Chapter 83
The next morning, just as the sky was turning light, Lu Ze got up lightly, deliberately lightening his movements so as not to wake Si Guiyan. But Si Guiyan seemed to have sensed it, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. He opened his eyes in a daze and, in the faint light that shone through the curtains, he looked at the slender man in front of the bed. His eyes blinked drowsily, and his drowsy mind slowly turned, and he said with some hesitation, “…Lu Ze?”
Lu Ze’s action of buttoning his shirt paused. He turned around, reached out and turned on the bedside lamp, knelt on the bed with one knee, moved closer, and said in a low voice, “Did I wake you?”
The light was dim and warm. Si Guiyan’s consciousness was still a little drowsy. He blinked again, as if to confirm that what he was seeing was not an illusion. He propped himself up with one hand and wanted to sit up, his voice slightly hoarse. “When did you come back?” He vaguely remembered that someone had held him in his arms and slept with him all night last night, but Si Guiyan had thought that he was dreaming. Who would have thought that he would really see Lu Ze when he woke up?
“I came back last night,” Lu Ze said, avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial. He raised his hand and gently placed him on the bed, leaned over and brushed away the bangs on his face, and said in a low voice, “It’s still early. You can sleep a little longer.”
Si Guiyan looked at him, his voice still a little slurred from just waking up. “Didn’t you have a scene last night?”
Lu Ze said, “We finished filming early, so we finished work early and came back.”
Si Guiyan said, “It was almost eleven when I went to sleep. I was drowsy in the middle of the night. What time did you come back?”
Lu Ze smiled, pinched his earlobe, and didn’t say anything.
Si Guiyan looked at him, his brows furrowed slightly. “Weren’t you tired after filming all day yesterday? Why did you rush back in the middle of the night?”
Lu Ze smiled and said, “Didn’t you miss me, Brother Yan? That’s why I came back.”
Si Guiyan pouted. “Who missed you?”
Lu Ze smiled. “Alright, then I missed you.”
Si Guiyan paused and didn’t speak for a moment.
Lu Ze held his hand, and their ten fingers were intertwined. He leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead. Si Guiyan’s heart softened, and he wrapped one arm around his neck, his chin slightly raised, and responded to his movements.
This kiss was just a simple intimacy, without any lustful color.
Lu Ze slowly looked up, and his gaze on him was full of a warm and gentle smile, and you could vaguely see the deep affection.
Si Guiyan’s heart trembled, and his gaze unconsciously moved away. “You’re up so early. Are you still going back to the crew?”
Lu Ze said, “I still have a scene at eight. I have to hurry back.”
Most of the Jade Balance Immortal’s scenes were on the mountain, so Lu Ze’s schedule was very full every day.
Si Guiyan’s grip on his hand tightened slightly, and after a moment, he slowly let go. “Then you should hurry back. Don’t be late.”
He paused, then added, “You don’t have to rush back so late in the future. You won’t be able to rest well if you go back and forth. Aren’t you afraid that your state will be too bad and you’ll be scolded by the director?”
“I’m performing very well. How could the director scold me?” Lu Ze chuckled softly. “Besides, after seeing you, Brother Yan, how can my state be bad?”
Si Guiyan paused, and a smile appeared in his eyes. “You’re glib.”
Lu Ze lowered his head and kissed his lips again. Si Guiyan’s posture was submissive, and he said, “I’ll have Old Liu send you later. You can rest in the car.”
“No need,” Lu Ze smiled. “It’s so early in the morning. How long will it take for him to come?”
He said, “I can go back by myself.” He patted Si Guiyan’s head and was met with his angry glare. He couldn’t help but smile. “It’s only past five. You should go to sleep first. I’ll send you a message when I get there.”
Si Guiyan hesitated for a while, then finally let him go. Before he left, he still couldn’t help but say, “If you’re tired after you go back, you should have a good rest. Let Xiang Wei help you coordinate with the crew.”
Lu Ze looked back at him and said, “I’ll be back as soon as I finish filming. I’m in a good state. Don’t worry, Brother Yan.”
Si Guiyan let out a low hum in agreement. He watched as his figure walked out of the room and thoughtfully closed the door.
The bedroom fell silent again.
The daylight outside was getting brighter and brighter, and the dim yellow bedside lamp in the room also illuminated a small area.
Si Guiyan looked at the door for a long time before he silently shrank into the blanket, his eyes open, but he couldn’t sleep.
…
Lu Ze’s scenes were filmed very smoothly. Except for the beginning when he would pretend to make some mistakes that all newcomers would make, such as camera positioning, after being corrected by the director, he would quickly correct his mistakes, and he would never make the same mistake twice. This made the director praise him repeatedly, claiming that he was born to be an actor.
The Jade Balance Immortal’s scenes were not many in the drama. After a few days of filming, the scenes on the mountain were almost finished. Later, the crew moved to two other locations, and it wasn’t until half a month later that all of the Jade Balance Immortal’s scenes were finished.
By the time he was done filming, Lu Ze was lying in a pool of blood amidst the female lead’s hysterical cries, and his gaze on her was as gentle as when they first met.
The female lead was covered in injuries. She rolled and crawled to hold the Jade Balance Immortal, her hands trembling. “Master, Master, you can’t have anything happen to you. Ah Wu only has you as a relative. If something happens to you, what will Ah Wu do?”
“Master…”
She was crying her heart out, and her tears were mixed with the dirt on her face and slid down, dripping on the Jade Balance Immortal’s clean white long robe. She fumbled to wipe it away, but she could only make it dirtier, and she watched as it ruined her master’s robe.
