Why Is the Male Lead Looking at Me Like That [Entertainment Circle] (BL) - Chapter 11

Xia Xu’s room.

“Quick, don’t stall! Tell me everything!”

Xia Xu asked, wiping his hair: “Tell you what?”

He only saw Liu Fen’s series of “death-chase” text messages after he took a shower. As soon as he replied to him, Liu Fen rushed over.

“I heard you went to shoot a poster with Nan Qingyan? What did you shoot? How did you feel? What was his reaction? Was it awkward? Did you ask him why he took this role?”

Xia Xu unscrewed a bottle of mineral water. As he drank, he walked toward the sofa, with Liu Fen following closely behind him: “Hurry up and tell me! I’m dying of curiosity!”

Coincidentally, Xia Xu also wanted to seriously analyze the matter, so he told Liu Fen everything, one by one.

Liu Fen’s expression went from anxious to shocked, then excited, and finally, his eyes sparkled. He kept slapping the sofa, saying, “Oh my god, oh my god.”

After he finished, Xia Xu asked: “What do you think he means by this?”

“Didn’t you ask him directly?”

“How do I ask? ‘Why did you take this role, were you aiming for me?'” Xia Xu flopped onto the sofa: “Wouldn’t that sound incredibly presumptuous? Maybe he just came for Director Zhang. This is Director Zhang’s work that’s been seven years in the making. Anyone who isn’t an idiot knows this drama is sure to be a hit… And the role of Chen Liuqing is indeed perfect for him. Director Zhang also mentioned during dinner that they practically begged Nan Qingyan three times to accept the role.”

“But this is acting with an ex, and the ex who dumped him! I ask you, if there was a drama that Nan Qingyan took first, would you still take it, especially one with a ton of kissing scenes and even a forced-rape scene?”

Hearing Liu Fen mention this, Xia Xu immediately sprang up from the sofa and paced back and forth: “That’s terrifying, that’s terrifying.”

Shooting a poster today was already this bad. If they had to shoot a kissing scene…

Nan Qingyan’s greatest hobby was kissing without end.

He was the kind of guy who could kiss him until his throat hurt intermittently.

With a history like theirs, could they really shoot an intimate scene without any emotional turmoil?

He didn’t know about Nan Qingyan, but he definitely couldn’t.

His legs were already weak when they first started shooting the poster today.

Even if his mind had forgotten, his body still retained the imprint of those memories.

“So, what should I do next?” Xia Xu asked.

Liu Fen’s expression turned a little more serious. He leaned on the sofa and said: “Honestly, I think he seems to have some feelings for you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken this role. He might want to get back together with you.”

“He has a boyfriend.”

Xia Xu paused, then added a “probably.”

According to the novel’s plot, Nan Qingyan was already with Xie Muxin, and the two often staged dramatic scenes of jealousy and ‘wall-pinning’ because of him, the ex.

Ugh, he didn’t want to think about that.

“Does he?” Liu Fen said. “A top star like him, if he had a partner, wouldn’t it be exposed in a minute?”

Xia Xu didn’t know anymore.

In the novel he knew, after the breakup, he was out of the picture, and there was no story of him and Nan Qingyan acting together. His cannon fodder character had exited the timeline within the first two years.

After all, if the ex kept popping up and causing trouble, readers would complain.

Especially such a beautiful ex.

His offline in the novel was very sudden, clearly because the author’s writing ability was insufficient. Seeing that he, the ex, was written too much like a White Moonlight, the author made him exit the stage quickly.

Nan Qingyan and Xie Muxin were following the trope of two Tops meeting, one must be the Bottom. Their main plot involved falling in love, killing each other, breaking up, and getting back together.

Could it be that those two were fighting again, so he was dragged in as cannon fodder to boost their plot?!

He did not want to be involved in such a melodramatic plot!

Although Liu Fen was usually unreliable, his morals were sound. Xia Xu’s concern was valid: what if Nan Qingyan did have a partner?

To be honest, every young male celebrity in the entertainment industry maintains a single-person persona. Who doesn’t have a secret girlfriend or boyfriend? Nan Qingyan was so outstanding, many people must be thinking about him. Before figuring out the situation, Xia Xu really shouldn’t act rashly. Anyway, he would have plenty of opportunities to interact with him later. It wouldn’t be too late to wait until he figured things out.

“It’s already come to this, and you can’t quit the shoot. Just steel yourself and go for it. It’s acting, and as an actor, you have to have that professional awareness. Besides, Nan Qingyan is pure and flawless. It’s no loss for us to act opposite him. But you should keep your distance in private. He has a lot of fans. They probably don’t even know Nan Qingyan is filming with you yet. If they found out, just try getting close to him off-camera.”

Xia Xu’s eyes widened when he heard that.

Yes, Nan’s fans probably don’t know Nan Qingyan is filming with him.

He was the “King of the Sea” that many fanbases in the entertainment industry were guarding against.

If Nan’s fans were to massively attack him, wouldn’t his relationship with Nan Qingyan become even more awkward?

After calming down, a pile of practical issues flooded Xia Xu’s mind. Moreover, if the fact that he and Nan Qingyan had dated before were to be exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable. He and Nan Qingyan would be forever tied with the label of “exes.” That would truly mean being inextricably linked for a lifetime. Not only would it affect Nan Qingyan, but it would also likely affect their filming. If Director Zhang and the others knew they were former lovers, they would probably replace one of them.

