After Entering a Book, He Just Wants to be a Flower Vase

T/N: Thank you SpinningSoul for sponsoring an extra release of ABV this week!

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As the start time of “Operation Red Owl” approached, Chu Yinlong organized two more small-scale script readings. The details of the script were basically determined, and character modeling and makeup was added to the agenda.

Jiang Dao sat in front of the makeup mirror, letting the makeup artist fiddle with his face.

Next to him, Chu Yinlong was still giving out opinions: “No, the makeup is still too light, and needs to be a little darker… um, should we add some special effects like spots or acne marks? He’s a criminal, and shouldn’t have such good skin.”

Holding the tools in her hand, the makeup artist stared at Jiang Dao’s face for a long time speechlessly.

“Brother Long, I’ve tried my best to make him ugly… But his appearance is like this to begin with. Even if I make him more ugly, he won’t get ugly!”

Chu Yinlong thought for a while, then traced a line on Jiang Dao’s face. “Here, add a scar.”

The makeup artist took a deep breath and turned to prepare the special effect makeup for scars.

Seeing Jiang Dao staring at the mirror curiously, Chu Yinlong asked, “You’re originally so beautiful, can you accept being made ugly?”

“Yes, I can accept being a little uglier.” Jiang Dao didn’t care. “Based on the script, Jess is often active in the tropics. And as a member of a criminal organization, he often participates in battles, so he must have scars on his body. Coupled with exposure to the wind, rain, and sun, his skin should be very rough, and he shouldn’t care about his appearance, maybe not even bothering to shave his beard…”

After listening to his long description, Chu Yinlong couldn’t help smiling. “Aren’t you afraid that your fans will be scared off?”

“It’ll be removed, sooner or later.” Jiang Dao shrugged nonchalantly.

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Chu Yinlong reached out and patted Jiang Dao’s shoulder without saying anything.

It took another nearly an hour for the makeup artist to finally follow through on Chu Yinlong’s request to dress Jiang Dao as a dark-skinned desperado. Sadly sending him out of the dressing room, she stood beside the photographer taking character photos and sighed.

“What’s wrong? Still not satisfied?” The photographer wondered.

The makeup artist raised her hand and covered her face. “That’s not… That, that… I personally ruined such a beautiful little handsome guy. I feel so guilty.”

Photographer: …

On the field, Jiang Dao stood in front of the camera, and posed according to Chu Yinlong’s request.

Fortunately, his character doesn’t have too many expressions. Just a cold face is enough, and his solo character photo was shot very smoothly.

Unexpectedly, the problem arose when Yao Yuhua came on stage to take a group photo of the villain group.

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“No,” Chu Yinlong frowned and stood behind the camera. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“It’s really not right.” The lead makeup artist also frowned.

The two pondered for a moment, looked at each other, and said at the same time, “Jess is wrong.”

Jiang Dao, who was standing beside Yao Yuhua, looked at Chu Yinlong subconsciously.

Propping one arm with the other, Chu Yinlong rubbed his chin lightly with one hand, his face dignified as he thought. Beside him, the screenwriter and the main beauty are also thinking the same.

The photographer zoomed the camera in. Studying the image carefully, he whispered, “He’s still too conspicuous. Why isn’t the makeup darker?”

“It’s not about makeup.” Chu Yinlong sighed helplessly. “His … temperament, in fact, isn’t suitable for a bodyguard, uh…”

Seeing that everyone was in a tangle, Jiang Dao was not shy. He strode to Chu Yinlong’s side, and looked at the camera.

The small screen of the camera showed him in a group photo with Yao Yuhua and another actor. The villain boss played by Yao Yuhua is a domineering type, while his godson Ning Shao is an intelligent and gentle scum. In the end, Jess, the bodyguard played by Jiang Dao, is the most silent and inconspicuous among the three.

It’s a pity that even when the makeup artist did his best, Jiang Dao’s presence in the filmed picture was still more conspicuous than Ning Shao.

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After staring at the screen for a while, the screenwriter suggested, “How about changing the roles of these two?”

