Chapter 363

Beside them, Tao Qi, Xiao Ding and the others were holding back laughter until their faces flushed red, and Yang Huai xi even covered his mouth, afraid he would actually burst out laughing.

Even Kong Han, whose face had been gloomy all day, couldn't help laughing, holding up a notebook rolled into a tube to shield his face.

Isn't Luo Na De just asking for trouble himself?

He didn't follow the rules himself, so who can he blame for ending up like this?

Luo Na De hadn't paid attention to the cup just now; although he felt the drink tasted a bit off, he didn't mind it, just wanting to get this scene over with quickly.

After this scene was done, Kong Han decided to 'pass' it, and Luo Na De noticed the strange looks everyone gave him, thinking they were looking down on his performance, mocking his NG this afternoon; he snorted, took his sunglasses and left, with no more scenes for him this afternoon, intending to leave, feeling especially annoyed, holding in his anger, he went out to vent.

Kong Han also ignored him, letting the crew rest ten minutes before continuing.

Although the scene was over, everyone was still holding back laughter, especially those who disliked Luo Na De, feeling immensely satisfied inside.

Actually, everyone thought Zheng Tan's behavior was just a cat acting on a whim—after all, cats always have a bit of mischief, cat owners know that, it's understandable, and no one would think Zheng Tan did it on purpose; it's just a cat, how complicated could it be?

But it was precisely this cat, in front of everyone, that set Luo Na De up, making everyone feel Luo Na De brought it on himself,

This is what Zheng Tan learned from Zhuo Xiao Mao.

Zhuo Xiao Mao's tricks of teasing teachers and classmates let Zheng Tan know that once you understand someone's habits, tripping them up is a matter of minutes.

Even before this scene, Zheng Tan had heard Luo Na De complain to his assistant about why he had to drink from a wine bottle—it was too uncouth, like a street vagrant. Zheng Tan saw that in the idol drama Luo Na De acted in, he never held a bottle, but holding a wine glass gave off an aristocratic air. Moreover, Luo Na De is a bit headstrong; no matter what others say is good, he just follows his own preferences.

Put nicely, it's loving to improvise inappropriately; put bluntly, it's just messing around. Zheng Tan was just trying it out today—if he failed, no big deal, the shoot wouldn't stop midway. He didn't expect Luo Na De to actually drink it.

Actually, there was no real alcohol in the cup. It was just some concocted beverage made to look like high-end liquor, but after washing the cat's paw, what was in the drink?

Dust? Bacteria? Oh, probably also a few hairs from the cat's front paws that sweep the floor every day and have even stepped on the toilet.

They all drank it down like that.

They drank it with that bold, heroic spirit.

In many people's eyes, Luo Na De had just drunk a cat's foot-washing water. Of course, they wouldn't go around saying it; during filming, it would cause trouble.

The next day, Luo Na De found out about it, flew into a rage, and smashed everything in his room. On set, he was unhappy with anyone, his attitude was poor, especially the way he looked at Zheng Tan—as if he wanted to come over and fight.

His assistant and agent urged him to temporarily endure it, but it clearly had no effect.

One day, Luo Na De was late for the seventh time, and Lao Wang chuckled.

"Heh, still quite the big shot."

Besides Yang Yi, only Lao Wang would say that outright, without reservation and without fear of Luo Na De's retaliation, since he knew Luo Na De's background and could handle it.

Lao Wang appears blunt and outspoken, saying what he thinks, but if it were someone he couldn't afford to offend, he wouldn't just blurt it out; he's not stupid, and having gotten this far definitely means he's no fool.

That 'heh' carried an obvious mocking tone; Luo Na De heard it, glared at Lao Wang, who smiled and met his gaze without flinching, and in the end Luo Na De was the one who looked away first.

Lao Wang poked his ear with his pinky, turned to the dog beside him, and said, "Mika, you say, why do some people just make trouble for themselves?"

Mika, crouching nearby, didn't know if he understood his owner's words; seeing his owner look over, after fifteen seconds he began to sneeze uncomfortably again.

"Look at your silly self!"

Lao Wang patted Mika's head, then went on thinking about investing in a film so Mika could cameo again. Hearing Yang Yi say that in that earlier documentary, the cat of the Shaoguang Group chairman had also made a cameo, Lao Wang liked to follow trends; with money and status, he liked following trends even more. Keeping dogs was the same, but unlike others who raise Tibetan Mastiffs, he thought the Pharaoh Hound sounded just right to his taste—once he heard it, he knew it was the kind for his household, so he got one.

Of course, the people he could emulate and follow trends with were all of far higher social standing than him. As for Luo Na De and his father, the father was fine, but this son just dragged his feet; fortunately, his own children were well educated, Lao Wang thought proudly.

Actually, before, Luo Na De wouldn't have directly shown a cold face to Teacher Jiang and others; he wouldn't casually offend some senior figures in the circle. But over these past few days, his mood has plummeted—not only because of what Zheng Tan did that day, but also due to Kong Han's high demands. Under great pressure, his temper flared, and only when Yang Yi scolded him did he calm down a bit; Kong Han had almost directly told him to leave, and he would rather reshoot, but if Luo Na De's father hadn't personally called, Luo Na De might not have remained on set.

After his father spoke to him, Luo Na De behaved himself for a few days.

