Lu Wen felt a bit suffocated.

It was as if a fuse had been lit at the table, by whom no one knew, and it burned around like wildfire. The others around the table burst into uproarious laughter.

Ren Shu was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He slapped Lu Wen on the lower back and said, "Xiao Lu, you got the wrong person!"

Lu Wen's one-meter-eighty-eight frame seemed surprisingly frail. His legs went soft as he swayed, staring at Qu Yanting in disbelief. "That's impossible..."

"Still don't believe it?" Ren Shu's laughter was particularly loud. He put his other hand on Qu Yanting's shoulder. "This is Screenwriter Qu. The one you toasted just now was CEO Zhou!"

The director's assistant, fearing he would be blamed, explained, "Teacher Lu, didn't I tell you? Screenwriter Qu is wearing black."

Ren Shu asked, "Then how could you still get it wrong? Xiao Lu, you're a real character!"

Director Liu, his face red from laughing, also chimed in to tease, "Xiao Lu, you took Screenwriter Qu's car by mistake at the airport, and today you mistook him for someone else. You really have to apologize properly to Screenwriter Qu."

Everything was chaotic around him. Lu Wen didn't know who to listen to; his head was just buzzing.

He stared intently at Qu Yanting, so shocked he felt like he could die on the spot. It was too unexpected, too terrifying. This guy was actually Qu Yanting!

In other words, he had gotten into Qu Yanting's private car by mistake, chatted nonchalantly with Qu Yanting, repeatedly showed off to Qu Yanting about being the male lead, and had even mistaken Qu Yanting for a bald, middle-aged man.

Lu Wen's initial disbelief turned to shock, and then from shock to terror.

He stood there, feeling utterly uncomfortable, like a newborn puppy that had accidentally wandered into a wolf's den, not daring to speak or move.

Qu Yanting still wore a faint, ambiguous smile. He was turned halfway, his chin slightly raised. When the chaotic laughter quieted down a bit, he spoke again, simply calling out, "Male Lead."

Lu Wen stuttered perfectly, "T-Teacher Qu."

Qu Yanting repeated his question from the restroom: "Do I not look like a screenwriter?"

A drop of sweat trickled down Lu Wen's face. He answered, "V-Very much so."

Qu Yanting continued to ask, "Want to be a film emperor?"

Lu Wen's face flushed red. "N-Not insisting on it."

Ren Shu couldn't hold it in anymore. He leaned back in his chair and roared with laughter. The group once again doubled over with laughter.

Director Liu said, "Xiao Lu, now you've met the real Screenwriter Qu."

Lu Wen: "Mmm..."

Director Liu asked, "So, do you still think Screenwriter Qu looks like your father?"

Lu Wen's face alternated between pale and red. He didn't even need to answer; the others were already a roaring sea of laughter. Ren Shu choked a little, then reflexively looked at Qu Yanting's reaction.

Qu Yanting, as the person most entitled to make fun of the situation, didn't laugh at the word "father." Instead, he withdrew his gaze from Lu Wen, and that faint, almost-there smile also vanished.

"Alright, alright." Ren Shu made a "stop" gesture. "Everyone, take it easy. Filming hasn't even started. Let's not scare our male lead away."

He glanced at his watch and considered, "How about this? It's getting late. Let's head over to the banquet hall and meet the cast and crew."

Hearing this, everyone started to get up. Ren Shu stood and patted Lu Wen's arm. "Don't just stand there. It's not like you got the wrong person on purpose. Toast Teacher Qu again and apologize to him."

Lu Wen nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Director."

The others filed out, leaving the private room feeling empty.

Besides the messy table, only the seated Qu Yanting and the standing Lu Wen remained. The two doors closed, and the boisterous atmosphere vanished in an instant, becoming almost eerily quiet.

Even the top scorer of the liberal arts college entrance exam would have difficulty describing Lu Wen's current mood. His chest felt tight, as if he had been brutally punched by a heavyweight boxer but not killed, stuck precisely in a state of being half-dead.

