Unknowingly, the sky outside grew dim. Today's film crew's shooting work also came to an end. Under Director Jiang's command, the staff orderly packed up the equipment on site. The actors also removed their makeup and changed their clothes, bringing a perfect close to a busy day.
Yang Xuwen and Li Yitong came to Yi Xing's side as usual. Whenever filming ended, they would all go out to eat together, and today was no different. It was at this moment that they noticed there was another person here, whom they hadn't seen during the break.
The boy naturally put his arm around Yi Xing's shoulder and said in a teasing tone, "Why did you bring a family member to visit? Hurry up and introduce us."
"Yes, yes, hello, I'm Li Yitong."
Because Ju Jingyi was facing away at the time, Yang Xuwen, a fan of China Speeding Up, didn't recognize her immediately. It wasn't until she turned around that he gasped in surprise, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start, only his mouth moved.
"Hello, I'm Ju Jingyi." She extended her small hand, a symbol of friendship, to the girl in front of her, gently shook it, and then nodded to the other person.
Coming back to his senses, Yang Xuwen excitedly said, "I know you, hello, my name is Yang Xuwen."
Yi Xing, behind her, quietly explained, "He has watched every episode of 'China Speeding Up' and is a loyal fan of our show. It's perfectly normal for him to recognize you."
Ju Jingyi then understood why the other party recognized her. She felt that her popularity wasn't enough for the film crew to know her name; for a specific example, refer to Li Yitong, whose attitude was like seeing a stranger, which was a normal reaction.
After a brief self-introduction, the four split into two groups, male and female, chatting with each other. The conversation on the male side was full of gossip, as Yang Xuwen wanted to know what kind of relationship Yi Xing and she currently had.
He hadn't intended to believe the intimate interactions on the variety show, because at least half of what he saw was due to editing, only what the show wanted him to see. But seeing this scene before his eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
"A Xing, honestly, what exactly is your relationship with Ju Jingyi? How did you even bring her to the film crew?"
"Just friends. She's also about to join a film crew and wants to learn some acting experience, so I brought her to the set to take a look."
"Really?" Yang Xuwen's face was plastered with the words "I don't believe it." He knew that this person in front of him would never allow himself to have any weaknesses, and yet someone with such a personality didn't report to the set yesterday, which utterly shocked him.
However, he didn't disturb the other party yesterday. Asking on the phone was much more convenient than asking on-site, and he could also observe expressions at any time to see if what was said was true or if he was being fooled.
"Of course it's true. Do my sincere expressions look like I'm lying? As her only friend in Hengdian right now, if I can help, I'll definitely help."
Yi Xing nodded when he finished speaking. Most of the information in his words was true; only when it came to the crucial parts did he lie, like about being her only friend in Hengdian right now. Of course, that wasn't true; there were other people there too.
Meanwhile, the conversation on the female side was purely casual, ranging from their birth year to their birthdays, then from birthdays to horoscopes, and finally, they discussed effective skincare products, making recommendations to each other.
Seeing that they showed no signs of ending their chat, Yang Xuwen awkwardly interrupted, "Two beauties, I'm really sorry to interrupt your conversation, but how about we find a restaurant to sit down and chat? What do you think?"
"Now that you mention it, I'm a bit hungry too, Xiao Ju, is there anything you'd like to eat?" Li Yitong immediately responded.
"I'm fine with anything, you guys decide."
The four wandered aimlessly down the street for ten minutes, gazing at the dazzling array of restaurants around them, unsure which one would be best. Even though they were already outside, they couldn't make any decisions.
Ultimately, someone needed to step forward and break the stalemate. Yi Xing noticed that Ju Jingyi's gaze had been fixed on a hotpot restaurant, so he understood her thoughts and said, "Since none of you have any ideas, let's go eat hotpot! The weather is just right."
"Great, great!"
"I'm fine with anything, it's been over a month since I've had it anyway."
"Agreed!"
Except for Ju Jingyi, the other two were waiting for someone to take the initiative to say what they wanted to eat; it was truly difficult for them to make a decision.
This suggestion received unanimous approval from everyone. One after another, they entered the steaming hotpot restaurant. As soon as they stepped inside, the unique aroma of hotpot wafted towards them, followed by a warm greeting from a server who led them to a table inside.
He was already accustomed to the sight of these four people wearing masks. He had been a server at the restaurant for several years and had seen both popular and less well-known artists.
Some even dressed more strangely, completely covered from head to toe, fully equipped with hats, sunglasses, and masks. Compared to such people, these individuals were considered normal.
Yi Xing picked up his phone, scanned the QR code on the table, and unhesitatingly handed it to Ju Jingyi. When it came to ordering at a hotpot restaurant, it had to be left to someone from the Bashu area of Sichuan; she was the professional.
She smiled as she took it, quickly flipping through the menu. A hint of disappointment showed in her eyes; she looked from beginning to end but didn't see her favorite zhe'ergen (Houttuynia cordata). But she quickly let it go; this wasn't the Bashu area of Sichuan or Mountain City after all, so not having zhe'ergen was understandable.
Besides, she wasn't sure if the others ate these things, and she couldn't make decisions based solely on her own preferences. When she ordered, she chose popular dishes that people often ate, such as sliced lamb, sliced beef, and shrimp paste, among others.
The hotpot meal quickly passed, and the group strolled back to the hotel, each entering their own room to prepare for tomorrow's life. Ju Jingyi opened the script sent by the film crew staff. The opening introduced the identity of the character she was playing, followed by the plot's direction.
After reading the entire script, she found her lines and began to memorize them sentence by sentence. She had to familiarize herself with the lines before filming started. This was a suggestion she received from Li Yitong. When the other party learned she was joining a film crew, she gave her several useful pieces of advice.
She was now putting each of these suggestions into action one by one.