Chapter 22
Mu Cai felt wronged after being denied to sleep with the rabbit plushie.
However, he quickly cheered himself up. Not even giving him a rabbit doll, the protagonist must really dislike him! Does it mean that at least some parts of the plot haven't collapsed?
So far, Mu Cai has realized that he has unintentionally changed many plot lines. For instance, as per the original plot, the original body was eliminated in the group competition of the selection show. Mu Cai, however, not only debuted successfully but debuted at the 'C' position.
Regarding the film 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan', the original body didn't secure the supporting role, but Mu Cai did. He felt uneasy thinking about this, fearing a collapse of the energy field, and hence would check for warning red lights in his system occasionally.
However, he was too busy at the time. Seeing that the system didn't show any warning, he didn't have the time to deal with the issue.
Now, while Mu Cai was holding the soft rabbit doll, he started to call the system in his mind:
[System, system, the plot has changed, but the energy field is still stable. What should I do next?]
As a beginner, Mu Cai was encountering such a situation for the first time and felt somewhat anxious. This system, however, has always been an emotionless broadcasting machine. Besides providing the original plot and assisting in character recognition, it never made a sound and was nearly useless.
He wasn't even sure if he could make contact this time.
Mu Cai had only intended to ask casually but didn't expect the system in his head to respond:
[`Small-scale plot deviation detected; major plot direction not yet deviated; energy field remains stable.`]
[`Conclusion: Host can freely improvise within reason, maintain the fundamental nature of the character, ensure others do not suspect foreign identity.`]
Mu Cai felt relieved at this.
All he needed to do was to grasp the basic nature of the character. For Mu Cai, this was much simpler. What was the most prominent characteristic of the original character? Wasn't it his fondness for Gu Yunchen? All he needed to do was to show that he liked Gu Yunchen very much.
With this thought, Mu Cai felt a sense of relaxation.
As soon as he relaxed, exhaustion seeped into every limb, making him especially want to sleep.
Counting from a few months ago when he decided to partake in the show "Rookie Star", Mu Cai had been busy from early spring to late autumn. He hadn’t had a proper rest in five months.
On top of that, he had just held a concert. Within those two hours, constantly changing clothes and performing songs and dances had greatly exhausted his energy. Mu Cai was indeed really tired and was almost involuntarily about to drift off into dreamland.
He was aware that his performance today did not quite match his character. But exhausted as he was, Mu Cai genuinely didn't have much thought to spare for the other side. His mind was mainly focused on what interested him the most.
He held the soft rabbit doll in his hand and eventually closed his eyes, unable to fight off the sleep.
Gu Yunchen, who had been watching closely for a while, straightened his back and subtly moved towards Mu Cai.
Half-asleep, Mu Cai's head was bobbing, on the verge of falling. Just as he was about to collapse, a sturdy, reliable support caught him in time.
Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Gu Yunchen lowered his gaze to see the fluffy head that had leaned in close.
The young man's sleeping face was serene, with eyelashes fanned down and rosy lips slightly parted. Pressed against his shoulder, a small bit of flesh protruded from his cheek, which appeared to be very pinchable.
Gu Yunchen couldn't help but extend a finger, gently poking that tiny bulge.
The touch was smooth and delicate, soft, and created a small, delightful indentation, just as he imagined.
Gu Yunchen only gave it a brief touch before withdrawing his hand.
He knew Mu Cai was tired.
Maybe it was due to his exhaustion that he treated him indifferently tonight.
In light of Mu Cai's efforts for the concert, Gu Yunchen decided to forgive his oversight.
The car continued for a while, and soon they arrived at the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Mu Cai was gently woken up.
When he woke up, his head was groggy, and he was still lingering in his dream.
On instinct, Mu Cai gave the rabbit in his hand a squeeze, gradually regaining his senses. Seeing the words "Hyatt Regency Hotel" outside the window, he finally realized that he was about to part with the rabbit.
He reluctantly pinched and rubbed it for another little while before preparing to get off the car: "Brother Gu, then I..."
Gu Yunchen cut him off: "You can take it with you."
Mu Cai was stunned for a moment.
His sleep-addled brain took a while to comprehend the other person's intentions. Unconsciously, his face showed a surprised expression: "Thank you, Brother Gu!"
The fatigue on the young man's face disappeared instantly, and his bright eyes sparkled.
Gu Yunchen blinked, shocked momentarily.
When he returned to his senses, he was somewhat annoyed inside.
He really likes this rabbit doll that much!
Gu Yunchen spoke in a cold tone: "It's just a loan for you to sleep for one night."
