Top Dupe CH 025 Boss, Who Do You Want Me To Be? Part 2
The two of them leaned back to back, hooking each other's arms, pushing their feet on the wall of the sewer pipe, and rising up from the water little by little.
The wall of the sewer pipe was soaked in water and was very wet. Both of them had to use the strength in their whole bodies to hold themselves up.
This part was not meant to be done completely, but they really relied on each other's strength to climb out of the water bit by bit.
The prop master couldn't help but worry that these two would use too much force and cause the sewer pipe to crack.
The soaked clothes clung to their bodies, and every muscle exertion outlined powerful lines, like two intertwined vines, winding from the dark hell to the bright sky.
"We're almost there… Boss, hold on a little longer," Yan Ye said.
This line was not in the script, but Luo Yu's emotions were very stirred and matched the other smoothly.
"Ah Ye, didn't you say you wanted to climb the ranks?"
"Yes I do."
"How high do you want to climb?" Bai Ying pushed up hard and smiled laboriously.
"Let's see how high you let me climb, boss." Yan Ye joked.
The corners of Bai Ying's lips curled up, "I hope you are just like your name… to be ambitious enough, even if you step on me to climb up... you'd better help me kick down that old bastard Bai Zhongxing too!"
At this time, the subordinates Yan Ye called finally arrived and quickly pulled them both up.
After climbing up, Luo Yu could finally be separated from the character of Bai Ying for a while. He sat by the sewer entrance and gasped, his legs trembling.
Look at Gu Xiaowei next to him. Damn… he was not many years younger than him. But how come he had such good physical strength?
"Director, was it okay?" Gu Xiaowei raised his hand and asked.
Lin Yue, who was looking at the screen, came to his senses, called out a “cut", and the shooting was finally over.
Xiao Ding came to Lin Yue nervously and asked: "What they acted was a little different from the script... There was no part where Yan Ye lifted Bai Ying up in the script, and there was no dialogue during climbing up... Do you want to reshoot it?"
“To hell with a reshoot! Those are exactly the highlights! I have to keep an eye on the editor and make sure to keep them." Lin Yue picked up the thermos cup out of habit, unscrewing the lid and then covering it, then unscrewing the lid again.
He didn't know what the expression was on his face, but he knew that the chemical reaction between the two just now was several times stronger than he imagined.
Apart from being excited, he also felt regret about Luo Yu.
He was born to be an actor. Truly a hidden gem, delayed by that what's-it-name Zhuque Media!
Having Gu Xiaowei among the actors was already a gift from God to directors like them, and now he had discovered Luo Yu.
Maybe after this "Counterattack", Luo Yu's path as an actor would open up. In the future, he and Gu Xiaowei's back and forth on the screen should be very exciting.
Lin Yue smiled with satisfaction.
After that, a few more underwater scenes were shot. When the filming of this scene was completely finished, Luo Yu felt that he had almost turned into a giant prune.
When he climbed up on the ladder, his legs were weak and he almost sat back into the water.
A pair of strong hands supported him steadily, and the other man even turned sideways, letting him sit on his shoulders.
Luo Yu lowered his head and realized that it was Gu Xiaowei.
He was really as steady as a mountain. Just the hands on his waist made Luo Yu feel an inexplicable sense of security.
"Slow down, be careful."
Gu Xiaowei was also submerged in the water, his clothes clinging tightly to his shoulders. Thinking of how this guy could lift him up during the filming just now, Luo Yu had to admire his explosive strength.
…It’s great to be young.
No, he was young too! He must get in shape quickly and follow the example of Gu Xiaowei!
After Luo Yu went up, Gu Xiaowei climbed up.
He propped himself on the mouth of the sewer, the water pouring back. Even men would be envious when seeing this scene.
Luo Yu originally wanted to rest on the ground for a while. If no one was around, he had no doubt that he would lay down and fall asleep right there.
"Even if you want to rest, it can't be here."
Gu Xiaowei bent down, put his arm around Luo Yu, and lifted him up from the ground in one pull.
"You… how do you still have so much strength..."
Luo Yu simply handed over half of his body weight to Gu Xiaowei.
"It's not that much anymore."
Luo Yu was speechless, "Then to you how much is a lot?"
"Picking you up. Senior Brother, do you want me to try?"
Luo Yu's hand was still on Gu Xiaowei's shoulder. At that moment, he was not sure whether Gu Xiaowei was joking or serious.
"Of course you can't try! If… if I really get picked up by you… my reputation in the crew will be gone! I'm even embarrassed to receive a boxed lunch!"
