Chapter 21: I Will Screw You Next Time We Meet

"Zhou Le, those things you said to Zhou Dongyu earlier... don't you think they sound a bit familiar?"

Gulinazha had tracked him down as well. Their relationship had reached the point where they would playfully call each other "Teacher Zhou" when teasing, or "Le'er" in casual conversation, yet here she was, addressing him formally as "Zhou Le."

Zhou Le, however, remained completely unflustered. He knew that no matter when he chose to say those things to Zhou Dongyu, the outcome would be the same; she was only there for a one-day cameo. He had to film part of it during the day and the rest at night, and then they still had to go out for a meal afterward. He couldn't exactly bring it up while standing at the urinal, could he? Besides, even if they were at the restroom, they wouldn't be "sharing the same hole" anyway. Any other time would just result in being overheard. It was all the same.

"Hey, it's just that everything happened so suddenly. If I had just said 'hello,' it would have seemed too dismissive, so I had to say something. In my haste, I couldn't think of anything else. In fact, I haven't even seen that movie *Under the Hawthorn Tree*. If you don't believe me, ask Director Da Peng; I was complaining to him about it earlier."

Gulinazha looked at Zhou Le with suspicion. "Is that so? Don't tell me what you said to me back then was also said in 'haste'? And that you've used the same script on others?"

"That's impossible!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Those were carefully prepared lines for greeting you, Sister Nazha. I’m truly not good with words. If I hadn't prepared, I would have definitely stammered when meeting a beauty like you, and then you would have looked down on me. Sigh..."

Gulinazha looked at Zhou Le’s helpless expression, and for a moment, she actually felt a bit soft-hearted. After all, Zhou Le’s background was indeed nothing compared to theirs, and he didn't even have parents anymore. Putting herself in his shoes, if she had his background, she would have crumbled long ago even if she had managed to get this far, let alone having any confidence. She, at least, had a father in the jade business who provided enough financial backing for her to pursue her interests.

"Sigh, I didn't come here to hold you accountable. It just felt familiar, that’s all. I’m just joking, don't take it to heart." Even so, Gulinazha found it hard to apologize directly, so she had to express her remorse in this way. "Tell you what, if there's anything you like, let me know later and I'll get it for you. Pick whatever you want."

Zhou Le immediately clutched his chest. "I’m currently in need of a place to live. I checked out of my rental yesterday and am staying in a hotel arranged by the crew, but I’ll be homeless as soon as this shoot wraps. I also need a car for transportation—even if I don't drive often, it’s inconvenient to take taxis when I do go out. Plus, I need a few decent outfits... if I happen to win a Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards or a Best Newcomer at the Golden Horse Awards for this role as the bomber, I can't be going up on stage wearing that 'Seven Wolves' suit I bought in college..."

Nazha: "I said I’d send you a gift, not that you should treat me like a wish-granting Bodhisattva. Why don't you just ask me to find you a wife and have kids for you while you're at it?"

Zhou Le thought about it. "That’s a beautiful thought, but I'm in the rising phase of my career. I don't have time to get married or raise kids. You know me, I'm a traditional man—if I had a wife and kids, I'd have to take care of the family..."

"Get lost!"

"You got it, Sis."

***

After brushing her off, Zhou Le felt a sense of relief. At least Gulinazha wouldn't pester him about this anymore. He checked his experience points; they had gone up by another thirty.

Seeing his "godfather," Yu Qian, sitting on a lounge chair in the shade, eating watermelon, Zhou Le went over to help knead his shoulders.

"Godfather, you've been helping me massage my legs on set these past few days. Even though it's for the plot, there's no hierarchy in acting, but off-set, we should follow etiquette. Let me rub your shoulders."

Yu Qian felt Zhou Le’s clumsy technique—it could hardly be called comfortable. "You clearly haven't been to those kinds of places."

Zhou Le: "Those kinds of places?"

Yu Qian: "You know, *those* places."

Zhou Le: "Xinhua Bookstore?"

