The Top Star Is a Hopeless Romantic - Chapter 5

Xu Yiqing, wearing a face mask, walked out of his residential compound’s entrance. With a crisp beep, a BMW parked by the curb lowered its window halfway, and a head popped out. “Teacher Xu! Over here! Over here!” Xu Yiqing climbed into the car, feeling a bit puzzled.

Lin Yu hurriedly cleared the front passenger seat, throwing the scripts, headphones, and jackets onto the back seat, and explained to him, “I already spoke with John. I’ll be picking you up and dropping you off during this period. We’re heading the same way anyway.” Though he had only joined the cast a week ago, Lin Yu practically lived on set. Even when he had no scenes to shoot, he would pull up a small folding stool to sit behind the monitor, observing and learning, his script already worn and frayed at the edges. Everyone recognized his dedicated attitude, and he had earned unanimous praise from the entire crew. Providing a senior colleague with an attentive ride didn’t seem out of place at all, did it?

“It’s too much trouble for you. If it’s inconvenient on John’s end, I can just take a taxi.”

“Teacher Xu, that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Lin Yu took off his sunglasses, his fox-like eyes filled with predicament as he looked at him. “You know how yesterday’s scene went… Director Shi chewed me out afterward. It was my fault for not performing well, but we really… aren’t familiar enough yet. That’s why I need to get as close to you as possible moving forward. I hope you can give me more opportunities, Teacher Xu.” He lowered his eyes, a faint trace of embarrassment appearing on his handsome face. “As you know, this drama is very important for my personal career development.”

Xu Yiqing immediately understood.

In this drama, Lin Yu’s overall performance could be described as “astounding.” Although he had started as a singing and dancing idol, he had clearly taken plenty of acting lessons; his line delivery, blocking, and emotional transitions were crisp and clean. Whether interacting with other “colleagues” or performing solo inner monologue scenes, he executed them efficiently and with high quality. The only issue was that his scenes opposite Xu Yiqing lacked a natural, smooth flow. Yesterday’s scene in the restroom, where he stopped Xu Yiqing’s character to confess his love again, resulted in multiple NGs.

“Didn’t realize you could actually be shy, kid!” Cai Shun had teased from the side, enjoying the drama. “How are you going to shoot the kiss scene the day after tomorrow then?!”

Director Shi, who usually had a good temper, straightened his face and chided, “Lin Yu, your eyes are missing that ‘possessive fire’! You’re determined to have him, not a primary school kid with a crush! What are you shy about?! Even if you haven’t acted in a BL drama before, you’ve done BG, haven’t you? Oh, not even BG? Then find that feeling of falling in love, pull out that drive to make someone utterly head over heels!” Turning around, he reminded Xu Yiqing: “Even though Han Yu is the official endgame, it’s not like you have zero feelings for Wang Yiyang either. What do the viewers want to see? Dynamic tension! Make that sense of internal struggle a bit more obvious; don’t just keep a poker face!”

With that prerequisite context, Lin Yu waiting at the compound entrance early in the morning to pick up Xu Yiqing seemed all the more logical and reasonable.

“I understand what you mean,” Xu Yiqing nodded. “Then start by changing how you address me. Stop with the formal ‘you’ and ‘Teacher Xu’ bit.” Relying on being older, Xu Yiqing had always addressed Lin Yu directly by his name.

“Yes! Then… Qingqing?”

“What?!” Xu Yiqing instantly got goosebumps. “I’m nine years older than you!” At the very least, call him Ge (older brother), right?

“Alright then… Yi-ge?” Lin Yu sounded a bit reluctant, but he still lowered his voice and leaned close to Xu Yiqing’s ear to call out “Yi-ge.” His voice was quite magnetic, causing the tip of Xu Yiqing’s ear to twitch involuntarily.

Lin Yu acted as if he had discovered a new continent and exaggeratedly called out, “Hey, Yi-ge, your ear moved!” He even seemed to want to reach out and touch it.

Xu Yiqing hurriedly turned his head away. “Hurry up and drive!” He felt somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, unable to maintain his senior poise any longer.

Lin Yu stifled a laugh, gave a light cough, and extended his long arm to grab a cup of drink from the center armrest rack in the back seat. “No rush, it’s still early. Here, Yi-ge, an iced Americano; I made it myself.” He was terrible at cooking, but he was quite adept at preparing coffee.

“Thank you.” Xu Yiqing took it, placed it on the cup holder, paused for a moment, and unzipped his bag. “Have you had breakfast?”

Lin Yu glanced over. “No.”

Xu Yiqing pulled out a lunch box and lifted the lid, revealing two bell pepper bowls lined with rice paper underneath. He wrapped one up, lifted it, and handed it to Lin Yu. Half of a yellow bell pepper had been hollowed out and filled with chicken breast and vegetable salad, accented with dark quinoa inside, looking like a miniature flower basket.

