“I’ll only teach you once, so learn well.”
A breathy whisper, tinged with alcohol, fell indistinctly into her ear, making the tip of her heart tingle and go numb. Yun Chu lay on her back, gasping for air like a dying fish. In a daze, she smelled Jian You’s perfume.
A light, fresh scent, like a breeze rustling through a forest, rippling a pool of spring water.
She heard herself ask, “…Teach what?”
The light from the wall lamp cast a hazy, ambiguous filter, blurring Jian You’s face, which was just inches away. Her long hair, which had been pinned up, came loose and brushed softly, ticklishly, against Yun Chu’s neck.
She thought, Jian You was a genius director, brilliant at coaching actors. Many students from the acting department, drawn by her reputation, had taken her small club classes. Yun Chu, for her part, never missed a single one. Although her true intentions lay elsewhere, she had at least learned a thing or two.
But it was obvious that Jian You wasn’t about to teach her acting techniques now.
Jian You leaned down, bit the collar of her shirt, and pulled. Just as Yun Chu realized what was happening, Jian You took her in her mouth. The arch of her foot tensed abruptly, and the ceiling swam in and out of focus.
Whispers, kisses, a bone-deep entanglement.
She kept falling, lost in extreme pleasure.
Sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Yun Chu was jolted awake by her phone ringing.
She struggled to wakefulness, her hand fumbling by the pillow until it found her phone. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered. Less than two seconds later, her agent Chen Jing’s loud, piercing voice filled the entire room. “Yun Chu! I’m going to take you down with me today!”
Yun Chu, accustomed to this, pulled off her sleep mask. Her just-woken voice was lazy. “What is it?”
“What is it? You’re asking me what it is?” Chen Jing fired back like a machine gun. “You actually accepted a spot on Little Tricks for Love behind my back? Who approved it? Who gave you permission? You’re not telling me you didn’t know the main guests this season are all lesbians, are you?”
Little Tricks for Love…?
Her sluggish brain gradually woke up. Yun Chu let out an “ah.” “I know-da!”
“Know-da my ass!” Chen Jing was completely immune to her forced cuteness. She pounded a fist on the hotel room door. “Get out of bed and open up!”
Two minutes later.
Yun Chu was on the bed and Chen Jing was off it, the two of them staring at each other.
After a moment of staring, Chen Jing rolled her eyes at her, kicked off her high heels, crossed her legs, and parted her red lips. “Alright, Miss Yun, spit it out. What were you thinking?”
Yun Chu’s eyes darted upward. “…I wasn’t thinking much of anything. They invited me, so I accepted.”
“I asked the producer. She said you approached the production team yourself.”
“Sister Jing, your powers are as vast as the legends say!”
“Cut the flattery!”
If you asked Chen Jing herself, in her ten-plus years in the industry, she’d managed countless struggling actors. Some had soared and left the company, while others had quit the business and faded into obscurity. But when people mentioned her, they would all say, “Sister Jing is a good person with strong professional skills.” Turning down a resource for one of her talents was something that would never happen.
But Little Tricks for Love was different.
Little Tricks for Love, formerly known as 30 Days of Cohabitation, was an observational reality show. The production team invited three groups of guests: a romantic couple, a pair of brothers, and a pair of best friends.
The guests were all A-list celebrities, so the show was already popular. The final episode, however, broke the platform’s viewership records, because in that episode, the two best friends came out and got together.
That same year, the romantic couple announced they had gotten married.
A year later, the brothers also…
Netizens: Every pair that comes on gets together. It’s a dating show, it has to be a dating show!
So, when preparing for the second season, the production team had a flash of inspiration. Riding the wave of popularity, they changed the theme to a dating show. It was originally supposed to be for heterosexual couples, but with same-sex marriage having been legalized in the last two years, the new season was set to feature same-sex couples.
Was this participating in a variety show?
This was coming out of the closet!
Chen Jing said, “I’m turning it down for you.”
Yun Chu immediately objected. “No.”
Chen Jing raised an eyebrow. “What? Can’t make it in the entertainment industry anymore, so you’re planning to find a girlfriend and retire?”
“I’m doing it for my career!” Yun Chu flopped onto the bed, propping her chin on one hand and raising the other in a three-fingered pledge. Seeing Chen Jing’s obvious disbelief, she said sullenly, “I don’t have any projects lined up after the spring. I need something to get my face out there, right?”
Chen Jing smiled sweetly. “Since when were you so career-minded?”
Yun Chu had started acting in her sophomore year of college and signed with the company in her junior year. As of this December, she had been in the business for a full four years. If nothing else, she loved acting. In an entertainment world dominated by online traffic and variety show appearances, she had persevered, working her way up from an extra to a supporting actress.
Unfortunately, her luck was terrible. Of the five shows she had filmed, four were still waiting to be broadcast. The only one that had aired was a guest role where she had a total of three minutes and fourteen seconds of screen time. The camera cut away before the audience could even get a good look at her face.
