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

Chapter 2

Tao Hui, in private, was a master of witty banter and sharp-tongued insults when gaming. Still nursing the lingering resentment from her 45-second unpleasant encounter with Han Buji, she even named the stray cats and dogs downstairs “Xiao Han,” “Bu Bu,” and “Ji Ji.”

She had once even named the turtle in the fountain pond “Xiao Buji.”

But now, face-to-face with Han Buji himself in this excruciatingly awkward situation that made her want to swallow a knife and end it all, she cowered like a quail, wishing she could shrink into her shell.

Especially after Han Buji praised her creativity, she froze completely, as if someone had pressed the pause button on her.

Tao Hui despaired at herself. She realized with painful clarity that her bravado was all a facade, reserved for private moments. Cowardice was her true nature.

Thankfully, the suffocating tension lasted only a few seconds. The elevator doors opened, and several people wearing employee badges entered, their greetings of “Hello, Teacher Han” and “Hello, Best Actor Han” shattering the silence.

Tao Hui tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, pulling her hat brim low as she slowly edged toward a corner of the elevator. She watched Han Buji and his manager stride out of the elevator.

Her stiff shoulders gradually relaxed, and she was about to exhale in relief when she caught Han Buji’s figure pausing in her peripheral vision. She glanced up warily, only to meet his amused smile as he turned his head slightly.

The elevator occupants were mesmerized by Best Actor Han Buji’s “a single glance, a hundred charms bloom” smile. Only Tao Hui felt a sudden, inexplicable chill run down her spine.

It was merely a slight tilt of his head, barely noticeable, and he might not have even seen Tao Hui in the corner. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something complex hidden in the curve of his lips, something she couldn’t quite decipher.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Tao Hui leaned against the wall, wearing a “what the hell just happened?” expression. Leaving aside the strangeness of Han Buji’s parting smile, why was his face lingering so vividly in her mind?

Ding!

Tao Hui took a deep breath, shook her head vigorously to banish 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!” Han Buji’s manager, Wu Yue, exclaimed, snapping his fingers excitedly while gripping the steering wheel. “She’s that rookie from three years ago, the one you had a scandal with! Don’t you remember?”

Han Buji, absorbed in his phone, didn’t respond, leaving Wu Yue unsure whether he hadn’t heard or was simply pretending not to.

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

At the mention of Tao Hui’s name, Han Buji finally lifted his gaze from the floor.

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

Before Wu Yue could decipher the meaning behind Han Buji’s expression, the latter suddenly chuckled softly, as if genuinely amused.

“Holy shit, you…” Wu Yue’s sentence remained unfinished. He frowned, staring at the silver Accord in the rearview mirror, his expression 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 had a breakthrough in my acting today!” Tao Hui exclaimed, sitting cross-legged in the backseat, munching on her jianbing guozi. “I was so nervous during the audition with Director Chen, but he actually nodded at me! Director Chen! He nodded at my performance!”

“What does the nod mean? It means approval!” Tao Hui waved her jianbing guozi like the goddess of victory brandishing a torch.

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

When the production crew told her she’d be performing a psychological scene, Tao Hui was understandably nervous. After all, scenes with no dialogue, no co-actors, and relying solely on aura and subtle expressions to convey complex psychological states are notoriously difficult to pull off.

But when Director Chen’s assistant handed her the script, Tao Hui couldn’t help but laugh. The scene, a sprawling block of text, could be summarized in a single word: awkwardness.

Awkwardness?

Awkwardness was practically child’s play. Tao Hui instantly slipped into character, mentally replaying the chaotic scene of Han Buji seeing the “Buy One Get One Free” promotion on his forehead while the “wildcat” on the flyer stared back.

No props were even needed. The dampness of her palms subtly staining her sleeves, her stiff posture, her slightly parted lips, and the natural blankness in her expression—Tao Hui’s awkwardness scene earned Director Chen’s nod of approval.

The rest was straightforward: costume fittings and makeup tests. Tao Hui’s beauty was never in doubt.

Though the production crew hadn’t officially notified Tao Hui of the results yet, Zhou Xun dared not get too excited. He forced his lips into a straight line, pretending to warn her, “Grab a scrap of paper to catch the crumbs. Don’t get them all over my car!”

Tao Hui, munching on a jianbing guozi without chili or scallions, rummaged through the storage pocket behind the driver’s seat and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

Staring at it, she wondered why Sister Xun needed so many promotional flyers just to buy a suit.

Han Buji, you’re in my hands again!

Identical to the previous flyer, Tao Hui spread the “Anima Gentleman Han Buji” across her lap and took a defiant bite of her jianbing guozi. The crispy skin rolled inside crumbled and cascaded down, landing squarely on Han Buji’s face.

Chewing the fragrant pancake, Tao Hui sighed inwardly.

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

Han Buji was the quintessential cool, handsome type—talented, with chiseled abs, embodying every teenage girl’s fantasy of the perfect man.

Tao Hui had even dreamed of Han Buji cornering her against a wall and kissing her passionately.

Those memories are best left buried!

“Cough! Cough cough cough!” Tao Hui choked on a bite of jianbing guozi, her coughing fit echoing loudly.

Zhou Xun, in the front seat, surprisingly didn’t immediately offer her water or comfort. Instead, he muttered under his breath, “Strange… why has that car been following us the whole way?”