Compared to Nan Qingyan, it was definitely easier to replace him.

The more Xia Xu thought about it, the sadder he became. He didn’t sleep well all night. He drifted off in the early morning and dreamed of Nan Qingyan.

In the dream, he went to Jing University to watch their freshman welcome gala. The Jing University gala was before the National Day holiday. He sat in the audience, recording a video on his phone, and saw Nan Qingyan and Xie Muxin go on stage together as freshman representatives. While the principal was giving a speech, the two stood behind him. Xie Muxin slightly turned and said something to Nan Qingyan with a smile. Nan Qingyan remained expressionless, standing there aloofly, but standing next to the gentle Xie Muxin, the sharp contrast perfectly fit a phrase from the novel.

“The Dual Jades of Jing University.”

When he woke up, Xia Xu’s heart was set on stone.

The ancient-style poster they were shooting today was the main promotional image for their drama. Early in the morning, Xia Xu arrived at the studio early, only to find that Nan Qingyan was already getting his makeup done.

Xia Xu greeted the staff and sat down nearby.

Sensing his entrance, Nan Qingyan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and glanced at him through the mirror.

Xia Xu took the initiative to say hello: “Morning.”

Nan Qingyan didn’t move: “Morning.”

The makeup artist asked with a smile: “Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Xia Xu said: “The filming is about to start. Too excited.”

Then he heard the makeup artist say with a smile: “Brother Nan didn’t sleep well last night either. He has a bit of dark circles too.”

Xia Xu saw a half-finished cup of coffee on the makeup table.

So, he wasn’t the only one with turbulent emotions last night.

There was a secret feeling of satisfaction in his heart. It wasn’t smugness or any kind of revenge; after all, having tumultuous emotions was a normal reaction for a person acting in an intimate scene with an ex. But hearing that Nan Qingyan also hadn’t slept well, the tension in his heart instantly eased up considerably.

Xia Xu smiled: “Please help me conceal them well, teacher.”

The makeup artist began applying his makeup. He was good-looking, with fair and smooth skin. At 23, he was invincible in his youth. The makeup was simple. With a few quick strokes, the makeup artist enhanced his look and energy. Xia Xu opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror, finding himself strangely beautiful.

Heroic brows, snow-white skin, red lips, and white teeth.

Speaking of Tyrant’s large budget, the wardrobe and makeup teams were also top-notch.

He was momentarily lost in his own reflection, then heard Nan Qingyan’s makeup artist next to him say: “Please close your eyes, Brother Nan.”

Xia Xu quickly turned to glance at Nan Qingyan.

Nan Qingyan closed his eyes, his face serene, but his mind was already in upheaval.

Tormented all night, and then hit with another beauty attack this morning.

Soon after, Director Zhang and the others arrived. Seeing Xia Xu with his wig cap on, Director Zhang, who had been up almost all night, felt a surge of energy.

They had all been impressed by Xia Xu’s beauty before, but today’s makeup still surprised them.

The makeup artist had made a slight alteration to the end of his eyebrows, which instantly gave him an air of authority.

“The eyebrows look great,” Director Zhang said. “The presence is immediately elevated.”

Nan Qingyan wasn’t finished yet. He sat in the chair with his eyes closed as the makeup artist worked on his bald head look.

Celebrities’ hair cannot be shaved casually, especially those with shampoo endorsements. So, when most actors need a bald look, they rely on a wig cap and the makeup artist’s skill.

Most people really can’t pull off a bald look, but Nan Qingyan was obviously not an ordinary handsome man.

Even the top of his skull was beautiful.

To make the overall look more consistent, the makeup artist also applied makeup to his face. Nan Qingyan sat there wearing a black T-shirt, looking exactly like an ascetic monk who had renounced the world—aloofly handsome, making one’s heart beat wildly.

Damn, such a fair-skinned, beautiful, aloof, and refined monk! Let alone the Tyrant, even he wanted him!

But this couldn’t confuse him.

Xia Xu asked Director Zhang: “Should I go put on my costume now?”

His imperial attire was quite elaborate and took a lot of time to put on.

Director Zhang snapped out of his contemplation of Nan Qingyan: “Huh? You don’t need to wear a costume today.”

“Aren’t we shooting the ancient version?” Xia Xu asked.

His makeup, hairstyle, and wig cap were all ancient-style.

“You’ll be bare-chested today. No need to wear anything,” Director Zhang said, still in a tone that suggested this did not involve the word “racy” at all.

Xia Xu: “…”

He carefully looked at the ancient version poster draft and realized that Nan Qingyan was fully clothed for this scene, while he had his long hair draped down, only wrapped in the kasaya (monk’s robe) draped over Nan Qingyan.

Fine. Even though he was a poor student, he felt the design was very artistic. One clothed and one unclothed indeed had a better design sense than both being clothed.

It seemed the time had come to sacrifice himself for art.

He definitely couldn’t be shy, awkward, or flustered like yesterday.

His heart was now set on stone, harder than a rock!

“No problem?” the assistant director asked with a smile.

Xia Xu nodded: “No problem.”

Nan Qingyan, sitting nearby with his eyes closed, pursed his lips.

Author’s Note:

Nan Qingyan: It seems today will be even more agonizing than last night.