Gu Xiaowei's expression did not change, but Luo Yu seemed to see the "I'm teasing you" evil smile in his eyes?
Xiao Qin rushed over with the ginger soup and a blanket, "Brother Gu! Brother Gu!"
The staff nearby took Xiao Qin’s ginger soup and helped her pour it out.
Xiao Qin jumped up with the blanket and covered Gu Xiaowei's body with it.
When she was about to get another blanket to cover Luo Yu, she saw Gu Xiaowei holding the two corners of the blanket open, walking towards Luo Yu and hugging him with it so the blanket covered both of them.
Luo Yu, who was rubbing his arms, suddenly became enveloped into a warm embrace, his cold back covered by a soft blanket. As soon as he raised his eyes, he met Gu Xiaowei's eyes.
"…Thanks."
The height difference between the two was not big, but the hugging posture made Luo Yu realize that it was no problem for the other person to cover him.
The tip of Luo Yu's nose almost touched Gu Xiaowei's nose. He thought that the other would lean back slightly, but Gu Xiaowei only turned his face sideways, his lips slightly open, looking as if he was about to get even closer. Luo Yu actually had a feeling that the other was going to kiss him in the next moment.
But Gu Xiaowei stopped and looked at Luo Yu with lowered eyes.
"You're welcome." Gu Xiaowei said.
With his usual aloof voice, these two words were like a match grazing Luo Yu's ears, burning with a hiss.
Xiao Qin once again confirmed that Luo Yu's status in the eyes of her Brother Gu was indeed extraordinary. She came up behind Luo Yu and covered him with a blanket.
"Thank you too, Xiao Qin."
Luo Yu got his own blanket and wanted to take a step back and leave Gu Xiaowei's arms, but he didn't expect the other to exert force, and he only ended up bumping into the other man's chest instead.
"Drink some hot ginger soup." Gu Xiaowei said softly.
So suddenly pulling him closer was to talk to him?
The two finally separated, Gu Xiaowei's voice still lingering in his ears, the air vibrating along with it. Luo Yu wondered if the water in his ears had not been shaken out fully, otherwise why would his head be so stuffy that he seemed unable to think.
Xiao Qin handed over the ginger soup, and Luo Yu finally left Gu Xiaowei's aura that had surrounded him just now.
He was a little annoyed, Luo Yu, oh Luo Yu, why are you acting like a fool who has never seen the world? When Gu Xiaowei comes close to you, you don't even know how to deal with it?
No matter how high his status was and how good his acting skills were, he still had one pair of eyes, a nose and a mouth. He was neither a monster nor a ghost. Luo Yu, why be so cowardly?
He blew on the ginger soup and glanced at Gu Xiaowei not far away. Xiao Ding was talking to him. He nodded, and then looked in the direction of Luo Yu.
Luo Yu adjusted his emotions and looked back at him calmly.
Next time... when this guy gets so close to him again, he would let himself become Bai Ying and suppress his aura.
Anyway, no matter what Yan Ye's status was, Bai Ying was his "boss".
After drinking the ginger soup, his body became warmer.
Xiao Ding came to inform them that they would continue to shoot the next scene, which was the conversation between Bai Ying and Yan Ye afterwards, and Bai Ying completely put his trust in Yan Ye.
The two of them were still wet. The subordinates who came to save them drove by a convenience store. Bai Ying got out of the car and bought a pack of cigarettes. He and Yan Ye sat at the door of the convenience store, smoking and chatting. It was the only time in the whole drama where they were closest to each other——having a heart-to-heart conversation.
Because the exhausted state of Luo Yu and Gu Xiaowei after struggling in the water was the closest to the script, Director Lin arranged for them to shoot this scene without changing their clothes while the iron was hot.
The light from the convenience store shone through the glass windows and onto the steps outside.
Yan Ye, played by Gu Xiaowei, slowly walked up to Bai Ying played by Luo Yu, carrying a box of cigarettes, and threw it to him unceremoniously.
"Boss, your cigarette."
This kind of casualness exactly represented the change in the relationship between Yan Ye and Bai Ying in the drama. Yan Ye went from the false flattery that anyone with a discerning eye could see before, to now being too lazy to flatter him, and acting like he could do whatever he wanted, which was completely because Bai Ying thought highly of him now.
Bai Ying showed a slight smile on his face, tore off the plastic packaging on the outside of the cigarette box, opened the cigarette box with one hand, and shook it, "How many yuan did you buy the cigarettes for?"
"Five yuan." Yan Ye lazily sat down next to him.
