YuZhou Addicted

Reel or Real - Reel?

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It was just a role, right? So why is he finding it hard to separate that role from his reality? Or rather, why does he still feel in love with his onscreen partner?

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Jingyu stared at the caller ID showing up on his phone screen, stupefied at who was calling him tonight, of all nights. He hastily entered his condo apartment, stubbing a toe as he hurriedly took off his shoes at the foyer while turning on the living room lights.

He limped to the sofa while pressing Answer on his phone before the call stopped ringing, hoping that who was calling didn't think Jingyu was deliberately ignoring them.

"Zhouzhou?" Jingyu asked as soon as he heard the momentary silence on the other end indicating that the call has connected.

"Jingyu, my man!" Weizhou enthusiastically answered him from the other end of the line. "Congratulations! I heard the premiere is a blast!"

Jingyu freely smiled, being alone in his apartment lounging on his sofa, his canine fangs showing with his characteristic smile. "Thanks, Zhou," he answered happily, feeling all sorts of wonderful for Weizhou to greet him on the premiere of his first movie. "Though I'm still miffed you couldn't watch the premiere with me."

Weizhou just chuckled, knowing that Jingyu wasn't really miffed he missed watching the premiere. "Yeah, well, you know I would have, if I didn't have this Shanghai gig already scheduled on the same day."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I was just joking." Of course, Jingyu had known. He'd seen how Weizhou's face was a funny mix of shock, frustration and disappointment when Jingyu had invited him two weeks earlier to join him on the premiere night. Wagging tongues notwithstanding, he really wanted Weizhou's company, and not that he had a secret agenda of boasting who between them landed their first film after their surprising shot to fame with Shangyin. So he was disappointed, too, when Weizhou had to say no because he would be in Shanghai then, while the premiere is in Beijing. They tried to play it by ear, watching which of their schedules might get moved, but that rarely happened in this fast-paced critically-planned schedules they have for their chosen careers.

"Why does it sound so quiet on your end?" Weizhou suddenly asked. "I'd have expected you to still be at the after-party."

Jingyu had got up and gone to the kitchen by this time, raiding his fridge for a drink, finding a lone beer bottle hidden at the back. He could hear Weizhou doing the same at the background, judging from the glugging sound of some liquid being poured into a glass.

"Nah, didn't stay too long... most people were already drinking before the premiere, the afterparty just made them more drunk." He went back to the sofa, placing his beer on the coffee table infront of it.

"That bad, huh?" Weizhou made sympathetic noises, along with drinking whatever he had on hand. "Now I really feel bad not keeping you company."

Jingyu laughed, oddly touched by that statement. "It wasn't really bad... I guess after Shangyin, it just kind of shocked me that some people can't be friendly behind the scenes. I mean, I get it, I'm the new guy..." he sighed, not really wanting to go where his thoughts are going. He wasn't assuming Weizhou called to have his time wasted by Jingyu relating to him his woes. "Uh, were you calling me for something?"

"Huh?" Weizhou was momentarily flummoxed. "Uh, yeah, I did call to congratulate you... was I supposed to be calling for something else?"

"Nah, nothing... just a lot of things on my mind these days, and I thought with you being busy, I dunno, maybe you were calling other than to congratulate... me... I mean, I didn't even have a big role in the movie..."

"Jingyuuu," Weizhou cutely called his name this time. "Have a little more confidence with yourself. They wouldn't have made that last minute casting if they didn't need you, whatever the role was."

With Weizhou being his senior in the entertainment world, Jingyu figures Weizhou was right. He does need to stop second guessing himself.

"But now that you said it, I guess I do have something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

The tone of Weizhou's voice made Jingyu feel concerned. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Uhm," Weizhou hesitated, before continuing. "We are still doing Shangyin together, right?"

Relief flooded Jingyu. "Of course! I was just waiting for Jidan-jiejie to confirm schedules... no wait, they've already confirmed schedules?!"

Weizhou chuckled again at the other end. "Ahaha, I keep forgetting you just came in from a schedule. Yup, got the email this afternoon. We resume a week later than the original plan, but it's going to push through."

This was the most welcome news Jingyu heard since like forever. Or rather after they stopped promotions for Shangyin due to the ban. However it came about, Jingyu was relieved to be filming again as Gu Hai opposite Weizhou's Bai Luoyin.

"Oh wow, that's really good news - I should go online right now and send an answer, or something, inform the company..."

"Silly, the production crew would have already cleared your schedules with your company before they sent the schedule confirmation," Weizhou reminded him.

"Ahaha, right - I'm actually missing this kind of preferential treatment," Jingyu remarked, before teasing Weizhou. "I also rather miss getting spoiled by you."

Weizhou scoffed. "Who's spoiling who? Come here and let me sock your mug."

Jingyu laughed again, missing the tenderly rough camaraderie he shared with Weizhou both on and offscreen, something that was totally absent when he was filming for his movie role. He was being honest saying he missed being spoiled by Weizhou, their costars and the crew. Mostly just Weizhou.

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