Jiang Lin held Li Qianxing close, gently stroking his back as he asked softly, “Shall I carry you to the shower?”
Li Qianxing nestled in his embrace, eyes half-closed, and replied hoarsely, “I’ll wash myself later. I want some water.”
Jiang Lin kissed his cheek, tidied them up a bit, washed his hands in the bathroom, wrapped a towel around his waist, and came out to mix some lukewarm water for Li Qianxing.
Li Qianxing leaned against the headboard, sipping slowly from the cup. “You go shower first.”
Jiang Lin gathered their scattered clothes and went to bathe. After he finished, Li Qianxing took his turn in the shower while Jiang Lin scrubbed Li Qianxing’s previously worn bathrobe at the sink.
To protect the bedsheets, the bathrobe had been rather mistreated and didn’t look presentable without a wash. Li Qianxing wouldn’t have cared, but Jiang Lin didn’t want hotel staff gossiping about him.
Once they were both properly cleaned up, they returned to the bedroom.
Jiang Lin closed the window he’d opened for ventilation, drew the curtains, and turned to Li Qianxing. “Let me massage your waist.”
Li Qianxing lay on his stomach, hugging a pillow under his head.
Jiang Lin pushed up his nightshirt, saw the marks across his lower back, and his eyes darkened slightly. He tugged the hem down a bit and began kneading with moderate pressure.
Li Qianxing let out a contented sigh.
Jiang Lin chuckled. “Sleep if you’re tired.”
Li Qianxing turned his head and called out, “Jiang Lin.”
Jiang Lin looked over, meeting slightly curved eyes filled with his reflection.
Those eyes spoke volumes, clearly saying, “Come kiss me.”
Jiang Lin’s smile deepened as he leaned down to share a tender kiss with Li Qianxing before straightening up to continue massaging his lower back.
Li Qianxing adjusted to a more comfortable position. “The ‘no dating on set’ rule is outdated. We can delete it.”
Jiang Lin couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Li Qianxing continued, “But in the future, when we’re filming, we’ll definitely have long periods apart.”
Jiang Lin replied, “As long as we’re not both on set at the same time, we can visit each other.”
His massaging hands couldn’t resist sliding down a bit, kneading Li Qianxing’s waist as he lowered his voice. “We can even ‘rehearse scenes’ together~”
Li Qianxing laughed. “We won’t always have suitable roles for that kind of scene.”
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow. “If there isn’t one, we’ll write our own based on the script. I can play anything, even cross-dress as a female character.”
Li Qianxing turned to look at him. “It’s a shame you’re not a screenwriter.”
Jiang Lin laughed heartily. “I still prefer acting. Besides, don’t you think this is a unique pleasure of dating a fellow excellent actor?”
Li Qianxing pondered and had to admit, “Indeed, it has its own special flavor.”
After finishing the massage, Jiang Lin flopped forward, hugging Li Qianxing as they rolled half a turn. He planted a firm kiss on his lips and sighed, “I really don’t want to go back. If we were in different locations, that’d be one thing, but we’re in the same crew but we have to sleep in separate rooms. It’s unbearable.”
But it was already very late. If he didn’t leave soon, the security footage might raise questions.
Li Qianxing hugged Jiang Lin’s waist. “Then don’t go back. Tomorrow, ask Xiao Ding to pack up your daily necessities and move them over here.”
Jiang Lin was stunned.
Li Qianxing added, “Or I could move to your place?”
Jiang Lin caressed his face. “We still have two and a half months of filming. If we live together the whole time, it’ll probably spread through the crew.”
Li Qianxing replied, “Let it spread then. We’re two single people dating normally. We have nothing to hide. Didn’t we agree to let things happen naturally? If someone leaks the news, that’s just fate.”
Jiang Lin thought for a moment and realized he had been overthinking. He chuckled, “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this. We’ve wasted a whole month living apart.”
Li Qianxing leaned in to kiss him. “I didn’t think of living together either. It’s the first time dating for both of us. Let’s be understanding.”
After all, they were both so accustomed to prioritizing work once on set. The previous period had been busy and tiring, leaving no room for other considerations.
Jiang Lin chuckled softly, “I’ll strive to make this first time the last time.”
