Chu Qianze was taken aback when embraced, feeling the unrestrained excitement of the person holding him. He tilted his head to catch a glimpse of the person, but all he could see was the back of their neck, with hair brushing against his cheek and causing a slight tickle. Finally, Chu Qianze lifted both hands, resting them on Shen Hezhi’s back, solidifying the embrace. His sleeves slid down to the elbows, revealing the smooth curves of his muscles.
“Do you remember now?”
“Yes.” Shen Hezhi lifted his head, gazing at the person in front of him with a smile playing on his lips. Unable to resist, he leaned in, pressing his forehead against the other’s, his mouth involuntarily curling upward.
“Report, I remember everything.”
Chu Qianze responded and, echoing the tone from that time, raised his voice slightly, saying, “Not bad.”
The strength of his embrace around Shen Hezhi increased.
During the past period, every night, Shen Hezhi would inexplicably reenact all the scenes filmed during the day in his dreams. The events in the dreams were somewhat similar to the shooting content but also a bit different.
In the scenes filmed, there was no mention of those supposed internal struggles. At first glance, it seemed like two comrades-in-arms facing life and death together, mutually supporting each other on the path to strength.
However, in the dreams, Shen Zhuofeng had been secretly in love with Chu Qianze from the very beginning. Since the time he was rescued a long time ago, he had been harboring feelings for him. Later, when the opportunity arose, he resolutely enlisted in the military. Apart from wanting to become someone like Chu Qianze, he also wanted to be closer to him, to make him aware of his presence, to gain his recognition.
These were the thoughts of a small-hearted admirer.
As time went on, the dreams began to elongate, and he started dreaming about parts that hadn’t been filmed yet.
After Hu Jia’s sacrifice, Chu Qianze showed a moment of vulnerability only on that day. The next day, he appeared just like the usual Chu Qianze.
As Shen Zhuofeng, watching him carry on as usual, hearing his daily elongated tones addressing him as Deputy Shen, witnessing him follow orders from above and concurrently commanding the pioneering army, observing him achieve victory after victory and ultimately reclaim all territories, seeing him being revered by the people and honored as the God of Chu.
Then, watching him fall in the final showdown with the foreign tribe, dissolving alongside the enemy king amidst continuous artillery fire.
Our side emerged victorious in the end, but Chu Qianze remained frozen in that moment, forever lost in the eternal flames along with countless members of the foreign royal family.
In future generations, they praised him, commended him, sang his praises, erected monuments in his honor, and immortalized him in biographies.
Yet, he remained frozen in that moment, trapped in the eve of that dawn.
It was a nightmare, and Shen Hezhi wanted to wake himself up, to escape this dreadful dream, to break free from this unsettling abyss.
But more than that, he wanted to keep watching, to learn more.
As if a grand dream had unfolded, triggering a certain turning point, memories of the past surfaced before his eyes. Shen Hezhi recalled the entirety of the circumstances that led to these events.
He was Shen Zhuofeng, the so-called protagonist or “gong” in each world. Although memories from the previous world had become hazy, like flowers seen through mist due to the passage of time, they still provided him with significant insights.
Normally, he shouldn’t have been able to recover his memories as long as he was still on the mission.
However, the reality was different; he remembered.
But none of that mattered. What mattered most was that Chu Qianze had lost his memories, yet he could still choose Shen Hezhi.
“I like you,” Shen Hezhi said, closing his eyes to savor this rare moment of solitude.
Feeling that the words lacked enough emotion and that saying it once might not convey the depth of his feelings, he added, “I love you.”
“Thanks for finding me, recognizing me, and coming to me in each and every crossing.”
“I remember everything from before; you’re not alone.” So, don’t show that lonely expression.
Facing the tight embrace from Shen Hezhi, Chu Qianze’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Eventually, he closed his eyes, concealing the emotions that welled up within. “Mm, I got it…”
Why do you always appear when I want to avoid you, and how do you manage to give me exactly what I need?
You troublesome kid.
“Deputy Shen,” Chu Qianze said, opening his eyes to find Shen Hezhi still focused on him. He couldn’t help but sigh lightly. “You’re too heavy, come down.”
“No, let me hug you a bit longer.” Shen Hezhi’s hands encircled Chu Qianze’s neck as he leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek. Feeling that it wasn’t enough, he pressed his face against Chu Qianze’s, wanting to get even closer.
