Everyone Was Dumbfounded

Huahua hugged the backpack and knocked softly on the door.

Measured footsteps sounded clearly. Then the door opened, and Jiang Tingxu stood tall enough that Huahua had to tilt her head back to look at him.

"Jiang, the Movie Emperor." Huahua lowered her voice. "Where's Si You? I brought his clothes."

"Give them to me." Jiang Tingxu turned his head. Through the open gap, Huahua saw Si You already lying on his side asleep on the bed. He wore an oversized white T-shirt, the fabric at his waist lightly pooled across the mattress. A bold thought surfaced in Huahua's mind...

"You should go back and rest." Jiang Tingxu added, "The production team didn't arrange rooms for assistants. I'll have my assistant take you later."

"It's fine, it's fine. I drove myself!"

Yet Jiang Tingxu had already pulled out his phone and rapidly typed away. Hearing that, he glanced at Huahua. "It's already dark."

It truly wasn't safe for a girl to be out alone after dark. Jiang Tingxu's assistant arrived soon afterward and took Huahua away.

Jiang Tingxu placed the small backpack against the wall, then quietly went to wash up in the adjoining room.

Neither of them had removed their wigs, or it would waste too much time the next morning. Si You had tied up his hair and taken a shower earlier, changing out of his costume in the process. He could keep wearing his own pants, but his shirt had long since been soaked through with sweat. Just as Si You was debating whether to make do, Jiang Tingxu knocked on the door, his voice soft and muffled. "Wear mine for now."

Si You instinctively pinched his ear. "Okay."

There was no question that filming was exhausting. Si You had only intended to lie down for a while, but the moment his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep. He even forgot that his bed was the one inside. Jiang Tingxu did not seem to mind. After making up the smaller bed and settling everything, he lay down to sleep as well.

Focus on the drama first, Jiang Tingxu thought before closing his eyes.

The production started work at seven in the morning. Since he had slept fairly well the night before, Si You jolted awake at six-thirty when the staff began moving equipment and props around.

Si You abruptly sat up. In the faint light seeping through the window, he saw that he was covered by a blanket. This should have been the bed Jiang Tingxu had slept in these past few days, and it carried a familiar scent.

Si You sucked in a sharp breath, then raised a hand to cover his face. No... how had he taken someone else's spot?!

Si You rolled out of bed and quietly washed up in the cramped bathroom.

The overhead bulb cast a miserable light. Si You looked up at his awkward reflection in the mirror. His unease and embarrassment had nearly reached the point where they could not be concealed.

A wave of hot, tingling sensation shot from his tailbone to the crown of his head like lightning, then slowly spread through every limb, quickening his heartbeat. He had to brace himself against the sink just to stand steadily, because Si You remembered how, after aggravating his old injury last night, Jiang Tingxu had held him in his arms and gently massaged him.

I...

Heat rose to Si You's face. Looking at the gaps between the floor tiles, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into one.

He really had been in pain last night. It was not as if Si You could not endure it alone, but Jiang Tingxu had been there the entire time. His weakness had surfaced quickly, seeming to skip past his mind entirely before throwing him into Jiang Tingxu's arms.

During the long inner monologues of his previous life, Si You had already learned to calmly smooth over his pain. There had been no one, and naturally, he was not used to letting others see him in such an awkward state. But Jiang Tingxu was destined to be different. Si You had gone from admiring him alone to uncontrollably considering him a kindred spirit after becoming familiar with him. In some ways, they could resonate with each other in ways the world would never hear.

So the question was, was it appropriate for kindred spirits to do this...?

It was probably fine, Si You thought again. They were both grown men—what was there to be embarrassed about?!

Knock, knock, knock—

"Still not done washing up?" Jiang Tingxu knocked on the door, his voice low and hoarse.

Si You jumped and hurriedly said, "Almost, almost!"

At the same time, his hands flew as he fixed his wig and clothes, making himself look as energetic as possible.

Kindred spirits did not need to care this much about appearances, Si You thought at lightning speed. He looked more like some lovesick idiot, all bashful because he was about to see someone he liked...

