***
Chapter 63 – Rehearsing Lines
Jiang Liusui and He Yujing emerged from the dressing room.
Qin Yi happened to pass by and reminded Jiang Liusui, “Wei Zixiao seemed to have gone to your dressing room earlier.” He added that Wei Zixiao had looked somewhat unsettled when leaving.
“It’s fine,” He Yujing interjected. “Teacher Jiang already scared him off.”
Qin Yi: “…?”
Knowing Jiang Liusui had done it to appease him, He Yujing couldn’t resist boasting: “He just did something absolutely terrifying—”
Jiang Liusui gave him a playful nudge.
He Yujing promptly stopped.
Having grown accustomed to their antics, Qin Yi glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, asked bluntly, “Are you two dating?”
He Yujing hummed in affirmation, then deliberately stirred trouble by chiding Jiang Liusui with feigned gravity, “You’ve known each other for so long. How could you keep something like this from Qin-ge?”
Seeing that He Yujing was determined to be provocative today, Jiang Liusui grabbed him and said to Qin Yi, “I’ll take him away now.”
Qin Yi shook his head with a laugh and let them go.
Back in the hotel room, He Yujing noticed the script for ⟪Eternal Bell⟫ on the table and picked it up with interest. Having watched the filming on set today, he found the storyline quite intriguing.
Jiang Liusui had made notes and annotations throughout the script. As He Yujing was engrossed in reading, a hand reached over and snatched the script away.
Jiang Liusui asked, “Want to run lines with me? I need to familiarize myself with the script.”
There were still quite a few moments where he needed to portray Ling’s innocent side—a childlike mindset that made Ling exceptional, naïve to the point of being almost cruel.
He Yujing agreed. Jiang Liusui flipped to a later scene and handed the script back to him. “This one.”
***
After Li Yan’s death, Ling was grief-stricken. Even with the Soul-Binding Chain in place, although Ling obeyed Li Heng’s commands without question, he no longer sought closeness in private as he once had.
Ming Zhao couldn’t help asking, “Are you going to continue like this?”
Li Heng gave her a strange look. “Ling is a weapon. Do you expect me to cater to a weapon’s emotions?”
Ming Zhao was left speechless. Li Heng added, “Besides, it won’t last long. He’ll come around on his own soon enough.”
Sure enough, the next day, Li Heng passed under the pear tree, and pure white blossoms fell over him like rain—a prank seemingly long in the making.
“Where are you going?” the figure in the tree spoke to him first.
Just like in his memories, Ling was more restless than anyone when lonely, yet better than anyone at forgetting.
Otherwise, after centuries, he would have gone mad long ago.
***
Following the script, He Yujing remained silent. Jiang Liusui continued on his own, “I want to go out and play. I overheard the servants saying there’s a lantern festival in the capital tonight.”
“Alright.” He Yujing recited flatly, “Do you want me to accompany you?”
“You… would go with me?” Jiang Liusui’s expression flickered with surprise. Receiving a definite yes, he smiled and teased, “But you never used to accompany me before.”
He Yujing remained expressionless. “You never asked me to.”
If not for his pleasant voice, this monotonous delivery would have been unbearable.
“You…” Jiang Liusui meant to continue with the scene but couldn’t hold back. “Could you at least put some emotion into it?”
“Isn’t this how Qin Yi acts?”
He Yujing set down the script, recalling Qin Yi’s cold and ruthless demeanor during filming, and asked in confusion, “I even deliberately tried to imitate him.”
“……” Jiang Liusui realized he wasn’t joking and couldn’t bear to discourage him, so he tactfully said, “Just be yourself. Just read the lines, no need to act.”
“Alright, start over or continue?”
“Continue.” After speaking, Jiang Liusui quickly got back into character.
“Then I want to watch fireworks, and… I want to release floating lanterns on the river!”
He chattered away like a child, quickly forgetting any unhappiness. Even if the unhappiness between them was a matter of life and death, it was the same.
He Yujing nodded in agreement. Jiang Liusui made several more requests, and seeing that he agreed to all of them, Jiang Liusui said in surprise, “Why are you so easy to talk to today?”
Before He Yujing could answer, Jiang Liusui asked again, “Eldest Young Master, will you always be like this in the future?”
“How am I different from usual?” He Yujing lazily recited, “I’ve said it before—it’s you who never approaches me.”
“Then…” Jiang Liusui gazed at him as if seeing someone new he could fully rely on, tentatively grabbing his sleeve. “Where are you going? I want to go with you.”
