Professional Body Double

Lan Xirong's eyes were a bit red. He had only just turned twenty, and had never properly dated anyone before, but his instincts told him that he didn't want to give Xiang'ge to another person. When he was unsuccessful and unpopular, only Zhou Xiang treated him well. The people who only came near him after he became popular were nothing.

Zhou Xiang blinked and quickly calmed down, "Xirong, do you know what you're saying?"

"I know."

"Let go of me first." Zhou Xiang gave Lan Xirong a push but Lan Xirong didn’t budge. Lan Xirong stubbornly stared at him. Zhou Xiang said helplessly, "Let go of me. You should know what rumours will start spreading if someone sees us like this." Zhou Xiang slowly, but forcefully pushed Lan Xirong away.

Lan Xirong half lowered his eyelids. His emotions had calmed slightly. "I'm serious about what I said. I don't trust anyone, they all have ulterior motives, only you are sincerely good to me."

Zhou Xiang forced a smile, "I had an ulterior motive too. I approached at that time because you were handsome."

Lan Xirong pursed his lips and looked at him. "In the least, only you were willing to unconditionally help me when I had nothing. I know you liked me in the past. What about now? Don't tell me you don't feel anything for me now?"

Zhou Xiang didn't know how to explain to him. If you had to talk about liking, he was indeed very fond of Lan Xirong at that time. However, just like when he saw Yan Mingxiu for the first time, he was only attracted to his appearance. Zhou Xiang had never refrained himself from liking good-looking men but a course of events was necessary to develop real feelings for the other person. Lan Xirong fell out with him before giving him the time. Any fondness he had for Lan Xirong couldn't withstand all that happened; he had lost all feelings for Lan Xirong a long time ago.

Besides, he already had Yan Mingxiu.

Lan Xirong came back and now wanted to be with him. Zhou Xiang felt very distressed and helpless, because he knew that Lan Xirong wasn't gay.

Zhou Xiang sighed. "Xirong, you don't like men. Don't be wilful, okay?"

"But I like you."

"What you feel isn't like, it’s reliance. You didn't have any friends or any family in Beijing, that's why you think I'm trustworthy, that's why you depend on me, but you don't like men, don't waste each other's time."

Unconvinced, Lan Xirong tightly clenched his fist. His lips were slightly trembling.

Zhou Xiang said softly, "Go back and have a good think about it, you're not little anymore, you'll figure it out."

Lan Xirong wanted to argue, but he didn't know what to say. If Zhou Xiang was still single, he definitely wouldn't have rejected him like this. The resentment and indignation in his heart had nowhere to vent. He was so mad he turned around and kicked a rubbish bin over.

Zhou Xiang didn't say anything else and silently walked past him.

Lan Xirong watched his back, his eyes filled with non-acceptance.

---

Zhou Xiang drove and rushed to the studio. Although the movie, in which Wang Yudong was starring as the lead, had met a lot of bumps and issues along the way, they were now almost at the final phases of filming. Today, Zhou Xiang was acting out a combat scene inside a tavern as Wang Yudong's stand-in.

As soon as he reached the set, he sensed that the atmosphere was strange. The staff all had their heads down, silently busying back and forth. No one was speaking.

He glanced inside. Director Wang and Wang Yudong were standing face to face. Director Wang's face was furious, and although Wang Yudong still had his signature gentlemanly smile on his face, one look, and you could tell that the smile was very forced.

It wasn't the first or second time they hadn't met eye to eye. It had especially gotten worse lately because Wang Yudong had endless promotional commitments, and needed to fly all over the country. Unfortunately Director Wang had very high standards for his own works, and often held Wang Yudong back several hours, delaying his schedule. The two had gotten into many disputes over this matter, and it was generally Wang Yudong who compromised in the end. However, sooner or later, there would be a day Wang Yudong would no longer be able to hold his smile.

Seeing their standoff, Zhou Xiang wasn't so stupid that he'd go over to be their cannon fodder. He grabbed Mi You, planning to get his makeup applied.

When they passed them, Director Wang saw him at first glance, pointed at him and called out, "Zhou Xiang."

That voice gave Zhou Xiang a start. He hurriedly went over. "Oh, Director Wang, you're calling me?"

Director Wang said sternly, "Do you have a plenty of spare time?!"

Zhou Xiang didn't know how to answer, and was forced to say yes.

"Then Superstar Wang won't need to film the next scene. Modify the script, get Zhou Xiang to wear a black veil mask and a hat, Zhou Xiang will be filming the whole scene!"

Wang Yudong's complexion immediately changed. He hadn’t expected that Director Wang would be so relentless.

