Innocent Passerby x2

The man who entered had a face like an ink-wash painting. Dressed in a brand-new suit, he carried himself with an innate air of aristocratic elegance.

"Hello, Director Yu." The two people who had been lounging on the sofa immediately got up to greet him. "We were talking about that flower..."

"Did you buy the flower?" Yu Qichen said.

"Director Yu, we've sent that person so many messages these past few days, but he seems to think we're scammers. It's like he hasn't even seen them..." With their pillar of support here, the middle-aged man immediately began pouring out his grievances.

"Anyone capable of safely cultivating a Fiend Orchid is more frightening than the Fiend Orchid itself. He can't possibly be unaware of its value," Yu Qichen said slowly. "And if that's the case, how could he mistake your messages for a scam?"

"Right! Then why won't he answer us?"

"Then there's only one possibility—he's an expert. He thinks your sincerity is insufficient, and he's waiting to name his price. Show me his file. Then I'll understand what he wants!"

At the sight of Yu Qichen's confident expression, the two men seemed to swallow a reassurance pill. What could a man like their Director Yu possibly fear? What was there that Director Yu couldn't do? Both of them were full of confidence.

They promptly sent over every last detail they had gathered about the other party.

After receiving the file on this expert named Yi Wan, Yu Qichen stared at a resume with not a single point of distinction and fell into thought.

"Looks like he's an expert at hiding himself!" he concluded. "Whether it's his strength or his own desi.re..."

As Yellow Hair listened, a flash of ruthlessness passed through his eyes. "Director Yu, should we use some other methods? I think this person may be harboring ulterior motives..."

Yu Qichen's face darkened as well, as if he were considering Yellow Hair's suggestion. Just then, his phone rang.

"Chief Wu? Uh, uh, I'll handle this right away... What, never mind? You asked someone else? Yu Rong..."

When he heard that name, the newly recruited Yellow Hair could hardly believe his ears.

Yu Rongshi... wasn't that the superstar who lived like a legend?

What could he possibly have to do with the Bureau?

The middle-aged man's expression, however, was entirely different. He frowned deeply, looking intensely wary—and faintly disgusted.

The woman who had just come in with documents stopped as well. The same wariness crossed her face.

The atmosphere around them turned heavy.

The moment the call ended, the formerly refined and gentle director's face twisted with something close to gritted teeth.

"Fuck, that bastard cousin!" After a long while, Yu Qichen's carefully maintained image completely crumbled as he stomped and cursed.

Still seething in front of his subordinates, he opened WeChat. Yu Rongshi's profile picture—a blooming lotus, the sort of image favored by middle-aged and elderly people—stood prominently in his contacts.

...The sight of that ancient-looking profile picture took all the wind out of Yu Qichen. He couldn't bring himself to send the message.

Was that really the profile picture his superstar cousin, who haunted him like a demon lord, ought to use?!

He sat on the sofa and clawed at his hair. After a long while, the middle-aged man said, "Director Yu, are we sure we should let Yu Rongshi get involved?"

Yu Qichen looked up. The middle-aged man and the woman were both watching him.

He gave a short, mocking laugh. "What's the problem?"

"Director Yu, I submitted another report last week. I still believe that Yu Rongshi needs to be monitored, not collaborated with."

"In Chief Wu's eyes, you're comrades-in-arms," Yu Qichen said.

"Yu Rongshi knows perfectly well that we're not comrades-in-arms. I won't forget what my daughter went through because of him... even if he didn't mean it." The middle-aged man held firm. "Shouldn't a monster capable of causing harm be monitored? Don't you think we've given him too much trust?"

He clenched his teeth, his cheek trembling from the force in his muscles. Yellow Hair had never seen the middle-aged man like this since joining the Bureau.

Yu Qichen met his gaze. The middle-aged man kept his fists clenched and refused to yield an inch. The woman who had delivered the documents said, "Wary, yet cooperative—isn't that exactly our relationship with Yu Rongshi? Everyone needs Yu Rongshi. No one trusts Yu Rongshi. He's worked conscientiously these past few years, but we can't base our cooperation on Yu Rongshi's 'conscience.' Especially when, if he chose to turn on us, we would have no way to restrain him. Director Yu, I know he's your cousin..."

"Enough. Leave." Yu Qichen said. "Before contacting Yu Rongshi, I'll find a way to solve this problem myself."

The three left.

Yellow Hair hardly dared breathe. He still didn't understand what the famous superstar had to do with their work. Rain fell outside the window. The woman with glasses patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder. "We've all seen what Yu Rongshi has done over the years. And Chief Wu trusts him. It wouldn't be bad to think of it as simply using him."

