Jiang Yin didn’t feel embarrassed either. Instead, she smiled calmly with a look of understanding on her face and said, “My sixth sense has never been very accurate.”
Just then, after the female lead finished speaking, she handed the microphone to Zhou Ziheng, and the host asked him some questions about the movie.
“Earlier, we saw some clips in the sneak peek. Your breakthrough in this film is truly remarkable. I almost didn’t recognize you at first glance. We’re all curious—did you have any memorable experiences or feelings while filming this movie?”
Zhou Ziheng held the microphone, thought for a moment, and replied, “As for feelings, I probably won’t want to eat fish or shrimp for the next six months.”
The fans below burst into laughter. This deadpan humor unexpectedly suited him well.
”Memorable moments… Actually, the entire process of filming this movie was quite memorable for me. To be honest, this was my first time trying this kind of subject matter, and Director Wang has a compulsion for on-location shooting. Eighty percent of the shots were filmed on the boat. At first, my seasickness was pretty severe, and I couldn’t get into the zone for a long time. The entire crew was exhausted and pretty discouraged. Thinking about how such people—those deprived of their human rights and turned into slaves—actually exist in the world, I felt…“ Zhou Ziheng paused to choose his words carefully, ”deeply saddened. Yes, it was that kind of emotion that kept me going and allowed me to finish filming this movie. I think all the actors and crew members felt the same way.”
Xia Xiqing tilted his head slightly and listened intently. To be honest, he had always felt that Zhou Ziheng was completely unsuited for the entertainment industry. He was like a product of a sterile environment, approaching the outside world with a heart set on saving it from its harsh and complex realities.
To put it bluntly, he was an idealist suffering from a delusion of redemption.
This was the first time he had seen Zhou Ziheng up close, and now he finally understood why those fangirls were so obsessed with seeing the real person. A star as handsome as him would only be more captivating in person.
Staring at Zhou Ziheng on stage, Xia Xiqing felt that every angle of him was nearly perfect, completely capable of replacing those plaster casts lacking in texture and detail as practice tools for others’ figure sketches. His professional instincts caused him to unconsciously scan and analyze every inch of Zhou Ziheng’s skin and muscles beneath his clothing. Having seen countless people, Xia Xiqing firmly believed that Zhou Ziheng’s physique was the most perfect he had ever seen.
I really want to create a sculpture based on him, Xia Xiqing sighed inwardly.
“Let’s begin the audience Q&A session,” the host handed the microphone to Zhou Ziheng, “Ziheng, you go first.”
The fans began to scream wildly, and the atmosphere in the venue became extremely lively. Zhou Ziheng slightly narrowed his eyes, a small gesture that Xia Xiqing found very charming.
On stage and off stage, the two exchanged glances. Xia Xiqing’s lips curled slightly, and the corners of his eyes lifted slightly as he habitually conveyed a message with his eyes.
“This one,”
Zhou Ziheng pointed in his direction.
“The girl in the floral dress,” he added.
It was the girl behind him. Xia Xiqing smiled.
Boring straight guy.
His flirtatious glance was blocked by the other guy’s straight-guy wall, but this setback didn’t discourage him; instead, it ignited a fire in his belly. It was probably similar to a hunter chasing a deer; the more agile the target, the more comfortable the gun felt in his hands.
The press conference lasted two hours. After it ended, Xia Xiqing went to the restroom. The venue was a high-end hotel with a complex layout, and Xia Xiqing couldn’t find it after wandering around. He encountered a staff member on the way and smiled, “Hello, do you know where the restroom is?”
The staff member was a young girl who seemed a bit embarrassed. “Turn right—no, left—and go to the end. There’s a VIP restroom…”
“Thank you,” Xia Xiqing tilted her head, smiled sweetly, and walked in the direction she indicated with her hands in her pockets.
As soon as she walked in, her phone rang. Xia Xiqing glanced at the caller ID and furrowed her brows.
She had been calling all night. Doesn’t she get tired?
“If I remember correctly, we never even started, did we?” Xia Xiqing held the phone between her shoulder and ear while washing her hands. “I don’t think I have any issues… Do you? Do you want to date me?”
