Chapter 11 – Don’t ask. If you ask, it’s intuition.
When the talk ended, the classmates who had made it into A Day in a Star’s Life were over the moon to be on camera. Everyone else felt a little regretful: Gu Xi did not pick anyone after, did not single out a student to audition.
Even though the front rows were packed with handsome guys and pretty girls from the Acting Department and everyone had been eager with questions, Gu Xi clearly had no interest in adding to his schedule today.
Still, people comforted themselves. Gu Xi had already announced an open casting. The show would not air for a while. They should strike while the news was still relatively quiet and go try out as soon as possible.
Rong Jing drifted out with the crowd. They had not gathered this many classmates since graduation, so someone suggested a get-together that night.
But the notice was too last-minute; quite a few had auditions or were heading to sets.
In the end, Ji Leping tallied everyone’s schedules and picked a date one week out, booking a dinner at Xietai, a Black Pearl three-diamond restaurant.
If Michelin stars rate by foreign standards, then Black Pearl is the feast of China’s true gourmands.
“Three diamonds are hard to book to begin with, and Xietai is the hardest of the hard. Call first and see if there is any chance.”
“Xietai really is the hottest one,” Ji said as he called to reserve. He checked the tables, hung up a moment later, and shook his head. “Nothing in the next week. Earliest is a month out.”
The group sighed in disappointment. Rong Jing glanced at the troubled Ji. “I might have a way.”
He had already pulled out his phone, planning to ask Xie Ling.
The original had put every thought into Qi Ying and wanted no ties to the Xie family, presenting himself as an orphan to the world. After reconnecting, Xie Ling discovered that Rong Jing could not answer a single question about the family’s businesses and could not care less about his big brother. He was so furious he wanted to stuff the kid back into the trash all over again.
He practically forced Rong Jing to memorize an inventory of assets under his name and even did regular spot checks.
Before leaving, Xie Ling had asked his assistant Zhou Xiang to compile a report on his holdings, complete with short brand stories.
Rong Jing had not started memorizing it yet; he had only skimmed it. Xietai’s name had rung a bell.
At his words, an Alpha who had just been publicly snubbed by Gu Xi and desperately needed to claw back face seized the chance to sneer. “Did getting dumped by Qi Ying scramble your brains?”
“Lu Jin, watch your mouth. No need to be vile,” a girl said. She did not like Rong Jing’s pretending-to-be-rich act, but she liked Lu Jin’s showboating and bullying even less.
Lu Jin shrugged. “I would love to, but some people probably do not even know what Black Pearl is. Then they open their mouths and say they have a way. Are you insulting my intelligence? I cannot stand it.”
Plenty of Alphas nodded along.
He did not care about offending a nobody like Rong Jing. He would be rubbing elbows with industry big shots; who cared about an old classmate he would never see again.
Same film academy, two different worlds.
“Rong Jing, do not overreach. We all know your situation,” another classmate said.
It was not exactly condescension. For four years he had been so frugal he might as well have been on financial aid. Rumor had it he did not get along with his family and lived like an orphan. Countless people had seen him eat plain rice in the cafeteria, then take on extra jobs to buy Qi Ying another bag.
His poverty was famous in the Acting Department.
Anyone else might have met someone at a set or at a dinner and wrangled connections, but Rong Jing had not even qualified for crew work. A jobless wanderer. And he said he had a way?
Others murmured along but kept it gentle.
They were adults. Dislike did not mean ripping faces off in public.
If anything, the distaste in their eyes only deepened. The original had depressive tendencies; this kind of silent look would have crushed him, pushed him deeper. Rong Jing was quietly grateful he was the one taking the arrows now.
He knew how to self-regulate. He smiled faintly, put his phone away, and dropped the matter.
Ji Leping watched him become the target yet again. It had happened more times than he could count in the past three years.
This time it had started because of Ji, which made him feel guilty. He immediately called a well-reviewed restaurant as a backup venue and quickly set it up. “Alright, this weekend then. Spread the word to people who missed today. If you are on a set, let us know in advance. First reunion since graduation, try your best to come!”
People gave Ji face. Not only because he was smooth as silk, but also because after graduation word got around that low-key-for-four-years Ji was from a collateral branch of the Ji family. Collateral or not, it was still better than having none.
“Where are you headed?” someone asked Ji.
“Results day for grad school. I am swinging by the dorm.”
“Rong Jing, did you take the grad exam too?” In their eyes, only those who had given up on the entertainment path went for grad school.
“Yeah,” Rong Jing replied casually.
He had felt it earlier, eyes on him.
Not an ordinary stare. It had a chill to it, focused and patient, an animal looking at him without moving, observing.
