Crossover Actors - Chapter 44

Qu Yanting gazed at the bedside lamp. The light seemed to shine directly into his heart, covering up all the accumulated mess, but reason reminded him that the lamp belonged to someone else, and so did the light.

 

He turned off the lamp, responding more to avoid than to engage, “Ye Xiaowu, are you still stuck in the scene?”

 

Lu Wen said, “I’m serious.”

 

Qu Yanting got up, smoothing out the wrinkles on the bed sheet, joking, “I said I see you as a younger brother, but you don’t need to actually take a knife to your ribs for me.”

 

Lu Wen also stood up, “Even if we’re just ordinary friends, I would still help. Not to mention, you’ve looked after me so much in the crew.”

 

Qu Yanting blurted out, “I don’t need you to repay my kindness.”

 

The last word was spoken in a frosty tone. Lu Wen was caught off guard. For a small-time actor to try and solve the problems of a top screenwriter might indeed seem presumptuous.

 

After standing awkwardly by the bed for a few seconds, Lu Wen seemed to mock himself, or perhaps apologize, “I guess I overstepped.”

 

Qu Yanting pulled himself back from the impulse. He knew Lu Wen meant well, but the world of adults is full of troubles, and no one can really help anyone. He said, “Sorry, I spoke too harshly.”

 

Lu Wen didn’t mind, “Mr. Qu, I don’t have much ability right now, but if you ever need me, I’ll do my best.”

 

Qu Yanting had very low expectations of the world. He didn’t need a savior or a solid support system. All he wanted was someone to offer comfort when he was exhausted from standing on his own.

 

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

 

The sky was dark, and the garden pool behind the building was barely visible. After glancing casually off the balcony, Lu Wen turned the car repair situation into a house tour before finally going to the garage to check on his vehicle.

 

“Just a small issue,” Lu Wen said casually, “I’ll leave it to the dealership. I haven’t driven it in months; I’ll get it fixed and do some maintenance.”

 

Qu Yanting said, “Let me know about the cost, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

 

Lu Wen recalled the “brotherly” comment and replied playfully, “Oh come on, Mr. Qu, why are we talking about money between us? That would just ruin our bond.”

 

“Even real brothers keep their accounts clear.” Qu Yanting wasn’t up for his nonsense. It was getting late, and he needed to get home to take care of his “Commander Huang.” “Are you staying here tonight?”

 

Lu Wen shook his head. He remembered he had plans tonight.

 

“Damn!” He smacked his forehead. He had an appointment with Gu Zhuoyan, Lian Yiming, and Su Wang tonight, and he had completely forgotten!

 

Feeling responsible for the accident, Qu Yanting offered to be his chauffeur. Dangling the car keys in front of Lu Wen, he said, “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

 

Leaving the villa, locking the door, Qu Yanting got into the car first. Lu Wen instinctively opened the back door, only to be scolded, “Who do you think you are, some foreign leader?” He then sheepishly slid into the front passenger seat.

 

The Bentley’s headlights flashed as it rolled out. Lu Wen’s heart surged with excitement at the sound of the engine. There was a time when Qu Yanting kicked him out of his car, and now, Qu Yanting was driving him personally. Is there a more inspiring story in showbiz?

 

“Where to?” Qu Yanting asked.

 

Lu Wen replied, “The Sofitel Hotel on Yunzhang Road.”

 

As they left the Zishan Mingzhu area and turned onto the main road, the image of those two boxes of condoms suddenly flashed in Qu Yanting’s mind. He glanced at Lu Wen’s silhouette out of the corner of his eye, his lips barely moving as he asked, “Going to get a room?”

 

“Yeah.” Lu Wen pulled out his phone to check the room number Lian Yiming had sent him last night.

 

With his finger tapping lightly on the steering wheel, Qu Yanting said, “Be careful who you meet. If you get famous one day, things like that could come back to haunt you.”

 

“Relax, it’s just the three of us—”

 

The last part of the sentence caught in Lu Wen’s throat as he slowly realized what Qu Yanting was implying. He turned to Qu Yanting in shock, like a young maiden whose innocence had just been questioned, “I’m meeting childhood friends! Three guys!”

 

Qu Yanting was startled by the outburst. “Oh…”

 

“Oh, what do you mean ‘oh’?” Lu Wen tightened his seatbelt, “Your imagination, no wonder you’re a screenwriter.”

 

Qu Yanting, not one to be outdone, played along, “Well, thank you for the compliment.”

 

Lu Wen mumbled, “You shouldn’t even be thinking like that. I’m not that kind of person, and even if I were, I’d be too scared for my life… my dad would kill me.”

