The greenery within the film and television city is good. Due to the scarcity of modern elements, in the early morning before dawn, birds have already flown to the trees outside the hotel, chirping and calling.
The curtains were not tightly drawn, and sunlight streamed in through the gaps, shining on Duan Xiubo's face.
Duan Xiubo slept late last night and had some drinks, so his head was pounding. Woken up by the sunlight, his mind was momentarily confused, then instantly remembered everything that happened last night. His first action was to grab the pillow in the middle of the bed, which served as a barrier, and toss it onto the chair.
He must have lost his mind last night, coming up with such a ridiculous idea. His intelligence seems to have regressed back to five hundred years ago!
He nervously propped himself up and glanced at Luo Ding. Luo Ding was still sleeping with his back to him, maintaining the same posture as before, motionless. It seemed he hadn't woken up yet.
Duan Xiubo sighed and stared at the ceiling until the vigor between his legs gradually subsided, then he blinked hard, got up, and went to make tea.
"Luo Xiaoding? Luo Ding?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Duan Xiubo held a teacup in one hand and attempted to shake Luo Ding's arm with the other. He only touched a fingertip, and Luo Ding's eyes suddenly opened sharply, with a sharp alertness in his gaze. Then his brows furrowed in pain and he tightly closed his eyes again. After a few seconds, he forced himself to open them again, repeatedly several times—
"Duan-ge." Luo Ding finally woke up, his first thought being that his head hurt a lot, his second thought wondering where he was, and his third thought quickly overriding the first two, "Why are you here?"
Duan Xiubo's expression showed no ambiguity; he smiled warmly, just like an older brother next door, "Your alcohol tolerance is really poor. You couldn't even handle that much. After the logistics team found out you wrapped up filming, they took back your room. Wu Fangyuan isn't with the crew, and the new crew that came to the hotel booked up all the rooms. Director Huo saw that we get along well usually, so he let me take care of you." In just a few sentences, it seemed like he was explaining, but in fact, each explanation resolved Luo Ding's concerns perfectly. Everyone in the crew knew that he was staying with Duan Xiubo for objective reasons, and with Duan Xiubo's open and honest attitude, there was absolutely no crossing of boundaries between them.
Luo Ding relaxed and quickly sat up, grateful smile on his face as he covered his still dizzy head, "Thank you, Duan-ge. Did I... last night...?"
"Hahaha..." Duan Xiubo turned his head away and laughed, "You should drink more. You're much more obedient when you're drunk, much better than now, like a child."
Luo Ding was puzzled, "What... do you mean?"
"Don't overthink it." Duan Xiubo placed the brewed strong tea on Luo Ding's bedside table, stood up, stretched lazily, and walked towards the bathroom, "I'm going to brush my teeth. Have a cup of tea; it'll help with the headache."
He closed the door, the gentle smile on his face fading instantly, leaning against the door, his head down, trying desperately to suppress his tumultuous emotions.
Luo Ding's messy hair, coupled with the calm demeanor he usually maintained... too... too... too cute!
Suppressing the tiny, imperceptible sense of discontent in his heart, Duan Xiubo sighed deeply—he believed his choice was correct. Luo Ding's vigilant attitude when he woke up this morning undoubtedly indicated that he didn't want any relationship beyond friendship with him.
If that's the case...
Then let's all be happy.
Luo Ding sipped his tea, the warm water sliding down his throat and warming his stomach. He felt a bit embarrassed about his suspicion of Duan Xiubo just now. Maybe he had seen too much darkness, and now he couldn't even distinguish between good and bad people. Duan Xiubo clearly took care of him all night last night, and the first thought that came to his mind this morning was to question the other's intentions towards him.
Did he really think the whole world liked men?
Luo Ding shook his head inwardly; he was the odd one out. Perhaps Duan Xiubo admired him purely as a senior appreciating a junior? At most, there might be more friendship factors, but anything deeper... that would be absurd.
As he thought, preparing to get up, he lifted the blanket and saw his own bare thighs.
"..."
A cold wind blew, and he felt a hint of unease in his heart. His hand swiftly reached down to his thighs, and at the same time, he raised his head to look around. He saw his shorts floating by the ventilation opening...
