Lin Jianlu and Xie Wang were sitting in the same car.
"You followed the traces left by the missing person and tracked them down to the abandoned factory. You've been searching for a week now, and you're exhausted," the director, sitting in the passenger seat, explained the scene while holding the script. "Da Wang, pay attention! Don't get distracted. You find the missing person in the factory's basement."
This was the second time the detective had saved a living person from the hands of the criminal.
He was thrilled. Over the moon, he untied the ropes binding the missing person, but then he spotted an oil painting on the ground beside them.
A familiar painting style, a familiar low-saturation coloring technique.
The person in the painting happened to be him.
"This moment, Da Wang, you need to handle the reaction well," the director rambled. "Da Wang, where are you looking!"
"Relax, I guarantee I'll nail it in one take." Before his rebirth, Xie Wang had won the Golden Bamboo Award, and the scene played at the award ceremony was exactly this one.
He'll performed effortlessly.
"You all talk big," the director muttered. "Everyone says you're the future Best Actor. Today one just walked off because of his susceptible period, and one keeps NG-ing, yet Lin Jianlu, who just joined, is less of a headache. If you NG again, I'm docking your pay."
Xie Wang: "..."
Speak louder, why don't you. Just remember, I'm the investor now.
From the moment Lin Jianlu got into the car, he had been listening to music.
The red earphone cord was wrapped around the edge of his collar, and the omega's profile was turned towards the window, seemingly uninterested in the conversation happening inside the car.
Only occasionally, when the car shook, did his shoulder lightly bump against Xie Wang's, ever so gently.
The touch felt like a small animal's paw softly patting, making Xie Wang feel tickled. So he raised his hand and took off Lin Jianlu's earphones.
Lin Jianlu's body stiffened slightly, and then he pulled the earphone cord away, asking, "What's up?"
"What song are you planning to sing at the Yanxing Media Music Festival?" Xie Wang asked.
Lin Jianlu: "I haven't decided yet."
Xie Wang took the opportunity to sneak a glance at his phone screen—
"Music Theory Knowledge."
Students at X University's music school are working way too hard these days.
Even on the go, they still have to keep reading books.
Both Lin Jianlu and Wei Lan are really studying themselves silly.
"I'm treating the whole crew to dinner tonight," Xie Wang said. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?"
This time, Lin Jianlu didn't refuse.
"Anything's fine," Lin Jianlu replied.
Xie Wang sent a message to his assistant, asking him to book Lin Jianlu's favorite Jiangnan-style private kitchen.
[In a private kitchen there is no set menu and the chef decides what to cook based on the fresh ingredients available. Such dining spaces don't advertise and guests rely on word-of-mouth, secret contacts, or invitations to book a table.]
The bumpy dirt road leading to the suburbs was full of narrow turns, causing the car to shake constantly.
As they passed by the lake, the car made a sharp, twisted turn. Xie Wang grabbed the door to prevent himself from falling on Lin Jianlu.
But in the next second, Lin Jianlu fell towards him.
Xie Wang: "?"
Wait.
The force of inertia shouldn't be sending him this way.
Feelings of losing control and confusion crowded in Xie Wang's heart, each taking up half.
Something's not right.
Xie Wang leaned sideways and helped Lin Jianlu fasten his seatbelt.
At the same time, he quietly glanced at Lin Jianlu, and a hint of displeasure seemed to flash in the omega's eyes.
"Be careful, YoYo," he said softly. "Don't hit your head."
He fastened his own seatbelt as well.
The two people in the back seat, one on the left and one on the right, were strapped tightly into their respective spots by the seatbelts, secured firmly.
Lin Jianlu glanced at himself in the rearview mirror with a look of utter despair, then closed his eyes and went back to listening to his music.
Xie Wang is useless.
He's just a blockhead.
There was an abandoned factory in the old dock area, which the production team had taken over. The props and sets had been prepared long in advance.
"Hidden Blade" was set in an alternate world, so when the factory was remodeled, many steampunk elements were added, with metallic gears visible everywhere on the walls.
This scene didn't involve Lin Jianlu at all, so the director told him to rest nearby and learn as much as he could.
These scenes were focused on Xie Wang's character.
Black boots stepped over the only patch of sunlight on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
The alpha was wiping a short dagger in his hand.
The gray-black military vest and paratrooper pants made the alpha's already tall figure look even taller.
Xie Wang slid the blade into the crack of the door lock and kicked the door open. The short dagger hanging at his waist reflected a sharp, bright silver light.
The combination of black and silver, and the collision of cool tones, riveted Lin Jianlu.
