Dark Fire chapter 63
Extra Chapter 7 – Jealousy
Dusk.
Ling Zhuo was driving alone on the highway toward Hengcheng, glancing at the time. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet.
Lu Chixie had been filming here for over two months, only returning home twice in between. The last time they met was a month ago. Yesterday, he came to a nearby city for a commercial event, and with the event ending today, Ling Zhuo decided to surprise him. He didn’t bring an assistant, lost the fans following his car, and drove by himself to visit the set.
He set off in the evening, and by the time he drove into the city of Hengcheng, it was almost 8:30 PM.
While waiting at a red light, he picked up his phone and called Lu Chixie’s assistant, Xiao Qian, asking if Lu Chixie had any night scenes to shoot that night.
Xiao Qian replied, “Yes, tonight’s shooting might go on until around nine.”
Ling Zhuo tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and, after hesitating, said, “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. Come out to meet me at the entrance of the studio, but don’t tell him yet.”
When the car reached the entrance of the studio, Xiao Qian was already waiting there. He greeted Ling Zhuo and got into the car, guiding it directly inside.
“Zhuo Ge, why did you suddenly come?” Xiao Qian asked curiously.
Ling Zhuo smiled, “I was here for an event nearby, so I thought I’d drop by. You didn’t tell him, right?”
Xiao Qian replied, “No, Lu Ge has been busy filming and hasn’t had time to talk to me.”
“Good, that’s what I want.”
Five minutes later, the car stopped outside the set where Lu Chixie was filming. Ling Zhuo turned off the engine, got out of the car, put on a baseball cap and mask, and reminded Xiao Qian to keep quiet as they went inside discreetly.
At this hour, the set was still brightly lit, with busy crew members moving in and out. Ling Zhuo’s low-profile outfit didn’t attract any attention as he followed Xiao Qian inside.
Lu Chixie was in the middle of filming. Xiao Qian went to the break room to fetch some items, asking Ling Zhuo if he wanted to wait there. Ling Zhuo replied, “You go ahead; I’ll watch him from here.”
After Xiao Qian left, Ling Zhuo found a corner to quietly observe Lu Chixie filming.
Lu Chixie was shooting a scene for a historical drama where he played the lead role, a powerful, morally ambiguous courtier. The young man acting opposite him looked somewhat familiar to Ling Zhuo. After thinking for a moment, he pulled out his phone to check the official cast list of the drama. Sure enough, it was who he thought.
The actor’s name was Yu Shu, a rising idol who had quickly gained popularity. Like Ling Zhuo, he transitioned from being an idol to an actor, following a very similar career path. Ling Zhuo’s manager, Zhang Jing, had mentioned a few times that Yu Shu’s team seemed intent on copying their moves. Several of Ling Zhuo’s endorsements had been taken over by Yu Shu after his contracts ended, with rumors suggesting that Yu Shu had intentionally snatched them from him. Fans of the two didn’t get along, but Ling Zhuo had been in the industry for seven or eight years, no longer at his peak but still untouchable. His fans generally ignored Yu Shu’s provocations, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being linked to Ling Zhuo.
Ling Zhuo watched silently from the sidelines. Yu Shu played Lu Chixie’s younger brother in the drama, a supporting role with a moderate amount of screen time. However, his acting was subpar. After three takes, Lu Chixie signaled the director, then took the initiative to guide Yu Shu, who nodded and seemed to improve after that. The next take went smoothly.
Ling Zhuo paused, then turned to wait in Lu Chixie’s dressing room.
Xiao Qian was still tidying up when Ling Zhuo sat down on the sofa, scrolling through Weibo out of boredom. To his surprise, he saw Lu Chixie and Yu Shu’s names trending together.
The hashtag #YuShuLuChixieCP# was trending high.
When he clicked on it, the top post was from a CP fan account, featuring a candid shot of the two on set. It wasn’t really an interaction, just one standing and the other sitting, looking at each other, with a well-captured atmosphere.
