Work Text:
- Wang Yibo's abrupt request
It's been exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes since Li FengXi left A-Ling's filming location. It's been 2 hours since he's left standing on the long waiting line, and 15 minutes since he reached the place where chairs are available and he could finally sit down. Wang Yibo is usually a reasonable guy with reasonable requests, but apparently, he has off days too.
Li FengXi already felt something ominous when Wang Yibo approached him earlier about wanting to eat Japanese cuisines after filming. That's fine, reservation is what he's good at, has done it enough times, but the ominous feeling worsened when the shop that Wang Yibo had requested replied that they don't accept reservations, and that he needed to personally wait for a table.
When he told Wang Yibo about this— it's definitely not because he's hoping he'll change his plans, the young man only nodded his head and allowed him to go, along with a reminder to message him in advance if the table is already ready.
There's no way out because the Director is calling for them to discuss something about the next scene. It also seems like Wang Yibo knows exactly what he's asking for, judging by his unfazed attitude when Li FengXi repeatedly told him that it might take a while.
And it really did. He really had to wait for hours.
Li FengXi has no right to complain, because this is his job. Even though he's seconds away from messaging Wang Yibo to suggest an alternative that won't require them to wait long hours, he held it in. This shop is the most popular— at least that's what the reviews on the net say, that's why the onslaught of people that want to eat here on a festival is justified. Of all days, why did Wang Yibo have to crave for Japanese food today?
Before Li FengXi can wallow in his fate and wasted time, a staff from the restaurant approaches him to inform him that the room will be ready in about 45 minutes at most. They're not on the city proper, but just to be safe and out of habit, Li FengXi had requested for the most private booth available, and that's probably why he also had to wait longer.
Li FengXi gave the staff a polite smile, and when he left to tend to other waiting customers, he pulled his phone out to message Wang Yibo as requested.
<< wang-laoshi, the staff said forty five minutes more
>> that's fine, we'll be there soon
>> thanks, ge
*
Xiao Zhan is here with them. Wang Yibo didn't give any information aside from wanting to eat in this specific place, so he's quite surprised when Wang Yibo arrived with Xiao Zhan together with a couple of his own staff too. They arrived just in time to order what they wanted to order, and from the food that comes on their booth later, Li FengXi isn't sure if Wang Yibo really wanted to eat here, or because of the certain bright eyed actor who visibly perks up at the sight of his favorite dishes.
That doesn't matter, whatever Wang Yibo's intentions are, as Li FengXi shrugs the amused laugh from his employer when Xiao Zhan immediately digs in on a plate of sushi.
At least the food lives up to their good reviews.
- Wang Yibo's snacks, and his penchant in stealing Xiao Zhan's green tea
Wang Yibo doesn't eat a lot. At least, not so much that he'll be needing to buy multiple orders of the same food. Or stopping by on shops to buy snacks. He takes a liking on buying potato chips too, and he would have been reprimanded by Huang ZiYi about his unhealthy diet when she joined them on their way to A-Ling's filming site for the first time, but knowing that Wang Yibo doesn't gain weight easily, she lets him off with just a disapproving glare.
Of course it wouldn't affect Wang Yibo's weight, since he's not the one who's eating them anyway.
Li FengXi could exactly pinpoint when it started.
*
"Lan Zhan, your wife is hungry." Came the female writer's remark. Li FengXi had been shocked when he first heard it, more than a month into filming, but Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan didn't seem to mind. Wang Yibo stood up, wordlessly pulled a bag of chips from his bag and offered it to the older male who happily accepted it.
That was supposedly a one time thing, or so he thought. Wang Yibo is generous, and Xiao Zhan is just hungry. However, it kept on happening repeatedly— Wang Yibo giving snacks even without the staff's prompting.
*
"Eh? Who is this superstar?"
Li FengXi is looking at Xiao Zhan right now, who is holding a camera in his hands, annoying Wang Yibo while the younger male gets his make-up done.