"Since you're going to burn out your lungs, isn't a five yuan cigarette box too cheap?" Bai Ying held a cigarette in his mouth and threw the cigarette box back to the other man.
There was a click sound from the side, and Yan Ye lit up the cigarette with a lazy look on his face. Not bothering with his boss he started smoking relaxedly.
Bai Ying frowned and raised his chin sideways, "Who is your boss?"
"You." Yan Ye said this, but he didn't mean to light the other man's cigarette at all. Instead, he threw the lighter to him, "Sorry, my hands are slippery, boss."
Bai Ying was too lazy to even glance at the other man and lit his own cigarette.
This was the first time Yan Ye saw Bai Ying lighting up a cigarette. The firelight danced slightly, reflecting on his eyes. There seemed to be many stories hidden under his slightly drooped eyelids. As long as he raised his eyes, the mundane past would fade away into the sea.
But Yan Ye wanted all his stories to lead to the ending he had planned for a long time.
"Ah Ye, are you a cop?" Bai Ying's tone at this time was different from when they first met at the KTV. It was obviously a question, but it was a statement, as if he already knew the outcome.
Maybe it was his own, maybe it was Yan Ye’s.
"Boss, who do you want me to be?" Yan Ye asked with a smile.
This time it was no longer a test, but simply wanting to know what Bai Ying was thinking.
Bai Ying had a smile on his lips, with a hint of tiredness and indifference to the world, "You should have heard that my mother was a liquor seller in a nightclub. Bai Zhongxing had a one night stand with my mother, and I happened as a result. But he looked down on my mother and ignored us. Later, my mother got addicted to something she shouldn’t have and ruined herself.”
This was why Bai Ying would never allow his subordinates to touch drugs.
"After a few years, Bai Zhongxing finally found his white moonlight, whom he had longed for. That woman also gave him a son. He hid these two people like treasures, and almost no one knew they existed. I was found by Bai Zhongxing, he told everyone that I was his son, and it sounded like I had a lot of status... But his opponents and enemies all targeted me, and all kinds of messy business came looking for me… While that woman and the son she gave birth was sent abroad to live the most comfortable life, spending my hard-earned money to help that woman live a good life, so that the real son in his heart could go to a prestigious school, study medicine, and have a bright future..."
Speaking these lines, everyone watching the scene had a strong resonance with the character Bai Ying for the first time.
Bai Ying's lines sounded calm, but his whole person had a sense of world-weariness as if it didn't matter when he would be annihilated.
Bai Ying was Bai Zhongxing's tool for making money and his shield, while he and his beloved wife and son sucked Bai Ying's blood until Bai Ying died in the quagmire.
This was just like Luo Yu in reality to Bo Wenyuan. After being used up, he was thrown aside and left to fend for himself.
Bai Ying may have had a strong desire for his father's approval and familial affection for him, while Luo Yu also considered Bo Wenyuan a good brother who could share wealth and woe.
They were not deceived, they just knew they were being used, but they still walked into the other party's scheme.
Bai Ying's throat seemed to be strangled by a force, but no matter how painful it was, he wanted to let out his own voice.
"Boss, what do you want from me?" Yan Ye asked.
For the first time, he discovered that Gu Xiaowei in reality and Yan Ye in the script merged into one. They were the only salvation in this dark world, a gift from fate, promising him a future that might not come true.
Bai Ying said hoarsely but clearly and forcefully every word: "Whether you are a cop or not, look at the sky. Is it so dark that even the stars can't shine? I want you to puncture the dark sky, smash Bai Zhongxing's rules to pieces… and let me see what color the sky actually is."
Yan Ye knocked his cigarette against Bai Ying's, neither agreeing nor denying.
The two of them were silent, and the director didn't shout “cut” until the cigarette in their hands was mostly burned.
Lin Yue stood up and was the first to applaud, and other night crew staff also clapped their hands.
"You guys performed very well today. It's hard work to do night scenes! It's already three o'clock in the morning, and it would be too inhumane to ask you to shoot scenes during the day! So I'll give you a day off, have a good rest, and adjust your condition!"
The staff and other actors cheered.
Luo Yu breathed out, and then he felt cold and sneezed two or three times in succession.
Soon a blanket was put on his shoulders, and a cup of hot ginger soup was handed over. Luo Yu didn't need to look sideways to know that it was Gu Xiaowei.
"Thank you." Luo Yu held the small iron cup and blew it gently. He had suffered a lot of cold looks of disdain from this circle. Apart from Sister Cui, Gu Xiaowei was probably the only person who was warm and considerate to him.
"Are you going to go back to your room?" Gu Xiaowei asked.
