The Film Emperor Is Sick, I have No Cure - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

8:00 p.m., Wanhui Villa.

The thousand-square-meter luxury residence was nestled among camphor trees on the mountainside.
Several bodyguards from the Xing family stood watch at the villa’s entrance, their black suits nearly blending into the thick, inky night.

As the group passed through the front courtyard, Xing Shi heard the Eldest Young Master speak: “You stay here and keep watch.”

This was a clear signal that the masters were about to discuss serious matters, and unrelated personnel should keep out.

“Yes.”

Xing Shi nodded and obeyed, ignoring the pleading look the young doctor cast his way. He turned and led the rest of the men out of the villa grounds.

Watching the black-suited big brother walk away just like that, Lu Danggui’s heart skipped a beat.

He had absolutely no chance to slip away now. At this point, it seemed he could only grit his teeth and face it head-on.

Time rewinds to 6:00 p.m.

Upon receiving the invitation from Film Emperor Xing, Lu Danggui’s first reaction was a firm rejection.

For a psychiatrist to form overly close personal ties with a patient outside of therapy—if reported—would mean being removed from his post.

Compared to losing his job, whatever unresolved history he had with Xing Cheng wasn’t even worth mentioning. He had no intention of ruining his medical career on his very first day of seeing patients.

Seeing how resolute Lu Danggui was, Xing Cheng didn’t say much else. As soon as the session ended, he left the hospital with his bodyguards and the baby-faced boy.

Before leaving, Xing Cheng left a sentence for Lu Danggui at the doorway, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

He curled his lips into a faint smile and said,
“Doctor Lu, help me.”

After Xing Cheng left, Lu Danggui leaned back in his office chair, staring at the medical records and consultation notes in his hands, his mind a tangled mess.

Too many things had happened today, he needed some time to calm down.

But that one sentence Xing Cheng said before leaving, asking him to “help”…

What exactly did he mean by that?

Lu Danggui hadn’t expected that just moments after Xing Cheng left, Deputy Director Qiu would immediately call him.

“Xiao Lu, the hospital hasn’t even issued an external leave slip, how could you let the patient leave the consultation room on his own without reporting it?”

Lu Danggui was dumbfounded. “Director, I—”

He’d seen how freely Xing Cheng came and went, and had assumed this man had special privileges, not to be treated like other inpatients.

“‘You’ what? Let me ask you: what does Article 4 of the Patient Outing Management Regulations say?”

“A-Article 4… Psychiatric doctors must stay vigilant and prevent patients from leaving the premises. When necessary, multiple personnel may be assigned to assist—”

“Then what are you waiting for? Go confirm it now!”

After getting scolded harshly by the director, Lu Danggui had no choice but to grab his things, run downstairs, hail a taxi by the road, and rush straight from the hospital to the address Director Qiu had given him.

It wasn’t until he got out of the car near a luxury residential complex that he saw Xing Cheng’s bodyguards already standing at the gate, as if they had been waiting for him for quite some time.

Right after the consultation, Xing Cheng had called Director Qiu to say he was going out alone, and that his doctor had failed to comply with the policy requiring medical accompaniment.

This was a classic case of the villain tattling first!

Catching sight from afar of the man sitting in the wheelchair, Lu Danggui clenched his fists.

—

After the bodyguards left, the baby-faced boy, fully aware of his role as host, ran forward eagerly and placed both hands on the back of Xing Cheng’s wheelchair.
“Ah Cheng, the masseur is already waiting inside. Want me to push you over?”

Before the boy could act, Xing Cheng had already pressed a button on the armrest. The wheelchair let out a low hum and rolled forward on its own.

Poor kid.

Watching the boy stand there in a daze, Lu Danggui couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.

This was a fully automatic wheelchair, no need for anyone to push it at all.

But then again, if this guy could operate it himself, why did he always insist on having a bodyguard pushing him around? If that’s not showing off, what is?

