After receiving the room cards, everyone, tired after a day's work, went back to their rooms to rest and had a dreamless night.
The next morning, Joyce knocked on Ji Xinghe's door. Qi Yao opened it. Ji Xinghe, who had been eating breakfast and had quickly put on his mask when he heard someone coming, took it off again after seeing that it was Joyce.
"Joyce, you're here. Qi Yao and I are having breakfast. Would you like to have something too?" Ji Xinghe smiled and waved at Joyce.
Joyce had actually just eaten breakfast before coming here, so he wasn't hungry at all. But seeing Ji Xinghe greet him so warmly, he suddenly felt like he could eat a little more. "Sun, you're so thoughtful. I'm just hungry."
Joyce moved a chair and sat down at the small round table. Qi Yao looked at him strangely. This person had been secretly staring at him since yesterday, and he had noticed it several times.
Xingxing had put together his outfit today and looked it over several times, praising its good looks. He had no problem with it at all. Why was Joyce still staring at him?
Qi Yao didn't understand, but he and Ji Xinghe had already formed a tacit understanding and wouldn't say anything in front of outsiders. If there was anything wrong, they could discuss it privately.
So when Joyce looked at him, he could only look back, and his eyes seemed very cold to those who didn't know the situation.
Joyce was startled again. He was a very observant man, but he also knew he was not a good person. The man's eyes reminded him of a dragon guarding treasure, cold and sinister. Was he unhappy with Sun making a movie, or didn't want anyone to see his true face?
Ji Xinghe certainly didn't know that Joyce had already imagined so much with just a glance. He quickened his eating pace and asked as he ate, "Did I get up late and make everyone wait anxiously? Should we go to the filming location later?"
"Don't worry," Joyce soothed him, "You are the only star of our movie. It's only right that everyone acts according to your schedule."
In the past, many people, after hearing the news that he was coming to Country C for casting and filming, used connections to get in through the back door, or even used their connections to put pressure on him, in order to achieve the goal of appearing in his new movie.
One even brought his men directly to his studio, but none of them were left behind. Joyce carried them all back with him. Ji Xinghe, the only lead actor, didn't even hear about it.
Ji Xinghe drank his porridge silently and didn't really want to say anything.
...Hey, aren't you really afraid that I'll become arrogant because of my favor? I'm way too famous. Honestly, if I didn't have such a divine face, I'd never get treated like this even if I made movies all my life, right?
No doubt about it, definitely not.
A few minutes later, Ji Xinghe finished his breakfast. Qi Yao naturally stayed with Ji Xinghe closely. The three of them went to the hotel's underground garage and got in the car.
The crew members have already gone to the filming location in advance to set up.
The landscape photo that Ji Xinghe chose was taken in a hot spring villa that had just started construction. A developer was attracted by the pristine and pleasant scenery here, as well as its geographical advantage of being not far from the city, so he spent a lot of money to buy the land.
It's not like no one has ever considered building this land before, but they all gave up because the land was too expensive. This isn't a tourist town, and with only a few tourists visiting each year, the risk of spending a fortune to build a hot spring resort here is simply too great.
So this piece of land was marked for sale for several years, until a few months ago it was bought by a wealthy man from another place.
Joyce had photos of this place because someone couldn't bear to see such a beautiful view destroyed during construction, so he took a few photos and posted them online. By chance, they were noticed by the crew responsible for selecting locations.
When Ji Xinghe arrived here, he looked at the half-built wall standing on the fenced-in area and asked, "Where are the others here? Didn't they say the villa was under construction?"
Joyce supervised the staff moving the equipment in. After hearing Ji Xinghe's confusion, he explained, "We want the original appearance of this place. There's nothing special about the hot spring villa. I had someone contact the person in charge here yesterday to stop the construction. Fortunately, the area you liked hasn't been moved yet."
When the boss heard that a famous director from Country A was going to come here to shoot a movie, he was only happy and would never refuse. He had everyone evacuate overnight and temporarily rented the use of the place to Joyce's crew.
The boss was calculating in his mind. He had also heard of Joyce's name. This movie was Joyce's first movie after winning the award, and it was also Joyce's masterpiece.
Joyce himself publicly admitted that this film was his most cherished work, bar none. He either wouldn't have made it or, if he had, it would have astounded the world.
Such bold words naturally attracted the attention of movie fans all over the world.
Now, the film had actually started shooting without a single word of warning! If the owner of the villa hadn't confirmed that it was Joyce himself, he wouldn't have been able to believe it.
After he couldn't believe it, he was filled with ecstasy. After the crew left and the movie was released, his villa became known as a filming location. Was he still afraid that no one would come?
The staff led the way in front, and Ji Xinghe followed behind with Qi Yao and Joyce.
Joyce's agent, John, was walking a little further back, watching their star affectionately holding another person's hand. He felt a pang of pity for Joyce. It turned out the person Joyce liked was already taken.
Ji Xinghe habitually took Qi Yao with him, often pointing out beautiful sights to him. Ji Xinghe felt that Tong'er knew even less than he did when he first arrived in this world, so it was inevitable that he, as the host, would have to worry about him more. After all, everyone loves their own child.
