Chapter 18: The Tenth Day

On the flight back to the resort, Su Shengxin felt restless from their earlier flirtation. After finishing a glass of Johnnie Walker he had requested from the flight attendant, he felt lightheaded. He leaned over and rested his head gently on Shang Yin’s shoulder, staring blankly, feeling utterly exhausted from the day.

Shang Yin glanced at him briefly but did not move. He remained in his original posture, leaning back loosely against the chair, saying nothing and offering no teasing remarks. They sat there, one resting on the other’s shoulder, listening to the quiet hum of the aircraft.

Later in the flight, Su Shengxin slept for a while against Shang Yin. When he woke up, they were about halfway to their destination. Shang Yin was busy replying to emails with one hand. Noticing the movement on his shoulder, he asked, "Awake?"

"Yeah," Su Shengxin replied. "Just dozed for a bit. I’d better not sleep anymore, or I won't be able to fall asleep later."

As he spoke, he tapped the screen in front of him, scrolled through the menu, and selected an obscure, 90-minute arthouse film he had never seen before.

The movie was titled *The Useless Good Person*, a strange name.

The protagonist was a woman from the countryside—poor and plain. She felt a constant need to help and support others, so she spent her days rushing around, helping one person push a cart or another lift a basket, always searching for her own significance. Yet, others felt they didn't need her help at all and jokingly nicknamed her "Zheng Useless." Even so, she never wavered in her desire to be a "good person." She felt lost at times and considered giving up, but in the end, she persisted.

At the film's climax, a flash flood hit upstream. The children of the very neighbor who had given her that nickname were still outside. The protagonist found them and used all her remaining strength to push them onto high ground, only to be swept away by the raging torrent herself.

When the two children met the villagers, they told everyone, "We were saved." When the villagers asked who had been so heroic, the little girl replied, "It was Zheng Useless."

The villagers said, "She truly was a good person." In the final moments of her life, Zheng Useless finally received the validation she had always craved.

It was a strange film, but Su Shengxin wept silently as he watched.

A few seconds later, a warm finger suddenly touched his cheek, using its back to wipe away his tears, one by one.

When the end credits began to roll, the hand gently hooked his chin. Su Shengxin looked at him without flinching. Shang Yin, whose demeanor was usually icy and unapproachable, straightened up, lowered his gaze, and tenderly wiped away the tears from the other side of Su Shengxin’s face as well.

Su Shengxin: "..."

Shang Yin had clearly been replying to emails just a moment ago.

Su Shengxin took a deep breath, wiped his face, turned off the screen, and said, "I'm fine."

Shang Yin looked at him and nodded.

After finishing an email, Shang Yin suddenly asked, "What was that movie about?"

Su Shengxin was surprised. "You're interested?"

"I certainly wasn't before," Shang Yin said, "but I seem to be now."

In Shang Yin’s eyes, Su Shengxin was a man who was clever and impulsive, but suffered from a lack of love—or perhaps even more than just a little. What drew him to acting were the intense, extreme emotions found in those stories, allowing him to transform into various people and experience different lives.

Su Shengxin recounted the plot: "It's a story about a good person. It’s very moving. In this era, 'good people' are truly rare."

Shang Yin listened and replied, "I am not a good person either." He always prioritized his own interests.

Su Shengxin paused, looking at him. "Of course you are."

Shang Yin was also stunned for a second before saying, "A novel assessment."

"You are, anyway," Su Shengxin muttered. "I have my own judgment, even if it differs from everyone else's."

Shang Yin said nothing more, only watching him. After a long silence, he added, "That script... the kiss scene has a time limit—at least a certain number of seconds. You should work on your lung capacity."

"..." Su Shengxin replied, "Right back at you."

It was past midnight when they returned to the cabin, but Su Shengxin remembered his "task" for the night. He rummaged through his suitcase, walked into Shang Yin’s room, and asked, "Mr. Shang, where is my melatonin? I told you to pack a bottle. I slept too long on the plane, and I'm afraid I won't be able to fall asleep tonight."

This was something they had agreed upon before the show—Shang Yin would pack an item Su Shengxin requested, and Su Shengxin would bring it up in front of the cameras that night to lower any suspicion about them being a "fake couple."

Shang Yin found the bottle. As Su Shengxin took it and was about to leave the room, he suddenly remembered something—perhaps because everyone else had been invited to lie on that bed tonight except him—and he turned back to look at Shang Yin. "Goodnight, baby. See you tomorrow." With that, he closed the door.

Shang Yin was left alone in the room, staring at the door.

...

The next day, Shang Yin rose early as usual to exercise, eat breakfast, and handle work. Four hours of sleep did not affect him at all, but Su Shengxin slept until nine, and the two headed to the activity site separately.

Today’s content was relatively simple: in the morning, the guests would ride horses around the resort, and in the afternoon, they would play a game.

The resort was situated on a mountain with trails, and "horseback riding" was one of its attractions.

There were over a dozen horses in the stable, and the program required them to ride in pairs.

Su Shengxin chose a tall, large black horse and turned to ask Shang Yin, "Do you know how to ride?" Su Shengxin was quite knowledgeable about it; he had practiced for a movie and did his own stunts.