Duan Xiubo noticed that after he came out of the bathroom, Luo Ding had been looking at him with a somewhat strange gaze.
Could he have remembered something from being drunk? But he hadn't done anything excessive last night, even when helping him bathe, he did it through a towel, standing far away. Even if Luo Ding remembered something, what could he do? He couldn't recall any omissions despite wracking his brain. Duan Xiubo stopped worrying. Let him look. If Luo Ding noticed, it was probably because he had a guilty conscience. He was happy if he did, as long as he didn't have any ulterior motives.
He carefully folded the shirt he had worn as pajamas last night and put it back into his luggage. Bending over, Duan Xiubo said, "Director Huo is taking a day off today. Are you leaving the crew? Wu Fangyuan isn't here either. Should I take you?"
Luo Ding felt a bit embarrassed about someone else washing his underwear, even though he knew Duan Xiubo didn't have any malicious intentions. It felt like someone had intruded into his privacy, even if there might not be anything inappropriate. It was like someone peeking into his diary; even if there were no forbidden contents, just the fact that his personal belongings had been tampered with made him feel ashamed and panicked.
He called Wu Fangyuan, but it was probably too early; it was only six o'clock, and Wu Fangyuan didn't answer several consecutive calls.
When it came to sleeping in, Gu Yaxing was just as good as Wu Fangyuan. After several unanswered calls, Luo Ding's mouth twitched, and he turned back to see Duan Xiubo looking at him with an amused expression, no trace of embarrassment, and smiled without any awkwardness, "Then, I'll trouble you, Duan-ge, to take me back..." He suddenly remembered that someone had vomited and slept in the company's apartment. He wrinkled his brow in disgust, "Take me back to the company."
"Not to your apartment?"
"I have to move. It's not safe there anymore," Luo Ding spread his hands, "The situation there has changed. It's no longer safe to stay."
Duan Xiubo understood. In the entertainment industry, there was no shortage of people willing to do anything to climb up. He encountered countless "chance encounters" every day, and the other party's efforts were nothing more than trying to get his phone number to gain an unknown opportunity for advancement. Now that Luo Ding had become popular, living in that apartment, which was no different from a collective dormitory, was even less private.
The car turned a corner, leaving the gates of the film and television city behind. Luo Ding looked at the gradually receding scenery in the rearview mirror, feeling a subtle sense of melancholy that he hadn't felt for many years.
He didn't say goodbye to the crew. After the farewell banquet last night, everyone was too drunk to remember anything. At this time, they were probably all resting.
In the car, Duan Xiubo, trying to find a topic, said, "Have you decided on the new place to live?"
Luo Ding snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head, "Not yet. Gu and Fangyuan said it would be best to find a place once and for all, but there aren't many good options right now."
Duan Xiubo chuckled, "Once and for all? Is the company renting a house for you now? At this rate, you'll be buying your own place by next year."
Luo Ding's hungover head was a bit heavy. Although he felt much better after drinking tea, compared to his usual reaction, he was still a bit slow. He calculated and realized that it was indeed the case. The entertainment industry was lucrative; the appearance fee for just standing in front of the camera was substantial. Celebrities often flaunted luxury items that ordinary people might never possess in their lifetime, rode in luxurious cars, first-class cabins, or even private jets, and lived in mountain villas, penthouses, or suburban mansions. Just like him, from living in the small apartment provided by the small brokerage company to considering buying a house in the city center, it hadn't been long since his rebirth.
He smiled, feeling a sense of destiny playing tricks on him. In his previous life, he had experienced this at a young age, so seeing his known future now didn't excite him as much.
Duan Xiubo furrowed his brows slightly, catching a glimpse of the momentary cracking smile on Luo Ding's face. He didn't understand what Luo Ding was thinking, but combined with the young man he had seen quietly smoking on the windowsill last night, he vaguely understood that Luo Ding must have more burdens in his heart than he had imagined.
He opened the window, and the whistling wind indeed brought the young man back to consciousness.
"I have a good place to recommend. Are you interested?"
Luo Ding turned his head and met Duan Xiubo's slightly playful yet gentle smile.
