Crossover Actors - Chapter 47

It felt like a dream. Lu Wen hugged the flowers, his eyes shining as brightly and intensely as the headlights of the Bentley, staring straight at Qu Yanting. He was so happy, he felt dizzy. “I thought you weren’t coming!”

 

With a smile on his face, Qu Yanting raised a finger and gently brushed it over the petals of the clustered lilies, as if lightly stroking someone’s cheek. If the florist hadn’t been so slow, he could have arrived even faster.

 

He expected Lu Wen to be happy, but not to this extent. Qu Yanting recalled the moment he hit the brakes, seeing that solitary, tall figure standing in the middle of the road. “Were you waiting for me this whole time?”

 

“I…” Lu Wen lied, “No, I was just admiring the snow.”

 

Qu Yanting teased him, “You’re in quite the mood, huh.”

 

As they talked, the rest of the crew came downstairs, carrying boxes and equipment, spilling out of the building like a swarm. Someone with sharp eyes spotted the two figures standing by the car and shouted, “Is that Lu Wen? Lu Wen!”

 

“What’s he doing?” the costume supervisor asked, “I waited for him upstairs for so long, and he’s down here on a date.”

 

It was dark, and Tao Meifan asked, “Who’s Xiao Lu with?”

 

Kang Danning muttered, “Could it be a relationship reveal?”

 

“Reveal your head!” Ren Shu recognized Qu Yanting and waved, shouting, “Yanting! You didn’t even say hello!”

 

Everyone gathered around to greet him, and Qu Yanting instinctively stepped back, grabbing the edge of Lu Wen’s leather jacket at the waist and pulling him slightly in front of him, using him as a shield.

 

Lu Wen subtly shifted his position, holding the bouquet like a guardian. He suggested, “Director, if it starts snowing harder, it’ll be difficult to leave. Should we move the party?”

 

Ren Shu agreed, “Yes, yes, let’s go to the banquet!”

 

Lu Wen said, “I’ll pay for tonight. How about I pick the place?”

 

No one objected, and they cheered as they moved their stuff to the parking lot. Once the crowd dispersed, Lu Wen turned to Qu Yanting and said, “We’re not going to karaoke, nor to some fancy banquet hall.”

 

Qu Yanting hesitated for a moment. “Is… that to accommodate me?”

 

“I’m more than willing,” Lu Wen said. “That doesn’t count as accommodating.”

 

Snowflakes continued to fall, landing on their faces. Qu Yanting blinked gently, letting himself ask for a little more. “What if I hide in the bathroom again?”

 

“Then I’ll wait by the door,” Lu Wen replied, and then he asked, “Mr. Qu, would you like to join us?”

 

Qu Yanting nodded.

 

Without any formalities, Lu Wen quickly slipped into the passenger seat. Qu Yanting couldn’t very well kick him out now, so he got in the driver’s seat, making him the guy’s chauffeur for a second time.

 

They drove out of the community gate, passing a dirty Porsche. Ren Shu rolled down his window and said, “You two are hilarious.”

 

Qu Yanting also rolled down his window. “What’s so funny?”

 

Ren Shu replied, “Lu Wen’s sitting in your passenger seat holding flowers. At first glance, I thought you were giving your girlfriend a ride.”

 

Qu Yanting shot back, “Does your girlfriend look like a pillar? Get going.”

 

With the window closed, they led the way, followed by the crew’s cars, forming a line that cut through the snowy night. The place Lu Wen had chosen was an izakaya, two stories high, with red Japanese lanterns hanging at the entrance.

 

Everyone was exhausted and cold, making it the perfect spot to warm up with a pot of hot sake or a bowl of noodles, bringing a cozy end to their high-intensity work on set.

 

The two floors quickly filled up, with seats at the booths and tatami tables completely occupied. It was crowded but lively. Qu Yanting chose a seat by the bar, tucked in the corner, with a decorative wall painting to his right.

 

Lu Wen sat to his left and asked, “Mr. Qu, what would you like to drink?”

 

Qu Yanting wasn’t fond of sake, so he ordered a beer and some plum wine. The men from the director’s crew were more wild, heading to a nearby liquor store to grab a case of white liquor, clearly planning to drink heavily.

 

The first round of toasts celebrated the successful wrap of Lu Wen and Tao Meifan’s scenes. They had a lot of mother-and-son scenes together. From a distance, Lu Wen shouted, “Mom!” only to be scolded by Ren Shu, “Stop clinging to the veteran actors!”

 

Worried about getting too drunk and making a fool of himself, Lu Wen paced himself, making a round of toasts before returning to his high stool. He saw Qu Yanting quietly eating chicken skewers in the corner, so he sat back down, clinking his glass lightly against Qu Yanting’s.

