Spilling the Tea on the Movie Star Who Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 39

Whether it was because Gu Jingxuan was beside him or for some other reason, Xu Chi slept exceptionally soundly, not waking until the sky was broad daylight.

He woke up in a daze. Feeling the space beside him was empty, he initially thought the events of the previous night were just a dream, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.

“You’re up. Go wash up; I’ve bought breakfast.”

Gu Jingxuan’s voice came out of nowhere from the doorway. Xu Chi bolted upright in bed, seeing Gu Jingxuan standing there with his hand on the doorknob; he truly thought he hadn’t woken up yet.

He rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to find the person had indeed vanished.

As expected, I’m still dreaming.

“What are you doing? Still want to stay in bed?”

His arm was suddenly grabbed. Xu Chi instinctively waved his other hand to strike back, but Gu Jingxuan caught his second hand too. Looking up, he saw that the man who had just been at the door had somehow walked to his bedside.

Gu Jingxuan gripped Xu Chi’s hands and, with a slight pull, lifted him up from the bed.

Seeing Xu Chi kneeling on the bed, Gu Jingxuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He turned his face away.

“Hurry up, get dressed and come out. Don’t you have to go to the airport this afternoon?” Gu Jingxuan said as he walked out, closing the door behind him.

The warmth from where Gu Jingxuan had held his right wrist still lingered. Xu Chi slapped his own cheeks, finally realizing this was all real.

Without any further hesitation, he grabbed his clothes and tossed them on.

Stepping out of the room, he saw Gu Jingxuan taking the breakfast he had bought out of the bags and setting it on the table. His sweater sleeves were rolled up high, revealing tan, powerful forearms, and his profile looked incredibly focused.

For a split second, Xu Chi almost believed that he and Gu Jingxuan were an old married couple who loved each other and lived together—waking each other up every morning and preparing breakfast.

Gu Jingxuan finished setting the table and turned his head to see Xu Chi standing blankly in the doorway, staring off into space.

He let out a light cough to pull Xu Chi back to reality and pulled out a chair to sit down first.

“Lin Tao left early this morning. He said he’d come pick you up this afternoon.” Gu Jingxuan had bought steamed buns and soy milk; the breakfast looked very refreshing.

“I’ll be heading back in a bit too. My manager has some documents to send me today.” Gu Jingxuan stuffed a bun into his mouth, his cheek bulging. “Spend the morning organizing your things well. Don’t forget anything important. I’ll probably go find you the day after tomorrow. Once you’ve booked a hotel, let me know; I’ll book the same one.”

Suddenly experiencing the feeling of parting, Xu Chi felt a bit uneasy and didn’t know what to say. He simply nodded in agreement to everything Gu Jingxuan said.

“Also, remember to bring more warm clothes. Jiangnan is very cold this time of year; don’t catch a cold.” As he spoke, Gu Jingxuan looked up and realized Xu Chi wasn’t paying attention at all.

He picked up his chopsticks and tapped Xu Chi on the head. “What are you thinking about? Did you remember everything I told you? Also, remember to bring the script and study the plot and character thoroughly.”

Gu Jingxuan paused, as if remembering something, and reminded him: “This movie wasn’t commissioned just to make someone famous. Don’t think that just because Director Jiang was nice to you on the last set, it’ll be the same here. That was because that drama wasn’t much. If you perform poorly in this one, he’ll skin you alive.”

Xu Chi was well aware of Director Jiang’s reputation for professional rigor in the industry. Naturally, he didn’t dare be negligent and nodded seriously while chewing his bun. “I will be serious.”

Only after saying it did he realize Gu Jingxuan was also going to Jiangnan. “Brother Gu, are you going to Jiangnan to familiarize yourself with the environment too?”

Xu Chi had grown up in Beijing and had rarely visited the South. He spoke pure Mandarin without a hint of an accent.

This time, Xu Chi’s character was a Southern opera singer; his gait had to be like a gentle breeze swaying willows, and his speech like the whispering of swallows. Xu Chi not only had to learn the basics of opera but also master the Southern dialect.

For someone like Xu Chi who hadn’t been to Jiangnan much, it was a significant challenge. The filming location was at the film city in Hangzhou. Xu Chi had applied to the company to go early to get used to the environment and learn Peking Opera vocalization while filming.

Gu Jingxuan’s official hometown was Shanxi, so only his assistants and manager knew he had actually grown up in the South. He only moved to Beijing for university, and his family followed, buying property and developing businesses there.

Gu Jingxuan wasn’t going to Jiangnan to learn a language like Xu Chi; if necessary, he could even act as a teacher for him. He was going to Jiangnan simply because he wanted to cling to Xu Chi and watch over him every moment.

“Mm.” Gu Jingxuan nodded without blushing. “I’m also going to Jiangnan to get used to the environment. I haven’t been there many times.”

Xu Chi didn’t suspect a thing. He believed him and nodded, even happily eating two extra buns.

By the time Gu Jingxuan left, Xu Chi had already started packing his suitcase. Hearing that Gu Jingxuan was leaving, he put down his things and followed him out, watching his car disappear before turning back to the apartment.

Before he even reached the main entrance, he felt as if something was following him. He turned around, but it was empty. Xu Chi couldn’t help but frown. He wondered if the situation with Zeng Shuqi was making him paranoid.

Seeing no one behind him, he figured the fact that Gu Jingxuan had left his apartment hadn’t been discovered. Xu Chi breathed a sigh of relief, telling himself not to scare himself.

Back upstairs, after finishing his packing, Xu Chi finally reopened his phone to face the interrogation from his friends and family.

The messages from Xie Jin were so numerous they couldn’t fit on one screen. Xu Chi scrolled for a long time before finishing them.

The general content was nothing more than asking why he wasn’t returning calls or WeChat messages, and insisting they work together to give Zeng Shuqi what he deserved.

Xie Jin would never believe Xu Chi was capable of doing such things, so the entirety of his messages revolved around cursing Zeng Shuqi for being shameless. When Xu Chi opened Xie Jin’s voice messages, he could practically feel the rage radiating from the phone.

Lin Tao was already urging Xu Chi to come downstairs and head to the airport, yet his phone was still full of unanswered messages.

Xu Chi decided to do something drastic, he kept his phone turned off and went to the airport with Lin Tao.

Knowing Xie Jin’s personality, the moment he replied, the man would surely find any way possible to fly to Xu Chi’s side. To avoid being harrassed by Xie Jin’s “magic voice,” Xu Chi decided it was better to reach Jiangnan before replying to everyone.

If they said they wanted to visit, he’d just say he wasn’t home and was working out of town.

It was a perfect plan!