Chapter 27: Focus on Your Acting, Don't Fall in Love with Me

"Don't forget, our main focus is still the copyrights to those classic Hong Kong films!"

"Right, right, I almost forgot about that."

Sun Donghai finally remembered why they had come. Ma Xun, however, had never lost sight of their true objective. The copyrights to those old Hong Kong films—that was what they were really after. It seemed that Long Wu had been aiming to get his new films into the mainland market from the very beginning. The two sides had different goals, but this discrepancy actually made them complementary. Of course, without Ma Xun’s schemes and Sun Donghai’s connections, they wouldn't have been able to complement each other at all.

In short, it was a relationship of mutual exploitation. Even though they were drinking together and having a good time, they had to keep their guards up. The matter of *Black Mask* that Ma Xun mentioned had served as a wake-up call for Sun Donghai. Regardless, they would leave things as they were for now. Mutual exploitation wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

As for the "contest" with *The Emperor's Shadow* that Ma Xun had specifically orchestrated, Ma Xun could tell that Sun Donghai was basically convinced they were going to lose. But Ma Xun had his own plan. Interestingly, the two films had one thing in common: they were both backed by "Hong Kong capital." When the time came, it would surely be a spectacular show.

...

Splash!

In the swimming pool, Gao Yuanyuan dove in like a steel plate hitting the water. When she surfaced, her goggles were hanging around her neck. Afraid to open her eyes, she panicked at the inability to see, flailing about like someone drowning.

A long plastic pole poked toward her. In her confusion, Gao Yuanyuan grabbed hold of it. Saved!

"You... how did you get here?"

"This is a public pool. Why shouldn't I be here?"

Gao Yuanyuan, having been rescued from the water, hadn't expected the person holding the pole to be Ma Xun. Naturally, being at a pool, Ma Xun was wearing swimming trunks—briefs. It is well known that the more skilled one is at swimming, the less fabric they wear. Now, as he stood over her and she looked up at an angle, the perspective was... Gao Yuanyuan blushed.

Ma Xun stopped teasing her and simply squatted down to talk. "It seems you have no talent for this."

Usually, Gao Yuanyuan would just laugh off a remark like that, but this time, she was genuinely angry. "Fine! If I have no talent, then find someone else!"

Gao Yuanyuan was practicing for the film *Hear Me*. Her role in *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* was minor; she was a late addition to the cast, and the teachers at CCTV had decided to use her character as a "cautionary tale" about the consequences of teenage romance. In the original script, the female lead, Yang Yuling, also had a puppy-love romance with Jian Ning, but she made a rational choice. Gao Yuanyuan’s character, being a late addition, was written out early, which was perfectly normal. This gave her the perfect opportunity to practice swimming. She hadn't expected Ma Xun, of all people, to make sarcastic remarks.

"Are you mad?" The guy still had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hmph!" Gao Yuanyuan turned her head away, even more annoyed.

Ma Xun continued with a smile, "Who starts by practicing diving? Besides, you don't dive like that. There’s a secret to it: hook your toes over the edge of the diving block, push off flat—not upwards, but forwards—then clamp your arms against your head, keep your head lower, and look at your own toes. That way, your entry into the water is better, and your goggles won't fall off."

"You... you actually know how to swim?"

Gao Yuanyuan was truly stunned. Although she wasn't sure if what Ma Xun said was actually useful, it sounded incredibly professional. In reality, Ma Xun was there because he had heard from Sister Hong that Gao Yuanyuan intended to practice swimming on her own for the film. Being her boss, Ma Xun knew immediately that the girl was bound to be wasting her time. Swimming was a specialized skill; without professional guidance, it was impossible to master on one's own. Even if she could stay afloat, her form would be far from standard and likely quite unsightly. Ma Xun had learned in his university swimming class and had trained specifically when he took an interest in it later.

"Gao Yuanyuan, you're underestimating me."

"I... I didn't mean to, I was just... too surprised."

"Then let me teach you."

"This..." Gao Yuanyuan hesitated.

A look of displeasure crossed Ma Xun's face. "What kind of attitude is that? Lessons would cost hundreds or thousands. As your boss, I saw you were motivated and wanted to do you a favor, but you don't want it. If a leader offers a toast and you turn the table, are you planning on having a career, student Gao Yuanyuan?"

The last sentence left her speechless. "I... I didn't mean that, it's just..." She was actually shy. After all, she had never gone swimming with a man before. Wearing so little clothing, it was just... oh, whatever! "Fine, you teach me!"

Ma Xun nodded, but couldn't help but grumble, "As if I were forcing you."

Gao Yuanyuan laughed at that. "I'm the one who asked to learn, okay?"

The atmosphere between them felt quite interesting; they had never chatted like this before.

"Stand up first, I'll teach you the first position."

"Okay."

Gao Yuanyuan stood up, and Ma Xun immediately noticed a few things. She was wearing a navy blue one-piece swimsuit. She had a tall, slender figure with fair skin. Her long legs were both white and straight. Her thighs had turned red from the impact of her dive, which was a pity to see. Her feet weren't small, and the blue veins were clearly visible. Additionally...

"You actually have some talent for swimming."

"How so?"

"Low water resistance."

"Oh." Gao Yuanyuan didn't catch the implication at first, but three seconds later... "Ma Xun! You’re going too far!"

Low water resistance? You, you...

Ma Xun laughed out loud. Seeing Gao Yuanyuan about to claw at him, he resumed his authoritative coach persona. "I'm starting the lesson now, do as I do."

That sentence stopped Gao Yuanyuan from lashing out. I'll endure it! First, learn to swim!

Ma Xun performed a strange motion: he raised both arms and overlapped his palms, one on top of the other, forming an 'A' shape. Gao Yuanyuan tried to mimic him, but it didn't quite look right.

"Idiot, put your head under your arms... tuck it in..."

Ma Xun explained while helping her adjust her posture. His large hands naturally made contact with Gao Yuanyuan's smooth