Xiaochun nodded quickly and whispered, "I've seen it on TV."
"Not bad, not bad!" Lu Yanchen smiled and patted Xiaochun on the back. "Keep acting well, you might become a huge star in the future. I have high hopes for you."
"Thank you, thank you, Young Master Lu!"
After that, Lu Yanchen didn't stay in the theater for long before leaving under some pretext. Before leaving, he still made sure to send someone to help Pei Shaocheng unload the gifts and local specialties from the car.
Pei Shaocheng was too lazy to take it home, so he just had the staff on site distribute it.
Wen Yuhan was still shaken by Lu Yanchen's visit, her mind replaying every word and detail of his visit, and she couldn't sleep that night.
Pei Shaocheng, half asleep and half awake, suddenly realized that the spot next to the bed was empty, and he sat up abruptly.
He called out Wen Yuhan's name and hurriedly ran out of the bedroom, only to find Wen Yuhan sitting alone in the dark living room.
The hazy moonlight shone on him, casting a cool, ethereal shadow over his slender figure. He held a glass of sake with ice in his hand, gently stirring the ice cubes floating in the glass with his index finger.
This is a small action that Wen Yuhan often takes when she is lost in thought. When Pei Shaocheng brought it up before, he jokingly said that if he were to write a murder-related scene in the future, it would be a pretty good way to poison someone.
Feeling the sofa sink slightly, Wen Yuhan snapped out of her reverie and looked at the person beside her, then smiled: "Did I wake you up?"
Pei Shaocheng took the wine from Wen Yuhan, took a sip, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice sounding particularly gentle and deep in the night: "Why didn't you wake me up if you couldn't sleep?"
"No, I just slept too much during the day." Wen Yuhan said, while casually scratching the belly of Xiaomi, who was sleeping soundly beside him. Xiaomi comfortably rolled over, belly up.
Pei Shaocheng watched his lover playing with the cat and suddenly felt like he was part of a family of three. He stretched out his arm and pulled Wen Yuhan into his embrace, then lowered his head to kiss her hair: "You know, I've been dreaming about this day."
Wen Yuhan's eyes trembled slightly, but she remained silent. Pei Shaocheng sighed deeply and, after a moment of silence, said:
"I will never let you leave me again, and no one can destroy our home."
"Mmm." Wen Yuhan gently closed her eyes, relaxed her body and leaned against Pei Shaocheng's hot and firm chest, and slightly raised the corners of her lips.
"You really are a pillar of strength, Mr. Pei." The tone, as always, carried a playful, rising lilt at the end.
Pei Shaocheng patted Wen Yuhan's back gently, like coaxing a child: "Sweetie, sleep for a while, I'll carry you back to bed?"
Wen Yuhan remained nestled in the other's arms, her eyes still closed, and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure... you just want to sleep for a little while?"
Pei Shaocheng paused for a moment, then his eyes darkened instantly, and his tone became even more somber as he spoke: "I'm afraid you'll get tired."
Two warm, soft lips suddenly pressed against his, carrying the unique aroma of sake: "Then let me relax a bit..." Wen Yuhan looked up at his beautiful eyes, which were like the alluring siren of the deep sea, yet he deliberately used the most polite words to say, "Please, Mr. Pei."
Pei Shaocheng's breath hitched, and he abruptly threw Wen Yuhan onto the sofa, his eyes now revealing an unbridled lust.
Little Mi was startled by his actions, and with her fur standing on end, she jumped off the sofa and turned around to let out a dissatisfied "woof".
Wen Yuhan pulled Pei Shaocheng close by the collar and whispered in his ear, "Be gentle, Shaocheng."
Pei Shaocheng felt a rush of blood to his head, and he gritted his teeth and sighed inwardly, "You really are..." But the second half of his sentence was abruptly cut off by the other party's invitation to hook his arm around his waist, turning into a suppressed groan.
"What a... terrible person, isn't he?"
"No." Pei Shaocheng kissed every inch of Wen Yuhan's skin with devotion and said affectionately, "You are the most beautiful person in this world."
...
Time flies, and it was already the night before the official premiere of "Harsh Love Words," while "Love Words 2," written by Han Shu, directed by Chen Zhengju, and featuring an all-star cast, was also performed on the same day.
After the final rehearsal, Pei Shaocheng invited the entire cast and crew to a dinner at the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Yancheng TV Tower. Regarding the composition of the crew, Pei Shaocheng primarily selected people who weren't very active in the industry but had always been dedicated to studying drama.
There was also his own well-trained troops, so the overall rehearsals went relatively smoothly.
