In the spacious hall with sheer curtains drawn, a wide projection screen displayed a maze of mirrors.
The only light source in the scene was the protagonist’s phone flashlight. Reflected off countless mirrored surfaces, it illuminated a world of bizarre distortions.
A shrill, fast-paced violin piece played through the surround sound system. Against this backdrop of music that stirred up deep-seated fears and unease, the protagonist stumbled frantically through the maze. With each glance up, countless versions of himself rushed into view.
Finally, unable to bear the psychological pressure, the protagonist let out a howl and smashed his phone violently on the ground. He clutched his head and slid down in front of a mirror.
In the layered world of reflections, countless versions of him similarly huddled with knees drawn up.
Only in the mirror to which he was facing away, the figure that had been back-to-back with him suddenly straightened up, stood, turned around, and looked down at the protagonist sitting before the mirror.
The camera slowly zoomed in on the figure in the mirror. His lips first twitched slightly, then slowly settled into a barely perceptible upward curve.
In the next moment, he looked up, his pitch-black eyes staring directly into the camera, his gaze seeming to penetrate the screen. The blurred silhouette in his pupils appeared to draw in the viewer.
In front of the screen, Li Qianxing’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
At that moment, a hand picked up the remote and pressed pause.
The music, which had reached its most intense crescendo, abruptly stopped, and the image froze on that close-up shot.
Qi Jingnian put down the remote, leaned back on the sofa, and shook the script in his hand. “Qianxing, are you really decided on taking this role?”
Li Qianxing adjusted the angle of his recliner and turned to look at him. “Mm. What do you think of the script?”
“It’s a good script, but I didn’t expect you’d be willing to act in a romance,” Qi Jingnian said, his gaze falling back to the script in his hand. “The roles you’ve chosen before either had romance as a minor element or were very subdued. Even the occasional kiss scenes were all camera tricks. But this one…”
He flipped through the pages rapidly. “It’s very risqué, with lots of passionate scenes and high levels of exposure required. Plus, you’ve never played this type of role before. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”
Li Qianxing looked at him calmly. “Otherwise, how can it be called a breakthrough.”
Qi Jingnian raised his head to look back at him for a moment, then sighed lightly and said with a resigned smile, “Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll handle the rest with Director He. As usual, we’ll have your studio as the main investor so we can maintain control if anything comes up.”
Li Qianxing smiled slightly in return. “Thanks, Ge.”
Qi Jingnian waved his hand dismissively. “We’re family. No need for thanks.”
He set the script aside and, as he turned, happened to catch sight of the frozen frame on the screen. Recalling something, he asked, “Is this the drama Jiang Lin did with Director He?”
Li Qianxing’s gaze followed his. “Mm.”
Qi Jingnian: “Have you seen the one where Jiang Lin just won the DS Best Actor award?”
Li Qianxing: “I saw it earlier at the film festival.”
Qi Jingnian nodded. “He’s had it tough too. Back then, because contract negotiations fell through, he was constantly suppressed by the other two big companies. Only our productions could air normally. Now he’s finally made it through. He was able to win the Best Actor Award at a prestigious international film festival. His acting skills are good enough to co-star with you.”
Li Qianxing stared at the frozen close-up on the screen in front of him but didn’t respond.
Qi Jingnian waited a while, and seeing no reply, asked curiously, “What’s wrong? You don’t think he’s suitable? Should I talk to Director He about possibly replacing him?”
“It’s not that. I think…” Li Qianxing seemed to be locked in a staring contest with the figure on screen, “Compared to the film that won him Best Actor, this one… Though technically less polished, it resonates more deeply… Maybe Director He is better at exploring characters in depth.”
Qi Jingnian glanced back at the screen and casually added, “Well, it is the film that earned Jiang Lin the WL Best Newcomer award. That year, Director He also won Best Director for it.”
As he spoke, he mentally reviewed Li Qianxing’s words twice before realizing, “So you agree with Director He’s judgment and think Jiang Lin is suitable to play opposite you.”
Li Qianxing blinked slowly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
His face revealed no expression, but Qi Jingnian knew his brother well. One look at his eyes told him they clearly held a sense of meeting a worthy opponent.
Qi Jingnian shook his head with an amused smile and stood up. “Alright, I need to get back to the company. You focus on studying the script and preparing. I’ll let you know once everything’s settled.”
Li Qianxing stood as well, seeing Qi Jingnian to the door.
As Qi Jingnian changed his shoes, he made small talk, “Have you been eating properly? How come you didn’t gain weight after resting for two or three months? You even seem to have lost some.”
Li Qianxing replied, “Without work, I’m not tired, so I don’t have much appetite. However, according to the new character’s design, I should be even thinner, so I still need to lose some weight.”
