Forcefully Doting On You

by Usui Takumii

not mine, wuxia world and JCG Translations. Beware Bl. The number of the chapters were wrongly numbered initially, after it is corrected according to the raws. Waiting for the translater to update.

7. 58 to 70

Forcefully Doting On You - c58

Notes: Hi! This is the final part of Chapter 19 in the raws. I'll just finish this arc so the readers aren't left hanging (and also because this arc is kinda my fave BL genre 😅) Still deciding if I want to continue the rest. If anyone else wants to take over the translation after I finish the first arc, let me know!

Chapter 19

"Grandfather Emperor."

His final utterance was soft and gentle, as two crystal tears slid down his cheeks. His voice seemed to be in pain, but also carried a sense of freedom.

Mu Cai released his grip gently and sat down on the ground, bursting into laughter. This scene, combined with his tear-filled eyes, appeared to be the epitome of madness.

Jing He stood up abruptly!

All the actors who came to audition for the role of Yi Sheng were asked to perform the "Revenge" scene. Almost everyone portrayed this scene with a gradually increasing intensity, culminating in a triumphant laughter that revealed the satisfaction of avenging a great injustice, mixed with a hint of sorrow for lost loved ones.

Only Mu Cai before him! His intensity diminished from strong to weak, to the point where he could no longer hold back his tears.

The other party must have meticulously studied Yi Sheng's character biography!

Jing He knew better than anyone that although the script did not include it at all, Yi Sheng's character biography did mention a little bit of his childhood.

Before the Emperor took notice of Yi Sheng's mother, he was greatly favored by the Emperor due to his early intelligence and adorable appearance, despite being the son of a subordinate. The Emperor often put him on his (the Emperor's) knees to play, fulfilling his every request and occasionally indulging his mischievous behavior. The Emperor never saw it as disobedience, always maintaining a smiling face and even making excuses for him.

The Emperor truly favored Yi Sheng. And just like with family feuds and the nation's grievances, he kept the intelligent Yi Sheng constantly in mind. He had lived in hiding for over ten years, enduring untold hardships that tormented his innermost being day and night.

Now, having personally slain the Emperor, all the emotions that had been suppressed in his heart for so long surged forth. Perhaps even Yi Sheng himself couldn't distinguish whether these emotions were the satisfaction of avenging a great injustice, the sighs for the changing world, or the pain of losing everyone who had once loved him.

Perhaps it was a combination of all these emotions.

Or perhaps none of that matters.

After all, too many emotions can hollow a person. At this moment, Yi Sheng may not want to think about anything anymore, but instead just wants to cry freely and unrestrainedly.

To be able to portray such complex and subtle emotions, with a clear and distinct hierarchy, no one else but Mu Cai could do it!

And this is the person he wants!

Jing He suppressed his excited heart, his eyes burning: "Your name is Mu Cai, right?"

Mu Cai had recovered from his outburst, with tears still on his face. He looked at the person standing up, somewhat puzzled, and nodded.

Didn't the director ask this before the performance started?

Jing He immediately said, "I want you for this play! You will play Yi Sheng!"

After he finished speaking, he felt like he might have been a bit arbitrary, so he quickly turned to the two people beside him and asked, "What do you think?"

The tone seemed perfunctory, as if it was just going through the motions.

Chang An sighed, "I have no objections."

Gu Yunchen remained calm and composed, "I trust Jing He's judgment."

His deep and profound eyes gazed at Mu Cai, who was still sitting on the ground with tears streaming down his face.

In that moment just now, he truly didn't expect Mu Cai to have such explosive power and understanding. Even in that instant, Gu Yunchen was drawn into the performance by Mu Cai.

The intense gaze, the despairing tears, and the feeling of a lifeless heart were all conveyed so clearly to him, causing him to change along with Mu Cai's emotions.

Even though Gu Yunchen has regained his composure, his heart is still being held captive by the person in front of him, pounding for the young man on the ground. Countless emotions surge through his chest, until all that remains in his heart and eyes is this one person.

It's over. Gu Yunchen thinks he's really fallen for him.

Chapter 20

Mu Cai successfully got the opportunity to play the third male lead in a performance. Before he had the chance to share the good news with Su Xingyun, his agent rushed back that night and hurriedly sent him back to the closed training venue for the concert.

"This outside world is too dangerous," Su Xingyun thought. "It's better to let Mucai focus on preparing for the concert first. During this time, I'll find him a reliable and discreet assistant who can help take care of some minor matters during filming."

During the two months that Mu Cai returned to the training base, Su Xingyun did not arrange any other activities for him except for the follow-up publicity announcements related to Pure Love cosmetics.

However, Mu Cai's Weibo account was being managed every day. Su Xingyun divided the photos from the previous ad shoot into three parts and sent them out every two days, with about four or five photos each time. This way, fans on Weibo could occasionally admire his appearance and help maintain Mu Cai's popularity.

When the photos were almost all sent out, the ads for Pure Love that were shot earlier were also completed and released. The official Pure Love Weibo account even paid for promotion and tagged Mu Cai's Weibo handle.

Soon, before the enthusiasm from "Rookie Star" had completely cooled down, the netizens saw another video:

In three different scenarios, a young man had three different shades of lip color applied by a makeup artist. The colors of this new product were not bold but fresh and elegant, blending seamlessly with the person's face. They made the person's complexion appear fairer.

The camera showcased Mu Cai's lips from all angles. His upper lip was like a bow, adorned with a small lip pearl in the center. After applying lip gloss, his lips had a radiant sheen and a healthy color.

In the final moments of the video, Mu Cai stood up from the chair and pushed open the balcony door. Instantly, the sunlight flooded in, enveloping the young man in a hazy halo, making him appear like a heavenly angel on earth.

Mu Cai leaned on the balcony railing, turned his head, and smiled at the camera.

With his curved eyebrows and eyes, a slight plumpness on his cheeks, he looked incredibly adorable and pinchable. His lips stretched out, sparkling under the sunlight, while his expression appeared both happy and content.

It was so beautiful that one couldn't help but hope time would freeze at this moment.

Comments on the official Pure Love microblog suddenly exploded:

[Oh my, the colors of this lip gloss are so stunning![

[It's Pure Love endorsed by Cai Cai! I want to take a sip of Cai Cai's lips!]

[After drinking coffee, this lip gloss barely faded! I won't say anymore, I'm going to place an order!]

This advertisement created quite a buzz on Weibo. And when it was aired on a popular local TV station, it made Mu Cai more well-known to the public.

Two months later, a week before the highly anticipated Seven Stars concert, the official microblog of "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" finally revealed the list of main performers.

Mu Cai, who played Yi Sheng, sparked a series of discussions and fan battles. His popularity kept rising, and more and more people were looking forward to the upcoming concert. This brought the hype for the concert to an unprecedented level.

However, Mu Cai had no idea about all of this.

In another week, it would be the concert day. They had returned from the training base to the concert venue in the capital a week ago, and have been rehearsing non-stop.

The tickets for the Seven Stars concert were already announced on various online platforms, and the pre-sale would start at noon today.

Gu Yunchen had been waiting in front of the ticketing platform for a while now. He had already adjusted his phone screen to the purchasing interface and selected front-row seats. His finger was just a few millimeters away from the purchase button.

Time continued to pass, minute by minute.

After staring intently at the number in the top left corner of the phone screen, Gu Yunchen immediately tapped. A rotating icon appeared on the screen and a few seconds later, the system prompted him that the purchase was successful and the ticket had been issued.

Gu Yunchen felt extremely proud and quickly took a screenshot of the successful purchase, which he then posted on his Moments to show off.

He was usually low-key and rarely posted on Moments or even checked them. But this time, not only did Gu Yunchen post a screenshot, but he also made a very cheesy victory sign. Instantly, people from all walks of life came forward to inquire about the situation.

Gu Yunchen's WeChat contact list included people from the entertainment industry, the art circle, and the business world. The older ones remained silent and simply gave a thumbs up. Those around his age had no reservations and left comments:

"Did the sun rise in the west today? Brother Gu, whose concert are you going to? Mo Yingdi hasn't held a concert for a while, right?"

"Hey, the person upstairs is so behind on the news. This is Mu Cai's concert. Our Brother Gu has long abandoned the unattainable moonlight and has now set his sights on a little kitten in a twisted way!"

This was a typical post from Tang Feng, who was always sarcastic. What's worse, he did it publicly, in broad daylight, under the gaze of heaven and earth - an outright slander and defamation!

Upon seeing this, Gu Yunchen couldn't help but "tsk" in disgust.

He didn't have any "white moonlight" - he simply had a competitive mindset towards Mo Hengqing as they were of similar age and occupation. That's why he happened to glance at him a few more times than usual. How did he suddenly become his "moonlight" in Tang Feng's post?

In the past, Gu Yunchen didn't bother explaining these groundless rumors, for he had nothing to hide. But things were different now that he had a love interest - he had to learn to avoid suspicion. So Gu Yunchen's fingers flew across the screen as he replied to Tang Feng:

"Careful what you say."

As soon as he sent his message, a new notification popped up - it was from Jing He, the director of "Xiaoxue Jiangshan."

Jing He was two generations older than Gu Yunchen, even more if you assume each generation gap was three years. The age gap between them was enough to fill the Marianas Trench.

Therefore, Gu Yunchen highly respected this senior, but never really had an in-depth conversation with him. He didn't know why Jing He was trying to reach him now. Maybe it was related to their movie.

With a professional mentality, Gu Yunchen thought he had already cleared up the rumors, and put aside the idea of teasing his sarcastic friend. He clicked on Jing He's WeChat message, but what he saw wasn't what he expected:

"Is your ticket for Mu Cai's concert? Do you have any extras? Me and a few friends wanna go."

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Gu Yunchen politely declined the request:

"No."

There was a pause on the other end, and then a message came again after a while:

"I saw that you're quite close with Mu Cai. Can you ask him if he has any extra tickets?"

Gu Yunchen responded firmly:

"It's not easy for young people to make a living. If you want to support, please buy tickets."

Jing He never expected such a response on WeChat. Did he look like the kind of person who would take advantage of younger generations?! It sounded like Gu Yunchen was treating him as if he wanted free tickets! He was willing to buy, but he was just a bit slow, could he be blamed for that!

As soon as Jing He thought of this, his literary pride took over:

"Can you blame me for being a bit slow? I can't just ask for it for free!"

Gu Yunchen didn't care if Jing He was asking for it for free or not. If he were to ask Mu Cai for tickets, then Mu Cai would definitely have to find a way to get them for him. After all, he (MC) liked him (GYC) so much.

But Mu Cai didn't have any connections and was also very easy to embarrass. Wasn't it too difficult for him to go through all the trouble to get the tickets for Jing He? Gu Yunchen didn't have the heart to make Mu Cai work so hard for someone else.

Just as he was about to refuse Jing He's request, the other party sent another message:

"After all, I'm a man with a wife. How can my speed match yours?"

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Gu Yunchen was so angry!

How dare this senior artist act like this! He was clearly a shameless old man!

When Jing He saw that there was no response from the other end on WeChat, he knew that his strategy of suppression before promotion was effective.

The other person must be so angry that they can't even speak!

With a sense of satisfaction in his heart, Jing He could now have a proper conversation with Gu Yunchen. He lazily typed with a leisurely speed:

"Don't be mad, Xiao Gu. I just want to ask you, has Mu Cai studied acting before?"

As soon as Gu Yunchen read this message, the anger in his heart disappeared without a trace.

Jing He was known for his ability to train actors. Wen Lan, who won the Best Actress award for five consecutive years, was once criticized as just a pretty face when she was young. However, after working under Jing He's guidance, she seemed to have a breakthrough and went on to win numerous domestic and international awards throughout her acting career.

The other person must be asking to understand more about Mu Cai's situation. This way, when they start filming "Xiaoxue Jiangshan," Jing He will know how to guide Mu Cai.

Therefore, Gu Yunchen didn't joke around and quickly replied:

"He hasn't studied acting, to be honest. When he came to audition for you, it was his first time acting."

Jing He was somewhat surprised.

From the moment he heard the news about auditioning for the role of Yi Sheng, to the actual audition, it took less than three days. Trying to fully understand the script, grasp the character, and interpret the audition scene in just three days is truly difficult without years of acting experience and skill.

However, Mu Cai was an exception.

Jing He thought for a moment and felt a sudden heaviness in his heart. He replied:

"[He's a very talented actor.]"

Guyunchen silently agreed.

Unexpectedly, the other person sent another message:

"[Unfortunately, talented actors often have a common flaw. They can only perform well in roles that they personally connect with. Roles that they don't connect with, they're usually just average.]"

That's actually true.

Jing He couldn't help but feel a little regretful for Mu Cai's unfortunate timing:

[This kind of unpolished talent, it used to be simple. Back then, a movie could be filmed slowly, a character could be honed well, and eventually, they would achieve mastery. But now... Ah, with capitalism prevailing, this fast-paced environment is no longer suitable.]

Gu Yunchen's heart twitched.

Jing He truly felt regret. If Mu Cai had some powerful backing, didn't have to worry about basic needs, could freely choose roles, and have the time and resources to study, then his path to stardom would naturally be smooth, perhaps even becoming a brilliant star in the history of cinema.

But now...

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

Jing He looked down and saw a message from Gu Yunchen:

[He can do it, because I'm here.]

Chapter 21

On the evening of the concert, Gu Yunchen arrived at the venue early, wearing a hat and a mask. His seat was in the inner section, closest to the stage with the best view. And because there were fewer seats, he didn't have to worry about someone taking his spot.

After going through security, Gu Yunchen bought drinks, tissues, and a light stick. He used to be a member of a boy band and had his own concerts. But back then, it was his fans who bought these items to support him. Now, it was his turn to hold up the light stick and support someone else.

More than ninety percent of the people who came to see the concert were young girls. As a grown man, Gu Yunchen stood out among them. But luckily, he sat in the inner section, a distance away from the other seats. Most of the people around him came in pairs or groups and nobody was bored enough to strike up a conversation with him.

With the help of his low hat brim and the mask covering half his face, Gu Yunchen successfully hid his identity before the concert started.

When the concert began, all the lights above turned off, plunging the entire venue into darkness. Suddenly, a spotlight shone on the stage, revealing the seven members of the Seven Stars group who had already formed their positions on the elevator.

The thousands of fans in the audience started cheering and screaming.

The lights above changed suddenly, casting a magnificent glow on the seven members' white outfits, creating a wonderful palette of colors on their bodies.

The music suddenly started, and the beat resounded in the ears.

Seven Stars' formation immediately scattered, and the seven people started dancing forward. At the same time, a beautiful, ethereal voice like mountain streams echoed in the venue, refreshing the ears of all the audience and hitting their souls like ripples.

The dim small lights instantly turned into bright big lights, and everything on the stage was immediately visible.

Mu Cai was standing at the center position, wearing a loose white sweatshirt and khaki work pants. He sang and danced to the rhythm of the music.

His soft black hair fluttered with his movements, and his delicate pale face, with its arched eyebrows and curved eyes, showcased his little tiger teeth.

The audience couldn't help but scream out loud, and some even shouted at the top of their lungs:

"Mu Cai!" "Mu Cai!" "Mu Cai!"

The fluorescent sticks and exclusive light sticks underneath the stage danced, forming a scattered galaxy of stars in the darkness, all coming together to express their love and support for the person on stage.

Gu Yunchen had once enjoyed such treatment. If someone had told him at that time that someday he would be chasing after someone in this way, Gu Yunchen would have scoffed and thought that person might be crazy.

And now, he was immersed in the atmosphere of the entire venue, excitedly raising the fan banner in his hand like a child. He swayed along with the rhythm of the song, hoping that the shining figure on stage would glance at him, just like all the other fans.

If it weren't for the lingering rationality in his mind desperately poking at Gu Yunchen's nerves, he would have wanted to take off the mask that was obstructing his face and shout at Mu Cai.

Jealousy and unwillingness emerged in the depths of Gu Yunchen's heart.

Those fans surely didn't know that the person they adored, who smiled like the bright sunshine, would be shy in front of him. He was the one Mu Cai liked!

Although Mu Cai was the lead singer of the group, this was the opening song of the Seven Stars concert. He only sang for a while before stepping back. The other six members split the remaining parts and stood in the center of the stage, smiling at the audience.

The fans below gave face to them. Each person shouted their name and waved their fan sticks or banners.

Although it wasn't as grand as when Mu Cai was on stage, there was definitely no awkward silence.

The next songs were sung by Mu Cai as the lead singer, with the other members taking turns to handle the chorus and rap sections.

All the songs performed at the Seven Stars concert had been released as an album a week before the concert. Therefore, the fans present had already heard these songs and could sing along, making the atmosphere extremely lively.

At the end of the concert, the group members sang the theme song of the "Rookie Star" program together.

This theme song is played at the end of each episode of the program, it has a beautiful melody and simple lyrics, many people can sing a few lines. So, by the end of the concert, it had turned into a chorus of thousands of people.

Most of the fans present had followed the "Rookie Star" program and personally witnessed the growth and efforts of the seven people on stage. Seeing their idol's dream come true, shining on stage, many fans couldn't help but burst into tears.

By the time the concert ended, it was almost 11 o'clock at night. Mu Cai thoughtfully reminded the fans to pay attention to their safety, especially the female fans, who should preferably travel in groups.

As the audience dispersed, the lights in the venue were turned on to help people see the way and the steps when leaving the concert. Just as Gu Yunchen stood up and was texting Lin, his assistant, he heard a surprising voice next to him:

"Gu Yunchen!"

He instinctively wanted to turn around. Luckily, his senses kicked in and stopped him in his tracks. He didn't respond, but lowered his hat brim and tried to walk out quickly.

However, the voice was surprisingly loud, echoing throughout the venue, causing many people to turn their heads and see what was happening.

Fortunately, the security personnel had already noticed the commotion and Gu Yunchen seized the opportunity to stride towards them.

A few security personnel realized something was wrong and quickly surrounded the area. They were used to these situations and had seen the real faces of many celebrities. With Gu Yunchen's cooperation and the assistance of the hat brim and mask, the security personnel immediately recognized the person and swiftly separated him from the crowd.

Gu Yunchen managed to escape and communicated with the security personnel for a few moments before they allowed Lin, with the rabbit plush toy, to enter the venue. The two of them were temporarily led by the security personnel to the backstage dressing room.

The members of the Seven Stars group, who were in the middle of removing their makeup, were stunned when they heard the door open and turned around.

Mu Cai was the first to react and joy appeared on her tired face. "Rabbit plushie!"

Gu Yunchen, who was about to nod in acknowledgement to everyone, paused. The person Mu Can saw at first glance was not him?!

At that moment, Li Yuzhe, who was standing nearby, was the first to react and greeted him, asking, "Hello, Brother Gu."

Everyone in the room followed suit and greeted him. Mu Cai, only now realizing him mistake, shifted her gaze away from the rabbit plush toy and obediently said, "Hello, Brother Gu."

Lin Jiayi looked surprised and asked, "Brother, how did you come here?"

As the pampered "Prince" of Starlight Entertainment, he had always been open about his identity and it felt natural for him to address Gu Yunchen as "brother". Among the members of the group, except for Mu Cai, everyone's expression changed upon hearing this.

Gu Yunchen felt relieved when Mu Cai finally responded. He looked at Lin Jiayi with a cold expression and said, "Yeah, I came to see your concert, but ended up being recognized."

He spoke casually as if it didn't matter. Everyone in the dressing room, who had been nervous, calmed down as well.

No one said a celebrity can't attend a concert, especially since Gu Yunchen used to be their mentor. Even if it was revealed, it wouldn't have any negative impact. Perhaps netizens on Weibo would even think their mentor-student relationship was great.

After Gu Yunchen said that, he asked nonchalantly, "Where are you guys staying tonight? Can I come with you?"

Gu Yunchen had personal experience. After a concert, celebrities usually feel exhausted. Plus, it was already past 11 pm, and they were probably not going back to the company but would rest nearby.

However, Lin Jiayi felt like something wasn't quite right.

Since he participated in "New Star," many things seemed to have changed. For example, his senior brother frequently topped the trending searches with Mu Cai, and his brother even taught Mu Cai how to dance on the show. Recently, there was even news that Mu Cai would participate in a movie starring Lin Jiayi's older brother.

Lin Jiayi thought there must be some coincidence in all this. But when he looked at Gu Yunchen's usual cold expression, he became uncertain.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally said, "We're staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Brother, you can come with us later."

Gu Yunchen nodded and ignored Mu Cai's longing gaze. He calmly took the rabbit plush toy from Assistant Lin and sat down on the side.

