Li Qianxing returned to his room, freshened up, and lay down on the bed, planning to kill some time before sleeping. He picked up his phone and saw that Qi Jingnian had sent him a WeChat message.
[Brother: Tomorrow you’ll be filming your first kiss and bed scene?]
Li Qianxing couldn’t help but chuckle.
[Li Qianxing: So Xiao Zhu is your inside source now?]
[Brother: No need for her. I’m also a producer, and in the crew group chat.]
Only then did Li Qianxing remember. Indeed, for every film he starred in, the two brothers would be credited as co-producers. However, he rarely checked the crew group chat, and it hadn’t occurred to him that his busy CEO brother would actually read the messages.
But Qi Jingnian’s next string of messages revealed why he was particularly concerned this time.
[Brother: It’s your first time filming this kind of scene, so of course I need to pay closer attention.]
[Brother: Did you read the contract carefully? All the details for the kiss and bed scenes are specified there. If Director He’s requests or Jiang Lin’s performance cross the line, call for a cut immediately.]
[Brother: I know you take your acting seriously, but you need to protect yourself too, understand?]
Li Qianxing was taken aback, then tried to recall the contract. He had signed it three months ago and couldn’t be bothered to look it up now, only vaguely remembering the gist of it.
Regarding the bed scene, it specified which body parts could be filmed, the degree of exposure allowed, and clearly outlined which areas couldn’t make contact. The restrictions for the kiss scene were fewer, but…
Li Qianxing unconsciously touched his lips.
The contract stated that the intensity of the kiss scene should be achieved through acting, and no real tongue kissing was allowed during filming… He wondered who had taken advantage of whom earlier between him and Jiang Lin…
His phone buzzed with another notification.
[Brother: Qianxing, are you asleep?]
Li Qianxing snapped back to reality and quickly replied to his brother.
[Li Qianxing: No, I saw your messages. Don’t worry, I’m not a child.]
After sending it, he thought for a moment and added:
[Li Qianxing: Director He isn’t new to filming these scenes; he knows his boundaries. Besides, Jiang Lin isn’t that kind of person.]
[Brother: Of course, I hope everything goes smoothly without any hiccups. But in the past, whenever you acted in romantic scenes, you’d attract admirers. This time it’s a proper love story, with emotional entanglements throughout. How can I not worry?]
[Li Qianxing: There’s no use worrying about such things. You’re busy enough as it is, don’t concern yourself with me. I’ll take care of myself.]
[Brother: Don’t underestimate Jiang Lin because of his age. He’s only been in the industry for four or five years, but someone like him, who appears easygoing but is actually quite shrewd, isn’t simple to have climbed up so quickly. If he develops feelings for you, it might not be as easy to deal with as those in the past. In any case, try to avoid interacting with him outside of filming.]
Li Qianxing read this message, carefully recalling his interactions with Jiang Lin.
After the initial failed dinner invitation, Jiang Lin didn’t ask Li Qianxing out again. Now, the daily warm milk was delivered by his assistant. Li Qianxing’s recent visit to Jiang Lin was their first private interaction, but it was strictly about work, discussing their roles.
Assured there was no issue, Li Qianxing was about to reply when he saw another message from Qi Jingnian.
[Brother: Come to think of it, you’ve never been in a relationship. Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be so bad if you did.]
Li Qianxing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
[Li Qianxing: So do you want me to date or not?]
This time, it took almost a minute for Qi Jingnian’s reply.
[Brother: We all want you to experience the beauty of love, but we don’t want you to be anxious or hurt because of it. Everything has two sides; you can’t reap sweet fruit without taking risks.]
[Brother: Let nature take its course. No one can predict fate. Besides, you’re so focused on acting, I wonder what kind of extraordinary person could capture your heart.]
Reading these long messages, Li Qianxing’s gaze softened involuntarily. After a moment’s thought, he typed a reply.
[Li Qianxing: Ge, why don’t you and sister-in-law consider having a child soon?]
