Mad Dog

The address Shen Lei sent was to Teng Yun Lou in the southern district, described as a restaurant but more akin to a high-privacy club.
Meeting here was indeed Shen Lei’s style.
Jiang Qi brought Zhi Qi along, and from a distance, he spotted the familiar figure of Qiu Mi—now Shen Lei’s assistant, he accompanied Jiang Qi inside as part of his duties.
Upon seeing Jiang Qi and Zhi Qi, Qiu Mi’s eyes lit up, and he dashed over excitedly, saying, “Ge Qi!”
Jiang Qi wore a mask and nodded slightly.
He was usually very reserved around others, even with someone as familiar as Qiu Mi.
After a brief moment of excitement, Qiu Mi regained his composure and noticed the girl beside Jiang Qi, quickly greeting her: “Miss Zhi.”
“Long time no see!” Zhi Qi was much more enthusiastic than Jiang Qi. She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Little assistant.”
……
The three of them then entered Teng Yun Lou. Qiu Mi mentioned that Shen Lei had a lunch meeting there that morning, and after it was over, he saw Jiang Qi trending on Weibo and decided to invite him over.
They took the elevator to the third floor, and just before knocking on the door to the private room, Jiang Qi hesitated for a moment as he looked at Zhi Qi’s delicate figure.
There was something he hadn’t had the chance to say to her—he felt that entering this place would inevitably tie him back to the fame and fortune he had wanted to escape from.
It was an inexplicable feeling.
But like a duck forced onto a platform, he had to go in.
It was as if something deep within him was urging him forward. Later, Jiang Qi would realize that the restless feeling he couldn’t understand at the time was called “unwillingness to let go.”
So, his meeting with Shen Lei was almost inevitable.
After several months, Shen Lei had hardly changed, except for perhaps being a bit tipsy from drinking earlier that day.
However, Shen Lei was surprised to see Zhi Qi accompanying Jiang Qi, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.
“Take a seat.” Shen Lei nodded and gestured for the three of them to sit down. Teng Yun Lou had large private rooms, but at the lavish round table, there were only the four of them, creating a strangely comical yet desolate atmosphere.
Jiang Qi initiated the greeting, “Shen Ge.”
Shen Lei looked him up and down, somewhat surprised by Jiang Qi’s “spirit,” before pausing to ask, “How have you been feeling lately?”
He didn’t ask outright, but everyone present understood that Shen Lei was referring to Jiang Qi’s mental health.
Jiang Qi nodded slightly and replied briefly, “Not bad.”
He preferred to keep his responses under five words, leading those who didn’t know him to perceive him as cold and uncommunicative. Luckily, the others in the room understood his temperament.
Zhi Qi smiled and decided to explain for him: “Director Shen, after Jiang Qi retired, I took him to the Fifth Hospital for treatment, and he’s doing much better now. He just needs medication to manage it.”
Shen Lei’s eyes lit up, and after thinking for a moment, he bluntly asked, “So can you come back to acting?”
Before coming, both Jiang Qi and Zhi Qi might have anticipated that Shen Lei would bring up this suggestion—but they never expected him to be so straightforward, cutting through the fluff, which left Jiang Qi momentarily at a loss for how to decline.
“How much can you earn working at a repair shop for a month?” Shen Lei began to persuade him incessantly, his words almost “brainwashing.” “I still stand by what I said before—the entertainment industry is the quickest way to make money, and acting is the career that suits you best.”
Jiang Qi, with that face, doing mechanic work and working a nine-to-six job for a meager salary… In Shen Lei’s eyes, it was a complete waste.
“Shen Ge.” Jiang Qi shook his head, coldly reminding him, “I’m a disgraceful celebrity.”
As he spoke, he distinctly felt Zhi Qi tighten her grip on his hand under the table. Jiang Qi knew she didn’t want to hear him describe himself that way, but it was the truth.
Shen Lei was momentarily stunned but shrugged it off, casually stating, “A disgraceful celebrity? So what?”
His open attitude left Jiang Qi and Zhi Qi a bit confused, while Qiu Mi beside them appeared unfazed, as if he also thought it didn’t matter.