The post had been retweeted thousands of times, possibly purchased, and the trend was likely bought as well.
Ling Zhuo’s mood darkened as he scrolled further, reading comments from various fans, haters, and passersby.
“OMG, this CP is great! Even in the original novel, their characters were a bit ambiguous. I guess I’m not the only one who thought so.”
“This reminds me of a couple from years ago. They’re even using the same CP marketing tactics.”
“The photos do look shippable. Though YS isn’t as handsome as LZ, he’s younger and fresher. I always said the young master wouldn’t stick to one tree; he should be managing a whole forest.”
“This copycat is disgusting. If you’re gonna copy, go all the way. Let’s see if you can replicate the double standards too.”
“Just waiting for someone to become a discarded spouse of the rich and powerful. Hehe.”
After browsing through a few pages, Ling Zhuo turned off his phone, feeling uneasy, and asked Xiao Qian, “How does he get along with others on set?”
Xiao Qian didn’t catch the underlying tone and replied casually, “Pretty well, actually. Lu Ge’s temper has improved a lot over the years.”
Ling Zhuo pressed on, “How about with that Yu Shu?”
Xiao Qian continued packing, “They get along okay. Lu Ge gets along well with everyone on set. Don’t worry, Zhuo Ge. He listens to you and doesn’t mess with others for no reason.”
Ling Zhuo fell silent, deciding to drop the subject.
At 9:20 PM, Lu Chixie returned to the dressing room. He was surprised to find Ling Zhuo leaning back on the sofa, resting with his eyes closed. He walked over and pinched his cheek. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ling Zhuo barely opened his eyes, glancing at him with a slight reluctance to engage.
Lu Chixie didn’t mind, quickly removing his makeup and washing his face. He then said to Ling Zhuo, “Let’s go home.”
As they walked out to the car, they ran into Yu Shu again.
Ling Zhuo shot him a glance, but Yu Shu didn’t notice him and just called out to Lu Chixie. Ling Zhuo stepped into the car first.
Half a minute later, Lu Chixie joined him, holding a bag of strawberries. He handed it to Ling Zhuo. “They look fresh. Want some?”
Ling Zhuo looked away, gazing out the window with a stiff tone. “I’m not hungry; you eat them.”
Lu Chixie raised an eyebrow, then smiled knowingly and set the bag of strawberries aside.
When they got out of the car, Xiao Qian asked if they wanted to keep the strawberries. Lu Chixie casually said, “You can have them.”
Ling Zhuo stayed silent, following Lu Chixie upstairs and into the apartment. The lights hadn’t even been turned on when Lu Chixie grabbed Ling Zhuo’s wrist, pinning him against the wall, his breath warm against his ear. “Are you mad?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “Turn on the lights.”
But Lu Chixie didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in and kissed him.
Five minutes later, Lu Chixie finally inserted the keycard, and the lights came on. Ling Zhuo pushed him away and walked into the living room.
Lu Chixie followed, laughing, and Ling Zhuo grabbed an apple from the coffee table and threw it at him.
Lu Chixie caught it, noticing that he seemed genuinely upset. He stopped laughing, his playful demeanor gone, and handed the apple back to him. “Go ahead, throw it. I won’t dodge.”
Ling Zhuo didn’t take it. “Forget it, I’m going to shower.”
As he turned, Lu Chixie pulled him back into his arms. “Why did you come to the set suddenly?”
“Because I felt like it,” Ling Zhuo said, trying to break free but failing. He finally gave up and leaned against him, grumbling, “If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have known I was about to become a discarded boyfriend.”
Lu Chixie frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Then he seemed to realize, “Are you jealous?”
Ling Zhuo responded, “…Can’t I be jealous?”
Lu Chixie seemed surprised, almost pleased, and pulled him onto the sofa, an arm around his waist. “Tell me, what’s making you jealous? Let me enjoy this.”
