Early the next morning, dawn was just breaking.
The production crew had only just switched on the equipment, but plenty of viewers had already flooded into the livestream.
Anyone watching at this hour was basically a die-hard fan. The picture was still dark, showing only the sofa and coffee table in the guesthouse living room, but the comments were already lively.
[Morning, morning, morning]
[Here to see if my husband is awake yet]
[Is Pei Yubai up?]
[This lousy show doesn't even have a wake-up service]
The camera wobbled, then turned toward the stairs.
Then someone came downstairs.
Pei Yubai wore a black tank top, dark gray athletic shorts, and running shoes.
His hair was uncombed, a few strands hanging over his forehead. He looked as though he had just washed his face; he hadn't even dried off the water droplets.
The comments froze for a second.
Then they poured out like floodgates had opened.
[Holy shit]
[Wait wait wait am I allowed to see this?]
[He's wearing a tank top??? He's actually wearing a tank top???]
[Those arms, those shoulders, oh my god]
[My nose is bleeding]
[Mom, what kind of adults-only footage am I watching?]
[Pei Yubai, what are you doing this early? Just trying to seduce me first thing in the morning?]
[Hehehehehehe]
With his looks, Pei Yubai normally had an air of refined elegance when he wore a coat.
Now, in a tank top and shorts, he gave off a different kind of vibe, an explosion of pheromones.
His features were naturally sharply defined. A prominent brow, slightly deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. His skin was fair, but not sickly pale. It looked healthy.
Beneath his tank top, his shoulders were broad, his collarbones stood out, and the muscles in his arms weren't exaggerated, but every line was clearly defined.
The comments were still going wild, licking the screen.
[As everyone knows, Pei Yubai has a great body]
[I got screenshots, I got screenshots]
[Pei Yubai, give me back my sleep. I'm completely awake now]
Meng Xu appeared from some corner with a cup of coffee in his hand and glanced at Pei Yubai.
"Oh, morning run?"
Pei Yubai murmured an acknowledgment and bent his head to tie his shoelaces.
"Do you know your way around?"
Pei Yubai looked up at him without speaking.
Meng Xu laughed and beckoned to someone nearby. "Xiao Chen, go with Mr. Pei. Don't follow too closely. Just film from a distance."
A young man carrying a camera ran over and nodded.
Pei Yubai stood up and, without saying anything more, pushed open the door and went out.
The early-morning mist over Cloud-Hidden Town had yet to clear. The flagstone road was wet, and the air smelled of vegetation. It wasn't exactly fragrant, but it smelled very clean.
Standing outside the guesthouse, Pei Yubai looked left and right, picked a direction at random, and started running.
He didn't run fast, and his footsteps were light. Xiao Chen, the cameraman following him, stayed behind, keeping as much distance as possible so as not to disturb him.
The comments slowly calmed down.
[He looks so good when he runs]
[You can tell from that rhythm he runs regularly]
He ran for about half an hour. The mist had thinned a little. The sun wasn't up yet, but a pale golden glow edged the sky.
Pei Yubai stopped and looked around. He was planning to run back.
Then he spotted a temple.
It stood a short distance from the road, a few dozen meters down a side path.
The temple wasn't large, but it was exquisitely built. White walls, gray tiles, and upturned eaves. Two old trees stood outside the entrance, their thick trunks suggesting they had been there for years.
The wooden doors were painted dark red. Above them hung a plaque bearing three characters.
The camera zoomed in, and the comments began reading them.
"Yue Lao Temple?"
"What a beautiful little temple"
Pei Yubai glanced down at his watch. Six twenty. It was still early.
After a moment's thought, he turned down the side path.
The temple doors weren't locked, just left ajar. He pushed them open and entered a small courtyard paved with bluestone slabs, swept very clean.
A large incense burner stood in the middle of the courtyard. No incense was burning, but it was full of ash, indicating someone came to clean regularly.
Directly opposite was the main hall, with covered walkways on either side. Many red cloth strips were tied to the wooden railings, some faded, others still new. They swayed gently in the breeze.
The doors to the main hall were open too. It was somewhat dark inside, but a statue could be seen enshrined in the center.
The comments started up again.
[This is my first time seeing a Yue Lao temple]
[So atmospheric. Those red strips are for praying for marriage, right?]
[It's a small temple, but you can tell a lot of care went into it]
Pei Yubai was standing in the courtyard looking at the old tree when a voice came from behind him.
"Young man, you're here early."
He turned. An old man approached from the side hall, holding a broom. He wore gray cloth clothes and had a beaming smile. He looked to be in his sixties and was very sprightly.
Pei Yubai nodded. "Morning."
The old man looked him over, his smile widening. "Here to pray for a match?"
Pei Yubai shook his head. "No. I passed by on my morning run and came in to have a look."