After the seven of them finished removing their makeup and most of the people outside had left, they followed the leader and walked out of the venue. Three cars were parked outside, one of which was driven by Assistant Lin.

Gu Yunchen, carrying the rabbit plushie, was the first to sit in his own car, but he didn't close the door.

Mu Cai hesitated for a moment in place, then followed his heart and walked towards Gu Yunchen's car. After all, Gu Yunchen had said that if he wanted to play with the rabbit plushie, he could go to his car.

As soon as Mu Cai sank into the soft seat, he eagerly looked at the snowy-white rabbit in Gu Yunchen's hands.

The car roof light was on, casting a warm yellow glow on the young man's skin. His eyes were big and black, with a watery sheen, shifting between Gu Yunchen's face and the rabbit plush toy in his hands, a hint of longing showing on his face.

Mu Cai couldn't help but speak up, "Gege, I..."

Before he could finish his sentence, something soft and fluffy was pushed into his hands.

It was the rabbit plushie.

Mu Cai immediately smiled, "Thank you, Gege!"

Gu Yunchen snorted.

Always acting cute and spoiled.

Lin Jiayi, who was outside the car, saw Mu Cai holding the rabbit plushie and thought he looked extremely soft. He figured it wouldn't matter to bring one more person since his brother's car was big anyway.

But just as Lin Jiayi was about to approach them, he saw Gu Yunchen suddenly lean out of the car, pulling the slender young man's shoulder towards him with one hand and closing the car door with the other.

Gu Yunchen maintained his embrace on Mu Cai and ordered Assistant Lin, "Drive to the Hyatt Hotel."

Assistant Lin: "..."

Lin Jiayi, who had just taken a step outside: "..."

Assistant Lin silently started the car.

However, Mu Cai was completely unaware of everything that had just happened. He kneaded the rabbit plush toy for a while and looked at Gu Yunchen with hopeful eyes. "Gege, can we... tonight?"

Gu Yunchen's expression was cold, but he wished he had ten or eight more pairs of ears to hear what Mu Cai would say next.

What can I do?

"...Can I borrow this rabbit plushie? I want to sleep with it. I didn't bring my doll with me today."

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Gu Yunchen was cold: "No."

Seeing how devastated Mu Cai looked, he couldn't help but start to doubt a very serious question.

Does the other person actually like him, or do they just like his plushie?

Chapter 22

Mu Cai felt wronged after being denied to sleep with the rabbit plushie.

However, he quickly cheered himself up. Not even giving him a rabbit doll, the protagonist must really dislike him! Does it mean that at least some parts of the plot haven't collapsed?

So far, Mu Cai has realized that he has unintentionally changed many plot lines. For instance, as per the original plot, the original body was eliminated in the group competition of the selection show. Mu Cai, however, not only debuted successfully but debuted at the 'C' position.

Regarding the film 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan', the original body didn't secure the supporting role, but Mu Cai did. He felt uneasy thinking about this, fearing a collapse of the energy field, and hence would check for warning red lights in his system occasionally.

However, he was too busy at the time. Seeing that the system didn't show any warning, he didn't have the time to deal with the issue.

Now, while Mu Cai was holding the soft rabbit doll, he started to call the system in his mind:

[System, system, the plot has changed, but the energy field is still stable. What should I do next?]

As a beginner, Mu Cai was encountering such a situation for the first time and felt somewhat anxious. This system, however, has always been an emotionless broadcasting machine. Besides providing the original plot and assisting in character recognition, it never made a sound and was nearly useless.

He wasn't even sure if he could make contact this time.

Mu Cai had only intended to ask casually but didn't expect the system in his head to respond:

[`Small-scale plot deviation detected; major plot direction not yet deviated; energy field remains stable.`]

[`Conclusion: Host can freely improvise within reason, maintain the fundamental nature of the character, ensure others do not suspect foreign identity.`]

Mu Cai felt relieved at this.

All he needed to do was to grasp the basic nature of the character. For Mu Cai, this was much simpler. What was the most prominent characteristic of the original character? Wasn't it his fondness for Gu Yunchen? All he needed to do was to show that he liked Gu Yunchen very much.

With this thought, Mu Cai felt a sense of relaxation.

As soon as he relaxed, exhaustion seeped into every limb, making him especially want to sleep.

Counting from a few months ago when he decided to partake in the show "Rookie Star", Mu Cai had been busy from early spring to late autumn. He hadn't had a proper rest in five months.

On top of that, he had just held a concert. Within those two hours, constantly changing clothes and performing songs and dances had greatly exhausted his energy. Mu Cai was indeed really tired and was almost involuntarily about to drift off into dreamland.

He was aware that his performance today did not quite match his character. But exhausted as he was, Mu Cai genuinely didn't have much thought to spare for the other side. His mind was mainly focused on what interested him the most.

He held the soft rabbit doll in his hand and eventually closed his eyes, unable to fight off the sleep.

Gu Yunchen, who had been watching closely for a while, straightened his back and subtly moved towards Mu Cai.

Half-asleep, Mu Cai's head was bobbing, on the verge of falling. Just as he was about to collapse, a sturdy, reliable support caught him in time.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Gu Yunchen lowered his gaze to see the fluffy head that had leaned in close.

The young man's sleeping face was serene, with eyelashes fanned down and rosy lips slightly parted. Pressed against his shoulder, a small bit of flesh protruded from his cheek, which appeared to be very pinchable.

Gu Yunchen couldn't help but extend a finger, gently poking that tiny bulge.

The touch was smooth and delicate, soft, and created a small, delightful indentation, just as he imagined.

Gu Yunchen only gave it a brief touch before withdrawing his hand.

He knew Mu Cai was tired.

Maybe it was due to his exhaustion that he treated him indifferently tonight.

In light of Mu Cai's efforts for the concert, Gu Yunchen decided to forgive his oversight.

The car continued for a while, and soon they arrived at the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Mu Cai was gently woken up.

When he woke up, his head was groggy, and he was still lingering in his dream.

On instinct, Mu Cai gave the rabbit in his hand a squeeze, gradually regaining his senses. Seeing the words "Hyatt Regency Hotel" outside the window, he finally realized that he was about to part with the rabbit.

He reluctantly pinched and rubbed it for another little while before preparing to get off the car: "Brother Gu, then I..."

Gu Yunchen cut him off: "You can take it with you."

Mu Cai was stunned for a moment.

His sleep-addled brain took a while to comprehend the other person's intentions. Unconsciously, his face showed a surprised expression: "Thank you, Brother Gu!"

The fatigue on the young man's face disappeared instantly, and his bright eyes sparkled.

Gu Yunchen blinked, shocked momentarily.

When he returned to his senses, he was somewhat annoyed inside.

He really likes this rabbit doll that much!

Gu Yunchen spoke in a cold tone: "It's just a loan for you to sleep for one night."

However, Mu Cai didn't mind his attitude at all—after all, he just wanted this soft rabbit. Also, given his need to maintain his idol facade, he responded with greater joy: "Still, thank you, Brother Gu! Brother Gu is really nice!"

His voice was as soothing as the flowing water in a mountain stream, with a slightly sticky undertone resonating in the dark night.

Paired with his expression, it was clearly a display of affection.

Gu Yunchen almost tore a hole in the seat cushion underneath his palm, completely taken aback. He made every effort to stabilize his surging thoughts, lowered his voice, and managed to maintain composure in the dark: "Hmm, you can come and play with me in the future."

After their conversation, their scattered thoughts found their own place while they opened the car doors, climbed the steps and entered the revolving door of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The concert of the Seven Stars group was a resounding success. The seats were full, the live effects were excellent, and the live streaming views on the online platform were extremely popular. This directly pushed the popularity of the seven members of the group to an unprecedented high.

After the concert ended, Mu Cai's account received a considerable amount of money. Although it was nothing compared to what other popular stars earned, Mu Cai was very satisfied.

Seeing how hard he had worked recently, Su Xingyun decided not to arrange any more activities for Mu Cai, allowing him to rest and wait for the filming of "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" to begin. With nothing to do for the next half month, Mu Cai took a rare break and used the money he earned to enjoy delicious meals at various places.

By the end of September, Mu Cai received a summons from the production team and flew to Lin City's film and television base, accompanied by Su Xingyun.

The production team had arranged a hotel for the actors to stay together, making it convenient for management and filming. If someone wanted to stay elsewhere, they had to report it to the production team. The team wasn't responsible for the actors' assistants, though.

Su Xingyun inspected the Hotel and found that, despite its remote location at the film and television base, the facilities were quite good, complete with a dedicated restaurant.

Feeling reassured, he took the newly assigned assistant, Xiao Liu, to purchase various daily necessities for Mu Cai and booked a nearby hotel for Xiao Liu to stay in, making it easier for him to take care of Mu Cai.

Meanwhile, Mu Cai stayed in his room with his key, organizing his luggage.

He didn't bring many items, just some clothes and bedding like sheets and blankets. Su Xingyun had told him that the hotel's bedding wasn't good, so he should bring his own to use instead.

Mu Cai was alright with making the bed, but he really had trouble changing the duvet cover. In college, every time he changed the duvet cover, the quilt inside would become a wadded mess, requiring quite a bit of shaking to smooth it out.

He didn't want to change the duvet cover, but Su Xingyun and the others had gone out to buy things for him. Mu Cai was too embarrassed to trouble others with such a small matter, so he decided to try changing it himself.

Just as he was getting out his sheets and duvet cover, there was a knock at the door.

Those who came looking for him at this time were either crew members or fellow actors stopping by. Mu Cai quickly got up to answer the door and saw Gu Yunchen standing outside.

Gu Yunchen was holding a shooting schedule, saying, "This is for you."

His demeanor was aloof, his tone didn't change much, and it seemed like he just ran over to deliver the schedule.

Mu Cai quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you, brother Gu."

Gu Yunchen's gaze casually swept over his bed, asking, "You're making the bed?"

Mu Cai nodded, "The sheets are already made, I was about to change the duvet cover."

Gu Yunchen looked him up and down, seemingly a bit disdainful, "Do you know how to change a duvet cover?"

Mu Cai shook his head honestly and asked offhandedly, "Do you know how to do it, Brother Gu?"

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Oops, he didn't know either.

Mu Cai sighed, "I'm sorry, Brother Gu. I shouldn't have asked."

What would be the point of asking if Gu Yunchen couldn't help him either?

Gu Yunchen felt humiliated as he coldly took out his phone under Mu Cai's pitiful gaze and called Lin, his assistant, over to change the bedding for Mu Cai.

Lin silently endured this task.

Feeling guilty, Mu Cai took out a bag of his treasured bear-shaped cookies from his suitcase and earnestly handed it to Lin.

Lin hesitated for a moment and then silently accepted it.

Gu Yunchen, who had been waiting nearby, saw that Mu Cai had no intention of giving him a bag of cookies too and showed a puzzled expression.

Gu Yunchen could only hint, "I'd like to eat some as well."

Mu Cai was very surprised. He couldn't believe that the leading actor, a top-star earning a fortune, would actually want his bag of bear-shaped cookies that only cost ten yuan!

Mu Cai felt heartbroken, but he had no choice. According to his character, how could he not give it to Gu Yunchen? Mu Cai forced a smile, but as he handed over the cookies, his face couldn't help but reveal a pained expression.

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Could it be that even the bear-shaped cookies ranked higher than him?!

Mu Cai and the others arrived at the filming site the day before the shooting officially began. After Su Xingyun arranged the accommodations for Mu Cai, he returned to the capital that night.

The next day, Mu Cai participated in the commencement ceremony with Director Jing and the others. It was then that he realized there were so many familiar faces in the crew.

He knew Mo Hengqing would be there, as he was supposed to play the leading male character's biggest rival, the loyal minister Lin Fu in the fallen Wang Dynasty.

However, how come Lin Jiayi was also there?

According to the original plot, Lin Jiayi debuted in the "Rookie Star" program and went on to pursue music. He wasn't supposed to have any scenes in "Xiaoxue Jiangshan."

However, considering that the world he found himself in was a mental energy field, slight fluctuations and inconsistencies were understandable. If the mental fluctuations were completely identical to what they detected, it should not be called an energy field but rather an AI simulation.

As Mu Cai thought about this, he noticed Lin Jiayi was also looking at him.

The young man's eyes seemed to be veiled with a layer of moisture as they turned and locked onto Lin Jiayi.

Caught in the act of staring, Lin Jiayi felt flustered. He found himself in a dilemma, wanting to continue looking at Mu Cai but feeling extremely awkward at the same time.

For a moment, Lin Jiayi didn't know what to say, and he couldn't look away. However, before he could dwell on it for too long, a figure in red blocked his view of the young man.

Looking up with slight annoyance, Lin Jiayi saw Gu Yunchen, who was wearing a red tracksuit. His glance carried a chilly air, and even his voice had a hint of icy chill: "What are you looking at? We're about to start shooting, stop staring around."

Having said that, he turned his head towards Mu Cai, who was entirely concealed by his tall body, and said: "Come, stand beside me."

The chill in his voice melted, making way for a warm spring breeze.

Lin Jiayi: "..."

Lin Jiayi felt that something was off.

But just as Gu Yunchen said, the opening ceremony was going to start soon. In this industry, people tend to have some beliefs and take such ceremonies very seriously.

If Lin Jiayi didn't perform well at this time, any setbacks encountered during shooting might be blamed on him.

Therefore, Lin Jiayi had no choice but to go along with everyone else, holding incense sticks and waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.

A roasted pig's head was placed on the table.

Director Jing, wearing a red outfit, held the thickest and biggest incense stick among everyone and bowed with them. After inserting the incense into the burner, the opening ceremony was considered to be concluded.

After the ceremony, Director Jing held a brief press conference.

Perhaps due to Director Jing's respected status, most of the reporters' questions were fairly standard. Jing He answered each question calmly - smiling while deflecting any sharp questions with tact. When the time was up, the security personnel organized the departure of all reporters from the scene.

Today, the weather was nice with clear skies and brilliant sunlight, but it wasn't too hot. After dealing with a series of long and short questions, Director Jing felt refreshed and waved his hand: "Alright, let's start by taking costume photos this morning."

As soon as the director spoke, the actors went to the makeup room.

The makeup artist assigned to Mu Cai was a well-known male makeup artist in the industry, Lian Ping. He looked like he was nearing forty, with a slightly effeminate demeanor. He spoke softly and slowly, and when holding a makeup brush, his hand would bend his little finger rather gracefully.

Lian Ping gently swept the foundation brush across Mu Cai's face while he couldn't help but exclaim, "Your skin is really good. I can't see any blemishes, and it's so fair."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently pinched Mu Cai's cheek.

The young man sitting obediently before him didn't resist. He simply blinked and looked at Lian Ping before saying, "It's because I'm young. Your skin is also very good and youthful. I'd probably look much older than you when I reach your age."

What was essentially a simple compliment felt sincere when uttered by Mu Cai.

Lian Ping was delightfully surprised by the praise and couldn't resist reaching out to touch Mu Cai's cheek again, complementing, "What a sweet talker."

At this point, Gu Yunchen couldn't hold back, "Concentrate on the makeup; stop all this touching. The makeup is going to rub off."

While Lian Ping's makeup skills were indeed first-rate, this occasional hands-on habit was something he just couldn't change. Gu Yunchen usually didn't mind as it was usually just a light touch to people's cheeks.

But seeing Mu Cai being touched twice already made Gu Yunchen uncomfortable, his heart felt ablaze.

Lian Ping glanced at Gu Yunchen, his eyes rolling significantly, "I'm the makeup artist, and I know what I'm doing. The little Cai doesn't mind, so don't stress over nothing, Yunchen. Beware, you might just be jealous of me."

Gu Yunchen: "..."

He really is!

He usually sneaks a touch or two when pretending to be serious, or gently pokes when the other person is asleep. But this guy, he just went for it so openly!

Mu Cai secretly glanced at Gu Yunchen's facial expression and saw that he looked unhappy. He quickly pulled Lian Ping's clothes and said seriously, "Please don't say that, Teacher. Brother Gu usually acts too formally, so he might not want to disrupt the filming of the styling photos. Please don't be angry."

A young man sitting in his seat slightly raised his head, looking at them with a pair of big, black eyes without blinking. Although he had a sweet and obedient appearance, he deliberately appeared serious.

Lian Ping's heart couldn't help but tremble from the cuteness.

He hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, let's focus on the makeup and not argue with certain people."

Certain people: "..."

Gu Yunchen, who was considered "serious," secretly thought to himself, in other people's presence, he sweetly called them "Teacher", but addressed him coldly as "Brother Gu."

In the future, he must find an opportunity to make him call himself "Brother."

Director Jing He and his team waited outside the makeup room.

The first to finish his makeup was Gu Yunchen, who played the male lead, Li Xuan. His makeup was fairly simple: his eyebrows were meticulously trimmed and his complexion darkened. A light layer of earth-colored eyeshadow was applied to his eyelids to deepen his gaze.

Dressed in armor, with a sword hung around his waist and a red cloak behind him, Gu Yunchen appeared imposing. As he walked out, his eyebrows were cold and his countenance was aloof. As his gaze swept over the surroundings, a chill rose wherever his eyes landed.

He looked like a seasoned warrior.

The photographer on the side hurriedly started taking pictures. Gu Yunchen cooperated well during the styling photo shoot.

Soon after, the best actress Gao Hong who played the female lead, and Mo Hengqing who played the virtuous minister, came out one after another. The looks of these actors satisfied both Jing He and Chang An.

Then there was Lin Jiayi, an earnest investor in the production team who insisted on participating as the prince. Jing He had initially been quite vexed about him, but fortunately, Lin Jiayi was playing a minor character who didn't get much screen time.

Seeing that Lin Jiayi's costume was also quite acceptable, Director Jing He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Until the door of the makeup room opened again.

The hand that pushed open the door was so pale that it immediately drew the focus of everyone in the room.

Following that, a man with a white jade crown and semi-old green shirt walked out.

The man's face was as pale as paper, with brows flying into the temples and pale lips, making him look sickly. Yet his eyes were brightly lit, as if all his vitality was gathered there.

His movements were neither hurried nor slow, and his gestures were modest and polite. His expression was mild. When his gaze fell on you, it was light and airy, seemingly looking at you and yet not.

It seemed as if everything was within his sight, yet everything seemed totally irrelevant to him.

He was like a hermit who had been disconnected from the mundane world for many years, ready to ascend to immortality at any time.

Uncontrollably, Gu Yunchen took a step forward, seemingly wanting to grasp this person who was beyond his control.

The man across looked over, his dark pupils reflecting two tiny images of him. It was like viewing a flower in the fog, or a moon in the water: an illusion merely floating on the surface without penetrating into his heart.

A tightness gripped Gu Yunchen's heart, and his expression instantly changed.

"What's the meaning of this, General? Why do you look at me like this?"

A voice that was both hollow and pleasing rang out. The man across spoke at a moderate pace, with clear enunciation as if every single word carried an otherworldly charm.

Instantly, Gu Yunchen realized that this was Mu Cai immersing himself into his character. He immediately picked up his line, "Nothing really, I just find you to be exceedingly otherworldly."

Reaching this point, he gave a self-mocking smile, "I always feel as if you could disappear at any moment."

Upon hearing this, a faint smile emerged on Mu Cai's face.

He was silhouetted against the light, the brilliant sunlight creating a hazy halo around him, making him seem even more like an immortal being about to ascend at any moment.

Mu Cai responded calmly, "Rest assured, General, I won't leave until the task is complete."

However, it's as if Gu Yunchen didn't hear that, and just murmured, "Indeed, you are an immortal..."

The words hung there, full of unsaid sentiment.

Everyone present snapped back to reality.

Mo Hengqing was the first to applaud, "Excellent! Just this small segment already makes me look forward to the upcoming scenes!"

Lin Jiayi widened his eyes, barely believing that Mu Cai had become so skillful. He glanced at the two people standing opposite each other. Their interaction during the scene was well-timed and complementary, as if they were already very familiar with each other.

That unsettling feeling in his heart resurfaced.

Suppressing his thoughts, Lin Jiayi joined in the applause.

Appreciation shimmered in the eyes of the nearby Jing He. He glanced over at the cameraman, who gave an 'ok' gesture, and he nodded in response.

He indeed chose the right people!

That night, the production team of 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' released character stills arranged into a 3x3 grid.

Comments exploded under the Weibo post, with shares, likes, and comments quickly surpassing a thousand. Fans of various actors, fans of the book, and character fans all mingled in a lively debate.

Although 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' was a script personally penned by Chang An, the original form of this script was once serialized on a website for a period of time. Many film and television works now follow the route of IP incubation and adaptation, which can attract a group of book fans in advance, creating buzz for the film and television works and achieving the aim of becoming popular even before it's aired.

