Translator: Lynn
Xu Ding and Cheng Ke didn’t mention the filming location, and Jiang Yuduo felt too hesitant to ask. Cheng Ke was engrossed in reading the paper and discussing its contents with Xu Ding and Lin Xu. Their conversation revolved around shooting-related matters that Jiang Yuduo couldn’t comprehend. The only experience he had with “shooting” was Chen Qing’s short videos. Feeling out of the loop, he turned his head and gazed out the window.
The car continued its journey south, passing through the urban area and into the suburbs. They entered an area filled with farms, even though it was quite chilly outside. Jiang Yuduo noticed several cars parked near the farmhouses.
“Who would come here at this time? What are they doing?” Cheng Ke asked, breaking the silence.
“It’s almost Chinese New Year. People come here to experience the traditional village atmosphere, like sleeping on the Kang,” Xu Ding explained. “It’s an interesting experience for those who want to try something different.”
The Kang is a living and sleeping platform, a heated bed. It is constructed of brick, adobe, or stone and consists of three parts: a fireplace, a kang proper, and a chimney. Beneath the flat surface of the kang are flues, which conduct hot air from the fireplace through to the room.
“Is it similar to how we shoot rustic videos?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“No,” Xu Ding chuckled, “There’s a specific element we’re incorporating: the desolate style.”
“What does the desolate style entail?” Lin Xu inquired, voicing the question that Jiang Yuduo also had in mind. He eagerly awaited the answer.
“It’s essentially about portraying the emptiness,” Cheng Ke replied casually.
Jiang Yuduo glanced at him, but Cheng Ke had already turned his head with a smile. It was the first time Cheng Ke had laughed since they got in the car. Prior to that, he had been serious and somewhat unapproachable during their discussions and conversations. Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help but feel a little flattered to see Cheng Ke’s smile. However, before he could say anything to Cheng Ke, Cheng Ke had averted his gaze. Jiang Yuduo sighed and continued gazing out the window.
The car pulled up in front of a small independent courtyard, joining several other parked cars. As the group exited the vehicle, Jiang Yuduo surveyed their surroundings. This courtyard differed from the smaller farmyards they had passed earlier. It resembled a farmhouse-style villa, albeit on a larger scale.
“The set will be set up later, and I will shoot the outdoor part on the snow field when it was warm at noon, and then we can talk about other things,” Xu Ding said.
“En.” Cheng Ke responded.
Jiang Yuduo lagged behind as they made their way to the courtyard. The unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar faces triggered a sense of unease within him. Yet, it wasn’t the strangers themselves that caused his nervousness. It was the unfamiliarity of the environment, a scene that was utterly unimaginable to him. It wasn’t simply a matter of being unfamiliar; it was the vast distance, the people, and the circumstances that seemed so out of reach, beyond his grasp. While many might find it curious and exciting, for Jiang Yuduo, it left him feeling lost and devoid of control and security.
“Come here,” Cheng Ke walked up to him at some point, and stuffed a cup of hot tea into his hand, “This way.”
In this unfamiliar setting, Cheng Ke was the only person Jiang Yuduo felt a sense of familiarity with. Hearing Cheng Ke’s voice, Jiang Yuduo’s dazed state eased slightly, and he began to observe his surroundings. They had traversed the first floor of the farmhouse, arriving at a hall located at the back. Beyond the hall’s entrance was a platform leading to the backyard. The decor within the hall was striking, showcasing a unique blend of simplicity and elegance. Various primary-colored wooden elements and enigmatic paintings adorned the space, creating an atmosphere that seamlessly merged with the snowy scenery visible through the windows.
Cheng Ke took him to a small sofa in the corner: “Just sit here and watch, it won’t affect their work.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yuduo nodded.
“If you think it’s boring to watch,” Cheng Ke said, “You can go to other houses. This is a private museum, which is open to the public for free, and you can look at it as you like.”
“Museum?” Jiang Yuduo was taken aback.
“Well,” Cheng Ke smiled, “it’s just some artworks in my collection.”
“Oh, I see.” Jiang Yuduo said.
