I heard that my boyfriend is sick

15.

Ning Xi chose a seat by the window, the sky outside the window was dark, and there was a little star, Ning Xi rested her chin and looked out the window, quietly waiting for the clerk to serve the food.On the other hand, Jiang Neng brought a pot of barley tea familiarly, with two cups between them, and put the cups in front of Ning Xi with a smile on his face.

"The barley tea here tastes pretty good." Seeing that Ning Xi held up the teacup and blowing on her cheeks, Jiang Neng carefully pulled off the mask and smiled at him. "Now is the peak time for eating, and it may take a while for the food to be served."

Ning Xi held the cup with both hands, the tea was boiling hot, and the palms of the cup were slightly hot when they touched the wall of the cup. He nodded and waited quietly. "Not in a hurry."

After all, the two looked at each other, suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, and laughed awkwardly.

The shop Jiang Neng chose was far away from each other, and there were vertical baffles, which was good for privacy, and the surrounding area was relatively noisy, and the whispers of people at each table were not obtrusive. Seeing this, Jiang Neng opened his mouth.

"Little nurse, you... said before that you will participate in the letter collection activity of the crew?"

He didn't want to "blame" the little nurse for secretly writing about his fandom from the beginning, remembering the activities that Ning Xi mentioned before, Jiang Neng asked casually.

Ning Xi took a sip of her tea. "It is to write a letter to the character played by the actor you like. In the end, each actor will decide on the best letter to write. Lucky fans can get signed stills and get a surprise gift personally prepared by the actor."

Jiang Neng snorted. "The person you want to write about... is Wen Jinyue?"

Ning Xi nodded, obviously very happy.

Jiang Neng was not in a bad mood either. After all, there was such a little nurse who supported him wholeheartedly, and the feeling of being neglected by the company dissipated a little. He had expected that Ning Xi would choose his role, but he really heard Ning Xi admit that , There is still a sense of identity that the role is affirmed.

"Haha, you are my loyal fan, you have a good eye."

Ning Xi frowned slightly: "...'Wen Jinyue' is a very good character. I read the original novel on the Internet before, and he is a rare person in that book who is sober-minded and calm."

Although the news of Jiang Neng's role as 'Wen Jinyue' has attracted many fans of Jiang Neng to read the original work, but this is just an excuse, fans are not without their own independent thinking.Fans have their own opinions on whether the drama that Idol accepts is good or not, whether it will be a big hit or it will still hit the street. It is not that no matter what Jiang can play, he will accept everything according to the order, and Ning Xi is no exception.Ning Xi didn't like Jiang Neng's idol dramas of the heroine's younger brother type before. Even though he supported Jiang Neng emotionally and contributed a little broadcast volume and ratings, he actually didn't care much about the role that consumed Jiang Neng's fame. Not very satisfied.

On the contrary, it was the third male character. After reading the original novel, Ning Xi felt that although the ending of 'Wen Jinyue' was regrettable, he was a real gentleman, and he was much better than the starting-point stallion male protagonist!

"Oh? You think so too?" Unexpectedly, Ning Xi didn't echo others, but had his own opinions. Jiang Neng became more serious. He clasped his hands, leaned forward, and approached Ning Xi. "When the crew announced the role candidates, most people were more looking forward to the male protagonist Jun Lie, and some more radical people directly said that Wen Jinyue is a hypocrite with ostentation..."

"If Wen Jinyue is a hypocrite, then Jun Lie is probably a romantic ghost!" Ning scolded, he looked at Jiang Neng who was a little disappointed, and comforted him. "Jiang Neng, don't trust those people."

Seeing that Ning Xi directly regarded himself as a poor little girl who had been misunderstood by public opinion, Jiang Neng secretly smiled in his heart, but still nodded with emotion on his face. With 'Wen Jinyue' as the introduction, the little nurse talked more, and he It seems that I really like Wen Jinyue in "Xuntian Wenwen", and I know Wen Jinyue's experience and major events very well.Maybe it's because the little nurse is also a fan fiction author. He quickly discovered the thinness of the protagonist's personality. Compared with Wen Jinyue's complexity, the way of promotion is like a promotion, and the reason for revenge like a girl is really speechless. .