However, Mu Cai didn't mind his attitude at all—after all, he just wanted this soft rabbit. Also, given his need to maintain his idol facade, he responded with greater joy: "Still, thank you, Brother Gu! Brother Gu is really nice!"
His voice was as soothing as the flowing water in a mountain stream, with a slightly sticky undertone resonating in the dark night.
Paired with his expression, it was clearly a display of affection.
Gu Yunchen almost tore a hole in the seat cushion underneath his palm, completely taken aback. He made every effort to stabilize his surging thoughts, lowered his voice, and managed to maintain composure in the dark: "Hmm, you can come and play with me in the future."
After their conversation, their scattered thoughts found their own place while they opened the car doors, climbed the steps and entered the revolving door of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
-----
The concert of the Seven Stars group was a resounding success. The seats were full, the live effects were excellent, and the live streaming views on the online platform were extremely popular. This directly pushed the popularity of the seven members of the group to an unprecedented high.
After the concert ended, Mu Cai's account received a considerable amount of money. Although it was nothing compared to what other popular stars earned, Mu Cai was very satisfied.
Seeing how hard he had worked recently, Su Xingyun decided not to arrange any more activities for Mu Cai, allowing him to rest and wait for the filming of "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" to begin. With nothing to do for the next half month, Mu Cai took a rare break and used the money he earned to enjoy delicious meals at various places.
By the end of September, Mu Cai received a summons from the production team and flew to Lin City's film and television base, accompanied by Su Xingyun.
The production team had arranged a hotel for the actors to stay together, making it convenient for management and filming. If someone wanted to stay elsewhere, they had to report it to the production team. The team wasn't responsible for the actors' assistants, though.
Su Xingyun inspected the Hotel and found that, despite its remote location at the film and television base, the facilities were quite good, complete with a dedicated restaurant.
Feeling reassured, he took the newly assigned assistant, Xiao Liu, to purchase various daily necessities for Mu Cai and booked a nearby hotel for Xiao Liu to stay in, making it easier for him to take care of Mu Cai.
Meanwhile, Mu Cai stayed in his room with his key, organizing his luggage.
He didn't bring many items, just some clothes and bedding like sheets and blankets. Su Xingyun had told him that the hotel's bedding wasn't good, so he should bring his own to use instead.
Mu Cai was alright with making the bed, but he really had trouble changing the duvet cover. In college, every time he changed the duvet cover, the quilt inside would become a wadded mess, requiring quite a bit of shaking to smooth it out.
He didn't want to change the duvet cover, but Su Xingyun and the others had gone out to buy things for him. Mu Cai was too embarrassed to trouble others with such a small matter, so he decided to try changing it himself.
Just as he was getting out his sheets and duvet cover, there was a knock at the door.
Those who came looking for him at this time were either crew members or fellow actors stopping by. Mu Cai quickly got up to answer the door and saw Gu Yunchen standing outside.
Gu Yunchen was holding a shooting schedule, saying, "This is for you."
His demeanor was aloof, his tone didn't change much, and it seemed like he just ran over to deliver the schedule.
Mu Cai quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you, brother Gu."
Gu Yunchen's gaze casually swept over his bed, asking, "You're making the bed?"
Mu Cai nodded, "The sheets are already made, I was about to change the duvet cover."
Gu Yunchen looked him up and down, seemingly a bit disdainful, "Do you know how to change a duvet cover?"
Mu Cai shook his head honestly and asked offhandedly, "Do you know how to do it, Brother Gu?"
Gu Yunchen: "..."
Oops, he didn't know either.
Mu Cai sighed, "I'm sorry, Brother Gu. I shouldn't have asked."
What would be the point of asking if Gu Yunchen couldn't help him either?
Gu Yunchen felt humiliated as he coldly took out his phone under Mu Cai's pitiful gaze and called Lin, his assistant, over to change the bedding for Mu Cai.
Lin silently endured this task.
Feeling guilty, Mu Cai took out a bag of his treasured bear-shaped cookies from his suitcase and earnestly handed it to Lin.
Lin hesitated for a moment and then silently accepted it.
Gu Yunchen, who had been waiting nearby, saw that Mu Cai had no intention of giving him a bag of cookies too and showed a puzzled expression.
Gu Yunchen could only hint, "I'd like to eat some as well."
Mu Cai was very surprised. He couldn't believe that the leading actor, a top-star earning a fortune, would actually want his bag of bear-shaped cookies that only cost ten yuan!
Mu Cai felt heartbroken, but he had no choice. According to his character, how could he not give it to Gu Yunchen? Mu Cai forced a smile, but as he handed over the cookies, his face couldn't help but reveal a pained expression.
