Jian You was so exasperated by Yun Chu she had to laugh.
She turned on her side, her back to Yun Chu, and opened the transfer page. After looking at it for a moment, she replied: Do I look like I need your money?
Yun Chu: Teacher Jian was the one who named her price.
Yun Chu: 【Kitten rolling around acting cute.jpg】
Y: …What are you looking at me for?
Yun Chu: Getting a close-up look at the famous great Director Jian is a dream for so many people in the entertainment industry! It’s something money can’t buy, okay?
Y: …
Yun Chu gazed at Jian You’s back, her heart blooming with delight. She never knew teasing Jian You could be so much fun. Jian You usually had an air of keeping everyone at arm’s length, but she was actually so… cute.
Just as she was thinking this, Jian You suddenly turned around.
Her eyes were closed, her long lashes casting faint shadows on her face. With an air of resignation, her lips moved slightly. “Go on, look.”
Five minutes.
Three hundred seconds.
The rain outside continued to pitter-patter, counting down the time she had to gaze at Jian You like a timer. Her eyes traveled from the arch of Jian You’s brow to the corner of her eye, then slid down the straight bridge of her nose to land on her lips.
She had kissed those lips, their mouths had met.
Too much time had passed; she had forgotten what it felt like. She only remembered the pain when Jian You had grabbed the back of her neck and forcefully kissed her. She had obediently wrapped her arms around Jian You’s neck, the words she wanted to say choked back. She had wanted to say there was no need for force, that it was exactly what she wanted.
The rain lightened. The wind howled, rustling the branches and sweeping the withered yellow leaves far away.
Yun Chu’s gaze was so tangible that Jian You could feel it intensely, even with her eyes closed. She had once read a novel where the two protagonists were also lying in the same bed. In the quiet of the night, they stared into each other’s eyes, and after thirty seconds, they kissed.
Thank goodness my eyes are closed, Jian You thought. Otherwise, she couldn’t imagine what might happen tonight.
The five minutes passed so slowly, second by agonizing second. It was torment, yet she enjoyed it. She had to admit she liked this kind of attention—an inescapable gaze meant for her and her alone.
Finally, she heard Yun Chu say, “Teacher Jian, good night.”
“Good night,” she replied.
The ear pressed against the pillow quietly turned red.
It was a dreamless night.
When Yun Chu woke up, Jian You was no longer in bed. The blanket was folded neatly, and the sheets were still warm, suggesting she had just gotten up.
It was winter, after all, and she wasn’t in a hurry to get to the company, so Yun Chu lazed in bed for a while.
Chen Jing had also sobered up and finally remembered her. She sent several messages asking where she was and reminding her to come to the company to go over her contract today. Yun Chu replied that she was at Jian You’s place and would be at the company by ten.
Chen Jing: !!!
Chen Jing: Are you and Jian You already at the “take her home” stage?
Yun Chu: We’re at the “sleep in the same bed” stage.
Chen Jing: Holy shit!
Chen Jing: You slept together?
Chen Jing: [Horrified]
Yun Chu: Don’t spread rumors!
Yun Chu: We just lay in the same bed and slept with our eyes closed.
Chen Jing: Oh.
Chen Jing: kdl (kē dào le | Lit. “have gotten the addiction” | English equivalent: I ship it.)
Yun Chu: ?
Chen Jing: It means I get it.
Yun Chu: You’d better.
Yun Chu: By the way, I have an acting class at the company this morning. I’ll come see you in the afternoon.
Chen Jing: Aren’t acting classes for the trainees?
Yun Chu: This class is taught by a teacher from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. I have to attend.
Chen Jing: Learning never ends.
Chen Jing: Why don’t you just have Jian You teach you?
Yun Chu: I only want to talk about feelings with her.
Chen Jing: kswlkswl (kē sǐ wǒ le | Lit. “the ship has killed me” | English equivalent: I’m dead. / They’re going to be the death of me)
Yun Chu: ?
Chen Jing: It means ‘I’m crying my eyes out.’ I’m shedding tears for your professionalism.
Yun Chu: …
Downstairs.
The rain outside was very light, falling in a fine mist that drifted through the cold air. Jian You had gotten up early to take Liuyue for a walk. Liuyue had rolled around in the mud and was promptly tossed into the bathroom upon their return.
When Yun Chu came downstairs, Jian You was squatting at the bathroom door, blow-drying Liuyue. The dog panted obediently, smiling at Yun Chu, who instinctively raised a hand. “Morning.”
Without looking back, Jian You said, “Morning.”
After a pause, she added, “Breakfast is in the living room.”
Wen Yi’s cooking was truly excellent. Even her egg pancakes were more delicious than the ones sold outside. The freshly ground soy milk was fragrant and sweet. Yun Chu praised it as she ate, saying the last time she’d had such a delicious egg pancake was when her grandmother made it.
“What a pity!” Yun Chu said regretfully. “Nowadays, my grandma would only let me have a taste of her slipper.”
