“Chatting about the Passing of Time with a Zither” was a popular historical fiction novel five or six years ago. Although it seemed outdated now, the original fans of the book still existed.
The crew had started filming a while ago. In the afternoon, Li Feifei helped pack a few clothes for Xu Qiao.
The drive to the film and television city took less than two hours. On the way, Xu Qiao opened Weibo, finding hundreds of messages with the tag #XuQiaoCausingPublicSceneOnTheStreet.
The first to post was a local influencer who received a fan submission. The post not only mentioned seeing Xu Qiao drunk on the street arguing with a man, but also included several photos. Shortly after the influencer posted this on Weibo, the comments exceeded a thousand.
「Didn’t he also got into a fight before? This guy’s character is really not good.」
「A a public figure, can he not stop embarrassing himself in public?」
「Please don’t bring unnecessary hate to our Chasing the Spotlight group. What sins did my brothers commit to be associated with this person?」
「Heard Xu Qiao is going to play Jin’er? Congratulations, a rotten person deserves a rotten role.」
「Original fans say this annoying character is a perfect match for Xu Qiao. He can just play himself, hahaha.」
Scrolling through with boredom, Xu Qiao remained unfazed by the influx of malicious mockery. Having been through many worlds, these insults elicited nothing more than a mild annoyance.
Li Feifei drove and glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Big Brother, it was my fault last night. Didn’t notice someone taking photos…”
Xu Qiao, with an innocent and harmless smile on his face, spoke in a sweet and naive voice, “If they want to take pictures, let them. Good or bad, it’s still publicity.”
Li Feifei: “……” Indeed, he was still the somewhat foolish big brother.
Xu Qiao put away his phone, then flipped through the script. He was set to play the third male lead, Jin’er, a young attendant raised in a brothel called Drunken Joy Pavilion.
Drunken Joy Pavilion, besides its surface business of entertainment, was actually a hub for intelligence exchange. Apart from serving clients, Jin’er also had the task of stealing information.
In one mission, he fell in love with the male lead, Chunyu Yuan, persistently pursued him, and went to great lengths to sabotage the relationship between the male and female leads. He went further and further down the road of self-destruction.
In short, he was a malicious supporting character with improper feelings towards the male lead in a BG novel — a role that, no matter who played it, would inevitably be drowned in the audience’s spit.
When Xu Qiao saw the character description, his enthusiasm for the role increased.
The brothel was a place he was familiar with. “I’m a Crossdressing Big Boss in the Brothel” was the first book he transmigrated into. He stayed in that world for a full nineteen years, from the age of six to twenty-five.
With his family’s downfall and a blood feud on his back, Xu Qiao, to escape pursuit and fulfill the will of the world, had no choice but to hide in the brothel, disguising himself as a woman.
In the first decade, he learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the art of charming men. At sixteen, he officially started entertaining clients, selling talent without selling his body.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
On the day of his debut, the beauty hidden in seclusion made his first official appearance, causing a sensation throughout the capital. Countless nobles and aristocrats fell for his charm, spending fortunes just to catch a glimpse of the beauty. It became a topic of lively discussion.
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Li Feifei spoke, “Big Brother, the character Jin’er is indeed unlikable, but since you’re not getting other roles now, consider it as a way to impress directors and audiences. We can discuss other matters later.”
Xu Qiao uttered an “hmm” as he leaned lazily against the car seat, letting out a yawn. He turned his head to gaze outside, watching the streets retreat continuously. His face reflected on the window glass.
Staring at this face, Xu Qiao slowly blinked his eyes. His gaze gradually became tender and affectionate, the curve of his lips carrying a hint of ambiguity and innocence — a peculiar combination that surprisingly coexisted in harmony.
Upon reaching the film and television city, Li Feifei parked the car, carried the luggage, and showed his ID to the security. Familiar with the routine, he led Xu Qiao inside.
Li Feifei took out a room key card and slipped it into the pocket of Xu Qiao’s down jacket, pointing to a nearby hotel. “Big Brother, your key card. We’ll rest at that hotel after finishing the shoot tonight.”
After walking for five or six minutes, Li Feifei nodded ahead, saying, “We’re almost there.”
