Chapter 109 – I’ll Teach You

When Lin Ganzhi arrived at the scene in his car that cost a little over a hundred thousand, he instantly felt like he’d been deceived.

Because besides him, there was also Wenren Yi, carrying a large bag of snacks, and Qi Yushuo, holding a bag of fried chicken.

The three of them looked at each other, speechless, and instantly understood what Lu Xi’s little scheme was.

Wenren Yi was one thing, but he hadn’t expected Qi Yushuo to come as well. Seeing Qi Yushuo reminded him of the moment Yan Shengping got jealous, and a flicker of unease passed through his heart.

“Did he tell you the same thing?” Lin Ganzhi asked.

Qi Yushuo nodded. Even with a mask on, his height of over 1.8 meters and his aura were still very striking.

“I can’t believe Lu Xi has the makings of a player. How dare he trick me like this? Hmph, interesting!” Wenren Yi said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

The three of them were all in the industry, so the crew let them in quickly. This time, they were filming at a newly built local film studio. Following the staff’s directions, they arrived at Lu Xi’s filming location. It was an outdoor scene, set in a small garden. But before they could even enter, they heard a powerful, angry shout from inside.

“Laugh! Can’t you even laugh? If you’re sick, get treatment! Don’t treat a deadpan face like a treasure! To me, it’s just crap!”

Looking at this familiar setup, Lin Ganzhi actually felt a sense of wistful reunion. Walking a little further in, he saw that all the cameras were focused on Lu Xi, who was sitting in the main seat. It had to be said, Lu Xi in an imperial robe really had the vibe of a puppet emperor.

It was just that his current expression was hard to describe. To say he was smiling, his eyes were red. To say he was crying, the corners of his mouth were still trying to twitch upwards.

“Director Liu, if it’s not working, let’s not film him for now. It’s a waste of time,” the male actor playing the general said sarcastically, standing to the side.

As soon as he said that, the other actors in the crew started to murmur among themselves. Lu Xi, sitting in the main seat, was in a difficult position. He could only stand up tearfully and say, “Director Liu, you can film them first. I’m really holding everyone back. I’ll adjust myself first and then make it up later.”

“Make it up, make it up! Are you trying to make the editor switch careers to become a tailor? If you know you’re wasting time, then pull yourself together! Is it so hard for you to laugh? A Samoyed smiles more brightly than you! Last take. If it doesn’t work, we’ll take a break and eat. You might not need to eat, but others do!” The director, who was over fifty, still had a powerful voice when he scolded people.

Lin Ganzhi had heard similar things before, but his own professional skills had been decent enough that even the most bad-tempered directors had never scolded him like this. But he knew how awful it felt to be berated like that.

“Wow, that kid Lu Xi really wasn’t lying,” Wenren Yi said, somewhat surprised as she looked at the tense scene.

Lin Ganzhi grunted in agreement, then stood there watching Lu Xi, who was filming again.

With the sound of the clapperboard, Lu Xi tried to pull himself together. He looked at the actors speaking below with a stiff expression. The male actor in the general’s costume stepped forward to advise, “Your Majesty, the border is in peril. This subject believes we must prioritize the nation and can no longer continue like this!”

Lu Xi forced a smile. “This nation… is not my nation.”

“Cut! Let’s go eat! What kind of acting was that!” Director Liu stormed off in a rage.

The other actors also left. The actor playing the general clearly gave Lu Xi a dirty look before leaving. Lu Xi sat there, no longer able to hold back, using his long sleeves to wipe away his tears. He was already small, a young master who was perfect for being doted on, and now he looked incredibly wronged.

Lin Ganzhi’s icy heart instantly softened.

“I came all this way to bring you food. Stop crying. If you can’t act well, just practice more. Everyone starts from zero,” Lin Ganzhi said, walking over and pulling Lu Xi up to come eat.

Wenren Yi waved from the stone bench she had already claimed. Qi Yushuo was in charge of unpacking the food.

