Chapter 35: The Ex-Girlfriend

The photograph showed two beautiful women, exuding a certain alluring charm. Chingmy Yau and Sharla Cheung stood side by side, with a swimming pool in the background and, naturally, the photographer in front. One wore a white bikini, the other a red one. One had her hands on her hips, her expression serene; the other reached out with a V-sign, looking exceptionally playful.

Liu Jing’s face flushed red, and he hurriedly switched the photo. "Not this one, this one..." This one was wrong too; it featured four beauties, each more stunning than the last. Sunlight spilled onto the table, and just looking at them was a feast for the eyes. The photographer’s skill was quite impressive.

Fat Gor (Chow Yun-fat) had a peculiar expression on his face. He knew all four beauties, having worked with some of them. He coughed violently, "It’s truly enviable. Your ex-girlfriends are all so stunning... *cough, cough*..."

The director hadn't called "cut," so the men and women dancing had no choice but to continue. Hearing Fat Gor cough again, they dodged in a panic. They were just enjoying their dance when, suddenly, it started to rain. It was quite unpleasant. Once might be a coincidence, but to be drenched twice would make them fools.

"Are you that repulsed by them?" Liu Jing had dodged quickly and remained unscathed, his beloved photos also safe from contamination.

"Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut..." Director Wong Jing jumped up and shouted, his voice nearly smoking. The weather was sweltering, the room stuffy, and his anger surged instantly. Wong Jing wanted to fly into a rage, but this was Fat Gor; he didn't have the courage. If it were any other actor in the crew, he would have been cursing up a storm—he had done it to the young mistress and even his own girlfriend before. But the "Two Chows and One Jackie," along with Jet Li and Leslie Cheung, had dominated the Hong Kong box office charts for years. Such big-name stars were not people he could berate.

Wong Jing scurried over, his frame like a mountain of flesh pressing in, pointing a chubby finger. "Liu Jing, what are you doing? What did you say to Fat Gor? Why are you ad-libbing lines? This is a movie, not a kindergarten playdate..."

Fat Gor was wiping his mouth, giving a thumbs up. "Director, this design is excellent. Truly impressive. Though, it would be even better if you removed Sharla Cheung. After all, she plays my wife in the film; how could she be Haiyuan's ex-girlfriend?"

"Oh! That's a small case!" Wong Jing was confused, but he never missed a chance to take credit. Fat Gor took the photo from Liu Jing and handed it to Wong Jing, who then began to cough as well.

"Props! Props..." Wong Jing’s voice cracked.

Liu Jing snatched it back. "This is mine."

"Yours?" Wong Jing glared, as if he didn't already know.

"This is yours; I grabbed the wrong one earlier." Liu Jing didn't show a hint of embarrassment, pulling several more photos from his pocket and handing one to Wong Jing. This photo featured three women whose appearances were difficult to describe, but they were the official props for the film.

Wong Jing didn't take it; he moved with surprising agility, snatching the photo from Liu Jing’s hand instead. "You fat pig, what are you doing?" Liu Jing cried out in alarm. With even faster reflexes, he snatched the photo back from Wong Jing.

Wong Jing’s mouth hung open, his eyes wide with disbelief. The photos were all of beauties; he hadn't seen them clearly, but one showed a woman in a bath towel, with a hint of skin teasingly visible.

"Kid, that's a great creative touch. Do you have photos of Vivian Chow, Joey Wong, and Athena Chu? Let them be your ex-girlfriends instead." Wong Jing gave Liu Jing a thumbs up and then wiped the corner of his mouth.

Fat Gor chuckled. He had thought it was Wong Jing’s arrangement, but it turned out to be the kid’s own doing. Liu Jing hummed softly and tucked the photos away like treasures. He had developed these himself and taken the shots as well. Once he got his hands on a camera, he learned how to take pictures and begged Sharla Cheung to find someone to teach him how to develop them. Developing film was even more magical than taking the photos—exposure, development, fixing, and washing. Liu Jing spent two days in a darkroom and finally mastered the craft.