But it was only honest for a few days; soon he started causing trouble again, getting injured every few days—though minor, they were enough to worry people, and even funnier, these injuries were all self-inflicted.

For example, he insisted on detouring from the planned route and nearly scraped his leg; the stand built for the cat, though it looked like a ordinary ladder, wasn't made for people. While filming, Luo Na De didn't follow the original script to climb the stairs, but instead ran to climb the ladder; if Kong Han hadn't called cut, he would really have stepped on that cat and climbed up the ladder—if he hadn't fallen, it would have been pure luck.

This wasn't Zheng Tan provoking him on purpose; he had just made preparations, and each time Luo Na De came to him of his own accord. Afterwards Zheng Tan would put on an innocent look and say it wasn't his fault—it was Luo Na De who initiated it, and Zheng Tan merely gave a slight 'help'.

Whenever it was Luo Na De's turn to act, Kong Han frowned, knowing this young master Luo was again 'improvising'; if it were any other actor, Kong Han would have called cut already, but with this one he just wanted the young master Luo to finish his scenes and get lost—let him improvise, as long as the result wasn't bad. Fortunately, he wasn't given the lead role, and several other challenging parts were also not assigned to him.

Other actors and crew also had strong opinions in their hearts: 'Why do you keep staring at that cat? The plank over there isn't solid—go the other way. Did you go? The spot where the cat crouches is even weaker; it's more dangerous for a person there. Haven't we told you? We've said all this, right?'

Kong Han was speechless; this dissatisfaction was directed at Luo Na De, not Zheng Tan. He had always adhered to a people-first principle, making sure the relevant staff double-checked before filming, but this person just wouldn't follow the rules. If Kong Han now had greater fame and status in the circle, he would definitely have Luo Na De leave outright; but Kong Han is still young, hasn't reached that height, so some things must be endured—he just complains a lot in private to Yang Yi. Yang Yi also promised that in future productions he wouldn't let Luo Na De participate unless this person made substantive changes that everyone would accept; until then, it's best to stay out of sight.

Amid such anxiety, as filming neared its end, Luo Na De's last scene still caused trouble—instead of chasing the 'bandits,' he ran after the cat's rear end, then somehow his foot slipped, he fell, injuring his face, and a circle of blood appeared beneath his right eyelid.

Kong Han had Luo Na De's agent rush him to the hospital for treatment; as for the scenes, they could be reshot later.

How do people evaluate Luo Na De when they mention him? Not even a cat compares.

Fortunately, Luo Na De isn't in any of the explosion scenes; otherwise, who knows what might happen.

When the shoot finally wrapped, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, all thinking they finally didn't have to worry about the young master Luo anymore—he was truly a handful. Even Cha Li felt that compared to the young master Luo, Zheng Tan was simply too easygoing.

This time, Zheng Tan didn't need a stand-in even after the film finished. Indeed, to prevent any sudden incidents or uncooperative situations, Kong Han had borrowed a black cat that looked much like Zheng Tan to serve as his stand-in in this movie, but over this period the cat never got used, and it wasn't anxious about that—each day it was well fed and well looked after, rather quiet, eating then sleeping, and it grew a bit rounder. Compared to Zheng Tan, it was really too 'well-behaved,' so well-behaved it lacked energy. However, for many city dwellers, keeping such a cat doesn't require much effort; it's easy to raise. If it were Zheng Tan like that, one would probably be on edge all day, and a moment's inattention would make him disappear.

It was already the end of December; even though the temperature here was slightly higher than in Chu Hua Shi, one could clearly feel winter's arrival.

At the wrap party, everyone was smiling, Kong Han included, Yang Yi included. No one dared to ply Yang Yi with drink, so they turned their attention to Kong Han.

Yang Huai xi and the others also came over to strike up a conversation with Cha Li; during this period they had seen Yang Yi and Kong Han interacting a lot with Cha Li, and although it was because of that cat's filming, Cha Li had also spoken on behalf of Tao Qi, Shi Xiao Tian and the others.

Not only did Tao Qi and Shi Xiao Tian come over to toast with Cha Li, but Wei Wen and Shi Xiao Tian also came over; after this period of contact, Cha Li wouldn't be as excited as at first, but thinking that these were all stars who would soon become big names, he couldn't help feeling excited again.

After the wrap party ended, as they went downstairs, Luo Na De saw the cat standing by the stairs with its tail swaying, his face twisted for a moment, he pushed aside his assistant's support and walked over.

"Ah—Luo Na De!" his assistant exclaimed.

"What the hell happened?!" others hearing the voice came over.

When Yang Yi and Kong Han came out, they saw Luo Na De rolling down the stairs.

"Did he drink too much?"

"Probably; just now I saw Luo Na De seeming to want to step on the cat's tail, but somehow he ended up rolling down—must have been drunk and missed his step." The speaker pursed his lips.

He's courting death again. Everyone thought the same thing at once.

Luo Na De, lying on the ground with a broken femur, felt dizzy and blurred; the alcohol-induced haze cleared a little from the pain. He lifted his head and saw the cat steadily standing on the wooden stair rail, their eyes meeting—a gaze he had never seen during filming, eerie and chilling. It reminded him of the tiger close-up he had once used as a computer wallpaper—exactly the same look. (To be continued...)