Chen Jing was anxious. She’d say, if acting isn’t working out, we can at least do some variety shows to get your face out there, right?
But Yun Chu refused. She’d placate Chen Jing, “Don’t be anxious.”
Chen Jing: “How can I not be anxious?”
Yun Chu: “Anyway, my acting salary isn’t even as much as I make in a month from my investments.”
Chen Jing: “…I’m begging you, please quit the entertainment industry and go inherit your family fortune!”
Yun Chu wouldn’t do that either. Maintaining a zen-like attitude, she refused variety shows, had zero endorsements, and muddled through the entertainment industry for several years on a fixed salary of five thousand yuan, basically on vacation all year round.
Eventually, Chen Jing grew numb to it and let her be. But now, she’d gone and accepted a dating show without a word.
Yun Chu silently accepted Chen Jing’s criticism and complaints. Only when she paused did Yun Chu say in a low voice, “People change.”
Chen Jing sneered. “You changed pretty fast, huh? Just last week you stressed to me that if you didn’t have a new script after this show wrapped, you were going on vacation. Where was it again?”
Yun Chu: “To cruise down Sunset Boulevard in California.”
Chen Jing continued to sneer.
Yun Chu: “Uh…”
“Wait a minute,” Chen Jing suddenly sat up straight. “Yun Chu, don’t tell me you only agreed to this because you heard Jian You was participating?”
It was as if a switch had been flipped. Yun Chu was suddenly plunged back into the dream from before. The intoxicating, romantic scene was veiled in a crimson filter. Even though four years had passed, the memory still made her blush and her heart race.
It was the brand Jian You had left on her.
“Stop dreaming. I know you want to get close to the great director, but you’ve never interacted with her, so you don’t know. With that otherworldly air of hers, how could she possibly participate in a dating show?” Chen Jing declared with certainty. “Unless she’s been cursed!”
Yun Chu wouldn’t give up. “I saw it on a gossip account, and Jian You’s studio never denied it.”
“I don’t even bother denying some of the rumors that get spread about you and me, let alone someone like Jian You. Who is Jian You? Do I need to recite her list of achievements for you?”
That wasn’t necessary.
Yun Chu sulked. She already knew Jian You’s achievements by heart.
Jian You, the youngest person to win Best Director at the Golden Deer Awards.
In her sophomore year, Jian You’s microfilm, Code Name Twenty-One, won a university director’s award. After its release, it surpassed one hundred million views in just five days. That same year, she became a student of Zhang Chenyao, a titan of the film industry, and wrote the screenplay for Selling, which won Best Screenplay at the Golden Deer Awards.
After graduating from university, she went to Boston for advanced studies and to prepare for her film Kissed the Deep Sea. The film, based on a true story and employing bold filming techniques, won the Golden Lion at an international film festival, as well as Best Actress and Best Picture at the Golden Deer Awards. It was also for this film that Jian You won Best Director.
In the seven years since her debut, she had won countless awards. Her position in the industry was solid, her career at its zenith.
Yun Chu mumbled, “But what if?”
Before Chen Jing could retort, she quickly changed the subject. “You didn’t come all this way just to scold me in person, did you? Are you here to see me off? But my flight isn’t until tonight.”
Chen Jing said, “Oh. Your flight’s been canceled.”
Yun Chu: “Huh?”
Chen Jing stood up, ruffled her hair, and said, “Recording a dating show with Jian You is a fantasy. But snagging a guest role in Jian You’s new series… now that’s a possibility.”
Yun Chu froze. “Huh???”
“Director Jian-”
On the noisy, chaotic outdoor set, a crew member came jogging over, her feet crunching on a thin layer of fresh snow. The hot air she exhaled dissipated in the sub-zero air. She ran breathlessly toward the tent. “Director Jian!”
She was stopped by an assistant before she could get close. “Wait a moment, the director is explaining a scene.”
The crew member quickly stepped aside.
A scene must have just finished. Jian You was sitting in a folding chair, holding a thermos. The male lead was squatting beside her, both of them focused intently on the image on the monitor. Jian You would occasionally say a few words in a low voice.
She was wearing a black down jacket. Black clothes, black hair, only her face was pale. Her lips, moistened, were a faint red.
A pale, cold beauty.
The assistant knew the crew member well. Seeing her look of relief, he asked, “Is it sorted out?”
The crew member couldn’t hide her happiness. “It’s sorted!”
The production they were on was a family drama series, a joint venture between a video platform and a television network. The male and female leads were both veteran actors, the screenwriter was one of the best in the business, and Zhang Chenyao himself had even stepped in to persuade Jian You to direct the series.
The production schedule had been proceeding smoothly, with only a small hiccup in the last couple of days.
It started when the platform wanted to insert a popular young star into a small, likable role to get them some screen time and, incidentally, have Jian You coach their acting. The platform was the biggest investor, so Jian You agreed. The screenwriter added scenes overnight, and the shoot was scheduled for that afternoon.
But that morning, they received a call from the actor’s agent, who claimed there was a scheduling conflict and demanded the shoot be postponed for two days.
