Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Lu Yan paused while blow-drying his hair.

If he wasn’t mistaken, was she asking him to sleep with her?

Without hesitation, Lu Yan replied succinctly, "I like men ^_^"

Not many people knew Lu Yan was gay—only Lin An and Xiao Liu were aware. Even Lu Miao didn’t know, mainly because the person he wanted to introduce to his family hadn’t appeared yet. Lu Miao was completely laid-back about it, never pressuring him to date, marry, or have children, so he never brought it up.

As for why he told Shi Qing... they would be working together for several more months, and he didn’t want unnecessary trouble. Besides, someone like Shi Qing had seen it all—half the people in the industry were LGBTQ+—so he wasn’t worried about her leaking the information.

His phone was silent for five minutes.

Then, WeChat messages started popping up frantically on his screen.

Shi Qing: You even added a ^_^???

Shi Qing: Holy crap, am I the straight guy magnet???

Shi Qing: The male leads from my last two projects were all gay???? Give me a break???

Shi Qing: Please, leave some guys for me, okay???

...

Hearing Shi Qing's complaints, Lu Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Yan: [I thought we were friends, but you wanted to sleep with me.jpg]

As soon as he sent the sticker, a small line of text appeared on the screen.

"The recipient has blocked your messages."

What a bold and straightforward woman, Lu Yan chuckled as he plugged in his phone. Just as he was about to rest, Lu Miao called.

Lu Yan answered, "Mom."

"Xiao Yan, are you still up?"

Lu Yan glanced at the time—10 PM. He smiled, "Not yet. Have you had breakfast?"

He had planned to spend the four-day holiday at home with Lu Miao, but due to work, she had flown to the U.S. and would be staying there for over half a month.

"I’m eating now," Lu Miao said, her voice still drowsy. "It’s been almost a month since I’ve seen you. When I return, I’ll visit you on set."

"Don’t," Lu Yan quickly said. "Let me know when you’re back, and I’ll fly home to see you."

"That won’t work. You’re too busy with filming, and taking time off would delay production. It’s settled—I’ll visit you on set."

Though her tone was soft, Lu Miao was strong-willed and stubborn. Once she made a decision, no one could change her mind. Hearing this, Lu Yan didn’t argue further, "How’s work going?"

"Minor issues. We’re finalizing some details, but it should be resolved in a few days. It’s just..." Lu Miao laughed, "My friend hasn’t been to the U.S. in a while, so she wants me to stay longer and explore with her."

As Lu Miao finished speaking, Lu Yan heard another woman’s voice on the line.

"Is that your son?" the woman asked, and after a reply, she added, "Lu Yan, don’t worry, we’ll be back after shopping! You and Gu Xu keep up the good work!"

Hearing this, Lu Yan knew it was Gu Xu’s mother. Though her last comment was a bit funny.

Lu Yan smiled and replied, "Alright, Auntie."

After Lu Yan left, Gu Xu stayed in the same position, lost in thought.

He was extremely protective of his personal space; even Xu Fei had only been to his place once, just to grab an important document.

But just now, when Lu Yan stood at his doorstep, hair full of foam, looking lost, his dark eyes locked on him, Gu Xu instinctively stepped aside to let him in.

Before leaving, Lu Yan hinted that he had come to see him a few times?

Suddenly, Gu Xu remembered how Lu Yan ate, cheeks puffed, lips sealed, silent, yet somehow it whet his appetite.

As for what kind of appetite, Gu Xu wasn’t sure yet.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Xu Fei.

Xu Fei picked up promptly, "Mr. Gu."

"How many more late-night video calls are on the schedule?"

"Two more, tomorrow and the next day."

"Hmm," Gu Xu stood, closing the file, and cut him off, "We’re not doing them at the office."

It wasn’t until after Gu Xu hung up that Xu Fei finally caught on.

These video calls needed a specific setup—quiet and totally private. Not at the office meant... Mr. Gu would host them at his place?

No way. Mr. Gu, who guarded his privacy fiercely, wouldn’t use his home as a meeting backdrop. Xu Fei shook his head. Whatever, skipping the office was better. He wouldn’t have to fake working late until 11 or 12 these nights. On days Mr. Gu had video calls, the office vibe was especially tense. Everyone, eager to impress the boss, would tough it out until Mr. Gu left the building.

Even though Mr. Gu always ordered late-night snacks, they really didn’t need that one meal, wah wah wah.

*

"War Song" marked the big-screen debut for both Lu Yan and Chen Jing. They’d agreed in earlier meetings to keep things low-key—no promotions or hype during filming, just focusing on wrapping up the shoot.

In short, they were aiming for a major impact.

Shi Qing and Lu Yan would keep their schedules secret for three months, then re-emerge with this film, targeting awards and even the Best Actor trophy.