The only bold decision was to cast newcomer Lin Chunjing in the role of "Han". However, with the later addition of Wen Yuhan, who helped Xiaochun gradually understand and embody the character, his acting skills have improved by leaps and bounds.
Wen Yuhan once told Pei Shaocheng in private that as long as Lin Chunjing is not affected by the superficiality of the entertainment industry in the future, and has a few more years to settle down, he might really be able to surpass a large number of people who are called "geniuses" and "veteran actors".
During the meal, Xiao Yang, emboldened by a few drinks, with reddened eyes, hugged Wen Yuhan tightly and repeatedly said excitedly, "Finally... Teacher... Finally... I!" Before he could finish speaking, he covered his face and burst into tears.
With a stern face, Pei Shaocheng pulled Xiao Yang away from Wen Yuhan and shielded her behind him.
Wen Yuhan smiled and patted Pei Shaocheng's hand, her eyes softening as she looked at Xiao Yang: "He's happy for me."
Many of the people present had heard about Wen Yuhan's past. When he first joined the crew, they had many doubts about his character, abilities, and relationship with Pei Shaocheng.
But as they spent more and more time with Wen Yuhan, everyone gradually became impressed by his amazing abilities and his upright, gentle, and humble character. Their gazes towards him shifted from initial skepticism to astonishment, and finally to genuine admiration. As a result, they began to doubt the rumors circulating in the industry about Wen Yuhan.
Imagine if I were in his shoes and experienced what he went through; I couldn't help but feel indignant. To put it bluntly, we're all artists, and what we can't tolerate most is having our hard work stolen, altered beyond recognition, and then being falsely accused and humiliated in the industry.
"Teacher Wen, tomorrow will be the day we see the real results. I have confidence in our play!"
"Yes, good acting is the most powerful proof!"
"Don't worry, Wen, everyone will do their best."
"Not just for you, but for ourselves too."
"Yes! It's been so many years since I've performed such a great show. I'm going to have a blast tomorrow!"
"Thank you, Mr. Pei and Teacher Wen."
Wen Yuhan returned the toast to everyone, filling each glass to the brim and drinking it all honestly.
Pei Shaocheng was worried that Wen Yuhan would get an upset stomach if he drank too much, so he got up to help him. But Wen Yuhan insisted on drinking it himself, and after a few rounds, a faint blush had settled on his face.
Even though he is usually very eloquent, he couldn't help but run out of words at this moment, and the word he said most often was a sincere "thank you".
"Come on, Shao Cheng." Wen Yuhan poured himself another full glass of wine and raised it to Pei Shao Cheng.
Pei Shaocheng observed Wen Yuhan's condition with concern, fearing that he might not be able to handle it. But he still cooperated by raising his wine glass, gently clinking it against Wen Yuhan's, and whispering, "Just one sip."
“Heh…” Wen Yuhan chuckled almost imperceptibly, “You said the same thing that day.”
The day we reunited.
Wen Yuhan tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp, then mouthed softly to Pei Shaocheng, "Thank you."
Looking at the starry sky in the other's eyes, Pei Shaocheng tried his best to control the urge to immediately pick him up and take him home for some alone time. He pressed Wen Yuhan back into his seat, then casually moved his wine glass away. He picked up his own glass and said to everyone, "Let's stop here tonight. We'll have a good drink together after the performance tomorrow night."
After saying that, he finished his drink first.
Seeing this, everyone raised their glasses, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Throughout the entire process, only one person remained hidden in the crowd, appearing restless and uneasy all night.
His hands hung limply under the table, clutching the fabric of his trousers. His eyes darkened, and finally, as if he had made a decision, he picked up his wine glass and slowly walked toward Wen Yuhan: "Teacher Wen, let me also toast you."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yuhan looked up and saw that the person who had come was Lin Chunjing.
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 88
Wen Yuhan stared at Lin Chunjing for two seconds, then smiled at him and said, "Okay."
The two clinked glasses, and Lin Chunjing downed his drink in one gulp. Perhaps due to the alcohol, his steps were noticeably unsteady, and he quickly steadied himself on the table, giving Wen Yuhan an embarrassed grin.
"Don't be nervous, you've made great progress lately." Wen Yuhan looked into Xiaochun's eyes. "Just try your best to get closer to the character tomorrow."
“Thank you, Teacher Wen.” Xiaochun pursed her lips, her eyes flickering with light and shadow. “I really love this play, and I want to play this role well. I also know that this play has special meaning for Senior Brother Pei, and especially for you. I…”
"Xiaochun," Wen Yuhan interrupted gently, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Xiao Chun's shoulders stiffened slightly, and his grip on the wine glass tightened involuntarily. He glanced furtively at Pei Shaocheng not far away and saw that the other man was also scrutinizing him with a dark gaze, which made him even more nervous.
