Crossover Actors - Chapter 28

The ginger tea was hot, and the aroma of ginger and brown sugar filled the living room. Qu Yanting drank it on the sofa, the warmth flowing into his stomach, gradually warming his body.

 

On the coffee table lay the script, its damp pages easily wrinkled. He carefully opened it to the middle section, where the lives of Ye Shan and Ye Xiaowu took a pivotal turn.

 

Ye Xiaowu died.

 

Ye Shan continued his own life, while simultaneously taking over Ye Xiaowu’s life, starting anew.

 

When Ren Shu first read this part of the script, he was astonished and said, “Is this a story about split personalities?”

 

Such themes are not mainstream and are more common in crime films. Qu Yanting did not answer “yes” or “no.” To him, Ye Shan’s transformation seemed more like a simple fragmentation of humanity rather than a psychological disorder.

 

Ye Shan envied everything about Ye Xiaowu, to the point of hatred. He longed to be Ye Xiaowu to receive Ye’s mother’s love. This psychology, combined with years of neglect, led him to develop a second personality as his brother.

 

But he remained quite lucid, not turning to crime or having the two personalities consume each other. It was more like he simply split himself in two, living a portion of Ye Xiaowu’s life.

 

As Ye Shan, he took college entrance exams, attended university, and gained independence from his original family. As “Ye Xiaowu,” he was considerate and filial to Ye’s mother, occasionally willful, indistinguishable from the real Ye Xiaowu.

 

Qu Yanting reached the end and finished his tea.

 

He closed the script, leaned back on the sofa, and was overcome with an immense sense of fatigue.

 

After sitting for a long while, Qu Yanting decided to get a good night’s sleep. He ordered room service dinner, knowing his own tendencies, and left a note for the butler to ring the bell a few extra times if necessary.

 

Returning to his bedroom to rest, he felt a bit dizzy as he got up. He crawled into bed; although his body’s temperature had risen, he still felt cold and couldn’t help but curl up.

 

The wind and rain had stopped by noon, and the entire city was shrouded in mist, with clouds lingering in the sky.

 

From a high vantage point, the world seemed endlessly damp.

 

Lu Wen could occupy the big bed alone, sprawled in the center, stretching out his long limbs and sleeping soundly. In the evening, his phone rang, and buried in his pillow, he reached out and fumbled around.

 

Without opening his eyes, he was instantly annoyed.

 

“Who is it?” Lu Wen answered, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sleeping, don’t bother me.”

 

There was silence on the line, and Lu Wen guessed it was a spam call. Annoyed, he said, “Do you have something or not? Spit it out. Are you calling about investments or loans? Quit dragging it out and trying to scam me. Just hang up!”

 

A detached voice said, “It’s me.”

 

Lu Wen shivered, sat up, and looked at the caller ID—Lu Zhanqing.

 

His sleepiness vanished in an instant, and he put the phone back to his ear, sounding very respectful: “Dad, is that you?”

 

Lu Zhanqing: “Hmm.”

 

Lu Wen: “Is there something you need?”

 

Lu Zhanqing: “A loan.”

 

Lu Wen scratched his chin, mumbling vaguely, “Why did you call now? I was sleeping so well. It’s raining heavily in Chongqing, and I was filming a car accident scene all night, falling from a wire and rolling on the street. It’s exhausting.”

 

Lu Zhanqing asked, “Are you tired?”

 

“That’s an understatement,” Lu Wen complained, “I’m so exhausted, you nearly lost a son to middle age.”

 

Lu Zhanqing remained emotionless: “Nonsense.”

 

Lu Wen shrugged, “I don’t know why, but my front and back are sore, and I’m starving, feeling a vague emptiness.”

 

Lu Zhanqing said, “Being dramatic.”

 

Unable to communicate effectively, Lu Wen kicked his pillow: “Do you need something or not? If not, just hang up.”

 

Lu Zhanqing said, “Dress warmly and eat before sleeping.”

 

Before Lu Wen could react, Lu Zhanqing added, “I’ll hang up first.”

 

The line went dead, and Lu Wen sat on the bed in confusion.

 

To prevent being caught off guard next time, he opened his phone settings and set a special ringtone for Lu Zhanqing. To lighten his mood when answering calls, he chose the “Happy Times” ringtone.

 

Lu Wen was no longer sleepy. The hunger pangs hit him, and he needed to eat. He headed to the cloakroom, unsure of what to eat, and decided to get dressed first.

 

It was cold, so he put on woolen trousers, a custom-fit design that was neither too loose nor too tight. He wore a plain cotton shirt with an English wide collar, and a new classic trench coat he hadn’t worn before.