He shifted a little and cautiously sat down next to Qu Yanting. Only after sitting did he realize this was the closest he had ever been to Qu Yanting, even closer than when they were talking in the restroom.

Lu Wen lowered his eyes and could clearly see the engravings on Qu Yanting's watch and the bluish-purple veins on the back of Qu Yanting's hand. Under the table, there were Qu Yanting's slender thighs wrapped in black suit pants. When he glanced sideways, he saw Qu Yanting's fine, straight nose, the texture of his skin, and his dense eyelashes.

When he first entered the private room, Qu Yanting had been squeezed among a group of ruddy-faced old men. He was fresh and handsome, with a gentle, scholarly air that had caught Lu Wen's eye immediately.

Lu Wen mentally counted; he had seen Qu Yanting a total of four times.

...Damn.

How shocked was Lu Wen? Even after it had been completely confirmed, the question uncontrollably left his lips again: "...Are you really Qu Yanting?"

Qu Yanting replied, "Should I show you my ID?"

"No, no..." Lu Wen was so scared he changed his tune.

He fell silent, at a loss. He suddenly realized he was still holding the empty wine glass. Putting the glass down, he picked up the half-empty bottle of Krug to pour Qu Yanting a drink, saying, "Teacher Qu... I'll toast you again."

Qu Yanting said, "Do you want to repeat the toast?"

Lu Wen's wrist trembled. He tried hard to recall the words he had forgotten out of fright. "If you want to hear it..."

Qu Yanting said, "No need. I can't bear to listen to it."

Lu Wen secretly sighed in relief. After pouring the wine, he turned to his side and toasted Qu Yanting again. Qu Yanting reached out, his fingertips tracing circles on the base of the wineglass, but he didn't pick it up.

He asked, "Are you really my fan?"

Lu Wen didn't answer directly, only saying honestly, "I've seen all the movies you've written."

Qu Yanting didn't probe whether that was true or false, instead asking something else: "How did you feel about the script reading today?"

Lu Wen said, "I gained a lot from it."

Qu Yanting said, "Have you digested all the details?"

Lu Wen had a bad feeling and replied, "Not all of them..."

Qu Yanting said, "Your digestion must not be very good."

Lu Wen felt that he, as a whole, was not very good.

Why did he have to greet Qu Yanting in the restroom? Why did he have to chat with Qu Yanting? Why did he have to show off so blindly to Qu Yanting?

Along with regret, Lu Wen felt a strange sense of grievance. As the saying goes, the ignorant are not to be blamed. He was truly ignorant, while Qu Yanting had known everything all along.

He mustered up his courage. "Teacher Qu, you clearly knew I made a mistake. Why didn't you tell me?"

Qu Yanting retorted, "Didn't I hint at it?"

Lu Wen thought back; Qu Yanting's hints had been quite obvious. To lessen his responsibility, he disparaged himself, saying, "I'm a bit slow. I don't understand hints."

Qu Yanting looked at him as if observing a world mystery. "Then, you idiot, are you trying to play games with me?"

Lu Wen said hurriedly, "I'm just an eighteenth-tier nobody, how would I dare play games with you? I was happy for nothing, and I made such a huge fool of myself. I... I don't know what to do either."

Qu Yanting asked, "Didn't you say you find it annoying to act subservient? What were you happy about?"

"You specifically asked to see me, of course I was happy!" Lu Wen blurted out in his haste, no longer stuttering, and his voice was quite loud.

After saying it, he remembered the other person was Qu Yanting and felt a bit cowardly again. He mumbled, "You knew everything, yet you still called me over. Did you just want to see me make a fool of myself?"

"Weren't you the one who said it?" Qu Yanting replied. "'Since I'm here, I definitely have to see the soul of the whole show.'"

Lu Wen's face burned. "Then after seeing me, do you regret letting me play the male lead?"

