Chapter 11 – Gathering
Before the evening shoot, Jiang Liusui hadn’t had much of an appetite and only ate a little. Now he was genuinely a bit hungry.
His cheeks puffed out slightly as he took small, delicate bites of the scone, his manner of eating still pleasing to the eye.
Su Wan, amused by him, smiled and asked, “Is it really that delicious?”
Jiang Liusui nodded, then realized he had eaten almost half of the scones himself and stopped, a little embarrassed. “Thank you, Teacher Su. I’ve eaten too much. I’ll stop now.”
“It’s fine, keep eating. The others aren’t really having any.”
The female artists present, although tempted, dared not eat much to maintain their figures, while the male artists mostly had little interest in sweets. Su Wan rested her chin on her hand and watched him. “You probably don’t know, but that night at the club, I actually recommended you to He Yujing. Didn’t expect he would really cast you for the MV.”
As she spoke, Su Wan casually glanced toward Jiang Liusui. He Yujing stayed composed, as if he hadn’t even heard his name.
“You know me?”
“No need to be so formal. Just call me Sister Su. I’ve seen the dramas you’ve acted in.”
Jiang Liusui’s eyes widened in surprise. Su Wan took advantage of the moment: “By the way, how about I visit you on set tomorrow? My younger sister really likes you. It’d be a good chance to get an autograph for her.”
He didn’t think much of it and was about to agree when He Yujing, who had been listening nearby, pinched his waist in time.
His waist was a sensitive spot. Jiang Liusui nearly shivered and suddenly remembered running into Su Wan bringing He Yujing supper earlier. It dawned on him that her intentions weren’t purely about visiting the set[mfn]醉翁之意不在酒 (zuì wēng zhī yì bù zài jiǔ) – lit. The drunk man’s intention is not in the wine; someone’s real purpose lies elsewhere[/mfn]—seeing He Yujing was the real goal.
The man beside him said indifferently, “We’re almost done filming, and the set is crowded and inconvenient. Next time, just meet him alone.”
Being refused so subtly once again, Su Wan felt a pang of sadness well up inside her.
In front of others, she still managed to maintain a smile. “Alright then. We’ll talk about it another time if there’s a chance.”
Jiang Liusui pretended not to notice the underlying tension[mfn]暗潮汹涌 (àn cháo xiōng yǒng) – lit. hidden tides are surging[/mfn] and agreed cheerfully. Chi Lianxi, seeing He Yujing’s expression, realized he had made a mistake and quickly changed the subject, asking Jiang Liusui, “I’ve actually been meaning to ask—did you teach He Yujing some kind of secret technique? How did you wrap up so early today?”
He clapped He Yujing on the shoulder, bold and unrestrained. “I thought, given our big brother’s unparalleled acting skills, we wouldn’t see you until after midnight at least.”
“Don’t disgust me.”
That “big brother” remark gave He Yujing goosebumps all over. He lit a cigarette and casually brushed Chi Lianxi’s hand away: “If I’d had any interest in acting, you would’ve been crushed[mfn]碾压 (niǎn yā) – lit. to crush by rolling over (steamrolled)[/mfn] by me since the year you debuted.”
Chi Lianxi wore an expression of disbelief. He Yujing gestured toward Jiang Liusui. “If you don’t believe me, ask him.”
Jiang Liusui was still thinking about what had just happened and didn’t notice he was being addressed. He Yujing, with his long legs stretched out, lazily nudged him with his knee.
“Teacher Jiang, your evaluation.”
Jiang Liusui snapped back to his senses and nearly choked at the form of address.
“Cough… cough… Brother Yu’s acting is quite good,” he said, hastily grabbing the lemon water on the table and downing it in one go.
“Come on, little brother, are you too embarrassed to tear him down?” Chi Lianxi said, puzzled. “But your director is Huang Zhicheng. With Director Huang’s temper, he wouldn’t go easy on anyone[mfn]放水 (fàng shuǐ) – lit. let water through[/mfn]… Do you know what Director Huang kept telling me while filming ⟪A Thousand Lantersn⟫ last time?”
He Yujing and Jiang Liusui spoke almost in unison: “Next take will definitely be better.”
“Yes, yes, that’s the one! You two are pretty in sync,” Chi Lianxi looked pained[mfn]苦不堪言 (kǔ bù kān yán) – lit. the suffering is unbearable to speak of[/mfn]. “Director Huang would encourage me while calling NG after NG—more than twenty times. He nearly drove me insane.”
Chi Lianxi recounted the story vividly, drawing laughter from those around them. He Yujing suddenly remarked, “There was an intimate scene tonight…”
Hearing him mention the intimate scene, several people chuckled, their gazes intentionally or unintentionally drifting toward Jiang Liusui. He Yujing paused briefly before adding, “We nailed it in one take.”
“Impressive.” Chi Lianxi expressed sincere admiration. “Is this really the He Yujing I know? I must toast to you.”
