Chapter 52
At the end of August, the temperature did not drop at all.
A week earlier, the crew of "The Execution at Noon" had already started filming at the nearby B City Film and Television City, but there was no scene for Zong Ning at the beginning, so he was able to arrive a few days later.
In the morning, Su Xuan had wanted to give him a ride out of "fatherly love", but Zong Ning refused with a twitch of his mouth - he was not a child, he could take the high-speed rail here by himself.
At noon, they arrived at the hotel where the crew was staying. Zong Ning changed his clothes and walked casually to the set. When he arrived, the set was bustling with activity. A fight scene was being filmed not far away, and a group of people were fighting.
Director Xie was so focused on the play that he didn't notice Zong Ning coming. It was the assistant director who first noticed Zong Ning and came over to greet him enthusiastically.
As soon as he greeted them, many eyes were drawn to him, some looking at him, some in amazement.
The assistant director couldn't help but look Zong Ning up and down, and sighed: "Director Xie has a good eye, he's such a handsome guy."
Zong Ning was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, but his slender figure and handsome looks were enough to attract everyone's attention.
The assistant director had never met Zong Ning in person before, and had only seen the final makeup photos. He was already shocked by her beauty at the time, but he didn't expect that Zong Ning in person was several times more beautiful than in the photos.
It was a shame. The handsome guy was quiet and expressionless. He just nodded coolly and asked in a deep voice, "What should I prepare for now?"
The assistant director didn't care about Zong Ning's cold attitude. After all, he had heard about it during his investigation and was mentally prepared.
He smiled and said, "Go get your hair done first. You'll have a scene to shoot soon. Have you read the script carefully? I'll let Xiaolin rehearse with you--"
The assistant director waved to someone not far away and said, "Xiao Lin, come here——"
A young man in ancient costume turned around upon hearing the voice. His eyes lit up when he saw Zong Ning, and he quickly ran over: "Director Liu!"
The assistant director introduced the two to each other: "Zong Ning, this is Lin Jiajia, you should know her, right? She's very popular among the new generation, and this time she plays the third male lead..."
Lin Jiajia is a new generation actor who used to specialize in costume idol dramas. She has gained a large number of fans for her handsome appearance and lovely personality. Although her status is far lower than that of the two best actor winners, it is still not small compared to many other actors in the crew.
As the assistant director was talking blah blah, Lin Jiajia's eyes were fixed on Zong Ning's face without any hesitation. There was a sense of surprise, a sense of excitement, and an ambiguous determination in her eyes.
Zong Ning noticed his gaze and looked at him coldly. Lin Jiajia then put her hands behind her back, as if letting Zong Ning look at her, as if she was very confident in her appearance. There was even a hint of seduction in her eyes as she looked at Zong Ning.
Lin Jiajia was indeed good-looking. Besides his sunny and handsome appearance, he also had a unique feminine beauty. If someone who liked male beauty were to be replaced, they would probably like him very much. Unfortunately...
After the assistant director finished speaking, he patted Zong Ning on the shoulder and said, "Okay, you guys go!"
Lin Jiajia walked forward with a smile and wanted to take advantage of the situation to hook her arm around Zong Ning's shoulder: "Come on, let's go, Brother Zong, I'll take you to find a makeup artist."
As he approached, the strong smell of perfume on his body hit her face. Zong Ning immediately took a step back, turned around expressionlessly and walked towards the direction of the assistant director's makeup artist.
Lin Jiajia froze. She didn't expect Zong Ning to just... just turn around and walk away without saying a word?!
The assistant director was startled by Zong Ning and choked awkwardly. The people around him were stunned and started laughing.
After spending some time together, everyone actually noticed that there was something unclear between Lin Jiajia and the producer, and they knew that he was probably gay.
Everyone thought that he and the producer were in a relationship of keeping each other, but they didn't expect that after Lin Jiajia joined the crew, she kept trying to get close to the handsome and wealthy male lead, and the producer never said anything. It was then that everyone realized that the two of them were probably playing with each other.
