{"id":14285,"date":"2021-04-05T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T19:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=14285"},"modified":"2021-06-13T15:08:23","modified_gmt":"2021-06-13T19:08:23","slug":"death-progress-bar-112","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/death-progress-bar-112\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Progress Bar 112"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Lu Shan and Zhang Zhuoyuan wrangled for several days before both sides became willing to compromise and finally reached the terms both sides could agree to. The dispute settled, Tarantula began to aid the government in putting in order the messed-up economy of G Province. It didn\u2019t appear that the reconciliation cooled Lu Shan\u2019s anger, however\u2014though she was helping the authorities honestly, she directly closed down a large number of Tarantula\u2019s peripheral enterprises that had been shut down by the officials before. She also packed all the goods previously detained at the port, preparing to move them to Formosa. It pretty much seemed as if she decided that the pot was already cracked, so it didn\u2019t matter if it was smashed to pieces.<\/span><\/p>

This <\/span>alarmed Zhang Zhuoyuan. Afraid that Tarantula only pretended to be reconciled and was in fact planning to retaliate against the government, he contacted Lian Jun, seeking his advice. Lian Jun appeased him, \u201cinferring\u201d that \u201cTarantula was just <\/span>compacting its strength and cutting off the damaged branches, trying to retain as much of its power as possible so that it could smoothly ally with Meridian Gate and Epoch.\u201d Then, he suggested that Zhang Zhuoyuan should actually pay more attention to Snake Fang.<\/span><\/p>

{Snake Fang?} Zhang Zhuoyuan was puzzled. {Why? Hasn\u2019t it withdrawn from G Province?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt has, but then it went to Formosa. The members of Annihilation\u2019s Formosa branch spotted Snake Fang\u2019s ships near the island\u2019s coast,\u201d Lian Jun explained, motioning to Gua One to send the information prepared earlier to the official\u2019s email address. \u201cCheck your mailbox. I\u2019ve asked my people to keep an eye on Snake Fang\u2019s ships. Apparently, they tend to hover around the shipping route Tarantula uses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zhang Zhuoyuan wasn\u2019t stupid\u2014he realized what Lian Jun was getting at as soon as he heard \u201cshipping route.\u201d Turning on the computer to check the email from Lian Jun, he said with a frown, {Snake Fang wants to rob Tarantula\u2019s goods? Are they planning to ignore the official letter I sent earlier?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYour letter only prohibits malicious competition among organizations. Even if Snake Fang robs Tarantula\u2019s goods, that\u2019s only touching their property, not targeting the life of the organization\u2019s leader or anything like that, so technically, they\u2019re staying within the rules.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s observation made Zhang Zhuoyuan regain a clear mind. He let out an embarrassed cough, swallowing the angry words scolding Snake Fang, and hurriedly opened the email. There were photos attached, but the ships in them looked completely unremarkable, with nothing distinguishing them from ordinary vessels. {Are those really Snake Fang\u2019s ships?} he asked doubtfully. {How did your people recognize them?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNaturally, we have our ways,\u201d Lian Jun replied vaguely, making it clear he wasn\u2019t going to answer this question. \u201cIf Snake Fang really wants to grab the goods, there will be a battle. You should contact Tarantula and ask about the departure time of their ships so you can clear the waters along the shipping route in advance to avoid innocent vessels getting caught in the crossfire. I don\u2019t think that G Province\u2019s economy can <\/span>withstand another disturbance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zhang Zhuoyuan was taken aback. {Is this the only reason you told me to pay attention to Snake Fang?} <\/span>It\u2019s not because you want to stop them?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