 

Qu Yanting raised his glass. “Are you toasting me?”

 

“Yep.” Lu Wen chuckled. “Mr. Qu, do you remember the start-of-production banquet when I came into the room to toast you?”

 

Qu Yanting pressed his lips together, trying to hold back his laughter. During their time in Chongqing, Lu Wen had made countless awkward blunders. He drank half a bottle of beer and formally congratulated him, “The next project will be even better.”

 

A new round of sashimi arrived, served with a strong dab of wasabi. Since Qu Yanting could handle spicy food, he didn’t hesitate to dip it generously before popping it into his mouth. A few seconds later, he was coughing, turning his head away as the heat hit him.

 

Lu Wen, delighted by Qu Yanting’s misfortune, leaned in with his arm over the back of his chair, watching with amusement. Just then, Qu Yanting turned back, his face flushed, eyes teary, and nose rubbed pink like a cherry blossom.

 

The teasing words Lu Wen had prepared suddenly stuck in his throat. Flustered, he turned away, sitting up straight and pushing a plate of cumin seasoning toward Qu Yanting while saying the wrong thing, “This grilled beef tongue smells great, have some to tone it down.”

 

Qu Yanting asked slowly, “Why aren’t you looking at me?”

 

Lu Wen answered, “Watching a show, no class.”

 

The bar was crowded with cups and plates. Qu Yanting’s chopsticks reached over, taking a piece of beef tongue, and after a slight chewing sound, came the gulping sound of him drinking more beer.

 

Qu Yanting finished the rest of his beer and grabbed a new bottle, expertly biting off the cap and downing nearly half of it in one go. It was only then that Lu Wen noticed four empty bottles already lined up by the wall.

 

Qu Yanting hadn’t really interacted with anyone else and seemed to be drinking alone, brooding a little. He was indeed feeling down—recent worries had been weighing on him for days, and tonight he was using alcohol to ease his frustrations.

 

Ren Shu came over, holding a cup, and stood between Lu Wen and Qu Yanting’s seats, saying, “You’re sitting in the corner, making me search for you.”

 

Qu Yanting set down his chopsticks. “Want to have a drink?”

 

In such a small industry, word spread fast, and Ren Shu had already heard some rumors. He asked quietly, “I heard you’ve taken on an idol drama, is that true?”

 

Since it was already out, there was no point in hiding it. Qu Yanting replied, “It’s true.”

 

Ren Shu was surprised. “That’s not like you. Is it a collaboration?”

 

“It’s a ready-made script,” Qu Yanting didn’t elaborate, “My name’s just attached.”

 

Ren Shu didn’t pry further, clinking glasses before being called away by the director’s group. Qu Yanting downed his drink and sat quietly for a while before turning his head and noticing Lu Wen’s peculiar expression.

 

“What’s wrong with you?” Qu Yanting asked.

 

Lu Wen didn’t understand the twists and turns of the screenwriting industry, but he grasped the gist of it and asked, “Why use someone else’s script as your own?”

 

Qin Yanting sneered for a moment, as if this problem couldn’t be avoided. He replied, “The offer was too good.”

 

Lu Wen said, “But you didn’t write the story.”

 

Qin Yanting said, “I didn’t write it, but they put my name on it and paid me. It’s like a pie falling from the sky.”

 

Lu Wen said, “That’s cheating!”

 

Qin Yanting admitted it and opened a bottle of beer.

 

Lu Wen was anxious. He had misunderstood Qin Yanting many times, both in work and in personal conduct. Time and again, Qin Yanting had proved himself flawless, so Lu Wen was reluctant to believe that Qin Yanting would do this.

 

“Mr. Qin,” Lu Wen pressed, “is it true?”

 

Qin Yanting said, “I just finalized the contract with the lawyer this afternoon. You tell me, is it true or not?”

 

Lu Wen was agitated. “Why? You’re not that kind of person!”

 

Qin Yanting felt as if he had been hit with a heavy blow, dizzy and pained, unable to understand his own morality. He leaned against the chair, tilting his head back, and the paper umbrella hanging from the ceiling seemed to spin, causing his buried emotions to rise like dust.

 

He said softly, “It means you don’t understand me.”

 

Lu Wen, with a strong sense of right and wrong, awkwardly said, “Maybe.”

 

“Now do you understand what kind of person I am?” Qin Yanting murmured to himself. “Are you very disappointed?”

 

Lu Wen had not yet answered. The space beside him was empty.

 

Qin Yanting, holding two bottles of beer in one hand, left the chair and went to find the photography team’s table. Compared to the discomfort of facing a whole table of people, he was more eager to drink to his heart’s content.

