Chapter 48 - I’ve got this Celebrity’s back (8)
Chapter 48: I’ve got this Celebrity’s back (8)
This statement that was meant to give the fans a way to deceive themselves directly led to Film Emperor Gu’s pretty good mood as he drove all the way home.
The sky was already dark as they drove back but Gu Xi had slept for half an afternoon and right now, he was wide awake. While driving, he told Lu Qingzhou interesting things about the cast and crew, finally managing to pull the little paparazzo’s eyes away from the camera.
“It’s not bright enough in the car. It will damage your eyes so wait until we arrive to do your retouching.”
The way back was uneventful. As long there weren’t people jumping out and trying to hijack his car, it was a peaceful drive and there weren’t usually any incidents.
Gu Xi took one hand off the wheel and rubbed the top of Lu Qingzhou’s head, deliberately using ambiguous words, he teased, “Wait for the evening and I’ll accompany you. Will you let me see this time?”
“I haven’t finished editing it yet. You can see it when it’s finished.”
Lu Deng didn’t think there was anything wrong with Gu Xi accompanying him, he was just curious about the Film Emperor Gu’s erratic schedule. He put the camera aside and looked up at him. “Aren’t you going to film tomorrow?”
The little paparazzo was completely unguarded towards him.
His plan to take a peek was rejected once again. Unexpectedly though, Film Emperor Gu was in a better mood, an undisguised smile on his face. “No filming tomorrow. I have two days off. I’ll take you home to sleep and tomorrow, we’ll go out and have fun.”
Not letting him see the photos meant that he was the one on the photos.
Little by little, Gu Xi has come to some conclusions based on his experiences. He remembered that Lu Qingzhou said this afternoon that he didn’t manage to grab the headline, but he didn’t say that he hadn’t taken any photos. Film Emperor Gu couldn’t help being thoroughly delighted. His entire being felt as sweet and refreshed as though he had drank iced mung bean soup.
Gu Xi was in a good mood. With a smile in his eyes, the hand pressing against the top of the other’s head couldn’t help ruffling his hair a couple of times. “Do you live around here? Have you gone out to play?”
The warmth covering the top of his head was very comfortable. Lu Deng shook his head under his hand. “This is my first time coming here. I heard there’s a lot of news here so I wanted to try my luck.”
A lot of film and television companies used this areas as a base. Lots of people, harboring different ambitions, come here to make their way in the world. Young people like Lu Qingzhou were not uncommon.
Gu Xi understood and nodded. “That’s fine. Let’s go out and have some fun tomorrow. I often come to film around here and know all the best places to eat.”
Often times, the crew would book accommodations nearby. Actually, he had a residence nearby but in order not to make himself into a special case, he reluctantly stayed in the hotel booked by the crew.
As a result, the first time he decided to sneak back home, he was robbed head-on by a keen-nosed little paparazzo.
This time, he had taken two days off and he was loathe to run into that group of currently popular stars; Gu Xi simply no longer cared about maintaining a facade of amicability. He left the crew in a fair and proper manner and without even asking, whisked Lu Qingzhou away to return to his home.
Lu Qingzhou didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with going home with him. Leaning against the spacious leather co-pilot seat, he watched Gu Xi take charge of the situation, brimming with confidence. His brows curved as a warm smile stole across his face.
Gu Xi saw and his heart started to beat a little faster but instead of saying more, he refocused his energy on the road home. He pressed down on the accelerator.
Nothing wrong with getting home a bit earlier.
*
By the time they got home, the sky was completely dark.
Afraid that Lu Qingzhou would be too reserved during his first time coming here, Gu Xi first asked had him take a shower. He found some never-before-worn pajamas for Lu Qingzhou to wear and then led him into the bedroom to rest, before he himself stood under the shower.
It wasn’t that there wasn’t a guest room in the villa. Thinking of Lu Qingzhou who had been ignorantly whisked into the master bedroom, Film Emperor Gu wiped his face under the cold shower water. He stepped on tiptoes and stuffed a key into the ventilation fan on top of the bathroom.
They’ve even checked into a hotel together, so what was wrong with sleeping in the same room?
A room with no extra sofas either.
Film Emperor Gu wasn’t panicked at all. He was determined to keep the little paparazzo beside him. After taking a cold shower to his heart’s content, he casually pulled on a set of T-shirts and shorts and happily rushed back to the bedroom, remembering to bring an extra blanket for himself.