Cheng Ke, occupied with his role as the protagonist, was quite busy and soon departed after settling Jiang Yuduo on the sofa. Seated comfortably, Jiang Yuduo took a sip of the fragrant hot tea, a beverage he seldom indulged in. Perhaps it was the plushness of the sofa or the vantage point that allowed him to oversee the entire hall, but he gradually felt a sense of calm settling within him. Having a view of the entire space and all the people present brought him a feeling of security. The hall was sparsely populated, making it easy for him to observe everyone and detect any signs of trouble.
As Cheng Ke and Xu Ding headed into the adjacent room, Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help but feel a twinge of restlessness. However, given the circumstances, he was unable to follow them, so he fixed his gaze on the door. After a few minutes, the two of them emerged, with Cheng Ke now dressed in unfamiliar attire. Jiang Yuduo was taken aback, as he had never seen Cheng Ke in such clothing before. It resembled the outfit of a martial artist or a hermit retreating to the mountains and forests. He didn’t know the precise name for such attire, but it certainly gave off an air of mystique.
And then the makeup… makeup?
Even with the makeup.
Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help but be intrigued by the idea of makeup. Did men also need to wear makeup for video shoots? Would Cheng Ke end up looking like the flower shop owner from that day?
Pretty little cutie.
These three words echoed silently in Jiang Yuduo’s thoughts. He had always considered Cheng Ke to be naturally handsome with flawless skin, so he couldn’t fathom what kind of makeup they would apply.
“Are you going to take pictures of my face?” Cheng Ke closed his eyes, “Don’t worry about the makeup.”
“There will be some shots of half-faces and side-faces.” The stylist said. “You can’t just do half of it, right?”
“All right.” Cheng Ke said.
As Jiang Yuduo opened his eyes, he noticed Lin Xu emerging from the room, dressed in a long robe with only black underwear underneath. Lin Xu’s impressive abs and long legs caught Jiang Yuduo’s attention, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.
Meanwhile, Cheng Ke found himself in a dilemma upon witnessing this enticing sight. Should he continue staring or look away? Both options seemed to have their drawbacks. Ultimately, he chose to keep his gaze fixed, and when Lin Xu met his eyes, Cheng Ke asked, “Are you feeling cold?”
“No, it’s fine. It’s not cold inside,” Lin Xu replied with a smile. “I can endure a few minutes outside when we shoot. There aren’t many scenes anyway.”
Cheng Ke simply nodded in response, not saying anything further.
Lin Xu didn’t leave, he pulled up a chair and sat down: “Cheng-ge, I have seen your performance several times.”
“Really?” Cheng Ke responded, “Do you like sand painting?”
“Yes,” Lin Xu said, “I learned it when I was in school, but I didn’t learn it after work. I only played by myself.”
Cheng Ke glanced at him, but he was actually out of the circle of enthusiasts. Sand painting is very strange to many people. What I came to was nothing more than all kinds of sand painting classes for children, and most of the children learn sand painting just to play with sand… Lin Xu surprised Cheng Ke, maybe because he was so handsome, he looked so handsome. It’s not like someone who can play sand painting at home by himself.
“I haven’t heard Xu Ding say that.” Cheng Ke said.
“I’m ashamed to tell Brother Xu about the level of self-entertainment.” Lin Xu smiled.
“I’m just entertaining myself too,” Cheng Ke said, “let me see your paintings when you have time.”
“En,” Lin Xu looked at him, hesitated, and touched his phone, “Cheng-ge…”
“My phone is in the room,” Cheng Ke said, “You can ask Xu Ding for my contact.”
“Okay.” Lin Xu nodded with a smile.
Jiang Yuduo looked at Cheng Ke who was talking to Lin Xu, and felt a little unsettled. This kind of Cheng Ke is completely different from what he remembered. Although he had felt this way when he watched Cheng Ke’s performance before, it was especially obvious today. He didn’t know what to say, he just felt that Cheng Ke looked like a 27-year-old now.
Calm, mature, and a little detached.
As the filming progressed, Jiang Yuduo observed Cheng Ke and Lin Xu closely. He couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast in Cheng Ke’s behavior. While many people recognized Cheng Ke during their performances and greeted him, he merely nodded in response, only engaging in conversation with Xu Ding. However, now, despite not smiling, Cheng Ke was constantly chatting with Lin Xu. Their interaction seemed effortless and comfortable, and they only stopped talking when their makeup was done.
Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help feeling a pang of discomfort. It seemed that Cheng Ke’s attention was fully focused on Lin Xu, and he found it disheartening that Lin Xu’s attractiveness was what drew Cheng Ke’s interest. The memory of the two kisses they shared resurfaced in Jiang Yuduo’s mind, leading him to let out a sigh.