"When I was at work, I was thinking, if I want to write a letter to Wen Jinyue, I must tell him at the first line that it is their loss that Master and Junior Brother abandoned him because of their luck." Ning Xi said, There seemed to be light in his eyes. "Wen Jinyue is not born to be the second generation of immortals. In the beginning, it was only the master's pity that he had the opportunity to join the cultivation of immortals. He was able to cultivate to the master of the sect and beat many disciples. It was not due to luck, but because of the rewards of heaven. Jun Lie came from a humble background, but he often relied on his luck. With the fate of the protagonist, he killed people, seized treasures, took revenge and seized power. Using Wen Wanxiao as a gimmick, he stepped Wen Jinyue's face on the ground. Maybe Wen Jinyue I will be disheartened because of the changes in my master, junior brother, and fiancée, but this change is not groundless."

"What I think is that Master reuses Jun Lie, and Wen Jinyue will resent and hate. After all, he is not heartless and desireless. Why did you choose that way...Little nurse, to be honest, I didn’t figure it out.” Jiang Neng’s eyes sparkled when he heard what Ning Xi said, and even though the role of this character had already been completed, he still raised his doubts. Because in that script, in order to portray Wen Jinyue as a stepping stone for the protagonist, the screenwriter made the character image extremely thin, and finally died. It was a piece of loess that was no different from others, it was too cruel, and it made Jiang Neng a little concerned. "I saw in the script that Master treats Wen Jinyue... at first, he treats him as if he were his own son..."

Ning Xi rolled her eyes, "I don't know how the TV series will be revised, but in the original book, Master Wen Jinyue's changes are not without clues. In my impression...his master is not as dedicated to his disciples as everyone imagines." Son, it was nothing more than a little effort at the beginning, but his master raised a thin boy in order to cultivate merit and temper his Taoist heart. Unexpectedly... that boy has some talent for cultivation, and he has become more and more prestigious and has become a sect The elder brothers and even the younger brothers and sisters in the school regard Wen Jinyue as the head of the future sect... His master has not been able to touch the position of the head of the sect. Such a kid who was accidentally saved has become so popular. His master and his son, how can there be no barriers."

"...It turned out to be like this." Jiang Neng suddenly realized something. Indeed, when he was analyzing the role of the male third, he had thought about how to revive this role. His sense of responsibility reads the disappointment of his betrayal and his silent love for his brothers and sisters around him. Jiang Neng sees it from Wen Jinyue's perspective, but sometimes he is blinded by it.At this time, from the perspective of master, younger brother and fiancée, Ning Xi solved a lot of his doubts. Wen Jinyue's master did not protect him too much. After Jun Lie appeared, he quickly reused Jun Lie. When Yue was criticized by the disciples of the sect, he learned the news and did not refute the rumors for Wen Jinyue. He received the treasures that Wen Jinyue collected for him, but his reaction was mediocre.

"Little nurse, you can do it. You have done a lot of homework."

Ning Xi blushed a little from the praise, he suddenly picked up the barley tea in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp. "Small, small things! —— I just read the original work and the filing information released by the crew...Actually, it's nothing..."

Jiang Neng was smiling, apparently in a good mood. "That's not true. You obviously read very carefully, and I have benefited a lot. I can imagine how many regrets Wen Jinyue would have if he received your letter. But... this event of the crew, Brother Wen did not Didn’t tell me, compared to the last letter that will be sent to the company, Brother Wen will delete the selection. In order to encourage fans, he will definitely choose a letter that is sensational and praises the handsome character, but it will make me miss this time to interpret the characters in the script again It must be a pity."

"So you didn't watch it yourself?" Ning Xi sighed, but she cheered up when she thought of Jiang Neng's unexpected visit to him today, "But after I told you just now, it can be regarded as telling 'Wen Jinyue' in person!"

Jiang Neng lowered his head and smiled. "Brother Wen reads all fan letters first, and he deletes and selects them before showing them to me. After all... I have a lot of announcements before, and I am as busy as a spinning top. I don't have time to read all the fan letters one by one. But , Fans will be very happy after being flopped, so Brother Wen always reminds me to regularly post some touching words written by fans on Weibo."

"Could this be washing powder?" Ning Xi was speechless.

