Fortunately, he had no scenes with Su Leyan, and they did not interact much on set. Jiang Zui believed he had no further ties to Pei Youting, so as long as they did not cause a scene, he was content to simply pretend they were strangers.
However, his relationship with Xu Xizhe had become much closer than before. Xu Xizhe was a perfectionist who scrutinized every detail of his work personally.
The movie was titled Life and Death Appraisal. Almost everyone on the production crew had been harshly scolded by Xu Xizhe at some point, with the sole exception of Jiang Zui, who occasionally received constructive advice. Aside from that, Xu Xizhe had never spoken a harsh word to him.
It was almost blatant favoritism. Over time, rumors began to circulate that Xu Xizhe had taken a fancy to Jiang Zui, which was why he was deliberately gentle and could not bear to lecture him.
Xu Xizhe had caught wind of these rumors as well. He simply gave a disdainful laugh. He admitted he was interested in Jiang Zui, but he was not the type to let his personal feelings interfere with his work.
He did not scold Jiang Zui simply because there was no need. Jiang Zui grasped the details better than he did, wrote character biographies for every role, and was both talented and hardworking. Why would he scold someone like that?
However, this was precisely why he admired Jiang Zui. The more time they spent together, the more he felt that Jiang Zui, from his appearance and physique to his talent, perfectly suited his tastes.
Since he had realized his own feelings, there was no reason to hide them any longer. Consequently, after the crew finished filming for the day, he would often invite Jiang Zui to grab a meal or just chat.
On this day, after filming wrapped, Xu Xizhe invited him to dinner as usual. The private restaurant was quite a distance from the hotel, so the two walked back together in the night, taking it as a stroll.
The weather had turned cold. Jiang Zui tucked his chin into his scarf, his head bowed, and his expression was unreadable. Xu Xizhe glanced at him and took the initiative to speak, “Was the food not to your liking today?”
Jiang Zui seemed to be lost in thought. He started at the sound of Xu Xizhe’s voice before offering a muffled smile, “How could that be?”
“You went to a lot of trouble, Director Xu,” he joked half-heartedly.
Xu Xizhe looked at him, his eyes filled with a tenderness he had not even realized was there. He longed to stroke the soft hair atop Jiang Zui’s head, but his fingers only curled slightly. “I did not see you eat much. I thought you were not used to the food.”
“It was fine,” he replied with a smile. “It is just that the restaurant’s food was quite spicy, and I cannot handle too much spice.”
“Xiao Lin loves spicy food,” Jiang Zui added. “She is from Hunan; she cannot live without it.”
“Oh,” Xu Xizhe replied, “is our cinematographer, Xiao Tang, not the same? No wonder they have been hanging out together so much lately.”
Jiang Zui smiled, “I suppose people from the same hometown have more in common. No wonder they have been growing closer.”
“Is it just common topics? By the way they are acting, they might as well be introducing each other to their parents.”
Jiang Zui laughed at his words, “Is that not wonderful? Our Life and Death Appraisal crew has fostered a romantic connection; it is a rare fate.”
After saying this, he fell silent. The atmosphere between them suddenly quieted, and in the stillness of the night, only the faint sound of each other’s breathing could be heard.
Xu Xizhe kept his hands deep in his coat pockets, clenching and unclenching them. He took a secret, deep breath; for no reason, he felt a wave of nerves. “Jiang Zui.”
Jiang Zui turned back to look at him, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
“If I said that if you were willing, the romance that could be achieved would not just be theirs.” Xu Xizhe heard his own voice crack slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“You should be able to tell,” he said, lowering his eyes to avoid Jiang Zui’s gaze, as if trying to hide from the apology he saw reflected in the other man’s eyes.
Could Jiang Zui not tell? Even if the rumors on set were groundless, Xu Xizhe had been so proactive that even if Jiang Zui were slow-witted, he would have sensed something.
It was just that Xu Xizhe had not explicitly stated it before, and Jiang Zui only viewed him as a friend. They had been muddling through their interactions, neither of them bringing the truth into the light.
Now that the cards were on the table, Jiang Zui stood frozen, unsure of how to respond.
After a long while, Jiang Zui spoke slowly, “I am sorry, Director Xu. I…”
He lifted the corners of his mouth in a strained expression, like a mask cracking. “You are a wonderful person, but right now…”
Xu Xizhe’s heart sank heavily. He looked up and offered a bitter smile, “To be honest, I did not hold onto many illusions, but I could not help myself.”
Jiang Zui felt a surge of guilt. He viewed Xu Xizhe as a confidant and a dear friend, but he truly had not reached the stage of seeing him as a romantic partner. He remained silent until Xu Xizhe spoke again.
“I just want to ask you, is there really no possibility between us?”
“I know you do not have the energy to invest in a new relationship yet, but I am not in a rush. I can wait. I can wait for you to let go of Pei Youting.”
Those three words hit like a heavy hammer, falling upon the heart Jiang Zui had been trying so hard to ignore these past few days. His soul felt deeply shaken, and in that instant, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest.
“After that, can I be your next choice?”
Xu Xizhe looked at him; the dim streetlights could not hide the sincerity in his bright gaze.
Jiang Zui was silent for a very long time before he finally spoke, “I do not know.”
He felt distressed and lost, but he was speaking the honest truth.
Was the wind too strong? His nose felt a bit stuffy.
“But I hope you can be,” Jiang Zui said quietly.
Xu Xizhe sighed. He turned to face Jiang Zui, opened his arms, and a soft, faint smile appeared on his face, “Would you mind a hug? Simply as a friend, or an older brother.”
Jiang Zui nodded frantically and opened his arms to hug him back. He caught the scent of the other man. Xu Xizhe never wore cologne; he only carried the faint scent of cigarettes. It was not a scent he was familiar with or addicted to.
Yet, in that instant, the embrace brought him comfort.
Xu Xizhe whispered, “You can cry, Jiang Zui. It is not embarrassing.”
He could feel Jiang Zui’s hands gripping the fabric on his back tightly, shaking slightly. Jiang Zui buried his face in the crook of Xu Xizhe’s neck, and before long, tears began to dampen the fabric of his shoulder.
“Thank you, Director Xu,” he said after a while, having finally calmed down, his voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, truly.”
Xu Xizhe looked at him in the moonlight and smiled helplessly, “Do you have to keep calling me Director Xu?”
“Call me by my name, Xizhe, or Brother Xizhe. Whatever you like.”
Jiang Zui managed a slight smile, “Mm, Brother Xizhe.”
They walked side-by-side toward the hotel, chatting and laughing like the closest of friends. Jiang Zui’s mood gradually brightened as he looked down at the cobblestones.
It had just rained, and the streetlights were dim. One of them accidentally stepped on a loose stone, and the icy, muddy puddle splashed mercilessly onto both of their pant legs.
They burst into laughter at the unexpected mess. Jiang Zui patted his muddy lower leg, and in that moment, he truly, truly wanted to move on and look ahead.
However, neither Jiang Zui nor Xu Xizhe noticed that just a few minutes ago, a Cullinan with a familiar license plate had been parked not far from where they stood embracing.
The person in the driver’s seat had slammed a fist against the window. The sound of bone hitting glass was chilling.
Yet that person seemed to feel no pain. He simply stared fixedly at the direction they had gone. In the darkness, the violence in his eyes was bordering on terrifying madness.
It was Pei Youting.