CH 18.1

Chapter 18.1 – Nicknames

On September 11th, the third internal meeting of the Wild Rose Troupe.

“Comrades, we have been penetrated by the enemy!” Cheng Youwen said.

Shi Yuan took a piece of bread and concentrated on eating breakfast. In the past few days, he found that the milk buns sold next to the theater were good. He bought them every day and ate them. He didn’t realize that Cheng Youwen was referring to himself.

Cheng Youwen emphasized again: “It’s inside!”

Qin Luoluo curled the tips of her hair, looked in the mirror to check her false eyelashes, and heard the words: “That is your imaginary enemy, we have no opinion on General Lu.”

Tracy cheered, “I want his autograph! A picture! Autograph! A picture!”

Shi Yuan raised his head when he heard “General Lu”. Cheng Youwen sighed heavily and asked Shi Yuan, “How did you two meet?”

Shi Yuan said vigilantly: “I don’t know Lu Tinghan.”

He remembered Xia Fang saying that Cheng Youwen didn’t like Lu Tinghan.

Cheng Youwen’s eyebrows jumped: “Then tell me who came yesterday?”

“It was Lu Tingting,” Shi Yuan said. “They look a bit alike, but that is Lu Tingting.”

Cheng Youwen: “……”

‘No one really believes this, right? How can Shi Yuan tell such lies so seriously?’

Looking at his expression, he really thought he could fool everyone!

Cheng Youwen took a few deep breaths before calming down: “Shi Yuan, Shi Yuan, why don’t you just say they are clones, ah?” He rubbed his eyebrows. “Okay, okay, then how did you meet that ‘Lu Tingting‘?”

“He came to see me before,” Shi Yuan said.

Cheng Youwen: “Even the strongest warrior can be seduced by a beauty.”

Shi Yuan said again: “Then he left without me.”

Cheng Youwen: “Since ancient times, two men are often ill-fated.”

Shi Yuan said, “I found him again.”

Cheng Youwen: “A broken mirror joined together!”

In just three sentences, Xia Fang already imagined a bloody love story with ups and downs. He quietly said to Qin Luoluo: “I didn’t see that the general is still a little scumbag.”

“Me too,” Qin Luoluo whispered. “Look at Shi Yuan’s dumb head, he is still so happy to be deceived, the general can even bear to lie to him.”

As a screenwriter, Cheng Youwen obviously made up more plots. He took Shi Yuan’s hand and hated that iron couldn’t become steel, and said, “Shi Yuan, when you break up, you break up. You don’t need to waste time on him. You see, there are so many young talents in this city, and there are more than enough good men. There is a blind date corner on the west side of the city square. You go there for a walk and make sure you have someone. There are 1, 0, and 0.5. If you want a root number two, I can find it for you…”

“Stop, stop, stop, stop!” Qin Luoluo interrupted him. “Look at you there, Shi Yuan hasn’t eaten a piece of bread for a long time. When you have free time, you two can discuss the issue of root number two, okay? This meeting has been going on long enough, so hurry up and rehearse.”

Cheng Youwen stopped bitterly.

After the performance yesterday, the troupe received feedback from the audience one after another, and Cheng Youwen was revising the script. And today, they would be rehearsing the second act, Shi Yuan had to play another role: the tree demon.

The story has advanced to Leo fleeing to a strange town, bragging in a tavern, walking into the forbidden woods with the help of alcohol, and encountering the murderous tree demon.

Shi Yuan changed into a fluffy cypress tree costume, stood on the stage, looked at Leo, and said, “The world is cruel, let me infect you, let us live forever in the mud and bones…”

He stared unblinkingly, his expression was calm, and he was clearly saying terrible words, but he was soft and gentle.

Leo was thus bewitched by the tree demon. Fortunately, he came to his senses at the last moment and swung his sword to kill the tree demon.

Then Shi Yuan played dead again, lying motionless on the stage, very dedicated.