The Jade Balance Immortal’s face was pale, and his pale lips were stained with a dazzling blood color. He smiled weakly. “Ah Wu, promise me that you will live well…”
“Master—”
“Cut!” The director’s voice sounded from outside the camera. Lu Ze opened his eyes and half-sat up. The female lead next to him had not yet come out of her emotions, and her tears were streaming down her face, and her whole body was trembling.
The staff around quickly came up. Lu Ze helplessly handed her a piece of paper. “Don’t cry, Sister Ying. I’m fine. I’m alive now, aren’t I?”
Hearing this, Jiang Ying couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her face still covered in tears. She opened her mouth and said, “You’re really…”
Seeing that her mood had almost calmed down, Lu Ze finally stood up and pulled her up at the same time. The director came up with a smile, his face full of smiles. “Not bad, not bad. Jiang Ying’s emotional outburst was very good, and Lu Ze’s portrayal of the character’s near-death state was also very realistic. Congratulations, you’re officially done filming today!”
As he spoke, he handed out a red envelope. This was a tradition of the crew. Lu Ze raised his hand and took it, and said with a smile, “Thank you for your care during this period, Director Zhou. You didn’t mind that I was a newcomer and made repeated mistakes.”
Director Zhou raised his hand and patted his shoulder, and sighed, “You’re being too modest. I’ve been in the industry for so many years and have worked with so many actors. You’re the one with the most aptitude I’ve ever seen!”
He looked at him seriously. “Work hard. In time, you will definitely have a place of your own.”
Lu Ze took the initiative to shake his hand. “You flatter me, Director Zhou. No matter what happens in the future, I will always remember your teachings today.”
Director Zhou patted his shoulder again and laughed heartily. “Then I’ll remember what you said.”
After Lu Ze’s scenes were finished, today’s morning’s task was over. Because the filming task was heavy, the assistant director ordered a small cake to celebrate Lu Ze’s completion of filming. Xiang Wei had known his scene arrangements early on and had also rushed over early in the morning, and had ordered a food truck of takeout and drinks to thank the crew for their care these past few days.
Lu Ze was good-looking and had a gentle personality. The crew had a good impression of him, and Xiang Wei’s action had also won him a lot of goodwill.
After a busy morning, they still had to film normally in the afternoon. After Lu Ze said goodbye to the director, actors, and staff, he got into the company’s nanny car and left the set.
Xiang Wei asked him, “Where are you going? Do you want to go back and rest first?”
Lu Ze looked at his phone and said, “Sister Xiang, you can just drop me off at the Si Corporation building.”
Xiang Wei glanced at him in surprise and didn’t say anything, but just said, “Alright, then you should have a good rest. There’s not much work during this period, but you’ll be joining the crew in half a month. Remember to read the script carefully.”
Lu Ze said, “Don’t worry, Sister Xiang. I know what I’m doing.”
The car soon drove to the Si Corporation building. Lu Ze was not famous in the entertainment industry now, so he didn’t have to worry about paparazzi or anything. He got out of the car openly and walked into the Si Corporation building.
The receptionist had a smile on her face and asked, “Hello, sir. May I ask who you’re looking for? Do you have an appointment?”
Just as Lu Ze was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from behind him. “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Ze looked back and saw Assistant Lin in a professional suit and glasses, walking towards him quickly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lu. You’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Lu Ze said, “You’re too kind, Assistant Lin. I just arrived.”
Assistant Lin smiled slightly and looked at the receptionist. “This is the president’s guest. I’m here to pick him up.”
The young lady was obviously stunned for a moment, then she quickly said, “I’m sorry. Please.”
Assistant Lin led him to the president’s private elevator and, while pushing up his glasses, said, “Mr. Lu, the president is currently talking about a project with someone. You may have to wait outside for a while.”
Lu Ze said, “It’s okay. I didn’t disturb your work, did I?”
“No, don’t worry, Mr. Lu.” The elevator door opened, and Assistant Lin led him inside, and said, “This entire floor is the president’s office and the reception room. Ordinary employees will not set foot here.”
He led him to a lounge area and gestured to an office not far away. “That’s the reception room. The president is inside. Please wait a moment, Mr. Lu. There are also tea and pastries here. If you have any needs, you can just let me know.”
Lu Ze said to him, “It’s no trouble, Assistant Lin. I’ll just wait here. You can go and do your own work.”
Assistant Lin smiled slightly and then turned to leave. Lu Ze glanced at the office door, leaned back on the sofa, and played with his phone casually.
After about twenty minutes, there was some movement at the door of the reception room. Lu Ze looked up and saw the door open, and a middle-aged man in a proper suit walked out, talking to Si Guiyan behind him with a smile on his face.
Lu Ze didn’t say anything, but just looked at him with a smile. The man noticed Lu Ze first and said with a laugh, “I was originally going to invite CEO Si for a meal, but now it seems that CEO Si has other guests, so I won’t disturb you any longer.”
Si Guiyan had not noticed that side before due to the angle. Hearing this, he looked up and saw Lu Ze, and a flash of surprise crossed his face, and then his eyes instantly softened.
He said to his partner, “I’ve seen your sincerity, Mr. Fang, and I hope we can have a happy cooperation in the future. Little Lin,” he called out to Assistant Lin, who was working on the side, and said, “see Mr. Fang out for me.”
Assistant Lin quickly came forward. “Mr. Fang, please follow me.”
It wasn’t until everyone had left that Si Guiyan finally took two steps forward and stood in front of Lu Ze. The coldness he had shown to his guests disappeared without a trace, and with a joy that he himself had not noticed, he said, “When did you come? Have you finished filming? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Lu Ze put his arm around his waist and pulled him into his arms, and said, “I’ve finished filming, I’m done. I just arrived. Assistant Lin came down to pick me up. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to give you a surprise.”
As he spoke, he looked up and kissed his lips, and his voice softened, and he said indistinctly, “I miss you so much, Brother Yan.”