It's a pity that Lin Jiajia is proud of his youth and good looks, but the leading actor is so absorbed in his wife that he has to stay away from him.
I thought Lin Jiajia would calm down a bit, but unexpectedly, Zong Ning showed up again - look, how could Lin Jiajia let go of such a handsome guy? Look, he seduced me with all his might the moment they met.
But I didn't expect that Zong Ning would give less face than the leading actor, and just ignore him!
Feeling the mocking gazes from everyone around her, Lin Jiajia's face suddenly turned red and she felt a little annoyed!
"Ahem," the assistant director could only pretend he hadn't seen anything, patted him on the back and urged, "What are you doing standing here? Go, and have a good scene with Xiao Zong. Go."
Since the assistant director had said so, Lin Jiajia could only grit her teeth and say, "Oh..."
He followed him silently, looking at Zong Ning's back, biting his lip unwillingly, took two steps forward, put on a gentle smile and said, "Brother Zong, why are you ignoring me? Don't you like to talk? It's okay between you and me, but you can't do this with Director Xie and the assistant director. After all, during the time you were on the crew, the power of life and death rested with them, hahaha!"
He acted caring and released a little tenderness, but Zong Ning still just looked ahead indifferently without any reaction!
Lin Jiajia was so angry that she took a deep breath and tried to smile: "Brother Zong... do you have any problem with me?"
Zong Ning stopped and turned his gaze to him.
Lin Jiajia stopped in her tracks immediately.
How to describe Zong Ning's eyes...
Those narrow eyes were without any emotion, only coldness, dark as a pool of ice-cold water.
When being looked at by such a pair of black eyes, Lin Jiajia couldn't help but feel frightened, but at the same time, there was also a strong excitement and throbbing.
Zong Ning was so handsome that when Lin Jiajia saw the final makeup photo, she had already locked him on as her target. Now that she was looking at him in person, Lin Jiajia felt so excited that she was about to tremble all over and her throat was dry.
He subconsciously took a step closer, his voice unconsciously becoming soft and low: "Brother Zong, which room are you staying in the hotel..."
He stretched out his hand, intentionally or unintentionally trying to hook Zongning's arm, his eyes fixed on her, and his tone became even more delicate: "I'm in room 202. When you go back tonight, why don't you come to my room..."
Zong Ning said coldly: "I'm not interested in men."
Lin Jiajia was stuck there and said stiffly: "Huh?"
Zong Ning frowned, looking disgusted: "Even if I am interested in men, I will not be interested in you."
Lin Jiajia's face instantly turned red and blue. His mind went blank and he couldn't react in time. He could only twitch his lips like a fool and say, "...Ah?"
Zong Ning looked at him as if he had seen a ghost, and said expressionlessly to a staff member who happened to be passing by, "Is there anyone else who can rehearse with me? This guy might have some mental problems."
Staff: “Puff——”
He was so frightened that he nearly fell flat on his face.
Lin Jiajia finally reacted and said angrily: "Huh?! Who are you calling mentally ill?!"
Zong Ning's tone was calm: "Whoever still doesn't understand what I'm saying is the one I'm talking about."
Lin Jiajia: “Huh?!!”
Zong Ning was getting impatient with the noise. Just at this moment, the fight scene on the set finally ended and a figure walked out from a group of people.
Zong Ning's eyes just passed by that place casually, then suddenly turned back and stopped.
The man was wearing the same clothes as Lin Jiajia, and his hair was styled in the same way. They looked somewhat similar, but upon closer inspection, they were somewhat different.
Although Lin Jiajia looks good, some of her facial lines are unnatural and stiff. I don’t know if it is a side effect of plastic surgery.
This person's face is smaller and rounder, and her eyes are bigger and more lively than Lin Jiajia's. She has red lips and white teeth. When she smiles and greets people around her, she looks sunny and sweet.
The people around him smiled and said to him, "Xiao Ye is good. As expected, you have practiced before. You play very well."
The young man named Xiao Ye said shyly, "Thank you, teacher. If there is anything I haven't done well, please tell me."
"Hahaha, that's for sure!"
The young man had just finished a fight scene, and when he smiled, his face was all red, which was particularly cute.