Qu Yanting finally picked up the wineglass and downed the champagne at the bottom in one gulp. Lu Wen watched Qu Yanting's Adam's apple bob, his reaction a beat too slow, before he quickly drank his own glass as well.

He had just swallowed, the moisture on the corner of his lips not yet wiped away, when Qu Yanting said, in what seemed like both an answer and a warning, "Whether I regret it or not, we'll only know after filming starts."

The small bowl of noodles had long since clumped together. Qu Yanting picked up his chopsticks, poked at them a few times, and said, "Alright, you can go."

Lu Wen obediently got up and walked out. He paused in the mini-foyer and glanced back. Under the radiant crystal chandelier, Qu Yanting sat alone at the table, wrapped in his black suit, his slender back looking lonely.

For some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to confess. "Um, my agent made up that toast."

Qu Yanting's tone was flat. "Why are you telling me?"

Lu Wen didn't know either, so he answered without trying to be cool, "I don't know."

Qu Yanting let out a low laugh, his tone also deep. "Suit yourself. But in the future, don't just casually say things like 'seeing you is like seeing my father'."

Lu Wen decided to shut up, not planning to confess that that one line was his own idea.

Leaving the private room, Lu Wen felt a sudden sense of release. He leaned against the wall and let out a long breath. He had gone in full of spirit and come out with his insides scorched. He figured his endocrine system was probably out of whack.

Sun Xiaojian was waiting anxiously three steps away and immediately rushed over. "What's the situation? Director Ren and the others all went to the banquet hall. They said you stayed behind to talk with Screenwriter Qu. Is that true?"

Lu Wen replied, "It's true."

"Holy crap." Sun Xiaojian was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. "Not only did Screenwriter Qu specifically ask to see you, but he also talked to you alone?"

It was difficult for Lu Wen to say. "...I didn't expect it either."

Sun Xiaojian pressed a button on his digital watch. "I started timing from the moment you went in. I estimated ten minutes at most, but you were in there for a total of thirty minutes. You're amazing!"

Lu Wen really didn't know how to respond and said, "A man can't be too fast."

Sun Xiaojian's face wrinkled with laughter. He reached out to wipe the sweat from Lu Wen's forehead. "Why are you sweating so much? By the way, you didn't forget your lines, did you? What was Teacher Qu's reaction after you said them?"

"He... laughed." Lu Wen looked like he had lost the will to live. "Everyone laughed."

Sun Xiaojian said, "That means you're likable. How do you feel about it? Do you think Teacher Qu will remember you?"

Lu Wen estimated conservatively, "Unless Qu Yanting gets into a car accident, hits his head, and gets amnesia, I think he'll remember me for the rest of his life."

"Wow..." Sun Xiaojian was stunned. "Awesome."

The door opened. Qu Yanting had just put down the tips of his chopsticks. He wiped his mouth and could tell from the footsteps that only one person had returned. Ren Shu came back first by himself, his cheekbones flushed and the effects of the alcohol surging. He felt dizzy as he plopped into a seat.

Qu Yanting poured a cup of tea and pushed it over. "Sober up."

Ren Shu picked it up. "How much did you drink?"

Qu Yanting had drunk half a liter of Wuliangye and several glasses of Krug, yet his face wasn't red and his breathing was steady. In college, the guys would always drink at gatherings. Every time, he would be the one helping a dead-drunk Ren Shu back to the dorm, while he himself was still sober enough to do some homework.

Ren Shu said sluggishly, "Hey, has Xiao Lu left?"

Qu Yanting hummed in acknowledgment, looking down to text his driver to wait for him at the hotel entrance. Ren Shu said regretfully, "Xiao Lu was probably just too nervous. He's a young actor, hasn't seen much of the world."

'Living in a luxury suite, dressed head to toe in high-end custom clothing, wearing the newest and hardest-to-buy jewelry, and having an overly high opinion of himself,' Qu Yanting thought. 'That demeanor is definitely not of someone who hasn't seen the world.'