Stop!!!

Si You opened the door. Jiang Tingxu had only just woken up and squinted slightly to adjust to the bathroom light.

That cool, gentle layer had not yet settled over him, making Jiang Tingxu's gaze seem cold and sharp. This appeared to be his true nature, etched into his bones.

Then Jiang Tingxu raised a hand and touched Si You's forehead.

Si You froze. "What's wrong?"

"I was checking whether you had a fever. Your face is so red."

Si You: "..."

Forget it. Whatever happened, happened.

After confirming that Si You was fine, Jiang Tingxu did not ask further questions. He simply switched places with him and went inside to wash up.

By the time a staff member came to urge them along, the two had already changed into their costumes and were fully dressed.

"Si You..." The staff member cautiously looked him over. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Si You: "...Why would you ask that?"

The staff member said, "Your face is really red."

Si You was practically developing PTSD from those words. Gritting his teeth, he said stiffly, "It's stuffy!"

"Oh, okay."

Si You walked ahead while Jiang Tingxu closed the door. He watched Si You's back for several seconds, the corner of his lips curling into a pleased smile.

The heat in Si You's face had finally gone down, but he ran into a little trouble while changing costumes. Jiang Tingxu stepped forward to help tighten his belt. This put them face-to-face, and when Jiang Tingxu reached one hand around behind him, his head naturally moved closer as well. His breath instantly came infinitely close to Si You's ear.

Static exploded in Si You's head.

"Done," Jiang Tingxu said calmly.

Si You gave a vague "Mm-hm," not daring to look at him.

Before seeing Zhu Qinsheng, Si You seriously reconsidered another question: Since when did I have so little resistance to men?

Zhu Qinsheng waved when he saw them. "Perfect, the lead actors are all here."

Si You had met Sun Wenzhu yesterday. There was also Su Ya, who played the female lead; Lu Xiangrong, who played the emperor; Gao Jin, who played the general defending the nation; and others.

Si You greeted each of them in turn, firmly memorizing their names.

Su Ya looked Si You up and down, clearly dazzled by him. Smiling, she said, "You're very different from the rumors online."

The remark was casual and held no ill intent. Si You felt a little embarrassed. "I'll take that as a compliment from Sister Su."

Su Ya was twenty-seven, and there was nothing wrong with Si You calling her "Sister." Su Ya looked both shy and pleased.

Sensing a deep gaze, Si You looked up and met Gao Jin's eyes.

Gao Jin gave a slight nod, and Si You smiled and nodded back.

Quite a few actors gathered around to watch while Si You filmed. Zhu Qinsheng had worried that he might perform unstably, but one moment Si You was saying, "I get nervous when there are lots of people," and the next, at the call of "action," his expression changed in an instant.

Lu Xiangrong and the others were all stunned.

When they learned that Si You was playing Yun Si, it was no exaggeration to say they had thought half the drama was ruined. Even if Si You's performance in Spring Action had somewhat turned public opinion around, was it really necessary to push him this hard? Yet Si You slipped into character in a second. His gaze and emotional progression were like those of a seasoned veteran tempered through countless trials!

Su Ya could already imagine the scene when the drama aired and audiences, like them, were left with their jaws on the floor.

Si You had three scenes that morning and only got stopped twice. The moment Zhu Qinsheng gave him guidance, he understood immediately, never dragging things out.

Su Ya said awkwardly to Jiang Tingxu, "Movie Emperor, Si You has been hiding his talent pretty well."

Any normal person would think so, but Jiang Tingxu had an especially deep understanding of acting. Precisely because of that, he knew that no matter how talented a person was, they could not reach such a level in such a short time.

That night when Si You had rehearsed with him, Jiang Tingxu had actually received a great deal from him.

But he could not say it now.

From afar, he watched Si You, wanting to cast aside the surrounding glamour and chaos and peer, through Si You's performance again and again, into the true soul beneath that outer shell.

And Jiang Tingxu had not told even Si You himself about that thought.

