Soon, the assistant replied with Ji Qingzhou’s location. When Sheng Wenxi saw it, he was in the next city. He asked the assistant to postpone his schedule for tomorrow, he planned to see Ji Qingzhou. He really didn’t believe it. They were all in this industry. Could he be really unmoved by the promise of awards? !
The next morning, Sheng Wenxi left home after eating, because it wasn’t far, he didn’t take a plane, but drove himself. He drove for almost three hours before he arrived at his destination. He called Zhou Chengfeng, who didn’t expect him to come here specifically for Ji Qingzhou, so he hurriedly welcomed him.
Sheng Wenxi followed him and soon arrived at the shooting set. He was sitting in the shade with a guitar. In front of him were some children. He played the guitar gently and sang “Tomorrow will be Better” to them.
When Sheng Wenxi arrived, he was singing the phrase, “The spring breeze doesn’t understand the customs and blows the hearts of children.”
Sheng Wenxi listened from afar and was a little surprised that he had a good voice. He saw Ji Qingzhou smiling at the children, singing tenderly, then he asked the children in front of him at the end of the song, “Do you want to try playing the guitar?”
He had a smile on his face, but the depth of the smile and the feelings conveyed were different, gentle and peaceful when singing, and a very bright glow in his eyes when talking to the children.
It was really like Ah Heng, Sheng Wenxi thought, the early carefree Ah Heng who had a passion for love.
He waited for Ji Qingzhou to finish filming and watched as Zhou Chengfeng walked up to Ji Qingzhou and said something to him. Ji Qingzhou looked at him with slight surprise and nodded politely after meeting his gaze.
Sheng Wenxi smiled a little in response.
Because of Sheng Wenxi’s arrival, Zhou Chengfeng coordinated with director Wu to move Ji Qingzhou’s scene back a little. The moment Wu Hui saw Sheng Wenxi, he was surprised he came, but now he understood, he couldn’t help but feel that Ji Qingzhou was quite powerful. They were all in the same industry, of course he knew Sheng Wenxi, he also knew that he was extremely picky, his film didn’t accept back door deals, each candidate had to go through his audition.
Now, he specifically came to find Ji Qingzhou, he probably wanted to Ji Qingzhou to act in his film. Sure enough, all good directors had the same eyes on people. Wu Hui narcissistic ally thought and happily let Ji Qingzhou go.
Ji Qingzhou and Sheng Wenxi found a coffee shop nearby. Sheng Wenxi saw that the weather was fine today, so he didn’t want a private room, but sat by the window and basked in the sun.
Ji Qingzhou looked around, probably because this shooting location was relatively remote, and this cafe was relatively small, so at this time there was no one other than the two of them and the boss’s wife. Relieved, he sat down opposite Sheng Wenxi.
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.
The owner’s wife brought over the menu for them to order, and Ji Qingzhou let Sheng Wenxi order the coffee he wanted first, before he ordered a cup of milk tea. He looked at Sheng Wenxi and wondered if he should speak first to show respect, so he politely spoke, “Hello, Director Sheng.”
“Hello.”
“Director Sheng came to see me this time, is it about Ah Heng?”
Sheng Wenxi nodded, “Zhou Chengfeng sais that you’re not willing to play this role, can I hear your reasons?”
Ji Qingzhou thought about it and explained to him, “Ah heng’s late stage psychology is too depressing and painful, in the end, it ends in death, moreover, he likes men. So, I don’t want to take the role.”
Sheng Wenxi was puzzled, “You discriminate against homosexuals?”
“Of course not.” Ji Qingzhou said, he himself liked boys, how could he discriminate against same sex couples, just, it was just because he liked men, that was why he couldn’t act in such films.
He could do “A Page of Love Poem” and “Partridge Sky” because he didn’t like girls, so he wouldn’t have feelings for female actors even if he entered the scene. But Ah Heng liked men, he was afraid that when he got too deep into the scene, if he also had different feelings for the male actor who played Jiang Bin, then what?
When he was acting in “Broken Light”, he had once been very much in love with Lian Jingxing because of Lin Luoyang’s brotherly love for Lin Luofeng, and felt that he was like he was really his brother. And Ah Heng’s feelings for Jiang Bin were pre-fervent and straightforward, so pure that he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t be affected.
“I’m just afraid I’ll get too deep into the drama. Many couples in the industry nowadays, didn’t they fall in love with each other while playing a couple?”
Sheng Wenxi didn’t expect him to have this kind of consideration, “You like boys?” He asked tentatively, “Otherwise how would you have such worries.”
Of course Ji Qingzhou wouldn’t expose himself in front of someone he wasn’t familiar with, so he only said, “If I get too deep into the drama, who knows what will happen?”
