100 Let’s Go Home And Have a Bath

"Ah … What are you doing? Why does this wagon run without a horse? Aaaahhhh! What kind of ride is this?! Why is it so strange? Who is driving the carriage? …"

"Shut up. Eat your congee. No yelling. Stop acting or I'll beat you up!"

Trying to stop Rong Qiuchen from putting on a terrified performance, Yuan Ge warns him sternly, steps hard on the accelerator and drives his limited edition Land Rover onto the road. Catching a glimpse of the boy screaming in panic and clinging to the door handle, acting out the drama of an ancient man transmigrating to the modern world, he can't help but laugh out loud; then he locks the doors to prevent the boy from overacting and accidently opening the door and falling out of the car.

"Hey, eat your congee, don't grab my arm! Even though I can drive pretty well with one hand, it's not a good idea to be caught on the road cameras with you tugging and pulling me! Sit back, eat your food and don't spill the congee in my car!"

But the boy pays no attention to Yuan Ge's words. Both of his hands clings to Yuan Ge's right arm as he stares out of the car window at the fast-moving world with a terrified look on his face.

Yuan Ge has been driving for years, but this is the first time he has seen such a dramatic passenger - this inexplicable little creature beside him, who would pinch his arm hard every time he turns a corner. When Yuan Ge changes lanes to overtake, he either closes his eyes tightly or props his hands on the windscreen, as if this would provide some sort of protection. As soon as Yuan Ge picks up speed, he would collapse in his seat, and that dying look on his face is simply brilliant...

"I mean, come on, we're not strangers any more, and I fully acknowledge your superb acting skills, so can you just behave normally and stop messing around? I just don't get it. What kind of illness are you suffering from? Amnesia? Paranoia? Hysteria? Can someone forget all the skills of modern life and pretend to be an ancient person from the use of language to the logic of behaviour …"

Amidst Yuan Ge's monologue and Rong Qiuchen's occasional shrieks, the car drives into the vast night of the Imperial Capital. It is only when Yuan Ge gets onto the second ring road that Qiuchen becomes slightly more accustomed to the feeling of riding in a car. Through the car window, he stares wide-eyed at the incomparably prosperous megalopolis in the beautiful night light, and he could not help the tears welling up in his eyes as he watches a corner of the Forbidden City not far away drowned in the magnificent splendour of modern architecture.

Yuan Ge catches his expression out of the corner of his eye and says before he can let out his emotion, "Well, it's changed a lot, hasn't it? From the Rong Mansion to Moonlight Valley in the Western Hills, which only covers about a quarter of the city, it's much bigger than it was in the Qing Dynasty, isn't it? After all, with more than 20 million people crammed into this city to live, there's no way to do it without some kind of reform. People will have nowhere to live if these matchbox buildings are not built; cars will have nowhere to drive if highways are not built. It's a pity that so many ancient buildings and relics have been torn down, but the good thing is that people are now paying more and more attention to the preservation of traditional culture. Look at the classical architecture around our film set, isn't it well preserved …"

"The last time I went to Yandai Byway with you, I could already feel how things has changed. What I have seen today leads me to believe that things have indeed changed forever and that the past is truly behind us …"

Yuan Ge turns his head and looks at him. Seeing the emotions on Rong Qiuchen's face that don't seem to be fake, he sighs, "You're really obsessed! I really think it would be a waste of your talent if you are not allowed to make a drama about people transmigrating from the past to the present!"

"Childe Yuan, what kind of divine carriage is your transport? How can it move as fast as the wind and lightning! It's just that we are confined to one place, which feels somewhat stuffy …"

"Turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, 240 brake horsepower, not bad, eh?" When it comes to cars, Yuan Ge has a lot to talk about, but looking at Rong Qiuchen's clueless expression, he knows it is all a waste of time, but wait, did he say "stuffy"?

"How dare you say my car is stuffy? This is a limited edition imported Range Rover Evoque convertible! The thing is, if I were to open the roof now, not to mention that we're both going to freeze to death in this weather, just with you screaming like a headless chicken, we are waiting to be arrested by the police!"

Not fully understanding Yuan Ge's words, Rong Qiuchen sighs, "In the past, fine horses and beautiful chariots belonged only to the lords, but now they are inundated on the roads of a busy city?"

"As it's the middle of the night, traffic is flowing quite freely. If it was rush hour, you would see how bad the traffic jams are in the capital. China now has 400 million cars, one for each family on average, but the price difference between a good car and a bad car is huge."

"How much is 400 million? Childe Yuan, your fine chariot is of very good quality. What dd you mean when you said 240 horses?"

"Geez, where did you get so many questions! Any topic is enough to keep us talking for hours… can't wait to get home to have a bath …"