“Ah—!” A small exclamation sounded, and Chu Qianze turned to see a woman standing not far away.
She covered her mouth with both hands, revealing a slightly embarrassed expression. Realizing what she had witnessed, she quickly retreated, pulling a companion who wanted to come up with her.
“Hey, why are you pulling me? I was just about to come up.”
“Never mind, just come with me.”
The rare nighttime visitor was scared away, leaving only Chu Qianze and Shen Hezhi.
Chu Qianze released his grip and looked at Shen Hezhi, who was still hanging onto him. There was a faint trace of helplessness in his eyes. “Aren’t you going to let go?”
Shen Hezhi reluctantly let go of Chu Qianze, but he held onto his hand tightly.
“How did you end up here?” Chu Qianze asked, glancing at their intertwined hands, not resisting.
Shen Hezhi’s eyes curved slightly as he lifted Chu Qianze’s hand. “To find you.”
As long as you need me, I’ll come running.
Lifting Chu Qianze’s hand, Shen Hezhi pressed a kiss on it, sincere and earnest, as if holding onto a precious treasure.
The cold silver light slanted down, framing the scene in a holy and beautiful way.
“Where did you learn such tricks? I’m getting goosebumps.” Chu Qianze’s mouth twitched, making a concerted effort not to lose his composure.
The atmosphere was instantly shattered.
“One of the classic scenes from romance dramas in this world, actually quite romantic,” Shen Hezhi remarked.
Seeing Chu Qianze’s expression, as if saying, “Don’t play with me,” Shen Hezhi changed the originally uplifting gesture to a handshake. “Forget it… I actually wanted to see you after remembering, so I came here to try my luck. Didn’t expect to actually run into you. Don’t you think it’s fate?”
“Let’s leave it at that,” Chu Qianze remained noncommittal.
“Could you be a bit more cooperative?”
Shen Hezhi pouted. “Those were all carefully accumulated material for scenes.”
“Oh, that’s truly serendipitous,” Chu Qianze said with a mockingly admiring tone.
Shen Hezhi’s expression paused for a moment, then he blinked and changed the subject, “…Do you want to take a walk here?”
“I’m fine with it. Do you want to take a walk here?” Chu Qianze cooperated in steering the conversation.
Nodding, Shen Hezhi took a couple of steps to stand in front of Chu Qianze. “I want to check on them. It’s been a while since I came.”
“A while?” Chu Qianze showed a hint of confusion.
Shen Hezhi smiled, “After all the battles were won, I used to come by from time to time. I also invested in establishing this memorial park. Look at that statue, doesn’t it capture the charm of the original scene?”
Thinking about the statue at the entrance, Chu Qianze felt a bit embarrassed. Did it really resemble him? Do I look that put together? Faced with Shen Hezhi’s expectant gaze, he improvised, “Indeed, it does look quite similar.”
“See?”
Allowing himself to be led, Chu Qianze walked alongside Shen Hezhi as they circled the memorial park. However, this time, the atmosphere seemed different from before.
“This is the area you initially guarded,” Shen Hezhi pointed to a mural.
“And this is where you went for a mission during my final assessment,” he indicated another location.
“This is the place where you, as the overall commander of the pioneering army, won your first battle,” Shen Hezhi continued.
Chu Qianze remained silent, quietly watching as Shen Hezhi chattered away, narrating their past life as if all those glories were his own.
After completing the entire tour, Shen Hezhi paused. “Tired? Why are you so quiet?”
Chu Qianze made a noncommittal sound. “I just think your eloquence has improved quite a bit. It used to take you ages to come up with a topic.”
“Is the change good?” Shen Hezhi inexplicably felt a bit nervous. Due to the experiences he went through, both his mindset and personality had undergone significant changes, almost irreversible.
If Chu Qianze didn’t like the person he had become…
“I think it’s great,” Chu Qianze’s eyes softened. “I like you no matter how you are.”
Shen Hezhi’s initial smile froze for a moment. He pursed his lips, and a faint bitterness welled up from his heart, almost swallowing him whole.
“Me too,” Shen Hezhi said softly.
“My honor,” Chu Qianze responded.
Seeing the hint of redness in Shen Hezhi’s eyes, as if he was on the verge of tears but holding back, Chu Qianze couldn’t resist patting his head.
“The buses have all stopped, and the cable cars too. How do we get back?”
“I drove here, in the parking lot over there. Judging by the speed, we can even get a nap on the way back,” Shen Hezhi said.
