Dark Fire chapter 8

Dark Fire

At 10:30, just as Ling Zhuo was drifting off to sleep, Yang Ming knocked on his door again, saying that Zhang Jing wanted him to turn his phone on.

Zhang Jing called to ask about him and Lu Chixie.

Ling Zhuo said, “What could there be between us? We’re just colleagues having a meal together. Jing Jie, you’re overthinking it. The like was an accident, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Zhang Jing said, “I heard from Xiao Yang that he’s quite enthusiastic about you and even offered to help you rehearse every night?”

Ling Zhuo replied, “Yes, he said it was Director He’s idea.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Zhang Jing said, “Just be careful. I haven’t heard anything about Lu Chixie having such tendencies, but if you’re not interested, keep your distance and try not to offend him.”

Ling Zhuo didn’t say much more, knowing it wouldn’t help: “Got it.”

For the next few days, Group A went out for location shoots, leaving early and returning late. Ling Zhuo stayed with Group B to film, not seeing Lu Chixie during the day.

Every night after 8 PM, Lu Chixie would come to his room to help him rehearse for the next day’s scenes. With Yang Ming present, it avoided unnecessary awkwardness. Although Ling Zhuo felt bad about the trouble, Lu Chixie seemed to take it for granted and even enjoyed it. Ling Zhuo, harboring a small ulterior motive, continued the nightly rehearsals.

By the second week of joining the crew, Ling Zhuo had slowly adapted to the routine of waking up early every day for filming. Apart from the unbearable heat, he was gradually getting used to everything else.

After finishing a scene, he loosened the two layers of his costume, walked under the sunshade, and sat down on a lounge chair. Holding a small electric fan to his face for a while, he felt much more comfortable.

A cold bottle of mineral water was pressed against his cheek from behind. Ling Zhuo turned around and met Lu Chixie’s smiling eyes.

“Ling, have some cold water,” Lu Chixie said with a casual smile.

Ling Zhuo took the bottle, thanked him, and unscrewed the cap to drink half of it. Lu Chixie kept staring at him, his gaze lingering on Ling Zhuo’s lips, which were moistened and reddened by the water.

Reaching out again, Lu Chixie brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen over Ling Zhuo’s forehead.

Ling Zhuo turned his head to avoid him, and the person next to him chuckled, “Why are you dodging?”

Ling Zhuo replied, “Teacher Lu, please behave yourself.”

Lu Chixie suppressed a laugh, “Okay.”

After hesitating for a moment, Ling Zhuo asked, “Do you want a drink?”

Lu Chixie responded, “Are you treating me?”

Ling Zhuo nodded, “Yes, I’ll ask my assistant to buy it.”

To avoid any misunderstanding, he added, “Thanks for helping me rehearse, Teacher Lu.”

Regardless of Lu Chixie’s intentions, he had indeed been a great help. A single meal was not enough to repay the favor, and Ling Zhuo couldn’t offer anything else. After thinking it over, he decided to treat him to a few more meals, even though Lu Chixie might not care for it.

Lu Chixie smiled, “You’re too polite, Ling.”

So Ling Zhuo sent Yang Ming to the coffee shop outside to buy drinks. Lu Chixie stayed beside him, sitting down.

Leaning back on the lounge chair, Lu Chixie lazily turned to Ling Zhuo, “Ling, can I borrow your fan too?”

Using his usual playful tone, Ling Zhuo didn’t want to engage and moved a bit to the side. But the lounge chair was only so big, and with the scorching sun outside, he didn’t want to give up his spot. So he stayed next to Lu Chixie, keeping his head down and flipping through the script.

Lu Chixie leaned closer to read along, “We rehearsed last night, and I saw you had your lines memorized perfectly. Why keep reading?”

With Lu Chixie’s breath so close, Ling Zhuo felt even hotter. He turned the fan towards Lu Chixie, creating a barrier between them, and continued to read the script without looking up.