Qi Jingnian quickly advised, “Wait to discuss that with Director He. If it’s really necessary, I’ll have my secretary find you a nutritionist. Your stomach is quite delicate, don’t do anything rash on your own.”
Li Qianxing: “Alright.”
Qi Jingnian patted his shoulder, “Mom and Dad will be back from their trip in a couple of days. Remember to go over, we’ll have a family dinner.”
Li Qianxing: “Mm.”
Qi Jingnian pushed open the door, “Okay, okay, no need to see me out. I’ll take the elevator myself.”
Li Qianxing stood at the door watching him press the elevator button. “Say hello to my sister-in-law for me.”
Qi Jingnian nodded and waved him off, “Go back inside.”
Li Qianxing had been spoiled by his family since he was young, so he didn’t bother to be polite with his brother. He closed the door and walked back to the living room.
He first picked up the curtain remote and closed the blackout layer. The room instantly darkened, highlighting the brightness of the large projection screen.
Li Qianxing sat back in his comfortable recliner and continued playing the film.
◇◆
In the quiet office, the sound of turning pages could be heard from time to time.
Jiang Lin leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed, idly scrolling through his phone as he waited for his manager, Yan Yi, to finish reading the script.
Yan Yi read quickly, looking up in less than half an hour. “You really want to do this?”
Jiang Lin smirked, “How could I refuse a script from Director He? If it weren’t for him giving me that chance back then, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He has done me such a great favor, even if he asked me to help him for free, I would have accepted it. Besides, this is not a bad movie. Director He is counting on this movie to win an award at WL.”
Yan Yi nodded, “The script is indeed good, but you’ve never done a romance film before. Forget romance, even in the roles you’ve taken, there hasn’t been a proper love story, at most a minor subplot. What’s Director He thinking, asking you to act in this, and it’s even a same-sex theme?”
At this, a glimmer of amusement appeared in Jiang Lin’s eyes, “That’s where you don’t understand Director He. He likes to mold actors himself. The less relevant experience they have, the more he can shape them.”
Yan Yi casually flipped through the script, pondered for a moment, then asked, “Who is the other male lead? Has it been decided? Who is the main investor? Who is the producer?”
Jiang Lin shook his head, “Director He just gave me a heads up, said he’d formally discuss with us after the other lead is confirmed.”
Yan Yi was stunned, then became a bit upset, “What’s this? He hasn’t decided to use you yet?”
Jiang Lin: “From what he said, it seems the other lead he’s considering will have a say in choosing their co-star. He probably wants to prioritize that person.”
Yan Yi folded her arms, “Choose? In the entertainment industry, how many 25-year-olds have won an international Best Actor award from an established festival? The director approves of you, yet the other party wants to judge an award-winning actor like you? And if we limit it to those fitting the role, they’d be around your age. Among male actors in this age group, who could possibly have the right to…”
However, halfway through her speech, she suddenly fell silent.
Because Yan Yi remembered – there really was such a person!
She unfolded her arms and leaned forward on the desk, “…Is it him?”
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow, “I’ve thought it through, and it can only be him.”
Just then, Jiang Lin’s phone vibrated several times. He looked down to see two WeChat messages from Director He Zhanpeng.
[He Zhanpeng: The other side has confirmed. If you’re okay with it, I’ll set up a time to discuss details with your agent.]
Jiang Lin smiled, placed the phone on the desk, turned it around, and pushed it toward Yan Yi.
“It is indeed him.”
Yan Yi lowered her eyes and saw the message:
[He Zhanpeng: The other male lead is Li Qianxing.]
Yan Yi sighed resignedly, “Since it’s this senior, we really have nothing to say.”
Li Qianxing had starred in a children’s film at age 9, becoming that year’s sensational child star. He never left the film and TV industry, participating in numerous productions over the past twenty years. He had won two Best Actor awards from the three major international film festivals, and countless other Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards from various countries and regions, regardless of their prestige.
Moreover, Li Qianxing was known in the industry as a “drama fanatic,” only taking roles he liked. Besides acting, he rarely participated in commercial activities. Forget about endorsements, he hadn’t even appeared on variety shows. Yet, as if blessed with inherent popularity, every drama he starred in became a hit.
Yan Yi: “I didn’t expect Director He to get him. Now I understand a bit. For any drama Li Qianxing stars in, his studio always invests to prevent issues on set. For a director, having someone with acting skills, who brings investment, and is cooperative, is the ideal collaborator.”
Jiang Lin took back his phone, his finger tracing over the characters for “Li Qianxing” in He Zhanpeng’s reply, “It seems my acting skills have passed the test of the senior, and he didn’t have me replaced.”
