nucmednet Chapter 46, Colleagues
Chapter 46, Colleagues
Time flies like water. In late February, the wind in Huairou had softened a bit, unlike the harsh, pungent wind of the previous two months.
The last scene of "Brotherhood of Blades" was filmed at 6 p.m.
Gao Huan stood in the empty alley, carrying Shen Lian's embroidered spring knife, which had already been dulled. In the distance, the torches lit by the props team burned into a blurry orange-red light in the twilight.
When Lu Yang shouted "Cut!", his voice was very loud, and he seemed very excited.
Filming wrapped.
Two words, light and airy, but the entire studio fell silent for a moment. Then someone clapped, someone shouted "Happy wrap-up!" The prop master began to come in and pack up the swords on the weapon rack, and the lighting technician turned off the lights one by one. The light dimmed, like the tide receding.
Gao Huan sheathed his sword and placed it on the weapon rack.
He stood there for a few seconds, looking at the knife, without saying a word.
He had polished the copper buckle on the scabbard until it shone brightly over the past month, reflecting a person's image. The face was distorted into a blurry outline on the copper surface, like another person.
Yangyang Jin walked over from the side and handed him a bottle of water. He took it, unscrewed the cap, and took a big gulp.
"Brother Huan, Brother Yiwei is waiting for you outside."
Gao Huan handed the water bottle back and walked out of the photography studio.
On Monday, he stood at the door, wearing a military green cotton-padded jacket, with a cigarette in his hand, but it wasn't lit.
When he saw Gao Huan come out, he tucked the cigarette behind his ear and smiled.
Filming has wrapped.
Filming has wrapped.
Gao Huan walked over to him, and the two stood side by side, looking at the parking lot in the distance.
As darkness fell, the streetlights came on, casting an orange glow on the gravel ground. Several sparrows hopped around on the ground, pecking at something, I couldn't tell.
On Monday, Wei took out his phone from his pocket, looked down and scrolled through it for a while, found an address, and turned the screen to show Gao Huan.
"In Changping, Songwen rented a courtyard there and planted a bunch of flowers and plants. He's always showing off to us. He said he'll go over for tea one weekend after you finish filming."
Gao Huan glanced at the address and memorized it.
"What has Brother Songwen been busy with lately?"
"Filming, what else could I be busy with?"
On Monday, to put his phone back in his pocket, he took the cigarette off his ear, twirled it between his fingers twice, then put it back, but never lit it.
"His film was a low-budget art film, and it was quite tough to make, but he enjoyed it and said the character was interesting."
Gao Huan nodded.
"Tell Songwen that I'll bring some good tea over next weekend."
Zhou Yi smiled and patted Gao Huan on the shoulder.
He patted Gao Huan's shoulder with considerable force, causing Gao Huan's shoulder to sag slightly.
"Okay, I'll tell him. That guy's recently become obsessed with Wuyi rock tea, so bring some good stuff with you, don't let him try to fool us with his cheap stuff."
The two stood there for a while, neither of them speaking.
In the distance, staff members were moving prop boxes; the wooden planks thudded against the ground, one after another, like some kind of ancient timer.
Further away are the mountains of Huairou, shrouded in a hazy gray. The last vestiges of orange-red on the horizon are fading, turning into deep purple, and then gray-blue.
"Brother Yiwei," Gao Huan spoke first, "thanks."
On Monday, she turned her head to look at him and asked, "What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for taking on the role of Ding Xiu."
Zhou Yiwei paused for a moment, then laughed. It was a genuine laugh; his mouth stretched wide, and the wrinkles around his eyes gathered together like an open fan.
"Why should I thank you? I should thank you. I've been waiting for the role of Ding Xiu for a long time; he's a very enjoyable character to play."
When he said "it was so satisfying," his tone was very soft, but it sounded like he was talking about something he had been chasing for many years but had never been able to achieve.
Gao Huan looked at the gray sky in the distance, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"See you later."
See you later.
The two did not hug, shake hands, or even exchange a single word.
On Monday, he turned and walked away, but stopped after a few steps. He took the cigarette off his ear and lit it this time.
The lighter's flame flickered in the twilight, illuminating his face before fading away.
He had a cigarette in his mouth, waved to Gao Huan without looking back, and kept walking until he disappeared into the gaps between the cars in the parking lot.
Gao Huan stood there, looking in that direction for a while.
Yangyang Jin walked over from behind, carrying his bag in his hand, with his own bag slung over his shoulder, and a scarf around his neck. He was wrapped in various bags and looked like a Christmas tree covered with decorations.
