Crossover Actors - Chapter 16

As the sky began to brighten, Qu Yanting arrived at the set early in the morning. From the community entrance to the apartment building, he tried to avoid encountering too many people.

 

The community was wrapped in the chill of an autumn morning, with few people around. The A-team, who had just finished a night shoot, were resting in the open space behind the apartment building.

 

Xiao Zhang came over with a bag of breakfast. “Director Qu, good morning. This is for you—soy milk and dumplings. If you don’t like it, I can get something else.”

 

Qu Yanting took it and said, “Thank you.”

 

Xiao Zhang explained, “It wasn’t me who bought it. The A-team worked the night shift and just wrapped up. Lu Wen treated everyone to breakfast to show appreciation for their hard work.”

 

Qu Yanting didn’t say anything, taking the dumplings and soy milk into the apartment building.

 

Since he hadn’t come to the rest room yesterday, the room felt stuffy. He went to the balcony to open the windows and ventilate. The community was small, and standing on the 101 balcony, he had a clear view of the area behind the building.

 

Outside, the A-team, exhausted from an all-nighter, were sprawled out and resting haphazardly. Some were eating breakfast, while others were napping.

 

Qu Yanting’s vision was average, so he couldn’t observe each person closely but noticed a few distinct individuals. Under the grapevine, Ren Shu and Director Liu were huddled together, having a small meeting. The art director was crouched under a streetlight, cleaning a pair of fluorescent orange sneakers.

 

The most noticeable was the male lead, Lu Wen, who was standing while everyone else was lounging. He was even doing a handstand in front of the fence.

 

Lu Wen had been in a handstand for five minutes, the blood rushing to his head, alleviating some of the exhaustion from the overnight shoot. He didn’t dare sit down or return to the RV, fearing he might fall asleep immediately.

 

Since there were two more scenes to shoot during the day, they wouldn’t be done until later.

 

Sun Xiaojian squatted beside him. “Come down, the coffee’s not hot anymore.”

 

Lu Wen flipped down, wiped his hands, and accepted a strong cup of coffee. He had hoped to catch a nap in the evening, but Qu Yanting’s presence in the RV had invaded his personal space and made it difficult for him to sleep.

 

Sun Xiaojian asked, “What did you and Director Qu talk about yesterday?”

 

“Nothing much,” Lu Wen replied. “I’m not one for small talk.”

 

Sun Xiaojian understood immediately. It was likely just an argument. “Director Qu looked a bit cold when he came out of the RV.”

 

Lu Wen took a sip of coffee. “How surprising. When has he ever been pleasant with me?”

 

Sun Xiaojian thought for a moment and agreed. He sensed a strained relationship between Lu Wen and Qu Yanting, similar to the awkwardness between divorced couples who maintain contact due to custody issues.

 

“Feels like…” he compared, “divorced couples who are forced to stay in touch for the sake of their children.”

 

Lu Wen nearly choked on his coffee. “Stop with that ridiculous nonsense.”

 

Sun Xiaojian asked, “Then what does it feel like?”

 

Lu Wen tried to find the right words but couldn’t find anything accurate. His language skills weren’t great, so he avoided a direct answer. “Why would I have any feelings for him? I’m just waiting for my turn.”

 

He was just waiting, in a space as small as the area around the walls of the building, waiting for the crew to get ready. He stood by the edge, waiting for everyone to prepare.

 

While standing on his hands, Lu Wen’s pants slipped down a bit, still caught around his knees, exposing his long, firm left calf. He was usually active, and even though he was tired, his mind wandered.

 

When he turned his head, he realized he was standing under the 101 balcony.

 

Looking up again, he saw Qu Yanting inside the window. Startled, he stepped back, either from surprise or anxiety, and stamped his feet to shake his pants down.

 

Qu Yanting hadn’t noticed initially but turned his gaze toward the sound, looking at Lu Wen expressionlessly, then lifted his cup to sip the sweet soy milk Lu Wen had bought.

 

In films and TV dramas, such a scene might be part of a date or a romantic gesture, but there were no greetings or waves possible. Lu Wen and Qu Yanting’s eyes met briefly before looking away.

 

As the set was completed and departments were ready, Lu Wen walked towards the grapevine.

