Land Of Settlement

“Mr. Lu, there’s one more thing…”

After showering, the two of them went to the living room. Xia Qi knelt on the couch, drying Lu Xuan’s hair while Lu Xuan changed the channel to watch the news, seemingly absent-minded. “Hmm?”

Xia Qi sat down and whispered, “Miaomiao just sent me a message. The production team from ‘Chaos Era’ called her and urged me to return to the film set.”

Lu Xuan’s gaze remained on the TV, and he slowly responded, “Isn’t it not your turn for scenes yet?”

“It’s coming up soon, and besides, I should have been with the group all along…”

The last time Xia Qi left for filming for just a week, they almost had a misunderstanding when he returned. This time, he was going to stay with the production until it wrapped up. During this extended period, Xia Qi worried that Lu Xuan might find another lover and also that he himself might miss Lu Xuan too much. He felt uncomfortable and his voice grew quieter, “I might… not be able to accompany you for a while.”

Lu Xuan turned his head to pull Xia Qi’s hand, making him sit beside him. “Can’t bear to leave me?”

Xia Qi thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

A seductive smile curled on Lu Xuan’s lips. “You’re just a kid. Focus more on your work and less on bedroom matters.”

Xia Qi’s face turned red. What was that supposed to mean? He definitely was not reluctant to leave Lu Xuan due to that reason.

Unfortunately, Xia Qi could not explain himself. Should he say that he could not bear to part with Lu Xuan because he liked him too much? Xia Qi’s mood worsened, and he felt disheartened. Lu Xuan finally shifted his attention from the TV to him and pondered, “I’ll talk to Fei Hao. When you have less screen time, I’ll occasionally bring you back.”

Lu Xuan chuckled, “If you ever want something to eat and feel shy to tell your assistant, just tell Yan Zuo Yi directly. He’ll buy food and deliver it to you.”

Xia Qi’s mood improved a bit, and he nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

Lu Xuan went back to watch TV, and after a while, he spoke again, “Whenever I have time, I’ll come see you.”

Xia Qi’s eyes seemed to light up from those words, instantly lifting his spirits.

Xia Qi picked up a towel and began to dry Lu Xuan’s hair again.

“By the way, you don’t have any explicit scenes in either of your current roles, right?” Lu Xuan suddenly asked, as if reminded of something. “In ‘Chaos Era,’ there shouldn’t be any. I’ve read the script. Your character has had a secret crush for years and then dies without doing anything. What about ‘Against the Wind’?”

What does he mean by ‘dies without doing anything’? That was a tragic and emotionally resonant film. How could he think about those things? Xia Qi silently complained in his heart and replied, “No, ‘Against the Wind’ doesn’t have any either. My character in that one dies at the age of twenty-two in the Battle of Shanghai and doesn’t have time for any romantic development. Moreover, ‘Against the Wind’ isn’t primarily focused on romantic relationships between the male and female leads, so there aren’t many romantic scenes between them.”

Due to Xia Qi’s youthful appearance, he often played roles much younger than himself and did not have many romantic scenes. Lu Xuan nodded and said, “After the movie is released, An Qi would probably arrange for some online influencers to help create buzz for you. You’ll gain more attention then. Just stay out of trouble and avoid getting involved in any controversies.”

Xia Qi quickly nodded, and Lu Xuan switched topics again, saying, “Also, don’t take on roles with explicit scenes.”

“Yes,” Xia Qi obediently agreed, but the mischievous voice in his mind kept tempting him, and he could not help but ask, “But Mr. Lu… why can’t I take on those roles?”

Lu Xuan turned his head slightly and gave him a smirk. “Because you’re too shameless in bed, and I don’t want anyone else to see,” he said. Lu Xuan continued to focus on international news, ignoring Xia Qi. Xia Qi felt like an irritated cat, wanting to argue but not knowing how to respond. How can someone who seemed so dignified and proper would, would… would casually utter such vulgar words when they were alone together?

Xia Qi watched the news while his imagination ran wild. If he told someone that Lu Xuan had just said that, no one would believe him for sure!

