On the set, faint light crept diagonally up the residential building. The sky was brightening.

All departments were busy preparing. After a night of feasting and revelry, they were all up before dawn to start work, every one of them looking like a beaten rooster.

Unit 1, Room 101, a two-bedroom apartment used as the director's lounge. Cleaning and renovation still couldn't hide the building's age. Ren Shu was too busy and rarely came here.

Qu Yanting walked through every room. Whether dilapidated or old, any unsightly traces were swept over by his gaze. It seemed that to him, this rundown apartment was no different from a luxury hotel suite.

When he returned to the living room, breakfast and a double espresso were on the coffee table. Ren Shu was eating one of the portions.

Qu Yanting walked over, nudged the laptop aside, and said, "Don't get my computer dirty."

Ren Shu asked, "Are you really staying in this room? You don't mind how old it is?"

Qu Yanting replied, "Once the door is closed, it's quiet."

The RV was rented early in the morning, but Qu Yanting joining the crew was unplanned. Adding another vehicle wasn't difficult, but the parking spot was next to the actors', and he found it annoying.

"Fine, you can use it then." Ren Shu opened his coffee and downed it in one go. "I have to start work, I can't help it. But why are you here so early?"

Qu Yanting said, "I came to get the storyboard script from you. I was afraid if I came late, you'd be too busy to deal with me."

There were many restrictions concerning the script, and the corresponding standards often changed. A subject might be popular when the project was greenlit, only to become a banned topic after filming was complete.

Qu Yanting had some private connections and had shown the script to an internal reviewer. Last week, he received word that certain scenes and lines needed to be adjusted.

Making cuts or dubbing in post-production would affect the final product to some extent. He and Ren Shu discussed it and decided he would join the crew to revise the script, handling the issues in the early stages.

Qu Yanting flipped open his laptop and said, "I've prepared the revision outline. I'll need to reference your storyboard script for the specific changes. I'll try to minimize the changes to the shots to save you some effort in revising the storyboards."

"Thanks, buddy." Ren Shu stared at the screen. "It's hard to estimate the time for script changes. How about this: you revise a scene, I shoot a scene, and we'll promptly review the dailies to see the effect."

Qu Yanting had no objection. "The changes to Scene 14 aren't major. I can get it done before noon. We can try shooting it in the afternoon. If it goes smoothly, we'll follow this process."

Ren Shu considered for a moment. "Won't that be a bit rushed? You need to leave me time to revise the storyboards. After I'm done, I still have to communicate the shooting details with the cinematography team."

Qu Yanting remained noncommittal. He picked up a pen next to the computer and twirled it nimbly from the web of his thumb to his little finger and back.

After five or six seconds of silence, he said, "How about this: I'll do a rough revision of the storyboards for you, to lay the groundwork?"

Ren Shu hesitated. "Well..."

His nail tapped against the pen. Qu Yanting tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm kidding."

Ren Shu laughed. "Storyboarding is the director's duty. If I throw it to you, I'd just be a freeloader. How about this: after you're done with the revisions, we'll call a meeting with the group leaders, hash it out together, and aim to shoot in the afternoon."

Qu Yanting moved on from the topic. "Alright, I'll follow your arrangements."

Ren Shu said, "Then I'll make another arrangement. During filming, you'll join me in monitoring the scenes. If there are any issues, just say so. Behind the camera, there's no distinction between us."

Qu Yanting said, "I'll listen to Director Ren."

Ren Shu had already finished eating. "I have to get to work. If you need anything, just tell Xiao Zhang."

"Okay," Qu Yanting said. "Thanks for your hard work."

Ren Shu grabbed his bag and got up. When he reached the door, he held the handle but didn't turn it immediately.

He looked back at Qu Yanting, hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Buddy, when you offered to revise the storyboards, were you thinking of getting a feel for being a director?"

Qu Yanting said, "Why do you ask?"

Ren Shu replied, "The short film you directed in our sophomore year won first prize. When you accepted the award, you said being a director was your dream."

Qu Yanting smiled. "That was just for show. You actually believe that?"

Ren Shu chuckled too, then opened the door. "And here I was, remembering it all this time. I'm off."

The door closed, and the room became quiet. Qu Yanting didn't touch the sandwich or coffee. He picked up the director's production script and spent the time he would have used for breakfast carefully looking through it.

