IBKAWB Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: Movie**

Translated by: Lan Baobao

Re-translated/Edited by: Namizaki

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Amidst a barrage of “hahaha” comments in the live stream chat, Ge Fangyu ended his broadcast. He turned to Zhong Yin and sighed, “You got left behind too?”

Zhong Yin, looking far ahead, was on the verge of tears. “Brother Qiao, why didn’t you take me with you?!”

Chi Zhongqiao had already walked far ahead with Lu Yuzhou, completely out of earshot.

Lu Yuzhou put a mask on Chi Zhongqiao’s face. Chi Zhongqiao smiled, his eyes curving into crescents above the mask that covered most of his face.

As they settled into the car, Chi Zhongqiao noticed there was no driver. “You’re driving?”

Lu Yuzhou started the engine and quipped, “Don’t worry, Brother Qiao, I’ve driven before.”

Chi Zhongqiao chuckled. “I trust you with anything.”

The Maybach smoothly executed a U-turn and merged into traffic. Lu Yuzhou kept his eyes on the road while asking, “Did you and Zhou Yunmo argue the day before yesterday?”

Chi Zhongqiao was rummaging through the car’s mini-fridge for a drink. “Hmm… I wouldn’t call it an argument. Who told you that?”

Lu Yuzhou, showing no loyalty whatsoever, immediately sold out the ever-faithful Assistant Qi. “Qi Chuyang saw it when he went to retrieve the contract.”

Chi Zhongqiao took out a soda, his fingers tracing the condensation on the plastic bottle. “Actually, Zhou Yunmo isn’t a bad person. At least he knows to protect Zhuang Fu. If he did nothing, that would be truly heartless. It’s just that Zhou Yunmo doesn’t feel the pain until the knife cuts him personally.”

Chi Zhongqiao understood Zhou Yunmo perfectly. He favored Lu Yuzhou, while Zhou Yunmo favored Zhuang Fu. The difference was that Chi Zhongqiao could control his bias and wouldn’t act on it, whereas Zhou Yunmo couldn’t.

Lu Yuzhou couldn’t care less about Zhou Yunmo or Zhou Yunqi. “Qi Chuyang said you looked upset, Brother Qiao. What did he say?”

Chi Zhongqiao understood the unspoken question and chuckled. “What kind of talk is that? Just because he made me unhappy, you’d make his life miserable?”

Lu Yuzhou smiled at the rearview mirror, his rare expression lighting up his face with a radiant, captivating charm. “I’m not “that” unreasonable.”

Though he smiled, Lu Yuzhou’s anger simmered beneath the surface. After spending over a year with Chi Zhongqiao, he had never seen him look so upset or angry. Chi Zhongqiao’s composure was as unshakable as a meditating Buddha statue in a temple. Even when Xu Xingzhou’s reckless actions reached their peak, Chi Zhongqiao had remained unperturbed.

Zhou Yunmo truly had a knack for pushing his buttons.

“Not “that” unreasonable” meant he wasn’t planning to be “too” reasonable either.

Chi Zhongqiao shook his head, feeling that Lu Yuzhou’s temper had worsened with age. He hesitated between telling the truth and placating him. To prevent Lu Yuzhou from impulsively shelving Zhou Yunmo under the influence of his infatuation, he slowly admitted, “Actually, I’m just like Zhou Yunmo.”

Lu Yuzhou froze, stunned.

“He protects Zhuang Fu, and I protect you,” Chi Zhongqiao said. “There’s not much difference.”

Lu Yuzhou’s hand jerked, nearly causing the car to swerve.

While the car stopped at a red light, Chi Zhongqiao leaned over and patted Lu Yuzhou’s head. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If Zhou Yunmo throws a few barbs at me, I’ll throw them right back. But slapping him would be inappropriate.”

He felt a pang of worry. Only now did he understand why the original novel repeatedly emphasized Lu Yuzhou’s violent tendencies. It seemed they were indeed quite pronounced.

Chi Zhongqiao, his mind brimming with endless concerns, muttered to himself, “Everything in moderation. Crossing the line will only hurt yourself.”

Lu Yuzhou paused for two seconds, then lowered his head and pressed his lips to the back of Chi Zhongqiao’s hand, his voice softening. “En, I’ll listen to you, Brother Qiao.”