"Oh." The old man leaned his broom against the wall and came over. "You're not local, are you? Your accent doesn't sound like it."
"No. I'm here to film a show."
The old man didn't seem to have much of a concept of "filming a show," nor did he ask further. He simply said warmly, "So you're from out of town. Since you've come all this way, go inside and have a look. Our Yue Lao Temple here in Cloud-Hidden Town is very efficacious."
Pei Yubai didn't move, asking casually, "People here believe in this?"
The old man smiled, as though he had been asked that question many times.
"We do. Our ancestors all did." He pointed at the temple. "This temple is at least several hundred years old. Here in Cloud-Hidden Town, we've believed in Yue Lao for generations. Do you know why?"
Pei Yubai didn't answer, but he didn't leave either. Taking that to mean he wanted to listen, the old man continued on his own.
"Long ago, there was a hunter here. One day, he went hunting in the mountains and lost his way. He wandered somewhere he'd never been before and saw an old man sitting on a rock, winding a red string around a branch."
"The hunter asked what he was doing. The old man said he was tying a red thread for the daughter of a family down the mountain. The hunter didn't believe him, but when he went down and asked around, that family's daughter had indeed been betrothed that very day. After that, the hunter ran into the old man every time he went into the mountains, and gradually they got to know each other."
"The old man told him he was Yue Lao, and all the marriage ties around Cloud-Hidden Town were under his care."
"The hunter asked why he looked after this area in particular. Yue Lao said it was because the people here were sincere."
"Later, word spread, and the people of Cloud-Hidden Town began worshipping Yue Lao. It passed down from generation to generation and has never stopped, even now."
Finishing his story, the old man smiled. "A story is a story, but the temple really does answer prayers. Whenever someone's child in town comes of age, they come to pay their respects. They don't pray for great wealth or status, just a good marriage."
"It really does answer prayers."
Pei Yubai listened without much change in his expression. He turned toward the main hall.
"Want to have a look inside?" The old man stepped aside.
Pei Yubai walked in.
The main hall wasn't large. A statue of Yue Lao was enshrined in the center, depicting an old man who fit everyone's image of him perfectly.
His hair and beard were white, his long eyebrows drooped, and his smiling face looked kindly. He wore a red robe and held a red string in one hand and a book in the other-presumably the marriage register.
Several plates of fruit sat on the offering table before the statue, along with an ever-burning lamp whose flame burned steadily.
Pei Yubai looked up at it briefly, showing no particular reaction. Then he turned, thanked the old man, and headed out.
The old man didn't try to keep him, only calling after him, "Come again when you have time!"
Pei Yubai waved and left the temple.
On the run back, it had grown considerably brighter. Most of the mist had dispersed, revealing the distant mountain ridgeline.
Pei Yubai ran at an easy pace, breathing evenly. Xiao Chen, the cameraman following him, was probably tired; the footage had become a little shaky.
Pei Yubai noticed. He slowed down and glanced back at Xiao Chen. He said nothing, but eased his pace a little more.
The comments kept scrolling.
Pei Yubai noticed and suddenly turned his head to glance at the livestream the cameraman had open beside the camera.
The comments instantly exploded.
[He looked at the camera!!!]
[Good morning, Pei Yubai!!!]
Pei Yubai said nothing. He reached up and swept the hair off his forehead, revealing his entire face.
The comments were filled with all sorts of praise from his fans.
[That move killed me]
[No makeup. That's a completely bare face]
Some people began asking serious questions.
[Mr. Pei, when is your new movie coming out?]
[Has "Undercurrent" got a release date yet?]
[Any plans after filming wraps?]
Pei Yubai glanced at the camera as he walked and finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse. "'Undercurrent' comes out at the end of the year."
Just a few words, very much in keeping with Pei Yubai's image.
Another question followed in the comments: [Do you believe in that Yue Lao temple from earlier?]
Pei Yubai kept moving, his tone unchanged. "No."
The comments began egging him on.
[What if it really works?]
[Pei Yubai, you're such a stubborn skeptic]
Pei Yubai paid them no more attention. Seeing that the cameraman had more or less recovered, he picked up his pace a little and ran toward the guesthouse.
As he neared the guesthouse entrance, he spotted Shen Yuzhou standing on the steps in a wrinkled T-shirt, his hair sticking up and his eyes narrowed as though he wasn't fully awake.
Beside him stood Cheng Yanqiu, leaning against the doorframe with a cup of water.
Seeing Pei Yubai run up, Shen Yuzhou yawned. "Brother Pei, what are you doing up so early..."
Pei Yubai walked past him, leaving him with two words. "Morning run."
Shen Yuzhou yawned. "Everyone's up. Meng..." He paused, remembering they were filming a show. "Director Meng is going to announce what we're doing today. Let's go inside first."