Xie Wang wasn't bragging—this action scene was filmed so smoothly.
In the part where he flipped over the railing and leaped across the rusty gears, Xie Wang didn't even use a stunt double. His somersault was so cool that the people around him couldn't stop cheering.
"You nailed that angle," the director also praised. "I was prepared to grind this scene with you dozens of times, but you got it right in one take."
Xie Wang laughed coldly.
Of course. Before his rebirth, when he shot this scene, hadn't he been corrected dozens of times?
The movements were practically etched into his muscle memory.
When he turned around, he saw Lin Jianlu leaning over the railing, watching him intently. The surprise and admiration in his eyes had not yet faded.
"The angle just now wasn't good, so I'll run it again for you," Xie Wang dropped this line and went back to the machine.
Climb, somersault, rapid descent—another smooth set of movements, as smooth as a parkour performance.
Director: "…"
What a nutcase.
Let's stick with the first take. This second one is like a goddamn skill show. Besides showing off, there's no sense of urgency to save anyone at all. Who is he trying to impress?
Xie Wang raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Lin Jianlu was still standing there, staring at him, eyes glued to his every move.
Xie Wang: "This take wasn't good either, I'll go aga—"
Director: "Get lost!"
Director: "Moving on. Victim, hurry up and lie down. Da Wang, get ready to cry out your famous 'I've lost my wife' scene."
Xie Wang: "…"
Xie Wang got ready.
The alpha held the painting he picked up from the ground, completely dazed. He ordered the surviving victim to be taken away and sped home in his car.
Is his omega still waiting for him at home?
The scene ended there.
The action sequence had left Xie Wang drenched in sweat. He pulled up a chair and took a towel from his assistant to wipe off the sweat.
The intense physical exertion had caused some of his grapefruit-scented pheromones to seep out, filling the air with a faint fruity fragrance.
Xie Wang made sure not to get too close to Lin Jianlu, worried that his pheromones might make him uncomfortable.
Sure enough, Lin Jianlu took out a small spray bottle and spritzed himself with some pheromone-blocking spray.
Then, the director sent Xie Wang off to shoot a scene of racing down the highway and running out of gas halfway.
The alpha was in the car, charging his phone which had been off for days, only to see that it was full of messages from his lover—
"When are you coming home?"
"It's 2 a.m., and it's so cold today."
"Don't come home."
"Forget it. I miss you."
"You really are perfect for playing someone who's lost their wife," the director joked with a laugh. "Alright, that's a wrap. No more scenes for today. Let's all head back to the hotel to rest. Da Wang is treating the entire crew to dinner."
A round of cheers erupted from everyone.
The hotel was still the same as before. After returning, the first thing Xie Wang did was find the manager and ask him to change Lin Jianlu's room.
"Room 5109. If the water heater still hasn't been fixed, switch him to another room," Xie Wang said.
"Of course," the manager replied enthusiastically. "But there's no record of any water heater repairs for 5109?"
Xie Wang: "?"
"Could you show me the room?" he asked.
Room 5109 was right across from his.
The water heater was working perfectly—normal flow, the temperature just right, and even better than the one in his own room.
Xie Wang: "…"
Something definitely isn't right.
"Should I still change it?" the manager asked, observing his expression.
"Change it…" Xie Wang said. "Forget it, no need."
He took the elevator downstairs and headed to the restaurant on the first floor.
The private kitchen he had arranged had already delivered the meal, and the crew was eating.
Lin Jianlu was sitting in a corner, looking at the rain streaks on the window. It was getting dark outside.
When he sat alone, it seemed like the stillness around him made it hard for anyone else to intrude.
Xie Wang wasn't sure if he should go over and disturb him.
With a clink, Lin Jianlu knocked his spoon to the floor.
The young man lowered his gaze, looking toward his feet, seemingly a little unsure of what to do. He began to bend down slightly—
"I'll get it for you," Xie Wang said, quickly covering the distance in a few steps. He squatted down, picked up the fallen spoon, and as he glanced sideways, he happened to catch Lin Jianlu's clean, snow-white ankle.
"This one can't be used anymore." Xie Wang waved to a waiter, "Please replace it."
He naturally sat down across from Lin Jianlu.
He hadn't intended to get close.
It's amazing how this always seemed to happen. Every time he was clear-headed, he'd somehow already found himself by Lin Jianlu's side without realizing it.
He called it a sense of losing control.
He definitely had a problem.
But now, he was beginning to suspect that Lin Jianlu might have a problem too.
Why did the spoon just happen to fall when he arrived?
"Do you like the food?" Xie Wang asked.