The scene ended here.
Jiang Liusui snapped back to reality, staring blankly at his own hand gripping He Yujing’s.
He had originally intended to casually rehearse, but the soft emotions he had struggled to convey before came effortlessly with He Yujing. There was no awkwardness or stiffness in his performance.
He seemed to vaguely understand what Director Pei had always wanted him to naturally express.
He Yujing saw him looking at him joyfully and felt a slight tug on his hand—Jiang Liusui was holding onto him and not letting go.
Unlike usual, Jiang Liusui now resembled the enchanting Ling from the script. Even with a dependent expression, his eyes were like little hooks, more akin to luring someone to stay with him forever than merely acting cute or showing affection.
He Yujing’s expression darkened slightly as he grabbed Jiang Liusui’s hand in return.
Before Jiang Liusui could react, he was abruptly pulled into He Yujing’s embrace and heard him ask ambiguously, “Are you going to make that kind of expression in front of Qin Yi too?”
He Yujing had originally been lounging casually on the sofa.
Jiang Liusui couldn’t sit steadily on him and gradually slid down, instinctively wrapping his arms around He Yujing’s waist.
“It’s acting, all acting.” Seeing He Yujing’s jealousy, Jiang Liusui added, “Besides, I usually can’t act it out—it’s only with you that I can do this.”
As he spoke, he adjusted his posture, intending to get up, but He Yujing held him down.
“What do you mean?”
Unable to get up, Jiang Liusui simply lay against him, resting his head on He Yujing’s leg. “I’m not very good at expressing soft emotions. Every time we film similar scenes, I get NG.”
He mentioned the few scenes he had painstakingly managed to pull off before.
This was the first time He Yujing had heard Jiang Liusui talk about work-related difficulties. Setting aside his jealousy, he listened attentively.
After hearing him out, he gently stroked Jiang Liusui’s face. “Teacher Jiang also has things he can’t act well? Isn’t he quite good at acting cute?”
Jiang Liusui nuzzled against his leg as a response.
The two leaned against each other, neither speaking.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was exceptionally tender. Jiang Liusui was immersed in the warmth of being close to him when he suddenly felt a hand slip inside his clothes.
Jiang Liusui: “…?”
He looked up at He Yujing. Their eyes met for a moment before he took the initiative to say, “I don’t have any scenes tomorrow during the day.”
He liked physical contact and didn’t resist this kind of intimacy at all. Besides, it was rare for them to see each other.
He Yujing said nothing, but his hands didn’t stop moving.
Jiang Liusui trembled slightly, letting him do as he pleased.
Seeing him so cooperative, He Yujing lifted him into his arms, kissed him, and praised, “So well-behaved.”
The next morning.
Half-asleep, Jiang Liusui sensed some movement beside him and drowsily opened his eyes.
He vaguely remembered that He Yujing had to go to the company for a shoot in the morning, while he himself had no work during the day. Even though they had agreed the night before that He Yujing would take him along, Jiang Liusui’s voice was slightly hoarse as he asked, “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You were sleeping so soundly.” He Yujing hadn’t expected him to wake up and turned back to ask, “Do you want to go back to sleep?”
Knowing that Jiang Liusui still had scenes to film, he hadn’t dared to go too hard on him. Even so, Jiang Liusui hadn’t woken up when the alarm went off in the morning, seeming to have little energy left. He Yujing couldn’t bear to wake him.
“I want to go too…” Jiang Liusui mumbled as he groggily got up, nearly tumbling off the bed. He Yujing quickly steadied him and took him to the bathroom to freshen up.
The chill of cold water on his skin briefly roused Jiang Liusui. Once in the car, he even joked lightheartedly, “Am I your new assistant today?”
“Such a classic setup for a secret relationship,” He Yujing remarked with a sigh, then nodded. “Alright, let’s go with your idea then.”
“……”
The car slowly merged into the crowded morning traffic. After chatting with He Yujing for a while, drowsiness washed over Jiang Liusui again, and he dozed off briefly in the car.
Upon arriving at the company, Jiang Liusui dutifully put on a mask and hat, following He Yujing to the photography studio on the third floor.
He Yujing was shooting the anniversary issue of a top-tier magazine. The magazine had confirmed the schedule in advance, and the photography team had come directly to Shengyun.
The studio had already been set up, with staff bustling back and forth, making final adjustments.
