Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 42

The intersection of actors and roles are two different matters.

In the play, Fang Xian and Zhao Buyao hadn’t been acquainted until they fought, forming a pair of joyous enemies. Although they didn’t end up as lovers, Zhao Buyao remained the cinnabar mole* in Fang Xian’s heart, and Fang Xian continued to be the only friend Zhao Buyao could speak to without any reservations.

*It’s a metaphorical way of saying how she remains a beautiful love in his heart forever, similar to how a cinnabar mole (a birthmark that is often associated with beauty) stays with you forever.

However, offstage, Ran Lin had just left the 18^th-tier and was striving to climb to the 3^rd or 4^th-tier as a minor actor, while Xi Ruohan was a mid-level actress who only played leading female roles. It was difficult for the two to have any relationship.

Moreover, Xi Ruohan hadn’t shown her face since checking into the hotel, and the next day, she was taken to the set by a private car with an independent dressing and makeup room. So, it wasn’t until 10:30 in the morning, when the first scene with Zhao Buyao started shooting, that Ran Lin, who had been in makeup for two and a half hours, finally saw Xi Ruohan on set.

In the play, Zhao Buyao had been adopted by the master of Liuhua Palace since childhood. She was beautiful as an angel, stunning, but with the personality of a boy, loving to read and practice martial arts. Bored in the monotonous days in Liuhua Palace, she volunteered to go to Liuma Town to investigate the reappearance of the Sword of Fallen Flowers Manual. The master of Liuhua Palace had no choice but to agree.

Today’s shooting was about Tang Jingyu, Fang Xian, and Xu Chongfei, who had become sworn brothers, coming to the righteous inn in Liuma Town to find clues, but unexpectedly encountering Zhao Buyao, who was also there. It was also the first meeting of these four characters in the play.

Except for Xu Chongfei, who was just a spectator.

The rest of them, upon first sight, made a lifelong mistake.

When Xi Ruohan appeared, Ran Lin, Lu Yiyao, and Tang Xiaoyu were resting on chairs, with other supporting actors and extras moving around in twos and threes, while the crew members were busy setting up the scene and adjusting the lights.

The scene was chaotic, with people moving back and forth—modern and ancient costumes mixing together—creating a subtly disorienting feeling of being in a time warp.

Xi Ruohan, no, Zhao Buyao, made her way through the crowd, gracefully approaching.

Like described in the Book of Songs, her hands were soft, her skin like cream, her neck like a beautiful worm, her teeth like a melon’s seeds, her forehead like a moth’s brow, her mischievous smile enchanting, and her eyes full of longing.

That was Zhao Buyao in a water-colored dress.

Ran Lin stood up in awe, along with Lu Yiyao, while Tang Xiaoyu seemed to be so captivated that he remained motionless in his lounge chair.

Xi Ruohan didn’t pick on this third male lead.

To be exact, she didn’t even glance at Tang Xiaoyu and Ran Lin but walked straight to Lu Yiyao, smiling sweetly in the breeze that fluttered her hair.

“Yaoyao.”

Xi Ruohan’s voice was as clear as jade colliding—not loud, but clear to the ear, revealing her solid foundation in lines.

Lu Yiyao was accustomed to this, showing neither awe nor admiration, only a resigned “It’s still the same old you”. “Long time no see.”

Xi Ruohan glared at him, her eyes coquettishly angry. “Didn’t we just meet last night?”

Lu Yiyao was exasperated, not sure what to think, and subconsciously looked towards Ran Lin.

The latter, originally waiting to finish their conversation to greet the female lead, was startled by these words. Seeing Lu Yiyao looking back at him, he instinctively avoided eye contact and went straight to pull Tang Xiaoyu. “Classmate Xiaoyu*, snap out of it.”

*Clarity: He’s calling him by his nickname (Little Fish), not his first name. Given that in pinyin they literally are the same letters, it would be hard to distinguish this in translation, but generally, Ran Lin and others wouldn’t call him by just his first name (since they’re not super close). Just note, if you see just Xiaoyu by itself, it’s referring to his nickname.

