The name Carmen Clovis was well-known to anyone in the film industry. This director, who had maintained the peak of his career for five years, was highly productive, releasing one to two blockbuster films every year without interruption. Since entering the directing field, he had swept through various major award ceremonies, earning countless honors. However, six years ago, he had just been an ordinary commercial film director without a particularly special status.
What really made him famous was the series of films "Blade Warrior I" released five years ago, which had received excellent feedback. With its captivating storyline and tense fight scenes, this work had set a new box office record in European and American film history and had successfully propelled this director, who had been struggling in the industry for many years, to fame. Since then, he had captured the audience's taste and had established his own style, with his works characterized by clear mainlines, touching emotions, beautiful visuals, and unconventional plots. Coupled with his ability to select talented actors, handsome men and beautiful women had always shone the brightest under his lens. As a result, even the audience had great confidence in him, and there had been a saying circulating among them: "Carmen's productions are bound to be classics."
Regardless of who said this sentence and under what circumstances it was uttered, people can always see how much influence this director, who has already reached the top, has in the film industry.
Duan Xiubo started working with Carmen Clovis since "Blade Warrior II". Duan Xiubo's outstanding acting skills combined with Carmen's profound directing ability allowed this series to escape the curse of the second installment in the industry and achieve excellent results comparable to, if not surpassing, the first film. With his role in this film, Duan Xiubo won the heavyweight title of Best Actor at the Global Film Festival, becoming the first actor from China and even Asia to win this once-in-five-years film festival award. Carmen, on the other hand, truly earned the title of Best Director at the Global Film Festival, becoming an "artist" who left a significant mark in the history of cinema.
Upon learning that he was going to meet Carmen, Luo Ding said he wasn't nervous on the surface, but there was still a bit of worry in his heart. Developing in Hollywood as a Chinese celebrity was not easy. He didn't have the resources that Duan Xiubo had, and he had relatively less exposure to the world. Fortunately, his ability to disguise himself had already reached its peak. Apart from a slightly faster heartbeat, he seemed no different from usual.
The voice of Duan Xiubo beside him eased some of his tension as they walked along a somewhat dark corridor until they reached the end, where a large crimson door came into view.
Without giving Luo Ding more time to prepare, Duan Xiubo reached out and pushed it open.
It was a very spacious practice room, large enough to accommodate many people at once for classes. The curtains on the French windows were all open, allowing ample and bright light to flood the room.
A man of average height wearing protective gear was punching on the platform, his movements flowing like clouds and water, exuding the dignity of Tai Chi and the agility of Jeet Kune Do. His every move was pleasing to the eye. The practice room played a piece of intense pure music, blending the urgent and high-pitched melody of the violin with the heavy and crisp keystrokes of the piano, creating an incredibly beautiful fusion with the martial arts movements.
Luo Ding stood still for a moment, carefully looking around until he spotted Carmen Clovis sitting under the platform, looking up attentively.
He was a man with a singer's temperament, with well-defined features that weren't particularly striking due to his weight. Westerners tended to look older, and his face full of wrinkles, rough and spotted skin, and slightly overweight figure made him look at least fifty. Surprisingly, his golden medium-length curly hair didn't make him look too unconventional, but the stubble on his face was somewhat glaring, giving the impression to ordinary people who weren't used to seeing someone with a full beard that he hadn't bathed or washed his face for days.
Luo Ding stared at the stubble on the other party's face, suppressing the urge to forcibly scrape it off, feeling a slight compulsive urge in his heart. As Duan Xiubo slowly approached the platform, Carmen's attention finally shifted to the two unexpected guests in the room. Meeting Duan Xiubo's gaze, he immediately stood up with surprise. "Hey, Duan, long time no see, you look even more handsome!"
Duan Xiubo's speech had a hint of British accent, neither fast nor slow. "So? Do you plan to give up hot dogs?"
Carmen rubbed his double chin and then twisted his waist cheerfully. "I'm perfect!" He noticed Luo Ding and turned his head to look behind Duan Xiubo. Upon seeing Luo Ding's excellent features, his eyes lit up. "Who's this...?"
