Autumn Deepens
In fact, the person originally cast to play the King of Western Xia was not Li Jin. His fame was too great, his seniority too high; his standing in the industry was not only far above Lu Mingxin's, but even a newly crowned Film Emperor like Mo Qi had to address him as "Brother Li" upon meeting.
Even a figure like the chief director, Old Man Chen Ru, whom everyone would give some face to, might not succeed if he tried to invite Li Jin to play a villain.
Therefore, the initial choice for the King of Western Xia was another older actor, skilled in acting but not a big star.
Normally, for a major villain meant to highlight the male and female leads, it would be better if a heavyweight actor participated. If not, a low-key, capable actor was also a good choice.
But shortly after the crew had finalized all the actors, he proactively approached the crew, proposing that he was willing to play the King of Western Xia.
With such a good thing happening, Du Li was naturally overjoyed. She immediately set aside her airs, went to personally appease the originally cast veteran actor, even compensating him with the advance payment, and then delightedly announced the good news of "Big Brother Li Jin" joining the crew.
At that time, Cao Yeyang was still in the detention center, and Gu Qinglan was far from confirming his role as Mu Yiqing. The crew was in a rather gloomy state.
This news came like a shot in the arm, lifting many spirits. After all, Li Jin joining any crew was one of the best forms of publicity for that production.
Before the decision was made, Gu Qinglan was, of course, also notified. But at that time, his health wasn’t very good, and he didn't inquire too much.
Even if he had long heard of Li Jin and had long remembered their connection from their previous life, this was still the first time they stood face to face.
After Li Jin spoke those words, Gu Qinglan's expression remained indifferent: "Mr. Li, you flatter me."
Originally, this was still a normal conversation, and Li Jin was merely acting a bit like an overly enthusiastic suitor. But then he made a move that made Lu Mingxin's eyes widen instantly, sensing an inexplicable crisis.
He simply took a step forward, grabbed Gu Qinglan's wrist, and said with a loud laugh, "Not at all, I've long heard of Mr. Gu's great name and have always admired you greatly."
If this were a normal, polite handshake, Lu Mingxin certainly wouldn't have made such a fuss. But what kind of polite handshake involved grabbing someone's wrist directly and holding on tightly without letting go?
And didn't they themselves find it strange? Li Jin was no taller than Gu Qinglan, but his physique was athletic. Leaning in so close like this, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Lu Mingxin, whose mind was prone to vivid imaginings, already pictured a scene: a villain molesting a good family's... handsome man.
Having his wrist grabbed, Gu Qinglan, no matter how composed, frowned slightly. His gaze shifted downwards, glancing at the spot where he was being held, and then he spoke: "Mr. Li..."
Only then did Li Jin seem to realize, as if suddenly enlightened, but he still refused to let go. He released Gu Qinglan's wrist, switched to holding his hand, and even shook it vigorously: "Seeing Mr. Gu, I was just too excited that I’ve lost my composure, lost my composure."
Lu Mingxin silently grumbled in her heart: You were indeed excited, but I didn't see any loss of composure, I saw a pervert, okay?
Gu Qinglan pulled his hand out of Li Jin's grasp and smiled slightly: "We'll be seeing each other every day from now on, Mr. Li, you're too kind."
As he said this, Lu Mingxin saw Li Jin's eyes suddenly brighten even more. His features were actually very handsome, and his eyes and nose had a somewhat mixed-race look, giving him a very masculine and exotic air.
Over there, after Li Jin finished his "greetings," which were in reality flirtations, he began to propose: "Mr. Gu, it's getting late now, and it's not safe for you to walk on a road without streetlights. Why don't you take my car back to the hotel with me?"
Putting aside other concerns, although vehicles were scarce on this road, no one could guarantee that another madman driving like him wouldn't suddenly appear.
Gu Qinglan didn't refuse, just smiled and nodded: "Alright."
Li Jin immediately and eagerly opened the front passenger door for him: "My luggage in the back seat is a bit messy, Mr. Gu, you should sit in the front. We can chat more when we get to the hotel."
Gu Qinglan glanced at Lu Mingxin standing beside him, the meaning clear: if there was a good seat, it should, of course, be offered to the lady first.
How could Lu Mingxin bear to let Gu Qinglan suffer? She was about to refuse, but before she could speak, Li Jin actually turned his head and shot her a glare.
Lu Mingxin couldn't describe the feeling. They were in the same profession, and she had, of course, met Li Jin before. But each meeting was merely a bland exchange of greetings.
At that time, Lu Mingxin hadn't remembered the events of her past life, and her impression of him was merely that he had a big ego and a somewhat arrogant attitude.
But she hadn't expected that one day, this guy would actually glare at her, and for a man... well, that man was her husband.
After Li Jin glared at her, he said: "Mr. Gu, don't be polite, isn't your health poor? Miss Lu is also slender, she can squeeze in with the luggage, it's fine."
