Su Family Dinner

The year was coming to an end. Lu Yan had been busy this year. Although he still had not produced much in the field of film and television, with only one TV series and two movies, an album and a concert were enough to keep him busy for more than half a year. Add to that various advertisements, endorsements, TV shows, interviews, magazine covers, etc., and he had almost no free time.

Lu Yan was not dissatisfied with this working status. The job of an artist was to expose himself to the public as much as possible. But compared with other things, Lu Yan preferred to spend more time and energy on acting. After all, this was the biggest reason why he entered this circle and had persisted no matter how hard or smooth it was.

But Lu Yan knew better how realistic this circle is. If you didn’t have enough fame and influence, it will be difficult to survive even if your acting skills are great. Lu Yan had proved this with his more than ten years of lows. What Lu Yan wanted now was not only to survive in this circle, but to stand at the top, so that he could have more rights and qualifications to control his acting career and fulfill his dreams. So before that, Lu Yan had to spend more time on these trivial things that could help him reach the top.

Qin Feng tapped a piece of note paper on the table with a phone number and a few lines of words written on it, and said with a smile, “This is your last job before the New Year, and you can have a holiday after that. I don’t have anything planned for you this Spring Festival, so spend some time with your girlfriend.” Qin Feng blinked, with an expression that said, “Look how kind I am, don’t be too grateful.”

Lu Yan smiled. This was indeed good news. He had not forgotten his promise to Su Mo to go back to the Su family’s old house with him on New Year’s Eve. However, it was more important to finish the work first. “What kind of work?”

“It’s not a complicated matter, but it’s very important,” Qin Feng leaned forward and said, “GQ Magazine invites you to shoot a cover for their magazine.”

“GQ magazine? Are you sure?” Lu Yan asked.

“Of course, you are now worthy enough to be on this cover, you are the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor. Besides, isn’t the movie ‘Secret Order’ that you filmed with Han Yuan a a while ago about to be released? This is the perfect timing.”

Although “Secret Order” was completed in the first half of the year, the director Xu Wei was a particularly picky person. In addition, this film had a lot of post-production special effects, so it was delayed until the end of the year. In the previous month, Lu Yan’s most important job was to run around to promote the film.

Lu Yan nodded, “When is the time set?”

“This weekend.” Qin Feng said, and then laughed again, “Lu Yan, it’s time to take off.”

Lu Yan also smiled and said, “You are right.”

It’s not like Lu Yan hadn’t shot magazine covers before, but they were all second- and third-tier magazines, and they couldn’t be compared with domestic first-tier magazines like GQ.

The fashion circle is the most powerful place. It doesn’t matter what kind of movies you have made, how good your acting skills are, or even what awards you have won. It only looks at what kind of magazine you have appeared in, whether it is a first-tier or a second-tier magazine, whether it is an inside page or a cover, and whether it is a single person or a group of people. Therefore, being able to appear on the cover of a first-tier magazine is a symbol of strength and status. Getting on the first-tier list may not immediately prove that you are first-tier, but at least you have the qualifications to compete.

Regardless of whether he was famous or not, or whether he was worth a lot or a little, Lu Yan never liked to be late or to show off. This was not only because he did not want to give people the impression of being a big shot, but also because this was his attitude towards work. Whether he was working part-time to earn tuition and living expenses in the past, or being a star, acting, doing shows, or taking photos now, this was his job, and he always treats his work seriously and hard.

Lu Yan arrived at the agreed location on time at the agreed time. The work efficiency of GQ Magazine was also very high, and the makeup artists, stylists, photographers and other staff were all in place.

Today’s makeup artist was Li Hongyu, a famous male makeup artist in the industry. It was said that a bored person once ranked the top male makeup artists in the country, and Li Hongyu not only made it into the top ten, but also ranked in the top five. Although this ranking was just one person’s opinion, it could still explain some problems.

In the general impression of people, male makeup artists seem to be a bit feminine, but Li Hongyu was definitely not feminine, he was even a bit manly. However, his dressing style was consistent with people’s impression and was very fashionable.

Lu Yan also knew Li Hongyu, although today was the first time they met, and it was obvious that the other party felt the same way.

Li Hongyu smiled at Lu Yan and greeted him, “Hello, Mr. Lu, I am Li Hongyu, your makeup artist today.”

“Hello, I’m Lu Yan.” Lu Yan also introduced briefly.

“Mr. Lu is much more handsome in person than he looks on the screen,” Li Hongyu complimented.

“Thank you. Mr. Li is different from the general impression people have of makeup artists.” Lu Yan said directly.

“Because I’m more manly, right? In fact, most of my colleagues like to dress like that just to make others have more trust in their professionalism. It seems that everyone thinks that all great male makeup artists should dress like that.” Li Hongyu said with a smile.

