Crossover Actors - Chapter 13

By the time the work was done, it was already dark.

 

Lu Wen was called by Ren Shu to review his performance on the monitor, frame by frame. It felt surreal seeing his own acting like this. He glanced absentmindedly at the empty chair next to him, unsure when Qu Yan Ting had left.

 

In the footage, Ye Shan sat in the last corner of the classroom, long after school had ended. He was the only one left. Gradually, he stopped writing, covered his face with his hands, and smelled his palms and sleeves.

 

Ren Shu said, “The emotional progression is very natural, moving from numbness to self-loathing. The performance has depth.”

 

While performing this scene, Lu Wen remembered Qu Yan Ting’s words about his lack of popularity, poor performance, and low salary, making it hard not to feel inferior.

 

In the final scene, Ye Shan rushed into the boys’ restroom, turned on the faucet, and washed his hands. He scrubbed vigorously, his fingers reddening, and scratches appeared on the back of his hands.

 

Lu Wen didn’t feel it while filming, but now, as he watched, the scene felt strangely familiar.

 

Before he could figure it out, Ren Shu praised him, “Good job, you completed the task perfectly.”

 

Lu Wen forced a smile. He wasn’t good at hiding his feelings, and his low mood was obvious.

 

Ren Shu said, “Xiao Lu, don’t be discouraged. Even the best actors have NGs sometimes. You have so little experience; it’s normal.”

 

Lu Wen felt a bit better, “Thank you, Director Ren, for your understanding.”

 

“Don’t mention it. If you don’t do well next time, I’ll still reprimand you,” Ren Shu said. “Pressure leads to progress. You have a strong grasp, and once you find the right feeling, you’ll perform well.”

 

Lu Wen had thought of Director Ren as having a bad temper, but after experiencing Qu Yan Ting’s gentle yet cutting remarks, he now found Ren Shu’s “tough love” approach endearing. He said gratefully, “Director Ren, I will work hard.”

 

As Group A wrapped up, everyone left the teaching building. The old school had no bright lights, and the surroundings were dim and yellowish.

 

Back in the RV, Lu Wen changed his clothes and then fumbled with removing his makeup. He was clumsy, laying out a table full of makeup remover pads, more than what would be used in surgery.

 

Sun Xiaojian sighed by the window, “Sigh, you’ve really offended Director Qu this time.”

 

Hearing the mention of “Qu,” Lu Wen’s blood pressure spiked. He said, “Don’t mention that man. Thank you.”

 

Sun Xiaojian was worried, “Why can’t we get in good with him? It’s one thing to fail to please him, but how did it end up like this?”

 

Lu Wen felt full of grievance. This was the first time in his life he faced such a setback. For his future and reputation, he had already been a subordinate in front of Qu Yan Ting. As for trying to curry favor, Qu Yan Ting looked down on him, and his efforts were in vain.

 

Sun Xiaojian tried to console him, “Director Qu’s status is what it is. He says and does whatever he wants without considering others’ feelings. Maybe he didn’t mean to target you.”

 

“Target?” Lu Wen said, crumpling the makeup remover pad, “He didn’t just target me; he ruthlessly crushed and bombarded me. If I went for an ECG now, do you know what it would show?”

 

Sun Xiaojian asked, “What?”

 

Lu Wen said, “It would reveal a wasteland inside my heart.”

 

Sun Xiaojian had no reply. Reflecting on it, they had encountered Qu Yan Ting as soon as they arrived in Chongqing and coincidentally stayed at the same hotel. They had crossed paths several times.

 

Given the circumstances, with such a connection, Lu Wen should have had a better chance to get along with Qu Yan Ting. Why did it always end up in discontent and hidden resentment?

 

“Resign yourself to it,” Lu Wen said. “I guess Director Qu and I just don’t get along.”

 

Sun Xiaojian, a master’s degree holder who believed in materialism, said, “Looking back now, you must have offended Qu Yan Ting when you made mistakes like getting on the wrong vehicle, saying the wrong thing, or misidentifying people.”

 

“But I apologized.”

 

“Did Qu Yan Ting accept it?”

 

Lu Wen said, “You mean, Qu Yan Ting never accepted my apology, and today he took the opportunity to deal with me?”

 

Sun Xiaojian speculated, “Why would he change the script otherwise? Increasing inner monologues and performance difficulty—could it be that he set a trap for you? He came to supervise just to rightfully crush and bombard you?”

 

Lu Wen was struck with realization, “He’s taking personal revenge!”

 

Suddenly, someone knocked on the car window—it was the production assistant.

 

Sun Xiaojian opened the door and saw Xiao Zhang carrying a bag, likely preparing to leave for the day.

