***
Chapter 8 – Kissing Scene
The National University of Arts and Shengyun Tower were separated by an entire district. Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic this late at night. Jiang Liusui arrived exactly at midnight.
Half of the sixth floor belonged to He Yujing’s studio. The place was renowned for its aesthetics, attracting visitors from other companies who loved to take photos and check in, making it a notable landmark within Shengyun. However, He Yujing was known for valuing his privacy—he rarely allowed people inside.
The office was nearly deserted at this hour, save for the motion-sensing lights that flickered on as he walked by. Jiang Liusui stepped out of the elevator and walked forward. Most of the sixth floor was lit up, like stars shining in a dark universe.
In the studio’s front hall, He Yujing sat on the sofa, waiting. Seeing a figure gradually approaching, he put down his phone, slipped his hands into his pockets, and stood up.
Through the frosted glass door, the figure appeared blurred. When they reached the threshold they hesitated instead of pushing the door open immediately. Noticing the slight hesitation, He Yujing couldn’t help but smile.
“Come on in,” he said. “Only a few days apart, and you already act so distant with me.”
Hearing his voice, the other person pushed the door open. The first thing that caught He Yujing’s eyes was a pair of slender fingers adorned with nail polish. The woman entering wore a crisp white dress cinched at the waist, her makeup delicate and refined, as if she’d hurried over straight from wrapping up a recording. In stark contrast to her refined and elegant attire was the takeout bag she held in her hand.
Seeing who it was, He Yujing’s expression cooled.
“Why are you here?”
Su Wan paused mid-step, realizing he hadn’t been expecting her. After a fleeting moment of awkwardness, she replied softly, “You didn’t reply to my message, so I figured you were busy. My car happened to pass by Shengyun, so I thought I’d bring you something along the way.”
She made it sound casual, but everyone knew how draining late-night recordings could be. If she hadn’t specifically gone to pack food right after finishing, she wouldn’t have arrived so quickly.
He Yujing remained quiet for a moment, then gave her a polite acknowledgement[mfn]给她留了面子 (gěi tā liú le miàn zi) – lit. gave her face; spare someone’s dignity, or avoid embarrassing them[/mfn], “I didn’t see your message, sorry about that.”
Su Wan let out a sigh of relief and added smoothly, “I figured you were busy.”
Last time at the club, she might have made her interest too obvious. Since then, He Yujing had stopped replying to her messages. Although he never made it explicit, she could feel the distance growing.
He Yujing seemed sociable and could get along with everyone, he was quietly aware of boundaries. He had many friends of both genders, but he never crossed the line, and he didn’t like anyone entering his space without permission. She knew deep down that someone like him wasn’t suitable for unrequited love, but before she realized it, she had lowered her pride as a popular actress. In front of him, she was just like any ordinary girl with a crush, his every move easily swayed her emotions.
He Yujing took the takeout bag from her and set it on the table. “Thanks.”
Su Wan’s lips curved into a smile, but then she heard him continue, “It’s so late. There was no need to go out of your way to bring food.”
Her smile froze on her face. Yujing’s words were polite, yet he had once again drawn a clear line between them.
Her heart ached, but she pretended to ask casually, “Are you waiting for someone?”
“Mm.”
He Yujing didn’t elaborate. At that moment, Su Wan heard He Yujing’s phone vibrate and saw him lower his head to check it.
Jiang Liusui: Yu-ge, I left the takeout bag at the corner.
He Yujing: Where are you?
Jiang Liusui: In the elevator, already heading down.
He Yujing looked at his reply, somewhat amused: Running all the way here at night only to disappear without a trace—are you here to deliver takeout?
After a short delay, likely from the elevator’s poor signal, the replies came through:
Jiang Liusui: No.
Jiang Liusui: Delivering warmth[mfn]送温暖 (sòng wēn nuǎn) – lit. deliver warmth; This is a world play of 送外卖 (sòng wài mài) which lit. means deliver takeout. See translations note at the end for more details.[/mfn]
Jiang Liusui turned off his phone after sending his reply. Despite his calm, teasing demeanor, he was actually quite startled.
