True Star (巨星) [DROPPED]

Vol 2 Ch 19: Gino's Secret (2)

NOTE:

This translation belongs to the translators and proofreaders of Giraffe Corps.

***

For the sake of convenience, Gino had rented an apartment near the set as well. When Tang Feng went to visit, Gino had just finished taking a shower. His hair was still dripping wet when he went to open the door.

"Did you go for a swim in the ocean?" Tang Feng chuckled when he noticed. "Am I intruding?"

"No, of course not." Gino pulled the other through the door and shut it firmly. To an onlooker who didn't know any better, the speed at which he welcomed Tang Feng in made it seem as if he had some ulterior motives in mind.

"Find a seat. There's juice and milk in the fridge. The coffee is over there. And that's the bar. Help yourself," Gino rattled off while walking off to another room.

Tang Feng grabbed a glass of juice and sat on the couch. He found the remote and turned on the TV. He didn't know what Gino watched while he was at home, but maybe a bunch of horror movies?

Understandably, he was a bit surprised to see his own name come up on the screen. The movie playing was Life of Luxury, which he'd starred in as the lead actor. He'd never expected Gino to be watching his films, just like he hadn't expected Gino to have liked him in the past.

After getting changed, Gino walked out of his room. Tang Feng was already several minutes into the movie. Staring at the TV screen, he asked, "Do you like Fiennes' movies?"

The image of him on the screen was still young, barely into his thirties. It was an age when men were at their most charming. Tang Feng had to admit that he wasn't as eye-catching in the past as he was now. Fiennes' appearance could be described as cultured. Luckily, it was something he'd retained throughout his life.

"He's an amazing actor." It was rare for Gino to let go of the chance to make a joke. He sat down quietly beside Tang Feng, eyes drawn to the image of Fiennes on the screen.

Tang Feng took in everything.

Gino truly liked Fiennes. Gino truly liked the past him!

"When I first met him, to be honest, I didn't like him all that much. You could even say that he irritated me." Gino chuckled, and described the circumstances in which he'd met Fiennes. Tang Feng already knew what he was going to say, but it was different hearing Gino's perspective on the events.

Gino first saw Fiennes at a film festival. At the time, both Gino and Fiennes had been nominated for Best Actor. Gino's debut performance was very good, if not spectacular. He had chosen a challenging role in a horror movie for his first appearance. Film critics and the audience alike lauded his acting in the movie. He had practically become famous overnight.

Nevertheless, it was obvious that the festival committee liked Fiennes more. Fiennes had already won several awards abroad at international film festivals; it was inevitable that he would win Best Actor this time around as well. Gino could only watch as the trophy that he most certainly deserved sprouted wings and flew away.

"I firmly believed that the Best Actor should've gone to me and not to Fiennes. I hated him because of that. At the after party, I couldn't help myself and said some nasty words to him." Gino shook his head while recounting the night. He couldn't stop a rueful smile from spreading on his face. "Just thinking about it makes me want to hit myself for how immature and laughable I was acting. I was young, so I believed that everything rightfully belonged to me. But looking at it now, I think my performance was child's play compared to his."