Chang An didn't like adapting others' works, so he simply took up the pen himself. Although he was formally trained as a screenwriter, he also enjoyed writing.

During the early days of the Internet, driven by his competitive spirit as a writer, Chang An wrote several web novels which were all left incomplete. With his stringent logic, compact plot, fluent writing style, and profound skills, countless wailing souls were left stranded at the bottom of his unfinished stories.

However, these "stranded souls" would still follow him whenever he started a new story.

"Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was only halfway serialized online, but the overall story and character images were clear. Each character in the book had their own fan base.

The character Yi Sheng, who was known for his strategy, composure, and ruthlessness, might not have had high popularity among casual readers, but his fan base was quite significant, boasting many dedicated fans.

When book fans heard that "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was about to be made into a movie, and that it involved a collaboration between Jing He and Chang An, they were initially very excited. However, when they learned that Mu Cai would be playing Yi Sheng, many were deeply disappointed.

Especially the die-hard fans of Yi Sheng, who publicly demanded an explanation from Chang An and Jing He on Weibo. More extreme individuals even resorted to passionately insulting Mu Cai under his Weibo posts, feeling that he had insulted the character.

After all, Yi Sheng and Mu Cai were dissimilar in every aspect, whether in appearance or character. Moreover, Mu Cai was a product of a talent show and had no acting experience whatsoever. Instead of starting his acting career with idol dramas to hone his skills, he had chosen to debut with a role that many loved - this was something many fans of Yi Sheng found hard to accept.

There are also quite a few rants about this on Weibo:

[I've been waiting for years for the ending of 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' and just want to see a quality movie. Why is it so hard? Can these young, inexperienced actors stick to their fan dramas and not pollute the purity of more serious works?!] *Likes: 3000+*

[With the rampant influence of capital nowadays, I can understand why directors are sometimes restricted. But I originally thought that a well-established director like Jing He would be less affected and have his own bottom line. It seems I was naive.] *Likes: 4000+*

Of course, Mu Cai's fans also came to his defense:

[The movie hasn't even started shooting yet, and some people are already acting up. Even if the movie ends up being terrible, I don't mind you criticizing it then, but are you trying to slander someone based on your imagination now?"]

[Don't worry, Cai Cai! Your colorful ribbons will always follow you!] (Note: 彩帶 Cǎidài = ribbon)

The storm kicked off as soon as the cast list for "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was published on the official Weibo of the drama team, causing quite a stir. However, the unveiling of the costume fitting photos by the official Weibo led to a significant change in public opinion:

[Ahhh, I totally buy this actor as Yi Sheng!]

[Oh my god, this is exactly the Yi Sheng in my mind! He's aloof from worldly affairs, albeit frail, but his dignified charm remains undiminished!]

[...]

Of course, there were also people who believed that the credit should go to the photo editors, and that the costume fitting photos alone couldn't reveal much. After all, there are plenty of examples where a good-looking cast led to a poorly made film.

Unexpectedly, not long after this opinion surfaced, the Weibo account released a short video clip.

This video truly stirred up a storm of reactions on Weibo:

In the bustling, thoroughly modern shooting set, the character Mu Cai in the video lowers his eyes, then lifts his head and nonchalantly glances at the camera.

This single fleeting look, cool and nonchalant, was almost enough to make hearts beat faster.

Unfortunately, this look was just a fleeting moment and it didn't linger on the screen, more like an unintentional breeze that just happens to graze everyone present.

Chapter 23

The tide has turned on Weibo, with fans engaging in spirited discussion.

However, Mu Cai was blissfully unaware of the whole whirlwind of events. He was currently on set, and all Weibo matters were being handled by Su Xingyun.

Director Jing's filming schedule was quite packed. As the third male lead, Mu Cai had quite substantial parts to play. Not only did he have scenes during the day, there were also times when he had to shoot evening scenes.

He had a night scene lined up for that evening.

Mu Cai had his long hair down, donned in a cloak. Underneath the cloak was an intentionally distressed costume. In a short while, it would be his turn together with Gu Yunchen to shoot the night scene.

The mid-October nights were already not hot, carrying a hint of chilliness. Gu Yunchen watched as Mu Cai, clad in thin clothes and hugging a cloak meant for the scene, noticeably shrunk his whole body.

He looked like a little kitten curling itself up due to the cold.

Gu Yunchen's brows furrowed, his gaze seemingly carrying the cold wind that blew onto his assistant, Liu, standing nearby.

What kind of assistant can't even handle such a simple matter!

Startled by the cold gaze, Assistant Liu shivered and before he could figure out what was happening. Before he could figure out the situation, he saw Gu Yunchen in front suddenly taking off his coat.

Gu Yunchen was to film a night scene with Mu Cai, so naturally, he was also in costume. However, his garment was a bit thicker, and he was even wearing a wind-resistant coat given to him by Assistant Lin.

Now, Gu Yunchen took off his coat, extended his hand and put it on Mu Cai. His hands brought the coat closer around Mu Cai.

A wave of warmth suddenly washed over him. Subconsciously, Mu Cai raised his hand and touched a patch of warm skin. He quickly lifted his head only to see Gu Yunchen leaning in, his hands pressing on Mu Cai's shoulders as he draped the coat on him.

There is indeed a difference between individuals. Standing in the night wind, Mu Cai was chilled to the bone, whereas Gu Yunchen was different. His hands were warm and his body emanated heat, one could feel a wave of warmth just by being close to him.

Involuntarily, Mu Cai leaned towards Gu Yunchen a little more and didn't forget to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Gu."

When the "kitten" reached out his hands, they were absolutely freezing. Now, he was burrowing into Gu Yunchen's arms, still shivering from the cold.

Silently, Gu Yunchen tightened his hold around the young man's shoulders, pulling him slightly closer, and said in a deep voice, "Think nothing of it. Next time, be mindful. The weather is getting chilly now, remember to bring a warmer when filming at night."

As he was speaking, his eyes unintentionally swept over Assistant Liu's face, surveying him with a hint of cold scrutiny.

Assistant Liu felt a chill run down his arm, raising goosebumps. He felt a bit wronged.

This night scene was added at the last minute by Director Jing. Assistant Liu initially wanted to go back to the hotel to fetch a coat, but was stopped by Mu Cai. The film and television city was somewhat far from their hotel. Every morning, they used a shared car to commute. Mu Cai thought it wasn't worth the round trip just for a coat, so he forbade him from going.

Moreover, Kai Cheng Entertainment hadn't provided Mu Cai with a nanny car. There was a limit to what Assistant Liu could carry. Hence, when it wasn't a night scene, Assistant Liu would minimize the items he had to bring.

Assistant Liu felt wronged by the situation.

Seeing how cold Mu Cai was, he also wanted to lend him a coat. But he only had one with him!

Gu Yunchen was well aware that Mu Cai didn't have a nanny car. But that didn't matter as long as he had one. Their current project, Xiaoxue Jiangshan, started filming in October and would continue till the end of December. The weather would only get colder from then on.

In this way, he could legitimately lure Mu Cai, who was afraid of the cold, into his car.

Upon thinking this, a tinge of delight filled Gu Yunchen's heart.

As they were standing here, the other scene at the venue was already completed. Now Director Jing's voice pierced through the cool night, urging them, "Next scene, nocturnal discussion!"

Mu Cai quickly took off the coat Gu Yunchen had given him and walked onto the set with him.

The night scene they were filming depicted a nocturnal conversation between Li Xuan and Yi Sheng, after Li Xuan's army had lost two cities in a row.

Gu Yunchen sat on a stone in the courtyard, under a bright, full moon.

Just as he was gazing at the moon, he heard the door being gently opened.

Mu Cai stepped out from the room. He was lightly dressed, only wearing a cloak over his inner clothing.

Gu Yunchen hastily stood up, "Teacher, can't you sleep? Why did you come out?"

Mu Cai laughed, "That question should be directed at the general instead."

Mu Cai then walked to Gu Yunchen's side, and asked, "Is the general worried about the situation on the front lines?"

After a brief pause, Gu Yunchen replied, "Not exactly. We have already lost two cities, and sometimes I wonder if I should really be following this path. Maybe I..."

"You're overthinking it, General," the clear and pleasant voice of Mu Cai interrupted him, as he stood on the steps looking calm and collected. "How many 'maybes' are there in the world? Besides, since we've come this far, do you really want to back off when things get tough?"

Gu Yunchen lowered his head in shame.

Seeing Gu Yunchen looking somewhat flustered, Mu Cai's expression softened a bit. His face still seemed cold, but his words were comforting, "The general need not feel this way. Such thoughts are only natural."

Gu Yunchen looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Mu Cai, "Does Teacher have such thoughts?"

Mu Cai's expression remained unchanged, "Of course..."

"Stop!"

Director Jing's shouted from off-stage.

Both Gu Yunchen and Mu Cai stopped immediately, feeling slightly puzzled. Both of them rarely needed multiple takes, and their performance just now seemed fine, but for some reason, Director Jing called for a halt.

As internationally renowned director, Jing He surely had his reasons for stopping the scene. So, both actors exited their roles and walked towards Jing He.

It was already past 9 pm. Jing He sat in the darkness, bathed in the harsh light of the overhead lamp, revealing the lines of age on his face.

He appeared somewhat weary, yet his manner remained gentle. Jing He looked at Mu Cai and got straight to the point, "Your emotions were off just now."

Before Mu Cai had a chance to answer, Jing He asked another question, "Do you know what kind of time night is?"

Mu Cai was stumped.

He viewed nighttime as a great time to sleep.

But he instinctively felt that giving such an answer might infuriate Director Jing. So, wisely, he shook his head instead.

Jing He was pleased with his tact and continued by saying, "The night is a time when people find it easiest to relax and let their guard down. Forget ancient times and think about the present-day. Young people finish their daytime work and head home to play video games, go to bars, or chat with friends. Even you actors, after a long day of shooting night scenes, don't you feel tired and long for sleep?"

Mu Cai nodded in agreement.

Jing He added, "The daytime doesn't allow for fatigue, so we get tired when we rest at night. It's when people are tired that they most easily reveal what they usually keep hidden. Yi Sheng is no exception."

Gu Yunchen, who was listening nearby, found this thought-provoking.

Upon hearing this, Mu Cai seemed to have an epiphany. He asked hesitantly, "Director Jing, are you saying that I was being too rigid just now?"

Jing He was very satisfied with the other person's understanding. Communicating with intelligent actors was truly a pleasure. With just a gentle hint, Mu Cai was able to immediately come to a realization and find the mistakes on his own.

A look of approval appeared on Jing He's face, "That's right, Yi Sheng is also human. No matter how strong, calm, or cunning he is, there are still untouchable and difficult to avoid pain in his life. Although he and Li Xuan are a lord and servant, they also have a relationship like both mentors and friends. At this moment, it's just the two of them discussing this topic at night, and Yi Sheng will undoubtedly be emotionally affected to some extent."

Mu Cai nodded, "I understand, Director Jing."

Jing He didn't ask what exactly he understood. Instead, he just lifted his chin and said, "Well, go ahead and start again from where Li Xuan asks the question."

Gu Yunchen and Mu Cai both nodded and returned to the set.

...

Li Xuan stared intently at the man in front of him, "Does Teacher also entertain such thoughts?"

His usual deep and chilly voice, at this moment in the cool night, sounded even softer, lighter. It was filled with an unusual gentleness.

A trace of absent-mindedness appeared on Yi Sheng's face.

The moonlight fell into the courtyard, casting on his scattered glossy dark hair, showing glimmers of silver light.

Yi Sheng quickly recovered, a touch of reminiscence appearing in his eyes, "Naturally."

He turned his face, his bright eyes reflecting the lunar light: "In life, people will make a lot of mistakes or choose wrong paths because of a moment's carelessness. I have always believed that if a person has chosen this path, has done certain things, regardless of the initial incentive, he doesn't need to look back or regret."

"After all, regret only brings more pain. Only by looking forward can we gain confidence." With that, Yi Sheng turned to face Li Xuan and offered a smile, "General, don't you think I'm right?"

His eyes bright, his soft lips curled up into a smile, yet his brows exuded a certain gallantry. There was a rare sense of contentment and tranquility on his face.

Compared to the divine-like entity he often seemed to be, the current Yi Sheng seemed much more human.

A thought crossed Li Xuan's mind, and he suddenly felt no inclination to dwell on those past events any longer.

He took a step forward, one hand gently draping over the other's shoulder, and the other grasping Yi Sheng's slender hand.

A flash of surprise appeared in Yi Sheng's eyes, but he quickly steadied himself, just quietly watching Li Xuan.

Li Xuan squeezed that hand and smiled, "Teacher, whatever you say is right. However, it's getting cold outside and you've been standing here for quite a while. Your hand is cold. Let's go inside, my body is warm, I can warm you up."

As he spoke, he guided Yi Sheng towards the house.

Yi Sheng seemed not to have expected the general to make such an unusual move, taking an unsteady step and expressing a rare moment of fluster: "Then... I appreciate it, General."

...

Jing He waited until the two people on the other side entered the house before calling cut.

During this last part, Gu Yunchen had improvisationally added a few actions and thrown in a couple of lines. Mu Cai was quick on his feet and managed to keep up with the changes.

Even though directors usually frown upon actors making independent changes to the script, there are numerous accounts of great actors losing themselves in their roles which often lead to memorable scenes in film.

Jing He felt Gu Yunchen did a pretty good job here.

It was natural, appropriate for the character, and most importantly, it accentuated Yi Sheng's unique demeanor that evening without causing any abruptness.

But as he observed the scene through the lens, he felt something wasn't quite right.

After wrapping up for the day, Mu Cai got into Gu Yunchen's car.

He cuddled a soft rabbit toy in his arms, draped in Gu Yunchen's coat, with a cup of hot milk that the latter had given him. In the deepening night sweeping past outside the window, he was feeling rather sleepy.

Gu Yunchen recalled Jing He's words.

Nighttime, it's when people are most vulnerable.

After having accumulated several days worth of questions, he felt an almost urgent need for verification after tonight's events.

Holding his breath, Gu Yunchen took an indirect approach by asking, "Mu Cai, what do you think of your manager?"

Chapter 24

Gu Yunchen asked indirectly: "Mu Cai, what do you think of your agent?"

Mu Cai got on the car and started to feel sleepy almost immediately. Now, sleepy to the point that his eyes were barely open. When he suddenly heard this question, almost without thinking, he said, "Brother Su is quite nice."

Sometimes, he can be a bit childlike in the way he incessantly reminds him about certain things. Mu Cai even felt at times as if he could see a halo of paternal love above Su Xingyun's head.

Upon hearing Mu Cai's unhesitant response, Gu Yunchen felt a tinge of jealousy. But it was not the time to dwell on these feelings, so he tried again, asking, "Do you like your agent?"

Mu Cai quickly responded, "Of course, Brother Su treats me very well."

He found it a bit weird that Gu Yunchen was asking all these questions. Regardless, right now, Mu Cai was particularly sleepy and his brain was not functioning optimally so he decided to ask straight: "Why are you suddenly interested in this, Brother Gu?"

Maintaining a poker face, Gu Yunchen lied, "As one of the shareholders of Kaicheng Entertainment, it is naturally my duty to concern myself with our artists. You're on the path to fame, and I'm considering if the agent assigned to you is suitable."

Hearing this, Mu Cai became a bit more alert.

Right, how could he have forgotten? In the original story, Gu Yunchen's parents had given him a sum of money to make his own way, and Kaicheng Entertainment was one of the ventures Gu Yunchen got involved in. Even though Gu Yunchen was no longer managing the company directly and had even set up his own studio, he still held a portion of the shares in Kaicheng Entertainment.

Mu Cai was taken aback, realizing he had become popular enough to catch the attention of the company's shareholders and was being considered for a new agent.

He was just a small celebrity who debuted in an online talent show!

Suddenly Mu Cai fully woke up and addressed Gu Yunchen: "Brother Gu, I think Brother Su is good. He treats me and his other artists well. I don't want to change my agent."

The original character didn't change his agent until the end of the story! Although the story had crumbled quite a bit, if he could prevent more changes, he would. Besides, Mu Cai believed Su Xingyun was really good, and he took care of him on a day-to-day basis.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yun Chen couldn't help but ask, "So you like everyone who treats you well?"

Hearing this, Mu Cai was a bit puzzled, thinking, wasn't that obvious? However, since Gu Yunchen had asked, all he could do was obediently nod his head.

Gu Yunchen couldn't help reminiscing about his few encounters with Mu Cai in the past.

The first time he met Mu Cai, it was through his acquaintance with Mo Hengqing.

At that time, the Gu family and the Mo family had some business dealings, and Gu's father and Mo's father could be considered friends. When he visited Mo's family, Mo Hengqing pointed to a boy of about 15 or 16 years old and told Gu Yunchen that he was his aunt's son, and also his younger brother.

Back then, Gu Yunchen saw him as just a kid, still attending high school, with an aura of melancholy about him.

Although Gu Yunchen did not grow up in a crowded, feudal family, he had gone with his parents to many social occasions from a young age and had seen all sorts of people. His social experience was objectively more than that of Mu Cai, who was still a child at that time.

Even then, Gu Yunchen had a feeling that Wang Li, who had warmly received him with a smile on her face, was not a good person. She was a bully, and her heart was malicious. However, this was Uncle Mo's family matter, and it had nothing to do with him. As for Wang Li's actions, Gu Yunchen always turned a blind eye.

However, there was an instance when Wang Li's treatment of Mu Cai was too harsh. She had accidentally broken Uncle Mo's antique vase and wanted to make Mu Cai take the blame. Gu Yunchen, unable to stand it any longer, spoke up for him, rendering Wang Li speechless, and Mu Cai was thus spared.

It seemed to have been from that time onwards that the melancholic little boy started looking at him oddly. He only stared at Gu Yunchen with a chilling gaze, never really doing anything directly to him. Gu Yunchen, as a result, could not react too harshly and decided to keep his distance instead.

Later on, he visited Mo Hengqing's house less frequently. Given his lifestyle, he rarely bumped into Mu Cai.

However, Lin Jiayi, who was the same age as Mu Cai, ended up in the same school because of Uncle Mo's connections. Gu Yunchen was quite close to his cousin, Lin Jiayi, so he frequently heard from him about Mu Cai's misdeeds.

His cousin always expressed his disgust with an aversion to Mu Cai, saying it was one thing for him to collect his posters and pictures, but it was entirely different trying to gather information about him with the intention of secret stalking.

Lin Jiayi was usually arrogant, domineering, and the least fond of lying, so Gu Yunchen remained wary. Soon enough, his bodyguards reported several attempts by Mu Cai to stalk him.

For instance, buying first-class plane tickets to encounter him coincidentally on his return trips, or loitering near his residence, and so on.

As a celebrity, Gu Yunchen had encountered many overly zealous fans and strongly disapproved of such behavior. Therefore, when he encountered Mu Cai blocking his way in the restroom, he was furious. And he implicitly condoned Lin Jiayi's action of letting the bodyguards handle the situation.

Now that he looks back and thinks about it, Mu Cai didn't have any hidden recording devices, nor did he display any crazy behavior back then. It seemed like he just wanted to talk to Gu Yunchen, but never managed to speak up.

Could it be that Mu Cai's fondness was due to Gu Yunchen's previous assistance?

Gu Yunchen couldn't help but recall Mu Cai's words during an interview when he was still participating in the "Rookie Star."

He said: "I really admire Teacher Gu. I think he's very handsome, his dancing is extraordinary, and his acting is excellent. I have seen every movie Teacher Gu has ever made!"

Such words seem like something a child would say. Mu Cai's affection for him appeared to stem from Gu Yunchen's help in the past, and, later on, resembled that of all his fans, who were captivated by his appearance or the image he presented in public.

But it was not true love.

As soon as Gu Yunchen thought about this, a feeling of indescribable loss welled up in his heart.

The human heart is peculiar in that way. Before, Gu Yunchen felt disgusted and repulsed when he thought about Mu Cai's affection and following him around. However, now that he had fallen for Mu Cai, the possibility that he might not genuinely like him made him feel upset and miserable.

Mu Cai couldn't wait for Gu Yunchen's next question. As he waited, his consciousness started to fade, and his eyelids began their fight again.

Feeling warm from the hot milk after being exposed to the cold wind, he found comfort in cuddling the bunny plushie in his arms. The tightly closed car window kept the sobering cold air away.

Unable to resist sleep any longer, Mu Cai drifted off to dreamland as soon as his eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning. The familiar ring of his phone alarm echoed in his ears, and he was still hugging the soft bunny, blanketed by a cozy quilt.

