He Yan would be joining the film crew soon. She sat on the carpet in her bedroom, rummaging through cabinets and drawers to pack her luggage.
Aunt Qian pushed open her door and handed her a small medicine kit. “Take care of yourself while filming. Don’t push through when you’re sick. I saw on the news that sometimes they film in freezing water even in the middle of winter. You’re a young lady, you can’t let yourself get chilled.”
Jiang Mingcheng happened to be passing by the doorway and stopped in his tracks.
Filming in water during winter?
Aunt Qian turned, saw Jiang Mingcheng, and smiled. “Is the young master worried about the missus too? You two chat, I’ll head downstairs.”
Having said that, Aunt Qian went downstairs, leaving Jiang Mingcheng standing at the door.
Jiang Mingcheng’s lips pressed together slightly as he walked into He Yan’s bedroom, looking down at her sitting on the carpet.
He Yan looked up at him.
“Filming in water?” His voice was still indifferent, revealing no emotion.
“No, Aunt Qian reads too much news. This production has no water scenes.”
“Any dangerous scenes then?”
“I don’t have any dangerous scenes. Don’t worry. Even if there were, the crew would have safety measures in place.”
“Good.” Jiang Mingcheng felt slightly relieved.
“How long will the filming take?”
“Just over two months.”
“Where will it be filmed?”
“In the neighboring city, Liancheng.”
“Okay.” Jiang Mingcheng nodded slightly and turned to leave.
He Yan squinted at his retreating figure.
Why ask so many questions? Was it necessary?
Wasting her time!
He Yan continued packing her luggage.
A few days later, He Yan, along with her assistant Yuan Yuan, headed to Liancheng and joined the film crew.
During this shoot, He Yan finally witnessed Director Shen’s prowess. He was meticulous about every detail and very skilled at guiding the actors. After just a few days of filming with him, He Yan learned a tremendous amount of practical knowledge.
Whenever she had free time, He Yan would immediately grab her little notebook and jot down what she’d learned, making it easier to review later.
As He Yan was engrossed in writing, a shadow suddenly fell over her notebook.
He Yan looked up to find Pei Yanchuan standing before her, a smile curving his lips.
“What are you writing in that notebook every day?” Pei Yanchuan smiled at He Yan. The young lady’s earnest expression was particularly adorable.
“Here, recording insights.” He Yan lifted the notebook and showed it to Pei Yanchuan. “I need to study hard.”
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me. Although I might not give you the most correct answers, discussing things with someone can lead to deeper understanding.” Pei Yanchuan pulled up a stool and sat down.
He Yan bit her lip.
This temptation was immense. Pei Yanchuan was a two-time acting champion, seeking his advice would surely lead to faster progress.
But… He Yan looked past Pei Yanchuan at Su An’an, who was walking towards them, and shook her head.
“No need, thanks. I don’t want to trouble you, Brother Pei.” It was better to stay as far away from him as possible.
He Yan continued writing in her notebook.
Pei Yanchuan’s eyes dimmed. Why did she keep avoiding him?
“Yanchuan, Yan Yan, what are you two chatting about?” Su An’an approached.
“Nothing much. Brother Pei was just asking what I was writing.” He Yan didn’t dare mention that Pei Yanchuan had offered to let her consult him.
“Oh? And what are you writing, Yan Yan? Can I have a look too?” Su An’an smiled gently.
Her smile made He Yan’s heart uneasy.
See? She only said Pei Yanchuan asked what she was writing, and now Su An’an wanted to see it too. She never showed this much interest usually!
He Yan handed the notebook over for Su An’an to glance at.
Su An’an raised her hand to cover her mouth, her smile exquisitely gentle. “Yan Yan is so diligent. By the way, Yanchuan could give us lessons too. I’d also like to learn more.”
Pei Yanchuan looked at He Yan, waiting for her reaction.
He Yan immediately waved her hand. “I won’t join. You two chat. I need to find Yuan Yuan about something. I’ll head over there.”
With that, she quickly rolled up her notebook and walked away.
She wasn’t stupid. Su An’an didn’t genuinely want her to join, so why would she be a third wheel?
