Hearing the voice, everyone turned toward the door.
There stood a tall, handsome man.
"He looks kinda familiar. Who're you looking for, handsome?" a female crew member asked.
"Are you blind? That's Luke!"
"No way, it's really Luke! What's a superstar like him doing here?"
Once they confirmed it was indeed Luke, the entire film crew erupted into chaos. People rushed in from all directions, crowding around him.
"A Hollywood megastar! I'm a huge fan—please, you gotta sign something for me!"
"He's even taller and hotter than he looks on the big screen. I'm gonna faint!" one starry-eyed crew member gushed.
"What kind of day is this? How did we get so lucky? I'm seeing Luke in person! My friends are gonna be so jealous!"
Faced with the barrage of excited chatter, Luke wasn't sure how to respond.
Director Li Dawei pushed through the crowd, extending his right hand. "Mr. Luke, I'm Li Dawei, the director of this show. It's an honor to have you here."
The director was almost overly polite, leaning forward slightly, clearly starstruck. And who could blame him? He was just a TV director. Even Zhang Mou, one of China's top film directors, had been singing Luke's praises ever since Hero smashed box office records. The film was a shoo-in for next year's Oscar nominations, with the only question being whether it would win. That alone had every director in China green with envy.
In the directing world, Luke was the golden ticket—a guy who could bring funding, guarantee box office success, and maybe even help you snag an international award.
Smiling, Luke shook the director's hand. "Director Li, great to meet you."
"So, Mr. Luke, what brings you to our set today?" Li Dawei asked cautiously.
"I'm here to visit my girlfriend. Sorry for interrupting your shoot," Luke said with a grin.
"Interrupt? Are you kidding? Getting to meet you makes it worth pausing the whole day!" a crew member shouted.
"Wait, hold up—girlfriend? Who's the lucky girl?" another chimed in.
"Who's your girlfriend?" Director Li asked carefully, mentally running through the list of actresses to make sure he hadn't offended anyone.
"Sisi!" Luke called out with a smile, waving.
Seeing his gesture, Yuffie stepped out from the crowd, beaming as she walked toward him. Luke took her hand and said, "She's still new to acting, so I hope she hasn't been too much trouble."
Hearing this, Yuffie subtly pinched her own leg. He sounds like some elder coming to check on me at work.
Why pinch her own leg instead of his? Well, she couldn't bear to mess with him.
Director Li grinned ear to ear. "Trouble? Not at all. Miss Yuffie got a real spark. She just needs a bit more experience, a few extra takes, and she's good."
"Thanks for looking out for her," Luke said, nodding in appreciation.
Watching this, Dong Jie was practically grinding her teeth in frustration. She couldn't believe the "New York classmate" Yuffie had mentioned was Luke!
Luke—the Hollywood superstar, the kind of guy who could headline major blockbusters. The guarantee of box office gold, with every film he starred in raking in both cash and critical acclaim. Rumor had it his latest, Pirates of the Caribbean, had grossed over $1 billion worldwide—over 8 billion RMB. That was more than eight times China's entire annual box office!
A guy like that was someone even Zhang Mou had to tread carefully around, hoping to cozy up to him. And that wasn't all. Beyond acting, Luke was a pioneer in Japanese kendo, dubbed the "Sword God" by Japanese media. He was revered (and a little feared) in North America's major sports and fighting circles. Last year, he was a global sensation, gracing the cover of Time magazine.
His fame and influence were off the charts. And just recently, news of him investing $10 billion to build a comprehensive film platform in China had sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
A man with looks, talent, status, and wealth—an all-around king—was Yuffie's boyfriend? No wonder he didn't give Fei Yang the time of day. And to think Dong Jie had been mocking Yuffie's taste earlier? Anger, embarrassment, jealousy, and frustration swirled inside her.
Meanwhile, after greeting Luke, Director Li stepped back to give others a chance to interact. There'd be plenty of time to build a connection later, especially since Yuffie was still part of his crew. Being too eager now might come off as overkill.
With the director stepping aside, the cast swarmed in. Chen Kun was at the front, and Yuffie introduced him with a smile. "This is Chen Kun, our male lead. He's been really helpful to me."
Luke smiled and shook his hand. He knew of Chen Kun—later famous for a bunch of films, though female fans loved him most for playing a eunuch, earning him the nickname "Factory Flower." According to his profile, Chen Kun was supposedly 5'9", but standing next to Luke's solid 6'2", he looked half a head shorter and seemed to lack the same presence. Celebrities often fudged their heights a bit.
As they chatted, crew members whispered nearby.
"I thought Chen Kun was pretty hot, but standing next to Luke? Man, there's a huge gap between handsome and handsome."
"Yeah, the height, build, and charisma—it's like an insurmountable wall. No wonder he's a global superstar. There's just no comparison."
After a brief chat with Chen Kun, Shu Chang stepped forward. Yuffie introduced her, smiling. "This is my good friend from the set, Shu Chang. She's awesome, and isn't she gorgeous?"
Luke nodded with a grin. "Yeah, you can tell she's got a lot of charm."
"When Yuffie mentioned she had a boyfriend, I was curious what kind of guy could be her match. Now I see—you two are perfect together. You'll have to tell me your story sometime!" Shu Chang said.
Her words were perfectly polite, showing warmth while keeping just the right distance—a sign of someone who knew how to handle social situations.
"Sounds good. Next time I'm in town, we can grab dinner and chat. Just reach out to Yuffie," Luke replied.
Having made the connection, Shu Chang stepped back gracefully.
Luke glanced at his watch and saw it was almost lunchtime. "Sorry for crashing your set today," he said. "I brought some lunch to make up for it."
"You brought lunch for everyone?" Yuffie asked, laughing.
"Isn't that what you do when you visit a set? Bring some food or drinks? I thought that was the norm," Luke said, recalling how celebrities on later TV shows always showed up with treats.
What he didn't realize was that it was still 2002, and this wasn't a common practice yet.
"What? Luke's treating us to lunch?"
"Visiting the set and bringing food? That's too much!"
"A global superstar with no ego? He's so down-to-earth!"
Hearing the crew's reactions, Luke grinned and called out to the door. "Alright, bring in the food we prepared!"