Chapter 11: I’ve Got an Even Bigger Backer

Early the next morning, Yun Xingcan was jolted awake by the alarm clock in a groggy state.

Opening his eyes, a tuft of red hair appeared before him.

Yun Xingcan’s fingers itched as he ruffled it, turned off the alarm, and prepared to get up and wash up.

Meng Chengxiao grabbed Yun Xingcan’s mischievous hand, brought it to his mouth, and bit down.

“Ouch, are you a dog?”

Yun Xingcan retorted instinctively and tried to pull his hand back.

Meng Chengxiao, still bleary eyed, looked as fierce as a lion just waking up.

His morning voice was lazy and hoarse.

“Who are you calling a dog?”

Yun Xingcan was unusually bold this morning. He pulled his hand back and hurried out of the room, adding:

“You!”

After Yun Xingcan finished getting ready, left home and got into the car, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Guo Meng noticed Yun Xingcan’s discomfort through the rearview mirror and couldn’t help cursing Meng Chengxiao in his heart for being a beast.

“Brother Yun, President Meng really doesn’t know how to take care of you.”

At first, Yun Xingcan didn’t catch on, so Guo Meng continued his own.

“He knew you had to take official costume photos today, yet he still went so hard on you.”

Yun Xingcan’s face flushed bright red, and he quickly stopped Guo Meng from thinking further.

“Shut up! What are you imagining? I just fell this morning.”

Guo Meng realized his mistake and chuckled awkwardly, though he still didn’t quite believe it.

“I was just standing up for you.”

“Thanks for your concern.”

“Haha… no, no problem.”

Yun Xingcan’s sore bottom was indeed Meng Chengxiao’s doing. After Yun Xingcan had insulted him that morning, Meng Chengxiao had caught him and thrown him onto the bed.

He had bitten each of Yun Xingcan’s buttocks, saying he was making good on his words. The bites were hard so hard that Yun Xingcan was sure the teeth marks had bruised and wouldn’t fade for at least a week.

At the set, as expected, Lin Ming was there too.

No need to ask he was playing the third male lead.

The third male lead’s character was a Taoist priest who wore only one set of robes throughout the entire show. His hairstyle and makeup were finalized quickly.

Several other key actors had also arrived. The male and female leads were photographed first.

It had to be said whoever landed the lead roles in Lü Feifan’s productions were undeniably top notch in both talent and looks.

The two leads were experienced and worked together seamlessly, so the shot wrapped up quickly.

The actor playing the emperor was a veteran in the entertainment industry who had won multiple Best Actor awards. Yun Xingcan greeted him with a bow, his eyes shining with admiration.

When it was Yun Xingcan’s turn for his costume photos, he stood before the camera and instantly embodied the image of a smiling, cunning prince.

After everyone’s photos were done, Lü Feifan suddenly requested reshoots for Yun Xingcan.

“What’s wrong, Director Lu?”

The photographer asked, confused, thinking he had made a mistake.

“Xiao Ling, go remove his makeup. Skip the foundation, just do simple touch ups, and let’s try again.”

Yun Xingcan was dragged to the makeup mirror and went through another round of adjustments.

It had to be said he did look much better without heavy foundation.

After taking a few more shots, Lü Feifan finally nodded in satisfaction.

“Xiao Ling, remember this for Xingcan’s makeup from now on either use a very thin layer of foundation or skip it altogether.”

Xiao Ling nodded in agreement.

The next day would be the official start of Wu Xun. Everyone gathered around a table to familiarize themselves with the script and lines.

The table read is a crucial process that determines the chemistry between the actors.

The day passed productively.

Apart from Yun Xingcan feeling somewhat unsettled by Lin Ming’s presence, everything remained relatively peaceful.

Many senior actors admired Yun Xingcan’s diligence and frequently praised him.

Wu Xun spent the most time training Yu Lin and Hua Xinya, as the male and female leads with more action sequences.

Lin Ming came next, followed by Yun Xingcan.

Although Yun Xingcan had fewer fight scenes, the demanding director Lü Feifan required both him and Lin Ming to undergo half a month of training beforehand.

This was to ensure they mastered the movements and avoided injuries during filming.

During the martial arts training, Lü Feifan arranged an intensive schedule for the four of them.

