Chapter 47: Intimate Friends

After some polite formalities, everyone took their seats.

Wu Dun waved his hand.

One by one, exquisite Shandong dishes were brought out by the waiters like a flowing stream—scallion-braised sea cucumber, nine-turn intestines, crystal pork knuckle, black fish egg soup—covering the entire table, while Maotai was poured into a decanter.

The private room was filled with the aroma of alcohol.

Under Yuan Bin’s boasting, the others finally learned that Li Luo had saved Xu Qing and that the two had sworn brotherhood.

Since he could know Xu Qing,

it was no surprise that Li Luo could also know Yu Feihong and call her “sister.”

Zhang Guoli was a veteran of Beijing’s elite circles.

Coupled with his exceptional social skills, his network was deeply entrenched; though not on the same level as Jiang Wen or Xu Qing, they still moved within the same broad circle.

Upon hearing this connection, they became much warmer toward Li Luo.

Lai Shuiqing and Yuan Bin were old acquaintances too.

Everyone at the table somehow turned out to be connected; after Li Luo, the youngest in age and seniority, toasted around the table, the atmosphere loosened up.

He disliked these formal meals, but sometimes he had no choice.

“Brother Yuan.”

Setting down his cup, he asked curiously: “If I’m not mistaken, you’re the stunt coordinator for the crew, right?”

“Mm.”

Yuan Bin nodded, bowing slightly to Wu Zong: “Thank you, Boss Wu, for your kindness.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Wu Zong picked up a piece of crystal pork knuckle, chewed slowly, and shook his head: “Last year when I visited your set, I realized the stunt coordinator I hired was truly inadequate.”

“I had to ask Brother Yuan to come lend a hand.”

“With you in charge,

he gave Yuan Bin a thumbs-up: “I feel much more at ease.”

The Seven Little Fortunes were a golden brand in this circle; after finishing The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Yuan Bin went on to direct another film, planning to take a break.

But he couldn’t resist Wu Zong’s persistent coaxing and generous pay.

“Leave it to me.”

Yuan Bin patted his chest, confidently declaring: “I’ll design something spectacular—given Xiao Luo’s skills, the fight scenes will look amazing.”

Flattered, Li Luo quickly raised his cup to show humility.

With Yuan Bin as stunt coordinator,

he also felt much more at ease.

The Su version of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber either had a weak stunt coordinator or Su Youpeng’s martial arts were terrible—the fight scenes were painfully bad, with heavy reliance on stunt doubles.

Filling this gap would surely make the final product far more impressive.

Before long, the year turned to 2002.

News reports buzzed everywhere.

Due to feelings of guilt, Su Youpeng accompanied Wu Zong through a one- or two-month-long ambiguous lead role before officially joining the Return of the Pearl Princess 3 cast, reprising the role of Yongqi.

As for the male lead of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,

it was officially confirmed as Li Luo.

Because of this, he was ambushed by journalists outside Beijing Film Academy for the first time, experiencing the barrage of cameras and microphones firsthand.

Immediately after came calls from family.

Even if one was isolated from news,

familiar people still took notice—his past role as Lin Pingzhi was dug up.

Suddenly, distant relatives no one had heard from in years appeared out of nowhere; when too many came, there weren’t enough chairs in the house.

For this reason, Li Luo repeatedly warned:

Smile at everyone, avoid discussing anything, refuse all loans—remember these twelve words as truth.

After some thought, he decided not to return home for winter break.

If he went back, he’d be buried under endless troubles; even his high school principal had shown up with gifts, asking when this outstanding graduate would come home.

To give the younger students a proper lesson.

Li Luo found it both amusing and exasperating.

He suspected the lesson was secondary—the real intent was to mooch.

He was hardly anyone yet.

Even if they drained every drop of blood from him, it wouldn’t be enough; refusing outright would hurt feelings and damage his reputation.

Who knew how they’d twist things later.

Better to hide away—it brought peace.