Li Qianxing replied, “Let’s work on it together.”
Jiang Lin pulled up the covers, tucking them both in, and reached out to turn off the light. “We have scenes early tomorrow. Let’s sleep.”
Li Qianxing nestled into Jiang Lin’s embrace, feeling the familiar warmth as he closed his eyes contentedly. “Good night.”
Jiang Lin gently patted his back, just like the many nights they had already spent together.
In the darkness, Li Qianxing was quickly drifting off to sleep.
However, he suddenly heard Jiang Lin say softly, “Oh, in that case, I need to correct what I said earlier.”
Li Qianxing murmured, “Hmm?”
Jiang Lin said with a smile in his voice, “I need to revise what I said about set visits. In the future, when you’re on set, as long as I’m not working, I’ll come be your personal chef and stay with you on location.”
Li Qianxing’s lips curved up as he listened. “Then when you’re on set, I… well, I can’t do much. I can only move into your hotel room and trailer and stay there.”
Jiang Lin replied, “Having you there with me is enough.”
Li Qianxing said, “Alright.”
He leaned forward with his eyes closed, and Jiang Lin met his lips with a kiss.
◇◆
Thus, they openly moved in together, including when the filming location changed hotels. On set, they naturally stayed close, with Jiang Lin freely entering and exiting Li Qianxing’s trailer.
Surprisingly, neither the assistants Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ding, nor the screenwriter Tang Yu, heard any gossip about their relationship. It was unclear whether people were deliberately avoiding discussing it around them or if no one had given it much thought, but no rumors had spread.
This continued until the end of January of the new year, when Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin reached their final scene. Although the crew still had over two weeks of filming left, those were scenes for the main cast, so the two could leave after this last shot.
It was an indoor scene. Following typical commercial film conventions, the spotlight for the final battle would be on the main cast, so the powerful supporting characters had to face difficulties and be taken out of action earlier.
A few short scenes took an entire day to film, involving a five-person fight scene without props, which was particularly challenging. If even one person made a small mistake, they had to start over.
These scenes, where special effects would later add the enemy, often resulted in various NG situations. Breaking character by laughing, action mistakes, and positioning errors were common.
Finally reaching the last scene, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin touched up their makeup and walked to the set to be fitted with wire harnesses. After the crew finished and left, Jiang Lin personally double-checked everything.
Then, Jiang Lin signaled to Xiao Ding and Xiao Zhu at the side, gesturing for them to watch the wire team. After a full day of filming, there was concern that someone might be tired or distracted, and even one person slacking could lead to a major accident.
The three main actors also touched up their makeup and gathered. The director came over to discuss the scene, emphasizing key points, and finally patted Li Qianxing’s shoulder. “Qianxing, please endure one more flight. Let’s all try to get this in one take!”
Jiang Lin secretly squeezed Li Qianxing’s hand.
Li Qianxing turned and smiled at him.
◆
All enemies at this checkpoint had been defeated, leaving only the final mechanism.
This mechanism was the most dangerous, and only Liu Nanyue, with his exceptional lightness skill, could barely attempt it.
Liu Nanyue gracefully flipped and soared through the air, finally throwing his beloved fan weapon to disable the mechanism.
Just as the three team members began to cheer, a hidden crossbow suddenly appeared not far behind Liu Nanyue.
Three whistling sounds cut through the air. Liu Nanyue was about to land, suspended mid-air with nowhere to gain leverage.
In this critical moment, He Jing sprinted forward.
He swung his sword to deflect two arrows but couldn’t bring his blade back in time for the third. He could only use his body to shield Liu Nanyue while throwing his long sword towards the crossbow.
In the blink of an eye, Liu Nanyue landed and turned, reaching out to support the falling He Jing.
He planted his foot and slid with He Jing to the wall’s edge.
However, all the mechanisms were finally destroyed, with nothing else emerging.
The three team members had already run to their side, with the healing-capable member pressing their hand against the wound piercing He Jing’s right shoulder.
Liu Nanyue looked at He Jing’s face, seeing his eyes tightly shut, lips trembling, and a faint blue tinge to his complexion. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
The healer suddenly cried out, “What do we do? I’ve healed the wound, but I can’t control the spreading poison!”