"Yeah. Lend me this blanket to use on the way back." Luo Yu said.
"If you go back now, you have to take a shower, change clothes, and blow dry your hair. Won't you wake up Fang Qin?"
Only when Gu Xiao reminded Luo Yu did he think of Fang Qin.
If he went back now, he would definitely wake up Fang Qin and affect his state of filming today.
"Come back with me." Gu Xiaowei said softly.
Luo Yu's heart trembled. Why did he feel like Gu Xiaowei was pleading with him?
"That won't be good, how about I ask..."
"I won't let anyone spread the news online, nor will I let anyone scold you." Gu Xiaowei said.
His tone was not heavy, but it was very sure.
"I also asked Xiao Qin to prepare food. After filming for most of the night, you also want to eat something hot, right? And..."
"And what?"
"I still have your pajamas." Gu Xiaowei said.
Luo Yu didn't expect that everything had already been planned by Gu Xiaowei. If he refused, he would feel particularly guilty.
"Okay... okay."
He lowered his head all the way, not because he was worried about someone taking a picture of him entering Gu Xiaowei's room, but because he didn't want to rub against the other's traffic anymore, in case there was a conflict between his anti-fans and Gu Xiaowei's fans.
But the tacit understanding between them when filming together was too good. Luo Yu knew that he should have more contact and discussion with Gu Xiaowei to maintain this tacit understanding.
At this time, there were not many people active in the film and television studio. Those filming night scenes would go back to rest, while those filming day scenes would not get up for more than half an hour.
"Senior Brother, am I the one who keeps you from raising your head?" Gu Xiaowei suddenly stopped.
Luo Yu almost bumped into his back, "How is that possible?"
"Then please don't lower your head, Senior Brother." Gu Xiaowei turned his head, bent down and looked upwards, earnestly wanting to look at Luo Yu.
Luo Yu felt warm in his heart, smiled, and raised his head.
As long as they were honest with each other, they didn’t need to care about other people’s criticisms.
Gu Xiaowei opened the door. He lived in a double bed room. The room was not large in size, the rest of the layout was similar to Luo Yu’s room. As the male lead of this drama and the most talked about actor in this drama, Gu Xiaowei could be said to not enjoy any privileges.
Everything in the room was neat and tidy, and his clothes were hung in rows in the closet.
On the contrary, although Luo Yu no longer dripped water, he could neither sit nor stand for fear of soiling the sofa in Gu Xiaowei's room.
Gu Xiaowei opened the bathroom door, put Luo Yu's pajamas into the waterproof bag he used to hold his change of clothes, and also hung a dark blue bath towel. At first glance, it seemed that it was not provided with the room, but was brought by him.
"Hurry and wash up. That bath towel is mine. I just changed it today. Don't use the one provided in the room after you take a bath, use it instead."
Luo Yu glanced at it. Even if he wanted to use other bath towels… there were none.
The accommodation in the film and television studio was not comparable to that in a big hotel. Although the bath towels were changed every day, they were very rough, contained a lot of chlorine, and were prone to cause allergies. Fang Qin actually used it as a mat to prevent slipping in the bathroom.
Probably because Gu Xiaowei never used the bath towels provided in the room, so he had already asked the cleaning staff to take them away. Except for Gu Xiaowei's things, he didn't see anything provided by the hotel in the bathroom.
"Why don't you go and wash up first? You are also wet."
"It doesn't matter to me." Gu Xiaowei smiled lightly, "Your hair is long and you catch a cold more easily than me."
After saying that, Gu Xiaowei pushed Luo Yu in.
In order not to keep Gu Xiaowei waiting too long, Luo Yu quickly took off his wet clothes and took a very quick combat shower.
Applying shower gel and washing his hair all at once.
Xiao Qin put down the hot porridge and side dishes she had ordered, and placed the laundry bag specially used for putting in changed clothes by the bathroom.
After Luo Yu finished taking a bath, he pulled down the dark blue bath towel and wiped his body, suddenly thinking, would Gu Xiaowei have to use this one as well later? Did he have any other clean towels?
He suddenly regretted that he had used it to wipe his hair and made it too wet.
"Xiao Wei, where do I put this bath towel I used? Do you have any other towels?" Luo Yu asked when he walked out.
Gu Xiaowei paused slightly, which made Luo Yu feel that it was too disrespectful to omit his last name and call him by his given name.
It was just that he felt that he was much closer to Gu Xiaowei than during the audition, and calling him Gu Xiaowei by both his given and surname was very distant, while calling him Teacher Gu was very official.
