“Can you handle this level of kissing?”
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the audition. Lin Shen sat in the waiting area with the script in hand. Around him were over ten others auditioning for the same role, all silently preparing without any private exchanges.
Among those present were unknown newcomers who had never been seen before, as well as rising stars with a small following. To fit the role, some had even adjusted their clothing and makeup.
Brother Huang sat beside Lin Shen, also feeling nervous.
Not long after, an actor who had just finished the audition walked out, looking very displeased. It seemed that aside from not passing, they had also received some harsh criticism.
Taking advantage of the gap before the next actor entered, Brother Huang whispered to Lin Shen, “Don’t stress too much. This audition opportunity was unexpected in the first place. If you get the role, it’s a pleasant surprise. If not, there’s nothing to regret.”
Lin Shen nodded in agreement.
Soon, Lin Shen’s name was called. He entered, first bowing to the people in front, then proceeded with the performance according to the process.
The audition scene depicted a young man having an emotional breakdown due to his mother’s critical illness and lack of money for treatment. The setting was a hospital bench, but only a short stool barely large enough for one person was prepared on site.
Lin Shen sat on the stool, hunched over with knees bent, head lowered as he stared at the ground.
The bustling hospital environment had nothing to do with him. His world had narrowed to the doctor’s final verdict and the exorbitant medical bill.
Lin Shen remained silent, head bowed, his haggard face hidden beneath it. Then, the ground grew damp.
One drop, two drops, three drops…
Tears filled with pain and helplessness fell silently. His back could no longer support his body. Lin Shen wrapped his arms around his head, shoulders trembling as his breathing quickened, finally breaking into sobs.
Footsteps approached. Lin Shen looked up, momentarily stunned upon seeing the other person’s face, then abruptly stood and tightly grabbed his sleeve. “Doctor Li, Uncle, I beg you, please save my mother. She’s my only family left in this world. I’ll find a way to get the money.”
His voice grew urgent. “I’ll borrow it, I’ll go borrow it tonight. I’ll definitely have the money by tomorrow…”
The doctor looked at him with pity, patted his shoulder, withdrew his hand, shook his head, and walked away.
Suddenly losing that support, Lin Shen stumbled backward and fell onto the stool, covering his face with his hands as he wept uncontrollably.
“Cut.”
It was the director’s voice.
“Excellent performance. I deliberately didn’t give the audition actors overly detailed descriptions of the scene or emotions because I wanted to see everyone’s understanding of this character and plot. Unfortunately, the previous few interpretations were far from what I imagined.”
Jiang Cheng commented, “Their timing for shedding tears was off. Only you chose to cry at the beginning rather than when delivering the lines.”
Lin Shen wiped the tear stains from his face and politely replied, “Thank you for your recognition, Director Jiang.”
Everyone present could sense Jiang Cheng’s appreciation for Lin Shen. By the time he walked out the door, Lin Shen had already guessed the audition result, so his mood was quite good.
However, Lin Shen had always been one to conceal his emotions. He didn’t like to boast about things not yet secured, especially with other competitors waiting outside. No matter what, he wouldn’t reveal his inner thoughts.
Only after leaving the room did Brother Huang tremulously ask, “How did it go?”
Before Lin Shen could answer, he quickly added, “It’s okay, it’s just a supporting male role. We’ll have more chances if we keep working hard for another ten years!”
Lin Shen looked at him with a complicated expression. “Just how badly have I been doing these years…”
Brother Huang replied, baffled, “Don’t you know yourself?”
Lin Shen: “…”
Three days later, Lin Shen received notification that he had passed the audition.
Upon hearing the news, Brother Huang acted as if he’d won the lottery, dazed by the good news for a long time. Meanwhile, Lin Shen was informed that to allow him to focus on filming, the company planned to assign him a personal assistant.
Lin Shen told Lu Jing about this. After some thought, Lu Jing asked Lin Shen to decline the company’s offer, saying he would handle the assistant matter himself.
Thus, Lin Shen’s final assistant came to him through Lu Jing’s arrangement.
The assistant was called Xiao Xu, a recent university graduate with a clean background. He was simple, diligent, and straightforward.
Lin Shen wasn’t sure where Lu Jing had found such a little assistant, but having an assistant around did save a lot of trouble, so he didn’t refuse.
Once everything was prepared, the day to join the crew was approaching.
Thinking that he wouldn’t see Lu Jing for nearly three months, Lin Shen actually felt a bit reluctant.
These days, he had grown accustomed to living with Lu Jing—accustomed to having a familiar person beside him when sleeping, accustomed to two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table during meals, accustomed to occasional private acting guidance during lessons.
The night before joining the crew, Lu Jing lay in bed and asked Lin Shen, “Lin Shen, do you have a proper understanding of our relationship now?”
Lin Shen didn’t quite understand. “What counts as a ‘proper understanding’?”
Lu Jing thought for a moment and said, “In your eyes, what is our relationship now?”
Lin Shen answered truthfully, “Partners.”
“What do partners usually do together?”
“Eat, sleep, study…”
“Hmm?”
Lu Jing’s question was vague, so Lin Shen played dumb.
After waiting a long time without a response, Lu Jing took Lin Shen’s hand and chuckled, “When did you learn to play mute?”
“Let me ask more specifically,” Lu Jing said, stroking his hand slowly. “What do partners usually do before sleeping?”
The skin around Lin Shen’s ears visibly flushed red, even more striking under the warm yellow light.
Noticing his unusual reaction, Lu Jing suddenly understood something and tapped his head with a bent index finger. “What are you thinking about?”
Suddenly leaning closer, Lu Jing’s lips stopped just above Lin Shen’s eyelashes, mere inches away.
Lin Shen’s long lashes trembled slightly. From this angle, he could clearly see Lu Jing’s prominent Adam’s apple.
Before he could get a good look, a warm sensation suddenly touched his forehead—a bit ticklish, but not unpleasant.
A tingling itch flowed through his blood vessels to every part of his body, as if a feather had gently brushed his heart. Lin Shen felt utterly weak inside, even forgetting to blink.
“This is what I meant,” Lu Jing murmured, his throat vibrating as his thin lips pressed against Lin Shen’s forehead.
Lin Shen felt that he would eventually lose half his life to Lu Jing’s charm.
Like now—he was already on the verge of losing his ability to think.
After a while, Lu Jing finally released Lin Shen and ruffled his hair. “Can you handle this level of kissing?”
Lin Shen nodded blankly.
Lu Jing smiled. “You’re leaving tomorrow, so I’m marking you tonight. That way, we won’t have to start all over again when we meet after some time.”
“After all, getting you used to our current relationship isn’t an easy task.”
Lin Shen looked up gently and said, “I’m sorry. I won’t lose my memory so casually again in the future.”
Lu Jing was amused by Lin Shen’s words. “What’s there to be sorry about? Let’s just consider it as starting our relationship from scratch. Isn’t it said that the ambiguous phase is always the most heart-fluttering?”
Gently stroking his hair, Lu Jing’s tone carried a hint of melancholy. “When will you ever feel a flutter for me?”