Chapter 80
Si Guiyan’s body ached all over with a slight movement. He frowned, his expression a little unsightly.
Lu Ze’s action paused, and he half-knelt on the bed, looking at him with concern. “Still hurting?”
As he spoke, he reached out to pull off his clothes. Si Guiyan’s eyes widened, and he instantly retreated, with a look of disbelief and vigilance. “What are you doing?”
Lu Ze was stunned for a moment, then he couldn’t help but laugh. “I just wanted to see if you were… swollen.”
Although he had already checked last night, Lu Ze was still not at ease.
Si Guiyan let out a slight sigh of relief, and then he felt that his current appearance was a bit embarrassing, so he said, “No need, I’m fine.”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Lu Ze smiled, and his gaze swept over his body, and he said slowly, “Is there any part of your body that I haven’t seen?”
Si Guiyan glanced at him and let out a light spit. “Hooligan.”
“Hooligan it is,” Lu Ze held his hand. “Anyway, Brother Yan likes hooligans.”
Si Guiyan took the opportunity to get up, but he still couldn’t help but say, “How can there be such a shameless person like you?”
Lu Ze said, “Haven’t you seen it now, Brother Yan?”
The two of them joked for a moment. Si Guiyan went into the bathroom and found that the toothpaste had already been squeezed on the washstand. He paused, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up.
After washing up, Si Guiyan went down the stairs and saw that the dining table in the living room was already full of breakfast, with steaming hot preserved egg porridge, soft and fluffy xiaolongbao, and two small dishes of light side dishes, with two boiled eggs, simple and yet exceptionally homey.
Si Guiyan paused. Lu Ze had already sensed the movement and looked up, and he saw him in a dark gray casual homewear. His temperament was a little more lazy and gentle than when he was in a suit and leather shoes. His hair, which had not been styled with hairspray, was loosely hanging on his forehead, and his whole person was a little nonchalant and casual.
Lu Ze stood up straight and stood at the top of the stairs before he reached the first floor, and looked at him steadily. Si Guiyan’s eyebrows raised slightly, and he was a little suspicious if there was something wrong with him, and he said hesitantly, “What?”
Lu Ze shook his head. “Nothing.” He said, “I just want to kiss you.”
Si Guiyan paused. Lu Ze looked up at him and chuckled softly. “Can I, Brother Yan?”
Si Guiyan was standing on the stairs, half a head taller than him. Hearing this, his gaze moved slightly, and his eyes shifted to the side, and he muttered in a low voice, “If you want to kiss, then kiss. What’s the point of wasting your breath here?”
Lu Ze smiled. “Didn’t I say before that I have to ask for your opinion before I can kiss you?”
Si Guiyan smiled. “You’re being obedient now? Last night, when I told you to stop, how did you—”
Before he could finish, his face turned red, and he raised his hand to wipe his face, and was silent.
Lu Ze smiled. “You’re really wronging me, Brother Yan. I wanted to be obedient, but my self-control is there, and I really can’t do it.”
Si Guiyan glanced at him. “You always have countless reasons.”
Lu Ze smiled and didn’t speak, but just raised his head and stood on his tiptoes to kiss him. Si Guiyan’s body stiffened slightly, and he unconsciously leaned down to facilitate his movements.
Lu Ze’s one hand was on the back of his head, slowly caressing it, and the tip of his tongue skillfully pried open his lips and teeth, and gradually went deeper.
Si Guiyan was still sensitive from his actions, and after this one kiss, his legs couldn’t help but be a little weak. His well-defined hands were tightly holding the handrail of the stairs, and he barely managed not to fall down.
It wasn’t until the kiss was over that Lu Ze slowly pulled away from him, a smile in his eyes. He then lowered his head and touched his lips, and said, “It’s fragrant.”
Si Guiyan was a little embarrassed and said, “It’s the same toothpaste as yours. What’s so fragrant about it?”
“Brother Yan’s is different.” Lu Ze held his hand and walked to the dining table, and pressed him onto a stool. It wasn’t until Si Guiyan was seated that he found that there was a soft cushion on the chair. He paused and didn’t say much, but his expression softened a lot.
Lu Ze served him a bowl of porridge. “Try my cooking.”
Si Guiyan looked down and saw that the porridge in the bowl was thick, and the rice grains had already boiled open. The bits of preserved egg and lean meat were mixed together, and the aroma was fragrant.
