Crossover Actors - Chapter 15

Before filming, Lu Wen waited under a tree. He had memorized his lines to the point where no review was needed. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, displaying a calm, elder-like demeanor, but secretly he was picking at his nails.

 

In the script, Ye Xiaowu pursued Qi Xiao openly and aggressively.

 

Lin Jie and Qi Xiao were childhood friends. Lin Jie came from a wealthy family, excelled academically, and looked down on Ye Xiaowu, who was at the bottom of the class. They would clash whenever they met.

 

Xian Qi arrived fashionably late. She was already pure and beautiful, and in her school uniform skirt and ponytail, with minimal makeup, she looked even more enchanting.

 

Lu Wen felt a pang of sadness; apart from a silly horror movie, this was his first time filming a romance drama, and his experience was almost nonexistent.

 

Moreover, Lu Wen had little contact with female actors. Because Lu Zhanqing had strictly forbidden it, actors could work, but if any scandals, true or false, emerged, they would face severe consequences.

 

Lu Zhanqing’s threats were not idle; it was a matter of whether the punishment would be breaking the legs or turning them to dust.

 

At this moment, Lu Wen felt uncertain, glancing nervously at the monitor where Qu Yanting was seated. He worried that if he didn’t perform well, Qu might criticize him again.

 

Sun Xiaojian asked, “Who are you staring at?”

 

Lu Wen, whose nails were now thin from picking, replied, “Qu Yanting.”

 

“Don’t be nervous,” Sun Xiaojian reassured him. “Yesterday you were the only lead, so Qu could only focus on you. Today is different; with Xian Qi here, any straight guy would be attracted to her.”

 

But Qu Yanting was gay, making Lu Wen even more anxious.

 

Behind the monitor, Qu Yanting was drowsy and didn’t care much about today’s scenes. Once everything was set and the clapperboard was used, he lazily lifted his eyelids.

 

The scene was a medium shot, reminiscent of a high school idol drama: in a corner of the playground, Qi Xiao and Lin Jie sat beneath the parallel bars, one memorizing vocabulary and the other working on a test.

 

Ren Shu sighed, “Young and handsome actors together are really pleasing to the eye.”

 

Qu Yanting rested his head on his hand. “So boring.”

 

Ren Shu said, “This is what you wrote.”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “With so many episodes, there have to be a few filler shots.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Xiaowu dashed into the frame. With familiar long legs, his back was both nimble and reckless. Ren Shu remarked, “Good, the excitement has arrived.”

 

Ye Xiaowu ran up to the parallel bars and immediately crouched in front of Qi Xiao.

 

Qi Xiao looked up, startled. “You scared me.”

 

Lin Jie complained, “Why are you always around?”

 

Ye Xiaowu sat down on the grass, crossed his legs, and said to Lin Jie, “None of your business. Is the playground your home? I was wondering why I always run into you when looking for Qi Xiao. I’m particularly handsome, and you’re especially bright, like a lightbulb.”

 

Lu Wen delivered this line with a dry, flat effect, his bass voice coming through clearly.

 

Qu Yanting’s drowsiness lessened a bit. He remembered Lu Wen’s audition for Ye Xiaowu, where he delivered long lines in one breath. He thought this young actor had considerable talent.

 

Ren Shu agreed. “When Lu Wen played Ye Xiaowu, he was lively, spirited, and his lines were as good as a professional’s.”

 

“He’s not a trained actor?” Qu Yanting asked.

 

“No,” Ren Shu said. “He studied international trade at a reputable university. With his talent, he should be trading himself away.”

 

Qu Yanting smiled and continued watching the screen.

 

Ye Xiaowu said to Qi Xiao, “Since it’s rare to have a PE class, relax and watch me play basketball.”

 

Qi Xiao replied, “The midterm exams are coming up; I want to review.”

 

Ye Xiaowu said irritably, “Every week there’s a test. Why are there always exams?”

 

Qi Xiao advised him, “You didn’t do well last time, so stop playing.”

 

Lin Jie added, “When did he ever do well? But optimistically, he’s already at the bottom of the class, so there’s no room to fall further.”

 

Ye Xiaowu’s face turned red. “I did that on purpose. It’s not the college entrance exam; what does it matter where I rank? Don’t forget, I got into this top high school fair and square, and my entrance ranking was higher than yours.”

 

Lin Jie was speechless and packed up his test papers to leave.

