The sound of knocking echoed clearly in Yu Junye’s ears, sending a cold shiver down her spine and making her hair stand on end as she clutched the edges of the blanket even tighter.
The door opened, and footsteps drew closer step by step, causing Yu Junye’s heart to race wildly with each beat.
The visitor gently pulled at the blanket. Sensing this, Yu Junye gripped the fabric tighter, trembling even more violently. Her heart leapt into her throat, and her entire body grew as tense as a fully drawn bow.
“It’s me, Junjun.” A deep, mellow male voice reached Yu Junye’s ears through the blanket.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s me. I’m here!” With great patience, the man continued to gently tug at the blanket.
Hearing the familiar tone and voice, Yu Junye finally relaxed her grip.
The blanket was pulled back, and a rush of fresh air hit her face as Yu Junye took in a deep, gasping breath.
The day had broken completely, and the sun was just peeking over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the entire room.
Hesitantly, Yu Junye opened her eyes to see Guo Nianhong looking down at her with a gentle, lingering smile.
A sudden sourness pricked at Yu Junye’s nose, and large teardrops instantly welled up and rolled down her cheeks.
Panicking slightly, Guo Nianhong fumbled to wipe away her tears. Yu Junye grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly as an unspoken panic and grievance filled her weakened eyes.
“Come here.” Guo Nianhong opened his arms in a gesture of invitation.
Struggling to sit up, Yu Junye was caught by Guo Nianhong, who placed his hands on her shoulders, pulled her firmly forward, and gathered her into his embrace.
The crisp, clean scent of the man instantly enveloped Yu Junye. Her panicked and unsettled heart finally found a place to rest, much like a solitary anchor in years of drifting life always finding that single point of support.
When An Ji walked into the room carrying a food container, this was the exact scene that met her eyes: the two of them locked in a silent embrace, bathed in the warm, golden light of the morning sun, cozy as spring.
This was the man she had inadvertently seen while reviewing Yu Junye’s filmography wearing glasses and looking scholarly and refined from a distance, somewhat different from her mental image of a successful businessman.
An Ji stood hesitating in the doorway.
Realizing someone was at the door, Guo Nianhong gently pulled back from Yu Junye to let her sit up straight by herself, then stood up and turned toward the entrance.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” An Ji cleared her throat and said apologetically.
“We should be thanking you instead, for troubling yourself over her the entire night,” Guo Nianhong said with a sincere tone.
“It’s no trouble at all, just a small favor.” An Ji walked over to the table beside the hospital bed carrying the container and opened it. “I went and bought some congee. Let’s have some breakfast!”
Then, with a hint of self-reproach, she added, “Though it looks like I might not have bought quite enough.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already sent Xiao Shi out to buy some more. Thank you truly for all the trouble,” Guo Nianhong replied respectfully, raising a hand to adjust his glasses.
An Ji felt a sudden urge to smile. Her presence here probably wasn’t entirely appropriate, as it seemed to make the two of them overly restrained especially Guo Nianhong.
Leaning against the head of the bed, Yu Junye stared at the congee in An Ji’s container and swallowed hard; she was indeed quite hungry.
“You can only have some light congee right now; this causes the least amount of damage to your stomach and liver.” An Ji scooped out a bowl of congee, tested the temperature with the tip of her finger against the edge, and placed it on the table close to the bed. She then turned around, picked up her bag, and said, “Drink it while it’s warm. I’m heading off to the set now, but I’ll come back to check on you both later.”
“Have some breakfast before you go! Xiao Shi should be back very soon,” Guo Nianhong politely urged her to stay.
“No, thank you. I’ve already eaten. Take good care of Teacher Yu and help her recover as soon as possible,” An Ji said as she walked toward the door.
“I’ll see you out,” Guo Nianhong started to step around the hospital bed.
“No need, I can find my way.” An Ji suddenly turned her head, flashing a sweet smile at Yu Junye. “Get well soon, I’m looking forward to working closely with you!”
Yu Junye dazedly moved the corners of her mouth, squeezing out a smile. “Alright.”
After An Ji left, quiet returned to the hospital room.
“Why did you come here?” After finishing the congee and recovering some of her energy, Yu Junye looked at the faint dark circles under Guo Nianhong’s eyes and asked.
“A little after eleven last night, Han Deyu called to apologize, saying he had taken care of you right into the hospital.” Guo Nianhong raised a hand to gently smooth down a stray lock of hair behind Yu Junye’s ear.
Yu Junye’s complexion was still somewhat pale, though her lips retained a faint trace of red, perhaps from the warm congee.
“Did you not sleep at all last night?”
“I slept. My flight was at five this morning, but I was worried you’d be scared…” Guo Nianhong cut himself off at the right moment.
Yu Junye’s gaze darkened slightly. “Would you like to get some sleep? The sun is already this high.”
“After the doctor finishes the morning rounds, you should get some more rest too.”
“Okay!” Yu Junye obediently agreed.
Perhaps due to Guo Nianhong’s arrival, Yu Junye found a pillar of emotional support. Her spirits lifted remarkably, and she recovered so quickly that two days later she was discharged right on schedule, full of life and energy once again.
On the night of her discharge, Guo Nianhong hosted a banquet to thank the entire crew before rushing back to handle a backlog of company business.
Early the next morning, An Ji arrived at the set around the same time as the previous few days. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Yu Junye sitting in front of the makeup mirror, intently reviewing her script.
Word had it that Yu Junye was merciless, stern, and cold while filming. An Ji felt a lingering trace of anxiety, wondering if working with her would prove difficult.
“Good morning!” An Ji greeted Yu Junye, bringing a breath of fresh morning air with her.
Yu Junye looked up, her gaze meeting An Ji’s clear, smiling eyes. A subtle, barely perceptible smile touched the corners of her mouth like a ripple across water, it swept swiftly across her face before condensing into two bright sparks deep within her eyes, vanishing instantly into her gaze.
“Morning, Teacher An!”
Truth be told, she had her own worries as well. Portraying a man was vastly different from playing a female role, and she wondered if the other actress would find it awkward, or if their scenes would turn out terribly. These questions had been weighing on her mind from the moment she stepped onto the set today.
“From now on, the two of us will be sharing this dressing room. I hope Teacher Yu won’t mind,” An Ji said as she walked over to the water dispenser to pour a cup of water.
“Teacher An, you flatter me. Sharing a dressing room with you is something I could only wish for; I should be thanking you instead.” Yu Junye’s gratitude came straight from the heart. She knew An Ji had requested to share a dressing room specifically out of concern that the prop snake incident might leave her with lingering psychological trauma.
“I just hope I’m not putting you out,” An Ji said thoughtfully as she sipped her water.
“I only hope you don’t feel inconvenienced. It’s me who’s intruding.”
“You two are early!” Ai Lin exclaimed the moment she arrived at the door. “Yezi, why so early? I knocked on your door just now and got no response turns out you already left. Remember to call for me next time!”
“Alright, I’ll call you,” Yu Junye replied with a slight pout.
Members of the crew arrived one after another, each attending to their duties in a flurry of activity.
Inside the dressing room, the stylists worked with tireless hands.
Yu Junye’s male costume was the simplest and least time-consuming, requiring only a tied-up coiffure, neatly trimmed brows, and a change of wardrobe. When she finished her makeup, she turned to look at An Ji, who seemed to have just begun, and couldn’t help feeling a bit restless.
Facing the mirror, she looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar face reflected within it, its delicate features fair and luminous beneath the lights.
The life of a deeply devoted, frail scholar was about to begin.