Chapter 27: A New Set

But Xuanxuan had his own troubles, ones completely unlike Shen Chao’s.

Su Xuan couldn’t even land a decent fashion endorsement. His foundation was too shallow; most in the fashion world were reluctant to take a chance on a newcomer influencer like him.

Previously, the boss of the Zhongshan suit brand had been quite satisfied with Su Xuan’s promotional effect and wanted him as a spokesperson—but only if Su Xuan agreed to wear only Zhongshan suits at all future events.

Su Xuan and Liu Pangpang resisted the temptation of a hefty endorsement fee and politely declined.

Su Xuan sat on the sidelines, staring blankly at a corn cob. Today he had shot many scenes without Shen Chao.

…Sigh, Xuanxuan also wanted to attend his own e-commerce convention. Money was really nice. Su Xuan took a bite of the corn and thought enviously.

Wang Muzhe and Shen Chao attended the e-commerce platform’s gala together. After the event, Wang Muzhe, rarely, did not immediately part ways with Shen Chao. Instead, he called out to Shen Chao, who was about to get into his car.

Wang Muzhe’s expression darkened. “Shen Chao, I need to talk to you. Wait for me; I’ll ride in your car.”

Wang Muzhe greeted his agent and got into the back seat of Shen Chao’s car. He disliked communicating with Shen Chao, and his body language made it obvious: he quickly pulled his coat closer and sat a distance away from Shen Chao.

Shen Chao remained still. “What’s the matter?”

Wang Muzhe was mentally drafting his words. He was angry but didn’t want to say something too harsh. Yet when he finally spoke, resentment still seeped through. “Shen Chao, when will Su Xuan finish filming his scenes over there and come to my set?”

Indeed, Wang Muzhe’s suspense film crew had already started, but the “Nine Streams” web drama team kept holding onto Su Xuan, claiming they needed location shooting. Wang Muzhe understood that scenes in scenic spots were best shot all at once, so he had been patient and magnanimous.

But he was also under time pressure. Wang Muzhe had never acted with Su Xuan before and didn’t know how Su Xuan would perform. His crew had to be prepared to replace Su Xuan if he couldn’t hold up his end. As Su Xuan’s guarantor, Wang Muzhe was really anxious. He had urged Hua Na several times already.

Actually, it wasn’t the crew pushing—it was Wang Muzhe who wanted to meet Su Xuan sooner. He had something he wanted to see.

For instance, why Shen Chao insisted that Su Xuan’s acting would be better than Wang Muzhe’s.

Wang Muzhe said, “Hua Na told me you only have a few scenes left with Su Xuan. Once those are done, Su Xuan can leave. Go back and finish filming with Su Xuan first. There was no need for you to come to tonight’s gala.”

Shen Chao was a shareholder; his attendance at such events was optional. He rarely came before, but now, at this critical moment when Wang Muzhe was about to explode, Shen Chao chose to show up.

Shen Chao replied, “I still have some promotional events to attend.”

Wang Muzhe couldn’t hold it in anymore. He was furious. “Promotional events? At this rate, by the time you finish all your events and come back to film, Su Xuan could be married and have kids on set!”

Shen Chao’s lips tightened. He coldly stared at Wang Muzhe. “Why do you insist on Su Xuan acting with you? And why did you approach him yourself?”

Wang Muzhe took a deep breath to calm himself. “Shen Chao, Su Xuan is my junior. Is there a problem with me wanting him to act with me? If you have any issues with me, just say it directly, okay?”

Shen Chao turned his head away from Wang Muzhe, but his attitude was clear: unless Wang Muzhe told the truth, Shen Chao was unlikely to release Su Xuan.

He said lightly, “We haven’t shot Su Xuan’s scenes yet. The ‘Jewel Thief’ crew hasn’t sent us a notice either. What are you in such a hurry for?”

Wang Muzhe was about to retort when he noticed the single earring on Shen Chao’s ear—the one he had been wearing all these days. Shen Chao rarely wore such accessories. Wang Muzhe had heard that Shen Chao gave the other one to Su Xuan.

Suddenly, Wang Muzhe felt a strange sensation. He spoke delicately, “Shen Chao… you’re not…”

“…not willing to let Su Xuan leave with me, are you?”

Shen Chao said nothing. His gaze dropped, and his lips tightened again.