This person was really good at making decisions for others. In just a few short sentences, Lu Mingxin felt as if she had been beaten back to her original form: she was still that plain-looking high school girl with big black-rimmed glasses. Otherwise, how could any man treat her with such a dismissive attitude!
Otherwise, ever since her debut, even the gayest of gay men would kneel and worship at the sight of her face, okay?
What was even more infuriating was that Gu Qinglan kept looking at her expression. Perhaps he saw what she was thinking. Not only did he not speak up to rescue her, but he even curled his lips... He looked like he was about to laugh, okay?
Lu Mingxin instantly felt her whole being unwell. To prevent herself from collapsing further, she simply ran to the back seat, pulled open the car door, and got in.
Seeing her get into the car, Gu Qinglan finally smiled faintly and got in on his side.
Li Jin immediately beamed with joy. Not only did he diligently close the car door for him, but after getting in, he also proactively leaned over to fasten Gu Qinglan's seatbelt, saying as he did so, "Aiya, Mr. Gu is truly slender, you must find a way to nourish yourself properly. Someone previously gifted my old man some old Changbai Mountain ginseng, all genuine hundred-year-old wild ginseng. Anyway, he can't use it all, I'll have my family bring some over for Mr. Gu."
The back seat, just as he had said, was stuffed with a large suitcase and a travel bag. Lu Mingxin could only silently complain about him, a man, bringing so many things, with the trunk unable to hold them all, having to put them in the back seat.
The journey was short to begin with, and Li Jin drove very fast. By then, they had already arrived. The car stopped in front of the hotel's revolving door, and the hotel concierge quickly opened the car door.
Gu Qinglan got out of the car, nodded at Li Jin who had also gotten out, and said lightly, "Thank you, Mr. Li. We'll head up first."
The crew naturally knew that Li Jin was arriving, and by this time, people responsible for his reception were already waiting at the hotel entrance. They now came over, diligently helping Li Jin with his luggage.
Li Jin paid no attention to those few people, still staring at Gu Qinglan, and even spoke: "Then I'll disturb Mr. Gu in your room later, I wonder if it's convenient for Mr. Gu?"
Lu Mingxin was furious. It was one thing for him not to come, but now that he was here, he was sticking to them like a dog-skin plaster, impossible to shake off. She didn't care about the rumors that offending Li Jin meant you couldn't survive in the entertainment industry, and flung out a sentence while holding Gu Qinglan's arm: "Qinglan needs to rest early tonight."
After saying that, fearing it wasn't forceful enough, she added: "His health isn't good, if he sleeps too late, he'll have a headache the next day!"
Only then did Li Jin give up, but he still stared intently at Gu Qinglan, refusing to let go. His demeanor was such that if someone said he had been secretly in love with Gu Qinglan for years, others would believe it.
Pulling Gu Qinglan, she quickly took the elevator back to their room. Lu Mingxin also swiftly locked the door and turned on the "Do Not Disturb" light.
She was driven to exasperation by Li Jin's series of attacks and said resentfully after closing the door: "I think this scoundrel definitely has ulterior motives towards you!"
Gu Qinglan, hearing her words, curled his lips into a smile: "This scoundrel?"
Lu Mingxin was already so angry that she had long since disregarded maintaining a ladylike image, and snorted again: "It's simply inexplicable, okay? Who meets someone and fawns over them to this extent? It's as if he's been coveting you for a long time. Since he's been coveting you for a long time, he definitely has ulterior motives!"
Gu Qinglan still smiled faintly, gave a light "Mm," and walked over to sit on the sofa.
Seeing his complete lack of crisis awareness, Lu Mingxin grew even more anxious. She quickly went over and sat close to him, even putting her arm around his waist: "How did I not know before that Li Jin also likes men? Doesn't he quite enjoy chasing young models? Or... did he only develop these thoughts after seeing you? It must be so, because Qinglan-gege is too beautiful, and as a result, he's being targeted by bad people!"
Gu Qinglan, seeing her words becoming increasingly outrageous, had no choice but to pat her head and say with a smile, "Your brain... your thoughts are truly quite scattered."
Lu Mingxin snorted: "Otherwise? Besides him being interested in you, what else could it be?"
Gu Qinglan had intended to explain the reason to her, but explaining this matter was rather troublesome and would involve some things he had been hiding from his parents in China. So, he simply smiled and said nothing more.
Lu Mingxin's thoughts, however, once scattered, couldn't be reined in. She imagined Li Jin pursuing Gu Qinglan in a hundred and eight ways, and then imagined Gu Qinglan being taken advantage of in a hundred and eight scenes. For example: holding his little hand, hugging his little waist...
She suddenly thought of a shocking possibility, and her whole body immediately tensed up like a bow, ready to spring out and annihilate Li Jin in the next second. She raised her head and looked at Gu Qinglan with wide eyes: "Qinglan-gege... could it be... could it be... in our previous life, the King of Western Xia, he defiled you..."
Gu Qinglan was clearly stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but laugh and shake his head: "Mingxin... you're thinking too much."
