A Note from the Author: This story is set in a world where same-sex marriage is legal, and some men are capable of giving birth, though the probability is very low.
A word of advice: If you don’t like stories about childbirth, click the X without hesitation!
July. On a sunny afternoon, the sunlight was bright, a gentle breeze blew, and warm rays covered the earth. The grass occasionally reflected dazzling glints of light under the sun, while the clouds seemed to have melted away, leaving nothing but a vast, azure sky.
The final scene of The Palace Banquet, set in a valley on the outskirts of City S.
The actors, dressed in elaborate robes and wearing headdresses, stood at the entrance to the valley striking the poses the director had requested. Every now and then, a few soft sighs could be heard.
“Director, we’re ready.” After the stagehands had arranged the necessary props, they raised their hands to signal the director, who was sitting under a parasol nearby.
“Come on, let’s start rolling.” The director held up a megaphone, his voice hoarse.
The Palace Banquet marks the first big-screen collaboration between director Guo Jing and screenwriter Sun Qingqing, a husband-and-wife team. After two years of preparation, filming had finally begun. The production crew was quite impressive. Although the plot was a bit clichéd, the lead actors’ natural talent combining good looks and acting skills made up for it. Even before filming had wrapped, the film had already garnered significant buzz, with netizens expressing high anticipation.
Lin Yan, playing the captain of the guards, stood in front of the male lead, one hand gripping his blade and the other lifting the man behind him to protect him.
“Don’t be nervous, Lin. This is the final scene. Once we wrap this, we’re done.” The male lead was played by 35-year-old Sun Wei, the Golden Lion Award winner for Best Actor from two years ago and widely recognized in the industry as one of the most likable and family-oriented actors.
Lin Yan nodded silently.
To say he wasn’t nervous would be a lie. Although he had been in the industry for three years and had only appeared in TV dramas, and although he was confident in his acting skills, this was, after all, his first time appearing on the big screen. Among the big names who came and went on set, whose acting wasn’t better than his? He still had a lot to learn.
“Come on, Lin Yan, you know how to move in a moment, right? The martial arts instructor must have told you how to fight, right?” Director Guo walked over, took a look at his stance, and nodded with a smile. “Don’t be nervous. You don’t have to actually jump off the cliff; there are safety measures down there.”
In pursuit of realism, the director had insisted that the final scene, which was originally supposed to be shot in a studio, be filmed on location in the valley. The scene depicted the captain of the guards being chased into the valley by rebel forces while protecting the prince. After a fierce battle against overwhelming odds, he was finally overpowered and kicked off the cliff.
After he fell into the valley, the reinforcing army arrived, rescued the prince, and marched back to the capital, annihilating the rebels in one fell swoop. The prince ultimately ascended to the throne, and the story ends.
Although the ending was pretty melodramatic, Lin Yan thought it was actually not bad. After all, he had a lot of screen time in the final scene, and it definitely couldn’t be cut.
He took a deep breath and nodded at the director. “I’m ready, Director.”
Director Guo smiled and patted him on the shoulder before turning back to the monitor.
The Palace Banquet, final scene, take one. Action.
The captain of the guards pulled the Prince along as they sprinted, glancing back anxiously as he ran: “Your Highness, hold on a little longer. The main army is almost here. You mustn’t give up.”
The Prince nodded. His lips had turned slightly purple from the prolonged running, and his throat was parched.
Several rebel soldiers wielding long swords were chasing them from behind. The captain of the guards shielded the Prince with his body and charged forward to engage them in combat.
Amidst the flash of blades and the clash of fists and feet, the captain of the guards was finally overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers. No matter how skilled he was, it was of no avail; his body was slashed with numerous wounds, and he was drenched in blood.
Thud! The captain of the guards was kicked in the chest; blood spurted from his mouth as he was sent flying backward.
Behind him lay a sheer cliff.
“Zhiqing!” The Prince crouched at the cliff’s edge, filled with grief and fury, his hoarse voice tinged with despair.
“Cut!” Director Guo watched the replay on the monitor, nodded, waved his hand, and called, “That’s a take. Quick, pull Lin Yan up.”
Lin Yan had fallen into the valley and been caught by a safety net; he was still shaken and his limbs were ice-cold.
No wonder. Being kicked off a cliff without any protective gear would terrify anyone. Luckily, the safety net below wasn’t too far from the edge; otherwise, he probably would have been scared to death.
Covered in blood, Lin Yan was pulled up by the crew. He didn’t even notice the sticky blood on his face and neck or the sweet, bitter taste in his mouth. He walked over to the director and asked, “Is that okay, Director?”
Director Guo nodded, looking very satisfied. “Not bad, not bad. That final expression just now was great.”
Lin Yan smiled wryly to himself. It wasn’t that he did a good job; it was just him playing himself!
He had genuinely been scared, and he’d felt a bit of despair and worry.
Sun Wei walked over and handed him a tissue, smiling as he offered comfort: “Not bad, Little Lin. You nailed it on the first take.”
“Thanks, Brother Sun.” Lin Yan wiped his face with the tissue. “Director, if you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll go get my makeup removed.”
“Go ahead, go ahead. We’ll have the wrap party tonight.” Although Lin Yan was only a minor supporting role in the show, this minor role had appeared from the very beginning to the very end, so he was actually quite an important supporting character.
