Shao Si slept all the way to the film set, still a bit groggy when Li Guangzong dragged him out of the van.
Li Guangzong asked with concern, "Your Highness, do you still remember all your lines?"
"Don't worry," Shao Si said, rubbing his eyes as he walked towards the makeup room, thinking he could probably catch another nap while getting his makeup done. He casually added, "Daddy never forgets."
Li Guangzong followed behind carrying their things and said earnestly, "Daddy, schmaddy. As long as nothing goes wrong with this shoot, you can call me your ancestor if you want... I'm just worried you're still in a daze from sleeping. You have too many prior offenses; I can't help but be anxious."
Shao Si did indeed have an excellent memory. He could usually memorize his lines after just a couple of glances. But Li Guangzong had been his manager for so many years and knew him too well. He wasn't afraid of anything except Shao Si being in a sleep-induced stupor.
When this guy was in such a state, there were mainly two scenarios, and forgetting lines was actually the better of the two.
The second scenario involved much more of his personal flair - he liked to steal scenes.
Steal them so thoroughly that even his own parents wouldn't recognize him.
Li Guangzong remembered an incident from over six months ago while filming "Drug Bust". There was a scene where the male lead had to go on an extremely dangerous secret mission, possibly never to return. He left his team without permission to secretly visit his wife and child at home. Just as he was about to leave, his wife caught him.
In that scene, the wife originally had six lines of dialogue. But Shao Si stole the scene so completely that she couldn't utter a single word. She could only stand dumbly at the doorway crying, though it wasn't clear if she was crying because of the plot or because all her lines had been stolen.
Although the director was satisfied afterwards, and the crew was moved to tears by Shao Si's performance that screamed 'scene-stealer', the female lead's dialogue couldn't be that weak. So in the end, they had to reshoot the scene.
The more Li Guangzong thought about it, the more nervous he became. He couldn't help but suggest, "Why don't you go wash your face now? Try not to fall asleep while getting your makeup done... Play some games, weren't you playing that Reincarnation Battle the other day? If all else fails, update your Weibo. You haven't interacted with your fans in a long time."
Shao Si stopped in his tracks and said, enunciating each word, "Do you really want to watch me die from overwork before you're satisfied?"
Just as he finished speaking and was about to push open the door to the crew's shared makeup room, the director came walking towards them. "What were you two chatting about just now? You seemed to be having such a lively conversation."
Li Guangzong nudged Shao Si, signaling him to keep quiet, and quickly answered, "Director Wang, we were discussing today's scenes. Ever since receiving your script, Xiao Si hasn't dared to slack off for a moment. He's been constantly asking me to run lines with him... In fact, we've gone over the lines no less than seven or eight times on the way here. He's even asking me to continue running lines with him while he gets his makeup done."
Shao Si: "..." Damn, what a hypocrite.
Hearing this, Director Wang indeed became pleased: "Make sure to rest properly when you need to, don't exhaust yourself. I've long heard that Xiao Si is a hardworking kid... I went through so much effort to hold auditions, and you were the one I finally chose after much difficulty. I hope we have a pleasant collaboration on this film."
Shao Si had been leaning against the doorframe earlier, looking as if even standing was too tiring. Only after Li Guangzong secretly pinched his waist did he reluctantly stand up straight and greet Director Wang: "Don't listen to his nonsense, I was sleeping in the car the whole time. If there's anything wrong, Director Wang, please don't hesitate to tell me. Feel free to hit or scold me as needed. I can take it."
Li Guangzong wanted to cover his mouth but wasn't fast enough: "..." You brainless, stupid child.
"Hahaha," fortunately, Director Wang didn't mind. He saw through their little act clearly. He just patted Shao Si's shoulder and said, "Alright, go get ready. We'll start shooting in an hour."
Director Wang's full name was Wang Guojun. He was quite experienced in the directing world, having started making films back in the 90s.
His favorite story to tell was about how he would walk many miles as a child just to watch a movie. Back then, the movie projectors weren't as good as they are now, but the images on the screen, mixed with the hot weather, the smell of sweat and urine from the crowd... along with the fruit peels scattered on the ground and the noisy sounds of children running around. These not-so-pleasant things formed his indelible impression of movies and laid the foundation for his career.
He was a director known for his very realistic filming style. Not at all flashy, even though the entertainment industry's atmosphere had long since become difficult to describe, with commercial films emerging in endless streams. Director Wang could be considered a breath of fresh air.
