Reborn as a Substitute

The kiss and the words blew across his cheek like an evening breeze.

Xie Xuanming withdrew and gently nudged Ji Sheng, who was frozen in place: “Go wash up.” 

Ji Sheng didn’t recover from the sudden confession yet. He took his pyjamas in a daze, went into the bathroom in a daze, rinsed and cleaned up in a daze, and walked into the master bedroom.

When he came out, Xie Xuanming had already washed up in the bathroom downstairs and leaned against the bedside looking at his mobile phone.

Ji Sheng went to the other side of the bed, glanced at Xie Xuanming and found that he was actually playing a meaningless game similar to parkour.

He played very poorly, and died four times within the minute Ji Sheng watched.

“Is it fun?” Ji Sheng asked dryly after looking for a while.

“Pretty fun.” Xie Xuanming died again as soon as he was distracted by talking. He locked the phone screen as if nothing had happened, put it on the bedside table and got out of bed to turn off the light, “Go to bed.”

“Oh.” Ji Sheng lay down with some rustling, closed his eyes and waited for the atmosphere to quiet down, then suddenly said, “Are we together?”

“En?” 

“I said I like you, and you also said…” Ji Sheng closed his eyes and counted carefully. ”We confessed to each other, but there seems to be a confirmation procedure lacking.” 

“That’s it.” Xie Xuanming seemed to smile again, “I accept your confession, how about you?”

“…” Ji Sheng choked and said dryly, “Same as above.”

Now he clearly heard Xie Xuanming’s chuckle, a slight sound, like a child who had eaten candy.

“Good night then…” Xie Xuanming paused, “Is there a good night kiss?”

The other side of the bed was quiet for a while. Xie Xuanming waited. Just when he thought Ji Sheng was asleep or shy, there was a rustling sound of fabric in his ears, and the bed by his side gradually sank.

Ji Sheng crawled over in small increments, put his hand on Xie Xuanming’s pillow, lowered his head and kissed his face.

When the kiss was about to land, Xie Xuanming turned his head and the kiss that was aimed at his cheek fell on his lips.

Ji Sheng’s body stiffened, but Xie Xuanming naturally reached out and lightly clasped the back of Ji Sheng’s neck while his lips slightly opened.

For a few seconds, their lips and teeth were tacitly merged, escalating from a tentative touch to a lingering exchange of breath.

It took a long time before Xie Xuanming touched Ji Sheng’s shoulders and propped him up.

“Goodnight kisses are fine up to this point.” His voice was a bit hoarse,”If you still want to rest, stop here.”

Ji Sheng heard the teasing in his tone; his ears felt slightly hot. He quickly turned around and wiggled to his original position, rubbing the tips of his burning ears twice and closing his eyes.

“Good night, boyfriend.” 

The sudden knowledge of having a boyfriend haunted Ji Sheng in his dreams. There was a dog jumping up and down outrageously, opening its mouth and calling “wife” instead of barking.

What was even more outrageous was that Ji Sheng actually saw some resemblance between the dog and Xie Xuanming.

They were clearly not the same species.

When Ji Sheng broke away from the dream of being entangled with a dog, it was already morning.

Xie Xuanming got up early as usual. From the roar of the juicer downstairs, he should have been preparing breakfast.

Well married, Ji Sheng.

Ji Sheng sighed with emotion, scratched his head, got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. His mind was in chaos for a long time with the questions “Can dogs make their own breakfast?” and “Can dogs drink juice?”

He washed up and went downstairs. There were family sandwiches and fried sausages on the dining table, and there was light orange liquid in the glass beside the plate.

Xie Xuanming was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, messaging someone.

Ji Sheng pulled the opposite chair and sat down, picked up the glass and took a sip.

It was apple juice.

“Good morning.” Ji Sheng took two more sips without waking up, “Who are you chatting with?”

“A screenwriter friend.” Xie Xuanming said, “I’m asking him to help change the script.”

“The director of your first movie?” Ji Sheng asked speculatively, “It seems that the surname is… Lin?”

“Correct.” Xie Xuanming looked up with some surprise, “You know him?”

