Several days later, Zheng Xiaocong asked Lu Zhou to attend a meeting to choose a script. Zheng Xiaocong's company was located in a villa, officially affiliated with one of the largest domestic film and television companies, but he had his own connections.

With Zheng Xiaocong absent, the vice president chatted with Lu Zhou for a while. When Lu Zhou introduced Xiao Yi, he referred to him as his agent. The vice president smiled and said, "Isn't he the one..."

"Yeah, that's right," Xiao Yi shook hands with him and said, "I'm Xiao Yi."

"Not bad," the vice president replied, "You have good taste."

Xiao Yi smiled. Lu Zhou had reminded him repeatedly not to be too submissive. Xiao Yi realized Lu Zhou had no control over him now. Before, Lu Zhou could threaten to fire him, but now even that wasn't effective. Instead, Lu Zhou resorted to using conditional sentences like "if... then..." like a primary school student, leaving the outcome to Xiao Yi's imagination.

As Lu Zhou read through the scripts, Xiao Yi chatted with the vice president, saying, "I'm also considering returning to work after taking a break."

"The film box office this year is inflated," the vice president replied. "To be honest, I didn't expect Teacher Lu Zhou to want to make a movie."

"The intensity of filming TV dramas is too high," Xiao Yi noted. "I'm afraid Zhou Ge can't handle it."

Lu Zhou added, "So, let's take the scripts back and review them. We'll get back to you in a few days."

The vice president said, "Feel free to contact us anytime."

Xiao Yi brought back three movie scripts, all supposedly scheduled for production this year. Of course, every film and television company claimed they were high-budget productions, but it was hard to believe their hype. However, all three scripts had one thing in common—they lacked male supporting roles.

They all wanted to promote their own company's newcomers, so Lu Zhou, who wasn't under contract, wouldn't be considered. Therefore, he could only play supporting roles for those companies' newcomers.

In the past, Xiao Yi would have been furious, but now it didn't matter to Lu Zhou.

"I've played a dead body before," Lu Zhou reconned. "What's the big deal about playing a supporting role? Others might not even want me."

"But these three supporting roles..." Xiao Yi sighed. "How much are they offering?"

"About eight hundred thousand to a million," Lu Zhou replied.

"What?!" Xiao Yi exclaimed.

Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at Xiao Yi. He immediately hid his face behind the menu.

Now, not only did Lu Zhou have to cover up, but Xiao Yi also had to be fully prepared whenever they went out. Xiao Yi had become quite famous recently, not because he was afraid of being recognized by fans, but because he had to be careful of entertainment reporters.

Now that Lu Zhou didn't have a company backing him, who else would the reporters target? If they caught him with Xiao Yi, it would be a sensational story. Xiao Yi had suggested going home several times, but Lu Zhou wasn't afraid at all. He said, "I've been hiding for so many years. Finally, I have a chance to make fun of myself. What are you afraid of?"

So, Xiao Yi and Lu Zhou each wore sunglasses and a baseball cap, dressed in sportswear, sitting in a high-end restaurant, drinking afternoon tea and reading scripts. If it were just Lu Zhou alone, it wouldn't be suspicious, but with both of them dressed like that, it raised eyebrows. They even wore couple sunglasses from the same brand, making them look like members of some underground organization conducting a covert meeting.

Luckily, the place was relatively empty, mostly filled with bosses from various financial companies. Even if someone recognized Lu Zhou, middle-aged men in their fifties or sixties wouldn't come over asking for autographs.

Xiao Yi took shelter behind a flowerpot and read through three scripts.

The first one was a period drama, a tale of supernatural encounters, where a scholar meets the Queen Mother of the West and elopes with one of her fairies. The script was grand and expansive, filled with various fantastical perils and special effects. The scholar was the protagonist, and Lu Zhou played a swordsman who assists the protagonist on his journey.