But not wanting others to see… Does that mean he cares about me? Lu Xuan was always a dominant and assertive person, quite traditional in his views. Maybe this was just an unconscious possessiveness he had towards everything he considered his own. That could make sense… Xia Qi mused in a daze, and he started pondering what Lu Xuan meant by “explicit scenes.” Full nudity? Partial nudity? He vaguely remembered a scene from the novel “Against the Wind” where his character, during his time at the military academy, sneaked into the commander’s private bathroom with a few classmates after training and was eventually caught. He was not sure if that scene was included in the film adaptation. The TV series probably would not exaggerate it, but being shirtless was quite possible. Did that count as explicit? Probably not…

As for staying out of trouble, Xia Qi was worried. From Lu Xuan’s indications, it seemed that Xia Qi was likely to play the male supporting role in “Against the Wind.” There were not many scenes with female characters, but there were plenty of moments between him and the male lead that could be interpreted in a “shipper” way. Yao Miaomiao had even mentioned that if Xia Qi did land the male supporting role in “Against the Wind,” the company might coordinate with him and the male lead for some “boys’ love” content as a promotional strategy.

Xia Qi stole a glance at Lu Xuan, who was engrossed in international news, feeling anxious. He wondered if Lu Xuan would actually mind such a thing.

…

In the top-floor conference room of Shengshi Media, people who had finished the meeting were leaving in groups of two or three. Bai Mu Chuan sat at his seat and played with his phone. As Jiang Jiang walked by his side, Bai Mu Chuan spoke in a neither loud nor soft voice, “Brother Jiang, wait a moment.”

Bai Mu Chuan remained focused on his phone, and Jiang Jiang glanced around before instructing his assistant to wait outside for him.

With only the two of them in the room, Bai Mu Chuan put away his phone and looked up. “Brother Jiang, did you know that there was supposed to be a place for you in the cast of ‘Against the Wind’?”

Jiang Jiang frowned but did not respond.

Bai Mu Chuan sneered slightly and continued, “There’s no need to be so secretive. My assistant is guarding outside; no one will come in. Brother Jiang, I dislike Xia Qi, but I’m even more frustrated on your behalf. Back then, Miss Lu acquired Zhuguang Media for your sake. But now? Who the hell is Shengshi Media really favoring?”

Jiang Jiang calmly replied, “That’s something the company’s top executives need to worry about. I only need to focus on my own matters.”

“This is your own matter,” Bai Mu Chuan stood up and approached Jiang Jiang, speaking in a hushed voice, “Brother Jiang, when Miss Lu approached you, she must have made quite a few promises, right? How many of those had been fulfilled? In the past year and a half, have you seen significant progress in your career? Are you any different now from when you were at Zhuguang Media, or are you worse off?”

Jiang Jiang’s eyes turned dark.

Jiang Jiang was about to turn thirty, a critical period for transitioning in his career. He had always been stuck filming low-quality TV dramas, never being able to break through. Sooner or later, he would fade away. In comparison, he was more anxious than Bai Mu Chuan.

Bai Mu Chuan saw through Jiang Jiang’s thoughts and spoke coldly, “Who stole your resources?”

“It’s not really about that,” Jiang Jiang lowered his gaze. “The roles Xia Qi takes on are all for sixteen or seventeen-year-olds. Even if they were offered to me, I wouldn’t be able to play them.”

Bai Mu Chuan shook his head and chuckled. “Brother Jiang, are you kidding? Leaving other matters aside, let’s talk about the joint production of ‘Against the Wind.’ Shengshi’s investment is limited to that share, and they’ve already pushed the limits by adding a female lead and giving Xia Qi an important supporting male role. But what if Xia Qi doesn’t take the role? Wouldn’t the male lead then likely be yours?”

Jiang Jiang looked at Bai Muchuan. “What are you up to?”

“To teach Xia Qi a lesson,” Bai Mu Chuan stood up, approaching and lowering his voice. “Miss Lu offended numerous people in the industry in her early days. There are quite a few who dislike her. If a scandal were to erupt within the company someday, Lu An Qi wouldn’t be able to handle it. By then… heh, since Xia Qi is so willing to be kept by someone, he should’ve anticipated the consequences when it eventually happens.”

