoyi kept Yuan Ye’s hand in his and refused to let go. He needed to find his assistant to ask for the first aid kit. Thus, Yuan Ye went with him.
Though he honestly felt like he didn’t need anything, being tugged along by Fang Shaoyi felt nice too. Heh.
The assistant’s room was one level lower. Fang Shaoyi dragged Yuan Ye down the stairs. They needed to pass through a relatively long hallway.
A few people walked out from a certain room. Yuan Ye recognized the last person who walked out. It was the one he had seen on set. However, the closer Yuan Ye got, the more he widened his eyes.
The people were actually towing someone out. Two people grabbed his arms while the last person grabbed his legs. That person’s back and butt never left the ground. He kept being towed along. His pants weren’t on properly. As they dragged him forward, his buttocks became revealed.
Fang Shaoyi suddenly let go of Yuan Ye’s hand and quickly turned around. He used his hand to cover Yuan Ye’s eyes and lowly said, “Don’t look…… Close your eyes.”
Yuan Ye’s face was completely pale. His eyelashes fluttered against Fang Shaoyi’s palm.
Fang Shaoyi had blocked his view too late. Yuan Ye had already gotten a clear look at everything.
The person being towed was a specially arranged actor. His status was only slightly higher than the extras or walk-on actors. He had several scenes to film. The reason Yuan Ye had an impression of him was because this boy’s nose was quite similar to Fang Shaoyi’s. Thus, Yuan Ye had taken a few extra glances at him. He thought the other was pretty handsome too. Perhaps in the future, he could become popular as well. But now, his face was deathly pale. He didn’t look alive at all. Though he was being towed away in such an embarrassing posture, his eyes remained closed and he didn’t move in the slightest.
His pants and butt were both covered in blood.
Though Yuan Ye was naughty and wild, the environment he had grown up in was ultimately pure and clean. His years in the mountains gave him mountains and rivers. After leaving the mountains, he received the strict but forgiving education provided by literature professors. Yuan Ye had never had the opportunity to encounter anything else. He was still confused about whether he liked someone and how to pursue someone. When you suddenly put such a frightening scene before his eyes, the psychological impact was very strong.
That group of people walked further and further away, towing the person in the direction of the elevator. Fang Shaoyi’s hand was still covering Yuan Ye’s eyes. Yuan Ye lifted a hand and squeezed Fang Shaoyi’s hand: even his fingertips were cold.
Fang Shaoyi uncovered his eyes and reached his arms out to hug Yuan Ye. He used his shoulder to block Yuan Ye’s line of sight. Yuan Ye’s forehead bumped against Fang Shaoyi’s shoulder. Fang Shaoyi’s scent surrounded him. Yuan Ye did his absolute best to focus on the smell, furiously sniffing at that delicate fragrance. This scent could allow him to relax.
Fang Shaoyi circled him, reaching behind to caress his hair. He gently rubbed the back of Yuan Ye’s skull, whispering into his ear, “Don’t be scared.”
Yuan Ye didn’t lift his head up either. Fang Shaoyi’s stroking made him very comfortable. He really wanted to fall asleep just like this. He leaned against Fang Shaoyi, softly breathing.
Fang Shaoyi’s palm was dry and warm. Against the scalp, it was extremely gentle. Yuan Ye quietly asked, “Yi ge, what’s wrong with him……”
Fang Shaoyi had no answer for this question. This had also happened because just now, he had only had Yuan Ye’s hands in mind. When those people had walked out, he hadn’t even glanced over. When he noticed, it was already too late. Otherwise, he would’ve covered Yuan Ye’s eyes immediately. Fang Shaoyi didn’t even let Jian Xu talk about the things on set. He didn’t want Yuan Ye to listen to those stories; he was too young and pure. Fang Shaoyi had never wanted these things to pollute his ears. But today, Yuan Ye had directly witnessed the worst possible scenario.
Fang Shaoyi’s expression was frighteningly dark. He lowly and gently repeated by Yuan Ye’s ear a few times, “It’s nothing, don’t be scared.”
Yuan Ye rubbed his forehead against Fang Shaoyi a bit. His mouth was glued onto Fang Shaoyi as well. His voice sounded a bit stuffy. When he spoke, his lips gently vibrated, scratching at Fang Shaoyi’s heart. Yuan Ye raspily said, “Ge, this industry……is too terrifying.”
Fang Shaoyi forcefully closed his eyes. Aside from caressing the other’s hair in comfort, he had no other response.
The author has something to say:
Seventeen year old Monkey Yuan: Youthful, naughty, rowdy, obedient. All him.