Chapter 10: You’re Not Qualified

Before this scene, Li Peiyun had always been reserved and aloof. Even though he showed signs of attraction upon first seeing Liang Haisheng, he still treated him like a stranger when they met.

The scene where Li Peiyun gets drunk at the party was a subtle turning point in their relationship.

That night, the cruise ship held a party, and Liang Haisheng was on duty. Many people on board admired Li Peiyun, both men and women, all wanting to use this opportunity to get closer to him. But Li Peiyun was naturally proud and didn’t want to interact with these frivolous people. He tried to leave but couldn’t. It wasn’t until he was drunk that he encountered Liang Haisheng, the sailor on patrol, who helped him out.

However, in the original script, there was no scene of Li Peiyun initiating a kiss in the bathroom. Liang Haisheng simply saw the drunk Li Peiyun, worried he might be bullied, and took him back to his cabin. That was the end of the scene.

But the script had been changed, and Li Siwei could only accept the reality. He never had a say on set; having a role to play was already fortunate.

The makeup and costume for this scene were different from before. To portray Li Peiyun’s drunkenness, his hair was no longer neatly styled, and his suspenders were removed.

To emphasize his intoxicated state, the makeup artist also applied a light blush to Li Siwei’s cheeks.

In addition, to help the actors get into character, the props team prepared real alcohol.

This scene was divided into three parts for filming. The first part was Liang Haisheng patrolling the party and encountering the drunk Li Peiyun. Li Peiyun was drunk and couldn’t leave.

The second part was Liang Haisheng using Li Peiyun’s “illness” as an excuse to take him away from the party and carry him back to his cabin.

The third part was Li Peiyun taking a bath alone in his cabin after returning, but there was no sound for a long time. Liang Haisheng opened the door and found Li Peiyun shirtless, lying on the edge of the bathtub. Liang Haisheng thought he had fainted and tried to pick him up, but Li Peiyun grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

The first part was filmed relatively smoothly. It was a simple dialogue scene, and both actors got into character quickly. However, the props team had prepared real wine, and Li Siwei was never good with alcohol. He forced himself to drink two or three glasses before they got the take. By the time they finished filming this part, he was already a bit dizzy.

“Mr. Yu, should we use a dolly for this scene?” The assistant director asked.

For efficiency, the production usually used a dolly and a crane for scenes that involved carrying or piggybacking. This saved the actors’ energy and prevented accidents on set.

“No.” Yu Chuan refused directly.

“Siwei, can you carry him?”

The assistant director’s implication was that even though Li Siwei was thin, he was still a grown man. Acting wasn’t like a normal hug; for different camera angles, they often had to repeat the scene many times.

“Of course.”

“…Alright then.” The assistant director asked the props team to remove the auxiliary equipment, then added, “If you feel it’s too much, let us know anytime.”

About half an hour later, the set was ready, and the lighting was in place. The two actors walked onto the set. Today’s set was different from usual. Yu Chuan, as Liang Haisheng, had to carry Li Siwei through a corridor. So the lights were set up along the corridor.

As time went on, Li Siwei became more and more intoxicated. He had low alcohol tolerance, and the heat from the lights made him feel even more flushed and dizzy.

Yu Chuan, in his sailor uniform, looked even taller. He half-squatted, extending his arms, his biceps prominent.

“Come on.”

Li Siwei was a bit taken aback.

“How should I…?”

The script only said that Liang Haisheng carried Li Peiyun back to his cabin, but it didn’t specify how. Li Siwei had assumed that carrying him on his back would be reasonable. But Yu Chuan seemed to disagree.

“Like this, of course.” Yu Chuan kept his arms extended, his expression showing impatience.

Carry him horizontally?! A princess carry?! This wasn’t a romance drama.

Li Siwei looked at the director.

Director Qiu nodded: “I think this is reasonable. Come on—get ready to roll!”

Li Siwei felt resigned. While the previous scenes had only involved close proximity, this scene required real physical contact.

He steeled himself, closed his eyes, and leaned into Yu Chuan’s arms. Yu Chuan wrapped his arms around him and lifted him up, standing straight.

Li Siwei had a faint scent of alcohol on him, the bittersweet aroma of wine. He leaned against Yu Chuan, then heard a voice beside his ear: “Your arms?”

“What?”

“Put your arms around my neck.” Yu Chuan whispered.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Li Siwei reacted slowly. Yu Chuan patted his thigh.

Li Siwei snapped out of it and put his arms around Yu Chuan’s neck.

As strong as an ox. Li Siwei thought to himself.

“3—2—1—” Director Qiu’s voice came. “Action!”

Yu Chuan held him tightly, and Li Siwei felt the air thinning, half of his arm almost squeezed into Yu Chuan’s chest.

Yu Chuan moved quickly, two Steadicam operators following behind. Li Siwei tilted his face slightly, and Yu Chuan’s breath brushed against his cheek.

For some reason, a fleeting image flashed before his eyes, and his eyes suddenly felt sore. But the hot lights on set forced him back to reality.

“Good! One more take!” Director Qiu shouted from behind the monitor.

