Pretending Not to Love You [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

At eight o’clock the next morning, the crew gathered at the airport, preparing to fly to H City. Ou Sheng arrived after the others from the hotel. After greeting everyone, he stood next to Zuo Qiu and teased him in a low voice.

“You look radiant; you must have had a good night,” he said.

Zuo Qiu thought about falling asleep and waking up refreshed on the double bed. He nodded. “It was very good.” It had been a long time since he slept so soundly.

Ou Sheng misunderstood, giving Xiao Bojun an ambiguous look. Everything needed for fun was available in that private room, and the one who had the “best time” was probably this guy.

Sensing Ou Sheng’s playful gaze, Xiao Bojun didn’t explain what happened last night. Instead, he replied with feigned modesty: “We can’t compare to you two. Our little games are just leftovers from what you’ve already played.”

Zuo Qiu almost choked on his own saliva. So, Brother Sheng’s “had a good night” had meant something else entirely. He had completely misinterpreted it, and Xiao Er’s response now prevented him from defending himself.

Ou Sheng, hearing Xiao Bojun’s words and recalling the passionate scene from last night, blushed. If Mr. Cheng were present, he might have retorted, “That’s right, our moves are enough for you to study for a lifetime,” but Ou Sheng hadn’t developed such a thick skin yet. Unable to snap back, he pretended not to have understood and pulled Zuo Qiu away to talk about other things.

Seeing that Xiao Er had rendered Brother Sheng speechless, Zuo Qiu subtly gave Xiao Bojun a thumbs-up. Impressive!

Xiao Bojun proudly lifted his chin. He might lose the actual contest, but he couldn’t lose face. Regardless of the truth, winning with his mouth was enough.

After running promotions with the crew for several days, Z.X’s exposure increased significantly. Many candid photos of the two appeared online, and enthusiastic fans even met them at the airport when they arrived in new cities for promotion.

The two were now much better at handling fans. They didn’t reject the enthusiasm of any fan, readily signing autographs and taking photos. They felt they were doing very well, until Zuo Qiu saw how Ou Sheng treated his fans. Zuo Qiu realized he still had much to learn on the path of “fan service.”

While signing autographs, Ou Sheng noticed many people were drenched in sweat. He said, “It’s very hot today. You should go home early. Oh, and before you leave, make sure you all get a bottle of drink from my assistant. Supplementing your Vitamin C daily will keep you beautiful forever!”

Later, during the photo session, a fan’s shoe was stepped off due to the crowd. Brother Sheng saw it and actually picked up the shoe for the fan. This gesture deeply moved the fans present.

Zuo Qiu watched Ou Sheng, who was patient with his fans, thinking that some celebrities who put on a show at the airport get criticized by netizens as fake, but Ou Sheng has never had such rumors since his debut. This was probably due to the genuine sincerity in his eyes.

After several consecutive days of travel, the group returned to B City. As soon as the two arrived at their apartment, they were informed that the company had secured three endorsements for them.

“Three?” Zuo Qiu’s eyes lit up. How much money would that earn? Would it be enough for a down payment?

“Yes, three. One is for a famous domestic brand of yogurt, one for a multinational restaurant chain, and the last one is for a domestic mobile phone brand,” Zhao Zhixian explained.

Since the premiere of Fledgling, Z.X’s popularity had soared, and many famous brands had extended olive branches. As newcomers, the two had huge potential. Their first movie hadn’t even been released but was already highly acclaimed, their upcoming lead TV drama was about to be scheduled, and their next lead movie was about to start filming. They were set for tremendous future exposure.

Zhao Zhixian chuckled inwardly, having heard that the ice cream brand that Zuo Qiu first endorsed was now seeing a surge in sales. The brand seemed interested in signing a second, long-term contract with Zuo Qiu. If they signed another contract, he planned to negotiate a substantial fee to make up for the initial loss from the first endorsement.

As Zuo Qiu listened to Zhao Zhixian list the three brands, his eyes grew brighter with each one…

Zhao Zhixian was pulled from his own thoughts and saw Zuo Qiu’s sparkly eyes fixed on him. He massaged his forehead, exhausted by having such a “penny-pinching” artist under his management. He was extremely grateful that he had added a few extra clauses when negotiating the contracts.

“In addition to the endorsement fees, the yogurt company agreed to supply you with a year’s worth of free yogurt. The restaurant chain said they would send full-waiver coupons directly to your accounts every month for the next two years. And the phone company will provide two phones for you to use for free. Of course, they also have a request: they hope you occasionally promote them on your Weibo.”

