Chapter 32: A Meeting!

Chapter 32: A Meeting!

They might have met before, but Chen Moubai really couldn't recall.

Before he could further ponder over it, the director approached him and led him aside to discuss something.

Squatting shoulder to shoulder with him, the director asked, "Do you remember that scene with Zhou Jing where he accused you of having the audacity to smuggle the physician's child out of the city on a stormy night, right before the physician was framed and the Jinyi Guards came to apprehend people?"

Chen Bai did remember.

He now had a rough idea of what the director intended.

That particular scene only existed in a dialogue after the fact, revealing why the physician's daughter could not be found on the day their home was ransacked.

If not mentioned, no one would suspect the sickly and apolitical prince, who was estranged from his family and had no connections.

The director likely wanted to materialize the content of that dialogue.

By materialization, he meant filming the segment of sneaking out of the city on a rainy night. Indeed, this was the director's intention, roughly outlining his vision, even considering the camera angles and scenes for when they would shoot it.

He said, "I'll have the wardrobe department get ready. It seems there will be rain next week; if it's heavy, we'll shoot then."

Chen Moubai nodded, then quietly reminded, "The screenwriter is watching you."

The director rubbed his face.

With the conversation over, the director went to consult with the on-site screenwriter, who was losing his hair in clumps.

Bracing himself up by his legs, Chen Bai took one last look at the sightseers outside the set. He didn't spot the person he had caught a glimpse of earlier, so he turned his gaze away.

Li Qingzhou was pushed back by the surging crowd.

On the contrary, Sister Li was carried forward by the flow of people and finally saw Zhou Jing, whom she had longed to see. Before she could even shed tears of emotion, she was pushed back again by the crowd, returning to the rear row where she stood side by side with her beloved younger brother.

Satisfied with the brief moments she had to confirm that Zhou Jing was indeed as handsome in person as in photographs, and able to take in more of the other actors, she seemed to be blooming with joy as she returned to the back.

Patting her good brother on the back, she declared solemnly, "Your sister has decided: from now on, I will also love Chen Bai."

Sister Li, a fan of Zhou Jing for six years, and a steadfast admirer of good looks.

She sighed regretfully, "If I had known that sending flowers would make her remember me, I should have done it myself."

"..."

At this moment, the good younger brother should have retorted according to the usual script, but he didn't.

She found it odd and turned to look at him, noticing that he was looking down, one hand covering his face horizontally, with his ears flushed red.

After graduating for many years, it was surprising to see him still acting like an innocent college boy at times. Sister Li raised an eyebrow and said, "Why does your fandom feel like a love affair?"

The innocent college boy finally spoke, "I'm not just a fan..."

Sister Li made an on-the-spot professional assessment, "I see, you're a boyfriend-type fan."

It wasn't quite right, but the description seemed somewhat accurate.

Their luck today could be considered good from a certain perspective; they managed to catch the last scene before the sky darkened. After watching for a while, the crew began moving to another location, one where they couldn't follow to watch the indoor shooting.

Once again, the night scenes dragged on until the wee hours of the morning.

This time, without the live broadcast, the study community that quietly outperforms everyone re-emerged.

It was the same room, the same bed, and the same computer – all familiar sights.

Zhou Jing's notes had visibly multiplied; he must have learned more than just a little since yesterday. He was catching up on content he hadn't seen before, but in terms of overall progress, he was still on par with Pink-haired.

The practical nature of the course meant that the instructor didn't just lecture; they demonstrated techniques themselves and used film clips as material. These clips included both positive and negative examples.

A common positive example was the Triple Crown-winning actor who swept the major awards, each excerpted scene already canonized in the new textbooks as a classic.

To put it plainly, the Triple Crown winner was akin to a good neighbor.

Encountering his own good neighbor in an unexpected place, caught between earnestly studying and struggling with the surreal feeling of watching a familiar face act, Pink-haired chose to quietly snap a photo and send it to his good neighbor.

Zhou Jing, sitting beside him, turned to ask why he suddenly decided to take a picture.

Chen Bai truthfully replied, "I'm sending it to a friend."

Zhou Jing asked, "Does your friend like Xu Sinian?"

My mind spun, realizing that any explanation would have to start from the very beginning, akin to Pangu separating the heavens and earth. Nodding vaguely, Pink-haired muttered, "Sort of."

