Ji Hanchuan and Xu Xirui looked at him at the same time. Even Chen Yutong, up ahead, stopped walking.
Not expecting to attract so much attention, Shi Wei tugged harder at him.
"I was too embarrassed to ask earlier. Teacher Ji, may I?"
Ji Hanchuan's gaze lingered on his stunningly beautiful face.
What trouble was he trying to stir up now?
"Where do you want to take it?"
Shi Wei looked around and pointed at the distinctive wall of pothos in the restaurant's garden. "Teacher Ji, look over there. So lush and green. It's perfect as our backdrop."
Ji Hanchuan: ...
"Let's go." Ji Hanchuan headed over first, and Shi Wei hurried after him.
Chen Yutong watched them, her delicate brows knitting. "Ruirui, wasn't that Shi Wei on the trending searches with you before?"
"Yes," Xu Xirui said. "But that's already been cleared up. My fall had nothing to do with Weiwei."
"Weiwei's a good person. You have no idea, Sister Yutong. Director Zhang really appreciates him. He even asked him to learn from Brother Hanchuan."
"Teacher Zhang likes talented people."
Xu Xirui nodded. "Yes, and Brother Hanchuan likes talented people too. Like you, Sister Yutong."
Chen Yutong broke into a smile and pretended to hit him. "How dare you tease me!"
Xu Xirui dodged with a laugh. With no audience around, he couldn't be bothered to fool around with her.
In any case, all he needed was for her to notice Shi Wei.
The vast swath of pothos resembled a waterfall, soothing to look at.
Shi Wei took out his phone, and Ji Hanchuan asked how he wanted to take the photo.
"Of course, what I'd like most is to take naked photos with my husband, but my husband definitely wouldn't agree." After running his mouth, Shi Wei adjusted the selfie angle. "I'll settle for standing side by side with my husband."
Ji Hanchuan: ...
Ji Hanchuan stood beside him. "Hurry up and get it over with."
You bastard. So impatient with me!
On the phone screen, their faces were next to each other, both expressionless.
At this distance, how were they any different from strangers?
Shi Wei couldn't help saying, "Could you move a little closer, hubby?"
Ji Hanchuan moved a little closer.
"You're so handsome, hubby. Won't you smile?"
"..." Ji Hanchuan suddenly said flatly, "Why didn't you ask to take photos that day in the changing room?"
Boom!
Shi Wei's face flushed instantly, and some indecent things popped back into his mind.
"Why would you bring that..."
Shi Wei turned his head, and his lips brushed Ji Hanchuan's cheek...
Click.
The shutter sounded in a rapid burst.
Shi Wei: ...
Ji Hanchuan: ...
Against the expanse of lush greenery, their faces looked even redder.
Ji Hanchuan's handsome face abruptly turned cold, and he stepped back twice. "Trying to give me your cold?"
Holy shit, what the fuck was wrong with this bastard!
Was that how someone reacted to being kissed?
Furious, Shi Wei snapped at him, "Do you have any common sense? It only spreads through mouth-to-mouth contact!"
"You want mouth-to-mouth contact with me too?"
"Who wants that!"
"Give me your phone." Ji Hanchuan snatched his phone away and opened the gallery to find the burst of photos. He had intended to delete them, but a tap of his long finger selected share.
Shi Wei chased after him. "I can delete them myself. Give me back my phone."
Ji Hanchuan strode forward, swiftly deleted the photos, and erased the traces of sharing them as well.
"Here." Ji Hanchuan tossed the phone back to him.
Shi Wei barely caught it and opened the gallery. Sure enough, all the photos had been deleted.
"Teacher Ji, Shi Wei, aren't you done yet?" Mo Xingyu came looking for them from the corridor and hurried over when he spotted them. "Everyone's outside. Sister Yutong's asking if we want to go to karaoke."
"I'm going back to rest," Ji Hanchuan said coldly.
"Oh." Mo Xingyu looked a little disappointed, then turned to Shi Wei. "Then are we going back to watch a movie or going to karaoke?"
A movie?