Although Gu Qinglan denied it, Lu Mingxin still stared intently at his face for a good while, making sure he wasn't enduring humiliation for her sake, before finally giving up.
But she still had quite a few complaints about Li Jin: "To offer courtesy without reason is either treacherous or thieving. He's definitely not a good person."
As she spoke, she also took Gu Qinglan's hand and used her other free hand to stroke his cheek, sighing: "Qinglan is indeed too beautiful, being targeted by so many ill-intentioned people. I really need to continue working hard."
Regarding her way of putting things, Gu Qinglan had long since given up correcting her, and just smiled, saying: "Why do I feel like you're one of the ill-intentioned ones?"
Lu Mingxin, unashamed, instead became even more smug. She simply leaned over and lightly kissed his thin lips, even proudly licking her own: "Indeed an exquisite human treasure, the taste is too beautiful, only I get to savor it!"
She was truly too smug. Gu Qinglan smiled faintly: "Oh? Are you sure it's you savoring me?"
Lu Mingxin smiled, about to reply, but his body had already pressed down, and then her lips were sealed.
Gu Qinglan rarely took the initiative, but once he did, he displayed an unexpectedly distinct possessiveness and dominance. This strange sense of plunder, intertwined with his inherent gentleness and doting, needed only a little to drown a person.
The moment Lu Mingxin was kissed by him, she involuntarily held her breath. It wasn't until she realized she was starting to lack oxygen and slightly parted her lips to gasp for air that his lips and teeth quickly filled all the gaps again.
Only when her hands and feet went limp, and she was almost hanging on him as if about to collapse, did he finally show some mercy and let her go, his lips still lightly pecking at her already somewhat swollen ones.
Even at such moments, his lips and teeth remained slightly cool, like the light snow of early spring. They should have carried warmth, yet they were still cool.
Lu Mingxin, panting, did her best to wrap her arms around his neck, resting against his shoulder to regain her strength.
Having been kissed with such punitive force that her whole body went weak, she no longer dared to tease him so recklessly. However, with the great beauty right before her, and coincidentally seeing the delicate collarbone exposed beneath his neck, she immediately swallowed hard again.
Gu Qinglan, as if unaware of her covetous gaze, simply held her and sat on the sofa.
Lu Mingxin didn't dare to speak again, but she also couldn't bear to let go of him. So she just held him, silently drooling at the beautiful sight before her.
After a long while, Lu Mingxin's breathing had long since evened out, but her heartbeat, due to being close to him, was getting faster and faster. Only then did he chuckle softly: "Mingxin, if we don't... tonight... will you be unable to sleep?"
Lu Mingxin had just swallowed a large gulp of saliva. Hearing him say this, she admitted without a second thought, almost without thinking, with utter spinelessness: "Mm..."
And he didn't torment her further, just laughed: "Mingxin... being good has many benefits."
Isn't the biggest benefit being able to savor the beauty? Lu Mingxin nodded desperately, and then finally couldn't resist, leaned over, and licked his collarbone.
Since that day, when they both experienced their first time, this was only their second attempt.
With experience, it was naturally much more harmonious this time. Lu Mingxin, blushing, went to kiss his thin lips, which had turned a faint pink after being aroused. Once again, she shamelessly felt that he, in this state, was breathtakingly beautiful.
The next morning when they woke up, they had breakfast delivered to their room. Just as they finished tidying up and were about to leave, they saw Li Jin in the corridor outside their door.
He was holding a lit cigar, and by the looks of it, he had been pacing in the corridor for who knows how long. As soon as he heard the door open, he immediately turned around and looked at Gu Qinglan with delight: "Mr. Gu, good morning."
Gu Qinglan and Lu Mingxin were staying in a suite on the top floor of the hotel. There weren't many rooms on this floor, and only a few crew members lived there. Besides them, there were only Wei Jingguo and Mo Qi.
After Li Jin arrived, he was also arranged to stay on this floor. For him to be pacing in the corridor outside with a cigar wouldn't encounter other crew members, but his appearance was still too...
Sensing the crisis of her beauty being snatched away, Lu Mingxin no longer planned to be polite with Li Jin. If she couldn't make it in the entertainment industry, so be it. At worst, she would go back to graduate school and live off her parents. But this hatred of having her love stolen was absolutely intolerable!
She decided to strike first. Before Gu Qinglan could reply, she went up and gave a cold laugh: "Mr. Li, you truly have a fine interest, strolling here so early in the morning."
Who strolls in a hotel corridor? Li Jin knew she was being sarcastic and immediately shot her a sideways glance. The gloom and warning in that look were undeniably intense.
Lu Mingxin, unafraid of death, crossed her arms, tilted her chin up at him, and even let out a provocative "hehe."
The hostility between them was no longer a mere undercurrent. If Lu Mingxin were a man, they might have already started fighting.
Gu Qinglan had to step forward, stand between them, and say with a smile, "Mr. Li, you're up early."