 

This grapevine was planted by Ye Shan, who often sat beneath it late into the night to sort out his thoughts. The overnight shoot had also taken place under the grapevine.

 

In the upcoming scene, Ye Xiaowu skipped class to go home and found that Ye Shan’s new book had been ruined. He wanted to buy a replacement but had no money, so he devised a plan after seeing neighbors playing cards under the grapevine.

 

Lu Wen approached and adjusted his direction, noticing that Qu Yanting had already left the balcony.

 

Filming began.

 

“Uncle, Auntie, still playing cards?” Ye Xiaowu appeared and leaned against the rack.

 

His skipping class was common knowledge among the neighbors. Aunt Yang said, “It’s so hard to get into a key high school. You keep skipping classes; you’ll regret it later.”

 

Ye Xiaowu replied, “I just came back because of the sports meet.”

 

“Nonsense,” Uncle Lin said, “My nephew is in your school. The meet isn’t until next month.”

 

Ye Xiaowu just grinned.

 

Aunt Yang warned, “Be careful your mom doesn’t come back and scold you.”

 

Ye Xiaowu said, “I told them I had a headache. My mom loves me too much to hit me.”

 

Old Man Qian said leisurely, “If he skips, he skips. He’s not going to learn anything anyway. I think he should help out at the fish stall; he’s not expecting to go to college.”

 

Ye Xiaowu disliked Old Man Qian, who was always trying to take advantage of others. He retorted, “You think I can’t get into college? If I do, I’ll invite you to the opening ceremony.”

 

Old Man Qian said, “If you get in, then I’ll be a professor at the university.”

 

Ye Xiaowu changed the subject, “Forget about being a professor. Can you settle the five outstanding table fees?”

 

Old Man Qian’s expression darkened. “Little rascal, you’re still chasing ten bucks. I’ll give it to you when I win.”

 

Ye Xiaowu responded, “You always say that. It’s been five times. Do you need to take out a loan to eat a bowl of noodles or a hotpot?”

 

Old Man Qian, irritated and embarrassed, pushed the cards away and walked off without paying.

 

Ye Xiaowu quickly sat down. “I’ll play. How big is the game?”

 

Aunt Yang said, “Do you have money to play? Don’t just join for the fun.”

 

“You don’t get it,” Ye Xiaowu said. “This is called playing a hand with nothing to lose.”

 

Ye Xiaowu wasn’t good at studying but excelled in everything unrelated to academics. He joined the card game, dropping his casual demeanor, focused intently on the cards, and remained silent through each round.

 

When he won, he tapped the table’s edge with two fingers, signaling everyone to pay up, looking like a seasoned player.

 

After a few rounds, Ye Xiaowu not only won enough for the book but also enough for next month’s pocket money for himself and Ye Shan. He didn’t linger. “Let’s stop here.”

 

The other three were reluctant and demanded another round.

 

Ye Xiaowu neatly stacked the scattered bills. “Thanks for the sponsorship, uncles and aunties. I’m going to buy a book for my brother.”

 

Ren Shu called out, “Cut, over!”

 

After an hour’s break, the crew prepared for the next scene.

 

Lu Wen stayed put on his chair, waiting as the area gradually cleared out. He noticed Ruan Feng standing outside the grapevine. Ren Shu saw him too and asked, “When did you get here?”

 

“Quite a while ago,” Ruan Feng replied. “I heard the A-team was playing mahjong, so I came to watch.”

 

Lu Wen thought to himself, typical of a Sichuan native, though not quite the purest type.

 

Since the start of this project, Ren Shu had largely given up on all entertainment activities. He moved to the table, distractedly picking up a tile. Ruan Feng joined, and with Lu Wen, they formed a three-player game.

 

When the others had mostly left, Ruan Feng said, “We’re short one player.”

 

Ren Shu looked around and said, “Get someone else. Ask Director Qu to come.”

 

Ruan Feng frowned and instinctively touched his wallet. “Teacher Qu must be very busy; maybe we shouldn’t bother him.”

 

Lu Wen thought this was likely to avoid suspicion.