\u201cWhat other reason could there be?\u201d Lian Jun\u2019s tone was indifferent. \u201cIt\u2019s only a batch of goods. Even if it\u2019s robbed, it won\u2019t affect Tarantula\u2019s overall strength. It\u2019s common for underworld organizations to have conflicts with each other. As long as it doesn\u2019t affect the overall balance, they can do whatever they like\u2014I have neither time nor energy to care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zhang Zhuoyuan felt his stomach ache. {But if it\u2019s allowed for a fight to happen right in the coastal waters, the government\u2019s position will be a little\u2026} he said awkwardly.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis, you have to take up with Snake Fang. If they cared that they would make things difficult for the authorities, they wouldn\u2019t be planning to rob Tarantula and do it on the official shipping route to boot. They don\u2019t have much respect for you, do they? It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t understand why they want to do it, though\u2014Snake Fang is expanding too fast and its budget doesn\u2019t keep up. If it doesn\u2019t secure more funds, it will probably collapse from within,\u201d Lian Jun said flatly. From his tone of voice, he might as well have been commenting on today\u2019s weather.<\/span><\/p>

There was no doubt that Lian Jun was still a little angry with the officials. Not daring to aggravate him further, Zhang Zhuoyuan ignored the digs. {In this case, perhaps it wouldn\u2019t be bad to let it collapse?} he half-proposed, half-asked. {Maybe we should help Tarantula and stop Snake Fang\u2019s attack\u2026}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou can, but it\u2019s not necessary,\u201d Lian Jun replied. He explained, \u201cIf Snake Fang keeps developing smoothly, it\u2019ll be fine to suppress it appropriately to prevent it from growing too much, but making it collapse would require too much effort on our part. Snake Fang is such a big organization, and it\u2019s desperate to get funds. We can stop it this time, but what about the next time? We\u2019d need to constantly watch it. Now is the critical time\u2014we can\u2019t let ourselves get distracted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zhang Zhuoyuan mulled this over. {Then, we should just let it make trouble?}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAs long as it doesn\u2019t seriously attack the other three organizations and break the balance of power, it\u2019s okay to leave it alone. They\u2019re about to form an alliance; the more conflicts they have, the less they\u2019ll trust each other and the better the situation will be for us. The leaders of Tarantula, Meridian Gate, and Epoch are all cautious and shrewd people, so the alliance also \u2018needs\u2019 someone as arbitrary as Snake Fang\u2019s leader, Yuan Peng. It wouldn\u2019t be a good thing for the enemy side to be too united; Snake Fang, as the \u2018bad apple spoiling the whole bunch,\u2019 is absolutely necessary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

After finishing his explanation, Lian Jun summed it up: \u201cIn short, you should keep an eye on Snake Fang and not let it develop too smoothly, but overall, you don\u2019t need to care about it too much. So long as it doesn\u2019t try to trip up the other three organizations, just let it do whatever it wants.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Zhang Zhuoyuan felt enlightened. {You\u2019re truly far-sighted,} he said, filled with admiration. {All right, then, except for clearing the shipping route when the time comes, I\u2019m not going to care about the matter of Snake Fang robbing Tarantula\u2019s goods.}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI see, thanks for your hard work.\u201d Lian Jun hung up, then looked towards the tablet with a video call in progress. \u201cSo that\u2019s the situation,\u201d he said to Lu Shan, who was the person on the other side of the call. \u201cIf Snake Fang only grabs your goods and doesn\u2019t touch Formosa, just bite it back. Also, use this to try to delay the moment of it joining Meridian Gate and Epoch\u2019s alliance. If Snake Fang does target your resources on Formosa, then directly let the officials know\u2014they\u2019ll help you out, and Gua Three and Gua Five will take the opportunity to avenge you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

This was the first time Lu Shan witnessed Lian Jun and Zhang Zhuoyuan discussing things alone. With just a few words, Lian Jun fooled Zhang Zhuoyuan, leading him to change his idea from <\/span>\u201cTarantula is acting suspiciously, it must be plotting something\u201d<\/span><\/em> to <\/span>\u201cSnake Fang is our \u2018agent\u2019 in the alliance, we must properly keep an eye on it and let it damage the other three.\u201d<\/span><\/em> As she watched, she felt her hair stand up on the back of her neck.<\/span><\/p>