As the filming began, Jiang Yuduo found himself lost in thought, staring absentmindedly at his cup. Unlike the performances, where there was a projection allowing him to see what Cheng Ke was drawing, now he could only observe Cheng Ke from a distance as he scattered sand onto the sand painting tray.
There were several scenes in which Cheng Ke and Lin Xu worked together on the sand paintings. Lin Xu effortlessly posed and scattered sand, his movements exuding a captivating charm. However, Jiang Yuduo’s gaze was mostly fixed on Cheng Ke.
Watching their creative process, Jiang Yuduo felt a sudden desire to join in on the fun. It seemed like an enjoyable activity, and he regretted not having learned from Cheng Ke when they played “You Draw I Guess” together last time. But now, he knew that Cheng Ke was in a foul mood. After the words he uttered yesterday, Jiang Yuduo could sense Cheng Ke’s lingering anger, and the way Cheng Ke looked at him had changed.
Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Yuduo was jolted back to reality as he felt his cup sinking. He instinctively reached out and grabbed it, twisting it in his hand.
“Hey!” Shadow yelled in a low voice and fell onto the sofa next to him.
When Jiang Yuduo looked over, Xu Ding was frowning, holding a teapot in his hand, and the tea was spilled all over the floor.
“Sorry…” He quickly took the teapot from Xu Ding’s hand.
“It’s okay.” Xu Ding glanced at him, shook his hands, was shocked, and said, “Your reaction, why is it like confronting a killer?”
Jiang Yuduo was stunned and did not speak.
Xu Ding took the teapot with a smile, poured some tea into his cup, and rubbed his wrist again: “Have you practiced martial arts?”
“…No.” Jiang Yuduo said.
“No wonder everyone has to call you San-ge,” Xu Ding said, “It’s amazing.”
Jiang Yuduo lowered his head and took a sip of tea.
“Is it fun?” Xu Ding looked at Cheng Ke and Lin Xu over there.
“I don’t understand anything.” Jiang Yuduo said.
“It’s messy when shooting, but you can see it more clearly after editing,” Xu Ding said, “If you find it interesting, you can come and play next time.”
“I don’t know these things.” Jiang Yuduo said.
“You don’t need to play sand painting,” Xu Ding looked at him, “You are very photogenic, and you can shoot videos with Cheng Ke. You two know each other well, and it’s easy to shoot.”
“Ah?” Jiang Yuduo was stunned.
Xu Ding laughed: “Didn’t I take a picture of you last time when I wasn’t performing? I found out that you look good on camera.”
“…Oh.” Jiang Yuduo responded and didn’t speak again.
Jiang Yuduo couldn’t shake off the nagging doubts about Xu Ding’s intentions. Despite Xu Ding’s previous acts of kindness and assistance with Cheng Yi, his sudden request for Jiang Yuduo to make videos and the limited footage of Cheng Ke in his performance video raised suspicion in Jiang Yuduo’s mind. He even said, killer.
He didn’t want to jump to conclusions or doubt Xu Ding’s character, especially considering that Xu Ding was Cheng Ke’s friend. But the lingering doubts continued to weigh on him, creating a sense of unease and confusion.
As the shooting wrapped up in the afternoon, everyone gathered for lunch together. Jiang Yuduo observed that Cheng Ke didn’t have much of an appetite and ate only half of his rice bowl. The food was delicious, meeting the standards of a satisfying meal, but Cheng Ke seemed uninterested.
After the meal, when someone suggested grabbing something to eat, Cheng Ke declined, expressing his desire to head back. Xu Ding arranged for a driver to take them back to their destination. Once they were inside the car, Cheng Ke leaned back on the back seat and dozed off even before the car had traveled a kilometer.
Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help but wonder about Cheng Ke’s exhaustion. It seemed like today had taken a toll on him, both physically and emotionally. He quietly watched Cheng Ke sleep, hoping that his friend would find some much-needed rest and rejuvenation.
“San-ge,” Lin Xu sat in the passenger seat, turning his head to smile at Jiang Yuduo, “Are you tired today?”
“Not really,” Jiang Yuduo replied, “But you guys haven’t had a break at all.”
