Top Dupe CH 051 All Sails Ahead Part 1
A person's industry reputation can reach such a level that it arouses curiosity about what charm they possess.
Then, searching a bit, videos of his audition for Bai Ying and his acting battle video in the "Storm" crew come up. While it doesn’t reach the level of fanaticism, at least it raises some curiosity among passersby, who think the young man indeed has some substance.
Leveraging online discussions, Yinchuan Culture directly issued a statement clarifying the rumors about Luo Yu, stating that there are no projects, contracts, or benefits between Luo Yu and Jiang Yunxie. Yinchuan Culture will pursue legal action against those spreading rumors.
Because of the well-known feud between Jiang Yinchuan and Jiang Yunxie, not only did Honghe Film and Television know about it, but so did the onlookers. Once the statement was released, the idea that Luo Yu was clinging to Jiang Yunxie’s support was thoroughly debunked.
[If Jiang Yinchuan and Jiang Yunxie are fighting tooth and nail, would Jiang Yinchuan sign Luo Yu if there were really something between him and Jiang Yunxie?]
[Who said Luo Yu was involved with Jiang Yunxie? If he were truly involved, Jiang Yinchuan wouldn’t have considered him!]
[If he were really the type to rise through personal connections, why would so many industry peers support him!]
[What were those hot searches before? Some people must have known in advance and are just being sour and malicious!]
Sitting at his desk, Ou Juntao supported his forehead with one hand. That day, he had received a call from Bo Wenyan, saying that Luo Yu would sign with Jiang Yinchuan’s company. This suddenly enraged him, prompting him to release black material about Luo Yu. Now, realizing he had been used as a pawn by Bo Wenyan and had pushed Luo Yu towards Jiang Yinchuan, Ou Juntao was livid.
When had Ou Juntao ever been so vexed?
Now that Luo Yu had joined Jiang Yinchuan, it was like a golden fish meeting a storm, ready to turn into a dragon at any moment, and Luo Yu would look down on him even more.
Originally, when he saw the negative reports about Luo Yu, He Mu felt so refreshed that he even had an extra meal of lunch, thinking that Chairman Ou would surely fight for the role of Wen Yuchi for him!
With Dijun Media’s intervention, Luo Yu would certainly be unable to hold his head up.
But who would have thought that after lunch, He Mu found not only that all the negative hot searches about Luo Yu had disappeared but that Luo Yu had signed with Yinchuan Culture!
When Jiang Yinchuan left Honghe Film and Television, it caused a huge stir, and the industry was predicting that his company would become a new rising star in the film industry.
Many artists were eager to sign with his company.
Just three days ago, He Mu attended a variety show and overheard two artists in the restroom discussing their desire to join Jiang Yinchuan. They said Jiang Yinchuan had the ability and means, with well-made projects and a discerning eye—those chosen by him would surely succeed.
He Mu regretted approaching the inept Jiang Yunxie, who only knew how to exploit people, rather than the pragmatic Jiang Yinchuan.
But Jiang Yinchuan… actually signed Luo Yu!
Luo Yu's fans, popularity, and commercial value had far surpassed He Mu's, and now he only had topic interest. “Counterattack” and “Storm” hadn’t even aired yet!
How could Jiang Yinchuan know if Luo Yu could win over the audience with just two supporting roles!
This made He Mu, who had eaten two bowls of rice, feel sour, as if the acidity was rising from his stomach.
He used a newly registered account to mock Luo Yu but was reported, with the system warning that any further extreme comments might lead to account suspension.
He felt a lump of anger stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
The agent knocked and entered the room. Seeing He Mu reddened face while playing on his phone, he almost slid to his knees.
"Don’t tell me you're targeting Luo Yu again! Don’t forget your apology letter!"
"Do you have something to say?"
The mention of the apology letter made He Mu’s face burn with pain.
“The role you wanted—Wen Yuchi…”
He Mu instinctively asked, “Don’t tell me Luo Yu is auditioning too!”
“Yes. And Yinchuan Culture will also assist with the film’s overseas distribution.”
In other words, when it came to competing backgrounds, He Mu couldn’t surpass Luo Yu this time.