Where there's a positive example, there's bound to be a negative one. Quite coincidentally, among the latter was someone familiar.

Glancing between the person on his computer screen and the individual sitting beside him, Chen Moubai conducted a repeated comparison.

"..."

Zhou Jing's hand, holding the pen, paused, his brows twitching uncontrollably as he silently counted down from three.

After three seconds, a soft chuckle emanated from beside him, swiftly stifled but still audible.

Pink-haired explained, "As you know, I have a naturally smiling mouth."

"..."

Wiping a hand over his face, Zhou Jing said, "Laugh if you want to."

The person blessed with a naturally smiling mouth no longer held back, leaning back with both hands supporting his sides. For a moment, the room was filled with an atmosphere of joy.

Having finally finished his laughter, Chen Moubai let out a breath at last, raising his thumb to praise Gray-haired for his improved resilience.

This person used to suffer from insomnia due to online comments, but now he can accept being used as an example of what not to do by lecturers—a remarkable improvement indeed.

Zhou Jing inadvertently pressed down on the pen in his hand and said, "There's no helping it; I'm just not good enough, so I have to take both the criticism and the abuse."

"From a personal perspective, you don't have to accept everything," Pink-haired glanced at him and said, "Criticism is different from mere insults."

Some people analyze facts objectively, while others seize the opportunity to vent their emotions. Those in this line of work have the obligation and mental preparation to accept criticism, but that doesn't mean they should accept all the emotions that others choose to recklessly unleash.

Zhou Jing paused, his eyes fixated on the slender tip of the pen for a moment before turning his head. "That's true."

His expression softened, and he smiled. "You're indeed fit for this job."

Chen Moubai chuckled. "It's just a summary of my previous part-time work experiences."

Zhou Jing gave him a sidelong glance.

The man's part-time work experience seemed far more extensive than just a little.

Studying until two in the morning, Chen Bai learned from the director the next day at work that the script had been revised and finalized, and the production coordinator had also given the green light. As soon as the heavy rain started, they scheduled to shoot his segment.

Such efficiency made the screenwriter's hair fall out.

On-set screenwriters earn high salaries, but it also means their hair is in constant peril.

The usually unreliable weather forecast, surprisingly, proved accurate this time. A week later, the heavy rain arrived on schedule. The sky turned overcast during the day, hinting at the impending precipitation. In the afternoon, it began to drizzle, escalating into a downpour by nightfall.

Incredibly, the costume department managed to produce a cloak within such a short timeframe. The fabric was thick and textured, though not waterproof.

The production crew split into two groups for the evening shoot: one for outdoor scenes, the other for indoor ones.

The director took charge of the outdoor scenes, which featured only Chen Bai as the actor.

This brief shot, lasting mere seconds or up to a dozen, required at least two hours to film.

On such a rainy day, setting up lights and finding camera positions were significantly more challenging than usual.

Lights swiveled back and forth, voices carried through the rain, and under the shelter of an eave, a man clad in a cloak, initially standing upright, eventually squatted down unceremoniously.

He had little to do with setting up the venue here, so he didn't have any tasks assigned to him. The script would only get wet if he brought it along, and thus, he left it behind, opting instead to crouch there, engrossed in his phone.

He was engaged in conversation with his amiable neighbor.

The Good Neighbor, having not taken a break for more than half a month, has fortunately been able to rest these past two days. Today, the filming wraps up in the afternoon, and they'll be returning to the set the day after tomorrow.

After sending out the message about heading out for an outdoor shoot soon, the person crouched under the eaves couldn't help but let out a sigh as they pocketed their phone.

"What are you sighing about?"

The agent, holding an umbrella, walked over from the side with the equipment on one side of the street. As he approached, he closed the umbrella and asked, "Tired?"

Chen Bai said no, lifting his eyes to say, "I'm missing my friend."

Chatting on the phone was still different from meeting in person. At least he couldn't play Ludo face-to-face with him for those messages.

If there was a holiday tomorrow, maybe he could go back and bake a couple of small cookies.

This person's gaze was sincere, his tone genuine; he wasn't lying.

The agent's eyes twitched.

She could tell that this man wasn't interested in romance, nor was he the type to be love-struck. He didn't seem to have any potential for that either, but it was clear he valued friendship deeply.

She tersely said, "Then you think about it."