He chuckled softly, shook the water droplets off his hands, took a few tissues from the nearby tissue box, and carefully wiped his fingers. “I remember when we first met, I said I don’t date, but you’re my type, so I came out to drink for fun. Who knew that after chatting for a few minutes, I realized you’re…”
His voice trailed off, as if he were hesitating over his choice of words.
After hesitating for too long, his tone grew cold, and he spoke slowly, one word at a time: “No, I’m not.”
The other person kept talking on the phone, and Xia Xiqing grew tired of it. “Are you serious? Don’t joke around. I hate it when people tell me they’re serious. It’s all nonsense. Do you think you’re the female lead in a melodramatic love story?”
Just yesterday, he was flirting with others at the bar, almost ready to do something on the spot. Now you have the nerve to come here and profess your true feelings.
“We’re all adults. Act a little more gracefully, and maybe next time we meet, we can sit down and have a drink together. None of us are pushovers. With all this time, you could be hooking up with someone new and hot. Why are you wasting your time here with me?” He shook his hand, and the voice on the other end of the phone suddenly got much louder, making his ears hurt. He frowned and took the phone, his face no longer smiling.
Even his voice changed.
“I’m warning you, get lost.”
He crumpled up the paper he had used to wipe his hands and threw it into the trash can. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll find someone to cripple you down there. You’re just lying in bed getting fucked anyway, so what’s the point of keeping it?”
The person on the phone suddenly fell silent.
Xia Xiqing laughed, looked at himself in the mirror, adjusted his expression, and smiled gently.
“Don’t worry, I’m just joking. How could I bear to do that?” His voice became extremely gentle again as he leaned against the bathroom wall, as if comforting his intimate lover, “So be a good boy and disappear from my sight, okay?”
He was wearing a gray-blue shirt and was tall and imposing—it was Zhou Ziheng, the male lead who had been shining on stage earlier.
Shit, I’ve been exposed.
Xia Xiqing, whose “true identity” had been revealed, did not panic. He remained calm and even graceful as he gave Zhou Ziheng an angelic smile.
“What a coincidence.”
Zhou Ziheng’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the expression on his face betrayed an unmistakable sense of disgust. No, it wasn’t unmistakable—actors are the best at hiding their emotions.
He simply couldn’t be bothered to hide his disgust.
Zhou Ziheng glanced down and saw the silver badge pinned to Xia Xiqing’s chest, symbolizing his status as a fan. Xia Xiqing noticed the glance, looked down himself, touched the badge, and smiled, “Hmm… you’re not mistaken. I am your fan.”
Zhou Ziheng walked past him indifferently, heading to the sink to turn on the faucet.
Xia Xiqing shrugged, entered the stall, and closed the door with his foot.
Being disliked by his idol—what a misstep, what a misstep.
Under normal circumstances, he would never give himself away on a first meeting. Pretending to be close and friendly came naturally to him. After all, the so-called “little angel” persona was more approachable. Who could blame people for readily trusting those who seemed kind? This time, it was just bad luck. Xia Xiqing disgustedly added the guy who had been harassing him to his blacklist.
Never mind, he wasn’t a real fan anyway, just someone he fantasized about.
Being disliked by his idol, was that a special kind of favor? Xia Xiqing thought to himself with self-deprecating humor, slammed the door shut, walked to the large mirror, and looked at himself. The person in the mirror who looked gentle and kind was not him at all. After coming out of the bathroom, he left the venue directly.
Who knew that the next day, Xia Xiqing, who stayed at the bar until 3:30 a.m., received another call from Xu Qichen.
“Xiqing, you’re trending on Weibo.”
The music in the bar was blaring, and Xia Xiqing walked out with a frown, stumbling to the side of the road, drunk and numb-tongued. “What did you say?”
“You’re trending on Weibo. It seems someone uploaded a video from the press conference, and you were in it.”
Xu Qichen sounded calm, but Xia Xiqing knew he was just that kind of person. She exchanged a few words with him, then sat down on the curb. The cold morning breeze blew across her face, and she finally felt a little more awake. Xia Xiqing furrowed his brows and opened Weibo, finding the trending topics section.