 

Since they’d met, the word “dad” had come up quite frequently. Qu Yanting asked, “Is your dad very strict?”

 

“Not strict,” Lu Wen replied. “He’s harsh.”

 

In front of the Sofitel Hotel, the streetlights glowed brightly. Qu Yanting pulled the car to the side. The colored lights from the hotel sign reflected through the windshield, filling the car with a soft glow. Qu Yanting didn’t turn off the engine, turning to watch as Lu Wen prepared to get out.

 

Lu Wen, with his seatbelt unbuckled, was still sitting there. “Mr. Qu, did you forget something?”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “What?”

 

“That poem.” Lu Wen tilted his head, meeting Qu Yanting’s gaze in the dimly lit car. “The Nabokov poem you gave me, you haven’t explained what it means yet.”

 

Qu Yanting hadn’t forgotten. He said, “I saw the ginkgo leaves, so—”

 

“I’m going to be late,” Lu Wen cut him off. “Tell me next time we meet.”

 

Qu Yanting could see through Lu Wen’s intentions and agreed, “Alright.”

 

Lu Wen immediately asked, “When will we meet again?”

 

“Whenever we’re both free,” Qu Yanting was stumped, as if meeting up was some huge ordeal. “We can just message on WeChat and arrange something.”

 

“Geez!” Lu Wen acted as if he’d just missed out on a fortune. “I could have asked you directly this whole time?!”

 

Qu Yanting, exasperated by his antics, reached out and gave Lu Wen a light shove to the forehead, causing him to yelp in pain and clutch his nose in mock agony.

 

“Sorry, I forgot…” Qu Yanting brushed Lu Wen’s hand away from his face, lifted his sharp chin, and gently touched his skin, feeling the faint stubble beneath his fingertips.

 

He leaned in closer, “Let me take a look.”

 

Lu Wen held his breath. It was the first time anyone had ever examined his face like this. Was his chin properly shaved? Did his nose have blackheads? Were his pores too big? He was drowning in a flurry of nervous thoughts, his face flushing red.

 

“No blood,” Qu Yanting concluded, releasing him. “A couple of days and it should stop hurting.”

 

As his chin lost its support, Lu Wen asked, “Are you sure there’s no problem… did you get a good look?”

 

Qu Yanting bent his index finger and lightly brushed it against Lu Wen’s nose. “You’re a grown man, don’t be so fragile. Now, go have fun.”

 

Lu Wen had no more complaints to make, obediently got out of the car, and waved at the Bentley until its taillights disappeared into the distance. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to enter the hotel.

 

A car behind him honked twice.

 

Lu Wen moved aside, but it honked again.

 

“The road’s wide enough, you…” Lu Wen started to shout, but stopped when he saw who it was.

 

In the driver’s seat, behind the glass, sat Gu Zhuoyan, dressed in a sharp suit, one hand on the steering wheel, a cigarette between his lips. Handsome as ever, he raised an eyebrow at Lu Wen.

 

“Bro!” Lu Wen exclaimed excitedly.

 

Gu Zhuoyan rolled down the window, leaned his head out, and sighed, “Man, I’ve missed you.”

 

Lu Wen helped Gu Zhuoyan park, and they went up to the luxury suite together.

 

Lian Yiming and Su Wang were already there. Lian Yiming opened the door, and Su Wang stood by the entrance. As soon as the door opened, Lu Wen lunged at his best friends, hugging them tightly. “Mingzi!”

 

“What about me?” Su Wang came over, and Lu Wen pulled him into the hug, shouting, “You idiot, you’re finally back!”

 

Gu Zhuoyan closed the door, changed into slippers, and joined the group hug from the outside. The four of them had known each other since their first birthday parties, sharing childhood memories and embarrassing photos. Even through their rebellious teenage years, they had never fought, though making fun of each other’s dads was a regular occurrence.

 

After the hugging, Lu Wen didn’t cry, but faked it. “I missed you guys so much.”

 

Gu Zhuoyan asked, “Will you become famous after this movie?”

 

Su Wang teased, “Will you surpass the second lead?”

 

“Ugh, stop putting so much pressure on me.” Lu Wen waved them off and headed toward the living room. “Ruan Feng’s got such strong connections. He’s got all the resources and all the contacts.”

 

The three of them weren’t too familiar with the entertainment industry, but they were competitive. Lian Yiming said, “You’ll shoot the new promo video for Sofitel next year.”

 

Lu Wen was pleased but pretended to act cool. “I’ll have to check with my agent to see if I have time.”

 

“You’ve got no time, my ass,” Su Wang said bluntly. “Quit acting like a big shot. We haven’t even settled our score.”