Pei Yanchuan watched He Yan hurry off, his expression growing even darker. He stood up without a word, forgetting to acknowledge Su An’an, and walked away.
After the two had left, Su An’an’s gentle smile finally faded, her expression slowly turning cold.
Pei Yanchuan was indeed quite difficult to win over. But he was, after all, the son of the Pei family. No matter how hard, she had to succeed.
Half a month after filming began, Fang Wan arrived.
He Yan remembered her, the one who had tried to mock others during the audition but ended up digging a hole for herself.
What He Yan hadn’t expected, though, was that Fang Wan would be playing the very role she had most looked down on and sarcastically dismissed that day: the simpleton Hua Yuan.
Fang Wan’s face alternated between red and pale as she walked into the group. She could feel the amused glances from those around her.
Why on earth had she been so thoughtless as to mock the role of Hua Yuan in front of so many people on audition day!
But who would have guessed that the moment the director saw her, he felt she was perfect for Hua Yuan?
Fang Wan’s gaze swept around, finally landing on He Yan. Her expression gradually darkened.
It was all He Yan’s fault! If He Yan’s words hadn’t provoked her, she would never have made such a fool of herself!
And now He Yan had landed the second female lead role—how was she worthy!
Fang Wan’s arrival at the set didn’t cause much of a stir. After all, everyone was an adult, even if they inwardly mocked her, most maintained a friendly facade.
“Yan Yan, we’re planning to get hotpot tonight. You in?” a male actor called out to He Yan.
After spending these days together, everyone had discovered that He Yan was genuinely easy to get along with, completely unlike the rumors suggested. Some of the male actors were even starting to feel a bit intrigued.
“Sounds great! Hotpot is perfect for winter!” He Yan agreed readily, her eyes lighting up.
“Sister Yan Yan! Sister Jingyi told me to monitor your diet!” Yuan Yuan, her assistant beside her, pouted.
“Oh, come on, just this once, just this once, okay?” He Yan tugged at Yuan Yuan’s sleeve, shaking it playfully like a acting cute.
Everyone around them caught their breath.
Oh my god, so adorable! Say yes, say yes! How could anyone refuse such a cute little angel!
Yuan Yuan looked at He Yan’s moist, pleading eyes and the delicate hand grasping her sleeve, and finally nodded.
Oh my gosh, I can’t say no to this woman!
“What about Brother Pei and Sister An’an? Are you guys going?”
Just as Su An’an was about to say no, Pei Yanchuan spoke up. “Going.”
Su An’an was slightly surprised, but quickly masked her expression and smiled. “Yes, going.”
And so, the whole group set off for the hotpot restaurant in high spirits.
They went to a Sichuan-style hotpot place. As soon as they entered, the fragrant aroma wafted towards them.
He Yan’s mouth practically watered.
The group quickly took their seats. Pei Yanchuan sat to He Yan’s right, Su An’an to Pei Yanchuan’s right. Fang Wan, however, squeezed through the crowd and quickly claimed the seat to He Yan’s left.
Fang Wan remembered that He Yan couldn’t handle spicy food well, even a little bit would make her delicately tear up.
A smile curled at the corner of Fang Wan’s mouth. Today, she’d make He Yan embarrass herself right in front of her beloved Pei Yanchuan!
The pot gradually came to a boil, fiery red chilies tumbling up and down, stimulating everyone’s taste buds.
Fang Wan picked up the communal chopsticks, scooped up a few pieces of chili-coated meat from the spicy broth, and placed them into the bowl in front of He Yan.
“Yan Yan, give it a try?”
He Yan was pleasantly surprised. “I can get it myself, you don’t have to be so polite!”
With that, He Yan began to enjoy the food, bringing a piece of beef infused with the rich, buttery fragrance of the broth into her mouth. The spiciness and aroma spread through her mouth.
The first hotpot of the winter—awesome!
He Yan’s eyes squinted slightly in satisfaction, her cheeks puffing out adorably.
Seeing her like this, Fang Wan frowned.
