Pei Qingjian’s fans could never have imagined that before the TV drama even aired, his new project was officially announced—and it was a film directed by a well-known director like Jiang.
Fans rejoiced, flooding the announcement post with messages of support.
Soon, Pei Qingjian was trending. Passersby couldn’t help but remark on the rapid pace of the entertainment industry: a month ago, no one knew him; a month later, his every move was under scrutiny.
Pei Qingjian felt it too. Previously, he had needed to ride others’ popularity to appear on trending lists. Now, he could stand independently—he no longer needed anyone else’s influence. The feeling was undeniably satisfying.
However, despite the joy, he still had to endure the director’s scolding on set.
This time, though, Jiang scolded Xiao Jin slightly less harshly.
Pei Qingjian noticed Xiao Jin’s rapid improvement. He himself felt he had grown a lot under Jiang’s guidance, but Xiao Jin had improved even more.
Perhaps it was talent. Xiao Jin was professionally trained and gifted; his future seemed promising.
Thinking this, Pei Qingjian began to see Xiao Jin as someone worth “clinging to.” Before this rising star soared, it would be wise to cultivate a good relationship.
Xiao Jin had no idea Pei Qingjian already regarded him as a big shot. He only noticed that while they were scolded together, Jiang had been gentler with him. This awkwardly affected their “bond of mutual scolding”!
So Xiao Jin worked hard with Pei Qingjian during practice, while privately telling Jiang that a director should treat actors equally—favoring one over the other affected their performance.
Jiang: ???
“But you’ve been acting quite well recently.”
“Could I win an award?”
Jiang: “…Are you dreaming?”
“Exactly,” Xiao Jin said. “That means there’s room to improve.”
Jiang was momentarily at a loss—should he admire Xiao Jin’s self-discipline or wonder at his audacity for seeking criticism?
Actors wanting to improve was a good thing, so Jiang indulged him, raising the bar during the next day’s filming, scolding him thoroughly again.
Xiao Jin was satisfied. Pei Qingjian was surprised—he thought Xiao Jin’s acting was already very good.
During a private conversation, Pei Qingjian shared his thoughts. Xiao Jin, in a brotherly manner, said, “Can Jiang scold me for no reason? I must not be good enough yet. As actors with little experience, we need to listen to the director.”
Pei Qingjian agreed.
When Xiao Jin re-shot the scene following Jiang’s previous guidance, his performance improved noticeably. Pei Qingjian realized just how true it was: a director’s expertise far exceeded the actors’ experience, especially for someone like him filming a movie for the first time.
Pei Qingjian quickly intensified his own efforts, holding himself to higher standards. If Jiang approved a take, he would still review the monitor and discuss with the director how he could make it more natural or optimize certain parts.
Jiang didn’t expect his two young actors to be so diligent. He simply found them earnest and willingly shared all his knowledge.
Pei Qingjian immersed himself in this ocean of knowledge, busy absorbing everything, almost forgetting about Lan Xingchen entirely.
It was only when Lan Rui called that he was pulled back from his studies.
Lan Rui had recently suffered setbacks. Ning Yuan had expelled him and his father from Anglai. Lan Rui and his father had protested with other exiled relatives, but to no avail. Even when Wen Yuan intervened, it was mostly just a token gesture—a warning more than anything.
Desperate, Lan Rui recalled the pawn he had placed near Lan Xingchen. At this point, only Lan Xingchen could help salvage the situation. Thus, he placed his hopes on Pei Qingjian, hoping that by now, Lan Xingchen had fallen in love with him.
But he was destined to be disappointed.
Pei Qingjian had decided to change the way he was acting toward Lan Rui.
With only three months left on his contract, after which he would leave Lan Xingchen’s side, there was no need to keep putting on the act of being madly in love for Lan Rui’s benefit.
“I’m not by his side right now. I’m filming,” Pei Qingjian said.
Lan Rui was stunned. “What did you say? You’re not staying with him to make him fall in love with you, and instead you’re going off to film?!”
Pei Qingjian let out a cold laugh. “Film? Of course I’m filming my big leading-man role!”
“I can see it now—you don’t like me at all.”
“Phones never ring, you never check on me. Only when you need something or want to know about Lan Xingchen do you contact me. Yes, I was stupid before, thinking that if I loved you and did everything for you, you’d be with me. Now I know—it’s impossible. So why should I still listen to you?!”
“No, Qingjian, you’ve misunderstood, I…”
“You what? What have I misunderstood? If you really loved me, you’d take me home right now, meet your parents. Do you dare?”
Lan Rui: !!! This is unreasonable!
Pei Qingjian snorted lightly. “I knew it.”
“That’s why love, all that romance, is so unreliable. Men should focus on their careers. Your work will never betray you.”
Lan Rui: ……
Lan Rui rubbed his temples. “What about Lan Xingchen’s side of things…”
“He’s busy with his own things, I’m busy with mine. When this movie wraps, our contract ends naturally, and we say goodbye.”
“Qingjian, if you talk like this, I won’t be happy,” Lan Rui said. “I worked hard to get you by his side, not for you to leave when the contract expires!”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
Lan Rui was momentarily stumped by the question. After a pause, he said, “Alright, three months left. Go persuade him to return to his grandfather’s company. Once that’s done, you can do whatever you want. Can you do that?”