Bai Mu Chuan looked at Jiang Jiang. “Brother Jiang, are you satisfied with letting that little nobody, who can’t do anything except rely on a sugar daddy, climb over you?”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Jiang took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, “All I know is that it’s better to focus on myself.”

Bai Mu Chuan’s eyes widened, but Jiang Jiang ignored him and walked out of the conference room in large strides.

Bai Mu Chuan gritted his teeth. “Coward.”

“Jiang Jiang…” Jiang Jiang’s assistant, Ren Jiajia, had been waiting outside the door all along, and she had caught bits of their conversation. She followed Jiang Jiang to his own resting room and whispered, “Should we… tell Xia Xia?”

Jiang Jiang halted in his tracks and after a while, he replied, “No need.”

Ren Jiajia bit her lip and did not say anything more.

The next day, Xia Qi got up early. Yao Miaomiao had arranged for Xia Qi’s assistant to pack his things and put them in the car the previous day. Today, she came directly to pick him up with everything ready, making sure Xia Qi did not waste any time and could head to the film set early.

After being away for so many days and even auditioning for other roles in between, it was a bit excessive for Xia Qi, as a fameless newcomer. Yao Miaomiao was worried that Director Fei and others might not be satisfied.

Not only Yao Miaomiao could see through these matters. After finishing breakfast, Lu Xuan dabbed his mouth with a napkin and said, “I’ll take you there and have a word with Fei Hao along the way.”

As they were about to part ways, Xia Qi was feeling low. He stammered with a touch of happiness, “W-won’t that disrupt your work?”

Lu Xuan smiled, “I’ll take advantage of the opportunity to be a little lazy.”

Xia Qi’s mood was almost soaring.

Xia Qi sat in Lu Xuan’s car, while the company’s vehicle followed behind. Lu Xuan initiated a video conference in the car. After confirming that the video was off, Xia Qi whispered, “Are you really… okay with this?”

Lu Xuan took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. “It’s fine. They don’t know where I am.”

Xia Qi took the glasses from Lu Xuan and put them away carefully. Lu Xuan had a slight short-sightedness but rarely wore glasses. He had put them on earlier to look at some data, which had caused Xia Qi to daydream for quite a while. Mr. Lu, who was so serious and focused on his work, was simply… incredibly handsome and sexy.

After finishing his work, Lu Xuan was in a good mood. He chatted with Xia Qi for a while, their conversation was casual, and eventually went off topic. Lu Xuan felt slightly astonished, finding Xia Qi to be quite different from his usual perception of celebrities. He discovered that Xia Qi’s knowledge was far beyond what he had imagined. From astronomy and geography to history and culture, Xia Qi’s knowledge was broad. On certain matters, it was clear that he was not just scratching the surface, contrary to what he had claimed about knowing only the basics.

Xia Qi was not aware of Lu Xuan’s thoughts, he was simply too delighted. He had expected himself to feel sad bidding farewell to Lu Xuan, but had not anticipated that Lu Xuan would personally drive him back. Xia Qi understood that Lu Xuan was looking out for him, and his heart warmed as if he had just sipped a cup of milk tea – it was incredibly sweet.

Upon arriving at the film set, Lu Xuan exchanged a few words with Director Fei. Director Fei clearly did not expect Lu Xuan to come, and they exchanged pleasantries for a moment. Both of them were busy, so they did not talk for too long. Xia Qi, being understanding and patient, stood nearby, and later sent Lu Xuan off to his car.

“Alright, take care of yourself,” Lu Xuan stood by the car door. “I’m leaving.”

Watching Lu Xuan, Xia Qi felt a bittersweet twinge in his heart. Lu Xuan had not even left, and Xia Qi was already missing him.

Lu Xuan chuckled lightly, raising his hand to touch Xia Qi’s face. “You can call me whenever you miss me.”

Xia Qi nodded vigorously, and gently turned his head to nuzzle on Lu Xuan’s palm…

At a nearby bush, a pitch-black camera lens pointed towards the two of them. With a series of clicking sounds, it captured dozens of suggestive photos.