He Yujing smiled with satisfaction and was about to clink glasses when Chi Lianxi turned toward Jiang Liusui, his wine glass swerving mid-air. “You’ve worked hard, managing to pass in one take while dragging along such a huge deadweight.”
He Yujing laughed in exasperation. Jiang Liusui was about to grab an empty glass from the table to pour himself a drink when He Yujing lightly patted the back of his hand.
Jiang Liusui didn’t understand his intention. “What’s wrong?”
While he was speaking, He Yujing directly pushed the glass he was about to take further away. Chi Lianxi thought the young master was displeased and tried to smooth things over with a teasing tone, “Hey now? Don’t get upset. Look how gentle your little brother is being with you.”
“He doesn’t drink.” After saying this, He Yujing lowered his voice to tell Jiang Liusui, “It’s fine, you can just drink water.”
Only then did Jiang Liusui remember—before coming, he really had told He Yujing that he wasn’t very good with alcohol.
Someone who noticed this asked, “Alcohol allergy?”
He wasn’t allergic—his alcohol tolerance was just terrible. One glass would leave him completely disoriented, answering whatever questions people asked him.
Just as Jiang Liusui was about to respond, He Yujing spoke first, “He’s not drinking today.”
Everyone there was a seasoned social operator[mfn]人精 (rén jīng) – lit. human essence; describes someone who is extremely shrewd, socially savvy, and good at reading people and situations.[/mfn]. Even though He Yujing’s answer was vague to the point of being dismissive, no one pushed any further. Chi Lianxi proactively clinked his wine glass against Jiang Liusui’s glass of lemon water, smiling as he said, “I’ll switch to water later too. Gotta take care of my health.”
Someone immediately teased, “No way, Brother Chi! Didn’t you say today you were going to drink Brother Yu into the ground[mfn]灌趴下 (guàn pā xià) – lit. to pour (alcohol) until someone collapses[/mfn]?”
“Yeah, you can’t have him drinking alcohol while you’re on water.”
Chi Lianxi fiddled with the dice cup in his hand. “With Brother Yu’s drinking capacity, do we even need to try? He’ll get drunk on his own after a few drinks.”
He Yujing laughed and cursed lightly, not denying it. Jiang Liusui asked curiously,
“Is your alcohol tolerance really that bad?”
“It’s decent,” He Yujing replied casually. “Just that my drinking manners aren’t great. I tend to go a bit crazy when I’m drunk.”
Jiang Liusui nodded, slightly surprised.
From the way he usually carried himself, He Yujing didn’t look like someone who would use alcohol as an excuse to act recklessly.
Remembering his friend’s consistently[mfn]十年如一日 (shí nián rú yī rì) – lit. ten years like one day[/mfn] poor drinking capacity over the past decade, Chi Lianxi joked, “I mean, if you get a girlfriend in the future, how are you going to help her ward off drinks?”
He Yujing didn’t respond either way. After repeated pestering from Chi Lianxi, he finally snapped impatiently, “Why should I do something like that? It’d be more like her helping ward off drinks for me.”
“……” Chi Lianxi fell silent for a moment. “Impressive. You really do have the temperament of a pampered young master who can’t stand being wronged.”
He Yujing’s complete lack of pretense[mfn]摆烂 (bǎi làn) – lit. showing something is rotten; in modern slang it means to give up trying, do something poorly on purpose, or stop caring about the outcome. It’s like resigned laziness or letting things fail intentionally.[/mfn] drew another round of laughter from those around them. “If Brother Yu had a girlfriend, she’d probably be driven mad by him. Just think about how he often ignores people when he’s working—he definitely wouldn’t treat a girlfriend much better.”
“What girlfriend? All these years, have you ever seen him show interest in anyone?”
“No matter how beautiful the love songs are, they’re all lies. With the way he does whatever he wants, expecting him to be gentle and patient is harder than reaching the sky.”
“I know, I know. If someone asked him why he can’t be as considerate as other people’s boyfriends, he would definitely say—’Then go find someone else.’”
“Hahahahahaha, I can practically hear him saying it! He Yujing, tell me—isn’t that you?”
Amid the teasing from everyone, the person in question neither denied nor confirmed it. Seeing his demeanor, Jiang Liusui joined in the banter: “You really do seem like a scumbag.”
He Yujing glanced sideways at him: “Who are you calling a scumbag[mfn]渣男 (zhā nán) – lit. a worthless man; a man who is untrustworthy in relationships, often selfish, deceitful, or emotionally manipulative, especially in romantic contexts.[/mfn]?”
Although it was a challenge, his tone was noticeably softer compared to how he spoke to Chi Lianxi.
A young man nearby had been sneaking glances at Jiang Liusui and finally spoke up. “Are you from the Performing Arts department at National University of Arts?”
Jiang Liusui turned to look at him.
“No wonder. I was staring for a while, thinking you looked familiar. My friend once had a crush on you!”
“Lu Zhun, remember? He’s in the Broadcasting department.” Seeing Jiang Liusui’s blank expression, the young man added with a teasing smile, “Could it be that you had too many admirers and can’t remember?”
