"As long as no one other than the actors is present, we can communicate freely. But you need to be careful—if someone eavesdrops and that person isn't an actor, we'll be in violation." Hawkeye lowered his voice as much as possible.
"What happens if we violate the rules?" Qian Cangyi asked the question he cared about most.
"First, our rating will drop. Second, the identities we're playing will no longer carry sufficient validity. As for whether there are other consequences, I'm sure there are—just not obvious."
"In other words, if I'm exposed, then Shi Jingfu, Shi Haimin's good friend, Shi Xi, Shi Haimin's mother, and Shi Wenwei, the village chief of Yuxi Village, will no longer have the same relationship to me? Also, what exactly is this 'rating'?" The frown between Qian Cangyi's brows deepened.
"Yes, though the extent depends on how much you're exposed. As for the rating, it's calculated after the film ends. The rewards you get from it can help us perform better in future films. You'll understand once you make it through this one." Hawkeye answered carefully, though his attention clearly wasn't fully on Qian Cangyi.
"Mm." Qian Cangyi nodded. "There's one more thing I want to know—what exactly am I supposed to do?"
Hawkeye was about to speak when Shi Wenwei's voice suddenly came from outside. It sounded some distance away, but because Shi Wenwei spoke loudly, they could hear him clearly—he was asking Shi Hongye about arrangements for Zhang Zi'an.
"At two in the morning, I'll be waiting for you outside your front gate. We'll talk then. Be careful not to let anyone else notice." Hawkeye whispered, then signaled Qian Cangyi with his eyes to leave quickly.
By this time, Shi Wenwei had already reached the door and knocked.
"Mr. Zhang Zi'an," Shi Wenwei called out, his voice full and strong.
Hawkeye walked over and opened the door. "Village Chief, you were looking for me?"
"Yes." Shi Wenwei was about to continue when he noticed Qian Cangyi behind Hawkeye and immediately changed his tone. "Oh, so Haimin is here too!" Although his words still carried concern, there was a noticeable hint of distance now.
Qian Cangyi thought to himself, That sudden question earlier really did have a big impact on him.
"Yes, I just wanted to chat with Mr. Zhang Zi'an. I didn't expect you to come as well, Uncle. Since you still have things to discuss, I'll head back first." Qian Cangyi picked up the slab of cured meat he had set down earlier.
"Oh, alright!" Shi Wenwei nodded.
After Qian Cangyi left, Shi Wenwei entered Hawkeye's room, and the two of them resumed their discussion about mineral resources.
When Qian Cangyi got home, he handed the cured meat to Shi Xi and casually asked if there was anything he could help with, only to be shooed back into his room.
Lying on the bed, Qian Cangyi quickly fell asleep. It wasn't until Shi Xi came to wake him that he opened his eyes again.
On the dining table were chili-fried pork, braised pork ribs, fish-fragrant eggplant, and several other dishes—five or six in total, filling the entire table. Every dish looked, smelled, and tasted excellent, clearly showing Shi Xi's impressive cooking skills.
Qian Cangyi looked over each dish and noticed something strange. "Why isn't there any cured meat?" With a puzzled look, he glanced at Shi Xi, who was enthusiastically serving him food.
"What's wrong? Is it not good?" Shi Xi froze mid-motion with her chopsticks, her face filled with disappointment. "You used to love these dishes."
"No, no, they're great—really delicious." Qian Cangyi smiled, easing the awkwardness between them.
After dinner, Qian Cangyi and Shi Xi sat at the doorway chatting—and that conversation lasted three full hours.
Those three hours were extremely painful for Qian Cangyi. He had to answer based on Shi Haimin's personality and experiences. Personality-wise, he could imitate him well enough, but experiences… he wasn't Shi Haimin. He didn't have all of Shi Haimin's memories. So whenever the conversation turned to the past, he could only brush it off and steer the topic elsewhere.
During their conversation, Qian Cangyi learned about Shi Haimin's father.
His father's name was Shi Liqun. He and Village Chief Shi Wenwei had been close brothers, their relationship extremely good.
However, Shi Liqun passed away when Shi Haimin was eight years old. After that, Shi Wenwei took care of the mother and son like a father figure. Yet after Shi Liqun's death, Shi Haimin's personality changed drastically—he became stubborn, cold, easily angered, and prone to extreme reactions.
The moon hung high in the sky. Rustling sounds began to echo through the mountains as nocturnal creatures stirred to life.
Shi Xi yawned. "Haimin, Mother's tired. You should go to bed early too."
"Mm." Qian Cangyi replied.
They returned to their respective rooms. At this point, Qian Cangyi had no desire to sleep. From their earlier conversation, he had already formed a vague judgment—about Shi Wenwei.
If I'm not mistaken, the truth should be exactly this. Dark, but real—at least the reality of this film, Shi Haimin's reality. Here, I'm just an actor, and even I need some time to process this. For Shi Haimin, who grew up here and lived through all of it, these truths must have been like a bolt from the blue. That's why he abandoned his mother and left Yuxi Village alone—because he wanted to escape, to escape this twisted world, Qian Cangyi thought.
Midnight arrived. Fighting off his drowsiness, Qian Cangyi waited.
Then came a knock at the door outside. Qian Cangyi's eyes snapped open. Just as he was about to get out of bed, he heard the sound of a door opening next door.
"What's going on?" he wondered. I should wait and see. The room next to mine should be where Shi Xi is sleeping—why would she go out in the middle of the night?
Soon, the outer door opened as well. Shi Xi stepped outside and quietly closed it behind her.
"I'll wait one more minute. Following her rashly would be too dangerous." Qian Cangyi pressed his ear to the door, carefully listening to the sounds outside.
When the time he'd set had passed, he slowly opened the door, stepped into the small courtyard, then cautiously moved toward the outer gate. Once outside, he looked around—but saw no sign of Hawkeye.
"Figures. There wasn't much noise when Shi Xi went out either. Maybe Hawkeye hasn't arrived yet…"
Just as that thought crossed his mind, someone softly called to him from a nearby path.
"Cangyi!"
Qian Cangyi turned his head and saw Hawkeye, who was crouched and hidden among a cluster of small trees.
"I thought you weren't coming," Qian Cangyi said as he hurried over. Hawkeye emerged from the trees at the same time.
"I was waiting outside your gate, but I heard footsteps inside the courtyard that didn't seem right, so I hid," Hawkeye explained, gesturing for Qian Cangyi to move forward with him. "When the person inside came out, my suspicion was confirmed—it wasn't you. For a moment I wondered if the two of us had been exposed, but I quickly ruled that out. Shi Xi's movements were decisive. She didn't look like she was searching for someone—more like she was heading to a predetermined location."
"So we're going to follow her?" Qian Cangyi asked.
"Exactly. The timing worked out perfectly. If we don't seize this chance, there may not be another." Hawkeye quickened his pace.