In the afternoon, Jiang Siyang began filming immediately upon arriving at the set. The location for this shoot was a pedestrian street.
Since it was a workday and the production crew had rented the area for half a day, security guards were stationed at both ends of the street, making the area even more deserted than usual.
Jiang Siyang’s scene partner today was Yuan Yuan. The two scenes scheduled for the day weren't particularly difficult, but due to a few mistakes by the extras, the filming had to be interrupted three times.
"Cut—!" Tang Shang shouted in annoyance. Jiang Siyang and Yuan Yuan immediately stopped their dialogue. Everyone else froze in place, not daring to breathe as they all looked toward Tang Shang.
Tang Shang called back the extra who had just walked in front of the lens. Frowning, he said, "You blocked the shot. Didn't you hear the blocking instructions we just went over?"
The extra was a man in his thirties. Looking embarrassed, he apologized repeatedly, "Ah... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Tang Shang’s displeasure was evident, and the atmosphere on set became extremely awkward. Everyone stood still, the air thick with tension.
Jiang Siyang heard Yuan Yuan whisper, "If Big Brother were here right now, the atmosphere probably wouldn't be this awkward."
Jiang Siyang couldn't have agreed more. If Zhang Jin’an were present, he would have certainly stepped in to smooth things over; at the very least, it wouldn't feel this stifling.
"He has something to do this afternoon, so he couldn't come," Jiang Siyang replied.
Yuan Yuan sighed regretfully. "A pity..."
Jiang Siyang smiled. "You don't need to be so disappointed. Director Tang actually has a pretty good handle on his temper."
Jiang Siyang was right. Tang Shang wasn't the type to throw tantrums for no reason. He didn't waste time on pointless scolding; after pointing out the mistake, he went over the blocking with the man again and began directing the fourth take.
"Everyone, please cooperate. I don't want to see this happen again," Tang Shang said. "Alright, prepare for the fourth take." He then patted the extra on the shoulder. "What I said just now was a bit harsh, don't take it to heart."
The man hurriedly replied, "It was my fault. It's fine, it's fine." He then returned to his position to wait for the start.
The minor hiccup finally passed, and the crew finally felt they could breathe a sigh of relief.
"We'll take this shot one more time. On my count... three, two, one, action!" Tang Shang shouted.
This take went well. Tang Shang called "cut" at the right moment, finally finishing the shot.
A few minutes of rest followed before the next round of filming. Unknowingly, the sun began to dip below the horizon, and the sky turned a visible dusky yellow. The end of the pedestrian street seemed to merge directly into the sky.
Dinner was served early that day, at four o'clock. After the meal, while the sky was not yet completely dark, a new round of filming began.
"Being outside is truly better than being in a studio. You can pass the time just by looking at the scenery," Liu Wenping remarked, looking up at the sky.
After finishing her messages with Xie Jie, she had nothing left to do. She found a spot in front of a shop and started chatting with a nearby staff member.
The staff member was a girl with a round face. She looked up as well. "Yeah, it is."
Liu Wenping lowered her gaze. Their spot was near the staff entrance, and she could clearly see the faces of the few passersby standing outside the barricades. Two security guards stood motionless on either side of the fence.
The staff entrance connected to the shop opposite them. Anyone entering or exiting had to go through the back door of that shop and show their credentials to prevent any random passersby from slipping in.
"The management is quite strict," Liu Wenping noted.
The staff member was a girl in her early twenties, but she spoke with the same seasoned tone as Liu Wenping. "Hah, there have been plenty of incidents where obsessive fans broke onto sets. It's for everyone's safety."
"True," Liu Wenping nodded. "If the actor in this scene were Zhang Jin’an, there would definitely be even more onlookers..." Liu Wenping suddenly trailed off.
The young girl looked at her, puzzled. "What's wrong? Why did you stop mid-sentence?"
Liu Wenping only replied, "Why would he be here?"
"Huh?" The girl was confused.
Liu Wenping didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the person walking out of the passage. That person saw her too and began walking toward her.
The girl saw him as well and immediately wore an expression of shock. "Zhang Jin’an?"
"Speak of the devil," Liu Wenping muttered to herself as she stood up.
She was incredibly surprised by Zhang Jin’an’s appearance because she remembered Jiang Siyang saying he was busy this afternoon. If he was busy, why was he here?
Liu Wenping instantly ruled out the possibility of "Jiang Siyang misremembering." After all, Zhang Jin’an’s hair was clearly styled, and his outfit was more formal than usual; he truly looked like he had just come from taking care of business.
His camel-colored coat was belted at the waist, and a black high-neck knit sweater could be seen underneath. He looked sharp and professional. Liu Wenping clicked her tongue inwardly; "aura" was something not everyone possessed. Especially Zhang Jin’an—even though he was wearing a mask that obscured most of his face, he was still exceptionally striking in a crowd. One look and you knew he was a star.
