April was the plum rain season in Xiamen. This was Qi Bailu’s first time filming in the south, and while he wasn't quite used to the persistent humidity, it felt novel—as if a lifetime’s worth of rain was being exhausted in these two months. Outdoor scenes requiring clear skies were postponed repeatedly as the director waited for the perfect light.
Toward the end of the month, there were several scenes to be filmed involving the second male lead singing at a bar where he worked. The producer had originally wanted to build a simple set in the studio to save money, but Xue Fang had his heart set on an old, atmospheric bar and wanted to rent it for a few days for on-location shooting. The two parties went back and forth but couldn't reach an agreement; the bar owner had demanded an exorbitant price, insisting they either rent the entire place out or only use it for an hour or two during off-peak times.
On-location filming involved too many uncontrollable factors. Seeing how much money Xue Fang wanted to pour into it, the production manager refused to budge. Xue Fang wouldn't give way either, insisting on the real location. After a few days of stalemate, the producer had no choice but to ask the investors for more funds. This request reached Yuntian Media, and Ruan Qiuji promptly allocated another twenty million to the crew. Hearing of such generosity, Qi Bailu could only feel that money truly flowed like water in this industry.
He had a premonition that Ruan Qiuji would come to visit the set, and sure enough, Ruan Qiuji arrived within two days. He came at the perfect time; his arrival coincided with a brilliant sunny day, finally breaking a two-week streak of rain.
Ruan Qiuji arrived on an afternoon flight. When he reached the set, Qi Bailu was sitting at the bar counter having his makeup removed. The director was nearby, discussing lighting with the cinematographer, while the bar owner stood watching the commotion, providing drinks (for a fee) to the extras who had finished their work. The bar was as lively as if it were open for regular business. Qi Bailu had ordered a peach cocktail with a very low alcohol content. He was sitting sideways to the entrance, so his peripheral vision easily caught anyone coming in. This time, it wasn't Ruan Qiuji who spotted him first, but he who saw Ruan Qiuji.
However, when Ruan Qiuji walked in, Qi Bailu almost didn't recognize him. He looked away after the first glance, only to snap his eyes back a moment later toward the man standing by the door, head lowered as he lit a cigarette. Ruan Qiuji stood against the light as the door slowly swung shut behind him.
He wasn't wearing formal attire today, but a bomber jacket in a low-key black. Though the lining was flashy, it didn't look gaudy on him. His hair was still neatly styled, and his temperament remained unchanged. But Qi Bailu was so used to seeing him in shirts and suits that this sudden change made it feel as if the person who arrived wasn't Ruan Qiuji, but perhaps a younger brother with the same face. He suddenly seemed to be in his early twenties, carrying a very direct impact of masculine charisma.
Ruan Qiuji stood there alone, scanning the crowd in the bar while smoking. A staff member stepped forward to stop him from entering, but Ruan Qiuji simply smiled and tilted his chin toward Xue Fang.
Because someone was blocking the view next to Qi Bailu, Ruan Qiuji’s gaze hadn't found him yet. Qi Bailu took the opportunity to watch him quietly without fear of being caught. Cheng Wenhui, who was looking at his phone, noticed the shift in Qi Bailu’s gaze and looked up, locking eyes with Ruan Qiuji.
Since Cheng Wenhui was there, Qi Bailu couldn't be far. Ruan Qiuji walked in that direction and indeed saw Qi Bailu sitting there, sipping his peach cocktail. Qi Bailu had finished removing his makeup; meeting Ruan Qiuji’s gaze from a distance, he quickly turned his face away.
As Ruan Qiuji drew closer, he realized Qi Bailu was actually talking to the bartender. The bartender nodded and turned to mix a drink. By the time Ruan Qiuji wove through the crowd, the bartender had already placed the glass in front of Qi Bailu.
Cheng Wenhui had intended to pretend he hadn't seen him to let them talk privately, but Ruan Qiuji had already sat down right in front of them, so he had to offer a greeting. "Did you just get off the plane, Mr. Ruan?"
"There was a rainstorm in Beijing, so the flight was delayed. Otherwise, I could have come earlier to see the filming."
