Although he had accepted the collaboration with 《VMAN》 magazine, Jiang Yue couldn't leave the crew immediately.
For two consecutive days, he was filming on the Medicine Valley set.
Yesterday's scene involved slamming into a stone wall, which hadn't been light even with the padding, and this morning, Jiang Yue had rolled around in the muddy water several times.
Even after the fake blood and dirt were washed off, his skin still seemed to cling to the pungent smell of the blood.
A rare light rain fell over the Beijiao Film and Television Base.
The fine drizzle fell onto the roof of the studio, creating a continuous pattering sound.
As soon as the morning shoot wrapped and Jiang Yue stepped out of the set, Jiang Kaiwen quickly walked up to him with an umbrella.
“Walk slower. It's still raining, and there are wet, slippery puddles everywhere. Your costume is also quite long, so it's not safe to walk.”
Jiang Yue looked down at the water stains near his feet, then at his cousin's overly anxious expression, and curled his lips. “I'm not made of paper. I haven't forgotten how to walk.”
“You are a key target for protection right now.”
Jiang Kaiwen tilted the umbrella further toward him. “Don't take this lightly. Last time, you also said it was just a scrape, but in the end, the entire internet found out about it.”
Jiang Yue paused briefly at his words.
Great. This incident would probably be remembered by Jiang Kaiwen for a whole year.
Seeing that Jiang Yue had quieted down, Jiang Kaiwen lowered his voice and got back to the main topic. “Your scenes for this afternoon have been rescheduled.”
Jiang Yue stopped in his tracks. The soreness in his shoulders and back from the prolonged activity flared up with his movement. As he stretched his neck and shoulders, he asked, “Did Director He change the schedule at the last minute?”
“No.”
Jiang Kaiwen handed over his phone. “The brand and the magazine couldn't wait any longer. The shoot for 《VMAN》 has been moved up to today.”
Jiang Yue looked down and scanned the schedule, raising an eyebrow.
The reason for the schedule change was simple.
The reception of Lamerd's official announcement and the unedited photos from the gala's red carpet had been too good. Neither the brand nor the magazine wanted to miss this window of viral popularity.
Once the magazine went on sale, Jiang Yue would become the first official Asian face featured in the promotional materials for the brand's casual menswear line this season.
Jiang Yue handed the phone back to him. “What time are we leaving?”
“The car is already waiting outside. We'll head back to the hotel first to shower and change, and then go to the high-speed railway station. The shoot is in the neighboring city, Yungang. It's only a one-hour ride in business class.”
Jiang Yue nodded. “Is Director He fine with this?”
“Director He personally let you go.”
Jiang Kaiwen explained, “He said they can adjust the other units' schedules for this afternoon. He also told me to keep a close eye on you.”
Jiang Yue: “...”
Great.
Just how much did he worry people for Director He to start doing this too?
Jiang Yue returned to the motorhome to change into his casual clothes first before the two of them walked toward the makeup studio. Through the curtain of rain, faint figures could be seen moving near the base's perimeter fence.
Jiang Kaiwen glanced to the side. “Don't look back. There are proxy photographers behind us.”
Jiang Yue didn't stop.
Things were different now compared to when he had first joined the crew.
Lamerd's Asia Region Spokesperson, Quality Drama Actor of the Year, the residual heat of 《The Hidden Sentry》, and the leaked set photos of 《The Pivot Bone》—any of these terms was enough for marketing accounts to write an eight-hundred-word article.
Sure enough, before Jiang Yue had even finished removing his makeup, Jiang Kaiwen's phone vibrated.
He looked down at it, his temple throbbing. “Here we go again.”
On the screen, a marketing account had posted a blurry, long-lens photo taken in the rain.
[Jiang Yue suspected of leaving the set in the rain. Has his left arm injury flared up again?]
The comment section was already bustling.
[No way, is he injured again?]
[Don't scare me. Didn't he just say his scrape was almost healed?]
[Lamerd just made their official announcement, and VMAN's New Year issue hasn't finalized its cover yet. Please tell me it's not what I think it is!]
Jiang Yue also took out his phone to look at the comments, silently giving a thumbs-up to this netizen who had guessed correctly.
This generation of netizens wasn't just microscope-eyed anymore; it was more accurate to say they were Sherlocks with premium memberships.
If they were given another photo, they would probably be able to dig up what he had eaten for dinner last night.
Jiang Kaiwen had already switched over to the work group chat. “Let's not respond for now. We should wait for the magazine's promotion first.”