His lips moved, but in the end he shook his head and smiled at Wen Yuhan: "No, I think I was a little too nervous. I'll do my best tomorrow!"
"Yes, I look forward to your performance."
Xiaochun took another deep breath, looked up at Wen Yuhan, and solemnly said, word by word, "Let me offer you one last toast."
...
After lunch, Pei Shaocheng gave everyone a final briefing on the performance's important points, requiring all departments to assemble at the Yancheng Theater at 11:00 AM sharp the next day for rehearsal. He then dismissed everyone so they could go home and rest to recharge.
On the way home, Pei Shaocheng noticed Wen Yuhan staring silently out the window, clearly lost in thought. He reached out and gently squeezed the other's hand: "What are you thinking about?"
Wen Yuhan looked away, paused, and said, "I feel like Xiaochun is acting a little strange tonight."
His suspicions were exactly what Pei Shaocheng was thinking. He lowered the car window slightly, lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and said, "Hmm, something's not right."
Wen Yuhan closed his eyes, took the cigarette case from Pei Shaocheng, picked out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, paused for a moment: "I remember you told me that Xiaochun's family was not well-off, but he was still determined to come to the drama academy, which caused a lot of unpleasantness with his family."
“I know what you want to say.” Pei Shaocheng took out his cigarette, lit it for Wen Yuhan, and put it to his lips. “It is precisely people like this who are not easily tempted by money and interests, and at the same time cherish every opportunity to get ahead. Such people are either willing to dedicate themselves to what they love without regard for the consequences, or they care more about the gains and losses than ordinary people. You are worried that he is the second type of person.”
"It's not good to speculate about others like that," Wen Yuhan said with a wry smile, "but I hope I'm just overthinking it."
"You're not wrong. Tomorrow's performance is crucial and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
Wen Yuhan hesitated for a moment, then asked slowly, "Shao Cheng, have you thought about what to do if something unexpected really happens tomorrow? After all, we've all seen Han Shu's methods, and now there's Lu Yanchen too."
Pei Shaocheng frowned, vaguely anticipating Wen Yuhan's next words. But before he could stop him, Wen Yuhan continued, "What I mean is, if something really happens, you don't have to drag yourself into it. Anyway, I'm just making a fool of myself again, just for public entertainment. I never intended to stay in this industry anyway." He exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone light, "But you're different… then you can just tell everyone you were fooled."
"Wen Yuhan." Pei Shaocheng rarely lost his temper with him again, lowering his voice as he said, "Do you think I would do such a thing?!"
Wen Yuhan sighed: "You know I've always been reluctant to drag you into this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have..."
“This was something I insisted on doing from the very beginning.” Pei Shaocheng pinched Wen Yuhan’s chin, forcing him to look up into his eyes, and said in a way that brooked no refusal, “Listen, I won’t do it, and you’re not allowed to.”
Seeing that Wen Yuhan did not reply, Pei Shaocheng pulled him into his arms, rested his head on the other's shoulder, took a deep breath, and softened his tone, saying, "Please listen to me, okay? Xiaohan, I'm begging you."
Wen Yuhan paused slightly. He couldn't stand Pei Shaocheng speaking to him in such a submissive manner. Lately, this man seemed to know more and more how to manipulate him, which was definitely not a good sign.
Neither of them spoke again after that, and Pei Shaocheng maintained his tight embrace the whole time.
The driver, Xiao Wu, vaguely heard noises coming from the back seat. He carefully turned off the car music, and for a moment, the only sound in the limited space was the wind blowing in from outside the window.
In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at its destination and stopped at the entrance of the residential area.
Wen Yuhan finally couldn't resist Pei Shaocheng's insistence and nodded helplessly, saying, "Okay, can you let go of me first?"
Pei Shaocheng tightened his grip on Wen Yuhan's arm before reluctantly letting go and opening the car door.
Wen Yuhan stubbed out her cigarette and threw it into the nearby trash can, then turned to Pei Shaocheng and asked, "So, do you have any contingency plans for tomorrow?"
“Yes.” Pei Shaocheng stopped and looked at Wen Yuhan with deep eyes. “To be precise, if we can follow this plan, the performance should be even better than it is now.”
Wen Yuhan stared into the other person's eyes, and after understanding his intention, he showed a hint of surprise, then turned his face away and said, "Don't joke around."
Pei Shaocheng grabbed Wen Yuhan's hand and put it into his pocket, their fingers intertwined: "You know, there's no better way."