Chapter 3: CH extra 3

Because his hand was injured, Ji Sheng didn’t have any commercial value left. Qingchu quickly agreed to terminate his contract. Only Sheng Kongzhi and Li Tan sent a long message accusing Ji Sheng of “only sharing bitterness and not sharing sweetness.” 

Ji Sheng didn’t bother to look at it, so he dragged the message directly into the trash can, and then happily moved to Xie Xuanming’s place citing the reason of “being expelled from the dormitory”. 

Xie Xuanming made some useless resistance to this and finally let Ji Sheng drag his small suitcase to settle down in his apartment. 

Considering that he was a celebrity, Ji Sheng finally chose to take online classes from this apartment. Xie Xuanming was also in the preparation period in recent days, studying the script. 

So every day, Ji Sheng took online classes with headphones sitting at the dining table, while Xie Xuanming sat on the sofa studying the script. The two lived in harmony sharing the same space, while the study room was useless, becoming a place no one talked about. 

While Ji Sheng was unemployed, Xie Xuanming had a job to do. He could put off small, unimportant events, but had to attend important ceremonies and parties. 

That day, Xie Xuanming left a charity party early. On the way back, he recalled how Ji Sheng waved goodbye obediently before he went out, looking so quiet.  He also remembered that before the accident, Ji Sheng had been invited to these events, too.

Thinking of this, Xie Xuanming sat up straight and urged the agent to drive faster. It was the first time he had made this request. The agent thought that something big happened at home. It seemed that it was at least the level of “a thief in the house” or “the gas was not turned off”. He quickly stepped on the gas and accelerated all the way back to the apartment on the edge of violating the speed limit. 

When Xie Xuanming returned home, Li Sheng was staring at the computer intently, looking as serious as if he was working on a bomb disposal. 

Seeing that he was not in a bad mood, Xie Xuanming was relieved a little bit, but his curiosity was aroused, so he took a rare childish step and quietly walked up behind Ji Sheng and leaned down to peer at the screen. The blue-black online class page had been seen many times by Xie Xuanming intentionally or unintentionally in recent days. 

But at this time, the usually silent chat box was in full swing. Xie Xuanming took a closer look. The battlefield belonged to Ji Sheng and another student. The student was extremely quick to swipe the screen, and in just a few seconds, he had cursed Ji Sheng’s virtual parents to death. 

The quality was too low.

As soon as Xie Xuanming frowned, he saw Ji Sheng’s fingers fly and quickly respond to the student’s previous curses in kind. Xie Xuanming stopped frowning and couldn’t help laughing. 

He caught Ji Sheng’s attention this time. Ji Sheng suddenly raised his head; Xie Xuanming withdrew, but Ji Sheng’s lips still brushed over his cheek. 

“You are back, how was the event?” When Ji Sheng saw Xie Xuanming, his eyes curved into crescents and his sharp expression from when he was typing just now disappeared. 

“Pretty good…” 

“Wait a minute. “Ji Sheng suddenly raised his hand, stopping him solemnly. Xie Xuanming’s words paused awkwardly halfway.

He saw Ji Sheng bow his head and pick up the phone to unlock it. On the screen, that extremely low-quality student initiated a request to connect. 

“Here comes the counterattack,” Ji Sheng hurriedly explained, raised the phone and clicked ‘agree to connect’. As soon as the sound came, harsh verbal abuse rushed out, and even Xie Xuanming captured extremely high-frequency dirty words from the sound leakage of the headphones. 

However, Ji Sheng’s expression was not angry, even a little compassionate. 

Xie Xuanming soon knew who he felt pity for. 

Ji Sheng clicked the play button, and Su Jing’s voice shot out like an anti-aircraft gun. 

