Chapter 19
The next morning, the media and fans, having received the news, arrived at the film studio early, heading straight to the opening ceremony location.
It was an overcast day, the wind howling. The forecast predicted continuous heavy rain, and the temperature in Qing City had dropped to around ten degrees Celsius.
Everyone was bundled up warmly, some fans and reporters eating hand-held pancakes while chatting.
“This weather is terrible. With such strong winds, it’s probably going to rain soon.”
“I wonder if the incense will even light. Director Li is notoriously superstitious. If it doesn’t light, he might postpone the ceremony.”
“On the other hand, if the incense lights in this weather, and the ceremony goes smoothly, Director Li will be ecstatic.”
“Haha, you guys know Director Li well.”
“Why are you all chatting so happily? Aren’t you afraid of getting a stomach ache from the wind?”
“Who cares? As long as I can interview Teacher Lu before I get diarrhea.”
Everyone laughed.
Although the cast included popular young actors and actresses, as well as veteran actors, at least two-thirds of the media and fans present were there for Lu Dingyun.
The ceremony was scheduled for 9 am.
By 8:50, most of the crew were in place.
At 8:55, the main cast finally arrived, taking their positions at the front.
The fans, seeing their idols, waved light sticks and cheered.
The reporters also perked up, the sound of camera shutters filling the air.
Being a period drama, the cast were all handsome men and beautiful women. But even among so many attractive faces, Lu Dingyun still stood out.
Although he was tall, there were several other actors of similar height in the cast.
And Lu Dingyun was dressed inconspicuously, in a simple black hoodie, matching jeans, sneakers, and a long trench coat.
He wasn’t wearing any makeup, and his hair was tousled by the wind.
Yet, he still managed to overshadow the other actors.
“Truly, the only one who can stand next to Teacher Lu and not be outshone is Wei Yuan,” someone in the crowd remarked, and everyone agreed.
They were the two undisputed visuals of the entertainment industry.
It was a pity Wei Yuan was still unconscious. It was uncertain if they would ever share the screen again.
Wei Yuan, the subject of their conversation, was currently nestled inside the movie emperor’s hood.
It had finally found the most comfortable position, standing on its hind legs.
The kitten poked its head out, its paws gripping Lu Dingyun’s collar, looking around curiously.
It was wearing a small pink hat, its ears sticking out through two small holes, its beautiful eyes wide with curiosity, making it look adorable and alert.
Lu Dingyun, feeling the movement behind him, glanced over.
His earlobe brushed against the kitten’s soft fur, and a smile appeared on his lips. He petted the kitten’s head. “Dear, don’t move around too much.”
Wei Yuan meowed, continuing to look around.
Such a familiar scene, such familiar faces.
It didn’t recognize all the actors, but they looked familiar.
The cast was impressive. Even if the only viewers were the fans of these popular actors, the ratings would still be good.
But these actors’ salaries weren’t low either.
Perhaps they had agreed to lower their fees for Director Li.
The kitten was small, but its presence beside the highly visible Lu Dingyun made it equally noticeable.
The nearby actors, noticing the kitten first, looked at it with delight.
But the ceremony was about to begin, so they couldn’t approach Lu Dingyun, mentally noting to find a chance to chat with him later.
They might not have much in common, but talking about the kitten was a surefire way to connect with the cat-loving movie emperor.
After the actors, the reporters and fansite masters with their high-powered cameras also spotted the kitten.
“Wow, it’s Teacher Lu’s kitten! Quick, take pictures!”
“Oh my god, Teacher Lu is smiling! He’s so handsome!”
“Bringing his kitten to work, wuwu, Teacher Lu, you’re so whipped!”
The reactions varied, but everyone knew that the news of the movie emperor bringing his kitten to the opening ceremony would soon be trending.
The ceremony officially began. The host gave a brief introduction, followed by the incense offering.
The director, producer, screenwriters, and on-set directors offered incense first.
Then the two male leads, followed by Lu Dingyun and several other supporting actors.
Lu Dingyun, holding the incense stick, closed his eyes and silently wished for a smooth filming process before bowing three times.
Wei Yuan, its occupational hazard kicking in, also closed its eyes and bowed, clinging to Lu Dingyun’s collar.
It also hoped for a smooth filming process for Lu Dingyun.
After the incense offering, the producer handed out red envelopes.
Finally, the producer, director, and two male leads unveiled the camera, and the opening ceremony officially concluded.
Although the weather was gloomy and threatening rain, the ceremony went smoothly.
Director Li, the superstitious man, was beaming, happily answering questions during the interviews.
The reporters tried to interview as many cast members as possible.
Wei Yuan, familiar with this process, knew that interviews weren’t mandatory, and since Lu Dingyun wasn’t one of the leads, he could leave anytime.
But Lu Dingyun was too popular. Before he could even move, the other actors surrounded him.
They all praised the kitten, some even knowing its name, calling it “Xiao Gui Yuan” as if they were close friends.
Wei Yuan could see through their attempts to get close to Lu Dingyun. After all, he was still the aloof and unapproachable movie emperor in public, and the kitten was the perfect conversation starter.