 

After dressing, Lu Wen grabbed his phone and wallet. As he was putting on his shoes at the entrance, he heard the doorbell ring in the hallway. The waiter and butler were outside room 6206 with the meal cart.

 

He tied his shoelaces, and the waiter rang the bell for the third time.

 

He fastened the cuff of his trench coat, and the waiter rang the bell for the fourth time.

 

He pulled out his room card, and the waiter rang the bell for the fifth time.

 

Thinking of Qu Yanting’s phone call, Lu Wen opened the door. The butler greeted him, and Lu Wen kindly advised, “Ring the bell a bit longer. The guest in this room isn’t very responsive to the bell.”

 

“Mr. Qu?” the butler changed to knocking. “Your dinner, Mr. Qu?”

 

The waiter asked, “Could he be out?”

 

The butler replied, “He shouldn’t be. Mr. Qu left a note saying he wouldn’t go out, but it might take him a while to open the door.”

 

Lu Wen turned into the hallway, the knocking echoing behind him.

 

He wondered if, even if Qu Yanting was a slowpoke, this seemed excessive.

 

Could he be sleeping? But he was so sound asleep that the ringing should have woken him. Was it possible that the bell had rung so long without waking him?

 

Lu Wen slowed his steps, suspiciously thinking, what if something had happened to Qu Yanting in the room? With his history of playing around, what else could that guy have done?

 

Had he strained his back?

 

Had he fainted?

 

Had he died suddenly?

 

Lu Wen turned abruptly, heading back to room 6206’s door, and said, “Stop knocking! Open the door and check!”

 

The butler hesitated, “But… there are hotel regulations…”

 

“Regulations my foot!” Lu Wen shouted. “What’s more important than a live person? What if something happens? Open the door, I know him, and I’ll take responsibility if anything happens.”

 

The butler, also worried, had no choice but to agree and used the room card to unlock the door.

 

Lu Wen rushed in and shouted, “Teacher Qu!”

 

The suite was silent, the bedroom door ajar. Lu Wen hurried to the bedside, hearing breathing and seeing Qu Yanting lying peacefully on the bed.

 

Despite the commotion, Qu Yanting remained unresponsive, eyes closed.

 

Lu Wen crouched by the bed, unsure where to touch, so he just pressed down on the blanket. Qu Yanting’s face was bright red, as if flushed with a tint of rouge from his skin, covered in sweat, and his hair at the temples was damp.

 

“Teacher Qu?” Lu Wen called out.

 

The eyes slowly opened, their lids slightly reddened, hiding the dark pupils. Qu Yanting let out a soft “mm” in response and exhaled a hot breath.

 

Lu Wen lifted the corner of the blanket. Qu Yanting was curled up in the bed, his legs bent and shoulders hunched, his arms wrapped around his body.

 

“Teacher Qu, are you cold?” Lu Wen touched Qu Yanting’s forehead with the back of his hand. “Wow, you’re so hot!”

 

Qu Yanting had caught a cold by the lakeside earlier, and last night’s rain had made his fever worse.

 

His voice was hoarse: “How did you get in?”

 

Lu Wen said, “I brought you dinner.”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “I don’t want to eat anymore…”

 

“Eat what? It’s already cold,” Lu Wen said, kneeling by the bed. “Teacher Qu, you have a fever, and it seems quite serious. How do you feel?”

 

Qu Yanting closed his eyes. “Cold.”

 

Lu Wen decisively said, “Teacher Qu, let me take you to the hospital. If you’re sick, it’s better to see a doctor. I might just make things worse if I try to take care of you.”

 

Qu Yanting weakly smiled, his face turning redder.

 

Lu Wen instructed the housekeeper to prepare the car and covered Qu Yanting with a cashmere coat.

 

Descending from the 62nd floor, Qu Yanting used up all his strength. Once in the car, he leaned against the window for support. Lu Wen sat on the other side of the armrest and told the driver to head to the nearest hospital.

 

Outside, it was already night again.

 

Qu Yanting leaned back against the seat, his head tilted backward, and his arms wrapped tightly around his coat. The most obvious symptom of a high fever was feeling cold all over.

 

Lu Wen glanced over several times, then, without asking, moved the armrest aside, and, in the cramped space, shook out his windbreaker and wrapped Qu Yanting in it.

 

After wrapping him around one and a half times, he said, “Teacher Qu, you should eat more.”

 

Qu Yanting softly closed his eyes. “A down jacket would be warmer.”

 

Lu Wen retorted, “Are you out of your mind? This is a new, classic windbreaker. It’s the first time I’m wearing it.”

 

Qu Yanting said, “The windbreaker is warm too.”

 

That’s because… Lu Wen thought to himself, because it carries my body heat.

 

Qu Yanting nodded and rubbed his neck. He seemed to remember something and asked, “What about that sweater? Really not needed?”