“Why are you still cursing? Your cerebral cortex is more waste than your rectum. The doctor who agreed to your discharge at that time was blind and crazy. Oh yes cerebral palsy also can not be too difficult to cure. Waste of resources might as well create a pit to bury yourself, bad luck dog thing…”

Ji Sheng held the phone in his hand steady as a mountain, not forgetting to glance back and explain Xie Xuanming: “It was recorded from Su Jing’s live broadcast. It’s very practical. I will treat you to a copy.” 

Xie Xuanming: ……

Xie Xuanming: “No need.”

He watched with tears and laughter as Ji Sheng borrowed Su Jing’s cursing ability to fight, or rather to create a unilateral massacre, wondering in his heart why a few minutes ago he actually thought Ji Sheng would be upset because he couldn’t attend a party.

“By the way, listen to this.” Ji Sheng suddenly took off one earphone and handed it over. Xie Xuanming took it and put on one ear.

The student who was scolded had run away a long time ago. Instead of filthy words, there was a piece of pure music. 

The sound of water flowed into mountains and forests, and the notes slid lightly like a spring breeze. After a short segment was over, Xie Xuanming took off the headphones.

“You wrote it?”

“Yes, for the class.” Ji Sheng’s eyes shone brightly, “Does it sound good?” 

Because of the shared headphones, the distance between the two of them was a bit close. 

Xie Xuanming felt that it was time to pull away, but he didn’t want to, so he just said, “It sounds good.” 

“That’s what I said.” Ji Sheng laughed and said righteously, “And that little brat said I made some disgusting bullshit, he must be deaf.”

So that was the reason for the fight. As soon as Xie Xuanming understood, he heard Ji Sheng change the subject. 

“The teacher said that the first song should be composed for the girl one likes. I don’t have a girl I like, so I’m going to have to ask you to be the guinea pig.”

As soon as these words came out, Xie Xuanming was quiet for a few seconds and backed away. But Ji Sheng also leaned back, pressing the back of his head to the back of the chair, raising his face, his eyes curving more and more. 

“Like it?”

Xie Xuanming didn’t know if the question was about the song or the person. He was silent for another second, and finally got up and escaped as if he couldn’t stand it. 

“I’m going to remove my makeup.”

Ji Sheng straightened back, looked at Xie Xuanming’s hasty departure with some pity, and tried to add a sentence: “I’m doing this song for…”

The bedroom door slammed shut. 

“…didn’t even eat dinner.” Ji Sheng looked at the door resentfully, and said to himself, “Xiao Xie gets too shy too easily.” 

The next step was to wash and sleep without eating. 

Ji Sheng sent the audio to Xie Xuanming and lay down, patting his empty stomach. 

Think of it as a diet.

The consequence of sleeping hungry was to have nightmares. 

Ji Sheng’s breath sped up as he dreamed of a future scene that was not a part of his memory. 

Xie Xuanming, with his head lowered, was standing among a messy funeral scene, the corner of his mouth split during the fight with Sheng Kongzhi. His face was deathly pale. He looked wretched, as if his soul was lost.

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Ji Sheng looked at him distressed and stretched out his hand to hug him, but his fingers went straight through Xie Xuanming. Ji Sheng woke up in shock, staring at the ceiling, gasping for breath. 

It took him a few seconds to recover from the feeling of his heart tightening. Then he felt hunger. After two aggrieved stomach growls, Ji Sheng rubbed his temples, got out of bed and decided to get something to eat.

He ran barefoot to the kitchen and opened the fridge before remembering that he couldn’t cook, so he looked in the cupboard but found no instant noodles. He had to turn back to the fridge and take out a box of milk. 

The fridge door closed, Ji Sheng raised his eyes and met Xie Xuanming’s gaze. 

“What are you doing?” Xie Xuanming glanced at the milk in his hand, then looked at Ji Sheng’s face, frowning, “Why is your face so unsightly?”

“I didn’t have dinner.” Ji Sheng told the truth without much fuss, “I’m hungry.”

“……” 

Xie Xuanming said, “You wait.” 