Zuo Qiu nodded eagerly. Posting on Weibo was handled by their team; they just had to provide photos to Brother Zhao. That was easy… So, in the future, they would have free yogurt, free fried chicken, and free phones? The thought was exciting!

Xiao Bojun found Zuo Qiu’s appearance, only remembering the peanuts and forgetting the watermelon, very funny. He asked Zhao Zhixian directly, “How much are the endorsement fees?”

Although his immediate superior was his own biological brother, Xiao Bojun believed that the compensation must be clearly established. Even among close relatives, accounts should be kept clear.

Zhao Zhixian thought for a moment. “After tax, you’ll probably receive about one million [RMB].”

“O-One million?” Zuo Qiu stammered slightly. That much? The last advertisement fee was 150,000, and now three together were one million? A few days ago, he had checked the current housing prices online. A house in B City’s Third Ring Road cost about 60,000 per square meter. This meant that the down payment for the 100-square-meter apartment of his dreams could be covered!

“Yes, that’s right.” Net worth is tied to fame and traffic. As fame increases, net worth naturally rises. If this movie doesn’t flop at the box office, their net worth will climb even higher.

After discussing the endorsement fees, Zhao Zhixian finalized the advertising shoot schedule with them. Since the two were set to join the filming crew a week later, all three commercials were scheduled to be shot this week, making the time quite tight.

After going over all the details, Zhao Zhixian prepared to head home. Zuo Qiu stopped him and requested, “Brother Zhao, could you please help me look for houses in the Third Ring Road? I want to buy a house of about a hundred square meters, one where I only pay the down payment.”

Zhao Zhixian’s first reaction upon hearing Zuo Qiu wanted to buy a house was to look at Xiao Bojun’s face. Had the two broken up? Was Zuo Qiu planning to move out on his own?

Xiao Bojun was also hearing about Zuo Qiu buying a house for the first time. While surprised, he saw Zhao Zhixian’s undisguised nosiness, and his face darkened. He began to forcibly usher Zhao Zhixian out. “You can leave now!”

“Oh, oh, okay, I’m leaving, I’m leaving… Oh, right, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” The last sentence was clearly directed at Zuo Qiu, but Xiao Bojun didn’t give Zhao Zhixian time to hear Zuo Qiu’s reply, closing the door on him immediately.

Zhao Zhixian looked at the closed door, internally grumbling: With the Second Young Master’s bad temper, few people could tolerate it, so it’s understandable that the good-tempered Zuo Qiu would leave him. As Zhao Zhixian walked downstairs, he completely forgot that Xiao Bojun was the one who would decide whether he got paid 3,000 or 30,000 a month.

After closing the door, Xiao Bojun began his “interrogation” of Zuo Qiu. “Why are you buying a house out of the blue?” He already owned two properties. If Zuo Qiu didn’t like either, he could ask his father for another one. After all, his family was in real estate and wasn’t short on houses. Since the two were constantly sticking together, there was absolutely no need for Zuo Qiu to spend his own money on a house!

Zuo Qiu rubbed his nose. Worried that Xiao Bojun would be unhappy, he didn’t dare to reveal his true feelings, instead finding a more acceptable reason. “I want to be able to invite my parents over to visit when I have a house. You know, if they live with us, everyone would feel uncomfortable.”

Xiao Bojun didn’t believe Zuo Qiu’s excuse and immediately saw through it. “I own more than one house. There’s no need for you to spend your money on property.” If Zuo Qiu’s parents came over, they could just stay in one of the other houses.

Zuo Qiu choked, raising his voice to mask his internal feelings. “Oh, my parents will feel more secure and proud staying in a house that I paid for! It’s okay to buy one!”

Xiao Bojun stared at Zuo Qiu for a few seconds. Zuo Qiu felt nervous but had to suppress his fear and meet Xiao Bojun’s gaze calmly. Fortunately, Xiao Bojun grudgingly accepted this reason.

“Fine. I’ll talk to my brother later and have him help you find a house. The cost will be deducted from your earnings share.” Xiao Bolin managed a portion of the real estate projects, so consulting him was the right move. Xiao Bojun, who wasn’t even the head of the household yet, decided the matter without considering his brother’s opinion.

Zuo Qiu thought this was a good arrangement. It relieved the pressure of monthly mortgage payments, and he could just focus on working hard in the future.

In truth, his reason for buying a house was partly what he said—he worried his parents wouldn’t feel secure staying in Xiao Bojun’s property. More importantly, he didn’t want to always depend on Xiao Bojun. He was a man, not a parasite. He wanted his own career and achievements.

He wanted to be with Xiao Bojun for a long, long time, but he wanted the confidence to be with him for a long, long time.

