Ch15 - Fire Girl (1)

The two people found a ramen shop to sit at. Hai Ri pulled out the chair for Liu Jie in a gentlemanly manner before sitting down as well.

Liu Jie: “Meimei, if you weren’t gay, you would really be to my taste.” 

Hai Ri chuckled. A message popped up on his phone – Sheng Canyang had sent him a photo of a barbecue table with two trays of fruit on it. Seems like they’d reached.

Those two kids cycled as if they were courting death, was what Hai Ri felt. Fearing that they would bang into someone along the way, he could only rest at ease after they reached safe and sound. He pointed at the store’s waiters, asking Liu Jie, “What are those people?”

Liu Jie rested her clothing over the back of her chair. “Stragglers.”

“Stragglers?” 

Liu Jie: “Those who don’t want to go back but also don’t want to die. They feel that living here is better than living in the real world, so they decide to remain here and take up residence.”

 Hai Ri: “You can even do that?”

“Yup.” Liu Jie said candidly, “There are many strange people here.”

Liu Jie gestured at the menu. “In this place, money can’t be made from opening a store. All it takes is a few tens of points and you can fill your tummy, that really isn’t much to speak of. Not to mention that you still have to fork out rental. Many people do it because they want to find the sensation of being alive. Most people no longer want to die after coming here and can directly go back while those with many points can try staying here for a few more years.”

Hai Ri glanced around. For many of the customers and waiters in the room, their faces reflected their individual stories, yet there was a deep serenity in their expressions.

After coming here, Hai Ri stopped having panic attacks. His anxiety and insomnia disappeared, and even his appetite had returned. No matter which angle he viewed it from, this place was much better than the real world. All he had to do was participate in some scary tasks – compared to living in the real world, it wasn’t a tall order.

Liu Jie asked, “Meimei, why did you come here?”

“Depression?” Hai Ri wasn’t sure. “I didn’t complete a task, so I went back home and committed suicide.” 

Liu Jie raised her glass of lemonade. “Me too.”

Hai Ri apathetically flipped through the menu. “I’ll have the beef brisket noodles.”

“I advise you not to,” Liu Jie took a sip of her lemonade. “Only the Lanzhou noodles are worthy of consumption here.”

Hai Ri: “How long have you been here?” 

Liu Jie looked at him with a smile. “Just a few months, meimei. I’m not a straggler.”

Hai Ri: “Me too, but for me, it’s because I don’t have money.”

A burst of clear, bright laughter erupted from Liu Jie.

Hai Ri felt that this woman possessed an unfathomable charisma. She was solitary, unyielding, and refreshing. She didn’t stand out at a glance, but she was capable of drawing you in after interacting with her. 

Hai Ri put his hand up to call a waiter over. “Two bowls of Lanzhou noodles.”

The waiter nodded. “Anything else?”

Hai Ri was about to speak when a sound came from his phone. Liu Jie asked, “Just those. You made friends right after arriving?”

Hai Ri clicked on it and saw that it was a message from Sheng Canyang. “What about you?” 

Hai Ri typed while talking to Liu Jie, “Do you know Sheng Canyang?”

Liu Jie sipped at her drink, her gaze on his phone. “Of course, it’s him after all.”

Hai Ri nodded and sent him a message: “Eating ramen [dazed].”

He put his phone down, looking at Liu Jie. “I have something to ask you–” 

It was already 6pm by the time he finished his meal with Liu Jie. Hai Ri was genuinely tired out, so he wanted to go back and sleep. But Liu Jie said she wanted to go for a walk, hence Hai Ri parted ways with her, intending to go back, lie on his bed like a decadent modern day person, and enjoy some pleasant alone time.

 It wasn’t like Hai Ri had never thought of finding a boyfriend. He’d dated once in high school; he wasn’t all that sensible at that time and the boy was also the most handsome boy in the neighboring school. Every day, the boy would wait on a bicycle outside the school gate for Hai Ri to end school, wearing a black hoodie with big red flower patterns, a loop of studs in his ears, a piercing at his brow, and earphones stuffed in his ears.

