Mad Dog

Chapter 22: Keeping Promises From Now On

In the future, he will obediently keep his appointments.

As Qiu Heng’s trembling voice called “Cut,” Jiang Qi instantly detached himself from the character.

The smile on his face disappeared, and the camera captured the first thing the young man did was to quickly run to Zhi Qi’s side and ask in a somewhat flustered voice, “Why are you crying?”

Jiang Qi’s fingers hanging at his side moved slightly, as if he wanted to wipe away the tears from Zhi Qi’s red eyes, but he hesitated. Zhi Qi sniffed and looked up at him, her eyes carrying a smile. The girl’s voice was muffled as she said, “It’s nothing. Jiang Qi, you acted really well.”

Jiang Qi had heard this kind of praise many times before, and he had even received exaggerated compliments that felt sincere, but this time his ears felt a bit warm. Feeling Zhi Qi’s somewhat ‘admiring’ gaze, Jiang Qi shyly pursed his lips, his expression resembling shyness.

…

Wow, Shen Lei couldn’t help but exclaim, wow.

Is this the same Jiang Qi he knows, so ‘gentle and warm’?

Meanwhile, QIu Heng carefully saved the audition footage and then excitedly ran over.

“This time was great! Really great!” QIu Heng didn’t even notice Zhi Qi, focusing entirely on Jiang Qi. The light in his eyes was like a wolf staring at a lamb, or a nouveau riche eyeing a gold brick. His demeanor was completely different from the strict and scholarly attitude he had shown earlier.

QIu Heng couldn’t wait to say, “There’s no need to audition anyone else. No one will be more suitable for the role of Chen Si than you. Let’s sign the contract today.”

Jiang Qi didn’t feel the ‘joy of hitting the jackpot’ but instead thought for a moment before responsibly and earnestly saying to him, “Actually, my laughter just now was a coincidence. It’s not certain that I’ll be in that state throughout the entire movie.”

He could laugh because Zhi Qi was there.

But Zhi Qi couldn’t always be there; it was as simple as that. Shen Lei actually understood this truth as well, couldn’t help but sigh with some regret.

But QIu Heng was unusually persistent, “Since you were able to find that state just now, it means you can find it again in the future. I’m willing to trust you.”

…

But he doesn’t really trust himself.

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Jiang Qi frowned with some difficulty, lips pressed together in silence.

Zhi Qi quietly listened on the side. She had come to know Shen Lei through relentless recommendations from Meng Chunyu, but she couldn’t recognize QIu Heng’s face—after all, in the entertainment industry, directors’ faces weren’t as ubiquitous as those of popular idols.

However, she could still roughly guess what was happening. The man in front of her was inviting Jiang Qi to play the male lead, and Jiang Qi was hesitating because of his ability to ‘smile’.

It seemed that this movie required Jiang Qi to smile frequently, but he was afraid he couldn’t do it. But why? Zhi Qi remembered the trending hashtag #JiangQiNeverSmiles. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Upon closer thought, Jiang Qi indeed rarely smiled before. Even in front of her, his eyes were calm, his indulgence limitless, with just a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. And when facing others, he didn’t even show a trace of a smile. Not liking to smile was far from ‘unable to smile’. There was a fundamental difference between the two.

Could it be because of those three years in prison…?

At this thought, Zhi Qi couldn’t help but feel a pang in her heart. Her small hand, hanging by her side, instinctively grabbed Jiang Qi’s long, cold hand. This was their only ‘intimate’ gesture in the past few years. The tender touch caught him off guard, and Jiang Qi paused slightly, looking down at the girl’s ivory-white fingertips, unable to help but smile.

This was the second time he had smiled in front of others.

QIu Heng keenly caught this moment. Amidst his surprise, he saw the boy holding the girl’s hand and suddenly understood why this young girl had appeared. This was the first time QIu Heng took a serious look at Zhi Qi.

The girl in the dark green dress tilted her head slightly, her eyes blinking as she looked at Jiang Qi, full of concern and worry almost overflowing… So, this guy had a girlfriend?

He had been to prison, was rebellious, didn’t act in emotional scenes, and had a girlfriend.

Jiang Qi possessed almost all the ‘flaws’ that male celebrities could have, and each one was basically a landmine. In reality, such a person wasn’t the best choice for a male lead, but… Qiu Heng was determined to challenge the ‘high difficulty’.

In the blink of an eye, an indistinct idea formed in Qiu Heng’s mind.

Yet he felt it was feasible.

“Anyway, on behalf of the entire cast and crew of ‘Jiao Si’, I earnestly invite you to play the role,” Qiu Heng pondered for a moment before extending his hand to Jiang Qi. “How about this, will you consider it? Take a week to think it over, and I’ll wait for your answer.”

Huang Haofan, who had followed Qiu Heng for several years, was taken aback seeing his boss’s unprecedented enthusiasm for an actor in the industry, staring at him in astonishment.

Qiu Heng’s sincere words made it impossible for Jiang Qi to continue stubbornly refusing, so he reluctantly reached out and shook hands with him. However, his other hand, which had been holding Zhi Qi’s hand, didn’t let go, gripping it with almost greedy enthusiasm.

*

After the two left the set and got into the car, Zhi Qi’s fair hand was noticeably red from being held tightly. The young girl looked a bit embarrassed, her black eyes still moist from crying earlier, with redness around the corners of her eyes, giving her a peach blossom-like appearance. She stared blankly at Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi’s slender hand rested on the steering wheel in a manner to disguise it, but he didn’t start the car. His gaze was evasive, as if he didn’t dare to meet the girl’s eyes.