“I’m used to it, and it’ll probably be the same tomorrow. It’s been going pretty smoothly,” Lin Xu remarked.
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo simply acknowledged.
They haven’t finished filming yet? Why is it taking so long? Jiang Yuduo couldn’t help but compare it to Chen Qing’s quick and impressive short videos that only took a minute or less to record.
“San-ge,” Lin Xu looked at him, “When I first saw you today, I thought you were a model.”
“…I’m not.” Jiang Yuduo said
“Well, you’re in great shape,” Lin Xu smiled and offered a bag of snacks, “Would you like something?”
“No, thank you,” Jiang Yuduo declined.
He didn’t know what conditions Lin Xu was talking about, and he didn’t know what conditions a model had to have. Fortunately, Lin Xu didn’t continue to say anything else. While Lin Xu was eating, he leaned against the window, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep. He didn’t open his eyes until Cheng Ke patted him twice.
“Here we are.” Cheng Ke opened the car door.
Jiang Yu followed and got out of the car.
“Cheng-ge,” Lin Xu lowered the passenger window, “I’ll contact you when I’m free.”
“Okay,” Cheng Ke nodded, and after the car drove away, Cheng Ke yawned for five seconds, ” I’m starving to death.”
“Yawning from hunger?” Jiang Yuduo looked at him.
“Sleepy and hungry,” Cheng Ke walked down the corridor, “Shouldn’t it be time for dinner?”
“It’s only five o’clock now,” Jiang Yuduo took out his phone and looked at it, “How about… I’ll go buy some food right now?”
“Huh?” Cheng Ke turned his head.
“Your refrigerator is empty,” Jiang Yuduo said, “do you want to eat takeaway again?”
“I eat it every day.” Cheng Ke said.
“Aren’t you tired of eating?” Jiang Yuduo said, “You just ate takeaway at noon.”
“I don’t want to go to the supermarket to buy food anymore,” Cheng Ke frowned, “I just want to lie on the sofa and open my mouth to wait for something to eat. Just like Meow.”
“I didn’t ask you to buy it, I mean I’m going to buy vegetables.” Jiang Yuduo looked at Cheng Ke, and when he was in the car, he still thought Cheng Ke was a 27-year-old mature man. In just a few minutes, he suddenly turned back into that young master who can’t do anything.
“You don’t want to go anymore, don’t worry about it,” Cheng Ke pressed the elevator button, “I think you’ve been there for a whole day, and you’re probably tired.”
“Did you see me?” Jiang Yuduo was a little surprised, He felt as if he didn’t exist in front of Cheng Ke today.
“Nonsense, I definitely have to watch you,” Cheng Ke entered the elevator, “It’s been so long, I’m worried that you’re bored.”
“Not bored,” Jiang Yuduo stood outside the elevator, “Then I…”
“Come in,” Cheng said Ke said, “Eat instant noodles.”
Jiang Yuduo hesitated and walked into the elevator. As soon as he entered the house, Cheng Ke took off his coat and threw it on the ground, and lay down on the sofa, almost pressing Meow directly under his buttocks.
“Do you have anything else besides instant noodles here?” Jiang Yuduo was quite hungry, and he was not satisfied with eating only instant noodles.
“There are eggs,” Cheng Ke spread out on the sofa, “and a pack of ham sausage…”
“All right,” Jiang Yuduo said, “I’ll make whatever with it.”
“Yes.” Cheng Ke responded.
Jiang Yuduo found six eggs and four ham sausages in the refrigerator. After boiling the water, he thought about it and decided to eat them all. The ham sausage and egg were scrambled together, and after the instant noodles were cooked, he poured the egg and ham sausage into it to make stewed instant noodles, which was good. Returning to the living room with two bowls of noodles, Cheng Ke was lying on the sofa looking at his phone.
“It’s done.” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Well,” Cheng Ke got up and walked to the table, “It looks good.”
“I put eggs and ham sausage in it,” Jiang Yuduo said, “I usually eat this way myself, it tastes okay, how is it?”
Cheng Ke put down his phone, put a chopstick in his mouth, and gave him a thumbs up: “Not bad, really.”
“You can cook noodles like this in the future,” Jiang Yuduo sat down, “It’s very simple…”
“No,” Cheng Ke waved his hand, “Don’t teach me, I can’t learn it. If you are here, I won’t do it. If you are not here, I will just eat the original instant noodles.”
