The Director and the “Stalking” Director

Wen Xingshen starred in many movies, but he almost never appeared on variety shows. There was only one documentary unrelated to his films, and even that had been unearthed and watched by Ji Fengjing.

When Wen Xingshen saw that even his singular documentary had appeared on Ji Fengjing’s WeChat Moments, he finally realized:

Ji Fengjing was a serious fan.

Due to his family background, Wen Xingshen had started with a high vantage point. He began acting as a child, almost always as the lead. Even the supporting roles he took in TV dramas as he grew up were in massive hits. Eventually, he transitioned to the big screen. With an impeccable eye for scripts—ranging from low-budget indie films to blockbuster commercial hits—he built a sterling reputation. Nowadays, netizens felt that if Wen Xingshen was in it, the movie had to be good.

His assistant was immensely proud of this. Unable to help himself, he went on a “liking” spree on Ji Fengjing’s Moments, tapping the heart icon on every single movie link Ji Fengjing had shared.

Young man, you have excellent taste!

After finishing the likes, the assistant opened a chat box and sent a series of earnest messages to Ji Fengjing.

[The Emperor, Not a Brother]: Brother, your love for my cousin has been received loud and clear. [The Emperor, Not a Brother]: But listen, we need to be rational fans. Don’t be a “brainless” stan! [The Emperor, Not a Brother]: Brother Shen doesn’t like obsessive fans. You wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression on him, right? [The Emperor, Not a Brother]: That would make all your previous hard work go to waste! Keep it up, brother. Listen to me—I’ll hook you up later. You want signatures? Merch? I can get you as much as you want!

After binge-watching every Wen Xingshen movie in chronological order, Ji Fengjing’s eyes were bloodshot. He rubbed them and checked the time: 12:00 PM. He had been watching for fifteen hours straight. He sat in a daze on the sofa until the “ping-ping” of WeChat pulled him back.

Reading the messages, Ji Fengjing massaged his temples, speechless.

[View-Seeker]: I don’t “love” your cousin. Also, who is your cousin? [View-Seeker]: I don’t need merch or signatures, thanks. [View-Seeker]: How much was the glass repair? I’ll transfer it to you.

The assistant’s eyes widened. What?! He doesn’t even know Brother Shen is my cousin? He began typing furiously.

[The Emperor, Not a Brother]: Brother Shen IS my cousin! You dummy, what kind of fan are you? [The Emperor, Not a Brother]: Your intel is terrible. How can a fan not know about an important “related party” like me? [The Emperor, Not a Brother]: [Meme: Call me Daddy and I’ll grant your wishes.jpg]

Ji Fengjing couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the meme. He simply sent a transfer of 1,000 RMB. He wasn’t sure of the cost, but 1,000 felt like it should cover it. After sending it, he didn’t care if the other party accepted or not—he collapsed onto his bed and fell fast asleep.

On the other end, the assistant sent several angry emojis, insisting he wouldn’t take the money. However, Ji Fengjing didn’t reply. The assistant suddenly felt a sense of lonely emptiness.

“Sigh,” he lamented. “He’s ignoring me… That idiot Ji Fengjing, does he have any idea he should be sucking up to me?”

Wen Xingshen, who was resting his eyes before the next scene, suddenly opened them. “Who?”

“Your neighbor, Ji Fengjing,” the assistant replied.

“You were chatting with him?” Wen Xingshen asked tonelessly.

“Yeah.”

Usually, the assistant would ramble on about the details of the conversation. Wen Xingshen waited patiently. Instead, the assistant finished his sentence and went straight to playing mobile games.

Wen Xingshen: “…”

Inexplicably, he suddenly wanted to know exactly what they had been talking about. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Where is that sticky note I gave you?”

“The one with Ji Fengjing’s number?” The assistant didn’t look up. “I threw it in the trash after I added him on WeChat. Wasn’t that just for the window repair?”

Wen Xingshen: “…”

Sensing the silence, the assistant looked up cautiously. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Wen Xingshen lied, lying back down.

“Do you want to add him?” the assistant asked uncertainly. “I can recommend his contact to you?”

“No need. Just make things clear to him.” Wen Xingshen closed his eyes.

The assistant breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it—Brother Shen almost never added people he wasn’t close to. He must have misread that flicker of… longing… in his cousin’s eyes.

“By the way,” the assistant added. “There’s an invitation for a charity auction on the 15th. I’ll ask the Director to clear your schedule for that evening.”

“Mm,” Wen Xingshen grunted, ending the conversation.

Ji Fengjing’s leave lasted five days—the longest he’d had since joining the Special Combat Division. His Director had granted it to help him adjust after his father’s passing. Though a few minor tasks popped up, it was a relaxing break.

By the time he returned to work, he felt like his bones had turned to jelly. He was itching for a case to stretch his limbs. Coincidentally, the usually busy department was in a “slow season.” Two weeks passed without a mission requiring Ji Fengjing’s personal touch.

Everyone in the department possessed some level of special ability, but Ji Fengjing was the strongest. Consequently, only the most difficult cases required his intervention. After half a month of boredom, he went looking for work.

“Actually, there is a mission,” a colleague named Xiao Liao said. “Director… if you’re really bored, you can help out.” (Ji Fengjing had been promoted to Department Director the previous week).

Ji Fengjing flipped through the file. “Is this Zhou Kai’s case?”

“Yes. He’s already taken two teams to the site.”

The case involved a charity auction where a wealthy overseas Chinese businessman was offering a national-treasure-level porcelain piece. Because of its immense research and historical value, several museums were planning to bid on it. Naturally, this made it a prime target for high-level thieves.

Ji Fengjing tucked the file away. “I’ll go have a look.”

By the time he arrived at the gala, the crowd was larger than expected. Since stars often attended this annual event, reporters were camped out in droves.

Suddenly, a wave of excitement swept through the crowd.

“It’s Movie King Wen Xingshen! He’s finally here!”

A black van pulled up, and a tall, handsome man stepped out. In an expensive suit, he looked as regal as a king. Reporters scrambled for photos.

Ji Fengjing couldn’t help but steal a few glances.

Wen Xingshen seemed to sense something. He looked up, his gaze cutting straight through the crowd toward Ji Fengjing’s direction. Ji Fengjing felt a surge of guilt and quickly looked away, turning to hide behind a reporter’s towering camera.

Wait, he didn’t see me, right? Ji Fengjing thought nervously. With all these people… I don’t want to be mistaken for a stalker fan and forced to take another autograph!

Hiding away, Ji Fengjing didn’t notice that Wen Xingshen’s eyes lingered on his direction several more times.

“Brother Shen, what are you looking at?” the assistant asked.

Wen Xingshen took one last look at the “sneaky” figure of Ji Fengjing hiding in the crowd and coolly withdrew his gaze.

“Nothing. Let’s go in.”