But unexpectedly, Gu Xiaowei said: "Senior Brother, no one has called me by my given name for a long time. It sounds nice."
"Ah?" Luo Yu was stunned for a moment, thinking that it was a good thing that Gu Xiaowei was a drama fanatic and was still practicing abstinence in his thirties in his previous life. Otherwise, with the way he would occasionally approach close and even say such words, even the most aloof goddess couldn't resist it.
Gu Xiaowei added: "Just hang the bath towel inside. Put the changed clothes in the laundry bag, and Xiao Qin will wash them."
"No… it's alright. I can wash it myself." Luo Yu had just stuffed his wet clothes in, only to realize that his underwear was also in it. He wanted to take it out alone, but Gu Xiaowei seemed to be looking at him.
To take it… or not to take it?
Who knew that while he hesitated, Gu Xiaowei walked to him and squatted down, gesturing to the wrinkled fabric with his chin, with a little smile in his voice, "The smallest piece, Senior Brother, if you are embarrassed, you can take it out.”
Luo Yu's ears buzzed and his face felt as hot as a fever.
Did this person really not do it on purpose?
He pinched it out, but found that he couldn't find a place to hide it.
Gu Xiaowei found a clothes hanger, "Xiao Qin has prepared a portable dryer. Mine and yours can be dried together, and it also has a sterilization function."
"Drying together" or something like that, Luo Yu felt that the redness on his face might not fade away at all.
The image of two pairs of underwear sticking together and blowing in hot air was really strange, odd, and very colorful.
Be pure in your heart, and all evil will dissipate! Luo Yu, Gu Xiaowei is a very serious and proper guy, clear the images from your mind!
"I'm going to take a shower. There is porridge on the table. You should drink it while it's hot."
After saying that, Gu Xiaowei entered the bathroom.
Luo Yu didn't drink porridge first, he still wanted to wait for Gu Xiaowei to come out and eat together. Otherwise, when Gu Xiaowei came out, he would be eating his leftovers.
He sat on the bedside and used a hair dryer to blow dry his hair.
Someone knocked on the door, Luo Yu asked cautiously who it was, but didn't expect that it was Xiao Qin who came back after going out.
She came over to take the clothes they had changed to wash. When the little bun on her head appeared, it looked so fuzzy that it made people want to squish it.
"Did Brother Gu just go in?"
Luo Yu looked in the direction of the bathroom, "I think he has been in there for a few minutes. My hair is almost dry."
"Eh? Why hasn't he come out yet... then I'll wait for him. Teacher Luo, continue doing your thing!" Xiao Qin looked at the closed door, then sat on the sofa and started playing on her phone.
Luo Yu thought to himself that the other seemed to be taking a long time, but this was also Gu Xiaowei's freedom.
It was a bit awkward for the two of them to sit like this. Fortunately, Xiao Qin had a good personality and Luo Yu could also have a chat with her.
"Does Gu Xiaowei only have you as an assistant when filming?"
Xiao Qin said with a smile: "I am a girl, so it is a bit inconvenient. Originally, Brother Cheng came with us, but before departure, Brother Cheng injured his knee while exercising. So I am the only assistant left."
"Are there no other bodyguards or life assistants?"
"Brother Gu has a strong ability to take care of himself, and he doesn't like to have many people around him looking at him. In addition to me, the makeup artist Brother Yan is also here this time. But Brother Yan lives with other people."
"Then he is really low-key." Luo Yu said.
"What is high-profile like?" Xiao Qin laughed, "Like some celebrities who act like they are the emperor on tour? Makeup artists, stylists, body doubles, plus assistants and bodyguards, basically a drama everywhere they go, and every time they go out it must be in a luxury van?”
Luo Yu was amused by Xiao Qin's exaggerated tone.
After a few minutes, Gu Xiaowei still didn't come out.
The steam in the bathroom had dissipated, and cold water rushed down from his head, as if to dispel the heat that had been boiling for a long time.
Luo Yu saw that it was almost half past four, and he had to let Xiao Qin get the clothes and go back to bed quickly, so he came to the bathroom door and knocked three times, "Xiao Wei, do you have anything you need me to send in?"
Luo Yu wondered if he had left something behind and was unable to come out easily.
The sound of water did not stop, and through the door, Luo Yu seemed to hear a helpless sigh.
It seemed that the sultry steam that filled the entire space could not find an outlet, hitting the wall countless times, and finally a gap was opened by Luo Yu.
"...I'll be out right away." Gu Xiaowei said.
The sound of water flow stopped, and Gu Xiaowei pulled the towel Luo Yu had used and put it over his head, completely covering himself.