Gu Yunchen: "..."
Could it be that even the bear-shaped cookies ranked higher than him?!
-----
Mu Cai and the others arrived at the filming site the day before the shooting officially began. After Su Xingyun arranged the accommodations for Mu Cai, he returned to the capital that night.
The next day, Mu Cai participated in the commencement ceremony with Director Jing and the others. It was then that he realized there were so many familiar faces in the crew.
He knew Mo Hengqing would be there, as he was supposed to play the leading male character's biggest rival, the loyal minister Lin Fu in the fallen Wang Dynasty.
However, how come Lin Jiayi was also there?
According to the original plot, Lin Jiayi debuted in the "Rookie Star" program and went on to pursue music. He wasn't supposed to have any scenes in "Xiaoxue Jiangshan."
However, considering that the world he found himself in was a mental energy field, slight fluctuations and inconsistencies were understandable. If the mental fluctuations were completely identical to what they detected, it should not be called an energy field but rather an AI simulation.
As Mu Cai thought about this, he noticed Lin Jiayi was also looking at him.
The young man's eyes seemed to be veiled with a layer of moisture as they turned and locked onto Lin Jiayi.
Caught in the act of staring, Lin Jiayi felt flustered. He found himself in a dilemma, wanting to continue looking at Mu Cai but feeling extremely awkward at the same time.
For a moment, Lin Jiayi didn't know what to say, and he couldn't look away. However, before he could dwell on it for too long, a figure in red blocked his view of the young man.
Looking up with slight annoyance, Lin Jiayi saw Gu Yunchen, who was wearing a red tracksuit. His glance carried a chilly air, and even his voice had a hint of icy chill: "What are you looking at? We're about to start shooting, stop staring around."
Having said that, he turned his head towards Mu Cai, who was entirely concealed by his tall body, and said: "Come, stand beside me."
The chill in his voice melted, making way for a warm spring breeze.
Lin Jiayi: "..."
Lin Jiayi felt that something was off.
But just as Gu Yunchen said, the opening ceremony was going to start soon. In this industry, people tend to have some beliefs and take such ceremonies very seriously.
If Lin Jiayi didn't perform well at this time, any setbacks encountered during shooting might be blamed on him.
Therefore, Lin Jiayi had no choice but to go along with everyone else, holding incense sticks and waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.
A roasted pig's head was placed on the table.
Director Jing, wearing a red outfit, held the thickest and biggest incense stick among everyone and bowed with them. After inserting the incense into the burner, the opening ceremony was considered to be concluded.
-----
After the ceremony, Director Jing held a brief press conference.
Perhaps due to Director Jing's respected status, most of the reporters' questions were fairly standard. Jing He answered each question calmly - smiling while deflecting any sharp questions with tact. When the time was up, the security personnel organized the departure of all reporters from the scene.
Today, the weather was nice with clear skies and brilliant sunlight, but it wasn't too hot. After dealing with a series of long and short questions, Director Jing felt refreshed and waved his hand: "Alright, let's start by taking costume photos this morning."
As soon as the director spoke, the actors went to the makeup room.
The makeup artist assigned to Mu Cai was a well-known male makeup artist in the industry, Lian Ping. He looked like he was nearing forty, with a slightly effeminate demeanor. He spoke softly and slowly, and when holding a makeup brush, his hand would bend his little finger rather gracefully.
Lian Ping gently swept the foundation brush across Mu Cai's face while he couldn't help but exclaim, "Your skin is really good. I can't see any blemishes, and it's so fair."
As he spoke, he reached out and gently pinched Mu Cai's cheek.
The young man sitting obediently before him didn't resist. He simply blinked and looked at Lian Ping before saying, "It's because I'm young. Your skin is also very good and youthful. I'd probably look much older than you when I reach your age."
What was essentially a simple compliment felt sincere when uttered by Mu Cai.
Lian Ping was delightfully surprised by the praise and couldn't resist reaching out to touch Mu Cai's cheek again, complementing, "What a sweet talker."
At this point, Gu Yunchen couldn't hold back, "Concentrate on the makeup; stop all this touching. The makeup is going to rub off."
While Lian Ping's makeup skills were indeed first-rate, this occasional hands-on habit was something he just couldn't change. Gu Yunchen usually didn't mind as it was usually just a light touch to people's cheeks.
But seeing Mu Cai being touched twice already made Gu Yunchen uncomfortable, his heart felt ablaze.
