Yay for 100th chapter!!!
With Ye Zhou’s final cut, thunderous applause erupted on the set.
Xu Fei, who had been lying on the ground, slowly stood up and walked towards Ye Zhou with a Buddha-like smile, “Thank you, Director Ye.”
Ever since learning that Xu Fei was the young master of Qianlong, Ye Zhou’s attitude towards him had improved slightly. Although he still occasionally lost his temper and scolded him, the volume was at least lower.
As for Xu Fei, if it were any other actor whose scenes were cut, even if they didn’t voice it, they would feel upset deep down. Some actors with bigger tempers had even slammed the table and argued with the director and screenwriter.
However, Xu Fei was different. This man was truly Buddhist, both Buddha-like and salty – salty, of course, referring to being a salted fish. Not only was he not upset after learning that his scenes were cut, but he was in an excellent mood, walking with a spring in his step, and acting with much more dedication than before.
Ye Zhou found this both amusing and exasperating. A young master like Xu Fei could have anything he wanted, so if he didn’t enjoy acting, why bother becoming an actor? What was the point?
Ye Zhou shook his head, unable to fully understand the world of the wealthy.
To celebrate Xu Fei’s successful wrap, his agent hosted a dinner that evening for the entire crew, and Ye Zhou was naturally on the guest list.
Initially, he didn’t really want to attend. To be honest, interacting with Xu Fei during this period had been too torturous for Ye Zhou, to the point where just looking at Xu Fei’s indifferent face gave him a headache.
However, after filming that wrap scene, the indifferent Xu Fei personally invited Ye Zhou with a smile. Since the young master had spoken, refusing would only cause unnecessary trouble, so Ye Zhou agreed.
Without the Buddha-like Xu Fei, the pace of filming almost doubled instantly. Scenes scheduled to be completed by around 7 pm were smoothly finished by 5:30 pm. Ye Zhou waved his hand, giving the crew the day off and allowing them to go to dinner early.
True to his status as the prince of Qianlong Entertainment, Xu Fei was extremely generous. The dinner was held at a famous, long-established restaurant in City A, with an average cost of around 3,000 yuan per person. Reservations had to be made one to two months in advance, or there would be no availability.
While the cost might not be too high for one or two people, the total amount for the entire crew of over a hundred was considerable, at least something Ye Zhou wouldn’t dare arrange.
Ye Zhou had dined at this restaurant twice before with Mr. Jiang. Truthfully, the food wasn’t exceptionally delicious, just average. The high prices were likely due to the decor and ambiance.
The crew was divided into about ten tables, with around eleven or twelve people per table. Ye Zhou’s table included the assistant directors, producers, department heads, and the main cast.
After nearly two months of working together, everyone was well acquainted, no longer as unfamiliar as when they first started. The atmosphere at this dinner was lively, with few dull moments.
Xu Fei’s manager went around toasting each table. Meanwhile, Xu Fei sat calmly in his seat, playing mobile games at times and occasionally eating some dishes, seemingly detached from the lively atmosphere around him, as if he were an outsider.
Ye Zhou used to have a decent alcohol tolerance in his previous life, but this current body was highly sensitive to alcohol. Without drinking a full glass, he would already be intoxicated. Aware of his body’s condition, when Xu Fei’s manager toasted him, Ye Zhou merely touched the rim of the cup without actually drinking.
After three rounds of toasts and five courses, Xu Fei’s manager stood beside him, raised his glass to everyone, and said with an apologetic expression, “Thank you all for taking care of Xiao Fei during this period. I won’t say too much – a thousand words are in this glass. I’ll drink first, and everyone else, please feel free.”
Having said that, he downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp.
This glass of wine demonstrated enough sincerity that even the crew members who initially had issues with Xu Fei could no longer say anything. They could only raise their glasses and turn the page on any unpleasantness.
It must be said that for Xu Fei to have made it this far with his Buddha-like temperament, his manager deserves immense credit for possessing remarkable skills.
Based on Xu Fei’s performance in the crew during this period, it would be difficult to guarantee that he wouldn’t be criticized in the future. However, with a casual gesture, his manager has turned the page. Once the apology wine was swallowed, there was no going back on it.