Lu Qingzhou was no longer busy retouching pictures.
The air conditioner in the bedroom was turned on, making it nice and cool. The lighting was warm and somewhat dim. His pajamas were a size too big on Lu Qingzhou and the cuffs were loosely rolled up. They hung loose and swayed around his body, exposing a sliver of fair shoulders and neck.
Lu Qingzhou was lying on the bed, flipping through his script. Under the soft light, his sleek black eyes were completely focused. It shook Film Emperor Gu’s heart, suddenly causing it to itch.
If he didn’t do a little something at a time like this, it would be simply be unfair to this plot.
His heart was beating a little fast. Gu Xi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he walked over lightly. Just as he was about to speak, the little paparazzo on the bed suddenly turned over and nimbly propped himself up. He patted the soft mattress and rolled up his cuffs, deadly earnest, he said, “Lie down.”
Gu Xi: “……”
Gu Xi: “Qingzhou, there’s something—”
Lu Qingzhou blinked and a warm smile suddenly appeared in his dark eyes. After rolling up his cuffs, he raised his hand to pull Gu Xi’s wrist. “You rushed through so many of your scenes today. Your body must be all tense. I’ll give you a massage and you’ll feel a lot better when you go to sleep.”
Realizing that he was thinking too much, Film Emperor Gu’s face turned scalding. Finally relieved, he nimbly took off his T-shirt and lay down.
Although today’s scene were his solo scenes, but because there were a lot of crashes and collisions within the scenes and also because it was necessary to convey enough tension, Gu Xi’s back still bore a lot of bruises and several spots had begun to turn purple.
He felt cool palms against his back but there was little strength behind it. When the palms hit halfway, they stopped. Lu Qingzhou turned around to get safflower oil.
“It’s nothing. It looks scary, but it doesn’t hurt at all.”
Knowing that little paparazzo was distressed for him, Gu Xi pulled the other back. He grasped his hands and pressed it against his face. Smiling, he comforted him in a gentle tone of voice, “This isn’t the first time I’ve performed with such intensity. After a shower and some sleep, I’ll be fine by&#k2013;“
That fresh and clear breath of greenery suddenly drew near and the faint warmth of a body covered him from behind.
Gu Xi’s words suddenly stopped. He instinctively held his breath and the hand holding Lu Qingzhou’s also tightened subconsciously.
His little paparazzo hugged him from behind. He pressed his cheek against his neck and nuzzled gently.
“This time, I’m here.”
So you cannot be wronged like this.
He was not here before, but this time, he’s already here.
There’s someone who will feel distressed for you and there’s someone who will mind. So, you can’t just bear with it and let it go.
Almost the instant he heard it, Gu Xi already understood. Gu Xi felt choked up. His voice and breath was stuck in his throat.
Film Emperor Gu, who for so many years has never been fazed by the innumerable hardships he had to face for the sake of his acting, was suddenly unable to say anything. He sat there, dazed and then after a moment, exerting all his strength, he pulled Lu Qingzhou into his embrace. He rolled half of his body and firmly circled the other against his chest.
Good for nothing.
Why are you hurting like this now?
You have endured so many times already, so how come you feel so aggrieved this time that you suddenly can’t bear it anymore?
Gu Xi couldn’t figure it out and he wasn’t going to dwell on it. He merely persistently tightened his arms, pressing the other to his chest. His breathing turned from rapid to scalding.
The person he was engulfing in his arms, wasn’t at all afraid. Lu Qingzhou quietly leaning in his embrace, hugging his shoulders and neck with both arms and raising his head to lay on him.
Gu Xi didn’t want to let him see him like this.
Gu Xi’s arm tightened, tightly locking the person in his arms. Lu Qingzhou embraced his shoulders in return and placed his forehead against his neck. “I’m here.”
Gu Xi took a deep breath, nodded, and closed his eyes.
After a long while, Film Emperor Gu finally suppress the tremors and hurt, the redness around his eyes faded. He lay down, holding Lu Qingzhou for a long time and then, he suddenly bowed his head and gave him a fierce kiss.
“Wait for me. I’ll do a brilliant performance for you…I’ll get a good prize, the grand prize. Then you can come in and take sneak shots. I’ll pose for you and you can sell each for tens of thousands of yuan. Then, you won’t have to take pictures of others. I’ll make up your entire quota. You can take a picture of whatever you want…”
Listening to Film Emperor Gu ramble on about his wild ambitions with a nasal sound in his voice, Lu Qingzhou smiled and nodded. He then leaned in and kissed him.