"No, go away." He hears Wang Yibo say, but it lacks the usual hardness that would indicate that he's really irked by the distraction. Xiao Zhan, no doubt realizing it too as he continues to film him, spouts one compliments after another and it only takes a couple more before Wang Yibo gives in and retaliates with a compliment of his own.
Li FengXi sighs as he watches the duo. Earlier, their roles were reversed as it was Wang Yibo who was pushing the camera on Xiao Zhan's face. He had been pestering him, exactly like what Xiao Zhan is currently doing, asking him questions about what he ate this breakfast.
The people around them had long been accustomed to the duo's antics, too busy to spare them a glance and knowing better than to scold them for the ruckus. Wang Yibo's question is an innocent sounding one, but Li FengXi knows better.
Wang Yibo's snacks eventually evolved into full actual dishes. Today, since they've been gone for two days in order to shoot for Wang Yibo's variety shows, his employer thought it's best to buy food as an apology for his absence. Li FengXi would like to argue that it wasn't necessary and his absence was well coordinated so he's not really disrupting the flow of filming, but before he could be convinced otherwise, they were already pulling up on a famous noodle shop.
Wang Yibo bought only two servings of noodles. He expected him to buy for the whole crew if he's really that sorry, but he only bought two. He gave it to Xiao Zhan once they arrived at the filming location, proving him wrong once again when he thought that it's for the producer. However, Xiao Zhan politely refused it, no matter how much Wang Yibo coaxed him to take a bite, and instead of offering it to others as to not waste the food, Wang Yibo went back to his seat and ate it too.
That would surely add to his weight, Li FengXi mused.
Xiao Zhan immediately noticed that Wang Yibo was in a bad mood. Li FengXi thought that sulking was the appropriate term, but associating it to Wang Yibo was blasphemy, even if he couldn't hear his thoughts.
Li FengXi watched how Xiao Zhan contemplated for a little while before making up his mind and now he's thrusting the camera like what he'd been subjected to earlier, as his own twisted way of apology. He didn't stop until Wang Yibo finally cracked and smiled again, until Wang Yibo reached to smack him somewhere, until they're back to being the noisy kids who just couldn't behave properly.
They're weird, Li FengXi thinks. But at least Wang Yibo found a friend, and is adjusting well, so, a good kind of weird. There's a sliver of suspicion that starts to form in him the more he watches them goof around, but he doesn't let it bloom into something more telling because that would be unfair to his employer. Maybe he just isn't used to watching Wang Yibo acting and looking this free in the company of others. Yes, that must be it.
Li FengXi shakes his head in an effort to clear his thoughts. He proceeds to pull his tablet from his bag, when he catches sight of a still full bottle of green tea. He prepared it for Wang Yibo this morning upon remembering how much he liked stealing Xiao Zhan's tea, but when he offered it to him earlier, the younger didn't even look interested.
"Wang Yibo, you thief!"
"Xiao-laoshi's green tea is always good!"
He doesn't need to look at them to know what's happening. Li FengXi opens his tablet and heaves yet another sigh. Wang Yibo is truly weird.
- Wang Yibo smiling, and his attachment to his phone
Wang Yibo, as Li FengXi had noted, is a lot more smiley now. It's not like he likes scowling or is perpetually in a bad mood, but he doesn't carry that certain air of glee wherever he goes. He's usually more reserved, would only relax once he's with someone whom he's already comfortable with, and with how hectic his schedule is, he thought that the long hours of filming and flying to and from locations for his variety shows would dampen his mood even just for a bit, but Wang Yibo's energy seems unceasingly high.
He knows he's not the only one who notices it, when Da ZhangWei comments about it while they're at the waiting room before Day Day Up begins to air.
"Aren't you tired?" Da ZhangWei asks, as Wang Yibo laughs merrily at Qian Feng's joke. It's funny, but Li FengXi suspects that there's more to it. "You're awfully happy these days."
"Isn't it a good thing?" Wang Yibo counters easily, as he goes back to clicking away on his phone. He's still smiling, significantly bigger now, and Li FengXi is mirroring the rest of the casts' bewildered expressions as they observe their youngest's unusual behavior.