When he was little, his parents had filmed a Hollywood blockbuster in the tropical rainforest, a giant python story. The snake itself would be CGI, but everything else was real locations. They had just discovered through the nursery camera that a nanny had been abusing him. Worried for their younger son’s mental health, they brought a somewhat withdrawn five-year-old Rong Jing with them.
They were busy on set and could not watch him every minute, so they asked staff to keep an eye on him.
Disasters cropped up during the shoot. They were short on hands, and the staffer had to run. He told little Rong Jing to stay put and wait.
He was well behaved even then. He nodded and waited.
But the staffer forgot him. He stood there for hours as the sky darkened, with no one answering no matter how he called.
In the end, he gave up waiting and ate his last piece of chocolate, wiping tears and holding his ground.
Hiss.
He heard it and looked, terrified.
Not far away, a large snake with a red tongue was watching him. He had no idea how long it had stared. Animals had always liked him, but he did not think a snake would.
Maybe that cold-blooded gaze left too deep a mark. He never forgot the danger he felt, like it might dart in to bite at any moment.
The only difference now was that the look had no aggression, only a clear coolness. Probably not malicious.
But no one was actually watching me. What is going on?
A few Alphas who wanted to see him fall suggested they all head to the library and celebrate after the results.
They remembered that on exam day, Rong Jing had confronted Qi Ying, only for Qi to pick a random Alpha and humiliate him. A lot of people had seen it. It had made the school forum.
After a scene like that, there was no way he had passed.
Ji tried to tug Rong Jing to his own dorm so that, pass or fail, it would be private.
A girl said she still had a laptop in her dorm building and suggested they wait downstairs to check. She had slipped up earlier in the auditorium and felt bad, so she wanted to help.
Rong Jing refused and eyed the Alphas hungry for him to trip. Fine. Let us settle this, or they will treat me like Hello Kitty forever.
He reviewed the original’s answers in his head. In his view, they were solid. The original had worked hard for the exam.
Most classmates thinned out. Only three other grad candidates and Lu Jin’s group trailed after Rong Jing and Ji.
“Sorry this all blew up because of me. But can you really book Xietai?” Ji asked. He did not think Rong Jing was someone who bragged.
“Mm.”
“Did you meet someone powerful recently?”
“No.”
When Ji got nothing more, he let it drop.
He liked being around Rong Jing anyway. It felt easy, not transactional.
“Do not let those guys get under your skin. It is not worth it. Freshman year, Lu Jin’s aunt was a lighting tech on a set and invited a director to our showcase. It was a rough show, the whole class was depressed, and he also… might have liked Qi Ying once.”
Rong Jing gave him a half-smile. “I remember that in the years after, our showcases went over fine. Lu Jin still did not stand out.”
Ji nodded awkwardly. Quiet as Rong Jing was, he was not easy to snow.
They could not accept failure and put all the blame on him instead. With a little push, they had iced him out for four years.
Ji stopped trying to be the peacemaker. “True. Whatever grudges there were, we have more than paid them back.”
Rong Jing glanced at Lu Jin, who was staring him down. “They just want a punching bag. They forget the old line: those meant to shine will get their chance. Those not meant to shine will waste a hundred chances.” It was something his parents had told him in his last life.
Lu Jin leaned in just in time to hear it and took it personally. He was still playing bit parts.
Since freshman year he had run to more than thirty productions with no hope of a breakout. He burned with rage, certain Rong Jing was mocking him.
Among Alphas, plenty ran hot and swung fast. Lu Jin was one of them.
He wanted to teach this guy a lesson he would never forget, so he would think twice about provoking an Alpha.
“Rong Jing, we are from the same year. I will not bully you. How about a civilized bet?” His aura swelled, pressing in.
“What kind of bet?” Rong Jing sounded like he did not feel it.
Ji clutched his head. They had been fine a second ago. How did it turn into a duel in a blink?
Rong Jing, I thought your temper was good. Treat him like hot air!
Rong Jing turned back slowly and blinked, as if to say, we Alphas all have our quirks. Ji covered his face. I am losing it. Why does this Alpha feel both manly and adorable.
“Your results. If you fail the prelim, you streak the track. If you pass, I streak. And I mean streaking, not a thread left on you,” Lu Jin said, carefully defining the terms so Rong Jing could not weasel out.
“Lu Jin, how old are you,” Ji said, disgusted.
“None of your business. If Rong Jing agrees, that is enough. You will not bail last minute, will you, Rong Jing?”
Lu Jin glared at the Alpha who dared to challenge him. For three years they had laughed at Rong Jing.
The coward had never fought back. Why was he suddenly tough today?
