Hearing her voice, Gu Minghan turned toward the entrance hall. Seeing Xu Wanhua rubbing her lower back, he rose, walked over, and took hold of her arm.
"What happened?"
"I went out to walk Doudou and twisted my back." Xu Wanhua lifted one foot, indicating that her husband should change her shoes for her.
Gu Minghan: "…"
Obediently, he helped his wife into slippers and supported her to the sofa.
"Doudou stayed at the pet hospital for several days, remember? When he came home and saw me taking him out, he got overexcited and dragged me into a run. That's how I twisted my back." Xu Wanhua rubbed the sore area. "I'm really getting old."
Gu Minghan looked at her. "You're not old. You look just as good as before."
Xu Wanhua smiled. Who did not enjoy being praised by their spouse? Even when she knew it was exaggerated, she still liked hearing it.
"You only know how to coax me."
Gu Minghan looked perfectly serious. "I'm not coaxing you. It's true."
If one wanted harmony in the household, knowing how to compliment one's wife was extremely important.
Xu Wanhua laughed and remembered the young man who had escorted her home. "Husband, guess who brought me back just now."
"Who?"
"A very handsome young man. His voice was pleasant, and his personality was excellent too." Xu Wanhua praised him generously right in front of her husband.
Gu Minghan frowned. "Do you think it's appropriate to sit here praising some young man in front of me? Do you have some sort of idea?"
Xu Wanhua glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "I do have an idea."
Gu Minghan: "…"
He was just about to ask whether she was so bored that she wanted to pick a fight for entertainment when Xu Wanhua slapped her forehead.
"Look at my memory! How did I forget to ask his name? How am I supposed to introduce him to Xuan'er now?"
Gu Minghan was thoroughly confused. "What does this have to do with Weixuan?"
"How does it not? I want to introduce that young man to Xuan'er and let them meet."
Gu Minghan sighed helplessly. "Don't tell me you really believed Yazhen and now think Xuan'er likes men."
"I think it's possible. Otherwise, why hasn't he found a girlfriend after all this time?"
Gu Minghan shook his head and stood, intending to leave the living room.
Seeing that he clearly thought she was being ridiculous, Xu Wanhua grabbed his hand and pulled him back down.
"I'm telling you, that young man really is handsome, and his temperament is excellent. Maybe Xuan'er likes that kind of boy."
Gu Minghan sighed. "You worry too much. Stop interfering in Weixuan's private life."
"I'm his mother. How can I not care?" Suddenly remembering something, Xu Wanhua added, "Oh, I heard that young man is filming at the villa next door. I'll have someone ask around."
Gu Minghan watched her eagerly get up and head out of the living room. "Didn't you twist your back? Doesn't it hurt anymore?"
"It doesn't hurt."
Xu Wanhua waved a hand and called for Butler Yu several times.
She wanted him to investigate.
Gu Minghan shook his head and returned to his newspaper.
• • •
Chu Qing returned to the villa being used for filming, touched up his makeup, and put on a pair of plain-lens glasses.
Seeing Zhuo Fan also getting his makeup touched up, Chu Qing took out his script and read for a while longer. Once everyone was ready, filming resumed.
Lu Ning was not a complicated character, so Chu Qing played him with ease.
Zhuo Fan had never formally studied acting. He had taken lessons with an acting coach for a few months, but his performance could still become stiff at times.
That afternoon's scene required more than ten failed takes before Zhuo Fan finally settled into the role and completed it smoothly.
Chu Qing never caused a failed take himself, though repeatedly acting opposite Zhuo Fan was tiring.
Even so, he did not complain. When he heard that everyone could rest at the hotel arranged by the production, Chu Qing decided to go home, pack a suitcase, and stay there.
Not only would it make filming more convenient, it would also save taxi fares and cover three meals a day.
It was not that Chu Qing was excessively stingy. He simply did not have much money right now, so every little saving mattered.
After leaving with the crew, he took a taxi home, packed a suitcase, unplugged the refrigerator, and put the juice and braised food inside into his bag.
Then he left, took another car to the crew's hotel, and spoke to a staff member, who gave him a room number and key.
Chu Qing took the elevator to the sixth floor and found the room.
When he unlocked the door, he saw Zhuo Fan gnawing on a fried chicken drumstick.
Chu Qing: "…"
Zhuo Fan: "…"
Chu Qing closed the door, set his suitcase beside the empty bed, and sat opposite Zhuo Fan. "I introduced myself this afternoon. I'm Chu Qing."
Zhuo Fan continued eating. "I know. Just call me Zhuo Fan." He paused, then glared at Chu Qing. "I'm warning you. Don't tell Li that I ate fried chicken."
Li was Zhuo Fan's assistant, a woman in her twenties who was staying in a room downstairs.
Chu Qing had originally thought Li was afraid of Zhuo Fan. Otherwise, she would not have been ordered around so much at lunch. It turned out Zhuo Fan was actually afraid she would report him to someone. That was unexpected.
Zhuo Fan pushed another box of fried chicken toward him. "This is a bribe. If you eat it, you're not allowed to say anything bad about me."
Chu Qing almost laughed. "I have braised meat. Want to try some?"
