"Ah!" The stylist immediately panicked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"
Jiang Siyang shrugged. "It's alright. It’s been three or four years already."
The stylist was clearly guilt-ridden and felt too awkward to speak further. She silently adjusted his scarf and hurried away.
Just as Jiang Siyang was about to speak to Liu Wenping, he saw Zhang Jin'an walking over. Following Jiang Siyang's gaze, Liu Wenping turned around and greeted Zhang Jin'an with a pleasant surprise. "Since you're here, I might as well ask you something."
"What is it?" Zhang Jin'an asked.
"When are you going to find a partner?" Liu Wenping inquired.
Jiang Siyang saw Zhang Jin'an glance at him before smiling at Liu Wenping. "Have you two run out of things to talk about? How did the conversation even get to this?"
"We're all so familiar with each other, what's the harm in a little gossip?" Liu Wenping covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to whisper to Zhang Jin'an, though her volume remained unchanged, allowing Jiang Siyang to hear perfectly. "If you do get into a relationship, you can tell me quietly. I promise not to tell a soul."
*I'm just afraid you'd kill me when the time comes,* Zhang Jin'an thought, stealing another glance at Jiang Siyang.
Zhang Jin'an suppressed the urge to reach out and touch Jiang Siyang's hair. Instead, he said, "Are you ready? We can't use a stunt double for this scene, and hanging from wires is quite uncomfortable. Let's try to minimize the takes and get it in one go."
Jiang Siyang nodded. "Okay."
After a few more words between them, a staff member came over to inform them that filming was about to begin.
This scene depicted the first meeting between Chen Yijun and Cui Chi. Chen Yijun was passing through an alleyway in a residential area when he encountered Cui Chi standing atop a high wall. Cui Chi would leap down from the wall and steadily close in on Chen Yijun.
The filming would continue until the moment Chen Yijun fainted from fright.
The reason this wasn't being filmed on location in a real neighborhood was because the author had described the night scene in great detail: "Behind that person lay an infinite darkness and a full moon as crimson as blood."
A "crimson full moon" was impossible in reality. To recreate it, they had to film against a green screen and use post-production synthesis.
The first shot to be filmed was "Cui Chi" leaping down, failing to land steadily, and stumbling in front of Chen Yijun.
Jiang Siyang was already prepared. He stood on a green platform about eight or nine meters above the ground, waiting for the director's signal. He didn't notice that there was someone below the stage who had been watching him the entire time.
The overhead lights shone down on both of them. Due to the fabric of his costume, Jiang Siyang seemed to radiate a soft glow.
They weren't just eight or nine meters apart; it felt more like eight hundred meters.
As Zhang Jin'an watched, the person on the platform suddenly turned around and flashed him a smile.
Zhang Jin'an froze. He recalled a line written by Tuan Yuan:
*He is a beam of light, breaking through the clouds; dazzling beyond measure, yet he does not belong to him.*
In the novel, "Zhang Jin'an" and "Jiang Siyang" were about to be together; "Jiang Siyang" had touched his light.
But what about him? When would he be able to reach this beam of light?
Zhang Jin'an sighed inwardly.
"Siyang, are you ready?" Tang Shang called out to Jiang Siyang through a megaphone.
Jiang Siyang gave the directing crew an "OK" gesture.
"We need to film this shot twice. This time, we don't care about the landing, so if he's off-balance or whatever, those below should be ready to catch him."
Zhang Jin'an nodded. "Understood."
Though it was a bit much to think this way, he actually hoped Jiang Siyang would make a mistake—just once—and fall right into his arms, so that the moment wouldn't end so quickly.
During the first take, Jiang Siyang's positioning was off, and he drifted from the intended path. They had to go again.
Tang Shang held the megaphone and counted down: "Scene 46, Shot 1, Take 2. Action—"
Jiang Siyang stood with his hands behind his back and pushed off. The wires lifted him up, and he descended slowly along the predetermined track.
The flight was perfect.
When Jiang Siyang was halfway down, Zhang Jin'an knew this take was usable. His emotions were incredibly complex—he felt a sense of loss, yet he was also happy that Jiang Siyang wouldn't have to endure the wires again.
After the director shouted "OK," Jiang Siyang was suspended about three meters above the ground. Zhang Jin'an walked over, watching as the machine slowly lowered him.