Before Jiang Neng could say more, there was a burst of footsteps and yelling from far to near, Ning Xi got up subconsciously and pushed Jiang Neng's hat down a little. The spicy hot pot is fragrant, and the meat and vegetarian dishes are dotted with greenery, such as a few coriander and chopped green onions. The chili sauce in this store tastes authentic, and the taste is not spicy.Because there were many customers in the store and the business was busy, the clerk put down the small pot and left without paying attention to Jiang Neng's face. Ning Xi, who felt that he had done something stupid, was a little embarrassed. He just sat in his place blankly, which made Jiang Neng laugh happy.

"Little nurse, you think too highly of my fan base. The kind of mistress-level characters just now prefer some attractive middle-aged male singers or actors. If you don't have enough, you will also pay attention to Xiao Xianrou... Me, Now you can't be high or low, you can't be considered a first-line star, this is just a spicy hotpot restaurant, if you don't deliberately attract attention, you won't be discovered."

Ning Xi touched the back of her head. "...You are still very popular!...Don't be sad, I added your fan group, there are many people in the group, 99+! There are many people talking every day, you are not old, don't belittle yourself. And I guess you After this show airs, many fans will be attracted again, and there will be more fans of Jiang Shen in the future!—”

Ginger can take apart chopsticks and bowls. "You are very optimistic about my prospects!"

Ning Xi smiled and picked up a chopstick of Flammulina velutipes and lettuce. "When I saw you on the big screen for the first time, I thought you would shine and be extraordinary."

Unexpectedly, the little nurse would also flatter, Jiang Neng raised his eyebrows arrogantly. "It's a fan filter again. Come—have some meat, that chicken drumstick will taste even better with sauce."

Ning Xi obediently took the chicken leg that Jiang Neng handed over.

In fact, the two are so calm now, eating and chatting like old friends who have known each other for many years... It's really amazing. Originally, Jiang Neng only lived in Ning Xi's fantasy, and only interacted with himself in his imagination. But now, Jiang Neng took the initiative to reach out, giving Ning Xi a chance to get acquainted with him, and also opened a gap in his heart. Ning Xi ate the chicken drumstick recommended by Jiang Neng, and thought of the heartfelt words he just said to Wen Jinyue. He thought to himself, the reason why he has such a strong affection for Wen Jinyue's character is not only that Wen Jinyue is complex and layered, but more importantly...he gave Jiang Neng an opportunity to step into the consulting office.

No matter what the original intention was at the time, when we met, all the good things appeared.

Ning Xi's eyes grew warmer. “Chicken legs are super delicious!——”

Jiang Neng: "...It's as if you've never eaten meat, you're greedy little nurse."

Even though he said that, Jiang Neng still gave the little nurse another chicken leg with a sense of integrity.

"By the way, Jiang Neng, you came to me this time, don't you have something to say..." Ning Xi ate until her cheeks bulged. "What is it? Is it really a matter of entering the play?"

Jiang Neng choked violently. "Ahem--no, no."

He was a little embarrassed. After all, Jiang Neng wanted to accuse the little nurse at the beginning, and even wanted to teach him a lesson in the counseling center, and directly expose the little nurse's writing fandom and delusional thoughts. He didn't even think about inviting him to dinner!Before, it was only because it was time for the meal, and it was not easy to embarrass the little nurse in public, so he tricked him into the Xiangwei restaurant. Now, after listening to his analysis of the role, Jiang Neng looked at the little nurse with admiration and changed his mind for a while , He didn't want to trouble the little nurse, he even thought... It would be good to leave the contact information of the little nurse. If there is any script in the future, the little nurse, the little author, has some unique opinions and can give some ideas.

Besides... Ning Xi likes him so much, although Jiang Neng doesn't have to respond, but he doesn't have to hold on to him and trample him.

Jiang Neng: "It's nothing, I really want to treat you to a meal. I took a small medicine box from you for free before, and a meal is just enough. Although I have just finished the film recently, I am not deeply involved in the world of characters. To be honest, what you said just now... really cleared up a lot of my doubts, and even if I had any regrets, it was successfully resolved by you, 'Doctor Ning'!"

Ning Xi was just a little nurse at the front desk, he didn't think he was worthy of the title of doctor, so he waved his hands desperately, his ears turned red.

"Is this good? Although you missed the crew's letter event because of my invitation to dinner, you can't get rewards, but just now I have privately rated it as the best, although there is no reward from the crew... I can compensate you A special little gift."

