Top Dupe CH 072 Desire And Obsession Part 1

After everyone had settled in, Director Sheng Yunlan organized a script reading session for the entire cast. 

It was during this session that Luo Yu met the other actors in the film. 

Yan Jun, who played the role of the police captain, had a stern and rugged face. After only reading just a few lines of dialogue, he fully embodied the experienced and decisive nature of a police captain. However, once he put down the script, his entire demeanor changed, becoming gentle and kind. He had just become a father, with a six-month-old daughter, and was a doting father through and through. Whenever the script was not being discussed, he would be showing off videos of his daughter to the people on either side of him.

"Look at my daughter! Isn’t she cute? Isn’t she beautiful? Look at her big eyes, don’t they look like mine?"

"Yes, yes, she looks like you. All the beautiful parts resemble you," Luo Yu could already guess what he was going to say next.

"Well, not everything looks like me. Her little chin looks like my wife’s, and her double eyelids too. Most of her good looks come from my wife. My wife is really beautiful."

"Yes, sister-in-law is a rare beauty," Luo Yu agreed.

Sitting across from Luo Yu was Nie Yangchen, who played the role of a personal assistant to a collector. Speaking of Nie Yangchen, he was the man who had "abandoned" Jiang Yinchuan. Nie Yangchen had graduated from drama school and had formal acting training. He had gained some fame after playing the younger version of the lead character in a popular political drama.

As Luo Yu held his script, he observed Nie Yangchen. 

Tsk, just as expected, Jiang Yinchuan’s taste wasn’t bad. A man—no, an actor—who could make Ou Juntao and Jiang Yinchuan fight for his attention had to be top-tier in both looks and acting skills.

Nie Yangchen had slanted, sharp eyebrows, but his eyes, gently contoured, softened the coldness brought by his strong brow bone. The height of his nose added a touch of elegance to his features, while his well-defined jawline promised a sharper, more masculine look with age.

Yes, a timeless appearance that wouldn’t easily go out of style.

Nie Yangchen noticed Luo Yu looking at him and smiled graciously, "Brother Luo, you’re staring at me like that—it’s making me shy."

"What's there to be shy about when you look this handsome?" Luo Yu replied with a smile.

"I’m no match for you, Brother Luo. Even Chairman Ou said you’ve got a model-perfect face," Nie Yangchen said.

Luo Yu shook his head. "I wouldn’t dare to accept such praise, especially with Teacher Gu sitting right here."

After saying this, Luo Yu realized that Gu Xiaowei hadn’t spoken at all during the entire session. He turned his head and saw Gu Xiaowei staring down at the script, his long lashes casting shadows like dark raven wings.

Luo Yu immediately stopped talking and pretended to focus on his script, though he hadn’t really taken in a single word.

"Your script is upside down," Gu Xiaowei suddenly said.

Luo Yu instinctively thought Gu Xiaowei was joking with him—after all, cry wolf too many times and people stop believing you. But when he looked down, he awkwardly realized that his script really was upside down.

He quickly flipped it right side up.

After introducing the key actors to one another, Director Sheng Yunlan discussed some specific details with the cast.

When the reading session ended, Luo Yu went to the bathroom and happened to run into Nie Yangchen. 

The two stood side by side washing their hands, and Luo Yu noticed that Nie Yangchen was about the same height as him, with a similarly broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, long-legged build.

"A lot of people praise your acting, Brother Luo," Nie Yangchen said with a smile. "Before I joined the crew, my agent told me that many people auditioned for Wen Yuchi’s role, but you were the only one who could really stand toe-to-toe with Teacher Gu."

"Is that the reason you declined Jiang Yinchuan's offer?" Luo Yu asked while washing his hands.

"Oh?" Nie Yangchen looked at Luo Yu with interest.

"Because you don’t want to be second best. You want to be the best," Luo Yu said as he dried his hands and walked out of the bathroom.