Zhang Jin'an had originally composed his thoughts, but as Jiang Siyang's feet touched the ground, he slipped. Seeing him pitch forward, about to be jerked back up by the tension, Zhang Jin'an instinctively reached out. Moving faster than any of the staff, he wrapped an arm around Jiang Siyang's waist to steady him.
The moment those golden strands of hair brushed against the back of his hand, Zhang Jin'an felt a surge of wild joy. Even though it was only one hand, he didn't care—in his mind, he might as well have been embracing him fully.
Zhang Jin'an loosened his grip slightly, his fingers barely grazing Jiang Siyang's clothes, using the excuse of catching his breath to subtly inhale the scent lingering on Jiang Siyang's costume.
Forget the staff; even Jiang Siyang hadn't reacted in time. All he knew was that a second later, he had fallen into a warm embrace, and a few seconds after that, Zhang Jin'an let him go.
As expected of Zhang Jin'an—his reaction speed was incredible. Jiang Siyang's admiration for him deepened once more.
After standing up straight, Jiang Siyang took Zhang Jin'an's hand and gave it two shakes in gratitude. "Gē! Thanks!" Today was another day of learning.
Zhang Jin'an withdrew his hand, shaking his head with an outward appearance of calm composure. "No need. It's only right." In reality, he was beyond ecstatic, his inner voice screaming "We held hands! We held hands!" over a hundred times. He felt it was a great pity that Li Qiang hadn't witnessed this scene.
Both men harbored their own thoughts—thoughts that nearly converged at certain points—yet neither spoke a word.
Tang Shang walked over, satisfied with the previous shot, and prepared to move directly to the next. "Jin'an, you'll have movements in the next shot, alright?"
"Yeah." Zhang Jin'an nodded.
The next shot was simple for Zhang Jin'an. He only needed to first show an expression of fear, take a few steps back, and then look somewhat speechless upon seeing "Cui Chi" fall.
Combined with the fact that Jiang Siyang had become quite proficient after so many wire takes, the shot was completed quickly.
Finally, they reached the highlight of the scene.
*Before Chen Yijun could even laugh, the 'person' sprawled on the ground climbed back up. Chen Yijun's expression froze once more. The red light made his vision hazy, and upon seeing those golden, almost glowing eyes, his instinct was to flee.*
*But when he tried to move, he found his legs had gone weak, and he slumped onto the ground.*
*"D-d-don't come any closer," Chen Yijun could only manage a hollow threat at the 'person.'*
*But it was clearly useless.*
*The 'person' slowly closed in on him. Chen Yijun propped himself up with his hands, trying his best to scramble away.*
*The other person didn't say a word; it was only Chen Yijun speaking.*
*"Don't come over here! Stay back!"*
*"If you come any closer, I'm calling the police! I have their number!"*
*"If you d-dare come over, I'll hit you! Don't come closer!!"*
*"You...!"*
*Before Chen Yijun could finish, the 'person' crouched down, leveling with him, and covered his mouth.*
*Though this 'person' looked human—even handsome—it was the kind of beauty that sent chills down one's spine. The phrase "not an ordinary human" flashed through Chen Yijun's mind several times.*
*The 'person' leaned in. Those golden eyes stared at him. Chen Yijun's body went completely limp; he could only rely on the wall to support himself as he met the 'person's' gaze.*
*The 'person' spoke. His voice was unexpectedly cold and clear, dripping with disdain: "Shut up. Don't you think you're being too annoying?"*
As Jiang Siyang spoke, he leaned in close. The distance between them vanished instantly, leaving less than twenty centimeters between their faces.
*Holy crap!*
Zhang Jin'an nearly shouted out loud.
Jiang Siyang's approach was so sudden that he hadn't prepared himself at all. His heart stopped for a split second before beginning to thud violently.
The distance was far too close—close enough that he could feel Jiang Siyang's breath, see every individual eyelash, and watch as the long hair at his temples slid off his shoulder, sweeping across the back of Zhang Jin'an's hand like a breeze before falling to the floor.
Unnoticed by anyone, Zhang Jin'an clenched his fists tight.
"Did no one teach you manners?" Jiang Siyang continued his lines, his voice tinged with displeasure. "Where did all that bravado from before go? It was all talk, it seems."
