To put it plainly, Han Fei was famous!
A comedy actor caught his break while shooting a horror film due to his bravery helping the police solve a cold case the movie was based on. The fame came so suddenly that Han Fei was blind sighted by it.
“There’s Han Fei!” When Han Fei appeared beside the window, the reporters recognized him immediately. The cameras flashed and some were audacious enough to trespass into the set. To prevent these reporters from destroying the set, Director Jiang hurried to descend the stairs. Han Fei followed behind him. Director Jiang and the floor manager ushered the crowd away from the apartment.
“Please, if you have any questions, pose them one by one. Han Fei will be here soon.” Director Jiang and the floor manager tried to maintain the order. The reporters and the paparazzi rushed forward as Han Fei arrived. Flashes erupted before his eyes but Han Fei turned away from them. He sought specific faces among the crowd and once he did, Han Fei slithered through the mass of people. He eventually reached his target.
“Sir, Youfu…” That was all Han Fei could say when the old man gripped Han Fei tightly by his arms. After a decade of waiting, the real culprit was finally caught. The old man’s eyes were red. He was too overwhelmed for words. He held Han Fei, and for some reasons, he could see his son’s shadow on the young man in that moment. “We’ve seen the official statement given by the police. Thank you, Han Fei.” Gu Hwa’s big sister, Chui Tianchi’s parents, Xiao Qing’s big brother, the families surrounded Han Fei. Their words of appreciation touched Han Fei. Perhaps the wandering souls were stuck inside that game for all these years because they still had these people keeping them in mind. Many families cried. The pressure and pain they had experienced for the past 10 years were only understandable by each other. Han Fei was flummoxed. He didn’t know how to console them. He stood inside the crowd of humans but all he could think of was the ghosts inside the apartment. ‘If only I can bring them out of the game to meet their families…’ The thought buried itself in Han Fei’s mind. The man did not notice this himself.
Han Fei did not accept the expensive presents the families brought for him. He only took their words of thanks and a banner they made for him.
Human beings are very complicated creatures, some of them derive the sickest joy from hurting their own kind, while others hold onto hope for as long as a decade simply due to a bond to their loved ones.
Eventually after the families had given their thanks, they left Han Fei so he could resume his work. Seeing this opportunity, the media swooped in. They surrounded Han Fei before he could escape. When he fielded the questions, Han Fei did not hog the praise, he shared most of the merits with the police and Meng Changxi. The police because they were crucial in this case and they did most of the legwork; Meng Changxi because the man had been through a lot and he should be acknowledged for his suffering and sacrifice.
Blinded by the cameras and flashes, Han Fei eventually felt a bit dizzy. He was still unused to this. “Guys, we’re in the middle of a shoot, I’m afraid now is not a good time for questions. When the movie is out, there will be plenty of time for interviews.” Han Fei found an excuse and escaped back into the apartment like his life depended on it. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, Han Fei saw Sister Long and Director Jiang smiling at him. “Is there anything on my face?”
“Nah, it’s just unexpected to see that a cool and professional actor like yourself be so easily flustered by some reporters.” Director Jiang chuckled. “But don’t worry, Han Fei, you’ll soon get used to this.”
“More and more people are talking about this case. We can save a lot of money in promotion.” Sister Long took out her phone, “Remove the earlier movie posters as soon as possible and replace them with some new ones that have Han Fei as the main character. Do not waste time, get it done today.” Sister Long left with a satisfied smile. Director Jiang led Han Fei back to the second floor. “Now, no one will dare to complain about you getting the main role anymore. After you prove your acting chops to the world, your future will only get brighter.”
Director Jiang sent Han Fei into his dressing room. When everyone was ready, he shot a short video with Han Fei and then he had Han Fei pose for the new promotional posters.
Meng Changan and Meng Changxi stood back to back while light and darkness collided in the background. Meng Changxi with the ruined face stood in the dark, pain weighed him down and people viewed him as a monster. However, even in the deepest darkness, he held onto a ray of light in his heart. Behind Meng Changxi stood the dashing and handsome Meng Changan under the sunlight. He enjoyed the world’s adoration and praise but a mist of darkness curled around his heart where even the strongest light could not reach. Twin flowers, a flower representing the most extreme of duality.
After the script was set, Han Fei needed to hurry home for his game. So when the shoot was over, he rejected the offer to join the crew for dinner and went home alone. After a whole day of bustling around, even his body was at its limits despite its improvement. After a simple dinner, Han Fei crawled into bed. “Today is indeed a memorable day, my dream finally came true.”
Han Fei tapped into his phone to check the articles online before he logged into his social platform. In just one afternoon, without any promotion, his follower number skyrocketed. Perhaps because his profile was so inactive, some questioned whether it was really authentic. Questions like that popped up in the comments. In the end, the Xin Lu law enforcement had to come out with a statement to verify Han Fei’s identity. And then, things in the comment section changed… not exactly for the better. His fans started to discuss the human jigsaw case. Those not in the know would assume this was a social platform for the police. “I wonder if any other actor has the same kind of fan activity as I do…”
Li Xue’s comment eventually drifted into Han Fei’s head. He needed to have a stronger media presence as an actor. He decided to post some pictures online, that was what celebrities do, right?
He opened the photo album in his phone to find something to share but after a long time, the man had to admit that he was a very boring person. Just as Han Fei was about to surrender and close the album, his eyes caught something. It was a normal picture, a picture of himself lying in his bed wearing the gaming helmet. When his eyes first landed on the picture, Han Fei did not feel anything but 1 second later, his blood froze and his hairs stood on end!
“This is impossible!” The man jumped up from bed to grab the fruit knife from the table. He looked around his room with alarm. According to the time stamp, the photo was taken on the second night after he got the gaming helmet. Han Fei was sure he was alone at home that night but if that was the case, who used his phone to take this picture? ‘Someone has been inside my house!’
Wielding the knife, Han Fei switched on all the lights in his room and he checked every nook and cranny. “There’s no one around.”
Standing in the middle of the living room, Han Fei stared at the unusual photo. Slowly a detail jumped out at him. Inside the photo, there appeared to be a shadow worming its way into the gaming helmet.
