This scene was about Wan Gui and the Ninth Prince sharing an intimate moment in the pavilion. Wan Gui had fallen deeply in love with the Ninth Prince, and no matter what the Ninth Prince said, he always responded shyly, his face flushed, bashfully agreeing to everything.

Just as the two were deep in their affection for each other in the pavilion, the Third Prince, the male lead played by Liu Qi, entered and interrupted their intimate moment. Wan Gui hurriedly left, brushing past the Third Prince.

Zhu Huai had deliberately watched quite a few similar characters to learn from them for this role. He had also practiced this scene in front of the mirror many times, but despite that, he was still extremely nervous. Acting in front of Jiang Sheli was like wielding a broadsword before Guan Gong (NT: Showing off one’s skills in front of someone far more skilled than oneself. Guan Gong, also named Guan Yu, is the famous Three Kingdoms general).

During the rehearsal, Zhu Huai simply could not get himself into the right emotional state. His expression was stiff, and although he did not have many lines to begin with, he even got one of them wrong.

“Sorry.” After getting his line wrong yet again, Zhu Huai rubbed his face and did not dare look into Jiang Sheli’s eyes.

Jiang Sheli’s deep eyes held a trace of coolness as he asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

Before Zhu Huai could answer, Liu Qi, who was standing nearby, cut in, “Xiao Huai, relax. You’re not professionally trained to begin with, and you’ve never acted before. It’s perfectly normal for you not to perform well. This is just an opportunity for Jiang ge to give you some pointers.”

Jiang Sheli glanced at him.

A chill ran down the back of Liu Qi’s neck, and he awkwardly shut his mouth.

Ignoring Liu Qi’s seemingly concerned but actually mocking words, Zhu Huai said apologetically, “It’s my first time running through a scene with you, so I’m indeed a little nervous. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Jiang Sheli suddenly said, “Stand up.”

Zhu Huai instinctively got to his feet, not understanding why.

Jiang Sheli stepped forward. The distance between them rapidly shrank. Zhu Huai was nearly half a head shorter than him, and the tip of his nose almost bumped against Jiang Sheli’s lips.

Startled, Zhu Huai hurriedly tried to take a step back, but before he could move, Jiang Sheli suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist. With a slight exertion of his wrist, he pulled Zhu Huai toward him. The last bit of space between them disappeared as their bodies pressed tightly together, the warmth of Jiang Sheli’s body passing through their clothes.

With every breath, Zhu Huai was filled with Jiang Sheli’s distinctive scent. He could not tell what perfume it was; mingled with the coolness of early spring, it carried a sharp, crisp freshness.

His cheeks and ears grew uncontrollably warm. Just as he was about to pull away, he heard Jiang Sheli’s rich voice coming from above his head: “Don’t move. Get familiar with it.”

“You’re this nervous already. What are you going to do when we start filming and the scene is even more intimate than this?”

Zhu Huai obediently stayed still, yet he still tried to defend himself in a small voice. “…I’ll be fine.”

“Mm.” Jiang Sheli neither agreed nor disagreed. “Recite your lines.”

Zhu Huai recited a passage of dialogue in this intimate position. Perhaps because the barrier between them had disappeared, things went unexpectedly smoothly this time, and he managed to immerse himself in the emotions very well.

“Good enough. You can do better.”

Having received this praise from the Film Emperor, which could barely be considered praise, Zhu Huai’s tense body relaxed, and the corners of his eyes curved slightly, revealing a hint of radiance.

At that moment, Jiang Sheli’s manager, Li Yun, came over. Seeing the two people sitting intimately together in the pavilion, he could not help widening his eyes and blurted out, “Fuck?! You two got together that quickly?”

Zhu Huai’s face, which had just returned to its normal temperature, grew hot again.

Jiang Sheli frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Li Yun waved his hand. “I didn’t mean anything else, don’t misunderstand! Director Shen is coming soon. Get yourselves ready. The temperature hasn’t even warmed up yet, and now we’ve got rain on top of it. It’s freezing!”

Jiang Sheli’s makeup artist came over to touch up his makeup. The hand that had been wrapped around Zhu Huai’s waist withdrew, leaving that patch of warmth exposed to the wind, which made it feel somewhat cold.