Realizing he wasn’t needed, the boy ran ahead to prepare things inside. Xing Cheng rolled along on his own, but suddenly came to a stop at a corner at the end of the corridor.

He turned his head to glance at Lu Danggui behind him, raising an eyebrow slightly, as if to ask why Lu Danggui wasn’t following.

Lu Danggui: “……”

He walked over in a few quick steps and saw that the man was still stopped in place, not moving.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Danggui put on a polite smile. “Mr. Xing?”

Xing Cheng stared lazily at the giant object blocking the corner and spoke in a drawl: “Doctor Lu, if you’d be so kind?”

Turned out, there was a gilded stone lion standing at the corner, with a big red silk ribbon tied around its neck, radiating an air of festivity and nouveau riche extravagance. The thing was blocking the path, and the wheelchair couldn’t pass through.

A few seconds later, a pair of hands gently held the back of the wheelchair. Knuckles curled, resting lightly against the back of Xing Cheng’s head. The person behind used their wrist to twist the wheelchair, carefully maneuvering it around the narrow corner and guiding it back onto the wide, open main path.

Xing Cheng said nothing. Lu Danggui didn’t withdraw his hands either, just continued slowly pushing the wheelchair toward the brightly lit main residence.

The boy’s home was decorated in a gaudy nouveau riche style. The courtyard gleamed with gold accents everywhere, nothing subtle or restrained about it. It was as if they desperately wanted every guest to see just how filthy rich the family was.

Walking along the front courtyard, Lu Danggui was nearly blinded by the blindingly flashy decor.

Less than fifty meters from the main residence, Lu Danggui suddenly felt the weight on the back of his hand grow heavier.

He looked down, only to discover that at some point, Xing Cheng had closed his eyes and rested the back of his head against his hand.

Feeling the faint rise and fall from the top of that head through his fingertips, Lu Danggui heard the steady rhythm of breathing.

This guy… don’t tell me he actually fell asleep?

Lu Danggui unconsciously slowed his pace, even he didn’t notice it himself.

Tea-brown had always been Xing Cheng’s signature hair color; he’d never changed it since debuting all those years ago. His haters often mocked him for being “obsessed with nostalgia.”

Perhaps because of his long hospital stay and lack of upkeep, several strands of black hair had started to grow in at the roots.

Lu Danggui raised his finger and gently poked Xing Cheng’s curls.

Soft and fluffy, the texture reminded him of ostrich feathers at the city zoo, the kind you could touch if you paid a fee.

Celebrity hair, huh… this was his first time touching it.

Though it felt a bit mischievous, if this had been a few years ago, he might have secretly plucked a couple of strands to bring back for Lu Wenfei to treasure like gold.

But now, this guy surnamed Xing was their family’s enemy. If given the chance, Lu Danggui would rather rip out every last hair on his head.

“Ah Cheng!”

The baby-faced boy came running out from the front door. “I’ve been waiting for you forever! Why are you two so slow?!”

The shouting startled Xing Cheng awake from his brief nap, and Lu Danggui quickly withdrew his hand.

Pushing the wheelchair into the dazzlingly ornate hall, Lu Danggui suddenly heard Xing Cheng ask out of nowhere,

“Doctor Lu, was it nice to touch?”

Lu Danggui’s smile froze instantly.

As if unaware of the change in Lu Danggui’s expression, Xing Cheng pressed the button on his wheelchair and continued rolling forward on his own.

—

The semi-outdoor terrace by the pool had been converted into a lounge area for honored guests. The hall was filled with the scent of ancient jade pine incense.

Several massage beds were placed in the center of the room, and in front of the long sofa in the corner were foot soak tubs and floating flower petals, clearly prepared for Xing Cheng alone.

The masseur, flown in from overseas, respectfully addressed the baby-faced boy in awkward Japanese:

“Tingtian-san, may I come in?”

Standing just outside the door, the masseur asked politely.

With the help of the Tingtian family’s servants, Xing Cheng had already left his wheelchair and transferred to the sofa. He leaned against a soft pillow, slowly stretching and moving his sore and swollen legs, while quietly observing the two people in the hall.