Hai Ri had taken a fancy to his looks, but was also fully aware that it wasn’t a basis for love. In any case, he was just playing around.

Their relationship had actually lasted for quite a long while. In the end, they broke up because Hai Ri attended a university while he attended a sports school. It didn’t matter much to Hai Ri, but the other party felt awkward, so there was no other option but to GG. 

After that, Hai Ri didn’t get together with anyone else, feeling like there was no one suitable. Although he was happy most of the time, he did occasionally feel lonely.

All the good men in the world had died out. Hai Ri pressed the button for the lift expressionlessly, thinking to himself: “Even I am single. It’s impossible for them to have love, they’re just putting up with each other.”

His room was in the same state he had left it in – a bit of a chaotic mess. He casually kicked his shoes to one side and then fell onto the bed, lying as stiff as a corpse for half an hour before getting up with a struggle and rushing to the washroom. He peeled off his clothes, turned on the sprinkler, and showered while brushing his teeth.

Accompanied by the splashing of water, Hai Ri belted out, “Love can’t be sold as and when you want to buy or sell it! I demand your sincerity! I want you to understand! Let go of your love!” 

He raised an arm abruptly, pointing midair in a pose as he continued to chorus, “You wanted to break up back then, break up it is then! And now you want to coax me back with true love!”

Hai Ri changed positions again. He slicked his hair into a swept-back hairstyle, shaking the fingers he held up. “Love can’t be bought as and when you want to buy or sell it!”

He sang this one line over and over again for a whole twenty minutes. By the time he left the shower, the sky had already darkened. Whether or not he was clean was debatable, but his throat was definitely hoarse.

He lay on the bed, feeling quite comfortable. All of a sudden, the urge to clean struck him. He had just sat up in preparation to go down the path of diligence when the doorbell rang. 

Sheng Canyang was leaning against the door outside, sucking on a lollipop as he fiddled with his phone. When Hai Ri opened the door, he handed him a large paper bag without even looking up.

Hai Ri: ?

“Showering so early?” Sheng Canyang finally finished sending his messages. He glanced at Hai Ri and asked in disbelief, “You didn’t see the message I sent you?”

Hai Ri: “I just came out, what’s this?” 

He opened the bag, only to see many articles of clothing. From the looks of them, they were all in Sheng Canyang’s style. There was even a disposable takeaway box right at the top, likely containing barbecue meat.

“For me?” Hai Ri was astonished.

Sheng Canyang replied casually, “En.”

“The clothes are mine,” Sheng Canyang said. “You don’t mind, right?” 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Hai Ri thought internally: are you joking?

Lf rjlv, “Rb.”

Ktfrf kfgf Vtfcu Jjcsjcu’r mibatfr! Qtb kbeiv wlcv tjnlcu atf mibatfr Vtfcu Jjcsjcu tjv kbgc yfobgf? Glv remt j qfgrbc fzlra lc atlr kbgiv?

Ljl El kjr ufcelcfis regqglrfv, yea jirb gjatfg abemtfv. Lf vlv lcvffv ijmx mibatfr tfgf jcv tjv jikjsr yffc qjgalmlqjalcu lc ajrxr qgfnlberis, rb tf mbeiv pera mtjcuf lcab tlr mtjgjmafg’r mibatfr. Dea tf kjr bea bo bqalbcr joafg mbwlcu yjmx. Lf tjv fnfc yffc lcafcvlcu ab qegmtjrf akb rfar joafg gfralcu abwbggbk. 

Who would have expected Sheng Canyang to help him in his hour of need?

Wuwuwuwuwu, what a good child. Hai Ri was crying rivers in his heart.

Sheng Canyang: “Are you okay?”

With a rather strange look on his face, Hai Ri responded amiably, “I’m fine.” 