After Gu Xi’s mood eased, Lu Qingzhou took him to lay down once again. He got out of bed and brought him safflower oil.
Gu Xi was young and strong and he never took bumps and collisions seriously and he would perform for more than ten hours a day to catch up with the schedule. While there was currently no impact on his health, if things went on like this, when he gets older, these injuries might come knocking at his door.
More and more, Lu Deng felt that the system had bought this skill pack at just the right time. Lu Deng issued a red envelope for the system that was still in standby mode. He then covered Gu Xi with a thin blanket and with considerable force began to massage down his back, starting from his shoulders.
Gu Xi could bear it but at this moment he suddenly didn’t want to. He lay on his pillow, gritting his teeth and sucking in a cold breath, making a smile appear in Lu Qingzhou’s eyes. “Does it hurt?”
“It’s comfortable.”
Although it hurt, the place where Lu Qingzhou massaged felt exceptionally refreshed and relaxed. Even those joints that have long felt faintly stiff became a lot more flexible.
Gu Xi moved his shoulders, smiled and held his hands together. He pulled them to his lips and kissed them. “Later, teach me how to do it and I’ll give you a massage.”
“Okay.”
Lu Qingzhou’s lips curved into a smile. He allowed him to pull his hands and act shamelessly. He stopped the massage and had him rest for a while before continuing to rub down.
The strength on his back was gentle and every stroke was extremely measured. Gu Xi gradually got used to the soreness in his back and began to feel drowsy, lying on the pillow. He faintly perceived that his phone buzzed.
Lu Qingzhou got up and handed the phone over to him.
He took the phone. Gu Xi rubbed his somewhat blurred eyes and pressed the screen to take a look. He couldn’t help feeling surprised.
“Liang Yuan: F*ck. I’ve only just come out of the set… Are you okay? What’s with the heatstroke? Wasn’t there ice cream?”
“Liang Yuan: You’re up to your old bad habits again, aren’t you? Stubborn fool! What are you doing giving face to that broken piece of sh*t set! You should also quit in disgust and leave!”
“Liang Yuan: Hurry up and explain clearly what’s going on or I’ll stop filming tomorrow and take a few of our brothers to charge your group!”
Liang Yuan was really a good person.
Gu Xi took a deep breath. He didn’t have to heart to keep hurting him. He considerately typed out a reply. “I’m fine. Don’t come, I’ll be on vacation tomorrow.”
……
It’s over.
He’s even gone and taken a day off.
On the other end of the phone, Director Liang sucked in a breath, teeth aching. He paced back and forth anxiously.
He should have thought of it earlier. Gu Xi fired his agent and assistant. There was no one around to take care of him. Where would he have gotten ice cream and black bean noodles? He had probably taken those photos off some website because he stubbornly refused to tell him the truth.
The crew would always reports good news but not bad ones. Moreover, it definitely wasn’t his agency spending money to promote him. It’s generally when an actor’s physical condition was two degrees higher in severity that the public hears about.
A heatstroke was too simple if he won’t even be able to film tomorrow. Liang Yuan couldn’t help sending a few more messages, questioning him closely; things like whether he was at home or in the hospital, how his health was now. He waited anxiously for a long time before he finally got a reply from the other side.
“Swindler Gu: I’m at home. I really am fine. I’m really not trying to trick you this time.”
After a while, he added another message. “I’m feeling really comfortable right now. Don’t ask too much. For your sake, listen to me.”
……
What and what.
Liang Yuan read it and couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He held back his temper and tried to comply but after a while, he really couldn’t help but make a call.
The phone rang twice before it was picked it up. Before he could ask, Gu Xi, at the other end of the line, suddenly took a sharp intake of breath.
Liang Yuan was already imagining his old schoolmate in a miserable and critically injured condition. His heart trembled when he heard that. When he was about to speak, Gu Xi’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Why did you call me? I told you, I’m okay — hiss, lighter. It hurts, it really hurts…”
Liang Yuan: “……”
Unable to bear the pain of his little paparazzo’s pampering, Film Emperor Gu gave a half-real half-fake scream as he lay against the pillow. As expected, the smile in those black eyes grew a little deeper. Lu Qingzhou stopped his pressing and rubbing and took a freshly washed cherry and stuffed it into his mouth.