Just as Jiang Yuduo was about to speak, Cheng Ke’s phone rang, he picked it up to take a look, and poked the screen a few times, probably to reply to someone a message. Jiang Yuduo felt a little strange, Cheng Ke’s mobile phone was almost no different from an old man’s mobile phone in his opinion, Cheng Ke basically didn’t use the mobile phone except to answer the phone, and now he still had a message to send.
“Actually, this scrambled egg…” Jiang Yuduo said halfway through when Cheng Ke’s cell phone rang again, so he had to stop.
“Tell me.” Cheng Ke picked up his phone and looked at it.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t speak anymore, just ate the noodles with his head down.
“Let’s talk when we’re done,” Cheng Ke said.
“Huh?” Jiang Yuduo didn’t understand what he was talking about and raised his head to find that Cheng Ke was speaking.
“I don’t want to go out at night for the next two days, I’m tired.” Cheng Ke put the phone aside after finishing speaking.
“You want to go out?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“No,” Cheng Ke took a big mouthful of noodles, “Lin Xu invited me to drink later, I don’t want to go out.”
“Lin Xu?” Jiang Yuduo was stunned.
“En,” Cheng Ke took another mouthful of noodles, “hey, why don’t you make these noodles tomorrow morning, it’s delicious.”
“There are no eggs and ham sausages,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“…Oh.” Cheng Ke sighed.
As Jiang Yuduo observed the situation, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. The sudden invitation for a drink from Lin Xu to Cheng Ke raised a few red flags in his mind. Xu Ding had entrusted Cheng Ke with the video recording task, and Lin Xu was also brought along by Xu Ding. It hadn’t even been a full day of working together, yet they were already making plans to go for a drink. Something about it just didn’t sit right with Jiang Yuduo.
“Are you going to drink with him?” Jiang Yuduo asked, “After you’re done with your work?”
“En,” Cheng Ke responded, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a drink with anyone.”
“Why did you go for a drink with him? “Jiang Yuduo didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want Cheng Ke to think that he was meddling in his own business, and he didn’t want to speak out about his worries, for fear of scaring Cheng Ke. “You don’t usually go out to drink with others.”
“You’re Funny,” Cheng Ke smiled, “Who do I usually drink with?”
“Me.” Jiang Yuduo said.
Cheng Ke didn’t speak, took another mouthful of noodles, swallowed his smile, and looked at him, “Are you gay?”
“No.” Jiang Yuduo replied.
“That’s it.” Cheng Ke said.
“You…” Jiang Yuduo failed to understand the logic here, “Then Lin Xu is gay?”
“He is.” Cheng Ke smiled.
“How do you know?” Jiang Yuduo was stunned.
“Because the bar he asked me to go to was a gay bar.” Cheng Ke said.
Jiang Yuduo was silent for a long time, Cheng Ke ate several chopstick noodles and drank three mouthfuls of soup, he didn’t speak.
He didn’t know what he was thinking.
Sometimes Cheng Ke doesn’t quite understand Jiang Yuduo. He already explained to Jiang Yuduo very clearly yesterday how much he “cared” for his friends, but Jiang Yuduo didn’t seem to intend to change anything. Regarding the fact that he and Lin Xu were going to drink, Jiang Yuduo’s reaction was obviously uneasy.
He really didn’t know why Jiang Yuduo is like this.
What is the reason why he insisted on guarding his friends like this?
Jiang Yuduo looked up at him and opened his mouth. Cheng Ke stopped his chopsticks and waited for Jiang Yuduo to speak while drinking the soup. Feeling nervous for no reason, he didn’t know what Jiang Yuduo would say, whether he would give him a reason, or tell him a reason.
“That,” Jiang Yuduo hesitated for a moment, looked at him, and asked carefully, “Gay, what is it?”
Cheng Ke quickly swallowed the soup he had just taken into his mouth, feeling that if he took a slow step, he would be able to get out of it immediately. Choke it out of the nose. He tilted his head and coughed a few times, and when he turned back to look at Jiang Yuduo, he was speechless.
Translator notes
A jealous Jiang Yuduo is so <3Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^
![After entering a book, he just wants to be a flower vase [Entertainment Circle]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/image_2022-10-19_141804903.png "After entering a book, he just wants to be a flower vase [Entertainment Circle]")