As the dinner drew to a close, the room filled with the combined scent of smoke, alcohol, and food, which remained unpleasant even with the exhaust fan running. Ye Zhou rubbed his itchy nose and stepped outside with a bottle of water to catch some fresh air.
This restaurant had an excellent environment. It was situated on a hilltop and reportedly designed by an internationally renowned architect. Ye Zhou leaned forward against the railing, his head tilted back as if he could reach out and grasp the stars and moon right before his eyes.
Ye Zhou exhaled deeply. Although this period had been fulfilling, the pressure was immense. “Thriller Circus” was his own investment, with real money on the line. Whether it would be profitable or not remained unknown until the film’s release.
Although he had agreed to start over with Mr. Jiang in South Africa, the specifics of how to begin, how to proceed, and how far they could go were uncertainties in Ye Zhou’s mind.
He would undoubtedly repay the debt owed to Mr. Jiang. Only by settling the debt could he truly end that relationship and start a new one with Mr. Jiang on equal footing.
Mr. Jiang had sent him a bill, but after Ye Zhou calculated it himself, he knew the amount was definitely incorrect – at least triple the figure would be more accurate.
While Ye Zhou was confident in his ability to repay the substantial sum, he couldn’t guarantee when he would be able to do so. If “Thriller Circus” performed well at the box office, perhaps he could settle the debt early.
However, if the film flopped, not only would the repayment be delayed indefinitely, but he would also suffer a loss of tens of millions. Beyond the financial aspect, his reputation would also be at stake.
Realistically, in this industry, capital would treat you warmly when you could generate box office success and establish a good reputation. But once you fail, it will immediately change its attitude and turn its back on you.
Ye Zhou had endured the hardship of securing investments far too many times in his previous life, and he didn’t want to experience that again.
Admittedly, he could approach Mr. Jiang for assistance, and he was confident that Mr. Jiang would agree without hesitation if he asked. However, he wouldn’t and couldn’t do that.
If he had to rely on Jiang Tingyuan for everything, how would Ye Zhou be any different from his original self?
To say he wasn’t anxious would be an absolute lie.
The world within the book had subtly changed, and by the time Ye Zhou realized it, he was deeply entangled, no longer able to remain detached as when he first arrived.
His career, his relationships, his future – all were unknown and without reference.
As Ye Zhou became lost in his thoughts, footsteps suddenly approached from behind, and a tall figure appeared beside him.
“Ah, so you’re here.” A man’s slightly lazy voice sounded beside him.
Ye Zhou turned his head, somewhat surprised to find that the visitor was none other than Young Master Xu Fei. “You came out for some fresh air too?”
Xu Fei took a few steps forward, leaning back against the railing with his hands on either side. The night breeze carried a chill, and he wore only a thin shirt that fluttered upwards when caught by the wind.
“No, I came specifically to find you,” Xu Fei said lazily. As he spoke, he didn’t look at Ye Zhou but tilted his head back like Ye Zhou had earlier, gazing up at the myriad of stars. “You must really dislike me, don’t you?”
“Because of me, the crew’s progress slowed down, and later, you were forced to change the script because of me, which disrupted the original filming schedule and plans.”
“You dislike me.” Xu Fei’s tone lost its questioning lilt, becoming more definitive. He glanced at Ye Zhou. “If I were a director, I would dislike an actor like myself too, so you don’t need to feel bad about it. It’s fine.”
“The revised script is quite good. I like it very much.”
Xu Fei said both the good and the bad himself, and Ye Zhou raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say I dislike you, but there is a question I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Xu Fei looked at him and nodded slightly. “Ask.” He maintained his usual calm, Buddha-like demeanor, making it difficult to discern his emotions from his expression.
“You don’t like acting, do you? To be precise, you don’t even like movies, do you?” Ye Zhou didn’t bother looking at his reaction or waiting for a response. He continued, “No need to deny it because I don’t see any passion for acting or movies in your eyes.”
“You don’t enjoy acting, and deep down, you have a strong aversion to it.”
“In the nearly two months since you joined the crew, to better understand your potential, I watched many of your past shows, including but not limited to variety shows. I noticed they all had one thing in common.”
“Your state while doing those things was essentially no different from acting in my film. The only difference is that movies require more attention and focus, whereas even if you zoned out during variety shows, it would be difficult to notice. Essentially, you don’t enjoy this industry.”