Tang Xiaoyu was indeed distracted. He had seen many actresses in ancient costumes, but many, despite their beauty, still looked like modern people in ancient garb, with a beautiful appearance but lacking classical charm. Xi Ruohan was different; her ancient costume and every smile genuinely transported people back to an ancient, ink-painted world.

Alerted by Ran Lin, Tang Xiaoyu came back to his senses and immediately stood up, displaying the demeanor expected of a well-mannered third male lead.

However, his heart was still fluctuating because, before this, he had only seen Xi Ruohan in modern attire at certain events. While those modern styles were charming in their own way, perhaps due to Tang Xiaoyu’s personal preference, he felt they couldn’t compare to the Zhao Buyao before him.

Seeing Ran Lin not paying much attention and fearing making things worse, Lu Yiyao simply skipped the topic of that imaginative night-time meeting and went back to the original form of address. “Just call me Lu Yiyao.”

It wasn’t like this in the last crew. Lu Yiyao didn’t know how Xi Ruohan had developed this new way of addressing him during their time apart.

“That sounds too formal,” Xi Ruohan said innocently, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I think Yaoyao is nice. Yaoyao, Yaoyao, Yaoyao…”

“That’s what my mom calls me at home.”

“Cough… cough cough…”

Xi Ruohan was caught off guard and choked on her own words.

The makeup artist nearby looked desperate and, as soon as the female lead stopped coughing, immediately came over to touch up her makeup.

Lu Yiyao tried to hold back his laughter, feeling clear and refreshed inside.

Tang Xiaoyu shook his head secretly, thinking the male lead was really bad.

Ran Lin couldn’t see through the two of them. It didn’t seem like they had a private affair, as Xi Ruohan wasn’t only enthusiastic but also spoke with hidden meanings; yet, Lu Yiyao was too calm, not seeming like it at all.

“Teachers.” The director’s assistant came running over, obviously trying to make the most of every minute. “We can start over there now.”

The four of them became serious, no longer joking, and quickly walked towards the center of the camera.

The scene they were about to shoot was set in a “righteous mansion*” and was a night scene.

*A temporary coffin depository where the coffins containing the cadavers of recently deceased people are temporarily stored while awaiting transport to the place of burial. Its literal meaning is “mansion of the righteous” and originally referred to any charitable organization. These charities were typically established by prominent families to promote their standing in the community. In later 19^th century, it became a euphemism for “coffin home” or “morgue”.

The three swordsmen, having just sworn brotherhood, followed clues to the righteous mansion on the northern outskirts of Liuma Town, intending to find the Sword of Fallen Flowers Manual, but were met with an unexpected turn of events.

In the vast “righteous mansion”, silent and eerie, moonlight shone through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the coffins like frost, giving off a chill.

Tang Jingyu, Fang Xian, and Xu Chongfei stood still amidst it, not daring to make a move, and looked around cautiously.

“Are you sure the Sword of Fallen Flowers Manual is here?” Fang Xian’s voice trembled, showing his awe of the supernatural. “Do we really have to go through every coffin?”

“Let’s search the walls, corners, and beams first. If not, I’m afraid we’ll have to check the coffins,” Tang Jingyu said, his eyes deep and alert, feeling that things weren’t simple.

Fang Xian swallowed and gently patted Xu Chongfei’s shoulder. “Third Brother*, such meticulous work like checking coffins is perfect for you.”

*[San Di] (三弟) Younger brother in this case. In groups of male friends, especially since these three have sworn brotherhood, they are sometimes addressed according to their rank (which can either be by age or social ranking within the group).

Xu Chongfei glanced at the young master of the Fang Clan, sincerely saying, “You really are my good Second Brother.”

Being only half a month younger, Xu Chongfei had become the ‘third brother’ and had to respect Fang Xian, this unserious ‘second brother’, according to the Confucian five relationships*, with no place to argue.

*Set of key relationships articulated by Confucius, known as the five cardinal relationships (ruler and subject, father and son, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, between friends).

“There’s someone!” Fang Xian, not good at handling coffins but sharp-eared, shouted.

Following his yell, a water-colored figure swiftly emerged from behind a coffin!

“Cut! Over—”

Ran Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at Xi Ruohan, standing a few meters away, getting her costume adjusted by the stylist, feeling a bit nervous.

