Chapter 66.2
The next day, Xu Luoyang indulged himself by sleeping until noon and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to finish reading the letter Qi Chang’an had written to him. The letter wasn’t long. He read it over and over, about seven or eight times and each time he finished, he’d hide under the covers and giggle quietly then read it again.
After enjoying Qi Chang’an’s help with getting dressed, Xu Luoyang put on his slippers and got out of bed to brush his teeth. Suddenly, he heard his phone ring. With his toothbrush in his mouth, he called out Qi Chang’an’s name and soon his phone was handed to him.
“It’s Zheng Dong.”
Xu Luoyang put it on speaker immediately, “Zheng Ge, I’m brushing my teeth, what’s up?”
“It’s urgent! I’ve sent you a script, give it a careful look and get back to me right away. If you want to act in it, I’ll roll up my sleeves and fight for it!”
It had been a long time since Zheng Dong had been this passionate. Xu Luoyang spat out the white foam from his mouth, “Alright, I’ll read it and get back to you!”
After finishing his brushing and washing quickly, Xu Luoyang opened the script. As soon as he saw the first page, he knew why Zheng Dong was so fired up.
“Chang’an, it’s actually directed by Du Ruanlan!” Xu Luoyang took a sip of the honey water passed to his lips, moistening his somewhat sore throat then continued, “However, I heard that Director Du’s movie was already in preparation before the year started?”
“En, I heard that too. Guo Wei was set to play the lead male role.”
“Is Guo Wei not acting in it anymore?” Xu Luoyang couldn’t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He ate a few bites of food randomly then started reading the script.
The film was titled ‘Against the Light’ and told the story of a narcotics cop named Ding Xuan. In order to get close to a jailed drug lord and uncover the hidden clues behind several connected cases, Ding Xuan forged an identity and entered the prison. Only a third of the story was in the script, causing Xu Luoyang, who was at an exciting part to be extremely frustrated by the cliffhanger. He called Zheng Dong hurriedly, “Zheng Ge, is there a continuation? Was Ding Xuan discovered or not?”
“You’ll only get the rest of the plot once you join the crew. So, tell me, are you going to act in it or not?”
Instead of answering right away, Xu Luoyang asked, “I remember there were rumors before that Director Du had finished preparing by the end of last year. Why are they suddenly looking for a male lead again? Are there problems with the investors or did the previous lead cause problems?”
“Caused problems. Guo Wei and his team demanded a raise in pay, a significant one. Du Ruanlan disagreed and both sides had a serious dispute. Moreover, Guo Wei’s side played tricks and the contract wasn’t finalized. So when it was time to start filming, Guo Wei simply dropped the project.” Zheng Dong had a clear understanding of the situation and added, “Du Ruanlan and Director Chu are friends. The reason he’s considering you is because Director Chu recommended you.”
Xu Luoyang patted Qi Chang’an’s thigh, “Let’s do it! Guo Wei breached the contract over money, so even if there’s a dispute later, it won’t involve us. Besides, I don’t mind the pay like he does. I can even contribute funds to the production!”
“Our company cares about the money though. If you take this role, you’ll have to accept three more endorsements to make up for the money. That way, no one in the company will be able to complain.”
“Alright, Zheng Ge, please help me handle this.” Xu Luoyang stared at the script, his mind filled with thoughts of the movie. “So how soon can I meet Director Du?”
“Tomorrow night will do. As usual, familiarize yourself with the script in case they suddenly want to test you with lines.”
“Don’t worry!”
With the serious matter discussed, Zheng Dong teased him, “Our birthday boy isn’t celebrating his birthday anymore?”
Xu Luoyang was full of confidence, “Who has time for a birthday? I’m memorizing the script!”
After hanging up, Xu Luoyang jumped happily on Qi Chang’an, “I’m so excited! If the negotiations go well, I can act in Director Du’s movie!”
Du Ruanlan and Chu Wei were both known as ‘The Two Wonders’, with similar status and qualifications in the industry. They had been close friends for many years and both had unconventional filmmaking habits. However their works were almost always considered classics.
Qi Chang’an held him firmly, “You can definitely do it.”
In a hurry, Xu Luoyang ate two more fruits, printed out the script, and started reading it aloud over and over. Then finding that the effect wasn’t very good, he simply asked Qi Chang’an to rehearse with him. The more he read the lines, the more excited he became. He paused midway, “The scriptwriter is really amazing. The plot and pacing are fantastic! There’s a lot of dialogue and action scenes, so filming it will definitely be exhausting.” But despite saying this, his smile only grew brighter.
“En, Ding Xuan has a strong sense of depth, even more three dimensional than the emperor you played in ‘Chaotic World’. Plus, although there are many characters in the entire script, Ding Xuan is undoubtedly the male lead.” Qi Chang’an analyzed it carefully for Xu Luoyang. When he finished, he suddenly noticed Xu Luoyang’s smile fading. He was confused, “Nao Nao, what’s wrong?”
“Chang’an.” Xu Luoyang closed the script, hesitating a bit, “Are you planning…. to quit acting?”
Qi Chang’an was taken aback but didn’t answer directly, “Why would you think that?”
“It’s not as if you’ve been hiding it from me. Lately, I’ve noticed that you’ve been reading finance related materials, books, documents and various financial reports and investment proposals. That’s why I started wondering about it.”
Qi Chang’an was silent for a few seconds before asking, “If I quit acting, would you be very disappointed?”
“I would be a little disappointed.” Xu Luoyang replied carefully, “After all, I’ve always considered you my goal since a long time ago, wanting to reach your level of acting and to become as good as you. Every time I think like this, I feel very motivated! But, I believe that everyone has the freedom to do what they want and what makes them happy, including you. Chang’an, whatever you want to do, as long as it makes you happy, you don’t need to worry about other people’s opinions, including mine.”
Qi Chang’an intertwined his fingers with Xu Luoyang’s, stroking his palm gently as he answered seriously, “I don’t plan to give up acting completely, but my focus will shift in the future.”
Looking at Qi Chang’an, Xu Luoyang asked softly, “It’s for us, isn’t it?”
———
Xu Nao Nao’s little emotions:
The models don’t match, it can’t get in!!!!
qaq
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Aigoooo the bolt is too big for the nut q_q
Not that the models don’t match….it’s just that XLY’s model needs a break-in period