Lin Jianlu nodded.
Xie Wang was quite good at choosing dishes—everything he passed over happened to be the ones Lin Jianlu liked.
He had never told anyone his tastes.
"I'll also be performing at that music festival of yours," Xie Wang said, smiling at him.
"A music festival is for singers. What are you going there for?" Lin Jianlu asked.
Xie Wang: "…"
"I'm Yanxing's artist," Xie Wang explained, "And I'm pretty popular right now. If they're holding an event, of course they will invite me to warm up the audience."
Lin Jianlu: "Oh."
"You can come with me then," Xie Wang said.
Lin Jianlu: "Okay."
Lin Jianlu didn’t like talking much while eating, so Xie Wang just watched him finish his meal.
"I'm going back to my room," Lin Jianlu said.
Xie Wang didn't follow him.
Xie Wang suddenly remembered something, something he had never cared about and had forgotten for a long time.
Before his rebirth, there was one time he actively sought out Lin Jianlu because Lin Jianlu had left his omega inhibitor in Xie Wang's car.
Lin Jianlu is such a meticulous person, is it really normal for him to keep making mistakes in front of him?
Xie Wang stood up and glanced over at the spot where Lin Jianlu had just been sitting.
Lin Jianlu's phone, along with his wired earphones, had been left behind.
Xie Wang: "…"
Xie Wang: "……"
The bumpy dirt road leading to the suburbs was full of narrow turns, causing the car to shake constantly.
As they passed by the lake, the car made a sharp, twisted turn. Xie Wang grabbed the door to prevent himself from falling on Lin Jianlu.
But in the next second, Lin Jianlu fell towards him.
Xie Wang: "?"
Wait.
The force of inertia shouldn't be sending him this way.
Feelings of losing control and confusion crowded in Xie Wang's heart, each taking up half.
Something's not right.
Xie Wang leaned sideways and helped Lin Jianlu fasten his seatbelt.
At the same time, he quietly glanced at Lin Jianlu, and a hint of displeasure seemed to flash in the omega's eyes.
"Be careful, YoYo," he said softly. "Don't hit your head."
He fastened his own seatbelt as well.
The two people in the back seat, one on the left and one on the right, were strapped tightly into their respective spots by the seatbelts, secured firmly.
Lin Jianlu glanced at himself in the rearview mirror with a look of utter despair, then closed his eyes and went back to listening to his music.
Xie Wang is useless.
He's just a blockhead.
There was an abandoned factory in the old dock area, which the production team had taken over. The props and sets had been prepared long in advance.
"Hidden Blade" was set in an alternate world, so when the factory was remodeled, many steampunk elements were added, with metallic gears visible everywhere on the walls.
This scene didn't involve Lin Jianlu at all, so the director told him to rest nearby and learn as much as he could.
These scenes were focused on Xie Wang's character.
Black boots stepped over the only patch of sunlight on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
The alpha was wiping a short dagger in his hand.
The gray-black military vest and paratrooper pants made the alpha's already tall figure look even taller.
Xie Wang slid the blade into the crack of the door lock and kicked the door open. The short dagger hanging at his waist reflected a sharp, bright silver light.
The combination of black and silver, and the collision of cool tones, riveted Lin Jianlu.
Xie Wang wasn't bragging—this action scene was filmed so smoothly.
In the part where he flipped over the railing and leaped across the rusty gears, Xie Wang didn't even use a stunt double. His somersault was so cool that the people around him couldn't stop cheering.
"You nailed that angle," the director also praised. "I was prepared to grind this scene with you dozens of times, but you got it right in one take."
Xie Wang laughed coldly.
Of course. Before his rebirth, when he shot this scene, hadn't he been corrected dozens of times?
The movements were practically etched into his muscle memory.
When he turned around, he saw Lin Jianlu leaning over the railing, watching him intently. The surprise and admiration in his eyes had not yet faded.
"The angle just now wasn't good, so I'll run it again for you," Xie Wang dropped this line and went back to the machine.
Climb, somersault, rapid descent—another smooth set of movements, as smooth as a parkour performance.
Director: "…"
What a nutcase.
Let's stick with the first take. This second one is like a goddamn skill show. Besides showing off, there's no sense of urgency to save anyone at all. Who is he trying to impress?
Xie Wang raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Lin Jianlu was still standing there, staring at him, eyes glued to his every move.
Xie Wang: "This take wasn't good either, I'll go aga—"
Director: "Get lost!"
Director: "Moving on. Victim, hurry up and lie down. Da Wang, get ready to cry out your famous 'I've lost my wife' scene."
