59: The Age of Appearance

Lin Fu was the male lead of "blazing fire," playing the protagonist Feng Zheng. He was one of the rising stars of the contemporary acting elite; with his parents and even his grandfather being veterans of the entertainment industry, he had excellent foundations. Combined with his immense talent and good looks, he had a large fan base and was well-liked by the general public.

The road to the small town was bumpy and long. Halfway through, the directing team got out of the cars, either to grab a drink and catch their breath or to clutch tree trunks while vomiting.

Shen Lian finally understood—did they go out drinking as a group last night?

Knowing they had a long trip ahead and still drinking, they're really something else, Shen Lian thought.

Perhaps his look of admiration was too obvious; when Zhao Wenshu turned around and saw it, he suddenly wanted to say something but held back.

Last night, Chu Yilan had only given him instructions and didn't want Shen Lian to know. So Director Zhao and several screenwriters and the Assistant Director kept their mouths shut, saying the investment hadn't been finalized yet and not to blabber about it.

A fresh breeze swept up the dust on the ground, and the branches of a crooked willow tree nearby swayed. Shen Lian saw a screenwriter who looked like he wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground and couldn't help but chuckle. With one look, Director Zhao felt that he already had the "vibe" of Lu Xiaokai.

At dusk, the group arrived at the small town.

As soon as he got out of the car, Shen Lian smelled the scent of burnt corn stalks in the air. The owner of a small roadside shop was gathered around a small stove, starting a fire to cook.

Looking out, the streets were crooked and winding, with self-built houses spreading along them. Puffs of blue smoke rose from chimneys, and an elderly grandmother sat on a doorstep, puffing on a dry pipe and staring at them. The setting sun bathed the uneven ground in reddish-gold, and the laughter of children drifted through the air—it was a scene that many only saw in their dreams.

Jiang You wanted to eat an ice cream, but when he rushed into the small shop, the best thing there was just a plain old popsicle.

“Make do with it for now.” Shen Lian ruffled Jiang You's head. “When the filming is over, I'll buy you a whole case of Häagen-Dazs.”

Fortunately, there was a decent restaurant here, likely converted from a farmhouse. Since the money was right, they slaughtered a free-range chicken, and the vegetables were fresh from their own garden.

The beer-bellied screenwriter went to the kitchen, holding a basin of vegetable soup to drink, trying to wash away the lingering fatigue of his hangover.

After all the dishes were served, they waited for another ten minutes before Lin Fu and several other actors trickled in.

Lin Fu was twenty-seven years old, dressed in designer brands: black cargo pants paired with a deep blue sports jacket and a hat. He came in, called out “Director Zhao,” and then sat down in an empty seat on one side, looking up right across from Shen Lian.

Lin Fu wasn't the kind of handsome guy who was stunning at first glance, but how should one put it? Sometimes, "handsome" is a feeling.

When the man took off his hat, his features were fresh and clean, his face was on the smaller side, and when he smiled, one corner of his mouth would lift slightly, giving him a bit of a rogueish air.

This was Lin Fu and Shen Lian's first time working together, but since they were both in the industry, they had certainly seen photos of each other.

Lin Fu stood up and extended his hand. “Glad to meet you, Shen Lian.”

“Hello, Teacher Lin,” Shen Lian responded politely.

After the other actors were introduced to each other, Director Zhao called for the meal to begin.

And honestly, the meal tasted great—authentic and original. Having it once in a while was better than those big hotels.

Director Zhao had arranged things in advance; the lead actors stayed in a small inn, while almost everyone else rented vacant rooms from nearby residents for fifty yuan a day, which the locals were happy to accept.

Shen Lian's room was on the second floor, right next to Lin Fu's. It was fairly spacious, and the key was that it had an independent bathroom. There was no need to be too picky about the environment; the wooden floorboards were a bit aged, making a "creak" with every step.

The bedding had a faint scent of earth mixed with laundry detergent. Jiang You inspected it carefully and then laid out the bedsheets he had brought.

Shen Lian laughed. “I'm not that delicate.”

Jiang You said, “Since I brought them, might as well use them.”

Jiang You was very serious and meticulous about cleaning. By the time everything was packed away, it was already dark. Jiang You's place was in the courtyard across the way, visible from Shen Lian's window.

Seeing Jiang You enter his room, Shen Lian took out his phone and called Chu Yilan.

“Everything's fine, don't worry,” Shen Lian said, then heard a “meow” sound. “Is Chu Zhumi next to you?”

“Yeah,” Chu Yilan replied. “He's very bold. He just peed on my leg.”

Shen Lian took this quite seriously: “Correct that behavior; he can't be allowed to develop that habit.”

“I know.” Chu Yilan had just felt a warmth on his knee, followed by a chill. Chu Zhumi looked up to meet his gaze, his cat eyes filled with the pure innocence of someone who fears nothing.