The scene they had just rehearsed was only a warm-up. The next one, where he would really interact with Xi Ruohan, was the real deal.

Today’s shoot was all set in this “righteous mansion”. Setting up such a scene required significant resources, so once set up, all the indoor scenes had to be completed.

They were shooting the dialogue scenes in the morning, and in the afternoon, the action scene team would come to finish all the action sequences in this setting.

Like the scene where Zhao Buyao jumps out, naturally, Fang Xian would have to confront her, and that part was scheduled for the afternoon.

Next, they were to shoot the scene where Fang Xian, having subdued Zhao Buyao, and his brothers interrogate her about her identity. Naturally, the amorous Young Master Fang, of course, had to take the lead.

Ran Lin actually wanted to interact with Xi Ruohan before the scene, even just some small talk, but she hadn’t even glanced at him from start to finish, either looking at the script handed over by her assistant or at Lu Yiyao, which fit her reputation for being a “difficult young lady”.

“What are you thinking about?” Lu Yiyao, who had finished touching up his makeup, came over unnoticed and asked Ran Lin, who was standing in a quiet corner, lost in thought.

“Nothing.” Ran Lin quickly averted his gaze, as quickly as if he had been caught red-handed.

Following Ran Lin’s previous line of sight, Lu Yiyao’s eyes locked onto Xi Ruohan, his brow furrowing slightly, unsure of his feelings, and commented, “She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?”

Ran Lin turned abruptly, disbelievingly looking at Lu Yiyao, his first thought being that this man was about to declare a romance!

Seeing Ran Lin’s expression, Lu Yiyao quickly clarified in a low but fast voice. “There’s nothing between us.”

Ran Lin was genuinely confused; his usually quick mind always seemed to freeze when facing Lu Yiyao, unable to analyze the situation and just following along with this man’s various behaviors and statements.

But Teacher Lu’s behavior was very unstable, often unpredictable—maybe flirting one moment and then straight-laced the next. One moment he seemed ambiguous with the actress, and the next, he was a straightforward, upright young man. Ran Lin thought he was probably the only one who could keep up with Teacher Lu’s pace, as anyone else might have given up midway.

Wait a minute.

Ran Lin pursed his lips, realizing he had already decided to give up… When had he gotten back on track?

“Last night she brought me some local specialties. After all, it’s our second collaboration, so we had to break the ice beforehand.”

“Oh…”

“Oh?”

“Actually, you don’t need to explain to me.”

“But your expression clearly showed you misunderstood.”

“It’s okay to misunderstand. You’re both single, and she really is beautiful.”

“It doesn’t matter if others misunderstand, but you’re my friend, and I need to clarify things with you.”

“……”

That’s it! This “you’re my friend, you’re important to me” attitude was trapping him in a world of unrequited love… Lu Yiyao, you fiend!!!

“You still don’t believe me?” Lu Yiyao looked at Ran Lin somewhat helplessly, feeling he couldn’t find more convincing words.

Ran Lin quickly shook his head. If nothing else, Lu Yiyao was absolutely a role model in sincerity towards friends. “No, I believe you.”

Lu Yiyao skeptically raised an eyebrow. “Then why does your expression look like you’re still cursing me?”

Ran Lin was embarrassed, quickly hiding his “it’s all your fault for my unrequited love” emotions and putting on a bright smile.

Lu Yiyao unconsciously stepped back, saying seriously, “You might as well scold me. A hidden knife in a smile is scarier.”

Amidst the joking, the set was ready, and the next scene was about to start shooting!

Zhao Buyao, defeated in the duel, was surrounded by the three men. As the director called action, Xi Ruohan suddenly raised her head, her eyes shooting angry glares straight at Ran Lin!

“A big man bullying a small woman like me—what kind of skill is that!”

Xi Ruohan’s anger was so genuine that Ran Lin felt as if he could be pierced by her gaze.

Distracted, he lost focus.

“Cut!” the director said discontentedly, poking his head out. “Fang Xian, say your lines!”

Ran Lin quickly apologized. “Sorry, sorry.”

There was no excuse for forgetting lines.

The director frowned and refocused on the monitor.

Turning back, Ran Lin met Xi Ruohan’s disdainful gaze.