“Jess is all about fighting, I chose Xiao Dao because he can fight… Can Brother Liu play the role of bodyguard?” Chu Yinlong smiled bitterly.

Hearing this, Liu Xingyun, who played Ning Shao, made an expression of mock surprise: “I play the bodyguard? We’re dead then. My hands and feet are not coordinated, not to mention fighting, I can’t even broadcast well.”

Just when everyone was despairing and stuck, Jiang Dao suddenly opened his mouth: “Actually, I have an idea.”

Chu Yinlong raised his eyebrows. “What?”

Jiang Dao grinned widely at him. “Wait, let me give it a try.”

After speaking, he turned back to the stage and walked to Yao Yuhua’s side.

“Mr. Yao, sorry to offend you,” Jiang Dao said apologetically.

“It’s alright, do what you want.” Yao Yuhua smiled kindly, sitting on the chair, very relaxed, with a look of letting him do whatever.

So in front of the lens, Jiang Dao generously sat in… Yao Yuhua’s arms.

He wrapped one arm around Yao Yuhua’s neck, and one hand gently landed on Yao Yuhua’s shoulder.

Everyone was silent.

Chu Yinlong’s adam’s apple trembled unconsciously, and the hand hanging by his side curled slightly.

His chest was suffocated for some reason seeing Jiang Dao sitting in Yao Yuhua’s arms, so he took a deep breath slowly, trying to relieve this strange annoyance.

Next to him, the screenwriter slapped his thigh: “Yes!”

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He stretched out his hand and grabbed Chu Yinlong’s sleeve. “I think – yes! Look – in our original setting, He Zhenhai has no family, and even his son He Ning1Ning Shao = Young Master Ning is just a tool person. Him having a lover working as a bodyguard by his side is no problem! It can be done!”

Then he turned on his tablet. “I’ll see how we can change it. There shouldn’t be too much. It’s definitely no problem!”

The photographer stared at the camera for a while, and then smiled. “Good. Mr. Yao, try to be more intimate with your actions. I’ll try to take a few shots.”

“Don’t take any photos yet.” Chu Yinlong interrupted.

After a pause, he sighed softly: “…give him a new look.”

…

Forty minutes later, Jiang Dao came out of the dressing room, newly remodeled and painted.

He changed into a sleeveless vest, revealing his beautifully muscular arms. His lower body was wrapped in fitted jeans and leather boots. His arms were still wrapped in blood-stained gauze, and there were tiny scars over his skin, highlighting the wildness belonging to a criminal.

However, in order to match his new identity, the stylist added a collar to Jiang Dao’s neck – black leather, with a cold metal ring in the middle buckle at the throat, creating a sense of being controlled and domesticated.

Naturally, his makeup also changed. Although a darker skin tone was applied, the facial scars and rough grainy texture were removed, and his eye shadow was adjusted, giving his character a faint wild charm.

Chu Yinlong looked at Jiang Dao silently, seemingly satisfied, and nodded. “Go, take some photos.”

After speaking, he lowered his head and continued to look at his phone.

Jiang Dao came on stage, and under the orders of the photographer, he took a few group photos with Yao Yuhua.

Both the lead makeup artist and the photographer were satisfied. Jiang Dao has clearly changed to a bolder and unconventional identity, but he managed to control it, making this unconventional “same-sex lover” more reasonable than the previous conventional “personal bodyguard”.

Glancing at Jiang Dao sitting in the man’s arms, Chu Yinlong looked down at the phone screen.

A message happened to pop up on his phone. “The personal information was obtained by Xingyao Media, and filled out by the artist himself for the sake of public relations crisis management. It should be true.”

Rubbing his finger on the edge of the phone for a moment, Chu Yinlong replied, “Got it.”

Then he locked the screen and raised his head to look at the shooting venue. After a moment, he opened his phone again, pulled up the camera, and quickly took a picture of the scene.

Jiang Dao suddenly tilted his head, looked at Chu Yinlong, and pouted.