The moment he saw this young man, Zong Ning's heart skipped a beat.
He froze, even his body was frozen for a moment. For a moment, the people and scenes around him seemed to disappear.
He saw the young man wiping his sweat with his hand and walking towards them.
He saw the young man adjust his costume to make it look less messy.
He saw that the young man seemed to feel his gaze, paused, and raised his head blankly.
...and confront him.
Zong Ning clearly didn't recognize him, but at that moment, his heart was beating fast, his brain was a little blank, and even his throat became dry.
Lin Jiajia was so angry that she questioned Zong Ning's intentions - even if the seduction failed, Lin Jiajia had never met anyone who actually rejected him so bluntly and didn't give him any face at all!
But when he got angry, Zong Ning ignored him completely and just stared in a certain direction. Lin Jiajia was so angry that he almost vomited blood. He turned his head fiercely and looked in the direction Zong Ning was looking.
As soon as Lin Jiajia saw where Zong Ning was looking, she had a bad feeling in her heart.
Zong Ning suddenly asked, "Who is that?"
Lin Jiajia asked warily, "What are you doing?"
Zong Ning walked up to the confused young man, looked down at him, and asked, "Who are you?"
"Ah," the young man looked blankly at Zong Ning, then blankly at Lin Jiajia who followed him in a rage, and said quickly, "Hello, teacher. My name is Ye Yun, and I'm Teacher Lin's stand-in. May I ask..."
Is there anything I can help you with?
Ye Yun looked at Zong Ning cautiously.
Lin Jiajia was now filled with a sense of crisis. She followed behind Zong Ning and asked, "What are you doing? This is my stunt double!"
Zong Ning tilted his head and said calmly, "Both the leading and second male actors performed their fight scenes themselves, and you, the third male lead, hired a stunt double?"
Lin Jiajia: “…………”
He froze again and stammered, "I, I haven't been feeling well recently. The director and producer both agree. What's it to you, it's none of your business..."
"Since your health is so poor that you have to hire a stunt double, then I guess you can't do something as strenuous as acting with me," Zong Ning turned around, looked directly at Ye Yun, and whispered, "Why don't you let Teacher Ye help me with the acting?"
Lin Jiajia: “Huh?!!!”
Ye Yun looked at Zong Ning stupidly: "Ah, me, me? But I'm just a stand-in, I..."
He was a little panicked, like a little rabbit.
"Well, it's you." After Zong Ning finished speaking, he grabbed his wrist and left.
Ye Yunzheng was completely confused.
Lin Jiajia was stunned and scratched her hair in anger!
…
In front, Zong Ning pulled Ye Yun away without saying a word.
Ye Yun was dragged for a distance before he reacted and began to struggle, calling out helplessly, "Teacher, teacher!"
"Teacher, please wait a moment!"
Zong Ning had to stop and listen to him.
Ye Yun took a breath and quickly said, "Teacher, this isn't good, is it? The director asked Teacher Lin to act with you, right?"
Ye Yun had just finished filming and had no idea what was going on. He was in complete confusion.
He wanted to think things through, but the man who grabbed his hand and walked away made him feel extremely oppressive.
Although she is very good-looking, her face has no expression.
The man is so tall, like a small mountain.
His aura is even colder and more intimidating.
Ye Yun was a little nervous. He mustered up his courage and said, "It's not good to disobey the director."
Upon hearing this, Zong Ning frowned.
He felt something was wrong from the first moment he saw Ye Yun.
He kidnapped the person purely based on his intuition, and he didn't expect Ye Yun to say that.
After thinking for a moment, Zong Ning said, "If they have any questions, let them come to me themselves."
Ye Yun: “…”
This is the attitude of a big brother.
He twitched the corner of his mouth and reminded, "...You've just joined the crew, and it's not good to cause trouble to the point where the director has to come to find you!"
He didn't know Zong Ning, but he was sure that Zong Ning was a stranger and must have just joined the crew.
What kind of celebrity is this person? How dare he say such things!