He would not let his authority be questioned. Did his face mean nothing?
“I will not,” Rong Jing said crisply. He pulled out his phone and opened the camera. “So neither side can deny it later. Video as evidence. Say it again.”
If it took one time to end a recurring problem, he would rather do it now.
Mostly he was lazy. Solve it once and be done.
It was the original’s mess. He had inherited the body; thus, he would shoulder the baggage.
Lu Jin’s eyes widened. Rong Jing wanted video? He did not trust him?
It felt like being silently mocked. Rong Jing’s calm confidence was infuriating.
So f***ing mad.
Who would back out anyway!
Lu Jin repeated the terms and snapped at Ji, “You be the referee. Post it in the group. Let everyone watch.”
Rong Jing stopped him. “Leave the group out of it.”
“Heh. Scared?” Lu Jin drawled.
“Yeah. Terrified,” Rong Jing said mildly.
That blasé attitude.
Lu Jin: “…” He was about to explode.
Ji and the others held back laughter as Rong Jing, with a few slow, flat replies, turned Lu Jin purple.
It really felt like Rong Jing was playing him like a top.
Then again, with that calm face and faraway stare, how could he be so devious.
Ji, do not assume the worst of your classmates.
With the bet set, the group subconsciously quickened their pace. Checking scores was already nerve-racking. Now it even felt exciting.
At a window above, Gu Xi was staring down.
His gaze was serious and cool. When he fixed on someone, the soft eyes looked as if they were coated in frost. That cold-blooded focus gave the illusion of vertical pupils, a touch of bewitchment beneath the beauty.
Down below stood Rong Jing and his classmates. From this distance Gu Xi could not hear them. He could only sense that most of them were not friendly toward Rong Jing.
If only a few disliked someone, it proved little.
But if most did, maybe there was a character problem.
He had noticed similar vibes in the audience earlier.
Gu Xi thought of that breakfast line, observation or genuine concern.
He had only intended to use it as an excuse to hear the man’s voice, but it turned out the man had been thoughtful. How could someone like that be hated by so many?
He decided to watch a little longer.
Sun poured over him like liquid gold as he stood at the window, and when Xun Jiarui came looking, this was the sight he walked in on.
His heart lurched. Faced with a beauty like glass, who would not waver?
“Gu Xi, you were looking for me…” His eyes were a little dazed as he stared.
Gu Xi came back to himself and smoothed into his public softness. Feeling the sticky drag of Xun’s gaze, he frowned so slightly it was almost invisible.
Not an illusion. A bit sleazy.
Gu Xi, do not judge with colored lenses.
“Did you take the subway today?”
“How did you know my car broke down? I had to take the subway with my staff.” He had almost been recognized. Rush hour had saved him, Xun thought gloomily.
Gu Xi paused. “Where were you last night?”
Xun was not stupid. Two questions in a row, and Gu Xi seemed to be confirming something.
He sensed that Gu Xi’s reason for seeking him was not what he had imagined, so he did not answer directly. “Where were you between eight and nine last night?” Gu Xi repeated.
He had no intention of making a public hunt. After the blocker spray, the man never appeared again, which meant he was not trying to claim anything. Still, Gu Xi knew what that help meant to him.
If that loss of control had gone wrong, it would have sent every Alpha in the mall into a frenzy and spelled disaster for him.
If the man had chosen to remain a stranger, Gu Xi only wanted to repay the favor without disturbing him. He would not deny it either: he simply wanted to find him.
To be honest, he really wanted to know what kind of creature he was.
Who would have thought two likely candidates would pop up at once.
Or maybe neither was it, and the person he should thank was not here at all?
No rushing.
Help like that deserved careful judgment.
Xun suddenly felt enlightened.
From the start, Gu Xi’s brief shock told him he was looking for someone.
The question mattered.
Xun was good at taking shortcuts. His rise had not been straight.
He took two steps closer. Before Gu Xi could step away, he caught, from the corner of his eye, the paparazzi getting several suggestive shots. Satisfied, he retreated to his spot and smiled. “I was at Maya Mall last night. I even saw your launch.”
In truth, he had been at his lover’s place, but Gu Xi’s Weibo had trended last night with comments about his schedule. The answer was easy to guess.
Gu Xi had noticed his glance and looked toward the corner as if he sensed something. “Alright. Got it.”
His smile was gentle, like a soft breeze.
“Want to grab a drink after you finish recording?” Xun asked.
“Next time,” Gu Xi said without thinking. “I have other plans tonight.”
Seeing him about to leave, Xun felt a surge of unwillingness. He had come all this way for a single question?
