Pushing open the door of this corner Thai amulet shop, the string of Tibetan bells hanging on the glass door collided with the door frame.
“Ding-a-ling—”
Right in the center of the shop sat an altar, upon which rested a bronze-colored Buddha statue. Thai bronze Buddha statues differ greatly from traditional domestic ones; the top of its head was shaped like a spire pointing straight up, and a piece of ginger-yellow cloth was draped diagonally across its body. One of the statue’s hands was in a posture of holding something, while the other hand was raised. The eyes and mouth were carved quite bizarrely—deep, dark eyes, and the corners of the mouth forming a half-smile.
The Buddha held a small bottle in its hand, shaped just like the spire on its head—it looked like a pagoda with a round belly.
The shop owner was dressed in foreign attire, had a dark complexion, and a shaved head. Judging by his appearance, he wasn’t local. When he spoke, he rolled his tongue: “yin-dee-ton-rub (Welcome)——”
Xie Lin walked halfway around the shop. Apart from the circle of amulets hanging above the counter, there was a dazzling array of decorative ornaments. The style inside the shop was completely different from outside, feeling like stepping out of the country entirely: “Do you speak Chinese?”
The shop owner nodded: “A little.”
Xie Lin casually picked up an amulet ornament: “Your shop only sells these amulets and ornaments?”
“Yes, we are an amulet shop,” the shop owner said. “See if there’s anything you like?”
There were many types of amulets here, everything one could imagine. The one Xie Lin held had strange patterns carved around it, and several hands reached out from behind the Buddha, their meaning unknown. Due to the amateur carving, the face looked quite creepy.
But Xie Lin didn’t care. He even casually praised it: “These things in your shop… are quite nice.”
The smell of incense in the shop was overpowering. Chi Qing couldn’t stand the smell after standing there for a while, so he retreated to the doorway to wait for him.
Besides, he couldn’t do this job of chatting with the shop owner anyway.
Xie Lin played the role of an ordinary customer very convincingly. The topic quickly shifted from “How much are the amulets?” to “I lived in Thailand for two years, seeing you makes me feel very familiar.” He chatted while observing his surroundings.
After a while, he asked where the restroom was.
“Turn left behind the curtain,” the shop owner said.
After a brief inspection inside and out, aside from the shop looking highly suspicious, no specific suspicious points were found at the moment. They didn’t have a search warrant and couldn’t forcibly search the shop.
Finally, Xie Lin bought the amulet he had been looking at for a while, hooking the hanging string of the amulet with his finger: “I’ll take this one, check out.”
After buying it, Xie Lin threw the amulet to Chi Qing: “Here.”
Chi Qing had an amulet forced into his hand. Before he even had time to frown, Xie Lin’s phone rang.
Wu Zhibin was walking through the main bureau’s corridor, talking on the phone: “Luo Yu’s manager is suspicious. We’re about to interrogate him. Can you guys come back?”
“Suspicious?” Xie Lin asked.
Wu Zhibin didn’t know how to describe it. He paused before saying: “Usually, managers are responsible for their artists’ schedules and coordinating activities, right… But have you ever seen a manager run off to act in a movie himself?”
Xie Lin: “…?”
Is that still called a manager?
“Looks like we have to go back to the main bureau,” Xie Lin said after hanging up. “We’ll leave this place for now and have the main bureau send people over to investigate.”
The two walked for a while. Seeing Chi Qing not speaking, Xie Lin thought he was getting impatient with running around with him all day. Spotting an ice cream machine nearby, he asked: “Want some ice cream?”
Chi Qing, however, stared at his open palm for a long time, then disgustedly shoved the amulet back into Xie Lin’s hand: “…What is this on here?”
Xie Lin saw a small puddle of stain on Chi Qing’s black glove, not knowing what it was—a stain darker than the black fabric.
“Don’t move.”
Xie Lin reached out and pressed the stain with his fingertip.
…It’s oil.
Inside the main bureau’s interrogation room.
Luo Yu’s manager sat opposite Wu Zhibin and Ji Mingrui.