Film Emperor Gu was so tired that he was starting to get drowsy. Lying against the pillow and holding his phone, he said, “You just got off the set? You should wash up and sleep. Just seeing you guys is making me feel tired, slaving away until this late. You’ve really worked hard.”
Director Liang who had just gotten off the set: “…”
“Thank you for worrying. I’m resting at home. I’ll invite you to drink another day.”
Both Gu Xi’s body and mind were relaxed and his tone was truly relaxed and joyful. His enunciation was indistinct because of the cherry in his mouth and then he took a sharp breath. “No, not there. Qingzhou, that tickles——”
…
Director Liang hung up with a snap.
*
Film Emperor Gu, who was completely unaware that he had been cast as an absolutely base and immoral man by Director Liang, cast all thoughts to the back of his head. He slept comfortably with his all-rounder little paparazzo and for the next two days, took him to play in the city.
But when all was said and done, he was still a famous celebrity and he couldn’t go to crowded place. However, there were always quiet restaurants and clubs that they could go to.
Gu Xi was already quite familiar with the area. He took Lu Qingzhou to eat in several private restaurants hidden in the downtown area. He also took him to soak in the hot springs and bought a whole lot of pastries and snacks that he seemed to love. By the early evening, they were finally ready to go home.
Looking at how the little paparazzo’s eyes shone while they were out playing, Gu Xi didn’t rush to drive home. He pulled down the window shade and snuggled the person into his arms, kissing him a couple of times. “Did you have fun?”
Lu Qingzhou lifted the corners of his lips and nodded earnestly.
Unlike in the previous worlds, as long as he stays with Gu Xi this time, the other party will not be in any life-threatening danger.
Of course, celebrities had to be careful not to make a scene, but safe places were absolutely safe. Gu Xi has always known how to enjoy himself but this was the first time he had unrestrainedly ran wild like this. All novel things were interesting and as long as the other person was with him, he can’t help but want to try everything.
Thinking of how he had been dragged into the hot spring and inappropriately tossed about, Lu Deng, who was just beginning to recover his senses, suddenly felt his face grow hot.
“Why are you so hot? Did you soak too long in the hot springs just now?”
Gu Xi touched his cheek with the back of his hand. Only when he touched his forehead and found that his temperature was normal did he feel relieved. He rubbed the top of Lu Qingzhou’s head with a smile.
His heart stirred and Lu Deng raised his head to meet the suddenly serious light in his eyes.
“This was the first time I’ve had someone with me. I was a little bit overwhelmed with happiness so I might have gone a little overboard.”
Gu Xi rubbed his short hair with his palm and dropped a kiss on his smooth forehead. He put his arms around him and leaned his head down. “If you’re not used to it, tell me. We’ll do it the way you like it. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy. I’m happy to do anything. I’m happy even if we do nothing, even if we just purely sleep.”
Gu Xi had debuted early and had spent a lot of time in the circles but everyone was aware that he had some weird rules. Unless he was socializing and entertaining, such as when he was purely spending private time for relaxation and entertainment, he will never let anyone hang around him.
Lu Deng had read his detailed information when he came to this world and he was, of course, well aware of this.
Welcoming the soft and gentle light in those eyes, Lu Deng’s heart burned. He unfastened the seat belt with one hand and leaned into his arms. “I had a lot of fun…”
Gu Xi’s lips curved into a smile and he brought the other closer to him. With some effort, he took the person from the passenger’s seat into his arms and said softly with a smile, “But you haven’t had your fill of fun, right?”
He didn’t know Lu Qingzhou’s past and he had never actively asked about it, but it was not difficult to see that Lu Qingzhou was too calm and sensible.
A boy his age was supposed to be playing and making trouble but his little paparazzo was fiddling with his camera all day long or reading through his scripts, as if there was no need for any relaxation in his life.
He could see that this kind of character has been ingrained in his bones from since he was a child. But he still wanted to take Lu Qingzhou to relax and have fun as much as possible. He wanted to get him to take the initiative to say what he wanted, instead of always being so sensible, as though he could take care of everything properly.
Lu Qingzhou made up for what Gu Xi lacked.
In the same way, Gu Xi wanted to make up for what Lu Qingzhou lacked.
