Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tao Hui was a different person when playing games in private, unleashing a torrent of trash talk and venomous wit. Still bitter about her awkward 45-second encounter with Han Buji, she even named the stray cats and dogs downstairs “Xiao Han,” “Bu Bu,” and “Ji Ji.”

She’d once even named a turtle in the fountain “Xiao Buji.”

But now, face-to-face with the real Han Buji in this excruciatingly embarrassing situation, she shrank into herself, wishing she could disappear.

Especially after Han Buji complimented her creativity, she froze like someone had pressed the pause button, completely immobile.

Tao Hui despaired at herself. She realized her bravado was all for show; cowardice was her true nature.

Fortunately, the suffocating tension lasted only a few seconds. The elevator doors opened, and several people wearing employee badges entered, breaking the silence with greetings of “Hello, Teacher Han” and “Hello, Movie Emperor Han.”

Tao Hui tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, slowly sliding into a corner of the elevator with her hat pulled low. She watched Han Buji and his manager stride out.

Her stiff shoulders gradually relaxed, and she was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she caught Han Buji’s figure pausing in her peripheral vision. Alert, she glanced over and met his amused smile as he turned his head.

The people in the elevator were still reeling from the Best Actor’s breathtaking smile, a smile that could “launch a thousand ships.” Only Tao Hui felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.

It was just a slight tilt of his head, barely noticeable, and he probably hadn’t even seen her in the corner. Yet Tao Hui couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something complex hidden in the curve of Han Buji’s lips, something she couldn’t quite decipher.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Tao Hui leaned against the corner with a “what the hell just happened?” expression. Leaving aside how strange Han Buji’s parting smile had felt, why was his face still lingering in her mind?

Ding-dong.

Tao Hui took a deep breath, shook her head vigorously to clear Han Buji from her thoughts, and stepped out of the elevator. She politely knocked on the door of the director’s office.

“I remember who she is!” Wu Yue, Han Buji’s manager, gripped the steering wheel and suddenly snapped his fingers excitedly. “She’s that rookie from three years ago, the one you had a scandal with. Don’t you remember?”

Han Buji held his phone, lost in thought, and didn’t respond. It was impossible to tell if he hadn’t heard or was pretending not to.

“Ugh, what was her name? Let me think…” Wu Yue slapped his forehead. “Ah, right! Tao Hui! Her name is Tao Hui!”

Hearing Tao Hui’s name, Han Buji finally slowly raised his lowered gaze.

“Do you remember…” Wu Yue’s words trailed off as he turned to see Han Buji in the passenger seat, staring ahead with an expression that seemed lost in thought.

Before Wu Yue could decipher the meaning of Han Buji’s expression, Han Buji suddenly chuckled softly, sounding genuinely amused.

“Holy shit, you…” Wu Yue’s words died in his throat again. He frowned at the silver Accord following them in the rearview mirror, his face darkening. “That car’s been tailing us the whole way. Don’t get out later—it’s probably another sasaeng fan.”

“Sister Xun, I absolutely crushed it today! My acting was phenomenal!” Tao Hui exclaimed from the back seat, sitting cross-legged with a jianbing guozi in hand. “I was so nervous during the audition with Director Chen, but he actually nodded at me! Director Chen! He nodded at my acting!”

“What does a nod mean? It means approval!” Tao Hui waved her jianbing guozi like the Statue of Liberty holding her torch.

In truth, Tao Hui’s audition had been pure luck.

When the director told her she’d be performing a psychological scene, Tao Hui was understandably nervous. These scenes, with no dialogue or supporting actors, relying solely on aura and subtle facial expressions to convey complex emotions, were notoriously difficult to pull off.

But when Director Chen’s assistant handed her the script, Tao Hui couldn’t help but smile. The scene spanned a lengthy passage, but the character’s underlying emotion could be summed up in a single word: awkwardness.

Awkwardness?

That was perfect. Tao Hui instantly slipped into character, recalling the chaotic scene where Han Buji saw the promotional flyer featuring a “little wildcat” and the “buy one, get one free” label on his own forehead.

She didn’t even need props. The dampness of her palms subtly staining her sleeves, her stiff posture, slightly parted lips, and a natural dazed expression—Tao Hui’s awkwardness scene earned Director Chen’s nod of approval.