Lu Chixie noticed Ling Zhuo’s slender wrist exposed outside his ancient costume and playfully pinched it.

Ling Zhuo withdrew his hand, frowning.

Lu Chixie said, “Ling, you should work out more. Your hands are too thin. Are you very skinny?”

Ling Zhuo still didn’t want to respond.

Lu Chixie continued to make small talk, “You’re too tense. Just memorize your lines; no need to keep reading. On stage, you sing and dance confidently. Why can’t you relax when filming?”

Finally, Ling Zhuo turned his eyes to him. Lu Chixie asked, “Are You nervous?”

Ling Zhuo replied, “…No.”

“If you’re nervous, just admit it,” Lu Chixie’s eyes roved over his face, “You are indeed charming on stage, singing and dancing with makeup. No wonder you’re so popular.”

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Ling Zhuo turned his eyes back to the script.

Lu Chixie smiled and looked down at his phone.

About ten minutes later, Yang Ming returned with the drinks. He had bought the same snow top coffee that Lu Chixie had gotten last time. Ling Zhuo took a cup from the bag and handed it to Lu Chixie.

Lu Chixie accepted it with a smile, “Thanks.”

Ling Zhuo continued filming until after six in the evening and had dinner on set before returning to the hotel.

Lu Chixie finished work later than him, likely not arriving until after 8:30 tonight. Ling Zhuo reviewed the script for tomorrow’s scenes, then sat cross-legged on the sofa playing mobile games while Yang Ming browsed Weibo.

“Zhuo ge, there’s already a CP fan page for you and Mr. Lu?” Yang Ming showed his phone to Ling Zhuo.

Ling Zhuo asked, “What?”

Yang Ming explained, “A CP fan page, featuring you and Mr. Lu.”

Ling Zhuo took his phone.

It was indeed a CP fan page, named “DarkFire|0101×0914,” a typical naming style for such pages. The first Weibo post had been made half an hour ago.

“Summer Heat.”

Six photos were attached, all of their interactions under the sunshade that afternoon.

The first photo showed Lu Chixie pressing the cold water bottle to Ling Zhuo’s face. In the second, Lu Chixie was brushing Ling Zhuo’s hair aside. In the third, they were sitting together on the lounge chair, with Lu Chixie smiling at him. In the fourth, Ling Zhuo was reading the script with the fan pointed at Lu Chixie. In the fifth, Lu Chixie was holding Ling Zhuo’s wrist, leaning in to talk. In the sixth, Ling Zhuo was handing a drink to Lu Chixie.

Ling Zhuo was speechless.

In just half an hour, this Weibo post had been reposted over two thousand times, with lively comments like “I’m shipping it,” “Max sexual tension,” and various other enthusiastic reactions.

Suppressing his discomfort, Ling Zhuo asked Yang Ming, “Why would anyone set up a page for me and him?”

He thought the buzz in the CP super topic was just for fun, with only a few people involved. Most CP fan pages were for profit, and he and Lu Chixie’s pairing had neither obvious potential nor profitability. This was a major female-led romantic drama; it would make more sense to promote Lu Chixie with Yu Fei for a big CP success.

Yang Ming replied, “I don’t know. Some people have unique tastes and go for niche pairings. You’re very popular, and while Mr. Lu isn’t as famous as you, he has even more buzz. It’s not surprising someone would ship you two.”

Especially with Lu Chixie’s clear intentions, Yang Ming thought but didn’t say out loud.

He frowned. The photos were too clear. Were there fans nearby at that time?

He thought of another question and casually asked, “Is Teacher Lu’s birthday on New Year’s Day?”

Yang Ming replied, “That’s what his bio says.”

Ling Zhuo made a sound of acknowledgment.

At 8:40, Lu Chixie arrived.

Ling Zhuo had six scenes to shoot the next day, requiring him to stay on set all day. Lu Chixie, the male lead, had even more scenes.

