There were two scenes scheduled for that night. One was set in a residential complex, and the other was on a main road. The scene in the complex depicted Chen Yijun returning home from a social engagement, only to run into Cui Chi, who was suffering from insomnia, in the garden.
The scene on the road involved Chen Yijun and Cui Chi rushing to save someone in Chen Yijun’s car.
These two scenes weren't difficult for Jiang Siyang. In fact, they were somewhat interesting.
Even though they were being filmed on the same night, in the original novel, these two segments weren't chronologically adjacent; they were actually set half a year apart. One moment they were "enemies," and the next they were "teammates." It was quite an amusing contrast.
The first scene went very smoothly, with the first two shots passing in just two takes.
The third shot featured Cui Chi and Chen Yijun talking under a streetlight. Cui Chi would take a step forward, Chen Yijun would take a step back, and eventually, Chen Yijun would crash into a utility pole and pass out.
Night fell, and the streetlights cast a faint yellow glow.
"You... don't you come any closer."
For every step Cui Chi took forward, Chen Yijun took one back, maintaining a distance of two meters between them.
Chen Yijun sized Cui Chi up once more. He wore ordinary pajamas, and his fluffy hair covered his eyebrows. He looked no different from any other person—in fact, he was even more handsome than most.
But at the thought that beneath this handsome skin lay crimson eyes and sharp fangs, Chen Yijun felt a chill run down his spine.
Instead of stopping, Cui Chi took two large strides forward. "Didn't you say you weren't afraid of me? Then what's with you right now?"
Driven into a corner, Chen Yijun had no choice but to retreat another two steps. Even though his breath reeked of alcohol, he didn't forget to talk tough. "I'm not afraid of you. It's just... I've been drinking. I can't beat you in a fight like this. If you've got the guts, wait until I'm... sober, then we'll fight!"
Cui Chi snorted in disdain. "Who said I wanted to fight you?"
Drunk as he was, Chen Yijun wasn't listening. Driven by self-preservation, he backed up another two steps and shouted, "You, you, you—stay back!"
Cui Chi actually stopped and pursed his lips.
"Look behind you..."
"What are you trying to do? Get me to look back so you can ambush me?" Chen Yijun’s body swayed as he retreated another two steps.
"No, do I really need to ambush you right now? I'm just telling you to look behind you."
"I'm not looking. There's definitely nothing good be—" As he spoke, the back of Chen Yijun’s head slammed into the utility pole. With a *thud*, he collapsed straight onto the ground.
Cui Chi: "..."
"I told you to look, but you wouldn't." Cui Chi knelt in front of Chen Yijun and placed his index finger under the man's nose.
He was still breathing.
"Good. Not dead."
Cui Chi stood up. After staring at the "corpse" for a dozen seconds, he scratched his hair vigorously and said gloomily, "Dammit, what a hassle."
"Cut!" Tang Shang shouted through his megaphone. "Good, that shot is a pass."
The moment Tang Shang finished, Zhang Jin'an opened his eyes. Jiang Siyang immediately pulled him up, and Zhang Jin'an didn't let go of his hand until the stylist came over to straighten his clothes.
"Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy?" Jiang Siyang asked with concern.
The moment they were out of character, the hostility in Jiang Siyang’s eyes vanished, replaced by that familiar, clear, and bright gaze.
Zhang Jin'an guessed that the kid was asking because he had remained silent, making Siyang think he had actually knocked himself silly.
In reality, he had held Siyang's hand simply because he wanted to, and he had stayed silent simply because he couldn't find an excuse.
The real-life Jiang Siyang was much better; he was so caring.
However, Zhang Jin'an knew he couldn't take advantage of someone else's kindness. He replied honestly, "Hitting the pole was fine, it was a staged fall. But my elbow hit the ground, so that stings a bit."
Jiang Siyang nodded in understanding. "I get it. Falling directly onto the ground can definitely make your head spin a little."
