SM Chapter 18

Chapter 18: It Was Me Who Forced Him

Chapter 18: It Was Me Who Forced Him

Waking up from a sleep, Ye Lai lay on the bed without moving. The events of last night intertwined with the scenes in his dream, like a black and white silent film mixed with a color movie, flashing quickly before his eyes.

The scent from Sheng Mingqian’s coat lingered around his nose, never dissipating. Ye Lai smelled the scent from his dream, and his nasal bridge stung. He turned his neck and flipped over, then froze for two seconds before realizing that it wasn’t just the scent from the coat; the person from his dream was lying right beside him.

Sheng Mingqian was still asleep. The white gauze over his eyes was a bit askew, and the strands of hair on his forehead were distinct, draped along the edge of the white gauze. The stark contrast between black and white created a trembling, flowing light.

“Ye Lai, your acting isn’t bad.”

The cold, deep voice from last night echoed once again. Ye Lai looked away from Sheng Mingqian, propped himself up on his arms, removed the hand draped across his waist, and got out of bed to enter the bathroom.

Cold water poured over his head, and the muddled, dazed feeling slowly receded. Ye Lai felt much clearer. Dreams were dreams, and reality was reality, but the reality of the past had eventually turned into a dream.

Ye Lai even began to doubt whether Sheng Mingqian had actually given him his coat that night at the Film Set. Were the memories so deeply etched in his heart deliberately embellished by his brain over time? If it hadn’t really happened, why was the scent on the coat so real?

During the half-year of filming “Raw Deal,” from a purely professional standpoint, Ye Lai believed he had gotten along quite well with Sheng Mingqian. When did their relationship begin to change…?

Ye Lai stood in front of the mirror, staring at his naked reflection. His cheeks were flushed red from the cold water. He tried hard to pinpoint an exact moment in time, but before he could figure it out, the bathroom door was opened from the outside.

Sheng Mingqian’s left hand was still on the doorknob, and his right hand groped for the doorframe, standing quietly at the doorway.

Ye Lai grabbed a Bath Towl to wrap himself, took a slow breath as he looked at the figure with gauze over his eyes in the mirror, then turned and walked to the door, putting on his usual expression. “Do you need help?”

“Help me take a shower,” Sheng Mingqian said, taking off his pajamas. Unable to see, he groped forward with the clothes he’d removed, but there was nothing beside him.

Ye Lai took the clothes from Sheng Mingqian’s hand and placed them on the sink, then took his hand and led him to the shower.

It was as if nothing had happened last night. Neither of them mentioned it. Over the years, they had both become skilled at papering over conflicts and maintaining a false peace.

One didn’t mention it, and the other didn’t want to mention it.

The Doctor came to change the dressing on Sheng Mingqian’s eyes. After examining them, he said that he should be able to see in a couple of days and that he needed to be careful in the meantime.

The TV was off. Ye Lai sat next to Sheng Mingqian on the sofa, holding “The World on the Bough” in his hands and reading to him.

“In my dreams, there has always been a sea, a sea churning with black, boiling water. I stand on the deck, using all my strength to hold onto the railing to avoid being overturned by the oppressive hurricane. Compared to that sea of black water, the scratching sound of my fingernails on the wall is what truly terrifies me. The ventilation ducts are narrow, with thin holes through which wind occasionally blows. I use this to distinguish between winter and summer…”

“It must have been summer, as the wind carried the scent of grass and soil, a scent other than decay. That summer, I saw Jiang Yuanzhou for the first time in a newspaper. The newspaper, which had been under a packet of instant noodles, had yellowed and curled at the edges, covered with a total of thirteen red oil stains of varying sizes. I could still smell the sour, spoiled food. The only clean spot on that newspaper was Jiang Yuanzhou’s photo. That man had a face that was impossible to forget, with deep, profound features, a straight, elegant nose, and sunken lips. His eyes were clear yet resolute. It was a feature report on Jiang Yuanzhou. It was magical; after that day, my dreams contained something other than the black, boiling sea—the man’s face…”

Ye Lai read sentence by sentence. Sheng Mingqian suddenly interrupted him, “Do you think Bai Yusheng’s feelings for Jiang Yuanzhou can be considered love?”

Ye Lai was stumped by Sheng Mingqian’s question. He thought for a moment and asked in return, “Wouldn’t that be considered love?”

The two didn’t come to a conclusion on this question. Everyone had a different answer in their heart. Ye Lai silently read a few more lines to himself, his fingers tracing the page. Soon, his fingers recoiled as if scalded by the boiling black water in the text, hurriedly closing the book and not continuing to read.

“Do you want to watch TV?” Ye Lai picked up the remote control. Without waiting for Sheng Mingqian’s answer, he turned on the TV himself.

The movie channel was playing “Raw Deal.” Ye Lai didn’t change the channel, and Sheng Mingqian didn’t say a word. One watched in silence, and the other listened in silence.

When they reached the recollection of the bathhouse scene, Ye Lai suddenly said, “Mingqian, the night we filmed that scene, you let me wear your coat, do you remember?”

Sheng Mingqian remained in the same posture, leaning lazily against the sofa with his right leg crossed over his left. After a while, he replied, “It was too long ago, I don’t remember.”

