August 11th, meeting room of Gongtian Film & Television.
It was the day of the scheduled script discussion. Zhang Jin’an was in the habit of arriving early, and he was indeed the first to appear. Li Qiang had been called away by someone, so Zhang Jin’an and Xiao Zhou sat in their respective seats, waiting for the others to arrive.
The long conference table could accommodate about twenty people. In front of each seat stood a name card made of folded white paper and a glass of water. Zhang Jin’an scanned the room; Jiang Siyang was set to sit beside him, while the female lead, Ge Xianxu, would be directly across from him.
“How are the lines coming along, Boss?” Xiao Zhou asked.
“Just trust me. I won’t embarrass you guys,” Zhang Jin’an said with a smile.
Xiao Zhou immediately replied, “Of course, we have total confidence in you.”
Zhang Jin’an chuckled and returned to his phone.
Four days had passed since the recording of *Friday Morning*. He had been somewhat busy during this time, filming an advertisement, so he hadn’t paid much attention to Weibo.
Zhang Jin’an’s routine upon opening Weibo was fixed: check his own Super-topic, check Jiang Siyang’s Super-topic, check the "Zhang-Yang Bu Xia" Super-topic, and finally, check the account "System-Restricted Reunion."
Zhang Jin’an thought that if he could actually follow Reunion, he would certainly have the "Die-hard Fan" badge next to his name by now. He visited Reunion’s page more often than he checked his own sister Zhang Shuyu’s Weibo.
Reunion had updated a chapter in the past few days. The plot had reached the point where "Jiang Siyang," through a stroke of luck, joined Zhang Jin’an’s film crew to observe and learn.
There was a passage describing Jiang Siyang’s internal monologue as he stood at a distance, which Zhang Jin’an found quite well-written:
*【If it were him—even if it were just a single line of dialogue—he would be satisfied as long as he could say it to Zhang Jin’an. He had so much he wanted to say, yet he didn’t know where to begin. He knew the distance between them was vast; he knew how brilliant Zhang Jin’an was. And so, he faltered. When filming ended and the crowd swarmed forward, Jiang Siyang did not move a step, nor did he utter a single word.】*
Reading this, Zhang Jin’an realized something. No matter how well Reunion understood Jiang Siyang, it was only through descriptions found online; the author had never actually met him. Consequently, there were still discrepancies between the fictionalized version and Jiang Siyang’s actual personality.
Jiang Siyang wasn't such a hesitant person; Zhang Jin’an knew that all too well. Jiang Siyang was a pure, candid young man who acted with a directness untouched by the cynicism of the world. He was like... like... Zhang Jin’an suddenly recalled a line from *Blazing Fire*.
It was a line Zhang Jin’an himself had delivered, so he remembered it vividly.
“If you gave him a sword, he could eclipse the radiance of the sun and moon, seize an entire empire amidst a hail of arrows and blades, and then point toward the world from a sun-drenched mountain peak with a face full of pride.”
***
Accompanied by the background music of a pipa, Jiang Siyang watched the "Zhang Jin’an" on his screen. The actor was clad in a navy-blue cloak embroidered with golden dragons, the twilight tracing the superior contours of his face. Jiang Siyang could recite the plot of *Blazing Fire* by heart; this specific scene featured "Zhang Jin’an" standing on a pavilion with his hands behind his back, praising a comrade-in-arms to a long-haired woman beside him.
Jiang Siyang remembered how, when he first watched it, he had desperately hoped to become the kind of comrade-in-arms Zhang Jin’an spoke of. But that was just a wish; currently, he hadn't even achieved half of that.
“You really do like Zhang Jin’an, don’t you?”
Jiang Siyang was engrossed in the video when he suddenly heard the voice. He pressed pause and looked at Liu Wenping in confusion. “What?”
Liu Wenping looked at him with a smile. “I’ve heard the audio from this movie at least ten times now. I’m about to memorize it myself.”
Thinking he had disturbed her by using the speaker, Jiang Siyang immediately reached into his pocket for his earphones. “I’ll put these on then.”
Liu Wenping shook her head.
“It’s fine if you use the speaker, it’s nice to have some background noise. I was just making an observation,” Liu Wenping said, glancing at Jiang Siyang in the rearview mirror, unable to resist teasing him. “You’re about to join the crew, after all. How does it feel to no longer have to envy others for acting opposite Zhang Jin’an? Are you happy?”
Having his inner thoughts exposed, Jiang Siyang lowered his head sheepishly, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of his phone. “Of course I’m happy. A few years ago, I wouldn't have even dared to dream of this.”
Even though he had known about the joint project for a long time and frequently chatted with Zhang Jin’an—meaning he shouldn't be this nervous—the mere thought of acting with him and witnessing Zhang Jin’an’s entire acting process (things one couldn't see on TV) made his heart race with irrepressible excitement.
