Crossover Actors - Chapter 18

Lu Wen asked, “Really?”

 

Though Qu Yanting couldn’t see his facial features, he could tell from Lu Wen’s tone that his mood had shifted. Qu Yanting turned the light slightly, and in the faint glow, Lu Wen’s face looked noticeably more relaxed.

 

Although it’s often said that one shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds them, Qu Yanting’s concession wasn’t entirely because of the congee. Given the character is a high school student, a straightforward kiss shot wasn’t advisable. Instead, they could use camera angles to imply the kiss.

 

Qu Yanting spared the explanation and gave a piece of advice: “You don’t have much experience with serious acting. It’s normal to be nervous or reluctant when facing many firsts. You need to learn to overcome it quickly, force yourself to accept it, and even enjoy it, got it?”

 

Lu Wen’s earlier ease was overshadowed by Qu Yanting’s well-meaning lecture, making him reflect on himself. He asked, “Am I really unprofessional?”

 

Qu Yanting answered honestly, “Not formally trained, indeed.”

 

Lu Wen felt disheartened and wanted to ask, “Do you think less of me again?” but chose to hold back for the sake of his pride. Past experiences told him Qu Yanting wouldn’t coddle him and would deliver a blow.

 

To his surprise, Qu Yanting’s tone changed: “Regardless of formal training, every actor has their limits. To reach a higher level, you must put in the effort. If you have talent but are currently at a lower level, work hard to reach your upper limit.”

 

Lu Wen nodded and took Qu Yanting’s words to heart. He wasn’t sure where his limits were but hoped one day he could confidently assess his strengths and weaknesses.

 

Qu Yanting stirred the congee, its aroma filling the dim corner. After having a few bites, he noticed Lu Wen still chewing on mint candies and ignoring the takeout.

 

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

 

“Oh, I’ll eat after filming.”

 

Lu Wen picked up the portable light, holding it under his chin to cast a beam upward, jokingly adding, “I’ll be close when we shoot the lines. I don’t want to distract the actress.”

 

Qu Yanting thought to himself, he’s quite a gentleman towards the girl.

 

What Qu Yanting didn’t know was that during the opening banquet, Lu Wen had been so concerned about disturbing him that he had gone hungry all night.

 

As filming time approached, Qu Yanting finished his congee, and he and Lu Wen headed back to the set. The milk taro cake was still untouched, kept warm in its wrapper.

 

The scene was set on a street in the residential area, with cameras positioned by the roadside and workers filling the surrounding space. Qu Yanting stood under a tree on the left side of “Qi Xiao’s home,” while the actors were positioned on the right.

 

As the actors prepared, Xian Qi said, “Thank you for the late-night snack. I’ll treat next time.”

 

Lu Wen chewed on half a box of mint candies, and when he spoke, the cold air made his mouth feel like it was full of wind. “Sorry if I’m awkward during the shoot.”

 

Xian Qi, who had acted in many romance dramas, wasn’t used to hearing such things from male actors. She replied, “It’s not a big deal. It’s just a staged kiss. Let’s keep it relaxed.”

 

When the director called “Action,” Qu Yanting silently peeled the taro cake in the shadows.

 

The scene involved a row of small houses with dense trees nearby. Ye Xiaowu and Qi Xiao stood about seven or eight meters away, near five large trees from Qi Xiao’s door.

 

To avoid any danger near the door, Ye Xiaowu would walk Qi Xiao to this spot every day. Reluctantly, he said, “We’re here already. Go ahead, I’ll watch you go in.”

 

Qi Xiao asked, “Can you walk me to the tree by my door tonight?”

 

Ye Xiaowu smiled, “You said that tree is too close to your house, afraid of being spotted?”

 

Qi Xiao explained, “The street light is broken, so I can’t see clearly.”

 

Ye Xiaowu and Qi Xiao walked side by side, and when they reached the fifth tree, they both instinctively hid under its shade. Qi Xiao glanced towards the bushes under the tree and subtly moved a little closer to Ye Xiaowu.

