Qi Bailu was no longer surprised by Ruan Qiuji’s habit of wandering in and out of the backstage area. He moved to put away the envelopes on the table, but the sound of footsteps had already reached his back. Ruan Qiuji reached out a hand to pin down the envelopes, picking one up casually. Seeing the floral print and Qi Bailu’s name written on it, he knew it was fan mail. Leaning against the table, he remarked, "It seems there are still people who love you."
*How can this man be so caustic?* Qi Bailu shot him a look and leaned back, stretching his arm past Ruan Qiuji’s waist to grab a bottle of mineral water from the far side of the table. It was true that he had vanished from the public eye for the past two years, nearly forgotten, to the point where he wasn't even entitled to a private dressing room.
The letter seemed to have been written in a hurry; the seal wasn't properly stuck. Just as Ruan Qiuji was about to put it back, the letter slid out. He caught the paper, and his eyes were suddenly drawn to a few words. He glanced at Qi Bailu, who was drinking water, then shook the paper open and read the entire letter. Hearing the rustle of paper, Qi Bailu felt a flicker of annoyance. He looked up and said, "That’s written to me, not you."
He reached out to snatch it back, but Ruan Qiuji simply switched it to his other hand. At first, Qi Bailu thought he was playing some childish game, but after seeing the expression on his face, he asked, "What does it say?"
"Don't look."
"Is it someone cursing me?"
With a dark expression, Ruan Qiuji stuffed the letter back and picked up the other envelope. After reading the second letter, his brow furrowed deeply.
This time, Qi Bailu managed to snatch the second letter away. After he gave it a cursory scan, Ruan Qiuji took it back again. He folded both envelopes and tucked them into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, close to his chest, making it difficult for Qi Bailu to try and grab them again.
Seeing Qi Bailu’s lack of surprise, Ruan Qiuji asked, "You’ve received these before?"
Qi Bailu gripped the water bottle, showing no signs of agitation. It was a silent admission.
Of those two letters, the first was indeed a vitriolic attack, berating him for his past lack of ambition and the collapse of his public persona; the pages were filled with accusations of disappointment. The second letter, however, was a feverish, obsessive monologue. It was clearly written by an adult male, and the language was explicit to a point that bordered on the perverted. While every celebrity experienced some degree of harassment, Ruan Qiuji’s earlier quip about "people still loving him" had instantly become a biting irony. Hate lasted much longer than love, and a twisted love could endure just as long as hate.
Qi Bailu hadn't opened them immediately likely because he had already guessed their contents. Ruan Qiuji asked, "How long has this been going on?"
"Two years."
At the mention of this timeframe, the look they exchanged shifted. The change was more pronounced in Ruan Qiuji, whereas Qi Bailu seemed long accustomed to it, though his hands moved somewhat neurotically, twisting the bottle cap off and then back on. Ruan Qiuji wanted to tell him he could just throw them all away, but then he remembered that Qi Bailu had always been a bit of a fool. Even if he appeared sharper now, his essence hadn't changed. He probably kept the letters because he didn't want to throw away a genuine letter, even a bad one.
Just then, the dressing room door swung open. A staff member came in to urge the guests to take their seats. With others present across the aisle, Ruan Qiuji decided to drop the subject for now. He tilted his chin toward the paper on the table and asked, "Is that your acceptance speech?"
The paper was scribbled over until not a single word remained. Qi Bailu stood up and said, "Don't tell me you're actually..."
Qi Bailu’s voice cut off abruptly. Ruan Qiuji said, "You can pretend you don't know."
*How am I supposed to pretend I don't know?*
Ruan Qiuji added, "There will be a surprise."
Because of those words, Qi Bailu spent the entire evening feeling tense, fearing that Ruan Qiuji’s "surprise" might actually be a "shock." When the Best Supporting Actor category was announced, he was still somewhat dazed. The host milked the audience's anticipation, waiting several agonizing seconds before finally reading the name. When his name was called, a stir went through the hall. Beside him, Xue Fang excitedly patted the back of his hand. Qi Bailu had no choice but to feign surprise, smiling at him as he stood up.