As the group was talking, they came to an old locust tree.
The locust tree was a dense mass of twisted branches, lush with leaves, and so thick that a person couldn't even hug it. At the base of the gnarled tree, a small hollow could be vaguely seen, roughly enough to accommodate a four or five-year-old child.
Ji Xinghe couldn't help but walk over and touch the old locust tree. There was a chainsaw next to his feet, perhaps someone had forgotten to take it away. Judging from the situation, if Joyce had acted a little later, the tree would definitely be lost.
Sophora japonica trees don't have a good meaning in Feng Shui and are considered to bring bad luck, so it's normal that some people don't want to keep the land after it was bought.
"Qi Yao?" Ji Xinghe looked back at the man in confusion, his hands still stroking the rough bark of the locust tree.
Joyce and the others didn't know what was wrong with him. The man came forward and gently grasped Ji Xinghe's other hand. He looked at the locust tree in a calm tone and said, "Two identical, yet different twins. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to adapt, so I found the one who looked most like you."
The two identical yet different twins refer to the world before Ji Xinghe and the world now.
Ji Xinghe had come back to his senses by now and shook their hands, "Thank you."
"As long as you adapt to it."
The two of them were talking in charades, and Joyce, listening behind them, was completely bewildered. So he simply went back to debugging the machine.
Although he was unwilling to accept that his perfection had been tampered with, Joyce could not tear the work of art to pieces.
If you can't do it, you can only endure it.
***
"Sun, you were in a very good state just now. Can you show it again?" Joyce was referring to Ji Xinghe's expression when he was talking to Qi Yao under the locust tree just now.
Ji Xinghe nodded, "I'll try."
After that, whenever he felt nervous, he would go to see Qi Yao, and when he saw Qi Yao, he would no longer be nervous. It was amazing that when Qi Yao was around, Ji Xinghe always felt safe, as if nothing could hurt him.
Ji Xinghe slowly got into the role and immersed himself in this peaceful atmosphere.
His eyes are as clear and cheerful as a little deer, which makes people feel soft and loving, but the temperament around him suddenly pulls people into a situation where they can't get what they want and it's unattainable.
He was beautiful, pure, yet also holy and untouchable. It was like a god who had stumbled upon the earthly abode, curiously observing the world's love and hate, arousing a wave of lust, while he himself would remain untouched by any influence, and then turn away without hesitation.
He was as beautiful as a desperate dream.
Joyce's control over the camera is unquestionable. Under his construction, everything in his lens becomes a dream. Everything in the dream is a foil, and only that person is eternal.
Beauty that never fades.
According to Joyce's request, Ji Xinghe wandered around as if no one was around. Everyone except Qi Yao had been driven out by Joyce anyway.
The scenery here, including the locust tree, was very similar to the scenery behind the orphanage where Ji Xinghe used to work. Walking on the grass in front of the locust tree, where the common blue flowers were blooming, Ji Xinghe suddenly remembered the little girl in the orphanage who had just undergone heart surgery.
She was acting coquettishly, wanting Brother Xingxing to make her a wreath. She hadn't been out for several days.
Then Ji Xinghe went out and found several kinds of small flowers for her and made her a beautiful little wreath.
Ji Xinghe sat on the ground and began to find materials to make a wreath. He was very focused on making it. Even the ordinary flowers seemed to become beautiful in his hands.
After finishing the weaving, Ji Xinghe seemed to have forgotten that there was a camera pointed at him. He ran towards Qi Yao with the weaved wreath, smiling as he ran, "Here you go. Does it look good?"
This was the first time Ji Xinghe had laughed the entire time, and it stunned Joyce. Even Qi Yao, who had never felt anything for the skin, felt a tightness in his chest, and even his blood flowed faster.
Following Ji Xinghe's every move with a camera has become Joyce's conditioned reflex. He watched Ji Xinghe running towards the man through the camera screen, and then raised the wreath with a smile.
The man didn't understand what was going on, but he just let him do it and lowered his head silently. A wreath that didn't seem to match the man's temperament was placed on the man's head.
Meeting the man's somewhat puzzled gaze, Ji Xinghe's eyes sparkled, "Beautiful. You are really beautiful."
The man tilted his face awkwardly, and the red tips of his ears were hidden under the wreath.
The author has something to say: I'll let you guys have two more sweet chapters to develop your relationship, and then I'll start causing trouble again.
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Sorry for not posting more. I've been a bit upset these past few days with all the 3D stuff going on. Last night, I posted a secret post and cried for most of the night. Then, feeling guilty and afraid it might be decoded, I deleted it while crying. I'm feeling a little better today, and writing sweet stories is definitely healing. But my energy levels are still a little off, so I'll have to adjust. Even though I haven't posted more, I'll still do my best to update daily. Here I go!
When you are unhappy, you should try to make yourself happy.
This sentence is for me, and for all the little angels who read my articles. I hope you can be happy every day, because happiness is really important. Kisses.
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