CH 19

Qin Qing’s pergola, not to mention the guests, but even the program team looked at it enviously. The logistics department specially arranged a lot of people to remodel it according to their prepared template.

Unfortunately, the temporary remodeling was crudely done and it wasn’t possible to make Su Zhihe’s shed to that degree of airtightness.

They only learned later that in order for it to be airtight enough and ensure that the internal and external hot and cold air didn’t run into each other. Qin Qing specially went with the car down the mountain to a small town and bought magnetic plastic sheets.

Supposedly, it was too late at that time and the stores that sold these plastic sheets had already closed. Qin Qing then looked for the kind of 24-hour workshop to visit in the middle of the night. The texture and thickness were chosen at the site and then rolled up strip by strip and put in the car trunk to come back.

When they got back, it was 2 am in the morning

And once again, they got up at just after 5 am to remodel the pergola at the recording site with a few older men working as security.

Inside his dilapidated shed, Ye Chutian while crossing his legs and biting a popsicle sprayed several of his assistants: “You guys sure are capable. Aren’t you all so capable? the energy was spent to send a coke to make friends right?”

Tong Lu in comparison was slightly furious. He pointed to the ice cubes in the shed: “Ice is now available. You guys don’t want to request something else?”

Qin Qing sat on the small bench in his shed. His book was spread on his legs, his elbow was on the book, and a hand on his chin; he squinted his eyes and dozed.

Cui Huohuo didn’t dare to disturb him. He sat on a chair next to him and played with his phone.

At a time out, Su Zhihe left the site to rest. He lifted the curtain to walk in and straight away saw Qin Qing with his eyes closed and head tilted.

Cui Huohuo silently got up and said: “he’s tired.”

Su Zhihe took a towel and wiped his hands. He walked over: “Qin Qing?”

Qin Qing hummed dazedly.

He heard someone say to him: “Go sleep on the recliner.”

Qin Qing’s eyes were closed but his past professionalism was still engraved in his bones. He softly said: “call me when the recording stops.”

Su Zhihe crouched beside him and looked at his dozing but didn’t forget work appearance. It was a little amusing and distressing.

He looked at the boy in front of him, at this young face that only when asleep, showed a youthful and childish appearance that he ought to have at his age. He secretly said that this was a child who had suffered a lot, otherwise, he wouldn’t have this kind of stability, maturity, and premature intelligence.

At this age, he ought to be under his parent’s protection, in an ivory tower campus*: studying, taking exams, and making friends.

t/n: 象牙塔校园: ivory tower campus. A metaphor for unrealistic; dream-like; pure and idealistic utopian universities.

“Qin Qing.”

“Hmm.”

“Go to sleep on the recliner.”

A few moments later, Qin Qing had changed from the small stool to the lounge chair.

He was really too tired and fell asleep with his neck tilted.

Su Zhihe stood beside him, holding the pocketbook Qin Qing had just been looking at and there was a phone wedged between the pages.

The phone was very old, and the cover was scratched. The pocketbook was also old and there was an unfamiliar name written on the title page and also all kinds of messy scribbles on it. At a glance, you can see it was a second-hand book.

Cui Huohuo stood beside him and looked at the things in Su Zhihe’s hand. His eyes flashed.

Su Zhihe looked over and with one hand holding the book with the phone in it, the other hand reached over and fetched the person over then pinched the nape of his neck. He asked with a penetrating gaze: “What do you know that I don’t know?”

With an expression of begging for mercy, Cui Huohuo restrained his voice so as not to disturb Qin Qing: “Brother, boss, what I knew before, you already know now.”

Su Zhihe: “For example?”

Cui Huohuo: “That he dropped out of school.”

Su Zhihe probed: “You only know that he dropped out of school?”

Cui Huohuo: “Boss, Qin Qing’s personal matters, if he tells me, I’ll tell you, Isn’t that okay?”

Su Zhihe pinched his neck and said faintly, “Do you regard me as a stranger now that you’ve grown.?

t/n: 翅膀硬了 lit: hardened wings. Negative/sarcastic meaning.

E.g You’ve grown too much (your wings are hard now) that you don’t need counsel or obey your parents anymore?

Cui Huohuo quickly shrunk in his neck: “I’ll confess, I’ll confess, I’ll tell you!”