“Fortunately, you remembered to come find me. Otherwise, I might not have made it to the set until daybreak,” Chu Qianze suddenly felt a sense of relief.
“It’s nothing special,” Shen Hezhi casually said, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t suppress a smile.
Exiting the memorial park gate, a mechanical voice echoed.
[Wishing you a smooth journey and welcome back anytime.]
As they reached the parking lot, Chu Qianze couldn’t find Shen Hezhi’s car.
“Here it is,” Shen Hezhi led Chu Qianze to a certain sports car.
“You changed cars?” Chu Qianze looked at the stylish and flamboyant purple vehicle, completely different from the previous one. However, every part emitted an unmistakable aura of luxury.
“No, this one has always been mine. It’s the fastest, and…” Shen Hezhi suddenly remembered something, his gaze becoming elusive.
“Got it. Let’s go now,” Chu Qianze casually asked, not paying much attention. As he approached to open the door, he was stopped by a hand.
“Wait, let me handle it first!” Shen Hezhi shouted to stop Chu Qianze, but he was a step too late.
The car door opened, the sports car automatically started, and the computer connected to the sound system.
[Today, you’ve traveled 639 kilometers, with a maximum speed of…]
639 kilometers?
Chu Qianze was taken aback. Although he hadn’t calculated the distance, according to the cable car’s speed, the maximum distance from the set to here would be around 80 kilometers at most.
Watching Shen Hezhi quickly reach over to turn off the sound system, looking somewhat flustered, Chu Qianze hesitated and said, “You—”
Shen Hezhi’s expression was a bit awkward. He understood that he couldn’t hide it and could only confess.
“After waking up, I didn’t know where you would go, but I really wanted to meet you, so…”
“So you ran through all the possible places?” Chu Qianze understood. It wasn’t a matter of fate; it was the result of this person’s diligent search.
“This was the last place I could think of. If you weren’t here, I really didn’t know where else to go. Meeting here, we’re still quite fateful,” Shen Hezhi stubbornly steered the conversation toward fate.
“That’s true,” Chu Qianze agreed, seeing Shen Hezhi’s competitive look, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Couldn’t you just call me or send a message instead of running around aimlessly?”
Shen Hezhi was stunned. He had been too impatient at the time, completely immersed in the state of two hundred years ago, and had completely forgotten about these methods.
“Caught off guard, hahaha,” Chu Qianze laughed so hard he clutched the car for support.
“Are you talking about yourself?” Shen Hezhi’s expression turned serious.
“Sure, it works. Anyway, the two of us are inseparable,” Chu Qianze casually said, opening the car door. “Come on, let’s go inside. We’ve been standing outside for a long time.”
The anticipated awkwardness and inquiries didn’t materialize. The mental preparation Chu Qianze had made turned out to be unnecessary. Shen Hezhi smoothly settled into the sports car, glancing at Chu Qianze.
After fastening his seatbelt and ensuring everything was in order, Chu Qianze turned to the person beside him. “I’m ready.”
“Shall we go then?” Shen Hezhi sought approval.
“Step on it! Let’s go!” With a rush of wind, Chu Qianze closed his eyes, raised his hand towards the sky, and cheered in the roaring wind.
After driving for a while, Chu Qianze leaned on his chin, looking out of the window. After a moment, he leaned over and asked, “Is the autopilot on?”
Shen Hezhi hummed, retracting the hand placed on the steering wheel to demonstrate its authenticity.
“Seeing you so serious, I thought I might be mistaken,” Chu Qianze said.
“Yeah… because I saw you were a bit worried about flipping over earlier, so I have to appear more serious,” Shen Hezhi put his hand back on the steering wheel.
“Alright, stop pretending.” Chu Qianze tugged at Shen Hezhi’s sleeve. “The reunion is over. Let’s chat. I have a lot of questions in my mind now.”
Lowering his hand, Shen Hezhi turned to look at Chu Qianze. “What do you want to know?”
Chu Qianze pondered for a moment, then raised his hand to tap the nearby system display screen. “Can you see this?”
“The system?” Shen Hezhi shook his head. “Only the contract holder can see it. It’s your system, and I can’t see it.”
“Do you have one?” Chu Qianze didn’t hide his curiosity.
“I used to have one, but it broke. However, it didn’t break completely, so I couldn’t sign a new contract with a system,” Shen Hezhi scratched his head, looking a bit shy. If someone else saw this, they might be shocked enough to dislocate their jaw.
