Weiwei...
Hey, hey...
If Shi Wei hadn't brought it up, they really wouldn't have given that form of address any thought.
Now that they heard it, it really did sound a little unpleasant.
After all, he was a rising star the company was focused on grooming. They couldn't embarrass him, so Ma Xianbei hurriedly offered an apologetic smile. "Ruirui, don't stoop to that dumbass Shi Wei's level. He doesn't know how to talk."
Ma Xianbei turned and barked at Shi Wei, "If your ears don't work, donate them. If you don't want him calling you Weiwei, what do you want him to call you?"
Shi Wei said very seriously, "Handsome?"
The onlookers couldn't help looking at him with disdain.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Wei. I really didn't mean it that way." Xu Xirui nervously pinched the hem of his shirt. "Please don't be angry, okay?"
What was that expression supposed to mean? It made it look as though he was the one being unreasonable.
Shi Wei had intended to ignore him, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ji Hanchuan approach.
He suddenly remembered what the system had said.
As long as you bully Xu Xirui and push Ji Hanchuan past his limit, getting divorced won't be hard.
Wasn't this his chance?
Shi Wei folded his arms, as arrogant as a vicious villain. "You want me to stop being angry? Then get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness."
Ma Xianbei instantly felt as though he was suffocating. They'd agreed he wouldn't cause trouble, yet Shi Wei had courted death right out of the gate.
Xu Xirui looked aggrieved and frightened. "I'm sorry. I really won't call you whatever I please again."
Inside, Xu Xirui was on the verge of laughing out loud.
Sure enough, Shi Wei was an idiot. Give him an inch and he'd take a mile. He actually dared to throw his weight around in front of Zhang Zixiang and Ji Hanchuan.
"You say you won't, but how can I trust you?" Shi Wei lifted his delicate chin, looking contemptuous and coldly haughty. His voice was soft, yet like a vicious, razor-sharp blade. "Are you kneeling or not?"
Talk about asking for trouble.
Under his stare, Xu Xirui involuntarily took two steps back. His back bumped into something, and he turned to look, delight rising in his heart.
"Brother Hanchuan..."
Ji Hanchuan discreetly avoided contact with him. "What's going on?"
He asked Xu Xirui, but his gaze was on Shi Wei.
This idiot was making trouble the moment he arrived!
Xu Xirui grabbed Ji Hanchuan's arm, as though afraid he would impulsively lash out on his behalf. "Brother Hanchuan, don't hurt him. Xiao Wei just wants me to call him Handsome from now on."
Ji Hanchuan: ...
"Handsome?"
"Yes!" Shi Wei answered loud and clear.
Ji Hanchuan nearly laughed in exasperation. "So I have to call you Handsome from now on too?"
Shi Wei shook his head. "Actually, I'd prefer Teacher Ji to call me by my nickname, Jiaojiao."
Ji Hanchuan's expression turned frighteningly cold.
The mortifying scene resurfaced in his mind. He pressed his lips together, barely suppressing the urge to hit someone.
Ma Xianbei was about to pass out. "Who do you think you are, asking Teacher Ji to call you Jiaojiao? Should he call you Pretty too? Or Baby?"
Shi Wei: ...
Having gotten the better end of the deal, Shi Wei chose the right moment to play nice and winked at Ji Hanchuan. "Actually, whether you call me that is entirely up to you, Teacher Ji. I wouldn't dare go against your wishes."
-Hurry up and take your little green tea back to your room to read your glow-in-the-dark script, or I'm not letting him off.
Shi Wei's inner voice left Ji Hanchuan puzzled.
Shi Wei had mentioned Xu Xirui before, saying he was afraid Xu Xirui would devour him whole. What exactly did that mean? Did he think he would fall in love with Xu Xirui?
"What are you all gathered here for?" Zhang Zixiang walked over.
"Nothing, nothing," Xu Xirui hurriedly said. "I was just discussing filming with Brother Hanchuan and Weiwei."
Wow, how considerate.