Xie Xuanming took a tomato, some green onions and a small piece of lean meat from the fridge. Ji Sheng watched him skillfully do some stir-frying. His busy figure in front of the kitchen counter overlapped with his memories from the future life. 

Xie Xuanming took out some ramen noodles from the cupboard. Ji Sheng leaned over and stared at the bubbling water. 

“I had a nightmare.” Ji Sheng said mysteriously, both complaining and coquettish. 

“What nightmare? ” 

“I dreamed that I was dead.”

Xie Xuanming dropped the noodles; the noodles fell into the water, and the splashing water almost burned the back of his hand. 

He didn’t care about this, retracted his hand, frowned and looked at Li Sheng. 

“Then I was alive again.” Ji Sheng continued with a gasp, “And my hand was healthy, I could play drums… Is it a good thing?” 

“……”

Xie Xuanming did not answer, just looked at him darkly. 

“I think it’s a good thing.” Ji Sheng answered his own question and smiled at Xie Xuanming, “Because we are together in the dream, it is a good thing.” 

The water in the pot was boiling, white bubbles continuing to rise. 

Xie Xuanming turned away and poured half a bowl of cold water into the pot to suppress the foam. 

“If chasing me makes you so worked up… Then let’s be together.” 

“En?”

Now it was Ji Sheng’s turn to be surprised. 

“Then now, the situation won’t be bad either, will it?”

Ji Sheng’s eyes widened slightly; he was dumbfounded when he understood it was Xie Xuanming’s response to the “good thing” statement just now.

“Wait, I should have confessed first.” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Xie Xuanming picked up the chopsticks, stirred the noodles and whispered, “If you like me, nothing else matters.” 

”Actually, I’m very curious.” Ji Sheng looked at Xie Xuanming and said quietly after a short pause. 

“Well?” 

“Does it feel good to forcefully kiss someone? Why else would you be so stubborn to do it three times?”

Xie Xuanming froze with the chopsticks in his hand. The next second, a lemon-flavoured breath approached him and his cheek was gently touched. Ji Sheng withdrew after kissing, and said with satisfaction: “Sure enough, I don’t think…”

Before he finished speaking, Xie Xuanming lowered his head and kissed him on the lips. 

They kissed for a long time until the water boiled again and the white foam overflowed from the pot with a warning “hiss” sound. 

The two hurriedly separated and Xie Xuanming poured the remaining half bowl of cold water into the pot. 

“Once at the food stall, once in the bar, but three times?”

Ji Sheng then remembered that the third forced kiss hadn’t happened yet. It would probably never happen. 

“I remembered it wrong. “Ji Sheng said with a smile. 

Summer was always a restless season; melon romances, hot dramas, variety shows and festivals always happened in these sultry three months. 

In the summer of this year, the entertainment industry was also particularly hot. 

First, there was a certain idol who turned out to cover up a criminal. Then a rookie company went bankrupt before it took off. Finally, a tiny star landed a single that became popular all over the Internet and was rushed to the screens of major video platforms. 

In the livehouse, Ji Sheng, a newcomer who re-debuted as a singer, was performing his first comeback show. Among the audience that raised their heads, there were both new and old faces. 

After Ji Sheng sang the new single, the style changed and an old song sounded. 

“Stray Dog” was the song that disappeared with his youth, and it was also a clue that brought Xie Xuanming to Ji Sheng. 

We are all stray dogs

Fortunately, we are not walking alone 

The adapted lyrics ended. Ji Sheng took two steps forward and fell backwards from the stage amidst the shouts of the crowd. In the first row, the young man wearing a black hat stepped forward and caught him firmly.

THE END

Translator’s note: The story is over  I hope you loved Xiao Ji and Xiao Xie as much as I do. The story was fun but I never, never, never want to translate an entertainment story again. Those netizen comments, my eye was twitching every time I saw a new batch of them. Thank you everyone who commented on the story – especially Blood, without your comments I would be much less motivated!

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