Suddenly, a "screech" came from the ceiling.

Room 201 upstairs was the styling room. Lu Wen had just finished his makeup and hair. When he stood up, the chair legs scraped harshly against the floor. He went into the inner room to change into a cheap pair of sweatpants and a hoodie—Ye Xiaowu's costume.

Sun Xiaojian came in to assist him, his expression the same as when Lu Wen had left the private room last night—a severe endocrine imbalance. This was because he now knew Qu Yanting's true identity, as well as Lu Wen's series of fantastical maneuvers.

Taking off his outer jacket, Lu Wen, bare-chested, shook out the hoodie. "Didn't I tell you? I apologized. Teacher Qu won't hold it against me."

Sun Xiaojian's mood had gone from imminent disaster, to a narrow escape, to constant anxiety, to baseless worry, and was currently morphing into a desperate attempt to turn the tide.

He said, "Is not holding a grudge enough? The original goal was to make Screenwriter Qu appreciate you."

Lu Wen said, "We shouldn't have set such a grand goal in the first place."

Sun Xiaojian said worriedly, "Although it was a bad start, it's just the beginning. You need to focus on your acting and not cause any more trouble. You have to redeem Screenwriter Qu's impression of you, bit by bit."

"I get it." Lu Wen started taking off his pants.

Sun Xiaojian said, "You get shit. On top of that, whenever you see Screenwriter Qu, you must be respectful and have a cute smile. Offer your help whenever you can. Always remember, you're an eighteenth-tier actor who needs to latch onto a big shot. Don't put on the stinking airs of a rich second-generation kid."

Lu Wen said, "I'm already wearing these shabby sweatpants. My airs have collapsed."

Tired of Sun Xiaojian's endless nagging, Lu Wen slipped away. He had always been thick-skinned and felt that last night's incident was perfectly resolved, even though it had ended with Qu Yanting slamming the door shut.

Leaving Room 201, Lu Wen went down the stairs with his hands in his pockets, his arms pressed tightly to his sides, afraid that the mottled walls and stair railings would brush against him.

As he stepped off the last stair, he stopped. He saw a new sign on the door of 101: Screenwriter's Lounge.

Lu Wen strolled to the door. Click. The door suddenly opened.

Qu Yanting was holding a roll of tape and a piece of paper that read "No Unauthorized Entry." He hadn't expected a living person to be blocking the doorway. He froze for a second, and after recognizing who it was, he froze for several more seconds.

Lu Wen's eyebrows had been reshaped—natural but not overly refined.

His eye makeup was too light to be noticeable, but it actually modified the contours of his eyes, making him look more boyish. His short hair was slightly tousled, and his facial features were softened a bit, with a small, light-brown mole dotted on his left cheek. Standing there with his hands in his pockets and his shoelaces untied, he looked every bit an unreliable high school student.

During the audition, Ren Shu had said he didn't look like someone in his late twenties at all, possessing a special youthful quality.

The two of them stood facing each other, one inside and one out. Lu Wen spoke first, "Teacher Qu, good morning."

Qu Yanting ignored him, fiddling with the tape in his hand.

Lu Wen remembered Sun Xiaojian's instructions, moved half a step closer, and offered, "Teacher Qu, let me help you put it up."

He took the paper. The characters on it were handwritten, forceful and beautiful. Pressing the paper against the door, he asked with concern, "Teacher Qu, did you sleep well last night?"

Qu Yanting looked up and glanced at Lu Wen. Thanks to this idiot, he had dreamt of his long-deceased father last night. After waking up, he couldn't get back to sleep and now had faint, bluish dark circles under his eyes.

Lu Wen quickly changed the subject. "Have you had breakfast? If not, I can ask my manager to buy some."

Qu Yanting finally spoke. "No need to be so attentive."

Exposed in a single sentence, Lu Wen felt a bit awkward but stubbornly said, "I'm just a warm-hearted person."

He glanced at Qu Yanting, his feelings complicated. Knowing Qu Yanting's identity, he felt he couldn't afford to offend him and was therefore restrained. But his first impression made him constantly forget Qu Yanting's status, making him want to act as he pleased.

Lu Wen made another effort to suck up to the big shot, asking, "Teacher Qu, if I have any questions about the script, can I ask you for guidance?"

The sign was up. Qu Yanting raised his hand and tapped on the paper, answering with the words "No Unauthorized Entry."