The corridor was dozens of meters long. After carrying a man back and forth, Yu Chuan’s forehead was covered in sweat. The makeup artist hurried over to wipe away the sweat and touch up his makeup.

“Siwei!”

Li Siwei turned around to see the director calling him: “What is it, Director?”

“Why did your emotions seem to break in the middle of that take?” Director Qiu looked at him.

Li Siwei froze, not knowing how to explain.

After about five seconds, he replied: “The lights were too hot, I got distracted. Sorry.”

Director Qiu didn’t say much, just stared at him: “Pay attention this time. No more distractions.”

The second take started quickly. Li Siwei’s breathing was already a bit ragged, but he held himself steady. Yu Chuan lifted him up again, and Li Siwei instinctively put his arms around his neck. He subconsciously glanced at Yu Chuan’s eyes, but Yu Chuan was also looking at him.

Their eyes met briefly, and this time, Yu Chuan was the first to look away.

The same route, no lines, only the sound of Yu Chuan’s footsteps in the long corridor. The scene was completed in one take.

When Yu Chuan put Li Siwei down, half of Li Siwei’s cheek was flushed. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the tight embrace.

The bathroom scene needed to be filmed in another studio. The props team had meticulously set up an almost identical replica of the ship’s bathroom based on the description in the original novel. The space was small, only two or three meters long and wide. On the east side was a beige sink, and on the west side was an oval ceramic bathtub.

A frosted glass partition separated the bathroom from the outside, allowing the light from outside to filter in, the sharp light softened by the glass, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.

The scene was added in a hurry, and the script was very brief, leaving a lot of room for improvisation.

Yu Chuan didn’t need to change, but Li Siwei, for the bathing scene, had to take off his shirt.

Changing clothes on set wasn’t a big deal. Li Siwei quickly took off his shirt and handed it to the costume assistant. Yu Chuan glanced back at him. The horrific bruises on his back were almost invisible now.

Li Siwei held the script in his hand, reviewing his lines.

Yu Chuan walked in and noticed that Li Siwei’s waist and back were covered in foundation.

“Is it waterproof?” He asked.

“What?” Li Siwei looked up.

“We’ll be filling the bathtub with water. Is your foundation waterproof?”

Li Siwei was silent for two seconds, understanding what he was asking: “Don’t worry, it won’t smudge.”

The bathtub was filled with hot water. Under the soft light, steam filled the small space. The set was cleared, leaving only a fixed camera and a cameraman with a Steadicam.

“We need to capture the atmosphere between you two in this scene. I won’t call cut, so don’t break character, understand?” Director Qiu instructed again before filming.

Li Siwei nodded and walked onto the set.

Wearing only a pair of thin beige pants, Li Siwei sat in the bathtub, the water submerging his chest. The water droplets shimmered under the soft light, his hair slightly damp.

“Action!” Director Qiu’s voice came, but it sounded muffled to Li Siwei.

A heater was blowing warm air on set. Soaking in the hot water, coupled with the lingering effects of the alcohol, Li Siwei rested his arms on the edge of the bathtub, feeling even more drowsy. The light was dim, and he saw the glass door open. A tall figure stood before him.

At this moment, that person wasn’t Yu Chuan, but Liang Haisheng. He wasn’t Li Siwei, but Li Peiyun.

“Peiyun?” Liang Haisheng called softly. “Are you alright?”

He shook his head, his eyes half-closed: “I’m fine.”

Liang Haisheng squatted down, bringing his face close to Li Peiyun’s, their noses almost touching. Liang Haisheng gently held his hand. There were thin calluses on his left fingertips. He paused, rubbing them for a few seconds before letting go.

“Really alright?” Warm breath mingled with steam and brushed against his ear.

He opened his eyes slightly and saw Liang Haisheng’s short, coarse hair, his prominent brow bone, and below, a pair of dark eyes, his pupils softer than the flowing water.

Time seemed to stop for half a minute. Li Peiyun didn’t speak.

Liang Haisheng stood up to leave, the door slightly ajar.

Li Peiyun in the bathtub suddenly spoke, his voice slurred: “Don’t go.”

Liang Haisheng turned around to look at him. Li Peiyun opened his eyes, looking at him with a dazed expression, and didn’t speak again.

Liang Haisheng slowly turned back, squatted down in front of him again: “Should I carry you out? Soaking for too long might give you a cold.”

He reached out to lift Li Peiyun up, but his hand was held back.

Surrounded by the scent of alcohol, Li Peiyun raised his hands and cupped Liang Haisheng’s face, pulling him closer. Li Peiyun’s lips were red and full from the steam. He tilted his face slightly, his lower lip brushing against Liang Haisheng’s stubble, his intention clear.

Their breaths mingled, almost merging into a sigh.

But the steam continued to rise on set, the warm air swirling around them.

Li Siwei was hesitating about how to continue the scene when the man in front of him suddenly lowered his head, cupped his chin, and kissed him back.

Yu Chuan’s overly gentle licking made Li Siwei’s mind go blank.

The moist steam made him unable to distinguish whether the person in front of him was Liang Haisheng or Yu Chuan.

He quickly snapped out of it. He clearly remembered that this return kiss wasn’t in the script.