 

Xiao Zhang, not daring to neglect Qu Yan Ting’s orders, had arranged things promptly. He came to inform them, “Teacher Lu, since you might need extra help, I’ve assigned a crew assistant to you.”

 

Feeling a bit unexpectedly valued, Sun Xiaojian confirmed, “An assistant to help us?”

 

Xiao Zhang said, “Yes, as a life assistant. They work efficiently. Try them out first; if you’re not satisfied, I can arrange for someone else.”

 

Sun Xiaojian said, “Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.”

 

“It’s my fault for being careless. I only arranged it after receiving instructions today,” Xiao Zhang said hurriedly, “I’ll head off now. Teacher Lu, rest early.”

 

As the car door closed, Lu Wen and Sun Xiaojian exchanged glances, both surprised by the unexpected good fortune.

 

Sun Xiaojian consoled him, “Don’t be too upset. Life is like this—where there’s loss, there’s gain. Sometimes, foolish people have their own blessings.”

 

Lu Wen said, “You should stop being so foolish.”

 

Sun Xiaojian, not caring to argue, said, “Ah, Xiao Zhang said he was following orders. Who could be so fond of you?”

 

Lu Wen pondered, “It’s probably Director Ren. As the top director of the crew, when Director Ren gave the order, Xiao Zhang had it arranged before wrapping up.”

 

“That makes sense,” Sun Xiaojian said. “Didn’t Director Ren praise your performance?”

 

Filled with anticipation before joining the crew, Lu Wen nearly packed up and went home on the first day of filming. Sun Xiaojian had stopped hoping for Lu Wen to climb high branches and was simply wishing for a smooth completion of the shoot.

 

After removing his makeup, Lu Wen put on a baseball cap and pulled the brim down firmly.

 

“Don’t be so down,” Sun Xiaojian said. “Let’s go out and clear your mind.”

 

Lu Wen asked, “Where to?”

 

Sun Xiaojian thought for a moment, “A must-see for outsiders—Hongya Cave.”

 

Leaving the crew, they didn’t take the crew car but took a taxi to Hongya Cave.

 

Hongya Cave at night was like a city of lights, dazzlingly bright. There were more tourists than during the day, creating a lively and relaxing atmosphere. Lu Wen and Sun Xiaojian held onto their backpack straps, moving with the crowd toward the riverside.

 

Nearby was the Qiansimen Bridge. When Lu Wen was a child visiting Chongqing, he had taken a photo with the bridge in the background.

 

The river water rippled, and a few fishing boats were docked at the shore. Lu Wen began to sing, “…The setting sun dyes the quiet grass, the flying red petals, swaying the distant sails on the river…”

 

“Here we go again,” Sun Xiaojian suggested, “How about I take a photo of you?”

 

Lu Wen shook his head. He saw no point in having his agent take pictures. With so many tourists around, why was there no one who recognized him?

 

In this vast world, where were his fans? Couldn’t they come out for a bit?

 

Sun Xiaojian saw through him, “It’s because you’re wearing a hat. People can’t see clearly.”

 

Lu Wen said nothing. A few seconds later, he took off his hat and said awkwardly, “The night in Chongqing is quite warm.”

 

He turned around, leaning against the railing and facing the flow of people. There were students, couples, and tour groups from the sunset. People came and went, but no one seemed to notice him.

 

As Lu Wen was feeling down, a woman in her thirties walked over with a camera. He felt a flicker of joy and became shy in front of a fan.

 

The woman approached and asked, “Hi, can I take a photo?”

 

Lu Wen asked, “Do you want a photo with me?”

 

She replied, “Yes, please.”

 

Just as Lu Wen was about to adjust his hair, the woman handed him the camera.

 

He was puzzled, seeing her step back a few paces and join another man, who was holding a child. The family of three smiled at him.

 

Fine.

 

Lu Wen lifted the camera and said, “Say cheese.”

 

At the moment the shutter clicked, the child in the man’s arms turned, leaning sideways to kiss the mother’s face. The captured image was slightly out of focus, but Lu Wen hesitated to delete it.

 

He took another shot, and the family was very satisfied. They thanked him and left.

 

Lu Wen put on his baseball cap and leaned silently against the railing. He remembered coming to Hongya Cave with his father when he was young. Sun Xiaojian, seeing through him, said, “Missing home? Have you been in touch with Uncle recently?”

 

“No,” Lu Wen said disinterestedly. “What would be the point? To hear him lecture me?”

 

Sun Xiaojian said, “Blood is thicker than water between father and son. He must be thinking about you. If he knew you were struggling, he might even invest in a film for you.”

