Chapter 2

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Yang Youming was thirty-seven years old.

Compared to Xia Xingcheng, Yang Youming could be said to be the pride of the entertainment industry, not only because of his handsome appearance, but also because of his talents and exceptional acting skills.

According to a magazing interview that Xia Xingcheng once read, Yang Youming was born for the big screen. The Yang Youming who was in front of the camera, even with a mere raise of his eyebrows, was capable of looking melancholy, vivid, and convey a myriad of emotions.

Yang Youming was Xia Xingcheng’s idol.

In the year Xia Xingcheng debuted, Yang Youming was crowned with two film emperor titles from a film directed by He Zheng. At that time, Xia Xingcheng had the honour of attending the awards ceremony in person. Sitting in the dimly lit back row, he had heard the presenter announce Yang Youming’s name, and then watched as Yang Youming gracefully stood up and went up on stage to receive the award.

Yang Youming had only been thirty-one then, but his stride was steady and not impatient. Underneath the exquisite black attire was a slender, upright male figure. He received the trophy, delivered a speech in a low, pleasant voice, and finally bowed deeply to the auditorium.

The Xia Xingcheng then had never had thoughts of working together with Yang Youming, but had thought that one day, he could be the next Yang Youming. Thirty might be too early an age, but at the latest, he could also stand on that podium and win his own awards by thirty-five.

The bedside alarm clock suddenly rang, pulling Xia Xingcheng back to reality from the gleaming awards ceremony. He reached out to turn off the alarm, covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and took a deep breath.

It had been more than a week since his meeting with He Zheng. He had yet to receive the script for the film, but it had also been a week since he’d had a decent meal.

This was due to the fact that He Zheng had asked him to lose weight.

Xia Xingcheng was actually in very good shape; he was best seen in front of the camera, but if he lost more weight, he’d look even leaner. Nevertheless, it had been the requirement He Zheng put forward. Xia Xingcheng needed to have a teenage-like sense of slimness. He couldn’t rely on exercise, and instead had to diet to lose the weight.

With the low calorie intake, Xia Xingcheng laid in bed lazily with no desire to move. It wasn’t until Huang Jixin opened the door with his breakfast that Xia Xingcheng rolled over and got out of bed.

Sitting at the dinner table, Xia Xingcheng pushed away the youtiao and steamed buns brought by Huang Jixin, slowly peeling the shell of a hard boiled egg instead.

Huang Jixin grabbed the youtiao with both hands and tore them into small pieces, saying, “He Zheng’s script isn’t out yet.”

To the Xia Xingcheng who was really very hungry, the hard boiled eggs in front of him became delicious. He took a big bite, swallowed hard, and said, “Eh? What happened?”

Huang Jixin asked him, “You’re not worried?”

Xia Xingcheng drank a mouthful of milk and finally swallowed the hardboiled egg yolk in his mouth. “What’s there to be worried about?”

Huang Jixin soaked the youtiao in milk. “What are you going to do if He Zheng wants to make the same-sex version of ‘Lust, Caution’?”

Xia Xingcheng paused momentarily, his scalp feeling somewhat numb for a split second. He chucked the remaining half of the egg into the bowl of milk, then stirred it to pieces with a spoon and said, “They said there won’t be any exposure.”

Huang Jixin avoided his gaze and turned to his bowl and said, “It’s good that there’s no explicit bed scene, right?”

Xia Xingcheng looked up, “Yang Youming dared to take on the role. What should I be afraid of?”

Huang Jixin said, “Yang Youming is a big movie star—moreover, he’s already married. No matter how the movie is made, it won’t have much of an impact on his future. You’d better think carefully about yourself or all your career plans will be disrupted.”

Xia Xingcheng threw his spoon into the bowl. “Do your plans include a movie of me acting alongside Yang Youming? How many people can even come across that kind of opportunity!”

Huang Jixin scooped up the soggy youtiao with a spoon, stuffed them in his mouth and chewed for a long time before swallowing, then said, “Not for this kind of theme.”

Xia Xingcheng understood his intention. This kind of subject matter couldn’t be released in the country. If you filmed well, you’d be able to earn a good reputation, but if it was poorly shot, its influence would drag you down for the rest of your life.

He was at a loss for words. In the end, he said, “If even Yang Youming took on the movie, what do I have to lose?”

After Huang Jixin finished eating the youtiao and steamed buns, he touched his belly contentedly and said, “All right, I hope you seize this opportunity.”

☆ ☆ ☆

⟵ Chapter 1 | TOC | Chapter 3 ⟶

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