Ever since the Golden Lion nomination list was announced, Luo Ding had gone off the grid.
Regardless of whether he won or not, just being nominated didn’t quite match his current resume.
Although he didn’t take home the final prize, he didn’t feel much regret. After staying in Los Angeles for a few days following the Golden Lion Film Festival, Gu Yaxing told him that he was definitely going to be nominated for both the Film Festival and the European Film Festival afterward.
Luo Ding didn’t know where Gu Yaxing got this information.
Sure enough, just five days later, the official Film Festival nomination list was released, and Luo Ding’s name was on it.
While this made him happy, it also caused him some worry. The media was undoubtedly eager to pounce on him, and it just so happened that this coincided with his return to China. From the moment he landed, peace would likely be a luxury.
With Duan Xiubo having won the final prize, he was now in high demand, with Hollywood film offers pouring in like snowflakes. Naturally, some of that attention also spilled over onto Luo Ding.
Between the end of the Golden Lion Film Festival and the confirmation that he would attend this year’s Film Festival, Luo Ding managed to carve out time in his schedule to sign on for four films, one of which had him as the lead.
It wasn’t easy for a Chinese actor to make it in Hollywood. In his previous life, even after winning the Film Festival twice in a row, he had never experienced this kind of overwhelming attention. Yet now, a single Golden Lion nomination had smoothed over so many obstacles.
Worried about his itinerary being leaked, Luo Ding kept a low profile at the airport, deliberately spacing out his arrival from Duan Xiubo by a short interval.
But no matter how carefully he planned, he couldn’t outwit the eagle-eyed bystanders. When he got back to China, dragging his exhausted body along, Gu Yaxing told him that there was a large group of reporters camped outside the station, waiting for him. Luo Ding could only sigh.
“Let’s take the VIP exit.”
“Alright.”
But taking the VIP exit was only a temporary fix. Before they could even get to the car, they were blocked again. The reporters clung to the vehicle like leeches, surrounding it and preventing them from moving.
Excited, red-eyed reporters shouted, “Luo Ding! Can you share your thoughts on being nominated for the Golden Lion Film Festival?!”
Luo Ding smiled and said, “Of course, I’m honored.”
“And what’s your take on the recent incident with Xu Zhen?”
Luo Ding was stunned but kept his expression neutral. What had happened to Xu Zhen?
Smiling silently and giving nothing away, Luo Ding left the reporters with no further ammunition. Another reporter quickly shifted the focus, asking, “What are your thoughts on Su Shengbai’s recent scandal? Can you share your opinion on that?”
When faced with something he didn’t fully understand, Luo Ding wisely chose to keep quiet, smiling without answering. Security soon arrived, and with Gu Yaxing’s assistance, they cleared a path for the car to leave, finally allowing Luo Ding to escape.
Not a single reporter had asked him how he felt about being nominated for the Golden Lion but not winning… and he had rehearsed several different responses for that very question during the flight.
But on second thought, it made sense. His meteoric rise was already beyond expectations, even more dramatic than Duan Xiubo’s own path to stardom. Many people in the industry were undoubtedly jealous of his good fortune. If he had come back home with a prestigious Golden Lion award, it might have frightened them even more.
However, the questions about Xu Zhen and Su Shengbai stuck with him. Once they were in the car, he asked Gu Yaxing and Wu Fangyuan what had happened with the two of them.
Gu Yaxing remained calm, but Wu Fangyuan was visibly shocked. “You really don’t know?”
Luo Ding looked confused.
“What? Haven’t you been online? Didn’t you read any news or gossip?”
Luo Ding had been busy reading through scripts sent by various film crews, giving interviews, and selecting projects. He barely had time to keep up with any gossip.
