Perfect Divorce [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 29.2

“Don’t carry a burden. Analyze emotion and logic separately and ask yourself what your inner thoughts are,” Zhu Yueming said.

Yuan Xingzhou was stunned. He did have a bit of “idol burden” and took the pressure of whether he would be popular or if he would make money upon himself, forgetting that this was essentially a commercial activity.

Whether he could make money was a question of the company’s vision. And if they truly wanted to operate, there were many problems waiting to be solved; the other side might not even agree.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Yuan Xingzhou said gratefully. “Hearing it put this way, I understand immediately.”

Zhu Yueming said gently, “You’re a perfectionist; the demands you place on yourself are too high.”

Yuan Xingzhou didn’t want to admit it, but he knew Zhu Yueming was right, so he laughed sheepishly.

“Are you free tonight?” Zhu Yueming couldn’t help but ask. “I’d like to take you out for dinner. I’ll pick you up.”

Yuan Xingzhou was stunned by the sudden jump to a dinner invitation. He froze and turned to look at the gym’s wall clock, only to see Ye Huai and Wen Ting walking in.

“Let’s make it tomorrow.” Yuan Xingzhou also wanted to thank him, but today was Saturday, and he wanted to wait to see if the show had been edited maliciously tonight.

“Okay,” Zhu Yueming laughed.

Yuan Xingzhou thought of something else: “Just the two of us?”

Zhu Yueming said understandingly, “I can invite a few other classmates along.”

Yuan Xingzhou’s small scheme was seen through, and he laughed embarrassedly.

“Don’t laugh,” Zhu Yueming couldn’t help but laugh as well, saying with some annoyance, “I really shouldn’t have been so open. It was fine before, but now we have to avoid suspicion.”

Dealing with smart people was truly a relief; one didn’t need to worry about awkwardness, and even if an awkward scene appeared, the other side would cleverly resolve it.

Yuan Xingzhou hung up and let out a sigh of relief before walking over to Wen Ting and Ye Huai. “What a coincidence. You two came to work out too?”

“Do I look like it?” Wen Ting laughed. “I thought it looked like you just now, so I came over to say hi. Hey… what’s that on your foot?”

Yuan Xingzhou had changed into shorts for his workout, thus revealing the black anklet. Wen Ting gave an ambiguous look. Yuan Xingzhou looked down and immediately flushed, instinctively wanting to take it off.

Ye Huai’s expression froze slightly as he gave him a look containing a subtle threat.

“It’s quite unique.” Wen Ting looked at him and then at Ye Huai, but said, “Anyway, I have something to do, so I’m off. Are you two heading back together?”

“Yeah,” Ye Huai said. “See you tomorrow.”

“Why did you come to the company?” Seeing Wen Ting walk away, Yuan Xingzhou turned to get his clothes and asked Ye Huai curiously. “Isn’t today Saturday?”

“To look at a script,” Ye Huai said. “Are you heading back?”

Yuan Xingzhou put on his jacket and picked up his pants. “Yeah.”

Ye Huai gave him a strange look. “Not going on a date?”

“When was I going on a date?” Yuan Xingzhou knew he must have heard those last two sentences. He explained, “I was just on the phone with our class president, asking about the singing thing. After asking, I thought we could all get together for a meal.”

Then he added, “With other classmates too.”

Ye Huai: “Anyone bringing kids?”

Yuan Xingzhou: “???”

“I don’t know.” Yuan Xingzhou didn’t understand his train of thought, so he could only speak truthfully. “Maybe there will be. A lot of my classmates have their second child already.”

Ye Huai then nodded and went downstairs and into the car as if nothing had happened.

Yuan Xingzhou noticed the man was driving a Bentley today. He was dying of envy and hurriedly opened the door and climbed in.

“Wen Ting showed me a script,” Ye Huai said slowly when they were almost home. “But I haven’t decided yet. How do you ‘act’ in a drama?”

Yuan Xingzhou had known from the beginning that Ye Huai would eventually act, but he hadn’t expected it so soon.

“What script?” He was a bit curious. “Is it a lead role?”

“No,” Ye Huai gave an “un-huh.” “The lead is Fu Sheng.”

Yuan Xingzhou: “The Movie King?!”

Only then did Yuan Xingzhou realize the script Ye Huai was talking about was a film script. Upon asking further, it was indeed so. Furthermore, the script had come to him; the producer had taken an interest in Ye Huai and wanted him to play the Movie King’s younger brother—a police and bandit film, a big production, with a rich character arc and high energy throughout.

Ye Huai had read a few pages of the script and liked it in his heart, but he wasn’t sure if he should take it.

Yuan Xingzhou was speechless. In his years of being a diligent supporting actor, he was already considered to have risen quickly, yet even a decent lead role was something he had to hope for. Meanwhile, Ye Huai had no experience at all but was chosen for a movie…

But on second thought, it wasn’t unreasonable. Ye Huai’s starting point was high, and his physical appearance was excellent; directors seemed to love studying his face. And great directors didn’t seem to fear whether an actor’s skill was mature—they would mold them into what they wanted.

Ye Huai: “I originally thought that if I were to act, I’d learn a bit first.”

The two returned home. Yuan Xingzhou remained in a state of being “struck by lightning,” following behind in a daze. Ye Huai, however, turned back thoughtfully. “Or you could teach me?”

Yuan Xingzhou: “Ah?”

Ye Huai: “…”

“What’s with that idiot expression?” Ye Huai frowned. “Are you jealous of me?”

“Yes!” Yuan Xingzhou let out a wail, wishing he could cling to his thigh. “Why! Why is your luck so good!”

“Is it just luck?” Ye Huai asked with a serious face, adding meaningfully, “This is clearly the result of my hard work! I spent the time that some people use for flirting and going on dates on my work. This is what I deserve!”

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

Yuan Xingzhou thought, Just keep lying through your teeth, trying to fool me again. Besides, where did I flirt with anyone?

He grumbled inwardly, but fearing he couldn’t win an argument against Ye Huai, he could only curl his lip and admit defeat.

After dinner, Ye Huai turned on the TV, took the script, propped his feet on the coffee table, and had Yuan Xingzhou run lines with him.

Yuan Xingzhou could only divide his attention: first, checking the TV to see if Ye Huai’s scenes appeared; then, looking at the script to help him memorize lines; and finally, browsing Weibo to see what everyone was saying.

However, even by the middle of the show when commercials were airing, there was still no sign of him or Ye Huai.

Ye Huai had clearly lost interest in the boring task of memorizing lines. He tossed the script aside and started playing on his phone. Yuan Xingzhou let out a sigh of relief and waited both nervously and bashfully.

Finally… after the commercial break, the words “Departing” appeared on the screen. He and Ye Huai were finally shown.

The footage of them on the road lasted only two or three seconds. Yuan Xingzhou was surprised to find that on TV, he was actually glowing white. When standing with the lead cameraman, the latter was practically made to look like charcoal in comparison.

There were also people discussing it on Weibo—clearly spontaneous viewers. Someone remarked that his skin was truly white, asking if it was the legendary cool-toned white; someone else said it was obviously skin-whitening injections, asking how an Asian person could be that white. There were also protests against the crew for “preferential treatment” and giving him individual lighting.

Yuan Xingzhou: “…”

Yuan Xingzhou clicked into the Huai-Zhou CP topic again, only to find it had already exploded. The homepage was filled with a “leaked” photo—it looked like it was from the night of their campfire party. He was holding his guitar, firelight reflected in his eyes. And Ye Huai was beside him, looking tenderly at his… ankle.

Most of the guests were in this photo; no one knew who had taken it.

“Sisters! When Zhou-zhou got out of the car, his ankle was bare! But in the last clip of the show, there’s an anklet! I’m fainted on the spot!”

“Holy crap, is that for real? Isn’t an anklet used for that ‘play’ thing? What exactly did Brother Huai and Zhou-zhou do?”

“The original poster is a genius! Microscope girl! She found ‘big sugar’ within the third second of Huai-Zhou appearing in the same frame, kswl (killing me with sweetness)…”

“Yes! Zhou-zhou’s ankle was bare when he got out of the car! I can’t do this anymore, I can’t; the ‘harmonious’ bullet train in my brain is about to depart…”

“Oh, has it started?” Ye Huai, who was also waiting for the broadcast, suddenly looked up. He glanced at the TV and leaned over. “Let me see.”

Yuan Xingzhou’s breath hitched. He hurriedly locked his screen in a flurry and pretended to watch the TV screen as if nothing had happened.

However, on the screen, the crew’s “big scissors” had made a cut. One second Sun Kai was presenting a rose cup, and after a few camera switches, it showed Yuan Xingzhou kneeling on one knee, performing a hand-kissing rite for Ye Huai.

Yuan Xingzhou: “??”

“Holy crap!” Yuan Xingzhou was about to die of embarrassment. “Didn’t they say they’d cut it? Didn’t they cut it? What are they trying to do?”

He turned around, looking for Ye Huai angrily, wanting to go ask the production crew together. However, Ye Huai’s face was slightly red, and he pursed his lips.

Yuan Xingzhou: “??”

Ye Huai blinked with an innocent look.

“I seem to…” Ye Huai rubbed his nose and said, “seem to have forgotten to tell them…”