"...You know what the others in the Bureau think of him."

"I do. But your reaction is the most extreme among them."

"Because people should never trust any monster," the middle-aged man said coldly.

...

Elsewhere, the production team of Green Wilderness Trail was agonizing over a judge who had abruptly dropped out.

"The number of people and the whole schedule are already set. There are only two days left—where are we supposed to find a suitable replacement at the last minute?"

The staff were frantic, and so was the director. He drank some water and told them to hurry up and make calls. Just then, his assistant came over with a phone. "Director, Ye Lan's team called. They said they're willing to rearrange his schedule and come..."

At the name "Ye Lan," the others all looked relieved. Ye Lan had become wildly popular last year through an idol drama, landing several major endorsements within a year. He was one of the so-called hottest top stars around.

Having him as a judge would definitely bring attention! What's more, his team had offered on their own.

But the director dismissed the suggestion with disdain. "Ye Lan? Whose idea was it to bring him in? No. Absolutely not. Have you even looked at who the other judges are? That 'top star' title is inflated as hell. You can produce several top stars like him in a year, and he's so young, so reliant on traffic—would anyone respect him as a judge? No!"

"Is that really necessary? He's also..."

The director's adamant refusal gave everyone a headache. They could only go up and try to persuade the contemptuous director. Just then, someone else got a call.

The person's hands shook as they took it, and they hurriedly held the phone out to the director. The director was in the middle of chewing someone out. When he saw them, he snapped, "What?!"

"D-Director," the person stammered. "A call from Yu... Yu Rongshi's team."

At that name, everyone's expressions went blank for a moment, as though they could not understand why his team would be calling. The director's face, however, instantly softened into spring sunshine. He took the phone and spoke to the caller with a gentle smile. "Rongshi... mm-hm, mm-hm... What?! You want to come on Green Wilderness Trail?"

The voice on the other end was very gentle and even gave an embarrassed little laugh. "Would that be too sudden? I..."

"No, no, not at all! We'd be tremendously honored!" The director's attitude shifted like a storm at sea clearing into sunshine.

"Ah, then I'll trouble you."

"No, no, not at all. Oh, I happen to have some fresh West Lake Longjing tea that was just delivered. I'll bring you some when we film the show—I know you like tea..."

"No need, no need," the person on the other end said. "When I got home just now, I saw the supermarket downstairs was having a sale. I'll go buy some goji berries and red dates in a bit."

"Healthy living is good, healthy living is good..."

The staff nearby exchanged looks as if struck by lightning. Several newcomers to the industry clearly didn't know much, and at the mention of buying goji berries at the supermarket downstairs, they could scarcely believe their ears.

That was Yu Rongshi!

For a time, every song popular on the market fell into only two categories: songs by Yu Rongshi, and songs written by Yu Rongshi. Some people even exaggerated that Yu Rongshi ruled the market.

Not only domestically, but in Japan, South Korea, Europe, and America too.

But why had he suddenly asked to join this show?

"Could it be because someone he's interested in is taking part in the variety show?" someone ventured after scratching their heads for a long time.

The production team exchanged looks and found the reasoning very plausible.

"Ding Biehan? Jiang Bei? Qu Pingqiu? Yao Yue?"

They considered every guest, yet never guessed it was Yi Wan, the last-minute addition to the show.

...

Chief Wu sat in his office, a teacup at his side.

The Bureau of Supernatural Affairs had been newly established to address the country's increasingly complicated environment of "golden fingers and the supernatural." It had only officially opened in the past few years. The elderly man looked toward the plaque on the wall inscribed with Tranquility Leads to Great Distances and recalled the first time Yu Rongshi had appeared before him.

His smile had been warm, his manners impeccable, but in the depths of his eyes lay the icy, cutting sharpness of shattered glass.

"...'Hunt the Golden Fingers'? That sounds interesting. Why? Because it's fun, of course," he had said lightly. "Uncle Wu, you haven't read anything else into it, have you?"

This was the first layer beneath Yu Rongshi's disguise, one he had never shown others.

At the time, Yu Rongshi had been only twenty-three. He had not yet been brought into the fold, nor had he learned to suppress himself beneath even deeper waters.

"Should we let Yu Rongshi handle this?" His secretary thought the chief was worried. "For this matter, Yu Rongshi really is the best candidate. He's completed his work very well these past few years without any problems, hasn't he?"

"You heard their attitude," Chief Wu said.