Turning his face to Gu Qinglan, Li Jin's expression changed as quickly as flipping a book. He was all smiles, as warm as a spring breeze: "Not at all. I couldn't chat more with Mr. Gu yesterday, so I couldn't sleep this morning."
To Lu Mingxin, his words sounded like blatant flirting. She couldn't help but interject: "So Mr. Li is so old, yet you still need someone to tell you bedtime stories at night? If no one tells you stories, you can't sleep well?"
Li Jin's sharp gaze instantly turned back to her. However, perhaps out of consideration for Gu Qinglan, he didn't argue with her directly. Instead, he ignored her and continued to speak to Gu Qinglan with a smile: "Is Mr. Gu going to the set? Shall we go together, as it's on the way?"
Lu Mingxin quickly interrupted: "Your car is rather cramped, we'd better take our own."
Li Jin had only managed to say three sentences to Gu Qinglan, and each time Lu Mingxin had snatched the reply. For someone like him, who was used to having his way, even if Gu Qinglan's face was a big factor, he had reached his limit of tolerance.
Seeing the veins on his forehead almost bulging, it was Gu Qinglan who smiled and said, "Certainly, I also have a few things I'd like to discuss with Mr. Li."
He then turned to Lu Mingxin and smiled: "Mingxin, you go ahead first. I'll go with Mr. Li."
How could Lu Mingxin feel at ease letting him be alone in a car with such a big wolf, just the two of them? The worry in her eyes was all too obvious. She even tugged at his arm, shaking it slightly, and called him softly: "Qinglan-gege..."
Gu Qinglan smiled at her: "Mr. Li wanted to discuss something with me before, but I never had the chance to meet him, so that's why he's like this."
Lu Mingxin was still worried and even turned to glance at Li Jin once more. Li Jin gave her a very reluctant nod.
In broad daylight, in this society governed by law, and it was only a short distance from the hotel to the set.
Seeing Li Jin's attitude, Lu Mingxin didn't think he would be impolite to Gu Qinglan, so she reluctantly and aggrievedly agreed.
Gu Qinglan asked her to go downstairs first. She took one step and looked back three times. Before entering the elevator, she even turned back and said, "Qinglan-gege, call me anytime, okay?"
Gu Qinglan smiled at her: "Okay, don't worry."
After finally sending her off, even Li Jin breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help complaining: "Why is she so wary of me? I'm not a bad person!"
Gu Qinglan curled his lips into a smile: "Perhaps because you acted too eagerly, causing her to have some misunderstanding?"
Li Jin sighed heavily: "I'm wronged! I'm merely eager to find talent..."
Gu Qinglan glanced at him, smiled, and then directly refused his unspoken request: "Mr. Li, no matter how many times you ask, my answer will be the same: TIMES may be a small company, but I have no intention of selling it."
He paused here, then smiled again: "And we do not accept any conditional donations."
Li Jin had clearly anticipated this answer. After a moment of stunned silence, he sighed: "Indeed, even if I find a chance to talk to Mr. Gu face to face, it's still no use."
Gu Qinglan smiled, lowering his eyes slightly: "I apologize for not being able to cooperate in the way Mr. Li hopes."
Li Jin shook his head: "I haven't completely given up yet..." He said this with a somewhat carefree smile, "I've dealt with scholars like you before. I know that working with you requires more than just sincerity... one needs sufficient persuasiveness."
Since he had said so, Gu Qinglan couldn't say much more, and just smiled.
Although Gu Qinglan had refused him, Li Jin was still very attentive, pressing the elevator button for him and even holding the door open, inviting him in. His attitude could be described as meticulously caring. He even said, "Mr. Gu, your health has always been poor, hasn't it? You're so busy with work, you must take care. I worry just looking at you."
Gu Qinglan could only smile and say to him, "Thank you."
The first time he had contacted Li Jin via email was about a year and a half ago. At that time, he was still in the United States. One day, a long letter in Chinese suddenly appeared in his email inbox.
It had to be said, Li Jin might seem like a boorish person, but he was actually from a prestigious family with a profound scholarly background. That letter was written in elegant classical Chinese, and his attitude was extremely sincere.
In that letter, he didn't mention his identity as an actor at all, only saying that he hoped to cooperate with TIMES, the company under Gu Qinglan's name.
Gu Qinglan was indeed the owner of TIMES, and could also be considered one of its core researchers. This small-scale company, which was more like a private think tank, was perhaps more accurately described as a research institute than a commercial enterprise.
Most private think tanks actively maintain close ties with the government, and even rely to some extent on government funding and procurement. TIMES, however, was different.
From the very beginning of founding this company, Gu Qinglan had not accepted any donations from any institutions or individuals. Because it maintained absolute neutrality in its stance, TIMES was able to uphold his initial ideal: Time is the absolute truth that witnesses and verifies everything. All possibilities are nurtured in time, and also proven in time.
Five years ago, he was still a doctoral student. The few analyses and predictions on global current affairs published by TIMES via the internet had already attracted attention within the industry.
If Gu Qinglan were to give this company a Chinese name, he would definitely name it: "Shi Jian1."