He picked up a spoon and took a mouthful, and met Lu Ze’s expectant gaze, and heard him say, “How is it?”
Si Guiyan said reservedly, “It’s okay.”
Although he said it was okay, the porridge in the bowl was quickly finished. Lu Ze didn’t tease him and served him another bowl, and pushed the steaming hot xiaolongbao in front of him. “Try the steamed buns.”
Si Guiyan picked one up, took a bite, and the skin was thin and the meat was tender and juicy. He had to admit that Lu Ze was indeed good at cooking.
While watching him eat, Lu Ze nonchalantly filled his own mouth with a few bites and asked, “Do you have work today, Brother Yan?”
Si Guiyan shook his head. “What?”
“Nothing.” Lu Ze’s eyes were full of a smile. “Just asking.”
He said, “What do you want to eat for lunch, Brother Yan? Let’s go to the supermarket later and buy it all at once.”
Si Guiyan put down his chopsticks, took a paper towel and wiped his mouth, and said, “No need.”
He looked at Lu Ze. “There’s a housekeeper who specializes in cooking at home. You don’t have to do these things.”
Lu Ze’s action paused. “Don’t you like my cooking, Brother Yan?”
Si Guiyan looked at him and said, “I’m looking for a lover, not a cooking aunt. You don’t have to waste your time on this kind of thing.”
The smile on the corners of Lu Ze’s lips faded slightly, and then, as if nothing had happened, he said, “Alright then.”
The two continued to eat. Si Guiyan, however, felt that Lu Ze’s mood was low. He frowned, thought about what he had just said, and asked, “Are you angry?”
Lu Ze smiled. “No.”
“I was just thinking about what to do later. After all, it’s rare for you to be here, Brother Yan. It’s not good to waste time.”
Si Guiyan said, “There’s a home theater in the villa, as well as a gym and an entertainment room. There will always be something to do.”
Lu Ze moved closer to him. “Then will you go, Brother Yan?”
Si Guiyan looked at him. Lu Ze was smiling. “Your muscles are so good-looking, Brother Yan. You must also exercise often, right?”
Si Guiyan raised his chin. “It’s okay.”
Lu Ze smiled. “Then let’s go together later?”
Si Guiyan knew at a glance that he had no good intentions. He said flatly, “No.”
Lu Ze had a puzzled look on his face. Si Guiyan sneered, “Don’t you know what you did yesterday?” His back was still sore.
Lu Ze paused, then he couldn’t help but laugh. After dinner, he didn’t do anything and just moved closer to him to rub his waist and press his shoulders. Si Guiyan said he wasn’t working, but in his spare time, he still took out his tablet and opened a document. He looked at him moving closer to him, and a smile also appeared on his lips.
At a little after ten, the doorbell of the villa rang.
Lu Ze went to have a look, and it was Xiang Wei.
He quickly went to open the door. Xiang Wei glanced at the spacious courtyard, and there was a hint of surprise in her eyes as she looked at Lu Ze, but she quickly regained her composure. She walked in with her high heels and asked, “Are you the only one here?”
Lu Ze helped her open the door and, hearing this, shook his head. “No, Mr. Si is also here.”
Just as Xiang Wei was about to step into the main door, her action paused. She looked back at him, her brows furrowed. “Mr. Si is also here?”
Lu Ze nodded.
Xiang Wei let out a light sigh and didn’t ask any more questions, and strode in.
Si Guiyan was sitting on the sofa in a casual homewear. Hearing the noise, he looked over and nodded slightly. Even in front of the boss of Xingyi, Xiang Wei was not afraid of anything, but she was really a little wary of this big boss behind the scenes, and even her movements were a little reserved.
Lu Ze asked, “What would you like to drink, Sister Xiang? Tea or coffee?”
She was a gold medal agent after all. Xiang Wei quickly regained her composure and said, “An iced Americano, thank you.”
Lu Ze went into the kitchen and came out with two cups in his hand. He placed a cup of iced Americano in front of Xiang Wei and a cup of warm water in front of Si Guiyan.
Si Guiyan looked up at him. Lu Ze was talking to Xiang Wei about something, as if this were the most natural thing.
He picked up the water cup by his side and took a sip of the warm boiled water, which was just the right temperature.