Wang Muzhe’s emotions were complex. “…You… really like acting with Su Xuan that much?”

Wang Muzhe never imagined there would be an actor Shen Chao enjoyed working with. He felt a mix of emotions. “When you shot with me back then, you wished I’d finish in five minutes and get lost.”

Shen Chao spoke, his expression focused, as if recalling something. “He’s different.”

“Su Xuan acts very well.”

Wang Muzhe’s head ached. He knew Shen Chao had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder when it came to acting, but Wang Muzhe couldn’t wait any longer. “But I need him too. He’s not just your supporting actor.”

Those words made a faint flicker in Shen Chao’s eyes. He quietly countered, “He’s my lead, not a supporting actor.”

“No matter how important Rong Yan Zhi is, he’s still only a supporting role,” Wang Muzhe retorted. “If you think Su Xuan is a great actor, and he’s playing a supporting role for you in ‘Nine Streams,’ he can’t be a supporting actor forever. Why are you so unwilling to let him go?”

Others played supporting roles to elevate his status or to help him get into character—just look at Wang Muzhe. If Shen Chao had wanted, Wang Muzhe would have been kicked out long ago. Having an Emperor of Cinema play a supporting role in a web drama was such an honor, but Shen Chao had thrown Wang Muzhe out.

Wang Muzhe issued an ultimatum. “Tomorrow. You go back tomorrow and finish shooting with Su Xuan. Then let Su Xuan come to my set! If you don’t, I’ll call—”

The name Qian Huai made Shen Chao’s expression shift slightly. He looked away, out the window, and was silent for a long while before finally speaking, as if making a decision. “The day after tomorrow won’t work. I need at least two days before he can leave.”

Wang Muzhe frowned. “Hua Na said one day is enough for you and Su Xuan to finish.”

Shen Chao averted his gaze slightly. “Yes, so the other day is for me.”

Wang Muzhe was puzzled. “For you?”

But Shen Chao didn’t speak anymore. His gaze lingered on a single spot for a long time, as if someone were standing there.

Because… he needed a whole day to process Su Xuan leaving.

His reluctance to let Su Xuan go was so intense that it made Shen Chao, usually so businesslike, seem uncharacteristically sentimental. Wang Muzhe watched Shen Chao’s aura suddenly sink low, confused.

Su Xuan was just going to film with him. Why did Shen Chao act like his wife was running off with someone else?

“Ah?! I’m leaving already?!”

Su Xuan had happily finished rehearsing with Shen Chao today. Before he could enjoy the moment, Hua Na informed him that he was switching crews.

Su Xuan was stunned. “…I’m leaving just like that?”

Hua Na also didn’t want Su Xuan to go. Seeing Su Xuan reluctant, he found it a little amusing. “Someone’s been urging me for a while. What, can’t bear to leave?”

Initially, Hua Na was a bit unhappy about Su Xuan juggling two productions. But later, Su Xuan’s performance—though not breathtaking—showed sincerity. That sincerity won Hua Na over.

More importantly, Hua Na had developed a feeling of ‘this is my protégé’ toward Su Xuan. In his previous shoots, he had always been very selective with actors and rarely witnessed the transformation from ‘turtle’ to ‘hero.’ Now that Su Xuan was leaving, he felt a genuine reluctance.

Hua Na sighed. “Hurry up and finish over there so you can come back… Eh, with you gone, I feel a bit off.”

It was like his hard-raised kid running off with someone else.

Su Xuan was downcast. Although Liu Pangpang had informed him earlier about switching crews, he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. The moment Shen Chao returned, he had to leave.

He was a little reluctant to part with the crew… and a little reluctant to part with Shen Chao.

Su Xuan sighed too. “Then I’ll go say goodbye to everyone.”

Su Xuan went around to each crew member, letting them know he was leaving.

“Ah?! Why are you leaving?”

“So soon?”

“When will you be back?”

“Say hi to Emperor Wang for me!”

“Damn, Su Xuan, you’ve got game—first acting with our Star Culture’s top two male leads. When are you transferring over?”

Shen Chao and Song Xiao stood at a distance, watching Su Xuan surrounded by a crowd, joking and messing around. Su Xuan covered his head, looking pitiful, but he was still smiling. He didn’t fight back, quietly letting them have their fun.