The second script was a contemporary romantic drama about a couple who fake their marriage to buy a house. Initially a marriage of convenience, they find themselves facing numerous obstacles when they try to divorce. Both sides' families and leaders came to persuade them, leading to a myriad of troubles. To complicate matters further, the female lead got pregnant during this time with the child of her true love. After many twists and turns, she discovered that her formerly believed honest and sincere boyfriend was actually a scoundrel who cheated on her, while her irresponsible and nonchalant fake husband turned out to be a good person. Consequently, the female lead broke up with her ex-boyfriend and got together with her fake husband.

Xiao Yi chuckled as he read, finding the scriptwriters quite amusing. The part where the female lead's family scraped together some money to help her buy a house in Beijing, intending to settle her down, was both humorous and poignant. In this story, the male lead played the husband, while Lu Zhou portrayed a seemingly honest "phoenix man" who ultimately cheated on the female lead.

The third script was a Hong Kong-produced action drama about a police officer who reappears after disappearing for many years. He steals his own file from the police station, and as his colleagues who investigate the case are killed by the police, more and more people become involved in the case. Eventually, a master detective intervenes, leading to the confrontation with the police officer, who has become a smuggler in the present day. After a fierce battle between them, the smuggler meets his demise.

"All three scripts are good," Xiao Yi said. "Two antagonists and one supporting character."

Lu Zhou and Xiao Yi took turns reading and finished. Lu Zhou said, "Let's not consider the first one."

"Why?" Xiao Yi asked.

Lu Zhou replied, "They might want to cast Li Changzheng as the protagonist in the first one, and I don't want to play second fiddle to him, plus I don't want their company to use me for publicity."

"Weren't they trying to promote their own newcomers?" Xiao Yi asked, flipping through the script.

"Don't listen to their nonsense," Lu Zhou said. "With Li Changzheng around, who would use newcomers? Would Li Changzheng play second fiddle to newcomers? It's a joint venture between several companies, and they'll definitely push Li Changzheng into the lead."

"In that case, the remaining two are both antagonists," Xiao Yi remarked.

After a moment of silence, Lu Zhou said, "Which one do you like? Neither of them are good people."

Xiao Yi replied, "Actually, both characters are quite poignant. The first one is low-budget, but it might surprise at the box office..."

"You just need to say which one you like," Lu Zhou interrupted.

"Zheng Changrong," Xiao Yi said. "I like Zheng Changrong."

"Then let's go with that," Lu Zhou concluded.

"I like Zheng Changrong because although he has blood on his hands, his emotions are genuine, and his experiences are quite sympathetic..." Xiao Yi continued.

Lu Zhou waved his hand and said, "No need to say more. I'll foot the bill!"

In his mind, Xiao Yi finished what he wanted to say: If it were someone else playing the role, I probably wouldn't even bother watching this action movie. But you, wearing a police uniform, a black trench coat, and a Kazakh military uniform, playing the role of a mercenary hired by an arms dealer...

Ah! The world is truly beautiful!

Xiao Yi accompanied Lu Zhou to sign the contract, and Lu Zhou made some demands regarding the script. However, the screenwriter didn't make any changes.

A month later, the cast was finalized, and the other party was a semi-popular actor who had appeared in a few movies before and was somewhat past his prime. Lu Zhou received a salary of eight hundred thousand for this film, which would take a whole month to shoot, unlike before, where he would receive the same amount for just one or two episodes of a TV series. It was a world of difference.

After joining the crew, the director came to Beijing for a meeting. Lu Zhou knew him, although they hadn't worked together before. However, he was acquainted with the screenwriter, producer, and supervisor of the crew. In such a small circle, the meeting room was filled with various dialects and jargon in Cantonese. Xiao Yi listened with a headache, not understanding what the scene, martial arts director, and overall coordinator were discussing.

Filming a movie was more complicated than filming a TV series, and the way the screenwriter, director, and supervisor argued made it seem like they were on the verge of splitting up. Xiao Yi was constantly worried that the movie wouldn't be made, but thankfully, the director surnamed Huang was quite courteous.

"Come, come, come," Director Huang said. "Lu Zhou, I didn't expect you to take on this role. That's great! With you on board, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Lu Zhou smiled and replied, "It's time to get back to filming. Director Huang, I've been a bit lacking in the dialogue department lately. I hope you'll bear with me."