"Brother Huan, the car's at the door. Let's go straight to the airport and fly to Shanghai."
Gao Huan took his bag and walked towards the door.
After taking a couple of steps, I looked back at the photography studio.
Most of the lights were off, with only a few emergency lights still on, their white light shining through the windows and drawing squares on the ground.
He recalled the first day he walked into the studio. Shen Lian's clothes didn't fit him quite right; the sleeves were too long and the waist was too loose. The costume and makeup artist held up safety pins and gestured with them on him. He stood there like a tree that hadn't yet been planted in the soil.
It's been over a month.
The tree was planted, then pulled out.
Gao Huan turned around and walked towards the door.
They walked at a moderate pace, their footsteps making a soft, rustling sound as they stepped on the gravel.
……
Around 9 p.m., the plane landed at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
Late February in Shanghai is much more damp and cold than in Beijing. The air is full of moisture, and when it touches your skin, the chill seeps into your bones.
When Gao Huan came out of the arrival gate, he subconsciously zipped up his windbreaker all the way.
Tangren Company's car was already waiting in the parking lot. It was a black Mercedes-Benz van, and the driver was standing next to the car holding a sign. When he saw Gao Huan come out, he jogged over to greet him.
"Ms. Gao Huan, Mr. Cai asked me to pick you up. The hotel has been booked. See you at the company at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
Gao Huan nodded, bent down, and got into the car.
Yangyang Jin followed behind, stuffed the luggage into the trunk, then sat in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
The car drove out of the parking lot and merged into the traffic of Shanghai's nighttime streets.
The office buildings on both sides of the overpass were brightly lit, and neon lights swept overhead one after another, casting a flowing shadow on the windshield.
Gao Huan leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed.
I mentally reviewed the contract I was to sign tomorrow.
The second male lead in "Wu Xin: The Monster Killer," a fantasy drama set in the Republican era. Chen Yao plays the female lead, and he plays the second male lead.
Yangyang Jin had already gone through the terms of the contract with him. The salary, billing order, and filming period were all fine.
The only thing that caught his eye was the character.
Based on his request, the scriptwriting team changed the second male lead's character from a "tool" in the original script, especially adding more details to his relationship with Yue Qiluo, played by Chen Yao.
When Gao Huan saw the new version of the character biography, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, indicating his satisfaction.
After all, the system was upgraded again after the New Year, and there is now another way to earn points:
The number of followers you have will determine the number of points you earn each day.
Beginner fans earn 1 point per day, intermediate fans earn 10 points per day, and advanced fans earn 100 points per day.
Therefore, Gao Huan decided that he would choose to star in at least one idol drama every year from now on, and he must become the number one fan-loving maniac in the Chinese entertainment industry!
The car was parked in front of a hotel in the JA district.
Gao Huan got off the bus, checked in, and went upstairs.
On the bedside table in the bedroom sat a bunch of white lisianthus, next to a card with the words "See you tomorrow" written in pen. —Chen Yao
Gao Huan picked up the card, looked at it for two seconds, and put it on the table.
After he finished showering, he lay on the bed and took out his phone.
He had several unread messages on WeChat, and he read them one by one.
Naza posted a selfie, wearing a red hoodie, making a peace sign, with the caption "See you tomorrow".
Chen Duling posted a picture of the night view of the Xiamen seaside with the caption "It's very windy today".
Meng Ziyi sent a voice message, but he didn't open it.
He locked the screen, put the phone on the bedside table, and turned off the light.
Shanghai was still bright outside the window, but it had already darkened inside the room.
……
At nine o'clock the next morning, Gao Huan arrived at Tangren Company.
The office is located in an office building in the JA district. The decoration is understated, but it reveals attention to detail in every aspect.
The walls of the corridor are covered with posters of TV dramas produced by Tangren Media, such as "Chinese Paladin," "Scarlet Heart," and "Xuan-Yuan Sword." They are lined up one by one, like a wall of youth.
Cai Yinong waited in the office, wearing a black knitted sweater, her hair loose, and light makeup. She looked more relaxed than at the last dinner party.
A contract lay open in front of her, and a cup of coffee that had gone cold sat beside her.
"You're here?" Cai Yinong looked up, smiled, and said, "Sit down."
Gao Huan sat down opposite her.
Yangyang Jin sat on the sofa next to her; she had already browsed the electronic version of the contract many times.
Cai Yinong pushed the contract on the table in front of Gao Huan, speaking as casually as if she were talking about the weather.
"Have you and Yangyang Jin reviewed the contract terms? If there are no problems, we can sign it today."
Gao Huan picked up the contract and flipped through a few pages.