Zong Ning was actually just being willful. He just followed his instincts and kidnapped people. As for Director Xie and the others—
It’s not that he is narcissistic. Director Xie really likes him. Zong Ning doesn’t believe that Director Xie would come to him for such a thing.
Therefore, after hearing what Ye Yun said, Zong Ning didn't take it seriously. He just glanced at him and raised his eyebrows and said, "You are quite concerned about strangers?"
"..." Ye Yun was confused. "I, I was just kindly reminding you, don't say it so weirdly!"
Zong Ning scoffed and said lazily, "Didn't Lin Jiajia say she wasn't feeling well? Why would she want to act with him if she wasn't feeling well?"
Ye Yun tried to explain: "Teacher Lin is... is not feeling well, but, that, uh..."
Zong Ning pointed out pointedly: "So you also know that he is not serious about acting and is just cheating money in the entertainment industry."
Ye Yun: "Don't say it so bluntly..."
Zong Ning: "Oh, quite smooth?"
Ye Yun: "Where do people at the bottom of the industry get the confidence to be so honest?!"
Ye Yun was so angry that he held his head in his hands! What was wrong with this handsome guy? Why did he speak so rudely as soon as he entered the crew? He was simply unable to cope!
Ye Yun had never met such a person before, and it was really a bit overwhelming. After a while of complaining, he took a deep breath, paused, and whispered: "...and I'm just a stuntman!"
Why would someone use a stand-in actor when the regular actor is willing to act opposite him?
It's not that Ye Yun is being self-deprecating, it's just that stand-ins like them are often ignored...
Being suddenly dragged away and entrusted with such an important task, Ye Yun felt a little uncomfortable...
Seeing Ye Yun lower his head, Zong Ning thought for a while.
Tsk, he didn't know what Ye Yun's identity was, and why he gave him such a strange feeling when they first met, but this guy didn't seem to be a "problematic person", he was even a little simple, like a little white rabbit, so Zong Ning didn't guard against him.
Just a little curious and some exploring.
The little white rabbit seemed silly and didn't understand anything, and Zong Ning actually didn't understand anything either.
...So we must kidnap the person and get to the bottom of it.
After thinking about it, Zong Ning lowered his eyes, looked at Ye Yun's wrist for a while, and suddenly said, "Your arm is so thin."
Ye Yun: “???”
Zong Ning's deep gaze slowly moved up Ye Yun's arm, moving to his upper arm: "But there are some muscles."
Just a few points?!
Ye Yun was unconvinced and whispered: "I, I have been practicing for many years..."
Hearing this, Zong Ning smiled.
He jokingly said, "After years of practice, is this all?"
Seeing Zong Ning's smiling face, Ye Yun was stunned.
Zong Ning was so handsome that Ye Yun could appreciate him. However, it was not until this moment when the man who had been expressionless suddenly smiled at him that he realized it belatedly and felt a surge of panic and his ears started to burn.
He lowered his head, shifted his gaze, swallowed, and said, "What, what do you mean, it's just like that..."
"Well," seeing Ye Yun shy, Zong Ning narrowed his eyes and curled his lips, "Then let me put it another way. You've finally trained for so many years and built up such a muscular body, don't you think you just want to be a stuntman?"
Ye Yun was startled, and suddenly looked up at Zong Ning.
Zong Ning looked at him and said in a low voice, "Don't you want to be a formal actor?"
Ye Yun looked at him in a daze.
Zong Ning said slowly, "It's my business to ask you to help me with the rehearsal. As long as the director and the others don't object, who would dare to have any objections to you? You just need to seize this opportunity and practice hard. Why bother saying you're just a stuntman?"
Ye Yun shuddered, somewhat touched, and murmured, "I..."
Zong Ning's eyes flashed. It seemed that he could coax the little white rabbit back home by following this line of thought, so he decided to give it a strong dose of medicine and stepped forward to whisper in Ye Yun's ear.
Ye Yun's ears turned even redder when he felt the breath sprayed by Zong Ning.
Zong Ning took in everything, curled his lips, and said softly:
"--Besides, you're much prettier than that Jia. Are the entertainment industry's investors blind to support him and not you?"
