The weather was gradually warming up in May. Xu Chun lay on the sofa at Xie Jianyuan's place, holding a small electric fan as he focused on the script in his hands.
Director Chu hadn't lied to him. The intimate scenes really were explosive.
Xu Chun flipped to a random page and looked at the adult-only descriptions, things like "suggestive panting" and "overcome with lust." His expression grew serious as he began to consider a question in earnest.
What if he got hard during filming?
Imagining that awkward scene, Xu Chun looked down solemnly between his legs, his expression as grave as if he were contemplating some momentous matter.
"What is it?"
Xie Jianyuan had just finished showering. His upper body was bare, and a white bath towel was wrapped loosely around his waist. Drops of water still fell from his hair now and then, tracing a path from his collarbone down over his beautifully defined abs.
He usually looked tall and lean, so Xu Chun hadn't realized Xie Jianyuan had such a good physique. His muscles were well-defined and proportionate, without looking exaggerated in the slightest.
Xu Chun paused, then realized what he was thinking and couldn't help cursing himself inwardly as a pervert.
Xie Jianyuan was straight, and besides, there was still Jiang Xiuyan to make things uncomfortable. It seemed Xu Chun really had gone without sex for too long; he wasn't even sparing someone younger than himself.
Xie Jianyuan walked over, drying his hair with one hand and carrying a script in the other. He casually set the script on the coffee table, then sat down.
"Just now..." Xie Jianyuan looked at Xu Chun, seeming to hesitate over what to say. The moment he came out, he had seen Xu Chun looking down, deep in thought.
Xu Chun said nothing. His attention was entirely on the script on the coffee table. He leaned forward, picked it up and flipped through it, spotting the conspicuous words.
—"Unexpected Joy"
Then he silently took out his own script and placed it beside the other, comparing the two identical copies.
He couldn't help falling into deep thought.
Huh? What had he just been saying? What was he supposed to do about the intimate scenes?
Chapter 26: Brother Complex
The male and female leads who were so lovey-dovey on television might barely know each other in private. All the tenderness and passion in their kissing scenes were for the audience; once someone called "cut," they would turn their heads away and wipe their mouths, each disgusted with the other.
And of all scenes, bed scenes were widely considered the hardest to film. This time, it was a bed scene between two men, and worst of all, it was with Xie Jianyuan.
Xu Chun took a deep breath and felt a little dizzy.
Some people thought filming this kind of scene with an acquaintance was less awkward than doing it with a stranger, but Xu Chun felt exactly the opposite. He thought that after filming such a scene with an acquaintance, they might not be able to return to their former easy, natural relationship.
Because he was gay, as gay as could be.
And he didn't want to lose a friend like Xie Jianyuan, so he began to have second thoughts. Should he turn the role down?
The moment the thought surfaced, he ruthlessly stamped it out, wishing he could slap himself a few times.
He had used every trick he had to win this role. How could he possibly walk away from it because of Xie Jianyuan?
Xu Chun frowned deeply, staring unblinkingly at the script as if he could make a flower bloom on it.
"Brother Chun?" Xie Jianyuan waved a hand in front of him in confusion.
Xu Chun came back to his senses and gave a vague grunt. Then he looked at Xie Jianyuan, hesitated for a moment, and finally pointed at the two identical scripts. "Ours are the same," he said slowly.
Just the right amount of surprise appeared on Xie Jianyuan's face. He raised an eyebrow, glanced where Xu Chun was pointing and said with a smile, "What a coincidence."
Xu Chun grunted. "You don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"Two men..."
"If you don't mind, Brother Chun, neither do I."
Xu Chun didn't think much of the remark. He took his script back to the bedroom, full of worry.
Xie Jianyuan watched him leave, the corners of his lips curling slightly into a meaningful smile.
On Friday, Xu Chun suddenly received a call from the production team of the talent show, saying that Xu Jin had gotten into a fight with another trainee. He hurriedly apologized to the team and promised it wouldn't happen again. Only then did they reluctantly agree to cut that part out.
Xu Chun then wasted no time dragging Xu Jin out of the dormitory and scolding him with a stern face.
"Why did you hit him?"
Xu Jin looked defiant, but stubbornly refused to speak. Xu Chun sighed and called him "A-Jin." He knew Xu Jin responded to a gentle approach rather than a harsh one, and sure enough, Xu Jin's expression softened considerably. He squirmed and called him "Brother."
"Tell me. If you hit someone when you were in the wrong, I'll really be angry."
Xu Jin scratched his head, seeming to find it hard to say, but in the end he gritted his teeth and blurted it all out.
"He was bad-mouthing me behind my back."
"He" presumably meant the boy Xu Jin had fought with. Xu Chun's heart sank a little. "What did he say?"
"He said I got into the competition through your connections, and that you pulled strings for me and manipulated things behind the scenes to make sure I advanced. He said I was just a useless piece of trash."
Xu Jin looked at Xu Chun, whose expression had turned a little grim after hearing this. He hadn't told him what had really made him angry: the boy had said that nobody knew which sugar daddy Xu Chun had behind him, that his career had suddenly taken off, and that nobody knew how many times he'd sold his ass.
Hearing that at the time, he had completely lost his reason and given the boy a vicious beating. But now he had caused his brother trouble again.
"All right, I understand." Xu Chun nodded solemnly, then patted him on the shoulder. "If something like this happens again, don't act on impulse. Just tell me."
"What?"
Xu Chun's lips curled coldly. "Didn't he say I was manipulating things behind the scenes? Then let's show him what real behind-the-scenes manipulation looks like."
Xu Jin looked at him with his eyes slightly widened, a little surprised. He had the feeling that his brother had changed in some way he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Xu Chun knew there would be plenty of gossip about him appearing as a guest, but he also knew he genuinely hadn't given Xu Jin any special treatment. Xu Jin had entered the show without telling him, so there was no question of Xu Chun using his connections to get him into the competition.