He Mu’s heart sank, and the sense of failure from losing to Luo Yu despite staying up all night with his acting trainer overwhelmed him.
“If that’s the case… I… I’ll give up this role…” He Mu said softly.
The agent sneered, “You can not go, but I heard that in order to match the actor for Wen Yuchi with Gu Xiaowei, Gu Xiaowei will act with every auditionee. Are you sure you want to miss this chance to interact with him up close?”
He Mu was tempted. Acting with Gu Xiaowei?
“Don’t you want to reverse Gu Xiaowei’s impression of you? Even if Chairman Ou is going to help you, don’t you still need to show up at the audition? It’s like an exam—you want to pass, but you can’t submit a blank paper, right?” The agent had been guiding He Mu like a spoiled child, and his patience was wearing thin.
“Okay… but wait, the audition won’t be made public, will it?” He Mu asked worriedly.
“As long as you don’t do anything weird, why would the director release the audition footage?”
Previously, the public release of the audition video for “Counterattack” had led to much mockery of He Mu.
Don’t doubt it—where there are fans, there are bound to be haters. He Mu knew how haters manipulated mindsets, so he used similar tactics to mess with Luo Yu’s mindset.
But while such methods used to be foolproof, Luo Yu seemed not to care at all now.
Meanwhile, Luo Yu was at the edge of the pool at the gym, gliding smoothly through the water, his legs swinging like a fish tail as he swam several meters.
The pool was nearly empty, and Luo Yu swam back and forth with ease.
After tiring, he lazily flipped over and floated on the water’s surface, adjusting his breathing.
He sensed the calm water being disturbed, something approaching him.
Luo Yu instinctively turned over, only to find another person in the water.
Someone had swum below him!
Luo Yu was startled, but the person sank further down, their swim cap coming off, revealing black hair flowing like a poppy flower in the water.
Through his goggles, Luo Yu saw a pair of amber eyes, their clarity seeming to pull his heart and mind away.
Luo Yu choked on water and lost his balance.
As he was about to flail in the water, a force gripped his waist, easily lifting him out of the water.
By the time Luo Yu came to his senses, he was already holding onto the person’s shoulders, while the person’s arms tightly encircled his waist. With every cough Luo Yu could feel the strength of their arms.
“Cough, cough… Gu… Gu Xiaowei, how come you’re here?” Luo Yu wiped the water from his face and lifted his goggles.
Gu Xiaowei tilted his head back, water droplets sliding down his hair, tracing the lines of his face and sharp jawline, before dripping back into the pool.
He looked at Luo Yu and said, “Of course, I’m not here just to take a bath.”
Luo Yu patted his arm, signaling him to let go, “Was it on purpose? Swimming below me to scare me?”
Though Luo Yu thought Gu Xiaowei wouldn’t do something so childish, Gu Xiaowei directly replied, “I just wanted to see your silhouette underwater.”
“Huh?” Luo Yu stood there, suddenly unsure of what to do.
Because at that moment, the azure pool seemed to bubble and boil.
He didn’t expect… that this spontaneous or premeditated remark would stir his emotions so.
Gu Xiaowei turned his face sideways, “Don’t you want to comment?”
Luo Yu quickly realized that Gu Xiaowei was continuing his “romantic scene” act.
“Heh.” Luo Yu lowered his eyes, letting out a light laugh, and gently tapped Gu Xiaowei’s waterproof goggles, “Do you know why I choked?”
“Scared by me.”
“No, it’s because I suddenly found your eyes beautiful, like the water lilies on Lugu Lake.”
The last few words were spoken lightly, drawn out with Luo Yu’s translucent male voice, teasing Gu Xiaowei’s “romantic scene,” or perhaps genuinely admiring Gu Xiaowei’s eyes.
Gu Xiaowei’s arms tightened for a moment but soon released Luo Yu.
“You’re blushing. That should not be acting.”
After saying that, Luo Yu submerged into the water and swam to the other side.
Gu Xiaowei watched Luo Yu’s shoulders and back rise and fall on the water’s surface, his throat bobbing slightly, then dove into the water.
Both reached the opposite side almost simultaneously.