Ning Xi: "Small gift?"

Jiang Neng picked up some meat and cauliflower, "Yes, I remember that besides restaurants, there is also a big shopping mall nearby."

Ning Xi's chopsticks froze. "There are too many people in the big mall, you will be recognized."

No matter how Jiang Neng can be considered an idol star, there will definitely be shop assistants who will recognize him in the mall, and it will be bad if he is photographed at that time.Besides, although Ning Xi didn't know why Jiang Neng was so idle recently, he didn't go to various film crews or shoot commercials, but he subconsciously thought that if Jiang Neng was photographed with himself in the mall, it would definitely bring Jiang Neng a lot of trouble.

"It doesn't matter." Jiang Neng didn't care much. "Idols can't go shopping in shopping malls and supermarkets. What kind of logic is this? If you take pictures, you can take pictures. Can you make up some flowers? Idol male star Jiang Neng and the mysterious man go shopping in the mall at night, suspected to be trapped丨Yang, hahaha, just your physique? Round eyes and round face, pfft, I don’t think I will get involved in rumors of the gold master because of this..."

Ning Xi: "..." Angry like a puffer fish.

"But it doesn't matter even if I get caught in a scandal. The ideal type I have announced to the media has always been white skin, thin waist, long legs, long hair flowing in a Mercedes, a filial and careful little angel." Jiang Neng poked another beef ball. "It's just you, the most I suspect is my brother... Besides, I really want to give you a reward. This time I pulled you back early and delayed a lot of things for you. I want to thank you and reward you. It's you , little nurse, what do you want?"

Ning Xi's chopsticks and bowl jingled, and he said angrily. "Then go and buy a long wig. If you can't drive a Mercedes-Benz, let's get a hair transplant first!"

Jiang Neng: "Hahaha—little nurse, I'm just kidding, don't be so stingy."

However, Jiang Neng took a peek at Ning Xi's legs. The little nurse is not very tall, but her proportions are good. Her legs look slender. She is white and soft, round and harmless, and her waist looks thin...

Hahaha, I really think too much. He Jiang Neng is a universe-level straight man, and he has been substituting himself as the male protagonist in girl comics.

Ning Xi didn't know what Jiang Neng was thinking, the two hurriedly started to eat, and the people at the tables around them moved around, and soon, the two of them almost ate the spicy hot pot to the bottom.

Ning Xi: "If you eat so much, will you be overweight? I heard that celebrities have to control their weight..."

Jiang Neng's face was a bit ugly. He snatched the last meatball from under Ning Xi's chopsticks before, and then slowly remembered Brother Wen's advice. Apart from watching Ning Xi's colleagues, he just slept and didn't exercise much. , I ate a big meal today, this time the weight will definitely exceed the standard, I don't know how many more meals of boiled cabbage will be eaten, but he still slaps his face and pretends to be fat.

"I don't need to control it. I am easy to lose weight. Brother Wen never cares about me."

Putting on their masks and hats again, Jiang Neng and Ning Xi left the store one after the other. The surrounding shopping malls were at their peak, and many people were shopping inside. Seeing the bright lights of the mall, Jiang Neng waved to Ning Xi.

"Follow, let's go."

"But……"

Jiang Neng reached out and pulled Ning Xi over. "Hey, little nurse, you are so young, why are you so timid."

The two quickly ran to the gate of the shopping mall, Ning Xi heard the words and whispered. "It's not timid, it's cautious."

There are all kinds of people in this world, with a large number of people, and each person has a different personality. There are risk-averse people like Ning Xi, and naturally there are adventurists like Jiang Neng. People are naturally attracted by people who are very different from themselves. Attraction is like a broken ring that will one day be rebonded.

Being criticized by Jiang Neng, Ning Xi was a little annoyed. After all, Ning Xi liked him, admired him, and retreated, and finally couldn't help but ran with him.

Ning Xi sometimes thinks that Jiang Neng is really a willful person, just like when he saw Jiang Neng at the first sight, he was sure that this person had an uninhibited and free soul, which was what he longed for and what he liked. Do it, dare to do it, you really like it no matter how you see it.

There are quite a lot of people in the shopping mall. Although he boasted about the little nurse, Jiang Neng didn't dare to be too big. If he could not be recognized, he would not be recognized. shoulders.