It was an expression of utmost gentleness and understanding.

Chen Moubai, feeling the chill from his own agent and a lack of concern, silently tightened his cloak around him.

Gao Qian squatted down beside him and pulled out her phone, offering it to him. "These are the two decent candidates we've screened this time. Take a look."

Chen Bai took the phone and glanced at it.

One male and one female, one with considerable experience as an assistant, the other relatively new to the industry. Both were capable of handling physical tasks, maintaining order, and had a good sense of organization. Their on-the-spot response abilities were commendable, and their records were spotless.

Given that these were people approved by his money-making partner, Chen Moubai didn't see a need to comment further. He simply nodded and said, "Good."

As they settled on this decision, the director on the other side began calling for people.

The squatting figure rose and strode under the erected canopy, umbrella in hand.

True to his word, the director had procured a dark horse, its coat glossy and muscles well-defined.

In short, an expensive steed. "This," the director explained, "was pilfered by our props team from the neighboring set."

A serious director attempting to sprinkle some humor into the mix.

Chen Bai gave a token chuckle, then vaulted onto the horse's back.

The rain pattered against the cloak in a continuous rhythm.

Just as the director had envisioned, the white figure atop a black steed was far more striking than it would have been on a brown one.

Not far away, the camera was mounted on its track, and the cinematographer, clad in a slick raincoat, gave a signal toward this direction.

The horse reared up before descending onto the wet cobblestone street, sending splashes of water everywhere.

Amidst the cacophony of rain, the sound of hooves changed from a gentle clip-clop to a rapid staccato, the crisp echoes drawing near and then receding as the horse galloped down the street, gradually slowing by the end of it.

The man on horseback slightly lifted his heavy cloak, already drenched in the brief time it took for him to arrive, turning his gaze this way.

The director, hunched over the camera monitor, scrutinized the footage as the cinematographer pointed at a corner of the screen, "The lighting is still too dim, the focus isn't right, it's not aligning here."

The director waved someone over, summoning them back.

After adjusting the lighting and refocusing, Chen Bai ran back and forth three times, finally capturing a usable shot.

This segment, which would be trimmed down to about ten seconds, required multiple angles, and after running through it three times, they had completed just one of those shots.

Taking a two-minute break halfway through, the stylist stepped forward to adjust the actor's clothing, using a towel to wipe off the rainwater from their face.

The agent, holding an umbrella, handed over a thermos filled with hot water.

Chen Bai took a sip, noticing something added to the water, widening his eyes slightly.

The agent explained, "Ginger water, it helps to warm you up."

Chen Moubai appreciated the agent's thoughtful gesture.

The director stood to the side, saying, "Try to speed up after this; finish shooting and call it a day. You've worked hard."

The crew members wore raincoats, leaving only Chen Bai exposed to the downpour.

Chen Bai smiled slightly.

It wasn't particularly arduous; he was simply doing his job for pay, fulfilling his professional duties.

After a brief respite, they resumed work.

The actor shot scenes in the heavy rain, with the production team striving to minimize errors and hastening their actions, hoping to wrap up sooner rather than later.

While they aimed to finish quickly, each sequence still took roughly half an hour.

Leading the horse to a sheltered area and entrusting it to the designated personnel, when Chen Bai returned to the protective canopy, someone promptly assisted him in removing his heavy, wet cloak, while his agent handed him a towel.

Wiping his face a couple of times, the now lighter man turned to the director and asked, "Are we done for today?"

The director confirmed that they were finished.

Still busy tidying up the equipment and unable to leave for the moment, the production team sent a car to pick up those caught in the rain and take them back to the hotel.

A few minutes' drive later, upon descending from the vehicle and arriving at the hotel lobby, his agent glanced at her phone and informed him, "The director has spoken with the production coordinator; your shooting schedule has been adjusted. You're taking a day off tomorrow."

"Hmm?"

Chen Bai inquired, "What's the reason?"

His agent pocketed her phone as she explained, "The director reckoned that considering your current complexion, if you came to work tomorrow, you'd likely be down for the following days."

Chen Erbai lowered his head to scrutinize his reflection on the phone screen, looking left and right, but failed to discern any significant difference in his appearance.

"…"

Unable to fathom how anyone could assess his complexion through a phone screen, he opted for silence, urging everyone to quickly tidy up so he could return to his room for a shower and some sleep.