Wen Yi laughed. “No grandparent stays truly angry with their granddaughter. If you coax her a little, your grandma will surely forgive you.”
Yun Chu tugged at the corners of her mouth. “My old lady is really stubborn. She can’t be coaxed.”
Unless she gave up the entertainment industry right now and went into stage acting, her grandmother would surely set off firecrackers to welcome her back to Qingyao Alley and boast to everyone she met that her granddaughter was exceptionally talented with superb acting skills.
“Wen Yi,” Jian You said, walking out of the bathroom. “I’d like some fruit.”
“Alright.” Wen Yi stood up. “How about a mix of apple and white peach? Or would you prefer mango?”
White peach?
Jian You’s gaze quickly swept over Yun Chu. “Let’s have the white peach.”
“What about Xiao Chu?”
“I’ll have the same as Teacher Jian!”
Jian You sat down next to her and picked up Ludeng, who was sleeping nearby, to pet him in her lap. After a moment, she asked, “Are you going to the company today?”
“Mhm,” Yun Chu nodded. “I have to make a trip to the company.”
“…I’ll take you.”
“Huh?” Yun Chu’s eyes widened slightly. “That would be too much trouble… Thank you for the trouble, Teacher Jian.”
Mangosteen Entertainment must have a special class on how to seize an opportunity, right?
Although she had said her grandmother was hard to coax, when she heard movement from next door as they were leaving, Yun Chu still stirred with the urge to climb the wall and greet the old woman.
As she hesitated, Jian You asked, “Want to climb the wall?”
Yun Chu: “Mhm…”
Jian You: “There’s water on the wall. It’s slippery.”
Yun Chu: “I’m very good at it.”
Jian You: “…What I mean is, there’s a ladder.”
Actually, the first time Yun Chu had come over to “borrow” Jian You’s wall, Wen Yi had told her they had a ladder she could use. But it was a sunny day back then, and Yun Chu had dusted off her hands and politely declined, “It’s fine, I’m great at climbing walls.” The wall wasn’t very high. Using a nearby rock for a boost, with a whoosh and a thump, she was over. So Wen Yi never mentioned it again. Of course, Yun Chu was always in such a rush that there was never a chance to talk to her anyway. It was always a whoosh and a thump, followed by a bonus, “Thanks, Wen Yi!”
Seeing Yun Chu remain silent, Jian You asked, “You don’t need it?”
Yun Chu quickly said, “I do!”
So they set up the ladder. She climbed it rung by rung, and the neighboring courtyard came into full view. Ding Linping loved to grow flowers, so the yard was in bloom year-round. It was winter now, and the red plum blossoms were blooming brilliantly.
The old woman was wearing a down jacket and seemed to have just returned from outside. She wasn’t holding an umbrella. It was unclear who she was sending a voice message to, but her face was full of pride. “Everyone come over tonight. Right here in the yard. My treat. We’ll have hot pot and admire the plum blossoms.”
“Grandma, I want hot pot too,” Yun Chu said suddenly, holding onto the ladder. Her voice startled the old woman, who clutched her chest and took several steps back, glaring at her. “You’ll give me a heart attack one of these days!”
She asked, puzzled, “Why are you next door so early in the morning?”
Yun Chu: “I slept next door last night.”
“Slept next door?” Ding Linping thought for a moment. She took good care of herself and even wore makeup when she went out; you could tell she had been a great beauty in her youth. Now, her willow-like eyebrows shot up. “You’re having sleepovers at other people’s houses now, are you? A man or a woman? What’s your relationship?”
“…Grandma, calm down.”
“Calm down? I’m perfectly calm! Where’s my slipper?!”
“Grandma, Grandma! Calm down! Jian You lives next door! Don’t you know Jian You? The famous director! Dad’s favorite movie, Kissed the Deep Sea, was directed by her!”
“Jian You? The one you’re filming that dating show with?”
“Huh? Grandma, you’re paying pretty close attention to me!”
“You wretched girl!” Ding Linping grew even angrier. “You’re filming a dating show and you’ve already ended up in bed with her! Are you trying to kill me with anger? Get down here, I’m going to give you a beating today!”
“No, no, no! I didn’t! I didn’t!” Seeing her grandmother about to charge over, Yun Chu scrambled down the ladder, nearly tripping and falling as she jumped off the last rung. Jian You caught her steadily in her arms.
A soft, fragrant embrace.
Yun Chu’s mind wandered for two seconds. Feeling Jian You’s hand on her waist, she couldn’t help but lean further into the embrace and explain in a small voice, “Teacher Jian, I was so scared my legs went weak.”
Jian You: “…Oh.”
Yun Chu raised her voice. “Grandma! I have to go to the company soon, so I won’t come in to talk! Also, Teacher Jian and I are innocent!”
Ding Linping: “Pah!”
Yun Chu knew when to quit while she was ahead. She straightened up from Jian You’s arms, spread her hands, and said, “See? I told you. My old lady is very stubborn.”
