Crossover Actors - Chapter 6
Qu Yanting withdrew his gaze, staring at the pure white stream of water washing over his hand, and replied, “It is quite a coincidence.”
Lu Wen bent over to wash his hands and didn’t say anything more; the only sound was the intermingling of water.
He scrubbed the foam, rinsed it off, repeated the process twice, then dried his hands. He picked a hand cream from a silver tray, applied it, adjusted his cuffs and collar, and fixed his hairstyle in the mirror.
After finishing, Lu Wen noticed the water sound beside him hadn’t stopped. He glanced over and saw Qu Yanting’s reddened hands, asking, “Do you have obsessive-compulsive disorder?”
Qu Yanting didn’t have obsessive-compulsive disorder and ignored him.
Lu Wen thought that if Qu Yanting washed his hands any more, he might wear off a layer of skin. He checked his watch and said, “The banquet has already started. Don’t let it end before you finish washing.”
Qu Yanting, feeling impatient, said, “Since it has started, why aren’t you going back?”
Lu Wen leaned against the counter. Before coming out, he had been playing cards in the cubicle. His application of hand cream was also a way to delay: “No rush, I’m just taking a break.”
The word “break” touched a nerve for Qu Yanting, who had come to relax as well.
“You’re nervous?”
“A bit, mainly annoyed.”
Lu Wen crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Later, I’ll have to greet the actors. I can smile so much my face might cramp, addressing this teacher and that teacher—more teachers than I had in my four years of university.”
Qu Yanting didn’t respond but mentally agreed.
Lu Wen continued, “And then there are the directors and producers, like the higher-ups of the crew. I’ll have to grovel to them.”
Qu Yanting thought this was also true.
Lu Wen added, “Moreover, a big shot has come today, so I need to be extra respectful.”
Qu Yanting asked, “Big shot?”
“You don’t know?” Lu Wen said slowly, “The screenwriter of this play, Qu Yanting. He’s come to the set and is attending the opening banquet tonight. He’s probably drinking in the private room right now.”
Qu Yanting maintained his composure and replied, “Oh.”
Lu Wen continued, “Oh what? It’s said that Mr. Qu rarely visits the set. Since he’s involved in the investment, he’s here to take a look. As for who he’ll be looking at, I don’t need to spell it out, do I?”
Qu Yanting said, “You’d better spell it out.”
Lu Wen said, “It’s not just anyone; it’s definitely the soul of the entire play.”
Qu Yanting was genuinely puzzled: “What is the soul?”
Lu Wen answered, “The male lead.”
Qu Yanting, for the first time, was questioned about his comprehension and language skills. He paused and asked, “What if, after seeing you, Mr. Qu regrets casting you as the male lead?”
“What do you mean?” Lu Wen frowned, a mix of anger and grievance. “Hey, you’re ignoring me last night and now saying such things. Is it because I mistakenly sat in your Porsche? I got out. Or because I drank your Perrier? Just wait, I’ll buy you a case tomorrow.”
Without waiting for Qu Yanting to speak, Lu Wen suddenly realized, “I get it now. Are you jealous of me?”
Qu Yanting listened intently: “Jealous of you for what?”
Lu Wen said, “Jealous that I’m the lead.”
After three chance encounters and repeatedly emphasizing “the lead,” Qu Yanting recalled Lu Wen asking him who he was playing. Since the actor had evidently taken him for a fellow actor, he deliberately said, “What if I’m a special guest?”
“Give it a rest.” Lu Wen was confident. “I checked the actor’s roster. No special guest, just a minor role. No need to be embarrassed; you’ve been chauffeured by a director’s Porsche, so you must have some background. You probably won’t stay a minor role for long.”
Qu Yanting couldn’t hold back any longer: “Actually—”
Lu Wen interrupted him: “Actually, since you didn’t attend the script reading, I guessed your role already.”
Qu Yanting said, “The director invited me, but I declined.”
“Keep dreaming.”
Qu Yanting hinted, “The purpose of the script reading is to digest the script. I’ve fully digested it, so there was no need to attend.”
Lu Wen laughed: “I’m really impressed. Even the director wouldn’t say he’s digested it. You have? What kind of stomach do you have?”
“I—”
“Why don’t you just say you’re the great screenwriter Qu?”
Qu Yanting’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he took a tissue to carefully wipe the water off his fingers. “Don’t I look like a screenwriter?”
As he finished speaking, Lu Wen turned around and approached him, standing just a couple of inches away. He could smell Lu Wen’s perfume—a fresh citrus scent, though it was somewhat overshadowed by the hand cream.
Qu Yanting turned his head slightly, lifting his face to meet Lu Wen’s gaze.
Lu Wen asked earnestly, “Do I look like a Best Actor to you?”
Qu Yanting: “……”
After saying this, Lu Wen averted his gaze, glanced at Qu Yanting’s watch, and realized that a quarter of an hour had passed. He returned to his original position and said, “If we keep chatting, the banquet will be over. Are you done? Let’s go together.”
Qu Yanting said, “You go ahead. After all, you’re the lead.”
“Right, then I’ll head out first.”
Once Lu Wen left, the makeup room fell completely silent. Qu Yanting picked up the hand cream Lu Wen had used and squeezed out a bit.