A few days ago in Hong Kong, several of Sharla Cheung’s friends had visited to discuss a collaboration. Liu Jing wasn't sure of the specifics, but he had overheard plenty of gossip about Vivian Chow and her "talented" ex-partner’s breakup agreement. Seeing Athena Chu, Vivian Chow, Joey Wong, and Sharla Cheung talking in a café had been a beautiful sight. Liu Jing had been brought along by Sharla and hadn't remained idle, seizing the chance to snap plenty of photos. The four beauties were very cooperative, letting him pose them in all sorts of ways.

These specific photos were ones Liu Jing had carefully selected to keep in his album. Although there were some private shots, Sharla Cheung didn't mind. She knew about them; the bath towels were wrapped tight, showing nothing. As for whether it would corrupt a child, she hadn't thought that far ahead.

Sister Li was about to return to the mainland, and Liu Jing had considered giving them to her. After much hesitation, he decided against it; it would be safer to wait for the "Ugly Girl" to come and take them back. He was in such a rush to get on set that he had accidentally pulled out the wrong photos. In his panic, he had improvised a line to cover for it. He thought he had fooled everyone, but he hadn't expected the camera to zoom in, nor for Fat Gor to start "spitting lotus flowers."

"We're making a movie here, using their private photos..." Liu Jing hesitated, though he was tempted. It would definitely be a highlight.

"You go convince them. Don't forget, I'm currently writing your script," Wong Jing interrupted directly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden spark of inspiration lit up his eyes. Chingmy Yau and the others gathered around. Upon understanding what had happened, they all looked at Liu Jing with strange expressions.

"Little brother, remarkable," Tsui Kam-kong said, patting Liu Jing on the shoulder with praise.

"Hehe, Woodhead, can I be one of your ex-girlfriends?" Chingmy Yau leaned over, facing Liu Jing, and negotiated with him. She was wearing black today! Summer clothes were thin, and the color of her lingerie was clearly visible. Liu Jing was kind-hearted; with a crowd around, he helped cover her chest. "Haitang, are you silly? In the movie, we're brother and sister."

"Haha, you little brat, we're brother and sister off-screen too," Chingmy Yau laughed, straightening up.

"Hmph!" Sharla Cheung leaned against the wall, wrinkling her nose and huffing.

"Break it up, continue..." Wong Jing’s face darkened as he watched the kid openly flirting.

"Continue?" Fat Gor asked, surprised.

"Why wouldn't we continue such a classic scene?" Wong Jing chuckled.

Liu Jing didn't have time to be surprised; he shivered, turned his head, and saw Sister Li watching him with a deep, chilling gaze, murderous intent radiating from her. He made a bitter face and pressed down on his pocket, feeling that the photos were in jeopardy.

Despite his fear, it didn't affect his acting. Playing opposite Fat Gor felt even more natural than with Jet Li. The scene did indeed continue; Wong Jing’s script was only slightly better than a pair of sunglasses, but he had kept the scene of Fat Gor "spitting lotus flowers." The close-up of the photo was reshot; the first one remained the bikini shot, but it was just a flash, and the second was replaced by the one with Joey Wong and the others.

During the lunch break, Fat Gor sat with his lunch box, squatting next to Liu Jing. "Kid, how old are you?"

"Six!" Liu Jing was hunched over his small table, devouring his meal. He was never a picky eater. The food in this era was far more delicious than what he remembered from his previous life. However, holding the lunch box was a bit difficult for him; he had the strength, but his hands were too small to hold it steady.

"Six? Oh, why aren't you in school?" Fat Gor asked with a smile.

"I’m going back to the mainland for school once this movie wraps. I'll be acting and attending classes at the same time," Liu Jing replied.

"Study hard. Learning culture is even more interesting than acting," Fat Gor said with a smile, then returned to his meal in silence.