Jin Yirui wore sunglasses and a pink suit, just as Xiao Deng had said, he really was quite flashy.
That bouquet of roses was vibrant and delicate, still adorned with dewdrops.
He took off his sunglasses, raised an eyebrow at Song Xun, and revealed a bright, handsome smile. People passing by couldn’t help but be dazzled—this man was truly good-looking.
Song Xun turned his head away in disdain and asked Xiao Deng how this person had managed to track him down.
Xiao Deng didn’t know either; she didn’t even know who this person was.
“It’s a long story, but in short, he’s the investor from the last project.”
“What does he want? Could it be that he’s trying to hit on you, Song Ge?”
Xiao Deng’s words were blunt, and Song Xun could hardly miss the implication. He wasn’t blind—the desire in the man’s eyes was unmistakable. He had had suitors before, but he disliked this kind of pursuit that felt like he was being treated as prey.
“Hey~ Xiao Xun, good afternoon.”
Jin Yirui handed the roses to Song Xun, but Song Xun didn’t take them. Instead, he greeted him politely.
“Hello, President Jin. What brings you here? Are you interested in investing in our current project? If so, I’ll go get Director Jian.”
Seeing that Song Xun was trying to brush him off with an excuse, Jin Yirui wasn’t annoyed. With someone as beautiful as this, a little challenge only made things more interesting.
Jin Yirui didn’t care whether Song Xun accepted the roses or not; he simply shoved them into his arms. “No, I’m not here to see your director. I’m here to see you.”
He smiled, but his eyes were close-set, and his deep eye sockets made Song Xun feel pressured.
“To see me? I’m sorry, President Jin, but all work-related matters are handled by my agent. If you have any collaborations in mind, please discuss them with my agent.”
Song Xun didn’t take the bait.
He didn’t want to offend Jin Yirui directly, but he also didn’t want to have anything to do with him.
Jin Yirui noticed Song Xun stepping back but didn’t press further. Matters of the heart couldn’t be rushed; it was more interesting to take things slowly. Besides, whoever he liked, he had never failed to win over. He had enough confidence in himself.
“I heard your movie is related to the supernatural. I’m quite interested. Why don’t you introduce me to your director? If it’s suitable, I might consider investing.”
Song Xun naturally didn’t refuse and immediately informed Jian Mo, who was delighted. Although their movie had a low production budget, having an investor was more than welcome. No one ever complained about having too much money.
While the director and Jin Yirui were discussing the collaboration, Xiao Deng sneaked over to Song Xun like a spy making contact. When she tapped him, she startled him so much he nearly jumped.
“Goodness, Xiao Deng, what are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack.”
Song Xun patted his chest and took a deep breath.
Xiao Deng scratched her head sheepishly and grinned, then pulled out her phone, showing Song Xun the search results she had found.
“Song Ge, look! This President Jin is no good—a total playboy. He’s had more boyfriends than I’ve had paychecks.”
Song Xun suspected Xiao Deng was using this as an opportunity to ask for a raise.
“Look, look, he’s dated the famous model Yao Yuan and the actor Jiang Changyu. And those are just the well-known ones. There are at least ten others who’ve been photographed with him. His romantic history is extensive.”
Xiao Deng wasn’t good at much else, but when it came to gathering information, she was precise and thorough. There was nothing she couldn’t find out.
Song Xun didn’t mind. After all, he didn’t like Jin Yirui and had no intention of accepting his advances.
·
The recording time soon arrived again, and for this episode, all trainees had to stay in the dormitories assigned by the production team.
The wooden bunk beds were set up in a four-person room, which was quite spacious.
By the time Song Xun arrived, Mu Heng and An Chu had already made their beds. Although it was a four-person room, their group only had three male artists. The remaining female artist shared a room with female artists from other groups, so this dormitory only housed three people.
Mu Heng and An Chu had taken the lower bunks on the left and right sides, respectively, while Song Xun placed his belongings on the upper bunk above Mu Heng.
After tidying up for a while, the production team notified them to head to the filming location.