Qi Jingnian immediately sent back a [head-knock] emoji.
[Brother: Even if I had a child, I’d still worry about you! If you don’t want me to worry, go pray at the matchmaker’s temple and find yourself a partner.]
Li Qianxing responded with an [obedient] emoji, smiling.
◇◆
The next day, Li Qianxing arrived on set with his makeup and costume ready. As soon as he entered, he felt numerous eyes on him.
Glancing around, he caught several people’s gazes, startling them into looking away. But as soon as he passed, their eyes were drawn back to him.
Xiao Zhu sighed softly and whispered, “I’ve asked around. Only the bed scene will have a closed set. The kiss scene will be filmed normally. But if you feel we need to clear the set, I can talk to Director He.”
Li Qianxing shrugged it off. “No need for special treatment. There’s nothing I can’t act through.”
When he found He Zhanpeng, Jiang Lin was already there, prepared and chatting with the director.
Seeing Li Qianxing, He Zhanpeng smiled and invited him to sit. Then, he began explaining the scene to both actors. It was mostly in line with their character analysis from the previous night.
Finally, He Zhanpeng patted their arms. “Go take your positions. We’ll film the argument scene first. Pay attention to the emotional shifts, especially you, Xiao Li.”
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin stood up, following the assistant director into the bar set.
Before their argument, there was a wordless sequence requiring position changes. The subsequent argument had extensive dialogue and needed to convey emotional fluctuations.
Although several cameras were set up, He Zhanpeng wanted to capture everything up to the kiss scene in one long take, making it a challenging shoot. However, for Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin, filming everything before the kiss scene in one take wasn’t particularly difficult.
After rehearsing their positions a few times and running through their lines once more, they signaled to He Zhanpeng that they were ready to start filming.
◆
Ji Ming’an approached the bar’s entrance, his hand reaching for the lock when the door suddenly swung open, causing the wind chime behind it to tinkle.
A tall figure shouldered his way in, face gloomy, eyes downcast as he looked at Ji Ming’an.
Ji Ming’an looked up, a flicker of sadness and grievance in his eyes, quickly masked by mockery.
“We’re closed, sir. Please try elsewhere.”
Cheng Yue wordlessly shut the door, locked it, slid the bolt, then turned to face Ji Ming’an.
Ji Ming’an scoffed softly, walking back to the bar to turn off all the lights before heading to his private changing room.
Passing the back door, he jerked his chin towards it. “There’s the back door. Don’t let it hit you on the way out.”
Cheng Yue followed him into the changing room, closing the door behind them.
“Ji Ming’an, won’t you explain yourself?”
Ji Ming’an’s hand froze as he reached for the wardrobe, then he turned, leaning against it with folded arms, his face even more scornful.
“You’ve already made up your mind. What’s left to explain?”
As he spoke, he pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, about to light one.
Cheng Yue frowned, stepping forward to snatch the cigarette. “Don’t smoke.”
Ji Ming’an’s mocking smile faded, his gaze turning cold. “You’re in no position to tell me what to do anymore.”
He took out another cigarette, provocatively placing it between his lips, then flicked open a lighter.
Cheng Yue, who had been staring at his face, suddenly looked at the lighter, reaching for the flame.
Ji Ming’an’s eyes widened, his face betraying surprise and concern as he quickly snapped the lighter shut.
The next moment, Cheng Yue’s hand clamped over the lighter’s lid.
Ji Ming’an took a deep breath, anger flaring in his eyes as he glared up. “Cheng Yue! Can you stop being so unreasonable?”
Cheng Yue’s eyes blazed equally, his voice low and hoarse. “I just want one explanation from you. Is that unreasonable?”
Their argument escalated, dredging up old grievances from their college days.
Cheng Yue’s anger intensified, though his eyes betrayed unmistakable hurt and anguish. Ji Ming’an’s expression fluctuated, his eyes churning with a mix of anger, sorrow, surprise, and joy.
