Chapter 11
“Shu Yi, wake up. What are you doing here?”
Shu Yi squinted at him, his face very close and almost touching Du Qi’s: “Who are you?”
Qu Di felt a bit uneasy, avoiding direct eye contact and speaking hesitantly: “You… Why are you here? Where is your assistant and manager?”
Shu Yi looked a bit confused. He stood up, leaning on the wall: “Siyi… Siyi… Take Liumeng back! I can go back by myself.”
He swayed as he spoke, took his room key from his pocket, and turned to find his room. His speech was a bit slurred, perhaps due to being intoxicated. It was somewhat odd.
Qu Di wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. He couldn’t just leave Shu Yi like this, so he decided to take him back to his room. It didn’t seem like a big deal.
Qu Di approached him and held Shu Yi’s arm: “Come this way… I’ll take you back to your room.”
But the intoxicated Shu Yi was stubborn and didn’t want to listen. He insisted on going in the opposite direction: “My room is over there… I need to get back to read the script… Tomorrow…”
Qu Di had to coax him: “Alright, go back and read the script. The script is this way.”
“This way?”
They ended up dragging each other into the elevator like this. Shu Yi seemed tired, and he rested his head on Qu Di’s shoulder, almost falling asleep. Qu Di breathed a sigh of relief, surprised by how noisy Shu Yi had been while drunk.
They arrived at the room, and Qu Di took Shu Yi to the bed. After helping him take off his shoes, Shu Yi suddenly sat up, blinking at Qu Di.
Qu Di didn’t know what Shu Yi was up to and asked cautiously, “Shu Yi, are you okay?”
Shu Yi suddenly asked, “Do you want to practice acting with me?”
After saying this, he got out of bed barefoot and rummaged through the cabinet. Finally, he found a script and casually flipped it open to a page, then began reciting his lines.
Qu Di was still puzzled: “…”
Shu Yi continued, “Within the four seas and nine continents, only you dare to openly defy me, Gu Yuelin! Are you dissatisfied with your time on the border, or do you think Xu Ziming has lived too long!”
Shu Yi recited his lines with great enthusiasm, and he didn’t spare the appropriate vocal inflections. It was hard to believe that a drunk person was saying these lines.
“…”
After waiting for a long time without a response, Shu Yi, now slightly annoyed, walked up to Qu Di and said, “Your turn!” He opened the script and pointed to the lines below. “You need to say this.”
Qu Di hesitated for a moment and then stumbled through the lines, “I… um… My father is a founding hero, and I am now the General of the Nation. Your Majesty… Your Majesty…”
“Ah…” Shu Yi became a bit impatient and flipped a few pages. Frowning, he said, “Why haven’t you memorized your lines? This won’t do… Let’s try this scene. The lines are just two sentences. If you don’t perform well, I might have you replaced.”
Qu Di hadn’t had a chance to read what was written, but Shu Yi suddenly turned around, pushed him down on the bed, and tossed the script aside. Shu Yi’s hand reached for Qu Di’s waist, and he used his other hand to lift Qu Di’s chin, revealing a disdainful smile. “I told you that you’d be mine sooner or later.”
Though Qu Di knew it was part of the script, his heart skipped a beat. They were too close, and Shu Yi’s breath, with a hint of minty pheromones, was spraying onto his face. His expression and movements were filled with irresistible charm, as if he were a blue rose blooming in the dark night, tempting him to pluck it. He was captivated by Shu Yi’s bright black eyes and even forgot to resist.
Shu Yi watched him like this, and a few minutes later, he abruptly buried his face in Qu Di’s neck, not moving at all. The room instantly fell silent, with only the sound of the humidifier and Qu Di’s thundering heartbeat.
Qu Di gently pushed Shu Yi off him, placed him on the bed, covered him with a blanket, and quickly left.
The humidifier in the room continued running. A few minutes later, the person who had been sound asleep a moment ago suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and rubbed his throbbing temples. He was surprisingly calm for a drunk person. He glanced at the script that had been thrown on the bedside table but now lay open. He couldn’t help but smile. This was an interesting turn of events.