Realizing this was his moment to shine as an assistant, Wu Fangyuan eagerly recounted the entire drama from start to finish, ending with a sigh, “Those two are such scoundrels. It’s no wonder they met such a tragic end. It’s just a pity about Cao Dingkun—I was a fan of his. Even when he ousted Su Shengbai, I didn’t hold a grudge. But who would’ve thought he’d get mixed up with those two? And to think he even married Xu Zhen! With his talent, he could have been with anyone. Why Xu Zhen?”
Luo Ding chuckled but didn’t say anything.
When Xu Zhen was younger, he was truly exceptional.
Even now, in terms of pure talent, he was still outstanding. But his heart had changed, and so had his thinking. Their relationship could never go back to the way it was.
Though Wu Fangyuan’s version of events was a bit disjointed, after doing some research himself, Luo Ding realized that things were likely even more serious than what Wu had described. Public outcry was intense, and the criticisms even extended to the legal system. Major forums were filled with discussions about the scandal. Under pressure from these voices, the legal proceedings were accelerated. A nationwide arrest warrant had been issued for Su Shengbai, and posters offering rewards for his capture were everywhere. On top of the official bounty offered by law enforcement, Cao Dingkun’s fans had pooled together an enormous reward of their own. Combined, anyone who caught Su Shengbai and turned him in could earn at least 1.5 million yuan.
That’s a better chance than winning the lottery! With his possible escape routes published online, people along those paths were going wild with excitement.
On the other hand, since Su Shengbai was still at large, Xu Zhen remained in custody, awaiting formal charges. There was little news from his side, but none of it was good. His legal team had already indicated that a prison sentence was inevitable. Xu Zhen hadn’t hired anyone to defend him, and when reporters tried to interview him, he just smiled and said the same thing over and over: “I accept the consequences.”
Luo Ding lay in bed, feeling confused. He couldn’t quite figure out whether he felt more satisfied or disappointed.
******
Su Shengbai’s capture turned out to be simpler than expected—he walked right into a police station himself.
Disheveled and injured, with a serious stab wound in his side.
He didn’t even have time to say a word before collapsing at the entrance, while the van that had been chasing him quickly sped away, only to be apprehended by the police soon after.
Reporters swarmed the hospital where Su Shengbai was taken for treatment, and it was revealed that he had been robbed as soon as he stepped off the train. He had probably intended to lay low in some remote town, but what he didn’t expect was that the more remote the area, the worse the security. After being robbed of a bag containing some cash, he fled with his suitcase, but foolishly clung to it rather than dropping it to make his escape easier.
The robbers were shocked when they saw the amount of cash. If Su Shengbai reported the crime, the large sum of money involved would surely result in heavy penalties.
The robbers were just a group of young punks, and they didn’t know what to do. Then one of them recognized Su Shengbai, and things became even more complicated.
On one side was a fugitive murderer; on the other, a group of petty thieves who had just committed a robbery.
One of the robbers suggested letting Su Shengbai go, reasoning that he wouldn’t dare report the crime because of his own criminal record.
But another was uneasy—this was a lot of money. They were worried that Su Shengbai might turn himself in and implicate them.
Someone even suggested killing Su Shengbai to eliminate the risk.
But in the end, no one had the guts to go through with it. After all, it was murder.
Su Shengbai had endured a rough time recently. Not only had he been caring for a group of people, but he’d also been imprisoned in a shabby farmhouse, unable to move freely. The farmhouse had no TV, no computer, and no phone. All he could do each day was sit in silence. The food was awful, and at the slightest provocation, he’d be beaten.
He hadn’t escaped just to live like this.
He was stabbed during his attempt to flee, but the injury only strengthened his resolve. Once blood was drawn, there was no turning back. Su Shengbai knew that if he went back, his fate would be even worse than before—there was no way out.
The whole situation played out like a farce.
His hospital room wasn’t in a high-end facility, so other patients could still come by and see him. The police posted to guard him were mainly there to prevent him from escaping.
After being hit with two rotten eggs, the police finally placed him in full isolation.
All Su Shengbai could hope for now was that his wound would heal slowly.
