Chapter 00123: Anxiety
# Anxiety
Chapter 123
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 123: Anxiety
"Who wakes first from the grand dream? I know my life well. The grass hut is filled with the fullness of spring sleep, and outside the window, the sun lingers lazily!"
In the morning, after a full ten hours of sleep, Chen Qi finally opened his eyes.
He stretched his arms and legs, feeling his entire body refreshed and his spirit uplifted.
The quality of this sleep would have made his past self green with envy—back then, he couldn't sleep without medication.
After being away for over a month, he had returned to his loyal Room 302.
The room had become his exclusive space.
Books were piled up here and there, a Huanghuali chair in one corner, a redwood stool in another—Yu Xiuli's place was already overflowing.
Liang Xiaosheng, Ge You, and others often visited, completely unaware that the furniture they sat on were antiques from centuries ago.
Ge You even rocked the chair so hard that Chen Qi almost punched him.
Glancing at the time, it was already nine o'clock.
He hurriedly washed up, got dressed, and dashed downstairs.
Gong Xue was already waiting downstairs with a lunchbox, not the least bit annoyed.
She smiled and said, "I figured you'd oversleep. I got you some buns—cabbage and lard filling."
"Didn't you sleep in? I'm exhausted."
"I went to bed early last night and got about seven or eight hours of sleep. Slow down, don't choke."
Chen Qi wolfed down the buns in a few bites, considering it breakfast.
He hopped onto his old bicycle, and Gong Xue gracefully took the back seat.
They rode out of the compound.
At the gate, the guard called out:
"Gong Xue, there's another package of letters for you! A big one!"
"Thank you, Uncle. I'll pick it up later!"
She responded, then sighed, "Now I get a package of letters every day. I can't even finish reading them. What should I do?"
"Report it to the higher-ups and ask the factory to assign someone to help you read them."
"Huh? How can that be?"
"Just accept the sentiment. You should write more open letters in Popular Cinema. Mention a few names casually, and they'll be over the moon. If you answer a few representative questions, oh my, they'll be your lifelong fans."
"You... I feel like you don't respect the audience!"
"Whether I respect the audience or not doesn't matter. If you don't hold onto me now, you're disrespecting my cycling."
"..."
Gong Xue hesitated for a moment, then cautiously reached out and placed her hands on his waist.
It was the first time she had touched a man's waist, and even through the thin fabric, she could feel the firmness and strength beneath.
For no reason, she suddenly remembered a mating dog she had seen in the countryside.
Chen Qi rode quite a distance, arriving at No. 6, Lechun Lane, on the south bank of Shichahai.
The small alley was particularly quiet.
He unlocked the door and pushed open the mottled red wooden door, and the two of them entered the courtyard.
"This courtyard is huge!"
Gong Xue looked around curiously and said, "It must have been beautiful once. What a shame it burned down."
"If it hadn't burned down, I wouldn't have gotten it!"
Chen Qi stood amidst the ruins, hands on his hips, and said, "I designed the plans myself. First, I'll hire someone to clear this mess, then tear down the north house and start building."
"Which construction team are you using?"
"My dad pulled some strings. If that doesn't work, I'll ask the old factory director for help. Once it's built, it'll have a two-courtyard layout, but it'll definitely look better than before. When I start my magazine, it'll be the perfect private office. By the way, has the factory said anything about your housing?"
"They've put me up in the guesthouse for now, and they'll see if there's any single dormitory available. If not, I'll have to share with someone."
Gong Xue was quite pleased.
In the army, she had lived in an eight-person room, and at the Beijing Film Studio, even sharing would mean a double room.
But Chen Qi shook his head and said, "Have some confidence in yourself. Once Romance on Lushan Mountain comes out, you'll be one of the hottest stars. If you win a Hundred Flowers Award, you'll be among the top in the country. The Beijing Film Studio still wants you to share a room? Aren't they embarrassed?"
"You're just flattering me. How could I win a Hundred Flowers Award?"
"Why not? It's voted by the audience. If you win, I'll be proud too..."
Chen Qi grinned, and as he spoke, he reached for her hand.