Lin Yu held it in his hand, looked at it, stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, then backed it out slightly, smiling awkwardly: “It looks delicious just by looking at it.” In reality, the bell pepper bowl was quite small, roughly a single large bite. He took a bite, his eyes lighting up. “Did you make this yourself? It’s delicious!”

Having been with the crew for a few days, he had noticed long ago that Xu Yiqing never touched the bento boxes provided by the production team; he almost always brought his own food and was quite particular about his diet.

“I’ll make a bigger one for you tomorrow,” Xu Yiqing thought for a moment and said. “Since you’re troubling yourself to pick me up and drop me off, I’ll cover your breakfasts.” That way, he wouldn’t owe any favors.

Lin Yu’s eyes curved into a smile, his face full of joy. “Really? Thank you so much then.” He was extremely satisfied with this progress, but his eyes darted slightly. “Yi-ge, you go ahead and eat. I’ll fasten your seatbelt for you.” Before Xu Yiqing could answer, he leaned over. Across the small lunchbox, their bodies briefly overlapped. Warm breath brushed past the shell of Xu Yiqing’s ear; he subconsciously turned his head, missing the quietly curled corners of the other’s lips.

The young man lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping across that breathtaking side profile. His throat bobbed slightly as he suppressed the urge to touch him back into his teeth.

He couldn’t rush it.

This man, nine years older than him, was extremely sharp. Without absolute certainty of striking the target, he couldn’t afford to startle the snake in the grass. Having chatted online for several years, he understood Xu Yiqing quite well. Xu Yiqing was slow to warm up emotionally to begin with, and his experience of being cyberbullied made him very guarded against the approach of strangers. Whether it was winning over this person or stepping into his heart, neither seemed easy.

However, Lin Yu had always possessed a spirit for challenges. He leaned back into the driver’s seat and put his sunglasses back on. “Hold tight, I’m driving now.”

As his limbs stretched, a unique fragrance brushed past Xu Yiqing’s nose. This particular “Sauvage” scent from Dior leaned spicy with distinct layers, freshness underlaid with a trace of domineering intensity. Although Xu Yiqing personally didn’t like wearing perfume, being in the entertainment industry meant he was somewhat familiar with it.

This scent fit Lin Yu surprisingly well: gentle on the outside, yet concealing a sharp blade within.

He glanced around the interior of the car. The overall decorative style leaned rugged, yet a small metal spider climbed up the back of the seat, and a silver bell engraved with runes hung from the air conditioning vent, jingling softly with the movement of the car, a flamboyant yet childishly playful touch.

His gaze slid over to the person driving: despite the weather still being warm, he wore a sun hat, several silver chains stacked around his neck, and the sleeves of his oversized T-shirt were rolled up a few times, faintly revealing the tattoos on the inside of his arm.

He withdrew his gaze with a slight sigh; the scent and details made him feel the age gap between them.

In just one short week, Xu Yiqing had gained a bit more understanding of Lin Yu. The young man in his early twenties was full of energy, bouncing around the set like a perpetual motion machine, capable of striking up a conversation with anyone, and particularly fond of hovering around him to offer attentive favors.

This was easy to understand. Which young person eager to make a name for themselves wasn’t humble, eager to learn, and smiling at everyone they met? He viewed Lin Yu’s attentiveness as a “necessity of the role.” After all, in the sequel, “Wang Yiyang” pursued “Sang Mu” relentlessly, employing every trick in the book. For a newcomer, gradually getting “into character” was a completely normal process.

The crew members clearly interpreted it the same way. Lin Yu followed behind Xu Yiqing, calling him “Teacher Xu” left and right, bringing him coffee from time to time, and calling out to take him home after wrapping up work, without causing any gossip whatsoever.

The only person who was probably displeased was Hou Chao.

When Lin Yu first joined the cast, the two of them were still putting their arms around each other’s shoulders, calling each other brothers. Within a couple of days, as filming progressed, Hou Chao clearly felt the storyline shifting toward the scenes between Xu Yiqing and Lin Yu.

The directorial team’s explanation was perfectly logical: although Hou Chao’s side also had a subplot, Tyrannical Love was a BL drama, and the camera couldn’t be given excessively to him and his “younger female cousin.”

Hou Chao gritted his teeth in secret. As seasoned veterans in the industry, who didn’t know the tricks behind this? Lin Yu must have done homework behind the scenes. Stealing the fruits of his labor right under his nose, he didn’t even stop to consider if he could pull it off!