Seeing Lu Chixie enter the room, Ling Zhuo sat up straight. Lu Chixie glanced at him, leaned against the coffee table, picked up his script, and got straight to the point.

Twenty minutes later, Yang Ming received a phone call. He had some matters to attend to at home, so he asked Ling Zhuo for leave and went back to his room.

This left Ling Zhuo and Lu Chixie alone.

After finishing a scene, Lu Chixie leaned against the sofa and casually flipped the script to the next scene. Ling Zhuo watched his actions. Lu Chixie chuckled, “This scene is where Lin Lanyu realizes that Zhuge You has fallen for someone else. He confesses to her but doesn’t get a response.”

He glanced at Ling Zhuo, “Ling, have you ever confessed to someone?”

Ling Zhuo calmly replied, “No.”

Lu Chixie: “Playing the secret admirer, huh?”

Ling Zhuo didn’t want to answer, so he remained silent.

Lu Chixie clicked his tongue, “Let’s begin.”

In this scene, Lin Lanyu intercepts Zhuge You, who is on her way to fetch spiritual water for Xuan Jiang, at the back of the mountain. Zhuge You’s hand is injured, and Lin Lanyu gently applies medicine and bandages it. As he holds her hand, he reminisces about their childhood and finally expresses his long-hidden feelings, but Zhuge You responds with silence.

At the beginning of the scene, Lu Chixie interrupted, “Lin Lanyu is not only Zhuge You’s admirer but also her gentle and tolerant senior brother. When he confesses, he already anticipates that Zhuge You won’t accept him. Rather than expecting a positive response, he wants to let go of his feelings. Your emotions aren’t quite right, tone it down a bit.”

Ling Zhuo thought for a moment and nodded.

Although Lu Chixie often seemed unserious, he was very earnest when needed. When Ling Zhuo struggled with a part, Lu Chixie would use his own emotions to help Ling Zhuo get into the character, and he was very patient. In a way, he was indeed a good teacher.

Ling Zhuo calmed himself, treating Lu Chixie in front of him as the character Zhuge You, clearing his mind and fully immersing himself in the performance.

Lin Lanyu held Zhuge You’s hand and, just like the games they played in childhood, used his spiritual power to write “I love you” word by word in her palm. When he finished the last stroke, he lowered his eyes and waited quietly. After a moment of silence, Zhuge You withdrew her hand. Lin Lanyu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he took the initiative to resolve the awkward situation. He withdrew his spiritual power, wiping away the traces of the words, and smiled, saying, “Your master was just looking for you.”

They silently stared at each other for a few seconds. Guilt was hidden in Zhuge You’s eyes, while Lin Lanyu kept smiling gently. Finally, Zhuge You said “Sorry” and turned to leave.

This should have been the end of the scene, but Lu Chixie stared at Ling Zhuo without moving, as if he hadn’t detached from the role. Ling Zhuo was startled for a moment when the person in front of him leaned in and sniffed his neck lightly.

Ling Zhuo jumped in surprise, immediately standing up. He moved so quickly that he nearly fell, but Lu Chixie reached out to steady him.

“What… are you doing?” Ling Zhuo awkwardly withdrew his hand.

Lu Chixie gave him a teasing look, “Ling, are you really that afraid of me?”

Ling Zhuo didn’t want to admit it, “No.”

Lu Chixie: “What body wash do you use?”

Ling Zhuo couldn’t keep up with his train of thought, “What?”

Pointing to Ling Zhuo’s neck, Lu Chixie said, “It smells pretty good.”

Ling Zhuo: “We’ve finished today’s scenes. Thank you for your help, Teacher Lu.”

This was a clear signal for him to leave.

Lu Chixie didn’t tease him further, said a few more irrelevant things, and left.

After closing the door, Ling Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at his phone. It was almost ten o’clock.

Half an hour ago, Zhong Yiran had sent him a message asking if he would be free tomorrow and if he could visit the set.

Ling Zhuo’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, and he replied, “Sure, what time will you come?”