Su Zhihe side-eyed him as Cui Huohuo admitted: “I just know a bit.”

Su Zhihe threw over a don’t dawdle look.

Cui Huohuo looked down at Qin Qing, who was sleeping in the recliner and covered his mouth to say: “He dropped out of school in his 2nd year. He said he wasn’t allowed to study at him so he came out by himself.”

Su Zhihe continued to stare.

Cui Huohuo: “That’s all I know!” Really!

Well, Oh!. There was more.

Cui Huohuo: “He’s reading because he believes there’s an opportunity to go back to take the college entrance exam.”

Nothing else. That’s all I know. There’s really nothing else.

Su Zhihe let go of his hand and Cui Huohuo scratched the back of his neck.

Su Zhihe raised his hand and handed the book and phone to Cui Huohuo. His eyes fell down and one by one swept over Qin Qing’s clothes, pants and shoes.

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Not long after, Qin Qing woke up only to find himself in a recliner.

Su Zhihe wasn’t there and was still recording. Only Cui Huohuo was in the shed.

Qin Qing got up and stretched, he asked: “How long was I asleep?”

Cui Huohuo looked at the time: “for a while, 40 minutes. Do you want to drink water?”

While drinking water, Cui Huohuo informed Qin Qing about something.

“Send clothes?”

Cui Huohuo showed an expression of ‘naturally, this is how it should be’: “that’s right. The boss has worked with many brands and had many endorsements in the past and is still a good friend even after the contract is over. Many manufacturers will still send clothes and shoes every season.”

“He will share it with me since he can’t wear all of them.”

“Now that you’re here. We’ll both share it.”

Qin Qing was taken by surprise.

But it was also exactly like this. Many brands would, in order to get on good terms with many big shots and facilitate cooperation directly send clothes and shoes.

Celebrities can’t wear everything alone, or some styles didn’t fit, it was likely that they’d be shared with subordinates.

It was normal.

Qin Qing: “Oh, okay.”

Cui Huohuo immediately looked down at Qin Qing’s shoes: “What size do you wear?”

Qin Qing was doubtful: “Aren’t all shoes given to artist the artist’s size?”

“Oh…Oh!,” Cui Huohuo quickly amended: “Our boss is a picky person. Sometimes he likes to wear bigger shoes and sometimes he likes to wear tighter shoes, so the manufacturer will send him several sizes.”

t/n: lol, really

After saying that, he raised his legs: “Mine are 43s, it was one of the sizes.”

Thus.

Qin Qing reported his shoe size, and Cui Huohuo silently noted it down.

As for the clothes and trousers, the height and body size was right in front of his eyes. He can look and know what size he wore.

Cui Huohuo said again: “Ah, by the way, the salary will be raised this month.”

Qin Qing has barely just opened his eyes and was not fully awake. Hearing this, there was a jolt.

Cui Huohuo: “You and I are at the same level so you should be transferred to the same salary as me. After the salary adjustment, then this quarter’s salary will be increased.”

Qin Qing: “Quarterly wage increase?”

Cui Huohuo recalled Boss Su’s explanation not long ago and slowly said: “That’s right.”

Cui Huohuo tried to remember: “it’s for cold drinks, meal allowance, transportation expenses, business trip allowance ……”

There are allowances for business trips?

Cui Huohuo: “Overtime pay.”

What kind of overtime does an accompanying assistant need?

“Oh, by the way,” Cui Huohuo said: “You will be issued a new phone, also sent by the manufacturers.”

Qin Qing raised his eyebrows: “How much is your salary?”

Cui HuoHuo said in his heart 6300 but opened his mouth to say: “12,000.”

12,000!?

“…….”

Cui Huohuo thought for a moment, and afraid of appearing fake, explained: “Our boss has always been very good his assistants. So anything I’m paid, you’re paid as well.”

Qin Qing was quiet for a moment. He walked to the curtain door, and lifted it aside to look out.

Cui Huohuo: “What’s wrong?”

Nothing. Just admiring this Boss Su, who doesn’t know the market rates and was indiscriminately paying wages.

Cui Huohuo remembered that there was one thing he forgot to say. He quickly said: “Oh!, there’s more.”

There’s more?

Cui Huohuo: “There will be rewards for studying for certificate exams like this.”

??