“Of course not,” Pei Qingjian thought to himself. Finally, he had hit the nail on the head.
“Why should I persuade him? If you want him to return to his grandfather’s company, you go persuade him yourself. I’m already filming; I don’t have time to manage him.”
“Pei Qingjian, if you keep this attitude, don’t blame me for not thinking of old times!”
“Old times? What old times did we have? The only person with feelings here is me, right?”
Lan Rui: ……
“Since you have feelings, just help me this one last time, okay?”
“No.” Pei Qingjian refused decisively. “I’ve had enough of having feelings for you. Emotions do me no good—they only hold me back. I’ve decided to sever all attachments and become a work machine without feelings.”
Lan Rui: ……
“You’re not afraid I’ll tell Lan Xingchen the true purpose of why you’ve been by his side all this time?”
Pei Qingjian gave a self-mocking smile. “I knew it. I just knew you were like this.”
“But it’s fine—I already told him.”
“Not only did I tell him the real reason I was by his side, I also told him it was you who sent me. So you can go explain, Lan Rui. I’ve given up. I don’t care.”
With that, Pei Qingjian hung up and called Lan Xingchen.
Lan Rui swore, “Shit!” and tried to call Pei Qingjian back, only to hear: The number you dialed is currently in a call.
Lan Rui panicked like an ant on a hot pan. Did he really tell Lan Xingchen? How could he dare?! When did he get so bold?!
Lan Rui nervously looked at his phone, wanting to call Lan Xingchen, but afraid that if he did, Lan Xingchen would confront him. He paced the room anxiously, unsure what to do.
Meanwhile, the two people he was obsessing over were already on a call.
Pei Qingjian told Lan Xingchen everything. “Only three months left. I really don’t want to deal with him anymore. Also, since I’ve told him that I’ve handed everything over to you, he probably won’t dare arrange anyone around you anymore.”
“That’s not guaranteed. He’s been kicked out of the company. Only I can change this situation. He won’t give up easily.”
“Then maybe I shouldn’t have revealed everything so early?” Pei Qingjian regretted slightly.
“It’s fine,” Lan Xingchen said. “You can’t keep dodging him forever. Sooner or later, you’d have to reveal the truth. You focus on filming. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Alright,” Pei Qingjian agreed.
Lan Xingchen hung up, not rushing to deal with Lan Rui—he was at his most anxious, and that was exactly how Lan Xingchen wanted him: jumpy, tense, and paranoid.
Besides, Friday was approaching, and he was supposed to visit Pei Qingjian on set. That was the priority.
He had originally planned to go last Friday, but Pei Qingjian had said it wasn’t convenient right after filming started, so he had held back.
Counting the days, he hadn’t seen him for ten days! Ten days! No wonder he missed him so much!
Just thinking about finally seeing Pei Qingjian made Lan Xingchen’s lips curl into a smile.
Yet he never imagined that when he saw Pei Qingjian again, it would be like this—under the shade of a flourishing tree, Pei Qingjian stood close to the trunk, and the young man in front of him was leaning in, cautiously blowing on his eyes.
His lips were almost touching Pei Qingjian’s eyelashes!!!!
Lan Xingchen: !!!
Alarm bells rang in his head as he rushed over.
Pei Qingjian was still blinking frantically. Xiao Jin asked with concern, “Feeling better?”
Pei Qingjian shook his head. “Feels like it’s still in there.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jin leaned closer, ready to continue helping him blow.
But before his hand could reach Pei Qingjian’s eyelid, someone grabbed Pei Qingjian away from him.
Xiao Jin: ???
Xiao Jin turned to see a handsome man he didn’t recognize.
“What’s wrong?” Lan Xingchen asked, holding Pei Qingjian’s chin and tilting his head slightly to examine his eyes.
“Something got in my eye,” Pei Qingjian said, blinking repeatedly.
Lan Xingchen figured as much. He leaned in and carefully helped blow it out, doing it three times before the irritant finally disappeared.
Pei Qingjian tested carefully and, satisfied, smiled. “Thank you.”
He added, “Why did you come all of a sudden? Not even a heads-up?”
“I wanted to surprise you,” Lan Xingchen replied. “A surprise, right?”
Pei Qingjian nodded, then turned to Xiao Jin and introduced him. “This is Xiao Jin, a friend from my crew.”
Xiao Jin, thrilled, grabbed Pei Qingjian’s shoulder. “Right!”
Lan Xingchen’s gaze landed on his hand.
Zhou Pengyue frantically gestured at Xiao Jin, coughing repeatedly.
Xiao Jin, confused: “What’s up, Zhou? Something wrong with your throat?”
Zhou Pengyue: …
Nothing was wrong with Zhou; he simply wanted to help.
Pei Qingjian immediately caught Zhou Pengyue’s meaning, quickly removed Xiao Jin’s hand, and clarified, introducing him properly: “This is Lan Xingchen, my friend.”
Xiao Jin nodded, fully confident and outgoing. “If Qingjian’s friends are my friends, then from now on, we’re all friends.”
Lan Xingchen: ???
He looked at the man in front of him—well, first it was Song Ye, now a new one appeared, and even younger!
No wonder Pei Qingjian had been calling so infrequently this past week—he had a new friend!
Author’s note:
Pei Qingjian: I swear! I was just lost in studying!
Lan Boss: Hmph!