As he neared the studio door, he saw a slender figure at the end of the corner. He paused for a moment before recognizing it was Su Wan. In an instant, his mind flashed through countless rumors of He Yujing and Su Wan. Noticing that Su Wan seemed to be carrying something as well, Jiang Liusui hesitated for a while before deciding it was best not to disturb them.
He and He Yujing weren’t particularly close. If the other just wanted a late-night snack, not meeting up was not a big deal.
He Yujing read the message, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.
“Really…”
Jiang Liusui had gone out of his way to bring something over, and it really was just that—simply delivering a little snack.
When Jiang Liusui suddenly messaged him tonight, He Yujing had assumed that, like most others, there would be at least a hint of trying to curry favor towards him. It wasn’t narcissism—flattery from people in the industry was all too common for him. Anyone else would have seen this as an opportunity to get closer to him.
He had given the kid permission to approach, and yet… the kid had run off on his own.
He Yujing swiped his fingers over the screen and replied: See you tomorrow.
Jiang Liusui: See you tomorrow.
Su Wan noticed his attention was entirely on his phone, and knew that staying any longer would only be annoying: “Then I won’t disturb you. You focus on your work.”
He Yujing gave a faint acknowledgement. Seeing this, Su Wan felt a pang of bitterness, unable to stop herself from hoping he would treat her just a little better.
But she quickly dismissed the unrealistic thought.
In her memory, He Yujing never indulged anyone. Over the past month working on the collaboration song, he had been strictly professional, never once giving her any special treatment.
***
The next evening, on the set of ⟪Fading Colors⟫
Jiang Liusui stepped out of the dressing room and happened to run into He Yujing, who had also just finished his styling. Dressed in a dark-colored overcoat and trousers,his semi-formal attire accentuated his build—broad shoulders, long legs, and sharp elegant posture—giving off an air of aloof, understated nobility.
He Yujing wore an intricately designed ring on his finger and a matching half-diamond bracelet around his wrist. Jiang Liusui realized he had never seen He Yujing repeat an accessory. It seemed less like a stylist’s demand and more like a personal habit.
The moment they came face to face, He Yujing spoke up first. “You left pretty quickly last night.”
He stood a head taller than Jiang Liusui, his gaze angled slightly downward. Even standing still, he exuded an effortless, natural sense of authority.
“I…” Jiang Liusui hesitated, then said quietly, “I was afraid of disturbing you two.”
Before He Yujing could speak, Jiang Liusui added, “Don’t worry, I won’t spread rumors.”
“I don’t have anything going on with her.” He Yujing glanced at him, his tone sounding both intimate and like a warning. “Don’t overthink it.”
“Oh.” Jiang Liusui answered obediently, but He Yujing seemed dissatisfied: “You don’t believe me? I’m not lying to you. I’m not lying. What kind of man flirts around and then doesn’t dare admit it?”
Jiang Liusui fell suspiciously silent for a moment before speaking with utmost sincerity, “What I thought before doesn’t matter. What matters is that I believe you now.”
He Yujing: “……”
He Yujing was about to say something more when a voice cut in at that moment: “Everyone’s here? Got the script memorized?”
Huang Zhicheng approached them as he spoke. He was a few years older than Wu Qi, with a rosy complexion and a naturally cheerful, round build. It was Jiang Liusui’s first time meeting a truly big-name director, and he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous as he greeted him. “Yes, I’ve memorized everything. Hello, Director Huang.”
Huang Zhicheng looked very easygoing: “You must be Xiao Jiang, right? Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you for agreeing to direct this—it’s a huge help,” He Yujing said.
“Well, your company offered a generous price,” Huang Zhicheng replied frankly, his tone carrying the familiarity of speaking to an old acquaintance. “At first I thought there must’ve been a mistake in the quoted price. Just to shoot an MV—are you guys really willing to spend this much?”
He Yujing replied in a flippant tone, “Well, I am, after all, one of Shengyun’s top pillars[mfn]台柱子 (tái zhù zi) – a company’s top star or mainstay talent.[/mfn]. If they’re not generous with me, who should they be generous with?”
