Why Is the Male Lead Looking at Me Like That [Entertainment Circle] (BL) - Chapter 12

Nan Qingyan was very patient. His styling took an extremely long time. Director Zhang’s demands were strict, and several adjustments were made.

However, the resulting look was exceptionally good. Chen Liuqing was the disciple of a famous monk, famous upon his debut. Later, due to his great virtue, he earned supreme reverence. The Tyrant personally selected incense and led the way for him during his travels. It can be said that his status was extremely noble.

To shoot the poster, naturally, they had to use one of his more luxurious and exquisite sets of robes.

Even the everyday haiqing (long gown) was intricately made, let alone the outer kasaya (monk’s robe).

The wardrobe teacher carried out the kasaya, and almost everyone in the makeup room gathered to look at it.

The wardrobe teacher said with a hint of pride: “This kasaya is not the most expensive in our drama. In terms of cost, it can’t compare to the gold-brocade or purple kasayas, but it is also very exquisite. The fabric used is a genuine Brocade with Eight Auspicious Symbols and Auspicious Lotus Pattern woven with gold thread. The patterns are woven, thread by gold thread. You must be extremely careful when shooting.”

With the help of the staff, Nan Qingyan put on the clothes. His white inner lining was exposed at the collar. His demeanor was solemn and majestic. His gaze was pure, sharp, and intense. His face was stunning, like the glow on a Buddhist bead, sacredly ascetic yet incredibly sexy.

A demon.

Xia Xu thought.

The male lead is just different. The original danmei Top is not afraid of any styling.

He looked at the clothes he was wearing. He was only wearing a white shirt.

“Do you need the room cleared?” Director Zhang asked him with a smile.

Xia Xu said calmly: “No need to clear it. It’s just a bare chest.”

Before meeting Nan Qingyan, he, Xia Xu, was also a White Dragon (a fearless, dominant persona)!

“Then take it off,” Director Zhang said.

The surrounding staff laughed. The photographer, Teacher Qi, said: “Let’s clear it anyway. Otherwise, it might take even longer than yesterday’s shoot.”

As soon as he said that, the surrounding staff groaned in agreement.

Director Zhang smiled: “You all want to watch, don’t you?”

Xia Xu was determined to stand tall in front of Nan Qingyan today. He simply unbuttoned his shirt under the bright lights.

As soon as he took off his shirt, he heard the staff next to him say, “Wow.”

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, a toned chest, firm and smooth, skin as glossy as jade.

Teacher Qi immediately said: “He’s so fair, it’s a little reflective.”

Xia Xu was naturally fair-skinned. He was an athlete in high school and was often exposed to the sun, but he remained exceptionally fair. When he was dating Nan Qingyan, Nan Qingyan especially liked to touch his skin, saying he was smooth.

His parents both had excellent skin; it was genetic.

The staff quickly readjusted the lighting. Xia Xu, wearing the ancient wig cap and with his long hair loose, instantly looked like his ancient counterpart after removing his shirt. Just as he tossed his hair back, he was wrapped in the kasaya.

He looked up and met Nan Qingyan’s face, which was both strange and familiar.

“Let’s try to finish this quickly,” Nan Qingyan said faintly.

“Sounds good,” Xia Xu said.

Nan Qingyan’s haiqing was quite simple, a deep cyan color, extremely subdued, making his skin look even fairer. He pressed against Nan Qingyan’s chest and heard Teacher Qi call out: “Qingyan, you’re covering Xia Xu too much. Pull the kasaya down a little to expose his shoulder and back.”

Before Nan Qingyan could move, Xia Xu pulled it down himself.

“Is it still a throat kiss?” he asked Teacher Qi and the others.

Teacher Qi held the camera and said: “Don’t rush yet. I’ll take a few shots to get a feel for it first.”

They began posing according to Teacher Qi’s instructions. After a few shots, Teacher Qi, Director Zhang, and the others started discussing the photos.

