The next morning.
Ji Yaoguang opened her bleary eyes and reached out from under the covers to press her temples. The cold wind seeping through the window gap gradually brought her to full consciousness. She only remembered drinking a few glasses of strong alcohol and being brought back by Chang Yu. The sad dream also left only a vague outline, its intense melancholy largely dissipated. Covering her mouth to yawn, she realized Chang Yu had already left early. Squinting as she tried to recall, she vaguely remembered someone speaking by her ear.
Online rumors had fermented overnight, reaching a boiling point. Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang remained silent, which was seen as a sign of guilt. Meanwhile, Ji Kaiyang, having identified the mastermind behind the scenes, smiled coldly and released a statement on Weibo. Bian Yuting, Lu Yusheng, and others quickly reposted it. Such childish and laughable tactics could only be the work of someone who had lost their senses. With this face-slapping turn of events, fans of Ji Yaoguang and Chang Yu became active again, and those who had been wavering now denounced their own doubts.
—Slapped in the face now, aren't you?
—Ji Yaoguang actually has such a strong background, my god! What else don't I know?
—Could it really be German bone science?
—What's with the sarcasm? Hating for the sake of hating, how difficult is your life?
—The question comes back: have Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang really divorced?
—Of course not, Brother Ji already said so. I think we need to be more enthusiastic, otherwise other CP fans will run wild!
—Who exactly leaked this information? Starting with Zhao Qing? A woman with evil intentions, I disliked her from the start. Always riding on our goddess's popularity, trying to cling to her coattails, truly shameless.
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"Do you remember? The original actress for the second female lead in the production was someone called Li Yaoyao, but she was kicked out due to issues with her conduct and acting skills. She only got the role by sleeping with Huahan's CEO, Shi Kaiwen. After she left, Yaoguang took over her role, so she blamed everything on Yaoguang. Of course, she doesn't have much power or influence herself, but Shi Kaiwen can manipulate some things behind the scenes," Ji Kaiyang said, his lips twitching into a gloomy smile, though his voice remained gentle as he spoke to Ji Yaoguang. "You just focus on your filming. By the way, aren't you going on a date with Yuqin tomorrow? It's a good opportunity, you need to think carefully about how to win her back. Don't keep things bottled up inside, just speak to her directly. If Yuqin can't open up, you need to keep asking. Never forget communication and trust."
"Thanks, Brother. I understand," Ji Yaoguang nodded, her voice filled with determination.
Ji Yaoguang's anticipation for the next day affected her performance.
Director Li felt somewhat helpless. After calling "Cut!" and smoking a cigarette, he patted Ji Yaoguang's shoulder and said earnestly, "Look, Little Ji, in this scene you're supposed to be in conflict with Yun Yanhui. What's with that irrepressible smile in your eyes? Did you win a five million jackpot or something? If we can't finish this scene, we'll have to keep pushing it back. If we really can't complete it, we won't rest tomorrow."
This wouldn't do at all. Forget about the other actors killing her with their glares, even she would regret it. How could she give up such a hard-won date? Glancing at Chang Yu, whose calm face showed no ripples of emotion, Ji Yaoguang was about to adjust her mood when she suddenly heard Chang Yu's voice.
"Apart from what Director Li mentioned about your mind wandering, you have another issue: interaction. This isn't a one-person show. You can't just mechanically go through your preset actions. You didn't forget this before, but now, as your attention wanders, you've forgotten this point. Mechanical actions reveal inner emptiness. Sometimes you need to use other means to show the character's rich, powerful inner life. We're over halfway through filming; you should have a grasp on Princess Pingyang's mental world by now," Chang Yu's tone was as bland as plain water.
Ji Yaoguang lowered her head, not daring to meet Chang Yu's gaze. Her ears reddened slightly with shame.
"Actors easily bring their original thoughts and personal emotions from real life into their performances, especially when distracted. It's easier to be influenced by your usual life then."
"The best state is to be completely drawn in by the character's inner world, to become one with them, right?" Ji Yaoguang's eyes sparkled. She looked up at Chang Yu, seemingly waiting for a definitive answer. Becoming one with the character was actually challenging, especially for today's actors, most of whom struggle to achieve this. In the three years without Chang Yu, Ji Yaoguang's acting had improved greatly, but sometimes she still found it difficult to reach that state of perfect unity. To put it plainly, it often came down to luck.