Huang Zhicheng laughed heartily and gave his shoulder a friendly pat. “Still, if you don’t perform well later, don’t blame me for having high standards.”
“And you, young man[mfn]小朋友 (xiǎo péng yǒu) – lit. little friend; often used by elders to refer to younger people, mildly affectionate and slightly patronizing.[/mfn],” Huang Zhicheng turned to Jiang Liusui, “He’s not a professional, but you are. Naturally, my expectations for you will be different.”
“Understood,” Jiang Liusui answered earnestly, “I’Il do my best.”
Suddenly, a weight pressed down on his shoulder and a long, strong arm draped over him. He Yujing pulled him in with a protective gesture, facing Huang Zhicheng as he spoke. “Don’t worry. He’s someone I chose.”
Jiang Liusui’s expression flickered. Surprise flashed briefly in his eyes as he subconsciously turned to look at He Yujing—his gaze landing on the clean lines of the man’s jaw and the slight curl of his smile.
“Oh, that’s rare,” Huang Zhicheng showed a hint of surprise, half-joking and half-teasing. “Even you have learned how to take care of people.”
The MV’s storyline was roughly split into three phases: their first encounter, their period of passionate love, and their eventual separation. To help them find the emotional tone faster, Huang Zhicheng decided to shoot the breakup scene first.
“We’re starting with this one because it’s mostly led by Xiao Jiang which should be easier for you,” Huang Zhicheng explained to He Yujing. “It’s raining outside. You’re about to leave this place. In your heart, you’re reluctant to go, but you know that only by leaving him can you create something even better. Pain is what drives you forward.”
He Yujing nodded.
“The two kissing scenes here are key. After he kisses you, you kiss him back—compared to him, you need to be more intense.”
After giving these instructions, Huang Zhicheng turned to Jiang Liusui: “Your character is essentially the embodiment of a painter’s muse[mfn]载体 (zài tǐ) – lit. carrying body; in the context of art, it can be a medium for inspiration, a vessel for emotion, or a living reference point for creation[/mfn]. You know you hold a strong attraction for him, and you believe the two of you will be happy together forever. But without any warning, he becomes determined to leave. In your panic, you use every means possible to make him stay—pleading with him, even seducing him—anything, as long as he stays.”
“This scene might be challenging to film, but consider it your ’icebreaker.’ Once we get this right, the rest will go much smoother,” Huang Zhicheng added. “Everyone clear? If there are no issues, let’s begin.”
“—⟪Fading Colors⟫, Scene 39, Take 1, ACTION!”
The slate snapped shut, and He Yujing burst through the door of the studio.
He strode forward, dragging his suitcase with one hand and holding his painting supplies with the other. The person who had rushed after him had eyes red with disbelief, unable to believe he was truly leaving in the middle of the night, braving the rain.
Jiang Liusui ran after him, shouting questions that went unanswered. Nothing seemed able to make him pause. Finally, as He Yujing reached the front door, Jiang Liusui lunged forward, throwing his body in front of him to block his way.
“Don’t go,” Jiang Liusui trembled all over, his voice breaking with desperation. “Please… don’t go. I’m begging you…”
Although the MV wouldn’t carry a single word of dialogue and no sound would be recorded, some scenes still required precise lip-syncing. To keep them from feeling awkward and breaking character the screenwriter simply wrote some lines.
Jiang Liusui lifted his hand, brushing it gently against He Yujing’s cheek. His gaze was full of tenderness, yet beneath that longing lingered a subtle sting of being abandoned. He Yujing froze for a moment, almost drawn in by the emotions in his eyes.
This guy’s acting… is surprisingly captivating.
A pale, slender arm snaked around him, curling like a serpent around He Yujing’s neck. Jiang Liusui tilted his head closer, tilted his head closer, lightly brushing his lips against He Yujing’s, before pecking him again, reluctant to part.
“Oh my god,” the makeup artist watching from the sidelines covered her mouth, whispering in awe, “Teacher Jiang is dangerously seductive[mfn]撩 (liáo) – lit. to tease or provoke; in modern slang, it means to flirt, tease playfully, or deliberately provoke someone’s emotions[/mfn].”
