Dark Fire chapter 36
First Love
In the afternoon, the girl involved in the Ling Zhuo scandal posted an apology statement on Weibo, briefly admitting to three things.
Firstly, she visited the set to meet Zhang Tianqi, who, after making arrangements with her, turned hostile and ignored her. She planned to further expose him in a lengthy Weibo post.
Secondly, she didn’t know Ling Zhuo before and spontaneously tried to flirt with him on set. However, Ling Zhuo rejected her and didn’t even ask for her contact information. When they entered the hotel elevator together, several other people were present.
Thirdly, the previous inspirational Weibo post indirectly referencing Ling Zhuo was orchestrated by her company. After the scandal broke, it was deleted to assist the company’s publicity stunt.
The statement caused a stir among netizens. Within minutes, it dominated Weibo’s hot search, turning this scandal into a complete package. However, clarification of a mere celebrity gossip lacked interest. Seasoned gossip enthusiasts sensed deeper implications in the girl’s third clarification, stirring up Ling Zhuo fanbase to dig into her company.
This backlash extended to marketing accounts previously blacklisted by Ling Zhuo’s fanbase, now exposing Jiaxin Media’s involvement. As old adversaries, the intense rivalry heightened, with Ling Zhuo’s dedicated fans trending “Jiaxin Media” in negative contexts.
After finishing his daytime scenes, Ling Zhuo relaxed in the lounge, dining while observing the chaos on Weibo.
He had always known his fans were powerful, but he didn’t expect them to be this formidable. Nonetheless, with Zhang Jing’s people monitoring and guiding the fan circle, things wouldn’t get too out of hand. He decided to let this tit-for-tat brawl unfold naturally.
“Feeling better now?” Lu Chixie asked him.
Ling Zhuo put down his phone, curious. “Why did she choose to admit all this?”
He hadn’t expected Lu Chixie’s idea of “solving” things to be this direct and simple.
Lu Chixie calmly ate his food before replying, “Money makes the world go round.”
Ling Zhuo pondered. “So, did it cost you a lot?”
Lu Chixie glanced at him indifferently. “No. If she hadn’t cooperated willingly, I could still have exposed everything. She would’ve faced even harsher criticism. By cooperating, even after being fired by her old company, I can offer her a better job opportunity. Smart people know how to choose.”
“I see,” Ling Zhuo said, impressed by Lu Chixie’s approach.
Lu Chixie looked at him. “Impressed?”
Ling Zhuo smiled. “Definitely impressed.”
Satisfied, Lu Chixie reminded him, “Tell your agent not to confront unpleasant people directly. Whether good or bad, you don’t need to be tied to anyone. Don’t give others a chance to drag you down. Let this matter rest here.”
Ling Zhuo nodded obediently. “Got it.”
Lu Chixie added, “And remember, don’t endure any grievances in the future.”
Ling Zhuo chuckled. “With you around, what grievances could I possibly endure? Others are right, I’ve attached myself to your thigh, so I’m not worried.”
“Attached to my thigh?” Lu Chixie asked.
Ling Zhuo kept smiling at him. “Isn’t that right?”
Lu Chixie nodded. “Well, as long as you understand.”
Ling Zhuo let out a sigh of relief, then turned serious again. “Lu Chixie, don’t bother taking revenge for me anymore. I don’t need to retaliate against someone who is jealous and spreads rumors about me. I think it’s pointless to argue with such people, just let them keep envying me, after all, it’s not me who is living an unhappy life.”
Lu Chixie asked, “Feeling less aggrieved now?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “You’ve helped me let off steam. That’s enough.”
Lu Chixie said, “You’re really easy to please, but whatever I do, don’t interfere with it. Just take care of yourself.”
Ling Zhuo decided not to argue and thanked him.
Lu Chixie added, “No need to thank me all the time. I’ve told you before, you don’t need to be so polite with me.”
“Alright,” Ling Zhuo smiled again. “I understand.”
Later that night, they both still had night scenes to shoot, and two group scenes from the A team. After dinner, Lu Chixie was called away, leaving Ling Zhuo to emerge ten minutes later. Just outside the studio where they were about to shoot, he overheard Zhang Tianqi angrily talking on the phone nearby.
On the phone was probably that girl from the top trending list. Zhang Tianqi questioned her, suddenly exploding in anger. The girl on the other end said something that enraged Zhang Tianqi even more, causing him to hurl all sorts of insults.
Ling Zhuo didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but unfortunately, this person blocked his path to the studio. When Zhang Tianqi hung up and turned around, seeing Ling Zhuo and his assistant, his face turned even uglier, glaring fiercely at them.
Ling Zhuo didn’t mind, brushing past him and entering inside.
That night’s night scene also had journalists visiting the set. When Ling Zhuo entered, he saw Lu Chixie and Yu Fei doing an interview together, so he didn’t approach.
After the lead actor’s interview, the journalist came over with the microphone. Ling Zhuo had to muster his spirits and smilingly introduced himself to the camera.
