Yao Shen panics, just a little.

This is the second time Xin Hulei has found him in the process of blowing him off.

In this case, he guesses it can\'t be counted as blowing him off, just...not inviting him? Leaving him out?

It won\'t be good for him either way, since he tacitly agreed he would be closer to Xin Hulei, and stop hiding things from him.

"Oh, right, uh, Gao Wu invited me, I didn\'t know you were coming too," Yao Shen says, gesturing frantically at Xin Hulei in his doorway, dressed to kill.

Yao Shen feels shabby in comparison, in his shorts and short-sleeved button-down.

It\'s not a fancy party or anything, and Xin Hulei isn\'t really dressed up, it\'s just that anything he puts on looks fancier by virtue of being worn by him.

"I got a last minute invitation," Xin Hulei says, cryptic as ever. "Let\'s go, I\'ll give you a ride."

He doesn\'t wait for Yao Shen\'s answer before making his way towards the elevators.

What can Yao Shen say to him? That he would rather go with Gao Wu and Ye Fang?

He follows after Xin Hulei with a dejected sigh.

Whatever, he can give him the slip once he arrives at the party.

---

After another unpleasant ride in Xin Hulei\'s bike, they finally arrive back at Hengdian studios. Still as brightly lit as ever, for both park guests looking for a nightly stroll and for the production crews filming night scenes.

Yao Shen texted Gao Wu when he was in the elevator, telling him he was catching a ride with Xin Hulei.

Gao Wu\'s reply on WeChat came seconds later:

[Summer Sunlight: Oh, I guess we\'ll meet you there. I\'m still getting ready, Fang-jie too.]

Which means Yao Shen has to wait until they show up for the opportunity to escape Xin Hulei.

For now, he sticks to his side, as he navigates the throng of beautiful people drinking and talking animatedly in the courtyard of a building that must have been one of their crew\'s usual sets just a few hours before.

Yao Shen doesn\'t know anyone in the crowd, although he recognizes almost everyone.

Everyone knows Xin Hulei, however. Calling out to him in greetings that he answers with a single nod of his head.

He seems to be headed somewhere, and Yao Shen only realizes where when he sees a low wall where a few people are seated.

Xin Hulei picks the spot furthest away from everyone else and sits down.

Yao Shen gives him a blank look. "You came to a party to sit down?"

He hums, looking out at the people dancing on the makeshift dancefloor with a look of utter boredom. "I don\'t like noise."

"What did you expect to find at a party?" Yao Shen asks, completely at a loss.

Xin Hulei\'s eyes drift up towards him momentarily. "Something fun."

Yao Shen lets out a long-suffering groan. "And are you waiting for \'fun\' to fall into your lap?" He gestures out at the dancing people. "Most of the time you have to go out and find it."

Xin Hulei leans back on his arms, spreading his legs in a careless sprawl. "If you\'re patient, the fun will come to you." He jerks his chin towards Yao Shen. "Wait."

Yao Shen rolls his eyes at him and takes out his phone from his pocket.

He\'ll wait alright, he\'ll wait for Gao Wu and Ye Feng to get here so he can ditch Xin Hulei and his ominous horoscope bullshit.

He messages Gao Wu again:

[Monster under the bed(1): How long until you guys get here? Xin laoshi doesn\'t want to do anything fun. pouting.jpg]

[Summer Sunlight: Sorry gg there was a problem with our didi, but we\'ll be there soon.]

Yao Shen sits down next to Xin Hulei with a dispirited sigh.

He guesses he really will have to wait for fun to arrive.

He\'s scooting away from Xin Hulei, putting more of a distance between them, when a figure breaks away from all the dancing to amble towards them, plastic cup in hand.

He\'s a tall man, wearing a flashy blazer and suit pants, Yao Shen faintly recognizes his handsome face. His eyes sparkle as soon as he sees Xin Hulei.

"Xin laoshi, long time no see," he says, smiling widely, his teeth very white.

Yao Shen remembers him now. Deng Yun. He\'s an actor of around Xin Hulei\'s age, who started acting around the same time, but whose projects haven\'t met with the same critical acclaim.

He\'s considered a bit of a one-trick pony. He does well playing the handsome and virtuous hero who always saves the day and gets the girl in the end, but anything more nuanced than that and he stumbles.

The kind of actor who makes sure the camera is always trained on his good angles, and that every scene showcases just how handsome he is.

Xin Hulei barely lifts his eyes towards him, saying only a disinterested, "Evening," in greeting.

Deng Yun doesn\'t seem to notice, sitting down in the space between Xin Hulei and Yao Shen. "This is the wrap party for our drama, \'Dream of Ming Dynasty\'," Yao Shen says, waving his cup towards the group of people. "Most of the cast finished shooting today."

Xin Hulei doesn\'t say anything, but that doesn\'t stop Deng Yun. "Not me of course, I\'m playing the lead role, I still have a few more scenes left."

Yao Shen wonders if it\'s possible to strain your eyes from rolling them too hard.

Since Xin Hulei isn\'t paying him any attention, Deng Yun turns to Yao Shen, taking notice of him for the first time.

His eyes widen in sudden recollection. "If it isn\'t the little fresh meat everyone on weibo is talking about." He looks from Yao Shen to Xin Hulei and then snaps his fingers. "That\'s right, the two of you are shooting a drama together!"

Once again the lack of an answer from either of them, doesn\'t stop Deng Yun from barreling along, "I wondered how a previously unknown little didi could land the role of the love interest in such a big production."

Yao Shen grows stiff. Deng Yun\'s eyes are shining with undisguised mirth as he looks him up and down.

"But looking at didi now I think I understand it," he nods to himself, his deceptively sweet smile widening. "Didi is so beautiful, it makes people want to spoil him. If I was a casting director I would also give didi a role just to see his cute little smile."

Yao Shen grips the edge of the wall, trying to school his features into a mask of neutrality.

It wouldn\'t be good if he started cursing out a senior actor in front of a gathering of his peers, the gossip would surely spread and Yao Shen can\'t really take any more blows to his public image.

Besides, Deng Yun is just voicing what everyone thinks.

A sudden shadow falls across his field of vision. Yao Shen looks up to see Xin Hulei standing in front of him. "He got the role because of his talent," Xin Hulei says. He\'s talking to Deng Yun but his eyes are fixed on Yao Shen.

He extends his hand towards Yao Shen. "I\'m bored, let\'s dance."