Wei Sama, Let’s Stuff Them with Dog Food

44. The Coffin

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Dou Zhi Yuan who was standing in front of Qi Le An wore a plain white t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans, he looked as approachable as a suburban neighbor. Only the white teeth he showed when he was smiling could attract people’s eyes. However, Dou Zhi Yuan often avoided making eye contact with people, few people could see his smile.

But Qi Le An clearly remembered this Mr. Dou would appear confidently at meet-and-greet activities in various cities a few years later, and countless fans would line up for hours in advance to meet him.

Dou Zhi Yuan’s writing had not only become a phenomenal online fiction, he had also adapted the fiction into a screenplay himself. When Qi Le An died in his last life, Dou Zhi Yuan’s first season of online drama had just ended, his work had won popular acclaim and great hits at the same time.

Of course a writer was not enough to make Qi Le An remember this person so vividly. Dou Zhi Yuan had also made an independent film before his fictions became popular.

Qi Le An still remembered that the movie was called “The Coffin”. Although the name was terrifying, it was a real suspense crime movie. The director of “Funeral Coffin” was a new director, and the screenwriter was also a newcomer in the industry. In an interview, Dou Zhi Yuan once said that he had received the help and encouragement of the director at the most desperate time in his life to create the film “The Coffin”.

“The Coffin” first appeared in a Greater China film competition. The extremely low cost made it not as glamorous as other films, but this inconspicuous work had won the praise of all the judges when it was showed! Before the contest was even finished, several producers had their eyes on the movie and decided to play it in the cinemas.

The movie became a hit as soon as it was screened. Three months later, Dou won the best screenplay at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, and two months later, he was nominated for the Venice Film Festival.

Qi Le An’s heart kept pounding as he thought of that. According to the trajectory of time, the director was still a college student who had just graduated, and he had not yet met Dou Zhi Yuan. But at this point, Dou Zhi Yuan should already have finished the story of “The Coffin”.

‘So, can I somehow be part of it?’

“Qi Ge? Are you all right?”

Dou Zhi Yuan saw that Qi Le An hadn’t spoken for a long time, so he asked timidly for fear that he might be responsible for the silence.

Qi Le An came to his senses and hurriedly said: “Don’t call me Qi Ge, I am  young and inexperienced. Please just call me Le An if you don’t mind.”

Dou Zhi Yuan has become accustomed to referring everyone as “Ge” or “Jie” on the set, so he felt so touched when Qi Le An said that!

His group leader had fired him without even giving him an opportunity to explain since he hit Qi Le An, oblivious of the fact that the reason why he bumped into Qi Le An was because he was asked to take care of some boxes that he was not even responsible for.

Although Dou Zhi Yuan was mild and timid by nature, but the blood-stained tissue on Qi Le An’s arm had been lingering in his mind. He mulled it over and decided he should apologize to Qi Le An face to face anyway before he left.

He originally thought that all actors considered themselves superior, but he didn’t expect Qi Le An to be so… so approachable and friendly.

“What do you do on the set, Dou Ge?” Qi Le An asked.

“I worked in the props team.” Dou Zhi Yuan smiled bitterly.

Qi Le An heard the embarrassment in these words, he asked in doubt: “Worked”

Dou Zhi Yuan seemed to have a bone in the throat, l he hesitated and said vaguely: “I was kicked out of the team after the accident… but I figured I should and apologize in person before I go home.”

Qi Le An gasped while Chen Shan chimed in, “And you are here to try your luck, to see if you can get a chance to ask An to talk you up in front of your leader?.”

Dou Zhi Yuan’s face flushed immediately, and he stammered: “No, no! I really am here to apologize!”

Qi Le An quickly comforted him, “Don’t listen to him talking nonsense!”

With thathe turned back to look at Chen Shan and said, “Chen Ge, I’m so hungry, where is my fried rice?”

Chen Shan had zero intention to check his phone, “Maybe the delivery guy got lost on his horseback.” (T/N: The delivery guy must have got lost on his horseback is like a dad’s joke in China, making fun of slow delivery.)

Qi Le An: “…”

Dou Zhi Yuan’s nerve eased a lot after Chen Shan’s joke. Qi Le An insisted that Dou Zhi Yuan should take a seat and then he said, “What are you going to do next?”

“Going home…” At this point, Dou Zhi Yuan’s eyes dimmed, he looked a bit confused.

Qi Le An already had a plan in his heart, “Do you mind waiting a bit longer before you go home? This is not your fault, and I can’t let take the whole responsibility.”

Dou Zhi Yuan was taken aback.

He really didn’t intend to ask Qi Le An for help, but Qi Le An took the initiative to speak up.