Luo Yu leaned against the pool wall, turned around, and smiled, "Aren't you going to quickly retrieve your swim cap?"
"Do you want to race 50 meters?" Gu Xiaowei asked.
Luo Yu looked at his broad shoulders and felt a sense of invasion rather than detachment.
"No."
Gu Xiaowei asked again, "Why?"
"I can't swim faster than you," Luo Yu answered straightforwardly.
This candid admission left Gu Xiaowei at a loss for words.
Gu Xiaowei swam to the center of the pool and retrieved his swim cap. When he turned around, he saw Luo Yu leisurely swimming backstroke.
His legs were long, folding up as he kicked, and his Adam’s apple appeared intermittently through the water's ripples.
The water became faintly warm, and Gu Xiaowei kept his gaze on Luo Yu until he reached the opposite side.
"Hey, I didn't expect you to come to a public pool," Luo Yu said, leaning against the pool wall.
Gu Xiaowei swam over leisurely and asked, "Then where should I swim?"
"I thought you... might live in a villa with a pool on the roof," Luo Yu said, laughing as he looked at Gu Xiaowei. "Am I watching too many idol dramas? Don’t you have a big villa or a pool?"
Gu Xiaowei smiled faintly and said, "I’d like to have one now."
At that moment, light laughter and chatting came from the poolside.
Two young female students in swimsuits arrived and descended into the pool via the ladder.
Luo Yu and Gu Xiaowei both put on their swim goggles.
They had initially thought that wearing goggles and swim caps would keep them from attracting attention, but they had underestimated their own attractiveness.
One appeared aloof and handsome, and the other was graceful with a hint of a smile.
The two girls didn’t approach but kept glancing in their direction.
Suddenly, Gu Xiaowei turned, braced himself against the pool edge, and lifted himself out.
In that moment, his shoulder muscles tensed, and the masculine aggression that usually remained hidden under clothes was fully revealed.
Water flowed down his back muscles, creating a dramatic visual that made Luo Yu’s heart race, unable to look away.
When Gu Xiaowei was on the ground, he knelt down, leaned close to Luo Yu’s ear, and said, "Let’s go."
"Ah, okay."
Luo Yu didn’t mind other people being in the pool. After all, they wouldn’t be able to take photos underwater.
But Gu Xiaowei, who didn’t care about being followed in the supermarket, suddenly seemed concerned.
Perhaps it was because... he was only in swim trunks?
Luo Yu pushed himself up to the walkway, but his hand slipped, nearly falling back into the water. Gu Xiaowei quickly reached out and pulled him up.
Luo Yu felt the strength in the arm that held him around his waist as it tightened and exerted force.
Luo Yu hadn’t expected Gu Xiaowei’s arm strength... no, it wasn’t just arm strength, but also involved the power from his waist and shoulders. It was really impressive.
"Are you okay?" Gu Xiaowei’s voice came near, accompanied by a slight air vibration.
"I’m fine," Luo Yu said, patting Gu Xiaowei’s arm. "Teacher Gu, I know you’re strong. If you squeeze me any tighter, I might vomit."
"Ha." Gu Xiaowei’s expression was cool as he released his hold and walked towards the men's changing room, with Luo Yu following behind.
The two girls in the pool finally began to chat.
"Did you see that? Those two guys were so handsome! Even though we couldn't see their eyes, just their chins make them look like models."
"And the one who pulled himself out of the water was really cool!"
"Did you see how he lifted his friend? Didn’t it seem like…"
"Overly possessive?"
"Haha! By the way, don’t you think he looks like Gu Xiaowei?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I was just about to tell you that! But Gu Xiaowei wouldn’t come to a public pool, would he?"
"He doesn’t seem like the type to come swimming with friends."
"Ah—I really want to see Gu Xiaowei swimming!"
"Haha, I also want to see Gu Xiaowei pulling his beloved out of the water with a dramatic gesture!"
Luo Yu, who had already entered the bathroom, was unaware of what the two girls were discussing. He and Gu Xiaowei were showering in separate stalls.
As he lathered shampoo into his hair, Luo Yu thought about how coincidental this was.