"You’re quite confident, Brother Luo," Nie Yangchen replied with a smile.

"I’m not confident; I just understand Ou Juntao’s tactics all too well," Luo Yu said as he walked away.

Nie Yangchen paused for a moment after hearing Luo Yu’s words.

"Brother Luo, you never agreed to Chairman Ou’s offer. How can you be so sure his promises aren’t real?" Nie Yangchen asked coldly.

Luo Yu stopped but didn’t turn back. "I know the pressure of rejecting him, and I can imagine the price of following him—you’d have to satisfy his absolute need for control."

With that, Luo Yu left, leaving Nie Yangchen to ponder his words.

Despite Luo Yu’s impressive looks and acting skills, he had been overshadowed by He Mu for five years and unable to produce a standout work. It seemed that this was all due to Ou Juntao’s influence. Even under such constraints, Luo Yu still managed to carve out a path for himself and even establish a connection with Jiang Yinchuan. He was no ordinary person.

Thinking of this, Nie Yangchen clenched his fist as he watched Luo Yu’s retreating figure. What would the cost be for him, having chosen to follow Ou Juntao?

When Luo Yu reached the bathroom exit, he found Gu Xiaowei standing outside, leaning against the wall and looking at his phone. It was unclear how long he had been waiting.

"Let’s go," Gu Xiaowei said, tilting his chin slightly.

Luo Yu suddenly felt like he was back in school, when a close friend would wait for him outside the bathroom, and they would walk back to the dormitory together.

"I was thinking of taking a walk around the resort. Once filming starts, I probably won’t have the chance," Luo Yu said.

"I’ll join you," Gu Xiaowei replied.

"You’ll come with me?"

"Otherwise, by tomorrow morning, you’d still be wandering around, lost," Gu Xiaowei said.

"My sense of direction isn’t that bad!"

"Do people who end up in other crews’ sets, becoming their son-in-law, really have the right to say they have a good sense of direction?" Gu Xiaowei asked.

Luo Yu rubbed the tip of his nose and resigned himself to following behind Gu Xiaowei. He was probably the only one in the entire crew who had the privilege of Gu Xiaowei accompanying him on a walk around the resort.

The resort was large, and after leaving the villa where the director's team was staying, they walked down the road.

Gu Xiaowei wasn’t wrong about Luo Yu’s sense of direction, as Luo Yu had no idea where they were headed.

"Where are you taking me?" Luo Yu asked.

Gu Xiaowei led them further into more remote parts of the resort, where some areas hadn’t yet been developed. Since their film crew was the only people staying here, certain parts of the resort didn’t even have streetlights on.

Gu Xiaowei continued walking ahead without answering.

"Did I do something to annoy you, Teacher Gu?" Luo Yu quickly caught up and leaned closer to see his expression.

"You didn’t annoy me," Gu Xiaowei said, continuing to walk.

This straight-faced attitude was supposed to mean he wasn’t annoyed?

Luo Yu laughed and, without warning, bent down to pick Gu Xiaowei up, planning to hoist him over his shoulder and question him about his grievances. But before he could, Gu Xiaowei wrapped his arm around Luo Yu’s shoulders and pressed his head against his chest.

"Now you’ve really annoyed me," Gu Xiaowei said, turning his head slightly.

Luo Yu couldn’t understand how this guy could be so strong. He pushed against him, but his head remained firmly pressed into Gu Xiaowei’s chest, and he was starting to suffocate.

Luo Yu tried to pinch Gu Xiaowei’s waist, but the latter simply tensed his muscles, and Luo Yu couldn’t get a grip.

"Did Nie Yangchen’s praise of your ‘model face’ make you happy?" Gu Xiaowei’s voice resonated through his chest like distant thunder, both far away and right next to Luo Yu’s ear.

"We don’t make a living as actors based on our looks alone!" Luo Yu finally realized why Gu Xiaowei was upset—it was because of the mutual compliments he and Nie Yangchen had exchanged.