 

Lu Wen immediately thought of the accidentally exposed underwear. Although he was a grown man and shouldn’t feel embarrassed, he couldn’t help but imagine Qu Yanting putting on and taking off the sweater.

 

Lu Wen kept his mouth shut and nodded.

 

Qu Yanting, wrapped in the windbreaker, looked at Lu Wen through the neon light coming in through the gaps. Lu Wen was dressed formally, with a cedar-scented perfume on his wrist. He must have been out for an appointment after the rain.

 

Qu Yanting felt sorry. “Did I interrupt your date?”

 

“Huh?” Lu Wen was a bit puzzled. “Why do you ask that?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “It’s rare for you to have a night off. Didn’t you have a girlfriend to meet around the Liberation Monument?”

 

Lu Wen’s face turned awkward. Unable to retract his previous statement, he awkwardly changed the topic. “Speaking of girlfriends, Ye Xiaowu is dead. What will Qi Xiao do?”

 

“The script says he ends up with Lin Jie in the end.”

 

“He’s so lucky to be the second male lead.”

 

Lu Wen pondered for a moment. “Teacher Qu, I’m not sure if my understanding is correct. Although Ye Shan has developed a younger brother’s personality, I think he’s different from Ye Xiaowu.”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “What do you mean?”

 

“Rather than replacing him,” Lu Wen deliberated, “Ye Shan just wanted to experience life like Ye Xiaowu did. If Ye’s father hadn’t had an accident, his life could have been happy and carefree.”

 

Qu Yanting didn’t respond, and Lu Wen said quietly, “Teacher Qu, there are no ‘ifs’ in this world, but you gave Ye Shan a chance.”

 

A moment of silence.

 

The windbreaker slipped to one side. Lu Wen reached out to cover Qu Yanting. At that moment, the car turned at a corner, and Qu Yanting, unable to resist the inertia, leaned against Lu Wen’s arm.

 

He closed his eyes, his breathing becoming lighter. Perhaps too exhausted to move, he did not return to his original position.

 

Lu Wen said softly, “Teacher Qu, you should nap for a while. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

 

“Okay,” Qu Yanting responded, half in a commanding tone, “be good.”

 

Lu Wen obediently sat there. Although Qu Yanting was only leaning against him and not actually relying on him, he felt he was fulfilling the role of a human pillow.

 

The car was quiet for less than five minutes before Lu Wen’s phone rang. He felt Qu Yanting shiver slightly, unsure if it was from the ringtone or the cold.

 

He reached into the windbreaker pocket, realizing it wasn’t his phone ringing.

 

Leaning slightly, Lu Wen retrieved Qu Yanting’s phone from underneath him. The screen flashed with a single character: “Ruan.”

 

Lu Wen felt a rush of heat. Each time he interacted with Qu Yanting, he would overlook the other’s personal life issues. Being reminded now, he felt a growing discomfort.

 

He handed the phone over. “Teacher Qu, your call.”

 

Qu Yanting was already struggling to answer the phone, and with his sore throat, he didn’t want to hear anyone’s call.

 

Lu Wen took a quick glance and said, “Teacher Qu, your phone is ringing. Someone named Ruan is calling you, Ruan Feng.”

 

Qu Yanting’s eyelids twitched. It was even more inconvenient for him to answer the call, and he didn’t bother to analyze if Lu Wen was being sarcastic. He remained still, pretending to sleep.

 

Lu Wen persisted:

 

“Teacher Qu, wake up?”

 

“Teacher Qu, are you really not going to answer? They might be quite anxious.”

 

“Teacher Qu, you haven’t fainted, have you?”

 

When the ringing finally stopped, Lu Wen quieted down.

 

He threw the phone back to where it had been and looked over at Qu Yanting. As the car drove along a boulevard, the colorful neon lights spilled in, bathing Qu Yanting in light and highlighting the few stars between his furrowed brows.

 

“He looks quite good,” Lu Wen said deliberately, “—when asleep, he looks like a pig.”

 

Qu Yanting finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

 

Teacher Qu – In many Chinese settings, particularly in the entertainment industry, it’s common for younger or less experienced individuals to address someone with more experience or higher status as “teacher” (老师, *lǎoshī*) as a sign of respect. This term isn’t limited to actual teachers in a classroom but can be used for mentors, senior colleagues, or even directors and actors with significant experience.

 

Lu Wen calling Qu Yanting “teacher” suggests that Qu Yanting is either more experienced or holds a senior position in their professional relationship, possibly as a respected actor or even a mentor figure to Lu Wen. It’s a way for Lu Wen to show deference and respect for Qu Yanting’s expertise or status, even though they’re both actors.