---

Hey lovely readers,

Thank you so much for your patience! After a bit of a bumpy ride with my old hosting site (yes, it gave me quite a few headaches), I’ve finally made the move to a new home for the blog.

The old site is still hanging in there—for now—but this new one is where all the fresh updates will live. And yes, this is the original space, just with a fresh start!

I’m not exactly a tech wizard (there were definitely some tears involved), but I’m slowly figuring things out. If you notice anything weird or funky on the site, please drop a comment and let me know!

I’m still here, I promise. Just needed a little time to heal and regroup. Now, I’m ready to rebuild, refresh, and make this space beautiful again.

Thanks again for sticking with me. Your support means the world!

---

Chapter 54: A Few Months After Jiang Qi Left The Spotlight, Shen Lei Hosted For The First Time…

After several months, Jiang Qi once again trended on the hot search.

This time, the headline was:
#FormerCelebrityZiweiStarJiangQiNowWorkingAtAutoShop#
— long enough, explosive enough, and definitely eye-catching.

It all started because of a self-proclaimed “fan” of Jiang Qi who caused a scene at the 4S dealership, making such a fuss that even the boss, Zhan Yang, had to come out.

“Jiang Qi, even after you left the industry, your fans have still been supporting you. I always believed you’d come back. But how could you do this?!”
The woman burst into tears after Jiang Qi shook off her hand. With teary eyes, she stomped and wailed, “Not only are you working here fixing cars, but you’re treating your fans like this! Are you really one of those disgraced celebrities?!”

“I am.”
Since the commotion had already drawn attention, Jiang Qi simply looked at her coldly and said bluntly in front of the stunned onlookers, “That’s why I left the industry. What more do you want?”

“If I’m a disgraced celebrity, then are you a disgraced fan?”

Jiang Qi was usually quiet and indifferent, but when it came to sharp words, he never lost.

The fan was stunned for a moment, then started crying even harder.

One moment she was saying her idol image was shattered, the next she was complaining about the staff’s attitude, accusing the store of bullying customers… Her endless wailing finally alarmed the boss, Zhan Yang.

It was only then that Zhan Yang, who never paid much attention to the entertainment world, realized that his shop was hiding a “hidden dragon.”

A crowd had gathered, drawn by the woman’s shrill voice. Now, even outside the 4S dealership, people were screaming and taking photos of Jiang Qi with their phones.

After understanding the situation, Zhan Yang first furiously scolded the innocent sales clerk:
“What the hell are you doing just standing there? Go shut the door! And pull down all the curtains!”

After all, Jiang Qi was now an employee at his shop.

And as the boss, his first duty was to protect his staff.

But photos of Jiang Qi in his work uniform at the dealership had already been taken and circulated, which is how he ended up trending.

Jiang Qi himself, however, had no idea he was trending.

“Ma’am, loud disturbances are not allowed in the store. If you can’t follow the rules, I won’t be doing business with you,”
Zhan Yang, a tall and burly man with a bit of a thug vibe, didn’t dress like a typical boss in a suit. With a cigarette in his mouth, he tilted his chin at the aggressive “fan” and said:
“Suit yourself.”

The two customers didn’t dare say a word for a moment. The man accompanying the woman looked extremely embarrassed.

“S-sorry,” he stammered awkwardly. “It was our fault.”

The woman beside him stubbornly bit her lip and lifted her chin, refusing to admit any wrongdoing.

But Jiang Qi didn’t need her apology. With a cold sneer, the young man turned and walked back into the workshop.

…Completely unfazed by being recognized, he just went back to doing his job with calm dignity.

However, now everyone in the workshop knew that Jiang Qi was a former “celebrity” who had left the industry. Even the rough, blue-collar guys who usually paid no attention to entertainment news had learned about it thanks to the fan’s outburst.

Right under Jiang Qi’s nose, they couldn’t help but secretly pull out their phones and search for the name “Jiang Qi,” curious to see if a real celebrity had been hiding in plain sight among them.

Not long after, while Jiang Qi was working, he received a call from Zhan Yang summoning him to the office.