All four stayed at a hotel near the filming set.

This was Yun Xingcan’s first time working with a major director, and even shooting a TV series gave him the pressure of filming a movie.

Yun Xingcan had originally planned to spend a full evening with Meng Chengxiao before training began.

Given the current situation, even returning home tonight seemed unlikely.

Yun Xingcan is called Guo Meng.

In the evening, back at the hotel, Guo Meng was unpacking the luggage he had brought for Yun Xingcan.

“Brother Yun, I’ll be staying with you these next few days. President Meng said your variety show is scheduled to air right when this drama is officially announced, so he wants me to stick close and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Yun Xingcan had no objections, having someone by his side felt reassuring.

The room was a suite with two beds, perfect for Yun Xingcan and Guo Meng to each have their own space.

Late at night, as Yun Xingcan was about to sleep, he noticed a text from Meng Chengxiao on his phone.

“Open the door. I’m outside.”

Yun Xingcan rushed to the door. The moment he opened it, before he could see clearly who it was, he was pushed inside with a hand covering his mouth.

“Mmph!”

After struggling briefly, Yun Xingcan recognized Meng Chengxiao’s distinctive scent and gradually relaxed his tense body.

“Shh ”

Meng Chengxiao raised a finger to his lips, signaling Yun Xingcan to stay quiet, then pointed toward the door.

Yun Xingcan instinctively peered through the peephole.

Across from him was Yu Lin’s room.

Outside, under the fluorescent light illuminating the dark carpet, a figure approached and, with its back to Yun Xingcan, knocked on the opposite door.

Soon, there was movement outside.

The door opened quickly, revealing Yu Lin with only a loose towel wrapped around his waist. He didn’t seem surprised to see the visitor.

After exchanging a few words, Lin Ming draped himself over Yu Lin, and they entered the room together.

Yun Xingcan, having witnessed the entire scene, gaped in astonishment.

“What? Scared?” Meng Chengxiao spoke up beside him.

Yun Xingcan shook his head. “No, just a bit surprised.”

“Why be surprised? If I can come find you, Lin Ming can visit someone else too.”

Yun Xingcan wanted to argue but realized Meng Chengxiao was right.

At his core, he wasn’t any different from Lin Ming.

The only distinction was that he had attached himself to the most powerful figure and didn’t need to seek out others constantly.

The entertainment industry had plenty of people who climbed to the top entirely on their own.

Yun Xingcan knew he wasn’t a person of particularly noble character.

“You’re right.”

Yun Xingcan led Meng Chengxiao into the room. Guo Meng, who had already heard the commotion at the door, showed no surprise at seeing Meng Chengxiao.

“President Meng, I’ll go book another room.”

Meng Chengxiao stopped him.

“No need, I just came to check in.”

Meng Chengxiao placed a thermal container on the table.

“Midnight snacks for both of you.”

Yun Xingcan had noticed the thermal container earlier but hadn’t expected Meng Chengxiao to bring him supper.

“Here, this too.”

An exquisite small cake was pressed into Yun Xingcan’s hands by Meng Chengxiao.

“Barely managed to get the last one. I’ll head off now if there’s nothing else.”

Having delivered the items, President Meng simply walked out the door, not forgetting to remind Guo Meng not to steal Yun Xingcan’s cake before leaving.

Guo Meng, force fed a mouthful of dog food, suppressed the urge to vomit blood and assured Meng Chengxiao.

After he left, Yun Xingcan held the heart shaped cake, remaining motionless for a long time.

“Brother Yun! Brother Yun!”

Guo Meng called Yun Xingcan several times before he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Guo Meng.

“Sorry, I was distracted just now. You go ahead and eat the supper I’ll just have this cake.”

Guo Meng had been waiting for this. He rushed to the table and opened the food containers one by one, instantly filling the room with fragrance.

“Brother Yun! Are you sure you won’t eat any? This is from Cha Bai Ju restaurant!”

Yun Xingcan glanced over it truly looked, smelled, and undoubtedly tasted delicious.

“No, you enjoy it.”

The small cake was still more appealing to him.

💝 Support the Team

Zephyr Yizelle

✍️ Translator

🍵 Ko-fi