An hour later, Jin Jingyao sat in the dark workshop, receiving a photo sent by Mai Hongcheng. "This actress of yours is not simple, always causing trouble. No wonder she hasn't become famous after all these years," the other party said. "Director, here's a piece of advice: it's still not too late to change the actress." Jin Jingyao said, "Find out who took this." He hung up the phone directly. He stared expressionlessly at the photo on the phone screen, his fingertip lingering over the delete button for a long time before ultimately choosing to save it. As a director, he could immediately see the problem with the photo: the young man in the photo was not playing Zhou Jing at all. That was definitely not Zhou Jing's look when he gazed at A-Ling. But unlike his obvious loss of composure, A-Ling was just A-Ling. Her performance was flawless, invested and perfect. Every second she was in front of the camera was perfect. So perfect it almost hurt his eyes. It seemed that improvisation was only suitable for truly talented actors; he should never have tried it from the beginning. Jin Jingyao tossed the phone aside and took out a dartboard from the drawer that he hadn't touched in a long time. He hung the dartboard on the wall, then sat back down and casually threw a dart. A small dart sliced through the air, silently embedding itself in the dartboard on the wall. The action was somewhat careless, yet the dart hit the bullseye steadily. When his thoughts were chaotic, he would use this method to quiet his mind. Usually, it worked, but not today. His mind was still filled with many voices. Who was secretly taking photos? Who leaked the photo? What was the other party's intention? What should he do? Why did he shoot such a failed scene? How could he salvage this film? Could he ever go back to being an actor without personal motives? Who exactly was he? Too many questions, with no answers, no outlet. In the end, Jin Jingyao just took out his phone and opened the private message page. He typed 'Happy Birthday' on the screen, hesitated for a moment, and then deleted it word by word. 9787532754335: Have you eaten? Without waiting for a reply, there was a knock on the door outside the workshop. He didn't want to respond, but the other party was persistent and didn't stop. Jin Jingyao reluctantly stood up and opened the door. Li Ling sat at the door, holding a small piece of cream cake, and politely said, "Director, would you like a piece?" Her hair was messy, her face dirty, with cream on her nose and cheeks. Her expression was very joyful, with an uncontrollable smile at the corners of her eyes and mouth, showing how much fun she had just had with the crew. The A-Ling in the photo, kissing him painfully, had disappeared, or perhaps had never existed. Jin Jingyao stared at her expressionlessly, finding her somewhat annoying no matter how he looked at her. He didn't know if it was her dirty face or the smile on her face that was annoying. "No," he said coldly. Li Ling said disappointedly, "Alright." She glanced inside tentatively, "Are you still editing the film?" Jin Jingyao responded with a "Hmm." Li Ling seemed to be making small talk, "That's really hard work." He looked at her without much expression. Under such a sharp gaze, Li Ling quickly gave in and revealed her true intention. "About that scene just now..." she stammered. Jin Jingyao said, "You're right, I plan to cut it." She looked surprised, not as happy as he had imagined, but still forced a smile and asked more politely, "Are you going to cut it all out?"Jin Jingyao said, "Zhou Jing lost control. He shouldn't love A-Ling this much. His love is selfish; he still wants to hide her in the basement." His tone was calm, as calm as a scalpel. Li Ling said, "I see." She was a bit disappointed but still followed his words, "You're right. Zhou Jing's love is conditional. He never liked the A-Ling he couldn't control." Jin Jingyao listened to her clumsy words, analyzing the characters and the script in a messy way. She didn't realize that as she spoke, the smile on her face disappeared, and the light in her eyes dimmed a bit. In this disheveled state, she suddenly looked a lot like A-Ling. But he also found her unsmiling face very annoying. It seemed that whether Li Ling smiled or not, she was always an eyesore. She was born with a very annoying face. He didn't like it at all. After a moment of silence, Li Ling said, "Director, I won't bother you anymore. I'll leave now." The cake in her hand was limp, cut into pieces, looking a bit pitiful. Jin Jingyao lowered his eyes, looking at that small piece of cake, and said, "Wait a moment." Li Ling's wheelchair stopped. The small cake on her lap wobbled comically with her movement. Jin Jingyao said, "It's not your fault. You acted very well." His tone was stiff, without much emotion, more like a threat than a compliment, and he still didn't look Li Ling in the eyes. But she widened her eyes, looking up at him with a somewhat dazed expression. The noisy laughter and chatter outside the theater suddenly seemed very far away from them. They were locked in a vacuum world, relying on each other's gaze and voice, forming a safe, transparent wall. An invisible firework soared into the sky, illuminating her face. Li Ling said in surprise, "Director, this seems to be the first time you've praised me." Jin Jingyao: "Oh." He