The call went directly to Jian You. The agent’s voice was haughty. “Director Jian, you know how popular our Chun He is. That guest role you have… can you see about pushing it back a bit?”
Jian You listened, her expression unchanged. “The set is already dressed.”
The agent laughed. “I know, but next time-”
Jian You cut her off. “If you don’t come this time, don’t bother coming next time either.”
With that, she hung up the phone.
The set was already dressed, and the role was small anyway, so Jian You told a crew member to just grab a decent extra from the film studio lot.
As luck would have it, the crew member ran right into Sister Jing, the agent for the male lead of the production shooting next door, as their opening ceremony was taking place. After a brief chat, Sister Jing clapped her hands. “I have an actress under me who just wrapped up yesterday. She hasn’t left yet. How about I call her over for you?”
And so, they hit it off immediately.
After Jian You finished explaining the scene, the crew member relayed all this to her. Jian You asked, “Have you told Director You?”
Director You, the B-unit director, was in charge of this scene.
The crew member said, “Sister Jing gave me the actor’s resume. If you’re okay with it, I’ll go talk to Director You.”
Jian You flipped through the script, uninterested. “The part is ten minutes at most. I don’t need to see it. Go straight to Director You, don’t delay the rest of the shoot.”
The crew member thought that made sense. She said okay and was about to leave when Jian You suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up. “Wait.”
The crew member screeched to a halt. “What is it, Director!”
“Sister Jing, the one from Mangosteen Entertainment?”
“Yes!”
“…Let me see the actor’s resume.”
The resume was very standard. The ID photo on the first page had been taken with care. Against a blue background, a girl with a ponytail smiled at the camera, revealing straight, white teeth. She was beaming, full of energy.
Name, Yun Chu.
Zodiac, Gemini.
Her acting experience was extensive, listing everything from her latest triumph as a supporting actress down to her performances in school clubs. She had even included a time she had accidentally appeared as a background extra in a movie.
Jian You smiled.
She shook her head and handed the resume back to the crew member.
The crew member wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction and asked cautiously, “…Is there something wrong with this Yun Chu?”
“No,” Jian You lowered her head, looking thoughtful. “She went to the same university as me.”
The crew member had a sudden realization. I get it, she’s her junior. She needs to be taken care of!
The TV series was set primarily in an old alleyway, so the crew had built an alleyway set. The A-unit filmed outdoors, while the B-unit filmed indoors. From the outside, you could see the set for the female lead’s second-floor room.
Yun Chu’s guest role was that of a mature, charming tutor, a plot device to help advance the relationship between the male and female leads.
The female lead was a rebellious character, a typical delinquent girl who everyone, inside and outside of school, called “sister.” She was disdainful of the tutor and started smoking right in front of her.
Yun Chu pushed open the window, and the north wind swept in, carrying snowflakes.
“Cut.” Downstairs, just out of the camera’s view, Jian You stood up. She motioned for the actors to wait by the side, reviewed the footage, and nodded. “Alright, that’s it for today. Let’s wrap.”
The set immediately bustled with activity.
Jian You sat back down and took a sip of water from her thermos. After a moment’s thought, she decided to go upstairs and check on the B-unit’s progress. The hallway had been deliberately aged, with torn flyers and grime giving it a sense of history. She entered the room quietly. The crew made way for her, whispering, “Hello, Director Jian.”
Jian You gave a slight nod. Director You saw her too and waved her over, pointing at Yun Chu on the monitor and praising, “This young lady, she’s got spirit.”
Jian You smiled. “Is that so?”
“It’s true!” Director You, thinking she didn’t believe him, got excited. “You know how incredible our lead actress is, right? This girl can actually keep up with her, and she’s not being overshadowed at all…”
As Director You’s praise grew more and more effusive, Jian You, only half-listening, took out her phone.
There were three unread messages from her personal assistant, Xiao Liu.
【Director, that Manager He who came to the studio last time wanting to invest in the new film is back. The condition is the same as before: as long as you participate in Little Tricks for Love, the money will be transferred immediately.】
【Also, I got you the proposed guest list for Little Tricks for Love that you asked for last time.】
【Image】
Jian You opened the image.
The types of proposed guests were certainly diverse. There was a voice actress, a CEO, a photographer, and an actress.
She stared at the image for a moment. Hearing Yun Chu, who Director You was praising to the heavens, say “be good” to the female lead, she looked up from her phone and typed: “Tell him I agree.”
Although Yun Chu’s role was small, she appeared at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They shot all her scenes across three different sets in one go, not finishing until late in the evening.
As soon as Yun Chu wrapped and finished exchanging pleasantries with the director and actors, she was yanked away by Sister Jing.
Yun Chu said smugly, “I did pretty well just now, didn’t I? One take, no NGs. My professional skills are top-notch. Do you think I should add this highlight to my resume- Hey, hey, hey! Why are you pulling me!”
Chen Jing: “Jian You’s been cursed!”
Yun Chu: “…?”
Very interesting subject, regards for posting.