Song Xiao sighed sincerely. “Shen Chao, Su Xuan is really a likable guy.”

Shen Chao watched Su Xuan, expressionless. “He is.”

“Su Xuan… is really something. He’s the first actor I’ve seen who sleeps with the wire rig technician,” Song Xiao said, finding it hilarious. “That technician’s expression was unforgettable.”

Earlier, Su Xuan had to learn wirework, but sometimes he was too exhausted after practice. His room was on the third floor of the hotel with no elevator, and he couldn’t muster the energy to climb. He was closest to that technician—others weren’t familiar with Su Xuan, and some even disliked him.

Su Xuan would beg the technician, “Brother, please! Let’s share a bed tonight!”

Shamelessly, he’d add, “Just think of me as a turtle—I won’t take up space.”

At first, the technician reluctantly agreed due to Su Xuan’s pestering. But later, it was this technician who gave Su Xuan the medicated oil for bruises.

Su Xuan was always grinning. When scolded, he’d seriously reshoot the scene. He’d squat by the roadside munching on corn, sneakily play digital mahjong with a group on their phones during breaks, and get so scared when caught by the director that he almost dropped his phone. He’d complain to the technician about rubbing medicated oil on his balls, and the technician spread it all over the crew, making it the annual joke of the “Nine Streams” set.

Hua Na even joked about including it in the blooper reel. Su Xuan said if Hua Na released it, he would “kill the director to authenticate his path.”

Su Xuan had no distance from anyone. His affability was too strong. Few stars came to shoot without even an assistant. He seemed like just another worker on the set. No one could feel distant from someone like that.

He was the kind of colleague everyone liked at work—someone who, even while being squeezed by the boss, could still find joy and make you laugh, and would excitedly share any good food with you.

Gradually, everyone in the crew accepted Su Xuan. Many were reluctant to see him go.

Song Xiao suddenly let out an “eh” and looked at Shen Chao with a strange, complex expression. “…Shen Chao, I finally understand what you meant when you said before that you and Su Xuan are just ordinary colleagues.”

Su Xuan’s ordinary colleague relationship was this intimate.

Compared to that, his relationship with Shen Chao seemed less than ordinary.

Thinking back to when Shen Chao said ‘ordinary colleague relationship,’ Song Xiao now sensed a hint of sourness.

Tsk, tsk.

Song Xiao raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Aren’t you going to talk to Su Xuan, little Shen? You’re hu—ahem, you like him so much. You’ve been hiding here watching him for ages. That’s so childish! Even the technician has slept with him; look at yourself!”

Shen Chao’s fingers curled. He looked away from Su Xuan, who was still in the crowd. “Today is their time.”

Song Xiao: “??? But Su Xuan is leaving tomorrow?”

Shen Chao lowered his eyes and whispered, “I don’t want to say goodbye to him together with others.”

So tomorrow will be mine alone.

How could Su Xuan wait until tomorrow to say goodbye to Shen Chao? He was leaving tomorrow, but he didn’t know how to approach Shen Chao. Their relationship was too special now; nothing he said seemed right.

He felt a bit guilty—juggling two productions felt shameful to someone like Shen Chao, especially since he was acting with Wang Muzhe. No matter how he brought it up, it didn’t feel appropriate.

He kept putting it off until evening.

Su Xuan had planned to find Shen Chao at night, but Shen Chao unexpectedly asked to do night shoots!!!

Damn!!!

Su Xuan looked resentfully at the spirited Hua Na, watching Shen Chao’s robes flutter under the lights. Everyone else had already said their goodbyes; only Shen Chao was left. It would be weird not to say goodbye…

Sigh, life is hard, Xuanxuan sighed.

Su Xuan grabbed a small stool, sat down, and waited for Shen Chao to finish his scene so he could say goodbye.

This was a fight scene where Shen Chao single-handedly took on over fifty extras. Huge chandeliers cast bright light down. Shen Chao stood among the extras, holding a sword reversed in his right hand, his expression cold and murderous. All fifty were from the female lead’s sect; in the script, they had assaulted young girls for a folk remedy.

They were all from the “Flying Swallow Society,” those who hadn’t made the top ten. But within the sect, they coveted the “Dao Questioning” and had heard of a folk remedy: if they had intercourse with a girl under ten and smeared the girl’s first blood on their fingertips, they might be able to open the Dao Questioning.