The other two team members fumbled with their communicators to call for backup, shouting “Captain He” and “Hang in there.”
Tears welled up in the healer’s eyes. “There’s no time!”
At that moment, Liu Nanyue pulled away the healer’s hand and pressed his own to the wound.
A soft yellow light emanated from her palm.
The three team members looked at him in astonishment.
Liu Nanyue’s face quickly turned pale, and a thin sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
When he removed his hand, He Jing hadn’t awakened, but his complexion had returned to normal.
The healer placed a hand on He Jing’s forehead and, after a moment, exclaimed joyfully, “The poison is gone!”
Liu Nanyue sat on the ground. “He still needs time to recover, as do I. From here on, it’s up to you.”
The three looked at her once again.
Liu Nanyue said, “There’s no time. You must go now.”
He glanced at He Jing. “Don’t worry, he still owes me three years. I won’t let him die here.”
The three exchanged looks, nodded, stood up, and saluted the pair.
Liu Nanyue waved his hand.
They looked at He Jing one last time before turning and running away.
Liu Nanyue watched them leave, then leaned against the wall exhaustedly, sighing deeply.
After a moment, he turned his head, looking down at He Jing with a complex expression, and whispered, “The three years you owe me… you’re not planning to carry that debt into the next life, are you?”
◆
The director yelled “Cut!” Jiang Lin opened his eyes, meeting Li Qianxing’s gaze, filled with various emotions.
Jiang Lin was briefly stunned, then smiled. “Did I scare you?”
As he spoke, he rolled over and stood up, extending his hand to Li Qianxing. “I’m fine.”
Li Qianxing grasped his hand and was pulled up forcefully.
Crew members approached to help Li Qianxing remove the wire harness attached to his body.
The two walked over to the director, watching the playback twice to confirm there were no issues.
The director happily hugged them both. “Great work. Thank you for your hard efforts!”
While exchanging pleasantries with the director, Jiang Lin immediately helped Li Qianxing remove his costume and the wire harness straps around his waist and legs.
The assistant director presented them with bouquets, and the crew gathered to congratulate them on finishing their scenes. The three main actors were particularly reluctant to see them go, chattering around them.
However, filming had to continue. The director eventually clapped his hands and summarized, “Everyone’s working so hard, we must believe this film will be a hit. We’ll surely make second, third, fourth, and fifth installments, and we’ll see more of Teacher Jiang and Teacher Li’s amazing action scenes! So, let’s keep up the good work!”
Everyone laughed and cheered together before dispersing.
The director extended his hand to the pair. “You’re flying to WL soon for the film festival, right? Wishing you both success in winning awards.”
They shook his hand, exchanged a few more polite words, and agreed to have dinner with Tang Yu that evening before turning to leave.
As they walked out, Jiang Lin glanced back at the set being rearranged by the prop team.
Remembering Li Qianxing’s habit of decompressing after a scene, he jokingly asked in a low voice, “Qianxing, in this situation, where would you go to smoke?”
Li Qianxing replied, “Somewhere nearby where no one’s around.”
After walking for a while, they turned a corner to find a secluded spot with dismantled sets and piles of foam prop rocks. Everyone was busy inside, leaving this area deserted.
Li Qianxing nodded slightly. “This spot looks good. Let’s come back here in a bit.”
Hearing an odd tone in his voice, Jiang Lin turned to look at him closely, then suddenly said to Xiao Ding and Xiao Zhu, “You two go ahead and pack up, then find a good restaurant to book. We’ve wrapped up, so let’s have a nice celebratory dinner tonight.”
Xiao Ding and Xiao Zhu, assuming the pair wanted some privacy, agreed with a smile and quickly left.
Jiang Lin took Li Qianxing’s arm and led him into the messy set area.
Li Qianxing looked at him curiously. “Shouldn’t we go remove our makeup and change first?”
Jiang Lin smiled. “No rush. There’s not much wind here, and you have heat packs on. We should be fine for a bit.”
As he spoke, he took off his thick coat and then helped Li Qianxing remove his.
Li Qianxing looked puzzled. “?”