Using time as a mirror, one can reflect all things, reflect everything.
Lu Mingxin, who had arrived at the set one step ahead, didn't even go into the makeup room. She stood by the roadside, gazing eagerly at the highway stretching across the vast yellow sand, waiting for Gu Qinglan and Li Jin to arrive.
Mo Qi, who had just gotten out of his car, was somewhat bewildered: "What are you standing here for?"
Lu Mingxin turned to look at him and said pitifully, "Qi-ge, a fierce beast has come to snatch Qinglan from me."
Mo Qi couldn't help but say, "Uh," wondering what kind of person could make Lu Mingxin, who was already quite formidable in some respects, call them a "fierce beast."
Just then, Li Jin's conspicuous black off-road vehicle finally appeared in their field of vision. Mo Qi knew Li Jin and had, of course, seen his car. Connecting this to Li Jin's arrival at the crew yesterday, he couldn't help but say "Uh" again, a few bad premonitions arising.
Sure enough, the domineering off-road vehicle, whose appearance perfectly matched its owner's temperament, made a turn and stopped in front of them. Li Jin, wearing sunglasses, jumped out of the driver's seat. Then, he strode around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and his tone was surprisingly gentle: "Mr. Gu, my car is a bit high, watch your step."
Mo Qi, the Film Emperor Mo, who had been in the entertainment industry for many years, stated that this was the first time he had seen Big Brother Li Jin open a car door for someone else.
When he saw Li Jin even raise a hand to support Gu Qinglan's arm as he got out, he felt his eyes were about to pop out. This attitude wasn't just meticulously caring, it was practically overflowing with tenderness, wasn’t it?
Mr. Mo Qi, who considered himself relatively upright and pure, but whose worldview had actually been altered by the corrosion of BL-fangirls, stroked his chin and thought to himself: Could it be that Li-ge has really taken a fancy to Mr. Gu? Then Mingxin's pressure is really quite significant. It's said that no one Li-ge fancies ever escapes.
Lu Mingxin had already rushed over and hugged Gu Qinglan. She was even more blunt: "Qinglan-gege... he didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
Li Jin, standing by, was so angry he was about to laugh: "Miss Lu, you don't need to guard against me as if I'm a thief, do you?"
Lu Mingxin turned to look at him. In her previous life, he was the King of Western Xia. They had met on the battlefield, and each encounter was fraught with tension. Her most profound memory of him was from that time she went to rescue Mo Qi.
She had finally met him face to face, but in the chaos of battle, there was no time for much thought. In a hurried glance, she only remembered his piercing eyes.
Later, in the melee, she escaped with Mo Qi, and then, beside that King of Western Xia, she saw Gu Qinglan's figure.
After that day, she had seen Gu Qinglan a few more times in the chaotic army, and each time he was standing beside the King of Western Xia, as if he were an immensely trusted advisor.
Until the very end, she learned the truth, but could never get him back.
Looking at Li Jin's face before her, although she knew he had no memory of their past life, Lu Mingxin still felt an inexplicable wariness.
Over there, Li Jin was also feeling a major headache, somewhat regretting not having placated this young lady properly when they first met last night.
In his impression, Lu Mingxin was just a particularly beautiful female star, not very talkative, and her personality wasn't particularly distinct. He preferred more mature and alluring women, wasn't interested in her, and hadn't paid her much special attention.
He was used to acting unscrupulously in the entertainment industry. Yesterday, without thinking, he had given her a look, telling her not to disturb his conversation with Gu Qinglan.
Unexpectedly, this young lady had actually bristled and confronted him. And unfortunately, she was Gu Qinglan's fiancée, and judging by Gu Qinglan's demeanor, he seemed to care about her a lot.
Now, trying to scare her again seemed like it would backfire, provoking an even greater rebound from her. If he really did something to her, then any cooperation with Gu Qinglan would be completely out of the question.
Li Jin was a man who cherished talent, as could be seen from his attitude towards Gu Qinglan. Not wanting to worsen his relationship with Gu Qinglan, he could only tolerate this young lady.
Li Jin sighed heavily, looking utterly helpless: "I'm clearly a good person, many people can vouch for that."
Lu Mingxin turned sideways, shielding Gu Qinglan from him. In short, as long as Gu Qinglan stood with Li Jin, she would recall those heart-wrenching memories from her past life, so she felt particularly averse.
Protecting Gu Qinglan with her entire body, she even turned back and snorted at him: "Only those who are good to Qinglan-gege are good people. You'd better not let me catch you being bad to Qinglan-gege, or I won't let you off!"
Li Jin, rubbing his temples in exasperation, took out a cigarette and lit it: "How would I dare..."
Film Emperor Mo stood by, continuing his internal monologue: Should I step in and say something? Otherwise, I seem a bit redundant. And isn't this supposed to be a love square? Aren't Mr. Gu and I the official couple? That's what the little props assistant in the crew said...
Li Jin had reported to the crew a week early, but since such a big shot had arrived, the crew wouldn't let him remain idle.