Despite being slow to start in the mornings, Mu Cai quickly realized something was off.

Didn't he fall asleep in Gu Yunchen's car last night and sleep straight through to this morning? How did he get upstairs? Or end up in his bed?

Somewhat disoriented, Mu Cai washed up and brushed his teeth. After getting dressed, he gently pushed the door open and stealthily poked his head out to get a look at Gu Yunchen who lived across his apartment.

He had gone to bed early last night and slept uninterrupted, having a complete night's rest. As a result, Mu Cai woke up exceptionally early this morning, finishing his morning routine more than ten minutes ahead of schedule.

To his surprise, when Mu Cai opened his door, he saw that Gu Yunchen's door was wide open. Gu Yunchen was on the phone and, upon seeing Mu Cai, even gave him a smile.

Mu Cai felt like he might still be asleep.

Even though Gu Yunchen had always been decent to him, sometimes he was quite friendly. However, Gu Yunchen rarely smiled outside of acting, and his expression was often cold – not only towards Mu Cai but towards others as well.

Now that he suddenly smiled at Mu Cai, it seemed quite terrifying.

Nonetheless, it was a captivating kind of terror.

Gu Yunchen's features were striking – sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a prominent nose, and thin lips. He usually exuded an air of aloof elegance. Now, as he smiled, it was as if the icy facade had melted away, transforming into a gentle spring, flowing softly through one's heart.

Mu Cai admired him for a moment, then returned the smile as a courtesy gesture.

The young man leaned against the doorframe and smiled, his soft black hair glowed with a hint of yellow in the sunlight. His eyes sparkled brightly, even without the light shining on them, as if they were covered in a watery sheen.

His expression was filled with the vibrancy of a fresh morning, as if he was delighted to see himself. Gu Yunchen felt his heart soften in an instant.

While listening to Tang Feng's endless chatter on the phone, he hung up without hesitation and deepened his smile: "You're up?"

Mu Cai nodded.

Gu Yunchen continued: "I see you just woke up and haven't eaten yet. I asked Lin, my assistant, to buy breakfast and put it in the car. Do you want to join me downstairs to eat?"

Mu Cai quickly shook his head: "Thank you, Brother Gu, but I'll just eat in the restaurant downstairs."

The hotel's restaurant provided breakfast every morning with a wide variety of options, good taste, and at no cost. Mu Cai always went there for breakfast.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunchen did not back down. Instead, he spoke with a tone of regret: "Is that so? But I specifically asked Assistant Lin to buy a variety of breakfast items."

He then began to list them: "There's large shumai with delicious corn and pork filling. There are also four different kinds of buns. We have mushroom and vegetable buns, tofu and glass noodle buns, custard buns, and sauce-filled meat buns. If you don't like buns, you have the option to choose small flower rolls, mini mantou, and mini youtiao. For drinks, we have soy milk, coconut milk with sago, century egg and lean meat congee, and red bean porridge. If you don't like Chinese food, there's also fresh milk, ham sandwiches, pineapple buns, and seaweed rice rolls to choose from. You can choose between a cheese sausage or a mini octopus sausage – of course, you can also have both."

Gu Yunchen reached the end of his persuasive offer. His eyes intently focused on Mu Cai and slowly said, "Are you really not coming?"

Mu Cai: "!"

Seeing Mu Cai's wide eyes, Gu Yunchen suppressed a smile and expressed in a rather regretful tone, "If you're not coming, all this food would go to waste. I'll have to see if anyone else wants to eat..."

Without hesitation, Mu Cai cut him off decisively: "I'll eat!"

Chapter 25

In the gloomy and damp dungeon, Lin Fu sat on the cold, straw-strewn ground.

A glimmer of dim light cut through the dense darkness, moving towards the prison door. Along with the light, there came the hem of a long robe.

Lin Fu raised his head to see Yi Sheng standing outside the door, looking at him calmly.

The jailer lifted a torch for him. The dim light shone on Yi Sheng's face, reflecting two dancing flames in his pitch-black pupils.

Lin Fu should have looked at him and then turned his head, to exhibit his unyielding determination. But at this moment, he didn't understand his own behavior. Facing this face, he just couldn't take his eyes off.

With the noise from the prison door, the sound of unlocking echoed. The man bathed in the dim light walked in, with eyes seeming to hold an eternal flame looking right at him: "Lord Lin."

Lin Fu, whose throat was extremely hoarse from not having water for several days, muttered weakly, "Rebellious traitor."

With an unfazed expression, Yi Sheng replied, "It seems that Lord Lin is unwilling to yield."

Lin, with an unkempt appearance, lifted his fierce eyes and said: "I refuse to be associated with traitorous ministers and thieves!"

When he said this, he locked Yi Sheng's eyes tightly like a falcon, and snorted coldly: "Don't think I don't know what you're planning. You are such a selfish villain. Under the banner of getting rid of an incompetent emperor, you just want to use the hands of others to avenge your family."

A crack appeared on the calm expression of Yi Sheng.

Lin Fu relentlessly continued, "Marquis Zhong Yi's family is known for their devotion, yet they produced a traitor like you. Truly an unfortunate family!"

Yi Sheng's pupils suddenly constricted, feeling pain in his heart as if on the verge of vomiting blood.

Marquis Zhong Yi (Note: 忠義侯 = Marquis of Loyalty and Filial Piety), what a cruel irony! The beast on the Dragon Throne insulted his mother, deceived his father, and brought ruin to his family. He managed to pick up a life at the mass grave, yet the emperor still granted his father such a title!

This person standing before me dares to make groundless statements, despite knowing nothing!

Fury surges within Yi Sheng, but it's barely held back by that fragment of broken blood, a will mixed with tears of bitterness and perseverance, constantly battering against a wound that has failed to heal over many years.

The pain he feels is unbearable; his tears have dried up, and his heart is like withered wood.

Yi Sheng's face in the shadows suddenly breaks into a smile, like a ghost born from darkness: "It's true that I'm selfish; I've never hidden my desire to use my Lord's power. But, at least I'm not like some people who, clearly acting for their own selfish interests, disregard the well-being of the common people and the land, yet still choose to cover up their intentions and deceive themselves with sentimentality!"

"What a demon in the guise of a human, thinking themselves to be a good person! It's utterly ridiculous!"

Lin Fu raised his head fiercely, showing disbelief on his face: "Who disregarded the lives of the people? Who ignored the rivers and mountains? It was you traitorous rebels who started the war and caused the people to suffer! Yi Sheng, you have no shame!"

Yi Sheng, however, was unmoved and replied sarcastically: "Really? But it's a pity that it was the people of Liang City who invited us rebels into the city, and it was your soldiers who opened the gates for us."

The anger on Lin Fu's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a helpless paleness. Even his lips were trembling slightly.

He certainly knows about this matter, but he is still struggling to accept it. "It's all because they were bewitched by you..."

"Is that so? It seems that during yesterday's noon-time stroll, you still didn't get a clear look at the appearance of those commoners," retorted Yi Sheng with a mocking smile.

Lin Fu's hands began to tremble.

During the street parade yesterday, he walked forward shackled. The emaciated, unkempt commoners standing by the roadside had nothing but hatred in their eyes for him, throwing stones at him and cursing loudly in their dialect.

Yi Sheng said coldly: "There have been floods in the Jiangnan region for years, but the incompetent ruler still insists on collecting taxes and engaging in large-scale construction projects, leaving the people with no means to live. They're even resorting to cannibalism. Yet you still support this tyrant's rule – how is that not selfish?"

Lin Fu tried to defend himself: "No..."

Yi Sheng stared at him and said, "I'm afraid Lin Da-Ren still feels quite proud of himself inside, thinking he can be the one to turn the tides, help the emperor, and achieve eternal greatness as a loyal minister, am I right?"

With an expression of despair, Lin Fu replied, "I never thought that..."

Yi Sheng, undeterred, retorted: "You insist on supporting a tyrant's rule for personal gain, implementing his policies, exploiting the disaster-stricken people, and allowing invasions from the northern barbarians. With such actions, the populace suffers and the nation disintegrates. The starving citizens rise in retaliation, but you label them as traitors. The incompetent emperor, who should be blamed, is instead being honored by you. How brazen, Officer Lin."

He spoke his last words particularly slowly, pausing after each word, each one piercing the heart.

In his rage, Lin Fu vomited a mouthful of blood.

Yi Sheng felt an unmatched sense of satisfaction in his heart.

He flicked his sleeves, turned around, and his voice returned to indifference: "For a person like you who doesn't know right from wrong, and who doesn't know good from bad, I originally advocated beheading. It's just that the lord cherishes your talents and thinks that you can benefit the people in the future. It's just that when I saw him today, I only felt that Master Lin was selfish and would only beat back, and he would not be able to benefit the people."

"Your kindness will not save you," spat Yi Sheng, punctuating his remark by turning to leave, "If you won't surrender, pack up and get out!"

"Wait, just one moment," croaked the man who sat on the ground, his voice sounding like a faulty wind instrument.

Yi Sheng paused, though he didn't turn around.

With no food or water for days, Lin Fu mustered the strength to stand, his gaze riveted on Yi Sheng's gaunt silhouette.

Not minding if Yi Sheng could see him, he respectfully bowed: "Hearing a wise word is better than studying for decade. I want to apologize for my earlier disrespect. I'm prepared to surrender and accept whatever punishment you find appropriate."

Yi Sheng coldly said, "Tell that to your lord."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left the cell without looking back.

Lin Fu stood still, his eyes burning like the flame of life, gazing intently at the direction Yi Sheng had left for a long time.

Even when the prison guard came to remind him that he could leave, Lin Fu's gaze did not waver. His eyes were persistent and resolute: "I will prove it to you."

"Cut!"

Jing He was looking at the footage in the camera and was quite satisfied.

Both actors executed their movements and expressions perfectly.

Yet, that uneasy feeling emerged again.

Watching Mo Hengqing, who was portraying Lin Fu, burst out with emotion in the camera, Jing can't help but sigh internally.

Recently, he had been working with several seasoned young actors, but he doesn't know why, all of them, no matter how well they perform, all seem a bit off when they're acting with Mu Cai.

It's like their emotions were too intense when they interacted with Mu Cai, although it wasn't over the top, it was peculiar.

With such a comparison, Mu Cai ironically turned out to have the best performance in the entire drama.

It seems that the old horses do stumble at times, while the raw gems are more resilient to carving. As Jing He contemplated, he felt more fondness towards Mu Cai.

Noticing it was lunchtime and that Tang Feng had dropped by the set, Jing quickly called out: "Alright, let's wrap up for the morning. Everyone, let's eat."

As he said this, he affectionately looked at Mu Cai who was just coming down from the stage, "Cai Cai, you did really well today. You don't have any scenes this afternoon, so I'll let you finish early."

Despite the crew's hectic schedule from dawn till dusk, they still needed to take a day off from time to time to rest.

A smile instantly appeared on the somewhat weary face of Mu Cai. His eyes crinkled and two sharp little canines appeared from his smile: "Thanks, Director Jing! Don't forget to eat too, Director."

He looked very obedient.

Jing He immediately beamed with joy.

Following him from the stage, Mo Hengqing heard their conversation and chuckled, "Isn't there anyone who cares for me? Nevermind Director Jing, but Cai Cai, you've just won over me. How can you be so indifferent towards me?"

He stopped his words here, looking over with a pair of eyes, beautiful like peach blossoms.

Just as Mu Cai was about to answer, he felt a hand drop from his shoulder. He turned his head, and saw Gu Yunchen gently hugging him, and said coldly: "You are a selfish and stupid Lord Lin, Yi Sheng won't care about your life."

The audience burst into laughter.

Before Mu Cai could speak, he saw Gu Yunchen withdraw his gaze and look at him: "Let's eat quickly, I asked Tang Feng to bring some delicious food. Try it and see if you like it."

His thick eyelashes drooped, and his eyes were filled with expectation as they looked at Mu Cai.

Tang Feng had been there for quite a while, but Gu Yunchen hadn't eaten anything yet. He was still waiting for Mu Cai.

For some reason, Mu Cai thought that Gu Yunchen at this moment seemed a bit like a big, loyal dog, waiting wholeheartedly for its owner to come home.

He quickly closed his eyes, trying to shake off this absurd thought.

No matter what kind of personality he had, Mu Cai found it difficult to resist such a considerate Gu Yunchen. Besides, Gu Yunchen had been waiting for him, probably hungry as well. So Mu Cai quickly said, "Alright, let's eat together."

They sat down at a large table that was temporarily set up, and Mo Hengqing also came over with the food and dishes that the assistant had bought.

Although Tang Feng had come to visit Gu Yunchen on set, the milk tea and snacks he bought were for everyone to enjoy. He also bought large portions of roast chicken, braised meat, lamb legs, and other dishes so that the entire crew would have enough to eat.

Thus, it made sense for Mo Hengqing to join them, even though Gu Yunchen was not very happy about it.

However, Mu Cai didn't notice any of this and focused solely on eating his meal.

The food provided by the crew before had been decent, but it was obviously not as abundant as today's feast. After working tirelessly on the set for many days, Mu Cai was now devouring his meal like a famished wolf.

As he was eating, a tempting chicken leg suddenly appeared in his bowl.

Without thinking, Mu Cai traced the source of the addition and saw Gu Yunchen wiping his hands with a napkin and smiling at him, "Eat slowly, I tore a chicken leg for you."

As Gu Yun Chen spoke, his profound eyes were filled with warmth, "See if there's anything else you want to eat? I can get it for you."

Mu Cai quickly shook his head.

Looking at the fragrant chicken leg in his bowl, he felt the need to reciprocate the gesture.

If someone were kind to him, he couldn't just ignore it.

So, Mu Cai reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a piece of aromatic braised beef for Gu Yunchen, "Brother Gu, you should eat too."

Gu Yunchen didn't expect his actions to be met with such a pleasant surprise.

He hurriedly popped the piece of beef into his mouth. Once he slowly finished chewing, he looked at Mu Cai and laughed, "Very good."

It was unclear whether he was referring to the beef or to Mu Cai himself.

Tang Feng, who was watching from the side, clicked his tongue in resentment.

He glanced at Gu Yunchen, who hadn't spared him a single glance from the start. Gu Yunchen had even hung up his call this morning, truly a prime example of someone who values his desires over his friends!

However, his dissatisfaction didn't elicit any response from Gu Yunchen.

Gu Yun Chen simply didn't bother to glance in his direction and continued to exchange dishes with Mu Cai.

Seeing that Gu Yun Chen liked the braised beef, Mu Cai occasionally picked a slice for him but refrained from eating any himself.

The food on the table was for everyone. Out of a sense of reciprocation, he had been serving Gu Yunchen, but he was worried that if he accidentally took too much, there might not be enough left for others. So he chose to abstain, ensuring others would have their share. Sometimes, for dishes out of Gu Yunchen's reach, Mu Cai would also help serve those.

Gu Yunchen was very satisfied with this atmosphere.

Unfortunately, as they were enjoying their food, there was always someone ready to disrupt their peace.

A little pudding was pushed toward Mu Cai.

After his initial hunger subsided, he started eating more slowly. Just as he put down his chopsticks, feeling full, the pudding appeared.

The light-yellow pudding was in a small box, and even through the packaging, he could smell the enticing aroma of mango.

Suddenly, Mu Cai felt that he could eat more.

Mo Hengqing, who was next to him, smiled and asked, "Cai Cai, do you want to eat this? I specifically asked my assistant to buy it. If you want more, I have different flavors as well."

Mu Cai's eyes lit up instantly.

Just as he was about to pick up the little box to thank Mo Hengqing, a hand reached over and snatched the mango pudding.

Following the small box with his gaze, Mu Cai turned to see Gu Yunchen speaking with a stern look, "You've just finished your meal; it's not suitable to eat more. I'll keep this for you for now."

Upon saying this, Gu Yunchen noticed the slightly dispirited look on the young man's face and seemingly unintentionally added, "Don't you have an early day off this afternoon? Ride back with me in my car. I've asked Assistant Lin to prepare your favorite Torched Grass Jelly Milk Tea for you inside."

Mu Cai's spirits were instantly lifted, and he smiled, "Thank you, Brother Gu!"

After saying that, he seemed to remember something, turned his head, and smiled at Mo Hengqing, "Thank you, Brother Mo." (Notes: I feel like Gu Ge and Mo Ge would read/sound better, but since I've started it like this, I'll just continue with it for the rest of the arc.)

Mo Hengqing's face remained smiling, "No problem, I'll bring more for you next time."

After finishing lunch, Mu Cai politely bid farewell to the cast and crew, then left with Assistant Liu in Gu Yunchen's car.

As they disappeared from sight, Gu Yunchen's expression darkened.

He turned to look at Mo Hengqing and asked in a deep voice, "What are you trying to do?"

Mo Hengqing's expression also changed, his face turning cold: "I also want to ask you, what are you trying to do?"

He scrutinized Gu Yunchen, looking him up and down: "I remember you used to dislike Mu Cai, didn't you? When Lin Jiayi hit him, you tacitly agreed, didn't you? Why have you changed now, acting as if you're pursuing him?"

"I warn you, don't think you can take advantage of Cai Cai's simplicity and use his good feelings towards you for your own benefit," Mo Hengqing's expression turned serious, "Mu Cai is no longer so infatuated with you. He's already removed the photos, posters, and that life-sized pillow of you from his wall."

Gu Yunchen, who was initially composed, could not restrain a change in his expression upon hearing this.

He said in a low voice, "This can't be true!"

Mo Hengqing sneered, "What's impossible about that? If you don't believe me, go ask Lin Jia Yi. He saw it during the gathering at my house earlier this year."

Gu Yunchen's expression was somewhat dazed.

Even though he had long known that Mu Cai's feelings towards him weren't truly romantic, if Mu Cai had removed even this slight veil of infatuation, wouldn't that mean Mu Cai had lost all good feelings for him?

After all, he had silently approved of Lin Jiayi's actions towards him before.

Gu Yunchen clenched his fist.

That night.

Mu Cai was in his room playing games.

He had come back early today, and as soon as he returned, he took a nice nap. Indeed, sleeping in the bed under the covers was much more comfortable than catching a quick nap in the makeup room.

Mu Cai woke up refreshed, had dinner in the hotel, and then holed up in his room, playing games until now.

Just as he finished one round and had not started the next, there was a soft knock on the room door.

While getting out of bed and putting on his slippers, Mu Cai asked loudly: "Who is it?"

Gu Yunchen's deep voice came from outside the door: "It's me."

Although Mu Cai was quite puzzled as to why Gu Yunchen would come now, he still opened the door.

Gu Yunchen was standing neatly at the door, holding the rabbit plushie that Mu Cai liked very much in his hand.

The rabbit had long drooping ears and was holding a big carrot in its arms. No matter how many times you looked at it, it was always adorable.

Mu Cai quickly invited Gu Yunchen in.

Gu Yun Chen came in and sat on a chair to one side.

Mu Cai poured him a glass of water and placed it next to him before asking, "Brother Gu, what brings you here?"

Gu Yunchen used to visit him before, but it was mostly about their scenes together. Today, however, Gu Yunchen didn't have a script in his hand but held a rabbit plushie instead, which left Mu Cai unable to guess his purpose.

Gu Yunchen took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the soft toy before finally saying, "I'm sorry."

Once he began talking, the rest came out easily. Gu Yunchen continued, "I'm sorry. I should not have stood by when Lin Jiayi treated you like that. It's wrong to tolerate violence, especially since you didn't do anything excessive."

He felt the need to lay this matter out and discuss it with Mu Cai. Otherwise, it could become a hidden stumbling block on their path forward, ready to explode at any moment.

Mu Cai was stunned.

He didn't expect Gu Yunchen to come and talk about this matter. Although the original character had a pitiful experience, what he did in this case was indeed wrong.

Although the original character didn't do anything particularly outrageous, his eavesdropping and stalking had already affected Gu Yunchen's private life and were considered illegal actions. Furthermore, Gu Yunchen wasn't the one who hit the person – though he had a permissive attitude – which Mu Cai felt could be understood.

No one wants to be targeted like that.

Therefore, Mu Cai believed there was no need for Gu Yunchen to apologize for this matter.

Gu Yunchen's recent behavior and attitude towards him had greatly improved, which seemed quite strange.

It turned out that it was due to his guilty conscience.

After giving it some thought, Mu Cai said, "It's okay, Brother Gu. I was the one who did wrong in the past. My actions were extreme because of my family situation. I should be the one thanking you for your tolerance."

The young man scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. A soft, apologetic smile spread across his pale face. As his black hair drooped down, the entire person appeared to be very gentle.

Gu Yunchen felt a tug at his heart.