Tingtian Dashu had long since changed into a bathrobe, which hung loosely over his body as he sat by the pool, giving orders to the passing servants.

The young doctor surnamed Lu, on the other hand, sat nervously in the corner, nibbling on a plate of Japanese tea snacks, looking tense and unsure where to place his hands or feet.

He knew exactly why Tingtian Dashu had called him over today, and also knew Dashu had deliberately dragged him into this.

As long as there was an uninvolved outsider present, Tingtian Daiki wouldn’t dare try anything outrageous. What’s more, the two of them were still in a cooperative relationship, if either side tore the mask off, it would do neither of them any good.

“Doctor Lu, do you like sashimi? We have very authentic chefs at home. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to dine in the main dining room.”

Noticing the doctor’s discomfort, Tingtian Dashu enthusiastically addressed Lu Danggui.
Xing Cheng, meanwhile, was staring at the deep red cherry juice on the coffee table, his expression unreadable.

Daiki was clearly making up an excuse, trying to get the outsider to leave so he could be alone with him.

“No, no, that won’t be necessary.”

Lu Danggui hurriedly waved his hands and put down the dessert plate. “Mr. Xing is an outpatient, and according to regulations, I need to monitor his condition at all times. I’ll stay here. But thank you for the offer.”

If Xing Cheng dared to pull another stunt and get him scolded by the director again, he’d kill him.

Lu Danggui made that vow to himself in secret.

Besides, even though he didn’t dare leave casually, that didn’t mean he wanted to stick his nose into whatever was going on between these two.

One of them with a flushed face and half-bare shoulders, the other unable to move and left at someone’s mercy, no matter how you looked at it, something was bound to happen, right?

Taking two pieces of chocolate from the snack table, Lu Danggui carried the dessert plate and quietly circled to the far end of the room, behind a large screen that was farthest from the two but still allowed him to keep an eye on Xing Cheng at all times, mentally preparing to play deaf and dumb to whatever might unfold next.

Still, he was a little confused.

Xing Cheng clearly came from a powerful background, born into a wealthy family. Even if he was mentally unwell, he absolutely didn’t seem like someone who’d let himself be pushed around. So why did he tolerate this brat so indulgently? It didn’t quite match the persona Xing Cheng had shown him so far.

Then again, none of this had anything to do with him.

He, Lu Danggui, did. not. care.

As soon as Lu Danggui walked away, Tingtian Dashu plopped down onto the sofa and scooted close to Xing Cheng.

“Ah Cheng, if my mom finds out I gave you the heads-up this time, she’ll probably break my legs.” Tingtian Dashu looked full of grievance.
“Don’t you think you owe me a little something in return?”

Xing Cheng’s lips moved slightly. “Whatever I can give you, I’ll follow through on. Didn’t we already agree on that?”

“And by the way, your brother really hits hard!”

Seeing that Xing Cheng’s expression remained indifferent, Tingtian Dashu didn’t dare tease him any further. He straightened up from the sofa, picked up the iPad on the table, opened two news articles, and handed them to Xing Cheng.

After reading the contents of the articles, Xing Cheng’s eyes darkened slightly, though there wasn’t much turbulence in his heart.

If even Xing Yu’s petty tricks could shake him, then there would be no point in going to the hospital for treatment at all.

“Baiwen Entertainment has just been acquired by Haibo Shipping. The person your brother is targeting is clearly you. My mom and your brother are on the same team now. Unfortunately, my dad and I don’t hold much equity, so we don’t have much say.”

Tingtian Dashu lowered his voice, “Xing Yu came to my company today, and he’s trying to take down Sister Fen first. I don’t know where he found a few witnesses, but he’s accusing her of fraud and has asked the police to arrest her.”

“Maybe your brother’s figured out what you’re planning, that you want to come back and restart—”

Xing Cheng cut him off: “Enough.”