This was different from the earlier anger; it was a disdain from a height—the real Xi Ruohan.

Unrelated to anything else, just the female lead’s gaze at the male second lead, especially when they were strangers off-screen, and the male second had just NG’d.

“<Swords of Fallen Flowers> Scene 98, Take 2…”

Click!

The moment the clapperboard closed, Xi Ruohan’s disdain suddenly flared into anger, as if Zhao Buyao’s soul had possessed her.

“A big man bullying a small woman like me—what kind of skill is that!”

“A small woman sneaking into a righteous mansion at night doesn’t sound easy to bully,” Fang Xian replied with a flirtatious undertone, casually making his entrance.

“Everyone’s here for the same thing. Playing dumb isn’t fun,” Fang Xian said, circling Zhao Buyao with a smug smile, his eyes filled with a romantic flair. “I guess… you’re Zhao Buyao.”

The woman looked up in surprise. “You know me?”

Xu Chongfei struggled to hold back laughter. Even Tang Jingyu’s icy demeanor softened, his gaze warming towards Zhao Buyao.

Fang Xian subtly warned his brothers with a glance, as if to say, “Don’t ruin my chances,” then turned to the girl, who was easily tricked into revealing the truth, changing from his previous flirtatious demeanor to a sincere and honest face, even his voice sounding like a decent young man. “I don’t know you, but I’ve heard that Zhao Buyao of Liuhua Palace can captivate a city with a smile and captivate a nation with another. I don’t believe there’s a second girl as beautiful as you, so you must be Zhao Buyao.”

The woman slowly recovered from her initial surprise, listening quietly to Fang Xian finish, then gently said, “My mother said, the more pleasant a man’s words, the more dangerous he is.”

Fang Xian stood frozen, more embarrassed than ever.

Xu Chongfei burst into laughter, no longer sparing his second brother any face.

Tang Jingyu also chuckled silently, his shoulders silently trembling.

Fang Xian took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, finally regaining the demeanor of the young master of the Fang Clan. He declared loudly, “Good, now we have one more person to help open the coffins.”

“Cut—”

After calling cut, Director Chen emerged from behind the monitor. The four actors didn’t dare to move, knowing that the director’s coming out meant he had something to say about the scene.

Indeed, Chen Qizheng, approaching them, got straight to the point. “Next, you’ll open the coffins in two groups. Fang Xian will follow Zhao Buyao to this side…”

As he spoke, the director walked over to the designated coffin.

The four actors immediately followed.

“Tang Jingyu and Xu Chongfei will open that side. In the end, after all the coffins are opened, in this coffin, Tang Jingyu will find the token and the identity of the deceased. When you pick up the token, the camera will zoom in for a close-up, so try not to shake your hand, keep it steady…”

Since the next scene’s movements were quite complex, the director walked them through it again after explaining.

Feeling it was about right, he returned behind the monitor.

The extras had already lain down in the coffins, and the crew was busy placing the lids on.

The lighting technicians were also busy, adjusting the lights shining on the corpses’ faces.

Lu Yiyao and Tang Xiaoyu went back to rest in their chairs outside after the director finished explaining. Ran Lin, wanting to familiarize himself with the movements, stood still, watching the extras lie down in the coffins and mentally rehearsing the movements.

As he was thinking, a voice suddenly appeared behind him. “Are you and Lu Yiyao close?”

Ran Lin, who was pondering the Young Master Fang’s reaction to being scared by a corpse, jumped in fright at the sudden question, almost turning around in horror.

Xi Ruohan frowned unhappily and said coldly, “What’s with that expression? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Ran Lin glanced around subconsciously. The busy crew members didn’t pay attention to the interaction between the lead actress and the second male lead.

“I was just thinking about the scene and got a little scared,” Ran Lin explained politely.

Xi Ruohan seemed amused by his answer and sneered, “In my opinion, you really don’t need to put in so much effort. Just get through the scene without NG, and the director will be grateful.”

Ran Lin gave an awkward smile and didn’t respond.

This lady seemed intent on picking a fight. He couldn’t provoke her but could stay silent.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. What does your silence mean?”