Ji Mingrui had brought him back from the film set. He had a very ordinary appearance, a long, thin face, a fake mustache stuck on, and was wearing a costume. Ji Mingrui still remembered when he first got out of the car, holding documents, comparing everyone in the resting area one by one to see who the manager, He Sen, was.
In the end, he didn’t see him in the resting area at all.
“You looking for He Sen?” Someone saw Ji Mingrui constantly wandering around and pointed the way for him. “He should be filming.”
Ji Mingrui turned around and looked in the direction the helpful bystander pointed. Four or five cameras were set up on the set, surrounded by a group of people babbling lines. One of them, sporting a fake mustache, held up a landmine, glaring angrily: “Try taking one more step?!”
“There,” the helpful bystander said, “That’s He Sen.”
“…”
Ji Mingrui shook his head, trying to clear the scene from his mind: “Aren’t you a manager? Why are you acting?”
He Sen scratched his head, completely confused, unable to imagine why he was sitting here at this moment. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: “…Is it illegal for a manager to act?”
“…”
“Of course it’s not illegal,” Ji Mingrui said. “But your behavior is highly suspicious.”
“——Why would you go act?”
A manager, ignoring his perfectly fine artists, running off to act.
He Sen’s face showed distress: “To eat, Officer.”
“My resources in the company weren’t good. I originally had five or six artists under me, all newcomers. It’s too hard to make a name in this circle. In just two or three years, those who terminated their contracts did so, and those who begged me to find other ways out did so.”
The artists under him were more disappointing than the last. Over the years, with contract terminations and people leaving the industry, he as a manager was also halfway out the door.
He Sen sighed, “I had very few artists left under me. In the end, I only had one male artist whom everyone in our company thought highly of. It’s no exaggeration to say that when he first joined the company, everyone came out to look at him. His initial rating in our company was triple S. I once bet all my hopes on him. Whether I could establish a firm foothold in the circle depended on him.”
“But heaven doesn’t grant people’s wishes——!”
The detectives hadn’t expected a mere manager’s emotional journey to be so bumpy and rugged: “What happened?”
He Sen still felt deep sorrow recalling it, an unbearable pain: “His acting was simply too terrible!”
“The kind of terrible where no matter how good-looking you are, it’s useless! I hired many acting coaches, and they all shook their heads and told me he couldn’t be taught. He didn’t work hard himself either. Sometimes, I really couldn’t understand why he entered the industry.”
Ji Mingrui: “Wait, what does all this have to do with you going to act?”
He Sen seemed to have found an outlet, pouring out all the hardships he had experienced recently: “It has a huge relation! I couldn’t find a coach, and I didn’t have the money to hire a better one. When all else failed, I simply went up and taught him myself. At that time, I had just gotten news from the company that a famous director was preparing for his next movie, and auditions were next month. We definitely had to fight for this opportunity.”
“And then?”
“And then because I memorized the entire script backward and forward, I got selected.”
“…………”
Ji Mingrui thought to himself, this actor with terrible acting skills and this manager, both of them are pretty outrageous.
“This artist you mentioned, is his surname Luo?”
“No,” He Sen said, “His surname is Chi.”
Ji Mingrui: “Surname… Chi?”
Wu Zhibin was also stunned, completely unexpected that this interrogation had come full circle: “What’s his full name?”
“Chi Qing.”
“…”
After He Sen finished speaking, he cautiously asked: “Did you bring me here this time because of him? Did he commit a crime?”
Just as He Sen said this, another person entered the interrogation room.
Even with a cast on his leg, the man walked with graceful elegance, tall with long legs, his hair clearly styled. He sat down opposite him with a smile, his handsome features impossible to look away from.
Although He Sen was acting now, he was still a proper manager in the past. His occupational disease flared up: “Who is this?”
The detective said: “This is a consultant here. We have two consultants, the other one…” Where’s Consultant Chi, the center of the other topic?