"My friend Luo Ding, a very good actor." Duan Xiubo hooked his mouth, intending to let Luo Ding and Carmen get to know each other, but suddenly realized a major problem that he hadn't paid attention to just now.
Could Luo Ding speak English?
The entertainment industry in China was quite frustrating. Although there had always been talk of popularizing English, there were really very few artists who could master two foreign languages at the same time. Some wealthy young people in the younger generation might have accumulated enough solid foreign language skills before their debut, but Luo Ding, if he remembered correctly... seemed to be an orphan.
Duan Xiubo gritted his teeth inwardly, realizing that he hadn't thought about so many things in his chaotic mind just now. Language barriers could indeed be embarrassing. Luo Ding was a person with a strong sense of self-esteem. What if he felt embarrassed?
He hurriedly tried to explain to Carmen about Luo Ding's not-so-good English, but before he could speak, Luo Ding spoke up, his fluent and authentic American accent immediately capturing Carmen's attention.
Duan Xiubo's lips parted slightly, and he turned to look at Luo Ding with some astonishment, then coughed and suppressed the doubts in his heart, closing his mouth.
Luo Ding had one advantage: no matter how nervous he was before a performance, once he faced difficulties head-on, he would quickly regain his calm and composure. He smiled, and his aura was not inferior to Carmen's, showing a hint of respect without being overly humble. "Hello, Mr. Clovis, I'm Luo Ding." His calm and composed demeanor immediately made Carmen feel a bit impressed.
"Hey, you look like a girl, has anyone ever told you that?" Carmen was straightforward and never beat around the bush, causing Luo Ding to be at a loss for words. "And, are you an adult? Are you eighteen yet?"
Although Luo Ding's features were not as profound as those of Westerners, they did not carry any flatness. Although his skin was not as fair as that of Caucasians, it was still outstanding among ordinary men. The delicate skin of Asians made him free from red blood vessels and large pores. Therefore, in the Western aesthetic, he indeed looked much younger than his actual age.
"I'm twenty-three years old," he answered calmly. "As for being called a girl, you're the first one to say that. I take it as a compliment. Thank you."
Seeing him making a joke, Carmen laughed heartily. He leaned forward and patted Luo Ding's shoulder, showing some admiration for him, "You're really interesting, I mean you're handsome. You speak English so well, have you been in New York?"
Luo Ding smiled but didn't answer directly. Had he been in New York? The fluent spoken English was something he painstakingly learned bit by bit when he was shooting movies in Hollywood in his previous life. The hardship of not being able to communicate in a foreign country is really indescribable. Only the feeling of being excluded from the world can truly stimulate one's primitive potential.
As the conversation progressed, the feeling of unfamiliarity immediately diminished. Carmen was not as difficult or serious as Luo Ding had imagined. He had a kind of non-conformity and rebellion typical of artists. His words and actions seemed a bit immature, and he would say whatever he thought of. Overall, he was not as stable as most domestic directors.
But such people were easy to please. As long as you catered to their tastes and made them feel relaxed and enjoyable in conversation, they would easily regard a stranger as a confidant. Duan Xiubo also had the intention of deliberately promoting Luo Ding to Carmen, so he made efforts to shift the focus to Luo Ding. Seeing the two of them getting along more and more, he got up and started chatting with the martial arts instructor resting on the side.
The deeper Carmen talked with Luo Ding, the more surprised he felt. This seemingly ordinary young man had such a broad knowledge that it was unbelievable. Apart from his appearance, there was nothing that resembled someone of his age. Carmen himself was someone with many hobbies. Astronomy, geography, sports, and even painting and musical instruments. Over the decades, besides filming, he needed many other activities to alleviate loneliness and find inspiration. Most of his friends of the same age were indulged in the glamorous world, seduced by women, alcohol, or marijuana. Younger friends were busy with their careers, and occasional leisure activities might not necessarily suit his taste. Because he knew so much, Carmen rarely met someone with whom he could have a truly enjoyable conversation. Blind spots in knowledge were present in everyone; just like Duan Xiubo, who knew a lot about music and astronomy but had little interest in football and painting. Similarly, some friends who loved football might not be interested in music.
