Afraid of her?
Shan Shan was crying so loudly and hysterically, and refused to let anyone else come near her.
It took Yin Kairui quite some time and effort to calm her down and soothe her. By the time she finally stopped crying, his head was still ringing with the echoes of her wails.
He sat there looking completely drained and lifeless, and didn’t even have the energy to wipe away the two small tears that had accidentally landed on his neck while she was clinging to him.
Seeing that Shan Shan had finally settled down and her mood had stabilized, Wen Yiting stepped in to explain things to her, since Yin Kairui was currently in no state to speak. “Acting is your brother’s job, and his work is very important to him. That means he can’t just leave right now, no matter what happens.”
Shan Shan thought back to what she had seen in her dream how after her brother left this place called the “film set,” things had only gotten worse and worse for him.
So it really was true: he absolutely could not leave.
Shan Shan looked up at Yin Kairui, thought carefully for a moment, and spoke in a serious, earnest voice. “If that’s how it has to be… then I’m going to stay right by Brother’s side all the time.”
“You can’t stay right next to me while I’m filming,” Yin Kairui replied immediately, refusing her request. He didn’t even realize that his bottom line was becoming softer and more flexible with every passing day.
Shan Shan nodded obediently. “Okay, I understand.”
The incident with Zhuang Qinqin was nothing more than a brief interruption. By the time Yin Kairui had finished his makeup and styling, Liu had already brought breakfast into the preparation room enough food to feed fifteen people.
Of those fifteen portions, thirteen were for Shan Shan alone, while the remaining two were for Wen Yiting and Liu. Aside from the noodles, Shan Shan ate every single dish all by herself.
Once she had eaten her fill and drunk her milk, Yin Kairui took her out of the preparation room. He went to sit beside Director Luo, while Shan Shan pulled over a small stool and sat right next to him, pressing her little body gently against his leg.
Yin Kairui glanced down at her. “…”
Oh well… it’s fine, I suppose.
And actually… now that he thought about it, the leg she was leaning against felt strangely cool and comfortable, as if the scorching heat had completely vanished from that spot.
Yin Kairui couldn’t help but look down at Shan Shan more closely and as he did, he noticed something very strange.
She was wearing a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt and soft yellow overalls that Wen Yiting had bought for her. Wen Yiting had also tied her hair into two neat little braids that hung down softly on either side of her shoulders.
Although her hair was slightly yellowish and dull from poor nutrition, she had a thick head of hair, and the braids looked very sweet and lovely.
But what stood out most of all was that her face was smooth, fresh, and completely clean not a single drop of sweat anywhere on her skin.
That didn’t make sense at all! He had checked the weather and health information just yesterday, and everything said that children felt the heat even more strongly than adults did!
As Yin Kairui sat there wondering what was going on, Wen Yiting glanced at the time and turned to speak to him. “I have some other things to take care of, so I’ll be heading off now. If anything comes up, just give me a call, okay?”
“Alright,” Yin Kairui replied. They had already agreed yesterday that she would be leaving today, so he didn’t try to stop her. He did, however, add one important reminder: “Just make sure you find me a proper assistant as soon as possible.”
After all, it was clear that Liu didn’t have the experience or patience needed to take care of a young child properly.
Today’s filming was being directed primarily by the assistant director, while Director Luo was there mainly to oversee the work and ensure everything ran smoothly. This meant he had plenty of free time on his hands.
And right now, there was one thing that interested him more than anything else the small child sitting right beside him.
He had seen all the trending topics and rumors circulating online, but he had nothing but contempt for the claim that Yin Kairui had fathered a child while he was still underage. He knew Yin Kairui better than that this man had never shown any particular interest or curiosity toward the opposite sex, and romance had never been anywhere near the top of his list of priorities.
“Kairui… who is this little girl?”
Yin Kairui hesitated for a moment before answering. “She’s my cousin.”
Hearing this, Shan Shan’s eyes instantly lit up like shining stars.
Brother said I’m his sister! He really acknowledged me as family!
Overjoyed, Shan Shan turned to greet Director Luo on her own initiative. “Hello, Uncle! My name is Shan Shan!”
“Hello, Shan Shan,” Director Luo replied with a warm smile. He found himself taking an immediate liking to this bright, lively little girl.
Most importantly of all, Shan Shan wasn’t afraid of him.
Director Luo had naturally stern, fierce features, and his temper was just as sharp and intimidating as his face suggested though he usually only showed this side of himself while working on set. He cared deeply about every single production he worked on, and as a result, he held his actors to very high standards. If he came across anyone who was lazy or unprofessional, he could shout and criticize them so fiercely that they would choose to quit the production entirely.
Even when he wasn’t angry or speaking loudly, almost everyone found him intimidating. The only people who weren’t scared of him were his own two young grandsons, who would happily run up to him and cling to him without any fear at all.
Even when working with child actors, he found it almost impossible to communicate or interact with them properly. Eight times out of ten, just having him walk over to say hello would be enough to make the children burst into tears from fright.
Now that he had met Shan Shan, who was so brave and confident, Director Luo found himself even more interested in her. “Are you having fun here? Don’t you find it a little boring just sitting around watching us work?”
“It is a little boring,” Shan Shan nodded honestly, then shook her head firmly. “But that’s okay! I didn’t come here to play anyway!”
“Then what did you come here for?” Director Luo asked, speaking in a soft, gentle, coaxing tone. He found this little girl absolutely fascinating.
The crew members walking past them glanced over in surprise. Is that really Director Luo talking right now? He sounds like some kind of elderly man trying to be cute and sweet… it’s kind of terrifying! Is he really not going to scare the little girl away?
But Shan Shan wasn’t scared at all. She answered his question seriously and clearly. “I came here to protect my brother!”