But it thought Lu Dingyun would politely decline their advances and leave.
Earlier in the waiting room, he had kept the door closed, clearly not wanting to interact with anyone, making the other actors hesitant to disturb him.
But Lu Dingyun, who should have left, stopped.
He petted the kitten in his hood, his expression softening. “Thank you all for liking Gui Yuan.”
Everyone became even more enthusiastic, but just then, the reporters also approached.
The other actors, with their own pride and image to maintain, didn’t want to appear to be clinging to Lu Dingyun for attention, so they excused themselves.
Lu Dingyun was in a good mood today, and with the kitten present, he was much more approachable.
So, when the microphones were thrust towards him, he didn’t immediately leave.
The reporters bombarded him with questions.
Lu Dingyun only answered those related to the drama, except for one about the kitten.
A reporter asked him why he decided to get a cat.
Wei Yuan, its chin resting on Lu Dingyun’s shoulder, twitched its ears.
Lu Dingyun glanced at the kitten, smiling. “Fate, I guess.”
Wei Yuan, looking at his profile, silently echoed his words.
Fate… I guess.
Lu Dingyun answered questions for about two minutes, then, seeing more reporters approaching, he excused himself and entered the film set with the kitten.
As they walked, a deep voice called out, “Teacher Lu?”
Lu Dingyun stopped, looking at the approaching man with a crew cut in surprise. “Han Sui.”
Han Sui stopped before him, smiling. “I wanted to greet you earlier, but your dressing room door was closed.”
Lu Dingyun smiled. “Director Li invited you too? This is our third collaboration, right?”
Han Sui was a renowned martial arts choreographer in the industry, having worked with numerous award-winning actors and actresses. This was his third time working with Lu Dingyun.
“Yes,” Han Sui replied. “Your character has quite a few action scenes, but you’re experienced, so no worries.”
As they chatted, Han Sui suddenly noticed a fluffy head poking out from Lu Dingyun’s hood.
Han Sui: “!”
The kitten met his gaze, its eyes gleaming mischievously, letting out a soft meow.
Goosebumps erupted on Han Sui’s skin, his muscles tensing. He wanted to run away.
But since the kitten was Lu Dingyun’s precious pet, he forced himself to stay. Offending the movie emperor wasn’t worth it.
Lu Dingyun, perceptive as always, instantly realized he was afraid of cats. “I have something to do. We’ll talk later?”
Han Sui, relieved, forced a smile and quickly scurried away, his athletic figure betraying his panic.
Wei Yuan almost burst out laughing.
It had worked with Han Sui on its last project. They had bonded over their shared fear of cats, and Han Sui’s easygoing and mature personality was to Wei Yuan’s liking.
Seeing him, it couldn’t resist playing a prank, and the effect was satisfying.
Lu Dingyun lifted the kitten out of his hood, poking its head gently. “You little rascal.”
Wei Yuan: “Meow!”
I’m not.
They returned to the waiting room.
Lu Dingyun didn’t have any scenes today. They would have lunch with the crew, then he and Wei Yuan could go home.
But unexpectedly, during lunch, it started pouring rain.
The rain was torrential, and Lu Dingyun didn’t dare drive in such weather, especially since this was a public appearance, and he was worried about being followed by stalkers.
Ever since he and Wei Yuan had both had incidents with stalkers, celebrities had become more cautious.
Fortunately, Lu Dingyun had brought food for the kitten, just in case.
So, after lunch, he took the kitten back to the hotel where the crew was staying and prepared its meal.
The crew had booked the entire hotel, so there were plenty of rooms. Lu Dingyun had been allocated three rooms for his use.
His two assistants could also stay, but they were currently busy with work-related matters.
After the kitten finished eating, Lu Dingyun cleaned up and stood by the window, holding the kitten.
Looking at the downpour, he soothed the kitten gently. “Baby, let’s wait until the rain lets up before going home, okay?”
Although Wei Yuan hadn’t been traumatized by the car accident, it didn’t want to risk another one, so it patted Lu Dingyun’s chest with its paw in agreement.
Lu Dingyun chuckled, gently stroking its fur.
But they still couldn’t go home. After their nap, assistant Dou Dou came with news.
The heavy rain was perfect for filming some of the drama’s important scenes.
For example, Lu Dingyun’s character’s fake death and descent into the demonic path occurred during a rainstorm, a crucial scene.
And since it was the first day of filming, Director Li wanted Lu Dingyun to film the first scene, to get things off to a good start.
Lu Dingyun, a workaholic, was always meticulous about his work. He agreed to the arrangement without hesitation and began preparing for the evening shoot.
Assistant Xiao Zheng held the kitten, coaxing it in a baby voice. “Xiao Gui Yuan, Brother Yun is going to film tonight. We’ll stay home and watch cartoons, okay?”
“Meow~” Not really.
Wei Yuan didn’t want to stay in the room. How boring.
It wanted to see Lu Dingyun filming. It wondered if he really did nail every scene in one take, as rumored.
Wei Yuan looked at Lu Dingyun, blinking its eyes innocently.
It had to find a way to convince Lu Dingyun to take it to the set.