“Why is your voice hoarse?” Sheng Canyang asked in confusion.

Hai Ri: …

Sheng Canyang was staring at him, so Hai Ri could only say awkwardly, “Caught a slight cold, hahaha.”

Sheng Canyang: “Oh.” 

He waved a hand casually. “I’m going then, bye.”

“Wait a sec…” Hai Ri stopped him subconsciously.

Sheng Canyang turned back around and raised a brow, wanting to know what else there was,

However, Hai Ri couldn’t voice anything. He just suddenly didn’t want to let Sheng Canyang leave. Emotions were really too complex; more often than not, people didn’t even understand their own feelings, yet subconsciously acted on them. 

Realizing that there was nothing to be said despite holding him back, Hai Ri could only state, “If you need me, come look for me.”

“Got it,” Sheng Canyang’s gaze was on him. “Anything else?”

Hai Ri answered obediently, “None.”

Sheng Canyang nodded. He scratched his head, turned around as if to leave, and then hesitated. He told Hai Ri with his inhumanly handsome face, “It’s difficult to adapt when you first come, but it’ll be fine after you get used to it.” 

Hai Ri: …

“Thank you,” Hai Ri said sincerely. “I’m very touched, really.”

Sheng Canyang fished out a lollipop from his pocket – it was an alpenliebe in original flavor. He tossed it to Hai Ri. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Hai Ri smiled. “Good night.” 

Sheng Canyang turned and left.

Looking at Sheng Canyang’s back view while holding the bag of clothes and takeout, Hai Ri couldn’t put a name to the emotion in his heart. It was naturally a touching and blessed affair that a handsome guy had helped him in his time of need, but the kinder Sheng Canyang was, the less worthy Hai Ri felt. He felt that this world wasn’t worthy of Sheng Canyang’s sincerity. What Sheng Canyang ought to have was far more than this.

Hai Ri unwrapped the lollipop and shoved it into his mouth. The clothes were thrown on the ground. He didn’t feel like cleaning up anymore. Instead, he lay on the bed with his limbs splayed out. Feeling something hard, he found his phone. Sheng Canyang had sent him a message ten minutes ago. “Are you back?”

A short while later, he followed up with another message. “I’m sending you some stuff.” 

Hai Ri searched for the cutest sticker he had in his possession – a small rabbit hugging a carrot, revealing tiny rabbit teeth as it smiled. The words ‘I love you’ were written above.

Sent.

Shortly after, Sheng Canyang replied, “That’s not necessary.”

Hai Ri lay on the bed and burst into peals of laughter. 

When he woke up the next day, he found that he had fallen asleep with his phone in his grasp last night, without even covering himself with the blanket. His lips felt numb from the lollipop still in his mouth. He scrolled through his phone with swollen eyelids. The three things he did upon waking up was – log into Jewel of Atlantis and sign in, open up Kuaishou and see if any streamers had updated, go onto Weibo to read the news.

After completing everything, it was almost noon. Just as he was about to get himself and his bird’s nest of hair out of bed and to the washroom, he received a friend request.

In spite of the fact that the ID was called ‘King of Chicken’.

In spite of the fact that this ID had an Amur tiger as the display picture. 

Hai Ri mysteriously knew with utmost certainty that this person was Yellow Hair.

Hai Ri accepted the friend request. There wasn’t much reaction from the other end. After he finished brushing his teeth, he saw a message from the other party.

“Hai-ge, hello.”

Hai Ri: … 

“My surname is not Hai,” Hai Ri replied.

“Ri-ge.”

Hai Ri: “Can you just stick to ge?”

“I’m Liu Yifan [grin].” 

He was right then, that was indeed Yellow Hair’s name. Before Hai Ri could even respond, the other party continued. “Yang-ge wants me to appeal to you to come over this afternoon and go over the play.”

Hai Ri asked strangely, “Appeal to me?”

Yellow Hair: “Please.”

Hai Ri was speechless. “I didn’t mean it that way.” 

