𝕮⃟𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 12

𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘：My Dragon
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥：我的龙 (Butterfly Mage)

° ° °

When he walked onto the subway, Nan HuaiLin was still in a state of confusion. He pinched his thigh hard. Hiss! It hurts! Not a dream.

His cell phone rang, and when he pulled it out, it was Shen Chong.

“Hello.” His voice was breathless, as his brain was still in a state of limbo.

“Why does it sound like you’re not doing well?” Shen Chong was keenly aware of it. “Did the audition go badly?”

“No,” Nan HuaiLin said in a daze. “Director Luo said that he wanted me to play the second male role.”

“Holy shit!” Shen Chong instantly exploded. “Really?”

Nan HuaiLin was confused, and he didn’t know if it was true or not.

Shen Chong said, “I’ve read the script of Star Country. I especially like the second male. If not for my position here, which means I can only take the first male, the second male would be mine. Little Lin, you’ve made a fortune this time, I tell you.”

“Ah, yeah.” Nan HuaiLin did not know what to say.

“Hey,” Shen Chong suddenly changed his tone. “It’s not right.”

“What’s wrong?” Nan HuaiLin’s heart stuttered, as if he had won the five million lottery and was told he might have made a mistake.

Shen Chong said, “I remember that the second male was given to Chen JingTian? How can director Luo say that you should play the second male? Didn’t you audition for the third male role?”

Nan HuaiLin knew Chen JingTian, who is also an actor of Ming Xi. When Shi Yan became popular, Chen JingTian played the third male in the same comic idol drama. That drama brought a host of main and supporting characters, but only Shi Yan became more and more popular, the others did not have follow-up works as support, and their popularity slowly declined.

“I have to ask Director Luo what’s going on,” Shen Chong said. “I have to hang up now.”

Nan HuaiLin swallowed the words that came out of his mouth, feeling a bit complicated. Should he be happy or worried now?

Just now Luo Ke only verbally said that, and, until he’d been officially signed, everything was still subject to change… so it was better to take it as it was.

As he was thinking, his phone rang again.

This time it was Fei Cheng calling.

“How did the audition go?” Fei Cheng asked.

“I don’t know,” Nan HuaiLin said. “I’m waiting to be told.”

Fei Cheng said, “Oh,” After two seconds of silence, he said, “I’m bored, do you want to play together?”

Nan HuaiLin couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not bored even if you are. I have a lot of things to do.”

Fei Cheng asked in passing, “What are you doing on the weekend?”

Nan HuaiLin laughed and said, “Mr. Fei, aren’t you being too lenient?”

Nan HuaiLin and Fei Cheng were obviously not from the same class of people, but Nan HuaiLin and Fei Cheng were not at all formal in their conversation. It could be because they first met on the subway, or because Fei Cheng had helped him several times, or because Fei Cheng didn’t exude the aura of high society, but was actually very grounded… In short, he felt very comfortable with Fei Cheng.

Fei Cheng also smiled and asked, “You’re not busy with your boyfriend, are you?”

Nan HuaiLin was silent for a while. He felt bad about lying all the time. The reason he said he had a boyfriend was to deal with Shen Chong’s harassment, but now that Shen Chong and he had swung a double oar and started a friendship boat, he didn’t see the need to continue lying. In a while, he would tell Fei Cheng that he broke up with his boyfriend to get the lie back.

“You didn’t break up with your boyfriend, did you?” Fei Cheng suddenly said.

Nan HuaiLin was shocked by what he was thinking and instinctively started lying again, “No! Do you expect my man to not be good enough?”

“No, I may have gotten too deep into the act.” Fei Cheng smiled and said. “I thought you had really broken up with me because of what you just said on the phone. In fact, you seem to be a really good actor.”

Nan HuaiLin was inexplicably embarrassed. “I really have something to do, so I won’t talk to you anymore.”

“Okay,” Fei Cheng said. “You’re busy.”

—

After hanging up the phone, Fei Cheng threw the phone on the table, put his long arms and legs on the sofa and sighed, “Ah…so boring.”

Hannibal wagged his tail and ran over to him, rubbing his head against his leg.

Fei Cheng sat up, cupped Hannibal’s bull face and said, “Buddy will take you out for a ride, okay?”

Hannibal barked twice at his face and sprayed him with saliva.

Fei Cheng pushed his face away in disgust and stood up to go to his brother’s study. He had just pushed the door open and then closed it again, before he knocked perfunctorily. Then he opened the door again, went to Fei Zheng and said, “Brother, lend me your Hummer. I’ll take Hannibal out for a drive. I promise I’ll drive it back for you, really.”

Fei Zheng didn’t even look up. “Go ahead.”

Fei Cheng didn’t expect his brother to be so nice this time, so he was a bit flattered, and after a couple of seconds, he took the initiative to invite him. “So, do you want to come with me? It’s boring to be at home all the time.”

Fei Zheng threw the word at him. “No.”

Fei Cheng hummed from his nose, turned around and went out, took just two steps, and then turned back. “Brother, what sign am I?”

Fei Zheng looked up at him. “What sign?”

Fei Cheng said, “Zodiac sign. Like rat, cow, tiger and rabbit.”

Fei Zheng lowered his head again. “Boar.”

“So I’m in the same sign as him.” Fei Cheng laughed a little. “Brother, what year was I born in?”

“What’s wrong with your brain?” Fei Zheng was impatient. “1755.”

“If I was born in 1755…then I am 263 years old.” Fei Cheng sighed. “I’ve been alive for so long. Brother, how old are you?”