“I have seen that movie. He is the screenwriter and the director. It was well made.” Ji Sheng put down the glass and said the real reason, “And it seemed there were rumours about you and him?”

“Oh.” Xie Xuanming saw through him and looked at him with some amusement, “Yes, it’s that one.”

“I remember that he seemed to have retired after his debut movie, and he is willing to help you change the script…” Ji Sheng said, “You have such a good relationship?”

Xie Xuanming paused slightly while typing: “Are you jealous?” 

“Uh-huh.” Ji Sheng admitted, “That’s definitely something to be jealous about.”

“The relationship is okay.” Xie Xuanming said, “The main thing is to give enough money.”

“Got it.” Ji Sheng was relieved, and picked up a piece of sandwich, adding a few slices of sausage with his chopsticks.

He took two bites quietly, and then said, “I still don’t really want you to act in a web series.”

“Why?” 

“It’s a downgrade in resources, and you’ll get a lot of flak.”

“People who scold me will scold me regardless of whether I act in a web drama or not.” Xie Xuanming said, “As for resources… you have seen me act, right?”

“En.” 

“How was it?” 

“It’s pretty good… no, it’s very good.” 

“That’s it.” Xie Xuanming smiled again and tapped on the table lightly, “Some directors do like to consider many aspects and will look at the ‘style‘ of actors… But I don’t fall into the category of needing to be weighed up.”

Xie Xuanming was telling the truth. At present in the industry, he was one of the few first-class actors who had acting skills as well as awards to go with them. His audience appeal and value would not be shaken by a web drama.

“Oh—” Ji Sheng drawled, biting the bread and speaking while chewing, “That’s bold.”

“So, starring?” 

“Who? Me?” Ji Sheng pretended to be stupid.

“Who else can there be?” Xie Xuanming was amused and exasperated, “Who is the lead role reserved for? Don’t play dumb.”

“I have a tour.” 

“The start time can be pushed back, the script also needs time to be changed.” 

“I’m not qualified to take the lead role with you playing a supporting role.” 

“No one is qualified, but when you bring capital into the group, there is no such risk.” 

“I really can’t act.” 

“I will teach you.” 

“……”

Ji Sheng put down the sandwich in defeat, his mouth stuffed full. He chewed without feeling the taste: “Why must it be me?” 

“Because this is your story.” Xie Xuanming said.

Ji Sheng lowered his eyes, avoiding Xie Xuanming’s gaze, vaguely understanding what he meant.

Xie Xuanming regarded this drama as the final counterattack against Qingchu, Sheng Kongzhi and all slanderous and disinformation voices. After that, Ji Sheng’s reputation would be completely turned over.

He wanted Ji Sheng’s name to be clean, and he also hoped that Ji Sheng could complete this “revenge” with his own hands.

Ji Sheng understood the reasoning. He also once had this idea of ”retribution”, although it had almost dissipated now…

But…

“I’m really afraid of dragging you down.” Ji Sheng confessed, “Even if you act well, if I don’t act well, rumours will spread again, tying me and you together…”

“You can act well.” Xie Xuanming said decisively, “I am a selfish capitalist and I am also a strict actor. As for the latter point, I am not worried, and you don’t have to worry either.” 

“That’s what I said…”

“I want you to act.” Xie Xuanming interrupted. He leaned forward and looked into Ji Sheng’s eyes seriously. ”I want to appear in front of the camera with you and recreate the story together. For this reason, can you agree to act?”

Xie Xuanming’s eyes were bright, his lips were tightly pursed, and his messy bangs made him look like an underage freshman.

Ji Sheng was bewitched by his gaze for a moment, licked his tiger teeth unconsciously, and said, “Then I… will try.” 

Xie Xuanming’s face lit up at once. It was the most lively look Ji Sheng had seen on his face after he was reborn, and it was a bit dazzling.

Ji Sheng was infected by his emotions, lowered his eyes to conceal it and whispered, “Why are you still engaged in seduction?”

“What?” 

“Nothing.” Ji Sheng said quickly, “The tour will start in two weeks. Have you practised your song?”

