Reborn as a Substitute

After the performance, Niepan returned to the backstage dressing room, changed from their doll costumes and prepared to go back to the dormitory.

Zhou Wuyou lifted off his headgear as soon as he got off the stage: “Holy sh*t, I was almost scared stupid. No one told us someone could order songs before we came here!”

Huang Sizhe scolded: “It’s embarrassing, what are you panicking about, playing ‘Two tigers’? The sound was all over the place. Shame on you.”

“The TV channel had such a big camera right in front of me, how could I not be nervous!” Zhou Wuyou turned his head gratefully, “Luckily there was Xiao Hui, singing to himself a little to keep the rhythm and melody steady.” 

When they were performing a heavy metal version of ‘Two Tigers’, the Niepan members were scared for a while whether they needed to sing, who would sing and how they would sing. Before they could figure out what to do, they saw Ji Sheng get on the mic and take over the drums and vocals all by himself.

His own drummer unexpectedly demonstrated the skills they had never seen before, and the Niepan members breathed a sigh of relief but also had some doubts.

“Can you sing?” Huang Sizhe asked with a frown.

Ji Sheng took off his gloves and wiped his hands with a tissue: “I used to be the lead singer.”

“I haven’t heard about it.” Huang Sizhe continued pursuing him.

“It happened back then.” Ji Sheng made a long story short, “I haven’t practised much since I turned drummer, and I don’t sing well. I’m sorry to mention it.”

Ji Hui originally had a shy temperament. He said that much, and the other members didn’t intend to press the issue. After all, who of them didn’t do odd jobs while underground? Zhou Wuyou, who could barely hold drumsticks, still worked underground as a drummer in a few bands; not to mention singing, something that anyone can do regardless of whether it’s pleasing to the ear or not.

Whatever else Huang Sizhe wanted to say, he was interrupted by a dispute at the door of the dressing room.

“I want to meet the drummer of the band.”

“Sorry, the band members take a break and see no one.”

“Is it possible to just meet? I just want to have a few words with him.”

“Sorry, no way.”

Outside the dressing room, the station sister looked earnestly. She sincerely wanted to meet the drummer who was too similar in appearance and style to her deceased idol. She wanted to say a few words with him, even if for a moment.

However, the agent was ordered by Xie Xuanming to protect Ji Sheng. Some unknown people were hiding in the shadows and no one knew when or if they would strike again. The danger in the dark is always the most deadly. Even if it was a slender girl, the agent/bodyguard didn’t have any intention to let her in.

The two were playing tug of war when the door opened.

“Brother Wang, let her in.” Ji Sheng stood at the door, “She’s a friend.” 

The agent was silent for a while, looking at the station sister whose eyes reddened and filled with affection when she saw Ji Sheng.

The boss’s little lover was approached by a girl who was crying and clearly infatuated…

The bodyguard/agent thought blankly, Boss Xie, your hat might be a bit green.

He said thoughtfully: “Have you mentioned this to Mr. Xie?”

Huang Sizhe listened to the conversation between them two and was instantly furious: “It’s none of his business! Is he the Monkey King? Does  Ji Hui have to report what friends he makes?”

The agent glanced at him coldly and continued to look at Ji Sheng: “Does Mr. Xie allow you to see her?”

Ji Sheng grabbed Huang Sizhe who was about to explode and explained, “Brother Wang, you misunderstood, this is probably a music enthusiast or a fan… Senior Xie shouldn’t have asked you to stop me from seeing people at all either. Blocking a girl outside the door is not very polite, let her in first.”

The agent looked at him indifferently for a while and made way.

The station sister entered the lounge. Her gaze fell on Ji Sheng’s face, her eyes moistened and then her tears couldn’t stop falling.

A strange girl came in and looked at Ji Sheng, crying without saying a word.

The members of Niepan had never seen such a scene. They looked at each other  and embarrassedly remained silent in sync.

Ji Sheng drew a tissue, handed it over and said softly, “Is there anything wrong?” 

“Thank you.” The station sister took the tissue. She didn’t actually know why she was here and why she had just made a lot of noise and violently begged to see the drummer. She wiped away her tears and said casually, “Your drum skills are very good.”

“Thank you.” Ji Sheng said.

After sobbing for a while, the station sister calmed down a little.

“Your style of playing drums is very much like someone’s.” She raised her eyes to Ji Sheng, “When I met him, he was about your age and didn’t have much money, running around with drumsticks for small commercial gigs. He couldn’t afford to put out an album or tour, but still was confident that he would be popular, that he would let everyone know he was the best drummer… later he did become famous, just, just…”

She couldn’t talk anymore and started sobbing again. There was silence in the lounge, and only the station sister continued crying: “You are really, really very similar to him. When I saw you perform, I thought he had come back from heaven… It might be rude to say that, but I really can’t help it…”

Huang Sizhe seemed to want to say something but was stared at by Ji Sheng and Lu Haoren at the same time, scratched his head irritably and remained silent.

“I understand.” Ji Sheng handed her another tissue and said gently, “With a fan like you, even if that drummer went to the other world, he would still feel happy.”

The station sister’s shoulders stiffened and she let out a loud wail.

Before leaving, she blushed and asked, “I just took some pictures of you during the performance. Can I put them on the Internet?” 

“Of course,” Ji Sheng said.

The station sister gave him a deep look, bowed to thank him and turned to leave.

