Chapter 33: Heating Up

Inside the brightly lit flower house, the young ladies in crop tops were all bundled up in thick military-style overcoats. Almost everyone held a hot water bottle in their hands; the winter night was simply too cold. Even Ji Yu, who was usually like a little furnace, had donned a military coat, let alone the young actresses. With the ladies wrapped in such bulky gear, the flower house lost all its allure. Had Ji Yu not been waiting to film a dance sequence with Fan Bingbing, he would have long since fled back to the hotel.

He wondered if her dancing would be any good. Probably not as good as Le Jiatong’s. Ji Yu turned his head to look at Le Jiatong, who was sneezing, and asked curiously, "Have you ever studied dance before?"

"No, I’m just learning on the fly!"

"Then you’re quite impressive."

Ji Yu offered a compliment, then couldn't help but yawn. It was past ten o'clock, and he was exhausted.

Le Jiatong, wrapped in her military coat, shivered and said, "Actually, I knew you before this."

"You knew me?" Ji Yu was intrigued. Was it from back when he was an extra on the set of *Romance in the Rain*? That didn't seem right; he had been a total nobody back then, never even crossing paths with the leads.

Le Jiatong smiled and explained, "Originally, Tangren approached me to play the role of the cousin in *Detective Ke Lan*, the one you were also in."

"Seriously?!" Ji Yu hadn't expected that connection. The entertainment industry really was small. Fortunately, she hadn't taken the role; otherwise, she would have learned about his notorious reputation on the *Detective Ke Lan* set. The title of "Perverted Butcher" wasn't something he’d earned lightly, and that cousin character had scenes where she was harassed by the pervert. If that had happened, they wouldn't be filming this dance scene together tonight.

He should probably play fewer perverts in the future. Playing honest, decent men was nice—plus, he got to get close to beauties. Unfortunately, there were no "close-up" scenes with Fan Bingbing in this production. Thinking of her, Ji Yu turned to look around, but couldn't find her. Was she really taking that long to change?

After a while, Fan Bingbing finally emerged. She, too, was wearing a crop top, but hers was a goose-yellow color that looked even better than Le Jiatong’s. Her outfit had an exotic flair, and the furry headpiece she wore made her look both sexy and cute. Fan Bingbing had a slim waist and fair skin; in the dancer's costume, she was even more captivating than Le Jiatong.

The set quickly went quiet. The director had arranged for dry ice, making the temperature even more frigid—this was truly "frozen beauty." Fan Bingbing adjusted her posture, and as the music started, she began to dance. Her style wasn't as passionate or unrestrained as Le Jiatong’s; where Le Jiatong was warm and fiery, Fan Bingbing was gentle and moving. They were two completely different feelings. Fan Bingbing danced beautifully, and she managed her arm movements well—which was unavoidable, really, since she had to keep her arms raised the whole time.

Fan Bingbing danced with great focus, and the director, not seeking excessive perfection, passed the shot in one take.

"Ji Yu, you're up!"

At Director Zhang’s shout, Ji Yu shed his military coat and handed it to Le Jiatong, asking her to hold it for him. On the stairs of the flower house, Fan Bingbing stood with her neck tucked in, waiting for him. Ji Yu walked up to her, holding a bamboo flute, and performed a respectful scholar's bow, only to immediately shiver afterward. The dry ice hadn't dissipated yet, and it was freezing.

"Ready on set! Action!"

As the clapperboard snapped, Ji Yu immediately adjusted his state, offered a slight smile, and bowed. "Miss Song, what tune would you like to hear?"

Fan Bingbing’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and she smiled softly. "Let’s go with *Parasitic Grass*."

"Very well." Ji Yu smiled and began to play the flute.

"Cut! Dance troupe, get ready!"

Ji Yu hadn't even been pretending for half a minute before the director called cut. He had only come for this one shot; the rest was just watching Fan Bingbing dance. However, this scene included backup dancers. Once the director called cut, Fan Bingbing immediately broke character, hugging herself and shivering.