He applied it slowly, feeling his heartbeat steady within his chest, and he inexplicably began to relax.
In the banquet hall, Lu Wen arrived fashionably late.
The large hall was partitioned into semi-open spaces with screens, creating a semi-private atmosphere. Each space was illuminated by gilded copper lamps, with a table set beneath each. The tables were adorned with delphiniums in vases, the floor covered with a crimson carpet. The warm yellow light was dim, casting a rich glow on the red patterns and deep blue petals, creating a vibrant visual impression.
In front of the windows, a row of daybeds was set up. Female actors in flowing dresses and male actors in suits were sitting in groups, their shoulders touching, with the city night sky as a backdrop.
Sun Xiaojian, growing impatient, said, “Where have you been so long?”
Lu Wen took a sip of champagne from a server’s tray and said, “I ran into someone and had a chat.”
“Who?”
Lu Wen hesitated, having forgotten to ask the person’s name. He said, “The one in the Porsche.”
Sun Xiaojian was puzzled, “You were complaining about his aloofness this morning. How did you end up chatting with him?”
Lu Wen replied with satisfaction, “This time, I made some progress.”
Sun Xiaojian said, “Enough talk. Go greet the other actors.”
The cast of the play wasn’t very large, with the most notable being Tao Meifan, who played the role of Ye’s mother. At forty-eight years old, she had been acting for nearly thirty years, with notable positions at state-owned film studios and the National Theatre. She had won awards like the Plum Blossom Award for Drama and the Golden Lion Award for Drama. In her youth, she played demure roles and, as she grew older, only appeared in films she liked.
The role of the father was played by Yang Bin, a first-class national actor and a member of the Actors’ Working Committee of the China Television Association. His role was limited, being a special guest appearance.
The leading lady in the play was named Xian Qi, a name as unique as her role, resembling a fairy. Xian Qi had become known for her pure appearance, later taking on gentle roles, which were both distinctive and limited in scope.
Lu Wen went around greeting everyone but did not see the second male lead, Ruan Feng.
He hadn’t seen Ruan Feng during the script reading either, so he asked a crew member, “Has Ruan Feng not arrived yet?”
Xiao Zhang replied, “Ruan Feng had an event abroad a couple of days ago. He was supposed to join on time, but his flight was canceled due to weather, so he’s delayed by a day.”
After greeting the actors, Lu Wen went to the window and sat on a daybed to take a breather. Drinking several glasses of champagne on an empty stomach wasn’t pleasant, and he wanted to eat something but was worried about offending the distinguished screenwriter, Qu Yanting.
Inside the private room, the smell of alcohol was strong.
A large round table was covered with seven or eight bottles of alcohol, including Krug and Wuliangye, with half already consumed. Surrounding the table were armchairs where the assistant director was toasting the producer, and Director Liu was whispering with a representative from the joint production company, all showing signs of having had a few rounds of drinks.
Ren Shu was seated at the head of the table, with the CEO of Haoyang Culture, Zhou, on his right and Qu Yanting on his left.
When no one was toasting or speaking to him, Qu Yanting remained silent. When he lifted his head, a perfectly appropriate smile appeared on his face, gentle, generous, and natural.
After forty minutes of the banquet, with toasts of champagne and white wine going around, Qu Yanting didn’t drink, and no one dared to press him. But he drank one glass after another because the alcohol helped him relax.
Conversations at the table ranged from TV shows, movies, and personal connections with directors to industry trends, policy changes, and the relationship between capital and the arts…
Qu Yanting, only half-listening, thought about Lu Wen. Lu Wen was right; dealing with these people was indeed a bit annoying.
“What are you thinking about?” Ren Shu leaned over.
Qu Yanting replied, “Nothing much, just thinking of a fool.”
Ren Shu asked, “What fool?”
Qu Yanting added, “A flashy fool.”
In fact, he was thinking about “authenticity,” something with no flattery, no excessive reverence, not even a smile. What if Lu Wen knew his true identity? What would that raw honesty be like?
The director’s assistant came over, leaning between Qu Yanting and Ren Shu, and said, “Director Ren, Screenwriter Qu, the actors in the crew know you’re attending the opening banquet and are very excited. They’d like to come over and greet you.”
Ren Shu asked directly, “Who gave their approval?”
“I wouldn’t dare make a decision,” the assistant said. “All the agents have contacted me. I promised to ask. It all depends on Screenwriter Qu’s preference. If you’re willing, I’ll arrange for them to come over for a toast, but they won’t take up too much time.”
Ren Shu waved his hand, “Forget it.”
He patted Qu Yanting’s chair back, “I understand this well. Unless it’s necessary for the shoot, you don’t like interacting with the actors. No need to trouble yourself. Besides, you’ll see them at the set tomorrow.”
Qu Yanting then understood that while Lu Wen had been annoyed for a while, he wasn’t even certain he would meet all the leaders? Dressed up like a peacock, it turned out he might not get to spread his feathers?
Would this fool be disappointed and turn into a bigger fool?
He was truly tired of the people in the room and said, “Forget the rest. Let’s at least meet the soul of the play.”
Ren Shu asked, “What soul?”
Qu Yanting played with his cool watch, his tone smiling, “Lu Wen, the male lead.”
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ma'er
I’m loving these two dorks XD