APCF – Chapter 94 The Small Box

Wearing cow-print pajamas, Qi Xingchen happily finished a video call with his boyfriend. After lying around for a while, he tumbled out of bed and began unpacking his personal belongings.

Gray Trajectory was scheduled to be filmed for four to five months, spanning from winter to spring. Two days ago, when Qi Yujie helped him pack, she stuffed three large suitcases full of both winter and spring clothes.

But he had secretly put two of them back behind his sister’s back, bringing only one suitcase and a backpack to J City to travel light.

He carefully took out his clothes one by one and hung them up. Then, he retrieved two small storage pouches containing his undergarments—underwear, socks, and such—intending to put them in the closet.

However, as he walked toward the closet, a jingling sound came from one of the storage pouches.

The more he listened, the more puzzled he became. Unable to resist, he opened the pouch.

Inside, four small, neatly packed rectangular boxes lay alongside two small round glass bottles.

Qi Xingchen was certain—he had packed these underwear and socks himself, and he definitely hadn’t put these unfamiliar items in.

That meant… Qi Yujie must have secretly slipped them in while helping him pack.

His sister loved personally packing his luggage but had never touched his personal or intimate belongings. The fact that she had broken her usual principle and stuffed these in could only mean one thing—these were too embarrassing to be seen in public.

Qi Xingchen took out one of the small boxes and carefully read the text on it.

“0.02mm Ultra-thin Ice Sensation, Mint Scent.”

“Raised Dots for Extra Heat and Zero Distance…”

“Hyaluronic Acid Lubrication—for Unhindered Love.”

Reading these strange and very suggestive words, Qi Xingchen suddenly felt his knowledge expand in a very peculiar direction.

As for the two round bottles beside them, filled with clear, viscous liquid—he could pretty much guess what they were.

Like he had been scalded with boiling water, he instantly threw everything onto the floor.

Why the hell did his sister pack these for him?!

He was here to film a drama, not to mess around with romance!!!

However, after standing there, blushing furiously in stunned silence for a few minutes, he slowly, reluctantly, picked them up again.

A thought surfaced in his mind for no reason.

Bo Ye was very busy, so it was unlikely he would visit the set.

But… what if he did?

If Bo Ye came, shouldn’t he… shouldn’t he have something ready to use?

But then again, would Bo Ye even be interested in him?

Ah, forget it. Better to be prepared just in case.

Qi Xingchen wrapped the items in a towel and shoved them into the bottom of the wardrobe.

Filming the Costume Test

During the costume fitting, Qi Xingchen met the female lead, Yan Ruonan.

True to her name, she had a strong and decisive personality, and her action scenes were top-notch. Over the years, she had earned a reputation for being dedicated and hardworking. However, perhaps due to her overly strong-willed nature, she had missed out on certain opportunities that others could have gained through gender-based advantages.

As a result, at thirty-two, she had never truly become famous, always lingering in the second-tier ranks of television dramas.

Before arriving on set, Qi Xingchen had done his homework and had deep admiration and respect for Yan Ruonan. When facing her, he made sure to act politely. Supporting his right arm with his left hand, he bowed slightly and shook her hand.

“Ruonan-jie, I’m Qi Xingchen. You can just call me Xingxing.”

“Hello.” Yan Ruonan’s expression was serious. “I’m Yan Ruonan.”

“For the next few months, please take care of me.”

Yan Ruonan released his hand and gave a faint “mm” in response, saying nothing more. She didn’t seem particularly interested in Qi Xingchen.

After greeting him, she turned around and went to report to the director.

The man beside her, presumably her agent, lowered his voice and reminded her, “Ruonan, Qi Xingchen is the male lead. You two will be working together for a long time. Your reaction just now was too cold. Try to build a good relationship with him on set. Avoid conflicts—harmony is the most important thing, got it?”

Yan Ruonan remained silent.

The manager pressed on, “Ruonan!”

“…I’ll try,” Yan Ruonan replied. “As long as that little pretty boy doesn’t keep messing up takes and causing trouble for me, I definitely won’t make things difficult for the production team. You know how I am.”

They weren’t speaking loudly, so Qi Xingchen only caught bits and pieces of their conversation. He wasn’t particularly upset about it—after all, he didn’t have any representative works to his name. Most of his popularity came from variety shows and his looks.

Yan Ruonan calling him a little fresh meat was completely accurate.

Right now, he really was just a traffic-attracting actor who relied on his face.

But this web drama needed someone with enough star power to drive up viewership. The investors had likely picked him because of the buzz he generated from The Times.

Qi Xingchen didn’t mind at all and went to the dressing room to get his makeup done. While filming Heart of the Ocean, he had rested entirely in a nanny van. Now, as the male lead, he finally had his own dressing room with his name on it—just like Bo Ye.