"How many days will you be staying?"
"Only two."
Ruan Qiuji sat in the empty seat next to Qi Bailu, speaking to Cheng Wenhui across him. When he finally turned his gaze onto Qi Bailu, the younger man pushed the drink toward him, silently sliding it until it was directly in front of Ruan Qiuji. The pink liquid shimmered softly under the lights.
"Is this your treat?"
"A thank you for resolving the crew's urgent problem."
Qi Bailu pointedly avoided looking at him while speaking. Many people were casting curious glances their way, wondering who this newcomer was, though they soon looked away. Lydia recognized him as the man who had helped Qi Bailu on set before and whispered a question to Cheng Wenhui, but he remained silent.
Ruan Qiuji held the glass, his thumb brushing away a bead of condensation from the rim. He said softly, "And here I thought it was a celebration for a reunion after a long parting."
It had been less than two months—hardly a "long parting"—yet in his mouth, it sounded as if years had passed. Then again, fifty days without seeing each other did feel quite long. Qi Bailu replied, "Has it really been that long?"
Ruan Qiuji propped his right arm on the bar, the barely-smoked cigarette still between his fingers. He looked at him and gave a slight nod.
The production manager, knowing Ruan Qiuji had arrived, came over after a while to ask if he wanted to go to dinner, mentioning that a place had already been booked. Ruan Qiuji said, "It's still early, no rush." The production manager chuckled and said of course, to which Ruan Qiuji added, "The drinks here today are on me."
The two of them chatted for a good while. Qi Bailu didn't interject, instead pulling out his cigarette case to light one. Old-fashioned brass pendant lamps hung from the ceiling. Because the bar was an enclosed environment, the rising smoke lingered like white mist under the light, dissipating slowly. Qi Bailu listened to their idle chatter. After a long time, the production manager was still rambling on, so Qi Bailu began to boredly poke at the tiny paper umbrella stuck in the lemon wedge on his glass. The paper umbrella was deep blue, its surface so thin it was almost translucent, printed with tiny rose-red flowers. Ruan Qiuji watched as he poked the umbrella shut; those little flowers seemed to bloom right on his fingertip.
Ruan Qiuji picked up his own glass and sniffed the mint leaf resting on the rim. Half a minute later, he interrupted the production manager. "Why don't we discuss this later? Let's have a drink first."
The production manager wasn't lacking in social awareness. He quickly said, "Then we'll talk later." As he left, he placed a hand on Qi Bailu’s shoulder and patted it. "Bailu, keep Mr. Ruan company for a while."
The way he phrased it sounded vaguely suggestive. Once he was gone, Qi Bailu used the umbrella pick to bring the lemon to his lips, his eyes silently rolling upward. Ruan Qiuji didn't miss this small expression; mimicking the gesture, he raised his eyebrows and looked up at the brass lamp.
After Qi Bailu finished the lemon, he twirled the little umbrella in his hand. Ruan Qiuji asked, "Did you suddenly lose the desire to talk to me?"
"A little."
Though Qi Bailu said it, he didn't look truly angry. Seeing that Qi Bailu had finished his drink, Ruan Qiuji raised his hand to signal the bartender for another. Qi Bailu quickly pressed his hand down. "No more. There's a dinner party later."
Since he said so, Ruan Qiuji didn't insist. "It seems I should drink less as well."
Qi Bailu had seen his tolerance before and hadn't expected him to fear being pressured to drink. "I thought you had a hollow leg."
"You overestimate me."
Ruan Qiuji turned his hand over to clasp Qi Bailu’s, his index finger hooking away the tiny paper umbrella to play with it himself. Qi Bailu’s hand paused for a moment before leaving the pick to him, reaching instead for the ashtray.
Just then, Lydia prepared to head back to the hotel and brought Qi Bailu his long shirt-jacket. Although Xiamen was warming up, there was still a chill in the air after sunset. Qi Bailu took the clothes and thanked her. He wanted to put the jacket on now, but since he was still holding his cigarette, he handed the lit tobacco to Ruan Qiuji beside him.