But Luo Ding, unexpectedly, could talk to him about anything, and his words were always sharp, humorous, and to the point, making people unable to help but laugh heartily. This wasn't something that could be feigned by pretending to know.
During the conversation, Carmen always felt a strange feeling, as if as long as he covered his face and changed his voice, the person in front of him would be just like someone of his own age in terms of humor and experience. He couldn't imagine how a young man in his twenties compressed so much knowledge into his time. When he thought of himself in his twenties... oh, at that time, he was still lingering in bars and exchanging illicit goods with bad boys.
He looked at Luo Ding with a smile in his eyes, knowing only he himself knew how happy he was to meet such a suitable young man. The older he got, the more he liked to find young friends. It made him feel the wonderful sensation of returning to youth. However, time in life is limited, and most young people who haven't experienced much are rebellious and ignorant. This was the flaw that Carmen found most intolerable. Duan Xiubo had won Carmen's friendship with his uniqueness, and now, Carmen had encountered a friend who was even more suitable for him than Duan Xiubo.
To friends, he always spoke his mind.
"Blade Warrior III?" Hearing Carmen bring up this topic, Luo Ding appropriately showed some surprise. "Are you already preparing for the filming of the third installment? The hype from the second film hasn't died down yet!"
Carmen looked him up and down, his eyes carrying a sharp scrutiny, not answering the question. Instead, he rambled on, saying, "I need Chinese, probably two..."
"Mr. Clovis?" Luo Ding looked puzzled.
As if awakened by him, Carmen suddenly sat up from his chair and pressed his shoulder. "Hey, Duan said, you're an actor?"
"Yes." Luo Ding nodded without hesitation.
"In the third installment, I need two Asian actors," he said, noticing Luo Ding's calm and serious gaze. Immediately, he smiled, "Yes, I think you understand what I mean. Are you interested? Next month or a bit later, we'll start organizing auditions for actors. With your appearance... when you put on the warriors' costumes, you'll definitely be stunning."
Luo Ding was very surprised by the invitation. Although there was not much change in his expression, his heart was filled with indescribable excitement. Apart from a smile, he didn't know how to express his feelings and could only say softly, "Thank you, I'm definitely interested."
Duan Xiubo, while texting Carmen, listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom next to him, feeling more and more incredulous.
Luo Ding actually... in such a short time, got the audition opportunity for "Blade Warrior III". This was really...
Yes, he did initially introduce them with the idea of giving Luo Ding more work opportunities after getting to know Carmen. He knew Luo Ding had his own way of dealing with people and things. So, he was relieved to give the spotlight to Luo Ding after confirming that there were no language barriers between the two. But no matter how much he trusted Luo Ding, he wouldn't forget Carmen's personality, which was quite "unique". Very few people in the industry who managed to elevate their careers to an artistic level were without quirks. In this regard, Westerners were more direct in their expression. Like Carmen, he was easily excited, impulsive, and erratic, with thoughts as fast as a time-traveling battleship. Although everything would be fine after becoming friends with him, pleasing such a feeling-oriented and fickle person before becoming friends was not easy.
He found that Luo Ding always gave him unexpected answers when he didn't hold much hope for something, and the frequency of surprises or astonishment increased. Duan Xiubo had now learned to remain calm from the bottom of his heart.
He neatly folded the outerwear and pants that Wu Fangyuan had left for Luo Ding and placed them at the head of the bed, then got up to pour himself a glass of water. After drinking it, he felt the itching sensation in his throat suppressed.
The soundproofing of the bathroom is too poor. After all, it's just a rest area in a martial arts gym, relying on excellent teaching quality to attract students, which makes the hardware conditions appear particularly unsatisfactory.
As the bathroom door opened, a surge of steaming water vapor rushed out, carrying a faint scent of shower gel into the nose. Duan Xiubo turned his head sharply, extremely sensitive.
Luo Ding was wearing the bathrobe provided in the lounge, white and thin, and was walking towards the edge of the bed in a pair of ill-fitting slippers. His semi-long hair was wet, with water droplets condensing and dripping from the tips of his hair. As Luo Ding walked, he tilted his head slightly to the side, using the towel in his hand to wipe his hair while shaking his head slightly.