Wei Jingguo, upon hearing he was arriving early, had moved his filming schedule forward, adhering to the principle of making the most of everything and squeezing every last bit of value out of every big-name actor.
Li Jin's makeup had been finalized in Jing City before, so the stylist didn't spend much effort getting him into makeup and full costume.
When that spirited King of Western Xia, dressed in full armor, stood before them, Lu Mingxin once again had the illusion of time being displaced.
And Li Jin, seeing her already changed into her costume, curled his lips into a slight smile: "General Lu is also radiant today, I presume there's some joyous occasion?"
This was a line spoken by the King of Western Xia, played by Li Jin, in the drama. Meeting on the battlefield from afar, the King of Western Xia, to mock Lu Qingping for being a woman, had specifically said this.
Lu Mingxin, without thinking, retorted with her line: "Repelling the Western Xia bandits is my greatest joyous occasion today."
Li Jin laughed heartily and then delivered his next line: "Then I'm afraid I'll have to displease General Lu today. Don't cry then, and say I'm bullying a woman."
It had to be said, although Li Jin was arrogant and meddlesome, his professionalism and dedication were still there. He had arrived at the crew early, had already memorized his lines so well, and could even deliver them on cue.
Lu Mingxin had no lines after this. In the drama, Lu Qingping put on her helmet and charged into battle first, using silent action as the most forceful rebuttal to this disdain.
This was no longer the battlefield of a past life, but a film set. Lu Mingxin couldn't just pick up a stool and swing it at Li Jin—though she very much wanted to.
She glanced at Li Jin and finally chose to snort lightly to express her disdain.
Li Jin had already grown accustomed to her acting like a little wildcat, scratching everywhere, and didn't plan to argue with her further. He just stroked his chin and commented from a professional standpoint: "Your line delivery is quite good."
Lu Mingxin, fierce on the inside but cowardly in reality, added: "I won't give Qinglan-gege to you. Give up!"
Li Jin simply turned and walked away, not even bothering to look at her.
What they were filming today was precisely the turning point of the plot: General Du Yi led his troops through a canyon, only to be ambushed by the Western Xia forces, trapped from both front and rear, and finally captured alive.
The fierce battle was about to conclude. Mo Qi was covered in dust and blood, his long spear already stained with mottled blood, and even the blade of his saber at his back was bent and curled.
Yet, even so, he had not given up fighting, standing back-to-back with the few remaining soldiers, putting up a desperate resistance.
Seeing the enemy general right before them, countless Western Xia soldiers were eager to pounce on him, capture him alive, and claim the reward. Yet, they were intimidated by Mo Qi's awe-inspiring reputation as a god of war and hesitated to advance.
Suddenly, two feathered arrows pierced through the air. One struck the throat of the soldier behind Mo Qi. He barely made a sound before collapsing softly to the ground.
The other, however, pierced Mo Qi's shoulder. The immense force sent his entire body staggering back several steps, pressing him against the side of a mountain rock.
In the light at the mouth of the canyon, Li Jin, mounted on a pure black steed, holding a powerful bow, rode slowly forward. Whether it was the dozen or so surviving Great Qi soldiers or the bloodthirsty Western Xia men, all fell strangely silent at this moment.
This was the aura of a king. It was untraceable, yet undeniably present, as if Moses parting the Red Sea. Amidst the silent crowd, only Li Jin's figure, backlit against the light, appeared incomparably tall.
He looked down at Mo Qi, who was leaning against the mountain rock, panting heavily, and lightly tossed out a sentence: "General Du is a pillar of the state, treat him well."
When the Western Xia men advanced again, the Great Qi soldiers had already given up resisting. Their numbers were too disparate to begin with; their desperate struggle was merely to die a more satisfying death.
But Li Jin's appearance had shattered that last bit of desperate courage in their hearts. Even Mo Qi no longer resisted, or rather, the slaughter that had far exceeded his limits, and the weakness caused by excessive blood loss from his wounds, left him with no strength to fight back.
This famous general of the northwestern battlefield, like a majestic eagle with broken wings, was powerlessly bound hand and foot and thrown onto a prison cart.
As he was being put onto the prison cart, Li Jin dismounted, reached out, and pinched Mo Qi's limply hanging chin, chuckling softly: "Looking closely, General Du also possesses a fine appearance... Such delicate skin, tsk tsk."
This line was purely Li Jin's on-the-spot improvisation. Mo Qi leaned weakly against the prison cart, a million alpacas already stampeding through his mind: Li-ge, didn't you take a fancy to Mr. Gu? Why are you teasing me now? I'm straight, I sell my art, not my body!
Wei Jingguo over there hadn't called "cut," so he couldn't stop. Mo Qi could only force a reckless yet arrogant smile onto his face and chuckle: "This humble general won't be modest about his fine appearance, but delicate skin is unnecessary... You should know, compared to Your Majesty, King of Western Xia, anyone would appear fair and tender."