But he'd sneakily switched back to calling him Weiwei.
Shi Wei snarked inwardly.
"Don't call him 'hey, hey.'" Ji Hanchuan frowned. "It's rude."
Shi Wei looked at Ji Hanchuan in horror.
Xu Xirui also looked at Ji Hanchuan in surprise.
Ma Xianbei held his jaw up to keep it from dropping.
Ji Hanchuan looked around at them. "What?"
"...Nothing." For some reason, Shi Wei suddenly lost interest. "I'm going to try on my costume. I'll excuse myself."
"Wait." Zhang Zixiang stopped Shi Wei. "You think that's the end of it?"
Shi Wei didn't quite understand. "Director, what did I do?"
Xu Xirui secretly gloated, but outwardly rushed over anxiously to defend Shi Wei. "Director Zhang, it's not like that. Shi Wei did nothing wrong..."
"He did indeed do nothing wrong."
Xu Xirui: ...Huh?
Zhang Zixiang looked at Shi Wei. "Since you youngsters are so enthusiastic, diligently rehearsing on your very first day, I'll take the opportunity to give you a few pointers."
"Shi Wei, I noticed everything."
Shi Wei trembled. "Director, what exactly did you notice?"
Zhang Zixiang said bluntly, "You're afraid of Hanchuan, aren't you?"
Shi Wei was a walking confused reaction meme.
Ji Hanchuan also looked at Zhang Zixiang.
"I was watching you the whole time you were greeting each other," Zhang Zixiang said. "Shi Wei, the two of you will be playing enemies. If you're afraid of him even in everyday life, you definitely won't be able to get into character. Your presence will be weaker too."
Shi Wei apologized to Zhang Zixiang very seriously. "I'm sorry, Director."
"It's fine. I believe in your talent." Zhang Zixiang smiled. "How about this? Stay by Hanchuan's side from now on and get to know each other better."
Shi Wei: ...
Ji Hanchuan: ...
The onlookers were inwardly in an uproar. Fuck! Zhang Zixiang personally appointed him to stay by Ji Hanchuan's side. Had this obscure little actor Shi Wei stumbled into some dogshit luck?!
Xu Xirui hurriedly said, "Director, actually, I think I need to improve too..."
"You don't need to." Zhang Zixiang waved a hand. "Hanchuan, Shi Wei, it's settled."
The production had booked out a hotel. Dragging his luggage behind Ma Xianbei, Shi Wei found his room, tossed his luggage aside, and lay down on the bed.
After carefully shutting the door, Ma Xianbei suddenly began dancing wildly and awkwardly.
"Good heavens, what kind of luck have we had lately? Director Zhang actually told you to stay by Ji Hanchuan's side! He's practically spoon-feeding you!"
But human joys and sorrows were not shared.
Shi Wei lay motionless, like an emotionless salted fish.
"Shi Wei, what have you got to be unhappy about? That's Great God Ji!" Ma Xianbei pulled Shi Wei up.
"Brother Bei, I'm different from you. I never judge people by their status."
"Quit showing off!" Ma Xianbei snapped. "I'm telling you, take good care of Ji Hanchuan. Don't stir up trouble like you did today again."
"Got it," Shi Wei said listlessly.
Ma Xianbei picked out a few of Shi Wei's snacks, dragged the now soulless Shi Wei out the door, and took the elevator upstairs.
"Brother Bei, are we going to the rooftop to die for love together?"
"...Shut up! I already asked around. Ji Hanchuan's room is nicer than yours. You're going to bring him some snacks now."
"No!" Shi Wei immediately pressed an elevator button. "You're selling me off!"
Ma Xianbei's expression suddenly grew stern. "I won't let you be... treated like that again! I'll stake my eighty-something-year-old mother and my three-year-old daughter on it."
Shi Wei lowered his eyes. "I know."
"Besides," Ma Xianbei sighed, "Ji Hanchuan is famous for keeping his private life clean. He wouldn't be interested in someone like you."
Shi Wei: ...