Xu Qiao looked over, and saw a quaint courtyard with a few small pavilions not far away. The shooting location for “Chatting About the Passing of Time with a Zither” these days was set up in the courtyard, where figures moved about, and machinery cluttered the scene, creating a crowded and chaotic atmosphere.
Since most of Jin’er’s scenes were shot indoors, Xu Qiao didn’t need to move to other sets later. He could essentially complete all his scenes here.
To save costs, especially for web series with limited investments like “Chatting About,” it wasn’t possible to shoot in the order of the plot’s development. Instead, scenes set in the same location were grouped together for shooting.
Shooting the beginning and immediately filming the ending in the same location was a common practice.
Shifting his gaze away from the “Chatting About” set, Xu Qiao’s attention turned to another set adjacent to it.
In comparison, this set was larger and more organized. Xu Qiao vaguely saw white silk fluttering inside, and on the ground, there were props like white candles and paper money, indicating the filming of some funeral scenes.
Seeing Xu Qiao glance at the neighboring set, Li Feifei said, “Big Brother, that’s not like our small web series. That’s a big production, ‘Hundred Ghosts,’ directed by Hu Zhenghua. It’s a series with supernatural themes. The crew built their own set in the mountains and came to the film city this time just for the location.”
Director Hu Zhenghua was a well-known veteran director in China, having secured the top spot at the box office during the Chinese New Year several times and holding the position of annual box office champion multiple times. He quickly rose to become one of the directors in China’s billion-yuan box office club.
Li Feifei sighed. “Speaking of it, although the ‘Chatting About’ crew is small, it’s quite humane. The crew across from us, well, lazy people like you, Big Brother, might find it exhausting there. They’re cramming to meet a tight deadline, and since electricity is cheaper at night in the film city, they’re practically pulling all-nighters every night.”
Xu Qiao tilted his head, his tone light as he said, “Big productions shouldn’t be short on money, right? Going all out to save electricity costs seems a bit much, doesn’t it?”
“Hey, you can’t say it like that. The budget is all saved up. Besides, they’re filming supernatural stuff, so having night scenes is normal,” Li Feifei said, leaning over to glance at the other set as if searching for someone.
Xu Qiao turned, the soft afternoon sunlight casting a gentle glow on his profile. His refined jawline appeared even clearer. “What are you looking for?”
“Xu Siyi is also in the ‘Hundred Ghosts’ cast. If we’re lucky, we might see him!”
Watching Li Feifei’s excited gaze, Xu Qiao flipped through his memories. Xu Siyi seemed to be a popular influencer, and Li Feifei was a fan.
After a while without spotting anyone, Li Feifei disappointedly withdrew his gaze, then looked at Xu Qiao somewhat reproachfully. “Big Brother, when will you become famous enough to have opportunities to collaborate with others? I really want an autograph.”
Xu Qiao couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and continued walking.
Inside the set, Director Jiang Wen was directing a scene, and the crew members were busy. Opting not to disrupt the flow, Xu Qiao pulled Li Feifei aside to wait.
Someone noticed him, exchanged glances but remained silent.
Accustomed to a bad reputation, especially with the recent scandal of him causing a scene while drunk, no one wanted to be the first to provoke him.
When Jiang Wen finished shooting the midday break scene, he turned around and noticed Xu Qiao in the crowd.
He stood quietly there, the winter afternoon sunlight embracing him from behind. In the backlight, the youth’s features were somewhat indistinct, but his gentle and harmless aura stood out prominently.
Jiang Wen wondered who this could be. Was there someone in the crew like this? Upon getting closer, he recognized it was Xu Qiao.
“Hey, Xu Qiao is here!” Jiang Wen greeted him and subtly furrowed his brow while sizing him up.
The character Jin’er in the book was exceptionally detestable, with a hint of same-sex inclination. Typically, no male actors were willing to play it, and those willing had an image that didn’t quite fit. So, the role had been vacant for a while.
It was a stroke of luck that Li Chengxuan introduced Xu Qiao.
When it came to Xu Qiao, Jiang Wen had some understanding.
No acting skills? No problem. He was a villain, after all, and a very stereotypical villain at that. It didn’t matter if his acting was bad, as long as he had that flavor.
Xu Qiao looked more vivid than in the previous photos. Appearance-wise, there was nothing to complain about. This aspect aligned with the character’s requirements — Jin’er in the book might be bad, but that setting made him the most popular young attendant in the brothel, so having good looks added credibility.