Xiao Bojun looked at the relieved Zuo Qiu and easily understood what he was thinking. Logically, he understood Zuo Qiu wanted to be an independent individual, and he had to respect that. Emotionally, however, he was a bit unwilling. If they ever had a falling out, Zuo Qiu would have a “home to go back to,” and he would be helpless.

So… he must get a key to all his properties. Yes, that’s the plan!

If Zuo Qiu knew Xiao Bojun’s thoughts, he would surely ask the crucial question: Is the key the main point? Shouldn’t the main point be ‘not fighting’!

After taking a shower, Xiao Bojun leaned against the headboard, using his toes to rub Zuo Qiu’s calf, slowly moving up. The meaning was obvious.

Zuo Qiu, who was scrolling through Weibo, didn’t catch the hint. Feeling a slight itch on his calf, he simply moved over.

The “enemy” moved an inch, and Xiao Bojun immediately followed, continuing to rub.

Zuo Qiu tossed his phone aside and looked at Xiao Bojun. “What!”

Xiao Bojun pointed to a bulge under the thin blanket. “I want to pump it!” (sǒng yī sǒng, a slang phrase meaning to climax or ejaculate).

Xiao Bojun had been extremely restrained while traveling for work the past few days, worried someone might notice something. Now that he was home, he certainly wasn’t willing to abstain further. More times might not be possible, but one time was definitely okay. He urgently needed to satisfy his craving!

Pump it?

That description was incredible!

Zuo Qiu chuckled. Thinking about how the Second Young Master had been a “gentleman” these past few days, he decided not to make things difficult for him. He lay down directly, adopting a “come and take me” posture.

Affirmed, Xiao Bojun immediately lifted the thin blanket, grabbed the condom packet next to him, tore it open, and put it on. Xiao Bojun was wearing nothing under the thin blanket, clearly having prepared everything necessary for the “exercise.”

The next afternoon, Zhao Zhixian, who came to pick up the two for the commercial shoot, excitedly told them, “As of 12:00 noon, the box office for Fledgling has reached 80 million [RMB].”

“That much?” Zuo Qiu was surprised. The highest-grossing film in the country currently broke 100 million four hours after its release. While their film couldn’t compare to that, 80 million in 12 hours was still a good result.

Zhao Zhixian nodded. It was indeed a lot.

“Director Gong called me, saying he wants you two to offer some fan benefits on Weibo to help promote the movie.” Director Gong had a mysterious confidence in Z.X, believing that if they did something more, more fans would buy tickets for the film.

“What kind of benefit? Signed photos?” Zuo Qiu asked.

Zhao Zhixian glanced at Xiao Bojun. “Ahem, some male celebrities promise their fans on Weibo that if the box office or ratings reach a certain number, they will nude swim… You two can make a similar promise!” Nude swimming was often criticized as frivolous if done by a female celebrity, but it was better received from male celebrities, and many male artists in the industry had done it.

Xiao Bojun frowned. Why should they, as supporting actors, sacrifice so much? Could their less than 20 million followers have more appeal than Ou Sheng’s 50 million followers? The director was probably counting on the Bolin Group behind them. After all, if they posted on Weibo, most of the artists under Bolin’s umbrella would likely repost it.

“What about Ou Sheng? If we have to nude swim, shouldn’t he, as the male lead, have to streak?”

“Pfft…” Zuo Qiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Brother Sheng streaking? Would Brother Ye allow that?

Zhao Zhixian didn’t dare look into Xiao Bojun’s eyes and mumbled, “Ou Sheng promised that if the box office breaks 200 million on the first day, he will hold a fan meeting in B City.”

Xiao Bojun scoffed with a dismissive “Tsk.” The difference in treatment was incomparable!

“That’s a good idea,” Zuo Qiu praised. Achieving their goal without selling their bodies was the best option.

“It is quite good, but the director said it wasn’t exciting enough.” It had some promotional effect, but it lacked sufficient publicity stunt value.

Exciting?

Zuo Qiu struggled. “Does it have to be nude swimming?” It felt like setting a very low bar.

Xiao Bojun was more concerned with what he would gain. “What’s the benefit?”

“Director Gong said that if the total box office reaches 2 billion [RMB], he will give you one-thousandth of the profits.” As the director and an investor in the film, Director Gong had a say in box office revenue sharing. If the film, with a 200 million investment, hit 2 billion at the box office, they would happily give away one-thousandth.

Zuo Qiu counted on his fingers: one-thousandth of 2 billion equals 2 million! That’s a lot…

Seeing the “money grubber” Zuo Qiu’s eyes filled with RMB, Zhao Zhixian knew he would most likely agree. So, like Zuo Qiu, he looked at Xiao Bojun, waiting for his decision.