Knock knock.

Chen Shan got up to open the door. It was a hotel staff member, he smiled and said, “Your fried rice is here.”

Chen Shan nodded and took it with a ‘thank you’, then he put the egg fried rice on the table and said, “Our lunch is here.”

Dou Zhi Yuan quickly said, “Then I won’t bother you any longer.”

Qi Le An said, “All right, can I ask you to give me your phone number?”

With that handed the notepad and pen to Dou Zhi Yuan, “I will contact you shortly.”

Dou Zhi Yuan found it too good to be true, Qi Le An smiled innocently at him. Dou Zhi Yuan pursed his lips,he  took the pen and paper handed by Qi Le An and wrote down his phone number.

Qi Le An glanced at the number, and smiled at Dou Zhi Yuan.

After Dou Zhi Yuan left, Chen Shan, who had been holding back for ten minutes, could finally let it all out, “Why are you so polite to him? That person deserves to be fired!”

‘One-armed’ Qi Le An entered Dou Zhi Yuan’s phone number into his mobile phone and said, “Don’t talk about him like that, he didn’t mean to hurt me.”

Chen Shan snorted coldly and said, “Even if he didn’t hit you on purpose, he came to apologize to you on purpose!”

Qi Le An saved Dou Zhi Yuan’s phone number, he raised his head and showed his dimples, “Alright Chen Ge, let’s eat!”

Chen Shan opened the two lunch boxes and put the spoon on the fried rice, “I think you should buy a new phone. It’s a joke when others see it.”

Qi Le An didn’t care, “What’s the joke? I don’t make much money… Besides, all the phones are the same anyway.”

Before smart phones were completely popularized, any phone featured with Snake and Bubble Shooter was a good phone.

Qi Le An was satisfied that he got Dou Zhi Yuan’s number, he even enjoyed a meal of fried rice with little salt and less ingredients.

When he finished eating, he looked at Chen Shan with sparkling eyes. Chen Shan suddenly had a bad feeling, “What? No way I’m gonna let you eat hot pot.”

Qi Le An grinned and said, “It’s not about hot pot! I just want to ask…who should I talk to about Dou Zhi Yuan’s business?”

Chen Shan suddenly frowned and said, “Are you really going to help him?”

“Why not?” Qi Le An showed an innocent look.

“…”

Chen Shan waved his hand feebly, “Be my guest then.”

Qi Le An suddenly looked at Chen Shan with puppy dog eyes, “Chen Ge…”

Chen Shan warned: “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know how to help him…” Qi Le An sighed quietly.

Dou Zhi Yuan was fired by the team leader, but the team leader was not actually the one in charge. The management must know it. This was a sensitive subject, Qi Le An, a young actor who had shed so much blood on the set, and it would have been troublesome if it had happened to someone who was fussy.

The actor was injured by a staff member, and the first thing the crew had to do was to pacify the actor. A nobody like Dou Zhi Yuan being fired represented the crew’s attitude.

If Qi Le An directly interceded for Dou Zhi Yuan, Dou Zhi Yuan would definitely get his job back, but would Qi Le An offend the person who fired Dou Zhi Yuan in the first place?

Everything was so complicated.

“Humph.” Chen Shan snorted and said, “Coming to me for help now?”

Qi Le’an nodded, ‘please help me’ was written all over his face.

Chen Shan said: “Honestly, there’s nothing I can do!”

“…”

“I better ask Wei Sama for help…” Qi Le An pretended he was gonna call Wei Chang Feng, “I know Wei Sama can solve it.”

Chen Shan suddenly stared at him and said, “Why are you calling Wei Chang Feng for your own business!”

After Chen Shan knew that Qi Le An and Wei Chang Feng were pretty close to each other, he felt an unspeakable awkward feeling. This feeling reached its peak after Wei Chang Feng went to went to the hospital for Qi Le An. So he immediately rejected Qi Le An’s idea of calling Wei Chang Feng, “He is not your mother!”

Qi Le An: “…”

‘This analogy is terrible. Why didn’t you say he is not my boyfriend?’

Even though Chen Shan rebuked Qi Le An, Chen Shan thought for a while and said, “All right, how about this, you can take a good rest these days… the props team will definitely come to apologize to you when you return to the set, you just ask where the person who hit you is and if he was hurt.”

Chen Shan nodded and said, “Yes, that’s it.”

“…And then?” Qi Le An asked carefully.

Chen Shan said angrily: “Then go with the flow!”

Qi Le An: “…”

‘What the heck is going with the flow!’

Qi Le An wished he could ask for more details, but he dared not to ruffle Chen Shan’s features. Just then, the hotel door was knocked for the third time.