Top Dupe CH 090 Bringing You Into Character Part 1

"Ai Cheng? Does she want to ask you to go back?"  

Previously, Ye Shengyi had little standing in Ai Cheng's team. His makeup artist duties often extended to those of a personal assistant, so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t have Ai Cheng’s WeChat.  

But suddenly last night, Ai Cheng added Xiao Yezi on WeChat, igniting Luo Yu’s sense of crisis. Could it be that Ai Cheng had finally realized what she’d overlooked and wanted to pry Xiao Yezi away from him?  

“No, no! I’m happy with you every day! Why would I go to her? It’s just she and her friends want your autographed photo!” Ye Shengyi quickly explained.  

“Oh—” Luo Yu finally relaxed. “That’s fine. But I don’t have any photos with me.”  

“That’s what I told Ai Cheng too. But who’d have thought she’d send me a box of postcards by courier? They’re some company-authorized fan merch, about dozens of them…”  

“Dozens? Does Ai Cheng have that many friends?” Luo Yu was surprised.  

“As far as I know, she does. She’s got connections everywhere—girl groups, models, fashion designers.” Ye Shengyi chuckled. “But it’s okay if you don’t sign them. It’s not like you and she are that close.”  

“Ai Cheng’s your idol, right? To help you show off, I’ll sign a few extra ones.” Luo Yu gave him an OK gesture.  

“It’s your ‘paw’ that's really important! Besides, from what I heard from Ai Cheng, quite a few female stars are now charmed by your Bai Ying character. There’s even talk that you’re set to star in a historical drama produced by Producer Han, and a lot of A-list actresses have been reaching out to him, hoping to be cast as the female lead.”  

Ye Shengyi’s face shone with pride.  

Luo Yu found his enthusiasm amusing.  

“Really? Am I that popular?”  

Though Luo Yu said it, he didn’t actually believe it. Bai Ying was popular, but still just a supporting role.  

From nearby, Gu Xiaowei’s voice sounded, cool as ever. “How about I build you a tower, and you can throw silk balls to choose the female lead?”  

Luo Yu’s mood lifted inexplicably. Gu Xiaowei was jealous! As if Luo Yu could ever compete with Gu Xiaowei in popularity. And yet, here was Gu Xiaowei, mentioning a tower and silk balls… clearly, he cared quite a bit about Luo Yu’s growing female fanbase.  

This line of thinking left Luo Yu in high spirits. With a big grin, he replied, “Sure! I’ll even allow Teacher Gu to join in on the silk ball-catching.”  

Everyone around burst out laughing.  

Gu Xiaowei didn’t respond, turning his attention back to the script instead.  

Watching him, Luo Yu was reminded of a kid sulking in silence—just a bit endearing.  

Only, what’s bugging you, Classmate Gu? If you’re really upset about my popularity, why not say so out loud?  

As Luo Yu walked past him, he playfully flicked the back of Gu Xiaowei’s head. “Petty brat!”  

The first scene today involved Wen Yuchi, following Captain Zhao, conducting a second search of Lu Pingfeng’s villa, where a breakthrough occurs thanks to Wen Yuchi’s keen instincts.  

Yan Jun waved to Luo Yu, calling him over to rehearse lines.  

After running through the script together, Yan Jun said in a low voice, “My wife’s a fan of yours now. Can you give me an autographed photo to take home?”  

“Brother Yan, you’re really big-hearted! Your wife’s my fan, and you’re not even coming after me!”  

“Oh, if I came after you, Teacher Gu would come after me. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him,” Yan Jun joked.  

Luo Yu glanced back at Gu Xiaowei, who was sitting beside Director Sheng, listening intently to the director’s directions.  

Sensing Luo Yu’s gaze, Gu Xiaowei looked over. Luo Yu gave him a bright smile.  

“His smile is very attractive, right?” Sheng Yunlan’s voice piped up.  

“Hmm?” Gu Xiaowei turned back to the director.  

“I haven’t even finished discussing the scene, and you’re just watching him smile?” There was an uncharacteristic hint of annoyance in Sheng Yunlan’s tone.  

Gu Xiaowei pulled himself together. “Apologies, please continue.”  