The person in his arms had a face flushed with ambiguous warmth, his expression full of desire and temptation. He Yujing recalled the script—here, Jiang Liusui should have been uttering pitiful apologies, begging him not to leave. Yet the performance carried something far more compelling.
But Jiang Liusui lowered his voice, lips parting slightly as he spoke.
“This isn’t enough.”
Slender fingers trailed down He Yujing’s nape, giving a light but firm squeeze. Unlike the fervent adoration on his face, Jiang Liusui’s fingertips were ice cold.
“When you kiss me, be a little more forceful.”
He Yujing narrowed his eyes.
Like a form of reciprocation[mfn]如同礼尚往来 (rútóng lǐ shàng wǎng lái) – lit. just like propriety values reciprocity; conveys a sense of tit-for-tat intensity.[/mfn], his long fingers tangled in Jiang Liusui’s hair, anchoring the back of his head with an unyielding grip, leaving him no room to pull away.
Their lips met, teeth grazing against lips, and before Jiang Liusui even had time to respond, he was bitten sharply.
“Mmph…!” Jiang Liusui’s breathing grew ragged.
Unlike the tentative peck from before, He Yujing’s kiss came with a crushing intensity, every motion rough and commanding. His very presence flooded Jiang Liusui’s senses, making his whole body go weak and breathless.
Wasn’t it said that He Yujing had never filmed a kissing scene before?
Yet he showed no stiffness in front of the camera, kissing with such boldness… Jiang Liusui felt dizzy from the kiss, genuinely impressed by the other’s professionalism.
A few young girls on set watched, blushing and with hearts racing, not daring to breathe loudly. In the midst of their tangled embrace, the paintbox in He Yujing’s hand suddenly fell, scattering paints and brushes across the floor. The noise snapped Jiang Liusui out of his daze, and a look of delight gradually spread across his face, as if that stolen kiss promised that the one he deeply loved would stay.
But when this intense kiss ended, he was abruptly pushed away.
He Yujing left without a backward glance, slamming the door behind him, as if he had completely severed his feelings for his lover in that final kiss. The camera panned to Jiang Liusui, who leaned against the wall with his head bowed, as if all strength had been drained from him, his reddened eyes brimming with tears.
“—Cut!” Huang Zhicheng beamed with joy, “Not bad, not bad at all!”
Yujing’s acting skills were something Huang Zhicheng knew all too well[mfn]几斤几两 (jǐ jīn jǐ liǎng) – lit. how many jin and liang; a colloquial way to measure someone’s skill or capability.[/mfn]. He had prepared for at least ten retakes, but to his surprise, the first take had achieved such excellent results. The kissing scene, which he had been most worried about, was unexpectedly full of tension.
However…
After carefully reviewing the playback, Huang Zhicheng said to He Yujing, “Everything else is fine, but you might not have noticed—when he rushed at you, you froze for a moment, and your expression wasn’t cold enough. The hallway scene needs to be reshot.”
When He Yujing didn’t respond, Huang Zhicheng thought he hadn’t heard and repeated himself, before finally getting a reply. Lin Chong, ever perceptive, stepped forward and asked, “Brother Yu, you want a tissue? Mouthwash? Or some candy?”
Even though they knew there wasn’t going to be actual French kissing, they had been so close just now that some saliva might have been exchanged.
Work was work, but in private, He Yujing strongly disliked being overly intimate with outsiders. Lin Chong guessed that the absent-minded look on his face was because that kiss had made him a bit uncomfortable.
Huang Zhicheng turned to Jiang Liusui and asked, “We need to reshoot the beginning part. How are you holding up?”
In that scene, Jiang Liusui’s emotions were extremely intense—a true outburst. Some actors need time to get in and out of character. His tears hadn’t yet dried, leaving him with that heart-wrenching, tear-streaked look[mfn]梨花带雨 (líhuā dài yǔ) – lit. pear blossoms with rain; often used in literature to evoke fragility or pitiful beauty.[/mfn].
“I’m fine. Let’s shoot it again,” Jiang Liusui’s voice carried a hint of a sob, but his tone was steady.
