After Chi Feiran came out, he was taken by Rong Jin to meet various senior veteran artists.
Chi Feiran was handsome, well-mannered, and polite when speaking to people, which was quite appreciated by the elders. Being led by Rong Jin, he received encouragement from the seniors all along the way.
Li Yuan and Chang Haoqing’s agents stood by, looking idle like bystanders.
Li Yuan watched Chi Feiran being led by Rong Jin and seemed quite happy about it. Although Chi Feiran had a strong backstage support, networking wasn’t merely about having connections. Different circles had different rules, and Chi Feiran’s ability to integrate himself was the best outcome.
Chang Haoqing observed Li Yuan’s apparent contentment and whispered, “Don’t you have any sense of crisis?”
Li Yuan turned to him, somewhat puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Chang Haoqing spoke with a worldly-wise tone, “Don’t you think Rong Jin might be trying to snatch your job?”
Li Yuan: “…”
He hadn’t thought about it until now, but once he did, it was terrifying! Li Yuan shuddered, feeling like it could indeed be the case. While it might sound like nonsense if it were anyone else, it was Rong Jin after all, the boyfriend of the young master of his household!
After such a long period of interaction, Li Yuan had some understanding of what kind of person Rong Jin was. He felt that such a move was entirely possible! Just thinking about it made him feel apprehensive!
Looking at Chang Haoqing, Li Yuan stuttered involuntarily, “N-No, it can’t be…”
Chang Haoqing looked even more world-weary, “Don’t underestimate his bottom line.”
Li Yuan: “…”
Chang Haoqing patted his shoulder, “Young man, you need to work hard. Don’t get too comfortable for too long, or you’ll lose sight of your career pursuits. Stay vigilant because that shameless guy could push you aside and take your place at any time!”
Li Yuan truly took this advice to heart. He needed to reflect on his situation. Since taking on the young master, he hadn’t felt the same ambition as before, because everything seemed to fall into place easily now.
Opportunities for other artists required connections, networking, competition, and sometimes even manipulation.
With Chi Feiran, however, he hardly needed to exert himself. Even for projects like “Military Soul,” he could secure auditions without much effort. The rest was even easier.
Before, Li Yuan thought he had a wide range of options, assisting Chi Feiran with the general direction, aligning schedules according to his wishes, and helping to filter resources. These tasks seemed simple, but Li Yuan believed his judgment and discernment were far superior to those of an ordinary agent. With Chi Feiran’s increasing exposure, there was a need for even more precise selection of roles.
Yet, no matter how confident Li Yuan was, he couldn’t match Rong Jin. It wasn’t just about judgment; there might even be a disparity in intelligence.
Even Chang Haoqing had admitted that as Rong Jin’s agent, he couldn’t be of much help in selecting roles. At best, he offered a reference.
Now, Rong Jin might come and compete with him for work…
Li Yuan was genuinely nervous. It wasn’t just about losing his job. Though he had panicked earlier, he realized that even if the young master kept him as a hanger-on, it wouldn’t be taken lightly. This involved the dignity of being an agent!
A fierce determination ignited within Li Yuan. He couldn’t afford to lose! After Chang Haoqing finished his worldly advice, Li Yuan regained his composure. He asked Chang Haoqing, “Brother Chang, aren’t you nervous at all?”
If Rong Jin truly switched to become an agent, wouldn’t an agent compete with another agent for work? That’s quite unconventional…
Chang Haoqing smiled faintly, “I’ve saved up enough for retirement.”
He added, “I’ve even factored in potential inflation, so I’ll be supplementing more than withdrawing.”
Li Yuan: “…”
Such good fortune existed in the world! Li Yuan couldn’t help but envy him!
Seeing the young man envying him, Chang Haoqing felt quite satisfied. Finally, he felt balanced!
Unaware of the inner turmoil of the two agents, Chi Feiran and Rong Jin finished their introductions. As the audition was about to begin, they dispersed. During the break, Chi Feiran added several senior artists on WeChat.
Chi Feiran glanced at the colorful circle of friends of those seniors, then at his own empty circle, feeling less trendy.
Then he stole a glance at Rong Jin beside him. Even his profile was impeccable, perhaps the epitome of perfection.
Rong Jin caught his fleeting glance, meeting his eyes. He sounded slightly puzzled, “Hmm?”