“He went to wash his hands.” As soon as Xie Lin entered, he heard the name “Chi Qing.” He didn’t expose it, wanting to hear what else he would say, and asked with interest: “Mr. He, right? Please continue, what happened to that artist named Chi?”
Once He Sen’s train of thought was led to this artist named Chi, he suddenly understood why he was sitting here.
He pondered: “He’s not very normal.”
He Sen recalled: “The last time I saw him was probably over half a year ago…”
As he said, he had learned that a very important project was in the preparation stage and wanted his artist to audition. But at that time, he had very few artists left. After much thought, he felt that although Chi Qing was very obscure, at least he hadn’t mentioned terminating his contract and was his last hope.
“This is a rare opportunity,” He Sen talked extensively in Chi Qing’s living room. Speaking of this project, his tone rose, “If we don’t have jobs, we can fight for them. Similarly, if our acting skills are poor, we can practice more. Failure is the mother of success. We’ve failed so many times, we should have gained something… We can’t give up!”
He Sen pulled two thick books out of his handbag: “I brought the original script. Today we will thoroughly study the character, and I’ll practice with you.”
Chi Qing had just slept for a while. At this moment, his eyes were downcast, his bangs covering his eyes, sitting on the sofa as if blending with the dim light. It was hot recently, but he seemed afraid of the cold, wearing a dark long-sleeved top.
He was undoubtedly beautiful, the kind of beauty almost unparalleled in the industry, and his aura was uniquely his own—a unique “gloominess”.
Chi Qing looked at the plain cover and title on the coffee table and didn’t refuse. His gaze shifted from the book: “How do we practice?”
“I recently consulted a friend who teaches acting at Huaying. Let’s start with the lines today.” He Sen noticed the light in the room was poor, making it difficult to read. He got up and walked to the window, pulling open the curtains: “Why is your room so dark.”
With the “swish,” sunlight scrambled to pour in from outside the window.
Disturbed by the light, Chi Qing’s hand flipping the book paused.
As the pages turned, the thin paper edge sliced across his fingertip.
He Sen finally got a clear look at this artist he hadn’t seen in a long time.
The man sitting opposite him now was almost identical to the last time he saw him. Only his skin seemed even whiter, covered in sunlight, giving a translucent feeling as if he were about to disappear.
Chi Qing didn’t react at all to his cut hand. He pressed his fingertip to his lips and sucked lightly.
He Sen stared blankly.
He subconsciously wanted to grab Chi Qing’s hand: “How did you cut your hand? Let me see the wound. Where are your band-aids?”
Chi Qing said: “It’s fine, the bleeding has stopped, no need to fuss.”
He Sen then remembered that Chi Qing hated people touching him, especially his hands.
In the past, when taking him out for events, unless the director strictly forbade it during filming, Chi Qing would wear black gloves to prevent contact with people, possessing an excessive germaphobia.
“Ahem, then let’s just start,” He Sen sat opposite him, opening the book. “——Let’s start from this first act.”
The original work was about a childhood sweethearts’ coming-of-age story. The first act was when the female lead failed an exam and sneaked into the male lead’s house at night, and the male lead gently comforted her.
Although the artists He Sen managed were obscure, he was a permanent resident on sets. Even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he had seen many pigs run. He quickly got into character, pinching his voice: “Wuwuwu Brother Yuan, are you home.”
He Sen was deeply immersed in the character, feeling like he was that sixteen-year-old love-struck girl right now. Chi Qing looked coldly at the text on the first page, then said coldly: “What’s wrong.”
He Sen could no longer stay immersed in the love-struck girl character, snapping out of it in a second: “…………”
The air suddenly quieted down.
Chi Qing looked up: “Is it wrong?”
He Sen: “This, it feels wrong.”
The lines were the same lines, why was the flavor so different?
He Sen tried to guide him, so he asked him: “What do you think, uh, when the female lead appears in the middle of the night like this, what is the male lead’s mood at this moment?”
