The Entire Entertainment Industry Knows the Best Actor Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 12

“Cut!!!”

As the director called for a halt, both men instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Pei Yuan wanted to help Qiao Zhiyu adjust his disheveled clothes, but the director loudly stopped him just as he was about to move.

“Don’t move!”

“Stay in that pose for me! We’re going to shoot the rest of the scene from this angle!”

That raw realism was exactly what he wanted!!!

The two actors: “…”

Left with no choice, they stayed frozen in that position. Staff members bustled around them. Conscious of the gazes intentional or otherwise falling on him, Qiao Zhiyu felt extremely self-conscious. He buried his head lower and lower into Pei Yuan’s embrace. Their body temperatures merged, making his heart race like a roller coaster.

“Are you cold?”

The vibration of Pei Yuan’s chest traveled through Qiao Zhiyu’s ribs. It hummed against him, making his face burn.

“No…”

The director came over to discuss the next few shots. Qiao Zhiyu was out of it the entire time, hearing the instructions as if through a thick fog. It wasn’t until nearly midnight that the director finally decided to wrap up for the day.

Though his clothes were eventually fixed, Qiao Zhiyu still felt uneasy. After removing his makeup and returning to the hotel together, he threw out a quick “I’m taking a shower first” and dove straight into the bathroom.

Pei Yuan looked at the tightly shut bathroom door and ultimately swallowed the words he wanted to say.

“…”

Hot water streamed over Qiao Zhiyu’s skin, hitting the floor in heavy droplets. A faint, muffled sound escaped his throat, only to be hurriedly suppressed.

“Mng…”

Qiao Zhiyu bit his lower lip hard, his face flushed a deep pink. Steam swirled in his vision, and the heat made the corners of his eyes turn red. Suddenly, his legs clamped together tightly, and his shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.

He sank to the floor, exhausted. His fair knees turned red against the hard tiles, and the scrapes on his palms throbbed with a dull sting. He seemed unable to bear it any longer, opening his mouth to take small, shallow breaths.

“Ha… ha…”

He propped himself up with his hands between his legs. Water droplets fell from his head onto his spine, sliding down to the floor and into the drain. He sat there, dazed, until a noise outside the door jolted him awake.

“Zhiyu?”

Startled, he whipped his head around. The door wasn’t locked…

His body felt incredibly weak. Fearing Pei Yuan might actually walk in, he had to crawl bit by bit toward the door. Trying his best to steady his voice, he asked, “What is it?”

Pei Yuan’s calm voice came from behind the door. “Nothing. I heard the sound of something hitting the floor. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… I just lost my balance and slipped…”

“Does it hurt? Are you injured?”

Qiao Zhiyu looked at his reddened knees and said softly, “No…”

Pei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and reminded him, “Come out and get some sleep soon. We have filming tomorrow.”

He turned to leave, but Qiao Zhiyu called out to stop him. Pursing his lips, Qiao Zhiyu feigned composure. “I forgot to bring my pajamas. Can you help me get them? They’re in the suitcase… the white ones…”

“…Alright.”

“…”

After Qiao Zhiyu got dressed, he opened the door and bolted into his bed. Pei Yuan turned around and walked over to the side of the bed.

“Show me your hand.”

Qiao Zhiyu obediently reached out, letting the other man take his palm. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious just a bit of skin rubbed off.

“Don’t soak it in water too much; the skin is already pruning.” Pei Yuan shifted his gaze from the palm to Qiao Zhiyu’s face. He tilted his head slightly. “Why is your face so red? Do you feel unwell?”

Qiao Zhiyu’s long eyelashes fluttered. He replied calmly, “It’s just from the hot shower.”

“Go to sleep then.”

“Mhm.”

Pei Yuan took a quick shower, turned off the lights, and went to bed as well. After a long while, Qiao Zhiyu turned over quietly and realized the other man was already asleep. He must have been exhausted these past two days…

Feeling deflated, Qiao Zhiyu buried his face in his pillow and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Qiao Zhiyu was completely off his game. He did okay in scenes with other actors, but the moment he faced Pei Yuan, his mind went blank.

“Cut! We’ll take this one! Zhiyu, your state of mind isn’t right. Adjust yourself quickly. Don’t delay the afternoon work. Everyone go eat! We continue this afternoon!!!”

