Chapter 45: What’s Going On

Having pre-leased the house at an extremely low price, Lu Jiming even managed to haggle the agent’s fee down by a percentage point. He slung his arm around the agent’s shoulder like a good brother and said enthusiastically, “If you have any more haunted houses from the Republican era for rent next time, feel free to find me!”

The agent gave him a thumbs-up. “I’ve been in this business for over a decade, and you’re the first one I’ve met like this. Brother, you’re something else!” He asked curiously, “Aren’t film crews supposed to be super superstitious? Don’t you have to hold a worship ceremony before filming starts?”

Lu Jiming summarized, “Of course we worship, I worship too! But, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures. If I have to choose between the supernatural and the non-supernatural, I’ll definitely choose the supernatural! But if the supernatural is put next to being poor, then being poor obviously takes the highest priority.”

He envisioned, “When I become a great director in the future, if I want a Republican-era villa, I’ll build it! If I want an ancient city palace, I’ll build it! But I’m not a great director yet, am I? So I’ll make do. As long as it’s usable.”

The agent was full of admiration. “You can really bend and stretch, brother. I’ll go back and search for more for you!”

Shen Xici followed behind, listening to Lu Jiming’s eloquent speech. By the time they saw the agent off into his car, the two of them had practically become sworn brothers.

If Director Lu didn’t pursue directing, he could probably open some sort of training class and it would surely flourish.

The phone rang again. Shen Xici’s heart skipped a beat, but he immediately dispelled the name that popped into his mind. Sheng Shaoyan was usually swamped with work, with several meetings online and offline a day. This time, he had disappeared for a whole month, and his work must have piled up into mountains. How would he have time to call him again?

Seeing the caller’s name on the screen, Shen Xici’s tone was still a bit surprised after answering, “Teacher Wen?”

In reality, filming on a set often had a “once-in-a-lifetime encounter” feel to it. Actors you collaborated with might never be contacted again. To Wen Yage, he was probably just “an actor who was very smooth to act opposite.”

“So surprised to find it’s me?” Wen Yage’s voice rose slightly at the end as she chuckled. “I won’t waste time with pleasantries. I’m calling you because Zhong Yue asked for my help. He wants to treat you to a meal. Do you think you have time?”

“Teacher Zhong is treating me to a meal? I saw on the trending topics that Teacher Zhong has already joined a new production, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, he has, but he had to come back for some brand’s dinner party to make an appearance.” Wen Yage never hesitated to give pointers to people she liked. “After that incident with Xu Lingjia, Zhong Yue asked for more details about the situation at the time and even got someone to find the video. His schedule is crazy busy, yet he still wants to treat you to a meal. He’s most likely grateful to you. Don’t you go acting all noble and righteous. Anyone who doesn’t take an advantage is a bastard!”

Shen Xici strongly agreed with that statement, especially after spending some time with Lu Jiming. He had a deep understanding of it now.

He walked into the shade of a tree by the road, squinting in the harsh sunlight. “You think too highly of me. As long as it’s an opportunity, I will definitely seize it. Please trouble yourself to inform Teacher Zhong that he can arrange it according to his schedule. I’m free recently.”

The leaves and branches sliced the sunlight into fragments. Although filming had wrapped, a habit from his role as the mute boy lingered. Seeing that the leaves were of a suitable shape and thickness, his fingers itched to pick one and try to play it.

For some reason, the image of Sheng Shaoyan standing under a tree, placing a handful of leaves he had picked for him into the hood of his sweatshirt, suddenly appeared in his mind. The hand that had not yet fully extended was withdrawn.

Lu Jiming turned around and happened to see Shen Xici standing casually under a lush tree. His figure was relaxed and well-proportioned, with an excellent head-to-body ratio. He wore a black mask, and the eyes and brows that were exposed were handsome and delicate. The surrounding light and shadow effects were not designed at all, but he was so good-looking it was hard to look away.

It was unclear what he was thinking, but he exuded a slightly melancholic aura, and even his eyes held a sense of story.

As he watched, Lu Jiming couldn’t help but chuckle smugly to himself—by my ancestors, how am I so good at picking actors!

Lu Jiming walked over, just in time to hear the last sentence. After Shen Xici hung up, he exclaimed, “You’re going to have dinner with Zhong Yue?”

Shen Xici put down his phone and predicted, “If the restaurant is in a shopping mall, I’ll definitely help you collect points.”

Lu Jiming expressed great satisfaction. “You’re not the old Shen Xici anymore, you’re the iterated and evolved plus version of Shen Xici!” He thought for two seconds. “Wait, who was talking about that? You’ve completely sidetracked me!”

He quickly pulled his train of thought back. “Why is Zhong Yue looking for you? Did you two get along well on set?”