Lian Ping glanced at Gu Yunchen, his eyes rolling significantly, "I'm the makeup artist, and I know what I'm doing. The little Cai doesn't mind, so don't stress over nothing, Yunchen. Beware, you might just be jealous of me."
Gu Yunchen: "..."
He really is!
He usually sneaks a touch or two when pretending to be serious, or gently pokes when the other person is asleep. But this guy, he just went for it so openly!
Mu Cai secretly glanced at Gu Yunchen’s facial expression and saw that he looked unhappy. He quickly pulled Lian Ping's clothes and said seriously, "Please don't say that, Teacher. Brother Gu usually acts too formally, so he might not want to disrupt the filming of the styling photos. Please don't be angry."
A young man sitting in his seat slightly raised his head, looking at them with a pair of big, black eyes without blinking. Although he had a sweet and obedient appearance, he deliberately appeared serious.
Lian Ping's heart couldn't help but tremble from the cuteness.
He hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, let's focus on the makeup and not argue with certain people."
Certain people: "..."
Gu Yunchen, who was considered "serious," secretly thought to himself, in other people's presence, he sweetly called them "Teacher", but addressed him coldly as "Brother Gu."
In the future, he must find an opportunity to make him call himself "Brother."
-----
Director Jing He and his team waited outside the makeup room.
The first to finish his makeup was Gu Yunchen, who played the male lead, Li Xuan. His makeup was fairly simple: his eyebrows were meticulously trimmed and his complexion darkened. A light layer of earth-colored eyeshadow was applied to his eyelids to deepen his gaze.
Dressed in armor, with a sword hung around his waist and a red cloak behind him, Gu Yunchen appeared imposing. As he walked out, his eyebrows were cold and his countenance was aloof. As his gaze swept over the surroundings, a chill rose wherever his eyes landed.
He looked like a seasoned warrior.
The photographer on the side hurriedly started taking pictures. Gu Yunchen cooperated well during the styling photo shoot.
Soon after, the best actress Gao Hong who played the female lead, and Mo Hengqing who played the virtuous minister, came out one after another. The looks of these actors satisfied both Jing He and Chang An.
Then there was Lin Jiayi, an earnest investor in the production team who insisted on participating as the prince. Jing He had initially been quite vexed about him, but fortunately, Lin Jiayi was playing a minor character who didn't get much screen time.
Seeing that Lin Jiayi's costume was also quite acceptable, Director Jing He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Until the door of the makeup room opened again.
The hand that pushed open the door was so pale that it immediately drew the focus of everyone in the room.
Following that, a man with a white jade crown and semi-old green shirt walked out.
The man's face was as pale as paper, with brows flying into the temples and pale lips, making him look sickly. Yet his eyes were brightly lit, as if all his vitality was gathered there.
His movements were neither hurried nor slow, and his gestures were modest and polite. His expression was mild. When his gaze fell on you, it was light and airy, seemingly looking at you and yet not.
It seemed as if everything was within his sight, yet everything seemed totally irrelevant to him.
He was like a hermit who had been disconnected from the mundane world for many years, ready to ascend to immortality at any time.
Uncontrollably, Gu Yunchen took a step forward, seemingly wanting to grasp this person who was beyond his control.
The man across looked over, his dark pupils reflecting two tiny images of him. It was like viewing a flower in the fog, or a moon in the water: an illusion merely floating on the surface without penetrating into his heart.
A tightness gripped Gu Yunchen's heart, and his expression instantly changed.
"What's the meaning of this, General? Why do you look at me like this?"
A voice that was both hollow and pleasing rang out. The man across spoke at a moderate pace, with clear enunciation as if every single word carried an otherworldly charm.
Instantly, Gu Yunchen realized that this was Mu Cai immersing himself into his character. He immediately picked up his line, "Nothing really, I just find you to be exceedingly otherworldly."
Reaching this point, he gave a self-mocking smile, "I always feel as if you could disappear at any moment."
Upon hearing this, a faint smile emerged on Mu Cai's face.
He was silhouetted against the light, the brilliant sunlight creating a hazy halo around him, making him seem even more like an immortal being about to ascend at any moment.
Mu Cai responded calmly, "Rest assured, General, I won't leave until the task is complete."
However, it's as if Gu Yunchen didn't hear that, and just murmured, "Indeed, you are an immortal..."
The words hung there, full of unsaid sentiment.
Everyone present snapped back to reality.
Mo Hengqing was the first to applaud, "Excellent! Just this small segment already makes me look forward to the upcoming scenes!"
Lin Jiayi widened his eyes, barely believing that Mu Cai had become so skillful. He glanced at the two people standing opposite each other. Their interaction during the scene was well-timed and complementary, as if they were already very familiar with each other.
