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Rong Yuheng felt extremely awkward, as if his scalp was tingling, and he wished he could curl himself into a hamster ball. Goddamn it, did his Scallop Big Brother think the Bai Tuanzi was a guy?

Rong Yuheng slowly moved towards them, bearing the overwhelming embarrassment. “Xun Guang Laosi~”

Xun Guang patted him friendly. “What’s wrong, bro?”

Rong Yuheng sighed. It seemed like there was no way around this.

Wen Zhecheng was massaging Rong Yuheng’s little head on the side, trying to provide full-body relaxation to his little hamster to ease the awkwardness. “In ‘Plain-Robes,’ it indeed has a bit of a male protagonist vibe… No wonder Brother Rong got the wrong idea.”

Xun Guang cast a sideways glance at Wen Zhecheng. Well, men. Addressing him as “Brother” now?

When everyone was gathered, the crew prepared to board the plane. The flight from here to K City would only take two hours. Rong Yuheng took a nap on the plane and woke up when they reached their destination.

The crew members first checked into their hotel and had lunch, then they held the opening ceremony in the afternoon.

After the host, speeches, and introductions, the director introduced the main cast one by one. Important officials then unveiled the camera, and various media outlets conducted on-site interviews with the crew.

A reporter asked, “Director Qian, how do you view the controversy online regarding the casting of the drama?”

Qian Xinlei replied, “The bigger the controversy, the higher the attention it garners. I believe our actors are worthy of everyone’s attention.”

Another reporter asked, “Mr. Wen, you have been primarily working in the film industry. Why did you suddenly decide to participate in a TV drama adaptation?”

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Wen Zhecheng answered seriously, “To become a better version of myself.”

The reporter seemed taken aback.

Then the microphone turned to Rong Yuheng. “It is said on  the Internet that in this drama adaptation, Teacher Wen is playing the second male lead to complement you. How do you feel about that?”

Rong Yuheng remained composed. “People are overthinking it. It’s simply because he can’t play the first male lead.”

Wen Zhecheng chimed in, “Yes, I’m not interesting enough.”

The reporter seemed puzzled.

The media’s questions concluded with some light banter, and after the incense-burning ceremony, the crew could officially start shooting.

In “Journey of the Plain Robes Traveler,” the growth of the protagonist, Huai Qing, could be roughly divided into three stages:

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In the first stage, there was a subtle change in his character from entering a gang to leaving it.

In the second stage, he ventured into the world with Pei Yanhe, forging a deep friendship.

In the third stage, Pei Yanhe’s identity was exposed, and Huai Qing was drawn into the court, eventually becoming one of the four leading figures in the capital.

In the first stage, Huai Qing had no interactions with Pei Yanhe yet. This part would take more than ten episodes, and Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng each had their own scenes to film.

Rong Yuheng had mostly fight scenes with He Zuo, who played “Juyan,” within the gang. He Zuo was essentially a semi-action actor, so the fight scenes in this drama didn’t pose much of a challenge for him.

Rong Yuheng, on the other hand, was a newbie, so he was learning the fight choreography with the action director. He Zuo was his practice partner.

Wen Zhecheng didn’t have many scenes in the early stages of the drama. Most of his appearances were interwoven into the broader context of the martial world, reflecting the changing situation in the world and setting the stage for Huaiqing’s transition from the martial world to the court.

After finishing his scenes, Wen Zhecheng moved to the side to watch his little hamster.

Rong Yuheng was still not very familiar with the filming process, but he quickly picked up what he had been taught, such as how to enter the frame, exit, and take control of the scene.

Wen Zhecheng saw a glimpse of Rong Yuheng’s fair wrist under the rolled-up sleeves as he gracefully wielded the sword, reflecting the bright sunlight. The swordplay was sharp and dazzling.

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With a slight turn of the blade, he broke through the air’s resistance and pointed it straight at He Zuo, who was his sparring partner. He Zuo raised his sword to block, producing a resounding clash.

“Nice job, Qingqing. Let’s team up for the gang’s martial arts competition tomorrow!”

Rong Yuheng smiled as he sheathed his sword. His disheveled bangs brushed gently across his delicate brows. “Brother Yanhe, you’ll need to ask the Deputy Gang Leader for permission. He booked me in advance.”