Chi Feiran smiled and said, “Nothing.”
In fact, just now, for a moment, Chi Feiran was wondering what Rong Jin would be like when he got older. He wondered what they would be like together when they grew old.
That was a distant future, but because he knew Rong Jin would be by his side, everything in his imagination felt warm and serene.
It wasn’t the time to talk about these things now, so Rong Jin didn’t pursue it. But when they returned, he brought up the topic again.
Rong Jin had always been observant of the people around him, especially Chi Feiran. The expression Chi Feiran had just now clearly indicated he was hiding something, sparking Rong Jin’s curiosity.
When Chi Feiran met Rong Jin’s gaze, he cleared his throat lightly before saying, “I was thinking…”
He paused, feeling the emotions in Rong Jin’s eyes being stirred by his words. Unable to resist, he burst into laughter, finding Rong Jin’s seriousness amusing.
Rong Jin was taken aback by his laughter but then decided to play along, intending to show Chi Feiran the consequences of idle thoughts. But just as he was about to act, Chi Feiran, still laughing, leaned in and started kissing his face.
Chi Feiran was always generous with such displays of affection. After planting a kiss on Rong Jin’s cheek, he said, “I love you the most.”
Rong Jin was like a hedgehog with all these affectionate gestures. It was getting too much, especially since he hadn’t bathed yet…
Chi Feiran cooed, “I’ll love you no matter how you change.”
Rong Jin sighed, feeling himself getting teased by his boyfriend. He couldn’t help but say, “This is probably an unavoidable problem with an older husband and a younger wife…”
The young prince felt he needed to express himself, “I love your inner self, your soul!”
Rong Jin thought for a moment before earnestly saying, “But I still love your appearance.”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Seeing his boyfriend’s slightly confused expression, Rong Jin finally smiled and teased him, “Come on, keep saying nice things.”
Chi Feiran playfully bit his chin, a bit resentful, but ultimately couldn’t bite too hard. He left only a shallow mark.
Rong Jin said, “I’m requesting a change of location after being bitten.”
Chi Feiran raised an eyebrow, giving a slightly teasing look, then generously approved Rong Jin’s request.
This time, the bite was more forceful, causing Rong Jin to inhale sharply, his hand gently caressing Chi Feiran’s neck.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but feel proud. This was his doing, and every reaction from Rong Jin was a reward.
They spent a very fulfilling evening. The “older husband” showed that he could withstand the test of physical endurance, and the “younger wife” was satisfied afterward, even inviting him to exercise together.
Rong Jin looked at him with a condemning look and wrapped him in the blanket, “Stop messing around and sleep!”
Young people these days! They didn’t understand the concept of moderation at all! As the old saying goes, every drop of essence is worth ten drops of blood. How can they be indulging all the time!
Chi Feiran: “…”
No! His morning exercises were not what Rong Jin was thinking! They were just simple exercises! Innocent ones!
But trying to explain at this point felt like he was losing his ground…
Their days together were quite sweet and decadent. When the audition results for “Military Soul” came out, Chi Feiran successfully secured the role.
On the day Chi Feiran went for makeup, Zhang Kangwei was also there. He even took a photo with him, saying he wanted to show it to his grandma back home.
Chi Feiran naturally wanted to thank him, but Zhang Kangwei waved his hand: “No need for thanks. If you can’t deliver, even if I stuff it in your hands, it’s useless. Just focus on acting well.”
Indeed, that’s the point. No matter how much one says “thank you” now, it’s not as important as sincerely performing the role. So Chi Feiran just nodded and didn’t say much more.
And just when Chi Feiran confirmed the shooting schedule and signed the contract, there unexpectedly came a shooting assignment for Rong Jin as well, and the shooting schedule was basically synchronized with his.
It means they won’t see each other for at least a month, and if unlucky, it could even be two months. While they had experienced separate work before, since they moved in together, they hadn’t been apart for this long. Even during “Delicious House,” they were both in the same crew, and the producers would come occasionally at night to make some unspoken rules.
Although he couldn’t bear to be apart from Rong Jin, he was still clear-headed. This situation wouldn’t occur less in the future.
They couldn’t always be fortunate enough to have jobs together. And the previous good luck was just Rong Jin’s accommodation and cooperation with him.