"..." Ye Yun, "...Teacher, even if you want to trick me, don't push me down!!"
"?" Zong Ning, "Is this sentence not effective?"
Ye Yun: "No, it's too distracting to talk about it!"
Zong Ning frowned and fell into deep thought.
Ye Yun was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
If he still couldn't see at this moment that Zong Ning was trying to deceive him, then he would be too stupid.
Ye Yun wasn't angry. Although he felt a little puzzled, he was also somewhat curious. "Teacher, why did you have to look for me? Do you know me? Or is it because you hate Teacher Lin, and I'm his stand-in, and you're deliberately... trying to piss him off?"
Zong Ning's brows furrowed completely: "I will notice that you have nothing to do with him."
Ye Yun smiled helplessly: "Why is that?"
Zong Ning was silent.
If he himself doesn't understand it, how can he explain it to others?
He looked at the gentle young man in front of him and felt an indescribable urge in his heart. He wanted to do something, but he didn't know what he wanted to do.
Zong Ning had never encountered such a situation, but he vaguely understood in his heart... This might be related to the memory of a night he had lost.
But that night dates back to more than a thousand years ago, and this young man is actually a person of this era.
Ye Yun looked up at Zong Ning, waiting in confusion.
The man lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised them.
...It was a very serious and focused look.
It was as if he was looking straight into Ye Yun's eyes.
Ye Yun's heart beat fast and his Adam's apple rolled when he was looked at.
Somehow, he became nervous and inexplicably looked forward to what Zong Ning was going to say next.
Then he saw Zong Ning raise his hand, gently stroke his ear, open his lips, and speak in a low, magnetic voice.
"——My room is 307. Why don't you come find me when you get back to the hotel tonight?"
Ye Yun: “…………”
He looked at Zong Ning in shock, but Zong Ning remained calm.
Zong Ning: "This doesn't work? Then I'll change it. Where is your room? I'll find you when I get home tonight-"
Ye Yun: "Wait, wait, wait, this doesn't fit your personality at all. Where on earth did you learn this?!"
Zong Ning: "Tsk."
Ye Yun: "Don't try to avoid the topic by looking away!"
Zong Ning turned his head and smiled at him again.
Ye Yun: "Don't seduce me anymore!!"
Zong Ning understood that this trick worked, so he smiled even more gently and seductively. Ye Yun squatted down with his head in his hands: "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Zong Ning carried him up smoothly and walked towards the makeup artist.
No matter what the relationship between this little white rabbit and that night a thousand years ago is, let’s trick it into our hands first.
Lin Jiajia, who wasn't far behind, was so angry she wanted to hit someone—what the hell is this called "I'm not interested in men"?! She's learned to seduce without a teacher, and she's so insincere that she can't even fool a fool!
*
Su Xuan from City A spent the entire day in the office, still feeling uneasy. He sent a WeChat message to Zong Ning, asking, "Is everything OK?"
I thought I would have to wait until dark before Zong Ning would slowly reply, but I didn't expect that as soon as I put down the phone, a message popped up.
Zong Ning: “Very good [picture]”
Su Xuan was surprised to see that there was a picture attached. He clicked on the large picture and saw a young man sitting not far away reading a script. His ears were red and his brows were tightly furrowed. Somehow, Su Xuan understood at a glance that this young man was resisting the harassment of the camera's gaze.
Su Xuan was surprised and asked quickly, "Who is this?"
Zong Ning: "The little white rabbit that was coaxed and tricked back."
Su Xuan: “???”
Zong Ning: "Do I look good when I smile?"
Su Xuan: "Damn, you mutated?"
Zong Ning: "No, I told you I had to lie to Little White Rabbit."
Su Xuan: "I'm warning you, don't take advantage of your looks to play with the hearts of innocent boys!"
Zong Ning: "No kidding."
Zong Ning: "I have a very strange feeling about him."
Su Xuan was stunned.
Zong Ning: "What do you think a person living in the modern era would have to do with an era more than a thousand years ago?"
Zong Ning: "Reincarnation?"
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