The body in his arms moved and pure black eyes looked up from his chest. He gave no answer but his face turned even redder than before.
Gu Xi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. He directly carried the person under his legs and picked him up. He opened the car door with one hand. “Let’s go. They have special Japanese-style tatami mat rooms here. Let’s stay the night here… ”
“Don’t you need to film tomorrow?”
Gu Xi’s vacation was only two days. Lu Qingzhou grabbed his arm to stop him but as he was already being carried in mid-air he thought better of it, let go and hugged him by the shoulders instead.
“That will be a problem for tomorrow. I haven’t had enough fun.”
Gu Xi laughed and said as he held the other firmly in his arms. He hit the car door shut. “I brought the script. You help me rehearse.”
He has more than a dozen scenes left and the scenes are scattered all over. If they managed to keep up this pace, the filming can be completed in as short as one week.
Among those scenes, there were a few fight scenes that were really hands-on. He will have to rely on little paparazzo’s professional eye to help him see if any of those scenes taken from a certain angle could be used to blacken him, accusing him of maliciously bullying his co-actors.
The news during the past two days has been very calm. Even those people who had broken into his property that day have enlisted a group of considerably-sized paparazzi to take the blame. Unexpectedly, they actually compensated him a decent sum of money.
An unusual situation means the presence of a devil. Gu Xi, who has now grown accustomed to constantly having his reputation attacked during this period, was a little uneasy. He kept feeling that there were people hiding behind him, waiting to unleash some big move, just waiting for her to return to the set to begin.
His voice was originally already very magnetic. Now, he deliberately made it even lower and softer, letting his breath brush against the little paparazzo’s ear. Lu Qingzhou’s ears instantly turned red and he pulled open his collar and buried his face in it.
Gu Xi couldn’t help but chuckle. He stopped teasing him and sent a message to have a room ready, as he took the person in.
……
Afterwards, he regretted it.
The little paparazzo has been so well-behaved these past few days that Gu Xi completely forgot how he was shoved against the door of the car and nearly had his arm ripped off that day he robbed him. He actually over-confidently invited Lu Qingzhou to act out a fighting match with him.
Thankfully, there was a mat on the tatami floor and Lu Qingzhou also had a sense of how far to take it. When he was halfway through, he relaxed and put him on the ground. The pain was not too much but it made a strong impact on his heart.
And he had actually been worried that the little paparazzo would be beaten black and blue if he gets found out.
Gu Xi had been the one to propose practicing these fight scenes, so he couldn’t just hastily call it off after a few times. Film Emperor Gu gritted his teeth and held his breath. He’d been thrown around like a sandbag but he learned fast and in the blink of an eye, he had almost perfectly imitated Lu Qingzhou’s posture.
“Would you like to take a break?”
Looking at Gu Xi panting with a flushed face, Lu Qingzhou put down his sleeves and went over. He took a cushion and helped him sit down. “It’s getting late and you have to film tomorrow. It might be better if we separate a bit earl-…”
“Again.”
His temper that he had tempered from enduring hardships with the crew over the past few years, reared its head once again. Gu Xi wiped off his sweat and stood up vigorously.
“I’m not settling for some boring scenes. Since I plan to act out good scenes, these last few scenes must live up to our reputation.”
These two words “our reputation” that he blurted out made Lu Qingzhou’s chest burn hot. Lu Qingzhou nodded. He pursed his lips and accompanied him to find a good stance once again.
……
Film Emperor Gu not only brought someone to play, he even brought that someone to stay overnight.
The owner of the private hot springs resort was not someone within the entertainment circle. He was experienced, knowledgeable and very prudent in speech. His lips were tightly sealed and he would never reveal anything he had seen or heard. But, this time, even he was going crazy from wanting to know this gossip.
He really want to go and see just who was that had broken through Gu Xi’s 30 years of celibacy. The boss hesitated over and over but in the end, he still called for the waiter and delivered the glass of red wine and hot milk that Film Emperor Gu had requested himself.
Many of the people staying here were celebrities and it was possible that they were doing something in the room. Knowing the rules, the boss opened the outer door and passed through the entrance, bypassing the screen, he stood at the door of the inner room. He raised his hand to knock but suddenly, he stopped.
Behind the paper-lined panel door, the shadow of two people rocked and swayed endlessly. Indistinct and muffled grappling sounds, enough to make people have the jitters, could be heard from within.