Among the onlookers, some naturally recognized him as Zhang Jin’an and began pointing their phones at him to snap photos.
Liu Wenping didn't particularly like being caught on camera, so she pulled Zhang Jin’an to a corner where they could see the set but wouldn't be photographed. Once they were settled, she asked him directly, "Why are you here? Didn't you have things to do this afternoon?"
Zhang Jin’an pulled his mask down to his chin. "I did, but I finished."
"So you decided to come by and take a look?" Liu Wenping said.
"Yes," Zhang Jin’an nodded.
Having learned that morning that Jiang Siyang liked Zhang Jin’an, and then running into the man himself in the afternoon—how could Liu Wenping let him off the hook so easily?
She couldn't help but size him up once more.
Unfortunately, Zhang Jin’an noticed the movement immediately.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Zhang Jin’an asked, puzzled.
Even though she was caught, Liu Wenping remained perfectly calm. She shook her head and replied, "No." *I'm just curious what part of you has Siyang so infatuated that he’d come out to me directly.*
"Is it almost time for Cui Chi’s confession scene?" Zhang Jin’an looked into the distance and suddenly remarked.
Liu Wenping blinked, looking toward the filming site. Jiang Siyang and Yuan Yuan were walking according to their set positions, reciting their lines as the camera tracked backward in front of them.
"Ah, yes, the next scene," Liu Wenping peered at Zhang Jin’an. "How did you know? Did Siyang practice his lines with you?"
Zhang Jin’an shook his head. "No, we probably didn't run into each other when he was memorizing this part. I just thought this street looked a lot like the description in the script, so I guessed it might be this scene."
Liu Wenping smiled. "You really are a 'true love' fan of this novel."
Zhang Jin’an chuckled. "I'm alright, maybe just at the level of a die-hard fan." He paused, rubbing his chin with his finger. "But this part is quite difficult. I wonder if they can pull it off."
"How so?" Liu Wenping asked.
"This part is the peak of the two characters' emotions. According to the book's description, when Cui Chi confesses, it’s both passionate and irresistible. If the delivery is off by even a fraction, it easily becomes skewed. Too weak and it lacks momentum; too strong and it feels like coercion. I reckon they'll have to try it a few times," Zhang Jin’an said. "After all, everyone’s attitude toward feelings is different. Siyang and Yuan Yuan have to really immerse themselves in the characters to capture that feeling for the confession to have the right emotion."
Liu Wenping didn't understand a word of Zhang Jin’an’s professional critique—momentum, coercion, none of it registered. She only caught the phrase "attitude toward feelings." Now, that was an excellent topic.
Liu Wenping quickly seized the opportunity and asked, "What about you?"
"Me?" Zhang Jin’an was visibly startled.
"What is your attitude toward feelings?" Liu Wenping asked.
She saw Zhang Jin’an smile. "I probably wouldn't be as reckless as Cui Chi."
Liu Wenping was naturally disappointed. She thought she could bait some deep insight out of him that she could pass on to Jiang Siyang, but all she got was this vague, airy response.
Still, Liu Wenping didn't give up. She glanced at the bustling crowd and asked again, "Then... what do you think of Siyang?"
Zhang Jin’an gazed toward the crew, appearing to be in thought. "Him? His acting has improved a lot."
"..."
"..."
Liu Wenping saw that Zhang Jin’an’s mouth had closed, realizing he was finished.
She was waiting for the second half of the sentence, but that was it?
"...And?" Liu Wenping stared at Zhang Jin’an, wanting him to say more.
Instead, Zhang Jin’an looked at her. "And what?"
What else could there be? Obviously, what do you think of Jiang Siyang as a person?
Liu Wenping truly couldn't hold it back anymore; if she kept this up, she’d suffocate. So, she threw caution to the wind and asked directly, "Besides his acting, what do you think of him as a person?"
She saw Zhang Jin’an’s body visibly stiffen for a moment.
Whether it was because of the lighting or something else, the lingering glow of the sunset always seemed to make a person appear a few degrees gentler.
"He is very good," she heard Zhang Jin’an say.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 崔驰 | Cui Chi | The name of the character Jiang Siyang plays in the drama. |
| 唐尚 | Tang Shang | The director of the drama. |
| 袁媛 | Yuan Yuan | The actress playing the female lead opposite Jiang Siyang. |
| 刘雯萍 | Liu Wenping | Jiang Siyang's manager (often referred to as Liu-jie). |
| 谢杰 | Xie Jie | Zhang Jin'an's manager. |
| 走位 | Blocking | The precise movement and positioning of actors on a set. |
| 打圆场 | Smooth things over | To mediate or resolve an awkward or tense situation. |
| 说曹操曹操到 | Speak of the devil | A Chinese idiom meaning someone appears just as they are being mentioned. |
| 出柜 | Come out | To reveal one's sexual orientation (used here regarding Jiang Siyang's confession to his manager). |