Cui Huohuo: “In your case, it’s taking the college entrance exam and so on. So the least you can get is a few hundred thousand”

Cui Huohuo: “This also includes tuition and living expenses.”

!!!

Cui Huohuo silently recited the excuses Su Zhihe had told him: “it’s majorly to improve the overall literacy level of the team and to encourage team members to actively learn and never stop.”

Qin Qing thought for a moment and asked: “A way to cultivate people?”

Cui Huohuo didn’t move: “What?”

“Cultivation by proxy.” Qin Qing explained: “It means that the boss will send me to study. When I finish my studies, I have to go back to my original workplace.”

Cui HuoHuo said in his heart: you don’t need to come back, but If you don’t come back, who will the boss date? Instead, he nodded: ” Yes, that’s the idea!”

Qin Qing thought about it. No wonder Su ZhiHe encouraged him to study. He must want to cultivate the backbone of his team?

But in the last life, didn’t Su Zhihe stop filming within a few years?

Could it be that he just moved from the front stage to behind the scenes and needed to cultivate his own people so it’s convenient to manage the company in the future?

It’s possible.

However, Qin Qing wasn’t ready to tie his life with another.

Working and studying for the college entrance exams was his own choice of path.

As for whether or not he passes the college entrance exam in the future, how many years of study will be required if he gets in, where he will go and what kind of job he will do after graduation.

Everything was unknown.

Qin Qing: “Work is work. Studying for exams is studying for exams. Nevertheless, it’s better not to trouble the company.”

Cui Huohuo was frozen: “you don’t want the study for exams incentives?”

Qin Qing: “Of course, I won’t take the company’s money to go to school. If I pass the college exams, I can work while studying.”

Cui Huohuo was stuck. You don’t even want to accept money?

When these remarks reached Su Zhihe’s ears, Boss Su only felt happy.

Tough and self-reliant were all good qualities.

The more he knew about Qing Qing, the more he appreciated and liked him.

And on this day, the final day of recording, the broadcast platform of ‘Survival in the Wild’ sent a group of people over to visit the class*.

t/n: to pay a visit to someone while they are working. I.e an actor showing up at an actor friend’s shooting location.

There were a lot of people who came over, the site was surrounded by spectators; watching the recording and visiting the class.

Only then did Qin Qing know that on the original guest list, there was indeed no Su Zhihe. He was invited at the last moment to step in for another.

The replaced artist was called Duan Pu.

As soon as he heard that it was Duan Pu, Qin Qing immediately remembered that in his last life when watched “Survival in the Wild”, there was indeed no Su Zhihe. The one who participated from the first episode was Duan Pu.

Duan Pu was a skilled actor, he had a little fame but wasn’t very popular. In his last life, because of his good physical quality and diverse experience, he attracted many fans in the first season of Survival of the Wild.

After that, he participated in the recording of the second season and the third season, until the fourth season when he did not participate because of conflicts with the shooting schedule.

How could such an artist, who was originally very important in the program team, miss “Survival in the Wild” in this life?

Cui Huohuo happened to know the reason and quietly informed Qin Qing: “It seems he offended someone some time ago. In the evening, when he returned to set, was attacked and beaten up.”

Cui Huohuo: “A Boss on the platform and our boss are quite familiar. He personally asked the boss to help so the boss came.”

Beaten up?

Qin Qing was surprised.

He was reborn, and it was normal for the trajectory of his own life and the lives of those around him to change.

How come in this life, even the lives that have nothing to do with him have changed significantly?

Could it be a butterfly effect, a little minute change that triggered a storm that swept even further?

Very quickly, Qin Qing discovered that this wasn’t the case.

The change in the trajectory of Duan Pu’s life had nothing to do with him at all.

It was changed by a man called Kou Jiang.

This Kou Jiang was Qin Qing’s sworn enemy in his last life and was also one of the platform personnel who came to visit the class this time.

He stood within a group of people, and topped with a young face, smiled and greeted several artist-teachers.

Right now, Qin Qing was 18 years old, and Kou Jiang was also very young. He had just graduated from college and worked as an intern in the platform.

This time, Qin Qing, who was reborn, has never met Kou Jiang in this life and Kou Jiang of this life has never met Qin Qing either. The two of them met in the last life but it was after Qin Qing entered the industry.