 

Ren Shu said, “Back in college, we used to play cards in the dorm secretly. Director Qu never participated, so he probably doesn’t know how. We were poor students then, and losing was tough. Now, it doesn’t matter as much.”

 

Ruan Feng smiled politely. “Hehe.”

 

Ren Shu insisted, “Call him. If he loses, he’ll buy us drinks.”

 

Ruan Feng replied, “Let’s forget it…”

 

“You’re so hesitant at such a young age.” Ren Shu ordered, “Lu Wen, go call Director Qu.”

 

Some things can’t be avoided even by remaining silent. Lu Wen had no choice but to comply and went to the apartment building to knock on the door. After knocking until his hand was sore, Qu Yanting finally opened a crack.

 

Lu Wen got straight to the point. “Want to play cards?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “No interest.”

 

Lu Wen clarified, “Director Ren asked me to invite you.” He added casually, “And Ruan Feng is here too.”

 

Qu Yanting showed no reaction, not understanding why Lu Wen was being so forward.

 

Lu Wen, losing patience, said, “We all know you might not be great at it. It’s fine if your skills aren’t good; with your status, we wouldn’t dare win too much from you.”

 

Qu Yanting was about to close the door but was provoked by Lu Wen’s annoying tone. He suspected that Lu Wen really thought he was a card master in his role as Ye Xiaowu. He changed his mind and agreed, “Alright then.”

 

With everyone else gone, the screenwriter, director, and the lead actors gathered under the grapevine to play cards.

 

Qu Yanting brought nothing and took the open seat, as if he was just going to observe. Lu Wen was across from him and felt, though it might have been an illusion, that Ruan Feng’s expression was a bit tense.

 

The game began, and Qu Yanting asked, “What stakes are we playing for?” After that, he didn’t say another word, just focused on the cards, handling them lightly.

 

After one round, Qu Yanting won against the other three.

 

Lu Wen looked up and saw Qu Yanting tapping the table with his index and middle fingers, signaling them to pay. He had no cash on him and hadn’t expected to lose, so he awkwardly asked, “Can I pay via QR code?”

 

Qu Yanting didn’t even look up. “I’ll deduct it from your salary.”

 

With another mention of his salary, Lu Wen said, “I’ll win it back in the next round.”

 

In the next round, Qu Yanting won twice as much, and in the round after that, he had a clean sweep, continuously suppressing them. Eventually, when Ren Shu and Ruan Feng had lost all their cash, the card table finally quieted down.

 

Lu Wen calculated how much he owed and found it increasingly unbelievable. Wasn’t Qu Yanting supposed to be bad at this?

 

Ren Shu, sounding congested, said, “Yanting, you’ve been hiding your skills.”

 

Qu Yanting, eager to get back to work and not wanting to show off his card skills, said, “Just lucky. Let’s stop here.”

 

Ren Shu said, “Let’s play one more round and try to turn things around.”

 

Qu Yanting, not eager to continue, neatly stacked the bills and called over the production assistant. “Thanks to Director Ren and Ruan Feng for their sponsorship. Tomorrow, I’ll treat the entire crew to breakfast.”

 

After saying this, he moved his chair back, returned to the apartment building, and before leaving, glanced up at the grapevine.

 

Lu Wen watched as scenes from Qu Yanting’s card game replayed in his mind, coincidentally overlapping with the scenes he had acted out.

 

Ren Shu also left, having lost all his money and returned to filming. Soon, only Lu Wen and Ruan Feng remained under the grapevine.

 

Ruan Feng put his wallet away and muttered, “I told you not to call him. Now we’re in worse shape. Not only are we not making money, but we’re also losing more.”

 

Lu Wen came back to his senses. “What do you mean, not making money?”

 

“From filming this drama,” Ruan Feng said, “I only get a tiny fee and now I’ve lost even more.”

 

Lu Wen couldn’t help but say, “Your fee can’t possibly be just a tiny amount.”

 

Ruan Feng sighed. His fee was actually quite good, but he took the job at a discounted rate out of friendship. Since it was out in the open, he didn’t hold back and leaned close to Lu Wen’s ear, whispering a number.

 

Lu Wen was shocked, thinking he must have heard wrong.

 

Ruan Feng’s fee was actually only one-third of Lu Wen’s.