After leaving the room, Qu Di rushed downstairs. He needed to calm down. He had even experienced an illusion, feeling surrounded by the refreshing scent of mint. He felt trapped, with no way to escape.
That night, Qu Di couldn’t sleep. This resulted in him being in a bad mood the next day. When he went to wake Tang Xiyan up, he even went to the wrong floor.
When they arrived on set, Shu Yi was already in the makeup chair, and Qu Di wondered how he had sobered up so quickly after getting so drunk the previous night.
Seeing them, Shu Yi greeted them naturally, “Good morning.”
Tang Xiyan yawned and sat down, “Morning.”
Qu Di stood quietly, not saying a word. But Shu Yi looked at him and asked, “Qu Di, why do you look so tired?”
He found a random excuse, “Well… maybe I just… couldn’t sleep well last night.”
Tang Xiyan interjected, “We told you to change rooms, but you refused. Look, you’re suffering now.”
“Qu Di, were you the one who helped me back to my room last night?”
Surprised to be singled out, Qu Di straightened his posture and struggled to speak fluently, “Uh… I saw you on the wrong floor, and it was my floor… Then… you were drunk, so I helped you… no, I escorted you back… and then I went back.”
Tang Xiyan noticed that Qu Di was sweating and found it strange, “Why do you look so nervous?”
Shu Yi felt embarrassed, “Is it because of something I did when I was drunk last night? If so, I apologize. I only vaguely remember seeing you, and I really don’t remember anything else.”
“No… It’s just… I briefly looked at the script.”
“Haha.” Shu Yi laughed, “I knew something was off when I found my script neatly placed on the bedside. I’m really sorry for the trouble. You shouldn’t have had to deal with it.”
“No problem, it was just a small effort.”
It seemed that Shu Yi didn’t remember anything, which was a relief for Qu Di. He could treat last night as an accident, and as long as Shu Yi didn’t say anything, no one would know.
Shu Yi looked at him with a odd expression.
The shoot went smoothly
for the first two days with almost no issues. Shu Yi and Wengu were professionals, so they were top-notch. What surprised Qu Di was that Tang Xiyan’s acting was surprisingly good. At least, from his perspective, there were no major issues. Even the director expressed clear appreciation for him, saying he should consider switching to acting full time.
After another scene was wrapped up, Qu Di realized that they would be working late into the night again. Shu Yi had just finished the scene where he received an award in the capital, so he had to wear that heavy, hot suit of armor again. The scene involved many people, and there were even some disobedient horses, so what should have been a few minutes of shooting took up an entire afternoon. When the director finally said “cut,” everyone on set let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Take a break, we have two more scenes later.”
The schedule on set was tight, and it looked like they would be working well into the night again. Qu Di walked over to help Tang Xiyan off his horse, handed him some water, and held an umbrella to shade him. “It’s cold water; it will help you cool down. Let’s go sit over there for a bit.”
Tang Xiyan was drenched in sweat. His clothing was soaked and clung uncomfortably to his skin. The armor was too heavy, and there was a bit of pain in his back. His throat was parched, feeling like it might catch fire.
“Y… You…” He started speaking, only to realize his voice was hoarse, as if something was stuck in his throat, making it difficult to speak.
After taking a couple of sips of water, he said, “You should have some water too. Look at your cracked lips; it’s as if you’ve been filming.”
Qu Di reached out to touch his own lips and realized they were indeed somewhat chapped. He had been standing in the sun for too long, and his face had turned red.
“I’ve had some water already.”
Tang Xiyan sat down under the shade of the umbrella, and Qu Di found a small fan to give him. “Take a break for a bit. After you’ve eaten, we’ll continue filming. How about I get some boxed meals for both of us?”
Qu Di brought back some boxed meals after a while. However, when he returned, he couldn’t find Tang Xiyan. He thought Tang Xiyan might have gone to change his clothes, but when he went to look for him, he found that Tang Xiyan had developed blisters on his back from the armor, and they had even burst. The director wanted him to go to the hospital for treatment, but Tang Xiyan refused.