"No problem, no problem!" Director Huang waved his hand and added, "As long as you're willing to play, I couldn't ask for more!"

While waiting for the equipment to be set up, Lu Zhou and Xiao Yi went through the script at home. Zheng Changrong's lines were few, mostly focusing on various cunning and sinister tactics. Xiao Yi couldn't help but think as he read through. Isn't this character a bit morally ambiguous? It seems so.

It was evident that the screenwriter favoured these kinds of twisted antagonists, even though they didn't appear much, they always showcased their cool and powerful moves. But was it really okay for an arms dealer to be whitewashed for sympathy points? The screenwriter seemed rather insistent...

Lu Zhou still couldn't memorize his lines, but he seemed confident. Because the dialogue in the movie was concise and refined, unlike the TV dramas filled with endless love affairs and slow-paced dialogue. Sometimes Xiao Yi found it hard to understand the movie script, with many lines having double or even triple meanings, especially puns. He had to stop and ask Lu Zhou why a character would say something like that at that moment.

Lu Zhou: "I once thought I had left the martial world, but as I turned around, I realized the martial world had always been there."

Xiao Yi: "What does that mean?"

Lu Zhou: "It's pretentious, trying to be pretentious but failing. Even you understood it."

Xiao Yi: "..."

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhou continued without being interrupted by Xiao Yi, "Desolate, wanting to hide but unable to, wanting to retire but reality forces him to keep running, a sense of fate in the desert."

As Xiao Yi reached the final scene before the ending, where Detective Hu Ying chased after Zheng Changrong, and Zheng Changrong's car overturned, leading him to flee on foot into the vast desert of sand and wind. Hu Ying pursued him all the way, and the two engaged in a chase and gunfight in the desert, with Zheng Changrong finally meeting his end at the hands of Hu Ying.

"Will they go to Italy to film?" Xiao Yi said. "So many scenes of revelry and extravagance! I've never been there!"

"Italy? You have your share in Baoding (NT: city in Hebei province, North China)" Lu Zhou replied.

"..."

"With a budget of 26 million, what's the point of going to Italy? And I am not even the main character. Do you really want to go there to enjoy yourself?" Lu Zhou asked.

After some thought, Lu Zhou turned to Xiao Yi and said, "I know that from the moment I take this first step, I can never turn back. If I don't die by your hand, then I'll die by my own."

Lu Zhou silently gazed at Xiao Yi, his eyes filled with sadness and resignation.

"Great!" Xiao Yi exclaimed wildly. "You remembered it! Why didn't you earlier?"

"It doesn't feel right," Lu Zhou answered.

"Just act according to your understanding, that's fine!" Xiao Yi said.

Just now, Xiao Yi felt a momentary change in Lu Zhou's aura. That was Lu Zhou! But not the Lu Zhou he used to know!

Lu Zhou stood up, shook his head, didn't say a word, and went to get a glass of water. Xiao Yi said, "Just now, the expression you had was so pitiable... No, you'll definitely be more lovable than the protagonist."

"Don't say that!" Lu Zhou told Xiao Yi. "Supporting actors shouldn't steal the show from the main character. It's very unprofessional to deliberately showcase your acting skills at the expense of the overall arrangement. Amateurs may praise you for being handsome or popular, but professionals will be annoyed by you."

"Oh," Xiao Yi uttered. "Is that so?"

After drinking some water, Lu Zhou leaned against the table and pondered for a moment. Xiao Yi said, "I found that the 'you' just now is not the same as before."

"Because this time, it's Zheng Changrong playing me, Lu Zhou. Before, when you saw me acting, it was Lu Zhou acting as someone else," Lu Zhou explained.

Xiao Yi vaguely grasped Lu Zhou's feelings. Before, no matter who he played, Lu Zhou would change with his own soul and fit the character, but now, he was pulling the character's soul over with his own true self, blending with it.

"Director Guo once said," Lu Zhou mentioned, "there are three methods of acting. One is to assume you have become the character. A second is to assume the character has become you."