Many girls had died in the process, hastily buried in the back mountain.

While investigating the female lead’s clues, Bai Di encountered an old man who had been searching for his lost daughter for decades. The old man gave Bai Di a free bowl of cold tea, then died on the spot.

To repay the debt of that one bowl of tea, Bai Di investigated for a long time. Finally, he found the old man’s daughter in a mass grave on the back mountain. Her body was covered in sword wounds, her death agonizing. The original novel said that after performing the act, some disciples still couldn’t open the Dao Questioning and vented their anger on the girl.

And those sword wounds were very similar to those made by the male lead’s sword, Jianjia.

It originated from the female lead’s sect.

Bai Di traced the clues and uncovered the truth. When those people realized their deeds were exposed, they surrounded him. This was a pivotal scene. With a broken sword, Bai Di single-handedly slaughtered the entire female lead’s sect in one night. Blood flowed everywhere. After that night, he was hunted by all factions of the Nine Streams for mass murder.

One of the extras, his expression vicious, raised his sword and said harshly, “This has nothing to do with you. If you cut off your own tongue and keep silent, we’ll spare your miserable life!”

But in the novel, despite what they said, they clearly intended to kill Shen Chao.

Shen Chao’s sword in his hand moved in reverse. His expression was icy to the extreme. Before anyone could react, he thrust his sword, piercing the speaker’s throat. In the man’s shocked and terrified expression, Shen Chao cleanly pulled out his sword. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering onto his expressionless profile.

Shen Chao said, “You have done evil. You must die.”

With those words, he struck again without hesitation. Shen Chao held a broken sword, but he fought with an unbroken momentum. His robes flew as if a divine weapon had descended. His body kept getting wounded—flesh, blood, and bone visible—but his movements never stopped. By the end, half his face was covered in blood, his black clothes in tatters, and with every step, a drop of blood hit the ground.

Su Xuan couldn’t breathe.

He had seen Shen Chao’s fight scenes many times, but never like this. He had never known that Shen Chao in action could be so… so… amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

Right now, Su Xuan was face to face with Shen Chao. One look from Shen Chao made him feel like he would be killed.

Shen Chao stood with his sword before the last man, who was so terrified he couldn’t even hold his sword. He knelt, trembling all over, begging for mercy with snot and tears streaming down his face. “Mercy! Mercy! I didn’t want to! But everyone was doing it! I just wanted to try! Just a try! Who knew they would die? I also wanted to attain the Dao! I also wanted to attain the Dao!”

Shen Chao said, “You are not worthy of the Dao.”

Shen Chao swung his sword and cut off the last man’s head. The man died with eyes wide open. Shen Chao lifted the head and placed it before the graves of the old man and his daughter. He also set down a bowl of cold tea as a tribute and said, “Thank you.”

Then, having repaid the debt of a bowl of tea, he walked away with his sword.

Shen Chao was now covered in blood, his clothes torn. The dawn light in the background just began to glow, illuminating his handsome, cold, bloodstained profile. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his sword, then glanced back slightly, his narrow eyes fading into the approaching dawn.

Hua Na couldn’t help but recite a line from the novel describing this scene: “The heavens and earth shift color for him…”

Su Xuan stared straight at Shen Chao’s exposed abdominal muscles and murmured, “I shift color for him too…”

Wow, nice abs!

Shen Chao repeated this scene several times. Such a scene could almost never be done in one take, but judging by Hua Na’s dreamy smile, it was clear how satisfied he was with the result.

Shen Chao had delivered a truly god-level performance.

Su Xuan could already imagine the fans editing clips of this scene, getting millions or even tens of millions of views—it would surely become one of Shen Chao’s iconic acting moments.

Such a scene would be better shot indoors with a green screen for fewer distractions, but Shen Chao had just suggested trying it outdoors, and the effect was excellent.

However, by the time they finished, dawn was breaking, and Su Xuan had to leave.

Shen Chao was wiping the fake blood off his face. Su Xuan hurried over, scratching his cheek. “Shen Chao, you acted so well just now.”

Shen Chao looked at him. Su Xuan’s eyes were bright; he was still excited from watching the scene. Clenching his fists in admiration, he praised, “So cool! I think this is a scene I won’t forget for a long time!”