 

Ye Xiaowu asked, “What are you looking at?”

 

Qi Xiao replied, “A wild cat jumped out of the bushes yesterday. It almost caught me.”

 

Ye Xiaowu understood, “You’re scared, so you wanted me to walk you over?”

 

Qi Xiao, who was afraid of both cats and the dark, shyly said, “We’re at my door now.” It was always the same line before parting every night.

 

Ye Xiaowu didn’t say “goodbye” as usual. He surveyed the surroundings, confirmed there was no one around, and stepped closer. “Even in such a high-end neighborhood, the street lights can break. It would be great if it stayed broken.”

 

Qi Xiao pretended not to understand, “I’m going home now. See you tomorrow.”

 

Qu Yanting took a bite of the taro cake, positioned on the left, while the actors were on the right. The path between them was occupied by the camera crew. He could only see Lu Wen’s hand hanging beside him.

 

After stepping forward, Lu Wen’s hand clenched into a fist.

 

Xian Qi finished her line and turned to leave. Lu Wen, with one hand clenched and the other grabbing, intended to catch Xian Qi’s arm but accidentally grabbed the strap of her backpack.

 

“Qi… Qi Xiao,” he stuttered.

 

Xian Qi turned back, her face blushing.

 

Lu Wen stepped closer, pulling her back by the backpack strap. Once he felt they were close enough, he awkwardly withdrew his foot.

 

He asked, “Are you really scared, or do you want to walk a bit more with me?”

 

Xian Qi replied, “I’m really scared.”

 

The crucial moment had arrived, and with the kiss scene looming, Lu Wen said his lines stiffly: “From now on, I’ll protect you.”

 

He bent his knees and slowly leaned toward Xian Qi, his knee wound throbbing with pain. Although they were just simulating the kiss, their lips had to be very close, and the proximity made him increasingly nervous, his entire body tensed like a steel board.

 

Qu Yanting realized Lu Wen’s anxiety about the kiss scene.

 

Indeed, it wasn’t well done.

 

Ren Shu, unable to tolerate it any longer, shouted, “Stop! Everyone stop!”

 

As Lu Wen stood up straight, Ren Shu rushed over, hitting his arm away with a loud smack. It hurt, and Lu Wen stepped back, shaking his arm.

 

“Lu Wen, why were you grabbing her backpack?” Ren Shu said, “One hand clenched into a fist, the other holding a backpack. Are you trying to be her boyfriend or rob her?”

 

Lu Wen stammered, “I accidentally grabbed the wrong thing.”

 

“Then let go quickly. Holding it like this is weird,” Ren Shu yelled. “The positioning under the tree is off, too stiff and awkward. The lines are delivered poorly.”

 

Lu Wen replied, “I…”

 

“You don’t need to explain,” Ren Shu said. “You were too stiff when you kissed her. Go check the footage; even someone with partial paralysis would be more flexible than you.”

 

At this moment, Xian Qi took off her backpack and squatted down to rub her ankle. She had worn height-boosting insoles to compensate for the height difference, and Lu Wen had pulled her too hard, causing her to twist her ankle.

 

Lu Wen was so embarrassed he wanted to hit his head against the wall, repeatedly apologizing.

 

With time tight for the night shoot, Ren Shu decided to personally demonstrate the scene.

 

The others dispersed, leaving the path clear. The female lead went to apply a cold compress, and Ren Shu spotted Qu Yanting on the other side, calling out, “Hey, you eating the cake, come over here.”

 

Qu Yanting didn’t want to go over but didn’t want to publicly offend the director either. After swallowing the last bite of taro cake, he walked over into the shade of the trees.

 

Ren Shu said to Lu Wen, “Now, I’m Ye Xiaowu, and Qu here is Qi Xiao.”

 

Qu Yanting tried to avoid it, saying, “I twisted my ankle too.”