This guy was a monster. Thank heavens they were on the same side.<\/span><\/p>

{All, all right. Can I let my cargo ships set off now?} she asked, her voice a bit hoarse as her throat felt dry for some reason.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes. You dragged your feet for so long, Snake Fang is probably feeling impatient already. Remember to let Meridian Gate and Epoch notice Snake Fang\u2019s movements, their leaders will know what to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

{Okay,} Lu Shan replied. She hurriedly ended the call, then wiped the cold sweat on her head.<\/span><\/p>

Under Lian Jun\u2019s handsome human skin, there wouldn\u2019t be hiding some kind of alien monster, right?…<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Seeing that Lian Jun was done with the calls, Shi Jin gathered the documents he\u2019d approved and hurried to the desk. \u201cI\u2019m done, please take a look,\u201d he said, slightly nervous, putting them in front of his lover.<\/span><\/p>

The cold expression on Lian Jun\u2019s face instantly faded away. He took the files and looked through them, the corners of his mouth slowly rising as he was reading. \u201cIt\u2019s done well. You firmly remembered everything Mr. Feng has taught you,\u201d he praised.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin breathed a sigh of relief, and asked eagerly, \u201cThen, can I maybe help you with your work?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhat do you want to have for dinner?\u201d Lian Jun changed the subject.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin\u2019s expression fell. \u201cStill not good enough?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLearning is a process that takes time. Don\u2019t be in a rush,\u201d Lian Jun soothed. He looked through the window at the beach outside. \u201cWill your brother come to dinner today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin also glanced towards the window. \u201cProbably,\u201d he replied, his smile a little wan. \u201cYesterday, he couldn\u2019t get away. The leading actor wasn\u2019t doing well and the crew had to do a lot of retakes, so the filming dragged on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHave you decided not to do it after all?\u201d Lian Jun asked.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin stopped gazing out of the window and looked at him, then sat down across from him and slumped down, lying on the desk. \u201cNo, I\u2019m doing it. It\u2019s just that I\u2019m not feeling very energetic today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun\u2019s finger tapped on the wooden desktop. He maneuvered his wheelchair from behind the desk, moved to Shi Jin\u2019s side, wrapped his arms around the younger man\u2019s waist, and leaned in to kiss him.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin blinked, then closed his eyes, letting him do what he wanted.<\/span><\/p>

Their breaths intertwined, their scent blending together; it wasn\u2019t a passionate kiss, but a gentle, soothing one. After it ended, Lian Jun rubbed his slightly swollen lips and teased, \u201cYou really aren\u2019t \u2018energetic\u2019 today. Any other time, if I kissed you like this, you would\u2019ve jumped me already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin protested, \u201cNot every time\u2026 <\/span>Mm<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun kissed him again, his hand soothingly running along Shi Jin\u2019s spine. Then, it moved a little lower, sneaking under the hem of the young man\u2019s shirt and caressing the smooth skin beneath.<\/span><\/p>

Their mouths parted as their breathing became faster. Lian Jun\u2019s lips fell on Shi Jin\u2019s cheek, leaving a trail of kisses as they moved towards his ear, then began to nibble on his earlobe. Shi Jin might not be feeling energetic, but when provoked by his lover like this, there was no way he would stay indifferent. He raised his arms to hug Lian Jun, reaching towards his belt.<\/span><\/p>

Knock knock knock.<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the study.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun and Shi Jin\u2019s movements paused at the same time, their gazes meeting\u2014one filled with regret, the other still dazed and disoriented.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019ll continue at night,\u201d Lian Jun whispered, dropping a light kiss on Shi Jin\u2019s lips. He helped him straighten up his clothes and hair and quickly did the same for himself. Their appearance taken care of, he called out to the person outside.<\/span><\/p>

When Gua Six knocked on the door and didn\u2019t hear the answer immediately, he got a good guess on what was going on inside. As he was regretting his timing and hesitating whether he should leave for now, he heard Lian Jun\u2019s voice, completely calm, telling him to come in.<\/span><\/p>