After thinking about it, Hai Ri replied, “Why did Sheng Canyang dispatch you? What about him?”

His message didn’t receive a reply for a long time. Hai Ri even thought that he had said something wrong and was just about to ask Sheng Canyang about it when Yellow Hair replied with a picture. The picture was of Sheng Canyang in a black baseball shirt, jeans, and a pair of AJs. He was standing on stage, seemingly singing.

Yellow Hair: “His performance this morning. He was performing on stage, ge.”

From the way he added a ‘ge’ to every statement, Hai Ri could feel that he truly had come over to appeal to him. “Okay, send me the address.” 

Yellow Hair: ?

“Don’t you dare talk drivel.”

Yellow Hair: “Ge, I’ll pick you up. What kind of vehicle do you want to take?”

“Motorbike, car, scooter, or bicycle?” 

Hai Ri: …

Yellow Hair: “None of them will do?”

“The helicopter’s been lent out [cries]. But it’s also okay if you really want to sit in it, I’ll go get it back.”

Hai Ri: “No need! No need, anything is fine! I’m not picky!” 

Exactly how much money did Sheng Canyang have? Hai Ri went crazy. He only gave him two thousand despite having so much money? And still insisted on having him return it?

Yellow Hair: “Okay, big bro. See you in the afternoon.”

Hai Ri sat up with his bird’s nest of a head, feeling like he was still dreaming. The thought of a helicopter pressed down on his temples, pounding till his head hurt.

He rifled through the bag of clothes at his feet and selected a white hoodie and black overalls. Sheng Canyang had even picked out a pair of sneakers for him. Sheng Canyang was very tall, the tallest in his group. Hai Ri wasn’t short either. His was purely an issue of genetics. As a 0, his height was also one of the reasons why he was still single today. But now, this was his advantage – Sheng Canyang’s clothes fit him very well. 

Possibly because tall boys had the bad habit of not standing upright, Sheng Canyang was slightly hunchbacked. However, when clothed, he gave off a cool aura of despising worldly conventions. In contrast, Hai Ri had wide shoulders, long legs, and stood with an exceedingly straight back. When wearing Sheng Canyang’s clothes, he gave off an entirely different vibe.

Even Yellow Hair blanked out for a moment when Hai Ri went downstairs. Then, he turned cheerful and greeted Hai Ri, “Hai-ge.”

Helpless, Hai Ri couldn’t be bothered to correct him.

Yellow Hair had driven over and was waiting outside the car with a cigarette in his mouth. Upon seeing him, he hurriedly took one last puff and got into the car, intending to put it out on the car window. But Hai Ri said, “Give me one.” 

Yellow Hair paused and then hastily felt about for one. He felt about his chest and felt about the pockets of his pants. Eventually, Hai Ri retrieved a box of cigarettes from the car window himself. Taking out a lighter from inside, he lit the cigarette with practiced ease.

Yellow Hair didn’t say anything. He started up the car and made a turn. Hai Ri held the cigarette between his fingertips, flicking the ash out the car window and blowing out smoke with squinted eyes.

There was a moment of silence. Yellow Hair smiled, “Ge, I couldn’t tell.”

Hai Ri paid him no heed. An eternity later, he flicked off the cigarette ash and then asked, “What couldn’t you tell?” 

Yellow Hair: “You’re actually quite cool.”

Hai Ri laughed. “What exactly did your Yang-ge tell you for you to become like this?”

Yellow Hair: “Nothing much, just for me to communicate properly and politely with you. The key is that I don’t know how to communicate with people properly, am I not polite enough?”

Hai Ri: “It’s enough. Really, it’s enough.” 

“That’s fine then,” Yellow Hair said. “I really have no desire to play the male lead anymore. I’m like a f*cking dwarf beside him.”

Hai Ri: “I’m not as tall as him either.”

Yellow Hair: “It’s okay since it’s just a bit off. For better or worse, you’ll still be the same species. If it’s us two, we’re practically two different species.”