Chi Qing curled his finger, tapped lightly on the page, and answered: “It’s already past 1 AM, it should be his rest time. The original text describes the male lead as a high school senior with heavy academic pressure. The female lead coming to bother him now…”
He Sen caught the keyword: “Wait, you think it’s a bother?”
Chi Qing returned a “What nonsense are you talking about” look.
“How could this be a bother?!” He Sen opened his mouth, his brain almost led astray by Chi Qing. “She’s the neighbor sister you grew up with, your relationship is very good, you should care about her.”
Act Two.
The female lead waits downstairs for the male lead to go to school together in the morning. When she hands the male lead breakfast, the male lead smiles and rubs her head.
He Sen shyly handed over the apple Chi Qing had just half-peeled as a prop: “Brought this for you, knew you’d wake up late again today.”
After He Sen said the lines, he actively leaned forward, offering his head for Chi Qing to pat.
It was Chi Qing’s turn to perform——
He Sen watched helplessly as Chi Qing emotionlessly curled the corners of his mouth.
Then Chi Qing’s hand-raising motion was almost identical to the motion of him pinching the woman’s carotid artery in the video. Even though it was just a hand, and because of his germaphobia, the hand only hovered in the air without actually touching him, He Sen felt a chill run down his spine and sharply retracted his head.
Chi Qing was a bit impatient: “Another problem?”
He Sen thought the problem was huge.
“First of all, your smile is no good.”
“?”
“There’s no emotion.”
He Sen felt Chi Qing’s acting couldn’t be explained in a few words: “Where’s a mirror in your house?”
In the bathroom.
Facing the huge mirror, two faces reflected in it.
One face was plain-looking but smiled with great affinity.
He Sen pointed to the corners of his mouth: “Smile with me, the corners of your mouth going up to here.”
The other face in the mirror was expressionless.
He Sen urged: “Hurry up.”
After a long while, Chi Qing smiled according to his request.
He Sen finally witnessed what a standard fake smile was in this lifetime.
Chi Qing was good-looking, so his smile naturally wasn’t ugly, but his smile on his face looked strange no matter how you looked at it, like wearing an inappropriate mask, with no emotion in his eyes.
He Sen recalled the director’s past words: “If only he could act normally…”
He Sen finally desperately realized that the artist he managed didn’t seem normal.
“In the end, we still went to the audition,” He Sen recalled here, only wanting to lament how fate played tricks. “We were the last ones, couldn’t find a scene partner. The director casually pointed at me and asked me to stand opposite him and play the female lead, so I went up.”
A manager taking an artist to an audition, but in the end, the director offered an olive branch to the manager: “You are highly familiar with our script, you can recite it backward and forward, and your emotions are full. You must have practiced a lot normally. We happen to lack a very important supporting role that hasn’t been finalized yet, and your image fits well. Are you interested?”
He Sen was stunned: “…Director, actually I… I… I guess I could!”
“——That’s how it happened. Mainly I thought about it then, I also need to eat. Since I can’t rely on the artists in my hands, I’ll rely on myself.”
After He Sen finished saying all this, he felt the atmosphere in the interrogation room was somewhat off.
The Consultant Xie opposite him, possessing a face that made him very eager to sign and cultivate, was resting his forehead on his hand, seemingly suppressing a smile all along.
Ji Mingrui couldn’t hold it back either. He hadn’t expected his bro to sink into the entertainment industry for a while and forcibly elevate his manager into a new generation actor. But this was a serious place, and he had to correct his attitude: “Ahem, setting aside this guy named Chi, think carefully, did you have an artist with the surname——” Luo.
Ji Mingrui didn’t finish his sentence because Chi Qing, whose germaphobia had flared up after getting unknown oil stains on his gloves and who had spent a full ten minutes in the restroom, finally pushed the door open and came in.
It wasn’t until this former colleague sat opposite him that He Sen regained his voice: “Why are you here.”
Chi Qing: “Why are you here.”
He Sen: “…”
Moreover, since Chi Qing could sit opposite him, his identity was self-evident: “Did you… change careers?”
This leap is way too huge, isn’t it?