“Don’t you think you’re thinking a little too much? If you say so, wouldn’t you be unsuitable for acting, or else when you did ‘Partridge Sky’ before, you also had emotional scenes, weren’t you worried that you would like the female lead?”
“In the general environment, even if I liked her, it is always less pressure to like a girl than to like a boy, isn’t it? What’s more, Shen Qiao’s feelings were not as impactful as Ah Heng’s, right?”
“So you want to stay in your comfort zone and not challenge your potential either, and just act in random scenes where the dramatic conflict isn’t that strong?”
“Honestly, I don’t have to risk what I know might happen for any movie.”
“Even if it gets you an award?” Sheng Wenxi emphasized, “You’ve read the script, so you should know that Ah Heng is the male lead, and if you do this drama, with any luck, you might win the next film award.”
Ji Qingzhou smiled, “I’m an actor, actors want to win awards, especially movie stars, it’s just that the type of film that can win awards isn’t only one, isn’t it?”
“So you still don’t want to.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded, “I thank you for your appreciation and promotion, but I’m not suitable for this role, if you start making other films with other subjects next time, I am willing to participate, but this one, it isn’t suitable.”
Sheng Wenxi listened to his unassuming words and didn’t say anything. This was a situation that he rarely encounter after becoming famous. The entertainment industry was a very powerful industry, an industry where as long as you stood high, there were always people coming to flatter you. He had seen too many stars, famous, not famous, actors and non actors who would greet him politely and try to promote themselves to him.
But now, the opportunity was in front of Ji Qingzhou, but Ji Qingzhou repeatedly refused, Sheng Wenxi on the one hand, felt that he refused because he was afraid of getting too deep into the scene, this reason was ridiculous, he wasn’t thinking about progress and he didn’t know how to work, so he couldn’t see; on the other hand, because of his repeated refusal and dissatisfaction, he developed rebellious and irritable emotions.
At this time, the boss lady came over and placed the drinks ordered by the two in front of them, and Ji Qingzhou politely thanked her. Sheng Wenxi didn’t say anything and silently looked at him.
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“I think you’re wasting of your qualifications.” Sheng Wenxi said, “You are at your best age, the age when your acting skills are most agile, and you seek not to be aggressive, but conservative? If you know you can’t easily act, why don’t you practice more and find ways to overcome it? Or is your career plan for yourself to be an ordinary actor, popularity is enough? “
His words were actually quite nonchalant, but Ji Qingzhou didn’t really like the way he spoke. Sheng Wenxi’s script was very good, and he himself was even more well-known, but the danger inside this script was too high, so dangerous that he didn’t want to touch it at all. If Ah Heng liked a woman, then Ji Qingzhou might still consider whether he could take it for an award, but since Ah Heng liked a man, then he definitely couldn’t take it.
He liked Chu Cheng, he didn’t want to like anyone other than Chu Cheng, even if it was one ten thousandth of the possibility, he wasn’t willing to. What was more, Ji Qingzhou took a sip of his milk tea, Chu Cheng wouldn’t let him accept the movie. He knew his new boyfriend too well, him watching him kiss and hug other men and doing more intimate things, he was afraid Chu Cheng would smash the screen of the cinema on the spot.
Ji Qingzhou thought of it and unknowingly smiled, Chu Cheng was very cute.
He put down his glass and said to Sheng Wenxi, “If you are not a fish, how can you know the joy of one?”
Sheng Wenxi folded his arms and looked at him, without speaking.
The two people didn’t say more and returned to the set.
When Zhou Chengfeng saw that he had returned, he asked, “How was the talk?”
“Not good,” Ji Qingzhou replied truthfully, “I won’t take it, I told him the truth.”
Zhou Chengfeng felt some regret, but this couldn’t be helped, Ji Qingzhou had long psychologically prepared for this, he also knew he would miss a lot of rare opportunities, the good thing was that there were still many award winning scripts, even if he gave up this one, with Ji Qingzhou’s age, he could always wait for the next one.
Ji Qingzhou thought it was over. However, during the evening scene, Xiao Qiao handed his mobile phone to him, Ji Qingzhou discovered that he and Sheng Wenxi had made it into the hot search list.
“What’s going on?” Ji Qingzhou didn’t understand.
“When you and director Sheng went to talk, it was photographed and posted. It didn’t take long for another blog to break the news that director Sheng was going to start a new movie, and looking at this, it’s likely that the male lead is you. These blogs are all posting it, so one person sent them, and those who followed him a camp started to posting. He has as much fans as you, and with the curiosity of people, isn’t it enough to reach the hot search list? “
Ji Qingzhou took Xiao Qiao’s mobile phone and read the comments on Weibo.