Finally, Cheng Yue, provoked, slammed his hand against the wardrobe, his body pressing towards Ji Ming’an.
Their noses almost touched as they stared at each other from mere inches apart.
◆
Director He Zhanpeng called cut and carefully reviewed the long take, praising it profusely. This was the third take, and Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin had perfected the minor flaws from the previous two attempts.
As the actors returned, He Zhanpeng gave them a thumbs up. “Excellent. The emotional transitions were incredibly smooth. The new action with the lighter startled me a bit. Was that your idea, Xiao Jiang?”
Jiang Lin smiled. “It was all thanks to Li-ge’s great cooperation.”
Li Qianxing looked at him. “You’re the one with guts. Did you burn your hand?”
Jiang Lin opened his palm, turning it. “It’s fine. I have thick skin.”
He Zhanpeng nodded approvingly and invited them to sit as he continued explaining the scene.
“The kiss scene is divided into two parts. The first part is Cheng Yue’s emotional outburst – intense, urgent, and unrestrained. Remember, this is their first kiss after years apart, so there should be some awkwardness in the movements.”
At this, Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin exchanged glances – awkwardness suited them perfectly.
He Zhanpeng then looked at Li Qianxing. “After the first kiss, Cheng Yue’s emotions subside, and he regains some rationality, intending to end it. This is when Ji Ming’an’s emotions erupt. He wants to keep Cheng Yue and clarify their relationship. He’s actually joyful at this point, so he employs a tactical show of vulnerability.”
Li Qianxing was puzzled. “Tactical vulnerability?”
He Zhanpeng explained. “Ji Ming’an and Cheng Yue were once lovers. Couples have intimate cues, and he knows how to make Cheng Yue lose control. Cheng Yue recognizes this signal, leading to the bed scene.”
Li Qianxing nodded thoughtfully – this explained the logic he couldn’t grasp earlier.
He Zhanpeng smiled. “Take a break, then we’ll film as before, carrying the emotions into the kiss scene. Don’t hold back; the last take was great. If the kiss scene proves difficult, we’ll reshoot it separately.”
He then sent them to touch up their makeup and prepare.
Jiang Lin, after his touch-up, accepted gum from Xiao Ding but noticed Xiao Zhu giving Li Qianxing a small bottle. Li Qianxing turned away to spray it in his mouth.
Curious, Jiang Lin asked, “What’s that?”
Xiao Zhu explained, “Breath freshener. Li-ge uses it before kiss scenes, even for simulated ones.”
Jiang Lin looked at the spray Li Qianxing returned to Xiao Zhu, then at his gum. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Li-ge, mind if I use the spray?”
Li Qianxing replied, “Go ahead.”
Jiang Lin used the spray and returned the gum to Xiao Ding. “Remember to prepare spray in the future.”
Xiao Ding nodded repeatedly.
Noticing Li Qianxing’s distraction, Jiang Lin asked softly, “Still unsure how to act it?”
Their challenges differed. Jiang Lin’s lay in “releasing” – his outbursts needed to be just right, conveying his emotional turmoil without seeming unreasonable.
Li Qianxing’s challenge was in “restraining” – gradually revealing emotional changes through dialogue while subtly maintaining control in the latter half, without being too obvious.
Li Qianxing flipped through the script. “I don’t see details of Ji Ming’an making Cheng Yue lose control in the campus flashbacks. I’ve never dated, so how are these intimate cues usually shown?”
Jiang Lin was also stumped – he lacked dating experience too.
After a moment of mutual bewilderment, Jiang Lin suggested, “Why don’t we create a secret signal?”
Li Qianxing considered this and nodded. “Good idea. We can try incorporating it into the campus scenes later.”
They began discussing quietly.
Xiao Zhu, observing Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin’s closeness, felt something was off.
She recalled them politely addressing each other as “teacher” just yesterday. How had they become so familiar overnight? Could one argument scene in the script have brought not just the characters, but also the actors, closer?
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