"ginger……"

Jiang Neng leaned close to Ning Xi's ear and whispered. "Disguise your identity, others will definitely not think of it."

Ning Xi only had time to nod, but his heart was blushing because of Jiang Neng's approach. He could feel Jiang Neng's kindness towards him, which made Ning Xi's breathing flutter.

The entire first floor of the shopping mall is full of jewelry and gold accessories, there are also several shoe stores, and the fourth and fifth floors are men's clothing. Jiang Neng thought about it and asked, "What gift do you want?"

Ning Xi: "It should be strange to choose the reward gift by yourself. If you ask for what you want, it looks like asking someone to pay for it."

Jiang Neng: "If someone is willing to help me pay for the real estate within the third ring, I won't mind choosing it myself, haha."

Ning Xi gritted his teeth. He felt that once Jiang Neng got in touch with this idol, he was really a bit like what was written in Tongrenwen. He was a little arrogant and a little headstrong, but he was a person who was willing to endure hardships and take responsibility. Dare to fight hard, he is easy to make up for misunderstanding others, but at the same time he dares to admit mistakes and is not afraid to correct them.

Jiang Neng was about to pinch Ning Xi's cheeks when suddenly, the phone in his pocket rang, and it turned out to be a text message from Brother Wen.

【Jiang Neng, where are you now? I didn't see you at your apartment. I have something important to discuss, so hurry back. 】

Jiang Neng frowned, and he quickly edited a text message.

[In the mall, what's the matter? 】

Brother Wen replied quickly, with a very irritable tone.

[I need to ask you for something important but you are in the mall? !Is there anything you can’t tell me to buy, you are a star, don’t think you are that little-known young man, even if you are no longer the old days, there are still many paparazzi who just follow you, you have no brains, tell you to stay at home Close the door and think about it, or run around.Jiang Neng, can you be more sensible, last time you offended Ms. Lu because of your recklessness, which angered the company's senior management, what exactly do you want?Tell me, which mall?I'll pick you up. 】

Seeing that Jiang Neng's expression was not good, Ning Xi pursed her lips and asked, "Is there something urgent?"

Jiang Neng lowered his head and quickly typed a few lines. "It's okay, let's go shopping first."

[OK, I apologize for not reporting it, but I have a good disguise, so I won’t be recognized. Besides, I’ve been flopping at the speed of light these days, and you and the fans still think I’m a popular star, a fan of the authorities, I don’t want to hit You have faith.Wait for another hour, I'll come back by car later, don't pick me up. 】

[Jiang Neng, your wings are hard?I'll pick you up right away, tell me where. 】

Jiang Neng's brows became tighter and tighter, and then Brother Wen really called. Jiang Neng answered in a hurry, and it was a reprimand. "...Stop scolding."

Brother Wen on the other side of the phone seemed to be in the car, scolding him with a bluetooth headset. "Jiang Neng, you are in trouble now. I can't control you anymore. Is it because the company hasn't issued an announcement for you recently, and you are so upset that you deliberately show me face? Then I, Brother Wen, may have misjudged you—— Quickly tell me where you are, I let you stay at home peacefully, let you maintain your weight and recharge your energy, you are fine, you ran out of the house carelessly, and even ran to a big shopping mall, do you want to see you on Monday or what do you want ?”

"I don't mean that, Brother Wen, I just want to come out and breathe some fresh air. I'm also a human being, and I can't stay at home forever, nor can I be like an unemployed youth, decadent and lost... It seems that I will lose my company again. I don’t have any chance. The company just wanted me to understand that my elbows can’t move my thighs? Since I rejected the gossip resources, there will naturally be people who want to be popular to follow. The words the company asked you to convey are the meaning of this... ...I am indeed not bad, but in the eyes of the company, I am not unique and irreplaceable. I offended Ms. Lu, and voluntarily gave up some of the company's hype arrangements, and I deserve to be taught a lesson..."

Brother Wen: "...you know I didn't mean to belittle you, I'm just angry, do you know how long I ran for your next chance, but you are disobedient and always make me worry..."

Jiang Neng knew that Brother Wen treated him well and had high hopes for him, so he sighed. "I know... I'm in Lingde Mall."

Brother Wen: "...I'll be here in 10 minutes. If you have anything you want to buy, buy it quickly. Don't stay in the mall for too long. You are no better than those old stars with a solid fan base. If you do something wrong, you will be messed up by the media." Write, just cause trouble."

