novellhall Chapter 12 Brother Jingqiu, isn't it good to be alive?
Chapter 12 Brother Jingqiu, isn't it good to be alive?
Outside the barbecue restaurant, the night breeze of Seoul finally dispelled the daytime heat.
Looking at Xue Jingqiu's gloomy face, Li Zhixing's sense of crisis instantly soared.
He chuckled dryly and quietly took a step back: "Um... Brother Jingqiu, no need to trouble yourself, I can just take a taxi back by myself."
Xue Jingqiu snorted coldly and walked straight to the side of the road.
Lee Ji-hwan looked to Ha Ji-won for help.
She simply shrugged, her face full of helpless schadenfreude.
Li Zhixing gritted his teeth and followed.
A silver-white sedan was parked on the side of the road.
Xue Jingqiu opened the back door and got in. Li Zhixing was about to go to the passenger seat when he was stopped by a low shout.
"Come here and sit in the back with me."
Li Zhixing had no choice but to obediently crawl into the back row.
As soon as he got into the car, he was surprised to find that the person in the driver's seat was Song Yoon-ah.
"Yoona noona? Why are you here to pick me up?" Lee Ji-hsing looked surprised and delighted.
Song Yoon-ah smiled gently and said, "I just went to meet a friend nearby, and I came over to pick up your Kyung-gu brother on the way back."
Xue Jingqiu, standing to the side, muttered unhappily, "Why are you calling me 'Noona'? Call me 'sister-in-law'!"
Unexpectedly, Song Yoon-ah was unhappy: "So what if he's angry? Isn't Zhixing closer to me than to you? Zhixing, ignore him, just call your Jingqiu brother brother-in-law from now on."
"Yes, I understand, Nuna." Li Zhixing replied with a grin, which made Xue Jingqiu roll his eyes.
The car started smoothly.
Without Li Zhixing pointing out the way, Song Yun'er clearly knew where he lived.
Seeing that Xue Jingqiu next to him was keeping aloof and silent, Li Zhixing took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Noona, haven't you finished filming 'Secret' with Cha Seung-won yet? You're so busy right after getting married, you haven't even gone on your honeymoon, have you?"
Song Yoon-ah glanced at Seol Kyung-gu through the rearview mirror, her tone somewhat resentful: "Filming wrapped up last month."
"I was planning to relax after filming, and I had all my schedules planned out. But you, Jingqiu, just jumped right into the film crew without even saying goodbye."
Xue Jingqiu immediately retorted, "Why didn't I tell you? Didn't I tell you before that I would be joining the crew at the end of June? You just forgot."
"Besides, if you don't have time, you don't have to go. If you go, you'll just be sleeping somewhere else. All the places you've planned are packed with people, what's the point..."
Li Zhixing felt increasingly uneasy as he listened, and quickly nudged Xue Jingqiu.
He screamed inwardly: No way, Jingqiu, are you that fierce? You dare to throw out such suicidal words?
With a screeching "squeak," Song Yoon-ah slammed on the brakes.
"Xue Jingqiu, what do you mean?"
Song Yoon-ah's voice instantly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger and grievance, "I married you despite the infamy, and I don't even deserve a decent honeymoon, is that it?"
"You think it's too crowded? You think it's boring? Is going out with me really that embarrassing for you?"
The air inside the carriage instantly dropped to freezing point.
Xue Jingqiu knew he had made a huge mistake as soon as he said those words.
Seeing his wife's eyes instantly redden, he quickly leaned forward, stammering as he tried to explain, "Yoona, you know I didn't mean it that way! I just blurted it out..."
"Quick-tongued? That's what you really think, that's why you're quick-tongued!" Song Yoon-ah wasn't buying it at all.
Seeing Xue Jingqiu still clumsily trying to explain, Li Zhixing sighed helplessly.
If they really start arguing, I'll be stuck in the middle and feel incredibly awkward.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward to help, moving closer to Xue Jingqiu and sighing in a deliberately deep voice, "Brother Jingqiu, just tell the truth, don't keep it from Nuna."
"What?" Xue Jingqiu looked at Li Zhixing in astonishment. "I... what have I been hiding?"
Li Zhixing looked at Song Yun'er in front of him and said sincerely, "Noona, you just didn't understand what Jingqiu hyung meant. It's not that Jingqiu hyung didn't want to go on a honeymoon, he just felt that the place you planned was not suitable."