With all the preparations complete, the crew called the actors into position, while everyone else moved outside the camera’s frame.  

The clapperboard snapped, marking the start of this pivotal scene.  

Wen Yuchi, holding a toolbox, wore a serious expression as he followed Captain Zhao into Lu Pingfeng’s villa for the second time, presenting the necessary documents.  

Lu Pingfeng appeared and, after only a glance at Wen Yuchi, realized the latter was in work mode. He simply said, “Please, Captain Zhao, make yourself at home,” before turning and walking back into his studio.  

One of the officers following Captain Zhao spoke up, “This Lu Pingfeng—he’s already a murder suspect, yet he doesn’t seem to care about anything.”  

“Either he’s sure he didn’t kill anyone, so he’s not worried about us collecting evidence, or he’s confident that his crime is flawless and that no one can expose him,” Wen Yuchi replied calmly.  

Captain Zhao glanced at Wen Yuchi with a curious look. “You obviously don’t consider him a suspect. Even when he came to chat with you that night during the storm, you were perfectly calm. The young forensics experts these days, I tell you.”  

Wen Yuchi replied indifferently, “I already filed a report with all the specifics of our conversation, including the pastries he brought that I ate without issue.”  

Captain Zhao threw an arm over Wen Yuchi’s shoulder, his attitude softening. “No need to be so touchy! I’m just curious. You’ve got a good eye for detail and logic. I’m always careful when dealing with someone like Lu Pingfeng, but you don’t seem to mind him at all. Tell me what you’re thinking!”  

A small smirk appeared on Wen Yuchi’s face, like a mischievous kid who’d succeeded in his prank. He’d been waiting for Captain Zhao to ask for his analysis.  

“Well, let’s talk about Xie Yun, the college student who died so beautifully at the crime scene. The autopsy showed that in a short time, she was stabbed multiple times, leading to massive internal bleeding. But the depth and angle of each wound differed, leading us to suspect there was more than one attacker.”  

Captain Zhao squinted. “You forensic guys and your theories. Couldn’t just one person do it, if they were quick enough?”  

“Is that what the profile from headquarters suggests too?” Wen Yuchi gave a sly smile. “My mentor and I ran some blood flow analysis. One person couldn’t do it alone. Compared to Lu Pingfeng’s painting, Xie Yun’s death had a sense of ritual—like a hellish feast where demons revel in their dominance over life.”  

At that moment, the studio door opened, and Lu Pingfeng stood at the threshold, arms crossed, watching Wen Yuchi with a gentle smile but an icy, statue-like aura.  

“How do you know, Dr. Wen, that I’m not one of those demons?”  

Captain Zhao turned, slapping his forehead. He’d been careless, discussing the case within earshot of a suspect.  

Though Lu Pingfeng had already closed his studio door, he somehow still heard them—did he have superhuman hearing?  

Wen Yuchi laughed aloud, meeting Lu Pingfeng’s gaze openly. “I can tell from your paintings—you depict death, admire it, but you don’t create it. There’s no struggle between life and death in your work, only death itself. Whether it’s a redback spider or a butterfly specimen, it’s all post-mortem. So, no, you’re not one of those demons.”  

A genuine warmth appeared in Lu Pingfeng’s smile.  

Though not an art critic or collector, Wen Yuchi had understood Lu Pingfeng’s world after just a few glances at his work.  

“With Captain Zhao here, I still need to give you a warning.” Wen Yuchi’s expression grew serious, his gaze cold as though looking at a body on the slab.  

“A warning?” Lu Pingfeng stepped closer with a curious smile.  

“Yes, a warning—I’ll tolerate you entering my space uninvited and standing by my sofa in silence, but next time you lay hands on my throat, I swear I’ll use a scalpel…”  

“To slit my throat or pierce my heart?” Lu Pingfeng asked, still smiling.  

Captain Zhao nudged Wen Yuchi with his elbow, signaling that while Lu Pingfeng might be a suspect, they still couldn’t make threats. If he complained, they’d be swamped with paperwork and lose their bonuses!  

Wen Yuchi sighed, with a playful hint of defiance.  

“My scalpel is in the autopsy room, so I’m all bark, no bite.”  

The two locked eyes across the room, and with Wen Yuchi’s playful grin, the tension between them melted, returning to a more harmonious tone.  