Jiang Yue closed his eyes again, letting the makeup artist wipe away the makeup on his face with a cotton pad.
As Jiang Kaiwen watched the makeup artist work, he repeatedly nagged with concern, “You've been so tired from filming these past two days. Will you be in the right state of mind this afternoon? Magazine shoots also drain a lot of energy.”
Jiang Yue only spoke after a few seconds. “I'll just rest and adjust on the high-speed train.”
“No pushing yourself today. If you're tired, say so immediately.”
Jiang Kaiwen stared at him. “If you try to tough it out again, I'll video call Second Grandaunt right then and there.”
Jiang Yue opened his eyes, looked at his serious expression, and smiled. “Don't worry, Butler Jiang.”
“Cut it out.”
Jiang Kaiwen didn't buy his teasing. “Calling me Butler Jiang won't help. When I need to manage you, I will.”
After the makeup was removed, the two didn't go straight to the station but returned to the hotel booked by the crew first.
Jiang Yue washed off the muddy water, fake blood, and dust from his body, then changed into a low-key black jacket.
By the time he stepped out of his room, he had finally detached himself a bit from his in-character state.
Jiang Kaiwen looked him up and down to confirm his complexion was fine before grabbing the bags and urging him downstairs.
An hour later, in the business class carriage of the high-speed train, lines of rain streaked across the window.
Jiang Yue sat by the window, wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled low.
Jiang Kaiwen sat next to him, still scrolling through the latest public opinion trends.
“Stop looking.”
Jiang Yue closed his eyes to rest. “The more you look, the more you'll realize that netizens are even better at piecing together clues than we think.”
Jiang Kaiwen paused. Those words were actually spot on.
Two and a half hours later, a business van drove into a commercial photography studio in Yungang.
Unlike the noise and chaos of the film crew, the order here was much more distinct.
At the entrance, besides the black-and-white standee of 《VMAN》, a low-key sign for Lamerd stood next to it.
A photography assistant quickly carried a light stand through the hallway. The air was filled with the scent of high-end hairspray and the faint smell of steam from freshly ironed clothes.
Just as Jiang Yue got out of the car, a woman with shoulder-length hair quickly walked up to welcome him, a smile on her face.
“Hello, Teacher Jiang. I'm Tang Ning, the executive editor for this shoot. Thank you for making the trip all the way from the set for today's shoot. It must have been hard on you.”
Jiang Yue shook hands with her. “It's what I should do. It's not hard.”
“Our schedule is quite tight, so we'll get started right away.”
Tang Ning guided him inside. “This is a collaboration issue between 《VMAN》 and Lamerd. We've already arranged three sets of looks. If any adjustments are needed in between, we will communicate with your team first.”
Hearing this, Jiang Kaiwen felt a bit more at ease. “Please pay more attention to his condition. He just came off a high-intensity shoot, and the injury on his left hand hasn't fully healed yet.”
Tang Ning nodded with a smile. “Don't worry, the brand specifically mentioned this as well.”
When Jiang Yue was brought into the private dressing room, three sets of Lamerd's ready-to-wear collection were already hanging on the clothing rack.
Manager Wang from Lamerd's PR department was also on-site, checking the layout notes with 《VMAN》's styling editor.
The tailors sent this time were still Pierre and Rick, the two who had previously altered Jiang Yue's red carpet haute couture. They stood by the clothing rack with measuring tapes, pins, and spare cufflinks in hand, clearly ready to handle any details once he put the clothes on.
The first outfit was a light gray, loose, distressed sweatshirt layered over a white inner shirt, paired with charcoal-black straight-leg jeans, pure white sneakers, and a canvas crossbody bag—casual and refreshing.
The second outfit was somewhere between casual and formal: a khaki linen-blend casual suit jacket over a black knit polo shirt, paired with dark brown casual trousers, brown Derby shoes, and thin-framed glasses, giving off a gentle, literary vibe.
The third outfit was the most unique: a deep red turtleneck under a loose-fit brown coat, with the edges of the fabric outlined in dark gold thread. Next to it lay a half-moon-shaped accessory made with an antique bronze finish.
Jiang Yue's gaze lingered on the accessory for a moment.
Jiang Kaiwen's gaze also fell upon the half-moon-shaped accessory, his expression instantly becoming somewhat subtle.
“The design of this thing... why does it look a bit like...”
Jiang Yue finished the sentence for him: “Like the half-moon pattern elements in 《The Pivot Bone》.”
Rate on N.U.