Ruan Qiuji watched him put on the jacket, then glanced down at the time on his phone. It seemed it was getting late and time to prepare to leave. In a moment of distraction, with the cigarette between his fingers and the ember fading, he habitually raised his hand.
The moment he took it into his mouth, the moist filter reminded him that this was Qi Bailu’s cigarette. Suddenly, the smoke seemed to have a different flavor—Qi Bailu’s flavor. Ruan Qiuji paused, slowly lowered his hand, and looked up at Qi Bailu. Qi Bailu had just finished adjusting his collar and saw him smoking it...
Qi Bailu reached out to take the cigarette back, saying nothing and asking nothing. It was just a puff of smoke; he wasn't a petty person. He told himself that sharing a cigarette wasn't a big deal, but when he put it back in his mouth to take a drag, the tips of his ears turned a suspicious shade of red.
Ruan Qiuji didn't explain whether it had been intentional or accidental. His slightly numb tongue pressed against his teeth, savoring the bitter aftertaste. The sensation of the cigarette remained on his lips—soft and moist, as if what he had touched just now wasn't a cigarette, but Qi Bailu’s lips.
...Ruan Qiuji’s gaze darkened. From Qi Bailu’s reaction, he was experiencing the same sensation.
When they went to the restaurant, Cheng Wenhui went with Qi Bailu. The two of them rode in the same car as Ruan Qiuji. But on the way back, he was alone. As they neared the hotel, Ruan Qiuji asked the driver to drop them off, saying he wanted to take a walk to sober up. Thus, Cheng Wenhui sat in the passenger seat, head tilted back, watching helplessly as Qi Bailu pulled a baseball cap over his head and hopped out of the car to follow the man.
Qi Bailu was still wearing his backpack filled with his script, water bottle, and other sundries; he had forgotten to let Cheng Wenhui take it back first. In truth, they hadn't drunk much tonight. He wasn't drunk, and neither was Ruan Qiuji; both were merely tipsy.
They picked a quiet road at random and began to walk, like a willful adventure. The night was pitch black, and the streetlights were a dim yellow, floating in the air one by one against the glazed black backdrop like vivid, blooming marigolds. They didn't speak much after getting out of the car, walking at an unhurried pace, enjoying the gentle caress of the night breeze on their faces.
Passing a brightly lit 24-hour convenience store, Ruan Qiuji suddenly asked, "Are you thirsty?"
"Not really. Do you want to buy water?"
"Wait for me here a moment."
"I'll go with you."
Qi Bailu rarely had the chance to browse a store. Having this rare moment of freedom to walk about, he really wanted to go inside and look.
"Aren't you afraid of being recognized?"
"It looks empty inside."
Ruan Qiuji stepped forward to push the door open, and they entered together. There was only a middle-aged man standing by the checkout counter. Having just eaten, Qi Bailu had no desire to buy any of the snacks filling the shelves, but the colorful wrappers and bottles were pleasing to the eye.
The shelves weren't high. Qi Bailu could see Ruan Qiuji standing in the next aisle just by looking up. Ruan Qiuji was facing an open cooler, selecting a drink. In the end, he only took a bottle of soda water.
Qi Bailu pulled his cap lower and walked forward. Ruan Qiuji turned and walked forward as well, asking across the shelf, "Is there anything you want to buy?"
Qi Bailu shook his head. Ruan Qiuji walked to the counter to pay. The cashier was lazily scanning the code while watching short videos on his phone. Qi Bailu glanced casually at the shelf in front of him, thinking it was chewing gum. Looking closer, he realized the text on the packaging said "condoms." Qi Bailu was stunned. There were so many varieties, far more than he had ever seen—there was even a strawberry flavor. He was never the one responsible for buying these, so he had never noticed. In any case, Zheng Kunyu would never buy something like strawberry flavor.
"Passion pack," "Ultra-thin," "Ribbed," and even... "Fluorescent"? Qi Bailu was deeply shocked. Because he kept staring in that direction and his cap hid his face, the cashier glanced at him, thinking he was shy, and said casually, "If you want to buy them, just take them."