 

Lu Wen said, “If I weren’t afraid of him finding out, I’d have left by now.”

 

He took out his phone and pretended to casually scroll through his contacts. Soon, he found “Lu Zhan Qing.” After being punished in elementary school, he had changed “Dad” to Lu Zhan Qing’s full name and vowed never to set it as an emergency contact.

 

Hovering his finger over the call button, Lu Wen hesitated, and Sun Xiaojian deliberately nudged him. He didn’t want to appear cowardly, so he put the phone to his ear and said nonchalantly, “There’s nothing to talk about with him.”

 

Suddenly, Lu Zhan Qing’s voice came through, “Hello?”

 

Lu Wen didn’t expect the call to connect so quickly. Hearing Lu Zhan Qing’s voice in the unfamiliar night, he was momentarily lost in thought.

 

“Dad, it’s me,” he managed to say. “Have you eaten?”

 

Lu Zhan Qing replied, “Yes.”

 

Lu Wen’s low voice was inherited from Lu Zhan Qing, and in comparison, he sounded a bit juvenile. After a few seconds of silence, he didn’t know what else to say, so he added, “I’m filming in Chongqing.”

 

Lu Zhan Qing simply responded with an “Mm.”

 

It was hard to continue the conversation. Lu Wen wanted to hang up but noticed the family of three from earlier, now happily queuing for a boat tour. It felt heartwarming, though neither he nor Lu Zhan Qing had ever experienced that warmth.

 

Lu Wen felt a pang of softness and said, “Dad, I miss you.”

 

There was a long silence, only the sound of breathing could be heard, before Lu Zhan Qing finally responded, “What trouble have you gotten into?”

 

Lu Wen’s blood pressure spiked again, “Can’t you wish me well for once!”

 

Lu Zhan Qing replied, “No news is the best news.”

 

Lu Wen snapped, “I’m an idiot for missing you!”

 

Lu Zhan Qing chuckled, “Got it. Go find Lao Zheng.”

 

Lao Zheng was Lu Zhan Qing’s assistant. Since Lu Wen came of age, if the assets under Lu Zhan Qing’s name weren’t enough, Lao Zheng would give him a substantial amount. Lu Zhan Qing didn’t handle it personally.

 

After ending the call, Lu Wen lost interest in sightseeing and wasn’t hungry, so he went straight back to the hotel.

 

Arriving at the hotel, it was late, and the 62nd floor was still quiet.

 

Standing outside his room, Lu Wen glanced at room 6206. He thought one difficult man in his life was enough with Lu Zhan Qing, but now he faced another with Qu Yan Ting.

 

Perhaps in a past life, he had stolen Qu Yan Ting’s wife and then become Lu Zhan Qing’s father.

 

On the first day of work, completely exhausted, Lu Wen returned to his room, took a hot bath to ease his fatigue, and then did his skincare routine in front of the mirror.

 

After finishing, he turned on the faucet to wash his fingertips. Water droplets splashed on the marble countertop, reflecting the light from the wall lamp.

 

Suddenly, he recalled Ye Shan scrubbing his hands, which was very similar to how Qu Yan Ting had endlessly washed his hands in the makeup room on the night of the premiere.

 

Could it be…

 

“Damn it,” Lu Wen muttered, “He gave me a psychological scar.”

 

Turning off the faucet, he decided if he thought about Qu Yan Ting again, he’d be a fool.

 

Lu Wen took his script and crawled into bed, reviewing his lines twice before quickly falling asleep with the script pressed against him.

 

The minute hand had gone around twice when he rolled over in his sleep just past midnight. His stomach growled loudly, waking him up from hunger.

 

After enduring for a while, Lu Wen gave up and got up. Since room service was slow, he decided to find some snacks from Sun Xiaojian. Without turning on the light, he put on a coat and walked to the entrance to grab his room card.

 

Looking up, he saw a shadow flicker in the peephole.

 

Curious, Lu Wen pressed his eye to the peephole and saw a fully equipped man standing outside room 6206.

 

The clothing seemed familiar… It was Ruan Feng!

 

Ruan Feng, wearing a hat and mask, didn’t ring the bell but gently knocked on the door.

 

Soon, the door opened, and Qu Yan Ting appeared, his hair wet and dressed in a bathrobe, clearly just out of the shower. He seemed displeased as if he had been waiting for a long time and flicked Ruan Feng’s hat brim.

 

As in the daytime, Ruan Feng squeezed inside urgently, quickly closing the door behind him.

 

Lu Wen, still staring through the peephole, forgot his hunger and his search for food, pushing aside all the emotions from the day.

 

He was fully awake, even feeling a bit exhilarated.

 

Damn, this production crew is too thrilling.