Shen Xici summarized briefly, “I was right there when he went into anaphylactic shock. Seeing him lying on the ground, the conditioned reflex drilled into me by medical skills practical exams was passively triggered.”

“Tsk, tsk, what’s that saying? Whether others believe Xu Lingjia did it on purpose or not, Zhong Yue definitely does.”

Having gotten the full scoop, Lu Jiming was very satisfied. He mulled it over for a moment, then punched his palm. “A plotline about mistaking one’s lifesaver, why does that sound so familiar… Holy crap! Are you two acting out ‘The Little Mermaid’?”

Shen Xici shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked him with a long leg. “Get lost, get lost, who’s the Little Mermaid? Besides, I didn’t help much. Without epinephrine, it wouldn’t have meant much even if I knew what the problem was.”

In the restaurant, sitting across from Zhong Yue, Shen Xici said the same thing. He would seize opportunities, but he wouldn’t take undue credit or exaggerate his own contribution.

“The director could only send someone running down the mountain to get epinephrine from the set doctor, or have the doctor run up with it, on the premise that they knew what was wrong with me, right? The attending doctor at the hospital also said that for severe anaphylactic shock, every second is crucial. You could lose your life in any given second.”

Zhong Yue deliberately avoided that name, not mentioning Xu Lingjia at all.

For the past month, to repay his life-saving debt, he had shared half of his dressing room with Xu Lingjia, patiently explained scenes and rehearsed with her, handed her the second male lead role in a new movie, cooperated with shipping them as a couple, and conscientiously brought her into his network of contacts.

The mere thought of it all made Zhong Yue feel nauseous.

As a result, for the past few days, he’d had a stress reaction to hearing the words “Brother Zhong,” “Xu Lingjia,” and “Xu Wo Zhong Qing.”

His manager said there was no proof yet, so what if Xu Lingjia didn’t do it? There was no proof, but he had been in the industry for so many years. He wasn’t an idiot, and he wasn’t blind. After being made a fool of for a month, how could he not have seen or felt anything?

On set, he hadn’t paid much attention to Shen Xici, and his impression wasn’t very deep. He only knew that this person was a good actor and had looks that were very popular in the entertainment industry, making him a newcomer with a lot of potential.

It was only after watching the video of the shock incident that he realized he had really repaid the wrong person.

The scene was chaotic at the time, and the set doctor was at the bottom of the mountain. If Shen Xici hadn’t accurately determined he was in anaphylactic shock, no one would have known to rush to get epinephrine to save his life.

For the first time, he carefully looked at the person sitting across from him.

The restaurant’s lighting was somewhat dim, serving only to create atmosphere, but Shen Xici was undeniably pleasing to the eye. His double eyelids were a classic small, tapered shape, making him look cool and detached when he wasn’t smiling. But once he smiled, the feeling of ice melting and snow thawing had a strong visual impact. With looks like these, plus outstanding acting skills, it would be hard for him not to become popular, as long as no accidents occurred.

He chose his words carefully. “Are you interested in the role of the second male lead in ‘Capital City Massacre’?”

This was undoubtedly a huge temptation. In his previous life, this movie had been the box office champion during the Spring Festival holiday. Its success was a sure thing. Anyone who appeared in it would benefit, let alone playing an important role like the second male lead.

But the timing overlapped. Both movies were aiming for a Spring Festival release, and he didn’t have the schedule or energy for both. If he were to play the second male lead in “Capital City Massacre,” he couldn’t act in Director Lu’s movie.

After weighing the pros and cons, Shen Xici still refused. “Thank you for your kind offer, Teacher Zhong, but I’ve already promised a director that I would star in his movie.”

Zhong Yue was not upset by the rejection. “Oh? Which director is it? If I know him, I can put in a good word for you. It might not be of much use for other things, but you’ll definitely get yelled at a little less.”

“It’s Director Lu Jiming. Teacher Zhong definitely doesn’t know him. This is his first movie, and it’s still in preparation.”

Zhong Yue was astonished. “A rookie director?”

He could understand if it were for some major director, but to reject “Capital City Massacre” for a rookie director’s movie that might not even start filming?

He couldn’t help but persuade, “Why don’t you think about it again? ‘Capital City Massacre’ is invested in by Mingyu Pictures, and the director is Rao Qingping. You definitely know him. Director Rao has a strong personal style and an exceptionally high standard. The funding is very generous, and correspondingly, the pay is very high.”

The pay is very high… the pay is very high…

Those four words swirled in his mind.

Who doesn’t want money!

Shen Xici’s heart was already aching. He gave a wry smile. “Teacher Zhong, please don’t say any more. I can already see a huge sum of money floating away from me. My internal organs are about to shatter.”

Zhong Yue laughed at him. “How big of a favor do you owe that director that you won’t even turn this down? Or have you already signed a contract with a sky-high penalty for breach?”

