Xiao Bai was still lost in confusion when Gao Qin snapped his fingers and changed the subject.
“Xiao Bai, the reason we asked you here today is for a movie press conference.” He paused. “I should have told you in advance, but your phone was off.”
Anyone looking at Gao Qin’s expression right then would never think his failure to notify Xiao Bai constituted negligence. They would only feel that Xiao Bai’s failure to keep his phone switched on was an offense against the natural order.
His expression was simply that righteous.
Xiao Bai ducked his head and apologized.
Gao Qin picked up a promotional booklet from the table and handed it to him. “It’s a cops-and-robbers film. Yan Su Ang is the male lead, and Zhang Jia Jia is the female lead.” Seeing that Xiao Bai still looked utterly lost, he raised an eyebrow. “Do you know who Zhang Jia Jia is?”
Xiao Bai looked at the beautiful woman with flowing hair in the brochure and nodded. “She’s the one in the shampoo commercial.”
“……”
Completely unfazed, Gao Qin said, “That shampoo commercial makes up about one percent of her work. It isn’t her full-time occupation. If you meet her, absolutely do not say that.”
Xiao Bai solemnly agreed. “Mm.”
Seeing how readily Xiao Bai agreed only made Gao Qin more uneasy. “Then what will you say?”
“You’re the person who uses one percent of her body to make shampoo commercials.”
“……One percent of her body.” The corner of Gao Qin’s mouth twitched. “You really know how to add words.”
Xiao Bai said, “As a host, I have to keep my sentences complete and precise.”
“……” Gao Qin rubbed his eyebrow. “Forget it. You don’t have many scenes with her anyway.” He pointed at the heavily made-up woman beneath Zhang Jia Jia. “She’s the second female lead. Her name is Tan Fei. Most of your scenes are with her.”
“Wait, wait. I’m acting too?” Xiao Bai stared in shock at his own photograph, which was actually positioned two spots below Yan Su Ang’s.
Gao Qin spread his hands. “What else did you think? That they invited you to officiate a wedding?”
“No. I thought I was the best man.”
Gao Qin’s eyebrows twitched. He asked meaningfully, “Then where are you planning to put the bride?”
“……” Xiao Bai froze. “Is that the best man’s responsibility too?”
Just then, Yan Su Ang pushed the door open again. Although he still was not smiling, he looked much better than before. “Can we go?”
Gao Qin shrugged. “I just told him he’ll be playing the third male lead.”
Yan Su Ang looked at him in surprise. “Are you sure you two were talking with your mouths instead of communicating through hand gestures?” They spent all that time and only managed to say one sentence?
“I had to clarify something first,” Gao Qin said unhurriedly. “Today is a movie press conference, not a wedding.”
Yan Su Ang looked at Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai said, “You should’ve explained that clearly.” In his understanding of the world, suits were generally worn at weddings.
“Maybe he isn’t used to speaking with his mouth and prefers hand gestures,” Gao Qin added, landing another beautiful blow.
Yan Su Ang said helplessly, “Then let’s gesture a little faster. The press conference is about to start.”
Gao Qin checked his watch. “Twelve minutes.”
They were twelve very tense minutes.
They spent half the time briefly introducing the movie and the character Xiao Bai would be playing, then used the remaining half to rush to the venue.
By the time they arrived, most of the others were already seated.
Even so, their entrance still earned applause from the reporters.
Gao Qin could not help sighing.
When it came to relations with the media, Feng Ya Lun had always lost badly.
Reporters loved writing gossip about Yan Su Ang or fabricating all kinds of ridiculous rumors, but they still afforded Yan Su Ang himself considerable respect. That was inseparable from his brilliant achievements across film, television, and music.
Generally speaking, when Feng Ya Lun had first challenged Yan Su Ang, one reason was the feud between Ma Rui and Zhang Fu Man. The second was that they wanted to borrow Yan Su Ang’s popularity to raise Feng Ya Lun’s status and name recognition.
