Top Dupe CH 037 Gu Xiaowei, Please Wait For Me Part 1

While eating, they ended up talking about the characters in the script and then about Luo Yu's audition.

"At first, I heard you were chosen because of your looks, and I kind of looked down on you for it," Cheng Fei said. "I owe you an apology. Your acting was so good, I almost couldn't keep up."

"It’s alright. During the audition, others could only see my appearance and not my performance," Luo Yu replied, pouring tea for Cheng Fei and looking into his eyes. "But Brother Cheng, can you tell me the real reason you were dissatisfied with me?"

"Ah..." Cheng Fei was taken aback.

Luo Yu's gaze appeared gentle but was penetrating.

Cheng Fei realized that Luo Yu had held back his powerful gaze while acting; now, it was truly intense.

The makeup artist and assistant at the table were also surprised.

Could there be reasons beyond the usual gossip about stealing roles and scheduling conflicts, or the fact that Cheng Fei's junior brother didn’t get the role, making Cheng Fei unhappy?

"We need to be honest with each other, without any hard feelings, to work well together," Luo Yu said, pushing the teacup toward Cheng Fei.

Cheng Fei looked at him, remained silent for a long time, and then sighed, "Ah Qing, Xiao Jun, you two go settle the bill."

The assistant became worried, "It would be great if you two can talk openly. But make sure to talk calmly."

Luo Yu nodded, "Rest assured, Brother Qing. Teacher Cheng and I will speak properly."

"I'm worried about him... losing his temper..."

Cheng Fei got annoyed, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'd hit him?"

Luo Yu also nodded, "Yes, even if it came to a fight, Teacher Cheng wouldn't win against me."

Cheng Fei gave Luo Yu a "Where do you get your confidence?" look.

The assistant and makeup artist left, giving them privacy.

Cheng Fei wasn’t one for long introductions and got straight to the point, "You probably don’t remember. A few years ago, there was a historical drama called 'Tea Ceremony.' Didn't the production invite you to audition for a top scorer role?"

"I remember."

"Why didn't you go to the audition? Did you think the supporting role wasn’t worth it?" Cheng Fei asked.

Luo Yu lowered his eyes, then shook his head. "Because at that time, I was being attacked online, and I couldn't handle it."

"Couldn't handle it?"

Talking about this clearly made Cheng Fei angry. He patted his chest and said, "As actors, our roles are destined to be judged by people. Whether they criticize you, slander you, misunderstand you, or even elevate the character's flaws to the actor's own, it's a common occurrence we face. You face it, I face it, and other actors face it too. If you can't handle this, how do you plan to continue on this path?"

Luo Yu's fingers twitched. "You're right, Brother Cheng. I regret it now. But... this is my audition. Why are you so angry?"

"Because... a friend of mine really admired you. He thought you had talent, so he showed your debut idol drama to the director of 'Tea Ceremony.' He also sent your school performance videos to the crew. His persistence moved the director, who then gave you an audition slot."

Luo Yu was stunned. "Tea Ceremony" was a drama from three years ago, by which time his popularity had already been drained by Zhuque Media, yet someone still remembered him.

"Later, there was another drama, 'Thorn.' That same friend... He's like me, not one to flatter or attend social gatherings. At that time, he had just secured his own position but still asked the casting director out for drinks for you. He got so drunk I had to pick him up. All this was to get you an audition! Do you know my junior brother really wanted that role of the prosecutor's assistant? But the crew didn't think his acting was good enough and didn't even give him an audition!"

Luo Yu didn't want to push the blame onto Bo Wenyuan, as it had always been his own mistake. He not only made wrong choices but also trusted the wrong people, failing to resist despite knowing the path was wrong.

It's not scary to walk the wrong path; what's scary is lacking the courage to turn back.

"It was my fault. I wasn't determined enough back then."

"And 'Sunset Avenue,' a major drama. My friend finally fought his way through the casting to get his role, then foolishly went to chat with the director..." At this point, Cheng Fei struggled to continue.

"He fought for me to get an audition for the progressive teacher role?"

"Yes! He even had a falling out with the producer over it. Of course, his acting skills were well-recognized, and both the director and investors liked him, so a producer couldn't affect him. But in the critical stage of his career, what if someone backstabbed him? And the audition invitation was sent to you, but you didn't show up! Instead, you went to act in some trash web series!"

Hearing this, Luo Yu already knew who that person was. Because on the night of Bai Ying's wrap up party, that person, while Luo Yu was half-drunk, had also asked him why he gave up those roles.

"Why... did he help me so much?" Luo Yu's throat was painfully dry, and he felt a surge of emotions he couldn't suppress.

"How should I know? He loved watching your 'Plum Blossom Rain' and probably had a starry-eyed view of you." Cheng Fei said irritably.

What kind of admiration would make someone repeatedly set aside their pride to help him?

