TF01 41

Zhao Zicong’s incident led to Shi Yi and Liu Li breaking up, but for Ying Ming, the aftermath made his position in the production crew more difficult.

First of all, both the director and producer were very displeased about what had happened. Even though Ying Ming’s first move upon returning to the set was to personally apologize to both of them and explain that the situation had escalated due to unforeseen circumstances, their attitudes did not soften immediately.

“When I cast you, it wasn’t because you were the best fit for the role, but because you struck me as serious and dedicated. Now it seems I was mistaken.”

The director was far more upset than the producer. After all, he was the one who had personally chosen Ying Ming. Not only had this incident disrupted work, but it had also caused a huge mess. The media was running wild with all sorts of sensational reports, some even speculating that people in the crew had ties to organized crime. There was no tax on speculation, so they would write whatever drew the most attention.

Ying Ming did not try to argue as the director reprimanded him. He simply admitted his mistake with sincerity. “Director, I am truly sorry about this. It was my personal mistake, and I did not think things through.”

“Try not to go out unnecessarily when you don’t have scenes to shoot. If anything else happens, no one will be able to help you.”

“I understand.”

The director paced back and forth with a frown. Seeing Ying Ming’s cooperative attitude, his temper started to subside, but as soon as he remembered the whole ordeal, his frustration flared up again.

“I just don’t get it. What were you thinking? Getting into a fight and getting caught in the act!”

If Ying Ming had always been a reckless troublemaker, it would have been one thing.

But after working together for some time, the director had a general understanding of his character. This kid did not seem like the type to stir up trouble. Yet Ying Ming kept repeating that he had been drunk and that the fight broke out due to a misunderstanding, refusing to elaborate further. From the director’s standpoint, he could not just let it slide without questioning him further.

The scolding went on for over an hour. Everyone passing by outside could hear the director’s furious shouting. Wang Yiqi was in the middle of shooting a scene at the time, but he did not need to ask to know that Ying Ming was probably having a rough time.

Later that evening, the two of them finally ran into each other.

Ying Ming’s mood seemed fine. He was chatting with his assistant when someone patted his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Wang Yiqi and smiled. “You’re done filming?”

Wang Yiqi nodded. “Yeah.”

For the past two days, their scenes had been filmed separately, mostly individual shots. Reporters had been camping outside the set, and the moment they spotted Ying Ming, they swarmed like lunatics. To minimize the hassle, the production team arranged for Wang Yiqi to film during the day while Ying Ming shot his scenes at night. It didn’t completely avoid trouble, but at least it helped a little.

“How was it? Got scolded badly?” Wang Yiqi asked, though it was obvious he had already heard what happened. Ying Ming didn’t say much. He just smiled. “It was my fault to begin with.”

“You always mess up when it involves friends or brothers.” Wang Yiqi wasn’t sure if he was sighing or reprimanding him. He frowned slightly but didn’t say anything more.

Not many people knew how he and Ying Ming had grown close.

Back when they first worked together, Ying Ming had been playing his supporting role. Though they were on the same side in the film, his lines and screen time weren’t much. He was mostly there to help move the plot forward. When Wang Yiqi first heard that Ying Ming had once won Best Actor, he found it hard to believe.

He didn’t remember much about that particular movie.

Later, he occasionally overheard people talking about it, usually making dismissive remarks about how fame never lasts.

At the time, Wang Yiqi was at the peak of his own career. Seeing how Ying Ming acted so aloof, like he didn’t care about anyone, naturally rubbed him the wrong way.

He got along well with most of the cast and often went out for drinks or meals, but he and Ying Ming never really hung out. There was no outright hostility, but they weren’t close either.

That was until he had a disagreement with the director.

The movie had been tailor-made for him, but there was one particular scene where the director insisted on using a stunt double. The action was risky, and filming it for real would increase costs.

But Wang Yiqi believed the effect would only work if he did it himself.

The argument between him and the director had been intense. It was the assistant director who finally pointed out that even if he insisted on doing the stunt himself, it wouldn’t have much impact unless both actors did it together. If he insisted on performing the stunt personally, then his partner in the scene would also have to do it without a stunt double. The problem was, no one else was willing to cooperate.

He searched everywhere for a willing partner.

No one agreed.

Just when he and the director were at a stalemate, Ying Ming unexpectedly stepped in and said he was willing to give it a try.

So they started practicing in private.

They trained for a month and a half.

They couldn’t afford to delay the filming schedule, and they had to complete the scene before wrapping up the movie. The exhaustion they endured during that period was something no one could truly understand just by hearing about it now.

But in the end, they pulled it off.

When the scene was finally shot, Wang Yiqi felt like he had won a hard-fought battle. Not against anyone else, but against himself.