He grabbed Gu Xi’s wrist. Smooth and cool as jade under his palm. But before he could savor it, Gu Xi twisted, locked his wrist, lifted his arm down, reversed the hold, and pinned him to the floor.
Xun groaned in pain. His wrist bent at an impossible angle. A chain reaction ran through his whole body and he could not move at all. Gu Xi was stronger than most Omegas.
His face was white. “L-let go.”
Gu Xi’s coldness faded. He released him with an apologetic look. “Sorry, Senior Xun. Reflex.”
Xun rolled his aching joint back. There were staff all around. He could not blow up here.
“It is fine. I should not have grabbed you. What was that, some kind of combat training?”
In that instant he had been powerless. And yet after Gu Xi let go, he realized he was uninjured. Gu Xi had used a compound anti-joint control. It hurt like hell but did no real damage. A warning.
Gu Xi’s eyes were pure. He looked as if he had no idea what he had just done. “Xingyi’s qinna. Did your fight choreographer never teach you?” It was old Chinese martial arts long in decline. Gu Xi only claimed to know the surface.
Xun stared. Who actually learned real skills for a movie when you could fake it on camera?
Anger and frustration knotted in him, but looking at Gu Xi’s dewy, almost tearful eyes, he could not curse him out. He maintained his poise and left. Being pinned by an O was mortifying.
Once his back disappeared, Gu Xi’s frailty vanished with him.
Xun’s time, place, voice, silhouette, they all more or less matched.
Gu Xi pulled out a tiny notebook. He liked the feel of pen and paper more than a phone sometimes.
If he was going to find someone, he told himself, he needed data. His pen scratched quickly.
Xun Jiarui:
Voice: √
Place: √
Time: √
Build: 50% (too blurry)
Features: ???
Personality: ??? (slightly sleazy)
Gut feeling: none
Overall likelihood: 40%
Mysterious film student:
Name: ???
Voice: √
Place: ???
Time: ???
Build: 50% (too blurry)
Features: ???
Personality: ??? (considerate?)
Gut feeling: it fits, first sight felt right
He hesitated at Overall likelihood, then wrote 79.99999%.
With that many question marks, how could the number be that high?
Do not ask. If you ask, it is intuition.
What, should he hook his chart up to instruments to test accuracy? If he said it worked, it worked.
He tucked the notebook away and promptly forgot his talk about scientific basis.
He looked down again. The mysterious student was gone.
A staffer at the stairwell called him. Break was over. Time to shoot the next segment.
A small crowd stormed into the library.
With several handsome Alphas among them, they naturally drew attention from juniors.
When Rong Jing swiped in, he saw a row of students slumped over tables sleeping or reading. The place was hushed.
At the front desk, the librarian waved. “Aren’t you done with exams? Still reading? Diligent.”
Rong Jing smiled and nodded. The library was open 24 hours, and plenty of students pulled all-nighters.
The original had often studied here overnight while prepping for the exam, so the librarian knew him.
The librarian was all warmth for a good student like him, but when he saw Lu Jin and company his face cooled immediately.
No mystery there. Lu Jin had once brawled in the library with another Alpha over a freshman girl, breaking public property and injuring the librarian who tried to intervene. It had been noted.
Lu Jin had thought he would never set foot in a library again and did not care. The librarian taught him a lesson: punishment may be late, but it arrives.
“Hold on. You, are you here to read?” the librarian asked.
Lu Jin was not here to read. He was here to watch Rong Jing crash.
When they did not answer, the librarian said at once, “This is a temple of knowledge. If you are not here to study, please head out and take a right.”
“I am a student here. I can come if I want. Can I not even pretend to read?” Lu Jin bristled, but remembered the compensation he had paid for that injury and swallowed the rest.
“Have you forgotten you graduated? Who told you you could come whenever you felt like it?”
With his little entourage watching, being turned away would be humiliating.
So nice to him, likesomeone acting overly kind or indulgent (like the friendly KFC mascot),
while “powder keg” refers to someone who is
easily angered or prone to explosive outbursts. Colonel Sanders, and to me you are a powder keg?
We are both Alphas. He is more hot-headed than me. Otherwise where did the bet come from. What makes him more noble?
The volume had already begun to stir the nappers.
Rong Jing stepped in, not blinking. “He is here to check grad results with me. I am scared to go alone.”
Even Lu Jin could not bear it. Scared to check scores? Who would buy that?
Maybe Rong Jing’s face was too convincing. The librarian actually let them through.
Lu Jin: “…”
Do the librarians only judge by face now?
He stared at the back of Rong Jing’s head, unsettled. Something about him was different, though he could not say what.
Like he had never known him at all.
Rong Jing turned and said in that mild, unhurried way, “Not even a thank you?”
F***.
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