Shao Si respected him greatly.
But right now, he was really tired...
"Take a selfie, update your Weibo!"
Shao Si had just closed his eyes, allowing the makeup artist to powder his face, when Li Guangzong shouted tirelessly in his ear. He barely managed to open his eyelids a crack, only to see the Sina Weibo page magnified and almost pressed against his face.
"..." Shao Si said expressionlessly, "Baby, are you trying to kill me with your phone?"
Li Guangzong held up the phone for him to see: "Daddy, your last Weibo post was still from the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony, three months ago. And the picture you used was stolen from the official account's promotional photos. Can you be any lazier?"
Shao Si answered from the bottom of his heart: "I can."
Li Guangzong: "..."
Fearing he might not understand, Shao Si took the time to explain in a few words: "That's why I stopped updating altogether later on."
He added at the end, "And I don't want to update now either."
Li Guangzong was thoroughly irritated by these short sixteen words. He forcibly held Shao Si's head to find a good angle and took a selfie. While editing the text to post, he secretly thought to himself, damn it, maybe he should just do this kind of thing himself in the future. Counting on this guy was probably hopeless.
"Starting work today, this is how I look. What are you all up to? [flower][kiss][heart]
[Image link]"
After sending it, Li Guangzong gritted his teeth and dropped a harsh comment to stimulate him: "If you keep this up, you'll be washed up before you know it, I'm telling you! Not listening to advice, not posting on Weibo, not consolidating your relationship with fans. Don't come crying to me when it happens, saying I didn't warn you!"
Shao Si: "Oh."
"Dad, look, it's been three seconds since we posted and there's no response! Our dynasty is about to fall!" Li Guangzong continued waving the phone in front of him, but Shao Si simply ignored him. Feeling discouraged, he waved it a couple more times before pulling it back. Suddenly, the phone started vibrating as if there was an 8.0 magnitude earthquake!
Countless private messages, comments, and likes came pouring in like a tsunami.
Based on his many years of experience as a manager, Li Guangzong couldn't deny that he realized those three seconds of silence were just because there was too much information coming in at once, causing a lag.
—— Oh my god! The young master updated his Weibo!! He's so handsome aaahhh am I looking at a fake Weibo?!
—— Damn, even though I follow another idol who posts and interacts with fans every day, I've never been as excited as I am today! I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, don't save me!
Li Guangzong watched as the comments increased exponentially. In just ten minutes, the phrase "Shao Si updates Weibo" had climbed to the top of Weibo's hot search list. Seeing how excited these fans were, he didn't want to admit that Shao Si's lazy strategy had achieved tremendous success.
Shao Si saw through it but didn't say anything. He just asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "Sweetie, you call this being washed up?"
...He'll be washed up sooner or later!
It was infuriating!
The world is going to the dogs!
What would those hardworking young idols who update their Weibo every day think?!
The makeup artist had been listening to their conversation the whole time, trying hard to hold back her laughter. She finally broke down, laughing so hard with her brush in hand that she could barely catch her breath.
As she laughed, she realized she was being too unprofessional, but she just couldn't stop.
Shao Si turned back to the makeup artist, politely nodding and greeting her. He joked on purpose, "Little sister, if you keep laughing like this, I'll have to go on camera with dark circles under my eyes." As he spoke, his eyes were filled with amusement.
His public image had always leaned towards being cold, and his appearance matched that. His features effortlessly conveyed an aura of aloofness, especially the shape of his eyes - slightly hooded with a subtle upward curve at the outer corners. They were extremely beautiful, like a clear pond - the frozen kind.
Although the makeup artist wasn't Shao Si's fan, she knew that when he first debuted, the company promoted him as being known for his aloofness. Now, having such a person smile at her like this was simply too much to handle... She couldn't resist at all. And the way he chatted with his manager was just too adorable!
She wasn't Shao Si's fan before, but starting from today, she was going to add him to her list of favorite idols!
The makeup artist blushed and cleared her throat. She had actually wanted to say she would continue with his makeup right away, but for some reason, when the words reached her lips, they came out as: "I'm sorry, I... I'll just laugh a bit more..."
Shao Si: "That's fine, no rush. I'll take a nap. My skin is good anyway, so makeup doesn't take long. Mwah!"
Hahahahahahaha.
Li Guangzong could only force a laugh on the side, feeling extremely awkward. What a weirdo.
"Mwah" my foot. Those three words were what he had taught Shao Si to use when replying to fans on social media. Was it appropriate to use in this situation? He had to ask, was it really appropriate?