Mu Cai had forgiven him so quickly.

That's just like Cai Cai.

His heart softened into a mush, and a smile spread across his face. "Then, to thank you for your forgiveness, I'm giving you this rabbit plushie. Could we perhaps be friends from now on?"

Giving a rabbit plushie?

Becoming friends?

Although Mu Cai was not opposed, he couldn't help but check the energy field detection light of the system in his brain for the first time.

Thankfully, it was still stable.

In that case, he could rest assured about this rabbit.

Mu Cai joyfully hummed in agreement and happily took the white lop-eared rabbit into his arms with a smile.

The toy was soft and fluffy, which felt incredibly pleasant to touch and squeeze!

But since Gu Yunchen gave him a gift, shouldn't he reciprocate?

With this thought, Mu Cai picked up the cat doll that had been accompanying him for several months from his bed, and somewhat bashfully handed it to Gu Yunchen. "Brother Gu, if you don't mind, I'd like to give this to you."

The young man's fair hands held the cat doll, offering it up to Gu Yunchen. He slightly bowed his head, his eyes quietly observing Gu Yunchen from beneath his lashes, seemingly watching for his reaction.

Gu Yunchen couldn't have asked for more, and readily accepted the gift. "Thank you."

That very night, Gu Yunchen lay on his bed, cuddling with the cat doll. Even though the softness of the cat doll couldn't compare to the previous rabbit one, he couldn't help but cherish it.

Gu Yunchen calmed his excited emotions and buried his face in the doll, taking a gentle sniff.

A faint scent of Mu Cai's milk fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.

It was absolutely enchanting.

Chapter 26

Xiaoxue Jiangshan officially began filming at the end of September and it is now already the end of December. (Note: 小雪江山 = Little Snow Mountain. It's an artistic description of a natural scenery featuring light snowfall, mountains, and rivers.)

Director Jing He has always had a tight filming schedule, so the end of filming not only wasn't delayed but actually finished ahead of schedule. This afternoon marks the final scene of Xiaoxue Jiangshan. Once this segment is completed, the entire film will be wrapped up.

At the moment, all members of the crew are in a state of both tension and excitement.

Working in a film crew is different from the usual office workers. After completing each film, before moving on to the next, there is a period of time which, for regular crew members, is considered a break.

Once this scene is filmed, it will be more than a month until the New Year. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, after the end of this shoot, it will be pretty much the start of their New Year vacation.

As for the subsequent film editing, dubbing, and other tasks, these will form part of the post-production process.

The joy of a forthcoming New Year's vacation and the tension before wrapping up filming intertwine, making everyone on set all the more alert.

The final sequence to be shot is the ending of "Xiaoxue Jiangshan," which requires a radiant and sunny ambiance. The weather had been gloomy for days, with no hope of clearing according to the forecast. Director Jing was prepared to resort to special effects for the ending scene during post-production.

Unexpectedly, the weather cleared up today. The golden sunlight blanketed the earth early in the morning. Despite the winter sun, filming outdoors was still a chilling experience.

Mu Cai held a hot-water bottle, wrapped in a long down jacket, hopping about the shooting site like a rabbit in hopes of staying warm.

Gu Yunchen was also bundled up in a down jacket, with a cup of hot milk tea in his hand. With practiced ease, he inserted a straw, beckoned the freezing and teary-eyed Mu Cai over, bent the straw towards him, and placed it into Mu Cai's mouth: "Drink quickly to warm up, as you're going to be lying on the deck chair for a while."

Mu Cai's cheeks puff out as he sips the dark chocolate milk tea. The tea even contains his favorite tapioca pearls, causing him to chew with puffed cheeks, looking just like a small hamster munching on its food.

After swallowing, he releases the straw and complains, "Ah, I have to lie around for a long time, while you only have a few scenes to act out! Despite the fact that you're the main lead!"

Mu Cai's nose wrinkles a little, looking somewhat annoyed as his eyes appealingly regard Gu Yunchen.

Even in his complaint, there is a natural familiarity. This isn't like before when Gu Yunchen had to offer his apologies before draping a piece of clothing over him.

This is the outcome of Gu Yunchen's effort over the past two months.

Without making a fuss, he cleverly utilized the pretext of practicing scenes to approach Mu Cai, using breakfast and desserts to lure the young man into his vehicle. As the two months passed, Mu Cai has slowly become closer to him.

Considering this, Gu Yunchen feels very accomplished. He laughs, "That's because you're the character Scriptwriter Chang An likes the most. Whether it's the script or the drama itself, it focuses on Yi Sheng. Naturally, the film's final scenes are centered around Yi Sheng as well."

Upon hearing this, Mu Cai couldn't help but let out a small sigh.

Ah, playing a character that the scriptwriter likes is not easy; he has to bear the winter cold. It doesn't compare to Lin Jiayi's character, who dies halfway through the plot. That day, he ate a boxed lunch on set and went home early without experiencing any cold. He even earned a good sum of money.

Who knows where he's having fun right now?

Mu Cai sips the milk tea from Gu Yunchen's hand, feeling somewhat moody. As he's grown accustomed to this, he doesn't realize there is anything unusual about it.

The crew, however, having observed them for two months, moved from initial shock to acceptance.

All discussions about professional hierarchies seem neglectable in front of adorable Cai Cai!

As they converse, the set for the next scene is quickly arranged. The script supervisor jogged over to summon the actors for their positions.

Mu Cai quickly sheds his down jacket and reclines on the deck chair appointed for his character's position.

The afternoon sun in autumn is very warm, giving a slight warmth to Yi Sheng's cold body.

The doctor said that his ten plus years of heavy worries had accumulated inside. Coupled with the days of wandering where he didn't eat well or dress warmly, his body, like the string of a bow too long taut and now relaxed, had completely collapsed.

When Yi Sheng left the grand and splendid palace, he took only a child servant and a mute servant with him. The child prepared his medicine while the mute servant looked after his daily life.

He went nowhere else, settling down at the foot of the mountain outside the capital city.

The place, with its green mountains and clear water, pleased him greatly.

But it might not be for much longer that he could enjoy it.

Yi Sheng lies on a rocking chair. His eyes pass over the river, looking distantly towards a faint shadow of upturned eaves.

A new dynasty should have been established there already.

When the child servant brought him medicine today, he excitedly narrated how bustling the streets of the capital city were. After all, the child servant was just a kid. Despite being sensible on normal days, his childish and lively nature came out after he accompanied the mute servant to the city to pick up the medicine.

The child servant told him that the people on the streets were filled with joy, and a new emperor had moved into the palace. He said that storytellers shared which generals received what lands, and which officials gained new positions. At dawn, both civil and military officials went to the court for morning assemblies. Everything was in order, the emperor was seen as the son of destiny, with divine fortune supporting him, and it was said that no one could look directly into his astonishingly handsome face.

Yi Sheng listened to the child servant's innocent chatter and couldn't help but smile a little.

He had seen the previous emperor and even personally supported the current new emperor. He knew better than anyone what an emperor was actually like.

Unfortunately, in the end, none of them could tolerate him.

Some things had been foreshadowed long ago.

Yi Sheng had always known that there were many differences in thinking between him and Li Xuan. Therefore, he had been prepared to part ways with Li Xuan after he was enthroned.

Fortunately, Li Xuan still held onto his old affections. At first, Li Xuan had tried hard not to let Yi Sheng escape. But when he heard that Yi Sheng was gravely ill, Li Xuan decisively let him go.

Li Xuan must have thought that Yi Sheng could no longer cause any significant disturbances and finally felt at ease.

Past events flashed through Yi Sheng's mind one by one.

His father's large palm on his head when he was young. His mother's calm smile. The night they fled in panic, with the sound of startled birds in the dark. Wandering in his teenage years, and spending festivals alone.

These scenes swept past his eyes and finally stopped on that night, when a hot hand grabbed his wrist and he could hear the shallow breathing of the other person: "My body is warm, I can warm you up."

The golden sunlight shone on Yi Sheng's body, casting clear shadows of his eyelashes.

Considering that this person might become a wise ruler, his efforts wouldn't be in vain.

Yi Sheng was extremely tired; just a few days ago, he couldn't even get out of bed, but today he managed to walk and lie down on a chair.

He knew this was just a temporary resurgence of energy and was prepared to quietly wait for the inevitable moment to come.

Slowly, very slowly, Yi Sheng closed his eyes.

The scene shifts.

Li Xuan, dressed in casual clothes, was led by the palace maids through layers of branches, and he asked as he walked, "Is the teacher really here?"

The young eunuch in regular clothes immediately replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty. We have found that the Imperial Tutor has been recuperating here and has not gone far."

A smile appeared on Li Xuan's face. He was born with sharp eyebrows and eyes, and thin lips, giving him a ruthless appearance. But now, as he smiled, it was like melting snow, revealing a refreshing spring.

"I knew the teacher couldn't bear to leave. Previously, I was too preoccupied and foolish, which angered him, and I didn't have time to appease him. Upon hearing that he was sick, I didn't dare to anger him more and thought it would be best to let him take a break. Fortunately, the teacher has always been forgiving. I... I just need to apologize to him sincerely this time, and he will surely forgive me."

Li Xuan's eyes shone with vitality, a stark contrast to his usual serious and imposing demeanor. The young eunuch smiled awkwardly and did not dare to chime in, as he could not agree with the emperor calling himself foolish.

Pushing aside the tangled branches, Li Xuan finally caught sight of the person lying quietly asleep on the lounge chair.

The young eunuch by his side was about to go forward and wake the person, but Li Xuan stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"If the teacher is asleep, let him sleep for a while longer. Once he wakes up, I will talk to him."

Li Xuan wondered if sleeping here would cause the person to catch a cold, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

As the emperor's command, the young eunuch dare not defy. He offered helpfully, "Your Majesty, since the imperial tutor is sleeping, why not accompany me to the nearby pavilion to sit and rest instead of standing here?"

"It's fine," Li Xuan declined again, owing to his background in the military, he didn't find standing for a while, or even a day, tiring at all. "I'll just stand and wait here."

After he finished speaking, he just stood there without moving.

Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, the young eunuch could only stand by quietly.

As Li Xuan observed the scene before him, he found his mind in a state of tranquility.

He thought to himself, if it started to get windy later, he would carry the teacher to his own carriage. After all, the teacher was so light, and it was not his first time carrying him.

But he wondered, once the teacher woke up, how should he apologize to him?

"Cut!"

Jing He nodded in satisfaction.

The smooth completion of the final scene of the film put him in excellent spirits, making his shouting voice unconsciously rise with exhilaration.

When Mu Cai heard these words, he hurriedly opened his eyes and jumped up from the lounge chair, stamping his feet on the spot.

He had been lying there for quite some time and felt his hands and feet freezing.

Gu Yunchen had already taken a down jacket from his assistant, Lín, and slipped it over himself. Then, he wrapped Mu Cai in a thick garment, ahead of Xiao Liu.

The sudden addition of the down jacket blocked the cold wind, making Mu Cai feel better. Soon, Gu Yunchen linked his arm around Mu Cai's shoulder, leading him towards the nanny car.

After sitting in the car, drinking a cup of hot milk tea, and warming up for a while, they finally felt like they had come back to life.

A light knock was heard on the car window.

Gu Yunchen rolled down the window slightly, revealing a member of the crew. The person leaned in and said, "Gu Yunchen, Mu Cai, Director Jing says there's a wrap party tonight at 8 PM at the hotpot restaurant, don't forget."

Upon hearing about the wrap party, Mu Cai's eyes lit up and he immediately replied, "Sure, thank you!"

Through the small gap in the window, the crew member couldn't help but be drawn in by the sight before him.

The young man's face still bore makeup, and his cheeks were flushed, probably from the warm air. His eyes sparkled as he looked over, reminiscent of twinkling stars in the night sky.

Even though the crew member had seen this countless times in the past three months, he couldn't help but be captivated. Just as he was about to take another look, Gu Yunchen's deep voice came through, "We got it."

Then, the window rolled back up, closing the gap.

The car window was covered with a one-way film, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. The crew member felt a pang of regret. Recalling the situation just now, four words inexplicably popped up in his mind: "Beauty hidden in a black car."

Startled by his own thoughts, he quickly shook his head, turning around to notify others.

After Gu Yunchen rolled up the window, he turned around to see Mu Cai, whose face was lit up with excitement.

He felt a stir in his heart and couldn't help but ask, "Excited about the wrap party?"

Mu Cai nodded, "Of course! There should be lot of delicious food. Plus, it's always lively when everyone is dining together."

He got a little downhearted as he continued, "But it probably won't be this lively afterward."

Seeing Mu Cai looking downcast, even his eyelashes drooping, Gu Yunchen recognized the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

His hands were slightly sweating as he nonchalantly said, "Every show crew must disband eventually. More than this, I'm curious... How do you plan to spend the New Year?"

Mu Cai honestly replied, "I'll probably just stay in the company dormitory. However, I'm not certain if it will be open during the New Year's holiday. If it's not, I may have to stay in a hotel for a few days."

Since the death of his biological father, and with nothing left for him at Wang Li's place, he had no intention to reach out. And as for the Mo family where he had lived for a few years, there didn't seem any reason to return there now that Wang Li had been driven out by Uncle Mo.

Although Uncle Mo treated him quite well and Mo Hengqing didn't reject him, they didn't even share a step-family connection any more. Mu Cai thought it was fine to pay an occasional visit, but during the New Year, a day for family reunions, he always felt uncomfortable.

Most importantly, Mu Cai felt he wasn't very familiar with Mo Hengqing and Uncle Mo, so they might not welcome him.

When Gu Yunchen heard this, he suggested very naturally, "How about considering moving into my place?"

As he said this, he added, "It's a house I bought myself, I live alone."

Mu Cai had initially planned to refuse, but upon hearing this, he started to consider it.

If Gu Yunchen lived alone, then he would only have to deal with him. By the time New Year came, if Gu Yunchen went home, he could stay alone. And if Gu Yunchen's parents were to visit, he could spend a few days at a hotel.

The only unknown was Gu Yunchen's living standards. Most likely, Gu wouldn't ask for rent, but when two people live together, they will have to share costs, such as meals.

He probably won't have trouble affording it, right?

Recalling the clothes that Gu Yunchen wore casually on any given day, each piece costing tens of thousands, Mu Cai wondered a bit nervously.

Seeing that Mu Cai was still hesitant after considering it for a long time, Gu Yunchen couldn't help but play his trick.

With his eyes lowered and voice softened, Gu Yunchen seemed mysteriously pitiful as he said, "My father is always buried in work, and my mother spends her days with her friends, traveling and shopping. They don't really pay attention to me or visit me. Each time I go home, I feel quite lonely."

With that, Gu Yunchen stopped talking and just stared intensely at Mu Cai with a pair of profound eyes.

The implication was already starkly clear.

Mu Cai never envisioned his predicaments being similar to someone as affluent as Gu Yunchen. At the sight of the other's disheartened appearance – similar to an abandoned puppy – he no longer hesitated and promptly responded: "Alright!"

Gratitude washed over Gu Yunchen's face.

Nonetheless, he discreetly made a scissors gesture in triumph deep down.

Chapter 27

On the night of the wrap party for Mu Cai's movie, he flies back to the capital with Gu Yunchen.

Su Xingyun, having heard that Mu Cai would return after the movie's wrap, arrives at the airport in advance to wait for them at the VIP exit.

Much to his surprise, as soon as they meet and he tries to ask Xiao Liu to put the other's luggage in his car, he notices Mu Cai's suitcase is already held in Gu Yunchen's hands.

Showing his nimbleness, Gu Yunchen hands over the suitcase to his own assistant right before Su Xingyun could say anything, making him only able to helplessly watch as Mu Cai's luggage swiftly placed into the trunk of another car.

His gaze behind the glasses at this moment is like a sword, shooting straight at Xiao Liu standing nearby.

When leaving Lin city, how did he explain to Xiao Liu? How could Xiao Liu not even handle such a simple task?!

Caught in the crossfire of a god's quarrel, the innocent mortal suffered. Under Su Xingyun's gaze, Xiao Liu couldn't help but shrink his neck.

Before leaving, Su Xingyun had given Xiao Liu numerous instructions and reminders to never let the weasel - oh no - Gu Yunchen get close to Mu Cai. However, Gu Yunchen is a shareholder of Kai Cheng Entertainment and is quite domineering. The Assistant Lin by his side is so reticent as if he's a machine. (Note: In case you get confused - Xiao Liu is Mu Cai's assistant. Assistant Lin is Gu Yunchen's assistant)

They are not receptive to flattery and can be aggressive. Xiao Liu, who has only worked with one artist before, is not as experienced as Su Xingyun and is no match for them.

What can he do; he feels equally desperate!

Xiao Liu lowered his head grievingly.

Su Xingyun feels extremely disappointed, as if he had painstakingly raised a chick, only to watch its immature wings spread to follow someone else.

To make matters worse, the parties involved are completely unaware and Mu Cai waves excitedly at him, "Brother Su, I'm going to play at Brother Gu's house during this time!"

Mu Cai continues by mentioning that New Year is one month away and asks with a hint of unease, "Brother Su, I should be taking a vacation for New Year, right?"

Although many stars continue working during the New Year, Mu Cai doesn't have this mindset. He already has enough savings to support his life, and since he won't be staying in this world for long, there's no need for him to seize the time and work more.

The young actor on the other side has been shooting on location for a while. Su Xingyun knows it's tough, but perhaps due to the frequent activity, Mu Cai's formerly pale complexion seems much improved, a hint of healthy rosy glow radiates from his skin.

However, he has become thinner. The clothes that had previously fit him well now seem loose on Mu Cai's frame.

Lowering his gaze slightly, he purses his lips while his large, dark eyes sneak glances from below, making him look extremely endearing.

Silently, Su Xingyun sighs, realizing he can't resist him. All he can say is, "Okay, okay, I won't accept any more roles for you during this period."

Instantly, Mu Cai's eyes shine brilliantly, and the corner of his lips curl up in pure joy. "Thank you, Brother Su!"

After speaking, he takes a few bags from Assistant Lin, and shoves them into Su Xingyun's hands: "These are local specialties I brought back from Lin City. They're for you, Brother Su, a thank you for always taking care of me!"

Lin City houses a famous film and television base in the country, hosting tens of drama crews every year. Su Xingyun has managed many artists since entering the industry and has been to Lin City countless times. He's had these local specialties before, but these were bought specifically for him by Mu Cai, indicating that he holds a special place in Mu Cai's heart.

The moment Su Xingyun thought about this, he instantly felt a wave of ease wash over him. The frustration he felt from having the little chick snatched away from him puttered out in an instant, and even the mere sight of Gu Yunchen became much less irksome.

Although he didn't laugh, his typically icy demeanor had relaxed a bit. He reminded Mu Cai, "Be careful and protect yourself when you're out playing. I'll arrange activities for you after the new year."

"Okay!" nodded Mu Cai obediently. He added, "Don't worry, Brother Su. Based on what Brother Gu said, their staircase is carpeted with soft rugs. I plan to stay in Brother Gu's house and not wander around haphazardly, so I'll be safe."

Su Xingyun: "..."

It's exactly because you are at his place that I'm worried!

Su Xingyun's heart started to feel weary again. This little chick hasn't even grown up, yet it is about to be kidnapped to the weasel's lair. Wouldn't it be devoured entirely?

Gu Yunchen couldn't help but chuckle. He gently wrapped his arm around Mu Cai's shoulders. Looking at Su Xingyun, implying, "Relax, Brother Su. I'll take good care of Cai Cai. After all, he's still young."

He emphasized the last sentence a bit, as if conveying a promise.

A glint shone behind Su Xingyun's glasses, directly staring at the person across him.

Gu Yunchen's gaze didn't waver, responding with the same direct look.

Only Mu Cai was slightly bewildered.

His body was just of age, eighteen years old, not exactly old, but not quite young either. Since he was indeed younger than the other two, he had no choice but to remain silent.

Su Xingyun scrutinized for a while before grudgingly nodding. He looked at Mu Cai and said, "Alright then, go and have fun."

Mu Cai said goodbye and got into the car that came to pick up Gu Yunheng.

Only when Gu Gu Yunchen and Assistant Lin also got in did the driver start the car, heading towards Gu Yunheng's private villa.

The villa was in the far suburbs of the capital city, quite a distance away from the city center and inconvenient for daily commuting. Gu Yunchen normally didn't live here but stayed in his city center residence. Mu Cai didn't mind this inconvenience as he began his New Year vacation. There were no work obligations and thus, the distance from the city center didn't matter.