"What about the third one?" Xiao Yi asked.

"The third one is the trimming of the inner world," Lu Zhou casually said. "You are you, the character is the character. You merge with the character and create an independent person that may not necessarily align with the script."

That afternoon, Lu Zhou remained silent and didn't look at the script. He paced around the house while Xiao Yi compared the script. There were a total of twenty-seven scenes for Zheng Changrong, most of which involved fight scenes, and there were fewer than eighty lines of dialogue.

"Will it take only a few days to finish these scenes?" Xiao Yi asked. "It's just a hassle running around for outdoor scenes."

"You're dreaming. Our scenes will take at least two months," Lu Zhou said.

"Twenty-seven scenes in two months?" Xiao Yi exclaimed with a wry smile. "We'll have two scenes a day, and there will still be some left."

"There are more than three hundred scenes that have been shot for ten years. Why don't you mention the director who shoots one scene a week? TV dramas shoot over a thousand scenes in three months. Can they compare?" Lu Zhou noted.

Xiao Yi actually thought it was quite good. Giving Lu Zhou a whole day to shoot a scene would definitely help with memorizing lines slowly. Lu Zhou repeated the lines a few times, still forgetting them a bit, but this time he wasn't as irritable.

In the evening, the investors called, and after hearing the reason, Xiao Yi's heart sank.

"The characters need to be changed," the voice said, "especially Zheng Changrong."

Xiao Yi said, "Why do they want to change it again?"

"It's requested by Xin Hongkai," the coordinator said. "Possibly both the lines and the scenes need adjustments. If the protagonist changes some parts, then the supporting roles also need to be adjusted accordingly."

Xiao Yi glanced at Lu Zhou, who still didn't know what they were talking about, and stopped to look at Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi had a premonition of impending doom.

Xiao Yi said, "We need to discuss and decide on this."

The coordinator said, "Well..."

Xiao Yi said, "The script has already been written. Now, to suddenly change the scenes, is Xin Hongkai a bigger name than our Lu Zhou? Lu Zhou even agreed to act alongside him. Can't we all show some mutual respect?"

Lu Zhou: "..."

The coordinator said, "Well, Mr. Xiao, please don't get angry. Let me discuss it with the screenwriter. You know, they're asking for an additional supporting female role at the last minute, and we're in a difficult position too."

Xiao Yi said, "The quality of the movie is at stake, isn't it? We're all here to make money for the boss. Let's hope they don't keep changing things. Once they start, it'll be troublesome."

As the coordinator was a man, he didn't say much after hearing Xiao Yi's words. He just hummed and said, "I understand, I'll try to communicate."

Xiao Yi hung up the phone and looked at Lu Zhou, feeling quite worried.

"Did we offend someone?" Xiao Yi said.

"No," Lu Zhou was a little surprised and added, "That's good, you actually said that."

Xiao Yi replied, "Well... if there's no problem, I'll be the one to play the 'bad cop' in the future, and you can be the 'good cop'."

Lu Zhou smiled but didn't say anything. Xiao Yi asked, "What should we do in this situation?"

"Do nothing," Lu Zhou replied. "Be indifferent. I'll call the producer later. Don't worry."

Xiao Yi inquired, "Why do they suddenly want to change the scenes?"

Lu Zhou reflected, "Since they've signed me, they certainly don't want my character to steal the spotlight. It's best if I'm both ridiculous and stupid, which will highlight the heroism of the protagonist."

After dinner, Xiao Yi made ice cream for Lu Zhou, who made a call to the producer.

"Hey, Teacher Xiao," Lu Zhou laughed, "it's me, Little Lu. Hahaha, yeah, my agent is just a kid, doesn't know any better. I've already scolded him!"

Xiao Yi couldn't help but laugh and cry, feeding Lu Zhou a spoonful of ice cream. Lu Zhou's mouth shivered from the cold, saying, "Alright, alright. Let me see how the script looks after the changes. I'll take a break these days and wait for the revised script!"