 

There was dinner on the coffee table, delivered by the restaurant, along with several bottles of Lian Yiming’s treasured red wine and over twenty bottles of beer. The four of them sat down to drink. As Lu Wen respectfully poured a small amount of wine for Su Wang, he said, “I’ll make sure to do a great job on that promo.”

 

Then, when it was Gu Zhuoyan’s turn, he raised his glass, “I’ll take some, too.”

 

Lu Wen shrugged. “You don’t have hands?”

 

Gu Zhuoyan got the message. He hadn’t offered any resources or held anything over Lu Wen, so the rising star wouldn’t do anything for him. Putting down his glass, he said, “Oh right, I drove here. I can’t drink.”

 

Lian Yiming said, exasperated, “You’re staying here tonight, and the hotel has drivers. Quit playing dumb.”

 

“Exactly,” Su Wang added. “We all drove here.”

 

Gu Zhuoyan smirked. “Our celebrity here didn’t. He had someone drop him off.”

 

As he spoke, Gu Zhuoyan looked at Lu Wen with a knowing smile, raising his hand to tap his nose suggestively.

 

This guy saw everything!

 

Lu Wen instantly caved. He wasn’t one to hide things, but he didn’t want Qu Yanting to be discussed. Grabbing Gu Zhuoyan’s wine glass, he filled it up, saying, “Here, drink up.”

 

The four of them drank and chatted about the trivialities of their lives over the past few months.

 

They had learned to ride horses together, attended summer camps, and traveled both domestically and internationally. Now, as men nearing their thirties, they still hugged each other when they reunited and always had endless things to talk about, even if they ended up arguing a few minutes later.

 

After a few bottles of red wine, they were all tipsy. Lu Wen lay back on the sofa, arm around Su Wang, drunkenly confessing, “I was wrong to call you that time.”

 

Su Wang, with his scholar-like face now flushed, replied, “You still have the nerve to bring that up? You called me ‘baby,’ and this straight guy couldn’t eat for three days.”

 

“Oh, come on.” Lu Wen waved his hand. “Aren’t we all straight guys here? It’s not that big a deal!”

 

Gu Zhuoyan, now drinking beer, gave Lu Wen a sideways glance. Lu Wen didn’t notice and kept going, “It was an emergency. The head screenwriter asked me to go to his room. I thought I was about to get sexually harassed, so…”

 

Su Wang, still in a daze, asked, “He wanted to harass you? What did he offer?”

 

Lu Wen replied, “No offer would work. Are you my bro or not?”

 

“Of course,” Su Wang slapped Lu Wen on the chest. “Next time someone tries, call me. But don’t call me ‘baby,’ call me ‘dad!'”

 

Lu Wen slapped him back. “You’re drunk and still trying to mess with me!”

 

Su Wang said, “You don’t get it. If you call him ‘dad,’ he’ll think you’ve already been ruined, so he won’t bother.”

 

“Wow,” Lu Wen slurred. “You’re really the smartest.”

 

Lian Yiming couldn’t listen any longer. He lifted Su Wang and helped him to the bedroom to rest. Lu Wen sprawled out on the sofa, his face flushed and head spinning. He closed his eyes.

 

Footsteps approached, and someone sat down next to him. A cold, damp towel was placed over his flushed eyelids, which felt wonderfully soothing. He reached out and touched a body similar to his own—it was Gu Zhuoyan.

 

Only the two of them remained in the living room. Gu Zhuoyan asked, “Who was that person who dropped you off?”

 

Lu Wen teased, “A driver.”

 

Gu Zhuoyan chuckled. “What kind of driver dares make you sit in the passenger seat and push his boss’s face?”

 

Too drunk to think straight, Lu Wen couldn’t even come up with a lie. He gave up and confessed, “His last name is Qu. He’s the head screenwriter and also the investor for this film.”

 

Gu Zhuoyan suddenly removed the towel. “So, he’s the one who wanted to harass you?”

 

Lu Wen squinted in the bright light and said, “It’s all a misunderstanding. I thought he was gay and wanted to harass me, but it turns out he doesn’t, and he’s probably not even gay.”

 

“From the way you’re talking,” Gu Zhuoyan frowned, “you sound kind of disappointed?”

 

Lu Wen turned his head, closing his eyes again, and muttered, “Nonsense.”

 

“I’m telling you to be careful,” Gu Zhuoyan warned him. “I’ve only ever brushed three noses—one was my German shepherd, one was my sister.”

 

Lu Wen was falling asleep, mumbling, “And the other one…”

 

“The other one,” Gu Zhuoyan said, “later became my wife.”