When the young man walked in, he saw Zhan Yang sitting behind the desk, looking like a big monkey awkwardly trapped in a space too small for him — truth be told, Zhan Yang rarely used this office or the chair.

But when it came to having a “talk,” this setup probably felt more formal.

Zhan Yang cleared his throat and awkwardly glanced at Jiang Qi, pointing to the chair in front of the desk. “Sit.”

Jiang Qi sat down.

“That crazy woman who came in earlier today… what she said…” Zhan Yang paused, then looked at Jiang Qi cautiously. “Was it true?”

He had expected Jiang Qi to brush it off or say something vague, but he hadn’t anticipated that the young man would be so blunt.

Jiang Qi replied coolly and straightforwardly, “You probably already Googled it. Why are you still asking me?”

…

Zhan Yang was starting to understand why Jiang Qi had left the industry.

With that kind of emotional intelligence and temper, how could someone like him survive in the entertainment industry?
Even though Zhan Yang didn’t know much about it, he understood that showbiz was a place full of pretense and vanity.

“You… you know you’re trending, right?”
Zhan Yang was both exasperated and amused. He tossed his phone in front of Jiang Qi for him to see.

“I figured I probably was,” Jiang Qi replied calmly. “But I never look at that stuff.”

“You think not looking is enough?”
Zhan Yang pointed at the drawn curtains in front of the office’s floor-to-ceiling windows, half-laughing, half-crying.
“Right now, reporters, media, and your fans are all crowding outside my shop!”

It doesn’t take long for the internet to dig up someone’s background — especially a once-famous celebrity.

It had only been an hour since Jiang Qi started trending, but every detail about Zhan Yang’s repair shop — from the front desk to the layout, from its location to its size — had already been dug up and posted online.

— They were just short of exposing the names of every employee in the shop.

Naturally, the media and fans who thrive on trending topics had swarmed in, and now the repair shop was completely surrounded.

It felt like even through the walls and windows, you could hear the chaos and shouting from the traffic and crowd outside.

Jiang Qi was silent for a moment, then suddenly took off the work badge hanging around his neck.

“Brother Zhan, I’m sorry.”
The young man lowered his eyes and said straightforwardly, “I’ve caused you trouble.”

It was as if trouble followed him wherever he went.

Over the years, this ironclad pattern had never changed. In that moment, Jiang Qi felt a kind of resignation — like he had accepted his fate.

Zhan Yang stared silently at the work badge on the desk, unsure of what to say.

He hadn’t intended to force Jiang Qi to quit, but keeping him on… clearly wasn’t realistic either.
Unless he wanted to turn his repair shop into a zoo for people to gawk at, there was no way to continue business as usual.
As long as Jiang Qi worked there, neither the media nor the fans would stop coming.

So after a moment of silence, Zhan Yang still took back the work badge and let out a low sigh.
“According to the labor contract, I’ll pay you an extra three months’ salary.”

“No need,” Jiang Qi shook his head. “Just pay me for the days I worked.”

In truth, he had only worked at Zhan Yang’s shop for just over a month — how could he accept three months’ pay in good conscience?

Besides, in just that short time, he had already caused trouble.

Slipping out through a small back door of the repair shop, the blinding sunlight poured down on him. Bathed in the heat, Jiang Qi felt an unusual sense of confusion.

His mind was foggy, but he still understood one thing: “This is not a place I can stay.”
So he left quickly.

Just like that, the job was gone.
How was he supposed to explain this to Zhi Qi?

Maybe he didn’t need to explain. After all, the news of him trending again would surely reach her. Once she saw it, she’d understand everything.

As he was lost in thought, his phone wouldn’t stop ringing.

Jiang Qi frowned in confusion but had to check it — very few people had his number.

The screen flashed with the name “Brother Shen.” Jiang Qi paused for a moment, then answered.

“Jiang Qi,” the familiar male voice came through before he could speak, “What’s going on with that trending topic? Were you really working at a repair shop?”

“Brother Shen,” Jiang Qi said after a few seconds of silence, his voice cool and calm, “I lost my job half an hour ago.”