Have I misunderstood?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Feeling a little embarrassed, Gua Six opened the door. After coming in, he saw Shi Jin sitting at the desk and working on the documents, with Lian Jun just next to the teenager, apparently teaching him. Gua Six inwardly chastised himself for his impure mind, but his voice was as steady as usual as he reported, \u201cMr. Rong is here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Rong Zhouzhong came?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Shi Jin subconsciously glanced towards the door.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cGo and see him, he probably came for dinner,\u201d Lian Jun said, taking the file out of Shi Jin\u2019s hand. \u201cI\u2019ll join you when I finish work\u2026 Don\u2019t think about it, don\u2019t end up driving yourself in a corner\u2014remember, no matter what, I\u2019ll always be by your side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin watched his lover\u2019s gentle and dependable expression and couldn\u2019t help but reach out and hug him.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations<\/a>. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rong Zhouzhong was wearing a simple black t-shirt. He had no glasses and his hair, though still brown and curly due to the needs of the role, was a little messy. In short, today, his appearance looked much closer to his real temperament.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe filming is over?\u201d Shi Jin asked, plopping down opposite him.<\/span><\/p>

When Rong Zhouzhong saw him, he sat up a little straighter. \u201cNo, there\u2019s still a night scene later in the evening. It\u2019s my last\u2014after it\u2019s done, I\u2019ll be finished with the filming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin instantly understood his meaning. \u201cSo, tonight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf you want to,\u201d Rong Zhouzhong replied, his eyes never leaving Shi Jin. His gaze was tranquil and his expression calm and serious, which was quite unusual for him.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin found it hard to describe his feelings at the moment: he was a little at a loss and wanting to escape but at the same time, he felt an urge to get up and beat Rong Zhouzhong up until his brother stopped showing this kind of look that didn\u2019t fit him at all.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOkay, tonight, then. There\u2019s a cinema room on the second floor, which we can use. I have prepared the movie already\u2014we can watch it any time. Do you want any snacks? I\u2019ll ask the kitchen auntie to prepare something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThen, cake,\u201d Rong Zhouzhong replied.<\/span><\/p>

Cake.<\/span><\/p>

For a moment, memories churned and swirled; they both knew what this movie represented. They looked at each other, but neither could discern the real emotions in the other\u2019s eyes as if both of them suddenly put a polite mask on their faces. Underneath, their mutual injuries were continuously dripping with blood, drenching them, but before the time came, they still wanted to keep up the illusion of peace.<\/span><\/p>

Suddenly avoiding Shi Jin\u2019s gaze, Rong Zhouzhong got up and left, his stride a little longer and quicker than usual.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin didn\u2019t try to stop him. He listened to Rong Zhouzhong\u2019s receding footsteps until the sound faded, then turned his head towards the terrace. Finding his brother\u2019s figure on the walkway, he quietly watched it slowly disappear in the distance.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After dinner, Shi Jin sat on the edge of the walkway, watching the crew with the help of the \u2018Far-Seeing Eye\u2019 buff.<\/span><\/p>

Yesterday, after a long and exhausting afternoon, the lead actor finally got a proper feel for the role and finished the cliff scene so today, the crew switched locations to the ship. According to the plot, the already grown-up protagonist is chased by the enemy and forced to jump from the ship into the sea to escape. Exhausted and confused, he starts hallucinating as he keeps remembering the scene of his teacher\u2019s death.<\/span><\/p>

This was an important plot point that acted as the vehicle for the protagonist\u2019s character transformation. Rong Zhouzhong would appear as the protagonist\u2019s inner demon, engaging in a dialogue with him as they drift in the seemingly endless sea. For this scene to look more dramatic, the director instructed Rong Zhouzhong to stay completely drenched and floating in the water in the semblance of a water ghost.<\/span><\/p>