And he no longer had to borrow the production team’s stylist.

It felt amazing.

Qi Xingchen leisurely applied his makeup while reading through the script.

Due to long-term malnutrition, the male lead, Liang Xiaolong, had a pale, sickly appearance. Director Zhou had sent a reference image to Jiang Jiang, the makeup artist, who now looked troubled.

“Xingxing, your skin is way too fair—it doesn’t match the character at all. I’ll have to use a much darker foundation on you.”

“No problem, go ahead.”

“Then you better come find me tonight when you remove your makeup. I’m going to have to apply it really thick. If you don’t clean it off properly, it’ll damage your skin.”

Qi Xingchen nodded and continued reading his script.

Twenty minutes later, he looked up at the mirror…

Not gonna lie, the foundation was really thick. He could feel his skin suffocating.

To make the effect look natural, Jiang Jiang had layered three different shades of foundation on him. Of course, it ended up feeling heavy. After examining the result, she clicked her tongue.

“The neck needs makeup too, or the contrast will be too obvious. And your arms and hands—they’re showing.”

“Alright then,” Qi Xingchen agreed without much choice.

Once the makeup was finally done, he changed into his first costume—a delivery rider’s uniform from a food delivery platform.

It was his first time dressed like this, so he found it refreshing. He took out his phone, snapped a quick selfie, and naturally sent it to Bo Ye.

After the message successfully sent, he suddenly realized something—

Even though his facial features were still there, the sickly makeup made him look terrible. His complexion was horrible, and even his good looks had dropped a notch.

Would Bo Ye think he looked ugly?!

Luckily, it had only been two minutes since he sent the message. He quickly chose to recall it.

Watching his embarrassing selfie disappear from the screen, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Then—

A new message appeared on his screen.

[Costume test?]

Halfway through exhaling, Qi Xingchen choked.

Then another message popped up.

[Moon]: Why do you look even thinner?

The breath he had been holding got stuck in his chest, neither going up nor down.

Qi Xingchen stared at the words, feeling complicated—so Bo Ye’s first reaction upon seeing his photo wasn’t that he had gotten ugly.

It was that he had lost weight again.

His chest felt tight, both stuffy and warm. Lowering his head, he typed:

[Xingxing]: It’s just makeup. I haven’t actually lost weight—you saw me last night.

[Moon]: Your pajamas were too loose. I couldn’t tell.

[Xingxing]: I even had hotpot yesterday. No way I lost weight—I probably gained some.

[Moon]: I support your efforts to lose weight for the sake of your role, but your health is more important. Make sure to maintain a balanced diet and follow the nutritionist’s recommendations strictly.

Qi Xingchen hadn’t brought a nutritionist with him for this shoot, so An Ran had been handling his meals based on the nutritionist’s meal plan. His weight had indeed been gradually decreasing, but his muscle mass was increasing, making his appearance remain mostly unchanged. His health was actually quite good.

Facts speak louder than words. Rather than arguing with Bo Ye about this, Qi Xingchen decided he’d just send him a photo once he got back to the hotel—proof enough.

Skillfully changing the subject, he typed: [Didn’t you notice I look uglier?]

[Moon]: It’s probably just the styling.

Qi Xingchen’s mind stirred. He licked his lips and asked: [But what if one day, I really do look like this?]

Right now, he was young, vibrant, and handsome. But everyone ages—wrinkles appear, weight accumulates, and eventually, one no longer looks as striking as before.

Would Bo Ye… still like him then?

After sending the message, he anxiously waited for a reply. His thoughts spiraled—maybe once he hit thirty-five, he should start getting facelifts or cucumber masks?

But while he was busy searching online for anti-aging treatments, Bo Ye seemed to have vanished. His message was left unread, with no response.

Did he… really mind him getting old?

Qi Xingchen’s gaze darkened. He regretted asking such a sentimental and foolish question.

“Idiot,” he muttered to himself.

But once a message is seen, there’s no taking it back. Pushing aside his personal emotions, he followed the crew’s arrangements and walked with Jiang Jiang to the set for the costume photoshoot.

Halfway there, his phone buzzed. A WeChat message from Bo Ye.

Jiang Jiang happened to glance at his screen and curiously asked, “Moon? Is that a nickname you set?”

“No,” Qi Xingchen lied smoothly. “That’s just their WeChat name. I didn’t change it.”

“Ohhh, he’s ‘Moon,’ and you’re ‘Star.’ You two really match, haha!”

Qi Xingchen, still feeling dejected from earlier, wasn’t in the mood for jokes. He brushed off Jiang Jiang’s comment while his fingers nervously opened the message.