Zhu Huai turned and walked out of the pavilion, but Liu Qi called out to him, “We’re about to start filming. Where are you going?”

“To touch up my makeup.”

Liu Qi asked again, “Where’s your makeup artist?”

Zhu Huai stopped walking and glanced sideways at him.

The company had fallen out with him long ago. After assigning Xiao Nan to him as his assistant, his manager had simply washed his hands of him. He had originally had a makeup artist, but the person had sticky fingers (NT: behaved dishonestly), so Zhu Huai had fired him. The company still had not managed to assign him a new makeup artist even after a month. Recently, Xiao Nan had been filling in temporarily for his various activities, but she was not capable of doing acting makeup, so he had no choice but to find a makeup artist from the production crew who normally did makeup for extras.

There was no way Liu Qi, who was from the same company, did not know what kind of situation Zhu Huai was in now.

Zhu Huai looked at him with a faintly mocking smile. “I don’t have one.”

Liu Qi’s gaze made him burn with anger.

He cursed inwardly: Does he have no idea how unpopular I have become? Does he still think I am the number-one idol? Why is he putting on airs?

He was about to sneer at him a little more when Jiang Sheli spoke. “Use mine.”

Not only Liu Qi but even Zhu Huai froze. “…Huh?”

Jiang Sheli’s appearance was good, so within those few moments his makeup had already been touched up. He said to the makeup artist, “Touch his makeup as well.”

Zhu Huai was just about to refuse when Jiang Sheli added, “Going back and forth will waste time.”

“…” Zhu Huai fell silent, sat back down in the pavilion, and let Jiang Sheli’s makeup artist apply makeup to his face.

“Your skin is really good, young man.” The makeup artist only needed to make a few simple adjustments to Zhu Huai’s look and praised him, “Apart from Jiang ge, you’re the second person I’ve seen with skin this good. I love working with artists like you. You make things especially easy.”

Zhu Huai smiled. “Thank you.”

There was a light in the young man’s eyes. Dressed in the red costume, his slender figure was unbelievably beautiful.

The makeup artist clutched her heart and walked away.

*

Shen Peiping had just turned fifty that year. He had a square, stern face and rarely smiled, especially when he was working. As long as something failed to meet his standards, even Jiang Sheli could not escape being criticized.

Yet every television series he directed was a high-quality production, with consistently strong ratings and an excellent reputation. Even though his foul temper was enough to strike fear into people at the mere mention of it, people still rushed one after the other to get into his productions.

“Relax. Just perform the way you did when we rehearsed.” Jiang Sheli noticed how nervous Zhu Huai was and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

Zhu Huai forced a stiff smile. “All right.”

“I’ll guide you.”

Zhu Huai’s heart warmed, as though he had swallowed a reassurance pill, and the tension in his shoulders eased.

“The Disloyal Minister, Scene Eleven, Take One. Action—”

“Your Highness.”

Zhu Huai walked over and sat in Jiang Sheli’s arms, his gaze filled with undisguised tenderness. He wrapped his wrist around Jiang Sheli’s neck, revealing his slender wrist.

“What is it? Are you shy?” Jiang Sheli wrapped an arm around his waist. Although his words were somewhat improper, his expression remained completely clear-headed and composed.

When Jiang Sheli acted, his entire presence came alive, and all the emotion was conveyed through his eyes. To Zhu Huai, it was as though the person before him were truly the cold and ruthless Ninth Prince who had everything under his control. He immediately grew nervous. “As long as Your Highness is willing, this servant…”

“Cut!”

Shen Peiping called a halt and instructed him with a dark expression, “Zhu Huai, when you sit in Jiang Sheli’s arms, don’t be so stiff. Make your expression shyer. The Ninth Prince is your heaven and your earth; don’t make it look as though you’re being forced!”

Zhu Huai hurriedly admitted his mistake. “My fault, sorry!”

“Again!”

“The Disloyal Minister, Scene Eleven, Take Two. Action—”

“Your Highness.”

The moment Zhu Huai walked over, Jiang Sheli suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist. Just as he had done when they rehearsed their lines, he pulled him toward himself with some force. Caught completely off guard, Zhu Huai naturally ended up sitting in Jiang Sheli’s arms. Immediately afterward, a large hand cradled the back of his head, and Jiang Sheli’s handsome face appeared right before his eyes, so close that it seemed he was about to kiss him in the next second.