Chi Zhongqiao touched the back of his own hand, feeling a strange unease.

Lu Yuzhou had become increasingly difficult to manage as he grew older. Sometimes, Chi Zhongqiao sensed that Lu Yuzhou was suppressing something, his gaze often carrying unspoken words.

Chi Zhongqiao didn’t know what Lu Yuzhou was afraid to say. Since Lu Yuzhou was holding back, Chi Zhongqiao felt he had no choice but to keep his own questions bottled up. But recently, he had noticed Lu Yuzhou’s increasingly reckless behavior. Staring blankly into space for a moment, Chi Zhongqiao slowly made up his mind.

I can’t afford to wait idly any longer, he thought.

Lu Yuzhou drove Chi Zhongqiao back to the company. “Brother Qiao, you go ahead. Du Yusheng has something to discuss with you. I’ll join you after my meeting, and we can head home together.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded.

Unlike Zhuang Fu, who was often nowhere to be found, Du Yusheng was a diligent and demanding Manager who knew how to “squeeze” the most out of his artists.

As Chi Zhongqiao sat across from Du Yusheng, the Manager spread several scripts across the table and subtly complained about Chi Zhongqiao’s previous Manager. “I reviewed your schedule from last year, and it’s completely unreasonable. You had only one endorsement in the first half of the year to maintain your public presence, and then you completely disappeared from the public eye. What kind of arrangement was that?”

Chi Zhongqiao looked genuinely innocent. “It wasn’t my arrangement.” As an artist, all work inquiries went through his Manager, not him. The scheduling was entirely Zhuang Fu’s responsibility.

Zhuang Fu hadn’t done this intentionally. He refused to accept random endorsements and appearances that would cheapen Chi Zhongqiao’s image, but he lacked the connections to secure better opportunities. That’s why Chi Zhongqiao’s schedule had been so poorly managed.

Du Yusheng’s heart ached. “By the time <Invisible Crime> airs, your momentum will have faded. We should have capitalized on last year’s momentum while it was hot!”

After reviewing the scripts for a long time, Du Yusheng found only one silver lining. “At least you didn’t take on any terrible dramas. With <Invisible Crime> as your foundation, you’re no longer suited for the ‘traffic star’ route. We need to maintain this high-end image.”

Chi Zhongqiao nodded. “En.” His attention was entirely focused on the scripts before him. Despite Du Yusheng’s lengthy lecture, he barely registered a word.

Du Yusheng: “The three scripts on the left are the ones I’ve shortlisted. The ones on the right are the ones I’ve rejected. Take a look at them all.”

Chi Zhongqiao first picked up the three scripts Du Yusheng had recommended. Among them was a youth-themed film—the only movie in the batch.

Seeing him open the film script, Du Yusheng said, “This film is being funded by President Lu. It’s primarily meant to promote the company’s artists, but the script is solid. President Lu’s suggestion is that if you like it, you get first pick of the roles.”

It’s indeed quite good. Youth-themed films and dramas exploded in popularity last year, and the trend shows no signs of waning this year. While some viewers are growing weary of the genre, the overall enthusiasm remains high.

But this script…

Chi Zhongqiao casually flipped through a few pages. “No romance?”

Du Yusheng shook his head. “None.”

After finishing the script, Chi Zhongqiao summarized it in four words: “Unconventional approach.”

Du Yusheng chuckled. “It certainly doesn’t follow the usual path, but the script is genuinely excellent. The characters are all compelling, but if you were to take a role, you’d have to choose the male lead.”

Most of the roles would be filled by Zhaohui artists. Within Zhaohui, no male actor could rival Chi Zhongqiao in sheer popularity.

Chi Zhongqiao was already examining another script. “I’ll take it.”

Du Yusheng said, “The script you’re holding is for <April in the Human World>. The role offered is the third male lead. You’ve probably heard of the Director, Nie Rong.”

Director Nie Rong is a renowned filmmaker on par with Fu Jingshen. However, while Fu Jingshen is known for his “darkness of humanity,” Nie Rong specializes in “warmth of humanity,” focusing on heartwarming and healing narratives.

His new drama continues this style.