That day, after wrapping up work, the three of them took the elevator together down to the parking lot. Hou Chao initiated the attack first, “Buddy, you’ve been quite busy lately, haven’t you? Sister Su mentioned she hasn’t seen you in a long time.” How could Su Xi possibly talk to him? Hou Chao said this merely as a subtle reminder; he knew his background.

Lin Yu put on a smile. “Isn’t it because I’m busy filming? I rarely go to those kinds of drinking gatherings anyway, unlike Chao-ge, who is a regular guest.” Lin Yu had indeed attended gatherings with wealthy women a few times, and it was at such a drinking gathering that he had met Hou Chao and grown familiar with him. He knew very well the weight of the backing behind Hou Chao, and he wasn’t afraid in the slightest. Showing politeness usually was just giving him face; did he really consider himself somebody special? Normally, he wouldn’t mind glossing over it with a few offhand remarks, but in front of Xu Yiqing, he refused to show weakness.

Hou Chao let out a cold snort: “Can’t help it, too many invitations.”

Lin Yu simply didn’t take the bait, and the elevator instantly fell into an awkward silence.

Reaching the parking lot, as Xu Yiqing and Lin Yu walked toward their car, Hou Chao suddenly turned back. “Yiqing, let me give you a ride. Shall we discuss tomorrow’s scene a bit more?”

Xu Yiqing was slightly startled. After calling out a greeting to Lin Yu, he still walked over toward Hou Chao’s direction. He had partnered with Hou Chao for several months and was more familiar with him; furthermore, in this drama, he and Hou Chao were the main CP. Although it hadn’t been officially announced, the number of CP fans was considerable, creating business obligations for fan service. There were many areas where both sides needed to cooperate with each other; he couldn’t withhold giving him this face.

Of course, he also knew Hou Chao was using him as a tool, and in his heart, he was actually quite surprised by Lin Yu’s reaction just now. This kid usually seemed quite tactful and good at reading the room; why was he being so inflexible this time?

The next day, he specially made chicken salad rolls that Lin Yu liked and squeezed a glass of orange juice. Once he got into the car, he handed them over with a somewhat soothing gesture.

Lin Yu slumped over the steering wheel with a look of utter dejection. Hearing the movement, he raised his head, large sunglasses covering half his face, the corners of his mouth pulled downward in an extremely aggrieved expression, refusing to take the items from his hand.

Xu Yiqing, who had originally wanted to gloss over the matter, had no choice but to sigh. He placed the glass containing orange juice into the cup holder and patted Lin Yu’s shoulder. “Stop being angry. Frictions between colleagues are bound to happen.”

“Am I angry at him?” Lin Yu took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes that were bloodshot and filled with indignation. “Why did you leave with him? We agreed that I would be responsible for picking you up and dropping you off.”

Looking at those eyes, which were usually bursting with spirit, now covered in bloodshot veins and resentment, Xu Yiqing was startled. Was it really that serious? “Didn’t he say he wanted to discuss the scene?” he said somewhat sheepishly. “Didn’t you two have a pretty good relationship before? There’s no need to hold a grudge over such a minor thing.”

Lin Yu pouted his cheeks. “I’m not on good terms with him.”

Listening to that tone, Xu Yiqing pursed his lips, deciding to treat him like a child. He rolled down the lower half of the aluminum foil wrapping the chicken salad and pushed it right in front of the pouted mouth. “Here, your favorite.”

Lin Yu indignantly opened his mouth, took a large bite directly from his hand before taking it over, and started the car. He remained silent the entire way, refusing to say another word to him.

He held onto this frustration all the way to the set, though his emotional state happened to match the scene about to be filmed perfectly:

Han Yu accompanies his wealthy cousin to a jewelry store, but lies to Sang Mu, claiming he has a business meeting. The jewelry store is a property belonging to Young Master Wang’s family; Wang invites Sang Mu to the location under a pretext, forcing him to witness with his own eyes the scene of Han Yu chatting and laughing happily with his cousin. Sang Mu still refuses to believe it. Unable to hide his anger, Wang Yiyang forcibly kisses him… This scene is caught in the eyes of Han Yu, instantly creating friction between the lovers…

For no apparent reason, Xu Yiqing felt a bit nervous; this was his first kiss scene with Lin Yu.

During the first season of Tyrannical Love, he and Hou Chao had three kiss scenes and one bed scene, and the filming experience could hardly be called pleasant. The directorial team shot scenes according to location setups rather than strictly following the script sequence. He hadn’t expected that the first kiss scene of the second season would be with Lin Yu; God knew how many times this newcomer would NG.

He let out a sigh, spat the mouthwash into the sink, and brushed his teeth once more to ensure his mouth was clean and his breath fresh. This was the most basic respect for a fellow actor. Lightly patting his cheeks, he took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked out.