Ran Lin sighed. Being a big star, she probably had a bit of a temper, was spoiled by the industry, and was adored by fans. It was rare to find someone as good-natured as Lu Yiyao, a real gem.

“I was thinking…” Unable to avoid, he braced himself. “What was the question that Teacher Xi just asked?”

Ran Lin smiled warmly, but Xi Ruohan frowned frequently, not answering his question initially, instead musing. “You really don’t resemble Fang Xian at all.”

This was her personal reflection, not needing Ran Lin’s input, so she immediately returned to her main concern, reiterating her most pressing question. “Are you and Lu Yiyao close?”

Ran Lin thought for a moment and cautiously replied, “It’s alright, I guess. After all, we’ve done a reality show together.”

“It’s more than just alright.” Xi Ruohan obviously doubted his answer. “I saw you two hiding in the corner and talking for a long time.”

Ran Lin was taken aback, not expecting the lead actress to have such insight.

“It was just about the scene, nothing else.” Ran Lin stuck to the work explanation, certainly not about to admit they were discussing her meeting with Lu Yiyao the previous night.

Xi Ruohan scrutinized him warily and, after a long moment, warned, “Lu Yiyao is kind of naive, with a low guard. I’m different. I can see through whatever you’re planning, so you better behave.”

Ran Lin faced her gaze with forced calmness but was internally breathless, his mind going blank.

Xi Ruohan, looking as if she already knew, whispered threateningly, “Listen, if you dare use him for publicity again, to ride on his popularity, I have a hundred ways to make sure you can’t stay in this crew.”

Ran Lin blinked slowly, regaining his breath. “Just… that?”

Xi Ruohan frowned, a bit baffled. “Isn’t that enough? What, do you want me to kick you out of the entertainment industry?”

“No.” Ran Lin hurried to clarify. “I mean, the warning you’re giving me… is just that? Riding on popularity?”

“Don’t play dumb. Airport dramas, climbing up through variety shows—I’m too familiar with your tactics. This time you’ve wormed your way into <Sword of Fallen Flowers> just to ride the popularity wave to the end, right?” Xi Ruohan leaned closer to Ran Lin, glaring down at him, her nostrils almost skyward. “I’m telling you, taking advantage of colleagues can backfire. Sometimes, if you overdo it, you’ll get stuck at the bottom of the pot, unable to get out for a lifetime, never able to turn things around.”

“……”

“What? Speechless because I hit the nail on the head?”

“No.” Ran Lin swallowed, sincerely saying, “I just think your metaphor is very vivid…”

Xi Ruohan: “Has anyone told you that being snarky when someone is serious can be particularly annoying?”

Ran Lin: “Has anyone told you that you and Lu Yiyao are really similar?”

Xi Ruohan froze, her cheeks blushing rapidly, as if with the touch of a beautifying filter.

“How are we… similar?” Any threat, disdain, or mockery gave way to shyness.

Ran Lin smiled, but his mood grew complex after.

This girl really liked Lu Yiyao.

Stripping away fame, temper, acting skills, and all attributes attached to Xi Ruohan, what was exposed was a girl who dared to love and hate. Just being able to openly express “like” was enough for Ran Lin to envy.

And in the aspect of “thinking she knows it all but actually being sweet and naive”, she and Lu Yiyao indeed shared similarities.

“Hey, I asked you a question!” Waiting in vain for further explanation, Xi Ruohan grew impatient again.

The set was ready for the next scene.

Xi Ruohan glanced at the waiting crew behind her, urging anxiously. “Hey—”

“Sweet.” Ran Lin smiled at her deliberately, his eyes curving, gentle as jade. “You both are quite sweet.”

Watching Ran Lin’s fluttering figure, Xi Ruohan suddenly felt that he did resemble Fang Xian a bit.

“<Sword of Fallen Flowers>, Scene 99, Take 1…”

Lu Yiyao, seeing Xi Ruohan’s face clearly wearing a silly smile, didn’t understand what made her so happy.

Fortunately, with a “click”, the angry Zhao Buyao returned.