Chi Zhongqiao lowered his head to calculate his schedule. He had only half a month left to wrap up filming for <Invisible Crime>. After a short break, he would begin shooting the film <Campus Prince and Campus Belle>¹School Grass and School Flowers/Campus Hunk and Campus Beauties. As the third male lead in <April in the Human World>, his screen time was relatively limited. If he pushed himself, he could juggle both projects during the film’s production.

Chi Zhongqiao glanced at the remaining script. Compared to the two in his hands, it fell short in quality. He neatly stacked the film and television scripts together and placed them in front of Du Yusheng.

Du Yusheng raised an eyebrow.

Chi Zhongqiao: “I want both of these.”

Filming for <Invisible Crime> wouldn’t be completed until early May. Factoring in editing, censorship reviews, and the inevitable copyright negotiations, it would be lucky to premiere by September. Moreover, given the sensitive subject matter of <Invisible Crime>, the censorship process would likely be even more stringent.

Meanwhile, filming for <Campus Prince and Campus Belle> would take about a month, with a summer release planned. Director Nie Rong’s <April in the Human World> was expected to air around the end of the year.

This schedule would fill his entire year.

Du Yusheng: “Are you sure about this? Taking both roles means you’ll have to schedule every minute, even your sleep.” A project doesn’t end with filming; there’s also promotion to handle. Plus, the entertainment industry is full of galas and events. Chi Zhongqiao would be swamped.

Chi Zhongqiao nodded. “I know.” He’d been financially strapped before, when his pay was meager and the company took a hefty cut. Even though he wasn’t famous then, he had to take on multiple roles simultaneously just to make ends meet.

Being busy was the norm for artists.

Du Yusheng hesitated before saying, “I don’t think you need to rush so much. You’ve only been in the industry for a year, and the previous year was kind of wasted. Suddenly being this busy might be overwhelming.”

The entertainment industry offered high rewards—fame, fortune, and the adoration of fans. In such a field, hard work was expected.

But hard work shouldn’t mean pushing oneself to the brink. The industry was already stressful; getting sick on top of that would be disastrous.

How could anyone, just because they were young, throw their life away?

Chi Zhongqiao pressed a hand against his script and smiled at Du Yusheng. “I know my limits, Brother Du. Please help me take on these projects.”

He wasn’t naturally assertive, and when he insisted on something, he usually maintained a gentle demeanor—a gentle refusal to heed advice.

It was good that the Little Prince was willing to work hard.

Du Yusheng had managed countless artists. Those who achieved even moderate fame often became so busy they barely had time to eat. That was the reality of the industry.

**********

The next day, Chi Zhongqiao arrived on set ready to film. As soon as he sat down, he noticed the makeup artist’s strange look.

He endured the makeup artist’s gaze in silence for a while, but finally couldn’t resist asking, “Is there something wrong with my face?”

The makeup artist suppressed a laugh. “No, no, no. Brother Qiao, you look handsome as always.”

Chi Zhongqiao wore a puzzled expression as he finished his makeup and headed to the set. Fu Jingshen, who had arrived early, waved him over.

“What’s up?” Chi Zhongqiao asked.

Fu Jingshen seemed to be struggling to contain his amusement. “Zhongqiao… hahahahaha! I can’t hold it in anymore…”

Chi Zhongqiao shot Fu Jingshen a look that said, Are you crazy?

Fu Jingshen laughed so hard he had to lean on the camera for support, gasping for breath. “Little Stool, have you checked the trending topics?”

Little Stool? Is he talking about me?

“Director Fu,” Chi Zhongqiao said, “is that the best nickname you could come up with?”

He pulled out his phone, opened the app, and quickly found himself trending near the top. He clicked on the video—a clip from yesterday’s livestream.

Halfway through the video, Chi Zhongqiao thought, Aside from Brother Fang acting like an idiot, there’s nothing wrong here. But when he reached the second half, he gripped his phone, gritting his teeth. “Where’s Brother Fang?!”

In the video, the notoriously straight Ge Fangyu scratched his head after Chi Zhongqiao left with Lu Yuzhou and asked the livestream audience, “Teacher Yan looked so happy on his date. Why was Zhongqiao so happy to comfort his little brother?”

The comments section exploded:

[ Blind man, you’ve stumbled upon the truth. ]

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  School Grass and School Flowers/Campus Hunk and Campus Beauties