“Wow, how did that happen? Tell me about it.” Chu Qianze’s hands were propped up on Shen Hezhi’s shoulders, his eyes gleaming as if he had heard something interesting.
[I feel a bit dangerous.]
“Don’t worry, I won’t mess with you. I’ve topped up your account with an annual membership. Enjoy it yourself,” Chu Qianze pushed the display screen, sending it off to a cooler place.
“It wanted me to do something I didn’t like. I refused, we argued for a while, and the screen broke accidentally,” Shen Hezhi summarized briefly.
“That’s it?” Chu Qianze’s gaze almost turned blank. Was this the level of abbreviation close to a cliffhanger?!
“You could at least explain it more detailedly.”
“Before, I signed a contract with that supposedly mainframe big screen. I completed missions, and it extracted a portion of my abilities to resurrect you. My mission was to be reborn into various characters, follow instructions to complete career and relationship storylines. At that time, the technology wasn’t quite mature, so when I was reborn into the world, I had no memories at all, born completely as a native. Because subconsciously, I didn’t want to fall in love, so in the end, all my career progress was full, and the relationship progress was zero. Later, in a certain world, the system that signed a contract with me wanted to forcefully implement commands. I accidentally stepped on it and crushed it, paying some price myself.” Shen Hezhi shrugged, trying to recall the scene at that time.
“A lot of memories became blurry at that time. I just remember constantly traversing and then in the process of continuous reincarnation, memories became even blurrier. Probably something like being reborn into a character, developing the career storyline, living a lonely life until death, leaving the world, and then continuing to be reborn into the next world. It’s a cycle like that.” Shen Hezhi spoke with an indifferent tone, as if he were talking about something unimportant. In fact, he really didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t want to treat it as such.
“Then you met me?” Chu Qianze supported his chin, smoothly continuing the conversation.
“Yes, then I met you, and the cycle was broken,” Shen Hezhi echoed.
Chu Qianze stretched lazily and leaned against Shen Hezhi’s shoulder. “Deputy Shen, I want to eat dessert made by you.”
“I’ll make it when we get back,” Shen Hezhi considered nearby stores and what ingredients he could gather.
“There’s no need to make it right away. How about tomorrow or the day after? Take it easy; filming is quite tiring.” Chu Qianze displayed his considerate nature.
A playful smile crossed Shen Hezhi’s eyes. Suddenly, he recalled the times when he was Shen Zuorong, and the other party always advised him to rest, mentioning the importance of sustainable development and such.
“If I do well tomorrow, will there be a reward?” Shen Hezhi turned his head to gaze at Chu Qianze, feeling a bit bolder.
“What do you want?” Chu Qianze narrowed his eyes, giving off a half-smile.
A kiss, perhaps?
Shen Hezhi’s facial muscles twitched slightly, and the words “a kiss” were on the tip of his tongue but swallowed back. Instead, he touched his lips with his fingertip, suggesting, “How about a kiss?”
As soon as the words fell, Chu Qianze walked up and gave him a kiss before returning to his original position. “Alright~”
Seeing the relaxed expression on Chu Qianze’s face, Shen Hezhi realized that he had set the conditions too easily.
“Let’s change it up. How about coming to my room to sleep tonight?” Shen Hezhi, on the surface, was playing the rogue, but secretly observed Chu Qianze with caution.
A hint of a smile flashed in Chu Qianze’s eyes. He pretended to contemplate for a moment and reluctantly said, “Okay, that works.”
Surprised!
Shen Hezhi couldn’t help but glance at him, then looked ahead, calculating what he could do tonight.
There were too many things that could be done.
Back at the film set, Chu Qianze stepped out of the car, ready to open the driver’s seat door, only to see it automatically opening.
When Shen Hezhi walked out, he saw Chu Qianze standing in front of him and directly took his hand.
The two of them left the parking lot together, heading towards the hotel. As they entered the elevator, they happened to see someone inside.
“Director He?” Chu Qianze greeted with a nod, not expecting someone from the crew to still be around at this hour.
Director He glanced at Chu Qianze, then at Shen Hezhi, a bit puzzled. “You guys still aren’t sleeping?”
“We visited the Martyrs Cemetery,” Shen Hezhi said simply.