“What did you do?” Jian You opened an umbrella, handed one to Yun Chu, and asked as they walked out.
She had only heard from Wen Yi that Yun Chu had made a mistake that angered her grandmother, which was why she wasn’t allowed in the house. But Yun Chu had never explained the specifics. Yun Chu opened her umbrella and caught up, sighing. “It was nothing much.”
After giving a brief, understated account, they happened to walk out of the scenic area.
The breakfast vendors at the entrance were packing up. They had missed the morning rush hour, so the roads were clear. Jian You drove in silence. After turning at the next intersection, she finally said, “It’s a good thing you didn’t listen to her.”
Yun Chu: “Hmm?”
Jian You: “Otherwise, who would be my female lead?”
Yun Chu’s eyes curved into a smile. “Right, right. I persevered in the entertainment industry despite all the suppression just so I could be a movie’s female lead one day. Teacher Jian won’t fire me under pressure from my grandma, will she?”
Jian You tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “I won’t.”
She said, “I’m like you. I won’t do something I don’t want to do, even if someone tries to force me.”
Yun Chu paused. “Like me?”
Jian You: “Last night.”
Yun Chu understood. She was talking about the incident with the drinks last night. She felt a little embarrassed. “I thought you’d think I have low EQ.”
Jian You said, “He’s the one with low EQ. And my film crew doesn’t need a producer who forces my female lead to drink.”
Yun Chu’s heart softened.
In truth, she had known for a long time that whenever she said no in a professional setting, everyone thought she was being willful. They thought she didn’t need to adhere to unnecessary principles, that she was inflexible, and that she was offending people without even realizing it.
Only Jian You truly understood her and empathized with her.
The car made another turn, entering the street where Mangosteen Entertainment was located.
From a distance, she could see a group of fans milling around the base of the building. Yun Chu was used to this. Mangosteen Entertainment had produced countless stars. When they didn’t have any scheduled appearances, any star who wasn’t on vacation would come to the company on workdays. So, fans would come to the building to see if they could catch a glimpse of their idols.
As an 18th-tier actress, Yun Chu naturally didn’t receive this kind of treatment. She always used the main entrance, walking in openly like a regular person.
But she had forgotten. She might be an unknown with little recognition, but what fan didn’t know Jian You? What fan hadn’t drooled over the “pie” of a role in the best director’s next work for their own little idol? Even if the fans didn’t recognize her, would the paparazzi staking out the building fail to identify Jian You?
And so, that morning, #JianYouDrivesYunChuToWork# shot up the hot search rankings with incredible speed.
“???”
“I don’t get it.”
“Didn’t the first recording for Little Tricks for Love already end? Is there a daily life segment too? Why is our princess driving some 18th-tier actress to work? My fucking fists are clenched!”
“Am I the only one curious about what those two did last night…”
“What did they do last night? Do tell?”
“Holy shit, first time in my life seeing Jian You drive someone to work. My whole family is shook, I’m telling you…”
“Jian You even held an umbrella for her all the way to the door!”
“Wait, is that someone waiting for Yun Chu at the entrance? The pretty one holding an umbrella and wearing an off-white coat. If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that Jiang Yu, the head of Mangosteen Entertainment’s film department?”
“What what? The head of the film department, Jiang Yu, is personally greeting Yun Chu at work???”
“Congratulations to Yun Chu’s fans (if any exist), you’ve latched onto royalty. Who wouldn’t be jealous of this treatment?”
“Is it just me? I’m sensing a bit of a shuraba vibe here. hiss hiss Is the show’s crew filming this? Can I see this scene on the show? I really love a good love triangle, just saying…”
“Jiang Yu??? What kind of people are you promoting? My bias works so diligently and you don’t support them, but you promote someone like this? Mangosteen Entertainment should just go bankrupt!”
“I’m telling you, some of you are going too far. You really think Yun Chu has no fans? What do you mean, ‘someone like this’? Our Yun Chu’s currently airing drama, The You I First Met, is this season’s hit drama, okay? Her highlight role has over ten million discussion posts, okay? All I can say is Jiang Yu has good taste. If she’s not promoting your bias, maybe you should consider if your bias is just useless.”
“kswlkswl”
“Sisters, the Super Topic has been created! Find it at ##SuperTopicJiaJianChengChu#”
Super Topic Name: Jia Jian Cheng Chu
Super Topic Bio: Jian You x Yun Chu
Use your lens to build our world.
Outside the Mangosteen Entertainment building.
Completely unaware of the online discussions, Yun Chu was slightly surprised to see Jiang Yu standing at the entrance. She greeted her, “Hello, President Jiang.” She glanced behind her. “Is someone important visiting the company today?”
To think that Jiang Yu would personally come to greet them.
Jiang Yu smiled. She looked at Jian You, then took a step forward, but her words were for Yun Chu. “You are.”
Yun Chu: “What?”
Jiang Yu said, “I was waiting for you.”
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