“So what about Mr. Li?” Lu Yan asked.

“As for me, I prefer to speak the truth.” Li Hongyu laughed a few times, “Just call me Lee. Calling me Mr. Li is too polite.”

“Okay, then you can just call me Lu Yan.”

“OK, Lu Yan, you are indeed as easy to get along with as the rumors say. I believe our cooperation today will be very pleasant.”

“I believe too.”

Many talented makeup artists like to chat with their work partners before work. On the one hand, it can eliminate the sense of unfamiliarity, and on the other hand, they can also get some information about the other person’s personality and behavior from this brief interaction, which helps them to complete their work better.  Li Hongyu was obviously very good at this, and Lu Yan also cooperated very well.

When they started putting on makeup, Li Hongyu was indeed more adept at it. He kept praising Lu Yan for his good skin, saying that he didn’t need to apply foundation too thickly as it was easier to create a transparent effect. He also asked Lu Yan what skin care products he usually used.

Lu Yan answered honestly that he seldom uses skin care products in normal times, and only uses some sunscreen products or moisturizing masks according to the climate when filming.

Li Hongyu was speechless for a while, and then he sighed, “You are really naturally beautiful.” However, he also advised Lu Yan that the nature of his work was different after all, and he would definitely be in frequent contact with cosmetics, and cosmetics used under the spotlight would be somewhat harmful to the skin. Besides, actors often have to be exposed to the sun, rain and wind when filming, so they should pay more attention to skin care.  By the way, he also gave Lu Yan some knowledge about men’s cosmetics and recommended some things that were suitable for him.

Lu Yan’s reaction was fine. Song Hui, who was standing next to him, had already quickly written down all those things using his mobile phone notepad. If there were things he didn’t remember clearly, he even asked for clarification before writing them down.

Lu Yan asked curiously, “When did you become so concerned about skin care products?”

Song Hui chuckled, “As a top assistant, my boss’s skin care should also be within my daily job scope. Don’t worry, Brother Lu, I will take care of these things for you.”

Lu Yan was speechless.

Li Hongyu laughed out loud. “Lu Yan, your assistant is really interesting, but what he said also makes sense. It seems that you not only have a gold medal agent, but also a gold medal assistant. Congratulations.”

Song Hui climbed up the pole and asked for Li Hongyu’s contact information, saying that he could ask him if he had any questions in the future. Li Hongyu had a good impression of Song Hui and readily gave him his phone number and QQ number, saying that he could ask him if he had any questions in the future.

Lu Yan was pleased with Song Hui’s increasingly excellent social skills.

Lu Yan was very satisfied with the effect of the makeup and thought that he was indeed a top makeup artist in the industry.

Afterwards, the stylist created a hairstyle for Lu Yan. His short bangs were combed up to create a fixed shape. He wore a white shirt on his upper body, which was naturally a piece of clothing sponsored by a big brand. A black tie was hanging on it but not tied. This stroke of genius makes the original elite style appear unrestrained and uninhibited.

There were some setbacks when posing, probably because it was their first collaboration and both the photographer and Lu Yan needed some time to get used to it. At first, it felt awkward no matter how they tried, and the photos he took were not very satisfactory. Fortunately, they were all professionals, one was a professional photographer and the other was a professional at being photographed. After two hours of adjustment, they slowly found the feeling, and then everything went smoothly.

After the shoot, Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the rumor that photographers with similar personalities would improve the quality of the shoot was indeed true.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but think of Ren Yanfei, with whom he had worked before. He remembered that they had a tacit understanding when working together, and they basically got into the state without much adjustment. Lu Yan had also worked with many excellent photographers since then, but none of them gave him such a satisfying feeling.

He wondered where the photographer who loved to travel around was now, and whether he still remembered the slightly joking agreement they made at that time. And when would he be qualified to have a dedicated photographer?

Soon after the cover photo was taken, Lu Yan received a sample issue from the magazine, and the cover effect was really good. Lu Yan’s mouth curled up into a faint smile, and his eyes were full of affection as he looked forward, looking elegant, mature and charming.

Lu Yan had announced on Weibo that he would be shooting the cover of GQ magazine as soon as it was confirmed, and later he also posted a photo that was discarded by the magazine. These two Weibo posts were forwarded a lot by fans, who were eager to tell the world that their idol was on the cover of a top men’s magazine. Those who knew the industry naturally knew what this meant, and because it was the first time, they were particularly excited. When Lu Yan later appeared on the cover of a first-tier men’s magazine, the fans were already quite calm.

After finishing his last job before the Lunar New Year, Lu Yan gave Song Hui a holiday and let him go home for the Lunar New Year. Unfortunately, the Lunar New Year was the busiest time for all companies, so even though Lu Yan was free, Su Mo was still busy and hardly went home, so the two still didn’t have much time to spend together.