The slower, the better. Pain was preferable to death.
******
After returning to China, Duan Xiubo noticed that Luo Ding had become even more serious than before.
This change probably coincided with the shift in his status. Before, Luo Ding was a newcomer who hadn’t been famous for long, so he couldn’t come across as too seasoned in public. His modesty as a rookie had dictated much of his social conduct. But now, it no longer seemed appropriate to continue categorizing him as a novice.
Since changing his image, Luo Ding had begun shedding his youthful air. The deliberate displays of cuteness in front of the camera had gradually disappeared.
Though his appearance still suggested youth, it was becoming increasingly difficult to guess his actual age based on his demeanor.
This meant his acting range was expanding, no longer restricted by the age of the characters he played.
While this change was undoubtedly beneficial for his career, it left Duan Xiubo feeling endlessly regretful.
Luo Ding’s daily schedule had become nothing but work, work, and more work.
It was as if he were devoting his entire being to the entertainment industry, leaving no time for his personal life!
Duan Xiubo was not happy about this. Why should things be this way? Before, when they came home, they could at least cuddle and enjoy some quiet time together. Now, whenever Duan tried to get close, Luo Ding would just push him away!
Duan couldn’t help but wonder: he was so handsome—could he really not compete with the allure of words and scripts?
With Luo Ding leaving early and coming home late every day, the house had become far too quiet.
One evening, after finishing work and returning home, Duan Xiubo took a deep breath of the cold air. It was drizzling outside, and the production assistant held an umbrella, carefully escorting him to the car.
The sound of his shoes hitting the pavement echoed softly in the silence, but suddenly, a faint, soft “meow” broke through.
Huh?
Duan Xiubo stopped in his tracks. That sounded like a kitten.
A flash of yellow fur darted out from the nearby bushes. The little creature, upon seeing all the people around, arched its back in fright, ready to run.
It was a filthy kitten, covered in mud, skin and bones. It had yellow and white patches and was barely the size of a puppy.
The assistant, thinking Duan didn’t like cats, quickly apologized. “Sorry, sorry. This area is close to a university, so there are lots of stray cats around. The station plaza often sees cats wandering in at night…”
Duan and the cat locked eyes.
The cat: “Meow…” Its tail flicked as it realized it was trapped by the fence behind it, with no escape.
For some reason, Duan suddenly smiled. “Go pick it up.”
“Who, me?” Mi Rui asked, blinking in confusion for a moment before pointing at himself. “Me?”
Duan, growing impatient, gave him a light shove. “Hurry up! Get a towel and pick it up. Don’t you think the cat looks pitiful?”
Mi Rui stood in silence for a moment. Knowing there was no reasoning with Duan, he gave up and went to the car, fetching a towel and grabbing a sausage on the way. Cautiously, he approached the frightened kitten.
The little cat was tense, its fur standing on end, slowly backing away with each step.
But once it smelled the peeled sausage, it couldn’t help but pause.
Ah, still a naive kitten. Any seasoned stray wouldn’t stick around waiting for food.
Mi Rui thought this to himself as he threw the towel over the cat.
The assistant wasted no time singing Duan’s praises. “Duan-ge, you really are a kind soul, even showing compassion to stray cats! No wonder you’ve achieved so much at such a young age!”
Hearing these nauseating flattery attempts, Mi Rui couldn’t help but think, *Why don’t any of you try being on the receiving end of his temper?*
The kitten, clearly a long-time stray, looked even worse up close. Its right eye seemed infected, and at an age where it should have been chubby, it was all skin and bones. Now that it was inside the dimly lit car, it didn’t even struggle, instead curling up into a tight ball and mewling pitifully.
“Meow… meow… meow…”
Duan Xiubo loved animals but didn’t care for ones that were this dirty. Yet the soft meows were melting his heart, and seeing the little cat’s miserable expression made him sigh. “Let’s take it to the vet.”