He instinctively smiled back.
...
Life in the crew was not easy. Wu Fangyuan had maintained this physique that couldn't lose weight for more than twenty years. Now, in just a few days, he had lost five kilograms. Yesterday, Luo Ding and Huo Xie had both asked him to take the afternoon off. Wu Fangyuan slept soundly at home, feeling a sense of shock when he saw the six missed calls from Luo Ding on the screen.
Gu Yaxing yawned, rubbing his hands together. The sunlight fell warmly on him, and the summer was about to pass. The mornings weren't too hot, and the fresh air was refreshing.
Luo Ding was busy filming, and naturally, Gu Yaxing wasn't without work. The current EP in his hands was probably the most serious album he had treated since the company was founded. With such a magnificent production team, the burden on him was heavy. Discussing the details of lyrics and music with Ye Zhou and arguing about the style the EP should adopt wasn't an easy task. These veteran artists had already received enough recognition in their field, and they were somewhat arrogant. They were polite to Luo Ding, but they might not be as courteous to Gu Yaxing. Every opinion they raised meant a verbal battle was about to begin. Under such work pressure, Gu Yaxing felt like he wasn't getting enough sleep even with twelve hours a day.
"What did Luo Ding say?" Gu Yaxing asked, wondering if they were just waiting here?
Wu Fangyuan wasn't sure either. He didn't know when he started learning not to question Luo Ding's decisions. Usually, when an order came down, he immediately believed and executed it without hesitation. When Gu Yaxing asked for details, he was at a loss, saying, "It seems to be about the house, I heard him mention it a few times. Let's wait, anyway, we're not tired."
Gu Yaxing squinted at the bright golden-haired fatty beside him, whose head was particularly dazzling in the sunlight. How did that timid chubby guy, who used to look like a eunuch in front of Yang Kang, become like this? Time was indeed a butcher's knife.
An inconspicuous silver Chevrolet Suburban drove towards the gate in the morning light and finally stopped.
The driver's side window slowly rolled down, and Duan Xiubo's face, still radiant even with the sun behind him, appeared with a smile. "Get in."
Luo Ding, sitting in the passenger seat, also poked his head out and nodded to them.
Gu Yaxing: "..."
Wu Fangyuan: "..."
They came together? It's not even noon yet? Gu Yaxing felt a bit uncomfortable.
The name of Green City Apartments was low-key, but its location was anything but. It was just a stone's throw away from the busiest road in the city center, with the most comprehensive security facilities, 24-hour armed patrols, password fingerprint entry, and alarm systems in every corner of the house.
Duan Xiubo owned a property here, and Yuan Bing, He Guan, and several other celebrities in the industry also chose to buy houses here, which naturally made sense.
The real estate agent seemed to be used to dealing with clients who preferred not to show up, but with one guarantee from the owner, the other party agreed to let the security guard lead them to see the property being rented out.
"I live on the thirtieth floor, Sister Yuan is on the twenty-sixth floor, as for He Guan and the others... I'm not very familiar with them, I've bumped into them a few times, they're probably also on higher floors."
Duan Xiubo strolled ahead leisurely, leading the way to the deepest part of the living room, where he pulled open the curtains and gestured inside, "These people are obviously speculators, they moved faster than me. I wanted the thirty-fifth floor before, but they beat me to it."
He seemed somewhat helpless. High-rise apartments like this were more comfortable to live in the higher you went, but in recent years, real estate in the city center had become increasingly popular. Many high-rise apartments like this were snapped up as soon as they were released for sale. Fortunately, the thirtieth floor wasn't too bad. Duan Xiubo had other residences in the city, and he only spent less than half of his time in the apartment each month, so this flaw didn't seem too significant.
Luo Ding walked slowly, lifting the white cloth covering the furniture. This was a house bought by the owner specifically for leasing. To fetch a good price, the decoration naturally followed the highest standards. The warm and modern colors and furnishings were pleasing to the eye. He looked up, his gaze fixed on the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed in sunlight. The thirty-fifth floor wasn't intimidatingly high, but it was enough for him to see many of the city's landscapes that he had previously ignored. Pedestrians, as small as ants, strolled leisurely on the bustling streets of the city center, and the noise was almost nonexistent.