Xie Wang: "…"
Xie Wang got ready.
The alpha held the painting he picked up from the ground, completely dazed. He ordered the surviving victim to be taken away and sped home in his car.
Is his omega still waiting for him at home?
The scene ended there.
The action sequence had left Xie Wang drenched in sweat. He pulled up a chair and took a towel from his assistant to wipe off the sweat.
The intense physical exertion had caused some of his grapefruit-scented pheromones to seep out, filling the air with a faint fruity fragrance.
Xie Wang made sure not to get too close to Lin Jianlu, worried that his pheromones might make him uncomfortable.
Sure enough, Lin Jianlu took out a small spray bottle and spritzed himself with some pheromone-blocking spray.
Then, the director sent Xie Wang off to shoot a scene of racing down the highway and running out of gas halfway.
The alpha was in the car, charging his phone which had been off for days, only to see that it was full of messages from his lover—
"When are you coming home?"
"It's 2 a.m., and it's so cold today."
"Don't come home."
"Forget it. I miss you."
"You really are perfect for playing someone who's lost their wife," the director joked with a laugh. "Alright, that's a wrap. No more scenes for today. Let's all head back to the hotel to rest. Da Wang is treating the entire crew to dinner."
A round of cheers erupted from everyone.
The hotel was still the same as before. After returning, the first thing Xie Wang did was find the manager and ask him to change Lin Jianlu's room.
"Room 5109. If the water heater still hasn't been fixed, switch him to another room," Xie Wang said.
"Of course," the manager replied enthusiastically. "But there's no record of any water heater repairs for 5109?"
Xie Wang: "?"
"Could you show me the room?" he asked.
Room 5109 was right across from his.
The water heater was working perfectly—normal flow, the temperature just right, and even better than the one in his own room.
Xie Wang: "…"
Something definitely isn't right.
"Should I still change it?" the manager asked, observing his expression.
"Change it…" Xie Wang said. "Forget it, no need."
He took the elevator downstairs and headed to the restaurant on the first floor.
The private kitchen he had arranged had already delivered the meal, and the crew was eating.
Lin Jianlu was sitting in a corner, looking at the rain streaks on the window. It was getting dark outside.
When he sat alone, it seemed like the stillness around him made it hard for anyone else to intrude.
Xie Wang wasn't sure if he should go over and disturb him.
With a clink, Lin Jianlu knocked his spoon to the floor.
The young man lowered his gaze, looking toward his feet, seemingly a little unsure of what to do. He began to bend down slightly—
"I'll get it for you," Xie Wang said, quickly covering the distance in a few steps. He squatted down, picked up the fallen spoon, and as he glanced sideways, he happened to catch Lin Jianlu's clean, snow-white ankle.
"This one can't be used anymore." Xie Wang waved to a waiter, "Please replace it."
He naturally sat down across from Lin Jianlu.
He hadn't intended to get close.
It's amazing how this always seemed to happen. Every time he was clear-headed, he'd somehow already found himself by Lin Jianlu's side without realizing it.
He called it a sense of losing control.
He definitely had a problem.
But now, he was beginning to suspect that Lin Jianlu might have a problem too.
Why did the spoon just happen to fall when he arrived?
"Do you like the food?" Xie Wang asked.
Lin Jianlu nodded.
Xie Wang was quite good at choosing dishes—everything he passed over happened to be the ones Lin Jianlu liked.
He had never told anyone his tastes.
"I'll also be performing at that music festival of yours," Xie Wang said, smiling at him.
"A music festival is for singers. What are you going there for?" Lin Jianlu asked.
Xie Wang: "…"
"I'm Yanxing's artist," Xie Wang explained, "And I'm pretty popular right now. If they're holding an event, of course they will invite me to warm up the audience."
Lin Jianlu: "Oh."
"You can come with me then," Xie Wang said.
Lin Jianlu: "Okay."
Lin Jianlu didn’t like talking much while eating, so Xie Wang just watched him finish his meal.
"I'm going back to my room," Lin Jianlu said.
Xie Wang didn't follow him.
Xie Wang suddenly remembered something, something he had never cared about and had forgotten for a long time.
Before his rebirth, there was one time he actively sought out Lin Jianlu because Lin Jianlu had left his omega inhibitor in Xie Wang's car.
Lin Jianlu is such a meticulous person, is it really normal for him to keep making mistakes in front of him?
Xie Wang stood up and glanced over at the spot where Lin Jianlu had just been sitting.
Lin Jianlu's phone, along with his wired earphones, had been left behind.
Xie Wang: "…"
Xie Wang: "……"
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