Wang Yibo seems content on what goes on with his phone, amusement lightening his features up despite the dark circles that started to form below his eyes—the only indication that he has long hours of schedule everyday.
No one speaks for a while, but Wang Yibo is oblivious to his older brothers exchanging glances, obviously onto something.
Fortunately, Li FengXi doesn't need to think too hard about it, because Wang Han is spilling it moments later.
"Say Yibo, are you dating somebody now?"
Li FengXi is under the guise of going through the schedule, situated at the corner of the waiting room while he listens to the group's discussion, but upon hearing the question, he looks up abruptly, alarmed. Wang Yibo isn't dating—he can't be dating because otherwise he would know about it, right?
As his assistant, he's been with him more often than his manager, has been accompanying him on sets of filming, would coordinate to him about what he wishes to do, and even though he has off days, it's impossible for him to meet someone that he's not aware of. Wang Yibo is still pretty uncomfortable at trainees' blatantly flirting with him when shooting PD101, and though he's close to A-Ling's cast, the filming lasts until dawn sometimes so he figures he'll be too drained to flirt with someone.
No matter how much he looks at it, Wang Yibo and dating can't be in the same sentence together.
If he really is and he's just a bad assistant who isn't as keen as he should be, his manager should know about this immediately, right?
"No." Comes, Wang Yibo's reply. Somehow, this answer doesn't soothe him a bit. Especially now that his ears have turned a darker shade, his blood surging to the tips of his ears as a natural reaction to embarrassment.
The cast notice it too, because they're flicking said ears as they move to sit beside Wang Yibo at the cramped sofa.
"You can tell your geges about it. You can trust us!"
Wang Yibo is determined to ignore them as he wiggles away and takes a seat on the chair that Qian Feng had vacated. He's furiously typing on his phone now, but the color creeps on his neck, so it's hard to let this topic go now that his body is giving him away.
"Okay, maybe you're still not dating, maybe you're interested in someone now?" Qian Feng wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, erupting in laughter when Wang Yibo turns redder. He's still not looking at them though, so the casts continued to rile him up for an explosive reaction.
"You've been on your phone, smiling a lot." Da Zhangwei points out. "Are you busy texting your lover?"
"Gege!"
This successfully peels Wang Yibo's attention from his phone, glaring daggers at his laughing geges. It would have been effective to intimidate them if he isn't so flushed right now.
Da Zhangwei is right, because now that he thinks about it, Wang Yibo is attached to his phone, especially when they're out filming for variety shows and other engagements. He barely touches it in between breaks when they're filming A-Ling, that's why Li FengXi dismissed it as nothing. He's usually playing games or watching race videos, but he's not using his phone in landscape mode. He really is talking to someone, but who can it be? Friends? Family? Or....?
A staff member comes knocking on their door, informing them that they'll start filming in five minutes. This cuts off his train of thoughts, and saves Wang Yibo from further teasing remarks.
"We're not over yet!" Qian Feng cackles. He follows the staff out of the door, but not without sending Wang Yibo a mischievous wink.
Li FengXi stands up too, waits for the hosts to empty the room before gathering their things to follow them on the set. He tucks the thought at the corner of his mind, reminding himself to be more alert on things concerning his employer. If the hosts are speaking the truth and weren't just saying it because they're bored and they decided to annoy Wang Yibo, then he'll surely catch a whiff of everything now that his curiosity was piqued.
He's not doing this solely to satisfy his interest; afterall, Huang Ziyi instructs him to report anything that would affect his career—possible dating, included.
- Wang Yibo is positively flirting
They're flirting. Wang Yibo is flirting with Xiao Zhan, and he isn't even shy about it nor is he trying to be subtle with his attempts. Xiao Zhan whines high and loud at something that Wang Yibo tells him— probably another one of his exaggerated compliments, and oh god, it is so obvious so why is he only realizing this now?