The rest was straightforward. Tao Hui’s looks were more than up to the task of the makeup and costume tests.

Though the production team hadn’t officially notified Tao Hui of the results, Zhou Xun dared not get too excited. He pressed his lips into a thin line, pretending to warn her, “Grab a scrap of paper—don’t let those crumbs fall in my car!”

Tao Hui, munching on a jianbing guozi (deep-fried dough sticks rolled in a thin pancake) without chili peppers or scallions, rummaged in the storage pocket behind the driver’s seat and pulled out a crumpled flyer.

She stared at it, wondering why Sister Xun needed so many promotional pages just to buy a suit.

Han Buji, you’re in my hands again!

It was the exact same flyer as before. Tao Hui spread the “Anima Gentleman Han Buji” across her lap, took an arrogant bite of her jianbing guozi, and crispy bits from the filling cascaded down, landing right on Han Buji’s face.

Chewing on the fragrant pancake, Tao Hui sighed inwardly.

She too had once been captivated by Han Buji’s looks. What 17- or 18-year-old girl doesn’t have an idol?

Han Buji was the epitome of the cool, handsome type—talented, with abs, and everything a teenage girl could dream of in a man.

Tao Hui had even fantasized about him pinning her against a wall and kissing her.

Those memories are too embarrassing to dwell on!

“Cough! Cough cough cough!” Tao Hui choked on her jianbing guozi, coughing so violently she nearly shook the car.

Up front, Zhou Xun, for once, didn’t immediately offer her water. Instead, he muttered quietly, “That’s strange… why is that car ahead of us taking the same route?”

A white BMW with an Imperial Capital license plate had been ahead of Tao Hui’s car since they exited the highway. At every intersection, whether turning left, right, or going straight, it coincidentally followed the same route, maintaining a distance of less than ten meters for over forty kilometers.

If they hadn’t been the ones following, Zhou Xun would have suspected they were being tailed by one of Tao Hui’s sasaeng fans.

Tao Hui wiped her mouth with a tissue and nonchalantly remarked, “They’re ahead of us, not behind. Maybe they think we’re the ones following them.”

At that moment, Tao Hui didn’t realize she had a knack for jinxing things—her words would soon come true.

As her manager, Zhou Xun was more cautious. He increased the distance between the cars, rerouted the navigation, and deliberately chose a rarely used back road.

To Zhou Xun’s surprise, the BMW ahead also inexplicably turned onto the deserted lane.

The two vehicles braked almost simultaneously, stopping barely two meters apart on the roadside.

Tao Hui frowned, tossed the remaining half of her jianbing guozi at Han Buji’s face, the bite mark landing squarely on his cheek.

She pulled her hat down over her head, while Zhou Xun in the front adjusted his mask to cover his chin.

A slender figure emerged from the white BMW, suspiciously clad in sunglasses and a black mask.

Zhou Xun watched nervously as the person approached, his hand hovering over the 110 button, bracing for the worst.

Tao Hui’s car windows were tinted with one-way privacy film, obscuring the interior from view. A knock sounded on the glass, and a polite yet distant voice said, “Hello.”

Tao Hui, who had been staring down, frowned. This voice sounds familiar…

“Please go home. Thank you for your support, but we also hope you’ll respect the private lives of idols. I understand your feelings, but please express your affection appropriately. Artists need personal space too. We hope you won’t disturb them again…”

This speech… Isn’t this the standard line managers use with sasaeng fans who cross boundaries?

Tao Hui finally looked up from her reverie, startled by the earnest drone. Through the car window, she recognized Han Buji’s manager.

Respect an idol’s private life? Express affection appropriately?

What affection? Who’s showing affection? Affection for whom?

Han Buji? Me? Pfft!

Tao Hui flailed, trying to get out of the car, completely forgetting her own teenage dreams about Han Buji. With her hands on her hips and a “what the fuck” expression, she looked ready to roll up her sleeves and start a fight when Zhou Xun firmly pushed her back into the backseat.

Zhou Xun knew exactly what kind of artist he was dealing with. After getting out of the car, he locked the door, ignoring Tao Hui’s frantic pounding on the window. Wearing the same professional fake smile as Han Buji’s manager, Wu Yue, he explained the misunderstanding.