However, the temperament was way off, wasn’t it?
The current Xu Qiao appeared like a pure and innocent flower standing there, far from the soft and charming aura expected of a brothel attendant. What was going on? Jiang Wen could already imagine Xu Qiao failing to portray the character convincingly.
Someone on the side whispered, “Who is this?”
“Xu Qiao, from the Chasing the Spotlight group. He’s playing Jin’er.”
“Jin’er? That’s a bit…” The words trailing off were indistinct, accompanied by a somewhat unclear smirk, indicating that people felt Xu Qiao and the character were too different.
Pretending not to hear those comments, Li Feifei wore a smile and approached Jiang Wen. “Director Jiang, we’re relying on you to take care of Big Brother Xu Qiao. It’s his first time filming, so he might lack some experience. Director Jiang, please bear with him and put in a bit more effort!”
Not wanting to be rude, Jiang Wen forced a smile, even if he felt dissatisfied. He nodded at Xu Qiao. “Alright, if the experience is lacking, just watch and learn.”
“Absolutely, absolutely.” Li Feifei nodded hurriedly.
Xu Qiao chuckled softly, his lips forming a slight petal-like curve. The habitual upward inflection at the end made it sound somewhat coquettish.
“I’ll learn well.”
When these words came out, both Jiang Wen and Li Feifei were momentarily stunned.
The plain words from Xu Qiao’s mouth had the same effect as a feather tickling the soles of one’s feet.
Especially with the emphasis, intentional or not, placed on the phrase “learn well,” drawn out lazily, it inexplicably brought to mind certain scenes of allure and decadence.
Both of them cast puzzled looks at Xu Qiao, who maintained the same appearance — an unthreatening, pure, and innocent face.
Jiang Wen and Li Feifei couldn’t help but suspect they had misheard just now.
Clearing his throat, Jiang Wen softened his expression a bit and called over the nearby stylist. “Later, you go take a makeup photo, then familiarize yourself with the script after that. You have scenes tonight.”
Xu Qiao acknowledged with a nod, and the stylist led him and Li Feifei to the dressing room.
His mind was currently occupied, with rumors circulating about his impending contract termination with the talent agency. The entertainment industry had always had a culture of lifting some while pushing others down, so it was inevitable that some people would look down on him. Walking along the path, he heard a few laughs from behind.
“Can he play Jin’er? You might as well give it a try.”
“Me? Play Jin’er? Gotta be wild enough for that.”
Li Feifei, upon hearing the insinuating words, was about to turn around but was quickly restrained by Xu Qiao.
Xu Qiao raised an eyelid, turning to look at the two guys talking. With an appraising and critical gaze, he scrutinized them from head to toe. The clear orb eyes of Xu Qiao carried a playful smirk.
Stared at so intently by him, the two men felt a bit uneasy, avoiding eye contact.
In the next moment, Xu Qiao revealed a sweet and innocent smile, his voice filled with malice. “Feifei, how did the book describe Jin’er?”
Li Feifei caught on quickly, mimicking Xu Qiao’s manner and sizing up the two men. He huffed, “Willowy waist, peachy face, pert buttocks, and long legs.”
Without waiting for Xu Qiao to speak, Li Feifei continued sarcastically, “Oh, you still want to play Jin’er? Waist not slender enough, buttocks not perky enough, and the face is just too plain.”
Oh, attacking someone’s appearance, who doesn’t know how to do that? Li Feifei rolled his eyes, and the nearby assistant stylist quickly muffled the snicker that slipped out of her mouth.
Xu Qiao turned around, continuing to walk forward, leaving the two young men with uncertain and pale expressions.
Thank you for the chapter:)
Honey fr said “your ass is too flat for this” lmaoooo
Thank you for translating~ <3 Woahh, this is the first time I’ve seen the mc give just a hint to how compatible he is to a role :oo Can’t wait for more face slapping!
Thank you for the update ☺️
Thank you for the chapter!
I love how the author has written in a way for them to essentially think up titles and synopses for whatever story they want without needing to write a whole story. I hope the names follow common naming conventions and the titles get more and more specific and/or ridiculous!!!
(I give this first one 100%)
Thanks for the chapter! savage, lol