Lin Yan waved his hand. “I won’t be going to the wrap party. My agent called earlier and told me to return to the company immediately after we wrap. It seems there’s something they need to discuss with me.” Lin Yan smiled apologetically.
Director Guo didn’t really care whether he went or not. In his eyes, although Lin Yan’s acting was decent, he was ultimately just a minor character with no real background, so he let him decide for himself.
“Alright then. You did a good job this time. If there’s a role that suits you next time, I’ll call you again.”
Lin Yan nodded in thanks, then turned to Sun Wei and said, “Thanks for looking out for me these past few days, Brother Sun. Once I’m back in City C, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Sun Wei waved his hand, indicating there was no need to be so formal.
Lin Yan went to remove his makeup, said goodbye to the rest of the crew, and then headed to the airport with his assistant.
“Brother Lin, Brother Tan said to come find him at the company.” His assistant, Liu Mei, was twenty-four years old, a year older than Lin Yan, but since she was new to the industry, she addressed everyone as “brother” or “sister.” Lin Yan had asked her to stop a few times, but she never changed, so he just let it go.
“I know. It’s probably about renewing my contract.” Lin Yan, who had been with Starlight Entertainment for three years since his debut, was actually a bit reluctant to renew. Although his agent, Tan Liqin, was quite responsible, he managed four people, so he couldn’t always attend to everything thoroughly.
Lin Yan sighed, checked in, and sat down in a chair, wearing a mask that covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.
In an industry teeming with handsome men and beautiful women, his looks were only average to above-average, but those eyes were unexpectedly captivating. Directors who cast him were generally drawn to those eyes, aside from appreciating his acting skills.
Though his gaze was usually detached, it was indescribably clear, as if he could see right into your soul. His pupils were noticeably larger than average, and the actresses he was close with would often tease him, saying that in an industry where colored contact lenses were ubiquitous, Lin Yan had saved himself a lot of money.
Lin Yan would just smile at this; he took it as a compliment.
The flight from City S to City C took three hours. Lin Yan wore an eye mask and slept from takeoff until landing, though he felt a flutter of excitement in his heart.
“Bro Lin, are you and your boyfriend getting married?” Lin Yan’s sexual orientation wasn’t a secret. Now that same-sex marriage was legal, many couples who had previously kept their relationships hidden were getting married, so Liu Mei’s question wasn’t really rude.
Lin Yan gave a faint smile but said nothing.
He had come back this time specifically to discuss marriage with his boyfriend. They’d been together for over two years. Although they were both in the entertainment industry and often apart, he felt their relationship had reached a solid place. And to be honest, Lin Yan was a bit conservative at heart; he believed that any relationship not aimed at marriage was just fooling around. So even though they’d been dating for over two years, they still hadn’t taken that final step!
If he told this to anyone else, no one would believe it, but the fact is, Lin Yan was twenty-three and still a virgin!
His boyfriend, Qi Hui, was twenty-seven and had been in the industry for eight years. Although he hadn’t won a Best Actor award yet, he averaged five or six film roles a year and had long since landed leading roles. Since they were with different entertainment agencies, they hadn’t had a chance to work together yet. However, from what Qi Hui mentioned recently, it seemed he had been nominated for Best Actor at the upcoming Golden Lion Film Festival; maybe this time, the Best Actor award would finally be his.
A faint smile touched Lin Yan’s lips as he thought of his boyfriend, Qi Hui. Due to the filming of The Palace Banquet, they hadn’t seen each other in three months. They usually kept in touch by phone, WeChat, or video calls, but he missed him dearly.
By the time they left the airport, it was already 6:00 p.m., but the sky was still bright. Lin Yan and Liu Mei took a taxi straight to the company.
As expected, Tan Liqin had called him in specifically to discuss contract renewal, but Lin Yan said he wanted to think it over.
“Are you unhappy with the terms the company offered? We can discuss it with the CEO.” Tan Liqin had high hopes for Lin Yan. Although the young actor hadn’t become a huge star since his debut, he’d always had a steady following. He might not be considered a first or second-tier star, but he was certainly a third-tier actor. With a little more cultivation, he might just become an overnight sensation.
“No, Brother Tan, you know about my situation with Ah Hui, so… I want to see if I still want to stay in this industry after I get married.” Lin Yan’s face flushed slightly. There was one more thing he didn’t say: he wanted to have a baby right after getting married. Although it was rare for men to give birth, maybe if the two of them tried hard enough, they could conceive a little one?
He really loved children, so having a baby was a must.
Tan Liqin was taken aback. After a moment’s thought, he said very tactfully, “Lin Yan, you’re still young. Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about marriage and children right now?” After all, he was the one who had brought this kid up; there were some things he really couldn’t bring himself to say.
“Bro Tan, I know what you mean. This is just something I’ve been thinking about on my own; I haven’t mentioned it to Ah Hui yet. Could you give me a few days? I’ll go back and discuss it with him.”
Sighing, Tan Liqin nodded and said, “Alright, you’ve been pretty exhausted from filming lately. Just take a few days to rest.”
Lin Yan nodded in thanks, exchanged a few more words with Tan Liqin, and then took his leave.
Watching him walk away, Tan Liqin shook his head, thinking he might have been overthinking things. Maybe Lin Yan really would get what he wanted after all?