Although Gu Yunchen was a shareholder of Kaicheng Entertainment, he didn't manage the company. He owned his own studio and was the boss and sole artist. Therefore, apart from attending necessary contract signings and endorsement events, he took vacations whenever he wanted.

In the past, Gu Yunchen wouldn't be considered a workaholic, but he usually only took vacations during the week before Chinese New Year. This year, with Mu Cai around, he decisively informed Yang Cheng in advance that he didn't need any events booked for him until the end of the festival.

By the time they finished the wrap-up party, it was already past nine in the evening, and it was nearly midnight when they got off the plane. The night was deep, and the villa was in the suburbs of the capital city. The roads had few cars, and their journey was smooth, reaching their destination quickly.

Before inviting Mu Cai to stay at his home, Gu Yunchen had already arranged for housekeeping to clean the long-vacant villa inside and out. The sheets and covers were also sunned and replaced in advance.

Upon their return, they could go straight to bed after washing up.

Both of them were extremely tired, and after saying goodnight, they crawled into bed.

During the following month, Mu Cai lived comfortably. He had nothing to do as there was an auntie preparing meals, and housekeeping staff regularly came to do chores.

Every day, Mu Cai and Gu Yunchen spent time together watching movies, playing video games, and in the evenings after dinner, they went out for a walk to digest food and walk their dog.

Gu Yunchen had an Alaskan Malamute in his villa that was large and round with fluffy hair. Unexpectedly, the dog took quite a liking to Mu Cai and would always trot over for a pet whenever it saw him.

Mu Cai also enjoyed the fluffy Alaskan Malamute's company, and couldn't resist petting him whenever the dog approached. However, the Malamute's strength was quite fitting for its stature, so it was Gu Yunchen who had to hold onto the leash during their evening walks.

There's something about a man with the strength of an eight-pack abdomen that allows him to maintain grace even when walking a powerful dog. This ability of Gu Yunheng greatly impressed Mu Cai.

These idyllic days continued for over a month, until New Year's Eve finally arrived.

That day, Gu Yunchen's parents were to come over for the reunion dinner.

Mu Cai was sat on the living room couch alongside Gu Yunchen, awaiting the arrival of Gu Yunchen's parents.

Initially, Mu Cai felt it might be awkward for him, as an outsider, to intrude on what should be a family reunion. He'd proposed to Gu Yunchen the idea of staying at a hotel for a few days, considering that the company would open again after the seventh day of Chinese New Year.

However, Gu Yunchen completely ignored it and tried his best to stop him. The other party repeatedly emphasized that Gu Yunchen's parents would only have lunch with them and absolutely would not stay overnight. Only then did Mu Cai agree to stay.

However, he was still feeling a bit nervous, thinking that it might be better to stay at a hotel.

Soon, Gu Yunchen's phone rang. He answered the call, said a few words, and then looked at Mu Cai with his deep-set eyes.

Understanding his intention, Mu Cai stood up and followed him to the door.

The weather was quite nice on this day of the New Year. It had snowed a few days earlier, but the ice on the road had been cleared, and the sun was shining brightly.

As soon as Mu Cai stepped outside, he saw a car parked outside the iron gate, and two elegant elders were already standing there.

Gu Yunchen quickly walked ahead and opened the door, as the two elders walked in leisurely.

Although Gu Yunchen's father and mother were of age, they were well-maintained and still looked quite youthful. Especially Gu Yunchen's mother, who had few wrinkles on her face and carried a youthful demeanor in her mannerisms. It was evident that she had been spoiled by her husband for decades.

Upon meeting Gu Yunchen's parents, Mu Cai immediately greeted them, "Hello, uncle and aunt."

The young man was slim with some flesh on his face. His skin was fair, revealing a healthy blush. His eyes seemed to have a layer of shimmer, with dark and large pupils. The tip of his nose was slightly upturned, giving him a well-behaved appearance.

Mu Cai's voice was ethereal and pleasant, making people feel comfortable listening to it. Gu's mother's face lit up with joy, and she stepped forward to examine him closely, "So you are Mu Cai? You look even better in person than in the photos."

The two elders in front of him had warm smiles, and Gu Yunchen's mother's face showed her undisguised affection for him. Mu Cai was infected by their mood, and his nervousness lessened slightly. He smiled back at them, "Thank you for your compliment, aunt!"

After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but ask about the photo that puzzled him, "What photo were you looking at, though?"

How could there be a photo of him in Gu Yunchen's mother's possession? The other party was already over fifty, could they still be fans of current celebrities?

Seeing the genuine confusion in his eyes, along with a glance from her son, Liang Yuan finally understood the misunderstanding.

What a rascal! He hasn't even won his heart yet! And by the looks of it, Mu Cai doesn't even know that he's being pursued by his son!

It's a shame that after chatting with Gu Yunchen on WeChat and seeing Cai's pictures, Liang Yuan was quite satisfied with her son's taste.

She didn't expect her son to be so bad at pursuing someone, much worse compared to his father back in the day!

Liang Yuan was frustrated at his lack of progress, but felt embarrassed to expose Gu Yunchen's thoughts in public. So she quickly came up with an idea and said with a smile: "It's from your Weibo account! Yunchen introduced you to us before, so I went to watch your show and followed you on Weibo. When your movie comes out, your uncle and I will go watch it and give you box office support!"

Mu Cai was taken aback and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

He didn't know how Gu Yunchen described her to his parents - he probably hadn't mentioned that he used to be his stalker fan.

If that were the case, Gu Yunchen's parents were indeed very well-mannered, as they were still so warm towards her.

However, thanks to the enthusiasm of the two elders, Mu Cai gradually relaxed and began to chat and laugh with Gu Yunchen's parents.

Gu Yunchen was silently praising his mom.

Today was New Year's Eve, and they were having their reunion dinner at noon.

Auntie Zhang, who was always in charge of cooking at the mansion, came to Gu Yunchen's place early in the morning. After half a day of preparation, she filled the fridge with a variety of semi-finished or finished dishes. As a result, cooking was now much easier for them. The finished dishes could simply be heated in the microwave, while the semi-finished ones could be steamed over water in the pot.

Both Gu Yunchen's father and Gu Yunchen were also preparing two fresh dishes.

Mu Cai wanted to help in the kitchen, but was stopped by Liang Yuan.

She looked at her son's boyfriend visiting for the first time and joked, if they had her work now, wouldn't she end up like the cruel mother-in-law character on TV shows?

Of course, Liang Yuan didn't want to be that kind of person, so she had Gu Wenxuan and Gu Yunchen busy themselves, while she chatted with Mu Cai and asked her various questions.

Seeing the two men in the kitchen preparing fish and chopping ribs, Mu Cai couldn't help feeling restless. She said, "Auntie, why don't I go and help?"

Otherwise, it feels too much like a person who eats out of other's generosity without contributing anything.

And if there were only Gu Yunchen busy in the kitchen it would be fine, but there's another elder preparing food, how could a younger generation like him stay idle!

Liang Yuan grabbed him: "What's the rush? It's not common for guests to help out. Don't worry, Yunchen and his dad are both good cooks, they'll prepare the meals for you in the future."

Mu Cai felt there was something off about this sentence, but before he could contemplate further, he saw Liang Yuan put on a gentle face again: "If you go, who will keep me company? Are you bothered by me and no longer want to stay with this old lady?"

Mu Cai: "…"

Mu Cai admitted defeat and obediently stayed on the sofa.

Liang Yuan seized this opportunity to ask various questions. When she learned about the young man's family background, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for Mu Cai.

His father passed away, his mother unloving – it would be up to them and Yunchen to care for him in the future!

She also inquired about Mu Cai's future career plans, and casually involved him in conversations about Gu Yunchen to try and boost her son's impression in Mu Cai's eyes.

By the time they were about to have their reunion dinner, Mu Cai had already learned about Gu Yunchen's bedwetting when he was three years old, his arrogance since childhood, his insistence on eating only his favorite flavored ice cream at kindergarten, and how he refused to exchange it with female classmates, ultimately making them cry.

He thought somewhat dazedly, Gu Yunchen had been such a straight man since childhood.

The fact that he could eventually become more flexible in the original story was indeed a miracle.

It seems that Mo Hengqing's charm was truly powerful!

Chapter 28

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu did not stay the night as expected. The four of them had a sumptuous reunion dinner together. After a lengthy chat with Mu Cai, Liang Yuan reluctantly left with Mr. Gu.

Indeed, by this time, Mu Cai had grown much closer to Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu, and no longer felt uncomfortable spending time with them.

However, for some reason, even though Mrs. Gu seemed hesitant to leave, she firmly rejected the suggestion to stay at the mansion.

Liang Yuan smiled kindly and said, "Ah, we're getting on in years and our thought processes can't keep up with you young people. We fear that our presence here might make you uncomfortable."

Just as Mu Cai was about to reply, Mr. Gu, who had been smiling cheerfully without speaking for the whole time, finally said, "All right, we've had the reunion dinner, now it's time for you to give Yuan Yuan back to me."

After finishing his sentence, Mr. Gu placed his hand on Mrs. Gu's shoulder, gently pulling her into his arms. Even though it was a subtle gesture, it still clearly declared his wish for some alone time.

Mrs. Gu blushed a little and playfully scolded Mr. Gu after his action.

Mu Cai: "..."

He was mistaken. Originally, he thought that, as Mrs. Gu said, they were worried about making the young people feel uncomfortable. Now, it appears evident that they were disturbing the affectionate moments of the couple.

Gu Yunchen waved his hand, seemingly accustomed to it, "Alright, goodbye mom and dad. Be careful on the road."

Seeing this, Mu Cai simply smiled and waved, "Goodbye, uncle and aunt!"

Seeing the two older people's affection for each other, Mu Cai felt genuinely happy.

Only when the car carrying Mr. and Mrs. Gu vanished at the end of the road did Mu Cai start heading back with Gu Yunchen.

Thinking back to that scene, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Uncle and Aunt's relationship is really good."

Deeply affected from childhood by being seen as a third wheel by his own father, Gu Yunchen readily agreed, nodding his head. Thank goodness his dad took his mom away, otherwise, wouldn't there be an extra pair of third wheels between him and Cai Cai tonight?

Gu Yunchen turned his head and looked at Mu Cai's contemplative expression.

The young man's side profile was extremely handsome. From his full forehead, past his slightly upturned nose, and to his tiny chin, the contour lines were like a distant range of rolling hills, elegant yet three-dimensional.

Gu Yunchen suppressed the stirrings in his heart and casually continued the conversation, "Since I was a child, it's always been like this. My dad dotes on my mom, you see. She still carries the innocence of a young girl. I am similar to my dad. The reason I learned cooking was to make food for the person I like."

Indeed! Exceptional people are nurtured by a good family environment!

Thinking back to what was shown in the script, Gu Yunchen's care for Mo Hengqing, Mu Cai could not help but wholeheartedly agree, nodding his head, "Brother Gu will certainly spoil his other half in the future."

Seeing his hint was successful, Gu Yunchen felt elated. He restrained his urge to smile too broadly and calmly said, "Although I usually place great emphasis on my career, it is only to create a better living environment for my other half in the future. I've been active in the industry for five years now, and I have accumulated considerable assets. Once I've earned enough money, I can comfortably shift behind the scenes at any time."

Mu Cai nodded in agreement. He understood that everyone has different views and ideas. Some people may focus more on their careers, while others prefer spending time with family. Some strive hard so they can eventually return to their families without worries.

And one of the reasons why Mu Cai chose to participate in the new energy field project launched by the state is that he hopes the project can successfully alleviate the energy crisis facing humanity and thereby create a better living environment for everyone.

Although Mu Cai never insists on how others think or act, he is certainly happy to meet someone who shares his views now.

Hence, Mu Cai praises Gu Yunchen enthusiastically, "Brother Gu is great! I like people like Brother Gu a lot!"

Gu Yunchen smiles with satisfaction.

If he likes people like him, he will soon like him.

That night, both of them huddled on the sofa, scrolling through their phones, watching the Spring Festival Gala. Both Mu Cai and Gu Yunchen do not particularly fancy the Spring Gala, but the television remains on to maintain a festive atmosphere.

The moment the clock hits midnight, both of their phones are flooded with calls.

Mu Cai, who usually doesn't know many people, was surprised at the numerous vibrations from his phone. He first answers Mo Hengqing's call who asks him to visit Mo's house on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Mu Cai immediately agrees.

There are further calls from Su Xingyun, along with his teammates from the Seven Stars group. Even Director Jing He sends him a text message. After answering each call and responding to every single message, Mu Cai gives it a thought and sends a mass message to everyone on his WeChat list, wishing them a Happy New Year.

Gu Yunchen's phone, on the other hand, was also nonstop, with one call after another.

The two of them were busy, and it wasn't until around 12:40 in the morning that their phones finally quiet down.

Both Mu Cai and Gu Yunchen have regular routines—early to bed and early to rise. It was unusual for them to stay up so late; both of them starting to get sleepy. As the premiere of Xiaoxue Jiangshan was on New Year's Day, they planned to visit the cinema together. So, they quickly wished each other good night and went to bed.

The next day, they put on hats and masks, were picked up by a driver, and went to the cinema.

They chose a morning show deliberately. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the cinema was almost empty. Mu Cai and Gu Yunchen even picked the last row.

Looking at the vacant seats in front, Mu Cai felt as if they had booked the entire hall. The room darkened; Mu Cai quietly stared at the big screen in front of him.

The movie began with the sound of horses' hooves. Next, Gu Yunchen's disheveled figure appeared on a small path overgrown with weeds.

This scene was from the script, where the main character was being pursued by government soldiers.

Initially, Mu Cai was able to watch seriously, but when his character, Yi Sheng, appeared later in the movie, he had a hard time focusing.

The scenes, snippets, and images were all too familiar, as Yi Sheng was his character. He remembered clearly the positions he stood at on the filming site, how he was surrounded by a bunch of cameras, and scenes where he acted under everyone's watchful eyes. It was all too real for him!

Even though he couldn't immerse himself, he appreciated the movie's high-quality production and got a sense of the post-production team's strength. The brilliant execution of lighting, color grading, visual effects, and the handling of the background was evident.

They had only finished filming in late December, and now, during the mid-February New Year, the editing and post-production of the entire movie were completed within just over a month. They also managed to arrange for it to be shown in cinemas. Director Jing must be lauded for being a big name in Chinese cinema; his team was indeed well-established and impressive.

As the movie ends, Mu Cai has to admit that despite spending most of the time being out of character, the film is genuinely excellent to watch.

However, Xiaoxue Jiangshan has a somewhat heavy tone, and the color palette of the scenes is quite desolate. It's a stark contrast from the bright and joyous New Year's films usually screened during the Spring Festival.

On the way back to the villa with Gu Yunchen, Mu Cai couldn't help but question if anyone would genuinely watch such a heavy movie during the joyous New Year period?

The reality proved that people indeed would.

Although the premiere of Xiaoxue Jiangshan took place on an awkward New Year's Day, quite a number of viewers turned up. Shortly after the premiere, the movie's rating on Douban shot up to an impressive 9.6.

While the rating may not be stable and could drop in the future, it still reflects the overall public praise for this film.

Reviews also started to roll out on Weibo and various ticket-booking platforms. Many well-known film critics and influential Weibo users jumped in, with many of them commending. And most of the praise was aimed at Mu Cai:

[My girlfriend is particularly fond of Mu Cai, and originally, I didn't think much of these pretty-boy actors, until today when I accompanied her to watch Xiaoxue Jiangshan. Such a delight, from now on, I guess we have the same actor crush!]

This comment received over 1000 likes on the Cherry Movie Viewing app.

The Cherry Movie Viewing app is one of the mainstream online movie ticket platforms in the country. Reviews for Xiaoxue Jiangshan on the platform were a mix of good and bad, but ninety percent of them were in favor. Moreover, the number of likes on the positive reviews was noteworthy, an undoubtedly good sign for a just-released movie in terms of public opinion.

After returning to the villa, Mu Cai had been constantly checking his phone, looking at real-time box office numbers, reviews, and ratings. Finally he could relax. He closed the ticket platform app and opened Weibo.

Then he witnessed the hashtag #DidYiShengReallyDie storming its way to the hot topics list on Weibo.

As he clicked into the topic, he had quite a surprise.

The related Weibo posts were rapidly increasing. At this moment, there were already hundreds of them. Many of the posts looked like they were practically screaming:

[Ahh! As an old book fan who's been waiting for so many years, I'm thoroughly satisfied! Director Jing He is indeed remarkable. The entire cast was divinely selected, especially Yi Sheng! Yi Sheng looks so good, so good! Only Chang An, that old cunning man, would do something like this to our Yi Sheng, sob sob sob sob! Everyone must go to the theatre and watch it! I'm totally shipping Xuan Sheng cp!]

[Who dare say our Cai Cai has any scandals, who dare say our Cai Cai's acting is poor! I'm blown away by his portrayal of Yi Sheng! It's a pity that the ending is too heartbreaking. My Emperor's teacher will never wake up again, sob sob sob sob!]

[Chang An, you old cunning man, you've killed me! I'm totally dry, I need to watch Cai Cai's audition video to revive! Any goddess who has produced grains (Note: fan-created content), I want to enjoy some sweet Xuan Sheng grain qwq]

[...]

Even the hardcore fans and the logical experts wrote lengthy mini-essays to conjecture whether Yi Sheng died at the end of the movie. Mu Cai felt a headache just from looking at the densely packed text that seemed to go on without end.

Meanwhile, Gu Yunchen was also scrolling through his phone. However, unlike Mu Cai, who was closely monitoring the movie's performance, Gu Yunchen was watching the latest video clip posted by the official Weibo account of the Xiaoxue Jiangshan film crew.

Today was the movie's premiere day and among the trending film-related topics, #DidYiShengReallyDie was leading the hot search list. The official film crew account astutely posted a highlights reel of Yi Sheng's scenes from the movie, serving double duty - indulging those who had already seen the movie and enticing new viewers to watch.

In the video, Mu Cai is seen with his hair bound by a white jade crown, wearing a half-worn green shirt. The camera angle is from above, capturing the moment when he slowly lifts his face. He appears pale and gaunt yet beautifully ethereal. The subsequent clips showcase his range, with every frown, smile, movement, and speech imbued with the exemplary manners and etiquette of a high-born heir.

Gu Yunchen, with his earphones on, listened to the video. Both in the movie and the video, Mu Cai's original voice was used. The video included Mu Cai's persuasive, angry, and smiling expressions, each accompanied by various moods. Combined with the background music, it was quite impactful.

Gu Yunchen had been watching for a while before he clicked on the comments under the video, only to see countless people screaming :

[I need to know everything about this man in the next five minutes!]

[Cai Cai! Mommy loves you!]

[Oh my god! How can Cai Cai be so handsome! I really want to take Cai Cai home!]

[...]

Reading this, Gu Yunchen couldn't help but feel immensely proud. The much-adored Mu Cai, whom everyone wanted, was at his house.

Temporarily taken in by him.

As Gu Yunchen came to this thought, he checked the time and realized it was already past noon, time for lunch. During the Chinese New Year holiday, the cook and housekeeping staff were off, so Gu Yunchen had to prepare the meals.

On ordinary days, he would be too lazy for such hassle and would typically order takeout. But now, the thought of personally feeding Mu Cai filled Gu Yunchen with a special kind of joy.

He gently shook Mu Cai's shoulder, and the internet-addicted teenager finally looked up. A pair of large, black eyes looked up at Gu Yunchen with a puzzled expression.

Just looking at Mu Cai made Gu Yunchen's mood improve, and he couldn't help but smile, "It's time to eat. Today is the first day of the New Year, we should eat dumplings."

After saying this, he asked Mu Cai, "Do you want to help me make them?"

Although Mu Cai was engrossed in his phone, the chance to cook and eat in a lively setting was much more appealing than scrolling through social media. Therefore, his eyes lit up at Gu Yunchen's invitation, and he nodded immediately, "Yes!"

Gu Yunchen then took out pork and water chestnuts from the fridge. Using a chopper, he minced the fillings into a bowl, sprinkled some seasoning, and started to roll out the dumpling skins.

He was highly proficient, worked with great speed and efficiency. This didn't leave much room for Mu Cai to help, except for stirring the seasoned meat filling. After that, he joined Gu Yunchen in folding the dumplings.

Mu Cai, having seldom done this kind of work, wasn't familiar with dumpling-making. Not only were his dumplings made with thick skins and little filling, but somehow he also ended up with a streak of flour on his face.

When Gu Yunchen looked up and saw that, he couldn't help but laugh.

Feeling an itch on his face, Mu Cai raised his hand to scratch it, inadvertently smearing flour on his nose.

"You've got flour here. Let me wipe it off for you." Gu Yunchen washed his hands, gently grasped Mu Cai's chin, and lifted his face.