“Small issue,” Hai Ri threw away the cigarette bud. He took another cigarette out of the box, lit it, and took a puff. “How old are you?” 

Yellow Hair: “Seventeen.”

Hai Ri: …

Hai Ri nearly choked. He shot a glance at Yellow Hair. Who would have thought that this person who added a ‘ge’ to every sentence was that young?

Yellow Hair snickered. “I look old, right?” 

Hai Ri: “You’re fine.”

Yellow Hair: “I’ll only be seventeen after my birthday this year. Yang-ge is two years older than me. Ge, how did you get to know Yang-ge? He was way too reserved when I first got to know him.”

Hai Ri uttered inwardly: “I moved him with love, of course.”

Even a stone would be moved by Hai Ri, let alone a stinky brat. 

Hai Ri: “That’s my speculation.”

Yellow Hair laughed. “Both of you are handsome guys.”

Hai Ri refrained from commenting. Acting modest at this juncture would be too fake anyway.

Something suddenly came to mind, and Yellow Hair turned on the in-car music. “Give this a listen first, he’ll be singing this in the afternoon.” 

After listening to the prelude, there was a shift in Hai Ri’s expression. “I’ve heard it before.”

Yellow Hair was amazed. “Really?”

Hai Ri accurately clapped along to the beat of the prelude, singing, “I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire–”

Yellow Hair smiled at the melody. “Yang-ge is especially fond of this song.” 

A moment of contemplation later, Hai Ri took a puff of his cig. “Me too.”

The song was called <Is That All There Is>. Hai Ri had listened to this not-very-popular song multiple times, to the extent that he could sing along to it without having learnt it.

Yellow Hair: “No wonder Yang-ge likes you so much.”

“Food can be eaten indiscriminately,” Hai Ri leisurely spat out a ring of smoke. “But words can’t be uttered indiscriminately.” 

“I’m serious,” Yellow Hair didn’t understand what he meant. “It’s always just been us two managing the theater and we’ve never recruited fresh talent, you’ll be the first.”

Hai Ri: “That’s because I fit his requirements – I’m a pretty face.”

“We’re still not there?” Hai Ri looked around their surroundings. This place unexpectedly occupied a relatively large area, seemingly larger than even a two-tier city.

“We’ve arrived,” Yellow Hair turned a corner and drove the car into an alleyway before directly entering a yard. The two of them got down and he announced, “Ge, welcome.” 

Hai Ri got out of the car. The enormous yard was refurbished in a style reminiscent of old Beijing’s enclosed courtyards. Little could be made out in the dimly-lit rooms beyond the glass. Yellow Hair led him in. A flight of stairs down, followed by a red carpet that stretched all the way to a gigantic stage. On both sides were audience stands. Not a single person was present.

As if hearing activity, Sheng Canyang walked out from behind the stage curtains. His gaze swept across Hai Ri upon seeing his attire. “You’re here?”

Hai Ri: “You two came up with this?”

Hai Ri walked up the stage, somewhat stunned. Looking around, he felt that it closely resembled those old-fashioned movie theaters. 

Sheng Canyang: “Correct.”

Hai Ri spread out his palms. “What do you want me to do?”

Sheng Canyang: “You don’t have to do anything yet, have you eaten?”

Hai Ri plopped down on the ground. “Yup.” 

Sheng Canyang took out his phone and selected a song to play out loud. It was the song that had been playing during the ride –  <Is That All There Is>. He sat beside Hai Ri. “We’ll be performing this song.”

The prelude started playing. Hai Ri asked in accompaniment to the melody, “There aren’t any lines for me, aren’t they all yours?”

“Hush,” Sheng Canyang placed a finger against his lips, clapping to the beat with a serious look on his face. Hai Ri subconsciously shut his mouth and then heard Sheng Canyang utter the string of words right at the start in his deep voice, “I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire. I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face as he gathered me up in his arms and raced through the burning building out onto the pavement.”