Cheng Youwen was very satisfied with the effect of the performance and praised everyone. The more he looked at Shi Yuan, the more pleasing he became to his eyes, and he inevitably thought of Lu Tinghan. He felt that it was simply a shame, the beauty was matched with the scumbag man, purely because of blindness.

In the afternoon, Shi Yuan and Xia Fang went to post advertisements again.

Qin Luoluo found a new advertiser named “Parsons Knives”. The posters were full of shiny knives. There was a housewife holding a kitchen knife in both hands, cutting vegetables with her right hand, and killing an infected bird with her left hand. With the words: [Perfect for both cooking and self-defense, Parsons Knives, because you deserve it!】

Shi Yuan stood on tiptoe and smoothed every poster, and suddenly heard Xia Fang say, “Hey, hey, look over there.”

He looked over and saw the figures of Cheng Youwen and Qin Luoluo disappearing into a restaurant by the roadside of the theater.

Shi Yuan said: “That shop is very delicious. I like its bean sprout soup.”

“What, who told you to look at that?” Xia Fang frowned. “You’ve been here for almost a month, haven’t you seen it yet? Don’t you like to observe other people every day?”

“See what?”

“Cheng Youwen – Old Cheng, he must like Qin Luoluo.”

Shi Yuan thought honestly for a while: “I didn’t see it.”

“That’s your problem,” Xia Fang said. “I found out just half a month after I came here. Do you know how I found out?”

Shi Yuan shook his head.

Xia Fang said: “It’s a mobile phone note. There must be something wrong with Old Cheng’s head. The nickname he gave me was ‘Money-Loving Boy’, the nickname to Wolfgang was ‘Muscle Head”, and the nickname to Tracy was ‘Demolition Expert’. Which normal person would make such nicknames? He is quite proud and often shows it to me.”

Shi Yuan asked, “What is the nickname he gave me?”

“It used to be a ‘5 Yuan Per Hour Vase’, and then it was changed to ‘Star of Tomorrow‘,” Xia Fang replied. “Today he changed it again, you are now a ‘Stupid Beauty’.”

Shi Yuan: “……”

“But Qin Luoluo is different,” Xia Fang glued the last poster. “Old Cheng’s nickname to her has always been ‘Qin Luoluo’, and it has never changed in five or six years.”

“That’s her real name,” Shi Yuan said.

Even he was aware that many people would put real names.

“Yes,” Xia Fang said. “It’s normal to just put real names, but it would be different if only yours was a real name.” He nudged Shi Yuan with his elbows, showing a meaningful smile. “The most special person always has a unique treatment.”

“Why?” Shi Yuan asked.

“What else is there to explain? The treatment is different,” Xia Fang said. “It’s nothing more than eccentricity and preference.”

Shi Yuan seemed to understand, and he was still thinking about it until he went home at night.

He felt that Lu Tinghan must be eccentric, otherwise, he would not take him home and help him untie his tail, but he was a little uncertain.

When Lu Tinghan was sitting on the sofa reading a book, Shi Yuan leaned over and asked, “Lu Tinghan, what is your nickname for me on your phone?”

“Why do you ask this?” Lu Tinghan didn’t look up, but touched Shi Yuan’s head very smoothly.

“Just curious.”

Lu Tinghan replied: “Your nickname is ‘Shi Yuan’. My nicknames to everyone are their real names.” He paused. “Except for Teacher Su Enqi.”

This was very in line with the style of General Lu, simple and clear, convenient and hassle-free. Except for the elder who taught him, there was no other special existence.

“Oh,” Shi Yuan said, nestling beside Lu Tinghan, coiling his tail.

He was not too disappointed, after all, Lu Tinghan had such a personality.

Shi Yuan secretly glanced at the book in Lu Tinghan’s hand. After reading the previous “General Military History of the Alliance”, Lu Tinghan changed to “Strategic Theory”, which was a bunch of things he couldn’t understand. He had no choice but to look at his mobile phone, pull out the stage plays recommended by Cheng Youwen, and watch the joys and sorrows of others.