At that moment, Tang Shang walked over to go over the next shot with them. "The next shot is Siyang dragging Jin'an away. Remember to follow the predetermined route. There’s no dialogue in this part; it’s mostly body language and facial expressions."
"Understood," Jiang Siyang nodded.
Tang Shang continued, "We’ll be processing this part as a fast-motion sequence. In the original novel, the method of dragging changes several times. Just switch your posture every few steps."
Jiang Siyang nodded. "Okay."
Tang Shang glanced at Zhang Jin'an and joked to Jiang Siyang, "If Jin'an is too heavy, just say the word and we'll swap in a stunt double."
Zhang Jin'an was amused and joined in on the joke. "Let's get this straight—I specifically lost weight for this scene. If you can't move me later, you can't blame it on me."
Jiang Siyang laughed, and Tang Shang let out a few hearty bellows of laughter. "Alright, alright. Once you're ready, we'll move to the next shot."
"Okay."
***
Cui Chi didn't want to bother with him and considered just leaving. But then he remembered that this guy lived right across the hall—they were bound to run into each other eventually. He decided to be a good person for once and drag Chen Yijun home.
Cui Chi tried many methods along the way. First, he hooked his arms under Chen Yijun’s armpits and dragged him backward, but he got tired after only a few steps. Then, he draped Chen Yijun’s arms around his neck to carry him piggyback, but after a few steps, he nearly tripped over a stone. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick, and he braced himself with his hands before hitting the ground. He was fine, but Chen Yijun slammed into the pavement.
Cui Chi: "..."
By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Cui Chi looked at the long flight of steps and finally couldn't help but let go of Chen Yijun’s neck. Chen Yijun collapsed onto the ground once more.
Cui Chi rolled his aching neck, took a deep breath, and hoisted Chen Yijun up again.
With every floor they climbed, Cui Chi changed his posture. It took a full half-hour to climb eight floors. During that time, Cui Chi fell several times. Chen Yijun woke up briefly in the middle of it, but was quickly knocked unconscious again by another impact.
On the final floor, Cui Chi carried Chen Yijun in his arms while walking backward up the stairs. He found this posture the easiest, though Chen Yijun’s hair kept getting into his nose, making it itch.
Cui Chi fished the keys out of Chen Yijun’s pocket, opened the door, tossed him onto the sofa, and left.
Later, when Chen Yijun woke up, he remembered nothing. He just felt like every single part of his body was in pain.
***
Tang Shang watched the monitor intently. When the shot settled on Jiang Siyang holding Zhang Jin'an with one arm while opening the door with the other, he spoke into the walkie-talkie: "OK—that's a wrap on this shot!"
The assistant director, who was crouching on a part of the stairs the camera couldn't see, heard the walkie-talkie and gave Jiang Siyang an "OK" gesture. Jiang Siyang gently nudged the person leaning against him. "Ge, it's over."
Zhang Jin'an knew the shot was over, of course; he had heard the walkie-talkie too. But he really didn't want to move. Opportunities to hold Jiang Siyang so openly were rare. Moreover, Jiang Siyang was about the same height as him, making this a very comfortable height to lean against.
*One truly can love everything associated with a person,* Zhang Jin'an thought. Now, he liked everything about Jiang Siyang. Even the most ordinary scent of body wash was, to him, a refreshing and intoxicating fragrance.
Zhang Jin'an sighed inwardly and released his hold on Jiang Siyang. He said in a low voice, "Let's go. Let's head down."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 陈毅君 | Chen Yijun | The character played by Zhang Jin'an in the drama *Hidden Darkness*. |
| 崔驰 | Cui Chi | The character played by Jiang Siyang in the drama *Hidden Darkness*. |
| 唐尚 | Tang Shang | The director of the drama they are filming. |
| 噗通 | Thud | Onomatopoeia for a heavy fall. |
| 爱屋及乌 | Love me, love my dog | Idiom meaning to love everything associated with a person. |
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 79 | A Drunken Encounter | Novela.app | Novela.app
