Mad Dog

Chapter 10: Thinking About Past & Present

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Jiang Qi knew that when he said this, the two people across from him would inevitably be puzzled. Just by the way they stared at him as if he were crazy, he could tell.

But he wasn’t lying; he did have the idea of opening a small supermarket in a budget-friendly location. This was something he had agreed upon with Zhi Qi before.

It was probably around the second year of high school.

Back then, there was a very popular convenience store near Sanzhong, like an early version of a Family Mart chain. Usually, high school students, after classes at noon or during evening self-study, would be willing to go there to buy some fast food.

They used to go there for their ‘dates.’

On rainy days, Lin Lan had many, and there was a period of continuous misty rain. After class, the two of them would often go to that convenience store and sit by the window to eat instant noodles. On rainy days, students didn’t like to come out, and most of them stayed in the classrooms. Only the two of them would unexpectedly come out, braving the rain.

—But there were advantages too, like fewer people around.

Zhi Qi’s fluffy hair was soaked at the tips, and beneath the thin bangs, her moist black eyes sparkled. She lifted her head, smiling at him.

After many years, Jiang Qi still remembered how he felt at that time. It was… really wanting to kiss her. But Jiang Qi understood the concepts of ‘overstepping’ and ‘restraint.’ In front of Zhi Qi, he always acted like a proper person.

So, in the end, he didn’t kiss her.

In a very quiet and gentle atmosphere, the young girl looked at the rainbow after the rain outside the window, looking at him with some hope, “Jiang Qi, it would be great if we could open a supermarket together in the future.”

Jiang Qi listened and nodded earnestly.

Thinking about it now, their initial idea was indeed naive and ridiculous, but it was not as unrealistic as ‘I want to become a high-ranked official and make a fortune.’

In the current bizarre and extravagant world of fame and fortune, Jiang Qi ironically missed that simple and pure wish. If he could open a supermarket with Zhi Qi, that would be great. If the two of them were together… anything would be good.

The young man’s long eyelashes drooped, and a hint of loneliness flashed through his eyes, but it was very brief, too fleeting to be captured by anyone. He seemed to be enveloped in a faint vacuum layer all around him, rejecting people’s prying and approach.

Shen Lei and Wang Zhaoqiu exchanged a glance, both momentarily speechless.

It was really… it was because of Jiang Qi’s decision that they didn’t know how to persuade him.

Shen Lei, as an artist planning to leave the entertainment industry, had encountered such cases before, but the reasons were mostly related to immigration, becoming a wealthy heir, or pursuing better career prospects outside acting, such as investments and entrepreneurship. This was the first time he had heard of a rising star wanting to leave the entertainment industry to go home and open a supermarket.

This, this, this, how could they persuade him?

In fact, it was even more challenging to convince someone with such a simple and well-thought-out wish. If Jiang Qi’s desire was a bit unrealistic, Shen Lei could use the allure of fame and fortune in the entertainment industry, known for low investment and high returns, to keep him. However, Jiang Qi’s aspirations were straightforward, making it even more difficult.

Jiang Qi’s reason for opening a supermarket sounded very ‘casual.’

His statement could only resonate with those with desires, not those who followed their whims. Watching such a highly talented artist like Jiang Qi wanting to quit, it was truly lamentable.

After a while, Shen Lei could only play dumb, forced a difficult smile, and said, “Jiang Qi, are you joking with me?”

“No.”

Jiang Qi simply shook his head sincerely, then thought for a moment before adding, “Regarding the fan meeting you mentioned, I can attend.”

Previously, Shen Lei had been talking about organizing a fan meeting for the cast of the drama “Gazing at the Sky.” However, Jiang Qi had been avoiding it, not wanting to face the barrage of questions and comments. But now, it didn’t matter.

A sudden realization struck Shen Lei’s heart, and he almost immediately understood Jiang Qi’s intention. He wanted to use the fan meeting as an opportunity to announce his departure from the entertainment industry—saving the need for a formal press conference, especially since he hadn’t even signed with a company.

On the way back, Shen Lei kept persuading Jiang Qi in various ways in the car, advising him to think carefully about the future development. He mentioned endless possibilities and the wastefulness of not acting with such a face, and so on.

Chattering incessantly, he went on and on.

During the process, Jiang Qi took the cigarette handed to him, opened the window, smoked, and then covered his head with a hat, pretending to nap, displaying an attitude of complete indifference. Shen Lei felt a sense of frustration, but there was nothing he could do.

Who made Jiang Qi not sign with the company?

Without the constraints of a contract, he was like a free-flying bird, doing whatever he wanted, and no one could control him. However, anyone with eyes could see that this bird belonged to the big screen. If it really flew away, it would be a great pity.

So, when Shen Lei sent Jiang Qi back to his place, before the young man got off the car, Shen Lei sighed, expressing his thoughts with a heavy heart: “Although it may sound a bit cliché, the money you earn in the entertainment industry is something you can’t earn in several lifetimes running a supermarket.”

Jiang Qi’s hand, about to open the car door, paused, and his narrow phoenix eyes squinted.

“At the beginning, it was because of the fifty thousand yuan salary I offered that you agreed to play the male lead in my drama. It shows that you are not someone who is only influenced by money.” Seeing that he seemed touched, Shen Lei smiled.

“You have no education, a criminal record, and no special skills. It’s hard to find a job. Open a supermarket? Hah, the most unstable profession in the world is actually doing business, even if it seems stable. Just fifty thousand, do you think you can open a big supermarket? Jiang Qi, one should not be too naive.”