The three of them walked together, with An Chu constantly pulling Song Xun into conversation, while Mu Heng quietly listened without responding.
The cameras had already started rolling along the way.
“I’m so nervous! What about you, Brother Song? Are you scared?”
Song Xun noticed An Chu subconsciously glance toward the camera’s direction. He smiled faintly and nodded, “Yes, Director Zhu is very strict, after all.”
“That’s true. What about you, Brother Mu? Are you nervous?”
Mu Heng hadn’t expected An Chu to ask him. He shook his head. It was enough to do what he was supposed to do; overthinking things was pointless.
But An Chu didn’t let him off that easily. Lowering his head, he said with a hint of grievance, “Brother Mu, why aren’t you saying anything? Did I do something to upset you? Even in the dorm, you hardly chat with us.”
At this, Mu Heng looked at him, unsure of what to say. He truly wasn’t much of a talker, but it wasn’t as if An Chu had done anything to offend him. Back when they were filming the same drama, An Chu hadn’t really tried to talk to him either; instead, he had subtly excluded him.
Seeing this, Song Xun knew that Mu Heng, the quiet type, wouldn’t be able to say much. He patted An Chu’s shoulder and said, “Mu Heng is two years younger than you. You calling him ‘Brother’ probably leaves him at a loss for how to respond, right?”
An Chu’s expression shifted slightly. He forced a smile, turned his head, and pretended nothing had happened, acting as if he and Mu Heng were good buddies. “Oh, I must have gotten it wrong. Little Mu, we’re all in the same group. If you need any help, just let me know.”
“Mm, thank you.”
Mu Heng nodded politely.
When they arrived at the set, the only female trainee in their group had already arrived early, greeting them with an excited expression.
“Hurry, hurry, come and pick your roles!”
Xia Moyi held the script, her eyes curved into a smile.
Zhu Lisheng introduced several available roles for them to choose from.
“This drama tells the story of an undercover police officer infiltrating a drug lord’s lair, ultimately sacrificing himself to ensure his colleagues escape safely. The main roles include the undercover officer, his colleague, and a subordinate of the drug lord.”
Xia Moyi had already chosen the role of the female scientist in the drug lord’s organization, specializing in purifying drugs to sell at higher prices.
“Can I choose first?”
An Chu raised his hand, asking for Mu Heng and Song Xun’s opinions.
Neither of them had any objections, as they hadn’t made up their minds yet.
An Chu chose the undercover officer, a role with considerable screen time—resilient and unwavering, pretending to pledge loyalty to the drug lord while secretly passing information to the outside.
“What about you two?”
Mu Heng chose the captured colleague, a character with a more impulsive personality. To put it bluntly, this was a role that could easily be criticized for holding others back—a thankless task.
Only one left. Song Xun accepted it calmly. This thug by the drug lord’s side, neither purely good nor purely evil, couldn’t be called a complete villain.
“Scene one, take one, action!”
In the dense, winding forest, two fierce wolfhounds viciously chased after the man ahead, their sharp, savage barks echoing through the woods.
The man in green sprinted wildly, not even looking at the path, just dragging his legs forward as if his life depended on it.
Sweat poured down his face. He wiped it from his forehead casually. The Golden Triangle, filled with crime and violence, lay silent, with only the occasional rumble of engines from passing transport boats.
The soil was damp and muddy, with tangled vines sprouting chaotically from the ground.
“Ah!”
The man in green was running too frantically and didn’t notice the obstacle underfoot. He tripped and fell.
But he didn’t hesitate. He scrambled to his feet immediately, his face covered in mud.
Yet heaven showed him no mercy. Behind him, the man in the white trench coat held the dog leash, looking down with a smile, watching him stumble and struggle.
“Run, keep running.”
The voice was clear and gentle, like polished jade, but the man in green knew all too well how terrifying its owner was.
The tall, ferocious hound pounced on the man in green, pinning him down. The man in white, however, leaned in affectionately, gripping his chin, his fingers tightening steadily, leaving marks.
“Tell me, who are your accomplices? If you speak, I’ll leave your body intact.”