During these days, Lu Yan went to visit Zhu Yuchi and other seniors. After a concert, they not only became close friends regardless of age difference, but Lu Yan also respected Zhu Yuchi as his own teacher. One time, he happened to meet Kong Xiange, who was also visiting the teachers, at Zhu’s home. Kong Xiange said that although he did not have the opportunity to watch the teachers’ performance in person at that time, he later saw the video and praised Lu Yan’s performance. He even took the initiative to ask if there was an opportunity to cooperate with him someday.

Lu Yan would naturally not refuse such a proposal. Cooperating with the most popular “Piano Prince” in the country would be very beneficial to him in every way.

Mr. Zhu was also very happy to hear this. He said that he and Wang Chong had often collaborated in the past and the two were the best partners. He did not expect that thirty years later their students would also have the opportunity to work together. This was fate and it was very exciting.

The three of them drank together that day and ended up staying at Zhu’s home. This was how a male god in the classical music world and a male god in the entertainment industry established their initial friendship.

On New Year’s Eve, Su Mo finally finished all his official business, and Lu Yan also welcomed the day of meeting Su’s family with anticipation and nervousness.

At around three o’clock in the afternoon, Su Mo drove Lu Yan to the Su family’s old house.

Seeing that Lu Yan had dressed himself up to look extra fresh and charming, Su Mo couldn’t help but smile, knowing that this was because his lover valued this meeting, valued his family, and ultimately because he valued him.

“You don’t have to be so cautious. You’re going to meet my uncles and brothers today. They’re all tough guys and may not be very friendly to you. But don’t worry, I’m here for you, and their opinions won’t affect my decision at all.”

Lu Yan grasped the meaning behind his words and asked, “Then whose opinions can influence your decision? Your parents?”

Su Mo nodded, “Yes. And you are the only one besides them who can influence my decision.”

Lu Yan thought for a moment and then said, “Well, suppose, I mean suppose, suppose they are still alive and are against us being together, what would you do?”

Su Mo was silent for a while, then said firmly, “I will prove to them that my decision is right. And my parents have always respected my opinions and decisions.”

“What if they are against it and insist on us separating?” Lu Yan continued.

Su Mo smiled and said, “There is no such assumption at all. But if you must give an answer, then my answer is no. Unless it is your request, no one can make me leave you.”

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes happily, as if to say, “I knew it.”

“What about you? If someone asks you to leave me, what will you do?” Su Mo also asked in return.

Lu Yan stared into his eyes and said word by word, “No one can influence my decision, not even my parents. No one can change my decision except myself.”

Su Mo lowered his eyes, then raised his head, looked at him seriously and said, “Then I hope that you will decide to be with me forever.”

“That’s right!” Lu Yan smiled brightly.

It was still early when they arrived at the Su family’s old house, so Su Mo took Lu Yan to visit everywhere.

This was Lu Yan’s first time to visit the Su family’s old house. It covered a large area, with a large courtyard in the front and beautifully trimmed flowers and plants. There was also a large bamboo forest in the back. It was winter now and it felt a bit desolate, but Lu Yan believed that it would be a beautiful sight in spring and summer.

According to Su Mo, this bamboo forest was planted by his father for his mother because bamboo was his mother’s favorite plant in her life.

The main building was a three-story small villa, not very high, but still covered a large area. The first floor was the dining room and living room; the second floor was the owner’s bedroom and study. There were three bedrooms, one for Su Mo’s parents, although they were no longer here, the two brothers still kept the room intact. Someone cleaned it every day, and no furniture was moved, as if the owner may come back to live there at any time. The other two rooms were naturally the bedrooms of the two brothers Su Jue and Su Mo. There were also two study rooms. The third floor was the guest room and the servant’s room.

The Su family did not have many servants. Aunt Fang basically served as both the cook and the housekeeper. The driver basically became Aunt Fang’s exclusive driver. There was a gardener who was responsible for taking care of all the plants in the old house. He was an elderly man, but he was very energetic and could do the work as well as young people. The other three were aunts who helped out, they were mainly responsible for cleaning and tidying up and occasionally helping Aunt Fang.

The Su family was a small family with simple personnel matters. In addition, there was no mistress at home now and the two young masters were often not at home. Basically, Aunt Fang had the final say on trivial matters.