"Okay," Xiao Yi said.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhou muttered, "Damn it."

Xiao Yi asked, "Do we have to change it?"

Lu Zhou replied, "When the person leaves, the tea gets cold, and when the wall collapses, everyone pushes."

Xiao Yi asked, "Should we contact Xiaocong?"

Lu Zhou said, "Zheng Xiaocong just invested a few million as a token, it's useless to ask him."

Xiao Yi asked, "Should we join the production with our own capital?"

Lu Zhou said, "With a supporting role like this, what's the use of bringing our own money?"

Xiao Yi and Lu Zhou looked at each other for a while. Xiao Yi asked, "Has anyone else refused to change the scenes? The enemy's enemy is a friend. I guess the screenwriter must not want to change the scenes."

Lu Zhou thought for a moment, made a call to Zheng Xiaocong's company, and asked for the screenwriter's contact. Xiao Yi then called the screenwriter. She was a fiery-tempered girl who exploded at the sound of Xiao Yi's voice, saying, "Don't call me again! It's not revised yet! If you push me again, write it yourself!"

Xiao Yi quickly said, "Don't get upset! We're allies! We also don't want to change it. If we can avoid it, we'll try our best not to. I'm Xiao Yi, Lu Zhou's assistant..."

The screenwriter interrupted, "Oh? Wait, are you that Xiao Yi?"

Xiao Yi: "Yes."

"Ah!" The screenwriter screamed on the other end of the phone, "You're so cute! I love the songs you sing!"

Xiao Yi felt his head getting dizzy from all the attention, saying, "Thank you, thank you. I'm honored..."

Lu Zhou: "..."

So Xiao Yi started gossiping with the screenwriter about the talent show they both knew about. After chatting for a while, they hung up the phone. Lu Zhou asked, "What about the script?"

Xiao Yi completely forgot about it and was about to call again, but Lu Zhou snatched the phone away and shouted, "Are you brain-dead?"

Xiao Yi: "..."

However, not long after, the screenwriter remembered it herself, called Xiao Yi to discuss, and arranged to meet at the company the next day for a meeting. Xiao Yi hated meetings the most, but since it was about the script, he had no choice but to go.

The next day, both the director and the producer were present, but the male lead's agent didn't show up. Xiao Yi, however, did attend, thinking that they had probably offended everyone by now. The ones who requested the changes didn't show up, but those who opposed the changes did. Although Lu Zhou was already a bit out of it, his influence still lingered, especially regarding his own character, so the producer couldn't say much.

The screenwriter sat down and said, "I can't make any more changes. You might as well find someone else."

Xiao Yi: "..."

The director complained, "Don't overreact like that. What can I do? Stop using the boss to pressure me."

The screenwriter retorted, "I'm not using the boss to pressure you. You changed the beginning, and now we can't fix the rest! The whole logic is messed up!"

Xiao Yi thought starting off with such a heated argument might not be a good idea... Could they be a bit more moderate?

The director said, "Let's start from the beginning again."

The screenwriter complained, "I wrote everything according to the meeting's requirements, and now even I can't recognize what came out. Start over from the beginning?"

The director proposed, "Add the entrance of the female supporting role first, and let's not worry about Xin Hongkai's scenes for now."

After going back and forth, bargaining and negotiating, Xiao Yi realized that the director also didn't want to change much. In the end, they compromised by adding a character but luckily, the major aspects regarding Lu Zhou's character remained untouched. They only changed the suicide scene after realizing the truth to him being shot by the male lead instead.

Afterwards, Xiao Yi had dinner with the screenwriter, chatting for a while. After reviewing the script, he realized that the movie script couldn't be changed randomly in the middle. Most of the time, each scene was linked, and changing one would mess up the rest. The male lead's insistence on changing scenes and the investors' demand to add characters eventually made the male and female leads seem like a bunch of fools.

The screenwriter said, "Yeah, Xin Hongkai, that horse face, destroys everything he acts in. When I heard he was taking on this role, I didn't even want to write anymore."

Xiao Yi said, "This role should have been played by our Lu Zhou."

