No one knew they were gazing at each other. This was a private space only the two of them had entered.
After finishing his last scene for the day, Lin Shen was about to return to his dressing room to remove his makeup when a commotion arose from the crowd. Many people around him were running in the same direction.
“What’s going on?”
After being bumped into by several people in a row, Lin Shen barely managed to steady himself and asked Xiao Xu.
Xiao Xu looked up from his phone. Something must have just been posted in the group chat, as his eyes held a hint of excitement. “I heard a big shot came to the set. Everyone’s running to see.”
A big shot? Someone visiting the set?
Lin Shen asked, “Who is it?”
Xiao Xu replied, “I don’t know. No one got a clear look at their face. They only saw Director Jiang personally going to greet them. Everyone’s now crowding outside Director Jiang’s dressing room, trying to see who it is.”
“Director Jiang personally went to greet them?” There were very few people Director Jiang would personally receive. Lin Shen was somewhat surprised.
“Yeah, Director Jiang went to greet them personally.”
Xiao Xu followed the flow of the crowd. “Shen Ge, let’s go take a look. If we’re late, we won’t get a spot at the front!”
Lin Shen glanced around at the growing number of people heading in that direction. “It’s already too crowded to get to the front now. I won’t go.”
Xiao Xu was already several steps ahead but turned back upon hearing this. “Come on, Shen Ge. We’ve finished today’s work anyway. Let’s go join the excitement.”
Lin Shen was about to refuse again, but before he could speak, Xiao Xu grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. Lin Shen had no choice but to follow along.
By the time they reached outside Director Jiang’s dressing room, a large crowd had already gathered, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.
“They got out of the car and went straight into Director Jiang’s dressing room. No one saw clearly who it was, only that they were tall and walked with a confident stride.”
“Even though I didn’t see their face, I’m sure they’re a super handsome guy.”
“And a super handsome guy who made Director Jiang personally go greet them.”
The scene buzzed with chatter for a while. Lin Shen listened idly, picking up bits and pieces here and there. After some time, a wave of exclamations rose from the crowd.
The dressing room door finally opened. Director Jiang stepped out, followed by a tall figure—Lu Jing.
Lu Jing was dressed in black, which accentuated his height and long legs. His sharply defined features were flawless, with thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high, straight nose bridge. Every movement and glance from him elicited a wave of screams.
No matter where he stood, everyone’s attention was drawn to him.
He was a born superstar, radiating brilliance even without a stage.
Everyone present, whether actors or crew members, was so excited upon seeing Lu Jing that they didn’t know what to do, standing frozen in place, covering their mouths in astonishment.
After stepping outside and seeing so many people, Lu Jing showed no surprise. He said nothing, merely gazing silently at the crowd, his eyes scanning as if searching for someone.
A few girls nudged each other, whispering about who he might be looking for.
After the staff and Lu Jing’s assistant briefly restored order, everyone finally quieted down. Seeing that no one seemed inclined to leave, the director seized the opportunity to explain Lu Jing’s purpose.
“Lu Jing is making a cameo appearance in a role in the series. It’s not a big part and won’t take long to film.”
Hearing that Lu Jing wouldn’t be staying long, everyone seemed somewhat disappointed.
Unexpectedly, Director Jiang continued, “However, our esteemed actor Lu said he wants to learn about my work as a director, so he’ll be staying with the crew for a while, working alongside this half-baked director of mine.”
“Is Actor Lu switching to directing?”
Director Jiang explained, “Not exactly switching careers, just learning an additional skill.”
Everyone chattered with more questions. Lu Jing answered a few, but most were fielded by Director Jiang.
Lu Jing’s attention wasn’t on these questions.
From the moment he stepped out, he had been searching the crowd for someone.
Lin Shen stood at the very back of the group. When Lu Jing appeared, cheers erupted. Xiao Xu excitedly nudged Lin Shen, his voice louder than anyone else’s: “Wow, it’s Actor Lu! It’s actually Actor Lu!”
Unable to control his volume, he blurted out what was on his mind: “Bro, do you think Actor Lu came here specially for you?”
“He has you in his heart!”
Many present were fans of Lu Jing. Among fan circles, phrases like “He looked at me, he must have me in his heart” were perfectly normal. So when Xiao Xu said this, no one found it odd, assuming Lin Shen was just another fan of Lu Jing.
Lin Shen stared fixedly at the focal point of the crowd, unable to tear his eyes away.
Even though he had looked forward to an early reunion when they met in the video, now that they were truly face-to-face, Lin Shen still felt it was unreal, like a dream.
Lu Jing’s gaze shifted, clearly searching for someone. In the crowd, Lin Shen knew he was looking for him.
Lin Shen stood rigidly on the periphery, not daring to move, waiting for Lu Jing to find him.
Lu Jing turned his head, his line of sight sweeping from near to far, passing over the rows of people until finally it settled. His brows relaxed as he slowly looked toward Lin Shen.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze. Everything around them came to a standstill, the clamor of voices hanging suspended in the air. Lin Shen held his breath, hearing nothing but the frantic pounding of his own heartbeat.
Their gazes met across an invisible space, a connection no one else could perceive.
No one knew they were looking at each other. It was a private realm only the two of them had entered.
“Lu Jing, could you give us an autograph?”
