Chapter 33#
Twists and Turns
That day, Zhao Tian’er clarified the matter through the media. She generously admitted that she had had some entanglement with her ex-boyfriend and fortunately Lu Yan was there to help her out, never expecting it would lead to such a misunderstanding. She thanked Lu Yan on one hand and apologized for the trouble she had caused him on the other. Afterward, she also revealed details of her romantic history, diverting public attention.
Lu Yan felt a bit unsettled when he saw the news. Although everything Zhao Tian’er said was true, he felt he wasn’t entirely without responsibility. Besides, letting a woman bear the burden was never his style. So he promptly issued a statement as well, explaining the course of events and expressing support for Zhao Tian’er.
As for Song Jing, after being warned by He Ming that night, he naturally dared not come out to cause trouble again.
This scandal was thus brushed aside. As for how many people secretly thought there was something ambiguous between the two, that was another matter. After all, such gossip was fodder for idle conversation, and sometimes the truth of the matter wasn’t that important.
Later, Zhao Tian’er posted another Weibo, saying in a teasing tone to Lu Yan’s fans that their idol was a gentleman with true manly spirit, worthy of their love and support. This post was naturally shared wildly by Lu Yan’s fans. Lu Yan also responded with a post, thanking Sister Tian’er for the compliment and saying that taking care of women was simply what a man should do. Needless to say, the comments under his post were filled with fans screaming about how handsome their idol was. After that, the two tagged each other a few times on Weibo, their exchanges filled with the easy familiarity of old friends, teasing and joking.
Seeing such blatant interaction between the two, even those who were still suspicious lost interest. Such news always attracted more attention the more the parties involved tried to hide it. By openly admitting, “Yes, we have a good relationship,” people lost their curiosity.
However, after this incident, Lu Yan and Zhao Tian’er’s relationship genuinely improved, no longer just that of co-stars who had worked together on one project.
The previous work had all come to an end, and Lu Yan was preparing for new projects.
This time, Qin Feng was particularly cautious.
Half the year had already passed. As for Lu Yan’s work in the first half, aside from endorsements and an EP, he had only taken on one TV drama and one movie. The TV drama was already airing, with ratings exceeding expectations, so it was fairly good. As for that movie, to be honest, Qin Feng had a very bad feeling about it. He could already foresee a dismal box office after its release. Usually, the performance of a single movie wouldn’t mean much, but unfortunately, the two movies Lu Yan had starred in last year had both done exceptionally well at the box office. If he couldn’t achieve similar results this year, he might be dismissed as a flash in the pan.
However, finding a suitable project was not easy.
Box office performance was something no one could predict. Sometimes, you thought a movie was good, but the audience might not buy it; other times, you thought it was just average, but the audience might love it.
But in the end, they found a suitable one.
What Qin Feng ultimately chose for Lu Yan was a suspense drama.
To be honest, domestic suspense dramas had always had average reviews. Perhaps it was related to the environment. For a long time, domestic suspense dramas had been a major target for movie fans’ criticism. Either the script was weak with logical flaws, or the film didn’t capture a sense of suspense even when it was made, and box office returns were generally poor.
However, the one Qin Feng chose was different because its director was Gao Xizhe. Gao Xizhe was a rising young director who had emerged in recent years. Unlike Zhou Yingcai, he had studied abroad for many years and was deeply influenced by European and American films. He was also a die-hard mystery fan, with a particular love for orthodox mysteries.
After returning to China, Gao Xizhe’s first film was a mystery drama. At the time, many people were skeptical—they thought that if so many big-name directors couldn’t make a suspense drama that satisfied domestic audiences, what could a greenhorn accomplish? But the result shocked everyone. Gao Xizhe’s mystery drama featured tight logic that could withstand scrutiny, a fast-paced plot with strong storytelling, and well-developed characters, avoiding the common flaw of flat, one-dimensional characterizations in typical mystery dramas. On the other hand, influenced by European and American films, he also incorporated many commercial elements to enhance watchability.
When Gao Xizhe’s first film was released, it was wildly embraced by suspense drama fans, with some even exclaiming that spring for domestic suspense had finally arrived. However, many film critics were dismissive, claiming he just got lucky with a good script. In response, Gao Xizhe released one film a year, each one even more impressive than the last, proving the jealous critics wrong with hard facts.
Over the years, Gao Xizhe had become a recognized master of suspense dramas in China, earning widespread acclaim. Some even called him “China’s Hitchcock.” He now had a huge fan base, and every one of his films was a guaranteed hit upon release. Many fans would go to the cinema repeatedly to search for overlooked clues in his movies.
This year, Gao Xizhe’s film was funded by Starry Sky, and Starry Sky’s requirement was that the lead role must be played by an artist signed with them. Lu Yan had starred in “Blade’s Edge” the previous year, which Gao Xizhe had watched. Gao Xizhe had always admired director Li Ran, and the two had a good relationship. Naturally, he was impressed by Lu Yan, whom Li Ran praised so highly. So when Starry Sky made that request, Gao Xizhe’s first thought was Lu Yan, and he directly extended the invitation.
A film by Gao Xizhe was certainly of sufficient weight, and Qin Feng immediately accepted it. Lu Yan himself was a mystery fan who had always admired Gao Xizhe’s work, so he jumped at the opportunity.
But just when they had reviewed the script, finalized all the details, and were about to sign the contract and join the production, something went wrong.
Qin Feng’s expression darkened after he finished a phone call.
Lu Yan asked directly, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Qin Feng hesitated, then said, “There’s a problem with Director Gao’s project.”
Lu Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt a bit nervous. “What kind of problem?”
Qin Feng sighed. “It was agreed that you’d play the lead. But Director Gao just called and said they might need to hold an audition before making the final decision.”