Dressed once more in his own clothes, Pink-haired finally made it back to his room.

Upon returning to his room, his first priority was to take a hot shower, after which he donned fresh, dry, and warm clothing. He sprawled onto the bed, picked up his phone to inform his good neighbor about his day off tomorrow, and then, finding the hour neither too early nor too late, began contemplating what to do with the rest of the night.

Considering how he fell ill after being caught in the rain for just a few minutes last time, it seemed inevitable that he would catch a cold this time around, regardless of whether he went to bed early or late.

Since there was no avoiding it, there was no point in going to bed early. He glanced at the clock one last time and pondered his seemingly inexhaustible streaming hours. Ultimately, he decided to get up and stream, and while at it, he sent a message to his study partner, informing them that their study session would be on hold again tonight.

In a film crew, information, big or small, circulates freely. His study partner already knew about him finishing shooting in the rain today and assumed he would want to rest early, expressing understanding and reminding him to take care of his health.

The person who was supposed to go to bed early ended up going live right away, dominating various maps in games and rapidly increasing his rank.

Since he didn't have to work the next day, he even extended his streaming by an hour, finally leaving his desk at 3 AM, lying down in his bed with a peaceful close of his eyes.

As the room darkened, the sound of rain was muffled outside the window, making a slightly dull thud against his eardrums.

In the silence, the peacefully closed eyes opened, feeling as if something had been forgotten.

He had streamed, read through the script, and everything should have been done.

"..."

After a brief two-second contemplation, the opened eyes closed peacefully once more.

The downpour showed no signs of ceasing, persisting through the night.

It was supposed to be a splendid day, one where sleep would extend until the morning light.

At six in the morning, Pink-haired was roused by her internal clock, a testament to her habitual routine.

To bed at three, up by six – even the King of Hell would praise my robust constitution.

Fumbling blindly for what felt like an eternity, she finally grasped her phone. The eyes of the figure in bed reluctantly opened a crack, squinting to check the time.

"6:00"

Her biological clock was frighteningly accurate.

Just as she was about to set the phone aside and retreat back into the warmth of her blankets, the pale gray irises, barely visible between her lids, shifted downward. There, beneath the screen, was a notification that had appeared.

"I'll be at the film city tomorrow."

The message was from her good neighbor, sent eight hours ago.

"For a fleeting moment, Pink-haired regained his clarity and finally recalled what he had forgotten the day before.

He had been so preoccupied with sending a message to his neighbor, informing him of his day off, that after broadcasting, he completely neglected to check for any reply.

If he saw it, he had to respond; otherwise, he'd forget again later.

His other hand fumbled out from under the covers as well. Squinting, he raised his hand to type, but after a long while, all he managed was a string of characters resembling gibberish. He abandoned typing and opted to send a voice message instead.

He inquired if the person would have any free time after arriving at the film city and requested a call when they were available.

After sending the voice message and confirming that he had conveyed his message adequately, Pink-haired finally set his phone aside and buried himself back into the warmth of his bed.

When he woke up again, it was half past nine—a perfect inversion of his previous routine.

It had been some time since he had slept for six hours straight. The figure in the bed emerged from the covers, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

—Though not quite that refreshed."

Here's the translation with your terminology guide applied, and I've aimed to maintain the flow and tone of the original text as closely as possible while ensuring it reads naturally in English. Let me know if you need any adjustments or have further instructions!

The room was warm, but he felt an inexplicable chill. His old bones and muscles ached from riding too long yesterday.

The first thing he did upon waking up was to check his phone.

Clutching his aging back with one hand, Pink-haired unlocked his phone and immediately noticed a new message.

His good neighbor hadn't called him, but had sent a message instead, just minutes ago, saying that the matter was settled. He had just entered his hotel room and asked if Pink-haired wanted breakfast.

The hotel happened to be the very same one where Pink-haired was staying.

"..."

Pink-haired sprang out of bed like a rocket, quickly washed up, grabbed his room card, and stepped out of his room while making a call at the earliest moment possible.

Three floors of the hotel were reserved for the film crew, guarded by hotel security who ensured no one unrelated to the crew could enter. However, other floors remained freely accessible. His good neighbor was on one of the upper floors, which was just an elevator ride away.

"I'm on your floor now..."

