Crossover Actors

Translator: Hua

Seeing that Qu Yanting didn’t accept it, Lu Wen directly stuffed it into his hands.

Through the plastic lunch box, he could feel the warm temperature of the millet porridge in his palm.

Lu Wen said: “I ate some noodles in the morning so I’m not really hungry right now.”

Qu Yanting said: “I don’t need to—”

“You’re welcome.” Lu Wen interrupted him and quickly came up with an excuse, “I took the wrong car on that day and drank the Paris water that was prepared for you so considered this bowl of porridge as return.”

He didn’t want to make a scene because of a bowl of millet porridge. Besides, there were so many people around and they might have misunderstood that he was trying to please Qu Yanting. It didn’t matter if he was being courteous in private but doing it in public would be a disgrace to his moral integrity.　

Lu Wen hastened away and said: “Teacher Qu, help yourselves. I’m going to put on makeup.”

With a pair of long legs, he already sprinted away in a blink of an eye. Qu Yanting was still holding the porridge. Seeing Lu Wen’s back disappear at the door of the classroom, he had no choice but to accept it.

A classroom was temporarily remodeled into a dressing room. While waiting to apply the makeup, Lu Wen put on a face mask and sat on the windowsill.

Sun Xiaojian brought him  a packet of protein bars: “Alas, The porridge is gone. Let’s eat this.” 

Lu Wen lifted up a third of the mask and said strangely: “You are such a stingy person, you didn’t feel bad for losing a bowl of porridge?”

Sun Xiaojian said: “That porridge was on discount and even the delivery fee was free. If I knew that you’re giving it to Teacher Qu, I would have ordered a big meal from a five star hotel. It’s such a pity.”

Lu Wen didn’t care about the price. He chewed and asked: “Wait a minute, what are you trying to say?”

Sun Xiaojian gave an obscene smile and praised him: “I didn’t expect you to react so quickly, seizing the opportunity and currying favor with screenwriter Qu. It’s too natural.”

Lu Wen didn’t think that far. Seeing that Qu Yanting would rather be hungry than eating fish, he inexplicably thought of Ye Shan.

Sun Xiaojian said: “With screenwriter Qu’s net worth… I hope he doesn’t dislike my porridge.”

Lu Wen asked casually: “How much does he earn?”

Sun Xiaojian said: “Do you know how much it costs for a well-known screenwriter to write an episode for a TV series and how much does it cost to write for a movie? Qu Yanting had stopped doing that for a long time. He is paid in proportion because all those movie investments have his shares. The big hit drama at the beginning of the year was produced by his studio. To him, this web drama is just a child’s play.”

Lu Wen: “Oh.”

“Oh what.” Sun Xiaojian tried to brainwash him, “Screenwriter Qu is very busy and will not stay in the crew for a long time. You have to use all kinds of skills to climb this high branch1攀高枝儿. climb to a higher branch of a tree. Metaphor which means put oneself under the patronage of a big wig., okay?”

Lu Wen agreed vaguely. In fact, he didn’t really care about Qu Yanting’s background or fortune but he also understood that Qu Yanting was a man of great capabilities.

How could he associate this man with Ye Shan? He really thought too much.

Lu Wen pulled the mask off his face and put it on Sun Xiaojian’s forehead: “Nonsense. Teacher Qu is very rich. I guess he would throw that cheap porridge away after a sip.”

Sun Xiaojian felt anxious: “There’s no way right?”

Lu Wen jumped off the window sill to apply make-up, and said, “Just forget it.”

In fact, instead of throwing it away, Qu Yanting drank it one sip at a time. After a few days in Chongqing, every meal was delicious but spicy. This bowl of warm and light millet porridge eased the burden on his stomach.

He sat alone in the staff’s room. The unlocked door could not block the noise outside from penetrating into the room. He didn’t like noise so he remained here and listened quietly after finishing the porridge. During the preparation period, the set was the noisiest. The director had to control the whole situation, and Ren Shu’s thundering roars floated in from time to time.

　　——Do you want to experience what it’s like to be a director?

Recalling this sentence, Qu Yanting was racking his brain as if facing a difficult problem. Before he could give himself an answer, the assistant director came to inform him that everything was ready and the filming would start in five minutes.

He breathed out softly and pushed the problem to the back of his mind. He took the script and continued to perform his role as a screenwriter.

Most of the staff had all gone downstairs. Only the staff of Group A were left in the corridor. At the front door of a classroom, the photography team leader was doing the final adjustment, and the lighting technician was at the side.

The director’s monitor was at the side of the back door. Ren Shu waved his hand and shouted, “Yanting, come here.”

Qu Yanting’s gaze swept over. At the entrance of the classroom, Lu Wen was leaning against the door frame. In the morning he was natural and unrestrained. But at the moment, he looked embarrassed and awkward like he was on the wrong set.

Lu Wen had been feeling embarrassed since he finished the styling.

He was wearing a school uniform. The polyester fiber material made him feel uncomfortable. The school pants were not as long as his legs, and his ankles were exposed. The clothes are covered with creases, and the most terrible thing was the realistic stains on his front and cuffs.

This was the first time he dressed as a shabby teenager in his life.

Seeing Qu Yanting coming over, Lu Wen shifted his feet that was wearing cheap canvas shoes. His face was slightly opened and his short hair was also neatly combed. There was a dark circle under his eyes and the small mole was removed.

Compared with Ye Xiaowu in the morning, Ye Shan seemed less energetic.

Qu Yanting sat down beside Ren Shu and stared at the monitor together. Ren Shu joked: “Ye Shan is so robust that he is more suitable to be a bully, it feels a bit strange.”

Lu Wen misunderstood and thought the director was dissatisfied, he probingly said: “Actually, I am strong but I’m a virtuous man.”

Ren Shu said: “Xiao Lu, your body data is particularly good. The neck, head, chest, arms, legs and hip, are very three-dimensional, a very good and qualified proportion suitable for the big screen.”

Lu Wen turned from sorrow to joy: “Director Ren, thank you for the praise!”

He lowered his gaze and it landed on top of Qu Yanting’s head. From this angle he could see Qu Yanting’s soft and fine black hair. The fluffy hair was blown away by the wind, revealing a fair forehead.

“Teacher Qu.” Lu Wen tried to climb the high branch again.

Qu Yanting raised his head: “Hm?”

Lu Wen’s climbing method was very straightforward: “Director Ren said that I can be on the big screen. If you are short of people in the future, please feel free to contact me. I would like to express my deep gratitude here first.”

Qu Yanting stared back at the monitor without any expression: “Let’s shoot this scene first.”

When everything was ready, Lu Wen sprayed some water on his cuffs and his temple, then he went to the scene and got into position. The “students” in the classroom were also ready.

Starting, scene 14, act 1, the log keeper hit the clapboard.

Ye Shan went to the vegetable market to help at noon and returned to school a bit late. When he was running toward the classroom at full speed, the bell rang.

Lu Wen ran up the stairs, sweat hanging from his temples.

There was no learning atmosphere in this low-class high school. The teacher hadn’t come yet, and the students were chatting and playing with their mobile phones. No one was obediently waiting for the class to start. Ye Shan rushed to the door of the classroom. He was already late but he still hesitated for a while outside the door.

Without looking at anyone, Lu Wen opened the door, lowering his head and walked into the classroom.

Seeing Ye Shan’s appearance, a group of students led by several boys covered their noses and pretended to be nauseous and vomiting. Ye Shan walked to the seat and found that his school bag was left under the table, and there were some dirty footprints on the chair.

1攀高枝儿. climb to a higher branch of a tree. Metaphor which means put oneself under the patronage of a big wig