The rumor that Qu Yanting disliked interacting with actors in private was indeed true.

It took Lu Wen only five seconds to go from trying to get in his good graces to giving up. If he couldn't latch onto this big shot, then so be it. He said, "I'm off to shoot my scene then. See you around, Teacher!"

Filming was divided into A and B units, two separate crews. Sometimes they were divided by main and supporting characters, other times by interior and exterior scenes.

Lu Wen was with Unit A today, filming some trivial daily life shots in the morning, confined to a few shops across the street.

The already narrow street was packed with people. Besides the film crew and onlookers, a crowd of young girls had also appeared. Lu Wen walked back and forth, but no one shouted for him. Clearly, the girls weren't his fans.

One scene took place in a snack shop where Ye Xiaowu was eating Chongqing spicy noodles with a few of his hooligan friends. To protect his voice, Lu Wen didn't smoke or eat spicy food year-round, but Ye Xiaowu lived in Chongqing and loved all things spicy.

On the first take, Lu Wen couldn't handle the spiciness, grimacing so much that the director called cut. On the second take, he controlled his expression, but his tongue was so numb from the spice that he couldn't deliver his lines clearly. On the third take, he was fine, but the two supporting actors kept stepping on each other's rhythm.

It took four takes to pass. Lu Wen was sweating profusely from the spice, and his makeup was ruined.

During the twenty-minute break to change sets, he went back to touch up his makeup and change his clothes. As he walked out of the snack shop, Sun Xiaojian handed him a large bottle of pure milk.

Lu Wen crossed the street with the milk. Just as he reached the residential complex entrance, the group of young girls behind the boundary line erupted in excited screams.

He looked over in confusion and saw the second male lead of the drama in the crowd—Ruan Feng.

Ruan Feng was a little over 1.8 meters tall, with fair skin and light brown hair. He was handsome, the kind of handsome that made girls scream, like a popular idol. At first glance, he seemed sunny and youthful, but a longer look revealed a certain classical, handsome quality about him, a result of having studied traditional opera as a child.

The crowd was chaotic. Surrounded by bodyguards and assistants, Ruan Feng, true to his name, was like a gust of wind, swift and neat.

As he got closer, he saw Lu Wen and gradually slowed to a stop.

The two of them stood at the entrance of the complex, looking at each other for three or four seconds.

Ruan Feng was the first to extend his hand. "Hi, I'm Ruan Feng."

Lu Wen shook it. "I'm Lu Wen."

Ruan Feng grinned. "You're really handsome in person. I saw you the moment I turned the corner."

Lu Wen said, "I saw you right away too."

The director and others were just across the street, but Ruan Feng didn't even look their way, instead peering into the complex. He said politely, "I heard Screenwriter Qu is on set. I'm going to greet Teacher Qu first. We can chat later."

Lu Wen thought of Qu Yanting's noble and cold attitude and thought, 'Go ahead, see what happens.'

In that instant, Ruan Feng had already dashed into the complex, as if he couldn't wait.

Lu Wen needed to go back to 201 to change clothes, so he followed behind, unscrewing the milk bottle as he walked.

With everyone gathered on the street, the residential complex seemed deserted. Lu Wen slowly ambled to the entrance of Unit 1 and saw Ruan Feng run up the three steps, stopping abruptly outside Room 101 with an eager look on his face.

He paused and stepped to the side to avoid witnessing Ruan Feng get snubbed, which would be embarrassing for the other party.

Knock, knock, knock. Ruan Feng pounded on the door.

'Damn, so aggressive.' Lu Wen broke into a cold sweat for him.

Before long, the door opened, and Qu Yanting appeared.

The two met face to face. Ruan Feng had his back to the outside, so his expression couldn't be seen, but Qu Yanting's was on full display. He smiled, a smile that was first one of pleasant surprise, then one of unguarded affection, his expression better than in any of his previous appearances.

Ruan Feng was taller and wrapped an arm around Qu Yanting's shoulder. And that wasn't all; he pressed his whole body against Qu Yanting in a hug. His movements were incredibly natural. After embracing Qu Yanting tightly, he squeezed into the room and, as if afraid of being seen, hastily shut the door.

The "No Unauthorized Entry" sign was still posted conspicuously on the door.

At the entrance of the unit building, Lu Wen stood dumbfounded, choking on a large mouthful of pure milk.