Starting today, he would be working with Zhang Jin’an. Not for a day or two, not just an afternoon session, but for three months. It might be slightly less than three months, but Jiang Siyang was already more than satisfied.
In the entertainment industry, meeting someone was the hardest thing to do. Especially for an actor as popular as Zhang Jin’an, whose schedule was surely packed to the brim.
If not for this script, who knew when they would have met again?
As the car drew closer to the company, Jiang Siyang’s heart beat faster and faster.
***
After finishing Reunion’s Weibo, Zhang Jin’an searched for Jiu Chang.
Jiu Chang hadn't updated his Weibo in a few days either; the latest post was the photo taken with Jiang Siyang that night.
[@JiuChang—]: He’s here, he’s here! [Image]
Zhang Jin’an tapped the photo.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Siyang was simply too eye-catching, but the moment the photo opened, Zhang Jin’an could only see him. The events of that night were vivid in his mind, as if only a day had passed.
Zhang Jin’an and Jiang Siyang had chatted over the past few days. Jiang Siyang had gone to a magazine shoot, and at Zhang Jin’an’s curious inquiry, Jiang Siyang had sent him many behind-the-scenes photos. Honestly, even the candid shots Jiang Siyang took were infinitely better than this one.
The photos Jiang Siyang sent included a mirror selfie—he was tilting his head slightly toward the lens in the mirror with a smile, the lights of the vanity reflected in his peach blossom eyes. A few clips held his hair in place while a stylist worked on him in the background.
When he received that photo, Zhang Jin’an had made a wise decision on the spot: he secretly saved the unwatermarked version first, then told Jiang Siyang to post those photos on Weibo.
Jiang Siyang had naturally complied. His caption was even simpler than Jiu Chang’s, consisting of just two words: "Photo shoot." Once posted, the comment section exploded. The most frequent comment was: "Grandson! The actor your grandmother likes just posted on Weibo!!"
Zhang Jin’an chuckled at the thought and continued scrolling through Jiu Chang’s comments.
[@JiangJieYunHong]: !!! I saw Yang-Chang and rushed over immediately!!!!!
[@HypocriticalGentleman]: Go Yang-Chang squad!!! Even though I’m a Jiu Chang fan, I really want to Photoshop his face out and put mine in! Siyang is just too handsome, sob sob sob...
[@YangErLe]: So good-looking! Such a retro vibe TTTTTT Everyone, look at this handsome guy! Let’s make Yang-Chang go viral!!
Zhang Jin’an scrolled down slowly, watching as Jiu Chang’s comment section transformed from praising the photo to a massive display of secret codes.
[@TearsOfTheNorthStar]: Did XXX invite you guys?
[@JiuChang—] replied to [@TearsOfTheNorthStar]: [Dog head emoji] I signed a non-disclosure agreement, I can’t say.
[@ColdCityDreamMirror]: As a local of Little South Mountain, I can say the path there is extremely difficult. You’d definitely get lost without a local to lead the way, like XXX (insinuating wildly).
[@1RayOfLight]: Understood, understood. It’s that time of the week again for the *Friday Morning* girls to show off their acting skills hhhhhhhh it’s all secret codes hhhh.
[@InfiniteCatNip]: I just got here! I’m confused! Who is this XXX everyone is talking about?! Please point the way!
[@Silent]: Don’t know if it’s XXX, but we can definitely rule out Nicholas Zhao Si [Dog head emoji].
[@LittleApple_i] replied to [@InfiniteCatNip]: It’s that XXX!
...
Zhang Jin’an wasn't surprised by this at all. The moment he saw someone filming them during the recording, he had anticipated this outcome. However, the speed of the spread was faster than usual, which was a bit unexpected.
Currently, about eighty percent of his fans already knew, and the fan groups were buzzing about it.
The silver lining was that the fans of *Friday Morning*, having been trained over a hundred episodes, were very well-behaved. Even if they knew, they pretended they didn't, using "XXX" to refer to every guest.
It wasn't just Jiu Chang’s Weibo; the comments under the official *Friday Morning* teaser (where faces were obscured) were filled with "XXX," which had essentially become a meme.
Zhang Jin’an had always believed that a show capable of completely hiding guest information until the broadcast didn't exist. He knew how powerful modern netizens were. There was one episode of *Friday Morning* that consisted entirely of indoor games, so there were no "leaked" street photos, and the teaser didn't even show a face—yet a netizen still managed to guess the guest based on a mole on their hand.
“They should really give them an award for that,” Zhang Jin’an said with a laugh.
Having seen enough of the comments, he opened WeChat. He had intended to ask for a game in the "Second Textile Factory" group, but just then, a message from Jiang Siyang arrived. Zhang Jin’an tapped it open.
