CH 31

Translate by Hua

The day before Qi Xiaoyu came to the set, at the door of the VIP suite on the 9th floor, Jiang Sicheng took the room card, pointed to the room next door, and asked the lifestyle producer, “Who lives next door to me?”

Jiang Sicheng is the prince of Orange Juice Entertainment, and Orange Juice Entertainment is one of the investors. So the lifestyle producer still has to hold him in high esteem. “Originally, it was for Brother Hua, but he said he liked living on the first floor, so this room was given to Tang Kui.”

Jiang Sicheng rubbed his belly and pursed his lips. “Why give him a place to stay? Who the hell is he to live next door to me?”

He hated Qi Xiaoyu and Tang Kui even more.

Tang Kui had never become famous until last year, when he co-starred in an urban idol drama with Xue Qingchu, playing the role of a heartwarming CEO, and suddenly became famous.

During that time, Tang Kui bought many water armies to promote his and Xue Qingchu’s CP, marketing the persona of an ideal boyfriend. After the persona was stable and he started to gain more girlfriend fans, he immediately stepped on Xue Qingchu by ambiguously saying that Goddess was interested but King Xiang had no intention1 King Xiang was interested, but the goddess had no intention. A metaphor for one-sided or unrequited love. But the Tang Kui guy reversed the sentence. He’s trying to say that Xue Qingchu’s the one who’s interested in him..

King Xiang his uncle.

Son of a B who reverses right to wrong, black to white.

So now Jiang Sicheng feels sick when he sees Tang Kui.

“Uh…” The lifestyle producer was at a loss for words, thinking that this young master was really not afraid of offending people when he spoke like this.

Jiang Sicheng curled up and leaned against the door frame, shaking his legs. “Isn’t Qi Xiaoyu coming too? Where does he live?”

The lifestyle producer had heard that Qi Xiaoyu came in through Orange Juice Entertainment and wondered if the two knew each other and wanted to live together. However, he had also heard of Jiang Sicheng’s reputation for being arrogant, domineering, and bad-tempered and listened to this tone of voice that he is now ……

He thought for a while and decided that it was better not to worry so much. “He lives in the deluxe single room downstairs.”

Jiang Sicheng narrowed his eyes and said in a domineering tone, “Change Tang Kui’s room and let him live next door to me.”

“Uh…” The lifestyle producer was a little embarrassed. “Mr. Jiang, this is a VIP suite. There are only two rooms on this floor, and there are only four rooms in total. Brother Hua can’t live there, so it should be given to the second male lead… Qi Xiaoyu is the third male…”

Jiang Sicheng impatiently interrupted the lifestyle producer, “It’s just one room; why are you so long-winded? How much is the difference between the two rooms? I’ll make it up to you! Or do you want to transfer money via mobile phone? Come on, come on, I’ll scan the code right away.”

After saying that, he took out his cell phone.

Jiang Sicheng has also been very unhappy recently. First he was rejected by Xue Qingchu, and then after Kang Qitao’s birthday party, he was blocked in an alley and beaten. The beating was very harsh. His face wasn’t hit, but only places like the stomach were targeted, causing his stomach to twitch and hurt even now.

After being beaten, he went home injured. He originally wanted to cry and ask his father for help as revenge.

As a result, after his father found out the whole story, he scolded him in the face.

His father hit him on the back of the head while scolding, “I finally managed to stabilize the company, and you come to muddy the waters again! You prodigal son, why did you provoke Qi Xiaoyu when you have nothing to do? Why did you give me so much trouble?! You little bastard, you little brat, see if I don’t beat you to death.”

Jiang Sicheng held his head and begged for mercy, “Dad! Dad! Please take it easy and don’t always scold me.”

Jiang Feibai didn’t hit him for real. Jiang Sicheng held his head while he slapped his arm. “Be polite next time you see Qi Xiaoyu, or I’ll beat you to death, you little bastard! Do you hear that?!”

Jiang Sicheng was confused. Is this man his biological father? Why is he helping others beat his own son?

Jiang Sicheng, with a face full of question marks, hid behind the sofa, stuck his head out, and asked his father about Qi Xiaoyu’s background. Isn’t he just a young rookie from the talent show? Be polite? Be polite to the ghost!

Of course, he was greeted with another beating on the head and face.

Jiang Sicheng no longer dared to ask.

But after thinking, he couldn’t swallow it. Especially when he thought about Xue Qingchu being so good to Qi Xiaoyu, he felt that the cuckold was giving him a headache.