Xiang Wei took out a stack of documents from the bag she was carrying and pushed them in front of Lu Ze. “Director Chen Huaimin has a new movie starting in the second half of the year. It’s a spy film, and the male lead’s character is quite outstanding. You can try to fight for it then. But there are still more than four months before the start of filming, and you can’t just be idle. I’ve screened the projects that have started recently in the circle and picked two out. One of them is the third male lead in a xianxia drama, adapted from a big IP, with an investment of nearly 200 million yuan. If there are no accidents, it should be the film with the largest investment in the first half of the year. The director is also a well-known director in the industry, and the effect should be good. Now the male and female leads and the second male lead have all been decided, and there’s still a role for the third male lead, which is the female lead’s master.”
Xiang Wei looked at him and said, “This role doesn’t have many scenes, but in the original work, it’s the white moonlight of countless readers. The crew also attaches great importance to this role, and the appearance and so on will not be bad. I was thinking that with your face, it’s not a bad thing to attract fans first.”
Actually, there was another point, which was that Xiang Wei was not sure about Lu Ze’s acting skills. This role was relatively less demanding on acting skills. As long as Lu Ze was not too bad, and just relied on that face, the final effect would not be bad.
Lu Ze looked at the script. The original work was a big female lead novel, which told the story of the female lead’s entire family being exterminated. She was burdened with a blood feud, and after luckily escaping, she was saved by the Jade Balance Immortal and became his direct disciple. Unlike the cold and aloof immortal image in most xianxia dramas, the Jade Balance Immortal had a gentle personality and was compassionate. Especially after knowing the female lead’s experience, he doted on her even more and accompanied her like a teacher and a brother, pulling her out of the pain of her family’s extermination, and he was the only good thought left in the female lead’s heart.
Later, in their daily interactions, the female lead developed feelings for her master that went beyond that of a master and a disciple. But before she could confess her feelings, the Jade Balance Immortal died to protect her. The female lead completely turned to the dark side and put her master in the deepest part of her heart. So much so that later, in her torturous and deep love with the male lead, a large part of the reason was that she couldn’t let go of her master.
The reason why this role could become the white moonlight in the hearts of many readers was because, compared to the schemes of the male lead and the second male lead, the master’s unreserved devotion to the female lead was without any expectation of return. His feelings for the female lead were not those of a man and a woman, but just a simple and pure master-disciple relationship.
But because of this, it became a regret in the hearts of the readers.
Lu Ze quickly went through the script and said, “I have no problem.”
Xiang Wei said, “Don’t be in a hurry. This role is good in all aspects, but there are many fighting scenes in xianxia dramas, and it’s inevitable to be on a wire. You should look at the other script first. The role is not bad either.”
Xiang Wei pushed the script to him and said, “This script is an original script by the screenwriter Fu Sixing. The role I’m interested in is a corrupt official.”
Lu Ze glanced at the script and found that this role was more challenging than the master just now. The script mainly told the story of a small county magistrate, Chu Qinghe, who, after solving a headless case, was appreciated by the capital and was promoted to the Grand Court of Justice. He thought that his official career would be bright from then on, but he didn’t know that the moment he entered the capital, he had already fallen into a quagmire.
The role that Xiang Wei was interested in was a big corrupt official in the drama, who bullied men and women and was rich and inhumane, and was despised by the people. When the protagonist first entered the capital, he was given a show of strength by this person. In the following many cases, there were also traces of his participation, but every time the protagonist’s group was about to catch him, he would escape. This role seemed to be a complete villain, but there was a reversal in the later stage, and the truth of the ending was unexpected.
But it was very interesting.
After Lu Ze finished reading, he put the script away. Seeing this, Xiang Wei asked, “How is it?”
She said, “Actually, there are not no protagonists in the recent projects, but those scripts are not good, and the investment is not high. It’s better to start from a supporting role and slowly accumulate experience. After all, you will definitely not be short of protagonist scripts in the future.”
“I understand what you mean, Sister Xiang,” Lu Ze asked. “When does the xianxia drama project start?”
Xiang Wei said, “In a few days. The immortal’s scenes are not many, and the scenes are mostly concentrated in two or three places. If it goes smoothly, it can be finished in about ten days. The crew estimates that the immortal’s scenes can be finished at the end of this month.”
It was March 6th now, and it was still early.
Lu Ze pointed at the other script again. “What about this one?”