Chi Qing couldn’t be bothered to explain: “Pretty much.”
Xie Lin, however, explained more completely for him: “Sorry, Mr. He. He is my partner. Just now, it was mainly out of personal curiosity to understand his previous work experience. Let’s get back to the main topic. Do you remember Luo Yu?”
He Sen, deeply shocked by Chi Qing’s career change, his brain working arduously, only spoke after a long time: “…I remember.”
“But his schedule really had little to do with me. The daily task of trainees is to practice in the company, they haven’t even debuted yet… so we didn’t interact much.”
He Sen was very cooperative, and indeed no breakthrough was found from his side.
However, before He Sen left, he complimented the amulet by Xie Lin’s hand: “The craftsmanship of your amulet is quite good.”
Xie Lin picked up the string of amulets, raised an eyebrow, and asked: “You know about this?”
He Sen sighed: “Many people in the circle believe in this. There are too many people fortune-telling and seeking good luck, whether it’s nameless small artists or well-known big figures in the circle, many believe in this.”
Xie Lin caught the keyword: “Seeking good luck?”
He Sen: “This circle has a characteristic: no one can tell what you’ll be like the next second. Some fall out of favor, some become wildly popular overnight, some make a comeback. Previously, a famous female star even went to ask a master how long she could stay popular, how to continue staying popular, and so on. When I first joined the industry, I also found it mysterious, but after a long time, I also started burning incense. You really can’t say, sometimes these things are genuinely strange.”
Chi Qing listened like an outsider hearing gossip: “Such things exist?”
“…” He Sen still didn’t know how he should face him now, saying, “Of course you wouldn’t know!” He Sen still wanted to say, Have you ever cared about this circle? Have you ever cared about your career?!
But he didn’t say it out loud.
“When making amulets, do they soak them in anything?” Chi Qing suddenly asked. “For example, some oily liquid.”
Hearing this question, He Sen hummed and hawed, looking left and right: “Will I get arrested for talking about these feudal superstitions here? If it’s fine, I’ll say it. I swear I only heard about it, I’ve never done anything illegal. Many people specifically go buy… amulets soaked in that oil. It’s said to be more effective.”
Chi Qing: “What oil is ‘that oil’, speak human.”
He Sen continued to hum and haw: “Just that oil, you know, ugh, corpse oil.”
Chi Qing froze.
Aside from feeling the direction of the case gradually becoming clear before his eyes, he also felt an itch on his hands.
He Sen added: “Digging up a corpse and roasting it with hot wax, the stuff that seeps out from the skin is corpse oil. Yours should have it too, I think it looks quite oily and shiny.”
Chi Qing: “…”
Just washing his hands for ten minutes was still too hasty.
Chi Qing looked at his palm, which had been stained by the oil soaking through the fabric just now, got up and said: “I need to go to the restroom again.”
In the restroom.
Chi Qing listened to the sound of running water while thinking about He Sen’s words.
——”It’s corpse oil!”
The headless skull from the screen earlier flashed before Chi Qing’s eyes again.
The few drops of fat roasted out by hot wax are limited in quantity, troublesome to get, and have a low yield. Regarding corpse oil, he had heard that some people would choose to deep-fry the corpse—especially the face—in a pan of oil. Through frying, a larger amount of fat could be obtained.
…
Chi Qing was thinking this, about to wash his hands for the third time, when before he could press the soap dispenser, a hand reached over from the side and turned off the faucet.
Chi Qing was just looking for him: “That peeled-off human face might be related to the corpse oil.”
Xie Lin hummed an “En,” then pulled a few dry paper towels from the side. Holding Chi Qing’s red-washed wrist, he wiped along the wet finger joints one by one, carefully wiping from the base of the fingers to the knuckles.
The man’s eyes were downcast when he spoke. This subtle movement made the “flirtatious” charm he usually broadcasted everywhere gather obediently in one place, all sprinkled onto Chi Qing’s hands. He didn’t immediately answer the topic about the human face: “How many times have you washed them? Who washes their hands like you do.”