"Let's go again. Focus your attention," Chang Yu nodded slightly, seeing the seriousness in Ji Yaoguang's eyes, a hint of joy spreading in her heart. After a pause, she added, "If we still can't get through this take, we'll cancel tomorrow's date." In Chang Yu's eyes, Ji Yaoguang sometimes seemed like a child needing encouragement.
With Chang Yu speaking up, how could Ji Yaoguang dare to let her wandering thoughts disrupt the filming progress again? Her state had already improved significantly, but compared to Chang Yu's complete immersion in the role, her performance still fell short of satisfying Director Li. Her aura was overshadowed by Chang Yu's; in the play, Yun Yanhui was merely neither servile nor overbearing, while Princess Pingyang was the most flamboyant. "One more time," Director Li's words were rather cruel, essentially sentencing Ji Yaoguang to death. Her face immediately fell, her expression filled with unhappiness. Chang Yu sighed inwardly, squeezing Ji Yaoguang's hand hidden in her sleeve and mouthing "continue." Ji Yaoguang instantly understood her meaning and nodded vigorously.
The relaxed yet disciplined atmosphere of Director Li's production was enviable to others. While office workers were starting their short holidays, actors in some productions were half-jokingly talking about their fatigue, busyness, and dedication, earning a wave of sympathy. Ji Yaoguang, however, was in high spirits, fussing over her appearance in her room, looking at the simple bottles, jars, and clothes, sighing regretfully that she hadn't brought much with her. Hearing a knock at the door, she hurriedly tidied things up, calling out, "Just a moment, I'll be right there."
Chang Yu leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed, looking down at the messages on her phone. Lu Yusheng had said the MV was wrapped up before New Year's Day and asked if she wanted to go feast in a newly discovered food alley. Who knew that the usually composed and reserved superstar Lu was such a foodie in private. "Firstly, I have plans, and secondly, I wouldn't dare snatch food from a tiger's mouth. You go ahead," Chang Yu replied. She remembered a previous incident when she and Lu Yusheng went for a legendary feast, and she took the first bite as the dishes were served, earning a death glare from Lu Yusheng.
Ji Yaoguang wasn't usually the type to dawdle, but this time— Chang Yu had already replied to all her messages out of boredom and even good-naturedly interacted with a few fans on Weibo, while Ji Yaoguang, who said she'd be out in a moment, still showed no sign of emerging. Just as she was about to make a call, a familiar figure caught her eye.
It was Jiang Huai.
Although he also stayed in the hotel, this floor only had her and Ji Yaoguang. What was Jiang Huai doing here? Frowning slightly, her gaze met Jiang Huai's. Before she could say anything, a look of surprise and embarrassment flashed across his face, and he abruptly turned and hurried away.
With a creak, Ji Yaoguang finally opened the door. Following Chang Yu's gaze, she saw only the corridor stretching into darkness and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you looking at?"
Chang Yu seemed lost in thought. She turned back to examine Ji Yaoguang closely, suddenly asking, "Are you close with Jiang Huai?"
What kind of question was that? Ji Yaoguang deflated instantly. She had thought Chang Yu might compliment her, but instead, her words were completely unrelated to what she had been thinking. After a moment of confusion, she replied, "Not very close, but Jiang Huai often tries to curry favor for no reason. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing—" Chang Yu instinctively wanted to shake her head in denial, but swallowed her words and instead said, "I just saw him walking this way, probably coming to find you."
"......" Ji Yaoguang quickly raised her hands, shaking her head like a rattle drum, "I didn't invite him, I have no idea why he's gone crazy and come here. If the media caught this, it really wouldn't be my fault. I'm innocent."
"I know," Chang Yu gave her an amused glare, reaching out to pinch the fluffy ball hanging from her hat. After all that dawdling, Ji Yaoguang had changed into an outfit that was a complete surprise, though it looked warm and fluffy, certainly capable of withstanding the bitter winter wind.
Ji Yaoguang lowered her gaze to Chang Yu's hand and asked softly, "Where are we going?"
Chang Yu pondered for a moment before replying, "The cinema."
......For most couples, choosing to watch a movie on a date was a very ordinary thing. They had often gone to movies together during their university days, but now that Chang Yu had suggested it, it felt somewhat strange. Ji Yaoguang lowered her head. Chang Yu didn't see her expression and couldn't guess her thoughts, so she continued, "We're going to see 'Genesis'." This was a fantasy comedy starring the award-winning actor Han Shaoyi, with both high box office returns and critical acclaim.
Of course, Ji Yaoguang wouldn't refuse Chang Yu. She was just relieved there weren't any too familiar faces in it.