Yan Su Ang and Xiao Bai took their seats.
The second male lead, Chen De Zhang, had originally been seated between them, but Yan Su Ang had sent him off at the very beginning to sit lovingly side by side with second female lead Tan Fei.
Yan Su Ang and Zhang Jia Jia sat on either side of the director.
Taking the opportunity, Yan Su Ang introduced Xiao Bai to him. “Internationally renowned director, Lian Jue Xiu.”
Lian Jue Xiu turned his head.
His proper, square face carried an authority that was imposing even when he was not angry.
He carefully examined Xiao Bai, then smiled at Yan Su Ang. “Good eye. He really does look a lot like Bai Rui Di.”
Yan Su Ang smiled smugly.
Xiao Bai suddenly went, “Ah! Lian Jue Xiu, are you the friend Great God visited in the hospital after your car accident?”
“……”
Yan Su Ang said with perfect composure, “That’s him.”
Lian Jue Xiu patted Yan Su Ang on the shoulder and asked solemnly, “That’s how you introduce me?”
Yan Su Ang turned to Xiao Bai. “Is that how I introduced him?”
Xiao Bai shook his head. “A reporter said it.”
Yan Su Ang relaxed. “I’m innocent.”
Xiao Bai added, “They also said you didn’t go see him until after you finished work.”
Lian Jue Xiu gave Yan Su Ang a sinister look. “Didn’t you tell me you were late because of traffic?”
Yan Su Ang’s expression did not change. “Because I finished work so late that I ran straight into rush hour.”
“……Because of you, I’m going to break my iron rule against reading the entertainment section of the newspaper. Maybe then I’ll stop choosing the wrong people!”
Yan Su Ang’s eye twitched. “At most, you made a poor choice of friend. Besides, your leg was only fractured. It’s not like you were unconscious and fighting for your life.”
“Have you been spending too much time around Gao Qin? Since when did your mouth get that vicious?”
“It’s a chemical reaction that only happens when I encounter you.”
Zhang Jia Jia looked at the two men chatting so enthusiastically that they had completely forgotten themselves, then at the host off to one side scratching his head anxiously. She smiled and interrupted. “Director, the host has been gazing at you affectionately for quite some time now.”
Lian Jue Xiu finally came back to himself and gave the host a small smile.
The host hurriedly announced the start of the press conference.
The movie was titled Tears of a Man.
The preliminary publicity had not been especially elaborate, but with the iron triangle of Lian Jue Xiu, Yan Su Ang, and Zhang Jia Jia standing there, even doing no publicity at all would already have been publicity enough.
After the reporters asked a few token questions about the movie, they immediately changed direction and began questioning the stars themselves.
As the only newcomer to film present, as someone who had essentially parachuted straight into the cast, and as a person whose face had recently occupied major front-page headlines, Xiao Bai still received a certain amount of attention despite being surrounded by stars.
One reporter asked, “Xiao Bai, is your role in the film a substantial one?”
Xiao Bai blinked. “We haven’t filmed it yet. Ask me after we’re done.”
The reporter said, “Surely you’ve read the script?”
Yan Su Ang immediately cut in. “Everybody knows Director Lian’s habits. One rewrite, two rewrites—nothing unusual. Three or four are standard. Five or six and you lose count. Seven or eight and he still isn’t satisfied.”
Lian Jue Xiu laughed. “Stop talking nonsense. I’m afraid tomorrow morning’s headline won’t be ‘Tears of a Man Begins Filming,’ but ‘Lian Jue Xiu Changes His Name to Lian Gai-Gai.’”
Elio’s Notes: 改 (gǎi) means “to change” or “revise.” 连改改 is a joking fake name built on Director Lian’s surname, essentially calling him “Lian Rewrite-Rewrite” because of how often he revises his scripts.
The room burst into laughter.
