Dark Fire chapter 31
Thank You
On set,
Ling Zhuo had just come down from the stage when he was informed that a scene shot two days ago needed to be reshot with script changes, adding several pages.
He was a little helpless, but since the director wanted it, he had no choice.
Around five o’clock, Lu Chixie came over to B group. Seeing that Ling Zhuo’s scenes hadn’t finished yet, he asked Yang Ming, who was waiting on the sidelines, “He’s supposed to attend an event tonight. Didn’t we agree that today’s scenes would be finished by five? Why hasn’t it ended yet?”
Yang Ming shook his head and whispered, “They added another scene, the one shot a few days ago. Someone on set messed with the script, delaying the time.”
Lu Chixie frowned.
This sort of thing wasn’t uncommon in various crews. The lead actors who acted out or the supporting actors with connections demanding script changes—forcing the scriptwriters to come up with new scripts on the spot was a routine practice. Ninety percent of Lu Chixie and Yu Fei’s scenes were shot in the A group. With one backed by influence and the other by connections, additional scenes and script changes rarely affected them. Consequently, the B group’s shooting became the hardest hit. Ling Zhuo hadn’t mentioned any of this to Lu Chixie before.
Lu Chixie asked, “Do his lines often get changed on set?”
Yang Ming said softly, “Yes, quite a lot.”
Lu Chixie asked, “Who added extra scenes today?”
Yang Ming, nodding towards a nearby actor engaged in a scene with Ling Zhuo, replied, “That guy from Haoran Film.”
Haoran Film was both the co-producer and production company of this drama, affiliated with producer Gao Cheng’s company.
This actor named Zhang Tianqi was personally selected by Gao Cheng to join the cast, originally slated to play Ling Zhuo’s role. However, Shangxun wasn’t satisfied with his image, so he was demoted from the second male lead to the third.
At 5:20, they finally finished shooting this scene.
On the sidelines, Lu Chixie chatted with the B-team director, saying, “Tell Producer Gao. If he wants to promote newcomers, he shouldn’t block others. It’s Ling Zhuo’s first time acting; why bully him? He’s a top idol star, after all. If this escalates online, his fans won’t take it lightly. Isn’t it obvious? Adding scenes is fine, but don’t touch Ling Zhuo’s scenes, character, or highlights.”
The director looked embarrassed and nodded with a forced smile.
Lu Chixie’s words were cutting. Although Ling Zhuo was famous, he didn’t have a strong backing. Those who added scenes and snatched his role and character were clearly malicious. If Ling Zhuo’s fans made a fuss, it would only increase the attention on those who added scenes. After all, bad publicity was still publicity.
But now that Lu Chixie had spoken up so directly, it was clear he was standing up for Ling Zhuo. Ultimately, Shangxun held the final editing rights to the film. If they upset this young master, with a word, he could cut some people’s scenes. There was nothing you could do about it; after all, he was the boss’s boss.
After finishing his scene, Ling Zhuo saw Lu Chixie but decided against greeting him since he was deep in conversation with the director. Instead, he headed back to the hotel in the nanny car.
To save time, he removed his makeup and changed clothes in the car. Yang Ming relayed Lu Chixie’s conversation with Director Zhang to Ling Zhuo, who remained silent.
Back at the hotel, Zhang Jing, accompanied by a stylist, was waiting for him.
That night, there was an annual gala event for “Fashion Cicele,” with both Ling Zhuo and Lu Chixie expected to attend. Lu Chixie and Yu Fei were rumored to walk the red carpet together, while Ling Zhuo would attend independently, without an entourage.
When Lu Chixie arrived, Ling Zhuo was already dressed up and taking photos. With his side-parted curly hair and slightly slanted eyes under slightly darker brows, he wore a silver casual suit over a matching shirt, adorned only with a ruby brooch.
He spotted Lu Chixie approaching at the end of the red carpet with Yu Fei. Ling Zhuo glanced over, allowed a few photos to be taken, then turned and walked over.
Lu Chixie had changed into a charcoal-black suit with a white shirt and a diamond brooch. With his height, long legs, and broad shoulders, he appeared more like a mannequin. Ling Zhuo hadn’t noticed his excellent figure before, as Lu Chixie typically wore costumes or casual attire. Now, seeing him dressed up, his gaze lingered on him for a few extra seconds.
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Chixie asked, “What are you looking at?”
Avoiding eye contact, Ling Zhuo replied, “…Nothing.”
