CH 45

Chapter 45

Almost all of the cast and crew had noticed the young student holding a DSLR1Digital Single Lens Reflex, it’s a camera a step above cellphone photography. Good for beginners and amateur photographers as they can have interchangeable lenses for different situations. and taking pictures of the cast and set, as anyone with eyes could see that he had a close relationship with Film Emperor Qu. Qu Xueyu was always serious when filming, so naturally he couldn’t care for him personally, but Film Emperor Qu’s team-including that powerful agent-were all circling around that kid.

“Bai Bai, have a drink.” Between breaks, Life Assistant Runrun slipped a cup of steaming milk tea into Lu Bai’s hand. He thanked her and gave her a handful of candies as a token of appreciation, before sitting down on a small bench to drink the milk tea, his DSLR hanging from his neck. However, his eyes were always staring off in a certain direction, making him look a bit lonely.

Bo Yangzhi really couldn’t help himself, and with a twitch of his mouth, he went forward, crouching beside Lu Bai, and coughed: “Makeup always takes a while.”

Lu Bai sucked a mouthful of milk tea still staring in a certain direction, “Oh.”

As Bo Yangzhi observed Lu Bai, he finally understood why Qu Xueyu had fallen – tsk, who wouldn’t want to keep such a well-behaved, affectionate, and adorable person?

With some genuine warmth in his eyes, he continued, “Xueyu has no thoughts about anything else when he’s filming, but don’t worry, he specifically instructed us to take good care of you.” After a second, he added, “He also had a word with Director Zhou, so no one in the crew will be talking nonsense outside.” Director Zhou was a person with a strong command over the crew, as long as he gave the word, no one would dare to gossip about Lu Bai outside, so Lu Bai’s private life wouldn’t be disturbed.

A warmth welled up in Lu Bai’s heart and the corner of his mouth curved up, “Xiao Qu is very good, I know.”

Bo Yangzhi was about to continue talking, but a low sound of stunned admiration came from a short distance away, and then he saw the teenager put down his milk tea and stood up abruptly, lifting his DSLR and aiming the lens in a certain direction.

Bo Yangzhi froze, following the teenagers’ camera to look over, and indeed found Qu Xueyu had come out of the dressing room.

In this scene, Ruan Jiangjiu was bullied because of his sexuality as a teenager, and then he came home to his mother to be comforted.

Because he had to play a gloomy and silent teenager, Qu Xueyu’s hair was cut short, and makeup had been applied. His jawline appeared sharp and fragile, his face was an unhealthy white, and his lips were covered with dry skin, pallid to the point of colorlessness. Due to the fact that he had just been beaten up in the plot, he had bruises and blood drawn on his brow bone and the corners of his lips. He was wearing a dirty white shirt, with a few buttons ripped off, and a pair of mud-stained black sports pants on the lower half of his body. His whole appearance was like that of a down-on-his-luck high school student.

In the studio the set is ready. Director Zhou stood in front of the camera with a serious look and shouted  Start.” 

Ruan Jiangjiu has his head lowered, his bangs covering his eyes. His body is in a sorry state as he steps on the muddy street and walks under a dim streetlight. His features are hidden in the shadows, and only half of his chin is exposed in the light, which makes him look like a ghost.

Turning into an alley, he stopped at a tube apartment door but did not knock.

He quietly straightened his clothes in front of the door, smoothing them out as best he could, and knocked.

A short while later, the door opened and a gaunt but gentle woman appeared in what little light there was. She looked at her son for a moment and then with worry in her eyes, she asked, “Xiaojiu, what happened to you?”

“Mom, it’s nothing.” The teenager’s voice was hoarse, and the woman couldn’t bear to ask any further questions, so she hurriedly pulled the teenager into the house.

The camera pans to show the woman busy in the kitchen and the teenager devouring a bowl of veggie noodles in the small but clean living room. Eating the noodles cleanly, the teenager looks at the woman’s back and quietly asks, “Mom, is liking men such an unforgivable sin?” Despite his best effort to hold back, he still let out a few hints of indignation and despair.