Ling Zhuo snapped, “What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Chixie replied, “You rarely get jealous. Can’t I be happy about it?”
Ling Zhuo bit his shoulder hard.
Lu Chixie reached up to pinch his earlobe, letting Ling Zhuo bite him. When Ling Zhuo’s teeth finally started to ache, he let go reluctantly, saying sourly, “He’s younger and fresher than me. How could the young master stay loyal to just me? He should be nurturing a whole forest.”
Lu Chixie looked at him: “Is that how you see me?”
Under his gaze, Ling Zhuo felt his words might have been a bit too much. He still couldn’t calm down: “I know you’re not like that, but I’m just not happy. He bought trending topics and made a big deal of it, and even specially came to give you strawberries. What does he want? You used to be impatient with people who messed up and delayed things on set. Why are you so kind now, personally guiding him? When did you change?”
Lu Chixie understood that Ling Zhuo was seriously jealous.
“First, he kept messing up, and I couldn’t stop filming, which was quite annoying. I only guided him casually. If he messed up again, I planned to just leave. Second, I accepted his strawberries because he said his assistant brought a whole box from his hometown and distributed them to everyone. I only took them because you like them. Third, what’s this about buying trending searches for CP? I spent the whole day filming and didn’t touch my phone.”
Lu Chixie explained everything clearly, his tone honest. Ling Zhuo realized he might have misunderstood and felt a bit embarrassed: “Check Weibo trending topics…”
Five minutes later, Lu Chixie set down his phone and said helplessly, “I don’t know who took the photos. I wasn’t even looking at him; I was probably looking at the light on the floor behind his seat.”
Ling Zhuo: “Didn’t you feel that he’s interested in you?”
Lu Chixie thought for a moment and asked, “Do you think so?”
Ling Zhuo: “It’s just a feeling.”
Before Lu Chixie could say anything, his phone lit up with a WeChat message from Yu Shu, who was only added with his work account. The message was a long apology, hoping Lu Chixie wouldn’t mind the Weibo incident, and said he didn’t expect anyone to take photos of them and make it trending.
Lu Chixie skimmed through it and clicked his tongue: “You were right. He does have interest, but his methods don’t seem very sophisticated.”
Ling Zhuo poked his hand.
Lu Chixie deleted Yu Shu’s WeChat contact and threw his phone aside. As he sank into the sofa, Ling Zhuo put a finger on Lu Chixie’s shoulder, reminding him: “No next time.”
Lu Chixie: “I’ll try to avoid it.”
He should have known that Ling Zhuo’s jealousy was no less than his own. Even when he wasn’t sure of his feelings back then, he would get red-eyed over the so-called first love. Now, seeing someone else show interest and make it trending, such a reaction was normal.
“Ling Zhuo,” Lu Chixie called his name as he caressed him.
Ling Zhuo, feeling the sensitive spot being pinched, breathed out lowly: “… I haven’t showered yet.”
Lu Chixie leaned down and kissed him: “You can shower later.”
He asked Ling Zhuo: “How many days can you stay here?”
Ling Zhuo: “I’ll go back the day after tomorrow. I bought some things, they’re in the pocket of my clothes.”
Lu Chixie smiled softly and pressed him down.
Ling Zhuo fell asleep first in the late night, while Lu Chixie leaned against the headboard and browsed Weibo, getting a rough idea of Ling Zhuo’s entanglement with Yu Shu from the fans’ comments. Being constantly targeted and dragged down wasn’t a huge trouble, but it was quite annoying, especially when his own partner was being eyed. No wonder Ling Zhuo reacted so strongly earlier.
Lu Chixie thought he might have been too lenient over the years, so he edited a Weibo post and sent it out.
“Next time, don’t buy trending searches about me. I was just looking at a light.”
After posting, he turned off his phone and tossed it aside. He lay down, pulled Ling Zhuo into his arms, and fell asleep peacefully.