When asked about his biggest gain in these months since joining the crew, Ling Zhuo hadn’t decided how to respond when Lu Chixie’s voice came from off-camera: “Ling’s biggest gain since joining the crew is probably getting to know me, right?”
The journalist turned the microphone towards Lu Chixie, and the interview camera followed. Lu Chixie approached Ling Zhuo and appeared alongside him in the frame. The interviewer jokingly asked him, “Is Teacher Lu this confident?”
Lu Chixie looked at Ling Zhuo and said, “Ling, am I right?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “Teacher Lu, you’re so self-confident.”
The journalist asked, “Are you two very close?”
Lu Chixie smiled and said, “Ling Zhuo publicly told his fans that we are good friends.”
Ling Zhuo ignored him and answered the journalist’s previous question, “The biggest gain is probably experiencing the joy of acting and learning a lot from the seniors in the crew, especially Teacher Lu, who has taught me a great deal about acting.”
Saying this, he also tacitly affirmed Lu Chixie’s words.
Lu Chixie’s smile grew brighter.
They chatted casually for a while, and when the interview ended, the journalist finally let them go elsewhere.
Lu Chixie helped Ling Zhuo adjust his costume and reminded him, “Let’s walk together later.”
Ling Zhuo nodded, “Okay.”
At nine thirty, after finishing the night scene, they rode back to the hotel in Ling Zhuo’s nanny car.
As they approached, Yang Ming reminded him, “Zhuo Ge, there are many fans outside the hotel today. Should we go straight to the underground parking lot?”
Ling Zhuo asked, “Why are they all here today?”
Yang Ming said, “Probably because of what’s trending.”
Beside him, Lu Chixie chuckled, “Ling, your fans are quite interesting, huh?”
Ling Zhuo hesitated for a moment and said, “Let’s just stop at the hotel entrance.”
The car stopped outside the hotel lobby. Ling Zhuo looked outside and saw that indeed there were many people, more than usual.
Yang Ming and the bodyguards escorted him out of the car. The excited fans who had waited for a long time rushed up. Most of them remembered their manners and didn’t get too close to him. Lu Chixie followed out of the car, standing behind Ling Zhuo. His commanding gaze kept a few who had wanted to push forward to Ling Zhuo in check.
With Lu Chixie following closely and the bodyguards clearing the way, they finally encountered no trouble and walked into the hotel lobby. Suddenly, the fans behind them shouted loudly, “Ling Zhuo, you are always the best, I have always loved you!”
Ling Zhuo stopped and turned around, smiling and nodding to the fans behind him.
These people came specifically to comfort him with these words, so he had the nanny car stop at the hotel entrance to repay the enthusiasm of his fans.
In the elevator going upstairs, Lu Chixie was with him, but Yang Ming didn’t follow.
Ling Zhuo swiped his card to open the room door. Before he could turn on the lights, the person behind him followed closely, slammed the door shut, and pressed him against the wall beside the door.
In the darkness, Ling Zhuo sensed Lu Chixie’s breath getting closer, laughing in his ear, repeating what his fans had said just now: “Ling Zhuo, you are always the best, I have always loved you.”
In the last two words, Lu Chixie deliberately emphasized, his teeth playing with Ling Zhuo’s earlobe, as if implying something.
Ling Zhuo’s face heated up. Pressing his back firmly against the wall behind him in the darkness, he lowered his voice, “Why are you saying this like them…”
“You are really popular.”
Lu Chixie’s tone was slightly sour, and Ling Zhuo couldn’t understand his meaning. “Is today the first day you realized I’m popular?”
The tip of his tongue lightly swept over the earlobe of the person in his arms, feeling his slight shiver, Lu Chixie lightly said, “Hmm,” reminding him, “Don’t be too enthusiastic with the fans in the future.”
Ling Zhuo said, “… Are you jealous of my fans too?”
Lu Chixie leaned closer to him. “You’re not allowed to smile so beautifully at anyone else.”
Ling Zhuo protested, “Aren’t you being unreasonable?”
Lu Chixie pressed closer to him, “You’ve already agreed, I have a strong possessive streak. You better get used to it and be prepared.”
Ling Zhuo said, “Why not just keep me hidden from everyone?”
Lu Chixie didn’t say anything, his breath slightly heavier, Ling Zhuo said, “You’re not taking this seriously, are you?”
Lu Chixie dumbly said, “You’re right, I am considering it.”
Ling Zhuo pushed him away, his hand fumbling for the wall beside him, the room card was inserted, and the room was brightly lit.
Turning back, when he met Lu Chixie’s eyes, Lu Chixie looked at him as if he had truly guessed his thoughts, suppressing emotions in his eyes. Ling Zhuo was startled for a moment, feeling a thump in his heart.
“Are you serious?”
Lu Chixie stepped back, tugging at the corner of his lip ambiguously: “Come in.”
He went into the living room first, Ling Zhuo followed uncertainly, asking, “Teacher Lu, I was just joking earlier. You didn’t take it seriously, did you?”