Lin Shen’s thoughts were pulled back by a clear, crisp voice. In an instant, the transparent barrier vanished, and the noise flooded back into his mind.
Once someone made the request for an autograph, others quickly joined in, and soon the clamor surged like a tidal wave.
Lu Jing withdrew his gaze, took a pen, and obliged everyone.
At first, people crowded forward, afraid of missing their chance if they were too late. Later, someone stepped in to maintain order, and the crowd formed two lines, eagerly waiting to receive Lu Jing’s autograph.
Lin Shen stood to the side, watching the two long lines. He couldn’t decide whether to join or not.
As he hesitated, someone called out to him, “Lin Shen, aren’t you a fan of Lu Jing? Why aren’t you lining up? Do you not have any paper?”
It was a female actress from the crew who had been standing beside him earlier. She must have overheard Xiao Xu’s remark to Lin Shen, “He has you in his heart.”
After calling out to him, she looked down at the notebook in her hands, searching for the right angle to tear out a page. “It’s fine, I have extra. If you don’t mind, I can give you one.”
Lu Jing looked like he would be busy for a while. Standing idly by would seem odd, and leaving now was out of the question.
Since he had nothing better to do, Lin Shen thanked the actress, took the paper, and joined the back of the line.
Xiao Xu, of course, wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. Even though he knew the person he followed around all day was the genuine, legally married partner of the top star Lu Jing, chances to get Lu Jing’s autograph were still rare for him.
So, shamelessly, he asked the actress for a sheet of paper as well and lined up behind Lin Shen, chatting idly with him. “Bro, do you think Lu Jing would be willing to sign a personalized autograph for us?”
Lin Shen glanced at the line ahead. “I don’t know.”
“Bro, do you have Lu Jing’s autograph?”
Lin Shen actually wasn’t sure either, as he had lost several years of memories with Lu Jing.
Recalling briefly, he didn’t remember seeing Lu Jing’s signature at home, so he shook his head. “Probably not.”
Xiao Xu clearly hadn’t expected that answer. “Bro, you’re so close to the source, yet you’ve wasted such a great opportunity.”
Lin Shen couldn’t help but recall a certain evening on the sofa when Lu Jing had also said to him, “The moon is closest to the balcony,” and then, under the pretense of teaching, pressed him down onto the sofa, whispering in a voice dripping with allure that the day’s lesson was “sexual tension.”
Shaking his head, Lin Shen forced those automatically conjured, inappropriate images out of his mind. Another voice came from behind him, “What do you mean ‘close to the source’? Lin Shen, have you worked with Lu Jing before?”
Lin Shen didn’t understand why these people’s ears were so sharp. With so many people talking in the crowd, they had somehow caught that one remark.
What surprised him even more was that someone actually knew he had some connection with Lu Jing.
“Wasn’t it Film Emperor Lu who helped Lin Shen out when he got coffee spilled on him not long ago? I happened to be in the same lounge as Lin Shen that day.”
This statement undoubtedly exploded in the ears of everyone present, with many casting surprised or envious glances toward Lin Shen.
Lin Shen had no other choice but to brace himself and hastily fabricate a lie to explain: “That day, Film Emperor Lu just happened to pass by and saw what happened. He helped me because he’s also an investor in Chiyun. Seeing a problem with his investment, of course he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”
Lu Jing was indeed a shareholder in Chiyun. After hearing Lin Shen’s words, the group was half-convinced, half-doubting.
“Since Lin Shen has some connection with Lu Jing, how about this, Lin Shen? When it’s your turn later, help us ask Film Emperor Lu if he’d be willing to sign personalized autographs for us.”
The suggestion came from a minor supporting actor in the group. He had also auditioned for the third male lead role back then, but in the end, Lin Shen got the part, leaving him to play an insignificant role. He had always harbored some resentment over this.
Usually, when he deliberately made things difficult for Lin Shen, Lin Shen would pretend not to notice, thinking it better to avoid trouble and brush it off. But today, with so many people present and his request being something everyone actually wanted, Lin Shen found himself in a dilemma.
“Lin Shen, just give it a try. I heard Film Emperor Lu rarely agrees to sign autographs for actors and crew on set, but he agreed today, which means he’s in a pretty good mood. Maybe he’ll agree to personalized autographs too.”
“Yeah, Lin Shen. You’re the only one here who’s had any interaction with Film Emperor Lu. The rest of us haven’t even had a chance to show our faces in front of him.”
“Lin Shen, you’re the most suitable among us.”
“Lin Shen, you’d want a personalized autograph from Film Emperor Lu too, right? This is a rare opportunity. Just give it a try.”
Everyone chattered away, urging Lin Shen on. Lin Shen felt caught in the middle, unable to refuse any longer.
The person who first made the suggestion was still watching him, waiting for him to take on this thankless task.
Knowing he couldn’t escape, Lin Shen simply stopped resisting: “Alright, I’ll give it a try later.”
As soon as they heard his definite answer, everyone quickly made room for him, letting him move to the front of the line so he could make the request sooner.
Thus, Lin Shen was pushed forward by the crowd until he stood before Lu Jing.
Noticing the commotion, Lu Jing finished signing one autograph and looked up, meeting Lin Shen’s somewhat nervous eyes.