"Someone might see!"
"There's not a soul around. Who's going to see?"
Gong Xue put up a token resistance, then let him hold her hand.
Ever since that night when they crossed a certain boundary, this rascal often took advantage of moments when no one was around to hold her hand.
She was about 163 cm tall, petite in every way, and her hands were soft and smooth, very pleasant to hold.
Chen Qi sighed as he held her hand.
What kind of world was this, where you had to find a ruined place just to hold hands?
"..."
Gong Xue kept her head down, her face flushed, not saying a word.
But when she felt that mischievous hand creeping up her arm, heading toward her shoulder and waist, she quickly pulled away and said, "We've seen the house. Let's go!"
Chen Qi didn't push it.
He led her out and locked the door.
Shichahai was only two or three hundred meters away, so they decided to take a stroll.
Beijing often gives the impression of being a massive city, but in reality, it has many lakes and hills.
Shichahai is connected to Beihai in the south, and Beihai is connected to Zhongnanhai—Chen Qi was determined to visit there someday.
It was still hot in August, and this area was a popular spot for locals, with many people around.
Chen Qi pushed his bicycle as they walked along the lake.
They passed several young couples, some strolling like them, others sitting on benches, chatting awkwardly.
In those days, dating was mostly through introductions and arranged meetings.
Superficially free, but in reality, not so much.
As they passed one couple, the girl glanced over, then suddenly turned back and called out, "Gong Xue? Is that you?"
"Me? I..."
"Oh my god, it really is Gong Xue! Come here, come here!"
The man also turned around, his eyes lighting up.
"Comrade Gong Xue, what are you doing here? Are you out for a walk too? We loved Romance on Lushan Mountain!"
Others nearby heard the commotion and quickly gathered, surrounding her in an instant.
"Wow, you're even more beautiful in person! I've watched Romance on Lushan Mountain three times!"
"What's your next project?"
"Hey, who's this? Your brother?"
While they weren't as fanatical as people would be in later years, the crowd's curiosity was natural.
Gong Xue, facing such a situation for the first time, was flustered and could only keep saying thank you.
She shot a pleading look at Chen Qi, but he had already moved to the outskirts, smiling and not intervening.
She bit her lip, mustering her courage and poise, and said, "Alright, alright, please listen! First of all, thank you all so much for your support. I'm deeply honored. Romance on Lushan Mountain was a team effort, and I only played a small part. There's no news about my next project yet, but if there is, it'll be announced in Popular Cinema. I'm really happy to meet all of you today, but I need to get back to the Beijing Film Studio now. Could you all please make way?"
The crowd parted, and she nodded in gratitude before hurriedly making her escape.
...
"How did that feel?"
"Hmm, a bit overwhelming, a bit exciting, and a bit vain."
"Haha, that means you're already a big star!"
On the way back, they exchanged thoughts.
Chen Qi said, "You'll need to be more careful from now on. Every move you make represents your public image. The media and the audience will scrutinize everything. Going out won't be as easy—you'll be surrounded wherever you go."
"So I can't go out casually anymore?"
"No, you should get a bodyguard. I think Ge Chunyan would be perfect. Her Bagua Palm could dismantle a shrine."
"Dismantle a shrine?"
"Monkey steals the peach!"
"Ugh, don't talk about that!"
Gong Xue didn't want to hear it, but Chen Qi was serious.
Some of the actors had finished filming, while others had gone to the Shaolin Temple crew.
They all had their own units, but Ji Chunhua was a drifter.
Once he finished filming, Chen Qi planned to bring him over.
He'd be both a lackey and a bodyguard, and his looks alone were intimidating.
Back at the guesthouse.
Chen Qi sat at the table and started doing the math.
Hiring people to clear the ruins would cost money.
Building the house, buying materials, and hiring a construction team would cost even more.
Then there was the decoration and furniture.
He only had ten thousand yuan left, and a familiar sense of anxiety began to creep in.
It was the same anxiety he had felt in his past life when he took out a loan to buy his first apartment and had to pay eight thousand yuan every month.
It was a physiological response, as natural as breathing.
(End of Chapter)