Chapter 17: The Hairy Crab
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Later, Xiang Chi recalled the events of that evening and gradually realized that as she opened her heart to Pei Yuan, Mai Zi, and Zhou Mang, sharing past stories, she seemed to have also... unlocked some kind of gate within Zhou Mang.
Their conversation was ultimately interrupted by a call from Chang Xiaoyan, whose family had brought some exquisite hairy crabs that had just been steamed, inviting Xiang Chi to come and try them.
Xiang Chi loved this delicacy and immediately urged Zhou Mang to drive over, her attitude shifting so quickly it was as if Zhou Mang’s words had been blown away by the wind.
Zhou Mang, of course, knew Xiang Chi was trying to escape.
In their relationship, Xiang Chi was used to taking the initiative but didn’t yet know how to defend.
Zhou Mang was too straightforward; she couldn’t quite turn her thoughts around, and being so tired that night, he thought it over and decided not to press the topic. He let Xiang Chi catch her breath first.
On the way, Xiang Chi dozed off in the passenger seat. Half-awake, she suddenly jolted and asked Zhou Mang, “Has Aunt Zhou ever been hit by him?”
Zhou Mang replied, “No.”
Xiang Chi sighed in relief and murmured, “Every woman who’s been with him gets hit.”
Zhou Mang said, “Because he’s afraid of me.”
Xiang Chi suddenly understood. Although Zhou Mang was just in middle school back then, he was tall and strong enough. If it came down to a fight, a man drained by alcohol and lust like Chi Rong wouldn’t stand a chance.
Zhou Mang waited for Xiang Chi’s next words. It was a long silence before she muttered to herself, “I wish I were a boy.”
Soon after, she lightened the mood with a laugh: “If I were a man, you wouldn’t have come to save me, right?”
Xiang Chi asked Zhou Mang the names of the boys he had been with when he stood up for justice. Zhou Mang told her one by one. He also mentioned that his mother left Chi Rong not long after, opened a small eatery on the street, remarried a few years ago, and was living well.
Listening, Xiang Chi gradually fell asleep. Zhou Mang drove steadily; she had always trusted him. She didn’t know how long she had napped until she woke to find herself still in the car, now parked under Chang Xiaoyan’s building. Zhou Mang was outside the car looking at his phone, holding a thermal lunch box.
He didn’t notice she had woken, his brow furrowed as he stared at the screen, clearly displeased by what he saw, occasionally twitching his mouth in a sarcastic smile.
In the glow of the streetlights and car headlights, Zhou Mang stood like a figure on center stage. Usually expressionless, Xiang Chi found this state amusing and chuckled quietly. Could Zhou Mang act? What kind of role would suit him? She thought he’d be perfect as a gallant hero, noble and straightforward, whose heart is stolen by a bewitching woman, only to chase after the truth relentlessly, uttering foolish but touching lines like, “To the ends of the earth, I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Only someone like Zhou Mang could make such words convincing. He didn’t lie or play the game of social niceties; his heart was untouched by worldly cynicism, rough yet softly shining.
Zhou Mang seemed to sense her gaze, looked up briefly, then opened the door and got back into the car.
“You fell asleep; I didn’t wake you,” he said, shaking the thermal box. “Chang Xiaoyan gave this to us, just steamed.”
Opening the box revealed three bright red hairy crabs, the aroma of crab roe immediately reaching Xiang Chi’s nose. She took a deep breath and said, “Alright, let’s eat!”
Zhou Mang asked, “Here?”
Xiang Chi replied, “Only three. How to split them back home? You, me, He Nian, and He Yue.”
Zhou Mang couldn’t answer, and Xiang Chi, having wiped her hands clean, carefully cracked open a shell. The crab roe was so full it trembled, threatening to spill. She was quite hungry, having regained some energy from her nap, and dug in.
After a while, Zhou Mang also started eating. Xiang Chi didn’t speak, sucking the crab roe off before sighing, “So delicious... I get only two hairy crabs a year. I can only eat two.”
Zhou Mang asked, “Chang Xiaoyan treats you like this?”
Xiang Chi laughed at the surprise and dissatisfaction in his tone. Zhou Mang then said, “She lives in a big villa. At least she could have helped you rent a duplex apartment.”
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Xiang Chi tilted her head: “Are you joking now?”
Zhou Mang: “Do I look like I’m joking?”
Xiang Chi laughed again. Zhou Mang handed her a crab shell, having scooped out a chunk of roe with the claw. “You can have three tonight.”
Her eyes flicked between the full crab roe and Zhou Mang’s face, hesitating. Zhou Mang simply brought the shell to her lips, and she bravely shouted, “Eat!”
Zhou Mang maintained a serious expression: “I won’t tell Chang Xiaoyan.”
Crab roe smeared on Xiang Chi’s mouth, she wiped it off with her finger and licked it clean, her eyes curved into crescent moons with a smile. “You’re so...”
Zhou Mang could tell from her smile that she had recovered and was ready to tease him again. He quickly cut her off: “Don’t say I’m cute.”
Xiang Chi wrinkled her nose, softening her voice deliberately: “...You’re so bad.”
Zhou Mang fell silent.
He rubbed his ears, which grew warm under Xiang Chi’s triumphant and arrogant laughter.