Luo Yu understood the cause of Gu Xiaowei’s annoyance, but he still didn’t understand why Gu Xiaowei was so upset.

"Complimenting me with words someone else used—you’re really half-hearted, Senior Brother."

Those last two words were spoken very close to Luo Yu’s ear, and it made him feel unbearably ticklish.

Oh, so it was because Nie Yangchen complimented his ‘model face,’ and Luo Yu responded by saying he wasn’t worthy because Gu Xiaowei was there, which Gu Xiaowei took as using someone else’s praise to compliment him?

"You’re upset about that? You’re trying to suffocate me over that? Are you serious?" Luo Yu exclaimed.

Gu Xiaowei lowered his gaze, watching the crown of Luo Yu’s head.

Luo Yu hadn't cut his hair for a while to match Wen Yuchi's image. As he struggled, his hair stirred slightly, and the ends brushed against Gu Xiaowei's lips.

"I suggest you find a new way to flatter me," Gu Xiaowei said.

"You... you... your face is carved into my heart!" Luo Yu suddenly recalled some lines from a variety show and used them, "You're literally the lover in my dreams!"

To catch his breath, he'd already abandoned his dignity.

Anyway, Gu Xiaowei was as childish as an elementary school kid, so neither of them was more mature than the other.

"Oh, so how many dream lovers does Senior Brother have?" Gu Xiaowei drawled, his drawn-out tone like a hook.

Luo Yu was going crazy. The general public thought Gu Xiaowei was too uptight, but where was the seriousness in this guy? He was clearly a master at flirting. Who could handle this scoundrel whispering nonsense in such a serious tone?

"Just one! Only one!"

"Which one?" Gu Xiaowei asked casually, but Luo Yu was already sweating.

"You! You're one of a kind! Absolutely exclusive! It's you in reality, it's you in dreams, it's you, you, all you!" Luo Yu anxiously patted Gu Xiaowei.

What was he waiting for? Let me breathe!

Gu Xiaowei finally let go. Luo Yu stumbled backward, almost falling to the ground. His cheeks were flushed, and a strand of hair, damp with sweat, clung to his forehead.

"Are you trying to suffocate me? I'm setting rules with you—no more dangerous stunts like that! Do you even know how strong you are? If I don't die from suffocation, you'll strangle me to death."

Gu Xiaowei silently stared at Luo Yu. The sky had completely darkened, and the distant red glow had disappeared into the night.

The cold light from the streetlamps fell on the rose trellises lining the path. The once bright red flowers drooped, as though about to bleed black.

Gu Xiaowei's face was expressionless. He glanced at the wilting roses in the shadows and quietly asked, "Have you ever thought, maybe Lu Pingfeng also wanted to strangle Wen Yuchi countless times, to the point where death became the ultimate form of possession—that dying in his arms meant owning him?"

Luo Yu stood there, suddenly struck by the illusion that the roses, like black flames, were gloomily burning in Gu Xiaowei’s blood and bones.

Maybe it wasn’t just that he was too deep into character and couldn’t escape the role of Lu Pingfeng. Perhaps, deep down, Gu Xiaowei’s soul harbored the same obsession and madness as Lu Pingfeng.

Luo Yu’s heart pounded wildly, but he kept his face calm as he walked over and cupped Gu Xiaowei’s head.

Gu Xiaowei’s lips curved into a subtle smile, the shadow of the roses falling on the corners of his mouth. No one could imagine how beguiling he was at that moment.

"Senior Brother, do you want to take revenge on me?"

"I just want to discuss why Lu Pingfeng never really tried to kill Wen Yuchi."

After saying that, Gu Xiaowei gave up resisting, even displaying an obedient docility. Luo Yu pressed his head against his chest.

"Can you hear it? Just like how I enjoyed hearing the sound of your heart earlier, maybe Lu Pingfeng felt the same."