After Director Jiang gave Xu Ke permission to stay with the film crew, Yi Xing was incredibly relaxed and happy. He could practically be seen at the set at all times, following the director around like a little assistant, going wherever Director Jiang went.
This situation continued for quite some time, until five days before the end of November, when he appeared on set less and less. When others asked him what he was doing, he wouldn't say.
It turned out that on the night of the 24th, he was lying in bed, planning what he should do the next day, when a message on his phone completely disrupted his plans. The only things that could make him change his actions, besides messages from his family, were messages from Ju Jingyi.
The day Yi Xing finished filming, he shared the good news with her and told her that he would continue to stay with the film crew to study for a while, so she was very clear about his schedule.
【Ju Jingyi: Do you have time tomorrow? I'll arrive in Hengdian tomorrow morning. Can you be my guide and help me get familiar with the area?】
【Yi Xing: ???】
【Yi Xing: No, why are you coming to Hengdian? Is there something going on?】
【Ju Jingyi: Guess?】
Yi Xing rubbed his temples. Another guessing game. He hadn't guessed correctly last time, so this time he had to redeem himself and not fall in the same place twice.
【Yi Xing: Could it be that a film crew approached your company looking for you to act?】
【Ju Jingyi: You guessed too fast! No, no, this gives me no sense of experience. This doesn't count, let's start over.】
【Yi Xing: Fine.】
After Ju Jingyi saw his reply, she smiled happily. The feeling of having someone to mess around with made her very satisfied, so she typed out a message and sent it.
【Ju Jingyi: I'm ready, you can guess now.】
【Yi Xing: Is your company collaborating with someone else to film a micro-movie again?】
【Ju Jingyi: No, guess again.】
...After finishing his chat with Ju Jingyi, he sent a message to Director Jiang, saying he wouldn't be going to the film crew tomorrow because he had something to do. Through their time together, he had successfully made Director Jiang look at him in a new light, and they had voluntarily exchanged contact information.
Then he slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a sweet dream. Yi Xing didn't need to specifically go to the station to pick her up; her company would arrange all travel details clearly, so he didn't need to worry.
It was for the reasons above that he changed his plan of continuing to study with the film crew. Anyway, he was about to prepare for his next job, so taking a few days off to change his mood was also a good choice.
After nearly three months, he finally got to sleep in naturally once, no longer woken by an alarm clock. This sleep was incredibly comfortable; he didn't need to get up to practice lines, nor did he need to go to the set. He just needed to stay in his warm bed, waiting for a certain person's message.
After waking up, he picked up his phone and scrolled through short videos, as that was the fastest way to pass the time. As it was approaching 10 o'clock, he received a message from Ju Jingyi.
【Ju Jingyi: I just got off the car, and now I'm heading to the film and television base. Are you awake?】
【Yi Xing: Awake, awake! Which hotel did your film crew book for you?】
【Ju Jingyi: Let me ask.】
【Ju Jingyi: It's the same one you sent me the location for.】
【Yi Xing: Then I'll be here, awaiting the arrival of the beautiful Ju.】
Knowing that Ju Jingyi was about to arrive, Yi Xing immediately got out of bed, put on his clothes, and headed to the bathroom to begin his daily routine of brushing his teeth, washing his face, and even washing his hair.
After fixing his hairstyle in front of the mirror, he sat on the bed, waiting patiently. He couldn't proactively go to the lobby to find her, as she had company staff with her. If they saw their close relationship, it might be misunderstood, and he didn't want to cause trouble for her idol career.
Before she arrived, his stomach started growling. He always ate breakfast when he was with the film crew, and now suddenly not eating made him feel a bit unaccustomed. He picked up a bag of potato chips from the table, opened it, and started eating to tide himself over.
Halfway through the potato chips, there was a knock on the door. Yi Xing quickly walked to the door, thinking it must be Xiao Ju, and opened it without hesitation.
Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, he saw that beautiful face. She was wearing a long-sleeved white hoodie on top and jeans on the bottom. Although it was simple, she wore it with a unique charm.
“Long time no see!”
“Long time no see!”
“Are you planning to welcome me with these potato chips?” Ju Jingyi asked the person in front of her curiously, as he was holding a bag of potato chips in one hand.
“This tastes pretty good, do you want some?” Yi Xing offered her what was in his hand.
“No, I'm saving my appetite for lunch. You've been here so long, you should know which restaurants are good, right?”
“Of course I do! Wait for me, I'll go get a jacket.”
“Okay.”
With that, Yi Xing returned to the room, grabbed a jacket that matched the color of his outfit, and put it on. Thirty seconds later, he reappeared in the girl's line of sight.
And so, the two of them took the elevator down to the hotel lobby. As they were about to exit the hotel, Ju Jingyi took a mask from her pocket and put it on her face.
“What kind of look is that? I've only been with the film crew for three months! Has the outside world changed so much? Do you need to disguise yourself when you go out now?”
“No, my company released the news that I was joining a film crew. Fans surrounded me as soon as I got off the car. I guess there might be some of my fans around here now, so I'm wearing a mask just in case.”
“According to what you're saying, maybe I should wear one too.”
“Wear it if you want.”
With that, Yi Xing fumbled around his body and realized that besides his phone and cash, he had nothing else, so he abandoned the idea.
“Never mind, let's go. I'll treat you to a meal, consider it a welcome for your arrival.”
“That's not necessary, we can split the bill.” Even though she knew the person treating her was a rich second-generation, Ju Jingyi still didn't want to accept his financial kindness. They were just pure friends now.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder down the street and quickly arrived at the entrance of the restaurant Yi Xing had mentioned. He had been there so many times that the owner recognized him.
Men are like that; once they find a restaurant they like, they become a regularly refreshing NPC, appearing punctually every day, ordering pretty much the same things.
“Xiao Ju, can you eat spicy food now?”
“Not too spicy, I can handle a medium level.”
“Okay, I'll tell the owner.”
Yi Xing told the owner his order and requirements, then returned to his seat, sitting across the table from Ju Jingyi.
“You still haven't told me which film crew you're joining this time?”
“A xianxia drama called novoland: the castle in the sky. You probably haven't heard of it. I'm playing a princess in it, a supporting female role, I guess.”
“That's great! Your first drama is a supporting female role, your starting point is as high as mine! I'll toast you with water, wishing you a smooth time joining the film crew later!” Yi Xing raised his glass.
“Thank you, I'll do my best!” Ju Jingyi clinked her glass against his, then suddenly asked somewhat shyly, “Yi Xing, can I visit your film crew?”
“I'll have to ask Director Jiang, I can't answer you right now.”
“Mm-hmm, I'll wait for your good news.”
If Yi Xing hadn't finished filming yet, he would have had some say with the film crew, but he himself had forcefully stayed on the set. To bring someone in, he needed the director's permission.
【Happy New Year!!!】