Jiang Neng: "Yes."

The phone hung up quickly, and Ning Xi listened to the conversation between Brother Wen and Jiang Neng, and thoughtfully didn't ask any more questions, but Jiang Neng didn't shy away from it.

"Hey, little nurse, let me show you my jokes again." Jiang Neng smiled. "However, I seem to have embarrassed myself in front of you many times, and this time I was scolded again."

"...Brother Wen is right. Being photographed by the paparazzi and scribbling...is not good." Ning Xi patted Jiang Neng's shoulder in understanding.

Jiang Neng smiled muffled. "Actually, of course I know Brother Wen's good intentions, but sometimes people just don't want to be reconciled. It's obvious that Ms. Lu is pretentious and just sits next to the backstage. Various film and television variety show advertising resources are soft, but the company would rather take it out on her. Let me pick my feet at home, to be honest... I feel very uncomfortable."

Ning Xi didn't know how to comfort her, so she patted Jiang Neng's arm.

"Sometimes I feel that Wen Jinyue, who was hired before, is somewhat similar to me. The company discovered me when I was mediocre. After I gradually gained prestige and reputation, but for some reason, I chose someone else. Sometimes I am not convinced, and I just want to do something big, and I want to return to the big screen. Now I know that the company has put interests first from the beginning. s Choice……"

The Huya youth in front of him had firm eyes, and Ning Xi saw that Jiang Neng spoke word by word.

"However, I really want to go back to the original, unrestrained appearance on the screen. I am afraid that one day, more stars will flood in, and the big screen will no longer need me. It is not whether I can realize my dream, And the dream shuts you out in the first place, and sometimes realizing that fact...is just too cruel."

Soon, Jiang Neng was not immersed in this feeling of loss, he smiled. "It's not good to keep saying these frustrating words. By the way, little nurse, brother Wen said that he won't be here in 10 minutes. I originally wanted to take you to pick out clothes and shoes, but it must be too late..."

Ning Xike was not used to wearing those famous brands, so he shook his head. "You don't need to buy those things...Jiang Neng, I'll be very happy if you compliment me verbally."

Jiang Neng didn't take it seriously, he looked around, and his eyes lit up when he saw a skin care product store.

"Come with me."

The skin care store was full of women who were buying facial masks, night creams and other beauty products. Jiang Neng led Ning Xi in, grabbed an employee at random, and asked. "Do you have hand cream here?"

The temperature has dropped recently at night, and many people will wear masks to avoid colds or urban air pollution. The employees did not doubt the identities of Jiang Neng and Ning Xi, and she skillfully recommended various types of products. "Yes, and recently several brands have participated in discount activities in the store..."

Jiang Neng interrupted her in a low voice. "Is there any hand cream for the little nurse?"

The man froze. "Yes, it's on the third row of shelves, customer, do you want me to get it for you?"

Jiang Neng declined, and took Ning Xi directly to the third row of shelves. The two glanced at the dazzling array of products. Jiang Neng quickly found the little nurse hand cream he needed. He pointed to the sign and smiled. "A little nurse with a little nurse is just right."

Ning Xi turned her head to look at Jiang Neng, who was carefully selected, her eyes were warm and dependent.

"This is much better than clothes and shoes..."

"Let's go, time is running out, brother Wen will be here later, let's pay first, by the way... little nurse, what happened today... is anticlimactic, please leave a call, I think you are very interesting, Now that we have known each other, it is also fate." Jiang Neng took the hand cream in his hand and quickly queued up to pay, he took the hand cream from the little nurse in his hand, and recorded the phone number that Ning Xi gave.

Seeing that the 10 minutes were gradually decreasing, Jiang Neng patted Ning Xi on the head.

"Do you know the way home from here?"

Ning Xi nodded.

Seeing the wind howling at night, Jiang Neng opened the hand cream in the bag, squeezed out a little and wiped Ning Xi's cold hands.

"Thank you for today."

Brother Wen is coming soon.

Jiang Neng patted Ning Xi on the shoulder. "I hope to have the opportunity to meet again in front of the screen, little nurse."

Ning Xi was holding the hand cream in his hand blankly. He watched Jiang Neng gradually run away, and suddenly his heart beat like a drum.