"I don't—"
Before Zhuo Fan could finish saying he did not want it, he saw the braised meat Chu Qing took out of his bag. It looked delicious, so he changed direction mid-sentence. "I suppose I can reluctantly taste it."
Chu Qing took out a folding fruit knife and sliced the meat.
Zhuo Fan immediately picked up a slice with his fingers and put it in his mouth. It was quite good.
Chu Qing went to the bathroom to wash his hands before returning to eat fried chicken and braised meat.
After they finished and washed their hands, Chu Qing began unpacking his suitcase.
A phone suddenly rang in the room.
Chu Qing glanced over. Zhuo Fan looked at the screen, pouted, and turned his head away.
The phone kept ringing. Chu Qing could not help reminding him, "Zhuo Fan, your phone is ringing."
Why was he not answering it?
Zhuo Fan said unhappily, "I didn't hear anything."
Then he picked up the phone and shoved it under his pillow.
Chu Qing stared, completely unprepared for such childish behavior.
He understood now. Zhuo Fan was simply an immature young master.
Silently looking away, Chu Qing continued unpacking. Once everything was organized, he took a set of pajamas and went to wash up.
When he returned, Zhuo Fan was already lying down.
Chu Qing had not expected the young master to sleep so early. He had assumed Zhuo Fan would at least play a game first.
Chu Qing got into bed, switched off the bedside lamp, pulled the thin blanket over himself, and went to sleep.
• • •
The next morning, Chu Qing was awakened by knocking.
Opening his eyes, he saw Zhuo Fan across from him wake with an equally unhappy expression.
Still, Zhuo Fan got up to open the door, then immediately returned to bed.
Li came in, apologized to Chu Qing first, then went over and tugged at Zhuo Fan's blanket.
"Brother Zhuo, time to get up."
Zhuo Fan clutched the blanket. "Let me sleep a little longer."
"No. You still have to eat and get your makeup done. You have several scenes today." As Li spoke, she noticed the discarded fried-chicken box in the trash and let out a cry.
"Brother Zhuo! Why did you eat fried chicken again? It's high-calorie and unhealthy!"
Zhuo Fan shot upright. "I didn't eat it." He pointed at Chu Qing. "He did."
Chu Qing: "…"
Li glanced at Chu Qing, then looked back at Zhuo Fan. "Brother Zhuo, don't try to fool me."
"I'm not. He really ate it. I'm going to wash up."
Zhuo Fan sprang out of bed and hurried into the bathroom.
"It's fine."
When Chu Qing got up to change clothes, Li withdrew from the room.
By the time he finished dressing, Zhuo Fan came out of the bathroom.
Chu Qing went in to wash. When he came back out, Zhuo Fan had already left.
He did not mind. He went downstairs to the restaurant and ate the free breakfast.
After leaving the hotel, he rode with the production to the set and went to the makeup room.
Sister Hu was working on a refined-looking young man.
Chu Qing did not interrupt. He sat nearby watching and guessed the man was probably the actor playing the second male lead.
When Sister Hu finished, the young man opened his eyes and happened to see Chu Qing in the mirror. He turned around and greeted him.
"Hello. I'm Weng Kai. I play Shen Yu."
Chu Qing immediately introduced himself. "I'm Chu Qing. I play Lu Ning."
"I'm finished with makeup, so I'll head over first."
Weng Kai stood and left.
Sister Hu moved behind Chu Qing and chatted about industry gossip while doing his makeup.
Once Chu Qing was ready, he took a production vehicle to the office building the crew had rented.
Today, filming would be split into two units. One would shoot Weng Kai's Shen Yu visiting Madam Sheng at the Sheng residence.
The other would film Sheng Ye working at the company.
• • •
At the Gu family residence, Gu Weixuan finished washing, put on a dark suit, and came downstairs to the dining room.
"Morning, Dad. Morning, Mom."
"Morning." After he sat, Xu Wanhua said, "You seemed to come home rather late last night."
"There was a meeting. It ran late." Gu Weixuan picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
Xu Wanhua gave Gu Minghan a meaningful look.
Gu Minghan sighed inwardly but cleared his throat. "Ahem. Weixuan, your mother twisted her back yesterday."
Gu Weixuan's chopsticks paused. He looked up at Xu Wanhua. "Mom, how do you feel? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"I'm fine. There's no need." Xu Wanhua's eyes moved slightly. "Fortunately, a young man brought me home yesterday. Don't you think we should thank him?"
Gu Weixuan nodded. "Of course. Give his name and address to Assistant Yan later. I'll have him prepare a gift and send it over."
Xu Wanhua glared at him. "You should deliver it yourself."
"Mom, I don't have time." Gu Weixuan continued eating.
Xu Wanhua frowned. "Can't you make a little time?"
Gu Minghan spoke for his son. "Forget it. Let him do it when he has time."
Xu Wanhua glared at her husband just as Gu Weixuan said, "I'm full."
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, stood, and left the dining room.
Outside, he noticed movement around the distant villa and asked Butler Yu, who was watering flowers, "Who are those people?"
"I heard a production team rented that villa to film a television drama."
"Filming?"
A handsome young man's face suddenly surfaced in Gu Weixuan's mind.
