16 Cry Me a River

In the dead of night, faced with such a completely naked and stunningly beautiful boy...

Director Yuan Ge, who always considers himself intellectual and rational, thinks he has finally seen through his tricks and understood what is going on, "Now I get it! You're actually a porcelain bumper[1], aren't you! Tell me, where did you hide the camera?"

Having gained a lot of experience in fighting smear campaigns since his return to China, Yuan Ge believes now he has a good understanding of all the crap that goes on among the crazy fans in show business.

"You want to play Rong Qing in my new film, don't you? I suggest you not try to be too clever. It's useless to pull this kind of stunt!"

"Do you think you can blackmail me by getting naked on a cold, snowy night and pretending to be deaf, dumb, blind and miserable? Let go of me now!"

Yuan Ge looks around to see if the boy has any accomplices, and in desperation he increases his strength to break free of his grip, but to no avail. The boy is so terrified of being abandoned that he seems to cling to Yuan Ge with all his might, as if he is his only hope and he can not let go no matter what.

"What a hopeless time we live in! Do boys have to go to such extremes just to get into the acting circles?"

Seeing his wrist turning red from being grabbed, Yuan Ge looks around for signs of snappers and cameras, fearing that he would be on the news all over the Internet the next morning. He says to the boy sarcastically, "That's quite an outfit you've got there. It turns to ashes at a touch. The special effects are top notch. Which seller did you get it from on Taobay? I'll have to order a few for my actors too... "

Before he can finish his sentence, the boy suddenly bursts into tears, his emotions rushing out of him like a river breaking its banks, his previously muffled whimpers becoming discernible. "Wherefore, wherefore! who is't art thee, I… I... "[2]

The boy mutters, crouching down again and clutching his knees as he sobs uncontrollably.

Yuan Ge has never seen anyone able to cry so hard. Large teardrops are falling down his face like broken pearls, as if a lifetime of unfulfillment, resentment and grievances have converged in his eyes and burst forth from these choked sobs.

The sound of the boy's cries is also beautiful and ethereal. His broken words have a pure Beijing accent. And the expression on his face is so resigned and helpless, his jade-like body trembling, causing Yuan Ge's heart to suddenly feel like it has been stabbed by a dull knife, starting to inexplicably ache terribly. As if the blood in his veins is stirred by the boy's tears, it begins to boil, and many strange images are rushing into his mind, bizarre and fantastical, like a dream.

Moonlight shines on the old ginkgo tree, casting shadows on the faces of the two men. In the stillness of the night, the only sound that can be heard in this old mansion is Yuan Ge's reprimand, "What the hell do you want? A liar, a porcelain bumper, pretending to be a victim, why are you crying? What do you really want, crying so much… What a great actor you are! Well, act, keep acting!"

Although Yuan Ge's words are sharp and unforgiving, seeing the boy crying while hugging himself into a ball and trembling terribly, he still feels sorry for him. With a softening heart, he takes off his overcoat and drapes it over the boy's naked body, "There! You won! Stop crying! It annoys the hell out of me! Come with me to the office so I can at least find you some clothes to wear! If you freeze to death here tonight, I'll still be on the news tomorrow!"

Yuan Ge wraps his coat around the boy with one hand, helps him up with the other and leads him towards the temporary crew lounge.

"You're a real pro at this kind of porcelain bumping scam. I can't even call the police or an ambulance. If anyone saw us like this now, I won't be able to wash myself clean even if I jump into the Yellow River[3]. Okay, okay, please, stop crying! In a minute when you've calmed down and can talk properly, you can tell me what you really want… "

The boy seems to sense Yuan Ge's kindness and gradually stops crying, taking Yuan Ge's hand and following him timidly. The two walk slowly along the gravel path by the Dragon Pond, moonlight covering the water behind them as two golden leaves drift down from the ancient ginkgo tree onto the surface of the water, like two overlapping hearts.

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[1] Porcelain bumping, or Pengci, is a type of scam where the scammers place ostensibly expensive, fragile items (usually porcelain) in places where they may easily be knocked over, allowing them to collect damages when the items are damaged. The term has been expanded to include feign injury in traffic accidents in order to extort money from drivers.

[2] This is Shakespearean English, in modern English it means "Why, why! Who are you, I... I..."

[3] Unable to wash oneself clean even if one jumps into the Yellow River, this is a Chinese idiom used to describe the inability to clear one's name after being slandered.