The things the three of them brought were enough for three adults to eat. Seeing this spread, Lu Xi’s grievances finally had an outlet. He hugged the person closest to him, Lin Ganzhi, and started sobbing. Fortunately, Lu Xi still maintained a final shred of decency; he cried, but he didn’t say anything else, as there were many people around.

Qi Yushuo silently handed him a tissue from the side. “Wipe your tears. The fried chicken is going to get cold.”

That one sentence successfully persuaded Lu Xi. He took the tissue and blew his nose. Then, Qi Yushuo handed a handkerchief to Lin Ganzhi, gesturing with his eyes that his clothes were stained with tears. Lin Ganzhi paused for a moment before taking it. Thinking of the past incident, he said, “Thanks for speaking up for me last time. I hope it didn’t cause you any trouble.”

“You were the one being slandered, how could it affect me? I just told the truth. I’ll always believe you, no matter what,” Qi Yushuo said, his calmness tinged with a hint of seriousness.

Lin Ganzhi smiled, but he felt a faint sense of unease, though he didn’t think too deeply about the relationship.

Before, everyone had only eaten Lin Ganzhi’s wild-style grilled fish. Now, with proper ingredients, they realized just how good a cook Lin Ganzhi was. He could rival some professional chefs. Lu Xi ate while repeatedly giving Lin Ganzhi a thumbs-up.

“Wuwu, Ganzhi, your cooking is so delicious. It would be such a blessing to have you as a wife!” Lu Xi said, wolfing down his food.

Lin Ganzhi retorted without showing any weakness, “If it were the two of us, who knows who would be the wife. Someone like you is just an eternal bottom.”

“Mmph, a bottom is a bottom. Bottoms get pampered. Unlike my brother, who gave me such a terrible job. I’ve been here for a few days and I’ve been scolded every single day,” Lu Xi said, sniffling.

Wenren Yi nodded thoughtfully. “This director is indeed very harsh when he scolds people. Did you tell your brother about what’s happening here? You’re a young master of a big corporation, why are you taking this kind of treatment here?”

“My brother just thinks I’ve had it too easy my whole life and that’s why I’ve become useless. If I told my brother, he would just say I’m useless,” Lu Xi said, wiping his eyes.

Lin Ganzhi and Wenren Yi exchanged a look. Why did it feel like Lu Xi’s brother was being too extreme with him?

“Although I don’t understand acting, I think your image is very suitable for this role. Would it be better if you weren’t so nervous?” Qi Yushuo suggested.

Lu Xi shook his head, a look of despair on his face. “I can’t help but be nervous as soon as I see Director Liu’s face. You saw it too, he scolds people as soon as he’s not satisfied. I’d rather he were my brother, who would definitely use his hands instead of his words. I now know that verbal abuse is far more painful than physical injury!” Lu Xi said, clutching his heart in agony.

Wenren Yi gave him a disgusted look. “You should save your exaggerated acting for the shoot later.”

Lu Xi lowered his head again and sadly ate his meal.

Just as Lin Ganzhi was about to say something, he suddenly felt a chill from behind. When he turned to look, he only saw the male actor who had played the general sitting on a stone bench not far away, eating a box lunch. For a moment, it seemed like his own illusion.

“After you finish eating, tell me about the script. I’ll try to help you understand the character,” Lin Ganzhi said.

But the three of them raised their heads at the same time upon hearing this, looking at him with an incredulous expression, as if to say, You’re both half a pound and eight ounces, what good can you do helping him understand?

Lin Ganzhi: …

He had almost forgotten that the original owner of his body was terrible at acting.

“I just wasn’t putting my heart into it before, but I’ve still picked up a few things. Technically, I’m still your senior.” In terms of years in acting, Lin Ganzhi had indeed been around longer than the newly debuted Lu Xi.

Que Jin had a shoot today and couldn’t come. The remaining ones were a pianist and an idol, so they couldn’t help much either. They could only listen to Lin Ganzhi and treat it as a last-ditch effort.