Whether he faced it or ignored it, the truth was the same. If Bo Ye really minded him aging, then… he would simply cherish the time they had now and hold onto these memories for the rest of his life.

But what appeared on his screen was completely unexpected.

It wasn’t a text reply.

Bo Ye hadn’t rejected him at all.

Instead, he had sent a photo of a book page—a slightly wrinkled sheet of paper with a short poem written on it.

“How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Qi Xingchen was deeply moved.

His feelings surged as he immersed himself in the photoshoot, posing effortlessly under the photographer’s direction.

They shot three sets of individual stills:

• One capturing the struggles of odd jobs,
• One depicting life in his rural hometown,
• And one showcasing his school days.

Each one represented a significant phase of his character’s life.

Next came the couple photoshoot with the female lead. Yan Ruonan donned a police uniform, exuding an air of heroic determination, while Qi Xingchen, in his tattered clothing, gazed ahead with a mixture of confusion and longing.

The session wrapped up quickly. Within an hour, they had all the shots they needed.

As they waited for the edited photos, the photographer muttered to himself, “Wow, Xingchen, your bone structure is perfect—there’s barely any need for retouching! Even with this look, you still manage to be so handsome. Tsk tsk, what do kids these days eat to grow up like this?”

“Your pupils are too bright. I’ll dim them a little. Liang Xiaolong wouldn’t have such sharp eyes.”

“And Miss Yan, you suit this police uniform so well! Truly a ‘steel rose’—strong and elegant!”

Qi Xingchen hadn’t expected the photographer to hype him up even more than his fans did. Feeling slightly embarrassed by the praise, he couldn’t help but glance at Yan Ruonan.

She remained expressionless, but a hint of impatience flickered in her eyes.

He sighed inwardly. In her eyes, he had probably evolved from just a little fresh meat to a decorative vase actor.

The actual filming would begin the day after the opening ceremony. With the costume photoshoot wrapped up, Director Zhou signaled that they could leave.

Perhaps in an effort to maintain good relations, Yan Ruonan’s manager offered, “Xingchen, has your driver arrived? If not, we can drop you off on the way.”

The M1 car, designated for the male lead, was already parked outside. It was purely a polite gesture. Qi Xingchen smiled and declined, “No need, I’m planning to stay at the set until evening before heading back.”

“Staying at the set until evening?” The manager asked in surprise. “This is an urban village—the heating here is terrible. Don’t freeze yourself.”

“It’s fine,” Qi Xingchen said, pointing at his thick down jacket. “I’m dressed warmly.”

Seeing his determination, the manager didn’t push further and left with Yan Ruonan.

As he watched them drive away, Qi Xingchen slowly wandered around the urban village. He traced the paths that Liang Xiaolong had walked, took in the sights Liang Xiaolong had seen, and listened to the sounds that Liang Xiaolong had heard.

Two full laps and three hours later, his toes had unknowingly gone numb from the cold. He found shelter under the eaves of a building to block the wind and hopped around to warm up. Just then, An Ran called:

“Xingxing, the official announcement is happening tonight. Go online now and follow back the director, main cast, and crew members on Weibo.”

Qi Xingchen logged into Weibo as instructed. Since he had been wandering for so long, the official account for Gray Trajectory, the director, and the cast members had all followed him over two hours ago.

Even some lesser-known supporting actors, eager to build connections, had followed him days in advance.

Feeling a bit guilty, he hurriedly followed them all back. But when he got to Yan Ruonan, he realized she hadn’t followed him at all.

Not thinking much of it, he went ahead and followed her first.

By the time he returned to the hotel at 8 p.m., he casually opened Weibo and saw that Yan Ruonan still hadn’t followed him back.

Given how socially adept Yan Ruonan’s manager was, she had definitely reminded her about it. So this situation likely meant Yan Ruonan was deliberately finding excuses to avoid doing it.

Curious, Qi Xingchen clicked on Yan Ruonan’s latest Weibo post.

It was a photo of a script posted an hour ago, without any caption—just a subtle way to tell fans that she had work lined up.

The comments under the post were… quite something.

[Hahaha, Sister Yan is so real, completely ignoring the traffic idol.]

[They’re castmates at least, no need to be this cold. No wonder she never gets popular—such low emotional intelligence.]

[To the person above, being real doesn’t mean she has low EQ. She just refuses to do things she doesn’t want to. Look at who she follows—they’re all serious actors. If your idol wants her follow, tell him to become a real actor first, okay?]

[Exactly. And besides, we admit our girl isn’t famous. She stays in her own lane. If you don’t like it, just leave.]

[Wow, what a big attitude. If your idol chooses to be a public figure, then he should accept public opinions. I have the right to comment, and you can’t control that.]

[Oh? You want a fight? Sure, come at me. You social-climbing b—…]