His dad doesn’t let him mess with Qi Xiaoyu, so why not pull him to his side to keep him under surveillance? So that he doesn’t have time to go out and hook up with Xue Qingchu!

“Okay, please say something! Or I can pack up my things and move next door to Qi Xiaoyu!”

“Uh…” The lifestyle producer sighed deeply, feeling that this young master Jiang was indeed as bad-tempered as the rumors. While silently mourning for Qi Xiaoyu, he said, “I’ll ask the director.”

*****

Here, Qi Xiaoyu checked into the VIP suite with his luggage and swiped his card.

He didn’t bother to think so much.

Anyway, the conditions in this suite are quite good. There is a living room outside with a set of oversized sofas, and a bedroom inside with an oversized single bed. It’s not facing the street and is not noisy, so it is very quiet to sleep at night.

No matter who arranged it for him, he would always thank them.

After he checked in for the day and unpacked his luggage, he picked up the script and started studying it.

He knew that acting could make more money, but based on his past experience, the more money-making jobs you had, the more effort you had to put in.

So he read his part again and again until late at night, memorized the lines, and took notes, then turned off the lights and rested.

At eight o’clock the next morning, Qi Xiaoyu got up on time to have breakfast and then put on makeup.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw a man with curly hair leaning against the opposite wall.

Jiang Sicheng glanced at him, his curly hair shaking like a teddy bear. “I thought you weren’t going to come out.”

Qi Xiaoyu frowned. “What are you doing staying in front of my room?”

Jiang Sicheng narrowed his eyes and showed a bright fake smile. “No reason; you don’t have an assistant; I’ll take you to the restaurant and the dressing room, ah.”

Seeing that Qi Xiaoyu didn’t move, he turned around and pulled him. “Let’s go. Will I kidnap you?”

Qi Xiaoyu was not afraid of abduction, but he felt that the man in front of him was mentally ill. However, he was going to have breakfast and put on makeup anyway, so he went downstairs with Jiang Sicheng.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Sicheng really decided to follow him. When he went to eat, Jiang Sicheng sat across from him. When he went to put on makeup, Jiang Sicheng sat next to him with his make-up artist.

Fortunately, Qi Xiaoyu has a strong psychological quality. After being followed by Jiang Sicheng for a few hours, he was able to naturally treat him like air, change costumes, take makeup photos, and start his first formal acting career very calmly.

The young prince he plays is seventeen years old. He was a dandy in the early stages who wandered around the brothels and saw everyone as a “girl to kiss”. Later, when he met the female lead, he just wanted to tease her at first. As a result, he went back and forth, the teasing became real, love broke out of control, and in the end, he fell into an abyss for the female lead.

The clothes prepared for him were also very flashy, with golden and red embroidered silk and satin piled up on top of him. He also wore a small gold crown on his head and a white jade bone fan in his hand.

It’s not easy to control such a character. If too restrained, there’s no flirtatious charm. If too much, it becomes cringy.

The actor they found before was a very experienced veteran actor. Although he was a little older, he was used to playing roles such as princes, and he looked good in period costumes.

However, he had the film resources of a famous director and thought about entering the big screen, so he let the crew go.

This gave Qi Xiaoyu a chance.

But everyone is somewhat unsure about Qi Xiaoyu’s level. After all, Qi Xiaoyu’s only work now is that commercial short film. The previous audition was rather hurried, and he didn’t put on makeup or costume.

The assistant director glanced anxiously into the dressing room several times. While watching the staff and props team build the scene, he said to the director next to him, “Director Zhu, what do you think of Qi Xiaoyu wearing an ancient costume? I saw the one commercial he shot. He looks good in school uniforms, but I don’t know about ancient costumes. It’s all because I was in too much of a hurry last time; I only watched the performance. I should have asked him to put on some makeup.”

The director sat on a small stool, with his hands folded in the sleeves of his cotton-padded clothes, and said nothing. In his mind, Qi Xiaoyu’s effect on ancient costumes was half or half. He thought Qi Xiaoyu’s facial features and facial shape were good enough to handle ancient clothing, but he was afraid that he was too young to have that temperament.

However, when Qi Xiaoyu, who had put on makeup, appeared in front of everyone, their worries disappeared.

The sounds at the scene gradually died down, until it was completely silent and only a few sounds of inhalation were left. All eyes were on Qi Xiaoyu. He wore a jade belt, long black boots, and a sachet hanging from his waist. Holding a white jade bone fan, he has a smile on his face and a graceful demeanor. There is a sense of nobility in every move he makes, and his eyes are full of cynical charm.

The makeup artist was very satisfied with his work, half asking for credit and half showing off, “Director Zhu, what do you think? Isn’t it just like Little Prince Yan in the flesh?”