After leaving the set, Si You took the water Huahua handed him and gulped down more than half of it in one breath.

Next, it was Jiang Tingxu's turn to perform.

The character "Lu Tu" cared for all living people without lacking means. He understood how to weigh victory, defeat, gains, and losses in a chaotic age. Kindness was also the foundation of his soul. A trace too much softness made him seem sanctimonious, while a trace too little made him seem cold and cruel. The demands on the actor were therefore extremely high. Jiang Tingxu needed profound understanding, using subtle expressions and minute movements to make the character clearer.

And the moment he turned around, Si You stopped drinking, his entire attention drawn to him.

Si You's appreciation for Jiang Tingxu's acting was destined to be richer than anyone else's.

Just as Si You's heart began showering him with praise, someone nudged his leg.

At some point, Gao Jin had sat beside Si You and bumped Si You's leg with his own.

Si You instinctively shifted aside. "Ah, Brother Gao, what is it?"

Gao Jin stared at Si You. His gaze was not explicit, but neither was it restrained. It carried a probing, appraising quality that seemed impossible to suppress, making Si You somewhat uncomfortable.

"You came to the production last night?" Gao Jin asked.

"Mm."

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" Gao Jin guessed that Si You's treatment on set could not be very good. Helping in a crisis was better than adding flowers to brocade, so he extended an invitation. "I still have room where I'm staying."

A strong sense of strangeness rose in Si You's heart. They had only just met, and Gao Jin was inviting him to live with him?

"No need." Si You said, "There's still space in Jiang, the Movie Emperor's adjoining room. I've already moved in."

Gao Jin raised his brows, somewhat surprised. Jiang Tingxu was willing to share a room with someone?

With that thought, he instinctively looked up, only to meet a pair of black, unfathomable eyes.

Jiang Tingxu had just finished filming a scene where he intimidated the imperial court. Perhaps the hostility and pressure around him had not yet fully faded. In any case, when Gao Jin was watched like that, he inexplicably shivered.

Seeing Jiang Tingxu leave the set, Si You stood up, took a bottle of water over, unscrewed the cap, and naturally handed it to him.

Jiang Tingxu accepted it and took two drinks, then casually asked, "What were you talking about with Gao Jin?"

"Nothing." Si You said, "I didn't even notice when he sat beside me. He was worried I didn't have anywhere to stay, so he invited me over."

Jiang Tingxu glanced sideways. Si You had good features, and each time he wore makeup, he only needed a little enhancement around the corners of his eyes. The Sixth Prince Yun Si was born with seductive bones, his eyes long and narrow, pink spreading across their outer corners. When he did not smile, he was Yun Si. But when he smiled, light rippled in his eyes, dazzling and radiant.

"Are you going?" Jiang Tingxu asked.

"How could I?!" Si You's instincts kicked in, telling him he should stay farther away from Gao Jin.

At the same time, Si You had also deeply understood something through their brief interaction: he did have resistance to men. He was even repulsed by someone like Gao Jin.

The morning passed like flowing water. At noon, the production handed out boxed lunches. Si You collected his portion and sat beside Jiang Tingxu to eat.

Si You's tastes had been light lately. Then he glanced at the pitiful two pieces of ribs in Jiang Tingxu's lunchbox and gave him some of his own.

Jiang Tingxu paused. "Eat yours..."

"I can't eat much." Si You said, "The doctor told me to eat less greasy food."

Jiang Tingxu returned the favor by giving Si You several slices of stir-fried pork. "Eating less greasy food and getting enough protein are two different things. This isn't greasy. Eat."

Si You stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth and answered vaguely, "Mm."

Su Ya and the others were dumbfounded.

No, since when did Jiang, the Movie Emperor share boxed lunches with people?! Everyone on the production knew they were supposed to keep their distance from Jiang Tingxu himself and everything that belonged to him. Much less something he was eating.

Compared to them, Zhu Qinsheng was far more relaxed. He looked smug as he thought, Young people, they haven't seen enough of the world.