Tao Hui watched in disbelief as the two strangers, who clearly didn’t know each other, clapped each other on the shoulders like old friends, laughing heartily as they parted ways.

“What? They thought we were sasaeng fans of Han Buji? Me? A sasaeng fan of Han Buji?! Ha!” Tao Hui fanned her flushed face. “That guy? Even my little gaming buddy, who I carry through games, is more likable!”

Furious at being mistaken for a fan of the Best Actor, Tao Hui took her anger out on the promotional flyer. Not only did it end up with greasy crumbs from her scallion pancake, but she also drew a row of turtles across it with a marker.

Just as they were nearing Tao Hui’s apartment, Zhou Xun received a phone call, finally interrupting her turtle-drawing spree.

Headquarters had notified them that Tao Hui was to join the cast of Sheng Jue next week.

If they hadn’t been in the car, Tao Hui might have jumped for joy.

Finally, I get to join Director Chen’s crew!

Zhou Xun dropped Tao Hui off at her apartment building. She had chosen this complex herself, justifying her decision for over a month with the twisted logic of “true seclusion lies in the heart of the city,” all for the sake of the egg pancakes and crispy fried dough sticks sold at the entrance. Only after much persuasion had she finally won Zhou Xun’s reluctant approval.

Now, Tao Hui skipped toward the elevator, her mood soaring. She hummed a song under her breath, “It’s infatuation! I can’t escape his gaze. When our eyes meet, I want to run away—you and I are like a comet hurtling toward Earth!”

The hallway was empty, emboldening Tao Hui. She pressed the elevator button and bounced in place, wiggling her hips, “Oh, that boy across the way is walking closer… how can I not be~ ex~pectant~?”

Before the last syllable of “expectant” could fade, Tao Hui excitedly blew a flying kiss at the elevator doors.

The kiss was halfway through its trajectory when the doors, as if responding to some magical “Open Sesame” command, whooshed open to reveal a man standing inside.

Tao Hui froze, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. Though she wore a hat and sunglasses, her puckered lips hadn’t yet retracted. She hastily pulled up her scarf to hide her mouth and glanced awkwardly at the man—only to recognize a familiar face.

Life’s Full of Surprises Series, Episode: I Must Be Cursed When It Comes to Elevators!

Han Buji emerged from the underground garage, sunglasses perched on his nose, hands tucked into his pockets as he leaned against the elevator wall. He seemed just as surprised to see her here, pausing for a moment in surprise.

Tao Hui instinctively recoiled from sharing the elevator with Han. “Please, you go ahead,” she blurted out. “I’ll… take the next one.”

Han Buji leaned forward slightly and pressed the door-open button. “Get in,” he said expressionlessly.

Hearing footsteps approaching the building entrance and fearing an awkward encounter, Tao Hui darted into the elevator. Now, she and Han Buji stood face-to-face in the cramped space.

Why is Han Buji here?

Why would someone whose income dwarfs mine a hundredfold be in an apartment building where the largest units are only 98 square meters?

An eerie silence filled the elevator, broken only by the faint mingling of Tao Hui’s sweet bergamot-lychee fragrance and Han Buji’s crisp cedarwood-sandalwood scent.

Tao Hui’s mind raced. To ease the tension, she turned to press her floor button, only to find the 15th-floor button already glowing a bright red.

Tao Hui: “……”

Had she pressed it earlier and forgotten?

But with two people in the elevator, only one floor button was lit. Had Han Buji not pressed his floor?

Tao Hui was puzzled. Behind her, someone seemed to shift, the rustle of fabric unusually loud in the elevator. A terrifying possibility suddenly struck her.

Forcing herself to turn around, Tao Hui timidly asked, “H-Han… Movie Emperor Han, why didn’t you press your floor?”

For a moment, she almost asked him, “Have you ever seen Mr. Go?”

Han Buji looked genuinely innocent, his deep eyes glancing at her. He pointed to the elevator panel. “I already did.”

Tao Hui’s smile froze, like a wax figure in a museum. Her voice barely squeezed out between her teeth, “Y-you also live on the 15th floor?”

Author’s Note:

Congratulations, Miss Tao Hui, on your new neighbor! Applause!

Congratulations, Movie Emperor Han, on receiving half a flying kiss! Applause!

Clap clap clap! (This is just applause, not anything else!)