GHML – Chapter 31.3: “You Want A Divorce?” (3)
Hearing the affirmation from He Jiang, Shang Jing relaxed and flashed a smile.
I knew it! He likes Black Bean Sauce Noodles too! With the cake I ordered and some piano playing on my part, how could this lose to a Michelin 3 star restaurant?
The atmosphere was joyous but little interest was given to the ‘feast’ on the dining table. To hide that fact, both of them started popping open bottles of red wine.
Shang Jing raised his glass for a toast. “Happy birthday!”
He Jiang: “Thank you.”
I hope I will still be able to hear those words from you next year.
Shang Jing sipped on the red wine and suggested, “Shall we watch a movie together?”
He had done his research on the internet. A birthday date often consists of having a meal followed by a movie. Oh, and a present-giving segment too, but that could be left till a later time.
Considering He Jiang’s identity, it was more suitable to carry out those activities at home.
Moreover, He Jiang’s villa was fitted with a family theater which he had yet to experience.
Shang Jing flipped through the many disks arranged on the shelf, they were all movies He Jiang had acted in, and randomly picked one out. “How about this one?”
He Jiang: “Not feeling it.” What’s the point of watching a movie I starred in? To nitpick my own acting?
Shang Jing: “How about this?”
He Jiang: “No.”
Shang Jing frowned. “Is your acting not up to par or the plot isn’t interesting?”
He Jiang glanced at the disk in Shang Jing’s hand and answered honestly, “The plot can’t make it.”
Shang Jing: “But this movie was ranked first on your wiki page.”
Don’t actors and actresses shy away from the lousy films they acted in? Why would he list it so blatantly on his wiki page as his top film if it was that bad? Does he think I am that gullible to believe him?
He Jiang confessed, “It features a love line.”
Since his debut, he had explored many genres of movies but rarely participated in pure romance films. One, he was not interested in them, and two, the director did not see any potential in him being able to play the part of a man deeply in love well.
If not for Lin Lin’s subsequent receipt of a movie script that featured a touching love line and a strong plot development, and strongly advised him to accept the invitation, he would probably not have touched this genre. Plus, if the character was portrayed well, he would be able to attract a large number of fans. Don’t fans love sincere and romantic men?
But when he was studying the script, the director urged him to date someone and experience the little emotions of someone in a relationship after knowing he was inexperienced in that area, even setting it as homework for him to complete before filming commenced.
Initially, He Jiang was skeptical about it but the director was a stubborn man who harped on the matter every day, emphasizing his need to experience those emotions he lacked. Still, it did not change his mind about relationships. It was not some magical pill. Because if it was, the entertainment scene would be littered with film emperors and empresses with so many casanovas around.
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But it was a piece of homework he had to complete nonetheless.
At that time, he approached a senior he knew from law school and shared his predicament with her. After hearing him out, she suggested, “If you think it’s troublesome, why don’t you try online dating?”
He Jiang: “No, thank you.”
If they were to remain anonymous, he would not be able to know if the person on the other end of the conversation was a human or a dog. And if they revealed their true identity, with his popularity and fame, how was it going to be different from having one more fan?
Senior: “I have a friend in the US. He is still a student and hasn’t been following our local entertainment news. Those worries you have will not exist if you take him as your partner. You can practice your acting with him and familiarize yourself with the emotions of having a boyfriend. There is no need to be too serious about it.”
He Jiang smirked. “A long-distance relationship? In that case, why don’t I just find an AI?”
The senior lamented, “Because an AI does not have a face.”
Scrolling through her phone album, she picked out a photo and showed it to He Jiang. “Look.”
In the photo, eighteen-year-old Shang Jing was sitting on the grass patch in front of a school building, reading a book. His eyes were lit up with happiness as he looked over at the camera, inciting interest in He Jiang at first sight.
He Jiang was speechless for a moment. Then, without changing his expression, he asked, “Can he converse in mandarin?”
The senior: “Of course! He’s Chinese.”
“Is he of legal age?”
“Naturally.”
That was the point where He Jiang and Shang Jing exchanged contacts.
Two months later, He Jiang participated in the filming of the movie《Our Life》. The love line started off sweet but ended off on a tragic note, ready to throw moviegoers into tears.
A year later when the movie finally hit the cinemas, He Jiang was awarded the Best Actor Award.
Overnight, excited fans of his wrote long essays to praise his acting in the film, citing scenes from the movie to prove his consistent and stable performance and how he overcame the shortfalls he had in his acting. In their eyes, their idol was now perfect and was worthy of the title ‘film emperor’.
But these high praises did not send even a single ripple in He Jiang’s heart.
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The origins of the art were his life experiences, and these life experiences were above those art.
In those few months of filming, he had gone through a relationship and broken up, bringing his life to the highest peak then letting it crash down to rock bottom. It was truly an experience he would never forget.
He had been ‘scammed’ by his senior.
…
And the ‘scam’ conspirator, Shang Jing, was now holding onto the disk of the movie 《Our Life》with his eyebrows raised.