"..."
Wang Cheng: "You cursed me."
Lin Qiong: "I did not."
"Then what did you mean by what you said?"
Lin Qiong, with his messy hair resembling a chicken nest, weakly lifted one hand and placed it on his chest, "That was a blessing."
...
He changed the topic abruptly, "What do you want?" Lin Qiong squinted his eyes at the sunlight streaming through the glass window in the room.
Prompted by the question, Wang Cheng suddenly remembered, "Lin Qiong!!! We have a job, we have a job!"
With the phone slightly moved away from his ear, the youth asked, "To take school uniform photos?"
Wang Cheng exclaimed excitedly, "To act in a movie!"
Lin Qiong's eyebrows jumped at the news, and he blurted out, "I'm not going."
Wang Cheng couldn't believe it, "Why?! It's such a good opportunity!"
Lin Qiong nonchalantly adjusted his hair and said, "I don't have the skills, I can't handle this type of delicate work."
Although he was a stage actor in his previous life, it was not the same industry, and he had no experience or confidence in acting. He didn't want to take the risk.
Wang Cheng continued persuading, "You couldn't do it before either. Your acting was terrible, and you always rejected scripts. No one hired you to act, and you couldn't make money all year round."
Lin Qiong added, "That's why I got married."
"..."
As soon as Wang Cheng thought about Lin Qiong being married to an old pervert, he felt distressed. Wang Cheng earnestly said, "This time it's different."
Lin Qiong asked in confusion, "How is it different?"
Wang Cheng got excited again and said, "We received an invitation from the producer! The producer saw your school uniform photos and said you fit the character's appearance, so they want you to audition!"
Lin Qiong's mouth formed an 'O' shape in an instant, "That's like a pie falling from the sky."
Wang Cheng said, "Exactly! Did you do any good deeds recently?"
Lin Qiong thought carefully and replied, "Recently, I have become a vegetarian."
"..."
Wang Cheng's voice continued trudging on and was enthusiastic, "It's a great opportunity, will you go or not?"
Lin Qiong firmly said, "I won't go."
Wang Cheng asked, "Why? It's a lot of money!"
Lin Qiong chuckled lightly, as if considering money worthless, "Do you know who my husband is?"
Wang Cheng guessed, "An old man?"
Lin Qiong replied, "A wealthy man."
Wang Cheng earnestly said, "It's better to rely on oneself than on others."
Lin Qiong spoke up, "I used to think that way too until I tasted the sweetness of laziness." Then he spoke like a pensive person, "In my youth, I didn't know the bitterness of self-reliance, and I mistakenly wasted my youth."
Wang Cheng took a deep breath after listening, seeing the other person as a wayward youth being tempted by an old scoundrel with money. He needs to have love and tolerance.
"Lin Qiong, you are unique and an independent individual, you don't need to be attached to anyone."
Lin Qiong shook his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I used to think I was unique too."
Wang Cheng thought that the other person was about to reveal their own experience of falling from grace, "Until?"
"Until I came across someone with the same name."
"..."
Although Lin Qiong's words were decisive, they were also carefully considered. He wasn't someone who didn't need a career; it's just that his top priority right now is taking care of Fu Xingyun's life. There are less than two years left until Fu Xingyun makes a comeback, and if he goes out to film without returning for a month or two, there won't be anyone to take care of Fu Xingyun in this big mansion.
Wang Cheng: "I don't believe you're not tempted. I need a valid reason."
Lin Qiong: "I can't be away for too long."
Wang Cheng: !
That old pervert has already started controlling Lin Qiong's personal freedom!
Wang Cheng: "The role for the audition only has two to three minutes of screen time in the movie. If you perform well, it'll probably be shot in three days."
Lin Qiong wavered a bit and asked, "What character would I be playing?"
Wang Cheng: "White Moonlight"
(A/N: "White Moonlight" usually refers to a person or thing that is elusive in the heart, has always been loved, but cannot be touched.)
Seeing Lin Qiong hesitate, Wang Cheng encouraged him further, "Don't worry, you won't be away for too long."
Upon learning that the film crew was in the neighboring city, Lin Qiong reluctantly agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Qiong glanced at the bright sunshine outside the window, then crawled back into bed hoping to go back to sleep. However, things didn't go as smoothly as expected; Wang Cheng's voice echoed in his mind like a disenchanting melody.
Finally, he reluctantly got up, slipped on his slippers, and headed downstairs. As soon as he reached the ground floor, he bumped into Fu Xingyun who had just rolled off the elevator.
Lin Qiong: "Good morning."
Though it is not much of a good morning after all.
Fu Xingyun looked at Lin Qiong's faint dark circles under his eyes and simply responded.
During breakfast, Lin Qiong briefly explained his upcoming work. Lin Qiong chewed his food and said, "I'll be back in a day after the audition."
Fu Xingyun replied, "It doesn't matter how long you're gone."
Lin Qiong didn't mind these words, as it was just the way Fu Xingyun spoke.
After breakfast, Lin Qiong pushed Fu Xingyun outside for a walk. They had been staying in the villa's yard recently, and they were getting tired of the surroundings. This time, Lin Qiong planned to take Fu Xingyun out for a stroll in the neighborhood. Dressed neatly, Lin Qiong pushed Fu Xingyun out of the gate and happened to encounter the elderly scavenger with his designer clothes and a small dog. They had become somewhat acquainted, and the scavenger would greet Lin Qiong when he saw him. This time was no exception.
The scavenger looked at them and smiled, "What a coincidence, are you also out walking the dog?"
Lin Qiong: ...
Fu Xingyun: ...
The conversation died just like that. Lin Qiong tried to explain for a few moments and then quickly pushed Fu Xingyun away. Today is the day Lin Qiong saves that elderly man's life.
Three days later, Wang Cheng came to pick him up. Lin Qiong was afraid that Fu Xingyun would starve to death at home alone, so he deliberately installed a food delivery app on Fu Xingyun's phone.
Fu Xingyun looked at it and asked, "What's this for?"
Lin Qiong smiled and said nothing.
Taking care of the dog :)
When they arrived at the filming location, it was close to noon. As soon as they entered the waiting room, they felt a rush of heat. Inside, it was crowded with people, all there to audition for the same role, including Lin Qiong.
Wang Cheng: !!!
"What's going on? Wasn't it just us who received the invitation?" Lin Qiong asked.
Wang Cheng replied, "The producer didn't say that specifically."
"..."
"Although there are more people, it's still a golden opportunity." Wang Cheng said, "You can do a good deed, like sharing the cost of today's gas."
"..."
After the audition started, Lin Qiong and Wang Cheng waited in the corridor, and they could see that each person who went in, came out very quickly. Almost twenty seconds after going in, they came out.
As Lin Qiong watched his turn approaching, he suddenly felt his hands trembling. He looked down and saw that Wang Cheng was holding his hand, shaking uncontrollably.
"..."
Lin Qiong asked, "What are you doing?"
Wang Cheng replied, "Granting you strength, be gentle yet firm."
They locked eyes for a moment, but Lin Qiong turned away and said, "I don't need that strength."
"..."
Soon, it was his turn. The moment Lin Qiong entered the room, he started counting. When twenty seconds were up, he would turn and leave.
"Wait!" Lin Qiong turned back in confusion. The producer pushed his glasses and said, "You match the photos."