Xiao Bojun looked at Zuo Qiu’s excited face and said to Zhao Zhixian, “Then tell him that if it reaches 2 billion, we will film a nude swimming video.”

When the time came, how the video was filmed was up to them!

Zhao Zhixian breathed a sigh of relief when Xiao Bojun finally nodded. In Zhao Zhixian’s eyes, this money was like a gift. After all, whether a body was truly nude or not was often unclear underwater, and there were many tricks they could pull off underwater. The reason he encouraged them to agree was actually for their sake. If their first film was both critically acclaimed and a box office success, it would benefit their future film careers greatly, and their starting point would be much higher than many others.

That afternoon, after the two finished shooting the mobile phone commercial and returned home, Zuo Qiu checked the real-time box office. As of 6:00 PM, it had already reached 130 million. At this rate, breaking 200 million on the first day seemed highly probable.

Sure enough, Zuo Qiu woke up the next morning and checked Weibo: “Fledgling Box Office Breaks 200 Million on Day One” was the number one trending topic, and “Ou Sheng’s First Fan Meeting” was ranked second.

The second day’s box office, bolstered by being on the trending list almost all day, broke 130 million, bringing the two-day total to 330 million. Discussions about Fledgling’s box office could be seen everywhere online.

On the third day, at eight in the morning, after Zhao Zhixian posted the Z.X nude swimming fan benefit on Weibo, the movie’s official account, Ou Sheng’s Weibo, their celebrity friends, and nearly all the major and minor stars under Bolin Group reposted it within half an hour.

“Z.X Nude Swimming” was manipulated by Zhao Zhixian and immediately made it to the trending list, and the duo’s Weibo followers surged again.

That evening, Zuo Qiu received a call from Ou Sheng. Ou Sheng expressed his surprise at their actions over the phone. “You two are making a big sacrifice for your first movie.”

Zuo Qiu was embarrassed. As supporting actors, they were truly trying too hard. He worried that Brother Sheng might think they were deliberately trying to steal his thunder, but Ou Sheng was much more generous than he imagined.

“I’m wondering what you’ll offer the fans as a benefit when you promote Wilderness King, haha.”

Zuo Qiu was relieved to hear Ou Sheng say this. “Brother Sheng, the fan benefit thing is my fault. I’m a money-grubber. Director Gong promised us a share of the profit, so we did it. I hope you don’t think otherwise.”

Ou Sheng laughed loudly on the other end. “I think you’re overthinking it. To be honest, I’m also getting a share of the profit.” As the lead actor, he hadn’t taken a salary when he signed the contract; he had asked for a share of the profit instead. Of course, his share wasn’t related to the box office total. He would get a cut as long as there was a box office. “So the more the box office makes, the better. I won’t blame you at all.”

Zuo Qiu mentally applauded Ou Sheng’s foresight. He knew that industry heavyweights like Ou Sheng sometimes operated this way. This kind of operation was similar to having equity and came with significant risks, but the facts proved that Ou Sheng had good judgment.

Xiao Bojun watched Zuo Qiu finish the call. As soon as Zuo Qiu put the phone down, Xiao Bojun took it and set it aside, then resumed the “exercise.”

When Ou Sheng called, the two were in the middle of a battle. Xiao Bojun pretended he hadn’t heard anything and didn’t even change his rhythm, but Zuo Qiu couldn’t do that. He shifted his body and reached for the phone on the bedside table.

Xiao Bojun, who was in a doggy-style position and didn’t want to stop for any reason, had to move forward with Zuo Qiu…

When Zuo Qiu saw it was Ou Sheng’s call, he immediately signaled for Xiao Bojun to stop and be quiet, and then started talking on the phone.

After hanging up, Zuo Qiu wiggled his hips, signaling Xiao Bojun to continue the work, but Xiao Bojun played dead.

“I think I’ve become impotent.” Being forced to stop at the most crucial moment was the most annoying thing. Xiao Bojun indicated that the baby was having a tantrum.

Zuo Qiu felt the hardness and knew that someone was being arrogant again. He sighed, changed his position to sit properly, and decided to take matters into his own hands!

Half an hour later, Xiao Bojun smiled broadly and said to Zuo Qiu, “Dr. Zuo is simply a miracle worker with a benevolent heart. In half an hour, you cured my chronic ailment! You are truly amazing!”

Zuo Qiu glanced at the person who was being smug after benefiting from the situation. “If you suffer from this ailment again in the future, I suggest we remove the tumor directly. I guarantee it will never relapse.”

Xiao Bojun’s smile froze on his face. Remove my what? If you cut it off, what am I going to play with!