Chapter 81.1
Editor: Jodi
When the plane arrived in S City, Xu Luoyang was still feeling a bit dizzy. Zheng Dong checked his temperature for the third time, then was relieved when he saw that he didn’t have a fever. “No fever, it seems it’s a simple cold.”
Xu Luoyang coughed twice, then shrank into his chair, not wanting to move, his voice a bit hoarse as he said, “I clearly drank lots of hot cocoa every day to stay healthy, yet I’ve still caught a cold!”
There had been hints of it while he was packing, however as there wasn’t much time, he didn’t think much of it, hence when he got on the plane and he started coughing and sneezing, even feeling cold with both the heater on and in his puffy jacket, he felt as if he had nothing left to live for.
Seeing his pitiful state, Zheng Dong gave him two pills for cold, “Take these, they are very good, and take two more before you walk down the red carpet. Remember to wear your hat and mask, it’s cold outside.”
Xu Luoyang nodded, then sneezed again, tears following, and imagining himself sneezing while walking down the red carpet, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Just after they got off the plane, Lu Di called to tell him that there were many fans and reporters waiting at the airport and asked if Xu Luoyang wanted to take the special route.
Not answering right away, Xu Luoyang turned to Zheng Dong, “Zheng Ge, how many security personnel did we hire this time?”
“Eight.”
Reassured, Xu Luoyang nodded then rasped into his phone, “We won’t take the special route. Zheng Ge brought a lot of people, so they can hold back the reporters.”
Exiting the pickup area, Xu Luoyang saw that Lu Di hadn’t been exaggerating at all, as a glance revealed a crowd, packed in tightly. Only that although there were a lot of people present, they held their signs with his name quietly, only letting out low screams when they saw him before quickly settling down again.
Xu Luoyang made a heart shape with his hands, then was about to speak when he realized that his throat was half hoarse now, so after hesitating for a couple of seconds, he borrowed paper and a pen from Zheng Dong, wrote four words on it first then raised it for his fans to see.
——Long time no see!
Then hearing his fans respond with ‘ it’s been a long time’, his eyes curved into a smile. Getting another piece of paper, he scribbled a few big words on it quickly, “I’m fine, how about you guys?”
This time, the responses were varied, with some telling him to take care of himself, others telling him they were fine and some reminding him that it was very windy outside. Xu Luoyang smiled as he listened to them speak, and it was only after about half a minute that he wrote again, “I have to go.” Then he immediately switched to another paper, “Stay safe, everyone!”
With very tacit understanding, as Xu Luoyang retrieved the last paper, the fans surrounding him parted, creating a path, and intentionally or unintentionally shielded him from the reporters.
Once inside the artist’s car, Xu Luoyang asked Zheng Dong for the two pictures he had taken on the scene just now, took a selfie, then posted them on Weibo, “Thank you for coming to pick me up. Keep warm and stay safe!”
From the start of his career, Xu Luoyang had treated fans this way, and Zheng Dong was already used to his various ways of pampering his fans, so he just waited for him to finish then handed him a thermos cup. “Drink some hot water and take a quick nap. I’ll call you when we’re at the hotel.”
Xu Luoyang nodded, his gaze shifting from the screen, a hint of disappointment on his face. “I messaged Chang’an as soon as I got off the plane, but he replied saying that none of his work were shortlisted, so he won’t walk the red carpet.”
Fingers tapping the screen with more force, he said in frustration, “I was hoping to meet him. It’s been two weeks since he came to visit on set, I don’t know if he has lost weight.”
Zheng Dong’s lips moved, but he swallowed the words he had been about to say and redirected the conversation. “What’s there to be frustrated about? After the Golden Maple Awards, you and him will walk the red carpet together for ‘Divergent Road,’ the movie you both starred in at the Flanders Film Festival.”
Xu Luoyang slumped back against the chair, listless. “But I really want to see him.”
“…”
If you want to spread dog food, just say it!
After they arrived at the hotel arranged by the organizers, Xu Luoyang didn’t have the time to feel down. Putting his things down, he took the opportunity to greet a few familiar seniors on the same floor, then after that, Mu Lan and Tian Ya Ya grabbed him for fittings, hairstyling, and makeup.
However, this time, considering that he had a cold, Mu Lan didn’t stop him from tucking hand warmers into his clothes, although she stood by, looking slightly disgusted the entire time.
Because of the needs of his role, Xu Luoyang had gotten a bit thinner than before, returning to a weight of sixty-two kilograms, hence he had four hand warmers stuck to his waist, making it hard to tell once he put on his clothes. He also placed two foot warmers in his shoes, and after taking two steps, smiled, “With these warmers, I’m not afraid to go anywhere in the world!”
After tidying up, he joined the crew. Inside, he greeted Director Chu Wei, then said, “Director Chu, I’m really sorry. I was filming abroad before, that’s why I couldn’t make it for the promotional activities.”
Regardless of whether Director Chu Wei cared or not, he had to express his apologies.
“It’s not your fault. I know Meng Huazhang’s temperament. He was worried about affecting the character’s state, so he definitely wouldn’t have released you.”
Chu Wei handed him some peanuts casually and asked, “What about Chang’an? He didn’t come with you?”
Xu Luoyang took the peanuts with both hands, and Chu Wei asking about Qi Chang’an, he replied with a smile, “Chang’an has been filming ‘Divergent Road’ these past two years, so he didn’t come this time. But in a few days, we’ll attend the Flanders Film Festival together. ‘Divergent Road’ has already been submitted.”
“He’s not here?” Director Chu Wei’s peanut peeling paused momentarily. He glanced at Xu Luoyang’s smile, then focused on his hands. “I understand.”
Just then, someone called Xu Luoyang and turning around, he saw Xia Nan approaching.
“Luoyang! I was just wondering if you had arrived yet.” Xia Nan was in a tailored suit, his tie dark red, matching his gentle demeanor well.
Xu Luoyang greeted him politely, then chuckled, “Prince Yingchuan, long time no see!”
In the movie ‘Chaotic World’, Xia Nan played the younger brother of Emperor Zichu, Prince Yingchuan Zixin.
Xia Nan’s smile widened as he teased, “Your Majesty, it’s been a while. How’s your health?”
“Zhen’s dragon body is very healthy!”
With that, the male lead Fan Li and female lead Ge Na also approached, exchanging greetings with Chu Wei. The main actors were almost all together, and even though their thoughts might differ, they appeared cheerful.
Noticing Xia Nan standing beside Xu Luoyang, actively looking for topics to engage him in conversation, Chu Wei took out his phone and sent a message to Qi Chang’an.
“Someone is eyeing your little sugar cake again and wants to snatch him.”
Qi Chang’an’s response was quick, “Can’t snatch him.”
Seeing those three words, one could imagine Qi Chang’an’s tone and expression. Chu Wei typed again, “You didn’t tell him you’re coming?”
“No, I want to surprise him.”
Chu Wei looked at the response on the screen, then replied briefly, “There’s a generation gap, I don’t get it. I’ll keep an eye on him for you.”
Turning off his phone, he looked up at Xu Luoyang, “Luoyang, come here for a moment.”
Hearing his name, Xu Luoyang apologized to Xia Nan then walked over, “Director Chu, you called me?”
“En.” He had called him over. Chu Wei paused for a few seconds before he thought of a topic, “You’ve been filming with Director Meng Huazhang’s crew, what have you learnt?”
Xu Luoyang stood up straight subconsciously, feeling as if he was being questioned by the head teacher. He racked his brains to come up with an answer.
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