With the last class of the fall semester over, winter break officially began; classmates filed out of the classroom, looking forward to the holidays.

Li Luo put down his pen and let out a huge yawn.

Playing two roles was a challenge.

The copy of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber on his desk was worn and creased, with annotations scribbled everywhere.

“Hey, Li Luo.”

Before he could lower his hand, a slender figure skipped over: “When are you going home?”

Though dressed in thick clothes,

her figure was clearly excellent.

She propped her elbows on the desk, chin resting lightly, glanced at the book, then blinked up at Li Luo’s handsome face.

A classic little fangirl.

Though she’d originally been motivated by self-interest, over time her attitude gradually changed.

In her eyes, Li Luo wasn’t just handsome and talented—he was also rich.

Yet he never slacked off.

So now, her motives weren’t just self-interest—they were mixed with deep admiration.

“Not going home.”

Li Luo shook his head and closed the novel.

“You’re staying in Beijing?”

Her eyes lit up; she sat down beside him happily: “That’s great! When I’m bored during break, we can go out together.”

As the classroom emptied, she didn’t mind showing more closeness.

Through her deliberate efforts, at least in her view, she and he had become fairly close friends; if she could find a way to go further during the break…

Thinking of this, she gently bit her lip.

“Xiaoxiao.”

Li Luo capped his pen, turned to face her oval face: “I need to be clear about something with you.”

The timing was right.

Time to gently push back.

A little pull, a little push—that’s what made things interesting.

“What is it?”

Seeing his serious expression, Xiaoxiao’s heart skipped.

This woman was genuinely attractive—her looks were the type of a virtuous wife and devoted mother, a quality especially prominent under Zhengyang Gate.

“I understand what you mean.”

He tapped the desk, smiling: “But I’ll be extremely busy ahead. No time, and no energy for a relationship.”

“Sorry.”

Watching her stunned expression, he slowly shook his head: “For the next few years, I’ll focus entirely on my career. You know how powerful the media is—I don’t want to be caught up in anything.”

“Between us,

let’s keep some distance.”

These words left Xiaoxiao speechless.

Not only was her hope of moving closer shattered—now he wanted to distance himself entirely, the exact opposite of what she’d planned.

Not even lovers—she couldn’t even count on friendship anymore.

She’d invested months of effort.

She couldn’t bear it—couldn’t bear being wiped clean so suddenly.

“Why?”

Xiaoxiao clenched her teeth, pressing urgently: “Is it because I’m not beautiful enough?”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

Li Luo kept shaking his head, speaking calmly: “You’re very beautiful, but I truly don’t want to date, and I have no time—filming, you know, means months in a crew.”

Seeing his cold tone, Xiaoxiao grew even more panicked.

Her sunk costs were too high.

He was the closest connection she’d ever had—she couldn’t bear to lose him.

“No one has set rules—

A flicker of hesitation crossed her mind, but Bian Xiaoxiao immediately made up her mind: “Between a man and a woman, it must be a romantic relationship.”

She didn’t wait for any response from him.

She swiftly grabbed Li Luo’s hand and pressed it firmly against her own body.

“I like you.”

Her breathing quickened, her eyes shimmering with tears: “I don’t need you to be my boyfriend—just be the man behind me, my close friend is enough.”

Setting aside everything else, after one semester, Li Luo’s figure had deeply imprinted itself in her heart.

The girl, too, was smitten.

Besides, Bian Xiaoxiao had already experienced such things before.

The man before her was handsome and wealthy; she had no objection at all to something happening.

This time, it was Li Luo who stood stunned.

Feeling the elasticity and softness beneath his hand, he couldn’t utter a single word.

This was too forward!

After entering society, he understood—actors knocking on doors late at night in a film crew was commonplace.

But they were still classmates.

He never expected that he’d merely landed a basic attack.

And she immediately unleashed her ultimate move!

Before he could recover, Bian Xiaoxiao swiftly glanced around the empty lecture hall, said nothing, and ducked under the desk.