Not spicy enough? How could she be enjoying it so much? Last time, a little bit of spice had made her cough for ages, and her throat was hoarse the next day.
Unwilling to give up, Fang Wan picked up another piece of extra-spicy beef and placed it in He Yan’s bowl.
“You don’t need to serve me. Just eat yourself, really, don’t worry about me!” He Yan quickly waved her hand, but Fang Wan was convinced she must be scared, especially since this piece of beef was at the masochistic level of spiciness.
“Well, you should eat this piece then. Can’t let it go to waste.” Fang Wan stared fixedly at He Yan.
He Yan looked down at the beef in her bowl. The entire slice was covered in several thick layers of chili pepper. The restaurant owner had even warned them earlier not to casually try this dish.
He Yan reached out with her chopsticks and picked it up, a smile curving her lips. “I’ve been wanting to try this for a while!”
With that, she took a small bite of the beef. It was tender, smooth, and delicious, the spiciness perfectly infused.
Delicious!
Fang Wan beside her: “???”
Hey, wait a minute. Wasn’t she supposed to hem and haw and refuse a few times? Then she could put on a little act of kindly serving her food that she then ungratefully rejects, going back and forth a few times in front of Pei Yanchuan, letting him see how affected and pretentious she was?
You’re not playing by the rules!
Although the spiciness was enjoyable, He Yan certainly felt the power of the masochistic-level heat. After the smooth texture, the spiciness exploded in her mouth and throat.
“Cough, cough, cough!” He Yan couldn’t help coughing, tears even springing to her eyes from the spice.
Fang Wan inwardly cheered: Yes, that’s it! Now, just like before, throw a little temper tantrum!
“You okay? Is it too spicy?” Pei Yanchuan frowned and handed He Yan a glass of juice.
He Yan took it and downed it in one gulp. She coughed a few more times, finally managing to suppress the spiciness to a tolerable level.
Only then did she look up and say to Pei Yanchuan, “Thanks.”
Fang Wan: Huh? What’s going on? Did I just create an interaction opportunity for you two?
This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go!
The teardrops at the corners of He Yan’s eyes hadn’t been wiped away yet. They clung to her slightly reddened eyes, giving her an indescribably charming and delicate look, tinged with a hint of pitifulness.
Pei Yanchuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to his senses. He cleared his throat lightly and said, “Don’t eat such spicy food.”
“But it’s so delicious! I absolutely love Sichuan hotpot!” He Yan’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the extra-spicy beef, practically trembling with desire.
Pei Yanchuan looked at the young lady’s lips, reddened from the spice. He frowned slightly, reached out, and moved the plate of extra-spicy beef to a side shelf. “The owner said earlier, you can’t eat too much of this one.”
He Yan pouted.
If she didn’t get her fill now, who knew when the next chance would be.
But since Pei Yanchuan had said that, insisting on eating more would just make her seem unreasonable.
“Huh? Brother Pei, why are you putting the extra-spicy beef away? We haven’t even challenged it yet!” a few people across from them exclaimed.
Pei Yanchuan reached out, took the plate down, and passed it to them. “Eat it all, then!”
“Huh?” Several people simultaneously gulped. “If we eat it all, we’re heading straight to the hospital today.”
Pei Yanchuan looked back at He Yan, his expression clearly saying: See? Only you don’t know your limits. That stuff shouldn’t be eaten in excess.
He Yan pouted even more pronouncedly, staring straight at the plate of beef, now so far away from her.
It really was delicious. The meat was fresh and tasty, perfectly infused with spice, and the chilies on top were fragrant—not like the cheap, spicy seasoning some places used.
Truly memorable.
Pei Yanchuan watched the young lady be unhappy for a full minute, then finally sighed. He took the initiative to pick up a piece of the extra-spicy beef for He Yan, his tone filled with helplessness. “Last piece. No more after this.”
“Okay!” He Yan agreed immediately.
Having gotten her wish, the young lady’s eyes crinkled with satisfaction at the corners, her small lips stained a delicate, captivating red.
Pei Yanchuan couldn’t help but smile softly.
This little girl was so easy to please.
**