Chapter Fifteen: Could You Be My Biological Father, Even If We Have Different Mothers?

Zhang Shuo spent the entire morning doing nothing but following Li Shixin around in the Chengdu Actors' Guild. Normally, registering as an actor at the guild required a process: submit an application, then wait for notification to complete the formalities. But Zhang Shuo had been around Chengdu for several years, serving as an extras coordinator for a full five years. He was a regular at the guild, recruiting actors for crews, so everyone knew him. That meant he could skip a few steps.

Still, it was a hassle. As luck would have it, it was Monday, and two long lines had already formed at the registration counters. That was how things were in Chengdu: every year, groups of people, unable to endure the hardships, boarded trains with heavy hearts and left. Yet, just as many arrived daily, carrying with them the illusion of “I can make it,” the ambition young people call dreams and older folks call reckless folly, all with pounding hearts, rushing to this city. One after another, they came.

Watching the excited faces at the registration windows, Li Shixin couldn’t help but feel emotional. He sat leisurely on a long bench in the hall, watching Zhang Shuo bustle in and out. When his cooperation was needed, he invoked the ultimate privilege of the elderly—“Young man, let grandpa take a photo/sign first!”—and naturally cut the line, dragging everyone with him. With that, Li Shixin breezed through the whole process.

By noon, half past eleven, standing at the guild’s entrance, Li Shixin sighed deeply. “Sigh, registering as an actor takes over an hour—what a bother!”

Hearing this, a few young people nearby, who'd been waiting since seven-thirty, queued all morning without even getting their photos taken and would have to keep waiting into the afternoon, trembled with frustration.

“Y-yes…” Zhang Shuo, carrying his coat and wiping sweat from his brow, forced a laugh. “Well, sir, I’ve already spoken to the staff. Your information should be entered into the system in two days—when it's ready, just come pick up your certificate.”

Li Shixin nodded. Zhang, the extras coordinator, had been running up and down all morning—it was hard work. The young man had performed admirably.

“Then, sir… it’s almost lunchtime. If you don’t have any…” Zhang Shuo stopped himself halfway, swallowing the rest of the sentence—“other business.” He mustn’t give this old man an opening. Absolutely not! This old man was a master at taking advantage.

“I’ll be heading back then!” With that, Zhang Shuo let out a long breath, proud of his quick thinking.

“Hold on,” Li Shixin chuckled. “I have to treat you to lunch!”

“No need, sir, really. It was just a registration, nothing much—just doing my job, honestly. Please, don’t trouble yourself.” The sudden politeness and civility brought Zhang Shuo a small sense of comfort. He felt that after running up and down countless flights of stairs all morning, he’d finally earned a bit of encouragement and psychological reward. It hadn’t been easy!

Seeing Zhang Shuo wave his hands dismissively, Li Shixin tapped him playfully on the arm, putting on a stern face. “You child! How can we not eat? I’m moving in with you today—we have to celebrate!”

“No, really, it’s fine—wait, what did you just say, sir? Move in with me?”

It was as if thunder had struck on a clear day. Zhang Shuo felt as though a hammer-wielding deity was pounding on his eardrums. He was stunned.

“That’s right.” Li Shixin smiled kindly. “Didn’t you say this morning that your father passed away when you were young, and you felt a special connection with me? Well, I’ve decided. I accept you as my godson!”

Zhang Shuo’s tears welled up inside. What on earth had he done to deserve this fate? Stuck with someone like this?

Seeing Zhang Shuo about to bolt, Li Shixin smiled kindly. “That video of Liu Xin—how much did you sell it for? Must be tens of thousands, right?”

At this, Zhang Shuo panicked and stopped. “Nonsense! Who said that? Liu Xin just knocked you over, it wasn’t anything more! It was only twenty thousand! Really—if I took a penny more, I’m a dog!”

“Ohhh…” Li Shixin nodded with deep understanding. “Twenty thousand, eh? That’ll cover a year’s rent at least, right, godson?”

Realizing he’d been tricked, Zhang Shuo was on the verge of tears. He’d gone out and picked up a live father. What luck! Heaven help him—thanks a lot!

At the hotel front desk, the young receptionist watched in bewilderment as Zhang Shuo carried Li Shixin’s suitcase and cane, obediently following the empty-handed old man downstairs.

“Hey, Zhang!” It was clear the receptionist knew Zhang Shuo. “Didn’t this old man say when he checked in that he had no relatives here? Do you know him?”

“Know him? Of course!”

“Huh?”

Forcing a radiant smile onto his weary face, Zhang Shuo replied, “This is my father.”

“Oh, come on, Zhang! That’s hilarious. The old man has a long, narrow face, and yours is flat as a shoehorn. He’s got thick eyebrows, yours are drooping. He’s got a high nose bridge, and yours… well, it’s as if someone stomped on your face at birth. Even if you take after your mother, come on—what’s your real relationship?”

“I told you, didn’t I? Father! Father! Father! My biological father from a different mother!”

Startled by Zhang Shuo’s sudden outburst, the receptionist shrank back and fell silent. Only after watching Zhang Shuo stow the luggage, drive off with Li Shixin, and disappear from sight did she scratch her head and count on her fingers. “Biological father from a different mother… what kind of relationship is that?”

The car wound its way through the maze of Chengdu’s streets, taking seventeen or eighteen turns before finally pulling into a residential neighborhood that clearly dated back to the late twentieth century. Li Shixin was all too familiar with these kinds of buildings, reminiscent of the worker housing from old state-owned factories.

Three six-story apartment blocks stood side by side, forming a U-shape. In the space between them was a communal area. The complex was old, and its facilities were in disrepair. Cables crisscrossed haphazardly between the buildings; fruit trees in the shared square were strung with ropes, hung with colorful clothes, bras, and sheets.

Where the ground floor garages should have been, various small businesses had sprung up: “Novelty Prop Rentals,” “Celebrity Photo Printing & Copying,” “Red Style Hair Salon, Cut & Blow, Sixty Yuan,” “Starlight Acting Crash Course”—a motley assortment of makeshift signs.

At noon, the sounds of pots, pans, and clattering dishes filled the air. The aroma of stir-fried food drifted from window to window, mingling with the shouts of children, and the loud, impassioned recitation of lines. The place was bursting with the energy of everyday life.

It was obvious Zhang Shuo commanded respect in the community. As soon as he entered, people greeted him.

“Hey, Shuo! Back already? You need a role tomorrow? I’ve got this Japanese soldier part down to an art. If there’s a war drama, I’ll knock it out of the park for you!”

“Nope!”

“Hey, Shuo, who’s this old man?”

“My dad!”

“Wait, didn’t your sister say your dad was dead?”

“That was my godfather. This one’s my real dad!”

With hands clasped behind his back, Li Shixin followed Zhang Shuo across the square, his belly full of laughter he had to keep to himself. He was in high spirits.

Yes. The environment was quite pleasant indeed.