Ji Hanchuan stopped in his tracks.
Shi Wei wasn't in the mood to hog the microphone. "A movie. Let's go. I've got lots of snacks in my room. I'll go get them first. You get the equipment."
"Okay."
Not daring so much as to look at Ji Hanchuan, Shi Wei left with his head down.
Mo Xingyu turned to say goodbye to Ji Hanchuan. "Good night, Teacher Ji."
He had only taken a few steps when he felt a hand press down on his shoulder, so heavy it nearly flattened him.
Ji Hanchuan's expression was like a sweeping winter wind, his voice cold as ice. "What movie are you watching?"
"Skylark Moonlight."
Ji Hanchuan's expression eased slightly, and he loosened his grip. "Then enjoy the movie."
"..."
Mo Xingyu's legs had gone weak. He nearly walked headfirst into a wall as he left.
His idol really seemed to hate him.
Skylark Moonlight was a beautifully shot arthouse film. Ji Hanchuan played an autistic musical genius, while Chen Yutong played an energetic girl from an ordinary background. They met in a world-renowned orchestra, in an unforgettable story of love that could never be fulfilled.
The film not only earned Ji Hanchuan his first Best Actor award, but also won Best Director and Best Picture. It was renowned both at home and abroad and had even been named the best Chinese-language film of the past twenty years.
And the Moonlight CP had become the white moonlight in many people's hearts.
Shi Wei had originally watched with the intention of mocking Ji Hanchuan, but unexpectedly found himself gradually drawn into the story.
When the male lead played by Ji Hanchuan watched Chen Yutong leave, unable to ask her to stay and able only to express his heartbreak through his violin, Shi Wei heard sobbing beside him.
Shi Wei: ...
Mo Xingyu stubbornly tilted his head toward the ceiling. "I'm not crying!"
"Okay, okay, I understand," Shi Wei comforted him.
The film continued.
Dressed in a white shirt, Ji Hanchuan stood outside the airport. Planes bound for distant destinations flew across the sky from time to time. He knew Chen Yutong certainly couldn't hear him, but he still lost himself in playing the violin.
Shi Wei stared dazedly at Ji Hanchuan, absorbed in his performance, and forgot to blink.
By the time the film ended, Mo Xingyu wasn't even pretending anymore. He was bawling like a stupid kid.
"Just go. Stop looking at me."
"...Then I'm leaving."
"Don't you dare tell anyone I cried!"
"Okay."
Shi Wei took out his phone, snapped a photo of him, and slipped back to his room before he could react.
After showering and lying down in bed, he kept hearing that violin piece echoing in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He saw either that billowing white shirt or that cheek, so close to his own.
I'm doomed. That bastard's actually kind of handsome. What do I do!
[Ji Hanchuan before his blackening is indeed very charming.]
"But why do I feel like he's a little cold toward Xu Xirui?"
[This system isn't sure about that either, but Ji Hanchuan will indeed fall in love with Xu Xirui and go mad for him.]
"Oh..."
[Are you unhappy, host?]
"Ji Hanchuan's been snatched by a pig, and I'm being cuckolded by a pig. How could I be happy?"
[...]
Filming officially began the following day.
Shi Wei and Mo Xingyu filmed at the imperial palace, while Ji Hanchuan, Xu Xirui, Chen Yutong, and the others filmed elsewhere.
The first scene was an ensemble scene. Shi Wei had no lines and had to express all his emotions through his eyes.
Everyone was nervous, only relaxing once Zhang Zixiang called, "That's a take."
Shi Wei slipped out of character with complete ease and went aside to drink some water.
"How come you're not nervous at all?" Mo Xingyu was very envious.
"I'm mentally resilient."
Mo Xingyu: ...
"As long as you're resilient enough." Zhang Zixiang smiled at Shi Wei. "You'd better stay resilient for the next scene too."
"No problem, guaranteed." Shi Wei looked at Mo Xingyu. "Right? Huh? Why is your face so red?"
Mo Xingyu swallowed.
The next scene seemed to be the one where Shi Wei carried him...