……

The morning’s dialogue scenes at the righteous mansion went smoothly. The group of four decided to form a defensive and offensive alliance, as they all sought the Sword of Fallen Flowers Manual. It was agreed to collaborate first and deal with the manual later. However, when they opened the coffins, they found tokens from the Zhaixing Tower. Specifically, the corpses in the righteous manor weren’t villagers from Liuma Town but members of Zhaixing Tower, including the tower’s master.

Zhaixing Tower, a prestigious sect in the martial world known for accomplishing any task for the right price, even fetching stars from the sky*, was now in disarray.

*Clarity: Their name [Zhaixing] (摘星) means reach for the stars.

The discovery of their corpses in this inconspicuous village’s righteous mansion was chilling.

What surprised the four even more was finding an artifact from the Shengtian Sect at the scene. All clues pointed to the sect as the murderers. Just as they discovered this, a group of men in black burst in, attempting to snatch the artifact.

With time pressing and heavy scenes to film, the actors quickly had lunch, and the action scene team was ready to go. The setting was still the “righteous mansion”, but the scale was much larger than in the morning.

Ran Lin was excited to wear the wire harness for the first time.

Tang Xiaoyu, an experienced actor, commented with a knowing look. “You won’t be smiling for long.”

Ran Lin felt a bit tight in the wire harness but didn’t take Tang Xiaoyu’s words too seriously.

However, once on set and hoisted into the air, Ran Lin was shocked.

He couldn’t even control his expressions, let alone speak his lines. The only feeling he had was constriction.

This wasn’t just ordinary discomfort but a suffocating tightness, akin to the Evil Queen disguised as an old hag, cinching Snow White’s corset so tight that she nearly died.

The assistant director had to call a halt.

The martial arts director, a hot-tempered man, exploded in anger, berating Ran Lin and questioning his ability. He suggested using a stunt double instead of wasting everyone’s time.

Being a martial artist, even the director treated him with respect. With no experience of his own, Ran Lin could only accept the criticism quietly.

Compared to Ran Lin, Tang Xiaoyu’s scenes were simpler, and Xi Ruohan, with her experience, performed flawlessly.

Because of Ran Lin, a single scene dragged on for an entire hour.

The atmosphere on set grew tense, and the martial arts director’s face, already stormy, darkened further.

Despite his anger, the martial arts director diligently instructed Ran Lin on the movements, explained the essentials, and demonstrated the actions, though he struggled to keep his voice calm.

Finally, after another attempt, the assistant director grudgingly approved the scene.

Ran Lin knew his movements were still lacking, but the crew couldn’t wait for his continuous NGs, so they had to make do.

With the most challenging scene behind them, the remaining ones were relatively easier. With more people and group fighting, individual performance demands weren’t as high.

They worked until 9 p.m., finally completing all the action scenes at the righteous mansion—an hour later than scheduled.

When the assistant director called it a day, Ran Lin’s thighs were numb.

“You did well. My first time with wires wasn’t even as good as yours.” Tang Xiaoyu, noticing Ran Lin’s dejection, patted his shoulder before going to remove his makeup.

Ran Lin appreciated it but knew his performance was lacking, responding with a wry smile, “Don’t try to comfort me.”

Unexpectedly, Tang Xiaoyu earnestly replied, “Really, the first time I was hoisted, I screamed out loud. It wasn’t leg pain, but…” Tang Xiaoyu looked around to ensure privacy before whispering with a pained expression, “It was… egg pain, you know, like your balls being crushed…”

“That’s enough.” Ran Lin stopped him, feeling a wave of sympathetic pain. “I can imagine.”

“Are you two not going to remove your makeup?” Xi Ruohan, after speaking with the assistant director, was ready to leave and saw the two chatting.

“We’re going now,” Tang Xiaoyu hastily replied. “I was just sharing some wire-fighting tips with him.”

Xi Ruohan took a sip of the tea handed to her by her assistant, her eyes showing disdain. “You’re teaching him? You should improve your own movements first. They lack strength and look like mere posturing.”

Tang Xiaoyu was dumbfounded on the spot.

After the lead actress left, Tang Xiaoyu dared to speak. “What a diva.”

Ran Lin laughed, remembering something. “She just looks fierce.”

Tang Xiaoyu was surprised, doubtingly looking at Ran Lin’s smile, and whispered, “You’re not falling for her, are you?”