The director nodded repeatedly.

Jiang Sicheng, who was following from the side, made a disdainful sound. He thought he’s also quite good-looking in an ancient costume, no worse than Qi Xiaoyu. Why didn’t these people praise him so much? What a lack of vision!

After the director, surnamed Zhu, finished watching, he wiped his beard and asked, “Have the young prince’s makeup photos been taken?”

After getting a positive answer, he called Qi Xiaoyu over and asked, “Have you read the script before?”

Qi Xiaoyu nodded. “I’ve read it several times.”

“Okay, let’s shoot the scene where you and the female lead meet today. Go ahead; don’t be nervous; give it a try first.”

This director’s usual temper isn’t very good, but Qi Xiaoyu is, after all, the person recommended by Orange Juice Entertainment. More importantly, he looks very good in this costume, so the director’s mood also improved, and his words became gentler. The other one from Orange Juice Entertainment, Jiang Sicheng, is much worse than this one, making him angry every day.

****

The scene where Qi Xiaoyu and the female met was filmed in a brothel. He went upstairs, and the female lead, who was disguised as a man, went downstairs.

When the two met, he saw through her disguise at a glance and teased her, “This young lady is quite intriguing. Why do you come to a brothel alone? Do you want to accompany this young master to play?”

The female lead is an actress named Xu Yan. She can’t be called a great beauty, but she has very distinctive looks. She is born with willow eyebrows and tear mole eyes, which are very suitable for ancient costumes. She can handle characters from the ages of 18 to 38.

She’s in her early thirties and has been in the industry for over a decade. She has many representative works in the TV industry. In the past two years, she has appeared in several TV series with high ratings and is very popular.

She had met Qi Xiaoyu at Kang Qitao’s birthday party before and had a good impression of him.

So when she saw Qi Xiaoyu coming in costume, she took the initiative to ask, “You’re here, boy?”

Qi Xiaoyu greeted her politely, “Hello, Sister Xu.”

Although Xu Yan looks graceful, she behaves like a big sister. Seeing that Qi Xiaoyu is so young and polite, she’s even more satisfied.

It didn’t go too well at first, though.

In the first take, Qi Xiaoyu went to the wrong position, and in the second take, there was a lighting problem, but in the third take, the scene of encounter and teasing passed smoothly.

Qi Xiaoyu raised the female lead’s chin with a fan and bent his head, looking half arrogant and half debauched.

The director looked at Qi Xiaoyu’s movements and expressions in the camera and nodded with satisfaction. Even though it was a flirtation that took place in a brothel, the performance by him was not frivolous but rather had a youthful air that made people yearn for it.

Qi Xiaoyu’s acting skills were honed along with his singing skills.

To be able to impress opera lovers and amateur actors is his master’s basic requirement.

The others who weren’t filming just crowded around. Some came to listen to the gossip, some came to watch the director curse, but all claimed that they came to learn.

The second male lead, Tang Kui, wearing a red guard uniform and holding a prop sword in his hand, was also among the crowd of onlookers.

After watching for a while, he walked up to Jiang Sicheng and said casually, “Is this the new guy who became famous after filming a commercial with Qingqing? He’s quite handsome.”

He could remember the inexplicable room change early yesterday morning. Being driven from the VIP suite to a single room, he was so angry that he could spit out blood. If not for his agent stopping him, he really wanted to quarrel with the director’s team.

Jiang Sicheng gave him a blank look. “What are you doing?”

Tang Kui pretended not to notice the look. “This role will definitely attract fans if he acts well. What’s going on with Orange Juice Entertainment? How come the role given to him is better than yours?”

Jiang Sicheng snorted.

Tang Kui kept up his efforts: “Look, Director Zhu usually scolds you every day, but today he doesn’t scold this person. This differential treatment, tsk tsk tsk, Young Master Jiang, can you tolerate this?”

Jiang Sicheng glanced at him and cursed inwardly that he was insane. He now just wanted to keep an eye on Qi Xiaoyu, not causing trouble for him.

He didn’t dare because he was afraid of being beaten to death by his own father.

Tang Kui shook his head and laughed as if mocking Jiang Sicheng’s stupidity when he saw that the other party was as immovable as a piece of wood, then turned around and left first.

*****

Qi Xiaoyu’s final makeup photos were released after a few days of filming that went smoothly overall.

“You are the proud son of heaven and the most affectionate and persistent Prince Yan. Please look forward to @QiXiaoyu’s wonderful performance in “The Legend of the Tang Dynasty Empress.”