“Just handle what’s within your scope,” Xing Cheng said. “The rest, stay out of it.”

Their conversation wasn’t quiet at all, and since they were in the same hall, Lu Danggui heard every word loud and clear.

He regretted accepting Director Qiu’s request. Deeply regretted it. So much so that his intestines were twisted into knots.

Baiwen Entertainment—or “Idiot Baiwen,” as it was often mocked in fan wars—was Xing Cheng’s former agency before he left the industry.

Sister Fen was Xing Cheng’s manager: a competent woman in her thirties, also a frequent figure in trending controversies.

“There’s no brand Sister Fen deems unworthy, and no endorsement she can’t land.” That was the reputation she had.

Judging by the tone of Tingtian Daiki, Baiwen Entertainment was likely owned by his family, and his mother was probably Baiwen’s CEO, the former double award-winning film queen, Rong Quwen.

Lu Danggui recalled a few rumors he’d read in the anti-fan circles. There had been speculation that Rong Quwen had secretly married years ago to a man outside the entertainment industry.

Anti-fans had once spread malicious rumors, claiming Rong Quwen’s secret husband was none other than Xing Cheng, more than ten years her junior. Otherwise, how could anyone explain the incredible resources Xing Cheng had access to after debuting?

So then, Rong Quwen really did marry a non-industry man, possibly even a Japanese businessman, and later gave birth to Tingtian Dashu.

Connecting the dots from their earlier conversation, Baiwen Entertainment getting acquired, Xing Cheng’s former manager being arrested, the Baiwen “Prince” showing up to beg for help…

Why did all this sound like someone was out to destroy Xing Cheng?

At this thought, Lu Danggui only wanted to plug his ears and jump out the window.

Even though he’d signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, he had absolutely no desire to know any of this!

Was this level of corporate secret even something he should be hearing? What if, when this night ended, they decided to silence him permanently?

Lu Danggui looked up, trying to sneak a glance at what was going on outside.

But as he peeked through the half-openwork screen—

He froze.

Outside the screen, the masseur had finished massaging Xing Cheng’s feet and was now working on his shoulders and back.

Xing Cheng sat on the therapy bed with his head lowered, seemingly having fallen asleep again.

Car accidents can leave irreversible effects on victims, and in Xing Cheng’s case, excessive fatigue was one of the most obvious.

His back was slender and pale, yet marked with a ferocious, long scar. Perhaps because it had been there for so many years, the scar had embedded itself deep into his spine, becoming a part of him.

And at the base of his spine, near the waist, there was a small tattoo, clearly inked there deliberately.

The tattoo was of a tiny star.

The scar on his back looked like a meteor streaking through the sky, trailing a long tail as it fell.

—

Lu Danggui suddenly recalled something.

His younger sister’s old Weibo profile picture had also been a meteor with a glowing tail.

That was the official logo of Xing Cheng’s fan club.

The last post on that account had been three years ago, a repost of a video from Xing Cheng’s debut concert.

Back then, Xing Cheng was only in his early twenties, far from the aloof movie emperor he was now. He had tea-brown curly hair, wore a black tank top, had bone chains all over him, pure Shamate* vibes from head to toe.

The concert footage from those days was grainy, but Lu Danggui remembered one thing clearly: Xing Cheng raised his hand toward the audience on screen and made a love and peace gesture.

“You’re always saying I’m your star, right?
So if you have any wishes, you can tell me.”

“When a star streaks across the night sky,
all your wishes will come true.”

“Cheng Cheng, we’ll love you forever!!!!”

“I love you all too!”

On stage, twenty-year-old Xing Cheng smiled radiantly, three fingers pressed together against his forehead. The tear mole at the corner of his eye sparkled under the stage lights:

“I swear, I’ll stay with you, until the very end!”

— —
T/N Shamate (杀马特) is a subculture in China known for exaggerated hairstyles and rebellious, flashy fashion.)
First time translating Japanese words~ correct me if I’m wrong (҂⌣̀_⌣́)