On the way back, Xiang Chi drained the batteries of both her phones. She asked Zhou Mang for his phone to use his account to scroll through TikTok videos of cats, dogs, and parrots. Zhou Mang didn’t have TikTok, so Xiang Chi teased him for being behind the times while downloading the app for him.
Suddenly, several messages popped up on the screen.
“He Yue: Finished watching? Any thoughts?”
“He Yue: Why on earth are you looking for photos of Xiang Chi’s ex-boyfriend?”
“He Yue: (dog head emoji) Mang Ge, you’ve got some explaining to do.”
Xiang Chi was speechless.
Zhou Mang noticed her looking at him oddly and smiled strangely, instantly becoming alert: “Give me back my phone.”
“I didn’t click anything; it popped up by itself,” she waved the phone. “So, why are you looking for photos of my ex?”
Xiang Chi had always been open about her relationships. Her first boyfriend was manager Lin Shuchuan, second an up-and-coming IT entrepreneur, third a university lecturer, fourth a music producer. When she broke up with the music producer, their fans even fought online—some saying Xiang Chi had forgotten old feelings after becoming popular, others saying the rock scene was so chaotic no one dared approach the goddess.
The dispute was settled by a video. On Xiang Chi’s birthday, the music producer played and sang a song he wrote, “For My Eternal Muse.”
Except for Lin Shuchuan, whom Zhou Mang knew about, it seemed every ex had good impressions of Xiang Chi. Even after parting, they spoke of her fondly, praising her pure joy and sharp tongue.
“Zhou Mang, so? After reading this rundown, what are your thoughts?” Xiang Chi asked.
Zhou Mang had learned to be shameless when talking with Xiang Chi. If he showed any reluctance or tried to avoid the topic, she would relentlessly press him until he couldn’t withstand it.
He decided to be honest: “They’re all the same type.”
Xiang Chi asked, “What type?”
Zhou Mang: “Gentle, scholarly, good-looking, seem to have a decent temper.” He emphasized “seem.”
“Yeah, I like this type of man; they’re pleasing to the eye,” Xiang Chi happily flipped through the photos He Yue sent of her exes.
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“...Yuan Qiu Shi was that type too,” Zhou Mang said.
Xiang Chi put down her phone and stared at his profile. Zhou Mang looked ahead at the green lights, driving steadily.
...They’re not as cute as you, she thought.
She placed her phone on her chest, a gesture Zhou Mang noticed. Feeling jealous and dissatisfied, he reluctantly said, “What’s wrong? Too handsome to part with?”
Xiang Chi: “Mhm.” She turned back to the photos, laughing nonstop.
Tonight, she might feel uneasy, thinking of Sun Juanjuan and the past. She might be sleepless and unable to resist drinking and smoking again.
But now, Xiang Chi knew she would sleep well.
The filming of “Brilliant and Sweet You” had been underway for some time. Those paying attention on set subtly noticed that Yuan Qiu Shi was very attentive toward Xiang Chi.
Normally, the male and female leads shared many scenes and should communicate a lot, but Yuan Qiu Shi loved being around Xiang Chi. Even when he wasn’t scheduled, he would come to the set under the pretense of “visiting.”
As night scenes dragged on, Yuan Qiu Shi repeatedly asked if he should escort Xiang Chi home, disregarding the three bodyguards around her. He Yue was very tolerant of handsome men; He Nian was not, often sneering and showing disdain.
On the whole crew, the number of bodyguards around Yuan Qiu Shi gradually increased—from six to ten. Recently, Xiang Chi and Yan Yan counted and found there were twelve that day.
Xiang Chi was taken aback: “That’s way too many. Is the set a den of dragons and tigers or what?”
Yan Yan, for some reason, had been treating Xiang Chi exceptionally well lately. Chang Xiaoyan said she must have done something wrong, and now it was the calm before the storm.
“You don’t know?” Yan Yan said while touching up her makeup. “Yuan Shi Entertainment had an upheaval. The current power is Yuan Qiu Shi’s older sister. They say his older brother and sister haven’t settled their disputes yet. These bodyguards are probably here to protect Yuan Qiu Shi.”
Xiang Chi had just heard about it. Yuan Qiu Shi was backed by one of the top agencies in the entertainment circle, Yuan Shi Entertainment. She lowered her voice: “A battle for inheritance?”
Yan Yan: “Billions. Wouldn’t you fight for it?”
Two young scriptwriters on the team didn’t dare say a word and kept watching Xiang Chi intently.
Xiang Chi stepped aside, roughly guessing what was going on. “Another script change? Then I have to talk to my agent.”
“Xing Jie, it’s a change, but for the better,” one scriptwriter whispered. “Our script teacher talked to the producer. He thinks your role is too weak and one-dimensional, so they plan to give you more scenes.”
Xiang Chi was speechless.
She crouched down, the two young scriptwriters crouching with her, nervously watching.
“More scenes for me?” she murmured. “You haven’t forgotten who the female lead is, right? You know how she and Chen Luoyang are…”
“Teacher Chen already agreed,” the scriptwriter quickly said. “You’re the protagonist’s counterpart. You’re strong enough, which makes the lead’s strength more believable.”
Both scriptwriters were professionally trained and spoke in rehearsed lines. Xiang Chi appeared serious but barely absorbed the theory, her heart in turmoil: for the first time in her life, she was taking scenes away from the lead!