So Lu Yan’s exit from Beijing was kept under wraps. After landing and checking into the hotel, he made sure to post a Weibo update with a pic of the cactus he kept at home.

"Feels great to relax. [Pic]"

As for the cactus—for someone who rarely came home for months, it was the only plant that made sense.

Lu Yan took a half-day break and headed to the set that afternoon.

Chen Jing had arrived a day earlier and was now nitpicking the set: "Can't you find me a better screen? Don't you see this hole? Are we leaving it for Shi Qing to show her toes?!"

Shi Qing sat leisurely to the side, legs crossed, and said lazily, "Don't say anymore, the poor girl is already scared. I'll just hide my toes in the gap, no big deal."

The girl in charge of the set stood trembling, ready to move the screen, but it was too big. She lifted it for two seconds and then let go.

Lu Yan stepped forward and lifted it, smiling, "Let me help you."

The girl's face turned red, and she whispered, "Thank you, Bro Yan."

When Lu Yan returned, Shi Qing shot him a glare, full of resentment: "Not into girls but still flirting with them, trash!"

Lu Yan chuckled and replied, "I'll definitely change in the future."

After a simple opening ceremony, Chen Jing called out, and the filming began immediately.

Lu Yan plays Chen Zhong, a great general with a glorious military record who has never been defeated. He’s seen as a war god by the people. Shi Qing plays Kui Ji, the lead courtesan in a brothel.

As Chen Zhong returned in triumph, he spotted Kui Ji leaning against a brothel pillar and fell for her instantly. Chen Zhong turned down powerful ministers eager to marry their daughters into his household and, despite backlash, wed Kui Ji in a lavish ceremony. The scheming ministers, offended, banded together to impeach Chen Zhong. The young emperor, too, was displeased and, inexperienced, couldn’t tell loyalty from treachery. In a rage, he sentenced Chen Zhong to guard the city gates for three years.

The emperor’s incompetence led to the loss of many cities to the enemy in under a year. The young emperor panicked and quickly summoned Chen Zhong to lead the troops into battle.

But Chen Zhong was doomed—the emperor gave him only four thousand soldiers against sixty thousand elite troops. He died in battle, the country fell, and the emperor knelt with his ministers to surrender the city. That same day, Kui Ji leapt to her death from the gate Chen Zhong had guarded.

Although the storyline is dominated by romantic scenes, in reality, the details of Chen Zhong's battles take up more screen time.

With more battle scenes, Lu Yan had to work harder than the rest of the cast. In just a week, he’d shed a noticeable amount of weight.

As Lu Yan wrapped up filming and headed to the hotel, Chen Jing stopped him, asking, "The crew meals aren’t good enough?"

Before Lu Yan could answer, Shi Qing spoke up, "Do you even need to ask? His face has already slimmed down a bit, ugh, harder to maintain than me."

After spending a few days together, Lu Yan had started to get Shi Qing. She might’ve had a sharp tongue, but she wasn’t a bad person. She’d even had her assistant bring him fruit a few times—classic tough exterior, soft interior.

He chuckled lightly, "No, it's quite good."

Chen Jing waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, I'll have someone change the food provider tomorrow. Don’t let your fans think we mistreated you in the crew after the filming ends."

"Really, it's fine. If you feel sorry for me, maybe we can spend a bit more and hire a stunt double," Lu Yan teased. In reality, he was just joking. Not only would Chen Jing not agree to a stunt double, he himself wouldn’t accept it either.

Sure enough, Chen Jing glared at him angrily, "Give you an inch and you take a mile? Get out of here, go back and sleep."

On the way back to the hotel, Xiao Liu also looked worried, "Bro Yan, maybe you shouldn’t eat the crew’s boxed meals. I’ll pack some good food for you tomorrow?"

Lu Yan shook his head, "No need, what’s good around here? The outside food might not even be as good as the crew’s boxed meals."

This was the truth. The filming location for the early part of the movie was remote, and it took twenty minutes to drive to the city. Apart from the film crew, almost no one came here. Even the so-called luxury room he was staying in wasn’t as good as a standard room in City B, let alone the food around here. It was all boxed meals.

Xiao Liu said uneasily, "No, when the filming is over and An Ge sees you’ve lost so much weight, I won’t be able to explain. I’ll go around and see if there’s anything you like to eat."

For convenience, Chen Jing had booked a hotel right next to the filming site, just a few steps away. After saying this, Xiao Liu turned around and went to look for a restaurant.

Lu Yan was both amused and helpless. He had only lost a few pounds, it wasn’t that exaggerated. He would gain it back after eating a few more meals after filming.

Just as he returned to his hotel room, his phone beeped. He glanced at it casually.

"Not at home"

Sender: Gu Xu.

No punctuation—it felt like a blunt statement.