He wasn't in the mood to dwell on the idiot. He poured a second cup of tea for Ren Shu and said, "Go back to your room and rest early. Don't delay the start of work tomorrow."

Ren Shu joked, "What's there to be afraid of? You're on the set. If I can't do it, you can take over for me. You haven't forgotten what you learned back then, right? You were number one in our directing department."

Qu Yanting smiled but didn't speak. He pretended to look at his phone, but his gaze was actually on his fingertips. The hands that once drew storyboards and handled cameras had only been writing and typing on a keyboard these past years.

Whether he had forgotten or not, he didn't dare say, nor did he dare to try.

On the way back to the hotel, Qu Yanting kept his eyes half-closed, as if tired. The brilliant, colorful neon lights shone into the car. He disliked this kind of splendor and pulled the curtains shut with a swish.

The driver remained silent and quietly sped up.

In the corridor of the hotel's 62nd floor, Lu Wen stood with his back against his room door.

He had used the excuse of reading the script to come back early. He hadn't removed his makeup or showered. Only after his emotions stabilized did he realize he had forgotten to apologize to Qu Yanting in the private room.

He had to mend the fence after the sheep were gone. He waited and wondered, could he still salvage Qu Yanting's impression of him?

From now on, he would probably never have the chance to act in one of Qu Yanting's scripts again, right?

Getting into one of Zeng Zhen's movies would probably be tough too?

Lu Wen's thoughts were a mess. A long time passed without him noticing. Suddenly, a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision made him turn his head towards the end of the corridor. The target of his waiting and thoughts had just turned the corner.

Qu Yanting reeked of alcohol. His black shirt hung loosely on his body, his sleeves rolled up a bit. His arms and cheeks were cast in a warm yellow by the wall sconces. The black jacket in his hand swung gently with his steps.

He wasn't drunk, but he had shed some of his usual propriety.

Qu Yanting walked over gracefully and leaned against door 6206. Each had their own door, meeting in the dimly lit corridor. The atmosphere was very much like a Wong Kar-wai film, In the Mood for Love.

Lu Wen took a step closer. "Teacher Qu, you're back."

Qu Yanting didn't react, his eyes lowered as he fumbled for his room card.

Lu Wen said, "Teacher Qu, I didn't get the chance in the private room, so I want to formally apologize to you now. I'm sorry for all the offense I've caused these past two days."

Qu Yanting took out his room card and turned around.

Lu Wen seized the moment. "I shouldn't have taken your car or drunk your Perrier. Even more, I shouldn't have spoken so arrogantly to you, and worst of all, I shouldn't have mistaken you for someone else in front of everybody. It's all my fault. Can you forgive me?"

Qu Yanting got goosebumps. He was thankful no one was passing by, or they might think they were acting out some grand emotional drama.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "Go back. Don't bother me again."

Lu Wen felt a little relieved. At the same time, Qu Yanting opened the door.

Just as Qu Yanting was about to enter his room, Lu Wen suddenly remembered. He had forgotten to explain the most important point, the very thing Qu Yanting had warned him about before he left the private room.

"Teacher Qu!" Lu Wen darted forward and placed a hand on the door to hold it open.

Qu Yanting was startled by the arm beside him and the deep voice behind him. He turned his head back impatiently. "Is there something else?"

Lu Wen's expression was incredibly sincere. He enunciated each word clearly, "You absolutely do not look like my dad."

Qu Yanting was stunned for several seconds, then replied with words from the heart, "I wouldn't want a son like you either."

After speaking, he saw that Lu Wen's eyes were slightly wide, looking a bit dazed and helpless. He remembered that when Lu Wen made the toast, he had mentioned being raised in a single-parent family.

Perhaps he shouldn't have said that to someone who only had a father.

Unexpectedly, Lu Wen suddenly replied, "Damn, my dad has said that too."