Chapter 6: Zhang Min Is Twelve Years Older Than You
Clang... clang... The sound of the train was more rhythmic than Liu Jing’s breathing.
The journey from Jiangcheng to Zhuozhou took over ten hours. After all, Liu Jing was just over three years old and was already exhausted.
He lay sound asleep in Aunt Liu’s arms. The conversation between the two beautiful women didn’t disturb him in the slightest.
“Sis, could it be that this little guy is really your illegitimate child?” The woman with wavy long hair was Aunt Liu’s younger sister, Sissi’s aunt, whom Liu Jing affectionately called Sister Qiong.
“Pfft! What nonsense are you talking about? You’ve learned to gossip now,” Aunt Liu scolded with a smile. Recently, such rumors had mysteriously started spreading.
But rumors were just rumors. Neither family nor friends believed them; after all, she was always under everyone’s watchful eyes, with neither time nor opportunity to have a secret child.
“Could he be your ex-boyfriend’s illegitimate son?” the aunt speculated again, eyeing Liu Jing’s small face.
“Enough! What are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush,” Aunt Liu snapped.
“The kid kept nagging about going to Zhuozhou Film City, and you actually took him. Sissi, your own daughter, didn’t even get that treatment. If you say he’s adopted and unrelated to you, who would believe that? To be honest, even I’m starting to have my doubts,” the aunt sighed.
Before the New Year, when Liu Jing mentioned going to Zhuozhou, everyone thought he was just saying it casually.
But after the Lantern Festival, Liu Jing brought it up again.
Teacher An had started school and his workload had increased this year; he had no time to accompany him.
Aunt Liu’s theater work wasn’t too busy, so she surprisingly agreed.
Sissi begged to go too since kindergarten had started, but Aunt Liu refused.
The little girl cried bitterly, heartbroken.
Grandma muttered nearby, “I don’t even know who’s really adopted here.”
“This child is smart and destined for great things. Since he wants to see the world, let him broaden his horizons,” Aunt Liu tucked Liu Jing’s blanket around him. She hadn’t even told her husband about the strange events, let alone her cousin.
“This kid is a real oddball. Only when he’s asleep does he look like a child,” the aunt thought, astonished by the boy’s recent behavior.
Have you ever seen a three-year-old child clutching a copy of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*? And not a picture book, phonetic edition, or comic version either.
Have you ever seen a toddler angrily scolding *Records of the Grand Historian* for fabrications? Saying history is written by the victors, and even the names are fake?
Have you ever seen such self-discipline in a young child? Rising at six for standing meditation, reading in the morning, reading newspapers in the afternoon, and watching the news at night...
“Kids raised in orphanages, without parents, usually mature early,” Aunt Liu explained.
But this kind of precociousness was excessive. Even her niece was mature for her age but couldn’t compare to this one.
Zhou Wenqiong even entertained the thought that when she had children, she’d throw them into an orphanage for two years to see if she could raise another prodigy.
“When are you going back to America? How’s life over there? Is it really that good?” Aunt Liu didn’t want to discuss the child any further.
“After Qingming Festival, I’ll return to the US. You wouldn’t believe it over there...” The aunt’s eyes sparkled as she spoke of America, making Aunt Liu’s heart flutter.
“Ding! Passengers, the next stop is Yandu West Station. Please prepare to disembark,” the train’s announcement echoed through the carriage.
---
Aunt Liu hurriedly woke Liu Jing. “Wood, Wood, we’ve arrived.”
Rubbing his eyes, Liu Jing clung to Aunt Liu’s fair wrist to check the time and sighed, “Much faster than riding a horse.”
“Faster than walking, too,” the aunt chuckled, covering her mouth.
“Wenjiong, grab the suitcase. I’ll carry Wood,” Aunt Liu instructed.
“No, I want to walk by myself,” Liu Jing refused.
“Your legs are too short; you’d be too slow. Once we’re out of the station, you can walk as much as you want,” Aunt Liu stretched her arms, feeling some soreness.
Liu Jing stared at the train ceiling, sighing, *I’m still just a kid. Why am I still a kid?*
After exiting Yandu West Station, Aunt Liu regretted, “This leave is too short. Next time, I’ll take you on a proper tour of Yandu.”
