Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

In the studio, the first shot of the day was a scene between Wu Xie and Fatty Wang, Lin Shen and Liu Tianzuo, with Zhang Zhiyao waiting in the wings.

Lighting, camera positions, clapperboard.

"Scene 72 of 'The Grave Robbers' Chronicles,' one take, one shot! Action!"

Lin Shen quickly got into the zone.

Those voices online are irrelevant to him at this moment.

One take.

Luo Yongchang nodded behind the monitor: "Okay, prepare for the next one."

Lin Shen walked to the side to touch up his makeup, casually taking the water Yang Chaoyue handed him. His gaze swept around the studio, and he suddenly asked:

"Yang Yang hasn't come yet?"

The production assistant, who was adjusting props nearby, heard this, looked up, and replied with a smile:

"Teacher Lin, Teacher Yang Yang left the crew last night. I heard he went to Xiamen to reshoot a few scenes. Apparently, it's for a scene he owes us. He'll be back the day after tomorrow."

Xiamen Island, that should be the left ear?

If I remember correctly, there was someone I knew there, but I haven't been in touch with them for a long time, and I don't know how they are now.

Lin Shen didn't ask any more questions. He finished his water and handed the cup to Yang Chaoyue.

"What time is the afternoon's filming?"

"At 2:40, my scene with Teacher Tang."

"Um."

Lin Shen walked to the rest area, sat down, and took out his phone to check the trending topics.

#LinShenFengXiaogang# has dropped to seventh place; that's how Weibo's trending topics are. As long as you don't keep adding fuel to the fire, it comes quickly and goes quickly.

Filming continued in the morning.

Lin Shen and Liu Tianzuo completed two takes. During the lunch break, Zhang Zhiyao came over and chatted for a few minutes about the action scenes and positioning for the afternoon. Everything seemed normal.

At 2:40 PM, the scene between Lin Shen and Tang Yan began filming on time.

This scene is a confrontation between A Ning and Wu Xie in a certain setting. There are not many lines, and it is mainly a contest of eyes and atmosphere.

Tang Yan was in great form today, and the wariness and probing in her eyes were just right.

Lin Shen handled it smoothly, getting through it in one or two rounds.

After shouting "Cut," Tang Yan stood still, then suddenly moved a little closer:

"Anything planned after work this afternoon? Are we going to the Japanese restaurant we talked about last time?"

Lin Shen glanced at her and smiled, "Not today, I have something to do tonight."

"Meeting someone again?" Tang Yan raised an eyebrow. "You really have a lot of social engagements."

"There's nothing we can do; that's just the life of a working person."

Tang Yan almost laughed out of anger at him, then waved her hand and left.

Lin Shen walked back to the rest area, where Yang Chaoyue had already handed him his phone.

"Brother Shen, here's some information about President Jia."

Lin Shen took the phone and glanced at it.

Jia Shikai: "The song you sent me has been composed. The composer said it's ready to be recorded anytime. When are you free?"

Lin Shen quickly went through the arrangements for the next few days in his mind.

The notification from above that the time to receive the title is approaching is very soon, so we need to hurry up with the recording of this song.

He twitched his thumb: "Let's go tonight."

Soon, Jia Shikai called directly.

Lin Shen answered: "Old Jia."

"Tonight?" Jia Shikai was clearly surprised. "Are you free from your film crew?"

"I only need to take half a day off. Time is running out, so I need to hurry up and finish recording."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and Jia Shikai clearly understood what "not much time" meant.

"...Okay, I'll arrange it," Jia Shikai replied. "I'll coordinate the recording studio. What time can you arrive tonight?"

"I'll head to the city center as soon as I finish work, around eight o'clock."

"Okay, I'll have someone wait."

Lin Shen was about to hang up when he suddenly remembered something:

"By the way, Lao Jia, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Lin Shen didn't go into details over the phone, only saying, "Let's talk when we meet tonight."

Jia Shikai didn't press further: "Okay, see you tonight."

The phone hangs up.

Lin Shen put down his phone and looked at Yang Chaoyue:

"Arrange a car; I need to go back to the city tonight."

Yang Chaoyue nodded immediately: "What time are we leaving? I'll have Brother Wang prepare."

"I'll leave as soon as I'm done." Lin Shen paused for a moment. "Go tell Meng Yan later that I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

Yang Chaoyue blinked, a knowing smile appearing on his face: "Understood, I guarantee it will be conveyed properly."

Lin Shen glanced at her, then got up and walked towards the director.

Luo Yongchang was discussing the scene with the director of photography in front of the monitor when he saw Lin Shen approaching. He looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Director, I need to take half a day off tomorrow. I have some personal matters to attend to."

Luo Yongchang paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "Alright, alright, you can go ahead. Things are going well today, your half-day won't make a difference. You can be back tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I'll arrive this afternoon."