“What is it? Are you shy?”

Zhu Huai’s face instantly flushed bright red, and his heart pounded wildly. “As long as Your Highness is willing, this servant can do anything…”

Jiang Sheli raised an eyebrow, his lips hovering beside Zhu Huai’s ear as the warm breath he exhaled reddened his entire ear. “Then this prince wants to…”

He did not finish the sentence. All that could be seen were the Ninth Prince’s lips opening and closing, while the person in his arms trembled slightly, even the backs of his hands becoming tinged with a rosy flush.

“Cut!”

Shen Peiping frowned at the camera, while Zhu Huai stood to one side, feeling extremely uneasy.

“You did well just now.” Jiang Sheli straightened the costume that had been rumpled from Zhu Huai sitting on it and said calmly.

Zhu Huai was genuinely embarrassed. Just now, he had simply been carried along by Jiang Sheli’s lead. “Thank you, Jiang ge.”

Those words from Jiang Sheli reassured Zhu Huai considerably. Sure enough, he then heard Shen Peiping say, “That take is good. Liu Qi, get ready for the next scene.”

Liu Qi, who played the Third Prince, was already waiting offstage. As soon as he strode into the garden, he saw the two shameless people in the pavilion and angrily shouted, “What are you doing!”

This was Liu Qi’s solo shot. After he said this line, the camera turned toward the pavilion. Zhu Huai, who was in the Ninth Prince’s arms, flinched in fright, and Jiang Sheli’s cool, detached voice came from above him: “You may leave first.”

Zhu Huai stood up, lowered his head, and quickly walked out of the pavilion. As he brushed past the Third Prince, he raised his eyes slightly, and their gazes met. Zhu Huai did not pause in his steps and walked out of the frame.

There was nothing wrong with this scene, but Shen Peiping was still dissatisfied. He felt that Wangui’s clothes should have been more disheveled when he left, so he had Zhu Huai open the front of his costume a little more.

Zhu Huai did as instructed, exposing a large expanse of snow-white skin across his chest. In the early-spring rain, the cold made him break out in goosebumps all over, and even his teeth were starting to chatter.

Fortunately, the shot was not long. If he endured it for a while, it would be over.

Unexpectedly, however, this simple shot had to be retaken three times.

The first time, just as Zhu Huai brushed past the Third Prince, Liu Qi sneezed and explained that the wind had gotten to him.

The second time, Liu Qi said the line incorrectly, turning “What are you two doing?” into simply “What are you doing?”—omitting the subject “you two.”

The third time, it was still Liu Qi. He had not gotten into character.

Zhu Huai, dressed in his thin costume, went back and forth several times in the cold wind and light rain. His hands and feet had become numb from the cold, and his lips had turned purple.

In the end, Shen Peiping lost his temper. Even Jiang Sheli’s expression turned cold, and only then did they finally get the shot right.

Xiao Nan hurried over and helped Zhu Huai put on his down jacket, then stuffed a hot-water bottle into his arms. She whispered bitterly into Zhu Huai’s ear, “If anyone says he didn’t do it on purpose, only a ghost would believe it!”

Zhu Huai naturally knew that Liu Qi had done it on purpose, but Liu Qi was one of the leading actors. Even Shen Peiping had only lost his temper after he had messed up three times. Zhu Huai felt there was no need to get into a confrontation with him over such a trivial matter. After all, it was not he who would leave people with a bad impression.

“Is there a small space heater in the lounge? Let me warm myself up with it.” Zhu Huai’s nose was already running. He pulled the hood of his down jacket over his head, looking as though he wished he could curl his entire body inside his coat.

When they returned to the lounge, the temperature of the small space heater gradually rose, and Zhu Huai slowly let out a breath.

He had no scenes that afternoon. In the evening, he had a shot in which he merely had to stand in the background beside Jiang Sheli, so he could not be bothered to return to the hotel.

Xiao Nan poured him a cup of hot tea, her cheeks puffed out angrily. “Whatever the case, you two used to be on the same team. You’ve already ended up like this, so why is he still being so vindictive?”