 

Ye Xiaowu moved closer to Qi Xiao, their school uniform sleeves rubbing together. Qi Xiao ignored him, so he entertained himself by fiddling with the grass until Qi Xiao finished.

 

“It’s the last class. What do you want for lunch?”

 

“I don’t know; I’m tired of the cafeteria food.”

 

Qi Xiao stood up to stretch, and Ye Xiaowu got up, grabbed the parallel bars, and sat on them. Qi Xiao bounced and looked up. “I want to sit too.”

 

Ye Xiaowu jumped down and pretended to pounce on Qi Xiao but missed, making a playful gesture.

 

He grinned. “I’ll help you.”

 

The scene was written very simply, with almost only lines. Ye Xiaowu’s attitude toward Qi Xiao was purely proactive. The director didn’t interfere; it was up to the actors to design and perform their actions.

 

Lu Wen’s series of actions were all proactive. In the next scene, the script didn’t specify how to help, but it was clear that there would be physical contact between Ye Xiaowu and Qi Xiao.

 

Since the parallel bars were chest-high, lifting Qi Xiao seemed the only option. Ren Shu said, “If the hug is too close, it might not work.”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “I don’t mind, but the broadcasting authorities might.”

 

Ren Shu laughed. “Let’s see how Lu Wen handles it. Ye Xiaowu is supposed to be considerate.”

 

At that moment, Lu Wen didn’t reach out to hug or get close to Qi Xiao. Instead, he stepped back, bent his knees, and crouched down.

 

Being proactive but avoiding overstepping, he chose to act like a gentleman.

 

Without any lines, Lu Wen patted his thighs, signaling Xian Qi to step on him to get onto the bar. Once Xian Qi was seated, he ignored the dust on his pants and stood there as is.

 

Qi Xiao asked, “Aren’t you coming up?”

 

Ye Xiaowu replied, “What if you don’t sit steadily? I’ll catch you.”

 

The camera tilted, Lu Wen looked up with bright eyes, sincerely sharing as if he was a child offering a favorite toy. He softened his tone: “You don’t like the cafeteria food. I’ll bring you lunch tomorrow. My mom makes excellent boiled fish.”

 

At that moment, Qu Yanting was distracted, recalling when Lu Wen had blocked him and offered him millet porridge.

 

Ren Shu called “Cut,” and this take was successfully completed.

 

Lu Wen, back to his usual self, hurriedly bent over to brush off the dust from his pants, walking toward the director. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qu Yanting’s silhouette.

 

He stood straight, anxiously awaiting feedback.

 

Ren Shu was pleased. “All three of you did well. Lu Wen, as the lead, performed better than I expected.”

 

Qu Yanting had no objections. This scene required the actors to refine it themselves. Lu Wen grasped the proactive details well and added a touch of innocence to his portrayal.

 

This innocence made Ye Xiaowu appear more sincere and added a touch of youthful romance to the scene, a pleasant surprise.

 

With the pre-filming tension gone, Lu Wen went to prepare for the next scene. As he left, he shot Qu Yanting a sharp look, trying to erase the shame from yesterday.

 

Qu Yanting was too focused on his sore back to notice.

 

Staff members began moving the equipment. Ren Shu picked up his water bottle. “We’re moving to a new location. The next scene will be in the teaching building.”

 

The teaching building was crowded with extras. Qu Yanting bowed slightly. “I won’t be going.”

 

Ren Shu said, “Then take a break. The actors are going to shoot. Pick any of the three RVs; you look so tired.”

 

Everyone moved to the teaching building, and after a scene was completed, the atmosphere on set became much livelier. Lu Wen and Ruan Feng discussed lines for the next scene, with Ruan Feng slipping in a local dialect.

 

Lu Wen, curious, asked, “Is that Chongqing dialect?”

 

Ruan Feng replied, “It’s Sichuan dialect.”

 

Lu Wen realized, “Oh right, the encyclopedia said you’re from Sichuan.”

 

“I’m not purely Sichuanese,” Ruan Feng said. “Actually, I’m from the North. I went to Sichuan when I was young and grew up there.”

 

Since Ye Shan and Ye Xiaowu had also migrated south midway, Lu Wen thought about Ruan Feng’s and Qu Yanting’s relationship and said, “Your experience is very similar to the male lead. You’re also quite famous, so playing the lead role suits you well.”