Qiao Zhiyu sighed, feeling gloomy as he headed to the “Wall-Facing Corner” to find his focus. This was a spot the director designated for actors who messed up too many takes—in Qiao Zhiyu’s eyes, it was no different from a “time-out” corner for reflection.

He squatted on the ground, holding his skirt, staring blankly into space, not knowing where to begin. I’m so useless… I’m technically nearly fifty years old… Luckily, he hadn’t delayed the overall schedule, or he would have died of guilt. He was fine yesterday; why was he dropping the ball today? Could it be because of last night… He buried his face in his chest, not daring to think further.

He wasn’t alone for long before Qi Le’an found him. Qi Le’an had brought him a lunch box and gestured for him to eat. Qiao Zhiyu picked at the rice, his appetite at -100%. He noticed a blanket draped over a nearby chair and scanned the area, but couldn’t find Pei Yuan. Did he go eat in the trailer?

He rested his chin on his hand, his mind wandering. He couldn’t eat a single bite. Feeling uneasy when I see him, yet looking for him when I don’t. Qiao Zhiyu… you’re truly sick…

Beside him, Qi Le’an was eating while scrolling through his phone. He looked back and forth between his screen and Qiao Zhiyu. After a while, he spoke: “Zhiyu… you’re on the trending searches…”

“Hmm? What?”

“I said, you’re on the hot search list. Netizens are saying you’re ugly!” Fearing he wouldn’t believe it, Qi Le’an showed him the screen.

An account claiming to be a bystander had posted some “leaked” photos from the set. In the pictures, everyone looked great except him. He looked weird. His eyes looked sunken, his cheekbones appeared higher than usual, and his skin had turned from porcelain pale to a muddy yellowish-brown. To top it off, his makeup looked like it was cracking into the East African Rift Valley.

Qiao Zhiyu: “…” What kind of joke is this?

[Wow, so this is the legendary ‘raw’ camera? The difference is huge!] [I’d believe you if you said this was a different person!!!] [Listen, I was going to watch this for the visuals, but what is this?] [With looks like that, the sponsors must have been starving! He’s fit to be the Movie Star’s lead? Joke of the century.] [Damn it! Piece of trash! How dare you make our Movie Star Pei a supporting lead to you! Don’t you scare yourself when you look in the mirror?!] [Gross, the commenter above is filthy. But the gap really is huge. I’m disappointed. I thought his drag look was pretty, but this photo is an eyesore.] [Great, now he’s truly become a ladyboy.] [Our Sister Bei is still reliable. Beautiful and comforting.] [Bei Qianqing is indeed good. Her and Pei Yuan are both award winners. Even though her resources dropped significantly, she’s still trying. This is their second collaboration; they’re like brothers in arms.]

It was a classic “step-and-praise” tactic insulting one person while praising another is usually the work of professional antis or paid bots. Qiao Zhiyu could guess who was behind it; similar things had happened in his past life. Since he had been “Cut” several times today, he wouldn’t be surprised if headlines like [Actor’s subpar acting and constant NGs cause dissatisfaction among crew] popped up next.

He took a small bite of food, ignoring the online comments.

“Zhiyu, aren’t you mad? This is obviously photoshopped. You don’t look like that. Why don’t you post a photo to clarify?”

“It doesn’t matter. It will be clarified naturally when the drama airs.”

“Huh?” Qi Le’an looked confused. “By then, the damage is done! How about we take a selfie together and I’ll post it? I don’t have many fans, but someone will see.”

Qiao Zhiyu shook his head. “No need. We’re in costume and makeup; it’s inconvenient.”

Qi Le’an agreed and suggested visiting him at the hotel after filming. After lunch, Bai Chao came over.

“Teacher Qiao, these are some fruits Brother Yuan asked me to bring you.”

Looking at the box in his hand, Qiao Zhiyu finally asked the question that had been bothering him all noon. “Is he in the trailer?”

“He’s at the hotel.” Bai Chao shook his head. “Brother Yuan went back. He just finished eating when I left. He should be resting now.”

Bai Chao added, “Brother told me to tell you to eat the strawberries quickly; they spoil fast once they get wet.”

Qiao Zhiyu nodded in silence. “Thank you… I understand.”