“Camera rolling!”

“Sound rolling!”

“Marker!”

The slate operator clapped the board: “Scene fifteen, take seven, shot one!”

After confirming all cameras were stable, Director Shi waved his hand: “Action!”

The expression on Xu Yiqing’s face was a mixture of shock and confusion, a trace of grief painted in the depths of his eyes as he stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror. Lin Yu’s figure appeared behind him. Lin Yu was two centimeters shorter than Hou Chao, and his frame wasn’t quite as burly, yet standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the slender Xu Yiqing, there was still a noticeable difference in their physical sizes.

“What? Still refusing to give up? Still trying to deceive yourself?” Wang Yiyang grabbed Sang Mu’s shoulders, forcing him to turn around, his slightly narrow eyes flashing a sharp ray of indignation. “If you truly have a clear conscience, why lie? Sang Mu, you know very well in your heart that the marriage alliance between the Han family and the Cao family is an absolute certainty. He’s merely coaxing you…”

“No!” Sang Mu pushed him away, paused for two seconds, and lowered his eyes. “He has his difficulties…”

“What difficulties! Look at him, how happily he smiles when you’re not around! You’re the only one who’s hurting…” Wang Yiyang clamped one hand around his waist while the other pinched his chin. “Sang Mu, stop being a fool…”

The scent of “Sauvage” enveloped Xu Yiqing, and Lin Yu’s handsome face enlarged before his eyes. He began to dodge and struggle according to the scene design, but the hand clamped around his waist locked his wrist like an iron vise…

This kid’s grip is really strong! Xu Yiqing had to add a few more physical movements. After several rounds of tangled pulling, cool lips pressed up against his, Xu Yiqing’s eyes widened abruptly… Thankfully, Lin Yu’s face blocked the camera angle!

Shooting kiss scenes or even bed scenes was a daily occurrence for professional actors. At a vigorous age with young, beautiful bodies, it was completely normal for a physiological response to be triggered during intimate physical contact.

However, most of the time it happened because there were too many NGs, resulting in endless biting and nibbling. But for someone like Lin Yu, to react right from the start… He truly was a newcomer after all! But even if he was a newcomer…

Xu Yiqing could feel the lips pressed against his trembling slightly, the tip of the tongue moving frantically along the line of his teeth, seeming as though it wanted to break through the gate but couldn’t find the way.

This kiss scene hadn’t specified whether a French kiss was required. Unless it was a special scene, the directorial team generally didn’t make specific demands, leaving it to the actors to agree upon among themselves. For instance, the kiss scenes between him and Hou Chao looked intense on screen, but were actually just lip movements heightened by emotion; neither side would ever go too deep.

At that moment, a string that had been pulled taut in Xu Yiqing’s mind suddenly snapped loose…

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t experienced such a passionate embrace or intense kiss in a long time; the two rows of tightly closed teeth parted slightly… The closely pressed tongue immediately sensed it, sliding in like a nimble snake. The arms wrapping around him tightened even further, holding him so firmly it made it hard to breathe.

“Cut!” The cameras stopped operating, and the actors immersed in the scene returned to their senses.

Director Shi stood up, clapping his hands with excitement. “Very good, this take passed!” He walked over to ease the awkwardness between the two. “The emotional tone was spot on. Yiqing’s transition from struggling to compromising was executed perfectly.” He then patted Lin Yu on the shoulder. “Not bad, kid! Passed in a single take; there’s real drama in those lips.” He directed the cinematographer to move the camera setup, “Come on, let me get one more take for insurance. Lin Yu, when Yiqing closes his eyes, you need to look toward the door…”

The atmosphere in the car on the ride home after wrapping up that night was quite strange.

Xu Yiqing crossed his arms over his chest, his expression cold and indifferent. As a veteran in the industry who had always taken pride in his professional ethics, he didn’t know how he had lost his head today… He tried his best to act as if nothing had happened, but upon realizing how difficult that was, he simply remained silent.

In contrast, Lin Yu was full of excitement. Regardless of whether Xu Yiqing responded or not, he chatted endlessly about all sorts of random topics, driving the car fast the whole way and even humming along to English songs on the radio.

So noisy… Xu Yiqing turned his face away and frowned, yet he had no choice but to admit that this kid’s singing… actually sounded pretty good?

When getting out of the car, Lin Yu’s face flushed red, and he said timidly, “Yi-ge, this was my screen kiss debut…”

Xu Yiqing froze for a moment. “Should I send you a red envelope then?”

“Ah, can you?!”

Slam! The car door was shut heavily, and Xu Yiqing walked away without looking back.

Lin Yu looked at his receding back, touched his moist lips with his finger, and revealed a smile full of intrigue.