The screenwriter agreed, "Exactly! Let him put in some effort. I hope he adjusts his state quickly. He's the most suitable for the male lead role. He has the face of a male lead and good acting skills."

The screenwriter and Xiao Yi laughed and teased the male lead. When they left, they exchanged numbers and said they should meet up to gossip in the future. Xiao Yi was impressed by the screenwriter. After reporting back home, Lu Zhou just grunted and continued focusing on the script.

Xiao Yi said, "The screenwriter for this production is really good."

Lu Zhou noted, "They have their own way of doing things. No need to thank her specifically."

Xiao Yi insisted, "But she really likes you."

Lu Zhou packed up the script and said, "The screenwriter and director, they have a different feeling towards actors compared to investors, producers, and fans. Investors look at your box office performance, fans look at how popular you are. The main creative team won't care much about other things; the only standard they have is acting skills and professionalism."

"If your professionalism is good and you don't go too far, they won't care how bad your personality is, especially the screenwriters. They love the characters they write and hope to cast the most suitable actors for them." Lu Zhou said, "In the end, it's all the same. No matter how much negative news an actor has, how badly they're criticized, as long as they act well and their roles move people, fans will forgive them. Of course, cheating is still bad. Don't make that expression... Look at you... Is there a necessary connection between good acting and cheating? Haha, your logic has gone to the dogs. Your family Zhouzhou’s character is the best in terms of character..."

"Uh... can you remember your lines?"

"I don't know, we'll see. I hope the heavens won't mess with me."

*

Soon, there was nearly a month of endless meetings until the day of shooting. Lu Zhou and Xiao Yi also attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was low-key, with only the male lead's agency organizing fans to come and show support. Xiao Yi saw Lu Zhou playing a supporting role for the first time. Lu Zhou was wearing a shirt, shorts, and leather shoes, sunglasses on, standing in the corner. He occasionally chatted with Xiao Yi. The male lead, Xin Hongkai, and the female lead hosted the opening.

Fans in the front were shouting Xin Hongkai's name, while Lu Zhou and Xiao Yi stood under the scorching sun, covered in sweat, feeling sticky all over. Lu Zhou seemed completely forgotten.

"You don't have any fans," Xiao Yi said.

"They're all paid for," Lu Zhou whispered.

Xiao Yi checked Weibo. Lu Zhou hadn't signed with an agency, temporarily affiliating himself with Zheng Xiaocong's studio, and there was no one to promote him. The headlines on Weibo were all about Zhang Xinran's new drama.

However, there seemed to be a lot more news about Lu Zhou these days. There were rumours that he was going to participate in another costume drama and play opposite Zhang Xinran. Xiao Yi was puzzled and said, "No one approached me."

Lu Zhou said, "They're just using me for publicity. Don't mind them. Let them stir up some old news between me and Zhang Xinran."

Xiao Yi asked, "Should we respond?"

Lu Zhou waved his hand, seemingly accustomed to this state.

On the day the movie started filming, Xiao Yi thought they would go to Hong Kong, which would be a good opportunity for shopping. However, Lu Zhou didn't have any scenes in Hong Kong. Instead, he was in the China Film Studios throughout, as well as a few outdoor locations, including under the highway in Baoding, Longbaoshan Tianmo Film and Television City, and a few scattered outdoor places.

Until the day before shooting began, Lu Zhou was still looking at the script.

He hadn't done anything these past few days, not even browsing Taobao. He locked himself at home, muttering lines to himself. Every time he recited them offhandedly, he could remember them, but when he tried to compress and burst out, releasing emotions, he would stutter.

"I've worked so hard for the boss for so many years!" Lu Zhou roared, "And what do I get in return? Wounds all over, and a name that can't see the light of day! And you! You..."

Lu Zhou pointed at Xiao Yi, gesticulating.

"You you you..."

"Do you think you're any different in his heart?!" Xiao Yi stepped forward, shouting angrily, "You're just another dog he keeps!"

Lu Zhou: "..."