"That's good." Luo Yongchang looked down at the monitor and said, "Be careful on the road."

Lin Shen nodded and turned to walk back.

In other production crews, taking leave might involve going through procedures, contacting the producer, and reporting to multiple levels.

But in "The Lost Tomb", he is an investor and the male lead handpicked by the platform.

It's just a matter of saying a few words.

The afternoon's filming continued.

Lin Shen and the action director went over a few blocking positions and added two more green screen shots. Time flew by, and as the sun began to set, the production crew started preparing to take stock of the equipment after the day's work was over.

Yang Chaoyue walked over and reported in a low voice, "The car is arranged. Sister Mengyan also told you to be careful and come back early."

Lin Shen nodded: "Let's go."

When Lin Shen came out after removing her makeup and changing her clothes, Yang Chaoyue was already waiting at the door, and the car had been arranged.

As the car drove out of the film and television base, it was already getting dark. The road from Huairou to the capital is a bit congested during rush hour, but since we had allowed extra time, we weren't in a hurry.

On Lin Shen's way back to the company, Yang Yang, who was on his way to Xiamen for reshoots, had already finished filming.

"You've worked hard." Su Youpeng walked over and patted Yang Yang on the shoulder. "Want to have dinner together tonight? You left in a hurry last time, so we've been owing each other this wrap-up dinner."

Yang Yang was taken aback for a moment: "Director, I'm so sorry..."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Su Youpeng said with a friendly smile. "Everyone's already made appointments, and Ou Hao and the others are all here. Just consider it a favor to me."

Having said that, Yang Yang couldn't refuse any longer, so he nodded and said, "Okay, thank you, director."

After removing her makeup and changing her clothes, Yang Yang followed the crew out. The hotel they booked was a Cantonese restaurant by the sea, not far away, only about a ten-minute drive.

The private room was on the third floor. When I pushed the door open, there were already five or six people sitting inside.

Ou Hao, sitting by the window, saw Yang Yang come in and waved with a smile: "Oh, our Xu Yi is here!"

"Stop fooling around." Yang Yang smiled and sat down next to him.

Ma Sichun was sitting next to Ou Hao, chatting with Hu Xia, when she saw Yang Yang and raised her hand: "Yang Yang, over here."

A girl was sitting next to Hu Xia, wearing only a simple white T-shirt, and was quietly looking down at her phone.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and nodded politely to Yang Yang. It was Chen Duling.

Yang Yang nodded in response, which was considered a greeting.

Su Youpeng was the last to enter and sat down in the middle. The waiter then began to serve the dishes.

The atmosphere in the private room was quite relaxed. Before all the dishes were served, Ou Hao had already opened a beer and poured a glass for everyone present.

"Come on, let's have a toast first." Su Youpeng raised his glass. "This toast is for Yang Yang. He left in a hurry last time, so I'm making up for it for you today."

Yang Yang quickly stood up: "Director, you're too kind. I'll toast you."

The cups clinked together, making a series of crisp sounds.

As the dishes were served one after another, the group ate and chatted, discussing everything from the filming progress of "The Left Ear" to the weather in Xiamen, and then to the dramas they were currently watching—a typical crew dinner atmosphere.

But Yang Yang could sense that many of the gazes directed at him carried a different meaning.

Sure enough, after a few rounds of drinks, Ou Hao put down his chopsticks and looked at Yang Yang with a smile:

"Yang Yang, can I ask you something?"

Yang Yang knew what was going on, but kept a straight face: "What is it?"

"Last night's trending topics," Ou Hao leaned closer to him, "Was Director Feng's Weibo post really about your Brother Shen?"

There was a moment of silence in the private room.

Ma Sichun paused in her chopsticks, Hu Xia stopped drinking from his wine glass, and even Su Youpeng looked over.

Chen Duling kept her head down, poking at the food in her bowl with her chopsticks, but her ears were perked up.

Yang Yang picked up a piece of chicken, put it in his mouth, and slowly chewed it before speaking: "I really don't know about this."

"You don't know?" Ou scoffed. "You work for the same company as him, how could you not know?"

"Does a company need to know whether the boss accepts acting roles or not?" Yang Yang shrugged. "Brother Shen is my boss, not my boyfriend. How could I dare to ask?"

Ma Sichun couldn't help but laugh: "Your logic..."

"That's true." Yang Yang took a sip of beer. "Besides, you guys don't know Brother Shen. If he doesn't want to talk about it, it's no use asking anyone."

Ou Hao was still unwilling to give up: "Then you must know what he was thinking, right? That's Feng Xiaogang, you know. He just rejected Huayi's project like that. He's incredibly bold."

Yang Yang shook his head: "I don't know what Brother Shen is thinking, but I do know one thing—"

He paused, and everyone waited to hear.

"There must be a reason why he did it."

The private room was quiet for a while.

Hu Xia chuckled: "What you said is as good as saying nothing at all."