Xue Jingqiu's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
He was screaming inwardly: "Damn it! What nonsense is this brat spouting? Does he want me to die even faster?!"
As expected, Song Yoon-ah's expression grew increasingly unpleasant.
Li Zhixing abruptly changed the subject, speaking rapidly, "So, Brother Jingqiu secretly devised a plan, intending to tell you later as a surprise!"
"Hmm?" Song Yoon-ah's expression softened slightly.
However, having been with Xue Jingqiu for so long, she knew her husband's rough and carefree nature all too well. He didn't seem like the kind of romantic man who would secretly plan a trip.
"So, where does Kyunggu oppa plan to take me?" Song Yoon-ah stared intently at Seol Kyunggu through the rearview mirror.
Xue Jingqiu broke out in a cold sweat instantly.
Where do I plan to take my wife? How am I supposed to find out?
He froze in the back seat, desperately trying to signal to Li Zhixing for help with his eyes out of the corner of his eye.
Li Zhixing cursed inwardly: "No way, Brother Jingqiu, you're a national movie star, is it too much for you to make up a place name on the spot?"
Sensing the tense atmosphere in the car was about to break down again, Li Zhixing's mind raced. Suddenly, he remembered something and blurted out, "Amsterdam! Yes, Amsterdam in the Netherlands!"
"Huh? Go there for your honeymoon? Isn't that a bit too far?" Song Yoon-ah opened her mouth slightly in surprise.
"Far away is better!" Li Zhixing immediately switched to his persuasive mode. "Nu, think about it, the honeymoon destinations you planned before were all in China or neighboring countries, right?"
Song Yoon-ah nodded subconsciously.
"That's more like it!" Li Zhixing slapped his thigh. "You two, one a national film emperor, the other a ratings queen! You have to wear masks and sunglasses wherever you go, afraid of being recognized. Is this a honeymoon? Isn't this just running around hiding from fans?"
"So, Kyung-gu thought of taking Nuna to a faraway place, to a foreign land where no one knows you, so that you can hold hands and take a comfortable stroll on the street."
Song Yoon-ah's eyes lit up, clearly filled with anticipation for the scene Li Zhixing described.
"But why Amsterdam of all places?"
"Just now at the party, Jiwon Noona said that she went there for recuperation a while ago, and the scenery was particularly beautiful."
Li Zhixing, without changing his expression, waved the flag and said, "Brother Jingqiu must be exhausted from filming these days. Just now at the drinking party, he kept asking Zhiyuan Nuna all sorts of questions. He originally wanted to give you a surprise, but he got flustered and said the wrong thing."
Upon hearing this, Song Yoon-ah could no longer hide the smile in her eyes.
She bit her lip lightly and looked at her husband: "Really?"
Xue Jingqiu nodded frantically, "Of course it's true! Once we finish this promotional period for 'Haeundae,' and 'Unforgiven' is almost done filming, we'll fly there immediately!"
Song Yoon-ah then restarted the car, satisfied.
The two men in the back seat let out a long sigh of relief and slumped back in their seats, completely exhausted.
With the crisis averted, Xue Jingqiu immediately glared angrily at Li Zhixing, his eyes screaming: "Damn it! Why did you suddenly bring up honeymoon?!"
Li Zhixing glared back defiantly: How can you blame me for this? It's your own fault for not keeping your mouth shut!
"Snapped!"
Xue Jingqiu was furious and slapped Li Zhixing on the forehead.
Li Zhixing clutched his forehead, his eyes wide with astonishment: "I just helped you solve such a huge problem, and you repay kindness with enmity?"
Song Yoon-ah, who was in front, asked in surprise, "Why did you hit Zhixing?"
"That's the brat we're going to beat up! Who told you to show off like that at the dinner table today?" Xue Jingqiu said sternly, getting down to business and telling him to get in the car.
"Let professionals handle professional matters. Who gives you the right to interfere, you newcomer who hasn't even debuted yet?"
"Film marketing is directly linked to box office success or failure. What if Yin Jijun listens to you and ends up losing even more money instead of turning things around? Can you bear that responsibility?"
Li Zhixing rubbed his forehead and whispered in defense, "He's Jijun after all. I couldn't bear to see him so worried..."