As the elevator doors opened, Pink-haired, phone in hand, shot out like a bullet.

—It didn't fully retract. Just as he was about to dash into the corridor, someone grabbed his wrist, halting him in time.

A familiar voice came from above: "Over here."

The voice from the phone merged with the one overhead, and when Chen Bai raised his eyes, he saw a pair of familiar eyes beneath the brim of a hat.

The light-colored irises lit up instantly: "Comrade Little Xu!"

Comrade Little Xu acknowledged, saying, "Let's head back to the room first."

Then he asked, "Haven't had breakfast?"

Pink-haired said no.

Xu Sinian guessed as much.

The hotel stopped serving breakfast at nine o'clock, and without receiving any messages before that hour, he could roughly guess that this person would sleep past nine.

He said, "I brought breakfast, let's go to the room and eat first."

The pink-haired girl smiled and nodded in agreement, following the man forward.

Under the brim of Xu Sinian's black cap, his dark pupils lowered, casting a glance at the hand that held onto the person's wrist without being shaken off, before diverting his gaze away.

Entering the room, after passing through the entrance hall, he led the person to the dining table first.

Breakfast was already laid out on the table, with a thermos nearby; the breakfast on the table seemed to have just been taken out from the thermos.

There were the classic and irresistibly delicious soy milk, steamed buns filled with red bean paste favored by everyone, especially the pink-haired girl, as well as the timeless fresh buns, and congee.

The pink-haired girl didn't usually drink congee.

Xu Sinian said, "Red bean and barley porridge, it clears heat and expels dampness, suitable for drinking a bit after getting caught in the rain."

Chen Erbai, therefore, didn't waste the good neighbor's kindness and started gulping down the porridge. After taking a few sips, he glanced sideways and asked, "Where did you hear this?"

The good neighbor replied, "From our housekeeper auntie."

The pink-haired girl chuckled, "As expected."

He had thought that his neighbor, Big Bro, should have been clueless about these matters.

After enjoying breakfast during what was supposed to be no-breakfast time, the rejuvenated Chen Erbai immediately stood up, only to let out a mighty sneeze right after standing, which made him sit back down.

The sneeze left his nose stinging and his old back aching. With half-lidded, listless eyes, he wasn't sure where to direct his attention for a moment.

Xu Sinian glanced at his thin clothing and asked, "Where's your coat?"

Pink-haired: "Don't have one."

Normally, he wore layers of costumes that were thick enough to keep him warm, and his room was cozy when he came home from work, leaving little need for a coat.

In plain terms, when he left, he had hastily grabbed some clothes without packing a coat and didn't feel like spending money on one either.

His answer was straightforward, quick, and somehow conveyed a sense of righteous indignation.

"…"

Xu Sinian went to the living room, bent over to pick something up, then returned, saying, "Make do with this for now."

Chen Moubai recognized it—the jacket his good neighbor wore when he came to the hospital to fetch him.

He remembered how cool and handsome the other person looked in it. Believing that he would look just as cool and handsome, he thanked him after putting on the jacket, asking, "Do I look cool? Handsome?"

Xu Sinian averted his gaze, acknowledging with a sound.

Satisfied with the affirmative response, Cool Bro went to the window nearby to check out his cool bro form.

"…"

The person in the mirror was wearing clothes that were clearly too large, leaving only the fingertips exposed at the cuffs, indicating there were hands beneath them.

Pink-haired pondered for a moment before looking back at his good neighbor, saying, "Old Xu, you complimented me on my looks just now, didn't you."

The address had changed from Comrade Little Xu to Old Xu. Avoiding the coolness and handsomeness, the good neighbor simply said, "It's good-looking."

After further contemplation, Chen Bai objectively stated his feelings, "It feels like when I used to steal my dad's clothes to wear when I was a kid."

"…"

This time, it was the good neighbor, Silent Fatherhood's turn to fall silent.

After objectively expressing her feelings, Pink-haired continued to shake her clothes, trying to make her hands emerge from the cuffs.

As she was doing so, a voice came from behind her, and Good Neighbor said, "Extend your hand."

Erbai, confused but obliging, held out his hand.

Xu Sinian slightly bent over, lowered his head to grasp the sleeve, and carefully helped to roll up the cuff for him.

Author's Note:

This is the aura of the main consort (nodding).