And before filming this difficult night scene, Rong Zhouzhong and the lead actor still needed to act the scene of the protagonists defeating his inner demons; chronologically, it would happen after the sea scene, but it was supposed to be filmed as the sun was setting. After the main character breaks free of the illusion, his teacher\u2019s \u201cwater ghost\u201d appearance fades and he regains his ordinary, gentle appearance, then slowly disappears.<\/span><\/p>

This scene was set on the beach, to connect with the later scene of the protagonist waking up after getting rid of the hallucinations and finding that he was saved as the waves had washed him up on the beach.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin watched as Rong Zhouzhong, bathed in the soft evening light, gently waved goodbye to the crying protagonist, then turned and walked away, slowly disappearing as the darkness fell. Suddenly, his memory brought him back to the original \u2018Shi Jin\u2019s\u2019 birthday party that year, and the scene of Rong Zhouzhong and \u2018him\u2019 blowing out the birthday candles.<\/span><\/p>

At that time, Shi Xingrui was standing on the other side of the table, personally recording the birthday party with a video camera. \u2018Shi Jin\u2019 had forced Rong Zhouzhong to celebrate together with him on the excuse of Rong Zhouzhong becoming the movie emperor. He ordered another cake for him and made the two of them blow out the candles together.<\/span><\/p>

Two cakes, two people, each blowing out their own candles, standing together to receive the congratulations and best wishes from their family\u2014for all appearances, it looked as if this birthday party was for the both of them. Their father stood across the table, smiling warmly, for a moment looking like any other of the millions of ordinary loving fathers.<\/span><\/p>

\u2018Shi Jin\u2019 blew out the candles and smiled, turning to look at his dazzling third brother. He thought that his brother would also be happy, but he saw that, veiled by smoke rising from extinguished candles, his brother\u2019s gaze was hanging low, his beautiful peach blossom eyes sad and desolate, looking like all the light in them was gone.<\/span><\/p>

It was just an instant, however. When the smoke cleared, his brother smiled wide and hugged him, thanking him and wishing him a happy birthday.<\/span><\/p>

From that moment, Rong Zhouzhong seemed to have slowly changed. It was like he\u2019d stripped away all the sensitive and soft parts of himself, gradually transforming into the current petty, grudge-holding, <\/span>\u201cif you make me unhappy, I must make you even more unhappy\u201d<\/span><\/em> Rong Zhouzhong.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSure enough, being an actor is really the most suitable profession for him,\u201d Shi Jin said, watching Rong Zhouzhong who was preparing to board the ship in preparation to film his final scene. His voice almost audible, he whispered, \u201cIt\u2019s great that he was able to become an actor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Without the buffer of the actor\u2019s profession and the world of movies where any emotion could be freely expressed, Rong Zhouzhong would have probably become the second Li Jiuzheng, or maybe the second Shi Weichong? Anyway, he definitely wouldn\u2019t be the current Rong Zhouzhong.<\/span><\/p>

The more he looked through the memories in his mind, the more he realized that hurt had always been mutual. Intentional or unintentional, the injuries hurt the same. Both of them were victims and perpetrators, and neither was truly innocent.<\/span><\/p>

The ship\u2019s horn sounded, signaling its departure. It seemed that all the crew members had already come aboard, ready to film the protagonist defeating the demon his mind conceived.<\/span><\/p>

His gaze swept over the ship, looking for a familiar figure. He found him\u2014standing in a conspicuous place on the deck, holding a pair of binoculars and looking straight this way.<\/span><\/p>

Being caught peeping, Shi Jin panicked and hurriedly lowered his head. It was only a moment later that he remembered that without the help of a buff, it was impossible for the ordinary person to see anyone on the ship. By all appearances, he was just watching the scenery and didn\u2019t need to avoid being noticed at all.<\/span><\/p>

