On set, Lin Haobai, dressed in a sharp suit, had his arm around Sister Gu, his expression lost in desire. According to the script, in the next moment he was supposed to reach around her back, give a few gentle touches, and then lean in for a kiss.
But looking at Sister Gu’s flawless makeup in front of him, he simply couldn’t bring himself to continue.
“Cut…”
“Haobai, your emotions are all over the place. One second you’re lost in desire, ready to kiss, and the next you’re looking like you just swallowed a bitter pill. That’s your girlfriend! Your girlfriend!! Not your enemy!” The director ran a hand through his nearly bald head, feeling a headache coming on.
He was already considering whether to use a body double or just rewrite the scene entirely.
He had assumed that with Gu Ting being such a beautiful lead actress, any male actor could handle a kiss scene easily. But the new Best Actor before him looked like a rookie, shy and awkward. This scene was supposed to show the emotional connection between the leads, ending in a kiss and… well, the intimate part.
Lin Haobai patted his own cheeks, feeling defeated.
This is too hard for him!
Having been single his entire life, he never expected that even acting in a scene would leave him unable to make the first move.
“Sorry, director. Let’s try again.”
The director checked his watch and, seeing that it was late, decided to have lunch delivered to the set. Maybe after filling his stomach, Haobai could get it right on the next take.
Lin Haobai, aware of the various eyes on him from the crew, greeted everyone briefly and headed to his dressing room. He needed some time to gather his emotions. He knew the script inside and out, yet in front of Sister Gu, he simply couldn’t perform. Surely it wasn’t because he was afraid of her?
After a few bites of food, he focused on getting into character.
He mainly used an immersive acting method. For every role, he wrote a personal backstory for the character and completely placed himself in that person’s shoes. That’s why his performances were always full of emotional tension and conflict. He had been in the industry for over ten years, and yet this was the first time he had been unable to enter a role.
Thinking of this made him feel frustrated.
He pondered alone for a while. Seeing that he still had some time, he closed his eyes to rest his mind.
…
“This data was already corrected yesterday, but here, here, and here it’s still wrong. Take it back and fix it again. If there are mistakes this time, I don’t have to tell you, you know what to do!”
It was that familiar deep male voice again.
Lin Haobai knew immediately that he was dreaming once more.
Sure enough, when he once again felt his body suspended and flying, an enlarged face of the beauty appeared before him.
The beauty’s lips moved as he spoke, his voice low and husky, extremely seductive.
“Little thing, tell me, these idiots. Earning so much money every month, why can’t they verify a few pieces of data correctly? These parasites, I’ll clear them out soon enough.”
“My grandfather is too soft-hearted, indulging these people who don’t know their place.”
“A bunch of fools… I want to see how long they can keep hopping around.”
…
Listening to these ramblings, Lin Haobai felt like he could die.
His real life was already stressful enough. Finally trying to get some rest, and later he still had to struggle on set. But as soon as he slept, he saw this beauty. Unfortunately, it was a beauty who loved to nag.
The beauty continued his muttering, and Lin Haobai had no way to block out the noise. All he could do was scan around with his immobile eyes.
It was still the familiar office.
Today, the beauty wore a pink casual suit, which paired with his snow-white skin, making him extraordinarily striking.
On his wrist was an elegantly designed watch, set with twelve sparkling diamonds. If Lin Haobai remembered correctly, this watch was from a high-end brand he endorsed. However, the watch before him was likely one of only two limited editions worldwide, valued at the price of a luxury apartment in a first-tier city.
Such a golden, wealthy beauty, why so verbose?
Life was already hard; before sleep, he had to act. After sleep, he had to listen to the White Snow Prince complain.
Ahhh…
Lin Haobai wanted to scream, but he couldn’t speak.
Fortunately, the rest period was short. Soon, he was awakened by his manager, Brother Wang.
“Xiao Bai, what kind of nightmare were you having? You shouted so loud that the crew outside is whispering.”
Wang You looked at the resilient young man in front of him, finding it hard to imagine anything that could make him lose control.
“I’m fine, Brother Wang. Just been under a bit too much pressure lately.”
“Will the next scene go smoothly?” This morning had already been wasted, and if the afternoon ran into the same problem, tomorrow the online press would be full of speculation. And Wang You didn’t even need to guess, the headlines could write themselves:
The so-called “Best Actor” doesn’t live up to the title, can’t even film a kissing scene properly.
The new rising star Lin Haobai has issues with top actress Gu Ting, deliberately slowing down the shoot.
The supposed grudges and romance between the actor and the leading lady.
…
Lin Haobai understood his manager’s worries, but someone who’d made it on skill alone had nothing to fear.
Back on set, he was once again the invincible Best Actor Lin.