Ji Yu turned toward Le Jiatong on the stairs and shouted, "Jiatong, throw the coat down!"

Le Jiatong, who had been watching the scene, tossed it down immediately. Ji Yu caught it firmly and handed it to Fan Bingbing. "Put this on for a bit."

"Don't you need it?" Fan Bingbing asked as she took the coat.

"I'm fine," Ji Yu said with a smile. Fan Bingbing thanked him and put it on.

Upstairs, Le Jiatong leaned against the railing, watching the drama unfold. This kid was definitely here to woo the ladies. It was almost like a repeat of the scene they were filming—he had taken the coat she gave him and given it to someone else.

Ji Yu ran back upstairs and stood next to Le Jiatong, stamping his feet. "The dry ice down there—it's freezing."

"You looked pretty hot to me," Le Jiatong teased.

"Where? I'm practically frozen to death."

"Getting all cozy with Fan Bingbing, aren't you?"

"Don't tease me; I’m an honest man." Ji Yu blew on his hands and rubbed them together, too cold to even joke back.

"A 'fake' honest man." Seeing him shivering like that, Le Jiatong held out her hands. "Stick them in my sleeves to warm up."

The sleeves of the military coat were quite wide. Ji Yu hesitated for a second before sliding his hands inside. It looked as if they were holding hands. The wide sleeves were warm, and when Ji Yu’s hands accidentally brushed against hers, he instinctively pulled back.

"Your hands are freezing."

"Yeah, it’s too cold down there. The dry ice temperature is too low."

"Let me warm them up for you." Le Jiatong grabbed his hands inside the sleeves.

Ji Yu was stunned—was this girl really that kind? Still, her hands were indeed warm. Le Jiatong smiled and gestured toward the floor with her chin. Ji Yu followed her gaze and locked eyes with Fan Bingbing.

"Haha, so much for giving away that coat for nothing," Le Jiatong chuckled mischievously. Downstairs, Fan Bingbing looked at them holding hands, grew thoughtful, then turned to take off the coat and prepare for the next dance.

Ji Yu finally realized that Le Jiatong hadn't just been warming his hands; she had been teasing him on purpose. Not that he had any designs on Fan Bingbing—it was just too cold, she had so little on, and he was just being kind. He was an honest man, after all.

Le Jiatong, having successfully pulled off her prank, tried to pull her hands away, but Ji Yu grabbed them. "Didn't you say you'd warm them for me?"

Le Jiatong blushed. "I was just messing with you. Let go!"

Ji Yu huffed and let go, grumbling, "Getting revenge for your boss? Are the Qiong Yao people really that kind?"

Le Jiatong tucked her hands into her pockets and said, "Has nothing to do with me. I was just playing around."

Ji Yu shook his head; this girl’s personality was certainly lively. Were all the girls from Sichuan and Chongqing this fiery?

Downstairs, the music started again, and Fan Bingbing led the dance troupe once more. There were many dance scenes, and they were all being filmed tonight. Since the dance troupe was hired at a daily rate, filming them all at once saved a lot of money. Ji Yu waited upstairs, occasionally being called down for his cues.

They didn't wrap until past one in the morning. Ji Yu felt like he had nearly frozen to death, and most of the actors were shivering uncontrollably. Wrapped in his military coat, sniffing, he had a sudden craving for hot pot. He turned to Le Jiatong. "Want to go get hot pot?"

"Yes! I'm starving and freezing; hot pot is perfect." Le Jiatong agreed readily, then looked at Fan Bingbing. "Bingbing, are you coming?"

"Yes! I'm starving too!"

Ji Yu shouted to Shen Xiaohai, "Brother Hai, coming for hot pot?"

"Not tonight, I have scenes tomorrow morning!"

Ji Yu shrugged and said to Le Jiatong and Fan Bingbing, "I'll go get the car. You two wait here for me."

Le Jiatong asked, surprised, "You have a car?"

"Come on now, who doesn't have a few wealthy friends?"

"..."