Chapter 7

Xia Xingcheng headed to the recliner that had been prepared for him by the crew, sat down, and raised his head to wipe the sweat on his face with the towel his assistant had handed to him.

Huang Jixin sat on the small stool next to him and saw that he really was in a bad shape. He lowered his voice and asked. "What's wrong? Didn't you perform well just now?"

The first scene was over, and in Huang Jixin's eyes, Xia Xingcheng probably acted remarkably well.

Xia Xingcheng didn't know what to say, the scene just then had nothing to do with his own acting. It was all Yang Youming alone.

Huang Jixin said, "I told you to be careful when you accepted this role." He thought that Xia Xingcheng couldn't come to terms with having to make out with a man.

Xia Xingcheng tore the towel off his face, folded it twice, and silently dabbed the sweat on his forehead.

Huang Jixin has been Xia Xingcheng's agent manager since his debut, and the two have always had a good relationship. He was several years older than Xia Xingcheng. At this time, he couldn't help whispering a few words to console him, "If you don't want to film this kind of thing, it's better not to say it out loud. Regardless of the contract, if you told He Zheng that you don't want to continue shooting, it would impact your future development big time."

The towel in Xia Xingcheng's hand had been crumpled into a ball, but he still used it to wipe the sweat in the corners of his eyes. He looked ahead and said, "I know." But his words were not very compelling.

Huang Jixin patted him on the shoulder and joked to lighten things up, "It's no big deal. It's just being kissed and touched by a man. Besides, it's no ordinary man either. After this, everyone would think that you took advantage of the great film emperor."

Xia Xingchen couldn't help but glare at him.

Huang Jixin retracted his words, "Nevermind, just film this nicely. I support you."

They had announced that there were only two scenes to be filmed today, and the second scene followed immediately after the previous one, which was an intimate scene of two people in bed after entering the room.

Fang Jianyuan's room wasn't big, but there was a south-facing window. If someone sat by the window, they would be able to feel the sunlight all year round. In front of the window was a desk, beside the desk was a wooden wardrobe, and there was a single bed in the middle of the room.

When He Zheng directed the scene, he leaned against the desk in front of the window, while Xia Xingcheng and Yang Youming sat on the bed.

Yu Haiyang pulled Fang Jianyuan into the room and straddled him on the bed. He kissed him and touched him—and Fang Jianyuan was both excited and scared. When Yu Haiyang was about to take off his pants, he cried out, and Yu Haiyang stopped and comforted him in turn.

He Zheng said, "Yu Haiyang is very good at teasing, don't be too cruel. In his eyes, you're both willing, and this is not done out of force. Fang Jianyuan is young and inexperienced, it's not that he dislikes Yu Haiyang, but he's afraid, afraid of sex and this relationship."

Xia Xingcheng referred to the script and saw that Fang Jianyuan was supposed to start crying. He was a little anxious and unsure whether he could cry.

He Zheng told him, "You were in the right mood just now, so maintain it."

Xia Xingcheng raised his hand and tugged at his hair to cover up his anxiety.

The lighting outside the window was being adjusted. Warm, yellow light that mimics sunlight being shone down, had raised the interior's temperature by a lot.

For a split second, Xia Xingcheng truly felt that he was getting farther and farther away from the summer afternoon when he was with Yu Haiyang.

Yang Youming, who sat next to him and had been silent until now, suddenly said, "You have to cry like a boy."

Before Xia Xingcheng fully understood what he meant, He Zheng followed up and agreed, "Right! You have to cry like a boy. You should know from experience."

Yang Youming won the most awards when he worked with He Zheng, and since they had worked together on two movies, there was an unspoken understanding between them.

On the other hand, Xia Xingcheng felt that he was completely out of his depth. He thought hard about how a boy would cry.

He Zheng let them run the stage blocking first.

Xia Xingcheng stood up and saw Yang Youming also get up and stand facing him.

Yang Youming was nearly three centimetres taller than Xia Xingcheng. When looking at him, he slightly looked down, and looked directly into Xia Xingcheng's eyes.

Xia Xingcheng pursed his lips.

Yang Youming reached out and pushed him down on the bed. Without giving him a chance to react, he pressed down on Xia Xingcheng entirely.

But in fact, Yang Youming didn't really press down on him. He was using his hands to prop himself up on the bed, and his chest barely pressed against Xia Xingcheng's body. But the pressure and heat still rendered Xia Xingcheng immobile.

He Zheng observed the camera angles, and asked them to make some minor adjustments. He commented, "Okay, that's all for now, you have to be strong, but not rough."

Xia Xingcheng felt a little confused about how to distinguish between strength and roughness in the performance.

He Zheng continued, "Pull up his clothes, then unbutton and unzip his pants for a bit, and after that, Xia Xingcheng will resist. Appease him first, then wait for him to cry before you dispel his doubts and cajole him."

Yang Youming pretended to take Xia Xingcheng's pants off, and Xia Xingcheng reached out to push him away.

He Zheng said, "Wrong."

Xia Xingcheng briefly froze.

Yang Youming said in his ear, "Shouldn't you hold on to your pants right now?"

Xia Xingcheng understood, grabbed his pants with one hand, turned sideways to block Yang Youming's actions, and pushed him with the other hand.

Yang Youming paused and recited the lines in the script, "Don't be scared, it's going to be fine."

Xia Xingcheng recalled his lines and said, "I don't want it."

"Silly boy," said Yang Youming. He wanted to continue.

Xia Xingcheng clutched at his pants and turned over on the bed, covering his face with his other hand, his shoulders twitching.

Yang Youming stopped and didn't continue.

He Zheng stood up, looked at Xia Xingcheng and said, "Your mood isn't quite right. Adjust it."

Xia Xingcheng turned over and sat on the bed, suddenly remembering the documentary about He Zheng that he had watched before. He Zheng would tell you when you do something wrong, but wouldn't tell you what was right.

He became dumbfounded and uneasy. Seeing that He Zheng had not come back, he looked at Yang Youming, who was sitting by the bed.

Yang Youming took a sip of water from the cup his assistant handed over, and noticed Xia Xingcheng's eyes on him. The corners of his wet and red mouth rose slightly, and his eyes fell on Xia Xingcheng's hands that were clutching his trousers tightly. Yang Youming spoke up with a suggestion, "How about this? I'll ask He Zheng to clear out the set, and we'll go through the whole scene together and help you get back into the mood you just had."