Fortunately, Li Jin was just improvising casually. He chuckled again, then, according to the original script, ordered the men to pull the prison cart away.
Lu Mingxin and Gu Qinglan had no scenes in this part, so they stood to the side, already in makeup, watching the scene unfold.
When filming wrapped up, Lu Mingxin quickly ran over to Mo Qi to complain: "Qi-ge, you were teased so badly, it's too terrifying."
Mo Qi took the wet towel handed to him by his assistant, wiping the dust, blood, and sweat from his hands, feet, and face, while saying: "Perhaps because Li-ge failed to pursue Mr. Gu, so he vented his unfulfilled desires on me?"
Lu Mingxin agreed wholeheartedly. It was all because of her family's Qinglan-gege, that devastatingly handsome man. Originally, keeping him hidden at home wasn't safe enough; now, bringing him out was even more disastrous. He could be snatched away by a hungry wolf at any moment, couldn't he!
While the two of them were muttering, Li Jin, over there, had already found an opportunity and, still in costume, went to strike up a conversation with Gu Qinglan.
Their conversation was merely a continuation of their pleasantries. Li Jin, as usual, expressed concern for Gu Qinglan's health and strongly recommended his old man's private masseur.
Because the filming location was rather large, after this scene ended, there were still many staff members bustling about, moving props and cleaning the ground.
The scene was somewhat noisy, so no one noticed that not far from where Li Jin and Gu Qinglan were standing, a temporarily erected camera platform, after several impacts from passersby, was already teetering precariously.
The moment those wooden planks and metal pieces collapsed was very fast. Li Jin was facing the platform. The instant he saw the first piece of wood fall, he forcefully pulled Gu Qinglan to his side and then quickly retreated several steps.
Even so, some things still fell on them.
When the dust and loud noise settled, Li Jin blurted out a curse. Just now, he had tightly shielded Gu Qinglan beneath him, so his forehead was cut by the sharp edge of a steel piece. Blood flowed down his cheek, dripping onto Gu Qinglan's white robe.
Lu Mingxin and Mo Qi were standing closest. After the incident, they were the first to rush over. Lu Mingxin, still shaken, went to support Gu Qinglan: "Qinglan-gege, are you alright?"
Gu Qinglan shook his head: "Quickly help Mr. Li stop the bleeding. A head injury with heavy bleeding can be dangerous."
Even though he was bleeding continuously, Li Jin seemed to be in good spirits. He cursed again, then said: "I'm fine, I'm very sturdy."
Accidents were prone to happen when filming large scenes. An ambulance was on standby nearby, so medical personnel quickly arrived to stop Li Jin's bleeding.
The wound on his head was somewhat large and required stitches in an operating room. He was quickly taken to the hospital by ambulance. Fortunately, apart from his more serious injury, others only suffered twisted ankles or scrapes.
With an accident and someone sent to the hospital for stitches, filming naturally couldn't continue. Wei Jingguo quickly arranged for a few capable people to follow them to the hospital to assess the situation, while the others were to return to the hotel and await further instructions.
Li Jin was injured while protecting Gu Qinglan, so they certainly couldn't ignore it. When the ambulance left, Mo Qi went to get his car and drove Lu Mingxin and Gu Qinglan to the hospital together.
Knowing that Li Jin was likely not in life-threatening danger, Mo Qi, in an attempt to lighten the mood on the way, even told a stiff, unfunny joke: "Li-ge is a hero saving a beauty, seeking virtue and sure got it."
After he threw out this sentence, not only did Gu Qinglan not speak, but even Lu Mingxin, who usually loved to banter, didn't react... Film Emperor Mo instantly began to doubt life again.
After a while, Lu Mingxin suddenly spoke, her tone unexpectedly solemn: "Qinglan... was this aimed at you?"
Mo Qi was still driving. Gu Qinglan didn't seem to mind his presence and responded faintly with an "Mm": "Possibly."
Li Jin's wound bled a lot but was not critical. He was taken to the operating room for stitches, given a blood transfusion, and then transferred to a regular ward.
Lu Mingxin, Gu Qinglan, and Mo Qi waited together at the hospital while he was in surgery. After he was transferred to the ward, they went to see him together.
The hospital in this small western city didn't have those luxurious suite-style wards. Even with Li Jin's prominent status, he could only be arranged in a single room.
Because of the anesthesia, Li Jin hadn't woken up yet. No matter how strong his constitution, he was injured after all, and his face looked somewhat pale.
Mo Qi lowered his voice and said: "Mr. Gu, I'll watch over things here. You and Miss Lu should go back and rest first..." He cleared his throat, "Someone will come to relieve me later, and I'll have to go back too. After all, none of us have changed out of our costumes..."
Only when he said this did Lu Mingxin belatedly remember that because they were originally waiting to continue filming in the afternoon, all three of them were still in costume.
The people at the hospital truly had strong mental fortitude. Seeing such a group of people dressed in ancient attire running around a modern hospital, they actually didn't make a big fuss—perhaps because it was near a film studio, such occurrences weren't a first?