However, Master Chu was no ordinary person. He didn't scold the kitten, but just stared at Chu Zhumi for a while. The kitten couldn't take it, jumped down, and wiggled its bottom to find Aunt Fen. After being washed until he smelled nice, he curled up in a corner of the sofa and behaved himself.

“While I'm away, smoke less and drink less.” Shen Lian sipped his goji berry tea, not forgetting to nag. “If you miss me, send a message. If you see me, reply. Or, for example, if you want some 'benefit' photos or videos, just note your requirements, and I'll try my best to satisfy you.”

Chu Yilan: “...”

It was true that he liked Shen Lian very much now, but that didn't stop Chu Yilan from sometimes wanting to seal his mouth shut.

The moonlight was dim, and the small town was on the warmer side. Shen Lian left the bamboo window open at night and fell asleep to the intermittent sound of cicadas.

At six in the morning, accompanied by the cries of someone selling tofu, Shen Lian opened his eyes. Checking the time, his morning grumpiness flared up. He pulled the quilt over his head and slept for another hour or so.

Director Zhao had recovered and was directing the staff to set up the scene while flipping through the segments they were practicing to shoot today.

Shen Lian came down for breakfast and greeted Director Zhao. “Morning, Director Zhao.”

“Morning,” Director Zhao replied. “You're not bad, not sleeping in.”

Shen Lian asked curiously, “Does someone sleep in?”

“Lin Fu.” Director Zhao laughed. “He's great in every way, except he can't get up before eleven.”

Shen Lian nodded. After finishing a bowl of porridge and two buns, he went to change clothes, get his makeup done, and reinforce his lines while he was at it.

Director Zhao probably didn't realize that Shen Lian had been studying the script for several days, and by now, Lu Xiaokai's lines were already committed to memory.

“Teacher Shen, would you like an iced Coke?” someone asked.

Shen Lian waved his hand. “No thanks, I'll just have hot water.”

“Oh, staying healthy at such a young age?”

Shen Lian smiled.

It wasn't exactly about staying healthy; it was about cherishing his life. He wouldn't have known before, but now that he knew there was an issue with this body, not taking care of it would be asking for trouble.

“Shen Lian, you know how to ride a bike, right?” Director Zhao walked over.

Shen Lian: “Of course. I can even pivot the bike on its rear wheel. Do you need me to do some acrobatics or something?”

Director Zhao: “That won't be necessary...”

Lin Fu hadn't come out yet, so Director Zhao had Shen Lian try the first scene of Lu Xiaokai's appearance.

“Ding-ling~”

The sound of a bicycle bell drifted from deep within the alley. In the shot, the youth gripped the handlebars, wearing a faded white T-shirt and jeans, his face brimming with an innocent, clean, and satisfied smile.

The opposing actor wasn't in position, so "Lu Xiaokai" brought the bike to a neat stop, propping it up with one leg, and raised his voice toward Director Zhao: “Uncle Cui, I've fixed that radio of yours. Same old price, twenty yuan. I'm going to help Hu Erma move some water now, I'll bring it to you this afternoon!”

The lines were smooth and natural, making it very easy for people to get into the scene.

Director Zhao believed Dai Tong's words and raised his hand to give Shen Lian an “OK” gesture.

Shen Lian's smile faded, and he immediately withdrew from the state of "Lu Xiaokai." When this man didn't have much expression, his exquisite face revealed a touch of aloofness.

Just then, an old lady walked into the filming area and headed straight for Shen Lian. Her eyes were shining as she grabbed Shen Lian's arm and said urgently in slightly accented Mandarin, “Oh my, whose boy is this?”

A veteran actor? Shen Lian was surprised; these lines were pretty good.

Wait, no, this part wasn't in the script.

The next second, he heard the old lady press further: “Are you married yet?”

“Grandmother!” A staff member immediately stepped forward. “This one won't do! We're here to work!”

“Well, working doesn't stop you from finding a partner...”

The grandmother was helped away, and Shen Lian finally snapped out of it.

No one knew who laughed first, but soon a whole bunch of people burst out laughing.

“Teacher Shen, this grandmother has high standards! Yesterday she was saying the boys in our logistics department weren't spirited enough, and today she's here to play matchmaker for you!”

Shen Lian laughed and waved his hand.

Although the grandmother was old, her mind was very sharp. She roughly understood what "celebrity" meant. No wonder he was so good-looking.

The grandmother was no longer in a hurry to find a match for Shen Lian; instead, she brought a small stool and sat not far away to watch Shen Lian film.

So handsome, the grandmother thought. At noon, she sliced a large plate of watermelon and brought it over.

The watermelon had a fresh, sweet scent. Director Zhao stood up: “Thank you, ma'am!”

“Eh?” The grandmother nimbly dodged him and then handed it to Shen Lian. “Child, this is for you.”

Shen Lian was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

He couldn't drink ice water, but surely he could eat watermelon?!

Director Zhao sighed with regret: “This damn era of looks!”