The steps were carpeted in red. He walked up through the lights, realizing his mindset was completely different from when he had won his first award. He walked slowly, as if weighing something in his mind with every step. Just as he reached the final step, the host announced the presenter: "Please welcome Mr. Ruan Qiuji of Yuntian Media." Qi Bailu froze, nearly knocked off balance by this "surprise."
It wasn't unprecedented for the president of an entertainment media company to serve as a presenter at a film festival, especially since Yuntian Media had been ambitious lately. Their successful collaboration with internet companies had allowed them to control the industry's direction, aiming to become a domestic "Netflix." Qi Bailu wasn't sure what role Ruan Qiuji played in all this, but he knew that as a Vice President, Ruan’s reputation and status were so prominent they almost overshadowed the President of Yuntian Media. There were even rumors of a rift between the two, suggesting a potential split.
The usual custom was for famous directors or actors to present awards, but the Golden Goblet Award for Best Supporting Actor had only been established this year. As an award from an International Category A film festival, the Golden Goblet had always occupied an awkward position. Thus, it wasn't strange for someone like Ruan Qiuji to present an award that wasn't considered top-tier in prestige.
What Qi Bailu found strange was that Ruan Qiuji had always disliked showing his face in public. Did he want that face of his on a live broadcast to be on the front page tomorrow?
Sure enough, as the camera followed the presenter, a wave of whispers broke out in the audience. No one had expected the person walking up to be anything other than an old man.
Qi Bailu glanced at the giant screen behind him. Seeing Ruan Qiuji’s face, he almost felt like refusing the award. Meanwhile, Ruan Qiuji had already walked up beside him, separated only by the host. Qi Bailu glared at him expressionlessly, looking very much like he was pale from nerves. Ruan Qiuji stepped around the host and politely took his hand. Then, while the host was reading the transitional script under the gaze of thousands, he tilted his head close to Qi Bailu’s ear and whispered, "You aren't angry, are you?"
The gesture looked like a senior colleague giving earnest advice or a greeting. Qi Bailu, still holding his microphone, immediately lowered his hand. Although Ruan Qiuji’s voice was too low to be picked up by the mic, this was a live broadcast with a massive audience. If anything went wrong, even one Ruan Qiuji wouldn't be enough to appease the fallout. He leaned close to Ruan Qiuji’s ear and whispered fiercely, "Shut up."
Ruan Qiuji pursed his lips in a faint smile. He couldn't shut up, of course; he had to stand straight and read the presentation speech. The host had already paused to look at them. The speech was written by the organizers and was cloyingly sentimental. Qi Bailu didn't process a single word. He knew Ruan Qiuji would never say anything scandalous in such a setting, but he still kept his eyes fixed on the man's lips.
Ruan Qiuji seemed entirely unfazed by the cameras, remaining composed throughout. When he took the trophy and handed it to Qi Bailu, he even put on a show of saying "Congratulations" before pulling him into an embrace.
The hug was just a light touch for the sake of protocol, but Ruan Qiuji held him for two seconds longer than necessary, whispering in his ear, "You deserve it."
The surging tide of applause nearly drowned out Ruan Qiuji’s voice. Qi Bailu held the heavy trophy and met his gaze. Ruan Qiuji knew he had caught those few words. The hand on his back slid down, and the look in Ruan's eyes stripped away layers of complexity until only focus remained. Even if that look lasted only a few seconds before the camera panned away, it was like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water.
The audience and reporters hadn't expected Qi Bailu to be the dark horse winner. They were all eager for the release of *Spring Water Raging*. Media outlets immediately contacted Qi Bailu’s assistant for an impromptu interview. Work came first, so Qi Bailu went backstage to meet the reporters. It turned out the person sent was the same reporter who had interviewed him at the charity gala in Beijing years ago. Seeing him again, the reporter felt a touch of nostalgia, shaking his hand with a smile. "Teacher Qi, it’s been a long time."
It had indeed been a long time. So many people thought he had decided to quit the industry. Even though only a few years had passed, in the mouths of the media, he had gone from "Xiao Qi" or "Xiao Qi-laoshi" to "Qi-laoshi." The idol market was skewing younger and younger; he was twenty-five this year, which was no longer considered "little."