"It's understandable that they're wary of him. But Yu Qichen is there as a lubri/cant. And Yu Rongshi has never cared about any of this."

"Is that so?" Chief Wu said. "Do you think we can trust him?"

The secretary fell silent for a while. "Even if we can't trust him, there should be a way to deal with him. Yu Rongshi is a smart man. So, he can be trusted."

Chief Wu tapped a finger lightly against the file the middle-aged man had submitted.

Everyone believed Yu Rongshi had changed. Those in Yu Qichen's outer circle, in particular, had never detected Yu Rongshi's true face.

But Chief Wu's thoughts were not so simple.

He lowered his head to look once more at Yi Wan's seemingly "unpromising" resume, so starkly at odds with the nature of the Fiend Orchid, and suddenly felt a strange premonition.

Yu Rongshi truly was an ideal candidate to "handle" this matter.

And in fact, after seeing Yi Wan's resume, Yu Rongshi had taken the assignment out of curiosity.

...

Yi Wan knew nothing of the storm online and behind the scenes. After several days of preparation, they packed their luggage and arrived in G City for the program's filming.

On the plane, Yi Wan asked Ding Biehan, "What did Brother Liu say to you last night?"

"...Nothing," Ding Biehan said.

He was a little irritated.

Last night, for some reason, Brother Liu had called and asked him and Yi Wan to try ship-baiting on the show, even supplying several plans. Ding Biehan had been preparing a plan to silence Yi Wan forever; the sight of those documents had nearly made his scalp explode, and he had immediately refused.

"I don't need that kind of thing," Ding Biehan had said coldly. "Do you think people with our abilities need to be like a conventional idol group?"

"Ah, I knew you weren't good at fan service." Brother Liu had sighed regretfully. "Forget it. Just look after him. Don't let him hold you back."

Ding Biehan: ...

Ding Biehan lifted his sleep mask and turned to look at Yi Wan. Yi Wan had already pulled the blanket over himself and was sleeping peacefully.

He stared at Yi Wan, an inexplicable emotion flashing through his faintly blue eyes.

The plane landed quite smoothly. The two dragged their luggage toward the regular exit when they got an urgent call from Brother Liu. "Your itinerary leaked. Get back inside, quickly, and take another—"

The exit was right in front of them. Ding Biehan said flatly, "So it leaked. How many people could there possibly—"

Then he was stunned by the glowing signs and banners before him.

"Ding Biehan! Ding Biehan!"

More than a hundred girls held up signs and cheered and screamed at the exit. There were even a few boys shouting themselves hoarse. Ding Biehan was a little taken aback. He was just about to turn back when sharp-eyed fans spotted him.

"Ding Biehan—"

"Ahhhhhhh—"

The crowd pressed toward him—and him alone.

Human joys and sorrows were not shared; he only found them noisy. With his skills, he should have been able to get out quickly.

Ding Biehan turned to leave, saying, "Let's go, Yi—"

He suddenly felt an empty space beside him. Ding Biehan turned his head...

And saw Yi Wan very naturally rolling his suitcase past him, blending seamlessly into the other passersby.

...And slipping away as smoothly as a salted fish returning to water.

Ding Biehan: ?????

Ding Biehan stared at him in astonishment, seemingly unable to understand how Yi Wan had escaped so easily. The handsome mixed-race man instinctively reached out to catch the departing Yi Wan...

That moment of hesitation was enough for him to be swallowed in despair by the tide of people.

Even so, some sharp-eyed Ding Biehan fans captured the scene and Yi Wan's profile, then posted them in an internal Ding Biehan fan group they belonged to.

The people who had been happily discussing Ding Biehan's beauty were stunned.

After a long while.

"Fuck, what is that pose?"

"Who's that guy passing by? Why is Little Ding grabbing his hand?"

"His side profile is pretty cute."

Then someone enlarged the blurry photo and saw the so-called passerby's wrist. Her pupils shook as she remembered the trending topic from a few days before.

"Holy shit, there's... a red string on his wrist!"

She sent her discovery to the small group. The group fell silent, then erupted.

...

An hour later, Ding Biehan and Yi Wan, bedraggled after squeezing their way out of the crowd, sat together in the van bound for the production site. Brother Liu looked at Ding Biehan and sighed regretfully. "You usually seem pretty sharp. How did you end up less clever than Yi Wan this time?"

Ding Biehan: ...

He gave Yi Wan a bland look, strongly suspecting that Yi Wan had done it deliberately at the airport.

At the thought, Ding Biehan couldn't help sneezing. Some strange instinct made him feel that someone was badmouthing him behind his back right then.