Shen Chao looked away and tightened his grip on his sword. The makeup artist cleaning his face inexplicably felt his cheeks grow warmer.

After praising, Su Xuan wondered if he had been too straightforward. Shen Chao didn’t look very happy, making Su Xuan feel awkward. He quickly changed the subject. “…It really was especially good… Um, I have to go now.”

Shen Chao said nothing but turned to stare straight at Su Xuan. The atmosphere between them suddenly became strange. The makeup artist felt like an extra and even blushed a little.

Are these two even aware of my existence? It feels like young people falling in love.

The makeup artist coughed and involuntarily took over the conversation. “Well, Su Xuan, come back soon. We’ll all miss you.”

Shen Chao’s open mouth shut again, his lips pressed into a thin line. He withdrew his gaze from Su Xuan, and after a moment, he said to Su Xuan, “Mm.”

Su Xuan didn’t know what else to say, so he answered dazedly, “Oh, okay. I’ll go pack my things.”

Finally, Shen Chao turned to look at Su Xuan. “Can you remember this scene for long? Remember me for long?”

“Can you remember until you come back to the crew?” Shen Chao asked quietly, not looking at him.

Su Xuan was stunned for a moment. “I think so.”

Shen Chao lowered his long eyelashes, breathing a little faster. “Then when you come back, will you act in a scene like this with me?”

Su Xuan looked up at Shen Chao. He looked for a long, long time, then smiled. “I think it should be possible.”

Shen Chao looked at him. “Then I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Su Xuan couldn’t help but smile. He stood at attention and said, “Sir Shen! I’ll work hard to act in a scene like that!”

Su Xuan felt as if a hot air balloon had suddenly inflated in his chest. One sentence from Shen Chao lit a fire inside it, making him feel buoyant and floating—he had never been sure if he could do it. Like a student with unstable grades, he had never had confidence in his performance.

But suddenly, one day, the top student in the class, the one he kind of liked, came up to him seriously and said, “In the next monthly exam, you and I will tie for first place.”

That made Su Xuan want to jump for joy.

It felt like his future had been affirmed.

…

Wang Muzhe’s film was a low-budget suspense movie. Su Xuan didn’t have many scenes, and the shooting period was short. He wasn’t on the main cast list, so early on, there was usually no need to announce roles like his.

But once announced, the fact that Su Xuan was juggling two productions would inevitably be exposed, leading to criticism from both sides.

Su Xuan knew that. He asked with confusion, “But didn’t we agree not to announce me until the trailer? Why the sudden announcement?”

Liu Pangpang was also angry when he mentioned it. “Yeah! I think maybe they’re after your current popularity, but we have no choice. The contract says you have to participate in promotions. You’ll just have to accept it.”

Unlike Shen Chao, who had to approve any promotional plan from Star Culture, Su Xuan, as a rising small star, had no such privilege.

But this bad start gave Su Xuan a feeling—the director probably wouldn’t be easy to deal with.

…

The suspense film’s director was Qian Huai, a well-known art film director in the industry.

Qian Huai lifted the corners of his eyes. He chewed on an unlit cigarette, sizing up Su Xuan from under lowered brows. “So you’re Su Xuan?”

Su Xuan heard the unspoken ‘doesn’t look like much’ in that sentence. He rubbed his nose. “Director Qian, hello. Sorry to trouble you with the filming.”

Qian Huai snorted a cold laugh. He crossed his legs and said, “You know you’re trouble. Enough nonsense. Did you finish reading the script?”

“Yes,” Su Xuan answered honestly.

Qian Huai let out another sneer. “Even if you read it, with such a long time passed, you’ve probably forgotten it all.”

He casually pushed a person forward, impatiently flipping through the script on his lap. “Then do a scene with this guy. He’s Wang Muzhe now. What did you say when you first met him?”

Su Xuan swallowed. “…Officer, I don’t know anything. Don’t arrest me, don’t arrest me…”

Qian Huai asked again, “Now he’s interrogating you at the police station. What’s the first thing you say?”

Su Xuan: “…I peed my pants, officer. Can I go to the bathroom?”

Qian Huai finally looked up and gave Su Xuan a proper glance. He patted the man again. “Now he’s your girlfriend. You want to do something to her, but she’s unwilling, so you have to force her. What do you say?”