They live together, and they depend on each other, they only have each other. After all, the teen is still young, and besides his mother, he doesn’t know who to talk to about this. This was the first and last time he opened his mouth towards his mother out of weakness.

Splat

Under the flickering dim lamp, the woman’s thin back trembled, and the bowl in her hand thudded to the floor.

“CUT! Pass!” Even if he was satisfied in his heart, Director Zhou still looked like a grumpy little old man as he waved his hand, “Take a fifteen-minute break.”

During the break time, the actress who was acting with Qu Xueyu spoke with him and then went out to her nanny car to take a rest and fix her make-up. Qu Xueyu was the only one in the makeshift room, he leaned against the wall, pinching his nose bridge and closing his eyes, taking deep breaths to get himself out of the scene.

There was still a little bit of “Ruan Jiangjiu” spirit left in his body, Qu Xueyu was preparing to open his eyes when he was suddenly surrounded by a hug so familiar that he curled his lips and hugged the teenager back.

“Xiao Qu-” Lu Bai held the young man’s face which was much more brooding because of his youthful makeup.

Qu Xueyu opened his eyes and gazed at the teenager, there was no longer a trace of shadow in his eyes, only a warm tenderness, “What?”

Lu Bai’s throat moved: “It’s rest time now.”

Qu Xueyu: “Uh-huh.”

Lu Bai: “Mr. Bo said that he will keep an eye out for us and won’t let anyone in.”

Qu Xueyu laughed and raised an eyebrow, “Hmm?”

Lu Bai’s eyes shone brightly, “You’re my boyfriend, and you love me, right? I also love you!”

Qu Xueyu rubbed the teenager’s hair, “Mmm. So?”

“Xiao Qu,” Lu Bai still held the youth’s face, his eyes incredibly bright, he seriously stated, “You, the way you look after you’ve been bullied, you really look very kissable.” Lu Bai finally made his request shamelessly without any hesitation, “Give me a kiss.” After a pause, his cheeks turned a little red, “Don’t worry, I’ll only kiss you. We’ll do the rest back at the hotel.” Lu Bai looked at the youth’s appearance and sinfully thought, he now seems to somewhat understand why Huo Qi was so obsessed with Ruan Jiangjiu. Really, beauty kills.

Qu Xueyu: “…” After a moment of silence, he looked at the youth, and said, “Kiss.”

Lu Bai then smiled and contentedly kissed the young man’s slightly pale lips, then hugged his waist again and jokingly quipped, “If only I were Huo Qi.”

Qu Xueyu softly chuckled as he gently patted the back of the youth’s head, “Don’t you hate him?”

Lu Bai muttered, “Hmph, he’s even more annoying now.”

Qu Xueyu: “?”

Lu Bai, however, stopped talking and just hugged the other’s waist and refused to let go.

~~~~~~

“Tsk, still not talking?” In the somewhat dimly lit warehouse, Lu Zhi looked contemptuously at the miserable young man on the ground and snapped.

Chen Wen’s methods of asking questions were unable to produce answers, this person’s mouth is really stubborn.

Lu Zhi half squatted down and patted the man’s bloody and sweaty face. He clenched his teeth and refused to show an expression, “You truly are a bastard, ah, you know how to wag your tail when you are fed a meat bun. My foolish nephew begged my sister-in-law to fund you, and that silly boy fed you so much pocket money, and that’s how you treat him? Get someone to videotape him? Drugging him? Ruining his sister?”

The youth on the ground who was originally resolute and remarkably silent heard the words, and his eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. Someone had funded him for this matter, except for himself and his sponsor, it should be impossible for anyone else to know! Just now, this man, what in the world is he talking about?

Thinking of a certain possibility, his body violently trembled, his voice was hoarse, and even his teeth were thrashing: “What, what did you say?”

Edit: Krone