“Jiang Qi,” Zhi Qi’s voice was gentle as she tentatively asked him, “What role were you playing just now?”

She had been curious about this question since earlier, but she hadn’t had the chance to ask. So Jiang Qi briefly explained the synopsis of the script and the role he needed to play to Zhi Qi.

During the process, Jiang Qi actually felt a bit ‘apprehensive’.

Because the ‘male lead’ in this script had always fantasized about being a girl, and when he had to play the role, he would definitely have to switch states. He didn’t know if Zhi Qi would dislike his feminine side, his effeminacy. But as Zhi Qi listened, her initially pure and confused eyes gradually widened, with a hint of surprise and admiration in them.

“That’s a very good theme, exploring the gender identity obstacles that are rarely seen in society…” Zhi Qi’s eyes lit up, looking at Jiang Qi with excitement. “If the movie becomes popular, this type of community will definitely receive attention!”

Jiang Qi was slightly taken aback.

He realized that he had underestimated Zhi Qi’s perspective.

After listening, what she cared about wasn’t the ‘effeminate’ or ‘feminine’ aspects of his character, but rather the deeper meaning behind the script. Zhi Qi’s mindset was different from the online gossiping masses who only knew how to talk big.

In an instant, Jiang Qi reflected on his previous worries and felt that he had been too narrow-minded. In fact, Zhi Qi had always been such a person—mild-mannered and seemingly insignificant, but always wanting to give something back to society, even if it was just a little bit. That’s why she chose to study ‘Wildlife and Nature Reserve Management’, a remote and niche major.

After graduating from this major, most people couldn’t find a job and ended up struggling for prospect. But there were still some who persisted, and Zhi Qi was one of them.

Jiang Qi knew that her dream had never changed, because when the girl was in high school, her tender voice had once said, “My dream, hehe, I want to protect wild animals in the future… Does it sound like a too naive?”

Zhi Qi had a dream, and she had always been able to persist in it consistently. While Jiang Qi didn’t have a dream of his own, he was willing to follow Zhi Qi’s ideals in both body and mind, even if it meant striving to be more like her.

So… the young man turned his head and looked at Zhi Qi. “Do you want me to take the role?”

“I do.” Zhi Qi nodded without hesitation, but then she smiled a bit shyly, her long eyelashes drooping slightly. “Because I think you act really well.”

During Jiang Qi’s audition just now, she had already been completely immersed in his performance. And now, after hearing Jiang Qi outline the storyline, Zhi Qi couldn’t help but anticipate how this peculiarly tragic yet beautifully ending story of the protagonist would unfold before the audience.

Jiang Qi would surely perform it exceptionally well.

Having watched his recent performance, Zhi Qi felt confident about this—although she wouldn’t say it out loud, as it would only add pressure to the young man.

“Alright.” Jiang Qi nodded and looked at her with a soft voice. “Then I’ll take the role.”

It seemed like all the messy baggage could finally be set aside. Zhi Qi couldn’t help but smile. But as she smiled, she noticed Jiang Qi’s translucent eyes, which were blinking at her without pause. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she turned away.

Jiang Qi’s gaze was always like this. When he looked at her, it was as if she were the only one in the world, and everything else gradually faded away, becoming insignificant. So the young girl turned her head away, and even took off her headband, letting her chestnut-colored hair fall down and cover her slightly flushed ears.

In her soft voice, she scolded, “You, take me back to school.”

So soon she had to go back?

Jiang Qi felt a bit disappointed, but still obediently replied, “Okay,” and started the car to take her back to school.

Fortunately, Lin Lan University was quite far from the set, so Jiang Qi could drive slowly, and he could also have the chance to spend a little more time with Zhi Qi.

But unfortunately, he was not very articulate. Even if he deliberately prolonged the time, he didn’t know what to say to make the girl happy. However, just being able to be with Zhi Qi made the surrounding atmosphere seem softer and more comfortable.

It had been a very long time since Jiang Qi had felt this purely relaxed state.

Lin Lan was raining again, the sound of raindrops tapping on the car was crisp and pleasant.

Unfortunately, no matter how slow the car went, it would eventually reach its destination. When they reached the bustling section of the city, surrounded by the vibrant colors of flowers and trees, the familiar sense of restlessness surged in Jiang Qi’s heart once again.

—Until they stopped at a red light, and Jiang Qi saw a bubble tea shop outside the window.

In an instant, the private message that Zhi Qi had once sent him on Weibo flashed through his mind: [You said you would buy me red bean bubble tea to drink on every rainy day.]

Yes, he had indeed said that, and he had broken that promise for many years. So Jiang Qi pursed his lips, turned the steering wheel, and stopped the car on the side of the road. Then, he opened the car door and ran out in the rain.

“Hmm?” Zhi Qi was drowsy from the warmth inside the car, until a cold breeze blew in through the car door, making her shiver. She heard a ‘bang’ beside her, and then realized that Jiang Qi had stopped the car and ran out.

Where did Jiang Qi go?

Zhi Qi was completely awake now, but through the misty rain, she couldn’t see his slender figure anywhere.

It wasn’t until almost ten minutes later that the young man returned to the car, drenched in water. Jiang Qi’s amber-like eyes glistened as he smiled gently at the girl’s puzzled expression, and then his slender hand passed her a cup.

“Red bean bubble tea,” Jiang Qi’s voice was soft but determined. “For you.”

*In the future, he would keep his promises.