“Ah Qi, you still don’t know the ultimate principle of this industry—your work speaks for itself, and your strength can redeem you. All those on the internet who gossip are fundamentally just looking for strong figures.” Shen Lei spoke convincingly, without shying away from the young audience, explaining the most critical aspects of the entertainment industry’s “big dye vat”—
“As long as you haven’t been blacklisted by the broadcasting administration, you can return to the industry whenever you want.”
“A disgraceful celebrity? Hah, what does that even mean?”
“There are plenty in this industry who engage in shady deals and money exchanges; they just haven’t been exposed. If you’re considered a disgraceful celebrity, then this industry could essentially be seen as full of bad people.”
“You were just unfortunate enough to be in the spotlight when it happened.”
“But you’re also very fortunate because you have the medical certification as protection.”
“After receiving your compensation, the two supporting actors involved have publicly expressed forgiveness on Weibo.”
“As long as you want to come back, aside from some loudmouthed haters, you really don’t need to worry about anyone else.”
……
With each of Shen Lei’s statements, Jiang Qi and Zhi Qi felt they were hearing about a side of the industry they had never encountered or truly understood before.
At the same time, it felt like an invisible new “door” was opening in front of them.
“Um, Shen Ge.” Qiu Mi couldn’t help but gently interrupt the absorbed Shen Lei, accurately pointing out a fact: “But Ge Qi has already announced his retirement. If he returns, won’t he get criticized?”
Such a back-and-forth would likely get him criticized mercilessly by those already part of Jiang Qi’s sizable “global anti-fan club” online.
“Criticism? What’s that worth? A few insults won’t delay earning money, right? Will it affect your livelihood?” Shen Lei said angrily, turning to Jiang Qi and asking straightforwardly, “Are you afraid of being criticized?”
In fact, Shen Lei could already imagine Jiang Qi’s answer to this question—because this boy was the least concerned about external evaluations among the many people Shen Lei had encountered in the entertainment industry. For Jiang Qi, being criticized was hardly an issue.
As expected, Jiang Qi shook his head, calmly saying, “Not afraid.”
Shen Lei couldn’t help but smile knowingly, but he had celebrated too early. Before he could finish smiling, the boy spoke again: “But I have no plans to go back to acting.”
……
So, everything he just said was in vain?
Shen Lei stared at Jiang Qi, feeling as if his scalp was about to numb from anger.
“Shen Ge, don’t be angry.” Jiang Qi smiled subtly, his light-colored eyes lowered as he looked at his hand holding Zhi Qi’s delicate one, his long fingers gently kneading it. “I appreciate your kindness.”
But he was genuinely unprepared.
If Jiang Qi just wanted to make money, he could indeed return to the entertainment industry as a “vase,” taking magazine photos. He had received countless magazine offers; his last issue before retirement, “Winter Sunshine,” had set a sales record.
Couldn’t act well? Then just don’t act. He could numbly do magazine shoots, commercials, or something else… he could always earn a living.
Or rather, it wasn’t just a matter of survival; Jiang Qi remembered that shooting a magazine could earn him tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.
As Shen Lei said, making money in the entertainment industry was far easier than being a “corporate drone” working nine to six and crouching under the scorching sun repairing cars.
But Jiang Qi didn’t want to live that way.
Perhaps he was still young and held onto some unrealistic “fantasies,” Jiang Qi wanted to do something meaningful with his own hands to earn a living. He didn’t want to be a vase, nor did he want to be a “canary” in a luxurious outfit locked in a cage for others to gawk at.
Thus, in the end, Jiang Qi still declined Shen Lei’s earnest proposal.
Because there was nothing left in that world of fame and fortune to attract him.
And Zhi Qi unconditionally supported all of Jiang Qi’s decisions.
On the way back, when Jiang Qi asked her if she thought it was a pity to refuse Shen Lei, Zhi Qi just smiled and said, “Jiang Qi, as long as you’re content.”
She had never hoped for the boy to achieve great wealth or fame; Zhi Qi had always wished for Jiang Qi’s safety and health.
If the entertainment industry couldn’t make him happy and might even affect his gradual recovery, then it would be better not to return.
Those so-called “great opportunities” that people regarded as precious were, in fact, nothing significant.
Being able to grasp what was in front of him was what truly mattered.