He Zuo sheathed his sword as well, reached out to ruffle Rong Yuheng’s head, and said, “Why are you so popular? You’re like the mascot of the gang!”

Rong Yuheng’s hair swayed left and right under He Zuo’s fingertips. Meanwhile, Wen Zhecheng, who was watching from the sidelines, gradually focused his gaze…

Qian Xinlei shouted “Cut,” and

He turned and looked deeply at Xun Guang. “The script you wrote is really interesting.”

Xun Guang replied, “Huai Qing and Juyan are best friends in the early stages. Huai Qing is even willing to give up the position of gang leader to Juyan. Their interactions are a bit more intimate than with others.”

Wen Zhecheng tried to negotiate, “Pei Yanhe will become an even better friend than Juyan, so their interactions should be even more intimate.”

Xun Guang, with a clear train of thought, responded, “Please don’t mislead me with the thought process of ‘Ze Cheng Yi Yu’ fanfiction. Thank you, brother.”

Wen Zhecheng remained silent.

On the sidelines, Lin Yeqing, who had been listening covertly the whole time, was ecstatic and covered her mouth in excitement.

Oh my goodness… so, Ze Cheng Yi Yu is real!

The first day of shooting was just a trial, and it ended around dinnertime. The crew members had flown during the day and held the opening ceremony, so they were still a bit overwhelmed. Qian Xinlei, who understood the principle of “sharpening the knife doesn’t delay the cutting,” didn’t schedule any scenes for them that evening and allowed the actors to rest early.

After returning to the hotel, Rong Yuheng planned to take a shower and asked Shi Qiu for help with sending the CD.

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When he finished showering, Shi Qiu had already returned and was sitting on the couch, flipping through a tablet.

“What’s up, Sister Qiu?”

Rong Yuheng, while drying his hair, sat down opposite Shi Qiu. Her thin eyebrows were tightly furrowed.

“Somebody from Fanyu’s artist roster was badmouthing you online a while ago.”

Rong Yuheng responded with an “Oh.” “Have you found out who it was?”

Shi Qiu said, “We’re getting closer. We’re narrowing it down. Once Qu Youhe contacts someone from the Eight Records Entertainment Network, we should be able to figure it out.”

Rong Yuheng felt a bit embarrassed as he scratched his nose. “Why trouble Teacher Wen and the others?”

Shi Qiu choked up for a moment, then reluctantly squeezed out a few words from her lips. “Teacher Wen is quite willing.”

Rong Yuheng immediately sat happily on the sofa, rubbing it. Ah, his owner was really nice.

Seeing this, Shi Qiu closed her eyes firmly! She didn’t want to see Rong Yuheng’s spring-like face.

The shooting location on the second day was in the outskirts of the mountains.

The gang where Huai Qing was located was called “Lintian.” Among the numerous scattered gangs in the martial world, Lintian ranked fifth, with over a thousand members. Their base was located on Fanghua Slope in the southern suburbs of the city. In winter, the white snow covered the slopes, while in spring, fragrant branches blossomed all over.

Currently, it was early winter, but the snow had not yet fallen. Qian Xinlei had them film some daily scenes first, and they would capture more panoramic shots after the winter solstice.

In order to achieve a heroic and valiant appearance in costume dramas, regardless of how cold it was, actors couldn’t wear heavy clothing. Rong Yuheng had a colder constitution and was a bit sensitive to the cold. After filming two scenes, his face had frozen.

Wen Zhecheng, watching from the side, frowned and then walked to the other side.

He returned after a while and took Rong Yuheng to his side.

“Your earlobes are all red,” Wen Zhecheng said with a hint of concern, feeling a tightness in his chest.

In the past, when he heard people say, “I’d love to suffer in your place,” in movies and TV shows, he thought he couldn’t understand it. Now, he finally understood.

Rong Yuheng rubbed his own ears while saying, “It’s okay.”

Wen Zhecheng stood beside Rong Yuheng, blocking others’ curious glances. He reached out and slipped his hand under Rong Yuheng’s collar.

“Hey!” Rong Yuheng hastily grabbed Wen Zhecheng’s hand. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t move; I’m giving you a warm pad.” Wen Zhecheng lowered his head, and his eyelashes drooped down, his gaze looking quite focused. His hand ran along Rong Yuheng’s waist until it reached his back.