He Yujing noticed the young man’s teasing tone and gave him a glance—half amused, half warning. “Watch your words.”
The young man scratched his nose, smiled apologetically, and then said to Jiang Liusui, “Honestly, you’re like someone’s white moonlight[mfn]白月光 (bái yuè guāng) – a metaphor for someone’s pure, untainted first love or idealized love.[/mfn]. Come your graduation day, he’ll show up with flowers, maybe even confess all over again.”
“Why don’t you consider it?”
“Consider it? Not a chance[mfn]考虑个屁 (kǎo lǜ gè pì) – lit. consider? my ass; a very informal, rude way to reject the idea of thinking or considering something, implying it’s not even worth thinking about.[/mfn],” He Yujing cut him off. “You’re talking about the one from Tianyuan, right? The youngest son of Lu Chengtai? He switches girlfriends like he switches clothes.”
“Having more romantic experiences doesn’t matter. If Xiao Jiang agrees to him, he’ll naturally settle down. Besides, our Young Master Lu is quite capable and generous; in the future, getting resources for Xiao Jiang would be a piece of cake…”
The young man was a little drunk and spoke without thinking. He Yujing, feeling annoyed, was just about to tell him to shut up.
“Then why would he need other girlfriends?” Jiang Liusui said lightly. “Even if I don’t agree, shouldn’t he only like me?”
All eyes turned toward him. Jiang Liusui rested his chin on his hand casually, but the arrogance and superiority in his gaze were unmistakable.
The young man stared at him blankly, unable to comprehend how his friend’s white moonlight had suddenly revealed such a bewitching side. Jiang Liusui smiled and brushed off the topic: “Let’s talk about it later. It’s not like anything is settled yet. Who knows, maybe he doesn’t even like me anymore.”
He Yujing couldn’t help but grin at how swiftly Jiang Liusui had flipped his expression.
He’d almost forgotten.
This guy might seem easygoing, but at his core, he’s sharp.
That fierce, wicked edge of his had not only intimidated Wu Qi in the dressing room back then but had even left He Yujing momentarily stunned.
The young man wasn’t offended, instead, he gave Jiang Liusui a thumbs-up: “Alright, now I understand why Lu Zhun likes you.”
The atmosphere returned to its lively, boisterous state. Chi Lianxi reached for his cigarette case only to find it empty: “He Yujing, do you have any cigarettes left?”
The room was thick with smoke. Jiang Liusui, who’d been obediently sipping water all along, licked his lips with a hint of curiosity[mfn]心痒 (xīn yǎng) – lit. heart is itchy; describes a feeling of restlessness, curiosity, or a strong desire to do something[/mfn]. “I want one too.”
He Yujing looked surprised: “You smoke?”
As he spoke, he picked up the cigarette case on the table and handed one to Chi Lianxi and Jiang Liusui. On set, Huang Zhicheng was a habitual smoker, and He Yujing himself smoked occasionally, but Jiang Liusui had never been influenced by either of them. This was the first time He Yujing had seen him smoke.
“I don’t smoke often.” Jiang Liusui said, his voice slightly muffled around the cigarette. A slender, elegant hand reached over, nudged the lighter, and held the flame to his cigarette.
Seeing He Yujing light it for him personally, Jiang Liusui smiled warmly. “Thanks. I guess I won’t call you a scumbag anymore.”
“How come you never light mine?”
He Yujing had no idea what had gotten into Chi Lianxi tonight—the man kept butting in[mfn]掺一脚 (chān yī jiǎo) – lit. stick one foot in[/mfn] everywhere: “You’ve got hands, don’t you?”
“Got it—only for little brother, then,” Chi Lianxi said with a nod. “If you treat your future girlfriend as well as you treat him, you’ll never be lonely[mfn]孤独终老 (gū dú zhōng lǎo) – lit. grow old alone in loneliness[/mfn].”
Jiang Liusui, who had been idly scrolling on his phone, looked up with an amused smile at their conversation.
He looked deceptively young—slip him into a school uniform, and anyone might think he was still in high school. Yet Jiang Liusui wasn’t the innocent, well-behaved type—his delicate features carried a decadent allure beneath their purity. The thin tendrils of smoke only amplified it, making him seem both languid and intoxicating as he drew on his cigarette.
“Your little brother’s got quite the personality,” Chi Lianxi admitted, momentarily stunned by Jiang Liusui’s aura. A mischievous thought struck him, and he whispered to He Yujing, “Should I ask for his contact info? We’re probably four or five years apart—is that acceptable?”
He Yujing was about to answer, when he suddenly remembered that Jiang Liusui was a fan of Chi Lianxi.
Although after seeing him in person, Jiang Liusui didn’t act extremely excited like most fans, if Chi Lianxi spoke, there was a high probability he would respond.
He Yujing met the eager man’s gaze for a moment before stating objectively: “You’re too old, you’re not a match.”
“……”
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Author’s Note:
Jing’er, how old are you again? Aren’t you the same age as Chi Lianxi?
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