“So the question is, since you don’t like acting and have no interest in popularity, why did you choose to enter this circle? Clearly, there are better options for you, so why choose to go through the motions in an industry you dislike?”
Ye Zhou’s words were quite sharp. Xu Fei’s identity meant most people would instinctively tread carefully when speaking to him, but not Ye Zhou. He didn’t mince words or exercise caution, even directly criticizing Xu Fei’s poor acting at times.
Xu Fei thought he would resent it, but later realized he didn’t – in fact, he found it quite refreshing.
Ye Zhou was right. Xu Fei had no interest in movies, let alone acting. His initial reason for entering and remaining in this industry was not because he enjoyed it.
“My mother was an actress who devoted her entire life to the acting career she loved. She died in an accident while filming ‘Night Walker.'”
Xu Fei took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a puff, slowly exhaling the smoke as he looked at Ye Zhou. “You’re right, I don’t enjoy being an actor. To be precise, I don’t like this industry.”
“The reason I entered this circle was…” Xu Fei’s voice trailed off for a moment. “To see the sights my mother saw, meet the people she met, and walk the paths she walked.”
This topic seemed rather saddening. Ordinarily, anyone would likely offer words of consolation out of sympathy for Xu Fei’s situation. However, Ye Zhou did not.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhou was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. At first, it was just laughter, but it escalated until he was doubled over, laughing uncontrollably as if he had heard the funniest joke ever, laughing nonstop for two or three minutes before finally stopping when he noticed Xu Fei’s increasingly grave expression.
“Sorry, but what you said was just too funny.” Ye Zhou stifled his laughter and cleared his throat before speaking.
Xu Fei prided himself on his good temper, but even he couldn’t help being angered by Ye Zhou’s breathless laughter. His previously calm gaze turned sharp, piercing straight at Ye Zhou.
“Very funny?” Xu Fei asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of danger.
Ye Zhou nodded, but before Xu Fei could respond, he shook his head and spoke directly, cutting to the chase. “The situation itself isn’t funny; what’s funny is the way you view the problem and how you’ve approached it.”
“Do you really think that by entering this circle, becoming a celebrity doing a few variety shows and films, you’re walking the same path as your mother, seeing the sights she saw?”
“Naive.”
“Laughable.”
“Childish.”
Each word was like a dagger piercing Xu Fei’s heart. He pursed his lips, his expression turning cold. “Are you done?”
“No.” Ye Zhou shook his head. “You know that every industry has different levels, right? Celebrities are no exception – they’re divided into tiers as well.”
“It’s like climbing a tall mountain. Your mother was at the summit, while you’re at the base trying to see the view from the top. Do you think that’s possible? The gap between you two means you can’t see the same sights, feel her emotions, or understand her passion.”
“Since you want to walk her path, why don’t you try taking solid, grounded steps instead of just glancing around? A cursory look won’t help. It will only lead to further misunderstanding without any meaningful progress.”
Ye Zhou stretched lazily and checked the time on his phone. It was about time to wrap up. He turned to Xu Fei. “Your acting skills are truly terrible, but sometimes you show flashes of brilliance, delivering surprisingly good performances that most people could never achieve in their lifetime. Don’t waste this hard-earned talent.”
“Why not give it a try? You might be surprised in ways you’ve never imagined.”
After speaking, Ye Zhou didn’t bother looking at the stunned Xu Fei. He turned to leave, and as his figure disappeared into the darkness, Xu Fei suddenly laughed softly to himself. “Give it a try? It doesn’t seem… impossible.”
“Director Ye,” Xu Fei called out to his retreating figure.
Ye Zhou paused for a moment, then heard Xu Fei’s voice from behind once more.
“You’re truly… a special person.”
“I think… I might be attracted to you. You asked me a question, and I gave you an answer. So, can I ask you a question too?”
Ye Zhou: “What?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“If not, can I pursue…”
“Not possible.” In the darkness, Ye Zhou’s hand was suddenly grasped, the searing warmth radiating from their intertwined palms.
Before Ye Zhou could react, he was pulled into an equally warm embrace, the man’s voice and scorching breath brushing against his ear simultaneously.
“He already has a boyfriend.”
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