“Director, I’m ready on my side. When can we start?” He said this and smiled at Gu Ting as she walked toward him. “Sister Gu, sorry about this morning. My condition was off, and I held up your time.”
Gu Ting smiled slightly. “It’s fine. Everyone has off days.” She teased lightly, “I was even wondering if I looked so scary this morning that you couldn’t bring yourself to kiss me, haha!”
Hearing that, Lin Haobai quickly waved his hand, feeling a little embarrassed. Although with his naturally chocolate-toned skin, a blush wasn’t very visible.
“Sister Gu, don’t tease me! You’re so beautiful, there’s nothing scary about you. It was just my condition this morning. Don’t worry—I’m fine now.”
Once everyone was in position, filming resumed.
Lin Haobai followed the script, holding Gu Ting in her evening gown, lowering his head to gaze deeply into her black eyes.
He thought of the White Snow Prince from his dream, so rich, yet with all kinds of troubles. And here he was, an ordinary top actor, worrying about a kissing scene? Ridiculous.
A surge of energy and spirit flowed through him, making Lin Haobai feel like he had truly become the male lead in the script, deeply in love with the woman in his arms. This was their defining kiss. He felt so sincere, so eager, so happy.
From the director’s camera, the previously slightly awkward Lin Haobai suddenly seemed like a different person. His expression became complex, his eyes brimming with emotion, as if they might overflow at any moment.
The director gripped the nearly falling-apart script excitedly, ordered a close-up, giving Lin Haobai’s gaze a major shot.
In his heart, he sighed: it’s done. This scene is a success. Truly, this young actor who rose to fame early, his acting is not to be underestimated.
Lin Haobai was completely immersed in his role.
When the director finally called “Cut,” he was still holding Gu Ting in his arms, unwilling to let go.
Fortunately, his manager Wang You quickly stepped forward and draped a cold towel over him. Soon, Lin Haobai shivered all over and finally came out of character.
Wiping his face with the icy towel, he felt fully refreshed.
“Sister Gu, thank you.”
Gu Ting smiled. “No need. Your acting method is just too immersive.” She let it drop there, saying no more.
Lin Haobai understood and smiled wryly. “I’ve been using this method for over ten years. It’s hard to change now.”
He had already planned that once he got older, he would move behind the scenes. Then he wouldn’t have to switch in and out of character so frequently. Otherwise, sooner or later, his emotions would be drained, and he could develop emotional issues.
The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked toward the cheerful director.
“Haobai, your gaze is incredible. This time, our movie is definitely going to be a hit!” The director was overjoyed, chatting endlessly with the two leads. It wasn’t until the producer arrived that his excitement was finally interrupted.
Lin Haobai returned to his dressing room and waited for the makeup artist to remove his makeup. Tonight, there would be a wrap-up banquet. After tonight, he planned to rest properly for a while and go home to see his mother.
Meanwhile, Ren Tianxing was tidying up his things. In the evening, he had plans to dine with a few friends and discuss ideas about the domestic market.
By around eight o’clock, the suburban clubhouse was gradually filling up with luxury cars.
This clubhouse was owned by a local wealthy individual and included a private restaurant, a leisure hall, a beauty salon, and a bar. It was the largest and most well-equipped club in the area. Most people from the entertainment and wealthy circles frequented it.
After resting for a while at the film set, Lin Haobai followed the crew to the private restaurant in the clubhouse for dinner. The film’s investors were very generous, reserving a large private room for them.
When they entered, the room was already set up.
The staff and actors sat at separate tables. Most of the actors sat together with several directors and the investors.
“This film has benefited greatly from everyone’s hard work. We hope it will be a huge hit when released,” said one of the investors, a woman in her forties dressed in professional attire, standing to give a brief speech.
Lin Haobai wasn’t used to these kinds of social occasions, so he simply listened and nodded politely.
Fortunately, since the investor was a woman, it was unlikely that anything unexpected would happen.
Sure enough, after a few words of encouragement, the investor let everyone start eating.
Lin Haobai quickly buried his head in his food, taking several bites. During the meal, he didn’t forget to quietly share a few sips of red wine with the director and a few actors he was close to. After all, Brother Wang would escort him back later.
Drinking a little more wine made it easier to feel the need to use the bathroom.
With a flushed face that was hard to distinguish, Lin Haobai, feeling warm all over, walked toward the restroom.
Unfortunately, the restroom inside the private room was occupied, so he decided to step outside for some fresh air.
Following the staff’s directions, he eventually entered the men’s restroom. He went straight to the neatly arranged row, unzipped, and looked down.
But the scent from the guy next to him felt strangely familiar.
Tilting his eyes slightly, he noticed the pink pants. Looking up, he saw something both familiar and indescribably strange.