Huayu: That year, I withdrew from the Super Boy competition.

Hu Ge walked over from the side, carrying two bottles of mineral water, and handed one to Su Wei.

He had already drunk most of his own bottle, with a towel draped around his neck and traces of half of his makeup still visible on his face.

"It's always like this the first time."

Hu Ge gestured with his chin toward the water bottle in Su Wei's hand, indicating that he should drink.

"You get used to it after a while."

The marks from the straps on my body faded in two days, mainly around my groin. I'll get them checked when I get back; they'll definitely be bruised.

Su Wei unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip, her hands still trembling slightly.

It wasn't out of fear, but rather the physiological reaction of not having fully relaxed the nerves after intense excitement.

My fingers weren't very cooperative, and the bottle wobbled a couple of times when I put it to my lips.

How many wire stunts were filmed today?

Hu Ge asked.

"I don't remember."

Su Wei answered honestly.

He had lost count of how many times he had filmed the first take and the next one.

He only remembers flipping and tumbling in the air, landing, being pulled up, and landing again, repeating this until he became numb.

"That's right, you don't remember."

Hu Ge laughed.

Before Su Wei could say anything, Liang Shengquan's voice came from the monitor:

"That's all for today's filming. Let's wrap up!"

He didn't stand up; he kept watching the replay.

Su Wei went to the makeshift makeup tent to remove her makeup.

The makeup artist used makeup remover to wipe away the thick layer of dark foundation on his face, revealing his original skin tone underneath.

Once the makeup was removed, she looked several years younger.

The Demon Lord's imposing features were gradually wiped clean, and finally, the young man who had just joined the group was sitting in the mirror again.

At this moment, his complexion looked a bit sallow, and there was obvious fatigue under his eyes.

After removing his makeup, he stood up, his body feeling like it was falling apart.

The area where the wire was applied continues to burn, and my inner thighs chaf badly when I walk.

Every step he took felt like walking on cotton or needles, weak and unsteady, yet painful all over.

He was thinking of going back to his lodgings to take a shower and lie down when Hu Ge's voice came from behind him as soon as he stepped outside the tent.

"Hey—don't rush off later!"

Hu Ge had removed all his makeup, changed into his own clothes, and clapped twice in the middle of the crowd:

"Everyone's worked hard today, it's on me, let's go out for a meal!"

Before he finished speaking, the actors over there cheered.

Some people shouted "Old Hu is so generous!" while others were already asking which restaurant to go to.

The shout dispelled most of the fatigue from finishing work, and the staff packing up equipment on the sidelines all smiled.

Su Wei stood at the tent entrance and hesitated for a moment.

He had only been on set for two days.

I met some of the main actors yesterday, and filmed all day today, but all in all, I don't really know many of them.

Hu Ge is one of them; he's a senior colleague from the same company.

The rest of the people—Yang Mi, Huo Jianhua, Liu Shishi, Tang Yan…

He had only met these people yesterday.

This is the kind of moment that newcomers fear most when joining a production team.

Whether someone is being polite or sincere, whether it's appropriate to join in the fun, and where the boundaries lie—I have no idea about any of these things.

Hugo saw him standing motionless at the tent entrance, said something to the person next to him, and walked straight over.

Without even asking Su Wei if he was going, he reached out and put his arm around Su Wei's shoulder, saying warmly.

"Come on, Su Wei, you absolutely have to come!"

Su Wei was pulled forward a couple of steps by him, and as he tried to say something, Hu Ge cut him off.

"This is a tradition in our production crew."

Hu Ge counted on his fingers for him.

"There should be a start-up banquet, a wrap-up banquet, and a reward banquet in between."

Today is your first official day on set, so you deserve a good meal.

Su Wei opened his mouth, wanting to say something polite, but Hu Ge patted him on the shoulder, his tone half-joking and half-serious:

"Don't even think about running away."

"You're the mighty Demon Lord! If I don't take good care of you, won't I be chased and beaten by you in the play tomorrow?"

Several young female staff members passing by couldn't help but laugh when they heard this.

Su Wei was amused by him and chuckled.

Hu Ge didn't wait for him to say anything more, tightened his grip on his shoulder for a moment, and then let go.

Turning around, he walked towards the crowd, calling out to the others as he went:

"Let's go, let's count heads. Tell us in advance if you have any dietary restrictions—"

Su Wei stood there watching Hu Ge's back, then looked at the staff who were finishing up and the main actors who were gathering over.

Yang Mi had changed into casual clothes and was talking to Liu Shishi, while Huo Jianhua and Tang Yan stood by, chatting and laughing.

He tilted his head back and finished the half-empty bottle of mineral water, threw it in the trash can, and then followed them.

…………

The dinner was to be held on a street outside the east gate of the film and television city.

It's a restaurant that serves local cuisine; the storefront isn't very big.

The boss was already familiar with the crew, and when he saw Hu Ge push the door open and enter, he led him directly to the private room on the second floor without saying a word.

A dozen or so people took their seats one after another. When there weren't enough chairs, they brought two more from the next room. It was a bit crowded, but no one minded.

Hu Ge sat down and immediately started making arrangements, flipping through the menu, ordering food, and asking about preferences, getting everything sorted out in just a few words.

Before the main dishes were even served, he had already created a lively atmosphere at the dinner table.

He struck up a conversation with everyone, making sure no one was left out.

Halfway through his speech, he abruptly changed the subject, gesturing with his chin towards Su Wei:

"Hey, you guys didn't see it today, that little Su Wei was hoisted up there—"

He gestured with his hand, "Director Liang was watching the monitor below and nodding repeatedly."

Several staff members who weren't present at the table turned to look at Su Wei.

Su Wei was holding a piece of cold dish with her chopsticks, but now her chopsticks were suspended in mid-air, unsure of what to pick up next.

Yang Mi, who was standing next to him, smiled and took over the conversation:

"To perform like this on your first time being suspended by wires is really impressive."

Her eyes crinkled when she spoke.

"The first time I was suspended by wires, I stubbornly insisted that I wasn't afraid before I went up."

When we finished filming, both my legs were shaking, and the senior members of the crew laughed at me for a long time about it.

Huo Jianhua sat diagonally opposite Su Wei, saying very little throughout, occasionally chiming in with a few words, and mostly sipping his tea slowly, like an old cadre.

After hearing Yang Mi finish speaking, he raised his teacup across the table towards Su Wei.

Su Wei picked up her cup, raised it towards Huo Jianhua, and took a sip.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere at the table became increasingly lively.

Some people started talking about the script, some argued about which scene's action design was cooler, and some said the special effects team was coming to see the sample footage tomorrow. The topics were scattered, and laughter rose in waves.

Su Wei was sitting next to Yang Mi, listening to everyone's conversation, when she suddenly felt something being stuffed into her hand.

It feels cool to the touch.

He was taken aback, looked down, and saw a small, unopened box of ointment.

The label has small print saying things like "promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis" and "treats muscle soreness".