The table read ended, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ren Shu gave a concluding speech: “Today's table read mainly targeted some details because they're easily overlooked during filming and are very trivial. Everyone has worked hard.”

The actors all said, “Thank you for your hard work, Director.” Lu Wen pretended to move his mouth but didn't make a sound. As the person with the most lines, even taking a breath made his throat ache terribly.

Ren Shu said, “I'm the director, and I also need to constantly digest the script. Apart from the screenwriter himself, no one can dare say they've completely mastered the script.”

Since we're on the topic of the screenwriter, Ren Shu smiled, “Let me make a formal announcement. The head screenwriter for our drama, Qu Yanting, Screenwriter Qu, has come to the set. He's in Chongqing right now.”

Lu Wen was a little surprised, while the others exclaimed, “For real?!”

“I only drop real news,” Ren Shu said. “Tonight, at the production launch banquet, Teacher Qu will also be in attendance.”

The group, who had been exhausted just a moment ago, instantly had a burst of energy, all because of the news that Qu Yanting had come to the set.

Lu Wen didn't know much about matters within the industry. It was only after getting involved with this drama that he learned about Qu Yanting.

To use an old-fashioned saying: You don't know if you don't ask, but once you do, you'll get a shock.

Qu Yanting was the head screenwriter of "The First Night" and also a well-known screenwriter in the industry. He majored in directing in college, and his debut work in his senior year was made into a film, winning the box office crown that year in one fell swoop.

There were quite a few people in this industry who started high and ended low, but Qu Yanting had great staying power. He switched to studying screenwriting for his master's degree, studying while working. Over the years, he successively won the Vanguard Award and the Best Screenplay Award and was named an outstanding young screenwriter by the mainstream media.

Qu Yanting's ability was beyond question, but the entertainment industry didn't just look at ability; what was actually valued more was connections.

Screenwriting is a pyramid-shaped industry. At the apex are the big shots and seniors with abundant resources and deep experience. Among them, the great screenwriter who could be called the "Golden Screenwriter of the Industry"—Wang Mingyu—had representative works that were mostly major CCTV dramas. She herself was a member of the CPPCC and the Soong Ching Ling Council, a leader in the literary and art world, and a famous figure in the world of philanthropy.

A great teacher produces a brilliant student, and Wang Mingyu was Qu Yanting's master.

And Wang Mingyu's husband was the famous A-list director, Zeng Zhen. No one in the entertainment industry didn't know about Zeng Zhen; even the old man who cleaned the toilets at Lu Wen's company knew of him.

Any actor personally mentored by Zeng Zhen became an A-list star, with no shortage of Best Actors and Actresses among them. If a newcomer acted in one of Zeng Zhen's films, it was tantamount to soaring to the heavens in a single step.

At the same time, Zeng Zhen was an honorary professor at the film academy and also Qu Yanting's university teacher.

Backed by Zeng Zhen and Wang Mingyu, one could imagine the extent of Qu Yanting's network. In the circles of mainland directors, directors' wives, and screenwriters, everyone had to give him face.

His reputation was well-known, but for most people in the industry, they had only ever seen the dramas Qu Yanting wrote and heard Qu Yanting's name, but had rarely come into contact with Qu Yanting himself.

For nearly ten years since entering the industry, the number of public events Qu Yanting attended could be counted on one hand, and it was getting fewer and fewer. He had almost never shown his face on television. Even when it came to accepting awards on stage or discussing collaborations, he would have his assistant appear on his behalf as much as possible.

According to rumors, Qu Yanting had been on set with the crew before, though not many times, and besides discussing the script, he didn't socialize with the actors. He even refused all requests for group photos.

Some said he was low-key, others said he was putting on airs, but as the rumors spread, it only made him seem all the more mysterious.

After a while, many people didn't even know what he looked like.

Therefore, upon learning of Qu Yanting's arrival, the actors were naturally surprised and delighted. They wanted to see his true face, but more than that, they wanted to perform well to leave a good impression on Qu Yanting. If they could win his favor, it would be like latching onto a high branch.

At this moment, Qu Yanting had just finished showering. His damp black hair glistened, and his skin was like smooth white porcelain, except for the tips of his ears behind his temples, which were red from the hot water.