He read at a moderate pace, like reading a script, not in a hurry to move on, carefully examining each page.
Cai Yinong didn't urge her. She picked up the cup of cold coffee, took a sip, frowned, and put it down again.
"Where's Chen Yao?" Gao Huan turned to the next page without even looking up.
"She's in the coffee shop downstairs."
When Cai Yinong said this, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, a small curve, but with a profound meaning.
"She said she was nervous and wouldn't come up. She'll come up and say hello after you finish signing."
Gao Huan paused for a moment, then looked up at Cai Yinong.
Cai Yinong's expression didn't change much; she still looked like she was saying something perfectly normal.
But her eyes betrayed her; she was observing Gao Huan's reaction, like a fisherman waiting for the float to sink.
"Let her come up," Gao Huan said, lowering her head and continuing to flip through the contract. "She should be here before I finish signing."
Cai Yinong smiled, picked up her phone, and sent a message.
When Gao Huan finished signing the last contract, he heard footsteps outside the door. They were not in a hurry, but when they reached the door, they paused, as if hesitating whether to knock.
The door wasn't closed.
Chen Yao stood at the door, wearing a white dress, her hair loose, and without makeup, but her skin was so white it seemed to glow.
She held a cup of milk tea in her hand, red bean flavor, a flavor that both Gao Huan and she liked. A layer of water droplets condensed on the cup, indicating that it had been bought recently.
She saw Gao Huan signing the contract with his head down, without looking up, but he knew she had arrived.
After Gao Huan finished signing the last stroke, he put down the pen and looked up.
"You're here?"
"Hmm." Chen Yao walked in and sat down in the chair next to him.
She placed the milk tea on the table and tapped her fingers lightly on the side of the cup twice, as if unsure of what to say.
Cai Yinong glanced at Gao Huan, then at Chen Yao, stood up, and picked up the contract and coffee cup from the table.
"You guys talk, I'll go to the legal department to file this contract."
When she reached the door, she stopped and turned back to look at Gao Huan.
"By the way, Nazha is also at the company. She came today to discuss an endorsement deal. She just finished talking and should be in the break room now."
The door closed.
The office fell silent. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a bright square on the floor.
Dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light, making the little girl feel like she was dreaming.
Chen Yao spoke first.
"She didn't know you were coming today."
Gao Huan looked at her.
"Didn't President Cai tell her?" Gao Huan asked.
Chen Yao lowered her head, her fingers continuing to tap on the milk tea cup, the rhythm erratic. "President Cai asked her if she was free today, and she said yes, that she didn't have anything to do this morning. President Cai didn't tell her you were coming."
Gao Huan leaned back in his chair and didn't say anything.
Chen Yao raised her head and looked into his eyes, which were bright and sparkling, carrying a complex emotion.
Nervous, expectant, and a little uneasy.
"You signed it?"
"Signed."
"The second male lead?"
"Um."
"Want to play my lover?"
Gao Huan's lips curled up slightly.
"You don't want to?"
Chen Yao blushed slightly, the blush spreading slowly upwards from the base of her neck, like a flower blooming in time-lapse photography.
She lowered her head, picked up the cup of milk tea, took a sip, and mumbled, "I'm not unwilling."
The office door was pushed open.
Naza stood at the door, wearing a red sweatshirt, her hair tied in a ponytail, her face covered in makeup, and her lips were strikingly red.
Her gaze lingered on Chen Yao for a moment, then shifted to Gao Huan. Her eyes lit up, the corners of her mouth turned up, and she looked like a lamp that had been lit.
"Why are you here?" Her voice wasn't loud, but the surprise in her tone was unmistakable.
Gao Huan stood up. "Sign the contract."
"From 'Wu Xin: The Monster Killer'?"
Naza walked in and naturally stood next to Gao Huan, turning slightly to lean towards him.
"Um."
Naza turned her head to look at Chen Yao, smiled, and her smile was impeccable, with just the right amount of sweetness.
"Yaoyao, you'll be colleagues from now on, please take care of me."
Chen Yao smiled too, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, a small but natural smile.
"Sister Nazha, you're too kind. I'm a newcomer, so I'll have to ask you and Brother Huan for your help."
Their eyes met briefly in the air before simultaneously looking away.
Gao Huan stood in the middle and felt the change in air pressure in that instant.
But he didn't say anything, picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip.
The water was cool and slightly sweet; I couldn't tell if it was mineral water or if someone had added honey.
Naza took Gao Huan's arm. "Let's go, we should go to the press conference for 'Love O2O'. The car is waiting downstairs."