Lu Yan chuckled. “I thought it was something serious. It’s just an audition, right? Brother Feng, don’t you have faith in me?”
“Of course I have faith in you. But haven’t you thought about why this change suddenly happened?” Qin Feng was clearly not so optimistic.
Lu Yan wasn’t that naive. He immediately grasped the key point, and his expression grew serious. “Brother Feng, are you saying someone is pulling strings behind the scenes?”
“Very likely,” Qin Feng said. “But regardless, at least they didn’t shut the door completely. They gave us an audition opportunity. Let’s go take a look first. We still need to fight for this film.”
Lu Yan nodded, but a troubling premonition stirred in his heart. Could this be related to Xu Yongzhou?
To be fair, Lu Yan’s intuition was quite sharp. Or perhaps it was because he had never let down his guard against Xu Yongzhou.
So when he saw Xu Yongzhou at the audition, Lu Yan wasn’t surprised at all. In fact, he felt a sense of relief, thinking, “So that’s how it is.” Not knowing when or how an opponent would strike was always more unnerving than facing a direct challenge.
When Xu Yongzhou saw Lu Yan, he greeted him with a smile. “Lu Yan, I didn’t expect we’d be competing for the same role again.”
Lu Yan smiled, keeping his calm no matter the turmoil inside. When it came to acting, he had never lost to Xu Yongzhou. “Yeah, what a coincidence.”
A hint of something sharp lurked beneath Xu Yongzhou’s smiling eyes. “Remember back in school? We both said we hoped to one day star in a film by Director Gao. I didn’t think one of us would get this chance so soon.”
Xu Yongzhou was also a mystery fan and, like Lu Yan, held Gao Xizhe in high regard.
Only the two of them were auditioning today. Xu Yongzhou’s words were certainly correct, and who had pulled the strings couldn’t be more obvious.
Xu Yongzhou continued, “I remember the last time we auditioned together, I lost without even getting a chance to compete. I wonder if things will be different this time.”
The confidence in Xu Yongzhou’s eyes seemed to suggest he was already certain of victory. But Lu Yan suddenly found it absurd. He said calmly, “We’ll only know the result after the audition.”
Xu Yongzhou said nothing more, but his gaze toward Lu Yan seemed tinged with mockery and pity.
Xu Yongzhou auditioned first.
When he came out, his smile was even brighter. “Lu Yan, your turn.”
Lu Yan opened the door and went in. It felt like a flashback to his first audition last year—three people sat inside: Director Gao Xizhe, the assistant director, and Su Jue.
The playful, slightly irreverent smile on Su Jue’s face was unmistakable. His look at Lu Yan carried a hint of meaning.
Lu Yan didn’t let that smile or look disturb his composure. He smoothly completed the audition scene, even surpassing his usual performance. Regardless of the outcome, he only needed to prove his ability.
After it was over, before Director Gao could speak, Su Jue stood up first. He nodded at Gao Xizhe and said, “I’ll take my leave now.”
As he passed by Lu Yan, Su Jue lowered his voice and said, “Lu Yan, what exactly is wrong with my older brother?”
With that cryptic remark, he walked straight out.
It seemed Su Jue already knew about the situation between Lu Yan and Su Mo. Lu Yan thought to himself that he was probably going to lose this time.
For a moment, the thought crossed Lu Yan’s mind: should he ask Su Mo for help? But he quickly dismissed it. All along, he had been saying no to Su Mo, yet at a critical moment he would ask for a favor—that felt shameless, and Lu Yan couldn’t bring himself to do something so spineless. Besides, he didn’t know where he stood in Su Mo’s heart compared to Su Jue. Blood was thicker than water, and Lu Yan wasn’t confident he would win.
While Lu Yan was still pondering, Gao Xizhe spoke up. “Lu Yan, we still need to discuss this further. You can go back for now. We’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
Lu Yan nodded, politely took his leave, and left.
The next day, when he arrived at the company, he ran into Su Jue.
The two stood in the empty elevator without exchanging polite greetings.
Su Jue looked at Lu Yan with a half-smile. “I heard from Xu Yongzhou that you two were college classmates and even roommates for four years?”
Lu Yan nodded. There was no point in hiding that.
A mocking glint flickered in Su Jue’s eyes. “So your relationship isn’t as good as it sounds, is it? How does it feel to be stabbed in the back by a close friend? Not great, huh?”
Lu Yan was a bit surprised at how direct Su Jue was. But unfortunately, if Su Jue thought he could use this to get under his skin, he was mistaken. Lu Yan smiled, unruffled. “Is that all you wanted to tell me, President Su? I understand.”
Su Jue smiled back but said nothing more.
When Lu Yan reached his floor and was about to step out of the elevator, Su Jue called out from behind, “Lu Yan.”
Lu Yan turned around.
Su Jue gave him that meaningful look again. “You are a lucky person. You’d better cherish your luck.”
With that cryptic remark, the elevator doors closed, carrying Su Jue upward.
When Lu Yan entered Qin Feng’s office, he understood what Su Jue meant.
The first thing Qin Feng said was, “Director Gao called this morning. The final decision is that you will play the lead.”
Author’s Note: For those interested in orthodox mysteries, feel free to look it up. I’m also a mystery fan, and orthodox mysteries are my favorite. Fellow fans are welcome to discuss.
Xu Yongzhou’s ending will be revealed in the next chapter. As for the accident with the previous movie, well, it actually had nothing to do with Xu Yongzhou—after all, he doesn’t have that kind of influence.
Also, please don’t dislike Second Young Master Su. He never helped Xu Yongzhou. A brother complex can be quite adorable, right?