Lao Dingkun, busy with work, spent three hundred days a year shuttling between various crews. He only had one property, a suburban villa bought twenty years ago. Money was always insufficient; the more he earned, the faster he spent it. He had to package himself, improve his image, act with Xu Zhen, and so on and so forth. He didn't spend much time living in that suburban villa, which was popular twenty years ago but now seemed quite outdated. But he hadn't thought it was a bad place to live before.
The toil of life.
Luo Ding chuckled self-deprecatingly, feeling that his past self, who was as stubborn as an old ox and always went out but never came in, was quite foolish. People in this world had discovered too many things worth enjoying; even their residences could become one of the pleasures of life.
Gu Yaxing was somewhat at a loss after inquiring about the price.
This duplex was a total of two hundred square meters, renting for twenty thousand a month, and tenants also had to pay high property management fees separately. This property management fee wasn't given for free. At least, according to what Duan Xiubo said, since moving in here, Yuan Bing had never been photographed by paparazzi without makeup when buying groceries.
The one who had promised to "rent a good place" with company money was Gu Yaxing, and now he was the one in trouble.
As a shrewd boss, an annual rental expense of nearly three hundred thousand for an artist was indeed a bit excessive for him. After all, Yaxing Entertainment wasn't a big company with abundant funds, and its financial situation had only begun to improve slowly after Luo Ding became popular. Now, Luo Ding's EP, the training of newly recruited artists, and the resources of the artists in the studio all required money.
"Twenty thousand..." This exceeded his expectations.
Luo Ding glanced at Gu Yaxing, knowing that the artists under Yaxing Entertainment had a high commission rate. Just from the appearance fee alone, Gu Yaxing had probably earned more than this figure from Pan Yiming's last album. Plus, with the remuneration from "The Sleeping Dragon" film, only a portion of it reached Luo Ding's hands. Luo Ding had no psychological barriers to squeezing out some blood from the exploiting class; he just smiled without saying a word, giving Duan Xiubo a meaningful look.
Duan Xiubo understood and stepped forward to put his arm around Luo Ding's shoulder. "Last time, Jijia mentioned you when we were discussing the anniversary magazine cover for the fashion brand. She said during the interview with Yu Shaotian last week..."
"Wait a minute!" Gu Yaxing's brows suddenly sharpened, interrupting Duan Xiubo's unfinished sentence and turning to Luo Ding abruptly. "Do we need to add new furniture? I think the refrigerator model seems a bit old."
Luo Ding couldn't help but smile. They were all acquaintances privately, and there was no need to pretend anymore. He smiled and exchanged a glance with Duan Xiubo.
"Clap."
That was a high-five.
The new set of "Tang Dynasty Chronicles" was built in another location, and Luo Ding's role was not as significant anymore. In terms of screen time, he was just a supporting actor, but his outstanding character made this supporting role stand out as much as the final boss who only appeared once.
This shooting base was even more remote than the previous one. When they returned to the set, Luo Ding and Wu Fangyuan brought a car full of snacks, which were quickly snatched away as soon as they arrived.
Wu Yuan, who they hadn't seen for a long time, had darkened by at least two shades, and he looked thinner. He seemed more spirited. They had private communication, and even after a half-month separation, they didn't feel estranged. After shooting a scene, he leaped off his horse, still wearing his battle attire, and ran towards Luo Ding, giving him a solid hug.
"Why do you look even more handsome?" Wu Yuan grabbed Luo Ding's shoulders, pushed him away slightly, and looked him up and down. "How does it feel to shoot a movie? It must be exciting."
Luo Ding smiled, allowing him to move freely, as if he were an elder accommodating a younger one. Seeing Wu Yuan like this, he felt relieved. Wu Yuan had achieved remarkable success in the TV industry, and now he was eager to enter the film industry. As a relatively unknown small artist like Luo Ding, who hadn't even finished filming his first TV series, he already had a movie to his name. Human nature was hard to predict. If Wu Yuan harbored hostility because of this, it would be an undesirable outcome.