“Do you think this money is a lot now?”

“Jiang Qi, I can guarantee that with your talent, as long as you continue to develop in this circle for a long time, fifty thousand? Hah, it’s just pocket money.”

Now, Shen Lei felt that the only thing that might slightly persuade Jiang Qi was money.

After all, in this circle, he was like a drifting duckweed, where did he have any connections? So Shen Lei focused only on the aspect of money, and in the end, he patted Jiang Qi’s shoulder and said, “Think about it seriously.”

Jiang Qi remained silent, pushing open the car door and leaving without uttering a word. The slender figure of the young man, even the spine, exuded stubbornness and coldness.

Shen Lei’s eyes were filled with concern, and in reality, he didn’t have the confidence that he could persuade Jiang Qi with just these words.

Because of this young man’s stubbornness, he understood it in his heart.

He remembered visiting an old friend in prison two years ago, coincidentally encountering Jiang Qi for the first time. The young man was wearing a prison uniform, being roughly detained by two policemen, his short hair was cold and hard, his eyes were like a solitary wolf, and the sharp and delicate corners of his lips were tinged with red blood that extended down to his chin.

At that moment, Shen Lei was somewhat stunned, not frightened but rather captivated.

In a certain sense, he was not a normal person either.

Later, Shen Lei inquired with the police he knew in prison and was met with a scoff. The tone seemed unsurprised as they told him that this young man’s name was Jiang Qi, a ‘troublemaker’ in prison, often in solitary confinement. This time, the reason was that someone in prison tried to molest him, and Jiang Qi directly broke the person’s wrist when the hand reached out to him.

Since then, Shen Lei knew he was a truly ruthless character.

*

The news of the “Gazing at the Sky” drama crew organizing a fan meeting was quickly officially announced, and the online community was naturally stirred up once again.

—The lead actor is surrounded by scandals, everyone has to come out and explain and debunk. Why bother having a fan meeting?

In today’s internet age, silence is equivalent to acknowledgment. Others easily throw out rumors, and the person involved has to find ways to prove that they haven’t done what they’re accused of. If you don’t follow the established rules, does it mean you’re guilty?

Under the official announcement of the fan meeting on Weibo, the comments and retweets were almost entirely drowned out by the spittle of netizens criticizing Jiang Qi. Zhi Qi saw the post and jumped up excitedly in her dorm room. She also saw the Weibo post and left a ‘out of place’ comment below: [Ah ah ah, I will definitely grab a ticket to see Jiang Qi!]

However, her positive comment was quickly engulfed in the sea of spittle.

Meng Chunyu was lying on another bed, solving problems, and was almost scared to death by Zhi Qi’s sudden ‘twitch’ of excitement.

“How many times have you seen him?” Meng Chunyu couldn’t help but laugh when she heard Zhi Qi talk about the past about Jiang Qi. She shrugged his shoulders, “Is it necessary to be so excited?”

“Of course,” Zhi Qi said, not stopping for a moment as she swiped her phone. “I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

Since Jiang Qi was sentenced to prison at the age of seventeen, she hadn’t seen him again. The young man at that time was so poor that he couldn’t even afford a phone. They didn’t even have a way to contact each other, and the three-year sentence was like an insurmountable gap. If Jiang Qi didn’t appear on the big screen, Zhi Qi really didn’t know how she could see him, except for such an extreme coincidence as a ‘chance encounter.’

Fortunately… she could actively seek him out now.

Even if she had to stay up all night to grab tickets, she would definitely do it.

Zhi Qi clenched her fist, silently making a resolution. Unable to resist, she opened Jiang Qi’s Weibo and sent a private message with her heart pounding:

[Hearing that your crew is going to have a fan meeting.]

[We will definitely meet! ^^]

[DAY.43.]

Qiu Mi, who was holding his phone, saw the screen flicker a few times at the top and clicked into it, unable to help but laugh. For over a month, the fan with the Weibo nickname ‘Zhi Qi’ had been sending private messages to Jiang Qi’s Weibo every day. The words seemed to treat the Weibo as an intimate lover, which was simply bizarre.

Could it be that this girl didn’t know that a celebrity’s official Weibo is just an emotionless machine account? Managed by agents and assistants? Who has time to read Weibo private messages?

If Zhi Qi hadn’t left a deep impression on Qiu Mi with her persistent messages, he wouldn’t have bothered to click and check. At first, he found it amusing, but now, Qiu Mi unexpectedly sensed a bit of ‘tenderness’ and even felt a bit sympathetic.

Sometimes he also can’t help but feel pity for fans who ardently love unattainable celebrities.

Unable to resist, Qiu Mi turned to look at Jiang Qi, who was half-squinting in the back seat, and tentatively said, “Bro, there’s a fan on Weibo who sends you private messages every day. Should I read them to you? She really likes you.”

Lately, the internet has mostly been filled with criticism, and fans like Zhi Qi, who wholeheartedly love Jiang Qi, are rare.

Qiu Mi thought that Jiang Qi’s recent bad mood might be because of this, and subconsciously felt that his idea was quite good. Maybe he could give Jiang Qi some encouragement. So, he was even more eager to recite.

But Jiang Qi responded with cold detachment, “No need.”

…

Qiu Mi didn’t dare to continue reading.

He withdrew his head like a quail and weakly said, “Okay, Brother Qi, you continue sleeping.”