Chapter 9 – “Good Gege”
Initially thinking the reshoot of the hallway scene wouldn’t be too difficult, Huang Zhicheng ended up retaking it multiple times, even the part where He Yujing pushed Jiang Liusui away and slammed the door had to be reshot.
Huang Zhicheng seemed kind and friendly, but his demands were strict to the extreme, especially when it came to minor details. The critical kissing scene had gone flawlessly in one take, but every other moment still left him unsatisfied. Unlike some hot-tempered directors who would scold actors harshly for minor mistakes, Huang Zhicheng encouraged them throughout—though that didn’t make it any less exhausting.
“Not bad. But Yujing, your expression isn’t quite right. You don’t need to maintain a blank expression from start to finish. When you push him away, let your emotions show a bit more.”
“You didn’t push hard enough! And Xiao Jiang, even if it hurts, you have to endure it! You accidentally frowned at the end.” Huang Zhicheng said, then added with a smile of encouragement, “Next take will definitely be better.”
By now, He Yujing had lost count of how many times he’d heard that same phrase. During the final take, he couldn’t hold back his strength and distinctly heard Jiang Liusui slam heavily into the wall. He instinctively glanced at him. Jiang Liusui’s expression remained dazed[mfn]失魂落魄 (shī hún luò pò) – lit. lost soul, fallen spirit[/mfn], as if he hadn’t felt the pain and was still lost in emotion.
Huang Zhicheng clapped his hands in delight. “Perfect!”
“Good work, take a break and prepare for the next scene.”
He Yujing breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Chong, who had rushed over, handed him water. He Yujing quietly instructed, “Go find some medicated oil.”
Lin Chong asked anxiously, “Did you get hurt?”
“Not me.” Seeing that Lin Chong still wanted to ask more, He Yujing softly cut him off, “Just go and do it, hurry up.”
They still had another scene to shoot later. Jiang Liusui returned to the dressing room to wait for makeup and styling adjustments. Ding Yan immediately asked with concern, “How’s your shoulder? Do you need some medicine?”
Today, the scene where he got pushed away was filmed multiple times today. Ding Yan watched anxiously from the side, worry etched on his face.
At that moment, a crew member knocked and entered, carrying a first-aid kit: “Teacher Jiang, here’s some medicated oil. You should take care of it quickly, or it might bruise.”
“Alright, thank you. Just leave it there.”
As soon as the crew member left, Ding Yan hurriedly said, “Let me take a look.”
Jiang Liusui took off his coat and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. His skin was thin and delicate—eeven minor bumps left obvious marks. Ding Yan instinctively hissed, “Oh no! That looks painful.”
Jiang Liusui: “…?”
“I’m the one hurt here, why are you shouting in pain?”
Ding Yan looked too pained to continue watching: “No, no, it’s already turning blue. It’ll definitely be worse tomorrow!”
Jiang Liusui moved his shoulder. A sharp ache radiated from the spot he’d collided with, but it wasn’t unbearable. He turned sideways and saw his shoulder and back in the mirror—a patch of blue and purple. It did look alarming, but not nearly as exaggerated as Ding Yan made it seem.
Just as he was about to tease Ding Yan for being so timid despite his age, the dressing room door was lightly knocked, then pushed open.
He Yujing entered and immediately saw Jiang Liusui lowering his shirt, exposing a pale expanse of bruised back. His gaze paused, then he frowned. “Why is it this bad?”
“It’s just my body’s consitution—nothing serious,” Jiang Liusui muttered, tugging at his shirt, clearly caught off guard by He Yujing’s arrival. “It’s fine. It just looks worse than it is.”
He Yujing placed the medicated oil in his hand on the dressing table and noticed another bottle already there: “You already have some?”
Ding Yan hadn’t expected this big shot to personally bring medicine to Jiang Liusui. Surprised, he hurriedly expressed his gratitude: “The crew just delivered it. Thank you, Teacher He.”
He Yujing instructed Lin Chong who was following behind him. “Go talk to Director Huang and ask if we can push the argument scene to later and film a lighter scene tonight instead. Just say I had some difficulty filming it and want to switch to something lighter.”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
To make it easier for Jiang Liusui to guide He Yujing into the scene, Director Huang chose to film the farewell sequence in reverse.
Before the painter stepped onto the halfway and left, they first acted out a heated argument. Only after that did they shoot the previous scene. The argument scene also involved several intense movements—Jiang Liusui’s character even toppled several easels during the struggle.
Noticing that He Yujing was careful around his injured shoulder, Jiang Liusui looked up and said with genuine gratitude, “Thanks, Yu-ge.”
“I know how hard I pushed you just now,” He Yujing frowned. “Are you really okay? You’re so thin, there’s not much flesh to cushion the impact when you hit the wall.”