After the meal, Lu Xi briefly summarized the script for this scene. It was about a puppet emperor who did nothing all day, indulging in wine and women. The loyal general couldn’t stand it and advised him, only to be thrown into prison by him.

Lin Ganzhi listened and thought for a moment, then asked, “How much time is there until filming starts again?”

Lu Xi checked the time. “According to the director’s habits, there’s still about half an hour.”

Lin Ganzhi nodded and pulled Lu Xi along, wanting to go to the set to get a feel for it.

But the male actor who had played the general earlier blocked their path, his gaze unabashedly glaring at Lu Xi. “I’m telling you, can you act properly? It’s bad enough that you got in through connections, but you’re also constantly dragging others down!”

Lu Xi flinched and paused for a few seconds before saying, “I’m sorry, I’m just starting out with this, I’m not very skilled yet.”

“If you’re not skilled, then go be an idol. The only thing you have going for you is your face,” the male actor said mockingly.

Lu Xi could tolerate being scolded himself, but he couldn’t stand it when his friends were insulted. “Do you think being an idol is easy? Can you dance? Can you sing? Are you as good-looking as my Qi Yushuo?!”

Qi Yushuo, who was being defended, looked at Lu Xi in surprise.

The male actor was taken aback. He hadn’t recognized Qi Yushuo earlier because of the mask. He was a top star now; offending him would do him no good. So, he added in frustration, “Was I talking about him? I was talking about you. Anyway, everyone is very unhappy with you. Let me tell you, if you drag down the progress this afternoon, the main actors are going to persuade the director to replace you.” Lu Xi had gotten in through connections, but the two main actors had as well. He didn’t believe Lu Xi’s connections were stronger than the main actors’.

Lu Xi froze, his expression quickly darkening.

“You’re pretty good at borrowing the tiger’s might. The main actors haven’t even said that. Who are you to them? How can you speak so confidently?” Lin Ganzhi said, stepping in front of Lu Xi, his gaze lazy but sharp.

This was Lin Ganzhi, a man rumored to be covered in slanderous material but whom no one could touch. He didn’t even have to think to know he couldn’t win against him. He could only glare at them before leaving.

“Lu Xi, lift your head. Weren’t you pretty confident when you were arguing with us? Think about who your brother is. Do you need to be afraid of him?” Wenren Yi patted Lu Xi’s back forcefully. This kid was too kind.

Lu Xi looked gratefully at his friends around him.

Lin Ganzhi sighed. He thought he understood a little of what Lu Xi’s brother was trying to do. Someone like Lu Xi either had to be protected in an ivory tower his whole life, or he had to be forced to stand on his own, even if the latter was cruel.

Back at the scene where they had just been filming, it was too late to teach from the basics.

Lin Ganzhi thought for a moment and said, “How about this, I’ll act it out once, and you try to understand it.”

Although Lu Xi knew in his heart that Lin Ganzhi probably wasn’t much better, he was still very happy that his friend was willing to try for him and nodded cooperatively.

“Do you need someone to act with?” Wenren Yi asked, thinking of the scene from before.

“I’ll do it,” Qi Yushuo said, stepping forward. When he wasn’t speaking, he really did look like a cool general from ancient times.

Lin Ganzhi nodded and handed the script to Qi Yushuo. “You can just read the lines from the script.”

“No need, I’ve already memorized it,” Qi Yushuo said, but still took the script, though he placed it on the table behind him.

At that moment, in a pavilion not far away, Director Liu had just finished his box lunch. He looked at Duan Shaohui, who was playing the general, with a puzzled expression. “Really? Lu Xi thinks he can shoot again?”

Duan Shaohui smiled and said, “Of course. Lu Xi is already on set preparing. I saw that his state is completely different from before. Why don’t we take advantage of his good state and start work early, director?”

Director Liu pondered for a moment. “Let’s go have a look first.”