Lu Chixie sat on the sofa, picked up the script from the coffee table, flipped through a few pages to see the part Ling Zhuo would film tomorrow, ignoring him.
Ling Zhuo was persistent, approached and pushed him again: “Will you say something?”
Lu Chixie glanced at him: “Are you really worried?”
“Could you be more normal?” Ling Zhuo sighed helplessly.
Lu Chixie nodded, “I’ll try to control myself.”
Ling Zhuo muttered, “…I guess my biggest gain from joining this crew is actually experiencing the diversity of species.”
Lu Chixie asked, “What do you mean?”
Ling Zhuo: “Just like you, how did someone with your character end up like this?”
Lu Chixie chuckled lightly, “I also wonder how you’ve been immersed in this circle for so many years and still remain so naive?”
Ling Zhuo shook his head, unwilling to say anything more to him.
He couldn’t idealize this person too much. Lu Chixie had many virtues but also numerous flaws, with the former being prominent and the latter equally so.
So his feelings towards Lu Chixie were quite conflicted. Sometimes he thought Lu Chixie was too good, and other times he felt he had serious issues.
But Lu Chixie was just like that. If he were like everyone else, he wouldn’t be Lu Chixie.
…Forget it.
Lu Chixie continued flipping through the script, while Ling Zhuo quietly sat down, staring at his slender fingers gripping the pages. Almost unconsciously, he asked, “Teacher Lu, when was your first love?”
Lu Chixie glanced over, “Curious?”
Ling Zhuo: “You said you don’t fool around casually, and I believe that, but everyone has a first love, right?”
He just wanted to know, was Lu Chixie always so domineering and unreasonable in relationships?
Lu Chixie looked at him for a moment, then smiled, “Indeed, I had one.”
Ling Zhuo: “When was it?”
Lu Chixie: “Several years ago. I saw a young boy singing in a bar by chance. He looked good, and he sang well.”
Ling Zhuo’s eyelashes fluttered, “And then?”
Lu Chixie’s expression brightened, as if recalling a particularly pleasant memory, “And then I took a liking to him.”
Ling Zhuo: “…Did you two get together?”
Lu Chixie: “No, before I could get his contact information, he left. But I always remembered him.”
Ling Zhuo suddenly felt uncomfortable listening, “So you also had a secret crush. With your strong personality, how could you let someone slip away? Do you regret it now?”
“At that time, I didn’t think much about it, but in hindsight, I do regret it a bit. If I had gotten his contact information back then, maybe we would have been together,” Lu Chixie clicked his tongue, looking regretful and a little melancholic.
“Was that encounter your only first love? If you were to meet him again someday, would you let me go?” Ling Zhuo couldn’t help feeling irritated, though he didn’t say the last part aloud, “Since that’s how it is, what are you doing clinging to me?”
Lu Chixie dismissed it, “I’m too lazy to look for him now. It’s in the past. It just shows we weren’t meant to be. But I’ve learned my lesson. So, Ling, you can’t escape.”
Ling Zhuo: “Did you become like this because your first love didn’t work out?”
Lu Chixie still smiled, “If that’s what you want to believe.”
Ling Zhuo pressed on, “If you meet him again someday, will you be able to let me go?”
“Let you go?” Lu Chixie stared at him intently.
Ling Zhuo: “Otherwise? Do you want to juggle the two of us?”
Lu Chixie stared at him and suddenly leaned forward.
Ling Zhuo instinctively tried to avoid him, but his back was already against the sofa. Lu Chixie’s voice was close, “Are you jealous?”
Ling Zhuo: “No.”
Lu Chixie was certain, “You are.”
Ling Zhuo frowned, “I’m not. I just don’t like being treated as someone’s replacement. If you’re going to do that, I won’t play along.”
Lu Chixie: “Ling, were you always this lacking in confidence? Who said you’re a replacement?”
Ling Zhuo: “Isn’t that what you meant? You said you always remembered him. So what am I to you now? Taking me to a bar to sing, is it just to reminisce about him?”
“You’re overthinking,” Lu Chixie said, “The songs you both sing are completely different. What replacement? If you’re jealous, just say it.”
Ling Zhuo felt uneasy under his gaze.
Was he jealous? Even if he was jealous, what of it? Couldn’t he be jealous? …Lu Chixie was now his boyfriend, yet he couldn’t let go of someone he fancied several years ago. Surely he had a right to be jealous?
Lu Chixie noticed his reaction, suppressed a smile, and took advantage of the situation Ling Zhuo had handed him.
He said, “Ling Zhuo, when you’re wholeheartedly committed to me, that’s when I’ll be wholeheartedly committed to you. Fair enough?”
Ling Zhuo was speechless.
“…Was this first love story something you made up to deceive me?” he finally asked.
Lu Chixie: “If you don’t believe there was such a person, then forget I mentioned it.”
His tone and expression made it hard for Ling Zhuo to tell if he was telling the truth or not. After a silent standoff, Ling Zhuo sighed in defeat, lowering his head, “Fine.”
Lu Chixie’s lips curled into a smile. “Hmm.”