“I’m fine, really. It barely hurts now,” he replied. Seeing He Yujing still seemed doubtful, Jiang Liusui casually joked, “How about you help me apply the medicine?”
Probably aware this request crossed boundaries, he said it with a smiling face, clearly not making a serious demand.
He Yujing didn’t respond much to flustered, overly polite thanks—but actually responded better to this kind of approach.
“Where are the cotton swabs?”
Jiang Liusui froze for a moment, showing surprise. Ding Yan, quick on the uptake, promptly passed him the unopened cotton swabs and the medicine.
Seeing him still rooted in place, He Yujing offered a kind reminder: “Are you planning to put the medicine on while wearing your clothes?”
“Ah… right.” Jiang Liusui came to his senses and unbuttoned his shirt. “Thank you.”
To make it easier for He Yujing, he slightly leaned forward. Never had he imagined that this person would actually apply the medicine himself, and his mind couldn’t help wandering a bit.
Compared to all those hard-to-distinguish rumors in the industry, the young master He Yujing didn’t seem to have such a bad temper; on the contrary, he seemed quite considerate.
With his head bowed, the segments of Jiang Liusui’s spine stood out in perfect alignment, like a delicate pattern decorating his back.
Against his snow-white skin, the large bruise appeared even more shocking. As He Yujing applied the medicine, his movements unconsciously softened.
Just then, knocking came from outside the dressing room: “Is Teacher Jiang there? We need to redo your styling, but the next scene hasn’t been decided yet. Can we come in and wait for instructions?”
“Sure—ow!”
For some reason, the cotton swab in He Yujing’s hand pressed a bit too firmly as Jiang Liusui spoke, and a sharp sting made him gasp. He Yujing immediately loosened his hold and called out to the door in a louder voice, “Wait a moment!”
The stylist outside immediately recognized his voice: “Teacher He is in there too? Your team’s been looking for you, and you also need to redo your makeup and styling.”
“Don’t rush,” He Yujing directly shot back. “Busy here.”
Stylist: “…?”
When the medicine was finally applied, He Yujing tossed the cotton swab into the trash. Jiang Liusui’s makeup artist and lead stylist, who had been waiting outside, finally entered.
The young makeup artist’s eyes darted around nervously, and in the end, unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked: “Teacher Jiang, did you deliver late-night snacks to someone yesterday?”
Jiang Liusui was momentarily stunned and instinctively looked at He Yujing, who also showed surprise.
“How did you know?”
“I joined your fan club!” The makeup artist spoke cheerfully. “Someone took photos of you at the National University of Arts last night. The candid shots from a passerby’s perspective went viral on Weibo. The blogger who posted the photo said you were delivering late-night snacks to someone.”
He Yujing listened, amused. This makeup artist was from his own styling team: “How long have you known him, and you’re already switching sides?”
“I’ve joined yours too. I’m a dual fan[mfn]双担 (shuāng dàn) – lit. double-duty; meaning doing two things at once; here humorously used for being in two fan groups.[/mfn] now—I like both of you!” she said with total seriousness, making everyone around burst out laughing.
She continued, “What’s even more incredible is that the original blogger wrote a long Weibo post describing her encounter with you in such a romantic way!”
As she spoke, she handed her phone to Jiang Liusui. The Weibo post appeared clearly on the screen:
『……Wuwuwu, he is really, really good-looking! Even my roommate, who usually has zero interest in celebrities, said she was stunned and couldn’t snap out of it even after returning to the dorm! And he speaks so sweetly! When asked who he was bringing the late-night snack to, guess what he said???
He said, “For my newly acquainted ‘gege,’”
Oh my god, I’m dying. Jiang Liusui, are you the reincarnation of a fox spirit[mfn]你是狐狸精转世吗 (nǐ shì hú lí jīng zhuǎn shì ma) – a playful way to say someone is dangerously seductive or enchanting.[/mfn]? Ahhhh! Just tell me, who wouldn’t be charmed? Who! Could! Resist! Tell us clearly who your “good gege” is! Bringing him late-night snacks so soon after meeting? Feels like you two are moving fast—can I ship this?![mfn]磕一口 (kē yī kǒu) – lit. take a bite; fandom and internet slang, it means to “ship” a pairing or support a romantic/adorable relationship (real or fictional). It comes from the idea of “biting onto something you like” out of excitement or enthusiasm.[/mfn]』
Jiang Liusui’s heart skipped a beat: “Isn’t she… exaggerating a bit?”
“It’s fine! This kind of over-the-top fangirl writing[mfn]发疯文学 (fā fēng wén xué) – lit. crazy-writing literature; often used to describe social media posts, fanfiction, or comments that are dramatically emotional, sometimes bordering on absurdity.[/mfn] is all the rage nowadays—the more exaggerated, the better,” the makeup artist said earnestly. “Even though it’s a bit over the top, she’s still complimenting you.”