Zhou Xiang's complexion also changed, his heart crying endlessly with bitterness. "Aiyo, Director Wang, please don't joke, I'm just a body double, I can't act out Dong'ge's scenes." He snuck a glance at Wang Yudong and saw that Wang Yudong was looking at him with an ashen face.

Zhou Xiang felt that he was completely out of luck. Director Wang was humiliating Wang Yudong in front of so many people. Wang Yudong couldn't do anything to Director Wang, but making Zhou Xiang’s life difficult would be easy as pie for him. Now he could only pray that Wang Yudong would be a bit magnanimous. Director Wang had truly dealt a ton of damage this time.

Director Wang yelled even more intensely, "He has no time! You two look almost the same with your faces covered anyway. You’ll also be able to earn more money and Superstar Wang can also earn more time, everyone's happy!"

Everyone on the set could hear his angry ridicule. The crew members who had a good relationship with Zhou Xiang all threw him looks of sympathy.

Zhou Xiang inwardly sighed. He decided not to say anything. Anything he said would definitely be wrong.

Wang Yudong's smile was now nowhere in sight. He said flatly, "Fine, let him shoot, I have no objections." He then took out a pair of sunglasses from his shirt pocket, put it on his face, turned and walked away.

His assistant hastily followed after him, pulling him while nodding and bowing an apology to Director Wang.

Seeing the assistant's desperate state, Zhou Xiang thought to himself, perhaps he wasn't the most unfortunate one.

Wang Yudong threw off the assistant's arm, and walked off without turning back.

Zhou Xiang dumbly stood there, not knowing how to wind up this matter.

Director Wang was so angry he was shaking from head to toe. "What are you people dazing out for?! Modify the script! Zhou Xiang will be acting this scene!"

Zhou Xiang really wanted to kneel down at him. He said with a face which looked like he was in mourning, "Director Wang, please don't play me, I really can't act. If I act Dong'ge's scene, how am I supposed to continue surviving in this circle?"

His words met death ears. "What can't you survive? None of the viewers will be able to tell. He's busy going everywhere promoting; his mind isn't focused on acting at all. You're his body double, when he can't do it, you're supposed do it in his place. Go get your makeup done!"

Zhou Xiang grudgingly followed the stylist. After he parted from Director Wang, he immediately fished out his phone to call Cai Wei, and explained the situation to him.

Cai Wei swore over the phone, 'this damn old coot is always causing trouble.' However, he didn't have the power to take care of this matter, so he told Zhou Xiang act out the scene first, but they definitely can't put that segment into the movie. There was no way Wang Yudong would not swallow it down and let an outsider steal the show.

Zhou Xiang had no choice but to force himself to film the scene with his face covered.

This scene was mostly comprised of back and side view shots. With his masked face covered by black veil, if you didn't show close-up shots, you really couldn't tell the difference. After some editing, they could totally pass it off for real.

However, everyone on the set knew that he was a fake, and it wouldn't take even a day for this matter to spread around everywhere. Wang Yudong being usurped by own body double, such a big laughing matter, was undoubtedly good news material.

Zhou Xiang had been in the entertainment industry for seven to eight years. He had always been careful and had almost never offended anyone, but today, he had tumbled face first into it.

They filmed this scene until past nine o'clock. When Zhou Xiang got home, he was physically and emotionally exhausted.

Yan Mingxiu was at home reading. Seeing Zhou Xiang's gloomy and overcast state, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Xiang recalled Yan Mingxiu and Wang Yudong's relationship and decided not to tell him what happened, and merely said that he was a bit tired from filming.

Yan Mingxiu poured him cup of water. Right after Zhou Xiang drank some water, the doorbell rang.

Zhou Xiang went over, leaned forward and glanced into the peephole. To his surprise, it was Cai Wei outside.

He opened the door and asked with astonishment, "Wei'ge, why are you here?"

Cai Wei raised the present box in his hand. "A person sent me some Chinese mitten crabs today, all live ones. Your sister-in-law told me to send some over to you, this stuff can't be kept."

Zhou Xiang was really touched. He knew that Cai Wei had specially come over because of what happened today.

He let Cai Wei inside. Cai Wei spotted Yan Mingxiu at first glance, and was struck dumb.

Zhou Xiang laughed, "Wei'ge, this is... We started living together just recently, I haven’t had the time to tell you yet."

"You two are living together?" Cai Wei said in shock.

Zhou Xiang nodded.

"Shit, aren't you telling me a bit late?" For a straight man, living together was generally equivalent to settling down into long-term serious relationship.