Ran Lin was exasperated, suspecting his fellow cast member was naïve. “I only acted with her for the first time today.”

“That’s common here,” Tang Xiaoyu said naturally. “Falling for each other while acting is pretty usual in this circle.”

Ran Lin suddenly remembered Tang Xiaoyu’s almost slipped mention of a girlfriend and had a lightbulb moment. “Is your girlfriend from the industry…”

“I’m off to remove my makeup. See you later!”

Xiaoyu hurried off.

Ran Lin laughed so hard he could finally feel the pain in his thighs.

……

“What a torture…”

In his hotel room, Ran Lin carefully removed his pants, revealing his pale thighs, then examined the bruising under the bright light.

The marks were from the wire harness, a large area of blood red, especially noticeable against Ran Lin’s fair skin, looking alarmingly stark.

“Who in their right mind invented this wire harness…”

Ran Lin knew this was a necessary hardship for filming martial arts scenes and had mentally prepared himself. Having endured through the day, he felt entitled to a private rant to ease his physical and mental strain.

Just touching the tender bruise on his inner thigh sent a sharp pain, causing Ran Lin to swiftly retract his hand, too scared to touch it again.

It really hurt.

Thinking about having to shower later filled him with dread.

At times like this, he couldn’t help but envy Lu Yiyao—Tang Jingyu, disabled since childhood, couldn’t perform qinggong or use inner force. He learned a few moves with Fang Xian but became formidable with hidden weapons he secretly learned. In the show, he never had to fly through the air, usually hiding and attacking from the shadows. Indeed, one could only envy the male lead who never had to take to the skies.

The direct result of this character design was that in the afternoon, while the three of them were filming the action scenes, Lu Yiyao didn’t need to come at all. His scenes of throwing hidden weapons from the shadows had already been filmed in the morning. The entire afternoon, he continued with the dialogue scenes in Group A under Director Chen’s guidance.

Ran Lin thought it was just as well that Lu Yiyao wasn’t there; otherwise, with all those NGs, he would have wanted to hide underground.

While lost in thought, a notification from WeChat rang out.

Opening it, he saw a message from Lu Yiyao—[Back at the hotel?]

Since the dialogue and action scenes wrapped at different times, Lu Yiyao must have been back for quite a while.

Too tired to speak, Ran Lin also sent a text in reply—[Yeah, just got back.]

[How did it feel hanging on wires? 😏]

Ran Lin knew Lu Yiyao was teasing him, but he really wasn’t in the mood for jokes and honestly replied—[Painful.]

Lu Yiyao was momentarily taken aback by the response on his screen.

He expected Ran Lin to joke about it, saying things like “Exciting,” “You should try it,” or “Like flying through the clouds like an immortal.”

But all Ran Lin replied was a single word.

The problem was, he could feel the pain just by reading the message.

Without much thought, Lu Yiyao called him directly.

Ran Lin was startled by the ringtone, regretting his honesty, and hesitated before answering.

Before he could speak, Lu Yiyao’s voice came through. “Are you alright?”

Ran Lin immediately tried to sound energetic. “I’m fine, just kidding.”

There was a pause on the other end before Lu Yiyao asked, “Where does it hurt?”

Ran Lin stubbornly denied. “I told you, I was joking. Can’t you take a joke…”

“If you don’t tell me, I’m coming down.” Lu Yiyao interrupted.

Ran Lin was confused. “Coming where?”

Lu Yiyao’s exasperation was audible. “Down to your floor to find you. Did hanging on wires make you stupid?”

Ran Lin hurriedly declined. “No need, no need. It’s just a bit tight wearing the harness all afternoon, but I’m fine now that I’ve taken it off, really!”

Lu Yiyao frowned, feeling something was off with Ran Lin.

It wasn’t a big deal to be hurt from hanging on wires, a common occurrence in filming. But it was precisely because it was trivial that Ran Lin’s hesitance made it suspicious.

“I’m going to shower. Let’s not talk for now,” Ran Lin excused himself.

Lu Yiyao thought for a moment and agreed.

After hanging up, Lu Yiyao sat on his bed, thinking for two minutes before calling Tang Xiaoyu.