In the center stood a small mountain made entirely of countless feathers. White gauze curtains crisscrossed the air above, and everything in sight was pure white, evoking the image of a pristine paradise.
Once He Yujing changed into his outfit and stepped into the shooting area, he instantly became the center of attention.
His look today was strikingly wild.
His hair had been sprayed jet black, tied into a small braid at the back. He layered a white tank top under a tattered, off-shoulder dark gray shirt, and his cargo pants were adorned with metal rings, creating a striking contrast against the pure white set.
The photographer, a blonde Caucasian, burst into a stream of excited exclamations at the sight of He Yujing, his enthusiasm unmistakable.
Jiang Liusui stood at a distance, watching the shoot. He Yujing had a makeup wound at the corner of his mouth that, at first glance, looked like a bite mark.
As he watched, Jiang Liusui’s thoughts drifted uncontrollably to some scenes from the previous night.
He bore quite a few mottled marks himself. Since he still had scenes to film, He Yujing had been careful to leave them only in places that wouldn’t be visible.
Once he started crying, he couldn’t stop. He Yujing teased him a few times, and he instinctively wrapped his limbs around the other, only to have his mouth covered.
He Yujing gently coaxed him, telling him to cry more quietly, or else he wouldn’t be able to resist going even further.
Thinking of this, Jiang Liusui’s ears grew slightly warm.
He thought, He Yujing hadn’t exactly held back afterward either.
Jiang Liusui shook his head, dismissing the messy thoughts in his mind, and focused on admiring the shoot.
So handsome.
He pulled off this style perfectly, looking good no matter how he was photographed.
He Yujing’s cooperation and performance were outstanding, and for a while, aside from the sound of the camera, there was no other noise in the studio.
Amid the rhythmic clicking, Jiang Liusui began to feel drowsy. Having been exhausted from the previous night and waking up too early, he yawned three times in a row before deciding to take a short nap. He would properly admire the shoot after waking up.
If that didn’t work, he could always check the final shots after the shoot.
Jiang Liusui deliberately found a corner spot and, not long after sitting down, fell asleep to the continuous shutter sounds and the photographer’s excited praises.
After some time, someone approached and shook his shoulder.
During the break, a crew member noticed someone bundled up and sleeping in the corner, dressed head to toe in black, as if they had a cold. Concerned, they asked, “Why are you sleeping here? Are you feeling unwell?”
Jiang Liusui didn’t have time to register who was shaking him awake. Half-asleep, he mumbled, “No…”
The crew member mistook him for a new young assistant. “Then go buy some coffee for the team. Step outside and get some fresh air to wake up.”
Muffled by his mask, Jiang Liusui repeated, “Buy coffee?”
His drowsiness faded significantly, and he felt a bit embarrassed. Instinctively, he looked for He Yujing and found him standing not far away, actually watching him with a smile.
No wonder everyone was looking this way…
Jiang Liusui suddenly remembered the casual joke he’d made in the car earlier that day, which had now come true. He found it amusing and a little embarrassing.
The shoot had reached a pause, and He Yujing had been looking for Jiang Liusui, only to discover he’d somehow ended up curled in a corner asleep. Before he could approach, the crew member had already woken him.
Seeing Jiang Liusui shoot him an annoyed glare, He Yujing quickly stifled his laughter and walked over to intervene. “I’Il have my assistant go.”
The crew member paused, instinctively glancing at the young man wearing a mask and hat indoors.
Whoever this was, realizing He Yujing had stepped in to help, the crew member quickly said, “Sorry, sorry, I thought he was your assistant.”
He Yujing gestured that it was fine, then naturally turned to Jiang Liusui. “Still sleepy? If you are, you can wait for me in the studio.”
As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere around them instantly hushed. Even the photographers and stylists who had been chatting non-stop in the distance quieted down, pricking up their ears for gossip.
He Yujing’s studio was on the sixth floor of the company and had practically become a landmark at Shengyun, although everyone could only admire it from the outside. It was well-known that He Yujing valued his privacy and rarely allowed outsiders inside.
“Or you could wait a bit longer—the shoot will be over soon,” he added.
Feeling the collective gaze from all directions fixed on him, Jiang Liusui’s lips twitched slightly. Gossip really was human nature, he thought.
After a moment’s thought, he realized there was no need to be secretive since he had already decided to let things take their natural course. Besides, acting casually at this moment would be better—otherwise, it might spark another round of explosive rumors.
Jiang Liusui nodded and replied with equal nonchalance, “Alright, I’ll wait here then.”
— — — —