Putting aside the matter of costumes, having all three of them crowded in the hospital room would indeed affect the patient's rest. Gu Qinglan nodded lightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
After agreeing with Mo Qi to call if anything happened, he left with Lu Mingxin. Once out of the hospital building, Lu Mingxin, after all, felt grateful to Li Jin and said with some hesitation, "If we just leave like this, will Mr. Li feel disappointed when he wakes up?"
Gu Qinglan smiled and turned to look at her: "You don't see him as the King of Western Xia now?"
Lu Mingxin's face showed some unnaturalness: "That was all in previous life, and besides, he doesn't remember it at all. It's not good for me to keep dwelling on those things."
Gu Qinglan smiled faintly, then spoke softly: "Mingxin, have you counted how many people remember our past lives?"
Lu Mingxin was stunned. She really hadn't had time to delve into these details. Now that he suddenly asked, she only then thought to count: She remembered, Gu Qinglan of course also remembered, Ren Ran had said he was from the Great Qi Dynasty, so that's one... As for the remaining people connected to them from their past lives—their parents, Mo Qi, Li Jin—none of them remembered at all.
She hadn't gone to verify with Her Majesty and Prince Ning, not knowing if both of them remembered everything. But since they had told that story, it meant they remembered some things, so let's tentatively count them as two. Counting back and forth, there were only five people.
So she honestly held up one hand: "Just the five of us?"
Gu Qinglan smiled again. His face was somewhat pale at this moment, but his gaze was unusually deep: "Yes, the five of us..."
As Lu Mingxin spoke with him, both of them had stopped walking. She looked at his somewhat unusual expression and couldn't help but worry: "Qinglan-gege..."
Gu Qinglan, however, didn't continue, just patted her head and smiled: "Let's go, if we stay in the hospital any longer, we'll be surrounded by onlookers."
Lu Mingxin glanced sideways and indeed saw a few curious passersby staring at them. Clearing her throat, she quickly took his arm and walked briskly to the car.
After returning to the hotel, removing her makeup, and changing into normal modern clothes, Lu Mingxin came out of the shower and saw Gu Qinglan sitting on the sofa, talking on the phone.
Lu Mingxin didn't know who he was calling, only heard his calm and low voice: "I will ensure Mr. Li's safety, please rest assured."
As she approached, Gu Qinglan had already hung up. He looked up at her and smiled: "Are you all tidied up? I need to go to the hospital again to see Mr. Li. You should rest in the room."
Lu Mingxin nodded. Li Jin was injured trying to save Gu Qinglan. With him still in the hospital, it was indeed inappropriate for Gu Qinglan to stay far away.
That call just now should have been from Li Jin's family, or perhaps the rumored "old man." Thinking this, she quickly added, "Otherwise, I'll go with you too. I'm worried about you being alone."
Gu Qinglan smiled at her: "It's alright, the driver is here. You should stay and rest."
Although Gu Qinglan was gentle with her, on some matters, once he had spoken, he was unyielding and difficult to dissuade.
Lu Mingxin could only nod, trying her best to appear obedient: "Alright then, don't stay out too long... After all, your own health isn't good."
Gu Qinglan smiled at her again, then stood up and left.
What Lu Mingxin couldn't see was that when he took the elevator downstairs, a black Bentley was already parked in front of the hotel entrance. The person driving was no longer the driver of the RV Lu Mingxin was familiar with, but another person she had never seen before.
Getting into the car, Gu Qinglan frowned slightly after the car door closed, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the rear seat, saying in a low voice: "To the airport."
That person was clearly well-trained. He made no comment on Gu Qinglan's decision, just glanced at the rearview mirror, then drove the car out of the hotel and onto the airport expressway.
He remained exceptionally silent from beginning to end. In the ultra-quiet car, the air was almost solidified, with only the muffled coughs continuously coming from the back seat breaking the silence.
As the coughing from the back seat grew more intense, this silent driver finally spoke: "Mr. Gu, with your current physical condition, I'm afraid it's not suitable for air travel."
After a few more coughs, Gu Qinglan's back remained straight. He lowered his head, spat the blood in his mouth onto the tissue in his hand, closed his eyes again for a moment, and then said softly: "It's fine."
As he spoke, he curled his lips slightly. His pale, thin lips were still stained with a few unwiped traces of fresh blood. For a moment, it gave him a somewhat demonic charm. He smiled like this and then faintly uttered another sentence: "Since others are so determined to have me dead, how can I not go and see them?"
Because the urban area was small, they arrived at the airport quickly. This small airport only had a few flights a day, and there was only one flight to Jing City, scheduled for five o'clock in the afternoon.
Gu Qinglan, however, had no intention of taking that flight. The black Bentley drove him directly to the tarmac, where a small private business jet was already parked.
In the car, he had coughed up blood, but by the time he got out, he had already reverted to his usual demeanor. Apart from his slightly pale complexion, there was no other sign of abnormality.
✿——✦——✿
1. 时鉴 – Time Mirror ⤣