Hai Ri suddenly turned his gaze to him silently, struck by the thought that these lyrics carried infinite weight. He had never before listened to such an artistically beautiful voice so rich in complexity. 

Sheng Canyang lowered his head, the superiority of his tall nose bridge enhanced even further by the change in angle. His short eyelashes dipped as he looked at the lyrics. “And when it was all over I said to myself, is that all there is to a fire? Is that all there is?”

Hai Ri: …

Sheng Canyang was stunned for a brief moment upon catching Hai Ri’s gaze. He snapped his fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“What?” Hai Ri reacted. Sheng Canyang’s unexpectedly fluid, pleasant voice had completely sucked him in. “What instructions do you have, little genius?” 

Sheng Canyang: “Can you sing a part?”

Hai Ri instantly felt some pressure. Before he even said anything, Yellow Hair interjected, “He can sing, right? Hai-ge.”

Hai-ge had no choice but to say, “Just a bit, let me see the lyrics.”

Sheng Canyang passed him his phone. His eyes fixed on the lyrics, Hai Ri coughed lightly and then sang, “If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze, and have a ball–” 

Yellow Hair said in jubilation, “Not bad. Yang-ge, isn’t it pretty good?”

Somewhat nervous, Hai Ri felt like he hadn’t performed as well as he usually would. But Sheng Canyang had already stood up, his hands in his pockets. “Incredible.”

Hai Ri asked with a severe deficit in self-confidence, “Really?”

“Really,” Sheng Canyang gazed down at him. “I’ve underestimated you.” 

Hai Ri was facing the lights and couldn’t quite open his eyes. “I already told you – I can handle anything along the spectrum.”

Sheng Canyang’s reply was still the same old. “So where am I along the spectrum?”

However, Hai Ri’s answer was different this time. He said solemnly, “Didi, you’re nowhere on it.”

Sheng Canyang stared at him wordlessly. 

Hai Ri stared back at him.

Yellow Hair stared at both of them. He glanced at Sheng Canyang, then glanced at Hai Ri, before asking in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing much.” Hai Ri stood up and asked politely, “Let’s get started?”

Sheng Canyang pushed the curtains aside, revealing a black vacant area behind. There were a few tables, chairs, and several pieces of white paper placed on them. 

Sheng Canyang: “We’ll rehearse our lines here. This play is called <Fire>.”

Yellow Hair added, “In Chinese, it’s called <Fire Girl>.”

“I’ve never heard of this play,” Hai Ri went down for a casual look around. There were a few musical scores written on the papers strewn over the desk. Hai Ri put the papers down and turned to look at them. “Who wrote it?”

This was inherently a very simple question, and something that he had asked on the spur of the moment. Yet, Hai Ri suddenly noticed a shift in Yellow Hair’s gaze and a flash of anxiety in his expression. 

But Sheng Canyang didn’t exhibit any reactions. He sat at the table and looked at his phone, replying offhandedly, “That isn’t important.”

Hai Ri: ?

Yellow Hair: “Are you going to do it?”

“I never said I wouldn’t,” Hai Ri stared at him, unable to make heads nor tails of his behavior. “Why the sudden anxiety?” 

Sheng Canyang: “Ignore him.”

Hai Ri said nonchalantly. “Okay.”

Sheng Canyang shot a glance at him. “It won’t be detrimental to you, it’ll be advantageous.”

Hai Ri really didn’t care. He didn’t care why Yellow Hair was anxious, why they only had two people, nor did he care about why Sheng Canyang’s words seemed like a promise and what meaning lay in this promise. 

Hai Ri simply didn’t care; being idle made him bored. There were only two paths to walk – being a straggler or dying. When human life reached this stage, there was nothing much to lose. Since Sheng Canyang needed him, he would lend him a helping hand. There was nothing much to concern himself about.

Hai Ri uttered casually, “I don’t get what you mean. Let’s just get started then.”