However, not far from the pergola, along with the others exchanging greetings with the artist-teachers, Kou Jiang with a familiar look in his eyes, looked at Qin Qing several times from afar.

Cui Huohuo felt strange: “Qin Qing, the man over there keeps looking at you. Do you know each other?”

Qin Qing: “I don’t know him.”

He shouldn’t have recognized him.

At least in Qin Qing’s original understanding. He was reborn, if anyone should recognize anyone, it should be him that recognized Kou Jiang, not Kou Jiang recognizing him.

Unless Kou Jiang was like him. He was reborn with the memories of the previous life.

In the crowd, Kou Jiang frequently looked at the door of the pergola. A colleague beside him curiously asked: “Who are you looking at? You recognize someone?”

Kou Jiang smiled and said: “hmm, an acquaintance.”

Colleague: “Acquaintances? Then you should go greet them. We will be over here.”

Kou Jiang: “Is it okay?”

Colleague: “Why won’t it be okay?  Quickly go and come back.”

Kou Jiang went.

He quickly walked to the door of the pergola and looked at the figure who was walking with his back facing him: “Qin Qing!”

Qin Qing turned around, and showing an unfamiliar look, looked Kou Jiang over: “you are…?”

Kou Jiang smiled and said some things he thought Qin Qing won’t be able to understand, but Qin Qing heard those sentences clearly and distinctly.

“I was wondering where you would be at this time. It turns out you are here.”

“Didn’t you say before that when you first came out to work, you served dishes in a hotel?”

Kou Jiang, his sworn enemy from back then, was really reborn.

Qin Qing did not intend to expose himself. Hearing those words, he suspiciously stared back: “What are you talking about? We don’t know each other, do we?”

Kou Jiang looked at Qin Qing and smiled: “Nothing. I’m talking nonsense.”

He stretched out his hand: “let’s get to know each other now. My name is Kou Jiang.”

Qin Qing lowered his head and looked at his stretched-out right hand, but didn’t move.

Kou Jiang thought nothing of it and withdrew his hand and showed an obligatory smile: “Actually, I also want to give you some advice.”

Qin Qing maintained his expression.

There was a ruthlessness settling at the bottom of Kou Jiang’s eyes. While still smiling and in a voice that only two people can hear: “I suggest you be careful with me in the future.”

Qin Qing pretended to be suspicious and frowned while scrutinizing him.

He said in his heart: Who should be careful of who is not certain.

Let me also give you some advice. Don’t be so arrogant after being reborn and restrain yourself abit. Just in case the one in front of you was also reborn, you would have exposed yourself.

For example, now.

Just after Kou Jiang finished saying to be careful of him, Su Zhihe walked back and saw the two people facing each other.

He thought that the two of them knew each other. But he then saw Qin Qing look at him, then frown as he surveyed Kou Jiang and take two steps back.

Su Zhihe walked over to him: “Do you know each other?”

Qin Qing shook his head. He looked at Kou Jiang with a wary face and took another half step back.

Kou Jiang did not expect that Qin Qing was now not only not serving dishes but actually also knew Su Zhihe.

Su Zhihe?! This big shot?

Su Zhihe had already taken steps to walk between the two people. He swept over Kou Jiang’s work tag: “From the platform?”

Kou Jiang returned to his senses and greeted: “Teacher Su.”

Su Zhihe: “is something the matter?”

Kou Jiang looked behind Su Zhihe: “Oh, I…”

Qin Qing muttered in a low voice: “I don’t know him. This man is strange.”

Su Zhihe glanced at Kou Jiang and turned his head to look a short distance away. Raising his voice: “Whose person is this?”

The crowd over there looked over.

Su Zhihe: “Come and collect him.”

Immediately, someone ran over with an appeasing smile on their face: “Teacher Su, so sorry, It’s just an intern. They’re not sensible. Please pardon us.”

And regardless of what happened, he came up and stared at Kou Jiang: “What are you running around for! Hurry up and apologize!”

Kou Jiang: “……”

“No need,” Su Zhihe didn’t look at Kou Jiang again. He turned around and took Qin Qing back to the shed. While walking, he said: “outside is hot. Why did you come out?”

Qin Qing: “I was asked to stop.”

Su Zhihe: “in future, don’t pay attention to people you don’t know, regardless of who they are.”

Kou Jiang: “……”