Jiang Lin bundled the two coats together and tucked them between two prop rocks. He then straightened up, looked at Li Qianxing, and said softly, “Let’s finish the scene we just did, release all our emotions, and properly say goodbye to Liu Nanyue and He Jing for now.”
Li Qianxing’s eyes widened slightly.
Jiang Lin patted his arm. “This final scene was a bit emotionally charged. It’s not good to keep those feelings bottled up when trying to exit character.”
With that, he lowered his hand, and his expression gradually became serious.
Still in He Jing’s makeup and costume stained with fake blood, he composed himself to portray He Jing, picking up right where the scene had left off.
Li Qianxing looked at his face, then at the “wound” on his shoulder, and poked the “injury”. “Impressive, Captain He, rushing in without hesitation to block those arrows.”
Jiang Lin replied seriously, “As a member of Bureau 19, protecting citizens’ safety is my duty.”
Li Qianxing grabbed his neck and pushed him against a fake rock, leaning in close and staring into his eyes. “You still owe me three years. Don’t think you can escape that debt by dying!”
Surprise flashed in Jiang Lin’s eyes as he steadied Li Qianxing’s waist. “I’m not—”
Li Qianxing impatiently cut him off. “Until you’ve repaid me, remember, your life isn’t just yours—it’s mine too!”
Jiang Lin frowned slightly. “Mr. Liu, I hope you remember this too. Since you’re working with us, we’re a team. We can only overcome difficulties if we work together. Earlier, when breaking the mechanism, I said I’d support you. If you hadn’t insisted on doing it alone, that dangerous situation wouldn’t have happened. If you could trust me a bit more…”
Li Qianxing scoffed lightly. “Enough. Don’t just talk about me. How much do you trust me?”
He pushed Jiang Lin’s hand away and turned to leave.
The next moment, Jiang Lin grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
For the first time, Jiang Lin’s expression changed, anger rising in his eyes.
Gritting his teeth, his chest heaving, he barely managed to keep his voice steady. “Do you know how I felt when I saw that crossbow?”
Li Qianxing stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Then how do you want me to repay you? Is my life enough?”
With that, he suddenly leaned forward and bit Jiang Lin’s lip.
Jiang Lin’s pupils trembled, his mouth unconsciously opening slightly.
Li Qianxing pushed him against the rock again, completely covering his mouth.
After a moment, Li Qianxing pulled back slightly. “The life contract is sealed. Let’s see if you dare to throw your life away so casually now.”
As he spoke, he flashed a smug smile, licking his glistening lower lip. “I’ll say it again—your life is mine!”
Jiang Lin’s eyes darkened, as if brewing a terrible storm.
The next moment, he suddenly reached out, grasped the back of Li Qianxing’s head, and pulled him close, kissing him fiercely.
This kiss was less like a kiss and more like two beasts tearing at each other.
After a long while, the evenly matched pair finally separated, panting, their sharp gazes clashing as if sparking actual flames.
However, that sense of confrontation quickly dissipated, and they both chuckled softly.
Jiang Lin caressed Li Qianxing’s face. “You’re cold. Quickly, put on your clothes.”
As he spoke, he hurriedly turned around, bent down to retrieve the clothes he had tucked away earlier, and handed Li Qianxing his coat.
The two quickly put on their clothes. Jiang Lin then took Li Qianxing’s hand, blew on it a few times to warm it up, and tucked it into his own pocket as they walked out together.
Jiang Lin turned his head to look at Li Qianxing. “Feeling better?”
Li Qianxing nodded. “Much better. I’ll come back for a smoke after removing the makeup, and then this film will be truly over for me.”
Replaying their impromptu continuation in his mind, he asked, “Was the sudden kiss too abrupt?”
Jiang Lin replied, “I think it was fine. Liu Nanyue’s temperament is to act unpredictably.”
He added with a smile, “That life contract idea of yours was quite interesting. I’ll mention it to Xiao Yu-jie later and see if she wants to use it.”
Li Qianxing asked, “Have you seen the specific plot for the upcoming story?”
Jiang Lin shook his head. “No, she won’t show it to anyone except Yan-jie until she’s satisfied with it herself.”
The two continued talking in low voices as they slowly walked away.
Raine: Just four more chapters. Let me see if I have the motivation to be productive tomorrow. See you~
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