Yu Qian hadn't expected Zhou Le to pull out such an old-school punchline. "Hahaha, right, the Xinhua Bookstore."

Zhou Le had a sudden realization. "Got it. I'll go buy a book on acupuncture points and another on massage therapy at the Xinhua Bookstore later."

Yu Qian found Zhou Le very amusing precisely because he never let a conversation fall flat; he could always bring it back around. However, he noticed the bracelet on Zhou Le’s wrist.

"Le'er, I noticed this earlier. That bracelet looks nice. Where'd you get it?"

Zhou Le took a look. "This? A very good friend gave it to me."

"That must be a very good friend indeed. How much did they tell you it cost?"

Zhou Le smiled. "Bought it at a street stall for 25."

"Twenty-five? Then they really are a good friend. While this string isn't exactly priceless, it's definitely something worth playing with—it’s worth at least thirty or forty thousand."

Zhou Le was startled. His grip tightened involuntarily.

Yu Qian let out an "Ouch!" and jumped up, wincing.

"Thirty or forty thousand?"

Yu Qian rubbed his shoulder, grimacing. "Of course. And that's what I’d buy it for; a stranger would have to pay sixty or seventy thousand. Given your social circle, I’d say you and this friend are truly tight."

Zhou Le was a bit distracted. "Godfather, I need to make a phone call."

Yu Qian knew he probably wanted to call that friend.

***

Zhou Le found a secluded spot and immediately dialed Tan Siyun’s number.

"Hello, Zhou Le?" Her voice came through, sounding both surprised and cautious.

Zhou Le smiled at the familiar tone. "What kind of tone is that? Someone listening would think we aren't close."

"I was just afraid that now that you’re famous, calling you might cause trouble," Tan Siyun’s voice relaxed noticeably.

Zhou Le feigned anger. "What kind of talk is that? Retract that immediately, or I'm going to spank you."

Hearing that he was still the same actor who used to live across the hall and run around to auditions with her, the barrier in Tan Siyun’s heart finally vanished. "Alright, alright, *whoosh*, I've retracted it."

But then she asked, "How are things on set? Make sure to socialize when you need to. Don't think that just because you're the third lead, you have any say—the power is in their hands. Treat people to meals when you should. You probably don't have much left in your account, right? I remember these fees are paid in installments... I have over twenty thousand saved up; if you need it, I can send it over. If it's not enough, I'll borrow more for you. Spend money when you need to, don't let people look down on you..."

Hearing this, Zhou Le felt a sudden ache in his nose. But he quickly took a deep breath and held it back. He said, feigning ease:

"I really will spank you, you know? Looking down on me? I got this role on my own merits. Da Peng paid me half upfront, and the rest comes as we progress. Don't worry about the money. I called because I wanted to ask why you bought me such an expensive bracelet? Tell me the truth, how much did it cost?"

"Twenty-five, like I said. Why don't you believe your 'Mom'?"

"Stop it. You might be able to fool me, but you can't fool Yu Qian. He's a veteran collector."

"Fine. Actually, I prayed for it at the Yonghe Temple. It's been blessed. I figured since you're trying to make it in this industry, I wanted to get you something nice so things might go a bit better for you. Don't complain about the price, though—no returns allowed..."

Hearing this, Zhou Le couldn't bring himself to say what he had planned.

"See, couldn't you have just said that earlier? Honestly, I really like it. It looks great on my wrist and really suits me."

Tan Siyun laughed on the other end. "Yeah, I saw it. I watched the video of your concert, too. I've never seen anyone wear a bracelet while shirtless—weren't you afraid people would laugh at you?"

"Who would dare to laugh?"

"Alright, I'll let you go for now. Since you know its value, I don't expect anything in return, but I do want to hear you say something nice."

Zhou Le was stunned, his cheeks flushing slightly. Saying it voluntarily versus being asked were two completely different things.

"Damn it, you just wait. Next time we meet, I'm definitely going to spank you!"

Afterward, Zhou Le looked around to make sure no one was watching, then said bashfully into the phone:

"Thanks, Mom. You're the best."