Shang Yin smiled. "My house in New York has a stable with thoroughbred racehorses."

"..." Su Shengxin kept his expression calm and nodded. "I see. The kind you see on TV. Rich people have a stable in the corner of their lawn with a few horses, right? Just wandering around all day."

Shang Yin replied, "Not exactly like on TV. You need to keep the horses' space and the human space separate. There are stables, but also pastures, indoor arenas, outdoor arenas, hay barns, washing stations, tack rooms, and so on. Humans and animals don't share the same lawn. The indoor arenas have pinnacle footing covered with sand, and the outdoor ones use SRS, which adapts to various climates."

"..." Su Shengxin could no longer keep up the facade. "Indoor arena? In New York? An indoor arena?"

Shang Yin tilted his head to fasten his helmet strap and smiled faintly. "To be precise, it's in Greenwich, not New York. An hour away from New York."

Su Shengxin: "..."

His own house was still under mortgage.

They rode together, Su Shengxin sitting in Shang Yin’s lap. Fortunately, the weather was clear, and none of their activities were hindered.

They were relaxed. Because they weren't leading the horse well, it kept wandering to the side of the road to eat grass. Neither of them was in a hurry, so they just waited. Su Shengxin often let go of the reins, leaned forward, and rested one hand on the horse's neck while stroking its mane with the other. The horse was well-kept; its skin was shiny and its mane was smooth.

He even talked to the horse. "Lucky? Why are you named Lucky? Wait... what country are you actually from? Were you named Lucky at birth? Is it just a foreign name? Are you an immigrant horse?"

Shang Yin found it amusing.

Because of their position, Su Shengxin’s upper body leaned forward while his waist pressed down, his pants hugging his naturally raised, fleshy buttocks as he sat between Shang Yin’s legs.

They walked and stopped intermittently.

At first, Su Shengxin kept his back straight, eyes fixed on the ground ahead. He held the middle of the reins with both hands, while Shang Yin held them on the sides.

Shang Yin was ten centimeters taller than Su Shengxin, standing over 1.9 meters; he could easily see the road and scenery ahead, but he had no interest in that, only in observing Su Shengxin.

Because of his years of playing the piano, Su Shengxin had a prominent vertebra at the base of his neck, usually hidden by his collar but now exposed. He kept stretching his neck, and as Shang Yin watched, he couldn't help but lean down and affectionately brush his nose against it a few times.

Su Shengxin shivered instinctively.

He turned back and gave Shang Yin a strained look. Shang Yin looked back, his eyes carrying a hint of teasing.

As they continued, Su Shengxin lifted his eyes, mesmerized by the scenery.

His posture softened, and he slumped back into Shang Yin’s embrace to admire the mountains.

Su Shengxin wasn't frail, but he fit perfectly into Shang Yin’s arms. When Shang Yin loosely wrapped his arms around him, Su Shengxin’s shoulders were held within his grasp, and his spine fit right between Shang Yin’s firm, full pectoral muscles; Su Shengxin’s shoulder blades rested comfortably against them. Even Shang Yin’s collarbones were positioned just above Su Shengxin’s shoulders, never digging into him.

Two bodies so perfectly aligned.

Su Shengxin had long since let go of any tension, swaying rhythmically on horseback, rubbing back and forth against Shang Yin’s chest. His waist felt as though it had lost all support, twisting against Shang Yin.

Shang Yin’s eyes shifted. He stopped holding the reins separately and gripped Su Shengxin’s hands within his own. Even the shape of their hands fit together seamlessly.

Holding hands, their chests and abdomens rubbing together—it was ticklish.

The horse kept eating, stopping every few steps.

The director’s couple caught up. Jin Ranqiu said, "Mr. Shang, Shengxin, didn't you say you could ride? How have you only made it this far? We two who don't know how to ride have already figured it out!"

"Director Jin," Su Shengxin laughed, "the crew said Lucky is particularly headstrong; he doesn't listen to his owner, let alone tourists. He just likes to wander around, take walks, and eat grass. It’s fine."

Jin Ranqiu: "Oh..."

The film queen Qing Lan saw their intertwined hands and sighed, "I always thought we were a loving couple. Now I feel like you two are the truly devoted ones; we can't compare."

Su Shengxin: "..." They were the only fake couple on the show.

"You two don't seem to reveal much about your past," the film queen said perceptively. "You always listen to us, but you don't talk much about yourselves. Why?"

Because there was no past, and he was afraid of slipping up if he said too much. Su Shengxin thought to himself, but smiled on the surface. "What would you like to know?"

"Hmm... what would I like to know..." Qing Lan said. "There’s a Q&A activity this afternoon. Let’s do it after that! I might have follow-up questions."

Su Shengxin smiled again. "Sure."

After the others had passed them, Shang Yin checked his watch and said calmly, "It's time. Let's head to the finish line."

Su Shengxin straightened his back. "Okay."

It was strange, he thought: before joining this show, he had considered it a complete waste of time, but now he felt that every part of it was quite good.

Once he finished speaking, Shang Yin used one hand to pull the reins firmly toward the dirt path. It was direct, efficient, and unquestionable.