Wilderness Vegetation Chapter 31

Chapter 31

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On the fifth day of the lunar month, Xu Yan and Lu Sen arrived in Otaru. There were quite a few tourists this year, but fortunately, the photography team had booked rooms in advance. The lead actors were arriving that evening, staying for one night, and leaving the next evening. Lu Sen planned to spend the rest of the time collecting footage and material, shooting various scenes, staying for about three days in total.

As soon as they put their things down, Lu Sen suggested they soak in the hot springs. After the hot spring, the group immediately went to eat. Xu Yan hadn't even had a clear look at the heavy snow outside before being informed that the two lead actors had arrived, and they needed to go back for a brief meeting.

After reviewing the schedule and shooting content for the next day and discussing costumes and makeup, everyone went back to their rooms early to sleep. Xu Yan finished his shower and heard a knock on the door. It was Lu Sen.

"Taking a shower after a hot spring? Xu Nian called you, but you didn't answer, and he asked me if I sold you."

"He's crazy," Xu Yan said.

Lu Sen sat down on the futon and sent a voice message to Xu Nian: "Your brother says you're crazy."

Xu Nian quickly replied: Show some respect to your elder!

The room was warm. Xu Yan, dressed in a yukata, chatted with Lu Sen about the next day's shoot, the cover preparation for the company's next issue, and the celebrities banned from the fashion industry due to various bizarre actions. Lu Sen was a down-to-earth person, who was highly talented in photography and had good family resources.  He had photographed countless top actors, actresses, and supermodels, but Xu Yan felt he lacked any of the pretentiousness often found in the fashion and entertainment industries. Instead, he had a gentle, reclusive nature. For instance, Lu Sen candidly admitted that this trip to Hokkaido was entirely for a lazy vacation and to enjoy some sweets from Rokkatei...

In the midst of their conversation, a WeChat voice call came through. Xu Yan picked it up and was stunned – it was Shen Zhi's assistant. He couldn't think of any reason she would contact him. Xu Yan hesitated but answered. After two seconds of silence, Shen Zhi's voice came through: "Xu Yan."

...... Xu Yan understood immediately. The superior had been blocked, so he used his assistant's WeChat to call. Adding to the situation, Xu Yan had gotten a Japanese SIM card from a colleague after arriving in Hokkaido, making his domestic number unreachable.

Xu Yan remained silent. Seeing this, Lu Sen stood up, indicating he was about to leave. Xu Yan looked up at him, and Lu Sen suddenly said, "Change into your own pyjamas, they'll be more comfortable to sleep in. Are you hungry? Shall I get you something to eat?"

"?" Xu Yan realised Xu Nian had likely exaggerated his 'my brother suffered in love with his ex' story to Lu Sen. He couldn't help but laugh and waved his hand, saying, "No need, good night."

"Good night, chéri." Calling him darling wasn't enough, Lu Sen even blew a loud, exaggerated kiss before leaving.

"......" Xu Yan took back his comment about Lu Sen being gentle and reclusive.

"What do you want?" Xu Yan's tone cooled once the door closed.

Shen Zhi was silent for a moment before asking, "Is there someone in your room?"

"There was, but they've left now," Xu Yan replied, puzzled as to why Shen Zhi would ask such an obvious question.

Lu Sen's intimate tone had been so natural that anyone on the other end of the line wouldn't think it was just a colleague. Shen Zhi paused noticeably before asking, "Are you very close with them?"

Xu Yan sighed, ruffled his hair in frustration, and said in a muffled voice, "None of your business."

Shen Zhi was momentarily speechless, unable to respond.

"Shen Zhi, are you planning to switch roles with me now, to experience what I felt before?" Xu Yan's tone was not good. He hated this feeling of having his resolve shaken repeatedly after making a decision, hated it intensely. He said, "Don't force it. Maybe a 1 can become a 0, but it's really hard for an S to turn into an M."

He himself was stunned after he spoke. He had intended to express that a person's intrinsic nature couldn't be changed, but what the hell kind of shit analogy was that?

However, Shen Zhi didn't focus on that. He sighed softly and then said in a low voice, "I just, really want to hear your voice, Xu Yan."

Xu Yan remained quiet for a few seconds, then hung up the voice call without saying anything.

He sat on the bed in a daze, turning his head to look out at the brightly lit canal and the faintly visible snowy woods beyond the balcony. It was beautiful, unrealistically so, just like the genuine longing he had clearly detected in Shen Zhi's voice a moment ago – unrealistic.

How could he sense such a feeling from a voice? Through the phone, across such a distance... Even when Shen Zhi had said he loved him, Xu Yan couldn't feel any such emotion amidst his breakdown. Now it was probably because everything was so quiet around him that everything was magnified, such as Xu Yan's anxiety and Shen Zhi's longing.

He couldn't dwell on it any longer, it was pointless. Xu Yan got out of bed, washed up, changed into his own pyjamas, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, Xu Yan and his colleagues went to the location to set up the lighting. When the shooting started, it was Xu Yan holding the camera, while Lu Sen stood aside recording some behind-the-scenes footage. Xu Yan knew Lu Sen was giving him an opportunity to gain experience. The lead actors didn't doubt the person chosen by the great Photographer Lu and were very cooperative during the process. Xu Yan was so focused on the shooting that he didn't feel cold or tired.

He was very happy that his hobby could overlap with his profession, and he was fortunate to have met a mentor like Lu Sen after entering the industry. It wasn't an exaggeration to say these were two things that made him smile every time he thought about them.

After shooting several sets in different locations, it came to an end. When reviewing the raw footage, the lead actors and other colleagues all expressed that it was quite good. Lu Sen patted Xu Yan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "I knew Photographer Xu would do a great job."

Near dusk, everyone had dinner together, and the two lead actors bid farewell and left for the airport. After wrapping up, some people went to the hot springs while others went shopping. Xu Yan and Lu Sen walked around the canal, bought sweets and souvenirs from Rokkatei, and then walked back to the hotel as it got very dark and cold.

"I haven't heard of any other celebrities or models coming to our hotel," Lu Sen said, squinting ahead. "So who is that?"

Xu Yan followed his gaze. The person standing at the hotel entrance was indeed neither a celebrity nor a model. It was someone Xu Yan couldn't fathom why he would come here.

———

The author has something to say:

Shen Zhi: Good evening, Wife. Lu Sen, whatever.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: July 8, 2024 by Angel

Edited: August 17, 2024 by Angel