Tsk<\/span><\/em>, careless.<\/span><\/p>

His body stiffened a little. He wanted to look up but didn\u2019t dare to, so he simply raised his hand and rubbed his eyes as if they were tired, then got up and headed towards the villa.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Shi Jin stayed in the house for half an hour, until he estimated that the filming had already started, then went out to the terrace and continued to peek at the crew. Though, even he had no idea why he was suddenly so obsessed with watching Rong Zhouzhong <\/span>acting.<\/span><\/p>

When it was completely dark, he asked Xiao Si to give him a night vision buff, then took out the snacks previously brought by Rong Zhouzhong and ate them as he watched.<\/span><\/p>

Rong Zhouzhong was already in the water, lying on a rescue board and talking seriously to the leading actor. The crew members were scurrying around them, getting everything ready, and the director was personally checking the safety equipment that would be used by Rong Zhouzhong.<\/span><\/p>

About ten minutes later, the preparations were finally completed. The leading actor floated face up in the water, his expression numb and lacking any desire for survival. Rong Zhouzhong was slowly adjusting his posture, his upper body staying above water thanks to special equipment. There were staff members in diving suits hiding under the water to help him keep his balance, but it was still very difficult for him to make it look like he was \u201cstanding still\u201d in the water as if he was on the hard ground.<\/span><\/p>

Fortunately, the conditions tonight were excellent. The moon was full and bright, its cold light providing the natural illumination that was a perfect fit for the director\u2019s artistic vision. There was no wind and the sea surface was completely calm, minimizing the risk of having to reshoot the scene due to external factors.<\/span><\/p>

Finally, about ten minutes later, the filming officially started.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Jin was sitting too far away, so naturally, he couldn\u2019t hear anything. Also, because of the angle, he could only see Rong Zhouzhong\u2019s face, but that was enough\u2014Rong Zhouzhong was exactly what he wanted to watch. As long as he could see him clearly, the rest wasn\u2019t important.<\/span><\/p>

In the movie, the \u201cdemon\u201d sometimes comforts and encourages the protagonist, sometimes questions him coldly, sometimes tries to save his student and pull him out of the sea, and sometimes pushes him down in the water, trying to drag him to hell together. As Shi Jin watched Rong Zhouzhong who seemed to have completely become another person, his posture gradually became more and more lazy. Finally, he simply moved the rattan table over so he could lie on it.<\/span><\/p>

Time passed. Shi Jin already finished eating all of the snacks, but Rong Zhouzhong still hadn\u2019t finished filming.<\/span><\/p>

During the short breaks, Rong Zhouzhong would sit in the lifeboat to rest, wrapped in a blanket, scowling as he scolded the leading actor, while the leading actor would sit in another boat, hanging his head in frustration.<\/span><\/p>

The shooting didn\u2019t seem to go smoothly.<\/span><\/p>

Watching Rong Zhouzhong frowning and talking angrily, Shi Jin let his eyes fall closed, his thoughts turning lazily. Had anyone ever told Rong Zhouzhong that when he was angry for real, it was actually really scary? More than Shi Weichong and Fei Yujing\u2019s angry appearance.<\/span><\/p>

It was really, really scary.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lian Jun opened the French window and moved his wheelchair to Shi Jin\u2019s side, then covered the teenager with a blanket.<\/span><\/p>

Gua Six was hovering worriedly behind him. \u201cJun-shao, do you want to take Shi-shao inside?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo.\u201d Lian Jun carefully tucked the blanket in. Caressing Shi Jin\u2019s face, wrinkled in a slight frown even in sleep, he said, \u201cThis is between him and Rong Zhouzhong. He said he would wait for Rong Zhouzhong to finish filming so they could watch a movie together, so let him wait.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cBut if he stays like this, he will get sick,\u201d Gua Six said, distressed.<\/span><\/p>

He stifled a sigh. Everyone could see that Shi Jin wasn\u2019t his usual self, but they didn\u2019t know how to make him feel better. Shi Jin\u2019s abnormality began with Rong Zhouzhong\u2019s arrival, so it was obvious it was related to Rong Zhouzhong. However, considering Shi Jin\u2019s complicated family environment, they were afraid to ask rashly and potentially make the situation worse.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cRecently, Shi-shao\u2019s state isn\u2019t right. He\u2019s often in a daze and spends a long time sitting on the walkway\u2026\u201d As Lian Jun turned to look at him, Gua Six shut up.<\/span><\/p>