He stood in front of the wardrobe, picking out his clothes: a traditional pointed-collar black shirt paired with a sharply tailored black suit. There was no brightening tie or decorative pocket square; he couldn't even be bothered to put on cologne.

It was clear that for him, the mood for attending a banquet was not much different from that of attending a funeral.

If he had known it would be such a coincidence, he would have definitely come two days later to miss the production launch banquet.

To avoid being too drab, Qu Yanting changed into a silver wristwatch, put it on, and delayed leaving until the very last moment.

The production launch banquet was being held in the hotel's banquet hall. With half an hour to go, Lu Wen was getting ready in a temporary room. He had changed his clothes and was now chewing on mint throat lozenges as if they were sunflower seeds.

When Sun Xiaojian learned that Qu Yanting had come to the set, his excitement was no less than when he had successfully passed the graduate school entrance exams. He snatched the bottle away and said, “Stop eating that. What if you overwhelm Teacher Qu with the smell?”

Lu Wen said, “How would I overwhelm him? It's not like I'm going to kiss him.”

Sun Xiaojian froze for a moment. “Why would you think of kissing a man? That's something I would never think about in my entire life.”

Lu Wen was stumped. A little regretful and unable to answer, he could only change the subject. He crossed his legs to feign composure and said, “Am I really going to meet Qu Yanting?”

“Of course,” Sun Xiaojian said, beaming with happiness. “The essence of a banquet is to greet each other, network, and suck up to people. Qu Yanting's attendance is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the actors. People would kill for a chance, and they still might not even get the qualification to toast him.”

Lu Wen lacked confidence. “So, will he meet me?”

Sun Xiaojian said, “Duh, you're the male lead, the soul of the entire drama. Teacher Qu wrote the script and also participated in the investment. His coming all this way is like a leader's inspection. He might not see anyone else, but he definitely won't not see you.”

Lu Wen's heart surged with excitement. In the past, when he played minor roles, he was always given the cold shoulder; after filming wrapped, the director still couldn't remember his name. Now, Qu Yanting, who knew a ton of directors, was going to meet him tonight!

“You must seize this opportunity,” Sun Xiaojian encouraged. “You have to make Teacher Qu feel that they chose the right person. If you win his admiration, will you still have to worry about your career path?”

Lu Wen asked excitedly, “For example?”

Sun Xiaojian replied, “For example, he could get you directly into Zeng Zhen's next movie.”

Lu Wen couldn't imagine it. “I'm not going to win Best Actor at such a young age, am I?”

“Who could stop you then?” Sun Xiaojian pushed his glasses up forcefully. “When you win Best Actor, I'll publish an autobiography of a top-tier agent.”

Around seven-thirty, the production launch banquet was about to begin. Waiters were busy but orderly, serving appetizers and drinks, and the actors and staff from various teams arrived one after another.

Lu Wen had just finished with his makeup and hair and was heading to the banquet hall, looking at the personal information of the other actors as he walked.

At the production launch banquet, the actors mainly chatted among themselves. To avoid awkwardness or lulls in conversation, Sun Xiaojian would compile a file and send it to Lu Wen. The file covered details such as age, representative works, awards, marital status, and hobbies.

Lu Wen looked down. “Damn, liking broccoli is listed too? Am I supposed to give her a head of it?”

Sun Xiaojian said, “It's listed so you know what dish to serve the other person.”

Lu Wen pouted. “Don't they have hands? I'm not a waiter. And this one, why is 'divorced twice' listed?”

Sun Xiaojian reminded him in a low voice, “This guy's a famous player. He likes to fool around. He got divorced twice because he cheated so frequently he couldn't hide it anymore. You be careful. If he hints at taking you out to play or meeting up privately, find a way to turn him down.”

Lu Wen kept scrolling through the screen, but only managed to remember half of it. He said impatiently, “Why is there so much? It's longer than my family tree.”

Sun Xiaojian coaxed, “When you were playing minor roles, did you need to greet people? After shooting, you never had a chance to get close to the main actors. Now you're the male lead, a rising star. You have a legitimate reason to get to know them, so of course you have to seize the opportunity.”

“As for why there are so many people,” Sun Xiaojian paused, “it's because you're an eighteenth-tier actor. Tiers one through seventeen are all ahead of you. It'd be weird if there weren't a lot of people.”