As he spoke, he moved his shoulder, which had hit the wall, and looked up to see He Yujing watching him with an unreadable expression. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he asked, “Earlier, in the heat of the moment, I reminded you like that… I hope you don’t mind?”
Although the reminder was out of goodwill, he didn’t want to come across as if he were teaching He Yujing how to act. If he had encountered someone ungrateful, they might have thought he was putting on airs[mfn]装腔作势 (zhuāng qiāng zuò shì) – lit. pretend pose, make a stance[/mfn].
“Mind? I should be thanking you,” He Yujing’s gaze fell on his shoulder, and he suddenly asked, “Does it hurt?”
“…?”
“You… from the push just now, did it hurt?”
“No, it’s not because of that…” Jiang Liusui saw that he misunderstood, and explained, “When I start crying, it usually takes me a long time to stop. It’ll be fine soon.”
He rubbed his eyes as he spoke, and the makeup artist quickly stopped him: “Hey, hey, don’t touch it! I’ll wipe it for you!”
Jiang Liusui hummed in acknowledgment. Methodically, the artist dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a cotton swab, gently erasing the traces of tears, then used a small brush to perfect his makeup again.
His lipstick had been smudged from the kiss, and his eyes shimmered, but his face no longer carried the intense emotions he had shown while acting.
Lin Chong, still waiting for a clear answer, persisted, “Brother Yu, do you need tissues?”
He Yujing unconsciously licked his lips, catching the faint taste of smeared lipstick. He withdrew his gaze, his voice drawn out lazily:
“No, it’s fine. Just put it back.”
The makeup artist had been wiping for a while, but Jiang Liusui’s tears still hadn’t stopped. She teased, half-smiling, “Oh dear, your tears just won’t stop. It seems Teacher He has hurt you deeply.”
Jiang Liusui could only shrug helplessly at his own body’s reaction. “Maybe wait a bit before fixing it again, otherwise the makeup will just get ruined again.”
It was clear that Jiang Liusui’s personality wasn’t as soft as his appearance suggested.
But his looks were deceiving, and even Huang Zhicheng felt a pang of sympathy seeing him with red-rimmed eyes. Thinking that He Yujing seemed to get along well with this kid, Huang Zhicheng called out to him, “Hurry up and comfort him, or we won’t be able to shoot.”
Jiang Liusui was caught between laughter and tears. “No need, I’m really fine, I’ll be okay in a bit—”
He had thought He Yujing wouldn’t get involved, but unexpectedly, a sudden glance shifted toward him, resting on the red-rimmed corners of his eyes.
“My character is so terrible. Before pushing you away, I still have to kiss and take advantage.” He Yujing earnestly reflected, as if it were a genuine flaw. “Truly awful.”
Hearing him criticize himself like that made everyone around chuckle. Jiang Liusui hadn’t expected He Yujing to coax someone in such an adorable way—and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah… pretty awful.”
The corners of He Yujing’s lips curved upward. Although his words sounded like an apology, they were delivered with an irresistibly teasing tone: “Yes, my fault. Don’t cry anymore.”
— — — —
Author’s Note:
Don’t be so double-standard, bro.
— — — —
strawberrypoptl: Okay, this one I had to figure out how to translate. This is my personal take and might differ from what the author originally wanted to convey so take it with a grain of salt.
In raw, HYJ used “送外卖 (sòng wài mài)” which literally means “deliver takeout,” like food delivery from a restaurant or app. In the context of the scene, HYJ is teasing JLS about being a food delivery guy because he just dropped the food and disappeared, much like how the usual food delivery goes. JLS, intentionally or unintentionally, acted coquettishly by using “送温暖 (sòng wēn nuǎn)” which literally means “deliver warmth.” It’s quite endearing because in contrast, food delivery can come across as “cold” because of how “transactional” it was and JLS doesn’t want HYJ to feel that way.
I’m sure JLS doesn’t mean to “flirt” with HYJ here and the message was intended as a playful banter. Remember that SSJ mentioned how JLS sometimes acted coquettishly very naturally, that girls and boys alike are charmed by him. But we readers can treat it as sugar he he he.
— — — —