Since they all could see it, how could Jun-shao, who cared about Shi Jin the most, not see it.<\/span><\/p>

\u201c…I\u2019ll get some screens moved to the terrace to block the wind,\u201d he said, rushing inside to take care of it.<\/span><\/p>

Lian Jun watched him leave and looked back at Shi Jin. He touched the young man\u2019s face again, then leaned forward and hugged him, rubbing their cheeks together in a gentle caress.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDo what you need to do and get better quickly,\u201d he whispered with a sigh. \u201cRemember that I\u2019m always by your side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Extra:<\/em><\/p>

The brothers’ chat group:<\/span><\/p>

Silence.<\/span><\/p>

Silence.<\/span><\/p>

Dead silence.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Weichong: Why is Third so quiet recently?<\/span><\/p>

Xiang Aoting: I\u2019ve heard he\u2019s filming a new movie.<\/span><\/p>

Shi Weichong: Oh, I see.<\/span><\/p>

Dead silence continues.<\/span><\/p>

***<\/p>

While the rest of the brothers thought Rong Zhouzhong was busy working:<\/span><\/p>

Rong Zhouzhong [putting down the binoculars]: Xiao Jin was looking this way and crying! (Shi Jin: ???)<\/em> …This won\u2019t do, today\u2019s shooting must be finished quickly!<\/span><\/p>

Two hours later.<\/span><\/p>

Rong Zhouzhong [face looking like a demon]: Don\u2019t call me senior brother! I don\u2019t have this kind of junior brother! You, do you even know how to act?! Can you act?! A damn chicken would be better than you!<\/span><\/p>

Junior brother [trembling]: Sen-senior brother, I, I\u2019ll work hard\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Another half an hour later.<\/span><\/p>

Rong Zhouzhong [demon transformation complete]: Director! Go find a chicken!!!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Translator\u2019<\/span>s Notes:<\/h4>
  1. “<\/i>She decided that the pot was already cracked, so it didn\u2019t matter if it was smashed to pieces”<\/i><\/strong> [\u7834\u7f50\u5b50\u7834\u6454\u00a0 lit. smash the pot if it’s already cracked] <\/span><\/em>–\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>idiom: <\/span>write oneself\/the situation off as hopeless and act recklessly (like ‘Who cares what I do now, it can’t get any worse anyway’<\/em>).<\/span><\/b><\/li>
  2. “Snake Fang, as the \u2018bad apple spoiling the whole bunch<\/span>,\u2019 is absolutely necessary”<\/strong><\/em> – literally: \u201cOne piece of mouse excrement spoiled one (whole) pot of rice congee.\u201d<\/em> (Wiktionary<\/a>) I like the original better than the translation if we’re being honest. \ud83d\ude02<\/span><\/li>
  3. “<\/strong><\/em>I\u2019m not feeling very energetic today… You really aren\u2019t ‘energetic'”<\/strong><\/em> – the expression Shi Jin uses is\u00a0\u6ca1\u7cbe – listless, not energetic. Check the other meanings of\u00a0\u7cbe<\/a> to get the pun. ( \u0361\u00b0 \u035c\u0296 \u0361\u00b0)<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Translator: Eques<\/em>
    Editor: –
    <\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Eques:<\/h4>

    Lian Jun is only 27 now, the same age Shi Jin was when he died in his last life, so I pretty much ignore the age difference here (even though I normally don’t like the age difference to be too big).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProject Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":11238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[66,35,67,39,69,37],"class_list":["post-14285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dpb","tag-betrayal","tag-bl","tag-comedy","tag-modern","tag-system","tag-transmigration"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/cdv-e1584612887502.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14285"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14838,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14285\/revisions\/14838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}