After a night of torrential rain, the city's clamor seemed to have been washed away. The oppressive heat had given way to a cool breeze, dispelling the sweltering discomfort of the day before.
Shen Xuanrun arrived at the set early with Little Li and met the director, Cheng Hao.
"Hello, Director. I'm Shen Xuanrun." Shen Xuanrun politely introduced himself to Cheng Hao.
"You're here. There aren't many people at the makeup station right now. Go get your makeup done first."
Cheng Hao had originally wanted to give the role of Zhao Ziru to a better actor, someone who was at least more than a pretty face. If he could find a good actor, Zhao Ziru would certainly become a huge hit and generate plenty of buzz. But he owed Sister Chen a favor, so when she asked, he gave the role of Zhao Ziru to Shen Xuanrun.
Cheng Hao had seen the television dramas Shen Xuanrun had acted in. Despite Sister Chen's repeated assurances afterward, he still had little confidence in Shen Xuanrun. Thus, he showed little enthusiasm when he saw him, dismissing him with a few casual words and sending him off to get his makeup done.
Shen Xuanrun noticed the director's coldness but did not take it too much to heart. After all, in the director's eyes, he was nothing but a pretty face. He had taken the role of Zhao Ziru, so it was already decent of the director not to openly show his displeasure. He turned and went to the makeup artist.
The makeup artist, Xiao Xu-the makeup artist, Xiao Xu-was a fairly experienced young woman, but she was still a little dazzled when she saw Shen Xuanrun.
Shen Xuanrun looks even better than he does on television. What a shame his acting isn't very good. It's a waste of that face, Xiao Xu silently muttered to herself.
Today's main task was to shoot the costume portraits. Shen Xuanrun had to be made up to look like Zhao Ziru on the opera stage, which would take quite some time.
When Shen Xuanrun's makeup was nearly finished, Jiang Yi finally arrived. He explained his tardiness by claiming he had been stuck in traffic. The director did not make much of it and told him to hurry and get his makeup done.
Jiang Yi looked around the makeup room before his gaze finally settled on Shen Xuanrun. He walked over and stopped in front of Xiao Xu.
"You, come do my makeup first," Jiang Yi said as though it were only natural.
"But Mr. Shen's makeup is still a little short of finished," Xiao Xu said quietly.
"Oh, it's Shen Xuanrun. Ah, I only just got here because of traffic. I was in such a rush to get my makeup done that I didn't even notice you. But I'm playing the male lead, and my costume portraits are about to be shot. Let this makeup artist do mine first. You won't mind, will you?" Jiang Yi turned his gaze toward Shen Xuanrun and began speaking in a snide tone.
When Shen Xuanrun said nothing, Jiang Yi told Xiao Xu, "You, hurry up and come do my makeup. If we fall behind schedule, can you take responsibility?"
Xiao Xu looked anxiously at Shen Xuanrun. Only the final part of his eye makeup remained, and she did not know what to do.
"It's all right. Do his first. I can figure something out myself." After speaking gently to Xiao Xu, Shen Xuanrun picked up a makeup brush and began doing his own eye makeup in the mirror.
Hearing Shen Xuanrun say that, Xiao Xu relaxed and began doing Jiang Yi's makeup. Makeup artists like them were always most afraid of offending a celebrity. In a mild case, they might get scolded; in a serious one, they could lose their jobs. Seeing how gently Shen Xuanrun had helped her out of her predicament, Xiao Xu was filled with gratitude toward him.
Luckily, when he had studied with Teacher Sun before, he had learned a little about opera and, out of curiosity, had specifically learned how to apply the makeup as well. Now it came in handy.
Seeing that Shen Xuanrun had yielded the makeup artist to him and could only daub makeup on his own face, Jiang Yi said smugly,
"Ah, I'm so sorry. But Xuanrun, you seem to have entered the industry two years after me, so I'll call you my junior! I'm sure my junior won't mind his senior, will he?"
Listening to Jiang Yi's nauseating voice, Shen Xuanrun furrowed his brows but said nothing.
"If my junior doesn't say anything, I'll take that as agreement," Jiang Yi continued, carrying on his one-man performance.
Just as Jiang Yi was about to say a few more words, he heard the director calling. He looked at Shen Xuanrun's alluring face with its makeup on and his slender figure in the opera costume. His gaze darkened, and he turned to go have his costume portraits taken.
After finishing Jiang Yi's makeup, Xiao Xu was about to add a few more strokes to Shen Xuanrun's eye makeup when she caught sight of his strikingly alluring, captivating face. She froze for a moment, then quickly came back to her senses. Shen Xuanrun had already turned and gone out to have his costume portraits taken.
When Shen Xuanrun stepped out of the makeup room, everyone on the crew paused in surprise. His graceful figure, eyes like clear autumn waters, and tenderness that could melt bones seemed to carry them back in a dream to a raised stage. A few lilting notes, and who knew whose life he was singing of?
There was no denying that Shen Xuanrun's face suited the role of an opera performer in the Republican era. It was just a shame that his acting was so poor, Cheng Hao lamented.
After everyone had finished their individual costume portraits, the director asked them to take a group photo as well.
As the second male lead, Shen Xuanrun naturally stood beside the male lead, Jiang Yi. But once Shen Xuanrun had settled into his pose, he felt a hand roaming over his waist. The owner of that hand was none other than Jiang Yi.
The sleeves of Shen Xuanrun's opera costume were so wide that no one noticed this little movement. And even if Shen Xuanrun told everyone right then that Jiang Yi was touching his waist, Jiang Yi would deny it to the bitter end and turn the accusation back on him.
Shen Xuanrun's gaze sharpened. If this got out before he had any good work to his name, Jiang Yi's fans online would only say he was trying to ride Jiang Yi's popularity.
Jiang Yi must have anticipated that too, which was why he was so brazen. Besides, Jiang Yi had powerful backing. At least for now, Shen Xuanrun had no way to deal with it. He really had it all worked out.
Shen Xuanrun changed his pose. First, he hid his hand inside his sleeve, reached behind himself, and moved it to his waist, pinching that groping hand hard through his clothes. With his other hand, he lifted his sleeve and flicked it forward. He crossed his feet, stamping hard on Jiang Yi's foot with one of them, and bent his knees slightly. It looked just like he was striking a pose.
The groping hand quickly withdrew, but Shen Xuanrun kept his foot where it was.
As the largest investor in "Battle in the Sea of Commerce," Gu Weichen was coming to visit the set today, with dinner together planned for that evening.
The producer invited him into the theater,
The producer said, "President Gu, the actors are taking their costume portraits right now. Would you like to have a look?"
Gu Weichen remembered that young man whose words did not match his thoughts. He recalled that he was in this production too, playing the second male lead.
"Take me to have a look."
As he approached the place where the publicity photos were being taken, when he was still about ten meters away, he heard the young man's voice in his mind, furious with mortification.
That's what you get for touching me. Go on, touch me again! I'll stomp you to death. It's bad enough that you prey on women, but you won't leave men alone either, you scumbag. Ptooey.
Gu Weichen's expression darkened. He continued closer, and the voice in his mind grew steadily louder. He also saw the young man's foot planted on the foot of Jiang Yi, who stood beside him.