After memorizing the actors, there was a list of people from the directing team, production team, and the investors. These people were even more precious. When he met them, he had to smile, bow, and flatter them sweetly—for the authoritative type, he had to flatter earnestly; for the talented type, he had to flatter artistically; and for the rogue type, he had to flatter with dirty jokes.

Lu Wen remarked with feeling, “How come I feel like even as the male lead, I'm still such a bootlicker?”

Sun Xiaojian replied with a pearl of wisdom: “When you're not famous, everyone around you is a master. When you get famous, they'll all be the bootlickers.”

His earlier anticipation cooled slightly. Lu Wen glanced at the banquet hall two steps away. The banquet had already started, and it was a kaleidoscope of colors inside, but to him, it was more like a bad student entering an exam room. The closer he got, the more resistant he felt.

Sun Xiaojian urged, “Let's go. Go in and greet Teacher Tao first.”

But Lu Wen hesitated at the last moment. “I... I'll go to the restroom first.”

Under the night sky, the hotel's front courtyard was brilliantly lit. A Porsche slowed down and drove up, stopping steadily at the entrance. Director Liu, who had been waiting for a while, came forward and personally opened the car door.

Qu Yanting moved to get out of the car. The fiery glow of the lights shone on his black suit, making it look like a night sky studded with stars.

He was thankful it wasn't their first meeting; otherwise, if they shook hands, the other person would discover his palm was excessively damp.

Along the way, he had hoped to encounter a serious traffic jam or a string of red lights, but the drive was very smooth. Every time the driver said, “We're almost there,” he would secretly grow a bit more nervous.

Entering the elevator, Director Liu said, “Screenwriter Qu, we were just waiting for you.”

Qu Yanting replied, “I left late.”

“No problem, the banquet has just started,” Director Liu said. “The actors are arranged in the banquet hall; we'll be in a private room.”

Qu Yanting asked, “Who's there?”

Director Liu replied, “The directing and production teams are all there. There are five people from the co-producers, including the head of Haoyang Culture, CEO Zhou. He heard you would be attending and flew over especially for this.”

Qu Yanting nodded. The elevator doors opened, and he followed Director Liu towards the private room.

There was no one in the hallway. The door to the private room was tightly closed, with two waiters standing at the entrance. Director Liu stepped to the side and said, “Screenwriter Qu, we're here.”

Qu Yanting stopped, his hands hanging calmly at his sides, the nail of his thumb pressing into the pad of his index finger. Just as the waiter pushed the door open, his Adam's apple bobbed.

“Excuse me, I'd like to use the restroom.”

Qu Yanting still maintained a graceful posture and walked with crisp steps, but he knew he was fleeing before a battle. He despised socializing; all social situations made him feel uncomfortable all over, even nervous and anxious.

The restroom was at the end of the hallway, like a hidden sanctuary.

Qu Yanting pushed the door open and walked in. The outer vanity area was empty. A ring of sconces was embedded in the dark marble walls, their cold light as bright as day, and geometrically cut mirrors hung above the vanity.

He walked towards the sink, bent over slightly, and let the running water wash the sweat from his palms.

Before long, footsteps came from the inner room.

Qu Yanting suddenly looked up, gazing into the mirror, and his eyes froze.

Lu Wen came out of the inner room and paused beside a vase.

Different from yesterday's casual clothes, he was wearing a walnut-colored shirt that made his skin look very fair. The top two buttons of his collar were undone, revealing just the right amount of the triangular area between his neck and chest. On his wrist, he wore a walnut wood bracelet from the Voyager series. Over his shirt was a safari-style jacket with totem embroidery on the trim that just covered his waist, making his legs look even longer. On his feet was a pair of derby shoes the same color as his trousers.

Qu Yanting rarely paid attention to what others wore, but at this moment, he couldn't help but size Lu Wen up. If he was dressed for a funeral, Lu Wen was most likely dressed for a wedding—and was set on outshining the groom.

Lu Wen scuffed the floor with the sole of his shoe, then walked over and stood in the spot next to Qu Yanting.

He had taken the initiative to greet him last night only to be rebuffed, so he hadn't wanted to bother with this aloof gentleman, but Qu Yanting was staring at him so frankly.

Lu Wen looked back at him through the mirror and said nonchalantly, “We sure seem to be fated to meet, don't we?”

The author has something to say:

Qu Yanting: Here we go again.