Ironically, the scene was later cut from the final film. The director felt it didn’t quite fit with the overall tone of the movie, so after more than a month of grueling effort, all their hard work went to waste.

When the two of them finally went to watch the film together, Ying Ming leaned over in the theater and said, “Honestly, if they had kept that shot, the impact would’ve been even better.”

That one sentence was how they ended up becoming brothers for life.

Over the years, Wang Yiqi had come to understand Ying Ming’s character well. In simple terms, he was someone who gave his all at work and valued loyalty above everything in life.

Once he took on a responsibility, he would never drop the ball.

Wang Yiqi knew him too well. And because he did, there was nothing he could say right now. Ying Ming understood what he meant too, but he just smiled and replied casually, “I’m fine.”

In truth, he had already thought everything through back at the police station.

Stepping up to take the fall for Shi Yi had been impulsive, but even now, he didn’t regret it. With him handling it, the damage was minimized as much as possible. It might not have been the most perfect solution, but it was still far better than letting Shi Yi get dragged into this.

Thinking about Shi Yi, Ying Ming recalled the phone call he had received from him that afternoon.

Shi Yi had mostly asked how he was doing and whether he had any free time soon.

From his tone, it was clear he had something to say, but Ying Ming had no time to spare these days.

“Maybe later,” he had replied.

Shi Yi didn’t push the matter. He simply told him that if he ever needed help, he should just say the word.

He never explicitly thanked Ying Ming, nor did he explain why he had gotten into a fight with Zhao Zicong that day. Since Shi Yi chose not to bring it up, Ying Ming didn’t ask. In situations like this, words of gratitude were meaningless anyway. Shi Yi already owed him a favor, and how he intended to repay it was up to him.

After the incident, Wang Le kept asking Shi Yi how Ying Ming was doing, but he didn’t give many details. He also noticed Wang Le kept running over to the film set, but this time, he didn’t bother stopping him. He would just occasionally ask about Ying Ming’s shooting schedule.

Although the film wasn’t a big-budget production, it had a relatively long shooting period. Kou Jing mentioned that because of the incident with Zhao Zicong, Ying Ming might face some backlash. When Shi Yi heard that, he frowned but said nothing.

The media milked the story for nearly half a month before the buzz finally started dying down.

Then, out of nowhere, Wang Le excitedly ran up to Shi Yi, telling him that Ying Ming’s birthday was coming up.

But when Shi Yi actually asked for the date and did the math, it was still two months away.

“The fuck? You call that ‘coming up’?”

After hanging up on Kou Jing, Shi Yi nearly threw his pen across the room.

The guy across from him blinked, then scratched his head. “I just heard Wang Yiqi mention it. I didn’t know it was still that far off…” He paused before adding, “But honestly, two months will fly by before you know it.”

With how busy they were, time would pass in a blink.

Shi Yi didn’t feel like arguing over this anymore. He flipped through the calendar, marked a date, and remembered Wang Le mentioning that the set had finally quieted down a bit. So, he sent a message to Ying Ming.

After that incident, they mostly kept in touch through phone calls.

Sometimes, he’d call after work. Other times, Ying Ming would call during his lunch break. Their conversations were mostly about work and everyday things. Shi Yi had never spent so much time on the phone with anyone before, but somehow, it just happened. By the time he realized what he was doing, the call had already gone through.

Ying Ming’s reply came quickly and straight to the point, asking for the time and place.

Shi Yi had messaged to see if he was free to meet up soon.

Wang Le was still there, watching him text. “Is that Ying Ming?” he asked.

Shi Yi glanced up at him, then, for once, spoke seriously. “Wang Le, Ying Ming isn’t right for you.”

Before Wang Le could respond, he added, “And you’re not right for him either.”

That last part hit harder. Wang Le flinched slightly and muttered, “You can’t really be sure about that…”

“I can.”

Shi Yi frowned. “I broke up with Liu Li.”

Wang Le looked up in surprise. “You broke up?”

“Yeah. Because we wanted different things. Forcing it wouldn’t have led anywhere.” Shi Yi stared at Wang Le. “It’s the same with you and Ying Ming. There’s no future there, so why keep torturing yourselves? You’ll just wear each other out.”

Wang Le’s expression stiffened. He bit his lip, unwilling to accept it, and stayed silent for a long time. Eventually, he coughed lightly and asked in a low voice, “Did Ying Ming tell you to say this?”

“He just asked me to talk to you if I had the chance.”

Shi Yi set his phone down. “Wang Le, this isn’t about sexual orientation. I just think you’re not the right person for him.”

He wasn’t an expert on relationships, but at the very least, he understood that some things couldn’t be fixed with effort alone. Both of them were his friends, and there was no need to waste so much time on something where the ending was obvious from the start.

But Wang Le only lifted his head and asked, “Then what kind of person do you think is right for Ying Ming?”