Upon hearing this, He Luo showed a sudden realization and expressed some satisfaction, saying, “Not bad, not bad. It’s good to learn more about history when you have the opportunity. This way, you can better embody your characters. Although you’ve already performed well, continuous improvement is commendable. Such virtues are valuable.”
It’s really good. They finished early and even went all the way to the cemetery to experience the atmosphere. With such virtues, there’s nothing they can’t do well.
Chu Qianze glanced at Shen Hezhi beside him, ‘You’re really cheating him. Don’t you feel guilty?’
Shen Hezhi looked back, looking somewhat confused, ‘I’m stating the facts.’
The elevator arrived at their floor, and the three of them walked out together.
“Director He, why are you still up so late?” Chu Qianze asked.
“Maybe I’m getting old. These days, I’ve had some insomnia. If I can’t sleep, I’d rather go outside for a walk and think about the shooting while I’m at it,” He Luo chuckled. “With both of you being so energetic, as a director, I can’t afford to fall behind.”
“I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’ve decided to think about what comes next,” He had already arrived at the door of Chu Qianze and Shen Hezhi’s room. He clenched his fist as a self-encouragement, “Chu Qianze, go back and rest soon. Sleep early; there are many action scenes during the day, and it’s very physically demanding. Shen Hezhi, you stay. Let’s have a chat.”
“Alright, Director He, you should also get some rest early. Even if you can’t sleep, at least rest for a while,” Chu Qianze stood in front of his own room. Seeing that He Luo was still standing there as if waiting for him to enter, he swiped his card to open the door.
Seeing Chu Qianze enter the room, He Luo’s originally friendly expression disappeared instantly. He quickly pulled Shen Hezhi over and said, “Even if you really like that Chu Qianze from two hundred years ago, it’s not right to make a move on the actor, right? What’s this? Are you looking for a substitute and bringing them to the set? This rabbit hasn’t even settled down yet!”
Shen Hezhi stood by the side, hearing this and feeling somewhat helpless. “What are you talking about…”
“Don’t act confused here! Those substitute plots and such, fine for novels or TV dramas, but it’s unacceptable in reality. Shen Hezhi, I’ve watched you grow up. You’re not the type to have strange and bizarre behaviors. I can’t let you go down the wrong path!”
Chu Qianze leaned against the door, and although the voices of the two outside weren’t very loud, it was still somewhat muffled from here. However, he couldn’t help but laugh when he had a system that could convert voice into text.
As he read the gradually emerging conversation, a playful smile appeared at the corner of Chu Qianze’s mouth.
[He Luo: I really like Xiao Chu. He’s talented and capable. In the near future, he’ll surely have a prominent position in the industry. You can’t treat him like this; you might ruin him!]
[Shen Hezhi: Director He… you’re overthinking it.]
[He Luo: Overthinking? Where am I overthinking? A single man returning so late, going to the martyrs’ cemetery… Are you trying to shape him into someone resembling your ideal Chu Qianze?]
[Shen Hezhi: He’s not a stand-in.]
[He Luo: What? Are you saying that in your mind, Xiaozhu doesn’t even qualify as a stand-in? Xiao Shen, you can’t be like this!!]
[Shen Hezhi: Imagination is a sickness… He is Chu Qianze himself; how could I possibly consider him a stand-in?]
[He Luo: Which Chu Qianze are you talking about? No, keep the door open; we need to have a talk. Tonight, you have to make things clear to me!]
Chuckle.
Chu Qianze couldn’t hold it back. He took a few quick steps and ran to the window, bursting into laughter.
After finishing some odds and ends, as he lay on the bed, he noticed a chat window appearing on the light brain.
[Shen Hezhi: Can’t get through the night, being investigated and questioned. (Goodbye.jpg)]
[Shen Hezhi: I suspect He Luo only has body double plots in his mind. (Furious to death.jpg)]
Haha, it seems he’s truly upset, using the original name directly.
Chu Qianze, who had finally calmed down, couldn’t help but burst into laughter again. “This is too much.”
He sent a message to him. [Shall I come to see you?]
[Shen Hezhi: No need, the conversation is over.]
[Shen Hezhi: I was honest with him. I truly care about you, with marriage as the premise.]
Chu Qianze sat up, intending to reply, but saw the typing indicator on the chat window. In the next moment, a message popped up.
[Shen Hezhi: So, what kind of ring do you like? (Deep in thought.jpg)]
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![He Lived Like You [End of the World]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HLLY.jpg "He Lived Like You [End of the World]")