 

Ruan Feng was silent for a few seconds and said very softly, “No, I’m not like that.”

 

Lu Wen didn’t hear him, instead pondering why Qu Yanting didn’t want Ruan Feng to play the lead.

 

After thinking for a while, he guessed it was probably because Ruan Feng was too handsome.

 

Next, they filmed some mundane school scenes. Ye Shan was an oddity in a third-rate school, while Ye Xiaowu was a peculiar character in a top high school. He was mischievous, boisterous, and loyal, with close friends in every class, completely different from Ye Shan’s situation.

 

Filming continued until the afternoon. Lu Wen had a major night shoot planned and had three hours of rest.

 

Returning to the RV, Lu Wen entered the small living room, eagerly removed his school jacket, and started taking off his shirt as he walked. When he reached the seating area, he froze.

 

There was someone lounging on the seat.

 

And it was none other than Qu Yanting.

 

By the window, Qu Yanting was slightly hunched, his elbow resting on the windowsill, his fist supporting his temple. He was sleeping, his breathing light, like a tired office worker catching the last bus home.

 

Lu Wen stood still for a moment, put his belt back on, and picked up his shirt to put it back on. He felt awkward in his own RV, not daring to change clothes, hum, or even move too loudly.

 

He sat down across from Qu Yanting. The table had a game console, half a glass of water, and lip balm, all untouched. The curtains were still rolled up, and the blanket was neatly folded.

 

Qu Yanting had touched nothing, just borrowed a spot to rest.

 

Lu Wen looked around and finally set his gaze on the unexpected guest across from him.

 

Since meeting Qu Yanting, his emotions had been like a rollercoaster—intense, half-dead, and indescribably complex.

 

With the light dim, when Qu Yanting woke up, he thought it was evening.

 

As a man, it was inconvenient to go to a female actor’s RV, and to avoid suspicion with Ruan Feng, he had decided to catch a nap here. Waking up to find someone staring at him with a blank expression, he sat up straight, clearing his throat to appear composed.

 

Lu Wen’s sensitive nerves reacted immediately, and he spoke first, “I didn’t have many NGs today.”

 

Qu Yanting, a beat behind, responded, “Oh.”

 

Lu Wen continued, “Director Ren said I performed well and was very satisfied.”

 

Qu Yanting realized that Lu Wen was on edge, probably stimulated by their previous conversation.

 

Pressure is needed for improvement, and Qu Yanting, who could shine with a bit of encouragement, swallowed his initial “I’m also very satisfied” and instead said, “Not particularly great, just normal performance.”

 

Lu Wen was not convinced. “Do you have a bias against me?”

 

He dropped the formal address of “Teacher Qu” and “you,” as if a major issue had developed between them.

 

But Qu Yanting didn’t care about the titles and answered, “Opposites attract. This scene isn’t hard to perform. You’re a handsome guy, she’s a beautiful girl, and there’s a natural magnetic attraction when you face each other.”

 

Lu Wen argued, “I don’t feel that way.”

 

“Really not, or are you just arguing?” Qu Yanting asked.

 

“Really not.”

 

Qu Yanting, with a calm expression, asked, “Are you straight?”

 

Lu Wen nearly jumped up, shouting internally at Qu Yanting, wondering if everyone was like him.

 

He held back his frustration and replied quietly, “Of course I’m straight. It’s just that this scene doesn’t evoke any feeling. I couldn’t feel any romantic fluttering while reading the script.”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “Are you saying there’s a problem with my writing?”

 

Lu Wen thought, of course there’s a problem; you’re gay, how could writing a romance between a man and a woman be flawless?

 

The room fell silent suddenly, and Qu Yanting also remained quiet, not refuting or using his authority as a screenwriter to press Lu Wen. He lowered his head and rubbed the edge of his sweater with his palm.

 

After a while, his palm was warm. “So, what does romantic fluttering feel like?”

 

Lu Wen was taken aback, turned his face away, and stammered, “What’s there to say? If you’ve been in love, you’d know… besides, every time you date, it feels new… I can’t really explain it.”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “Have you dated many times?”

 

Lu Wen replied, “Well, my ex-girlfriends could circle around the Liberation Monument three times.”

 

One had their head down, the other turned away; neither noticed the awkwardness between them. After a while, Qu Yanting gave the first affirmation since they met: “You’re quite impressive.”

 

Lu Wen felt like he was in a difficult position, his throat rolling nervously.