“I don’t owe him a favor, and there’s no penalty. I just promised him that I would make this movie well with him. Besides, I really like that character and want to play him well.” Shen Xici felt his reasons sounded a bit too naive, but this was also what Grandpa He had taught him since he was a child: do your best to keep your promises.

Zhong Yue didn’t mock him for being naive. Instead, he felt a bit emotional. “When I first started acting, I saw it all—directors running away, investors pulling out, lead actors quitting, or just waking up one day to find the entire crew had disbanded. In this industry, people who change their minds overnight are everywhere. That director is very lucky to have met a lead actor like you who won’t run away.”

Shen Xici thought of Lu Jiming’s daily, non-repetitive rainbow praises, and his thin lips curled up. “He is indeed quite afraid of me running away. He praises me in different ways every day, providing more than enough emotional value.”

Everyone has their own choices, and Zhong Yue didn’t insist. He moved the newly served dish in front of Shen Xici and changed the subject. “Since you plan to continue on the path of an actor, have you signed with a company?”

Shen Xici shook his head. “Not yet.”

Zhong Yue looked at him and spoke bluntly. “Do you want to come to Mingyu Pictures? I can give you an internal recommendation. Plus, your first project was a film by Director Wan, you have great potential, and the contract you get will definitely be good. I’ve been with Mingyu for so many years, I still have some clout. I can protect you, at least no one will block your resources or use you as a blood pack.”

He said “some clout,” but everyone knew Zhong Yue’s status as “Mingyu’s top brother.” Every year when Mingyu’s financial reports came out, Zhong Yue’s contribution was always leagues ahead, and his fans would proudly get it trending.

“I have an agent I want to work with. She was on maternity leave before, which is why I didn’t go to her.” Seeing Zhong Yue’s pained expression, Shen Xici smiled. “How about this, can Teacher Zhong help me see if there’s a role in ‘Capital City Massacre’ that can be wrapped up in about half a month? I can join the other production right after finishing ‘Capital City Massacre’. That way, I won’t have to juggle roles, and neither movie will be delayed. When it’s time to settle the payment, could you maybe give me a little extra?”

If he couldn’t repay this favor, Zhong Yue would actually feel uneasy. After all, he had already encountered one who couldn’t be satisfied, no matter how many roles, CP promotions, resources, or connections were thrown their way.

Hearing Shen Xici’s request, although it was a bit troublesome, it was, in a way, just the right amount. Zhong Yue agreed at once. “Okay! I’ll go back and discuss it with the director and screenwriter and give you an answer.”

Not failing Director Lu’s request, after Zhong Yue left, Shen Xici went to the front desk to inquire and successfully got a small gift with the restaurant’s logo.

He sent a photo to Lu Jiming and received a reply shortly after.

[Bring it to me tomorrow! A client in my fake-socialite group wants it! Brother, my meal money is secured again, hahaha!]

After completing the task Director Lu had given him, Shen Xici then contacted the people at Zhulong Guangqi to discuss the endorsement deal.

Meanwhile, in a conference room, it was like a misty forest in a dark fantasy novel, full of swamps where a single misstep could lead to complete annihilation.

After Lin Yueshu finished her report, the air suddenly became quiet. She prayed silently that she wouldn’t become one of the pieces of wreckage under the shredder named “Sheng Shaoyan.”

After waiting a bit longer and seeing that the boss still had no intention of speaking, she discreetly shot Yu Zhou a look: What’s the situation?

Yu Zhou sat right next to Sheng Shaoyan. Taking advantage of being outside his boss’s line of sight, he made a few faces: Who knows, he’s been in this state for two days.

For the past two days, Sheng Shaoyan’s entire body was like an air conditioner at maximum power, emitting a strong, cold air. Every time he was lightly swept by those dark blue diamond-like eyes, Yu Zhou couldn’t help but want to put his hands near his laptop’s exhaust fan to warm up.

The mysterious phone in his pocket vibrated. Yu Zhou’s spirits lifted, and he quickly said in a low voice, “President Sheng, there’s a new message.” As he spoke, he handed the phone over.

Sheng Shaoyan took it.

It was another message from Jiang Lieyuan, the boss of Zhulong Guangqi.

[Jiang Lieyuan: Shen Xici came to talk to me about the endorsement deal. I gave him a price, and he said it was okay. We’ve already set a time to sign the contract.]

[Jiang Lieyuan: Shen Xici is such a good person! He didn’t ask for an exorbitant price at all, otherwise I’d have to go back to mooching off the warehouse security guard’s takeout!]

[Jiang Lieyuan: You’re a good person too, an excellent agent with great professional integrity!]

[Jiang Lieyuan: But, Shen Xici said that from now on, I should contact him directly and not you. What’s going on, did you and Shen Xici break up???]

Looking at this line of text, the light in Sheng Shaoyan’s eyes froze into the snow on a mountaintop.