"Really?" Xie Jianyuan's eyes lit up. Xu Chun felt he could almost see a big tail wagging behind him, like a large dog that had been tamed.
"Mm." Xu Chun couldn't help laughing at the thought.
Xie Jianyuan looked relieved and handed him the hot-water bottle. "Here, Brother Chun. If you're still cold in the middle of the night, I'll go find my assistant and see if he brought a blanket."
"No need, no need." Xu Chun felt embarrassed to trouble anyone further. After chatting with Xie Jianyuan for a little longer, he left.
The moment the door closed, Xie Jianyuan's gaze darkened slightly. His black eyes were like an ancient, fathomless pool, making his thoughts impossible to read.
Several seconds passed before he slowly reached up and touched his lips. The man's soft warmth seemed to linger on them, leaving him craving more, unable to stop.
So sweet.
Chapter 17: Madness [proofread]
Xu Chun had lost over ten jin before filming for his role in the drama. His already lean frame looked even more delicate, but his eyes held a hint of resilience.
He perfectly fit the image of Song Ye. The director was also very satisfied with his appearance, nodding repeatedly before telling him to study his lines carefully and not disappoint him. Xu Chun naturally agreed with a smile.
The scene was to be filmed in the orphanage. Xu Chun already looked young, and with his lean, slender build, he didn't look out of place among a group of sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds. Xie Jianyuan went without saying; he was very young himself.
In this scene, Song Ye was beaten by a teacher at the orphanage, who then forced his head into a pool of cold water, while his younger brother watched helplessly from the side.
"Brother Chun, can you handle it?" Xie Jianyuan came over and looked at the clothes Xu Chun had changed into, unable to keep from frowning. "It's too cold."
Xu Chun smiled unconcernedly. "Since I became an actor, I can't complain. The director didn't hire me to enjoy myself. It's just cold water, isn't it? I'll warm up afterward."
"...But you're shivering," Xie Jianyuan said.
Caught out, Xu Chun was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't help shivering again and shot him a glare, as if taking it out on him. Putting on a stern face, he scolded him, "It's just a little cold, isn't it? All right, stop talking. The more you say, the colder I get." His voice grew softer and softer, trembling at the end.
Afterward, he felt his tone had been a little harsh. He cleared his throat awkwardly and softened his voice. "Don't worry, I'm not that frail."
When filming began, the director called cut, and Xu Chun quickly got into character. The actor playing the orphanage director was a veteran in the industry, practically a specialist in villainous roles.
But since the two had never worked together before, they had some trouble finding their rhythm at first.
Naturally, the stick didn't really land on Xu Chun, but the beating still hurt. If the force got out of control by accident, it would be no joke. The veteran acting opposite him was probably mindful of that too, and held back, afraid to strike. The director kept calling cut in anger, but hadn't expected that repeating the beating over and over would hurt even more.
Filming had gotten off to an unexpectedly rough start. Xu Chun let the makeup artist touch up his makeup. He looked rather battered now, with faint traces of blood at the corner of his mouth and bruises all over his face, especially beneath his eyes.
The makeup artist carefully examined his makeup, then applied something more to the bruise, making the injury look even more realistic.
"Brother Chun." Xie Jianyuan came over and casually rested a hand on his shoulder. Xu Chun didn't notice the gesture. "The director asked if you're ready."
Xu Chun said, "I'm ready. My makeup's touched up."
When filming resumed, the veteran acting opposite Xu Chun had apparently received pointers from someone. He no longer held back, and he controlled the force of his blows better than before. He seemed to have gotten into character.
"Song Ye, are you still going to talk back?!"
The stick fell mercilessly on him, and his face twisted slightly in pain. Suddenly, Song Ye caught sight of a figure curled up in the darkness to one side. A complicated light stirred in those black eyes as they watched him without blinking.
"Close your eyes." Song Ye had just mouthed the words to him when a slap caught him off guard, striking so hard that his whole face turned to the side.
The director of the orphanage said nothing, his face dark. He seized a fistful of Song Ye's black hair and unceremoniously dragged him to a nearby pool. Before Song Ye could react, he shoved his entire head into the water.
"—Buzz." Song Ye heard the bubbling sound of water flooding against his eardrums and found it increasingly difficult to breathe. After a long while, just as he began to feel dizzy—
His head was finally pulled up, swaying weakly.
Song Ye struggled to open his eyes. His dark eyes glistened as he looked at the stiff figure not far away. He slowly managed a smile and, with his back to the director, silently mouthed a message to him.
"Don't come out. Don't come out, even if you die."
No sooner had he said it than he was pushed underwater again. Song Ye didn't even have the strength to struggle, but he still refused to beg for mercy. It happened again and again. Each time the director pulled his hair and asked if he admitted he was wrong, he stubbornly refused to speak, even if it killed him, and was pushed underwater once more.
Song Han watched the scene from the darkness without blinking, his long, narrow black eyes unfathomable. At last, he slowly moved, revealing a hand he had clawed bloody.
He stared silently at his hand for a while. The curses ringing in his ears grew louder and louder, interspersed with muffled groans of pain.
Song Han finally moved. Expressionless, he dug hard into the wound. When he felt the searing pain, he finally smiled in satisfaction.
"—Cut!"
The director replayed the scene they had just filmed, concentrating on the subtle expressions on that person's face.
The scene had few lines and relied more on expressive technique. It required a powerful emotional impact to draw the audience into the scene. This demanded greater dramatic intensity from the actors and made it more difficult. Fortunately, all of them had pulled it off smoothly, and perfectly at that.