As the interview neared its end, the reporter asked about his future plans. He said he would continue acting. The reporter joked that he should post on Weibo more often, to which he replied that he had forgotten his account password. Qi Bailu’s last Weibo post was from three years ago. The top comment, with tens of thousands of likes, asked him, "Did you sell yourself?" Back then, when the news of the mansion fire broke, every clue pointed to him being the protagonist of the story. Although there was no hard evidence, everyone assumed it was him.
People drifted in and out of the dressing room. Seeing an interview in progress, they instinctively softened their footsteps. When Cheng Wenhui entered and saw they weren't finished, he stood against the wall. Qi Bailu saw him too; Cheng Wenhui was looking his way while fiddling with his phone.
The reporter’s final question was how he felt about winning the award and if he had anything to say. Qi Bailu looked at the trophy beside him. "...I'm very happy. I was lucky to encounter this character." After a pause, he added, "I want to thank the entire crew, the organizers, the audience, and... Boss Ruan."
Cheng Wenhui, standing not far away, clearly heard this. He gestured frantically at him. Qi Bailu looked up, and Cheng Wenhui mouthed the word "Movie" with exaggerated emphasis. Qi Bailu followed up with the standard pleasantries: "I hope everyone supports *Spring Water Raging*. We look forward to the release date and the premiere."
Once the media team left the dressing room, Cheng Wenhui finally walked over to Qi Bailu. Qi Bailu asked, "Aren't you going to sit?"
Cheng Wenhui smiled but didn't sit. Qi Bailu asked, "Did he tell you to come?"
"I came on my own, I was just passing by..." Cheng Wenhui paused, then added, "I still wanted to say it in person: Congratulations."
Qi Bailu paused as well before replying, "Thank you."
Cheng Wenhui touched the trophy. "Gold-plated. Is it heavy?"
"It's alright."
Cheng Wenhui glanced at Qi Bailu’s assistant, who was packing things up. The two of them stood in silence for a moment. Cheng Wenhui said, "Then I'll head back. I have work over there."
Qi Bailu nodded.
It seemed Cheng Wenhui had come just to say that one word of congratulations. Qi Bailu’s assistant was a fresh graduate, a distant relative of Lin Yuewei, and didn't know many people in the industry. She clearly didn't know the history between Qi Bailu and Cheng Wenhui. She remarked, "Wasn't that someone's manager? The one who's been really popular lately—they say whoever he manages becomes a star..."
Qi Bailu picked up his backpack and stood up, saying nothing as he led his assistant back to the hotel. They hitched a ride with a friend of Xue Fang’s. In the car, Qi Bailu casually set the trophy beside him. When the car braked, the trophy accidentally rolled onto the floor. Xue Fang picked it up, and the assistant in the passenger seat immediately turned around to take it carefully, terrified it might get chipped or dented. Qi Bailu said, "It’s not that fragile. Don't you find it heavy?"
The assistant replied, "If I were you, I’d put it on an altar. If this breaks, money can't buy another one."
Beside him, Xue Fang pushed up his glasses and let out a laugh. Qi Bailu thought to himself: *Actually, money really can buy it. It’s quite something.* As he thought this, the phone in his hand suddenly vibrated. The "rich man" had sent him a message: *Coming over tonight?*
After the multiple rounds they’d had the night before, he was truly too lazy to sleep with him again today. Qi Bailu casually made up a lie to stall him: *Group dinner... won't be back until very late. No.*
Ruan Qiuji replied quickly, sending a cute smiley face with blushing cheeks. Just as Qi Bailu thought he had fooled him, the phone vibrated again. Ruan Qiuji followed up with: *Is that so? I'm in the car behind yours.*
...
Qi Bailu couldn't help but look back. Sure enough, there was a black car following them; based on the model, it was Ruan Qiuji’s car. Since they were staying at the same hotel, it was indeed easy to run into each other. One couldn't necessarily say Ruan Qiuji had been following them with ulterior motives from the start. Qi Bailu stared at his phone. The more he looked at that cute emoji, the more he felt the man deserved a beating. He clicked the screen off and ignored him.
***
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