Fortunately, Wu Yuan was open-minded, which was why he was able to stand out in the entertainment industry at such a young age. Among the people Luo Ding knew, including himself in his past life, there were indeed some who achieved great success but had narrow minds. However, most of them, like Wu Yuan, prioritized improving themselves rather than dealing with others.
Pan Yiming came out of the studio, her face looking much younger than before. The current progress was catching up to the period before Li Shimin ascended to the throne. She played the female lead during the early Qingchun period. As she was talking to her assistant, she suddenly heard the news of Luo Ding's return. She turned her head abruptly, and her flowing green hair slapped the face of the person next to her.
She had spoken up for Luo Ding when he was criticized, so naturally, she knew how big the recent controversy was. Now, seeing the young man not far away, chatting and laughing with Wu Yuan, still wearing the same unwavering smile as ever, she felt relieved halfway.
"Hey, you're doing great! You're releasing an EP soon! I wanted to collaborate with you on a song when I released my album before, but unfortunately, many of the songs were already recorded. We must collaborate next time." Compared to Wu Yuan, Pan Yiming was even more familiar with Luo Ding. She playfully punched and kicked him, and the other artists who had finished changing into their costumes also rushed over to welcome Luo Ding back. Compared to the loneliness when he first joined, the situation had undergone a complete transformation.
In the midst of the crowd calling out "Luo Ding," the title of "Brother Luo" from several peers didn't seem out of place at all.
What exactly were they thinking under their smiling faces? Luo Ding didn't have mind-reading abilities, nor did he have the ability to see through everything. He slightly adjusted his role positioning, reducing the indiscriminate respect he emitted from his smile but still remaining gentle and inclusive. Interpersonal relations were like this; no matter what attitude the other party had, he had to adjust accordingly. If the other party was willing to cooperate, his task would be relatively easier.
Standing on the sidelines of the crowd, the thoughts of many people were just as Luo Ding guessed, full of mixed feelings.
Seeing the young man in the crowd who was as popular as him, who had struggled even longer than him, who should have been on the same starting line as him, why did he ascend to the top in one step? That was a Huo Xie film, a role with opponents even to the Best Actor, a role that ordinary artists could hardly achieve in their lifetime, yet Luo Ding... easily completed it.
But even though there were thousands of jealous thoughts in their hearts, they couldn't show them on their faces. Everyone still had to smile, greet each other warmly, and show a very enthusiastic attitude towards him. The jealousy that gnawed at their hearts came in waves, sour and bitter.
These few scenes were meant to depict the youth of Fuzhuo. Originally, they were going to find a real eighteen or nineteen-year-old to play the role, but after the information about the movie was blown up, Luo Ding's popularity soared, so Zheng Kezhen just assigned him the role.
By the time Luo Ding arrived at the crew, it was almost eleven in the morning, and the actor playing Li Jiancheng hadn't arrived yet. Luo Ding hadn't seen him before; there were no scenes with him in the studio at the film and television city before.
Wearing a blue costume that looked more lively than the later pure white one, Luo Ding put on his hairpiece and closed his eyes, allowing the makeup artist to work on him.
But no matter how the powder was applied layer by layer, the makeup artist just couldn't find the right feeling. The freshness and tenderness of a young man were covered up by the powder, giving him an oily look that couldn't be compensated for even with a killer gaze.
The hairstylist pondered for a moment and suggested a layman's method: "Why don't you skip the foundation and just apply some light? Then shine some light during the shooting and adjust the eye and eyebrow lines a bit, would that work?"
The makeup artist was anxious, with fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. Seeing that it was almost twelve o'clock, the latecomer should be here soon. There was no choice but to make do and let Luo Ding wash his face clean and start over.
With only a layer of isolation to protect his skin, a bit of shadow and highlight, she frowned and skipped the foundation step, carefully redoing the eye makeup bit by bit.
Luo Ding's skin was really good, with no redness or acne scars. It was probably because he had been resting well in the past few days. The traces of a few pimples had almost disappeared.
She stepped back, somewhat nervous, and said, "Luo... Brother Luo, can you open your eyes and let me see?"