Truthfully, after that day when Wang Yibo left the studio all flustered because his co hosts really latched on to their conspiracy about him finally dating someone and had been tailing him asking ridiculous questions after their shooting had ended, Li FengXi has been hyper aware about everything. Wang Yibo is still maintaining his polite distance with Day Day Up's guests and he still appears wary of PD101 trainees' attempts of flirting, so the only thing that would possibly give him the answers will be found on the set of A-Ling. Fortunately, as Wang Yibo's personal assistant, his appearance on set is warranted.
He observes how Wang Yibo interacts with his co-stars, except there's not much to observe because he's always somehow glued to Xiao Zhan. It's understandable, granted that they have the most scenes together. It's highly probable that they became the closest among the bunch too, as they have to spend long hours filming and doing interviews in between.
Na ChengYi, Xiao Zhan's own personal assistant, nudges him gently, steering him away from his thoughts. He's still a little dazed and she looks like she's expecting something from him, which doesn't register in his Wang Yibo-Xiao Zhan addled mind. She picks up his lost look and tilts his head towards the direction of the two actors who now resort to hitting each other despite the make up team's effort for retouch. The director must have announced something while he's spacing out, probably another problem with one of their cameras so it'll take a while before shooting starts again.
Na ChengYi is looking at him strangely, and only did he realize that he's still not moving when he should have gone beside Wang Yibo, like what she has been suggesting. He offers him a sheepish smile, and follows her as they walk towards their employers.
How unprofessional of him. Not only is he starting conspiracies involving his own employer, he's also letting it affect his job.
Once near, Li FengXi can now clearly hear Wang Yibo's endless compliments. He stands behind him and opens an umbrella over them, but Wang Yibo doesn't even glance at him as he continues to speak.
"Xiao-laoshi doesn't have an ugly time. Even without makeup, he's still handsome." Wang Yibo says, teasing. "Maybe I should suggest to the make up team to put less makeup on you because you're going to outshine everyone here. Please have mercy on us!
"No one is handsome as you, Wang-laoshi. No one is at your level, you are a class of your own!"
The make up team is unfazed as they fulfill their job, though it's a bit hard since the actors just won't stand still and shut up. They should be getting paid more for the hard work, Li FengXi thinks.
Wang Yibo snorts, and it brings him back to the flow of their conversation. "A class of my own? You mean the lowest class? Compared to you, I'm an ordinary man!"
Xiao Zhan bit his lips, much to the makeup artist's displeasure, disbelief etched across his features. Wang Yibo grins wider, because rendering Xiao Zhan speechless has been his mission lately, but it's only short-lived when Xiao Zhan opens his mouth again once the makeup team goes away.
"Stop putting yourself down like that." Xiao Zhan chides, expression as serious as he sounds. "You're amazing— more amazing than the people I've met in this industry, and I'm not just talking about your face value here."
Li FengXi blinks a couple of times upon hearing that. Na ChengYi looks unaffected as she stares off a distance. Wang Yibo opens and closes his mouth like a dying fish, and when he finally finds his voice back, Xiao Zhan is already smirking.
Ah, right. This is their game.
Wang Yibo realizes it too, since he begins to slap Xiao Zhan's arm, forceful and rough but it only makes the older male laugh.
"You started it, Bo-di!" Xiao Zhan sings songs, and after a particularly hard hit, he starts to dodge the next succeeding aims of a clearly flustered Wang Yibo. Li FengXi doesn't even bother moving from his spot to shield his employer with an umbrella, having learned from past experiences that he'll only be caught in the crossfire once the two start in their fight mode again.
Maybe they're not flirting. Maybe it really is just a game that they both came up with because they're bored and talking makes them less sleepy while waiting for the cameras to set and for the Director's further instructions. Maybe he is already stepping his boundary as an assistant by passing judgements on his employer's private life, which is, again, deemed unprofessional.
Li FengXi follows them with his eyes, watches as Wang Yibo's eyes twinkle in delight once Xiao Zhan gives up and lets himself receive the younger's slaps. The makeup team is on their tail again, reprimanding them for moving too much and sweating when they had just their makeup reapplied. They have the decency to look apologetic as they finally stay still, letting the team dab tissues on their face and comb their hair.