Fei Zheng, “666.”

“Hahaha! That’s a great number.” Fei Cheng smiled and sat down, resting his chin on the table, and longing to natter with his brother. “Brother, have you been in love lately?”

Fei Zheng was silent for a few seconds and said, “No.”

This short silence was very intriguing, Fei Cheng stared at his brother for a while, and said seriously, “Brother, I think it’s time for you to fall in love, otherwise you will become more and more perverted.”

Fei Zheng raised his eyes and looked over. “Looking for a fight?”

Fei Cheng smiled. “Look at you, what are you angry about? It’s not good to be angry all the time, it hurts your liver.”

Fei Zheng said, “You have three seconds to get out of my sight.”

Fei Cheng ‘chattered,’ and slowly walked out. But before closing the door, he peeked his head in and said, “Brother, do not be discouraged. Maybe someone who is open-minded will fall for you.”

The pen in Fei Zheng’s hand ‘swooshed’ as it shot over. Fei Cheng hurriedly closed the door, blocking the enemy’s concealed weapon.

Fei Cheng changed his clothes, took Hannibal out of the house, went to the underground garage, and drove his brother’s superb Hummer out onto the road.

Of the twelve months in a year, Fei Cheng liked April and November the best. He felt most comfortable in these two months. He drove the wildest car, listened to the most manic songs, and sped along, not stopping for a moment. He also wants to see what’s at the end of the road.

As twilight fell, Fei Cheng finally reached the end of the road.

He was standing on the shore of the Beidaihe River, and the strong breeze tinged with the smell of the sea came to his face. There was a moon over the river, and the moon was surrounded by a sky of stars, exactly as Nan HuaiLin had said on the phone.

Fei Cheng took out his cell phone and took a picture, and sent it to Nan HuaiLin.

The area was empty and deserted.

Fei Cheng took off his clothes and threw them into the car, stroking Hannibal’s dog head, “Stay put, I’m going to swim for a while.”

Fei Cheng walked into the water against the wind and waves, and plunged in, transforming into a tens of meters long white dragon. He dove deep into the water, his wings flapping on his back, raising huge waves several meters high, causing huge drops to hit the river like a downpour.

—

Nan HuaiLin came out of the KTV and didn’t go far, before entering a Shanxi noodle shop and asking for a bowl of knife-cut noodles. He looked for a part-time job in the afternoon, and began working as a waiter in a KTV, and had just finished his interview.

Nan HuaiLin hadn’t asked his parents for money since he went to college. He earned his own tuition and living expenses through doing all kinds of part-time jobs, thus he was so experienced that he even saved on training. Now it was already six o’clock in the evening, just after dinner, and it was time to go to work.

While eating noodles and looking at his phone, Nan HuaiLin wanted to send a text message to ask Shen Chong what happened to the role, but he didn’t feel good about it, so he didn’t ask. It was better to wait patiently. What was his was his, and what was not his, could not be forced.

As he put the phone down, a new WeChat popped up on the screen. Clicking on it, he saw it was a picture from Fei Cheng. It seemed to be the river, a moon hanging high, moonlight spread around and it was beautiful. He was sitting at the window and turned his head to look out. The moon was not visible in the city sky.

Nan HuaiLin replied, [Did you take this picture? Where is this? It’s beautiful.]

After waiting for a while and not getting a reply, he lowered his phone and focused on eating noodles. After eating the noodles and sitting in the noodle shop to enjoy the food, he saw that it was almost time to get up and leave, and he arrived at the KTV five minutes later.

He was taken to change into the uniform, then given a few precautions before being officially put on duty.

This KTV was very high-class. The wines on the wine list were tens of thousands per bottle, and those who could consume such a thing were naturally rich people. So Nan HuaiLin was very careful and attentive in his service, and the guests, naturally, gave generous tips. He was busy for half a night, earning a smooth two thousand. His month’s rent had been settled.

After Nan HuaiLin finished serving the wine and exited from the booth, the waiter in the next booth suddenly ran over and put the serving tray in his hand, saying with a painful face, “My stomach hurts. I have to squat in the toilet for a while. You watch for me first, thank you.”

“It’s okay,” Nan HuaiLin said. “You go ahead.”

Just as the waiter ran away, the server in the next compartment rang, Nan HuaiLin rushed over and knocked on the door.

A man waved at him, “Come here.”

Nan HuaiLin quickly walked over to him.

The man pointed to the fruit plate on the table and said with a scowl, “This watermelon has been chewed on, right? There are still fucking teeth marks on it!”

Nan HuaiLin took a look at it and explained with a smile, “Maybe the people at the fruit bar didn’t cut it properly, I’ll get you a new plate right away.”

However, when he reached for the fruit plate, his wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone. Nan HuaiLin was stunned. He looked over at the person attached to the hand, and saw a face he didn’t recognize, staring at him with cold, stern eyes.

“Get out,” the man stared at him, and said.

Nan HuaiLin was a little confused. This person is sick, right, he was grabbing his hand while also shooing him out, what the hell?

“Sir, you…” Nan HuaiLin had just opened his mouth, when the man suddenly turned his head and yelled to the people next to him. “Get the fuck out!”

A dozen people in the room went out immediately, leaving only Nan HuaiLin and the man who was holding his wrist.

Nan HuaiLin said, “Mr.–“

“You don’t know me?” The man interrupted him again.

Nan HuaiLin stared at him for a moment and slowly shook his head.

The man sneered and said, “I’m Gao Tan.”