"By the way, are you two really not going to consider ship-baiting?" Brother Liu suggested again. "Young girls these days love shipping couples. Since you two are joining the show, it'd be a shame not to do a little fan service and draw some camera time."

Ding Biehan answered simply, "No."

As an infinite-flow male lead, he had no love for ship-baiting; he had only his suspicions about Yi Wan. Ship-baiting and fan service would only interfere with his private business. He had never forgotten that he still bore the infinite-flow set upon his shoulders.

He glanced at Yi Wan beside him. Yi Wan shook his head too. "Let's not."

"You two are impossible to budge. Fine, fine." Brother Liu sighed. He reluctantly gave up on this rare bit of possible fan-service material.

But it made Yi Wan think of something. He took the red string off his wrist and put it away in the small box he carried with him.

The wilderness would be full of danger and mud. Yi Wan didn't want to get his lucky charm dirty.

He could put it back on after the show was over.

Ding Biehan caught sight of the movement and relaxed slightly. But at that moment, he had no idea what kind of storm was brewing in one of his small fan groups.

Along the way, Brother Liu explained the format of Green Wilderness Trail.

Green Wilderness Trail would last seven days. They would need to explore the mountains and forest, complete missions, and reach the designated meeting point before the program ended.

To ensure their safety, medical personnel and safety staff would accompany them nearby throughout the process. However, unless an emergency arose, they would not provide assistance.

The program would air in two formats. One would be a livestream during filming, where internet users could watch the artists' most authentic reactions in the reality show through the livestream room. The other would come after the livestream, when edited footage would be uploaded to the major video platforms.

"There's something else I only just learned," Brother Liu said with some concern. "Besides you, the production team invited five guests to form a livestream commentary panel."

"A livestream commentary panel?" Ding Biehan didn't quite understand.

"They'll watch your livestreams while commenting and snarking, and guess who can last until the end." Brother Liu cautioned, "It won't be good if they set the narrative and the commentary guests keep criticizing you."

As they talked, the van arrived at the production site.

Green Wilderness Trail had invited eight contestants in total. Yi Wan and the others had set out an hour early, but traffic still held them up. By the time they arrived, a minivan was already there.

The person beside it was very fashionably dressed, with eyeshadow swept sharply upward. His manager stood beside him, barking orders at the other assistants—having someone bring over a small fan one moment, then ordering someone to serve him iced sour plum soup the next.

"Don't offend him. That's Qu Pingqiu. He recently shot to fame in a web drama and is riding high in popularity," Brother Liu warned them again and again. "He's a rich second-generation kid with family connections."

Qu Pingqiu looked mild-mannered in all kinds of interview videos; neither had expected his temper in private to be so bad. They both nodded. Soon another van pulled up, and Jiang Zefang got out.

Both of them knew Jiang Zefang. He had played supporting roles in assorted urban dramas for years without ever breaking through. His acting was mediocre, yet he loved to call himself a senior and make pronouncements. Not long ago, he had angrily denounced young entertainers online for lacking masculinity—for being frail, wearing makeup, and pandering to women. Quite a few men approved of him for it.

"Biehan, come over and fix your styling." Brother Liu took Ding Biehan aside, forgetting Yi Wan instead.

Yi Wan didn't mind. He took his thermos from the van; it was filled with hot milk. The production staff were all busy with their own work and paid no attention at all to this unknown minor character who had merely come along with Ding Biehan. In the venue, he quietly watched Qu Ascendant and Jiang Manly, who were already throwing sparks at each other, then looked at the actress and the female variety-show personality—a pair who seemed to have a longstanding grudge and had already begun trading barbs as soon as they arrived.

After thinking for a moment, he headed for a corner to avoid the sparks.

Then he discovered that someone was already sitting in the corner he had picked out.

Yi Wan blinked.

The man wore a baseball cap and sunglasses that covered his entire face, leaving only a jade-white chin visible. He was sitting in the exact passerby observation spot Yi Wan had just chosen. But what drew Yi Wan's attention was what he held in his hand...

A thermos.

A thirty-yuan, free-shipping thermos steeped with goji berries and red dates.

Holding the thermos, the man sat peacefully and unobtrusively in the corner Yi Wan had selected, watching everyone's reactions like an innocent passerby just like Yi Wan.

The faintest peaceful smile played at the corners of his lips.

But as Yi Wan looked at the curve of those lips, two words surfaced in his mind.

A mask.

Author's Note:

The top finally makes his entrance (...)

Yep, it's Yu Rongshi.