He hears Xiao Zhan call truce in which Wang Yibo accepted, and since the older male is already facing in front, he missed the fond look that Wang Yibo sent on his way.
But not him. Li FengXi catches it, as he's been watching the two. The clouds of doubts have started to clear, and the suspicion which is just the size of a grain from the start, has solidified and has fully grown into the size of his fist now. He wants to leave it at that— without any concrete conclusion and to let the loose ends hang. He doesn't want to think if Wang Yibo is really flirting or he's just overanalyzing things, doesn't want to overcomplicate his thoughts and wishes to go back when he's still watching the two interact with an amused or tired sigh before he lets the waiting room conversation go up on his head.
Wang Yibo is giving Xiao Zhan that sweet, soft smile again—a sight that has been so rare before but is now freely given to the older male. Li FengXi grips his umbrella and walks towards their direction, pushing all his thoughts at the back of his mind and sealing it for good.
Wang Yibo isn't weird after all, like what he'd been thinking all this time. He's just....... unbearably fond. Yes, that's more like it.
- Wang Yibo's disappearance that leads him into an unexpected situation
Wang Yibo is missing. Li FengXi regrets allowing him to stay longer when all his scenes are already done for the day. Well, it's not like he has authority over his employer, but Huang ZiYi made it clear that Wang Yibo should be well rested tonight because he needed to fly back to Beijing tomorrow after lunch for a meeting with an endorsement brand. She kept on repeating that and made him promise to keep an eye on Wang Yibo just in case he decided to spend the whole night gaming, and now she's calling him for updates and Wang Yibo is gone.
All scenes today lean towards the emotional side, and there's a lot of screaming and crying. They're nearing the end, and the Director purposely scheduled the heavy scenes in the last month so the actors could completely grasp the plight of their characters. Today is an important day of filming, and that's why he didn't try to persuade Wang Yibo to leave early like what they have been told to do so.
Which is a bad decision. The fault is his entirely. He lets his phone vibrate in his pocket, knowing that they're all from Huang ZiYi. He asked around and one of the staff apparently saw Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan leave in this direction, but he's walked quite far and he still hasn't seen them.
Li FengXi is starting to panic, his mind running on a million scenarios of how he'll break the news to Huang ZiYi that Wang Yibo has left somewhere and he can't find him. If something bad happens to him while he's gone, then he will be surely fired, and fined for the damages too. That doesn't sit well with him, so even if he has to search all night, he really would. Losing his employer in the woods isn't a good addition on his resume.
A barely audible noise stops him from walking further. He thinks he's heard it wrong, but when he strains his ears, he hears it again. Li FengXi scans the area carefully, his heart at his throat, and that's when he sees him.
Wang Yibo, still unchanged in his blue and white patterned robe, his back facing him as he stands near the tree.
Finally. He's still going to live after today.
Li FengXi sighs in relief. He begins to walk and is preparing to call Wang Yibo's name, when another figure appears.
Oh. Oh.
Xiao Zhan, with his face full of tears, suddenly stands up, apologies spilling past his lips. It only registered to him that Wang Yibo is looking down earlier, probably at Xiao Zhan's crouching figure. He's near enough that he could hear what Xiao Zhan is saying, but it seems like his presence is still unknown even though he's not even trying to hide himself.
"You can go, I'll get over this soon." Xiao Zhan says. His hands are furiously wiping every tear that falls, but before he could accidentally injure his face with his harsh actions, Wang Yibo gathers his hands with his own.
Li FengXi has half a mind to move in a more discreet place, his mind in a turmoil between wanting to take Wang Yibo back, or letting him stay to finish whatever they're talking about.
"Zhan-ge."
"It's pathetic. I'm crying because I'm hurt for Wei Wuxian." Xiao Zhan lets out an empty laugh. "I could usually shake it off immediately, but today I-" A sob cuts his words, his body shaking at the intensity of it. From what he could remember, they filmed the scene where his sister died, and the scene where he finally lost control.