During the ride to the venue, Zhang Jing had asked him about his relationship with Lu Chixie. Distracted by his phone screen, Ling Zhuo had absentmindedly responded, “It’s just like that.”
He was focused on Lu Chixie’s studio’s recent Weibo post featuring a photo taken before Lu Chixie left the hotel.
With legs crossed and hands in his pockets, casually leaning forward on the sofa arm, Lu Chixie looked into the camera with his trademark half-smile in his deep, dark eyes.
Zhang Jing asked, “Why are you so distracted? Did you hear what I asked?”
Ling Zhuo snapped back to reality, tapping the screen of his dark phone and cleared his throat. “Jing-jie, just don’t ask. I’m not sure myself.”
Zhang Jing replied, “What do you mean you’re not sure yourself?”
Ling Zhuo sighed, “I just don’t know. Can’t explain it. Let’s leave it at that. We’ll talk later. Anyway, fans won’t find out, so don’t worry.”
Zhang Jing warned, “…You better stick to your words.”
Now inside, the venue sparkled with elegance, filled with celebrities and dignitaries. In the center was a performance stage, surrounded by about twenty round tables.
Ling Zhuo’s seat was closest to the main table on the right side, surrounded mostly by top-tier celebrities. After exchanging pleasantries with his tablemates, he settled into a quiet demeanor.
By 8:00, almost all the tables were filled. The main tables on both sides were occupied by industry heavyweights and respected elders, including Lu Chixie. Ling Zhuo glanced over and caught Lu Chixie’s eyes. Lu Chixie raised his wine glass in a toast, but Ling Zhuo ignored him.
The banquet began, and social mingling ensued.
Ling Zhuo ate a few bites to ease his hunger, then, at Zhang Jing’s urging, reluctantly stood up with his wine glass to toast the main table on the right, where Lu Chixie was seated.
This table was filled with industry leaders, and Ling Zhuo politely toasted each person. Initially, it was just a sip per person, but when he reached the fourth individual, a thin middle-aged man insisted with a smirk that he finish the entire glass.
This man was the CEO of a major fashion group in Greater China, looking respectable but somewhat sleazy, taking advantage of several female stars who came to toast him. Ling Zhuo, having eaten little and unwilling to drink so much, hesitated on what to say. However, Lu Chixie, seated across from him, spoke up, “Ling Zhuo, your stomach isn’t feeling well. Drink less. We’ll head back early.”
Ling Zhuo hesitated for a moment and said, “Okay.”
Also seated at the table were senior executives from a certain investment company, the director of a certain film and television company, and the editor-in-chief of a certain fashion magazine, all well-known figures. Upon hearing Lu Chixie’s words, they were all surprised. The man who had originally intended to trouble Ling Zhuo felt somewhat embarrassed. Lu Chixie said to him, “Mr. Peng, Ling Zhuo is my friend. He can’t drink much. Let me drink on his behalf.”
So the man politely accompanied Lu Chixie away. Ling Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief. After that, no one troubled him again. He toasted each person in turn, and finally glanced complicatedly at Lu Chixie, who was drinking with that man, before returning to his seat.
Zhang Jing didn’t stay long, gave Ling Zhuo a few reminders, and then left. Ling Zhuo had a few more rounds of drinks with people he knew and didn’t know, and felt somewhat drunk. Halfway through the party, he went to the restroom. After splashing cold water on his face, he felt a bit more comfortable.
When he looked up again at the restroom mirror, Lu Chixie had appeared behind him at some point, looking displeased. “You still have to perform later. Why did you drink so much?”
Ling Zhuo stood up straight, squinting at him for a moment, then turned around and leaned against the wash basin without moving.
Lu Chixie took a step forward, placing his hands on either side of Ling Zhuo’s body, staring into his eyes. “Are you really drunk?”
Ling Zhuo lowered his eyes, tugging at his suit button with his fingers, murmuring, “No, not much.”
“I think you are,” Lu Chixie reminded him. “Anyone could come in here at any moment. Aren’t you afraid of being seen?”
“No one’s here right now.”
Lu Chixie chuckled softly, leaned in closer, and quickly pecked his lips. “Still tastes of alcohol.”
“It’s the alcohol from your own mouth,” Ling Zhuo squinted at him. “By the way, thanks for helping me out just now.”
In such situations before, it was always Zhong Yiran who helped him drink. However, those who persuaded him to drink were not as polite to Zhong Yiran as they were to Lu Chixie. After a few times, he insisted on drinking on his own. Today, Lu Chixie suddenly insisted on drinking for him, which made his mood particularly complicated for a moment.