Rong Yuheng shivered slightly. His collar had been loosened a bit, and to prevent him from moving too much, Wen Zhecheng also used his other hand to hold onto Rong Yuheng’s arm.

Right now, it felt like his whole body was being embraced by Wen Zhecheng.

“We’re not supposed to use warm pads, right? They might show through,” Rong Yuheng said.

Wen Zhecheng responded, “Put them under your inner shirt, and then wear an outer shirt. It won’t show.”

Rong Yuheng uttered an “Oh” and then obediently let Wen Zhecheng fiddle with him.

… The rest of the crew discreetly watched the situation, some staring at the sky and others avoiding eye contact with the couple.

“The big movie star is flirting, don’t look unless necessary!”

Wen Zhecheng had placed a warm pad on Rong Yuheng and adjusted his collar. He cleared his throat and couldn’t resist saying, “You look good in this outfit.”

Rong Yuheng blushed a bit but couldn’t restrain his naturally shameless nature. He shook his head and said, “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Wen Zhecheng followed up with a rainbow puffery, “My little hamster looks good in anything!”

…

The morning shoot was over. The crew had prepared boxed lunches. Rong Yuheng was carrying his meal and looking for a place to sit when his dear owner beckoned him.

“Zaizai, come here.”

Rong Yuheng trotted over and asked, “What’s up?”

Wen Zhecheng lovingly patted his head. “Come, let’s have a private meal in my car.”

Rong Yuheng looked somewhat horrified. Wen Zhecheng was eating his own meal in broad daylight; he had some thick skin!

In Wen Zhecheng’s business car, Qu Youhe and Shi Qiu were already waiting. Qu Youhe wordlessly set up a small table, on which were several lunchboxes and a thermos.

Wen Zhecheng led Rong Yuheng over like a proud peacock, eager to show off his advantage.

“I brought two boxes of sushi, two portions of eel rice, and hot soup. Shooting these kinds of scenes consumes a lot of energy, and just eating boxed lunches won’t do. You need a balanced diet.”

Rong Yuheng clapped his hands enthusiastically. “Great!”

Qu Youhe and Shi Qiu looked at each other in speechless astonishment. What a moutless drama!

The two of them got into the car and sat down. Wen Zhecheng saw that Rong Yuheng’s small face was pale from the cold. He immediately turned to open the thermos and poured some soup for him.

“The soup is still a bit hot; you can hold it to warm your hands later. By the way, Kuang Zhao said he wants to meet you. He’ll come to visit the set in a few days. Is that okay?”

Rong Yuheng agreed, “Sure, he’s your good friend, and I’d like to meet him too.”

Wen Zhecheng almost couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.

While Rong Yuheng was busy scooping soup, he secretly opened one of the sushi boxes. Very obediently, he extended his little hand and said, “I want this one!”

At this moment, Wen Zhecheng felt extremely elated. He indulgently said, “Eat, you can have whatever you want.”

…

When he finished scooping the soup and turned back, he saw Rong Yuheng sitting next to him, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed.

With his long white robe and the headpiece still on, his long black hair hung down from his cheeks, making him look even more youthful. Sunlight filtered through the car door, illuminating Rong Yuheng’s pale face.

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze softened, and he thought, so adorable.

“Is it delicious?” Wen Zhecheng asked.

Rong Yuheng mumbled, “It’s okay, just a bit chewy.”

“Chewy?” Wen Zhecheng took a piece of sushi for himself and tore off the plastic wrap. “Did it get soft from being in the lunchbox for too long?”

As soon as he said this, he noticed that Rong Yuheng had frozen beside him.

Wen Zhecheng turned to him in confusion, only to see Rong Yuheng’s pupils shaking violently, and even his puffy cheeks were trembling slightly.

“What… is this?” Rong Yuheng’s voice was slow and hesitant.

Wen Zhecheng followed his gaze and said, “Plastic wrap?”

Rong Yuheng remained silent for two seconds. Then, he opened his mouth and pulled out a piece of plastic that had been chewed into a spiral.

Holding the transparent plastic strip, Rong Yuheng said in a slow tone, “No wonder it’s so chewy…”

Wen Zhecheng blinked, utterly perplexed.

The author has something to say: Wen Zhecheng: Giving my little hamster warmth and feeding him well~

Hamster Yuheng: Burp~ So comfortable.