Suddenly, the sky darkened, clouds swirling ominously. As if playing a cruel joke, rain began to pour without warning.
Seeing the man in green stubbornly clench his jaw, resigned to his fate, the man in white sneered. With a hand unnaturally pale, he patted the man’s left cheek, not too hard, not too soft. Then he drew the pistol from his waist, intending to execute him on the spot.
“If you won’t talk, there’s no need to keep you alive.”
Just as he pulled back the hammer, a voice interrupted him.
“Brother Qin!”
The man hurried over in a few strides, holding a large black umbrella. A red heart-shaped birthmark marked his face, and though his clothes looked worn at first glance, a closer look revealed they were all high-end brands.
The man in white tilted his head, suspicious. “Isn’t this the boss’s favorite? What brings you here?”
The man laughed heartily, tilting the umbrella toward the man in white with an ingratiating smile. “Don’t say that. How could I ever be the boss’s favorite? I just happened to catch his eye. The true confidant, of course, is only you, Brother Qin.”
“Hmph, flatterer. Cut the nonsense. Why are you here?”
The rain grew heavier. Ignored by the two men in front of him, the man in green was drenched, rainwater streaming down his face. He thought of slipping away while they were talking, but the two fierce hounds stared him down relentlessly, leaving him no chance.
The man with the heart-shaped birthmark quickly pulled a contract from his pocket, explaining that the boss urgently needed to see him. He said the boss couldn’t reach him by phone and had sent him to find him.
“Hurry back. I’m afraid the boss won’t wait much longer.”
Seeing this, the man in white nodded, then raised his gun again, motioning for the birthmarked man to step back. “Let me finish this guy off first, then I’ll go back.”
The man in green closed his eyes, accepting the judgment of death.
The birthmarked man stepped in to stop him. The man in white narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him with amusement, then lowered the gun. “What’s this? Trying to save him?”
The man in green broke out in a cold sweat and couldn’t help but glance at the birthmark on the red-clothed man’s chest. However, the other man seemed completely unaware of his gaze and waved his hand dismissively. “Why would I save a cop? It’s just that the boss is in a hurry. Besides, this isn’t our turf. If someone catches us killing him on their territory and reports it to the boss, it’ll be another headache.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Seeing that the man in the white trench coat still seemed skeptical, the man with the birthmark on his chest pulled out a knife and, without hesitation, stabbed it into the green-clothed man’s leg. After hearing the man’s scream, he said, “But since this guy pissed off Brother Qin, he deserves a lesson.”
“Cut!”
Zhu Lisheng was pleasantly surprised. Although the performances of these three actors weren’t flawless, they were definitely above the passing mark. He had initially thought it would take several takes, but this was a delightful surprise.
“Great, great. Take a break and get ready for the next scene.”
Song Xun, Mu Heng, and An Chu bowed to Zhu Lisheng and then went to sit on the side.
During the break, the cameras weren’t recording, so they each took out their phones. After a while, a staff member announced that Bai Ninglu and Yan Jiayu had come to visit the set. The actors stood up to greet them.
Bai Ninglu was gentle and chatted with them for a bit before going to find Director Zhu to check on the filming progress.
Yan Jiayu also greeted each of them and exchanged a few words. However, when it came to Song Xun, he skipped over him, acting somewhat coldly.
?
Song Xun was puzzled. Had he offended Yan Jiayu somehow?
Or was this guy going through some kind of midlife crisis?
But he noticed that An Chu was particularly enthusiastic, chatting with Yan Jiayu nonstop, while Yan Jiayu responded with a smile. Mu Heng, on the other hand, stood to the side like a wooden statue.
Song Xun nudged Mu Heng with his elbow, but the latter looked utterly confused. Song Xun felt anxious for him—this was a perfect opportunity to build rapport, and he didn’t even know how to take advantage of it.
It seemed it was up to him. The happiness of the main couple was his to protect!
“Teacher Yan!”
Song Xun called out loudly.
Yan Jiayu pretended to be reserved and turned his head coldly. “What is it?”
“Mu Heng has some questions about the script and would like to ask for your advice.”
“???”