The entire villa was silent. Luo Yu slightly tilted his head, watching Gu Xiaowei’s calm expression.  

Until Yan Jun, standing behind Luo Yu, suddenly sneezed.  

"Sorry! Sorry! It was my fault for ruining the mood!" Yan Jun apologized to everyone with his hands clasped together.

"No worries. This scene should be finished, right?" Luo Yu looked toward the director. "Director Sheng, are we good?"

"One more take," Sheng Yunlan said.

After wrapping up that scene, it was time for the challenging one today: Wen Yuchi analyzing the reason behind Lu Pingfeng's sleepwalking. This scene would also help Lu Pingfeng to open up and deepen his trust in Wen Yuchi.

Luo Yu, holding the script, sat in a corner of the villa going over his lines, while Gu Xiaowei stood next to him, arms crossed, watching the back of his neck. As Luo Yu recited a line, Gu Xiaowei would respond with the next.

After practicing several times, Luo Yu was about to go over it once more when Gu Xiaowei suddenly squatted down and slipped something into his mouth.

"Mmm..."

A sweet, minty flavor spread through his mouth.

"Your voice is hoarse—stop rehearsing. I’m here," Gu Xiaowei said.

His nerves eased slightly. Luo Yu touched the back of his head and chuckled, "You’re going to say my lines for me?"

Gu Xiaowei replied, "I can't say your lines, but I can help you get into character. Once you're in the role, you won’t need to memorize the lines deliberately—they’ll come naturally."

"You sure have a lot of confidence in me."

"Remember when you had that acting showdown with Li Shengyu? You memorized those long procedural lines in less than five minutes. Wen Yuchi's lines are nothing in comparison," Gu Xiaowei said, glancing at him. "Relax and enjoy the candy."

Luo Yu took a deep breath, and the minty coolness seemed to clear his mind. He unconsciously tilted his head, leaning onto Gu Xiaowei's shoulder, who was still squatting beside him. Gu Xiaowei, who didn’t have a small stool, squatted there without moving as Luo Yu leaned against him.

Luo Yu, with the candy in his mouth, fell asleep, not sure how he suddenly got so sleepy. Staff bustled around them, and Luo Yu drifted off to the scent on Gu Xiaowei.

"Attention, everyone! Next scene starts in five minutes! Actors, please finish your touch-ups!"

Luo Yu woke up with a start, realizing he had fallen asleep on Gu Xiaowei.

"How long was I out? Didn’t your legs go numb?"

He quickly moved to support Gu Xiaowei.

"I'm fine. You only napped for about two or three minutes," Gu Xiaowei said as he slowly stood up. He then reminded, "Let’s go for touch-ups."

"Oh, right."

Watching Gu Xiaowei's back, Luo Yu still had half a piece of candy in his mouth—sweet and cool, just like Gu Xiaowei himself.

The director confirmed everyone's positions from the last scene to maintain continuity, and the next scene officially began. The staff took Luo Yu’s script and Gu Xiaowei’s thermos. Luo Yu exhaled, lifted his gaze to Gu Xiaowei, and with one look, he was already in the role of Wen Yuchi.

"Mr. Lu, shouldn’t you explain why—during your sleepwalking—you’re holding a knife and leaving a trail of paint that looks like blood? And every time you sleepwalk, another victim appears, posed to mimic scenes from your paintings. If you’re still planning to keep secrets, you might as well head back to your studio."

Wen Yuchi gestured toward the studio, his expression hardly polite.

Captain Zhao, surprised, whispered in Wen Yuchi's ear, "Xiao Wen, you’re being way too blunt. He’s sleepwalking; how could he possibly know what he’d do in his sleep?"

Plus, Lu Pingfeng had a history of psychiatric consultations and lived in a deceased psychiatrist's old villa. Could he really be expected to know what he did while sleepwalking?

Lu Pingfeng wasn’t bothered by Wen Yuchi's directness. As he walked toward them, he said, "I do sleepwalk. I also have a habit of painting in my sleep. In my dreams, I walk to my usual painting spot, take up a brush, mix colors, and paint."

Wen Yuchi frowned and exchanged a glance with Captain Zhao.