Under the bright lights, the two leaning against each other quickly felt the heat. Xia Xu wondered if he should step out of the kasaya for a moment, but he found that Nan Qingyan was holding him, his chin slightly lifted.

It was as if he was trying to avoid looking at Xia Xu’s chest.

But this gentlemanly behavior only reminded Xia Xu of their past.

Eighteen-year-old Nan Qingyan would lean on his chest, his eyes glazed with admiration, saying: “So beautiful.”

! The feelings of extreme awkwardness, embarrassment, and shyness from before were threatening to resurface. Xia Xu thought, he must maintain his professional attitude and not let Nan Qingyan look down on him.

Director Zhang said: “How about we try using the fan? I feel that with the wind blowing, when the two of them embrace, it will better capture the feeling of the Vine and Tree Leaning on Each Other from the drama.”

Staff members brought the fan over and started blowing air at them. The fan was powerful. With the strong wind, the kasaya fluttered, and Xia Xu’s long, loose hair flew up.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Teacher Qi shouted excitedly. “That’s the feeling!”

“This feels great,” Xia Xu couldn’t help but tilt his head up, facing the fan.

He was sweating, and the strong wind made him much more comfortable.

Then he heard Nan Qingyan let out a soft chuckle.

He looked up and saw Nan Qingyan looking down at him. Noticing Xia Xu looking over, the smile on Nan Qingyan’s lips froze, but his eyes did not flinch.

Four years is not a short time, but at this moment, it felt as if those four years apart had never happened. Xia Xu was still the same as he was in high school. Although the entertainment industry had worn down his edges, his fundamental nature remained.

This is truly good.

No matter how the other person abandoned him, he hoped he wouldn’t change.

Hoped he wouldn’t be bullied by the world.

“Qingyan, tilt your head up a bit. Don’t look down. Is Xia Xu too good-looking?” Teacher Qi joked.

Everyone laughed, and Xia Xu laughed too.

Nan Qingyan slightly tilted his head back. Xia Xu said to Teacher Qi: “I’m going to kiss him now.”

“Hey,” Director Zhang said: “Xia Xu’s in good condition today! Not shy anymore.”

Xia Xu was indeed not as shy as he was yesterday. He kissed when asked and stopped when asked. On the contrary, it was Nan Qingyan whose ears were getting redder and redder.

It was wrong for a young monk to harbor desire so early. Fortunately, the monk’s robes were thick enough to hide all his secrets.

The fan continued to blow strongly. Xia Xu’s hair became even more disheveled, but one lock was still tucked under the kasaya. This increasingly rough and chaotic look was exactly what Teacher Qi wanted. The hem of the red kasaya swayed in the wind, and the jade pendants tinkled, their sound clear. Above the kasaya were Xia Xu’s beautiful, jade-like shoulders and back, while Nan Qingyan’s hands remained strictly on the kasaya, never touching an inch of his skin.

It was restrained yet beautiful, a meeting of purity and brilliant color, surprisingly harmonious and unified.

They finished this poster in less than one-fifth of the time it took yesterday.

“OK!” Teacher Qi excitedly put down the camera.

Xia Xu immediately darted out of Nan Qingyan’s arms and ran bare-chested to look at the finished photos.

He was too curious and wondered what they would look like, but he had a premonition that they would be incredibly beautiful!

He leaned in front of the computer and said, “Wow.”

Teacher Qi asked with a smile: “Not bad, right?”

“Beautiful!” Xia Xu had just said that when a shirt was draped over his shoulder.

He was completely absorbed by the finished photos on the computer screen and didn’t look back to see who gave it to him. While staring at the screen, he put on the shirt, then lifted the long hair from behind his collar and flicked it back.

His long hair fell onto Nan Qingyan’s haiqing.

“Wow, wow, wow,” Xia Xu exclaimed repeatedly.

“Qingyan, what do you think? Any opinions?” Director Zhang asked, looking back.