A white BMW with Beijing license plates had been ahead of them since they exited the highway, coincidentally taking the same route at every intersection. Whether turning left, right, or going straight, it maintained a distance of less than 10 meters ahead of Tao Hui’s car for over 40 kilometers.

If they hadn’t been the ones following, Zhou Xun would have suspected they’d encountered Tao Hui’s sasaeng fan.

Tao Hui, wiping her mouth with a tissue, nonchalantly remarked, “They’re ahead of us, not behind. They probably 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 a seasoned manager, Zhou Xun remained cautious. He increased the distance between their cars, switched the navigation to a less-traveled route, and deliberately chose a quiet side road.

To Zhou Xun’s surprise, the BMW ahead also turned onto the same deserted side road.

Both cars braked almost simultaneously, coming to a stop less than two meters apart at the roadside.

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

She grabbed her hat and pulled it down over her head, while Zhou Xun, in the front seat, pulled his mask up over his chin.

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

Zhou Xun watched the person approach with growing tension, his hand hovering over the 110 emergency call button, bracing for the worst.

Tao Hui and her companions were in a car with one-way tinted windows, making it impossible to see inside. The window was tapped from the outside, and a polite yet distant voice said, “Hello.”

Tao Hui, who had been staring down, thought with a puzzled frown, This voice sounds familiar…

“Please go home. Thank you for your support, but we also hope you’ll respect the idol’s private life. I understand your feelings, but please express your affection in appropriate ways. Celebrities also need personal space. We hope you won’t disturb him again…”

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

As the person droned on earnestly, Tao Hui finally looked up and saw Han Buji’s manager’s face outside the car window.

Respect the idol’s private life? Express affection in appropriate ways?

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

Han Buji? Pfft!

Tao Hui flapped her arms, trying to get up, completely forgetting that she herself had once dreamed of Han Buji during her teenage years. With her hands on her hips and a “what the fuck” expression, she was about to roll up her sleeves and rush out to fight when Zhou Xun firmly pushed her back into the backseat.

Zhou Xun knew exactly what kind of person his client was. Before getting out of the car, he locked the doors, ignoring Tao Hui’s frantic pounding on the windows. He plastered on the same professional, fake smile as Han Buji’s manager, Wu Yue, and explained the misunderstanding.

Tao Hui watched in disbelief as these two complete strangers clapped each other on the shoulder like old friends, laughing heartily as they parted ways.

“What? They thought we were Han Buji’s sasaeng fans? Me? A Han Buji sasaeng fan?! Ha!” Tao Hui fanned her flushed face with her hand. “That guy isn’t even as popular as my Little Fanboy, who follows me around playing games!”

Furious at being mistaken for a fan of the Best Actor, Tao Hui not only left greasy crumbs from her jianbing guozi on the promotional poster but also drew a row of turtles across it with her autograph pen.

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

The headquarters had notified them that Tao Hui was to join the Sheng Jue production crew next week.

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

Finally, I’m joining Director Chen’s production crew!

Zhou Xun dropped Tao Hui off at her apartment building. She had chosen this complex herself, arguing for over a month about how “true seclusion lies in the heart of the city” just to get her hands on the egg pancakes and crispy fried dough sticks sold at the entrance. Zhou Xun had only reluctantly agreed.

Now, Tao Hui skipped toward the elevator, her mood soaring. She hummed a tune: “It’s love at first sight, my gaze can’t hide. When we meet eyes, I want to run away. You and I are like a comet colliding with Earth!”

With no one around, Tao Hui grew bolder. She pressed the elevator button and bounced in place, swaying her hips. “Oh, the boy across the way is walking closer, how can I not~ be~ excited~?”

Before the last syllable of “excited” faded, Tao Hui excitedly blew a kiss at the elevator doors.

Halfway through her kiss, the doors slid open as if triggered by a magic command, revealing a man inside.

Tao Hui felt a pang of embarrassment. Though she wore a hat and sunglasses, her pouting lips hadn’t retracted in time. She quickly pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth, glancing awkwardly at the man. Her eyes widened as she recognized the familiar face.

Life is full of surprises, part 10: I swear, I’m cursed when it comes to elevators!

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

Tao Hui instinctively recoiled at the thought of sharing an elevator with someone named Han. She blurted out, “Please go ahead. I’ll… I’ll take the next one.”

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

Hearing footsteps approaching the building entrance, Tao Hui panicked about being seen. She darted into the elevator, finding herself face-to-face with Han Buji in the cramped space.

Why is Han Buji here?

Why would someone whose income is countless times greater than mine 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, sweet scent of bergamot and lychee emanating from Tao Hui and the crisp, woody fragrance of cedar and sandalwood clinging to Han Buji, the two scents slowly mingling.

Tao Hui’s mind raced. Desperate to break the awkward tension, she turned to press the floor button, only to discover that the button for her floor apartment was already glowing a vivid red.

Tao Hui: “……”

Had she pressed it earlier and forgotten?

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

Tao Hui frowned, puzzled. Behind her, she sensed movement; the rustle of fabric was particularly noticeable in the elevator. A terrifying possibility suddenly struck her.

Forcing herself to turn around, Tao Hui asked timidly, “Best… Best Actor Han, why haven’t you pressed a floor button?”

For a moment, she almost blurted out, “Have you seen My Love from the Star?”

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

Tao Hui’s smile froze, like a mannequin in a wax museum. Her voice was strained, almost squeezed out between her teeth. “You… you live on the this floor too?”