Aunt Fang was an old lady in the Su family. She had lived with Su Mo’s parents since she was a girl. Later, she got married and they had a good relationship. Unfortunately, her husband died young, so Aunt Fang returned to the Su family. Originally, Su Mo’s parents were planning to let her remarry, but she herself didn’t have that idea. After the two young masters were born, she loved them so much that she took care of them wholeheartedly. She never wanted to get married again and would cry whenever the topic of marriage was brought up, wondering if her two masters didn’t want her anymore and wanted to let her go. Later, Su Mo’s parents didn’t dare to mention the topic again. In this way, Aunt Fang stayed in the Su family. Su Mo and Su Jue both grew up under her care. They were master and servant in name but family members in reality. Especially after Su Mo’s parents passed away, they felt that they were dependent on each other.

Aunt Fang had known Lu Yan for a long time. When she knew that Lu Yan would come back with Su Mo for the reunion dinner, she was extremely happy. She burned incense for Su Mo’s parents early in the morning and told them that the young master had finally found a partner and would not be alone anymore. Thank God Mr. Lu was a very good person. They were really a perfect match. If the old man and the young lady were still alive in heaven, they must bless them.

The Su family was open-minded, so Aunt Fang was also very open-minded. In addition, she had been exposed to the Internet for many years, and had been influenced by it, so she had long been accepting of gay affairs.She thought that as long as two people truly loved each other and were suitable for each other, gender was not important. As for reproduction, since technology was so advanced now, surrogacy was easy.

When Lu Yan arrived, Aunt Fang didn’t have time to greet him. She was busy preparing food for the New Year’s Eve dinner tonight.

The previous generation of the Su family, that is, Su Mo’s father, had five brothers and sisters. Su Mo’s father was the second child, with an older brother, two younger brothers and a younger sister. Except for Su Mo’s parents, everyone else was still alive. Together with those cousins, there were about twenty people in total, so naturally there was a lot of food to prepare.

The ancestors of the Su family started from scratch and founded the original Su family group. It was passed down to Su Mo’s father, the third generation. Although the Su family was independent, it still retained the patriarchal system. The patriarch of each generation was designated by the previous generation, and the patriarch was appointed based on merit rather than the eldest son. The Su family’s old house was handed over to the patriarch, who was also the president of the Su Group, holding more than 50% of the shares and having absolute say.

Perhaps in modern society, this system of the Su family was very backward, but for some reason, the Su family was blessed with a genius born in every generation who could  carry on the Su Group very well. Because of this system, other family members were prevented from interfering, so that the head of the Su family would not be constrained by the elders and could do things better. And each generation of the head of the Su family also shouldered the responsibility of expanding the Su family. Anyway, when it was passed to Su Mo, the industry of the Su Group had increased several times compared to the beginning. 

The second person to arrive was Su Jue. He was not surprised to see Lu Yan chatting with Su Mo in the living room when he entered the house, because he had known that Lu Yan would come today. 

He was more aware of the significance of Lu Yan’s presence here today, because only the Su family could enter the Su family’s old house. Over the years, no matter how many boyfriends and girlfriends Su Jue had, he had never brought anyone to the old house. Su Mo bringing Lu Yan here today meant that their relationship had to be made public and confirmed.

Su Jue sighed silently in his heart. He was worried that his elder brother was ready to stay single forever, but he didn’t expect that he would hit the mark as soon as he made a move. On the contrary, he had been around so many people for so many years, but none of them could make him settle down. So, the elder brother was worthy of being the elder brother. He couldn’t compare to him in any aspect.

Su Jue and Lu Yan were also old acquaintances. Last time at Ms. Fang’s charity dinner, Su Jue took the initiative to help Lu Yan out of trouble, and Lu Yan later told Su Mo about it as a joke. After listening to this, Su Mo only said meaningfully, he treats you as a family member, so he will protect you in every way. Lu Yan recalled that when Ke Yuzhuo framed him last time, it was Su Jue who took the initiative to help him, otherwise it would have been hard to tell how the matter would have ended. Thinking about it this way, those little quarrels back then really didn’t matter, they were already a family.

At this time, Aunt Fang came out and asked Su Mo to see if the dishes for tonight’s family dinner were prepared. Su Mo then told Lu Yan and asked him to chat with Su Jue, and then he followed Aunt Fang into the kitchen.

The two of them had some common topics to talk about, and when they really started talking, Lu Yan found that Su Jue was quite interesting. He had a very clear understanding of many things and had his own ideas. He was definitely not just a playboy as rumored by the outside world. In fact, over the years, Su Mo had let go and handed over the starry sky to Su Jue. It could be said that in recent years, apart from Lu Yan’s affairs, Su Mo had not intervened in the affairs of Starry Sky, and Su Jue was the one making all the decisions. And Starry Sky could develop better and better, which meant that Su Jue was really doing something and doing it well.

The two were chatting happily when suddenly a harsh voice came, “Su Jue, when did you become so ignorant of etiquette that you brought your little lover here? Have you forgotten that today is a family dinner, and not just any messy person can be on stage?”