It must have been so emotionally draining—having to film them at the span of a single day. No wonder, the feeling lingers even after the camera stops from rolling.
Wang Yibo has his back facing him, but his voice is calm and steady as he says, "You're allowed to feel hurt."
It elicits something between a cry and laugh from Xiao Zhan, which is quite a painful sound. "You're using your Lan Zhan voice at me!"
"Zhan-ge." Wang Yibo brings his hand up to wipe Xiao Zhan's tears himself. There's just something about the way he's handling the older man, like he's something fragile that would break any minute, which translates to how tender and gentle he is with his actions. Xiao Zhan closes his eyes as more tears fall, and if Wang Yibo is alarmed, he doesn't let his fingers shake.
"I'm sorry, I just— I don't know, I'm—"
Wang Yibo drops his hand and pulls him closer with intent, but Li FengXi turns in his heels before it happens, deciding that he has seen enough. He steps from where he's hiding and steers clear from Xiao Zhan's sight, even though it isn't needed. He'll make an excuse to Huang ZiYi later, because it seems like Xiao Zhan needs Wang Yibo more tonight.
*
On his way back to their filming location, Li FengXi's mind has been raging with a thousand and more thoughts at once. Everything falls into place, slotting into their pieces. The things before that don't make sense, seems like child's play now.
He doesn't want a clear answer to whatever Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan have between them, content on his state of understanding and ready to leave it at that, but tonight, he gets one anyway. He doesn't want to form any conclusion, but from what he's seen tonight is enough to answer all remaining questions.
What they both have is clearly special, and he's an outsider that's got to witness it. He has no right to interfere nor do anything to tarnish something pure and genuine, a rarity in their field. Wang Yibo, from what he's seen, and others too, has been happy, and that's the most important thing. Wang Yibo may be young, but he trusts him.
Li FengXi fishes his phone out of his pocket when it vibrates again, but when he checks it, it isn't the content that he's expecting. He types a quick message and closes it without waiting for any reply, willing a smile on his face as he drapes an arm on Na ChengYi, cutting her off midquestion with an assurance that Xiao Zhan is fine and will be returning shortly.
<< i hope you're ignoring me because wang yibo is already sleeping and i got nothing to worry now.
<< about what you said before too, did you find yibo's alleged girlfriend? or someone he's interested in?
>> yibo is fine. and no, filming is tedious as usual.
- Wang Yibo's explicit interest in a certain role.
"Any updates?"
Li FengXi looks up from where he's browsing on his tablet, absorbed on checking their schedule for the day when Wang Yibo speaks up. This takes their head manager's attention— Huang ZiYi, as she too twists her body from her seat in front to face Yibo.
"About what?"
Li FengXi throws Wang Yibo a quick glance. The young man doesn't look amused. Understandable, since he's been asking about the same thing for two weeks straight and it's obvious that she's just teasing him, testing his patience before he snaps. Li FengXi doesn't want that to happen, at least not when he's still sitting beside his employer. Wang Yibo is a good kid, but with his tight schedule that leaves him barely enough time to rest, being teased might be the least thing that he needs at the moment.
Fortunately, Huang ZiYi backs down at their stare off, shrugging as she faces in front again.
"I sent them another one of your pictures." Huang Ziyi informs. Wang Yibo is now looking at the passing landscapes by the car window, looking quite dismissive but Li FengXi is acquainted enough to know that he's listening. "I didn't know that they manage to pick an actor for the role that you applied in, because they didn't give me an update, which is quite rude."
Upon hearing no replies, Huang ZiYi turns to look at Yibo again, her eyes furrowed when she sees him spacing out.
"You don't seem interested, I'll stop here."
Before Li FengXi could argue for Wang Yibo's behalf because he too is interested in the update, Wang Yibo peels his attention away from the vast fields to look at his manager.
"I'm listening."
"I know." Huang Ziyi says, and then she's facing in front again. Li FengXi would suggest they switch seats once they return back from their schedule today. It's quite uncomfortable watching her twist and turn repeatedly.
"You just look so tired these days. I really don't understand why you want to get this role so much."