Extending his hand, the warmth from Gu Yunchen's fingertips gently touched Mu Cai's somewhat cool nose tip.

Right now, their faces were very close to each other–barely a brief glance would allow them to look directly into each other's eyes.

As Gu Yunchen looked into the eyes of the younger man, he saw himself reflected in those shiny, black pupils. It was as if he was the only person in Mu Cai's eyes and heart.

Gu Yunchen's breathing became noticeably heavier.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment, and neither of them moved.

Although Gu Yunchen had already wiped off the flour, why weren't his hands letting go?

Looking at Gu Yunchen with some confusion, Mu Cai saw how deeply he was staring at him. His face was getting closer and closer.

Even slow-witted Mu Cai could tell that something about the atmosphere wasn't quite right at this moment.

However, before he had any chance to say or do anything, his phone suddenly started vibrating in his pocket.

This subtle and nebulous... suggestive atmosphere instantly disappeared.

Mu Cai took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Su Xingyun. He quickly put down the dumpling skin in his hand, gestured to Gu Yunchen that he had to take a call, and walked out of the kitchen.

Picking up the phone, Mu Cai heard Su Xingyun's calm voice, "Cai Cai, I have a special movie opportunity here. Let me know if you're interested in auditioning after the New Year."

A special movie?

Before Mu Cai could ask for more details, Su Xing Yun continued, "I'll send you the information on WeChat soon. Take a look and think it over for a few days."

Pausing, Su Xingyun added, "Director Wu Feng personally asked me about your availability."

Mu Cai was taken aback.

Wu Feng, the director who had won countless international film festival awards, was indeed a point of pride for the Chinese.

Why would he be interested in Mu Cai?

After hanging up the phone, Mu Cai saw the document name sent to him:

[Same-sex movie "Memories of a Small Town" audition materials.]

Meanwhile, Gu Yunchen also received a message from Yang Cheng:

[It's said that for the movie "Memories of a Small Town," Wu Feng is already in touch with Mu Cai's agent.]

Gu Yunchen replied decisively:

[If he doesn't take it, I won't either. If he does, you must secure it for me.]

Chapter 29

The audition material was quite long. Considering that Gu Yunchen still wanted Mu Cai to make dumplings, and Su Xingyun didn't seem to be in a hurry for a response, Mu Cai decided to put his phone back into his pocket, return to the cooking counter, and continue making dumplings with Gu Yunchen.

Gu Yunchen's dumplings were beautifully pleated like flowers, with thin wrappers and ample filling, neatly lined up on the cutting board. In contrast, Mu Cai's dumplings were crooked, with thick skins and scant filling.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Mu Cai said, "Brother Gu's dumplings look amazing."

Gu Yunchen chuckled, "Cai Cai's dumplings are cute, too." He picked up a dumpling that looked like a bag of blessings and poked it with his finger.

Mu Cai's face turned a faint shade of red as he saw the dumpling in Gu Yunchen's hand, "I put in too much filling. I couldn't hold it."

Gu Yunchen had been making round dumpling wrappers, while Mu Cai had wrapped smaller amounts of filling, fearing that the wrapper would break.

Mu Cai had wanted to try using more filling this time. However, there was too much filling for Mu Cai to successfully pleat it into a crescent shape. As a result, he simply gathered the excess and made it look like a bag of blessings.

In order to add aesthetic appeal, Mu Cai used some wrapper dough scraps to roll out a thin strip and wrapped it around the mouth of the dough bag. Using the end of an iron spoon, he impressively stamped a small "luck" character on the plump dough pocket.

Gu Yunchen reveled for a moment in Mu Cai's shy demeanor before gently touching the blessed-bag dumpling and sternly declared, "This dumpling is mine. Let me taste Cai Cai's skill."

Once all the dumpling wrappers were filled, Gu Yunchen divided the batch into two. The dumplings made by Mu Cai weren't suitable for boiling as they might potentially fall apart. So, Gu Yunchen steamed all the dumplings made by Mu Cai while using his own for sour soup dumplings.

WWith nothing else to do, Mu Cai patiently waited at the small dining table.

Busy prepping the meal, Gu Yunchen glanced up to find the young man sitting on a small stool, eagerly watching him. Touched by this sight, he smiled and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"No," replied Mu Cai quickly.

Although he was a little hungry, he felt guilty about mentioning it, knowing how hard Gu Yunchen was working. With these thoughts in mind, Mu Cai ruefully patted his slightly flat stomach.

Gu Yunchen had observed Mu Cai's little gestures all along. He grinned and pushed a bowl full of sour soup dumplings towards him, before he started enjoying the steamed dumplings with vinegar himself.

Mu Cai stared at the bowl brimming with sour soup dumplings before him. Each one was plump and filled to the point of nearly bursting. The soup was seasoned with soy sauce and had a dark hue. A thin layer of oil floated uniformly on the soup surface, accompanied by dried shrimps and seaweed. On top, a small helping of chopped green onions and coriander was sprinkled.

It looked particularly appetizing.

Next, Mu Cai glanced over at Gu Yunchen's plate, spotting his own handiwork. The neatly arranged dumplings with slightly pale and thick wraps appeared a little deflated.

It was clear to Mu Cai that Gu Yunchen had kept all the good ones for him, which stirred a little guilt within him. He quickly protested, "Brother Gu, I can't finish all these in my bowl, let me share some with you."

His objection was genuine. The bowl was indeed full to the brim with exceedingly large dumplings; it was practically an ocean bowl. Mu Cai began to suspect that Gu Yunchen was fattening him up like a pig. For most people, a serving of eleven or twelve of these giant dumplings would be more than enough. A girl with a smaller appetite might feel full after just seven or eight.

By his quick estimation, there were at least twenty dumplings in his bowl.

Mu Cai was about to use his chopsticks to transfer a dumpling into Gu Yunchen's plate, but to his surprise, Gu Yunchen intercepted him halfway.

Gu Yun Che leaned in closer, with his thin lips stopping right in front of the chopsticks held by Mu Cai. With his body inclined, he glanced up at Mu Cai and smiled slightly, "Thanks, Cai Cai."

Unable to resist commenting, Mu Cai began, "Brother Gu, you..."

Before he could finish, Gu Yun Che opened his mouth and ate the dumpling. As Mu Cai released his chopsticks, he saw Gu Yun Che's expression change throughout the chewing process: from calm and composed at first, to a sudden alteration in his complexion, and finally to opening his mouth wide and blowing air desperately.

Mu Cai finally completed his sentence: "...be careful, it's hot."

Gu Yunchen: "..."

Feeling embarrassed and unsuccessful in his attempt to be seductive, Gu Yunchen could barely hold back his tears.

Quickly, Mu Cai stood up and rushed out of the restaurant, the fluffy bunny patterned slippers creating a "da da" sound as he returned with a can of children's milk in his hand.

Gu Yunchen had specifically bought it for him, claiming that it would help with both nutrition and sleep. Mu Cai skillfully tore open the straw wrapper, inserted one end into the milk box and placed the other end into Gu Yunchen's mouth.

In the cold winter months, the house was always stocked with hot water. Now that Gu Yunchen had burned himself, Mu Cai couldn't find cold water to help in a hurry. Thus, Mu Cai had the clever idea to bring the children's milk that they usually drank.

Cold and sweet, with a hint of rich milky aroma, the liquid brought respite to Gu Yunchen's scalded mouth. He swallowed the now cooled-down dumpling and wrapped his arms around the waist of the young man in front of him, feeling mentally drained.

He didn't know whether Cai Cai would laugh at him or not.

Mu Cai looked at Gu Yunchen, who clung to him listlessly, and couldn't help but think of the round Alaskan Malamute they had in the villa.

Every time Mu Cai teased the dog with food, raising his hand to make the dog work for it and stand up to get the food, the Alaskan Malamute would display a similar expression when it couldn't get its snack after trying for a while. It would even make a sound similar to "woo woo" from its throat.

He couldn't think about it anymore; otherwise, the more he thought, the more Gu Yunchen's face seemed to blend with a dog's face.

Mu Cai tried his best to restrain his wandering thoughts and couldn't help but reach out to touch Gu Yunchen's hair.

The texture of Gu Yunchen's hair was completely different from Mu Cai's. Mu Cai's hair, just like his personality, was soft and fluffy, making it very comfortable to touch. In contrast, Gu Yunchen's hair was somewhat stiff, each strand distinct, and even felt a bit prickly in the hand.

Although it couldn't compare to the fluffy touch of the Alaskan Malamute, after stroking it for a while, there was an oddly satisfying sensation.

It was a bit addictive.

Mu Cai became engrossed in touching Gu Yunchen's hair, unable to stop himself.

The moment Gu Yun Che felt the soft touch on his head, his body froze.

Slender, pale fingers weaved through his hair, occasionally lightly tapping his head. Mu Cai's body temperature was lower than Gu Yunchen's, and when that cool sensation touched him, it felt as if fireworks had exploded in his mind.

Unconsciously, he buried his face in Mu Cai's stomach, like a big dog seeking comfort. His arms, wrapped around the young man's waist, tightened involuntarily.

After more petting, Mu Cai finally came to his senses and asked, "Brother Gu, is your mouth still burning?"

Gu Yunchen didn't speak or lift his face, but just shook his head that was nestled in Mu Cai's stomach.

Mu Cai petted Gu Yunchen's hair again, feeling there really wasn't much difference now between Gu Yunchen's behavior and that of the Alaskan Malamute seeking petting.

Thinking that Gu Yunchen might feel wronged because of the scald, he quickly comforted, "Let's continue eating. Gu, your dumplings are especially delicious, I want to eat them while they're still hot."

Mu Cai was praising him!

He didn't find Gu Yunchen's reaction embarrassing; instead, he comforted him! Gu Yunchen felt a bit contented and warmed, the persistent heat on his face even subsiding.

Silently, he released his hold on Mu Cai. He didn't say a word as he picked up a sunken steamed dumpling with his chopsticks and dipped it in vinegar before eating.

Soon enough, a round plump dumpling appeared on Gu Yunchen's plate. When he looked up, he saw Mu Cai's eyes curved into a beautiful crescent moon shape, his black pupils seemed to hide a bundle of stars. "This is for you, Brother Gu. Remember to eat slowly."

The smile was so dazzling.

Avariciously, Gu Yunchen glanced at it before lowering his head and making a muffled "Mhmm" sound.

His face was calm, yet his ears blushed a vibrant red.

"Cai Cai is really nice," he thought.

Unaware of the other's emotional state, Mu Cai, after serving ten dumplings to Gu Yunchen, started to enjoy his sour soup dumplings while reviewing the script in his mind.

It's coming up - the final plot point of my character in the original.

This time, "Memories of a Small Town" was the magnum opus of director Wu Feng and was intended to claim international awards. In the original plot, the two main male characters were played by Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing.

It was only after this film that the two gradually entered the ambiguous stage preceding formal dating. The sweetness was apparent in their every action when they were shown together; every word and deed was filled with intimacy and care.

On Weibo, topics about their pairing were trending with a multitude of fans. Naturally, my character couldn't stand seeing the person he admired entangled with rumors of another man. Therefore, he started debunking their pairing on the internet, maliciously speaking ill of Mo Hengqing in an attempt to dispel the rumors.

As a result, my character was torn apart online by fans of the pairing and Mo Hengqing. This also provoked Gu Yunchen, leading to my character's suspension by Kai Cheng Entertainment and expulsion from the Mo household. From then on, my character never appeared in the plot again.

After finishing this plot point, I might be able to retire successfully and leave this energy field.

As Mu Cai absentmindedly pondered this, Gu Yunchen finally snapped out of his thoughts about his racing heart.

He quickly finished a plate of dumplings and, while wiping his mouth, cautiously inquired, "Yang Cheng just sent me some audition information for director Wu Feng's 'Memories of a Small Town.' I heard that Wu is also in touch with your agent. Is that true?"

Mu Cai nodded.

Trying to appear casual, Gu Yunchen asked, "What role does Wu Feng want you to audition for?"

Recalling the audition information he had seen earlier, Mu Cai honestly replied, "Yao Xiubin."

Although "Memories of a Small Town" is a dual male lead film, the entire story unfolds through the perspective of Yao Xiubin's character. It is a particularly significant role, making it the lead among leads.

Gu Yunchen's hand paused for a moment before he raised his head and smiled, "What a coincidence; Wu Feng asked me if I'd be interested in playing the role of Ji Zicheng."

Ji Zicheng is the other male lead and the lover of Yao Xiubin in the film.

As he said this, his palm was already sweating underneath the table, yet he still had to maintain a casual facade: "The audition is scheduled for the seventh day. Shall we go together?"

The two of them were living together now, so naturally, they would go together. Without giving it much thought, Mu Cai readily agreed, "Sure."

On the seventh day, they both took a car to the audition venue.

This time, Su Xingyun was waiting at the hotel entrance early. As soon as he saw Mu Cai, he immediately pulled him over to inspect him from left to right, like a mother hen checking her chicks for any lost feathers or injuries.

The inspection results were excellent.

Although Su Xingyun didn't want to admit it, he had to say that Mu Cai's current state seemed to be thriving.

In the past, the other person was very thin, with a pale complexion, looking rather unhealthy. But now, Mu Cai's face exuded a healthy glow, and he had gained a little weight, making him even more attractive.

Su Xingyun felt both happy and a little heartache, as if Mu Cai no longer needed his care.

The audition took place in a conference room on the second floor of the hotel. Upon their arrival, Mu Cai and the others didn't linger at the hotel entrance. They quickly entered and climbed up the stairs, soon finding the designated room.

The tables and chairs in the conference room had already been moved aside. As they pushed open the door, they saw Mo Hengqing standing in the center of the empty space, talking to a middle-aged man.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, the two people in front turned around.

The middle-aged man was slightly chubby, with a round, friendly face, big eyes, and a flat nose. It was none other than Director Wu Feng. His eyes lit up the moment he saw Mu Cai.

He was even better-looking in person than in the photos.

Director Wu Feng was quick to shake hands with the agents and actors who had arrived, exchanging a few pleasantries before getting down to business.

Looking at the three actors present, he smiled and said, "Now, Yao Xiubin, Ji Zicheng, and Fang Ling are all here."

Mu Cai was a bit surprised.

When he had first seen Mo Hengqing, he thought the latter was auditioning for the role of Yao Xiubin. After all, Mo Hengqing had played this character in the original story.

But this time, Mo Hengqing unexpectedly chose to audition for the supporting male character, Fang Ling.

Fang Ling was a highly conflicted character in the script. He was homophobic yet couldn't help but be deeply attracted to the two protagonists, often falling into a vortex of self-doubt.

Director Wu Feng's gaze wandered over the three of them. Finally, he smiled and suggested, "Since all three of you are here, why don't we try a confrontation scene? Is that okay?"

The confrontation scene wasn't listed in the audition materials. However, anyone confident enough to audition for such a film would have prepared thoroughly. None of the three present objected and all nodded in agreement.

Director Wu Feng was very satisfied. After contemplating for a moment, he said, "Then, let's go for the section where the decision is made."

Mu Cai was taken aback.

Director Wu Feng, however, was pleased with his choice. He retreated behind a table and waved his hand, signaling them to start.

Mu Cai took a deep breath.

As he turned around, about to look at Gu Yunchen, he felt a light push. Mu Cai quickly reached out to steady himself on the table behind him. After regaining his balance and lifting his head, he felt a hand gripping his waist and another resting on his shoulder.

A heavy breath puffed against Mu Cai's ear.

Gu Yunchen had cornered him.

Chapter 30

The slender waist under his palm was so slim, it could almost fit into his hand.

Heat burned fiercely in Gu Yunchen's eyes, as if he sought to envelope and consume the person trapped in the corner.

Mu Cai placed one hand on Gu Yunchen's shoulder, a trace of panic in his eyes. Even his voice couldn't help but tremble, "Zicheng, what are you doing?"

Gu Yunche took a deep breath, stumbling over his words, "Xiaobin, my parents said... said that the times are tough. They want me... want me to get married..."

As he said this, his gaze was fixed intently on the person in front of him.

Mu Cai's eyes contracted in shock. His bright red lips parted slightly as he gaped at Gu Yunchen in disbelief.

After a moment, he regained his senses, the color completely draining from his face. Mu Cai lowered his head slightly, avoiding Gu Yunchen's piercing gaze and forced a smile, "Isn't that a good thing? Zicheng, you've reached the age to get married too..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunchen forcibly turned Mu Cai's chin towards him, searching his eyes, "Even you think I should get married? Xiaobin, why would you think that? Did you forget about that night...we..."

Mu Cai promptly cut him off, "What else is there to do?"

The slender young man raised his face, revealing a pair of eyes that seemed to carry a layer of watery light on his pale countenance. Furrowing his brow, he looked both sorrowful and helpless, "What else can we do? Zicheng, we're not children anymore. Even if...even if I like you, don't you want to have children? Don't your parents want to hold their grandchild? Forget about me and find a girl you like..."

Before Mu Cai could finish speaking, he felt the hand gripping his shoulder tighten suddenly.

As he lifted his head, he saw a look of joy on Gu Yunchen's face, "You like me? You like me! That's great! That's great!"

Unable to contain his happiness, Gu Yunchen hugged Mu Cai tightly, as if he wanted to embed him into his embrace. Struggling for breath, Mu Cai couldn't help but smile when he saw the other's excitement.

However, that smile carried a hint of indescribable bitterness.

Mutual affection was supposed to be a beautiful thing, but it was nearly impossible for the two of them.

After his excitement subsided, Gu Yunchen quickly noticed something was off with his beloved.

Composing himself, his sharp gaze softened, "Don't worry, I'll handle everything you're concerned about. I'm not the only son in our family. My brother already has children, so it's not my responsibility to carry on the family line. If they want me to get married, I'll enlist in the army instead!"

Mu Cai's eyes widened in an instant, "Join the army? That could be life-threatening! No! You can't..."

"Shh, listen to me," Gu Yunchen gently covered the other's mouth with his hand, feeling the softness of the lips beneath his palm, which stirred up some restless thoughts, "I've heard that the government's army lacks recruits. I heard the treatment is really good. If you join the army now, not only will you eat white rice, but you'll also have meat on special occasions and receive two silver coins per person every month!"

At this point, he started making calculations, "Don't worry. If there's a real battle, can't I just run away if I can't win? When I save enough money, I'll come back to find you. I'll give a portion of the money to my parents, and the rest will be yours. We'll take your younger brother and move somewhere nobody knows us, and live our lives together. I have skills, I can make furniture for others to support you! I'll also build a heated brick bed in the house, so you can sleep warmly in the winter!"

Gu Yunche spoke with excitement and anticipation in his eyes.

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Mu Cai couldn't help but be taken in by the idea. He imagined the scene described by Gu Yunchen and found it very appealing, as he had lost his parents at a young age and raised his younger brother alone, with no one else to rely on.

However, although Mu Cai was tempted, he still hesitated, "Going to war is too dangerous. I'd rather not have those things and just want you to live well and be safe."

Touched by Mu Cai's words, Gu Yunchen felt the urge to give him a tender kiss. He thought about it, and that's exactly what he did.

A sudden kiss on the forehead made Mu Cai's eyes widen in surprise. He found Gu Yunchen gazing at him and heard him say, "However, I want, I really want to be with you. If I were to be with someone else, I'd rather die."

No sooner had he said this than he felt a cool touch on his lips. The man before him had a stern face, his earlier sorrowful expression gone as he wrinkled his brow and glared at him fiercely, "Don't talk nonsense! It's so inauspicious!"

Gu Yunchen began to laugh. He took hold of Mu Cai's hand, kissed it, and said, "Yes, I was talking nonsense! But I can't imagine being with anyone else other than you. Marrying another woman would be just cruel to her, and I can't do that. Now my elder brother is married and has children, and my younger brother is growing up. It might be good if I join the army. There will be one less mouth to feed at home. When I come back, all the girls in the neighborhood will probably be married, and my parents won't have time to arrange a marriage for me. Then, I'll seize the opportunity to whisk you away."

Seeing that Mu Cai was about to dissuade him again, Gu Yunchen quickly said, "I've already talked with the recruiters, and they'll come to take me soon. I initially thought that if you didn't like me, I would give up and leave to save you any embarrassment. Now that you do like me, I'm so happy!"

At hearing these words, a faint blush came over Mu Cai's face. Seeing that further persuasion was futile, all he could do was to caution, "Then you must be careful. I... I will be here waiting for you to return."

As he said this, his eyelids drooped, and his long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly. There was a touch of shyness in him.