“Fruit Candy?” Xie Xuanming sat up straight, “Don’t worry, it’s my best song.”

“Not only this one, there are several other original songs…”

“Almost there.” Xie Xuanming looked at Ji Sheng’s distrustful look and lightly hooked the corners of his lips, “Didn’t you say that I am the best lead singer? How come you don’t believe me?”

“Believe, believe, believe.” Ji Sheng finished quickly and then his voice lowered again as he complained, “When the time comes to get scolded for not singing well, it’s not like you can’t open a small number of fake accounts to fight the black fans.”

“What?” 

“Nothing.” 

Niepan’s tour went smoothly from the south to the north.

During the publicity period, Xie Xuanming’s participation in the tour as a guest shocked the Internet, but after the shock, netizens said that if there was a top star in the entertainment industry who would do such a willful thing, it could only be Xie Xuanming.

Xie Xuanming’s fans were also one step ahead of passers-by to accept the reality, probably because their idol often performed various kinds of magical actions. His fans had long trained extraordinary reflexes and flexible mentality. When Xuansheng officially announced Niepan’s tour guest, Xie Xuanming’s fans’ first reaction was to rush to grab tickets rather than make a fuss. Because they were so enthusiastic, they at once pushed tickets that cost less than two hundred up to four thousand, forcing Xuan Sheng to adopt a lottery system from the second show. 

Xie Xuanming’s fans who bought tickets happily entered the live house and enjoyed a year’s worth of Xie Xuanming’s company within two hours.

Although Xie Xuanming spent most of his time in the back half of the stage, spinning around the drum set, all the fans of the station sisters still gained a lot. There was also a station sister who released a direct shot of “Fruit Candy” and was blamed by the anti-black group for “putting cp materials in the single-person supertopic”, thus giving birth to the golden sentence of the circle – my baby stays by the drummer’s side, should I remove people with Photoshop?

No matter how much the outside world was in uproar, Xie Xuanming still did his own thing. He treated every performance of “Fruit Candy” as a wedding scene. The Niepan members who watched the love show on stage were numb, and regarded themselves just as musical instruments. Xie Xuanming’s fans who got the tickets were also numb. In the end, while they tried their best to acquire the single photos, they got in a couple of cp kicks.

After the Niepan tour ended successfully, Ji Sheng seamlessly entered the art school to train in acting.

Although Xie Xuanming’s acting skills were good, he was more of a talented actor who could act but could not teach. Ji Sheng and Xie Xuanming discussed it and reached a consensus — there was a specialisation in the art industry, and those who could act did not necessarily teach well. It was better to find a professional to do it.

The training sessions were closed ones, and although Xie Xuanming always defied the rules, this time those people had Ji Sheng in their hands. Considering the quality of teaching, Xie Xuanming reluctantly chose to respect the rules and, while Ji Sheng was in training, flew to France to meet with Lin Siji, who was living in seclusion there, to discuss the script.

The two were separated, and Ji Sheng felt surprisingly uncomfortable. Xie Xuanming had only been in France for a day when he was already calling.

“Checking in?” Xie Xuanming asked with a smile.

“En.” Ji Sheng replied fervently, “Better be honest about what you said to Editor Lin.”

“Hmm.” Xie Xuanming paused for a moment, and really gave a full account, “Editor Lin asked who you are that you actually made me jump into the sea to act in a series for the second time.”

“Second time?” 

“It didn’t work out before, you gave that drama to Sheng Kongzhi.” 

“Oh.” At the mention of Sheng Kongzhi, Ji Sheng smiled sarcastically, “What else?”

“Discussed the script, changed many things, and finally I was lectured.” 

“Lectured?” 

“He said that I was not doing my job these days, my business level must have dropped, and said that web dramas are not the same as movies. And that if I act in a web drama the same way I act in a movie, it is bound to flop, so…”

“So?” 

“So he suggested that I start shooting from the most certain storyline.” Xie Xuanming chuckled, “I said then let’s start filming from the emotional scenes, after all, I’m the most sure of Ji Sheng’s feelings. It’s something that doesn’t need acting.”