“I told you I don’t…”
Qu Di approached, draping his light jacket over Tang Xiyan. “Come with me to the hospital.”
Tang Xiyan wanted to protest, but the pain in his back flared up when someone touched him, making him wince. He had to stop talking. Qu Di gave a reassuring look and said, “Come with me. We’re going to the hospital.”
Tang Xiyan almost said something, but when he saw Qu Di’s gentle and stern expression, he couldn’t bring himself to argue.
“Qu Di, hurry up and persuade him.” The director saw Qu Di and looked relieved. This star from Tangyi Entertainment, the one Tang Zong introduced, was a big deal, and he didn’t dare to say anything loud in front of him.
Tang Xiyan took off his coat, revealing his bare upper body. He was still wearing black cotton pants for the shoot.
“Don’t listen to them. It’s just a few blisters. Put some ointment on them, and you’ll be fine… Ah…” The person applying the medicine accidentally used a bit too much force, causing Tang Xiyan to cry out in pain.
Qu Di, who had been applying the medicine, called the driver of their company car to come pick them up.
“I said I don’t…”
Qu Di dr4p3d his light jacket over Tang Xiyan and said, “Come with me. We’re going to the hospital.”
Tang Xiyan was about to say something, but when he saw the firmness in Qu Di’s eyes, he couldn’t find the words.
“Qu Di, please persuade him.” The director looked relieved to see Qu Di. Tangyi Entertainment had a big influence in the entertainment industry, and he didn’t want to upset anyone.
When Qu Di returned, he brought Tang Xiyan to the hospital. The blisters on his back had burst, and he was in a lot of pain. The director had wanted him to go to the hospital, but Tang Xiyan had been reluctant. However, seeing Qu Di’s concern, he gave in.
At the hospital, Tang Xiyan was treated for his injuries. Qu Di stayed by his side, feeling a sense of responsibility.
As they left the hospital, Tang Xiyan spoke up, “Thank you for taking care of me today. I’m really sorry for causing you so much trouble.”
Qu Di replied, “It’s no trouble at all. I’m here to assist you, and making sure you’re comfortable and well is part of my job.”
They returned to the set, and filming continued. Tang Xiyan was unable to wear the armor due to his injuries, so the scene was adjusted. Qu Di kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t overexert himself.
In the following days, the shoot continued without major issues. Qu Di was impressed by Tang Xiyan’s professionalism and determination. He saw that Tang Xiyan was putting in a lot of effort to give a great performance, and it earned him respect from the crew.
Despite the challenges, they managed to make steady progress on the production. Qu Di had his hands full assisting Tang Xiyan and ensuring that everything went smoothly.
After another successful day of filming, Qu Di felt a sense of accomplishment. He was grateful to be part of this project and to work with talented individuals like Shu Yi, Wengu, and Tang Xiyan.
However, the demands of the shoot and the long hours were taking a toll on everyone. Qu Di had already noticed signs of fatigue in himself, Shu Yi, and Tang Xiyan. They were pushing themselves to the limit to bring this story to life on the screen.
As they wrapped up another scene, Qu Di found Tang Xiyan and handed him a bottle of water. “You’ve been doing great, but don’t forget to stay hydrated. It’s been a long day.”
Tang Xiyan accepted the water and took a moment to catch his breath. “Thanks, Qu Di. I appreciate your support.”
Qu Di smiled, “You’re welcome. We’re a team, and we’re in this together.”
The days on set were intense, but they were also rewarding. Qu Di knew that this experience would stay with him for a long time. As they continued their journey through the world of filmmaking, Qu Di couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in his role as an assistant. He was contributing to the success of this project and learning valuable lessons along the way.
The production continued, and Qu Di was committed to doing his best to assist the cast and crew in any way he could. He was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead, knowing that he was part of something special.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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hello… i like this novel. thank you for bringing this.
but i find in some chapter repetition of the same line and it kinda make it confusing. hope it can be solved soon.
😀
I hope so too!