“Sis, your company hasn’t had any performances lately. Why not take more time off, and we’ll take Wood to climb the Great Wall?” the aunt suggested enthusiastically.
“No, my legs are short. I can’t climb,” Liu Jing shook his head quickly. In his memories of the second generation, the Great Wall was a pile of countless corpses. In that era, superstition was rampant, and Liu Jing was somewhat afraid of ghosts.
“Then we can go to the Forbidden City, or...” the aunt smiled mischievously.
“No,” Liu Jing declined flatly. Traveling was a waste of time for him.
“My friend is filming in Yandu right now; the lead actors are Stephen Chow and Maggie Cheung. Come shopping with me, and I’ll take you to visit the set,” the aunt teased. She found teasing Liu Jing more fun than teasing her niece.
“You win,” Liu Jing surrendered.
“Hahaha...” the aunt laughed heartily, and Aunt Liu smiled gently.
“Auntie, rather than waiting for a better day, let’s do it today,” Liu Jing flashed a charming smile.
He didn’t know who Maggie Cheung was, but he’d heard of Stephen Chow even at the orphanage.
In 1990, three of the top ten Hong Kong Chinese-language films at the box office starred Stephen Chow. The champion was *All for the Winner*, the runner-up *God of Gamblers II*, both grossing over 40 million Hong Kong dollars.
In 1991, Stephen Chow continued his success with *Fight Back to School*, earning 43.82 million Hong Kong dollars and topping the annual box office again. That year, he, Andy Lau, and Sammo Hung were known as the “Double Andy One Sam.”
Such a figure surely had a bubble — and a very large one.
If only he could set him as a bond...
“Damn it, sis, he called me ‘auntie’! Did I hear that right? This is the first time,” the aunt exclaimed, even swearing.
Aunt Liu chuckled, “He’s got you on speed dial now.”
“If this were still before the New Year, I’d have given you a big red envelope,” the aunt pinched Liu Jing’s cheek. This kid was truly exceptional; she wanted one of her own.
“You can give it now,” Aunt Liu smiled warmly.
“The New Year’s over. What red envelope?”
“Consider it a bribe for changing how he addresses you.”
“Uh...” The aunt was stunned. They were perfect as mother and son.
“Let’s go,” Liu Jing urged.
---
“I made plans with your auntie. After lunch, we’ll go shopping in Xidan, then rest at a hotel for the night, and early tomorrow morning, head to Zhuozhou,” Aunt Liu said reluctantly. The itinerary was already set.
Why did the aunt come along this time? She used to work in the film industry, once a star at the Pearl River Studio. Even though she had since left the industry and gone abroad, her connections remained, far better than any outsider’s.
It was hard for Aunt Liu and Liu Jing to get into the *Three Kingdoms* production team.
“Who cares about shopping? Just because he called me ‘auntie,’ I’d take Wood to see even the King of Heaven himself,” the aunt tossed her wavy hair, full of swagger.
After lunch and checking into the hotel, the two stunning women finished their preparations by three in the afternoon.
Liu Jing had already fallen asleep reading *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Women’s makeup time was an unpredictable variable.
The aunt’s friend wasn’t an actor but a makeup artist on the crew.
They hadn’t arranged to meet in advance, so it took some effort.
Liu Jing’s eyes sparkled; there were over a hundred crew members.
Most had bubbles floating above their heads — some tiny, just a few points, others huge, already maxed out.
Entertainment Aura +25.
Entertainment Aura +100.
Entertainment Aura +12.
...
After wandering the set, Liu Jing gained 3,521 points of Entertainment Aura. This was far better than watching dance performances at the theater.
There were seven or eight people with an Entertainment Aura of one hundred points.
The male lead Stephen Chow, director Chen Jiashang, supporting actor Da Shu, and a stunning beauty, Maggie Cheung.
Even after all the beauties the second generation had seen, Liu Jing found himself momentarily distracted.
Under the multicolored bubbles, Maggie Cheung was breathtaking.
Without hesitation, he tried to bond with Stephen Chow.
[Stephen Chow is the same gender; cannot form a bond.]
What nonsense was this system?
So, he settled for the next most beautiful, intending also to use the unused daily appraisal.
[Maggie Cheung is twelve years older than you; cannot form a bond.]
Liu Jing cried silently, tears streaming down his face.