"Alright, stop scolding him." Song Yun'er, who was in front, understood the situation and spoke up to help. "Zhi Xing has known Director Ji Jun for longer than you. Their relationship is genuine. Besides, Director Ji Jun isn't the kind of person who would let a junior take the blame if something goes wrong."
"I'm not worried about Yin Jijun making him take the blame," Xue Jingqiu sighed. "I'm worried that this kid will be just as outspoken in other places! Relying on his little bit of cleverness, he dares to mess with the capital market. He'll suffer a great loss sooner or later in this industry."
Following her husband's words, Song Yoon-ah advised, "Zhi-xing, your brother is doing this for your own good. You're about to debut, so you absolutely have to be careful about what you say and do. You don't even have a manager yet, and no one is there to oversee you. It's easy for problems to arise."
"Once this movie is released and I gain some recognition, I'll definitely sign with a suitable agency."
Song Yoon-ah thought for a moment and added, "Originally, I wanted you to come to our company, but there might be some changes in the second half of the year. Your brother and I are both changing companies, so it's not going to happen. I'll help you find a reliable one then."
"Thank you, Nuna. Thank you, Kyunggu-ge. I'll remember that." Lee Ji-haeng nodded earnestly.
The carriage was quiet for a moment.
"Actually, whether you said those things today or not, the result would probably be the same." Xue Jingqiu suddenly sighed, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.
"Do you know why none of the main actors, from me to Ji-won, and then to senior actress Joong-hoon and Uhm Jung-hwa, signed box office revenue sharing agreements?"
Li Zhixing was stunned for a moment.
Industry practice dictates that in Chungmuro, if production costs are tight, or if actors are extremely optimistic about a project and believe it can be very profitable, they will usually voluntarily lower their base salary and sign an agreement to try and recoup their investment through additional bonuses.
"Because from the very beginning, no one expected this movie to make money." Xue Jingqiu exhaled a breath of stale air.
"Initially, Yoon Jae-kwan's first choice for this role was Im Chang-jung. That guy has a natural comedic talent and was actually more suitable for the role than I was."
"Huh? Is it Senior Im Chang-jung again?" Li Zhixing was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, it's him again," Xue Jingqiu scoffed. "But he was in the middle of a lawsuit at the time, and he didn't have much confidence in this kind of special effects film, so he just turned it down."
"Later, Yoon Je-jun went to see Hwang Jung-min, but Hwang Jung-min also claimed that his schedule clashed and he couldn't get away. To put it bluntly, nobody wanted to get involved in this mess."
"So what happened to you, Brother Jingqiu?" Li Zhixing asked curiously.
"Me? Ugh!" Xue Jingqiu cursed irritably.
"Yin Jijun wanted me to save the day, so he handed the notebook to the company."
"I was too lazy to have the company relay messages back and forth, so I just invited him out for drinks. As we drank, that guy started crying! He was sobbing about how difficult it was to prepare for the show and how hard it was to find the actors... I was drunk and soft-hearted at the time, so I impulsively agreed!"
"You've got to be kidding me," Song Yoon-ah added with a laugh. "When I went to pick you up, I clearly saw you two grown men hugging each other and crying your eyes out."
"Oh! Who's crying their eyes out!" Xue Jingqiu blushed.
While laughing, Li Zhixing mercilessly exposed his shortcomings: "Brother Jingqiu, everyone in the industry knows that you cried nonstop at your wedding two months ago."
"Hey! You brat!" Xue Jingqiu was furious and quickly changed the subject.
"And you, kid... You think you, a nobody without even an agency, can land a major supporting role in a multi-billion dollar production just because you're close to Ji Jun?"
Li Zhixing suppressed his smile and pretended to listen attentively.
"The role originally intended for you was Lee Joon-gi," Sol Kyung-gu said, uttering a name. "But he became a huge star last year after starring in 'Iljimae,' and he's already a top idol."
"This film, which the industry didn't have high hopes for, offered you a supporting role. The company didn't want to take it at all and turned it down. After going around in circles without finding a suitable person, you ended up getting the part."
Song Yoon-ah translated for her husband: "Ji-haeng, what your Kyung-gu hyung actually meant was that he protected you in front of the director back then."
Li Zhixing immediately understood and leaned over with a grin: "Yes, thank you for your guidance, Brother Jingqiu."
"Hey, don't listen to your sister-in-law's nonsense. What does it have to do with me?"
Xue Jingqiu leaned uncomfortably against the car window, waving his hand dismissively, but the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.
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