IOLYF Chapter 11

The next morning, Mo Ming joined the film crew. He adapted to the role quickly, demonstrating a fluid and graceful performance in his fight scenes, which left Director Liu Hekun quite satisfied. Although Mo Ming’s character didn’t have many scenes—sometimes just one scene every two days—he stayed with the crew every day.

Accompanying Mo Ming was still Xiao Song, who, due to the lack of tasks, had taken on the role of driver as well. He spent most of his time with Mo Ming on set, and everything seemed as usual until the day he saw Mo Ming actively approach Xia Qing, claiming to be his fan.

That morning, due to a malfunctioning camera, filming was paused for a while. Mo Ming took advantage of the break to approach Xia Qing, who was lounging in a soft chair playing a game on his phone.

“Brother Xia,” Mo Ming called softly, “could I trouble you for an autograph?”

Xia Qing looked up with some impatience.

Mo Ming pressed his lips together and gave a shy smile. “I’m a fan of yours.”

Xia Qing scrutinized Mo Ming.

Mo Ming was dressed in his character’s costume—a white robe, his waist cinched tightly by a belt, with his hair pinned up with a bamboo hairpin. His fair face was fully exposed, highlighting his refined features. He smiled innocently, fitting the character of the pure-hearted young swordsman he played.

“So, it’s you,” Xia Qing said, putting down his phone. “Sure, hand it over.”

He had already noticed this stand-in actor. The young man was quite handsome, and even Liu Hekun, who rarely praised anyone, had spoken highly of him.

“Thank you, Brother Xia.”

Mo Ming handed over a postcard, and Xia Qing quickly signed his name. As he returned the postcard to Mo Ming, his gaze lingered on Mo Ming’s face, and his fingers brushed against Mo Ming’s hand. He noticed the slight blush that crept up Mo Ming’s cheeks, making him seem easily flustered.

Mo Ming thanked him again, satisfied with the autograph, and walked away. Xia Qing’s assistant, who had been watching the interaction, couldn’t help but warn Xia Qing, “Brother Xia, these so-called fans who approach you might have ulterior motives. Be careful not to get fooled.”

“Do I need you to remind me?” Xia Qing said without looking up from his phone. “I just think he’s good-looking.”

Xia Qing was currently one of the hottest young actors in the industry. His agency had repeatedly warned him not to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with people in the industry to avoid being taken advantage of. Xia Qing was well aware of this and was extremely cautious, only getting involved with a few non-industry partners.

Though he had a high sex drive, Xia Qing wasn’t foolish. If he were to get involved with someone in the industry, it would have to be someone trustworthy and of high quality.

After finishing his game, Xia Qing glanced at the tall figure not far away.

“Brother Mo, since when have you been a fan of Xia Qing?” Xiao Song asked, bewildered. “You never mentioned it before.”

“I just became one. Do you dislike him?”

Xiao Song nodded, then quickly shook his head. “If he’s your idol, then I don’t have anything to say.”

“So, you do dislike him?”

Xiao Song couldn’t help but whisper in disdain, “I’ve heard from friends in the industry that he likes both men and women and has several casual partners outside the industry. His character isn’t that great. Plus, there’s that unresolved issue with Zhou Xu. Who knows if he deliberately framed him?”

Mo Ming nodded. “Yes, I know.”

“Then why do you still…”

“As long as it’s him, it’s fine,” Mo Ming said with a slight smile. “I hope he likes me too.”

Xiao Song was shocked, his jaw nearly dropping. “Brother Mo, you… you don’t mean you like Xia…”

“Shh…”

Mo Ming pressed a finger to his lips, his gentle smile lingering at the corners of his eyes.

For a moment, Xiao Song felt a strange unfamiliarity in the man before him.

Just when Xiao Song thought Mo Ming was truly pursuing Xia Qing, Mo Ming threw himself back into filming, never showing any particular affection for Xia Qing, only humbly asking for advice on acting matters. Whenever Liu Hekun praised his performance, Mo Ming would casually attribute his improvement to Xia Qing’s guidance.

By the time Xiao Song realized what was happening, Mo Ming had already gotten Xia Qing’s personal contact information.

That evening, while waiting for the last scene after dinner, Xiao Song bought two boxes of cherries for Mo Ming. Mo Ming washed one and took it to Xia Qing.

In the dressing room, Shen Xixi lay on the sofa with her head resting on Xia Qing’s lap, happily discussing her plans to break into the entertainment industry with him.

When Mo Ming opened the door and walked in, Shen Xixi was startled and quickly sat up—she had forgotten to lock the door.

“Sorry.” Mo Ming said before retreating and closing the door.

Shen Xixi stood frozen for a few seconds before hastily running after him.

Knowing Mo Ming was Yang Guan’s girlfriend, she couldn’t afford to let him say anything that might cause trouble. She hadn’t succeeded in getting help through Yang Guan and was now waiting for her cousin to return to Chuanhai, hoping the high-level executives at Xingci would bring her a contract to sign. Offending Mo Ming or Yang Guan was the last thing she wanted.