The young man who had just taken a bath had a layer of tender pink on his skin, translucent as if he were a fragile object that people dared not touch. Perhaps he was very tired; his eyes were slightly squinted, showing a bit of fatigue, like a big cat preparing for a nap after a meal, lazy and negligent, lying in the sun with a disdainful yawn, seeming particularly cute.
This big cat approached the edge of the bed, directly throwing the towel towards the table and then lying down on the bed, ready to sleep.
The loose hem of the bathrobe was lifted a lot, almost revealing his entire thigh. The fabric under the thin belt of the bathrobe opened at the fork of his waist, right at the root of his thigh, supported by his round and plump buttocks, which were faintly visible, showing a glimpse of the scenery inside.
Duan Xiubo's eyes widened again, holding a glass of water and staring at Luo Ding's sleeping posture for a while. He then realized a problem from the water stains blurred by the quilt—Luo Ding went to sleep without drying his hair.
Duan Xiubo coughed and struggled to regain his focus, listening to the quickly rising shallow snoring in the room. Suddenly, he felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart. It seemed that since he had met Luo Ding, he had been lingering in various uncomfortable emotions. When Luo Ding was too busy filming to sleep, he felt uncomfortable; when Luo Ding's irregular meals and the pressure of filming quickly made him lose weight, he also felt uncomfortable. Now, seeing the other party tired enough to fall asleep, even though he often experienced this state himself, he still felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Sleeping with wet hair could cause rheumatic headaches. Duan Xiubo's gaze slid from Luo Ding's slender white calf along his thigh, then forcefully turned back to his head. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out and took out a hair dryer from the cabinet.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently brushed Luo Ding's wet hair with the hair dryer.
Luo Ding shivered all over, then quickly opened his eyes, his eyes instantly clear, staring closely at Duan Xiubo's face.
"...," Duan Xiubo was somewhat startled, raising the hair dryer in his hand, "You continue sleeping, I'll help you dry your hair."
Luo Ding remained calm, and after a while, he awkwardly spoke, "... Duan ge, you haven't left yet?"
Duan Xiubo raised the hand holding the hair dryer, then slowly extended a finger in front of Luo Ding's face. "How many is this?"
Luo Ding stared at him seriously, his expression as if he were participating in a large meeting.
Duan Xiubo stifled a laugh and silently turned on the power to start drying Luo Ding's hair. The feeling of his fingertips stroking the scalp as they moved through the strands of hair gave a sense of intimacy and beauty. His strength was just right, not too light or too heavy, quickly dispelling the little resistance that Luo Ding had mobilized.
Duan Xiubo was now his friend, and Luo Ding, never harbored too much guard against friends.
The strands of hair entwined with his fingertips were soft and thin, completely different from the personality of the hair's owner, but surprisingly pleasant to touch. After blow-drying Luo Ding's hair, Duan Xiubo placed his palm on the top of Luo Ding's head, lowered his head, and stared at the young man sleeping soundly, feeling reluctant to leave. So he sat quietly like this.
Under the pressure of the large palm on his head, Luo Ding's breathing became rapid, and he struggled to turn over, reaching out with his left hand to try to brush away the foreign object on his head.
Duan Xiubo allowed him to push away his hand, silently staring at him with a smile for a while, then suddenly remembered a detail he had forgotten.
He nervously stared at Luo Ding, making sure that the other party was really asleep, before reaching out very gently to turn Luo Ding's left hand over and gently pull up the sleeve of his clothes with as little movement as possible.
He looked into the completely exposed wrist of Luo Ding without any obstruction, and his brows immediately furrowed deeply.
Sure enough...
The pink scars looked particularly abrupt compared to the delicate and white skin next to them. The narrow and small scars overlapped each other, and there were even very obvious points between the corners, which individually did not seem very striking, but when woven together, they formed the terrifying scar of a knife wound.
When he accidentally touched Luo Ding's wrist during the filming of the movie, he felt something was wrong. The touch of the scar was too obvious, beyond what could be explained by accident. But at that time, he couldn't confirm whether it was his own illusion with just a casual touch. Afterward, he couldn't find an opportunity to confirm it less abruptly. This time, he finally answered a question in his heart.