The top trending topic boldly displayed several large characters.
[The Seagull Press Conference: The Young Man in the White Shirt]
A white shirt? Xia Xiqing tried to recall his outfit from last night.
It seemed like he was wearing a white shirt… He clicked on the entry and looked at it. The most reposted video was the interaction and Q&A session between Zhou Ziheng and fans at the press conference. The camera switched from Zhou Ziheng on stage to the lucky fan in the audience, who was the girl behind Xia Xiqing. During this process, the camera lingered on Xia Xiqing’s face for a few seconds. Those few seconds were enough to put Xia Xiqing on the trending list.
He suddenly remembered that he had taken off his mask and not put it back on, which was too careless.
The comments on this video were almost 10,000.
[It’s a watermelon, not a winter melon]: I want all the information about this young man within ten minutes.
[VikiViki]: Mom, I saw an angel [tears in my eyes.jpg
[Face-obsessed have no rights]: Holy crap, how can someone with this level of good looks not be in the entertainment industry??? He’s just too good-looking, and his long hair is so nice. He’s a fairy incarnate.
[33 is my wife]: Just a passerby, but this shot is absolutely breathtaking. His smile is like an angel’s, and he’s more handsome than many young heartthrobs…
[I’m the Top Dog]: This guy has a god-like face, but if I’m not mistaken, isn’t that the Hsing family’s fan badge on his chest? [With screenshot]
[Zhou Ziheng’s First Lady]: It’s the Hsing family’s fan item! Holy crap, this guy is a fan of Hsing. Sorry for lowering the average looks of Hsing fans. [Kneeling]
[The Universe’s Most A Zhou Ziheng]: Holy crap, the Heng family really follows their idol’s lead. This kind of looks is enough to kill off a lot of current idols. I’ve really brought shame to the Heng family [crying hysterically]
[Gossiping Xiao Ming]: These days, if you’re not good-looking, you’re too embarrassed to be a fan.
While flipping through the comments, someone stood in front of him, casting a shadow over Xia Xiqing. He lazily raised his head. It was a man who wasn’t bad-looking.
The other person smiled and lit a cigarette, “No one with you?”
Xia Xiqing slowly blinked, unsure why, but he had no interest at all. He raised one eyebrow coldly and said, “Do I look like someone without a partner?” Then he stood up to leave. The man was a bit surprised—he hadn’t expected this handsome man to be so tall when he stood up—but he still reached out and pulled him back, smiling, “Don’t rush off. This is a good time. Let me buy you a drink.”
The other man had the look of a seasoned veteran on his face. Xia Xiqing glanced at him, then curved his lips into a smile, immediately changing his expression to a teasing one. He placed his fingers on the man’s shoulder and said, “Drinking is so boring… Handsome guy, I charge 20,000 yuan per hour. Since you’re a new customer, I’ll give you a discount. How about 16,000 yuan?”
The man immediately furrowed his brows. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m not crazy,” Xia Xiqing smiled lightly. “I’m clean. Do you want to see my health check report?”
“Two thousand? You’re really bold.” The man appraised her. “Is your butt made of gold or something?”
Seeing his reaction, Xia Xiqing’s expression turned cold. She spoke in a tone that didn’t match her appearance, her voice growing hoarse, “My ass is made of diamonds.” He lit a cigarette, his expression shifting from teasing to that of a thug. Through the swirling gray smoke, he glanced at the other person. “No money? What are you doing here? Someone like you, even if you stripped naked and crawled onto the bed to pay me, I’d still have to think about it.”
“You…” The other person’s face showed a hint of displeasure, but he didn’t seem ready to give up.
Xia Xiqing was annoyed. He took out his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and stuffed them into the other person’s left breast pocket. “Here.”
The other person frowned. “What are you doing?”
Xia Xiqing took a drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. “Buy some peace and quiet. If you’re really unsatisfied, take this money and go find some fun.”
“You!” The other person was stunned.
He tilted his head back, and when he lowered it again, his face was filled with impatience.
“Aren’t you leaving yet?”
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