"What else?" Yang Yang replied bluntly, "I'm not a mind reader."

The group burst into laughter. Su Youpeng shook his head, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't ask any further questions.

The topic quickly shifted to something else, and Chen Duling remained silent, sitting quietly to listen to their conversation.

But she had been holding her phone in her hand for quite a while.

The forest is deep.

When that name just came out of Ou Hao's mouth, Chen Duling's heart skipped a beat.

She saw the trending topics last night, and she read Feng Xiaogang's Weibo post several times. There were all sorts of opinions in the comments section.

Some say Lin Shen is ungrateful, while others say Feng Xiaogang is petty; the argument has become a complete mess.

She didn't know much about these things, but even as a newbie in the entertainment industry, she knew how big a name director Feng Xiaogang was and how powerful Huayi was.

Lin Shen has offended them. Will things be difficult for him in the future?

Chen Duling stared at the screen for a long time, but in the end she just put her phone face down on the table and didn't send anything.

It's not that I don't want to post it, it's that I don't know how.

She and Lin Shen hadn't been in contact for a long time; to be precise, they hadn't been in contact since she went to university.

Back in high school, Lin Shen studied art and wasn't in the same class as her, but his class was right next to theirs, and she could see him passing by in the corridor every day after class.

He's handsome, academically gifted, a great basketball player, and can also play the guitar; he's the dream guy for many girls.

Of course, that includes her too.

Chen Duling stared at her phone screen. The QQ chat interface was still stuck in the summer two years ago. The last message was one she had sent, a screenshot of a game, with the caption: "I won!"

Lin Shen replied with an emoji: a thumbs-up.

And then that was it.

As soon as summer vacation ended, she went to Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, while he went to Beijing Film Academy.

Two cities, two worlds.

Chen Duling sometimes wonders if she was too foolish back then.

After graduation, instead of going out to have fun, I stayed home practicing League of Legends, looking for people to solo with every day. I finally practiced until I could beat them, and then I happily challenged them. But what happened after I actually won?

They won, but it seems they also lost their love.

Chen Duling looked up at the people present. Ou Hao was still arguing with Hu Xia, Ma Sichun was discussing the script with Su Youpeng, and Yang Yang was eating his rice with his head down, occasionally chiming in.

Nobody noticed her.

Chen Duling picked up her phone again, tapped on that familiar profile picture, but there was no signature or activity.

She didn't know if Lin Shen still used this number, or if he still remembered her.

Chen Duling typed two words: "Are you there?"

I thought about it and then deleted it. Starting with "Are you there?" makes me look like a clown.

Chen Duling typed a few more words, deleted them, typed again, and deleted again.

The last message sent was: "Hey, I heard you've been having some trouble lately? Are you okay?"

She regretted it as soon as she sent it.

What does "I heard you've been having some trouble lately" mean? Why does it sound like a consolation?

And they haven't spoken for two years, and he suddenly appears out of nowhere just for this? Doesn't he find that strange?

Chen Duling stared at the screen for a moment, but did not reply.

Of course he won't reply so quickly; he's a big star, he's busy.

Suddenly, Ma Sichun called out to her, "Duling, want some shrimp? These shrimp are quite fresh."

Chen Duling's hand trembled, and she almost dropped her phone. She quickly steadied herself, looked up, and smiled, "Ah? Oh, eat. Thank you, Sister Chun."

Chen Duling placed her phone face down on the table, pretending to be focused on eating shrimp.

Ou Hao was still chatting on the other end: "...How do you think Lin Shen plans to end this? Do you think someone of Feng Xiaogang's caliber will just let it go like this?"

Yang Yang picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said slowly, "How would I know? I'm not a fortune teller."

"Aren't you worried? You're the boss!"

"What are you worried about? Brother Shen isn't a three-year-old anymore."

Hu Xia chimed in from the side, "Speaking of which, what kind of personality does Lin Shen have? I've seen his interviews, and he seems quite composed."

Yang Yang thought for a moment and said, "Stable, really stable. No matter what Brother Shen does, you never feel like he'll mess things up. You just have that feeling that he's sure of what's going to happen."

"Do you think he's aware of this?"

"Of course he would," Yang Yang said matter-of-factly. "Otherwise, why would he refuse?"

The group exchanged glances and didn't ask any more questions.

Chen Duling listened to their conversation, but her eyes never left her phone screen.

The screen remained off.

She glanced at the time again; ten minutes had passed since she sent the message.

That's true, they're big stars, they don't have time to check QQ.

Maybe he hasn't used that number in a long time, maybe he got a new one, maybe he doesn't even remember it...

Chen Duling simply continued listening to their conversation.

Twenty minutes later, she couldn't help but glance at her phone again.

The screen remained black and quiet.

Chen Duling pursed her lips, picked up the tea in front of her, and took a sip.

Big star, that's amazing.

He's just a defeated opponent!