Xiang Wei said, “This one is expected to be in mid-April, but at that time, your scenes in this script will be more, and the scenes are scattered, so it will probably take more than a month to finish filming.”
Lu Ze nodded. “Then it will be almost finished in June.”
Xiang Wei said, “Yes.” She paused. “Director Chen’s new film starts in mid-July, so there’s actually plenty of time. I was thinking that if you can, you can take both of them, and then seamlessly join Director Chen’s crew, which can also be considered as accumulating experience.”
Before Lu Ze could open his mouth, Si Guiyan, who was listening on the side, said, “The time is too tight.”
Xiang Wei glanced at him. Si Guiyan put the tablet on the side and looked at him lightly. “If there’s a good script, then take it. If there’s no good one, then rest. He doesn’t have to be as busy as others, without even his own time.”
“Yes…” Xiang Wei hesitated for a moment and said, “But CEO Si, these two scripts are quite good, and there’s enough time. Lu Ze is still a newcomer in the entertainment industry. More exposure is also good for his future development…”
“Exposure can be achieved through other means, such as endorsements, advertisements, and variety shows. There are many product resources under the Si Corporation that can serve him,” Si Guiyan said. “There’s no need to be obsessed with filming.”
Xiang Wei was at a loss for words for a moment and didn’t dare to argue with this big boss. Just as she was about to compromise, her gaze fell on Lu Ze, but she saw that he was looking at Si Guiyan with a smile in his eyes. He looked back at her and said, “I know, Sister Xiang. I’ll think about it again. I’ll give you an answer later. Thank you for making this trip.”
Xiang Wei glanced at him, and for some reason, she had a feeling that he could convince CEO Si. Hearing this, she didn’t stay any longer and got up. “CEO Si, then I won’t disturb you. Lu Ze, after you’ve made up your mind, let me know, and I’ll go and contact them for you.”
Lu Ze saw him to the door, then slowly walked back in his slippers and sat on the sofa next to Si Guiyan, leaning against him.
Si Guiyan glanced at him. “What, you’re not happy?”
Lu Ze looked at him pitifully and didn’t speak.
Si Guiyan’s expression turned cold. “Lu Ze, I can accept you filming, but I can’t tolerate you working around the clock indefinitely. According to you, you’ll be joining the crew in a few days, and then after one crew is over, you’ll join the next. You’ll be in the crew for basically half a year. And during this half a year, I’m afraid I won’t even see you a few times. Not only that, but I also have to spend money on you, Lu Ze. You have to understand that I’m a businessman, not a charity.”
Lu Ze rested his head on his hands and looked at him, his eyes curved with a smile. “I understand, Brother Yan. You’re just reluctant to part with me.”
Si Guiyan’s voice hitched, and after a moment, he said, “I’ve spent money, but I can’t enjoy the services I deserve for more than half a year. Do you think that’s appropriate?”
Lu Ze smiled. “Brother Yan, I’ve looked at the shooting schedule. Both of those dramas will be filmed in the film and television city in the capital, which is not far from home. I don’t have many scenes, and I can come back to live after work every time, which is equivalent to working outside.”
Si Guiyan’s brows were tightly furrowed. “Are you determined to take those dramas? Do you like acting that much?”
Lu Ze nodded, but then he shook his head. He said, “I don’t have any obsession with acting, but I do want to become popular quickly.”
Si Guiyan was a little annoyed. “And after you become popular?” Get rid of him?
But Lu Ze smiled. He lay on Si Guiyan’s shoulder and said softly, “After I become popular… so that when outsiders talk about it, they won’t say that Mr. Si has bad taste and is keeping a nameless little star in the entertainment industry.”
Si Guiyan paused, and the anger in his heart seemed to be extinguished in an instant. He turned his head to look at Lu Ze and saw him say with a smile, “You’re so outstanding, Brother Yan. I can’t just be a good-for-nothing and be a canary who knows nothing, right? Wouldn’t that be a disgrace to you?”
Si Guiyan’s eyelids trembled slightly, and he felt the scorching heat in his ear. After a long silence, he finally stood up and said, “As you wish.”
He got up and walked to the second floor, and said, “If you want to take it, then take it. Don’t come to me crying when you’re tired and can’t stand it.”
Lu Ze looked at his back, a deep smile in his eyes. He slowly followed him and drew out his voice, “You want to see me cry, Brother Yan? It’s not impossible, unless…”