The staff at the pet hospital were much more professional. They bathed the kitten, applied eye drops, and gave it vaccinations. Thankfully, there were no fleas, saving everyone from dealing with that headache.
Armed with kitten formula and a heap of supplies, Duan stood outside Luo Ding’s apartment, hesitating for a moment before swiping his key card and letting himself in.
******
When Luo Ding got home, he thought he had entered the wrong house.
The hallway was a mess, with shoes thrown haphazardly about. A flower vase on the rack had fallen and shattered into pieces on the floor, and puddles of water were everywhere.
He stopped for a moment, noting that this didn’t look like something a burglar would have done, and then cautiously ventured inside.
An awful smell greeted him.
On the floor was a wet, stinking mess that reeked horribly.
The skin on the back of his neck tightened. He was already starting to feel angry. Skirting around the edge of the mess, he noticed a bunch of new bowls and boxes arranged along the wall, all of them filled with what looked like milk.
What the hell…
Who did this?
He heard Duan Xiubo’s voice coming from the living room. Glancing over, Luo Ding couldn’t immediately see him, but then he noticed part of Duan’s rear end sticking out from behind the sofa.
Duan was lying on the rug, peering under the sofa at a kitten curled up in the narrow space, timidly meowing.
“Come out…” Duan coaxed, waving his hand like he was calling a child. “Come on~”
“Meow…”
Before Duan could react, he felt a swift kick to his rear, sending him toppling sideways, nearly crashing into the coffee table. Just as he was about to get angry, he saw who had kicked him. His rising fury quickly gave way to a sheepish grin. “You’re back?”
Luo Ding glared coldly at him. “What the hell happened in here?”
“…Um.” Duan hesitated for a moment before indignantly pointing at the sofa. “It’s all because of the cat! So annoying! I put it in the litter box, and it insisted on running out! I made it formula, and it wouldn’t drink! It even scratched me—it scratched me!”
Luo Ding took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to punch him. “Who is ‘it’?”
Duan tried to grab his hand, but Luo Ding shook him off. Feeling guilty, Duan quickly pointed under the sofa. “Just look! Take a look!”
Luo Ding’s anger had already been pushed to the brink by the mess in the house, and now Duan expected him to get on his knees and look under the sofa? Yeah, right. Instead, he slapped the sofa and yelled, “Come out!”
Startled, Duan remained silent, placing his hands cautiously in his lap.
He was tempted to tell Luo that yelling wouldn’t help. The kitten was terrified.
But before he could say anything, he heard a soft “meow…”
A head, not much bigger than a walnut, cautiously peeked out from under the sofa, trembling as it scanned the room, taking in the sight of the new person.
Luo Ding stared down at it, expressionless. “You brought a cat home?”
Duan, afraid of getting hit, hesitated and then nodded.
The kitten inched out a little further, creeping toward Luo Ding’s direction as it meowed pitifully, “Meow…”
Luo Ding abruptly stood up and turned to leave.
As he walked away, he left behind a non-negotiable statement: “If you want to keep it, it’s your responsibility. If it poops anywhere else, take it back to your place.”
And so Duan and the kitten were left alone, both staring helplessly in the direction Luo Ding had gone.
After a moment of silence, they turned to look at each other.
Thinking back to how the stubborn kitten had refused to come out no matter how much he coaxed it but then crawled out as soon as Luo Ding shouted, Duan couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “This is all your fault! Who told you to poop everywhere, huh?!”
The cat: “Meow!”
And with that, it scurried back under the sofa. No amount of coaxing could get it out again.
Dammit! Who was the one who picked you up in the first place!
Author’s note:
I rushed through yesterday’s update and forgot to mention a few more extras I have planned.
There will also be concert extras, another Golden Lion Award next year, and more. Feel free to suggest ideas—if I get inspired, I’ll add them!
R : 2 extras chapters every saturday
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