The reporter’s attention was successfully diverted, and the questions shifted to the romantic scenes between Yan Su Ang and Zhang Jia Jia.
“Some time ago, netizens held a poll for Yan Su Ang’s ideal other half. Jia Jia, you won by a huge margin. So is there any possibility between the two of you in real life?”
The reporter had barely finished speaking when Lian Jue Xiu teased, “You two should hurry up and get married. Then maybe every time I make a movie with you, people will stop asking me this.”
Yan Su Ang immediately shook his head. “No. Once we’re married, they’ll start asking about affairs.”
The reporters laughed again.
Zhang Jia Jia suddenly said, “I remember my vote count wasn’t actually that overwhelming. Xiao Bai got quite a few votes too.”
The reporters clearly had not expected Zhang Jia Jia to know about the poll. They immediately became excited, their gazes snapping toward Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai looked blank.
One reporter eager to stir things up asked, “Yan Su Ang, if Zhang Jia Jia and Xiao Bai both liked you, which one would you choose?”
…Did that even need asking?
Xiao Bai liking me. Mm. That’s a very nice hypothetical.
Yan Su Ang rubbed his nose. “Well…”
He deliberately drew out the word, successfully whetting everyone’s appetite instead.
Even Gao Qin, who had been standing leisurely off to one side, straightened slightly.
“I’d have to date them for a month before I knew.” Yan Su Ang neatly deflected the question.
But the reporter refused to let him escape. “So you’d be willing to date Xiao Bai too?”
Yan Su Ang smiled faintly and suddenly wrapped an arm around Xiao Bai’s shoulders. “If netizens support us, that means we must be pretty compatible.”
Because he was so direct and made no attempt to avoid the subject, it instead gave him the air of someone completely open and aboveboard.
The reporters therefore laughed it off as a joke.
After the press conference, Yan Su Ang offered to drive Xiao Bai home.
Gao Qin raised an eyebrow.
Yan Su Ang’s intentions might not quite have reached the level where “even every passerby knew Sima Zhao’s heart,” but the few of them could see through him perfectly clearly.
Elio’s Notes: “Sima Zhao’s intentions are known to every passerby” is a famous Chinese saying meaning that someone’s ambitions or intentions are completely obvious to everyone.
From a manager’s perspective, Gao Qin absolutely did not want one of his artists becoming entangled in this kind of relationship. But as a friend—especially as a friend who had become entangled in a similar kind of relationship himself—he wanted to support him. It was like being lost in darkness and wanting another equally lost companion beside you.
“Get home early.” In the end, he gave way—for ten percent friendship and ninety percent selfish motives.
The corner of Yan Su Ang’s mouth curved upward.
In truth, the greatest obstacle to getting close to Xiao Bai was Gao Qin. As long as Gao Qin did not interfere, everything else would become much easier—except, of course, getting Xiao Bai to finally understand what was going on, much less fall for him.
Thinking of this, Yan Su Ang sighed again over his fog-shrouded future.
Xiao Bai looked up. “Are you tired?”
Yan Su Ang nodded.
“Then I can take the bus home by myself.” Xiao Bai felt around his pockets before remembering that the clothes he was wearing did not belong to him. “I’ll wash your clothes and return them to you, but before that…” He opened his palm. “Could you lend me two coins?”
“No.” Yan Su Ang refused with remarkable decisiveness.
Xiao Bai stared at him in shock, then spun around and sprinted toward the direction Gao Qin had gone. “Brother Gao! Lend me some money…”
Yan Su Ang stood frozen for a full three seconds before remembering to chase him.
As he ran, he finally realized that although Xiao Bai was small, his running speed was absolutely not to be underestimated.
And so Gao Qin, who was just about to drive away, witnessed the following scene—
Xiao Bai came charging toward him, yelling at the top of his lungs.
Yan Su Ang chased furiously behind him.
People all around had stopped to watch.
“So quickly… he already made his move?” Gao Qin murmured suspiciously.
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