As the makeup artist continued applying makeup to Shao Si, she was suppressing her overwhelming urge to share this on social media, trying her best to control her shaking hands.
She really wanted to brag to everyone about how adorable Shao Si was!
Although Shao Si had his eyes closed, his mind was still clear. He did need to spend some time going over his lines in his head. After finishing that, he inevitably started pondering about Yang Yinyin's situation.
[Partner, don't forget that we are the dark horse duo of the entertainment industry.]
[Our goal is to expose the dark underbelly and restore purity to the entertainment world.]
The system's two sentences were still vivid in his mind.
About two months ago, the system had given him a task list with only Yang Yinyin's name on it, instructing him to investigate. However, he had found nothing so far.
For the past month, Yang Yinyin's activities had been limited to the film set, her home, and gatherings with friends. To investigate, he had even risked being beaten to death by Li Guangzong by making a cameo appearance in Yang Yinyin's drama series, but he hadn't discovered anything unusual.
Yang Yinyin was a gentle, intelligent, and understanding woman. Her rise to becoming a Best Actress wasn't overnight, but a result of gradually accumulating popularity through her works.
What secrets could she possibly have?
"Oh no, I'm so sorry," the makeup artist, mesmerized by the beauty before her, accidentally drew the eyeliner crooked, nearly poking Shao Si's eye. She apologized profusely, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"
"It's fine," Shao Si blinked a couple of times, not feeling anything amiss. "Please continue."
ヾ(｀Д) He's not only handsome and famous but also humble and adorable. She was completely won over by him.
The makeup artist, clutching her chest, continued applying some eyeshadow and casually said, "Come to think of it, I'm quite embarrassed. The last time I was with a production, I almost messed up Miss Yang Yinyin's eyeliner too."
Shao Si: "Yang Yinyin?"
"Yes, the one who won Best Actress this year. You two received awards one after another," the makeup artist continued. "The Best Actress has a great temperament too. She didn't scold me and even gave me chocolate to calm my nerves."
Hearing something related to his target, Shao Si perked up and said, "Yinyin does have a good temper. We had some interaction in 'The Widow Who Returned to the Village', and we get along quite well privately."
Li Guangzong was rummaging through his backpack, thinking Shao Si must be thirsty by now and wanting to pass him some water. He nearly dropped the thermos when he heard the words 'The Widow Who Returned to the Village'.
...Damn it! How dare he mention that drama! It was bad enough that he snuck off to make a cameo appearance, but now he dares to bring it up!
And what do you mean by getting along well privately? Yang Yinyin barely exchanged a few words with you.
These were the thoughts of the fuming Li Guangzong.
The makeup artist, unaware of the truth, exclaimed excitedly, "Really?"
Shao Si, intent on extracting information, continued to bluff, putting on a troubled expression: "Yes, but recently she..."
"Hmm?"
"She seems to have encountered some issues lately, but she won't tell us about it. I'm really worried about her," Shao Si looked up, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I wonder if you noticed anything unusual when you were with the production. I want to help her but don't know how..."
Li Guangzong listened from the side, completely baffled: What on earth are you talking about???
Had his memory failed him? When did these two become such good friends behind his back?
The makeup was almost done, and as the makeup artist packed up her kit, she pondered, "I don't think so... But if I had to mention something, there was one thing I found a bit strange."
The makeup artist recalled, "It was the last day of shooting. I had finished my job and was ready to leave the production, but I forgot a few eyeshadow palettes in the makeup room. When I went back to get them, I heard people arguing."
"Was it Yang Yinyin?"
"I... I'm not sure, but it sounded like her."
Just as Shao Si was about to probe further, Director Wang, along with the assistant director and two screenwriters, knocked on the makeup room door.
This was practically the highest-ranking group in the entire production. What were they doing crowding into the makeup room?
Shao Si watched as Director Wang cheerfully called out from the doorway: "Yanzhou, sorry to keep you waiting!" Then the group walked past him towards the inner part of the makeup room, as if they were meeting someone.
The makeup room was spacious and shared, without any special arrangements. This particular scene was Shao Si's solo scene, so the makeup room was quite empty. It wasn't until they walked further in that Shao Si noticed someone seemed to be sitting in a spot that had been hidden from his view by a pillar.
As Director Wang called out, that person put down the book they were holding and stood up.
This time, Li Guangzong really did drop his thermos.
...Gu, Gu Yanzhou.