Yan Yi patted his arm, smiling, “Li Qianxing has the support of Xingyi, a company with strong financial resources. Someone like him is unique in the industry, we don’t need to compare ourselves to him.”
While replying to He Zhanpeng, Jiang Lin said, “Xingyi approached me back then too. From what I observed, even within Xingyi, Li Qianxing is an outlier. Why does Xingyi support him so much? They haven’t even tried to develop his commercial value at all.”
Yan Yi: “There’ve been rumors in the industry that he has a connection with Xingyi’s CEO. His contracts used to be negotiated by Mr. Qi’s special assistant, but since the crown prince Qi Jingnian joined the company, Qi Jingnian has been in charge of the negotiations himself. It’s obvious that they have an unusual relationship. But there’s no telling what the relationship is.”
As she spoke, she casually flipped through the script, muttering, “I remember Li Qianxing’s romantic scenes were always very subtle. I’m surprised he’d take on such a risqué script. There are… three bed scenes… and these passionate kissing scenes, surely they can’t use camera tricks…”
Suddenly, she slapped the table and looked up at Jiang Lin: “Oh right, there’s a famous industry rumor about Li Qianxing. Have you heard it?”
Jiang Lin gestured for her to continue.
Yan Yi: “Although Li Qianxing has never starred in a serious romance film, he’s had romantic scenes with many people. They say his acting is so good that everyone who’s acted opposite him, regardless of gender, has fallen in love with him. Of course, it always ends in unrequited love and heartbreak.”
Interest sparked in Jiang Lin’s eyes. “That good? Now I’m really looking forward to it.”
Yan Yi frowned slightly, staring intently at Jiang Lin’s eyes. “Ancestor, don’t you dare fall for Li Qianxing! You’ve just won Best Actor and your career is on the rise. Don’t let some heartbreak affect your state!”
Jiang Lin looked back at her for a moment, then chuckled lightly. “Yan-jie, you should worry about him falling for me. If he ends up heartbroken, won’t Xingyi cause trouble for us?”
Yan Yi: “You’re that confident?”
Jiang Lin: “An actor should be able to get into character and out of it. The role is the role, I am me. If I can’t distinguish between the two, what kind of actor would I be?”
Yan Yi: “I sincerely hope you’ll be the first to break this rumor.”
However, a trace of worry remained on her face.
Just as Jiang Lin was about to say more to reassure her, there was a knock on the office door. Yan Yi called for them to enter, and the secretary poked her head in.
“Ms. Yan, you have a lunch appointment. It’s time to leave.”
Yan Yi nodded, “Alright, tell the driver to get the car ready. I’ll be right there.”
She gathered her things, picked up her bag, and headed out, saying to Jiang Lin, “Since you’ve decided to take the role, go home and focus on preparing. I’ll handle the contract. You’re the professional when it comes to acting, I don’t need to worry about that. Contact me if you need anything else.”
Jiang Lin pocketed his phone, picked up the script from the table, and followed Yan Yi out to the elevator.
Yan Yi pressed the ground floor button and saw Jiang Lin press another floor. She asked curiously, “Where are you going?”
Jiang Lin: “To the archives, to find some of Li Qianxing’s films to watch. Know your enemy, right?”
Yan Yi chuckled, “You’re treating this like a war.”
Jiang Lin shrugged, “Isn’t a romance film just a war between two people?”
Yan Yi: “Don’t stay up late watching tonight. You have an interview and photoshoot tomorrow. Don’t give the post-production team trouble with dark circles under your eyes.”
As the elevator doors opened, Jiang Lin agreed and walked out.
◇◆
The next day, Jiang Lin went for his scheduled interview and photoshoot.
This interview was for a magazine that was quite influential in the industry. Jiang Lin had only earned this cover opportunity after winning Best Actor at the DS International Film Festival. The magazine took it seriously, with the editor-in-chief personally overseeing it. Yan Yi also considered it important, especially clearing her schedule to accompany Jiang Lin.
After working for most of the day, they had a light dinner with the editor-in-chief and photographer in the evening before happily concluding the work.
Yan Yi needed to return to the company to handle some matters, and Jiang Lin followed along.
“Do you have something to do?” Yan Yi asked, puzzled.
Jiang Lin pressed the floor button. “I just asked, Hua-jie is still here. I’ve asked her to stay and help me with a disguise.”
Yan Yi: “Disguise? Where are you going?”
Jiang Lin: “To a bar, to experience life.”
Yan Yi frowned, “Your character doesn’t run a bar, what’s there to experience? If the paparazzi catch you, they’ll immediately run a headline like ‘Newly Crowned Best Actor Frequents Nightclubs’.”