Then Xia Xu heard someone say from behind his ear: “No.”

There were too many people in front of the computer, all squeezed together. Nan Qingyan was leaning on his shoulder to speak. When he turned his head, his face pressed against Nan Qingyan’s cheek. It was very warm. Perhaps because he hadn’t pressed faces with anyone in years, this sudden contact made him feel a little hot.

Nan Qingyan retreated slightly and said: “No opinion.”

Xia Xu noticed a camera still aimed at them and suddenly became much more alert. He automatically moved to the side.

He could be as intimate as necessary during the shoot, but after it was done, he needed to be careful of his words and actions.

Not just Nan’s fans, but even the dozen or so fanbases that had previously attacked him would probably jump in to fuel the fire. Nan Qingyan was different from Hu Hai and the others. He was a national idol with an impeccable image, not only having “girlfriend fans” but also many “mom fans.” He was synonymous with purity and flawlessness. If Xia Xu ruined that, even regular people would rush to criticize him.

And a smart ex should know to avoid suspicion!

He absolutely must not be a homewrecker!

“Xia Xu’s condition is good today,” Director Zhang praised. “Much better than yesterday. He was too shy yesterday.”

Xia Xu smiled, seizing the opportunity to move closer to Director Zhang, separating himself from Nan Qingyan by several staff members.

Xia Xu was actually quite excited.

Because he looked so beautiful in the finished photos.

This was his first time shooting an ancient-style concept. He didn’t know if it was psychological, but he felt that the person in the photo was different from his usual self. He was like himself, yet not himself; he was the Mad Tyrant, Zhao Xuanmei.

He wept holding a skull at the Empress Dowager’s feast, personally flogged ministers who dared to offer advice, appointed men as his concubines, seduced the Regent, and tried to murder his own brother.

He just wanted to be insane. Whatever was outrageous, he did it. Whatever was absurd, he did it.

But soon, none of this could excite him anymore. His focus shifted to the famous monk Liuqing who came to the capital to preach, and he summoned him to the palace.

Liuqing was exceptionally intelligent, with a captivating appearance. By the age of twenty, he had become a great virtuous figure, with countless followers.

When the imperial decree was issued, the whole city was in an uproar. Everyone urged Liuqing to leave the capital, but upon hearing the news, Liuqing willingly entered the palace.

Liuqing was righteous and pure, a person of utmost goodness. This truly angered Zhao Xuanmei.

The more virtuous Liuqing was, the more Zhao Xuanmei wanted to drag him into the mire and destroy his twenty years of cultivation. He summoned countless beautiful men and palace maids to take turns seducing him, but Liuqing remained unmoved. He conquered everyone in the harem with his exceptional morality.

Zhao Xuanmei simply took matters into his own hands. He granted Liuqing power and fame unattainable by ordinary people, built pagodas and temples for him, and promoted Buddhism in his name. Every Buddhist temple in the capital was piled high with silks, satins, rare treasures, and exotic gems.

The most esteemed man in the world bestowed the highest status and supreme favor upon a monk.

But Liuqing remained unmoved.

Liuqing conquered the Tyrant with his noble morality.

The Tyrant, who was constantly anxious, fearful, and insane, and unable to sleep, would fall into a deep slumber every night to the sound of Liuqing chanting sutras.

The first climax of the story occurs when the country is in chaos and the capital is on the brink of disaster. The Tyrant, who has decided to personally lead the army to his death, sends his confidant to escort Liuqing out of the palace, saying with a laugh: “I might sleep forever tomorrow. I won’t have to listen to Liuqing’s bead-counting anymore.”

Liuqing left the palace, but that night, he had the first wet dream of his life. In the dream, the Tyrant looked at him, naked and innocent.

[He fell into this prison of burning love. It was early spring of the second year, the cold still biting. A sacred mountain in the outskirts of the capital, perpetually covered in snow, erupted. Red magma flowed over the white snow, leaving deep, terrifying, yet magnificent traces.]