[Exposé Auntie: Lin Shuangyi’s new drama “Lucky Sky” is in talks with GYN and QXS. GYN seems more likely. However, I saw GQC auditioned today, so GYN’s chances are slim.]
> 1L: Polite refusal. My idol already has eight dramas. Leave him alone.
> 2L: GYN is Gu Yuning, QXS is Qin Xiaoshan. As for GQC, who is that?
> 3L: Looking for answer.
> 4L: Gu Qichi?
> 5L: Who is Gu Qichi? Never heard of him.
> 6L: He’s a fake, just a plastic surgery addict.
The set was very noisy, with people coming and going. Gu Qichi sat in the corner of the last row, his eyelashes drooping, the blue light from the screen reflecting in his eyes. As expected, everything he found online about himself was mockery and abuse.
“Next.”
The sound of papers rustling filled the room. Lin Shuangyi casually flipped through a resume, his gaze drawn to the passport photo. The face was deathly pale, the lips redder than the chili peppers he’d eaten that morning. Lin scoffed, leaning back listlessly.
He wanted to see which monster had dared to photoshop himself like this. Even his mother wouldn’t recognize him in this photo.
The door opened, and a young man walked in from behind a black curtain. Whispers rose and fell around him. Lin Shuangyi glanced up from the pile of resumes and paused.
Behind the black curtain, Gu Qichi’s face appeared even paler. His almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned, his eyelashes long and soft, his lips red and teeth white — exactly like the person in the photo, even more handsome.
Lin Shuangyi picked up Gu Qichi’s resume from the trash heap, muttering, “So it wasn’t photoshopped after all.”
He examined it again before becoming slightly serious. “Scene 48, act out the scene where Shen Qingye’s entire family is slaughtered.”
Gu Qichi was handsome, but Lin Shuangyi never cast for just a pretty face. He chose the most difficult scene — but also Gu Qichi’s favorite.
Shen Qingye, young and dashing, unrestrained, a brilliant and promising young man. However, due to misplaced trust, he brought about the death of his family. Overnight, he went from a noble prince to a prisoner, even being humiliated in the palace.
After briefly considering Shen Qingye’s state of mind, Gu Qichi quickly immersed himself in the role.
The young man suddenly knelt on the ground, his eyes broken. Surprise, pain, and regret intertwined. Tears streamed silently down his face, yet his spine remained ramrod straight, like bamboo forcefully broken — though fallen into mud, refusing to give in. There was a peculiar vulnerability about him, inspiring an urge to protect him.
Lin Shuangyi’s eyes lit up. He leaned forward, twirling the pen between his fingers.
“Gu Qichi, is that right?”
Hearing his name, Gu Qichi’s fingertips twitched. He lowered his eyes, wiped away tears, and stood up, silently staring at Lin Shuangyi.
“Is it alright?”
Lin Shuangyi nodded and circled a line on his resume. “Go back and wait for our notification.”
“Okay.”
After Gu Qichi left, Lin Shuangyi took out his phone and walked out of the conference room. The call was answered on the fourth attempt.
“Lin Shuangyi, you’d better have something important to say.”
Sensing Bo Yu’s displeasure, Lin Shuangyi chuckled, cutting to the chase. “Do you remember the drama that Bo’s Group invested in? My people told me the investors put someone in. I figured you don’t have a penchant for keeping mistresses. Why not clean up your parasites?”
He enthusiastically introduced, “I found a gem today, the third male lead I told you about before. We finally finalized the casting.”
Bo Yu rubbed his temples. “Suit yourself.” He hung up decisively and told his secretary to prepare a new outfit at the hotel.
While getting dressed, Bo Yu noticed several bright red scratches on his back. They didn’t hurt, but they were a little itchy.
The image of the young man from last night flashed through his mind again. His hands were beautiful, fair and slender, with distinct knuckles. His porcelain-white face was flushed pinkish-white, his eyes tinged with crimson.
As he left, Bo Yu paused and turned to Bai Heng, his secretary. “Go and investigate the guests who came to this hotel with me yesterday. After you find out, send them to my office.”
Bai Heng closed the door neatly. “Yes.”