A tender feeling stirred in Gu Yunchen's heart. Just as he was about to wrap his arm around him again for some more affectionate moments, they heard a stern voice calling from a distance, "What are you two doing?!"

Both men turned around and saw Mo Hengqing approaching, a serious look on his face, "What does it look like, two men tugging at each other like this?!"

His gaze swept over the two men in front of him, then came to rest on Mu Cai's face.

Mu Cai flinched slightly.

He was somewhat afraid of this acknowledged elder brother of Ji Zicheng. Although there had been instances of two men together in their neighborhood, the neighbors, though slightly taken aback, didn't make a fuss. However, the man before them displayed a strong sense of rejection.

Moreover, Mu Cai always felt like this man didn't like him. Every time he looked at him, it was as if he wanted to devour him.

Gu Yunchen stepped in front of Mu Cai and asked, "Brother Fang, what brings you here?"

Having his view of the delicate-faced, pale, skinny young man blocked, not to mention not being able to see those eyes that resembled sparkling spring water, Mo Hengqing's mood instantly soured.

He coldly withdrew his gaze and looked at Gu Yunchen standing in front of him, saying, "People from the army are here; it's time for us to go."

"Do we have to leave right now?" Mu Cai, no longer concerned about Fang Ling, quickly poked his head out and grabbed Gu Yunchen's arm.

Gu Yunchen held Mu Cai's hand, also feeling reluctant, "Yes, I have to go. Remember to wait for me!"

Their clasped hands became even more irritating in Mo Hengqing's eyes. He coldly urged, "It's time to go." Then, he reached out his hand to pull Gu Yunchen away.

Gu Yunchen was yanked by him, almost stumbling to the ground. Seeing that Mu Cai might fall as well because of him, he quickly let go of his hand and shouted, "Remember to wait for me!"

The slender young man's brows furrowed with worry as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He just stood behind Gu Yunchen and gently nodded as the latter was dragged away.

"Cut!"

At Director Wu Feng's command, the three actors in the center of the empty space immediately dropped their character expressions. Mo Hengqing let go of Gu Yunchen's arm, and Gu Yunchen quickly distanced himself from Mo Hengqing, standing next to Mu Cai.

A fanatical gleam shone in Wu Feng's eyes.

He knew it! He knew he hadn't chosen the wrong people!

Even though Wu Feng usually makes award-winning films with intricate and heavy content, he doesn't dismiss films with a commercial nature when watching as a viewer. Some time ago, Wu Feng saw the movie "Snowy Kingdom", and he was instantly drawn to the character Yi Sheng, portrayed by Mu Cai.

Despite his youth, Mu Cai conveyed a worldliness in front of the camera. The detached and otherworldly aura emanating from him instantly caught Wu Feng's attention.

Especially at the end of Xiaoxue Jiangshan, the scene where Mu Cai slowly closes his eyes was exquisitely crafted. It was as if he had found the Yao Xiubin he had always been searching for!

Thus, he intentionally contacted the other's agent to invite Mu Cai for an audition today.

Wu Feng has discovered numerous actors, many of whom have been momentarily impactful, yet somewhat lacking during the actual auditions. To his surprise, upon meeting today, both Mu Cai's appearance and his understanding of the role exceeded his expectations.

It was truly an unexpected delight.

Wu Feng openly expressed that all three of them performed very well. He gave a brief evaluation and with it and added, "The film crew plans to start shooting next week, the production is tentatively scheduled for two months. I'm wondering if your schedules would allow for that?"

After speaking, he waited anxiously.

Wu Feng knew his films were more acclaimed than they were blockbuster hits. In other words, they won awards but didn't make much money. This film was particularly tricky because of its potentially sensitive timeline. It might not even get permission to be shown in China.

Since his films weren't box office hits and now lacked a country's audience, naturally, the pay he could offer actors was limited.

He wasn't worried about Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing. After all, they were already established actors, not affiliated to any agencies, with full freedom to choose their films. If they were here to audition, it meant they were truly interested in his movie and didn't mind the low pay.

But Mu Cai was a different story. He was a newcomer, just starting to gain popularity. It wasn't certain if his agency, Kaicheng Entertainment, would consent to him acting in a film that promised little profit.

As expected, Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing nodded agreement quickly. Mu Cai didn't speak, only turning to look at Su Xingyun.

Wu Feng also anxiously turned to look at him.

Su Xingyun, glancing at the company shareholder Gu Yunchen, calmly stated, "Yes, we have an opening in Cai's schedule."

Relief spread across Wu Feng's face.

Both parties were pleased, promptly signing the film contract.

A week later, Mu Cai joined the team.

The planned shooting period for this time was a little over a month, less than two months. Given that the structure of the story for 'Memories of a Small Town' was fairly simple and the scenes were not complicated, the shooting should progress quickly. Although the story involved war, there wouldn't be many large-scale war scenes in the actual frames.

After conducting the shooting ceremony, the official Weibo of the "Memories of a Small Town" crew quietly posted an update. Despite the possibility that it might not be shown domestically, it was still important for Mu Cai to promote it as one of the leading actors.

However, as soon as he reposted the crew's Weibo update and exited the editing interface, he saw a bright trending topic:

#Divine Couple Endless Love#

It was a hot trend for the couple pairing of Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing!

Mu Cai's eyes lit up.

Here comes the juicy part!

Chapter 31

The development of the story was quite timely.

Initially, in Weibo Super Talk, the "ChengCai CP" had a large number of fans, and their popularity was high. The "ZhongCai CP" was also quite popular. However, the CP of Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing had always been lukewarm. And ever since Mu Cai debuted, it almost disappeared.

But just in these couple of days, a slightly famous uploader on a well-known barrage website suddenly had an idea to create a widely appealing video using various film and television clips. The uploader, according to their personal preferences and understanding, arranged for Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing to portray two popular roles from the original work.

In the original work, these two characters had a deep friendship, saving each other from danger several times, and had a large number of CP fans.

The casting in the video was appropriate, the colors were comfortable, and the editing was meticulous. Many selected clips subtly matched the foreshadowing buried in the original work, not only highlighting the characters' personalities but also roughly recounting the entire content. As a result, this video was quickly upvoted by fans of the original work and achieved the third-highest view count of the day on the website.

Meanwhile, the CP fans of the two characters began to take a keen interest in the two stars, venturing into the realm of real-life CP. In addition, the popularity of the movie 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' was at its peak, and the movie run was not yet over. Just a few days ago, the official Weibo account of the production team had released a photo of Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing, still in costume, in conversation.

Just after Gu Yunchen had retweeted the production start announcement for 'Memories of a Small Town' from its official Weibo, he saw this sudden trending topic, and couldn't help but marvel at how quickly things can change.

This photo was taken by a photographer on the set. At the time, Mo Hengqing was warning Gu Yunchen to keep his distance from Mu Cai. When the photo was first released two days ago, among the comments under the production team's official Weibo post, there were many theories about a "showdown between uncle and brother-in-law". Some joked that it was a situation of rivals meeting, each envying the other.

To everyone's surprise, this quickly turned into hard evidence of the Immortal CP's public display of affection. (Note: 神仙 [shénxiān] = Immortal)

Gu Yunchen raised his eyes, curious about Mu Cai's reaction.

Mu Cai was pursing his lips slightly, looking serious as his fingers swiftly tapped on his phone's keyboard. He clicked on the "Immortal CP" topic, picked one of the most popular Weibo posts and re-shared it, while trying hard to debunk this new CP according to the plotline of the original work:

[Mu Cai: There's no relationship between Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing at all, they even argue on set sometimes! Don't spread rumors! [Angry] / Eternally Bestowed CP: Today, I would like to formally introduce the Immortal CP! I've secretly adored them for so long, and finally, the day has come…]

The original plot in the system is quite succinct, glossing over this part with just one line – the original character was "trying to break the CP online by bad-mouthing Mo Hengqing."

But Mu Cai couldn't bring himself to say anything bad about Mo Hengqing.

Mo Hengqing was quite nice to him. He had even invited him home for dinner on the second day of the Lunar New Year and took good care of him on set. Moreover, Mu Cai couldn't backbite anyone regardless of their relationship with him. This was the upbringing ingrained in him since childhood and a reflection of his own character.

Therefore, Mu Cai could only put more effort into debunking the CP. To enhance his anger and ferocity, he deliberately chose an emoji with a flaming face, snarling and baring its teeth, to create a powerful impression.

After posting, Mu Cai felt a sense of relief.

As a Weibo influencer with 20 million followers, he knew that recklessly speaking ill of others while interfering in others' CP would significantly lower his public image, and some of his fans might even turn against him.

Upon thinking this, Mu Cai clicked to read his notification messages which already showed 99+:

[For some reason, seeing Cai Cai's angry emoji, I could almost picture our little kitten barely able to walk straight, yet trying to bite people. It's so cute!] 6,000+ likes

Mu Cai: ?

Mu Cai continued scrolling and saw another highly praised comment:

[Those obsessed with real-life couples should rein it in a bit. It's fine if you keep it within the topic forum, but it's too much when you go beneath videos without a CP tag and create drama, even making a fuss in front of the celebrities. Our Cai Cai might be quite straightforward in his speech, but this is a display of righteousness. He must be speaking out because the two main characters must be upset! They are all in the same crew now!] 7,000+ likes

Mu Cai: ...

No, he wasn't, he didn't!

Mu Cai had to admire the creative reasoning of the masses. They could twist anything into a story! He intended to continue struggling to save the situation when his phone vibrated, announcing two new mentions on Weibo.

When he checked the notifications, he noticed that Gu Yunchen and Mo Hengqing had re-posted his Weibo post, each making a statement:

[Mo Hengqing: A normal working relationship, don't imagine more /Gu Yunchen: Thanks to Cai Cai for speaking up, don't cue. /Mu Cai: There is no relationship between Brother Gu and Brother Mo…]

Mu Cai: ?

Did that just eliminate his chance to turn the tables?

While Mu Cai was fretting, he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

Looking up, he saw Gu Yunchen.

Having just gotten involved in the couple war involving the other party, Mu Cai inevitably felt a little apprehensive seeing the real person approach. He simply said: "Brother Gu."

Gu Yunchen had been observing Mu Cai since earlier. He had watched the young man's fingers fly across the phone screen, his expression shifting from serious, to excited, then to disappointed. All sorts of feelings surged in Gu's heart.

Mu Cai understanding that there was really no romantic relationship between him and Mo Hengqing was fantastic. However, notwithstanding the considerable amount of supportive comments under Mu Cai's Weibo post, some people were badmouthing him.

The thought of Mu Cai battling alone made Gu Yunchen feel sorry for him. Without a moment's hesitation, he posted on Weibo to clarify the situation in sync with Mu. Mo Hengqing, being tactful, followed suit. This put an end to the unsettling voices in the comments once and for all.

Thereby, Mu Cai would no longer be wronged.

With this in mind, Gu Yunchen couldn't help but gently touch Mu's hair, soothingly saying, "Don't be angry."

Mu Cai was taken aback, then remembered how Gu Yunchen had backed him up on Weibo. Even though this plot point had unavoidably collapsed, Mu Cai was truly touched.

Being friends with Gu Yunchen was indeed terrific. To have someone so willing to help him. With this thought, Mu Cai looked at Gu Yunchen and started smiling, "Thank you, Brother Gu!"

The young man being touched on the head was initially stunned. Then, a radiant smile appeared on his face. His eyes became crescent-shaped, his cheek accumulated a bit of flesh, and two small canines were revealed at the corner of his lips.

He seemed very happy and grateful.

Yet, there was not a hint of shyness related to their physical contact.

He really had no clue at all.

Perhaps he even thought he was helping him dispel the rumors.

Gu Yunchen couldn't help but sigh helplessly in his heart.

After the commencement ceremony, the shooting of 'Memories of a Small Town' started in a tense yet orderly manner.

This film was expected to run for only 80 to 90 minutes. There were not many large-scale scenes - most of it consisted of scenes of life in a small town. The three actors got into character quickly, with very few NGs (Note: no good takes), so the overall pace of the shoot was very fast.

In just over a month, the team was nearing the end of shooting.

One afternoon, Director Wu Feng scheduled the shooting of the last scene, which was also the official wrap-up scene for Gu Yunchen's part.

The scene was named Reunion.

Although the power of the spring sun had diminished by four or five in the afternoon, it still shone brightly. The old trees in the courtyard rustled in the wind.

Yao Xiubin was soaking up the sun on a lounge chair in the courtyard.

This year marked the fifth year since the end of the war.

Five years ago, the former government's army retreated and collectively evacuated from Shun Gang. When Yao Xiubin heard the news, the kitchen knife in his hand fell to the ground immediately.

His heart was full of apprehension, and he couldn't think calmly. Yao Xiubin packed up his belongings, went to town to inform his younger brother, who was already apprenticing as a blacksmith, and then set off for Shun Gang without hesitation.

Growing up, the farthest place Yao Xiubin had ever visited was the neighboring town. At this moment, he didn't even know where Shun Gang was but had an endless courage to search for someone.

He traveled by car, walked, ate dry buns and cakes, and asked for water from roadside shopkeepers. He constantly asked for directions, made many mistakes, and finally arrived at Shun Gang half a month later.

At that time, large ships were lined up along the docks of Shun Gang. The sky was gray, and as far as one could see, there were crowds of people. Those boarding the ships, those saying tearful farewells, soldiers maintaining order, and urgently needed supplies, all were filling the dock, leaving hardly any space to stand.

Like all the others saying goodbye, he shouted Ji Zicheng's name, but he found that his voice had merely joined the tumultuous tide of voices without making a single ripple. He squeezed into the crowd, searching, seeing every face resembling his Zicheng, but none of them were his Zicheng.

It was not until all the ships had left and the people on the dock had dispersed that Yao Xiubin realized he had not found the person he was looking for.

He collapsed onto the dirty, cluttered ground, feeling as if all his energy had been drained. He stared blankly at the calm sea, sitting there from morning until night, before finally returning to the village where he had grown up, like a beaten, homeless dog.

Yao Xiubin had lost a considerable amount of weight after this journey. His lips were cracked, his body was a mess, and his eyes were dull. Upon arriving home, he fell seriously ill. It wasn't until he saw his younger brother, who had hurried back from town with a worried look on his face, that Yao Xiubin finally tried to muster his strength.

No matter if he found the person or not, life had to go on.

Leaves turned from green to yellow, and flowers bloomed and withered.

Yao Xiubin waited, year after year.

Now it was already the fifth year.

Lying on the lounge chair in the sun, Yao Xiubin thought somewhat absentmindedly.

It turned out that he had been waiting for so long without realizing it, going from restless and sleepless nights to a still and peaceful heart.

However, his yearning had not stopped.

During these five years, many neighbors had tried to introduce him to unmarried girls or widows who had lost their husbands, but he had rejected them all. Yao Xiubin had someone in his heart and did not want to hold others back. Fortunately, the neighbors were understanding, and when they saw his determination, they let it be, taking care of him in his daily life.

His younger brother had now opened his own blacksmith shop in town and had gotten married and had children. Whenever his brother came to visit him, he would always seem to have something to say but never said it.

Yao Xiubin knew what his brother wanted to say.

What was he holding onto? What was he waiting for? Perhaps that person had already found someone else on the other side of the sea, or perhaps they had forgotten about him long ago.

However, Yao Xiubin would prefer it that way. He would rather they were separated by life than by death.

That way, he could at least imagine that the other person was living a good life, with someone taking care of them, which would bring some peace to his heart.

The warm, yellow sunlight enveloped Yao Xiubin in a hazy halo, even illuminating his hair with a slight golden hue.

He slowly closed his eyes, seeming as if he was about to fall asleep. The sunlight cast distinct shadows of his eyelashes, creating a shadowy effect on the corner of his eyes.

A gentle breeze picked up, causing the old tree above him to rustle. The sunlight felt warm and comforting, and the surrounding environment was tranquil. Yao Xiubin felt he was about to drift off to sleep.

Just as his mind seemed hazy and about to be overwhelmed by darkness, a familiar and gentle voice suddenly rang in his ears: "In this weather, sleeping in the yard can easily catch a cold."

The voice was like a booming thunder, startling him.

Yao Xiubin's foggy mind instantly cleared, and he looked up to see a thin man with slightly dark skin standing in front of him.

The man had sharp eyebrows and eyes, staring fixedly at him.

Despite the many changes, Yao Xiubin recognized him at a glance. He hadn't seen Zicheng in such a long time, and after waiting so many years, he could hardly believe his own eyes. Even his voice trembled as he spoke: "Zicheng?"

Upon hearing this, Zicheng's eyes instantly lit up.

He had spent countless efforts to escape from the defeated army, crawling through mud and hiding. At first, he was afraid of being caught by the retreating government forces, and later, being discovered by the new government's army.

It took Zicheng a full four years to change his identity and return here.

Before coming back, he had thought of many possibilities. He imagined that Xiaobin might have stopped waiting for him, maybe even got married and had children. He also thought Xiaobin might have moved away from this place, as many people had fled their hometowns during the turmoil.

Zicheng was fully prepared, but he didn't expect to receive the best outcome.

After so many years, Xiaobin still remembered him and even stayed here.

And it seemed like he was still waiting for him.

Zicheng's eyes moistened: "It's me, Xiaobin."

In that instant when their eyes met, Yao Xiubin couldn't help but stretch out his arms, and Zicheng embraced him tightly.

Neither of them spoke, as tears streamed silently down their faces.

"Cut!"

With director Wu Feng's shout, Gu Yunchen reluctantly let go of Mu Cai.

His emotions had not yet settled, as waves of joy from their reunion and the lingering bitterness of the years surged in his heart.

The young man's face still bore tear stains, and his glossy, black eyes stared intently at him.

Gu Yunchen suddenly thought of something.

Wu Feng announced that Gu Yunchen's scenes were officially completed, but Mu Cai might need some additional filming tomorrow afternoon.

As another collaborative film was coming to an end, everyone's mood lightened up quite a bit. The crew at the shooting site had already begun packing up the equipment.

The location where they shot the film was in a remote suburb of a county town, and at this moment, dusk was falling. Looking up, the mountains had turned to a greenish-blue color, connecting to a fiery sunset sky, painting a picture like a vibrant oil canvas.

Mu Cai's gaze was captivated by the scenic beauty.

As a former solo violinist, he always had an artist's penchant for quirky and unexpected ideas when there's time to spare.

For example, Mu Cai always had a leisurely appreciation for sunrise and sunset. He even traveled to the North Pole just to witness the aurora borealis, and went drifting in the Amazon River, narrowly avoiding a serious injury. The landscape before his eyes unfolded like a slowly opening colorful scroll, invoking his interest in climbing up the hill to watch the sunset.

Coincidentally, Mu Cai's reshoot was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, meaning he didn't have to wake up early. At this moment, he wanted to act on his thoughts and go up to the middle of the hill for a view.

Gu Yunchen, who had been observing Mu Cai, naturally noticed the eager anticipation in his eyes.

Even amidst the dimming light, there was a twinkle in the young man's eyes.

Guessing his intentions, Gu Yunchen said with a smile, "Do you want to go up the mountain for a look? How about we go together?"

Mu Cai, who already intended to go up, gladly agreed to the offer of company.

The two marched along the winding mountain road, the crimson glow from the sunset bathing the hillside as the evening breeze brushed their faces.

Observing Mu Cai's profile, partially hidden in the twilight, brought Gu Yunchen a twinge of joy mixed with bittersweet sentiments.

His heart pounded fervently as if cotton was expanding in his chest, ready to release a burst of potent emotion at any moment.

Gu Yunchen thought, he still hadn't gotten out of character.

He'd originally planned to hold back, at least for a while, to allow Mu Cai to rely on him more before confessing his feelings.

He thought this might increase his chances of success, and maybe it would be harder for Mu Cai to reject him.

But now, he couldn't hold back any longer.

Mu Cai was admiring the twilight between the mountains, watching the sunset, and enjoying the evening breeze that felt like a gentle hand brushing over his skin. His mood was serene, tinged with subtle joy. He allowed his mind to wander freely with the universe.

But soon, a hand landed on his shoulder, interrupting Mu Cai's mindfulness.

Mu Cai turned his head in surprise, only to find Gu Yunchen's usually cold facial features softened, shrouded by the glow of the sunset.

The light interlaced on Gu Yunchen's face, and his profound, black eyes seemed to draw Mu Cai in – his gaze warm and affectionate. Gu Yunchen's lips moved gently:

"Cai Cai, I like you."

Mu Cai's eyes widened.

Before he could respond, he heard the system in his brain speak:

[The plot points have all been completed. The energy field is fluctuating greatly, and the energy will soon be exhausted!]

[Please prepare, host. You will soon be leaving this small world.]