Zhu Huai did not answer.

Xiao Nan could not resist asking, “Did you really hit him over resources before?”

Zhu Huai asked in return, “Didn’t everything on the Internet make it perfectly clear? You don’t believe it?”

Xiao Nan said, “If I hadn’t gotten to know you, I really would have believed it.”

Zhu Huai gave a genuine smile, then changed the subject. “Are there any fans visiting the set today?”

“There are. The Film Emperor’s, Liu Qi’s, and Lou Lixiao’s. They’re standing several rows outside, and they won’t leave even though it’s raining.”

Zhu Huai blinked several times and asked, “What about mine?”

Xiao Nan looked at him with an indescribable expression. “…ge, don’t you have any sense of what our situation is now? If the haters haven’t come to kick us while we’re down, that already counts as mercy.”

Zhu Huai leaned back in his chair, his face filled with desolation. As expected, a washed-up nobody did not deserve to have fans.

Xiao Nan had intended to comfort him with a few words, but just then, someone knocked on the lounge door. She had no choice but to go and open it first. When she saw who it was, she froze. “Li ge?”

The person outside was Jiang Sheli’s manager, Li Yun. He was carrying a small thermos and asked, “Is Zhu Huai inside?”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Xiao Nan came back to her senses and hurriedly stepped aside. Li Yun walked in, followed by a round-faced young woman carrying a makeup case. As she entered, she first gave Xiao Nan a sweet, adorable smile.

Xiao Nan returned the smile in confusion.

Zhu Huai was also surprised to see Li Yun and hurriedly stood up to greet him. “Li ge, what brings you here?”

Li Yun placed the thermos on the table and explained, “This is ginger soup Sheli asked me to bring you. Drink it while it’s hot.”

Li Yun had been by Jiang Sheli’s side since the latter’s debut. His relationship with Film Emperor Jiang was like that of biological brothers. The fact that he had personally come to deliver ginger soup spoke volumes.

Zhu Huai was so flattered that he even began using honorific language. “How could I let you go to so much trouble? I’m terribly sorry to inconvenience you!” (NT: he is using the honorific ‘you’ 您 (nín))

Li Yun waved his hand, then beckoned the round-faced young woman behind him forward and said to Zhu Huai, “She’s a makeup artist from our studio. Have her stay by your side for now. Once you’ve hired someone, she’ll leave.”

Zhu Huai was bewildered. “…Huh?”

“Sheli said that having you go back and forth to get your makeup touched up was too troublesome and was delaying the filming schedule. She happens to be doing an internship anyway, so just consider it giving her an opportunity to show what she can do.”

The round-faced young woman hurried forward and smiled sweetly. “Hello, Huai ge. My name is Xiao Yuan. Please take care of me!”

Zhu Huai finally understood and hurriedly said, “No, really, you don’t have to. Please take her back. Our company will send someone…”

“If you don’t want her, just tell Sheli directly. I’m only responsible for bringing her over.” Li Yun interrupted him, glanced at his watch, and said, “I’m busy too. I’ll be going.”

Zhu Huai sent them out in a daze.

When he turned around and came back, Xiao Yuan had already set up her makeup case and was looking at him obediently.

Zhu Huai could no longer bring himself to tell her to leave.

He did not have Jiang Sheli’s contact information. This whole series of gestures of goodwill had left him so bewildered that he could neither manage to say thank you nor figure out the reason behind them.

The phone in his hand vibrated again and again. He opened it and saw two messages, both from Xiao Nan.

Zhu Huai looked up at Xiao Nan, who was only two meters away from him. Her expression was complicated. All the thousand things she wanted to say but could not seemed to have become tangled together into an expression resembling constipation.

?

He opened the first message. It contained four characters.

Xiao Nan: A handsome man is a walking disaster! (NT: ‘lán yán huò shuǐ’ , a playful adaptation of ‘hóng yán huò shu’ which means “A beautiful woman is a source of disaster.” )

Zhu Huai: …

The second message contained three emojis.

Xiao Nan: [Smile] [Heart] [Sunflower]

Zhu Huai: ?

--

The author has something to say:

“Xiao Nan: ge, I can only help you this much.”

 

Translator : DarNan