After the audition, Gu Qichi didn’t have any extra schedules. He stayed in his apartment with A-Ci, feeding the cat and sleeping, sometimes going an entire day without saying a word.
Having been confined to this body for so long, sometimes Gu Qichi couldn’t tell who he really was.
It wasn’t until a dull, throbbing pain in his stomach woke him at 2:43 AM that he realized something was wrong. He hadn’t eaten in ages — not deliberately dieting, simply no appetite.
He fumbled for his phone. A text message caught his eye —
“Mr. Gu Qichi, congratulations on being accepted into the ‘Lucky Sky’ production team. We have contacted your agent. Please arrive at XXXX tomorrow to sign the contract. Latecomers will not be accepted.”
Below was a message from Wen Xi congratulating him.
Getting this role was within his expectations. Shen Qingye was actually the most well-developed character in “Lucky Sky,” with a complete growth story. Unfortunately, the chosen actor in his last life wasn’t outstanding — probably someone forced in by an investor. After broadcast, he received criticism from book fans. Shen Qingye, the most pitiful supporting male character, disappeared without a trace.
The contract was signed quickly. Gu Qichi was easygoing and didn’t like to cause trouble. He had no objections to Lin Shuangyi’s requests, and the collaboration was pleasant.
Lin Shuangyi even prepared a photo studio and pulled him in to take costume photos right after signing.
The costume designer, beaming, immediately gave Gu Qichi a dark red riding outfit.
Only the makeup artist was troubled. She was a veteran, having seen all sorts of people, but few possessed such striking beauty as Gu Qichi. His skin was flawless, pores barely visible.
“Your skin is so good! You don’t even need foundation.”
Gu Qichi smiled apologetically. “Then how about using foundation to darken it? It’ll accentuate masculinity.”
The makeup artist shook her head, strongly disagreeing: “The early Shen Qingye is a carefree young man, raised in luxury, his skin is delicate and smooth, not dark. Just draw some eyeliner and shape your eyebrows. You have high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and long eyelashes, you don’t need contouring.”
When Gu Qichi emerged from the fitting room, everyone was stunned. Even Lin Shuangyi couldn’t help but gasp.
He was perfect for the role. He seemed born for Shen Qingye.
Today, Gu Qichi wore a silk black shirt, looking listless. But after changing into Shen Qingye’s clothes, he was like a completely different person. A red ribbon tied around his high ponytail complemented his dark red riding outfit, while black leather boots encased his slender legs, making them appear even longer. His almond-shaped eyes were upturned, holding a smile.
Lin Shuangyi: “Not bad, shoot like this.”
He was a natural, with an excellent sense of camera. In no time, the official photos were taken efficiently.
Gu Qichi changed clothes, picked up his black shirt, and prepared to leave. But Lin Shuangyi stopped him.
“There’s a dinner with investors today. Since you’re free anyway, come along. It’ll be good for the investors to get to know you.”
Gu Qichi had no choice but to get into the car with him.
The car ride was silent, except for Lin Shuangyi fiddling with his phone.
Lin Shuangyi texted: Bo Yu, aren’t you really going to come and see? For that face alone, Lucky Sky is guaranteed to be a huge hit.
In the office, dim light shone on Bo Yu’s sharply defined profile. He hadn’t moved for a long time, repeatedly looking at the photos Lin Shuangyi had sent.
“Gu Qichi—” He murmured the name, his eyes enigmatic.
This face had been appearing in his dreams, and coupled with the information Bai Heng had sent, he couldn’t be mistaken. That was the person from that night.
The moment the door to the private room opened, a blast of cold air hit them. Gu Qichi felt uncomfortable and shrank his neck slightly.
Lin Shuangyi’s teasing voice came from beside him, “Bo Yu, didn’t you say you weren’t coming? Why are you here again?”
Bo Yu’s gaze swept over Gu Qichi inch by inch, lingering for a long time on his black shirt before returning to his face.
This feeling of being stared at by a beast was unpleasant; his scalp tingled.
Gu Qichi frowned and looked up. Their eyes met.
He saw Bo Yu’s lips curl into a half-smile, a knowing look on his face, as he said,
“Nothing much, just here to catch a thief.”