SH – Chapter 18

The follow PD filmed them from the front passenger seat.

The silver minivan drove on the frozen river, its swaying causing the two in the back seat to sit closer and closer. Yun Chu tried to use the momentum to shift away, but Jian You grabbed her wrist. “It’s better for the camera this way.”

“Oh,” Yun Chu quickly sat up straight and gave the camera a brilliant smile.

Although the filming location was in the countryside, it was more like the distant suburbs, an hour and a half’s drive from the city center, making it very accessible. Yun Chu had planned the day well: first, indoor rock climbing, then dinner, with a heart-to-heart talk in between to bring them closer.

The plan was wonderful; the execution, difficult.

For instance, she was now sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jian You, one side of her body completely stiff. She took a deep breath, and once the car was on the main road, she finally spoke up. “Teacher Jian.”

“Hm?” Jian You was replying to a message from her assistant. Even though she was away, her studio was still operating, and there were many matters to attend to.

“When did you realize you liked girls?”

Jian You’s fingers paused. She locked her phone screen and slowly turned her head. Yun Chu met her gaze, her peach blossom eyes glistening brightly. Jian You thought for a moment before saying, “My second year of high school, I think.”

“I watched a movie in my second year of high school where the female lead ended up with the second female lead,” Jian You recalled.

She had loved watching movies back then, treating it as both a hobby and a way to build her knowledge and broaden her horizons. It wasn’t that other works of art hadn’t hinted at homosexuality, but it was never the main plot, so she hadn’t paid it much mind. This film, however, was the one that opened the door to a whole new world for her.

Oh, so girls could love each other too.

Jian You asked, “What about you?”

Yun Chu answered with a question of her own. “Wasn’t there a specific person involved in your awakening?”

Jian You shook her head.

“How could that be?”

“I didn’t have time.”

Yun Chu let out a soft “ah.”

Public figures like them had no privacy, and that was especially true for Jian You, who had achieved fame at a young age. Her life story had been thoroughly dug up and laid bare.

Jian You’s family background was not good. Her parents had divorced early on, and her mother had raised her in poverty. Because of this, Jian You studied diligently. She hadn’t originally planned to apply to the film academy; after all, a career in the arts was an incredibly difficult path for a child from a poor family.

It was her mother who supported her in pursuing her dream.

Jian You had once casually mentioned this experience in an interview. She said that although they were poor, their home was always clean and filled with hope. Her mother took her to see a movie, and afterward, she said, “Xiao You, I want to see my daughter’s name listed as the director on the big screen. Make movies for me to watch, too!”

Jian You had said, “That’s a very difficult path.”

Her mother replied, “Then just keep walking! If you keep moving forward, you’ll eventually forge a path!”

Now, she had forged that path. She had directed numerous films that became box office champions domestically and were met with wide acclaim abroad. Everyone called her the genius, Director Jian.

Unfortunately, her mother-

Jian You clenched her fists and leaned a little closer to Yun Chu, pulling the conversation back. “What about you?”

Yun Chu snapped out of her thoughts. “Me? I do…”

There was a specific person.

Jian You looked ready to listen attentively.

The PD, Xiao Lan, zoomed the camera in, afraid of missing the slightest micro-expression so the observation guests would have plenty to analyze. Yun Chu rubbed her nose. “In college, I had a scene with a classmate in acting class that involved a stage kiss. I knew the guy well, but every time he got close, I just couldn’t take it. I’d either burst out laughing or push him away.”

“Who was your acting teacher?”

“Teacher Chen Yanming.”

“…He’s notoriously bad-tempered.”

“Yeah,” Yun Chu said, a little embarrassed. “Teacher Chen chewed me out, said I was unprofessional, and told me that if I couldn’t nail the scene by the next class, he’d fail me.”

“He still gave you another chance,” Jian You said thoughtfully. “He was being pretty nice to you.”

Yun Chu was a natural talent, having learned by osmosis from watching stage plays since she was a child. Chen Yanming was also an old acquaintance of her grandmother’s, and Yun Chu herself was likable and always smiling, so he gave her one more chance.

Jian You asked, “And then?”

“I stayed after class to keep rehearsing with my classmate, but the more anxious I got, the harder it was to get into character. Then, someone pushed open our classroom door.”

It was Jian You.

It was summer, and Jian You had just returned from location scouting. She was dressed simply and conservatively in a Peter Pan collar shirt and black overalls, which made her look two or three years younger than her actual age. She glanced at Yun Chu and the boy, assuming they were a young couple flirting, then looked around the room. “Is Teacher Chen’s next class in here?” she asked.

Yun Chu nodded. She recognized Jian You—a campus celebrity. It was impossible not to.

“Thanks.” Jian You pushed the door open and came inside.

“Let’s continue,” Yun Chu said, tugging at her classmate. “If all else fails, let’s just do it for real.”

The male classmate was horrified. “I have a girlfriend!”

Yun Chu declared righteously, “What do you know about sacrificing for art?”

As they bickered, Jian You suddenly asked, “Are you two doing improv?”

The male classmate replied, “Yeah!”

Jian You: “A kissing scene?”

Yun Chu, at her wit’s end, exclaimed, “Yeah!”

With a miserable look on her face, she said, “Teacher Chen is probably going to fail me!”

Jian You said nothing.

Yun Chu rubbed her face and grabbed her classmate’s wrist. “Let’s continue!”