She was just too adorable for words.
Director Luo laughed warmly. “Ah yes, that’s right. You already protected him earlier today, didn’t you?”
Shan Shan puffed out her small chest proudly, trying to keep her expression calm and composed but her eyes were sparkling with delight, and the corners of her mouth were turning up into a wide smile that she simply couldn’t hold back.
Seeing her like this, a sudden idea popped into Director Luo’s head. “Shan Shan… would you be interested in acting in our drama too? Acting is exactly what your brother does for work. You could work alongside him and do all the same things he does!”
“Hmm?” Shan Shan looked toward the group of people who were currently filming a scene, her expression full of confusion. “But all the actors are grown-ups… I’m just a little child.”
“There are roles written especially for children too, you know,” Director Luo said with a smile. “And you fit this particular role perfectly. Kairui… why don’t you think about it? It really would be perfect.”
Yin Kairui’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “Director Luo… I really don’t think that’s necessary.”
Director Luo tried his best to persuade him. “It’s only a very small part nothing difficult or tiring at all. You know the story well enough it’s the short scene about the Phoenix Egg. I’ve been looking for the right person to play the role for ages, and I was even thinking about creating a little phoenix character using special effects and computer graphics. But don’t you think Shan Shan looks exactly like how we imagined the character would look?”
“No, absolutely not,” Yin Kairui refused firmly. “And besides… I’m not her legal guardian. It’s not up to me to make decisions like this for her. There’s no point asking me about it.”
There was more that Yin Kairui didn’t say out loud.
Shan Shan was far too special and unique. With her extraordinary abilities and secrets, this life in the spotlight and public attention was completely unsuitable and dangerous for her.
And besides, she might not even like acting or being in front of cameras at all.
“You can think about it carefully, Shan Shan… and you too, Kairui,” Director Luo said, turning his attention straight back to the little girl and trying to charm her into agreeing. “Shan Shan… wouldn’t you like to earn your own money and buy all the ice cream and sweets you could ever want to eat?”
Yin Kairui’s face darkened immediately. “Director Luo!”
“Hahaha! Alright, alright… I won’t say any more about it,” Director Luo laughed loudly.
Having said everything he wanted to say, Director Luo smiled and waved his hand toward Shan Shan. “But if you get bored while your brother is working and I don’t have anything to do, you can always come find me and we’ll play together, okay?”
Shan Shan, who was always polite and well-behaved, nodded happily. “Okay! That sounds great!”
As they chatted, it was soon time for Yin Kairui to film his next scene.
Feeling slightly uneasy about leaving Shan Shan alone, he first called Liu over to keep an eye on her, then turned to Director Luo. “Director Luo… would you mind watching over her for me while I’m working? I’ll be right back as soon as I’m done.”
“Go on then, go on!” Director Luo waved his hand dismissively. “And don’t rush back you’re getting in the way of me getting to know Shan Shan properly and becoming good friends with her!”
Yin Kairui felt even more worried and uneasy than before.
But no matter how he felt, he still had his job to do, and the filming had to go on as planned.
The moment the cameras started rolling, Yin Kairui transformed instantly into the character he was playing the elegant, immortal Lord Qingyi, who moved with effortless grace and charm, and whose eyes held wisdom and insight that seemed to see straight into the very hearts of everyone around him.
Watching him from the side, Shan Shan rested her chin in her hands and let out a soft gasp of admiration. “Wow… Brother is amazing!”
“He really is,” Liu agreed wholeheartedly. “There’s no one better than him.”
When it came to acting, Yin Kairui was truly blessed with natural talent. He had never attended drama school or received formal training, yet he understood every character he played perfectly, bringing every small expression and subtle emotion to life with incredible accuracy. A single glance or look from him was enough to convey exactly what his character was thinking and feeling.
He was a born actor.
And…
The way he looked and acted right now reminded Shan Shan so much of the brother she had known and loved in their old life.
She wondered how long it would take before he would remember everything about his past, about who he really was. Did he have to live out his entire human life and reach the very end of his lifespan before he would regain his memories?
But that would mean… decades and decades of time passing, wouldn’t it?
To her, that felt like nothing more than the length of a single long nap.
Shan Shan thought about this happily and optimistically, completely unaware of just how long decades really felt to human beings.
“Hello there, little one.”
A soft, gentle voice spoke right beside her but Shan Shan immediately stiffened in alarm. Her eyes went wide, she covered her nose tightly with both hands, and without even thinking, she turned and ran straight toward… Director Luo, throwing her arms around his legs and clinging to him tightly. “Uncle!”
Director Luo, who suddenly found a small child hanging from his legs like a decoration: “???”
He was used to this kind of thing, though. He easily lifted Shan Shan up into his arms and bounced her gently once or twice. “You’re so light and thin… doesn’t your brother feed you properly? What’s wrong? Why did you run over here so suddenly?”
“I… I just… I don’t like her,” Shan Shan said, looking as if she felt terrible for being so rude.
Director Luo smiled kindly. “That’s alright. You don’t have to like everyone you meet. Children are allowed to be a little bit willful and follow their own feelings. Would you like to come and sit with me? I’ll show you what your brother looks like on the camera monitor, okay?”
Camera monitor? Is that the little box that shows moving pictures?
Shan Shan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes please!”
Director Luo sat down and let Shan Shan rest comfortably on his lap. She turned her head and glanced back carefully, making sure that Zhuang Qinqin wasn’t following them or coming any closer, before finally relaxing completely.
Seeing this, Director Luo also glanced over toward the woman who was standing alone not far away, looking lost and confused. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.
If he wasn’t mistaken, it wasn’t just that Shan Shan disliked her… it looked as though Shan Shan was actually afraid of her.