Sheng Wenxi’s fans cried out, “Are you going to shoot a new movie? What is it about? Why is it Ji Qingzhou? Isn’t his masterpiece the idol drama? It was an online drama, Wenxi, can you consider other people? “
Other passers-by said: Did he see his drama and want to cooperate? Ji Qingzhou is really lucky.
I honestly don’t like Shen Wenqi. He didn’t care about JZ only care about his movie. JZ has a very valid reason, it could very dangerous if he fell too deep in depression after the movie and it will not be SW that have to deal with it. And know JZ will be forced to take that role because of the media which I’m sure is all SW doing…
Ugh I mean JQ not JZ… ORZ
its ok kekeke
One innocent talk and a big trouble
Thank you for the chapter
One jerk down, another appear. Sigh~
Thank you for this chapter!!
Urgh, I don’t like where this is going Dx SWX is really unsympathetic, he can’t accept a No, only cares for his own stuff and ridicules JQZ’s reasons. Can’t we go back to the fluff? 2-3 chapter wasn’t enough after all the torture lol
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)
Hmm, maybe Zhouzhou should have lead with the excuse that “my boyfriend won’t let me….”
This kind of publicity is disgusting… Could it be all planned for that director?
Thanks for the chapter!
Sheng Wenxi Is right. Mc has the full right to refuse to act cause his reason is valid but I feel like what Sheng Wenxi was saying makes full sense. How are you gonna get better if you don’t face things directly?
I feel like Ying Nian can flesh out that character too, cuz you know, experience….
Mc knows his limits that’s not wrong is it, mc isn’t afraid of depression and sadness but that he will love someone else than cc he don’t wanna, valid point or not No is no
JQZ’s reasoning is really dumb. He’s scared he’s going to fall in love with someone else bc he’s in too deep with his method acting? Like of all the depressing points in thescript, mainly killing off a gay character, this is what he (the author) goes with? Method acting won’t suddenly make you into a completely different person. JQZ isn’t a cheater; he has a good head on his shoulders and would be able to separate CC and the other actor just fine. This is a lame excuse.
The whole arc with Sheng Wenxi is already a bad step.
JQZ values his career and winning an award would make him happy, but he would never place that over his relationships and well-being.
To SWX, life well-lived is creating masterpieces and art that follows his vision, to JQZ, life well-lived is being happy with the people he cares for.
Either belief is valid, but SWX overstepped by not respecting JQZ’s decision of no. I can understand SWX’s frustration since as an artist, you would want your creation to be as close to what you have envisioned, but when it comes to human involvement, you have to respect and accept that they have their own agency and beliefs.
If someone doesn’t want to model bare for your painting, you can’t force them even if you think they would make a great subject and that their reasoning is ‘lame’.
I kinda understand the JQZ meaning, as a empathetic person I suffer a lot with things that is not my business, books, novels and series if I like a character… I have so much empathy that I suffer because I think like what he would think, and that’s tiring… I liked to read fluffy things in my weekdays, and weekends I reserve for dramas and stuff that can make me really sad. If JQZ is gifted for have empathy with the characters emotions, this burden is to heavy… The director is like that paiter that was so focus on his art that was willing to mutilate himself…
*Painter…
Regarding, JQZ’s reason… On one hand, yeah he has the right to refuse and for any reason. At this stage in his career, he doesn’t /need/ this opportunity; there will be other opportunities. However, if we treat acting as art instead of mostly career, then it’s true that pushing yourself is a great way to improve and experiment. But pushing =/= suffering. Should artists really suffer for their art? I don’t think so. And for JQZ, I think that he is weighing those things and refusing with them in mind.
THIRD: regarding the author’s decision to make this a plot point… it would have been more believable to me had one of JQZ’s reasons had been that he didn’t want to perpetuate this depressing trope of gay characters having no future aside from dying, as a gay man himself. Not, “oh my boyfriend will be upset if I have romantic scenes with another man.” Sir, what is different about CC watching you have romantic scenes (while acting) with women and having romantic scenes (while acting) with men? He’ll be eating vinegar either way bb lololol….
What JZ is saying is true in the real world too, there have been documented cases of actors getting too deep into a role and ending up with serious depression and other issues, so him not wanting this role for his health should be respected! Also! Who is this man! To question a stranger! No is no! You are not god! Why should our family’s Zhou Zhou answer to you!
……… 🙄
I hate the type of Wenxi the most aaaaaa let Zhouzhou have his own freedom of choice why can’t you accept it!?? He definitely said it many times and even explained why you!!! (^- ಠ Д ಠ )^-
Get your man to act with you 👍
This way he can pull you out when it gets too heavy and you won’t have to be intimate with another man