Zhang Jin'an began his lines, arguing back, "Who are you calling names?"
"I'm calling *you* names," Jiang Siyang huffed, slightly arching an eyebrow. "You're just like the rest of them—arrogant and conceited. You've done absolutely nothing, yet you act like the victim."
*Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Yijun fainted.*
Zhang Jin'an closed his eyes, let his head drop naturally, and leaned directly onto Jiang Siyang's shoulder.
They remained in that position for a few seconds until Jiang Siyang heard the director shout, "Cut!"
"Excellent! Siyang, your gaze was perfect! That's a wrap for this scene. Everyone take a few minutes' break, then we'll move to the next." Director Tang was very pleased.
Only after hearing Director Tang's words did Jiang Siyang let out a long breath. Although he had filmed many times before, he still felt nervous every time he acted, especially when performing opposite Zhang Jin'an.
He felt the weight on his shoulder lighten as Zhang Jin'an sat up. Jiang Siyang quickly stood and pulled Zhang Jin'an to his feet.
"Good work," Jiang Siyang said to him.
Strangely, Zhang Jin'an didn't look him in the eye as he usually did. He simply muttered, "You too," before turning and hurrying away.
Jiang Siyang stood there dazed until Liu Wenping walked over to talk to him.
"What's wrong?" Liu Wenping asked.
Jiang Siyang stared in the direction Zhang Jin'an had disappeared and shook his head gently. "Nothing."
He took the water Liu Wenping offered and took a few sips.
Li Qiang had just hung up the phone when he saw Zhang Jin'an burst through the door. Zhang Jin'an walked straight to the sofa, sat down, and buried his face in one hand.
Li Qiang put his phone down and said with some surprise, "Hey, Jin'an, you're done filming?"
"Yeah."
Li Qiang walked over and sat beside him, cheerfully sharing a funny story from his phone call.
"...So tell me, isn't he hilarious? I'm dying here, hahaha!!"
Li Qiang laughed loudly after finishing his story, his laughter filling the entire dressing room, but Zhang Jin'an's response never came.
Li Qiang stopped laughing and looked curiously at the silent, bowed head of Zhang Jin'an. "What's up with you? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Only then did Zhang Jin'an shift his posture, covering his entire face with both hands. Li Qiang could only hear a muffled voice through the gaps in his fingers: "Qiang-gē, I feel like I'm going to die."
"What do you mean, you're going to die?" Li Qiang was baffled. He looked Zhang Jin'an over and immediately noticed something different. "Why are your ears so red? What happened?"
"..."
Zhang Jin'an said something else, but this time Li Qiang truly couldn't hear him. When he asked again, Zhang Jin'an just kept his head down, covering his face, and refused to say another word.
Though Li Qiang didn't understand what was going on, he knew from experience that when Zhang Jin'an was in a bad mood, it was best to give him private space. He decided to do the same now.
Li Qiang stood up and patted Zhang Jin'an's shoulder. "If you don't want to talk, then don't. I'll head out first. You stay here and have some quiet time."
Zhang Jin'an heard the *thud* of the door and knew Li Qiang had left. Even though he was alone in the dressing room now, he still didn't want to look up.
His ears felt as if they were on fire, and the sound of his racing heart was clouding his thoughts.
Furthermore, there were two mirrors in the dressing room directly facing the sofa, and he didn't want to see his own pathetic state in the reflection.
He had experienced moments before when he couldn't face Jiang Siyang, mostly because he was harboring a secret. But this time he had fled because of an uncontrollable, spontaneous surge of emotion.
He had completely overestimated himself. He never expected Jiang Siyang's impact on him to be so devastating—especially at that distance. Even with those cold, disdainful lines that anyone else would hear as pure contempt, he had still been moved to the point of near-death by his own heartbeat.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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陈毅君 | Chen Yijun | Zhang Jin'an's character in the drama.
崔驰 | Cui Chi | Jiang Siyang's character in the drama.
唐尚 | Tang Shang | The director of the drama.
团圆 | Tuan Yuan | The author of the original novel being adapted.
威亚 | Wires / Wirework | Transliteration of "wire," referring to the cables used for stunts.
绿幕 | Green screen | Used for visual effects.