Seeing his somewhat downcast expression, Rong Jin asked, “Reluctant?”
Chi Feiran candidly admitted, “Yeah.”
His attitude was straightforward and adorable, prompting Rong Jin to kiss him involuntarily.
Rong Jin caressed his cheek and said gently, “You’ll experience what they say about ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.'”
Chi Feiran: “…”
Very well, suddenly he didn’t feel sentimental at all. His boyfriend was truly remarkable.
So after celebrating their birthdays and New Year’s, they both went to work. Worth mentioning, this time Chi Feiran joined the crew after finishing his exams at school, so at least he didn’t have to study on set.
But when Chi Feiran was brought to the location of the crew, he was stunned.
It was really cold!
He had been to places this cold before, and he used to enjoy skiing, but back then, he was fully geared up. Unlike now, where he had to consider looking good for the camera. He couldn’t just wear anything warm; he had to look stylish too.
Thankfully, Chen Mengyang had made preparations, providing him with the latest warm underwear and various types of heating pads, giving him a full set before shooting each day.
Xin Zicheng, who was in the same crew, wrapped in a military coat and holding a heating pad, said, “Who would have thought? The elegant gentleman wears layers of clothes and is full of heating pads under his shirt and pants.”
Xin Zicheng and Chi Feiran had some connection before. They once competed for the role of Ji Yunsheng, but this time in “Military Soul,” they didn’t compete for the same role. Xin Zicheng played Shi Cun, who led the rebellion against He Xuan. This had a significant impact, as He Xuan suffered his first defeat due to this event, almost losing his life.
So Xin Zicheng had once lamented to Chi Feiran privately, “Our connection is a karma…”
Chi Feiran corrected him, “No, it’s three layers.”
Xin Zicheng, if it weren’t so cold, would have wanted to lift Chi Feiran’s pant leg to check: “Really three layers?”
Chi Feiran said, “Bro, it’s minus tens of degrees, and we’ll be rolling in the snow soon. We can’t take any chances.”
Xin Zicheng patted his chest, still feeling a bit terrified, “It’s a good thing Shi Cun didn’t take that route.”
Chi Feiran sighed deeply. This was the price of maintaining style!
Although during real wars, He Xuan couldn’t possibly dress so elegantly, in movies, it had to be somewhat artistic. Besides, He Xuan’s well-known image was that of a handsome man. If it was too realistic, it would be easily questioned.
After changing clothes, the makeup artist came to apply makeup on Chi Feiran.
It was quite a challenge. The whole makeup had to look dirty, after all, they were in a war scene. However, it still had to look handsome because He Xuan was a handsome man. But they couldn’t overlook the dirt for the sake of looking handsome. They also had to create wounds.
Using makeup blood in low temperatures wasn’t very effective and was quite difficult.
These were still manageable. The real problems came when the shooting began.
It wasn’t difficult to solve the cold on the body; wearing warm underwear and heating pads wasn’t enough, so they had to move around to increase body temperature. The tricky part was speaking with warm breath. Although it was a winter scene, speaking with breath visible was unavoidable. But if you were like a steam engine all the time, it would affect the shot! You couldn’t even see the face, what’s the point of shooting then!
Xin Zicheng was laughing silly on the side, and every time he remembered what the director said earlier, he couldn’t stop laughing: “Hahaha!!! Steam engine!!!”
The director’s team also laughed, saying Chi Feiran was a fiery young man. Just look at his enthusiasm!
But jokes aside, this problem still needed to be solved. The solution was simple but somewhat inhumane: Chi Feiran had to suck on ice cubes to cool down.
How cold was it that the crew simply left the ice trays outside to freeze? This could perfectly reflect the temperature.
Under such circumstances, Chi Feiran had to put ice cubes in his mouth, which was quite terrifying to even think about. But what was even more terrifying was yet to come.
Chi Feiran finally got rid of the “steam engine” situation, but now his lines were starting to tremble. On such a cold day, considering the demand for elegance, the temperature was already struggling to keep up, let alone sucking on ice cubes. It was impossible not to shiver while speaking!
Chi Feiran’s heart was filled with despair. He couldn’t imagine that after overcoming the difficulties of acting, psychological issues, and other seemingly insurmountable problems, physiological problems would become the most challenging thing!