Chu Yinlong frowned. Glancing at the photo in his hand, he quickly deleted and emptied it, pressed the lock screen again, and leaned back in the chair leisurely.

By the time all the makeup photos were taken, it was long past eight o’clock in the evening.

Jiang Dao hadn’t bought a car yet, and Chu Yinlong’s assistant left to do other things and hadn’t come back, so he took out his phone, preparing to call a taxi.

Suddenly, a hand appeared in Jiang Dao’s field of vision, lightly blocking the phone screen.

Jiang Dao looked up and saw Chu Yinlong withdraw his hand.

“You don’t need to take a taxi, I’ll drive you back. Come on.”

Hearing his tone of voice, Jiang Dao simply didn’t bother, and got into Boss Chu’s car without any psychological burden.

It was not until the car drove out of the basement that Jiang Dao realized that it was drizzling outside.

Outside the car, one could see the lights being shattered by the raindrops through the glass.

Neither occupant in the car spoke at first, and the silence lasted for a long time before Chu Yinlong finally asked, “Just now, how did you think of changing the bodyguard to a same-sex lover?”

Jiang Dao was stunned for a moment, and then remembered that the screenwriter and lead makeup artist were still working overtime at this time, and couldn’t help but feel apologetic. “Ah, I changed the role without authorization, will this cause trouble? Will it affect filming?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Chu Yinlong said. “Originally the villains’ background isn’t explored in detail, and no family members are arranged for them. If the bodyguard is changed to… a lover, there are probably only a few lines that need to be changed.”

“That’s good.” Jiang Dao was relieved. “It was on a whim. I worried it might be too bold, and didn’t expect it to end up like this in the end.”

After a moment of silence, Chu Yinlong asked again, “Generally speaking, it’s hard to think of such an unconventional character… How did you think of it?”

Jiang Dao leaned back in the seat and relaxed. Resting his arms on the lower edge of the window, he replied with a smile, “I’ve seen it before.”

“You’ve seen it?” Chu Yinlong frowned.

“Yes,” Jiang Dao took it for granted. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

In the apocalyptic wasteland outside the book, due to frequent disasters, constant wars, and precarious situations, people live more unscrupulously than the world in the book. Not to mention hugging and kissing same-sex lovers in the street, other crazy forms of play can be easily seen.

In this world, however, things are different.

To see same-sex couples being intimate, either someone has close friends who don’t shy away, or one has to go to some special places.

Chu Yinlong coughed softly, his tone a little stiff: “You are also a public figure now, try not to go to those kinds of places, bars, nightclubs… especially, places catering to non-mainstream orientations… If you’re photographed, the consequences won’t be good.”

Jiang Dao blinked his eyes, feeling as if he understood, but also felt like he didn’t fully comprehend the meaning of his words.

Chu Yinlong glanced at Jiang Dao from the corner of his eye and sighed helplessly. “If you want to play or drink, I can bring you to some privately run by people in the circle… it’s safer than outside.”

“I know, accident prevention and anti-paparazzi!” Jiang Dao quoted a sentence he had read in the book, and then let out a low laugh.

“Look, even an actor at your level has to hide. As long as one is in the entertainment industry, if you don’t pay attention, your life will be stripped bare. You have to constantly worry about your public image, and about setting a bad example for everyone…”

Having said that, he turned to look at Chu Yinlong, and asked with a smile, “…Aren’t you tired?”

Feeling the tables turn, Chu Yinlong couldn’t help smiling helplessly. He was the one originally trying to persuade the newcomer, yet ended up being the one who was questioned.

He thought about it for a while, and answered calmly: “It is tiring… But rather than being free and ignorant, I would rather leave some traces in this world to prove that I existed.”

Leave some traces in this world to… prove I existed?

Jiang Dao murmured and repeated it in his heart, feeling a little surprised.

He once thought that people in the entertainment industry were only after fame and money. He never considered how excellent literary or artistic works could actually break through the shackles of time to be remembered by the world.

 

CYL is jealous~

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1Ning Shao = Young Master Ning