"You're becoming even better than me." Lu Zhou helplessly sat on the sofa. Xiao Yi kissed his lips and went off to attend to his own business.

"I've worked so hard for the boss for so many years!" Lu Zhou suddenly appeared in the kitchen, roaring again.

Xiao Yi was almost scared to death by Lu Zhou. Boredly chopping vegetables, he had a distorted face, his mouth twitching.

"I've worked so hard for the boss..."

Lu Zhou finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, shaking his head.

Xiao Yi couldn't discuss the scenes with Lu Zhou, so he could only accompany him, just like they did in the script.

"It's not that I defeated you," Xiao Yi said. " Zhangrong, it's you who ruined yourself. You can't escape; you can only stay forever in the darkness."

"Overcome yourself?" Lu Zhou sneered. "Sounds so easy? Do you know what I've been through all these years? I..."

Lu Zhou looked at Xiao Yi, who thought for a moment and exclaimed, "Great ups and downs! I've experienced the heights of glory and the depths of despair, ah!"

"By the riverside, a thousand sails pass; on the branches of a sick tree, spring returns to ten thousand trees!" Xiao Yi quoted (NT: line from the Chinese classic novel "Journey to the West" (西游记). "Doesn't it sound like lines from a movie?"

Lu Zhou burst into laughter and said, "My father named me Lu Zhou, thinking of that phrase. When I was a kid, my friends used to call me Lu Zhou Lao Jiao (Old Lu Zhou), because my emotions have always been impulsive since I was little. Even when reading a text, I would be overly energetic."

" Zhou ge, the first time I saw your Douban profile and knew your name," Xiao Yi said, "I just thought it sounded so nice. It's too nice, free and easy, like a boat, flowing freely against the current. After countless trials, laughing at everything, not afraid of storms."

"You're exaggerating," Lu Zhou retorted helplessly. "Everything seems good in your eyes."

Lu Zhou shook his head, and Xiao Yi sat at the dining table, brewing tea for him. Lu Zhou took a sip after receiving it, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly said in a deep voice, "The injustice, resentment, and anger imposed on him by fate. Do you know what I've been through all these years? I've worked so hard for the boss for so many years! And what do I get in return? Wounds and a name that can't see the light of day! And you? You're just another dog he keeps! After I die, you'll be the next me..."

"Very well," Xiao Yi complimented.

"It's still not right," Lu Zhou said. "I can remember the lines, but I can't immerse myself in the character. Actually, after hitting my head, I can still remember the lines to some extent. What I lack is the thinking process based on understanding the character through the lines... Let's leave it for now. Let's talk about it tomorrow. Fortunately, I've memorized the lines. Hopefully, I won't stumble."

Xiao Yi asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's like..." Lu Zhou thought for a moment, gesturing with his hands, explaining to Xiao Yi, "The lines are just a bridge, connecting me and the character. What the lines say isn't the most important thing. The key is that this disease of mine, forgetting the lines, has destroyed the bridge in the middle. So I can't find the sense of drama. Although I can memorize the lines by rote, now there's always a layer of separation between me and the character."

Xiao Yi couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Lu Zhou had originally had a very good memory, able to nail any role in one go. After his memory was damaged, he had spent almost a week memorizing just three and a half lines of dialogue. Every time he burst out, he stuttered.

Now that he had memorized them, it seemed like the problem was solved. However, it was just a superficial solution because there was an issue with identifying with the character.

Putting the character aside, mechanically memorizing the lines first, and then trying to find the feeling again was still the right path. Now he just hoped that the memorized lines and the character would blend together soon.

Lu Zhou said, "I'm going to take a shower. Do we need to rehearse tonight?"

Xiao Yi said, "We're starting filming tomorrow. Rest first? I'm not in a hurry. I'm worried you'll be tired."

Lu Zhou said, "Take a shower and wait for me in bed."

Xiao Yi: "..."

Lu Zhou asked again, "Shall we take a shower together?"

Xiao Yi suggested, "Let me tidy up first."