Li Yuan watched Chi Feiran speaking while shivering, feeling extremely anxious. If this guy got frostbite, the big boss would definitely skin him alive later!
So Li Yuan thought about negotiating with the director’s team to see if they could relax the requirements a bit. After all, He Xuan was also human. Why couldn’t he wear more layers, speak a bit slower, and be a bit more irritable?
But Chi Feiran stopped him. He finished his ginger tea in one gulp before whispering, “If every little thing requires going to the director’s team, then I might as well not do this job anymore. Everyone has gone through this.”
He wasn’t the only one being asked to do this, so there was no point in complaining. If others could do it, why couldn’t he?
Suddenly, Chi Feiran remembered when they were filming “Heroic Spirit,” and Rong Jin was covered in wounds, yet he continued according to Director Jin’s requirements. He felt that his current situation wasn’t a big deal at all.
He was just a little cold, not injured or anything. Why couldn’t he handle it?
But there was no shortcut to this. He had to endure it on his own, which made it particularly difficult.
With ice cubes in his mouth, his entire oral cavity felt numb. His tongue was a bit unresponsive, and he felt the urge to shiver. If he couldn’t control it, how could he distract from it with other actions?
His voice trembled when speaking, and he had to hold his breath to maintain composure. Otherwise, he might start trembling again.
While doing all this, he still had to ensure the emotional depth of his character, which wasn’t easy at all.
After rolling in the snow all day, Chi Feiran caught a cold after just a week of shooting, which wasn’t surprising at all. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious. Apart from sneezing at the beginning and some headaches later on, it didn’t have much impact.
His health had always been good, so catching a cold suddenly made Li Yuan and Chen Mengyang quite nervous, especially Chen Mengyang, who felt guilty for not taking good care of Chi Feiran.
Fortunately, the crew was well-prepared. They had a doctor on the team, and most of the crew had caught a cold these days. The doctor sighed, saying that if things continued like this, even his cold medicine wouldn’t be enough.
After taking the medicine, Chi Feiran seized every opportunity to keep his spirits up. Luckily, in the recent scenes, He Xuan wore a military cap, so he didn’t have to worry about getting a headache from the cold wind.
As soon as Chi Feiran caught a cold, Rong Jin found out.
Normally, after Chi Feiran finished work on set, if time allowed, he would make a phone call. Previously, he only called his family, but now he also called Rong Jin.
But today, Chi Feiran had a cold, so he was a bit afraid of sneezing or something during the call, causing them to worry. He decided not to call, but unexpectedly, Rong Jin called him first, asking if he had caught a cold.
Chi Feiran was a little surprised. He had specifically asked Li Yuan and the others not to tell his family and Rong Jin, so how did Rong Jin find out? Did someone else in the crew leak information?
Rong Jin said, “The voice message you sent me during the day didn’t sound right.”
Chi Feiran wanted to say it was nothing, just a slight headache, but upon careful thought, there was indeed a slight difference. It did affect him a bit, but the difference wasn’t significant enough for him to notice.
But Rong Jin noticed something was wrong after hearing just two sentences from him.
This made Chi Feiran feel somewhat touched. “I’m fine, just a slight headache. I’ve already taken medicine.”
Rong Jin reminded him, “Don’t take it lightly. Pay more attention in such a harsh shooting environment.”
Chi Feiran assured him that he knew and would definitely pay attention. Besides, he had a strong constitution and wouldn’t be easily defeated by a cold.
Because of Chi Feiran’s cold, and because both of them had shooting tasks the next day, they didn’t chat for long on the phone. But the good mood brought by this call lasted a long time and gave him sweet dreams that night.
After a good night’s rest, Chi Feiran’s condition improved a lot the next day. The symptoms of sneezing and headaches were gone, which relieved Li Yuan and Chen Mengyang. They had both helped conceal Chi Feiran’s illness, so it was a relief that he had recovered. If things had gone bad, they would have been in serious trouble with the big boss!
While Chi Feiran was reassuring Li Yuan and Chen Mengyang to relax a bit, Xin Zicheng, wrapped in a military coat, came over sneezing.
In theory, Chi Feiran should have expressed some concern, but…
“Pfft—”
Someone laughed, and Chi Feiran quickly stifled it, fearing he might start laughing too.