“I wasn’t talking about that,” Jiang Liusui muttered under his breath.
He meant that his relationship with He Yujing was barely off the ground—how could they be shipping him already? But with the other person standing right there, he knew speaking up would only make things awkward. Jiang Liusui awkwardly shifted the topic: “What’s wrong with praising my looks?”
“……”
The makeup artist caught his gaze and immediately flipped her stance. “No, no! You’re gorgeous—whatever you say goes!”
The head stylist, who had been silent until now, chimed in with refined taste: “Teacher Jiang’s appearance and aura are impeccable—he’s exactly the type who sparks inspiration.”
He Yujing didn’t respond but reached out and said, “Let me see.”
Jiang Liusui’s mind went straight to the makeup artist’s teasingly ambiguous[mfn]暧昧不清 (ài mèi bù qīng) – lit. refers to a relationship, situation, or feeling that is unclear, ambiguous, or suggestive, often with a romantic or flirtatious undertone.[/mfn] “good gege” remark. A rare flush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks, but all he could do was watch as she passed the phone over. He opened his mouth a few times, unsure what to say, when He Yujing suddenly laughed, holding up the phone toward him:
“Is this about me?”
“…Mm.”
“Oh.” He Yujing’s eyes curved, looking quite pleased.
Ding Yan realized who Jiang Liusui had delivered the late-night snack to last night and was instantly shocked.
Not just Ding Yan—everyone else present also showed expressions of surprise. Ignoring the reactions around him, He Yujing scrolled through the phone with interest:
“‘The moment our Suisui appears on screen, even the street-side snacks and everyday life turn ethereal.’… It was quite an interesting write-up.”
“…?”
It took Jiang Liusui a second to realize he was reading that girl’s long Weibo post. What was even more absurd was the makeup artist chiming in: “Right? She’s really good at flattery!”
Even Jiang Liusui felt a little embarrassed facing this kind of public exposure[mfn]公开处刑 (gōng kāi chǔ xíng) – lit. carry out a punishment publicly; used figuratively to describe public embarrassment or being put on display.[/mfn].
“Why are you reading that? Stop it already.”
He Yujing had meant it as just a casual read, but seeing Jiang Liusui’s embarrassed reaction only fueled his playful side. He deliberately picked the most over-the-top line from the post:
“‘When he smiled at me, I’d already thought of the names for our future children.’”
“… Pfft.” Ding Yan hadn’t expected He Yujing to be this wicked[mfn]缺德 (quē dé) – lit. lacking virtue; often used jokingly to describe someone being mischievous or a little mean-spirited.[/mfn]. He failed to stifle a laugh but immediately covered his mouth.
Jiang Liusui kept his head down and didn’t respond. Thinking he might have taken the joke too far, He Yujing returned the phone to the makeup artist and said, “Alright, you’re not mad, right? I’ll stop reading—”
“Yu-ge,” Jiang Liusui suddenly looked up, gazing directly at him just as described in the Weibo post, and flashed him a smile.
“Have you thought of the names for our future children yet?”
His smile was indeed incredibly captivating—his already charming eyes and graceful features carried a bewitching allure, vivid and full of life[mfn]活色生香 (huó sè shēng xiāng) – lit. vivid colors produce fragrance; often used to describe someone strikingly attractive.[/mfn].
Even He Yujing was momentarily stunned by his appearance.
“……”
Seeing He Yujing staring at him without a word, Jiang Liusui struggled to hold back his laughter. He never thought he’d see the day He Yujing was left speechless. Deliberately teasing, he said, “Go on, keep reading. Why so quiet now?”
“I’m thinking…”
He Yujing replied nonchalantly, yet every word hit like a lightning strike. “Should the child take your last name… or mine?”
The room fell into dead silence[mfn]鸦雀无声 (yā què wú shēng) – lit. no sound of crows or sparrows[/mfn]—everyone was stunned by the boldness of their exchange. The makeup artist’s face flushed red. She’d been dragging herself through the night shift, but now these two had her completely awake.
Huang Zhicheng had finally decided which scene to shoot and personally came over to inform them, but just as he entered, he heard He Yujing speak boldly and was momentarily speechless:
“You two haven’t even filmed the ‘honeymoon’ phase yet… and you’ve already gone this far?”
Jiang Liusui immediately pressed a hand to his face, seemingly unable to watch, while He Yujing’s usual devil-may-care[mfn]放荡不羁 (fàng dàng bù jī) – lit. unrestrained and unbound[/mfn] smirk twisted just a bit.
They exchanged a glance and simultaneously burst into laughter.
— — — —
Author’s Note:
A duel of true masters.
— — — —