Lu Chixie: “Thanks for what?”
Ling Zhuo: “For tonight. Also for this afternoon.”
Lu Chixie reminded him, “Next time something like this happens, just tell me directly. Don’t hold it in.”
Ling Zhuo was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but he thought about it and changed his mind. “Okay.”
He glanced in the direction of the restroom door and leaned slightly, pecking Lu Chixie’s lips, then chuckled softly.
Lu Chixie was certain now. He was really drunk.
After a quiet moment in the restroom, they returned to the main hall. Ling Zhuo was about to sing on stage.
The next program started soon. Instead of returning to his seat, he stood in a corner of the stage in the dim light, waiting with Lu Chixie.
On stage was also a young idol, singing and dancing to a pop song. Ling Zhuo followed along, tapping his feet and humming along with the beat, in high spirits.
Lu Chixie approached him and asked, “Why are you suddenly so happy?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “Good mood.”
Lu Chixie asked, “Why the good mood?”
Ling Zhuo said, “Do I need a reason to be in a good mood?”
He raised his hand, turned around, and adjusted the slightly crooked badge on Lu Chixie’s chest, then gently flicked it.
Five minutes later, he took the stage, stood in front of the microphone, and quietly sang a love song, with Lu Chixie still standing in place, listening.
Ling Zhuo occasionally glanced towards the corner where he stood, smiling softly.
After he finished singing, they left the venue together and took the same car.
In the car, Ling Zhuo rested his head on Lu Chixie’s shoulder, boredly scrolling through Weibo. As soon as he refreshed the page, he saw a post just published by DarkFire, with only one picture: him in the dim corner of the stage, smiling while adjusting Lu Chixie’s badge, with only Lu Chixie’s back visible.
Ling Zhuo stared at the smile in his eyes in the picture. Was his gaze towards Lu Chixie just now like this?
Full of joy, excitement, and undisguised happiness.
Ling Zhuo was momentarily dazed. Lu Chixie glanced at the screen and chuckled near his ear, “It’s a good shot.”
Ling Zhuo said, “… Xiao Qian might as well change jobs.”
He turned his head, intending to say something to Xiao Qian, but then remembered Xiao Qian wasn’t in this car. He leaned his head back on Lu Chixie’s shoulder. “You guys are really weird.”
He said that, but he stared at the photo for a moment, then opened the comments.
“LZ is such a charmer. How can the young master withstand this? Chixie, go for it! Mom supports you [cheering].”
“LZ, go for it! You deserve a husband!”
“Oh my god, Xiao Zhuo is so cute, so soft, so sweet. That smile of his, I’m done for. Chixie, you’re so lucky [sour][sour][sour].”
“The sexual tension between these two is so strong. Just helping straighten a badge, and I’ve already got a 100,000-word description in my mind [laughing without saying anything].”
“I’ll be blunt, I want to see the young master make Xiao Zhou cry.”
“Me too.”
“Count me in, +1.”
“There are so many perverts in the comments.”
Ling Zhuo’s face was numb from reading the comments.
The person next to him laughed again, “Perverts?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “…Teacher Lu, you know a lot.”
Lu Chixie said, “As soon as I said it, you immediately got it. You know just as much as I do.”
Ling Zhuo turned off his phone screen, pretending not to understand, and ignored him.
“Ling Zhuo,” Lu Chixie lowered his voice.
Ling Zhuo asked, “What’s up?”
Lu Chixie’s lips brushed against his temple. “When will you fulfill the fans’ wishes?”
Ling Zhuo didn’t understand. “What wishes?”
Lu Chixie’s voice grew even lower. “To mess with you, make you cry, 100,000 words of indescribable content.”
Ling Zhuo blushed instantly and pushed him away. “Be serious.”
Lu Chixie pushed his head back onto his shoulder. “Alright, I was just teasing you. Don’t overreact.”
Ling Zhuo was already a bit tired and didn’t feel like moving. Before closing his eyes, he murmured one last thing, “Teacher Lu, thank you.”
Lu Chixie: “What are you thanking me for again?”
Ling Zhuo: “I don’t know, I just felt like saying it.”
Maybe it was for Lu Chixie’s repeated help, or maybe it was because Lu Chixie truly made him happy.
He wasn’t a very strong person. Clinging to Lu Chixie was like grabbing onto a life-saving piece of driftwood, allowing him to quickly escape the mire of heartbreak. So he felt he had to say this “thank you.”
Lu Chixie: “Hmm, go to sleep.”