The first shooting period safely came to an end, and the exhausted cast was allowed to enjoy a brief respite of two weeks.
On the train back home, Shen Jingwei received a tight schedule for the next two weeks.
"Sword fighting lessons every day for five hours?"
Shen Jingwei was speechless when he read through the schedule.
"Isn't this too much, Old Zhu?"
"Not at all."
Having managed to push his protégé onto the precious male lead role, Zhu Dongyi was determined for Shen Jingwei to make a breakthrough in his career.
"I already ordered a custom-made sword for you, with design and weight similar to Winter Frost. As long as you practice diligently, I am sure that you will be half as good as Yan Renzhong."
Shen Jingwei raised his eyes from the stack of paper in his hands and pursed his lips at his manager.
"Am I to be offended by your underestimation of my martial arts ability, or complimented by your expectation of such swift improvement?"
"Whichever floats your boat, Little Shen," Zhu Dongyi said firmly.
"..."
Ding.
Shen Jingwei looked at his phone.
There was a message from his little sister, Shen Dou Dou.
Shen Dou Dou : "Big Brother! I just saw posts about your newest drama on Weibo! I can't believe that you are playing the male lead! I am going to watch all episodes for sure!"
Shen Jingwei almost choked on his spit.
Shen Jingwei : "No, Dou Dou. You are only eighteen years old. You are not allowed to watch it!"
Shen Dou Dou : "ヽ(｡◕o◕｡)ﾉ. Big Brother, aren't you too outdated? I read the entire novel a year ago."
Shen Jingwei : "...."
Shen Jingwei, the elder brother, turned into an ice statue on the spot.
Wait a moment.
He, who came out as a homosexual three years ago, had abstained from anything queer ever since.
But his younger sister, a straight young woman through and through, actually enjoyed reading a BL novel? What had this world come to?
Shen Jingwei rubbed the aching spot between his brows and groaned, "Oh, God."
Ding.
Shen Jingwei : "Don't tell Mom about the drama."
Shen Dou Dou : "Yessir, I will keep my mouth shut!"
Unfortunately, their mother was not exactly living under a rock.
By the time Shen Jingwei arrived in his small apartment, his mother had left a message for him on WeChat.
Shen Muyu : "Jingwei, how are you?"
Followed by a Weibo post showing Yan Renzhong holding him up intimately.
200k+ likes.
"..."
Shen Jingwei : "I am fine, Mom."
Shen Muyu : "Your father's third death anniversary is coming soon. Can you spare some time to come home?"
"..."
For once, he could afford the round trip without draining his savings, yet he hesitated to go.
Shen Muyu : "Mom misses you a lot. Jingwei, it has been three years. Please come home."
Shen Jingwei tilted his head backward and bumped it gently against the wall behind him.
He knew that his mother and sister missed him greatly.
It had been three years since he left.
Shen Jingwei : "Yes, Mom. I will be home on Dad's third death anniversary."
Afterward, he called his manager, Zhu Dongyi.
"Old Zhu, I want to take a leave for three days. Can you empty my schedule for the last three days of the month?"
Shen Jingwei rarely took any leave, not that he had a lot of jobs lined up.
Taking into consideration the taxating sword lessons his protégé had to take for the next two weeks, Zhu Dongyi agreed.
The next morning, he picked Shen Jingwei up and dropped him at the Tianhuan Martial Arts Institute.
"I have to run some errands on your behalf," he said. "I will be back soon. Little Shen, go ahead and enter without me. Ask for Teacher Zhou."
Actors and actresses did not mingle with other students, thus they usually learned privately from the institute teachers.
Shen Jingwei expected to get a private lesson from Teacher Zhou.
Surprisingly, when he walked through the door of a private classroom, he found three people waiting for him.
One was a middle-aged man in the institute's training uniform, unmistakably Teacher Zhou.
The next one was Wen Guilin, who waved at him with a smile.
"Hello there, Little Shen."
And the last one, the tall man with broad shoulders who had his back facing Shen Jingwei when the latter entered, was Yan Renzhong.
Shen Jingwei's thin rod of patience snapped almost immediately.
Zhu Dongyi! He cried out inwardly in anguish. I hope your favorite coffee shop runs out of croissant the next time you come by!
----------------
Author's note :
Mini theater!
Shen Jingwei : Author, explain yourself.
Author : Eh? What is there to explain?
Shen Jingwei : *grabs author by the collar* Why is he everywhere? I am supposed to be rid of him for two entire weeks!
Author : *chokes* B-but the readers would kill me if I make him disappear for two whole weeks! QAQ!