The man Su Xuan was acting with had a scruffy beard. He felt awkward at Qian Huai’s question and scratched his head. “…Director Qian, I think Su Xuan can remember. Maybe we should start shooting…”

Qian Huai gave a fake smile. “Shut up. Let’s see if he can handle it first. If he can’t, I won’t let him shoot this film!”

Bearded man: “…”

Su Xuan finally spoke slowly. “…You b*tch, I’m going to spank your ass, hard…”

The bearded man couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Enough!”

Director Qian nodded slightly. “Barely passable. Seems like you haven’t forgotten the script completely.”

Su Xuan thought, with such a crude and violent script and lines, there was no way he could forget. He still couldn’t get over the screen full of [********]—so many censored words for obscenity that he had to ask the crew to mail him a printed copy.

Director Qian nodded and patted Su Xuan’s butt. Su Xuan’s body stiffened. Qian said, “Not bad. That bastard Hua Na told me your acting is decent. Let me take a look first. Join the crew.”

Su Xuan didn’t misunderstand Qian Huai’s intention; Qian Huai’s son was already in high school. He was a director with a violent aesthetic, just like the script full of censored words. Qian Huai himself had a filthy mouth and was quite aggressive in his cursing. He enjoyed shooting scenes with high tension, gore, and restlessness. Under his lens, men looked especially masculine, and women especially feminine.

Qian Huai didn’t really like Su Xuan because Su Xuan had an androgynous aura—not effeminate, just very…

Wang Muzhe patted Su Xuan’s shoulder with a smile. “Scared you, right? That’s just Director Qian’s style. On set, his word is law, and he doesn’t hold back when cursing. You’ll get used to it. He’s different from Director Hua, but they get along okay.”

Qian Huai’s gaze from behind made Su Xuan’s skin crawl. Su Xuan smiled awkwardly and asked quietly, “I’m not afraid of him… but why is he staring at me like that?”

Wang Muzhe gave a meaningful, mysterious smile. “He looked at me the same way when I joined the crew. Director Qian likes men who are very masculine and straight. He has a… wild intuition for gay men. When he senses your sexuality isn’t right, he’ll stare at you like that.”

Su Xuan: “…”

Su Xuan’s expression was particularly complicated. “…So Director Qian is a straight man who likes masculine guys and has a gaydar?”

Wang Muzhe: “…”

Wang Muzhe’s face also twisted at Su Xuan’s comment. “…You could say that…”

But why did it feel oddly weird?

Su Xuan hesitated. “…I feel like something’s off… It gives me the vibe of a homophobic closet case…”

Wang Muzhe’s expression was as if struck by lightning. “…No way?!”

Su Xuan: “…I’m just guessing.”

After a moment, Su Xuan couldn’t help asking Wang Muzhe curiously, “…Is Director Qian’s gaydar really that accurate?”

Wang Muzhe answered directly, “…Yes, extremely accurate. It seems to detect whether you’re interested in men. Not just gays—even bisexuals with sexual attraction to men, he seems to sense.”

Su Xuan shuddered and sighed. “…That’s not a gaydar; that’s a military-grade gaydar!”

What fish couldn’t he catch with that? Damn, that’s too powerful!

Qian Huai shouted angrily, “Start! Start! Su Xuan, come here!”

Su Xuan jolted and scurried over. “Coming, Director Qian!”

Qian Huai squinted, sizing up Su Xuan for a moment. He clapped his hands and said, “That son of a b*tch Hua Na told me you have good explosive power in dramatic scenes. Let’s first shoot the part where you rape-murder your girlfriend in bed. Places, ready—”

Su Xuan had been in the crew less than twenty minutes, and Hua Na had already been called “that bastard” and “son of a b*tch” by Qian Huai. It felt like living in a canine ethics drama. Su Xuan didn’t dare breathe too loudly. “Okay, Director Qian. No problem!”

Qian Huai shouted, “—Action!”

Su Xuan was kicked onto the bed by Qian Huai. The actress on the bed, not fully dressed, covered her mouth and laughed at Su Xuan. Su Xuan felt like a monk who had strayed into a spider cave. He raised his hands and stammered an apology. “Sorry, sorry!”

From off-screen, Qian Huai roared, “What are you doing, Su Xuan! Rape her like a man!”

Su Xuan: “…”

Exhausted, Su Xuan crawled off the bed. He felt as if his body had been drained, and he slumped lifelessly into a chair to read the script.

He hadn’t passed that scene. Qian Huai had chewed him out mercilessly and thrown him out. The actress he was acting with kept laughing. Su Xuan felt his manly pride was gone.

Qian Huai’s off-screen directing quotes included but were not limited to: “Didn’t you eat? No strength in your waist?” “Harder!” “Use force! Push, Su Xuan!”

And finally, an enraged shout: “Can you do it or not?! If not, get the hell off my bed!”

Then, Su Xuan, like a middle-aged man drained dry, rolled off the bed in disgrace.

Su Xuan let out a long, deep sigh—for the first time, filming gave him the feeling of kidney deficiency.

Qian Huai was really a tormenting little director.

Su Xuan continued reading the script.

All day, after Su Xuan got off the bed, Qian Huai acted as if he didn’t exist, completely ignoring him. If Su Xuan hadn’t asked the logistics staff, he wouldn’t even have known where his hotel was, since Qian Huai hadn’t told him.

Su Xuan waited until Qian Huai was almost done shooting and taking a break before approaching him. “Director Qian, what scenes am I shooting tomorrow?”

No one had given him a list.

Qian Huai gave Su Xuan a dismissive glance. “No scenes.”

“Su Xuan, if you don’t fully immerse yourself in this film and keep clinging to your previous one,” Qian Huai said with arms crossed, expressionless, “I won’t shoot a single frame with you. It’s a waste of film.”

That evening, Su Xuan sat in his hotel room, zoning out. A knock came at his door. “It’s Wang Muzhe. Su Xuan, can I talk to you?”

Su Xuan opened the door. Wang Muzhe stood outside, fully dressed, his expression complicated. He sighed as soon as he saw Su Xuan.

Wang Muzhe began, “I’m sure you’re curious why I helped you and why I got you into this crew.”

Su Xuan paused for a moment, then stepped aside to let Wang Muzhe in. “Come in and talk.”

Wang Muzhe sat down. Su Xuan sat on the bed, facing him. Wang Muzhe bowed his head, thinking for a while. “It’s because of Shen Chao.”

Su Xuan: “!!!!”

His mind involuntarily conjured up the answer ‘Wang Muzhe is helping me to boost his chemistry with Shen Chao.’ Su Xuan shook his head, trying to get rid of that thought.

Wang Muzhe continued, “You probably know that Shen Chao strongly advocated for replacing me, right? Back when we were filming the movie, he wanted to replace me, but he didn’t succeed. He didn’t want me to play Rong Yan Zhi. He thought I didn’t act well enough. Later, even Hua Wei thought the same. I was pretty unhappy about it.”

Wang Muzhe looked directly into Su Xuan’s eyes. “I wanted to see what kind of person could act better than me, in the eyes of someone like Shen Chao.”

“I want to do a scene with you and see if you’re really better than me.”

Su Xuan was speechless for a moment. He didn’t quite understand the competitive drive between Shen Chao and Wang Muzhe, the two top stars of Star Culture.

But Wang Muzhe suddenly smiled. He reached out his hand to Su Xuan in a gentlemanly manner and said politely, “Junior Su, after seeing you today, I apologize for my earlier prejudice. You should really play Rong Yan Zhi better than I did.”

“At least, the day after I finished ‘Nine Streams,’ Director Qian didn’t react to me at all. I didn’t carry the residual aura of the character.”

Wang Muzhe joked, “Now I regret not paying attention to your performance in the jujube tree scene. It must have been quite good.”

The residual aura of a character can stay with a person. When someone fully immerses themselves in a role, even when they’re not acting, their behavior, movements, expressions, and even some emotional changes unconsciously mimic the character—commonly known as ‘not getting out of character.’

Qian Huai didn’t hate gays that much, just as he didn’t hate Wang Muzhe.

But he hated Su Xuan—this was the residual character aura on Su Xuan. Yet the actress who did the bed scene with Su Xuan liked his aura and smiled as soon as she saw him.

But Su Xuan had achieved it.

Wang Muzhe said, defeated but sincere, “Shen Chao really knows how to judge people. I’ll admit he’s better than me this time. I’m looking forward to acting with you. Keep up the good work.”

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