“Achoo!” Ding Yuxi’s hand twitched, and he missed the focus, blurring the shot.
Ding Jiaxin asked with concern, “Brother, are you catching a cold?”
Not really. The headquarters of Star Entertainment, which Ding Jiaxin had signed with, was in Beijing, and even the Shanghai branch office had the heating cranked up high. When a company had money, they were generous like that.
Ding Yuxi weighed the camera in his hand. “Maybe someone’s talking about me. Come on, let’s take a few more shots and then we’ll wrap up.”
After the shoot, Ding Jiaxin and Ding Yuxi went through the photos together.
Ding Jiaxin probed slyly, “Brother, have you met any girl you admire lately? Grandpa was asking me about whether you’re dating and when you plan to settle down.”
Actually, Elder Ding hadn’t asked at all. Ding Yuanjie had gotten married at the start of the year, and by mid-year his sister-in-law had already announced a pregnancy. Why would a happy old man, about to enjoy four generations under one roof, bother asking about the romantic status of that stubborn mule Ding Zhoujie? That would just be asking for trouble.
She’d made it all up, just trying to coax out Ding Yuxi’s thoughts about Yu Shuxin.
Ding Yuxi wasn’t stupid. He could tell at once that this little girl was up to no good. “No.”
“Tsk,” Ding Jiaxin said. “Think again. What do you think of Yu Shuxin?”
Ding Yuxi thought she was about to dredge up old grudges. “We’re just professional acquaintances. Isn’t she your rival? If I said I admired her, wouldn’t you be mad?”
Ding Jiaxin waved her hands repeatedly. “Brother, you can tell me anything, but for heaven’s sake don’t say that online. Who still thinks she’s my rival these days? I’m practically her understudy now.”
She stretched lazily and continued. Ding Yuxi had kept her posing for four or five hours straight, cycling through five or six outfits, as if she couldn’t feel the overwhelming force of her brother’s affection.
“And if you like Yu Shuxin, then go for it and bring her home! That way she’ll be my sister-in-law someday.”
“And as my sister-in-law, she’d have to be polite to me, her husband’s little sister, right? Ahahaha!”
Imagining Yu Shuxin having to maintain the grace of an older sister-in-law and treat her with kindness, Ding Jiaxin cackled with glee.
Ding Yuxin finally understood. Ding Jiaxin had never actually hated Yu Shuxin—it was just unrequited friendship turning into resentment because she’d never managed to become friends with her.
The whole story of how the two of them had fallen out in their first year: Yu Shuxin had snatched the role from Ding Jiaxin, but only to get even for another girl whose role Ding Jiaxin had taken.
Oh, his silly little sister.
…
After her birthday, Yu Shuxin was noticeably busier after work every day. Her girl group was performing a new song at the Lychee TV New Year’s Eve Gala, so she had to go to the dance studio to practice every night after wrapping up.
Her assistant Xiao Yang sometimes felt that Yu Shuxin really had endless energy—going nonstop from morning to night, and still cracking jokes with the crew on set.
If Yu Shuxin knew what Xiao Yang was thinking, she’d cry out in protest. Heaven knows how she’d ended up being exactly Ding Yuxi’s type of funny. She really wasn’t telling jokes at all!
The day before the gala, Yu Shuxin finished work early and headed to the airport. She just had to stop by and tease Ding Yuxi, who was still filming. “Silence, your bias has a stage performance tomorrow. Aren’t you going to come shoot some fan cams and capture some legendary shots?”
Ding Yuxi turned off the walkie-talkie he’d been using and raised an eyebrow. “You want me to come?”
He was asking as Yu Shuxin the friend, not Yu Shuxin the celebrity.
Yu Shuxin had invited Ding Yuxi to her birthday party to play matchmaker for Qin Tianjiao. After learning that Qin Tianjiao was already engaged, she didn’t blame her too much, but she did feel genuinely guilty toward Ding Yuxi.
As for Ding Yuxi, after listening to Yu Shuxin’s rambling drunken tales of her love life, his understanding of her deepened. His appreciation grew from her professional skills to her dedication to her career.
Over time, the two silently acknowledged each other as decent friends.
Yu Shuxin let out a dismissive laugh. “Director Ding, focus on your filming, alright? I’m off. Bye.”
Macau was so far from Shanghai—only someone out of their mind would abandon work to be a fan photographer.
Ding Yuxi watched Yu Shuxin’s retreating figure as she fled and let out a cold snort.
Hmph. Daring to tease but not daring to own up.
…
On the last day of 2020, Ding Yuxi rushed to finish his filming duties and bolted immediately, leaving the wrap-up work to the executive director.
Cutting it close to the airport’s boarding announcement, Ding Yuxi sprinted through, scanned his boarding pass, and made it onto the plane.
As he settled into his seat, his heart was still pounding wildly. Time is a butcher’s knife, and staying up late for filming is the sharpest blade of all. Ding Yuxi swore that from today on, he would get more exercise.
Yesterday, Ding Yuxi had shamelessly asked around among his friends who worked as program directors at TV stations, and through a friend of a friend of a friend, he managed to secure an invitation to tonight’s event at the Cotai Arena.
After passing through the security checkpoint for the gala, he hunched over, kept his head low, and sneakily found his seat. The show was already more than halfway through.
Ding Yuxi knew Yu Shuxin would be making a guest appearance as a host tonight, but unfortunately, he’d missed the chance to photograph that.
Still, he’d made it in time—just three more songs until Yu Shuxin’s singing and dancing performance.
With the mindset of “I’m getting the shot of the year tonight,” Ding Yuxi raised his telephoto lens and started shooting the moment Yu Shuxin stepped on stage.
During the performance, due to the stage lighting, Yu Shuxin couldn’t see the audience at all.
But Yu Shuxin’s stage presence had clearly improved. Ding Yuxi captured several shots of her staring straight into the camera.
Her steps were light and lively, her long hair flowing. Yu Shuxin’s hand brushed past her cheek. Anyone who saw that photo would feel as if they were locked in by her enchanting gaze—like a siren luring passing sailors with her song, yet with her lips slightly parted, as if about to speak but holding back.
A legendary shot in the making.
Ding Yuxi had originally planned to leave early and get back to Shanghai for the morning shoot.
But the chatter of a few girls behind him froze him in place. He sat back down and booked a 5 a.m. flight.
They said that at the end of the gala, all the performers would come out to join the audience for the New Year’s countdown.
Ding Yuxi was held captive until the show ended, snapping shot after shot of Yu Shuxin, who was joyfully participating in the countdown on stage.
As midnight struck, Yu Shuxin, taking advantage of the fact that no camera was aimed at her, secretly closed her eyes and pressed her palms together, making her first wish of the new year.
And just like that, 2021 arrived amid the roaring crowd.
…