"Brother Cheng, thank you for telling me," Luo Yu took a deep breath and said earnestly.

Gu Xiaowei had asked him, in a moment when his guard was down, why he gave up those roles. But with his character, he would never tell Luo Yu how those audition opportunities were obtained.

"Don't thank me. I feel impulsive now, I shouldn't have told you this. I don't like you because I think you're... heartless, weak, selfish, can't handle anything. With such good opportunities... If you could've grabbed just one of those three roles, you wouldn't be in this situation now," Cheng Fei sighed, speaking with a hint of frustration.

Luo Yu refilled Cheng Fei's tea and said very seriously, "Brother Cheng, rest assured, I won't mess up anymore. I will treat every role and every line seriously."

"I... After filming with you for a day, I know you're not such a bad person. Over the years, I somewhat felt that you were probably targeted. But why are you so useless!" Cheng Fei said, hating iron for not being steel, "Those keyboard warriors and hired internet trolls say a few words, and you can't take it. It's nasty to say you're eating He Mu's leftovers, but when there's no food, I'd eat anyone's leftovers! Not only would I eat, but I'd also thank them!"

Luo Yu knew Cheng Fei had also struggled over the years, and he survived, but the former Luo Yu was stuck in the mud, unable to rise.

Because back then, Luo Yu valued his pride more than his acting career.

"Alright, we've talked it out, and you've promised me! Let's move on!" Cheng Fei stood up, patted Luo Yu's shoulder, and added, "But I used to think my friend was blind for seeing potential in you. After filming with you today, I must admit I respect his judgment. His vision is far beyond mine!"

Luo Yu took a deep breath, realizing that in those dark days, someone had been shining brightly, trying to illuminate his world. He didn't see it and didn't cherish it.

That person who said, "Stand at the top with you and watch others chase fame and fortune," wasn't just spouting empty words.

Luo Yu's heart overflowed, almost bursting, as if he was back in his university days, standing on stage with his classmates, reciting "wild horses gallop for 30,000 miles," filled with enthusiasm for the future.

And Gu Xiaowei was probably watching him from the audience.

"Alright, it's getting late, and we have filming tomorrow. I'll take you back," Cheng Fei said.

Since Luo Yu's scenes in "Storm" were mostly in office buildings in the same city as his apartment, he didn't need accommodation arranged by the crew and could go home after work.

Knowing Luo Yu had no car or assistant, Cheng Fei went out of his way to take him back to his apartment.

From the moment Cheng Fei told him how those audition invitations came about, Luo Yu wanted to rush to the "Counterattack" set to see that person.

This thought grew stronger and stronger.

He wondered if he was crazy. But even if he was, he wanted to see that person.

It was already 10 PM. Even if he hailed a taxi now, it would be 1 AM before he arrived at the film base.

But by then, Gu Xiaowei would be asleep.

He couldn't wake him up in the middle of the night to say "thank you," or he would be seen as crazy.

Luo Yu was desperate to get closer to him, even if it was just to stand outside the film base's walls. That "thank you" would carry more weight.

He knew he was impulsive, but he couldn't calm down.

Luo Yu took a deep breath. Determined, he went to the street and tried to hail a cab. Several drivers refused to go to the film base so late, even when Luo Yu offered to pay for the return trip.

He tried to book a ride online, but the earliest bookings were for 5 AM the next day.

Luo Yu stood in the cold wind for nearly two hours, regretting that maybe he needed a car more than a house.

If he had a car, he could drive to find Gu Xiaowei.

The weather had turned cold. Luo Yu pulled up his collar and returned to his apartment, feeling dejected.

He took a shower, kept the lights on, and reviewed his script for tomorrow.

Despite having read the script countless times, he couldn't focus for an hour. His mind was filled with the image of Gu Xiaowei's look when they said goodbyes before he left the "Counterattack" set.

Luo Yu glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 AM, destined to be a sleepless night.

Habitually, he opened his phone, and his fingers unknowingly hovered over Gu Xiaowei's WeChat avatar. He wanted to say something but worried about waking him up.

But when he released his finger, a blank voice message was sent.

"Damn it!"

Luo Yu quickly retracted it, but a reply came instantly.

Gu Xiaowei: [What did you send?]

Luo Yu's heart trembled. Was he filming a night scene? Was he still awake so late?

Luo Yu leaned close to the microphone and whispered: [It's nothing, I just accidentally bumped into something.]"

Gu Xiaowei's voice message quickly came through: [As long as you're okay, get some rest.]

Gu Xiaowei's voice was deep and magnetic. Luo Yu couldn't help but listen to it several times, faintly hearing the sound of an aluminum drink can being blown and rolling on the ground.

A strong premonition surged in his heart. Luo Yu, driven by an inexplicable force, threw off his blanket, got out of bed, and quickly opened the curtains to look outside.