“Brother Mo, don’t misunderstand. Xia Qing and I are just friends,” Shen Xixi said with a forced smile, trying to explain as she walked beside Mo Ming. “We’re so familiar with each other that we don’t mind being close.”

“Okay.”

“I never expected to see you in this crew. I didn’t see you during my previous visits,” Shen Xixi continued. “Oh, by the way, I heard from Xia Qing that an actor in the crew offended Director Liu and got replaced. Brother Mo, you wouldn’t happen to be that replacement, would you?”

“Yes,” Mo Ming replied calmly, stopping to look at her. “Is there something important you need to say, Miss Shen?”

Shen Xixi awkwardly laughed. “Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you could do me a favor and not tell Yang Guan about what you saw today. There’s really nothing going on between me and Xia Qing, but I don’t want Yang Guan to misunderstand.”

“This is your private matter, Miss Shen. I won’t get involved.”

“You’re so kind, Brother Mo. When my cousin comes back, I’ll have him put in a good word for you with Brother Han. At the very least, he should give you a decent opportunity.”

Mo Ming nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

Mo Ming then turned to leave, and Shen Xixi’s smile faded as she returned to find Xia Qing already in his RV.

As a popular star, Xia Qing avoided any relationship rumors, and his connection with Shen Xixi was nothing more than a casual fling. Shen Xixi had always visited him under the guise of her assistant’s best friend. Their flirtations typically happened inside the RV. Earlier in the dressing room, Xia Qing had been too careless.

Before Shen Xixi returned, Xia Qing sent a message to Mo Ming.

[Xia Qing]: Are you jealous? [smirk]

After a while, Mo Ming replied with just one emoji.

[Mo Ming]: [Pouting Face]

Seeing the pitiful expression, Xia Qing couldn’t help but smirk.

Could he really be a naive sweetie?

When Shen Xixi returned, she spent a long time complaining to Xia Qing before finally spilling the beans.

“Let me tell you something,” she whispered, lowering her voice even though the RV was soundproof. “That Mo Ming is Han Shao Zhou’s lover and has been with him for a long time.”

Xia Qing was taken aback and finally looked up. “You’re joking, right? How could that be?”

“It’s surprising, isn’t it? I was just as shocked when I first heard. But don’t worry, he’s just a lover. You can tell from his current status in the industry that Han Shao Zhou doesn’t really care about him. He still loves my cousin.”

Xia Qing rubbed his chin, lost in thought. “It’s true that Han Shao Zhou doesn’t seem to be pushing him much. It doesn’t seem like he cares about him that much. So why keep him around?”

Shen Xixi grinned and rested her chin on Xia Qing’s shoulder. “Think about his face. Doesn’t it look familiar?”

Xia Qing frowned… The kid was good-looking, with fair skin and long legs, but not too effeminate. He seemed gentle too. It wouldn’t be hard for a man like him to find a sugar daddy in the industry.

Seeing Xia Qing’s slow reaction, Shen Xixi couldn’t wait any longer and explained, “You don’t see it? Mo Ming looks a lot like my cousin. Think about his eyebrows, his eyes.”

The resemblance wasn’t obvious unless you were familiar with both Wen Ci and Mo Ming. It took Xia Qing a moment to catch on. “Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance. So, Han Shao Zhou kept Mo Ming around because…”

“Exactly. So don’t worry about offending him. Han Shao Zhou doesn’t really care about him now. When my cousin returns, Han Shao Zhou will completely ignore him, and his career in the industry will tank even faster.”

“How has no one noticed? When Han Shao Zhou was chasing Wen Ci, the whole entertainment industry was watching like it was a TV drama. Han Shao Zhou was more famous than your cousin back then. Now he’s quietly kept a stand-in for Wen Ci. If this gets out, it would be quite the story…” Xia Qing murmured, realizing that the young man must be looking for a new backer because his current one was about to abandon him.

“I think it’s best to keep this under wraps. In the entertainment industry, bad publicity is still publicity. If people find out he’s Wen Ci’s stand-in for Han Shao Zhou, it’ll give him a boost in fame. That would only raise his profile,” Shen Xixi argued. “I’m just hoping Han Shao Zhou quietly dumps him. I haven’t even told my cousin about Han Shao Zhou’s lover because I don’t want him to lose hope in Han Shao Zhou. I’m really hoping those two can get back together soon.”

…

The plane landed in Chuanhai, and it was already past eight in the evening.

After getting in the car and leaving the airport, Han Shao Zhou called Mo Ming, but Xiao Song answered.

With a note indicating “Z Ge,” Xiao Song assumed this was a relative or friend of Mo Ming’s, politely explaining that Mo Ming was currently filming and couldn’t take the call.

“Where is your set located?” Han Shao Zhou asked.

Xiao Song answered truthfully, but before he could ask what the call was about, Han Shao Zhou had already hung up.

“Head to ** Film Base,” Han Shao Zhou instructed the driver.

He realized he had never seen his little lover at work before.

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