The words had barely left her mouth when a hand pushed her shoulder. Caught off guard, Yun Chu stumbled backward, and an arm immediately wrapped around her waist. A fresh, faint scent wafted from the person, like sunshine after a snowfall.

Before Yun Chu could even register her shock, a hand cupped the back of her head. With a bit of pressure, she was forced to tilt her head back until her breath mingled with Jian You’s.

Yun Chu’s heart stopped.

They were too close.

So close that if either of them moved a single centimeter forward, their lips would touch. So close that she couldn’t hide her racing heart, which was screaming with affection and excitement.

After a moment, Jian You patted the back of her head and released her. “If you have a mental block, I suggest a more sudden approach. You’ll get desensitized after a few times.”

She turned away. “Don’t mention it.”

The male classmate standing nearby was stunned by Jian You’s powerful aura. It took him a moment to recover. He patted his chest and turned to Yun Chu, then let out a puzzled sound. “Yun Chu, why is your face so red?”

Was it just her face that was red?

No. Her wildly beating heart was also screaming: Do that a few more times!

---

But clearly, while this had been a pivotal moment in Yun Chu’s awakening, it was utterly insignificant in Jian You’s life. So, after Yun Chu finished her story, substituting “an upperclassman” for Jian You, Jian You showed no sign of remembering it.

She simply asked, “So, did you confess to the upperclassman?”

“No,” Yun Chu said. “The gap between us was too wide, so…”

Jian You nodded slowly.

As the two opened up to each other, Xiao Lan listened with relish. She sent a message to the camera crew’s group chat, saying the footage she was getting was absolutely captivating and that she already knew which trending topics to buy. She also advised everyone to invest in this ship early, because this pair definitely had a real chance!

Her roommate, another cameraperson and a fan of Jian You, scoffed at the message. Impossible. They both graduated from the film academy. They’re just acting!

Xiao Lan glanced at the two in the back seat.

Yun Chu had found a funny video somewhere and had put one of her Bluetooth earbuds into Jian You’s ear. Their heads were huddled together as they watched intently.

Xiao Lan secretly snapped a photo and sent it to the group.

Xiao Lan: Is this mysterious smile on her lips also part of the act?

Roommate: Yep! Everyone knows our Director Jian is a phenomenal actress.

Xiao Lan: [Jian You looking at Yun Chu with a smile.jpg]

Roommate: I’m gonna kill you…

Roommate: What do you gain from hurting me like this?

Xiao Lan: [Jian You giving the earbud back to Yun Chu and helping her put it in.jpg]

Roommate: @Camera Crew Lead, I’m requesting an external shoot.

Camera Crew Lead: You just focus on filming Meng Zhaozhao and Wen Xi! How are they doing? [I ship it, I ship it.jpg]

Roommate: …They’re so awkward, I’m cringing hard enough to carve out a Disney castle.

Roommate: But Meng Zhaozhao has a pretty good memory. She actually remembered that Wen Xi is allergic to cilantro and even knows which perfume she likes.

Camera Crew Lead: [Carefully gathering crumbs into my snakeskin bag.jpg]

Roommate: Don’t get your hopes up.

Camera Crew Lead: Salary deduction warning.

The group chat immediately fell silent.

Meanwhile, Yun Chu and Jian You arrived at the indoor rock climbing gym. After listening to a staff member explain the safety procedures and double-checking their gear, they began climbing at the same time.

There was no specific task, and since Yun Chu was a regular, she climbed casually, even finding the breath to chat with Jian You.

“Teacher Jian, what should we eat later?”

“How about barbecue?”

“We absolutely have to have a huge feast!”

“Oh, and I want to buy some clothes. Let’s go shopping, maybe get a down jacket. You look so cold in that overcoat.”

“Teacher Jian-”

“Stop talking!” Jian You, who had been offering only brief replies, finally cut her off as she reached the top of the wall. Her voice trembled slightly. “You’re noisy.”

Yun Chu paused. “Teacher Jian… are you afraid of heights?”

Jian You: “No.”

Her profile was noble and aloof, but her voice was trembling. Seemingly aware that her act wasn’t very convincing, she shot Yun Chu a sharp glance. Yun Chu immediately said, “My mistake.”

Jian You: “Mm.”

Yun Chu traversed the holds over to Jian You’s position and held out her hand. “Give me your hand.”

Jian You: “Hm?”

Yun Chu wiggled her fingers. “Let’s go down together.”

Jian You pressed her lips together, looking reluctant. “I can do it myself.”

Yun Chu: “Then go down by yourself?”

Jian You frowned.

After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out. But before Yun Chu could take her hand, Jian You flipped her own over, enclosing Yun Chu’s in her palm and squeezing lightly. “Let’s go.”

And then she leaped.

As the safety rope lowered them rapidly, the attached GoPro jostled about, and by a stroke of luck, the frame froze on their clasped hands. Later, after the episode aired, the term “suspension bridge effect” became a hot topic of discussion.

In this context, it meant cutting off all paths of advance or retreat, then embracing you with all one’s might, allowing feelings of affection to blossom amidst the accelerated heartbeat.

Netizens lamented: It’s a shame the camera was focused on their hands and the GoPro was crooked. We couldn’t see their expressions, otherwise we could have done a proper analysis!

And: I wish I could possess the cameraperson’s body. Shipping them from the front lines must be incredible!

To this, Xiao Lan just wanted to say: I’m shipping them so hard I’ve lost my mind.