Ruan Qiuji picked up his soda water and glanced at the shelf. A meaningful look drifted back to Qi Bailu’s face. Under that gaze, Qi Bailu’s face suddenly burned. He lowered his head and turned to leave. Ruan Qiuji followed him out, twisted open the bottle cap, and handed the water to Qi Bailu. Qi Bailu said, "I still have some in my bottle, I haven't finished it yet..."
Back on the street, even the spring breeze seemed to have turned sultry. They walked in silence for a while before Ruan Qiuji spoke. "Back at the table, Old Zhang mentioned you were hit by a light stand. What happened?"
Hearing the words "back at the table," Qi Bailu felt a surge of tension, but he relaxed when he realized Ruan was asking about the accident. "It was half a month ago. During an indoor scene, a newcomer in the lighting crew accidentally tripped over a cable. It only hit my back."
Sometimes, working in this industry meant taking significant risks. Film sets were places where accidents happened easily; every year brought mishaps large and small. To avoid such dangers, many actors used regular stunt doubles.
"Didn't you go to the hospital?" Ruan implied—*and you say it wasn't serious?*
"Those were just external injuries."
"Why not use a double?"
Though using a double might get one criticized for being unprofessional, those in the industry who needed them used them anyway. Compared to being injured and hospitalized, being scolded a bit was nothing.
"When we were filming *The Anonymous Letter*, a stunt double for one of the leads broke his neck during a wire stunt. He fell right in front of me. His family came several times, saying they were going to sue because there was no proper protection, but in the end, it came to nothing. If I have to use their lives to trade for mine, my conscience won't be at peace."
In truth, it wasn't just that one time. His personality wasn't suited for social maneuvering, and on top of that, he had to deal with Zheng Kunyu. Many times, he had thought about changing his life—leaving Beijing forever, leaving Hengdian.
"You ask me why I persist. Perhaps I'm just unwilling to give up."
Unwilling to remain obscure, doing repetitive and trivial work day after day. Unwilling to give up the vanity of being above others, or the sense of achievement that came with an acting career. Was he truly unable to leave Zheng Kunyu? Without Zheng Kunyu, he wouldn't be where he was today. He clearly had many opportunities to leave, but in the end, he chose to stay. Qi Bailu knew his own baseness.
Ruan Qiuji suddenly said, "Actually, I once thought about being an actor."
Qi Bailu looked up in surprise. Ruan Qiuji asked, "You don't believe me?"
It wasn't that he didn't believe him; Qi Bailu remembered his mother was an actress. "Then why didn't you? It would have been easy for you, wouldn't it?"
"I also thought about doing other things. Like being a rock singer, a war correspondent, a pilot..."
Qi Bailu found it hard to imagine Ruan Qiuji with long hair playing a bass guitar. These must have been his ideals during his youth. He could probably understand Ruan Qiuji’s meaning—he likely succumbed to family pressure and followed in his father's footsteps.
Ruan Qiuji said, "Once you give up on many things, it's hard to find them again. But I like my current job too."
"Investing?"
"It's more like gambling."
Qi Bailu’s eyelashes lowered as if he had thought of something.
The conversation broke off abruptly. Ruan Qiuji asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Qi Bailu gazed at him, finally changing the subject. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like someone when you smile?"
"Who?"
"Eastwood, from the *Dollars Trilogy*."
Qi Bailu measured the top of Ruan Qiuji’s head with his eyes, thinking to himself that even his height was similar. Qi Bailu felt he was tall enough, yet in front of men like them, he still had to look up.
Ruan Qiuji rubbed his chin and smiled faintly. This was quite a compliment.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
泉水凶猛 | Fierce Spring Water | The title of the movie Qi Bailu is currently filming.
云天传媒 | Yuntian Media | The media company Ruan Qiuji represents.
匿名信 | The Anonymous Letter | A previous project Qi Bailu worked on.
镖客三部曲 | Dollars Trilogy | The series of Spaghetti Western films starring Clint Eastwood.
伊斯特伍德 | Eastwood | Referring to Clint Eastwood.
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Countless Blossoms: The Actor's Gamble | Chapter 52 | Within Arm's Length | Novela.app | Novela.app