However, the reduction of one question brought about the appearance of more questions.
In this position, with these scars, with this degree of healing, without further explanation, Duan Xiubo could guess what it represented. Luo Ding actually... attempted suicide by cutting his wrists? Why? Such a tough and tenacious person, from any perspective, does not seem like someone who would seek death!
He couldn't hide his worry as he stared at the young man sleeping in front of him, and the increasing clarity of the unease in his heart.
The video of Luo Ding singing in the Shanhai Building quickly spread on the internet.
The front page was once again dominated, and the protagonist was still Luo Ding, but the content had now detached from all ancillary matters and focused purely on his ability.
The fans who were present during the filming probably contacted privately and did not circulate all the fan videos, but selected one that was relatively clear.
The Weibo user MyButtPokesHigherThanTheSky was a small transparent fan with less than four thousand followers, and their outrageous name was not known to the public. When Luo Ding's fans shared his posts, they always used particularly exaggerated words to express their excitement. This Weibo post, filled with "Ah ah ah" and "I'm kneeling" expressions, was no exception.
Many people initially thought it was a spoof video, but after clicking on it, they realized it was not the case.
In the glass showcase, with metallic music equipment shimmering, a handsome young man stood behind the microphone with closed eyes, singing with a deeply emotional expression. The video taken by fans was shaky, the resolution was not clear enough, and there was some noise in the music. Many people couldn't find any shortcomings in his singing or pronunciation, even the most critical viewers. Unlike the original singer's mature style, the temperament of this song leaned more towards melancholy and sorrow, striking directly at the softest corners of people's hearts when they least expected it. For ordinary listeners, it was okay, but for those who had experiences similar to the lyrics of the song, it was almost like crying at every performance, and after crying, they still had to reluctantly give a thumbs-up to the sharer with swollen eyes.
Various marketing accounts were quick to act, reposting and busying themselves. Within three days, the number of comments on a video that had not undergone any post-processing exceeded one hundred thousand. The Weibo account, which originally had only six thousand followers, saw its following rate grow exponentially. The number of views on the original website broke through one million at an astonishing speed, and under the original Weibo post, there was naturally no harmony amidst the storm.
Luo Ding rose too quickly, so fast that many artists in the entertainment industry felt jealous of him, so fast that many people who didn't know him couldn't help but speculate whether this was another successful hype.
Conspiracy theorists have never been lacking in any era. Coupled with the push from behind-the-scenes insiders in the circle, doubts began to emerge gradually in the comments section of the original post.
"How could this kind of effect be achieved live? They must have done post-production, right?"
"The fan videos must be fake too. How could the background be so quiet?"
"Could it be that the publicity company orchestrated this, pretending to be fans and posting it to deceive the audience?"
Opposing voices once appeared and never ceased. More and more people with unknown motives joined the ranks of these voices. Those easily swayed, those lacking self-worth and seeking attention through criticism, and even some who came specifically to smear Luo Ding, these people's combined combat power was unexpectedly impressive.
At first, the fans ignored these voices, but their calm attitude only made these opponents more excited.
They began to be dissatisfied with just venting their opinions under the video on Weibo and instead moved to Luo Ding's Weibo homepage, shouting and cursing as much as possible under his latest posts, even though he had no connection with them whatsoever.
"The sound engineer must be crying. Did they put in so much effort to fix the sound, only to be ignored in the end?!"
"Get out of the entertainment industry if you only know how to hype! If you have the ability, show us some real talent!"
"Just act well in your dramas, flower vase, don't come and ruin the music world!"
Some of the comments directly attacked him personally, making people frown.
It is well known that fan circles and fans are a strange existence. No matter how criticized the fan circle is, fans can choose to silently endure and swallow their pride for the sake of their idol's reputation and the harmony of the fan circle.
But if the harsh words are transferred from them to the idol they worship...
Oh, then it's bad. The protective instincts of these mothers of calves are as sharp as a mother hen's beak. The more easily they are agitated, the stronger their combat power.