 

“Stop with the excuses,” Ren Shu said, grabbing Qu Yanting’s wrist. Back in film school, they often worked on scripts together, trying out roles in writing, directing, and acting.

 

Qu Yanting, caught off guard, couldn’t break free, so he defensively crossed his arms.

 

Ren Shu gently pulled Qu Yanting while explaining, “You should gently take her hand, pull her closer, then move closer yourself. It’s a process of mutual engagement.”

 

When they were face to face, Ren Shu continued, “You’re taller, so it doesn’t matter if you spread your legs or bend over, but the movement must be natural and smooth.” Though he was shorter than Qu Yanting, which made it look a bit funny, he added, “Once you pull her closer, let go of her hand and cradle her face.”

 

Lu Wen watched intently as Ren Shu held Qu Yanting’s face in his hands. Qu Yanting flinched slightly, but that small movement added a hint of helplessness to the scene.

 

Helpless, yet without resistance, it made him appear… obedient.

 

Ren Shu pressed his thumb against Qu Yanting’s chin, simulating a kiss by placing his lips on his thumbnail.

 

He explained the key point: “For a light, butterfly-like kiss, you need to control the speed. First, get close to her, pause for a moment, let the camera capture the close-up, and then kiss after the camera pans away.”

 

Lu Wen couldn’t help but clench his fist again.

 

Ye Xiaowu’s kiss was premeditated, and Ren Shu added a detail to convey this: “First, approach her cheek, making both Qi Xiao and the audience think that Ye Xiaowu is going to kiss her cheek. Then, as you deliver the final line, take advantage of Qi Xiao’s moment of distraction, lower your head, and kiss her lips, catching everyone off guard.”

 

Ren Shu’s demonstration was so detailed it covered nearly every shot. After finishing, he stepped aside and asked, “Lu Wen, did you get it?”

 

Lu Wen, still fixated on Qu Yanting, felt his mind gradually slipping into Ye Xiaowu’s mindset. He replied, “Got it.”

 

Ren Shu gestured with his palm, “Come on, let’s go through the scene as I showed you.”

 

Lu Wen didn’t notice Ren Shu’s hand gesture, only remembering him saying that Qu Yanting was Qi Xiao. Now, he was Ye Xiaowu. He took a step forward, blocking Qu Yanting’s path.

 

Due to the height difference, Qu Yanting had to keep his head slightly lowered, but now he was forced to look up. Before he could react, he felt warmth around his wrist as Lu Wen grabbed it.

 

Perhaps because he had been clenching his fist for so long, Lu Wen’s palm was slightly sweaty.

 

He needed to be gentle, so he applied slight pressure on Qu Yanting’s wrist, pulling him half a step closer while stepping forward himself to close the remaining gap.

 

Lu Wen’s right shoulder was weighed down by his backpack, so he only raised his left hand, gently cupping Qu Yanting’s cheek. His hand was large, his palm holding Qu Yanting’s face while his fingertips touched Qu Yanting’s thin ear.

 

Qu Yanting’s body stiffened, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his own sleeves. Whether it was the warmth from Lu Wen’s palm or some other reason, half of his face grew hot.

 

He was so stunned he forgot to dodge, only trembling slightly as Lu Wen lowered his head and paused beside his cheek.

 

With no lights and the streetlamp broken, the shadows under the trees were dim and unclear. Lu Wen could only see the bright stars in Qu Yanting’s pupils, but when his eyelashes lowered, those stars were hidden.

 

Lu Wen drew closer, and closer still, until they were almost close enough to kiss.

 

His mind went blank, his heartbeat the only sound he could hear, mingling with the sweet scent of the milk taro cake Qu Yanting had eaten. Finally, he couldn’t hold his breath any longer, letting out a soft exhale that brushed against Qu Yanting’s cheek.

 

The cool minty scent made Qu Yanting feel like he was between fire and ice, dazed and speechless.

 

Then, by his ear, Lu Wen softly said, “From now on, I’ll protect you.”