【Jiang Siyang】: I’ll be there in a few minutes. Are you there, Brother?
Zhang Jin’an raised an eyebrow and quickly typed back.
【Zhang Jin’an】: I’m already here.
Jiang Siyang was stunned when he saw the message. He had thought he would be the earliest, but he hadn't expected Zhang Jin’an to be even earlier.
As expected of Zhang Jin’an—this kind of work ethic was truly something he needed to learn from. He replied immediately.
【Jiang Siyang】: [Kneeling emoji] So early?
“Oh dear,” Liu Wenping suddenly exclaimed from the passenger seat.
Jiang Siyang looked up, concerned. “What’s wrong?”
Liu Wenping turned around and showed the weather forecast on her phone to Jiang Siyang, saying awkwardly, “Sorry, Siyang, it might rain today, and I don't think I prepared an umbrella. I’ll ask the others later; they should have some.”
Jiang Siyang glanced at it and comforted her with a smile. “It’s fine, it’s just a thundershower. Maybe it’ll stop by the time we’re finished.”
Liu Wenping turned back and muttered, “We can only hope so.”
Jiang Siyang looked out the window; the sky had indeed darkened. Another message arrived from the other end of the chat.
【Zhang Jin’an】: [Panda with arms crossed emoji] Of course, I’m used to arriving early.
【Zhang Jin’an】: But you’re quite early yourself.
Jiang Siyang was amused by the emoji. He truly felt that Zhang Jin’an was different from other seniors; he was very approachable, interesting to talk to, and considerate of others. Even his emojis were fun.
Jiang Siyang tapped the screen to reply.
【Jiang Siyang】: It’s a habit for me too [Cupped fist emoji].
【Jiang Siyang】: By the way, Brother.
【Zhang Jin’an】: Yeah?
【Jiang Siyang】: Did you bring an umbrella? It looks like it’s going to rain today.
【Zhang Jin’an】: ?! I didn't know. Let me ask.
Zhang Jin’an didn't ask immediately. After a moment of thought, he tapped the table and asked Xiao Zhou, “Xiao Zhou, did you bring an umbrella?”
Xiao Zhou was giggling at his phone, but he looked up immediately when his name was called. “I did! I even brought two extras just in case.”
Zhang Jin’an nodded and replied to the message.
【Zhang Jin’an】: Why? Did you not bring one?
【Jiang Siyang】: I don't think so.
【Jiang Siyang】: But it’s okay, I can borrow one or just buy one.
【Jiang Siyang】: It’s just a thundershower, maybe it’ll be clear by the time we’re done.
Zhang Jin’an had originally intended to reply with "I have an extra I can lend you," but just as he was about to send it, his finger hovered over the "Send" button. He hesitated for a few seconds, then scrolled up through their messages to the photos Jiang Siyang had sent him a couple of days ago.
Jiang Siyang had posted almost all of those photos to Weibo, except for one.
That one was a photo of a street at dusk. The rising sun was framed between two tall buildings, looking like a partner specifically sought out for the shot. It was beautiful and perfect for a wallpaper.
Jiang Siyang had sent that photo separately, with a message below it—
【Jiang Siyang】: I didn't get a chance to take a photo on the mountain that day. I encountered this beautiful weather today and thought it looked a lot like that evening’s twilight, so I took it to give to you, Brother. I hope you like it.
Zhang Jin’an read that sentence over and over, as if he could stare a small hole through every word. He took a shallow breath, deleted the text in the input box, and typed a new sentence.
【Zhang Jin’an】: Then you can share one with me. I brought one.
【Zhang Jin’an】: It’s on the way anyway.
【Jiang Siyang】: Really? Thank you! [Bowing emoji]
Zhang Jin’an didn't know why he wanted to reply that way. He didn't know why he secretly hoped Jiang Siyang’s wish for clear weather would fall through. Instead, he found himself hoping that today, there would be a moderate, lingering rain.
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 共天影视公司 | Gongtian Film & Television | The production company where the meeting takes place. |
| 剧本讨论会 | Script discussion / Table read | A meeting where the cast and crew go over the script. |
| 葛纤绪 | Ge Xianxu | The name of the female lead in the upcoming project. |
| 铁粉 | Die-hard fan | Literally "Iron fan," referring to a very loyal follower. |
| 艳火 | *Blazing Fire* | The title of a movie Zhang Jin'an starred in. |
| 桃花眼 | Peach blossom eyes | A specific eye shape considered very attractive and "flirty" in Chinese culture. |
| 羊常 | Yang-Chang | The ship name for Jiang Siyang (Yang) and Jiu Chang. |
| 张扬不下 | Zhang-Yang Bu Xia | The ship name for Zhang Jin'an and Jiang Siyang. |
| 二纺机 | Second Textile Factory | Likely the name of a private chat group among friends/colleagues. |