Jiang Lin said nonchalantly, “So what? Is a Best Actor not allowed to go to nightclubs? I’m going to a legitimate establishment, I’m not afraid of being photographed.”
Yan Yi glared at him. “You really know how to give me trouble.”
Jiang Lin smiled. “Don’t worry, Jie. I’ll have Hua-jie give me a fake beard. With my acting skills, I won’t be recognized.”
As the elevator doors opened, he stepped out. Yan Yi, still worried, followed him to the makeup room.
The makeup artist styled him according to his request and picked out an outfit for him. Jiang Lin then asked about maintaining the fake beard.
Yan Yi’s eye twitched slightly as she watched. “How many times are you planning to go?”
Jiang Lin: “Let’s say three to five days for now, then we’ll see.”
Yan Yi rubbed her temples: “Don’t mess with it yourself. Ah Hua, go over and fix him up these few nights.”
The makeup artist agreed with a stifled laugh.
Jiang Lin went out with satisfaction and drove to the bar he had chosen.
The bar was an important location in the love story. Last night, Jiang Lin had his assistant scout several streets before finding one with an atmosphere close to that described in the script.
Jiang Lin found a place to park the car, then looked in the mirror to make sure that his disguise was fine.
He wore a medium-length, slightly curly chestnut wig, styled messily with the ends loosely braided and tied back. He had a ring of short facial hair around his lips and chin, dark foundation on his face, and wore black-framed non-prescription glasses. Paired with a hoodie, jacket, and jeans, at first glance he looked like an unkempt middle-aged man.
Satisfied, Jiang Lin got out of the car.
The moment he stepped out, he hunched his back, slumped his shoulders, and slightly bent his knees, instantly reducing his 189cm height. There was no trace of the youthful vigor and vitality left in him.
Jiang Lin walked into the bar with his hands in his pockets and found a secluded spot to sit. He first communicated with his assistant about the time to pick him up, then ordered beer and snacks, and ate and drank leisurely while observing.
It wasn’t too late yet, not peak hours for the bar, but there were quite a few customers. The bar was dimly lit, with a resident singer performing mellow love songs on stage. A few couples swayed slowly to the rhythm on the dance floor. The booths were about half full, with small groups gathered at the bar. The bartender shook cocktail shakers, and occasional servers weaved through the crowd carrying drinks.
Jiang Lin had never actually been to a bar or nightclub before. During his school days, he was busy with studies and too poor to afford such places. After graduating and signing with Yan Yi’s agency, he was constantly running between film sets for bit parts. Even after gaining some fame, he focused on honing his acting skills, leaving no time for leisure activities.
Moreover, given Jiang Lin’s personality, he had little interest in alcohol or such venues. He’d rather eat barbecue and drink cola at a street stall than go drinking and dancing at a nightclub with friends.
So now, everything seemed quite novel to him.
As time passed, the bar grew livelier. The resident singer finished performing and was replaced by a DJ. As upbeat music started, the atmosphere instantly became more energetic, with crowds of people flooding the dance floor and moving under the flashing colored lights.
A waiter walked past Jiang Lin carrying a tray.
Jiang Lin happened to glance at him, his gaze drawn to a rainbow-colored drink on the tray, and he unconsciously followed its movement.
The waiter delivered the drink to a nearby booth, bending to place it on the table.
Several untouched drinks were already on the table, the overhead booth light illuminating their beautiful colors.
Only one man sat in the booth, wearing a light down jacket over a sweater. He picked up the rainbow-colored drink, held it up to his eyes, and slowly rotated it, seeming to examine it carefully, but ultimately set it back down without drinking.
Curious, Jiang Lin moved his chair to get a better view of the man’s face.
He blinked in surprise.
Even in the dim booth lighting, Jiang Lin was certain he wasn’t mistaken—it was Li Qianxing.
Li Qianxing wore a knitted hat of the same color as his sweater, with the brim pulled down a little low, revealing only a few strands of bangs. He had thin-framed glasses perched on his high nose bridge, but no other disguise, looking quite scholarly overall.
However, although he was a famous and talented actor, he kept a very low profile, rarely appearing in public off-screen. Given how different he looked from his on-screen personas, it wasn’t surprising he hadn’t been recognized.
If Jiang Lin hadn’t just watched several of his films yesterday and wasn’t about to work with him, he might not have recognized him at first glance either.
As for why Li Qianxing was here, there could only be one reason.
Jiang Lin’s lips curved slightly—he hadn’t expected to be so in sync with this senior actor.
Raine: This is more than 3k words. Although the novel only has 46 chapters, all chapters are averaging 3k words each. If you think it’s too long for a chapter, let me know and I’ll split future chapters.
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