…

Shen Lei didn’t know what to say for a moment — he felt both amused and helpless.

After all, Jiang Qi had once been the actor he believed in the most. And now, just a few months later, everything had changed. He had left the industry and ended up fixing cars. Shen Lei truly didn’t know what to say.

At the heart of it, it was probably just “disappointed hopes.”

Shen Lei sighed.
“So… what are you planning to do next?”

“What else can I do?”
Jiang Qi put on his usual mask and cap, blending in enough to walk the streets without drawing attention. “Keep looking for work, I guess.”

As he spoke, he stopped by a newsstand to exchange some coins, his slender fingers holding the change as he entered the subway station.

“You’re going to keep working as a mechanic?”
Shen Lei’s voice rose sharply, practically scolding him. “Jiang Qi, aren’t you just degrading yourself?!”

“Brother Shen, it’s the only thing I know how to do.”
Jiang Qi merged into the endless stream of people in the subway station. Leaning against a wall while waiting for the train, he said calmly, “Earning money with my own hands — what’s so degrading about that?”

“What do you mean it’s the only thing you know?!”
Shen Lei was even more frustrated now. Without thinking, he said, “You can still act, can’t you?”

“I can’t act.”
Jiang Qi had once considered that — that maybe acting was something he could still do. But now, hearing Shen Lei bring it up, he rejected it without hesitation.
“Landing that role in your film was pure luck. As for the rest… I don’t have the talent.”

Take Jiao Si, for example — his second film. He had completely messed it up.

It was supposed to be a major male-led film, but after Jiang Qi announced his retirement, the production was forced to disband just a week later. The film, which had already received heavy investment and was halfway through shooting, was scrapped entirely.

To be honest, Jiang Qi felt deeply guilty about that.
It was the first time in his life he felt like he had truly held others back.

That’s why he believed he wasn’t cut out for acting. He didn’t want Shen Lei to keep holding onto false hope. He wasn’t worthy of it.

“Jiang Qi, you can’t let yourself fall into this kind of thinking,”
Shen Lei’s voice turned serious. “Where are you right now? Come meet me.”

This was the first time since Jiang Qi’s retirement that Shen Lei had actively asked to see him.

Jiang Qi thought of their first meeting in prison, of Shen Lei’s guidance and support…
The word “no” caught in his throat — he couldn’t say it, no matter what.

After a moment, Jiang Qi gave in with a quiet “Mm.”
“Send me the address.”

Shen Lei sent him the location — a restaurant in the southern district.

Just then, another call came in — it was from Zhi Qi.

“Jiang Qi, I just got out of class and saw the trending news. What’s going on?”
The girl’s voice was clearly anxious, her questions coming one after another:
“Where are you? Should I come find you? You didn’t get cornered by paparazzi, did you?”

“No, no,” Jiang Qi quickly reassured her, his deep voice calming.
“I slipped out through the back door.”

Zhi Qi audibly let out a breath of relief on the other end.
“That’s good. So where are you now?”

To be honest, she was genuinely worried that the media and fans crowding around might emotionally overwhelm Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi hesitated for a moment, then told her about the call he had just received from Shen Lei.

Zhi Qi asked, “So… are you going to meet him?”

“It wouldn’t feel right not to,” Jiang Qi said softly. “Brother Shen has been really good to me.”

At the same time, he wanted to get Zhi Qi’s approval — because he knew that for the sake of his mental recovery, she had always hoped he would stay away from the “old crowd” of the entertainment industry.

But Zhi Qi also understood that Shen Lei wasn’t just some “old acquaintance” to Jiang Qi.

She had heard Jiang Qi talk about how Shen Lei discovered him and brought him into the industry — she knew that Shen Lei was more like a benefactor.

So Zhi Qi smiled, her voice light and cheerful:
“Meeting Brother Shen? That’s great. Actually, I’d really like to meet him too.”

And thank him in person.

Jiang Qi let out a breath of relief, and even sounded a little happy.

“Zhi Qi, then… let’s go together.”

Previous

Next