After she left, Huang Sizhe held back as long as possible and finally said, “The drummer she mentioned…”

“His name is Ji Sheng, he died in a car accident at the beginning of the year.” Lu Haoren reminded in a low voice.

“Oh.” Huang Sizhe stopped talking.

The atmosphere in the dressing room was a little depressing. At this moment, the door opened again and the agent brought in a person.

Ji Sheng didn’t have time to take a look when Huang Sizhe leapt up again, his voice tense: “What did you bring him for?”

Ji Sheng raised his head and was taken aback.

Xie Xuanming passed by the agent, glanced coldly at the obviously hostile Huang Sizhe, turned his head and asked, “This one?”

The agent said calmly: “The band’s bassist, named Huang Sizhe, is young, impatient and immature.”

Huang Sizhe choked and became even more angry when his agent led the wolf into the house and reported the information on him.

He also guessed that this agent must be Xie Xuanming’s subordinate, and Xie Xuanming could decide the life and death of the Niepan band with a single sentence, so he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

Xie Xuanming didn’t care about Huang Sizhe’s hatred for him at all and didn’t even bother to give this hairy boy a second look. From the moment he entered the door, his attention was only on Ji Sheng.

“Ji Hui, come.” Xie Xuanming said flatly, turned around and left the lounge.

Huang Sizhe exploded completely, grabbing Ji Sheng’s wrist as he was about to walk out: “He asks you to go, so you go?! When are you going to change your loser punching bag personality?”

Ji Sheng said calmly: “Senior Xie funded our performance. It is appropriate to thank him in person.”

“Thank him by sleeping with him?!”

As soon as the words were spoken, Huang Sizhe regretted them.

Huang Sizhe wanted to remedy the situation, but the eyes of all the members were directed towards him. Although everyone had an unspoken understanding of these things, knowing and breaking it down to someone’s face were, after all, two different concepts.

Ji Sheng’s face completely lost its warmth; he no longer was in the mood to explain something to the child who had no control over his mouth. His expression quickly changed from patient to cold: “Let go.”

Ji Sheng’s eyes were icy and Huang Sizhe subconsciously let go. When he reacted, Ji Sheng had already opened the door and walked out.

Xie Xuanming was waiting outside the door; when he saw Ji Sheng coming out, he said: “Your band is in a good shape, they are all very good-looking.”

Ji Sheng heard the connotation of his words and his eyelid twitched: “They are all serious musicians who play music seriously. It is better for Senior not to think too much.”

“What does that mean? Don’t you play music seriously?”

“…it doesn’t mean that.”

“Is that a sarcastic way of saying that I have a dirty mind and force people into prostitution?”

“… …”

Ji Sheng had nothing to say.

Xie Xuanming was now considered his gold master and bickering with the gold master was obviously not a smart choice.

His silence was full of dignity but Xie Xuanming didn’t stop. He sneered: “You are very popular, especially with the bassist, he seems to care about you very much.”

He turned the artillery fire on someone else again, and Ji Sheng sighed: “He’s just a naive child who hasn’t experienced severe social beatings. Don’t bother with him.”

Xie Xuanming was noncommittal and said coldly: “You are defending him.”

“…” Ji Sheng was a bit powerless.

“I’m surprised.” Xie Xuanming smiled strangely, “Do you drummers have a soft spot for bass?”

In his previous life, Ji Sheng’s ex-boyfriend Sheng Kongzhi was a bassist.

Ji Sheng knew that Xie Xuanming was angry, lowered his eyes and changed the subject obediently: “Senior is looking for me, can I help?”

“Move out of the dormitory today.”

There was no need to ask where to move.

Ji Sheng had no right to object and did not intend to object. The more time he had with Xie Xuanming, the more access he would have to the information he needed. He said, “Then I will pack my things today and move in tomorrow…”

“Come tonight,” Xie Xuanming interrupted.

What a tyrant.

Ji Sheng sighed secretly but his face remained impassive: “Then I will go back to the dormitory to pack up my toiletries…”

“Don’t bring those dirty things into the house.” Xie Xuanming said coldly, “Write a list of what you need and just buy it.”

“…” Ji Sheng remembered the shabby two-digit number in his mobile phone account and had a rare moment of truth, “You are so rich.”

Xie Xuanming finalised it: “Write now.”

The things you will definitely not lack in a kindergarten are paper and pens. Although Ji Sheng didn’t know why Xie Xuanming didn’t just ask him to send an electronic list, he borrowed a pen and a sheet of paper without much ado and quickly made a list of the daily necessities he needed.

Before he was reborn, Ji Sheng lived a very refined life, using only his preferred brand of daily necessities and feeling uncomfortable when he was away from familiar products.

But after being reborn, his financial situation was really abysmal, and the month and a half of lying flat almost cured him of his stinky picky user problem, making him gladly (forcibly) accept the reality as it was.

Now Xie Xuanming offered to pay the bill.

Without having to swipe his own card, Ji Sheng was naturally happy. He didn’t wrong himself either and wrote with relish.

When giving Xie Xuanming the list, Ji Sheng emphasised: “The toothpaste must be the toothpaste for children.”

Xie Xuanming took the A4 sheet covered in writing, glanced at it and his eye twitched slightly.

He commented coldly: “That’s a lot to ask for.”

“Lemon-flavoured or orange-flavoured.”

“…Don’t overstep the mark.”

“It’s best to be lemon-flavoured.”

“Do. Not. Overstep.”

“Is it okay?”

“……”

“Okay.”