Ye Lai smiled, “I thought my memory was playing tricks on me. I dreamt about it last night, and I thought it was just a dream. I was going to ask you about it.”

–

–

The silence in the living room continued until the afternoon. Lin Han had just arrived when Zhang Yihao’s phone call came. His car was already waiting downstairs. There was an advertisement to shoot in the afternoon. Ye Lai said goodbye to Sheng Mingqian and Lin Han and left.

As soon as Ye Lai got into the car, Zhang Yihao started lecturing him, looking at his neck. “I say, my dear, what happened to your neck? We’re shooting an advertisement for skincare products this afternoon. There can’t be any injuries on your face or exposed skin, none at all.”

As he scolded, Zhang Yihao adjusted the rearview mirror to face the passenger seat. “Look at yourself, look at yourself. Can you shoot like this?”

Ye Lai stretched his back and used his fingers to pull at his neck, looking at himself in the mirror. Three long scratches were still very visible on his neck and collarbone, the color of fresh blood. He pressed down on the scratches with his index finger, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain.

“Brother Hao, I don’t know if makeup can cover my neck. Maybe the camera won’t focus on my neck.”

Zhang Yihao’s anger flared. “I’m saying, can’t you control yourselves in bed? That person should know you’re an actor, right? Shouldn’t they know not to hurt your face and neck?”

Ye Lai was taken aback before he understood. He tilted his head back against the seat and chuckled a few times before coaxing Zhang Yihao, “Brother Hao, I scratched my neck myself last night, accidentally.”

Zhang Yihao raised his eyebrows. “What kind of habit is that, scratching yourself?”

Ye Lai composed himself, his voice softening considerably. “My body ached last night, and I accidentally scratched myself.”

Zhang Yihao sighed and didn’t say anything else, starting the car and driving towards the studio.

The scratches on his neck couldn’t be completely covered. The advertising team vented their anger on Zhang Yihao, and Ye Lai kept bowing and apologizing.

“What’s going on?” A tall man in a suit walked into the studio, drawn by the noise.

“President An, you’ve finally arrived. We can’t shoot today’s advertisement. The model has an injury on his neck.” The party who had been keeping an eye on the filming set, finally found another vent, and started ranting, their spit flying everywhere.

The man, addressed as President An, after listening, walked to Ye Lai’s said, casting a gaze to his neck and wrinkling his brows. “Ye Lai, right? Are you the model for today’s advertisement?”

Hearing others call him President An, Ye Lai likely guessed the identity of the person. He was An Xuyao, the CEO of the advertising company.

“President An, I’m really sorry,” Ye Lai nodded slightly, looking apologetic. “I accidentally injured my neck last night. Makeup can’t quite cover it, and it’s delaying everyone’s progress.”

“With a neck injury, you definitely can’t achieve the effect I want. Never mind,” An Xuyao turned around, trying to mediate. “Let’s reschedule for another day.”

Leaving the studio, Ye Lai and Zhang Yihao lit cigarettes and sat in the car, exhaling smoke.

“This An Xuyao isn’t bad,” Zhang Yihao said. “At first, I thought you two knew each other. It’s good he spoke up for you.”

Ye Lai exhaled smoke and shook his head. “I met him for the first time today. I’ve only heard of him before.”

“The next shoot is set for the same time a week later. Don’t forget. Take good care of your neck this week, and use that scar cream. The one I recommended to you before, is it still effective? The secret recipe.”

“It works well. I’ve been using it since before my debut. It works great.”

“Come home with me for dinner directly. We don’t have any work this afternoon. We’ll pick up Xin Xin from school first.” Zhang Yihao said, then laughed at himself.

Ye Lai sighed. “Brother Hao, I really envy you, a wife and children, so much happiness.”

Zhang Yihao looked at him. “Tell me, what’s going on between you and that person?”

“Nothing’s going on,” Ye Lai chuckled, avoiding the main point. “We’re not as good as you and your wife. We’ll probably break up in a few months.”

Zhang Yihao picked up on something strange. “Even the breakup is scheduled? Is someone forcing you? If someone is making things difficult for you, tell me. Even though I’m just an ordinary agent, I’ve been in the industry for so many years. I still know some people. Don’t be afraid…”

“No one is making things difficult for me, and no one is forcing me,” Ye Lai said. “It was me who forced him.”

“You forced him?” Zhang Yihao clearly didn’t believe it. “You would force someone? That’s rare. It’ll be a good thing if you don’t get eaten so there is nothing left of you.”

The cigarette in his fingers was half-burnt, and his cheeks were tinted crimson by the smoke. The gray ash fell with a shake of his hand. Outside the car, the traffic flowed endlessly.

Ye Lai was in the middle of it, a vast river that wouldn’t stop flowing because of a tiny ripple. They would all be pushed forward by the current. Sheng Mingqian wouldn’t eat him so there is nothing left of him. Even if he was shattered into pieces in the end, he could always use those pieces to piece together another version of himself, clean himself up, and leave.

Ye Lai thought, sneering at himself in his heart.

Perhaps he was already in the process of picking up the pieces, but he was unaware of it…