That unsettling feeling in his heart resurfaced.
Suppressing his thoughts, Lin Jiayi joined in the applause.
Appreciation shimmered in the eyes of the nearby Jing He. He glanced over at the cameraman, who gave an 'ok' gesture, and he nodded in response.
He indeed chose the right people!
-----
That night, the production team of 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' released character stills arranged into a 3x3 grid.
Comments exploded under the Weibo post, with shares, likes, and comments quickly surpassing a thousand. Fans of various actors, fans of the book, and character fans all mingled in a lively debate.
Although 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' was a script personally penned by Chang An, the original form of this script was once serialized on a website for a period of time. Many film and television works now follow the route of IP incubation and adaptation, which can attract a group of book fans in advance, creating buzz for the film and television works and achieving the aim of becoming popular even before it's aired.
Chang An didn't like adapting others' works, so he simply took up the pen himself. Although he was formally trained as a screenwriter, he also enjoyed writing.
During the early days of the Internet, driven by his competitive spirit as a writer, Chang An wrote several web novels which were all left incomplete. With his stringent logic, compact plot, fluent writing style, and profound skills, countless wailing souls were left stranded at the bottom of his unfinished stories.
However, these "stranded souls" would still follow him whenever he started a new story.
"Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was only halfway serialized online, but the overall story and character images were clear. Each character in the book had their own fan base.
The character Yi Sheng, who was known for his strategy, composure, and ruthlessness, might not have had high popularity among casual readers, but his fan base was quite significant, boasting many dedicated fans.
When book fans heard that "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was about to be made into a movie, and that it involved a collaboration between Jing He and Chang An, they were initially very excited. However, when they learned that Mu Cai would be playing Yi Sheng, many were deeply disappointed.
Especially the die-hard fans of Yi Sheng, who publicly demanded an explanation from Chang An and Jing He on Weibo. More extreme individuals even resorted to passionately insulting Mu Cai under his Weibo posts, feeling that he had insulted the character.
After all, Yi Sheng and Mu Cai were dissimilar in every aspect, whether in appearance or character. Moreover, Mu Cai was a product of a talent show and had no acting experience whatsoever. Instead of starting his acting career with idol dramas to hone his skills, he had chosen to debut with a role that many loved - this was something many fans of Yi Sheng found hard to accept.
There are also quite a few rants about this on Weibo:
[I've been waiting for years for the ending of 'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' and just want to see a quality movie. Why is it so hard? Can these young, inexperienced actors stick to their fan dramas and not pollute the purity of more serious works?!] *Likes: 3000+*
[With the rampant influence of capital nowadays, I can understand why directors are sometimes restricted. But I originally thought that a well-established director like Jing He would be less affected and have his own bottom line. It seems I was naive.] *Likes: 4000+*
Of course, Mu Cai's fans also came to his defense:
[The movie hasn't even started shooting yet, and some people are already acting up. Even if the movie ends up being terrible, I don't mind you criticizing it then, but are you trying to slander someone based on your imagination now?"]
[Don't worry, Cai Cai! Your colorful ribbons will always follow you!] (Note: 彩帶 Cǎidài = ribbon)
The storm kicked off as soon as the cast list for "Xiaoxue Jiangshan" was published on the official Weibo of the drama team, causing quite a stir. However, the unveiling of the costume fitting photos by the official Weibo led to a significant change in public opinion:
[Ahhh, I totally buy this actor as Yi Sheng!]
[Oh my god, this is exactly the Yi Sheng in my mind! He's aloof from worldly affairs, albeit frail, but his dignified charm remains undiminished!]
[...]
Of course, there were also people who believed that the credit should go to the photo editors, and that the costume fitting photos alone couldn't reveal much. After all, there are plenty of examples where a good-looking cast led to a poorly made film.
Unexpectedly, not long after this opinion surfaced, the Weibo account released a short video clip.
This video truly stirred up a storm of reactions on Weibo:
In the bustling, thoroughly modern shooting set, the character Mu Cai in the video lowers his eyes, then lifts his head and nonchalantly glances at the camera.
This single fleeting look, cool and nonchalant, was almost enough to make hearts beat faster.
Unfortunately, this look was just a fleeting moment and it didn't linger on the screen, more like an unintentional breeze that just happens to graze everyone present.
-----
Author's Note:
Mu Cai: He even snatches a ten-dollar bear snack from me!
Gu Yunchen: He won't even give me a ten-dollar bear snack!
Mu Cai & Gu Yunchen: He clearly doesn't like me!
Thanks for the update
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