Tang Xiaoyu, showering at the time, picked up the phone to see it was Lu Yiyao and immediately answered, “Brother*?”

*[Da Ge] (大哥) Term used for the eldest brother.

Lately, Tang Xiaoyu enjoyed using their character names, feeling more comfortable than “Teacher Lu”.

Lu Yiyao didn’t mind and asked with concern, “How did the afternoon shoot go?”

Tang Xiaoyu was surprised that Lu Yiyao had time to care about him, attributing it to the camaraderie they developed last week. He reported, “Not bad. The first scene was a bit rough, but the rest went well.”

Lu Yiyao casually asked, “What happened in the first scene?”

Tang Xiaoyu candidly explained, “It was Ran Lin’s time on wires, so he needed some time to adjust.” He and Ran Lin got along well, so they referred to each other by their names.

Lu Yiyao guessed some of it. “Did he NG many times?”

Tang Xiaoyu sighed. “Yeah, the martial arts director almost lost it. Luckily, it got better later.”

“It’s understandable. His first time on wires must have been hard.”

“Yeah, not just for Ran Lin. Even I, who am used to it, suffered.”

“Were the wires that tight?”

“Of course, my thighs were all red. You have to wear loose and soft pants, or it rubs and hurts.”

“I’ve never been on wires…”

“I know. I thought you couldn’t handle it… Uh, I spoke too fast without thinking. Can I take that back?”

Lu Yiyao laughed, reassuring, “No problem. I like honesty.”

Tang Xiaoyu, after a moment’s reflection, decided to apologize for his assumptions. “Sorry for my presumptions. But you kept it too well hidden. If it weren’t for that Disneyland episode, I wouldn’t have known you’re afraid of heights.”

Lu Yiyao sighed. “It’s a natural fear, can’t help it.”

“No.” Tang Xiaoyu genuinely envied. “It means you’re blessed. At least you don’t have to hang on wires.”

“Is it really that tough?”

“Why would I lie to you? Wait a moment…”

True to his word, Tang Xiaoyu took responsibility for his claims. He stepped out of the shower, snapped a close-up “bruise on skin” photo showing a large red mark, and sent it to Lu Yiyao via WeChat.

Though abstract, with no risk of exposure, the photo clearly showed a painful-looking bruise, evoking sympathy from viewers.

Upon seeing the photo, Lu Yiyao felt a pain in his own thigh.

He couldn’t help but think of Ran Lin’s fair skin, imagining the marks on him, which seemed almost cruel.

“See? What do you think?” Tang Xiaoyu waited for feedback.

“I see it,” Lu Yiyao earnestly said. “I should send a gift to the scriptwriter.”

Tang Xiaoyu laughed in agreement. “Absolutely. The script is filled with love for you!”

Lu Yiyao chuckled, chatting briefly before ending the call, knowing Tang Xiaoyu was still showering.

However, Tang Xiaoyu didn’t resume his shower immediately. Instead, he admired his photo, feeling it had artistic merit, and uploaded it to Weibo with the caption “How a hero is made.”

The image was abstract, but his fans, keen-eyed, quickly realized it was a wire-work bruise, given Tang Xiaoyu’s filming schedule, and showered him with sympathy.

Ran Lin, also showering cautiously at low temperature and pressure, received the bloody photo from Lu Yiyao.

Ran Lin was taken aback, initially not understanding the image, full of red, which was rather unsettling.

[???]—Just sending three question marks, Ran Lin felt proud of his restraint.

The reply came quickly—[Tang Xiaoyu’s thigh.]

Ran Lin stared at the words for a full minute.

[Why did he send you his thigh photo?]

Lu Yiyao raised an eyebrow. Shouldn’t the question be, “Why are you sending me this photo?”

But it didn’t matter. The response was more useful than he expected.

[To compare.]

Ran Lin frowned in confusion.

[Compare with whom?]

[You.]

[I’ve never sent you a photo of my thigh 💦.]

[You can send it now 😊.]

[……]

[?]

[Your tricks are too deep…]

[😳]

Ran Lin, looking at the blushing emoji, felt both annoyed and amused.

Although he ultimately didn’t send any weird photos, strangely enough, his thigh didn’t hurt as much anymore.

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