After Xiao Yi washed the cups and dishes, Lu Zhou took a shower downstairs. Xiao Yi went to the bathroom upstairs. After washing up, he came downstairs and took another look at the script. Passing by the piano in the living room, he glanced at it.

Lu Zhou bought the piano purely as a decoration. He couldn't play any musical instruments and didn't know any music theory. Acting kept him busy enough every day, and this piano cost over a million yuan. He didn't know why he bought it in the first place. Xiao Yi had even teased him about his extravagance, saying he had a taste for the bizarre, spending money in strange places just because he was rich.

He opened the piano, which had been tuned once shortly after it was bought, and then Lu Zhou hadn't touched it since. Xiao Yi didn't play any instruments regularly, so he tried playing a few notes, not feeling much, but he remembered Lu Zhou's serious yet amusing expression just now and decisively pressed the keys.

Lu Zhou usually complained about noise, telling Xiao Yi not to touch the piano. Xiao Yi habitually didn't touch it, but today he suddenly wanted to play.

He pressed three keys simultaneously, and a chord rang out.

Then, the melodies of the three parts of the music were like a huge, vibrant tree, budding and growing crazily in the quiet night, like lightning and anger in a storm, trembling loudly. The entire night was silent, but suddenly, in this small house, a World Tree supporting a vast and magnificent spiritual realm grew out of nowhere amidst the furious melody, making the living room tremble and roar with anger.

The heavens shattered, and the seas poured backwards. Roaring thunder clashed with gentle moonlight, but it was fleeting, engulfed by surging tides into the dark abyss.

Lu Zhou had finished his shower, his hair still wet, wrapped in a bathrobe as he came out and stood in the living room.

Xiao Yi was completely immersed in the role of Zheng Changrong. He wanted to play a song for him, regardless of whether the movie would use it or not—

—It was the hopelessness of falling into darkness and abyss, plummeting into tragedy overnight with Lu Zhou's soul and fate, struggling bitterly in the molten fire of hell and the condemnation of morality. Mountains crumbled, flames blossomed, and on the other side of the dark clouds, a bright moonlight shone.

Just like facing an unfair trial, he walked in the sunlight, but his heart trembled with fear. He wished to obliterate his current self, along with that filthy soul of his. He screamed madly in the torrent and whirlpool of fate, reaching out, but unable to reach the shore.

Lu Zhou took a deep breath, feeling every note hitting his heart hard.

With Xiao Yi's rapid playing, the magic of the music instantly built a bridge between Lu Zhou and Zheng Changrong, overcoming the heavy obstacles of two souls, like the hands of a creator forcibly merging the unrelated despair and desolation of the world. If there were no gods in the world, this was a god. This giant hand seemed to have melted thousands upon thousands of lonely souls, making all creatures tremble in the irresistible power of the god of music!

The storm-like movement destroyed all past hopes in this dim world and shattered the unattainable future, making Zheng Changrong terrified. He knew his soul had fallen, and punishment was imminent. He turned to escape but found nowhere to go. He ran madly in the darkness, screaming loudly. It was the desperate struggle of a dying man in the storm, and as the music reached its peak, the thunderous sound was like the dawn, with a soaring eagle catching up to Zheng Changrong on the vast desert and ending everything with a shot.

Lu Zhou was shocked, then realized something, immediately closed his eyes, and focused on silently reciting his lines.

Xiao Yi, however, was completely unaware that Lu Zhou had approached him. He was completely immersed in the inner world of Zheng Changrong, and the gunshot brought a resounding crash, shaking the entire world and instantly collapsing it, revealing the dawn before dawn. Zheng Changrong failed; he didn't receive redemption. He was dragged into the desperate death, and in the darkness, everything gradually calmed down. The ensuing music was a grand and vast elegy, gradually sinking down, sprouting green shoots on the polluted land.

The gentle tide of music receded, taking away all traces. Xiao Yi gradually calmed down.

Lu Zhou: "..."

Xiao Yi looked confused. "Sleep? Want to do it again!"

Lu Zhou roared, "No! One more time! Quickly! I've found the feeling! I'm about to be reborn! Hurry!"

 

Translator : DarNan