Chapter 49 Part1 (1/2)
Deep in the Act
Translator: Kotoni
Editor: Isalee
Quality Check: Isalee
First Published on Chaleuria
Chapter 49.1
Qin Xun-er was back on set, with cropped hair and a complete change in style. She seemed so radiant that all the girls began speculating if she had found herself a younger man.
Chen Hsin kept his distance. As the stylist worked on Qin Xun-er's look for the upcoming scene, he retreated to a distant corner for a smoke by the corridor. He and Zhang Zhun had begun filming at different sites. This was the first day of their separation, and he was at a loss for words to describe how he felt. Listless and dispirited, he started hara.s.sing the director instead. ”Say,” he flicked some cigarette ash onto the older man's pants, ”is it alright if I fake it with a stage kiss later on?”
Caught up in the process of editing his storyboard, Chen Cheng-Sen was in no mood to entertain the actor. At the mention of ”stage kissing,” he raised his head and glared. ”You're fine doing it for real with another man, but you want to fake it with a woman?” The director snorted. ”Look here, Mr. Best Actor. We're filming a movie, not some TV series okay?”
Chen Hsin understood. What Chen Cheng-Sen said was nothing new to him; he had only asked the obvious because he was too agitated to know what else to say or do. ”Is Zhou Zheng in charge… over there?” he tried to ask about Zhang Zhun's team.
”Zhou Zheng's not bad at running a set and picking extras, but his camerawork just doesn't cut it. I'll need to go clean up after him when we're done here.” Chen Cheng-Sen put down his writing materials and clapped for attention. ”Get into position now. Everyone on stand-by!”
Qin Xun-er sashayed up to Chen Hsin in a dress, looking sweet and feminine with her long wig, earth-toned eyeshadows, and milk-tecolored manicure. ”It's been a while, Chen-laos.h.i.+.” Chen Hsin nodded in response as a form of greeting, and stubbed out his cigarette. As he was about to move into position, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He whipped out his phone at once and there it was, a WeChat notification from Zhang Zhun just as he had hoped.
The message contained a freshly-taken selfie - Zhang Zhun in full makeup and a tan suit, with a cashmere coat slung over his shoulders, and an Orion pin glinting in the coat's lapel. The man even added a sweet touch by captioning the image: My outfit for the day.
There was a fire in Chen Hsin's heart now. He enlarged the photo as much as possible. Then, sweeping his gaze over and over those smiling eyes, he asked: [Will I get to see you like this later?] Zhang Zhun's answer came almost immediately in the form of a hammer emoji, and Chen Hsin broke into an insuppressible, lopsided grin, just as if he were trying to hide his joy but failed.
”Chen-laos.h.i.+, you've changed,” Qin Xun-er remarked all of a sudden. Chen Hsin glanced at her. ”You used to be pretty full of yourself,” she continued, combing her fingers through her wig, ”but you've become much more likable.”
”Why? 'Cause I'm more tactful now?”
”No, you look like you're starving. It's quite cute actually.” Qin Xun-er set her suggestive gaze on the man and leaned in, bit by bit. ”Can't take it anymore, can you, after spending all this time with only a man?”
Chen Hsin raised an eyebrow at the actress; he was indeed feeling a little desperate. ”That obvious?”
”Mm-hm, you're practically on fire.” Qin Xun-er pressed herself to Chen Hsin and gave him a light pinch on the cheek with her long nails. ”Come look for me tonight? You've broken up with your girl anyway.”
Somewhat sickened, Chen Hsin laughed in annoyance as he brushed off her hand. He had other things to keep him busy tonight. ”No, thanks.”
The cameras began rolling at the director's command, and Zuo Linlin forced a kiss on Fang Chi on cue. It was a real kiss shot in extreme close-up, with tip-top performance from both actors: Qin Xun-er burned with irrepressible pa.s.sion; Chen Hsin seemed bewildered as he dodged in panic. The scene pa.s.sed in a single-take, and Chen Cheng-Sen could not help sighing as he took off his headset, ”The two of you finally gave me a break for once!”
As the crew packed up for the day, Chen Hsin tried to follow the director to the other set, but Chen Cheng-Sen would not take him along. The production team had made a reservation at the KTV lounge to celebrate Qin Xun-er's return, the older man said. Chen Hsin did not want to be there. ”Go on my behalf,” Chen Cheng-Sen continued, slinging an arm around the actor's shoulders. ”Later on…” Just as the director was about to get to something important, the dispatch team cut in with an urgent reminder for him to hurry up. He patted Chen Hsin on the back. ”I'll be counting on you, buddy.”
What else could Chen Hsin say? He gave in, went downstairs, and got into a car with Qin Xun-er. In the midst of touching up her makeup during the drive, she observed with a shake of her head, ”You must be getting your rocks off somewhere.” She tossed her short hair and pressed her bright red lips together. ”Or else you'd have hooked up with me a long time ago.”
Chen Hsin shot her a sidelong glance. ”I beg you,” he rubbed his forehead in resignation, ”just cut it out already.”
After reaching the lounge, the group was led to a medium-sized room in a secluded corner. Since there were only seven or eight of them, Qin Xun-er was not too particular about the arrangement. Microphone in hand, she began belting out number after number, from ”Alive”1 to ”Three Thousand Years Later,”2 and from ”Riding a White Horse”3 to ”Mahoraga.”4 At last, when she was done singing, she pa.s.sed the mic to Chen Hsin. The man refused to humor her. ”You mean there isn't a single song that'd make you want to sing your heart out?” she asked.
Taunted by the challenge in her question, Chen Hsin took up the microphone and selected ”Almost Lover” from the menu. He had always wanted to give it a try, though he never had the courage to: