There are no direct flights from Paris to H City, so the flight that Xiang Qichen took landed in S City at around five this morning. As soon as he left the airport, he got into a nanny van and rushed non-stop to the film base in H City to begin the next six months of TV drama filming.
Upon reaching H City, the sky was already bright, although it was just after eight, the crew of "Xuanwu" was mostly ready, preparing to shoot the female lead Jiang Wei’s first scene of the day.
Xiang Qichen arrived at the set, greeted the director quickly, and then went straight to the makeup room to start getting ready.
Since entering the industry at nineteen, now seven years on, even though he is immensely popular, Xiang Qichen remains as humble and gentle as ever. Unlike the many "pretentious and arrogant" young stars in the industry, Xiang Qichen consistently earns admiration from many in the circle.
He had almost caught up with sleep on the way, and as he sat before the makeup mirror, his features remained clear and bright. His upright posture exuded undeniable heroism, even seated on the chair. He nodded to the makeup artist through the mirror, his voice rich and pleasant: "Thank you."
This smile of his was enough to dazzle the makeup artist, rendering her blushing despite having seen numerous handsome men, shyly calling Liang Lufei to get the makeup box and start working.
Meanwhile, while Xiang Qichen was in the makeup room, Zhou Huaiyi, unaware, was outside preparing for the first scene shoot.
...
About an hour later, when Xiang Qichen finished makeup and entered the set, he happened to hear the director call "Cut," perfectly ending the female lead’s first scene of the day.
"Great, this one’s good!" The director, waving the script, got up from his chair and loudly announced, "Makeup artist, touch up Jiang Wei’s makeup!" Then he turned to Xiang Qichen who had just come out. "Qi Chen, go over your lines again for the next scene with Jiang Wei."
Xiang Qichen looked up from the script, his voice deep and smooth: "Alright."
Zhou Huaiyi, who had been fiddling with the recording equipment in the back, naturally heard and instantly ignored the setup, raising his head to look around for Xiang Qichen’s figure.
Sure enough, he was sitting under an old thatched hut nearby, dressed in a period costume. His hairstyle appeared deliberately messy, with a loosely styled topknot and a few strands of hair casually falling on his forehead. Holding the script and a pen, he was meticulously examining it.
This clearly casual and freewheeling look, paired with his clean and fair face, exuded an indescribable aura, causing Zhou Huaiyi’s mind to wander, enviously eyeing the male assistant standing by his side holding an umbrella for him.
"Zhou Huaiyi—" Suddenly, Liu Yang, standing in the middle of the set, yelled, "Come over and adjust the wireless microphone position for the lead actress!"
Zhou... Huaiyi?
Xiang Qichen, who had been deeply focused on the script, raised his head sharply upon hearing this familiar name, looking towards the source of the voice.
His beautiful eyes scanned over to the recording team, where he saw a delicate-featured girl who looked startled, her hands trembling, almost dropping the recorder. After a breath of relief, she responded, carefully set her equipment down, and hurriedly ran towards the center of the set.
Holding his script, Xiang Qichen watched her slender back with a thoughtful look, as a vivid memory surfaced, accompanied by a clear voice—
"Xiang Qichen is incredibly handsome, okay... I’m just here to see my ideal type of man..."
"He sang three songs in the evening, all lip-synched... Honestly, Xiang Qichen singing is just so-so, yet the online comments praised it as real singing and said it was super good... My gosh..."
"Otherwise, just wait. In a couple of years, once I get familiar with him, I’ll ask if he really lip-synchs..."
"His name is Xiang Qichen, and mine is Zhou Huaiyi. As the saying goes, ’Admire those who come forth,’ we’re perfectly matched, aren’t we... So what if he likes long hair, I can grow it long..."
...
So it was...
"Perfectly matched"?
Xiang Qichen paused, understanding dawning.
His gaze flicked back to Zhou Huaiyi, noting her hair which had grown past her shoulders compared to three years ago, and chuckled silently.
So she really is... growing her hair out?
"Qi Chen, what are you laughing about?" The assistant, Yang Li, standing beside him with the umbrella, couldn’t resist interrupting out of curiosity.
Without missing a beat, Xiang Qichen arched his thick brows slightly: "Nothing."