 

Having become familiar during his stint as a substitute director, Duan Meng said, “Qin, come to our table. You need to drink baijiu (Chinese white liquor) here.”

 

Qin Yanting shook the beer bottle. “I’ll drink cannonballs (a mix of beer and baijiu).”

 

The large cup of beer was poured into a bowl of white liquor. After mixing, he downed it in one go, drinking three cannonballs in quick succession without changing his expression. The alcohol flowed into his five organs.

 

Lu Wen watched from a distance, conflicted between anxiety and anger. Was he crazy to drink like this? But Qin Yanting didn’t listen to him. He grabbed a waiter and said, “Get some hangover noodle soup for that table. Quickly!”

 

As the party continued into the late night, the photography team was the worst off. Seven or eight men were nearly all incapacitated—some passed out, some were throwing up, and the table was filled with red faces.

 

Qin Yanting was also drunk, but his face was not flushed from the alcohol; only a faint touch of pink remained on his eyelids.

 

The crew made some arrangements, and after Lu Wen settled the bill, he grabbed a coat and headed straight for the table. The empty bottles clinked loudly as he bent down and lightly patted Qin Yanting’s arm. “Mr. Qin?”

 

Qin Yanting opened his eyes and grunted.

 

Lu Wen helped him up, put on his coat, and half carried him out. Qin Yanting didn’t sway much and was quite compliant. If he didn’t speak, it was hard to tell he was drunk.

 

“Who is it?” he asked suddenly.

 

Lu Wen, already displeased and further annoyed by the strong smell of alcohol, tightened his grip and gritted his teeth. “A living Lei Feng (a symbol of selflessness in China).”

 

Qin Yanting snickered, and as they stepped outside, the cold wind rushed in. Qin Yanting moved closer to Lu Wen, feeling something strange. He frowned. “What are you touching me for?”

 

Lu Wen was looking for his car keys. Once he found them, he tossed them to a person waiting by the door, who was the family driver, Xiao Shao.

 

After some effort, they got on the road. Lu Wen opened a bottle of mineral water for Qin Yanting and gave him a bag of sour plums. Suddenly, the car jolted.

 

Lu Wen tapped the driver’s seat. “Drive steadily!”

 

Xiao Shao said, “It’s a speed bump…”

 

Qin Yanting also spoke up, “Driver, go to Linxie Garden, and use the meter.”

 

“Alright,” Xiao Shao complied. “Do you need a receipt?”

 

Lu Wen replied, “Stop being so talkative.”

 

Xiao Shao asked, “Young master, who is this gentleman?”

 

Lu Wen didn’t want to give too many details and vaguely said, “He’s my superior.”

 

When they arrived at Linxie Garden, Lu Wen was surprised to find that Qin Yanting lived in such an ordinary neighborhood. He helped Qin Yanting out of the car, but Qin Yanting stubbornly refused to walk. Lu Wen handed a hundred yuan to Xiao Shao.

 

The snow continued to fall, blanketing the ground. Qin Yanting, wrapped in the heat of alcohol, was increasingly drunk. Lu Wen was worried and followed him, both of them with snow covering their feet.

 

After finally getting into the elevator and reaching the ninth floor, Lu Wen, fearing to disturb the neighbors, held Qin Yanting tightly to prevent him from wandering. He went to open the door, but in the pitch-black room, a pair of eyes glowing faintly gave off an aura of “keep out.”

 

Lu Wen was startled, closed the door, and groped for the light switch.

 

Before he could find it, Qin Yanting embraced him from behind.

 

Lu Wen stood frozen, the warm scent of alcohol on his neck. Qin Yanting lay his head on Lu Wen’s shoulder, occupying most of his embrace.

 

He couldn’t tell if Qin Yanting was doing it unconsciously or out of instinct.

 

Lu Wen’s hand fell, pressing Qin Yanting’s back, while his other hand moved up to gently cover the back of Qin Yanting’s head, where the melted snow was cool.

 

Suddenly, Qin Yanting moved slightly. “Aren’t you disappointed?”

 

Lu Wen swallowed silently and remained silent.

 

Qin Yanting continued, “Then why are you still following me?”

 

Suddenly, Lu Wen felt Qin Yanting’s grip loosen. He felt a bit flustered but didn’t expect that Qin Yanting, clumsily drunk, would raise a finger and poke his chest.

 

Qin Yanting poked him while complaining softly, “You have no conscience…”

 

In the dark, Lu Wen felt numb, as if only his heart was still alive.

 

With the weight of the body subtly unsteady, slowly sinking, in the unfamiliar house, under the watch of the cat’s eyes, on the first snowy night of winter—

 

Lu Wen carried Qin Yanting horizontally.

 

“Stop poking,” he said in a deep voice, “I’m sorry, okay?”