Right. Wang Yibo was booked for another show as a dance mentor on Produce 101 on top of his weekly Day Day Up engagements. He had been fairly surprised too when Yibo expressed his interest in auditioning for this specific role, because they're expecting him to take a break after the tedious filming of his drama that will conclude about two weeks from now. Yibo had only argued that he wanted to take as much work while he still can, and though that wasn't suspicious, the way he immediately rejected all other roles presented to him by Huang Ziyi without so much of a glance was an eyebrow rising one. He definitely wanted to work, but he already set his mind on one.
Li FengXi understood Huang Ziyi and the company's doubts over Wang Yibo's decision. First, Mo Dao Zu Shi gained enough fame for him to know about it without needing to search it up, but it's not all positive feedback per se. Though loved by many, the novel revolved around the romance between two men, and from what he heard, there were also explicit scenes added towards the end. China was still strict when it comes to censoring so it came as a bit of a surprise when news about a TV adaptation reached them in the form of Wang Yibo's declaration to audition for the main lead.
Second, the entire filming crew company wasn't well known, nor they have any achievements to boost. That would have been comforting, because at least they will know that Wang Yibo, if accepted, will be in good hands. But unfortunately, that's not the case. A new company is handling it, and there were even rumours that it took too long for them to finalize everything because aside from the constant revisions that they needed to do to satisfy the media board, actors don't want to get involved in a BL themed drama, that's why most actors who were already confirmed barely had acting experiences.
Things were looking bleak for Chen Qing Ling— the title of the TV adaptation, and he can't think of another viable reason why Wang Yibo wanted to do this. He had always been stubborn, but he knew when to back down and let his staff decide things for him if deemed necessary. That isn't the case this time, as he still appears invested, never forgetting to ask for daily updates.
"Their original pick for Lan WangJi dropped it, and now they're looking for possible candidates again."
Li FengXi silently observes his employer, immediately picking up the slight twitch of his finger. Wang Yibo resumes his blank look at the fast fading scenery outside, cutting his analysis on his expression short.
"I sent your picture again, but I haven't heard anything from them since then. It's been three days." Huang ZiYi pauses, contemplating. "I think we should stop here now. I promise to find you more interesting roles. We already did everything that we can."
Silence befalls inside the car. Li FengXi is a little disappointed that he won't be able to see the drama unfold before his eyes, as he too becomes curious about what's so special about the series that only Wang Yibo could appreciate, but he dares not say it. If Wang Yibo is dropping it, then it'll really be over. This is what the management wants to happen anyway.
Except, he underestimated Wang Yibo's determination for this show.
"When's my next free day?"
Huang ZiYi, though clearly baffled, opens her phone immediately to check.
"On the 27th. Why?"
He's still processing the sudden turn of events that's why when Wang Yibo addresses him next, he scrambles to open his tablet.
"Book a flight on that day to Beijing."
Li FengXi nods dumbly, and then he's opening a certain site that will allow him to book tickets like what he's been instructed to do. From what he could see out of his peripheral view, Huang ZiYi twists around to look at Yibo, voice incredulous as she says, "Why do you need to fly back to Beijing? You have another shoot on the next day."
"I'll meet the producers directly. Maybe they would change their minds once they see me."
Li FengXi's finger almost clicks on the wrong flight. Huang ZiYi huffs, probably in disbelief at Wang Yibo's stubbornness, but she makes no move to stop him so he clicks on the right flight to finally reserve them the right seats.
"Whatever. Just be sure that you can handle it all. If you get accepted, you will have no time to rest because bootcamp will begin right after you wrapped up 'Super Talent '."
Wang Yibo hums as he leans back and closes his eyes, ending their conversation. The lines on his face had relaxed, and it wouldn't take a genius to know that he's satisfied at what he had just done.
Li FengXi too, tucks his tablet away now that he isn't needed anymore as his employer is already resting. There must be something interesting about this project, but before his mind could come up with a number of conspiracies, he shut them down instantly.
Maybe Wang Yibo really just wanted to work, plain and simple.