might have wanted to say something else, but at that moment, the transparent wall was broken— Drunken Xiao Liu stumbled with a "thud," tripping over the overly long white dress, and fell towards Li Ling. Jin Jingyao reacted quickly, unhappily pulling Li Ling to his side. Xiao Liu fell straight to the ground with a heavy thud. He wobbled as he stood up, then suddenly gave Li Ling a silly smile and, with lightning speed, snatched the small cake from her hand and stuffed it into his mouth, eating it in big bites. Li Ling: ? Brother, are you that hungry? But the most baffling scene was yet to come. The director picked Xiao Liu up and slapped him twice on the back of his head. Li Ling: ?? She was startled, "Director, it's just a cake, isn't that a bit much..." "I have something to ask him," Jin Jingyao said calmly, "You go out for a bit." Li Ling said "Oh," and turned to leave. He called her back with a cold face, "Bring me another piece of cake." Li Ling: ? Didn't you say you don't eat sweets, Mr. Jin? She didn't dare to ask him directly. The scene in front of her was so intimidating that Li Ling worried if she said more, the director might hit her too. Fortunately, she soon ran into a kind staff member who handed her a piece of cake. She hurried back. Standing at the door, before she could knock, she heard Jin Jingyao's icy voice, "Did you take the photo?" Xiao Liu seemed about to break down, crying, "How could it be me, cousin? Even if you gave me ten guts, I wouldn't dare..." Another "smack" sound. What a terrifying noise. Li Ling, adhering to the principle of "no blood on birthdays," bravely rushed in. She saw that Xiao Liu's white dress was already torn to shreds, resembling a white wreath hanging on him. Jin Jingyao was holding him by the neck, like he was holding a white plastic bag. The scene was truly gory, very white-violence, much like a Sion Sono murder film. Li Ling hesitated for a moment before saying, "What are you talking about? Filming what?" Xiao Liu blurted out, "Someone took photos of your kissing scene just now..." It's over. Before Cousin Jin could make another move, Xiao Liu realized his fatal mistake. Like a knowledgeable and tactful eunuch from ancient times, he slapped himself hard twice on the face and said, "Sorry, Cousin, I'll leave on my own, I'll leave right now." With that, he really rolled out in a very standard posture. His flexibility was astonishing, clearly showing he practiced yoga regularly. The farce came and went, and with one less person in the workspace, it became quiet again. Weak light shone in from outside the door, like an undercurrent in the deep sea. Li Ling placed the small cake on the table and said, "Director, can I see the photos?" Jin Jingyao: "Deleted." She nodded, almost unconsciously curling her lips, and said, "So you want to delete the kissing scene because of this?" "How could that be?" He glanced at her coldly and added, "You smiled very ugly." Li Ling said, "Alright then." She tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth. The room fell silent again. In the dim light, Li Ling tried to discern his gaze but wasn't very successful. She couldn't help but ask, "Director, was the candid photo because of me, like Qin Yi before..." Jin Jingyao interrupted her, "It's got nothing to do with you." "Don't flatter yourself." His tone was indifferent, like he was scolding her. Li Ling: "Oh, alright." Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen; it was an unfamiliar number. She didn't really want to answer, but Jin Jingyao kept looking at her coldly, making the atmosphere very strange. So Li Ling answered. A very filthy and hoarse voice immediately came from the other end. Qin Yi drunkenly said, "You bitch, happy birthday!" Li Ling: ? She felt her ears were sullied and immediately hung up, blocking the number. But within a minute, the phone rang again, another unfamiliar number. Li Ling: "..." Teacher Qin came prepared. "Wait a moment, I'll turn on Do Not Disturb." She awkwardly smiled at Jin Jingyao. But he impatiently glanced at Li Ling and directly snatched the phone from her hand. "Say that again," he said very calmly. The other side indeed didn't curse again. Qin Yi, like a chicken being choked, made a fearful sound from deep in his throat, "Director Jin, Jin..." Jin Jingyao: "Get lost." He hung up the phone and directly used Li Ling's phone to call Mai Hongcheng: "Don't let Qin Yi harass my actors again." "Huh? Whose number is this?" Mai was stunned for a moment, his tone a bit sarcastic, "Oh, Director Jin, your actor..." Jin Jingyao showed no expression and hung up again. Li Ling stood aside, watching his smooth operation, not knowing what to say, so she secretly observed his expression. The young man's eyelashes were lowered, his breathing steady, but his gaze seemed to be shrouded in sea mist, dark and unclear. He didn't look very happy. Li Ling had a sudden idea and proactively picked up the cake, walking to him. Jin Jingyao propped his hand on the table: "What are you doing?"Li Ling exaggeratedly said, "Director, you're so good to me, I don't even know how to repay you, so I can only offer flowers to Buddha..." "...Today is not my birthday." She blinked, "Then when is your birthday?" Jin Jingyao snorted lightly, "You have a good memory?" Li Ling said sincerely, "As long as you tell me, I will remember it by heart." Unfortunately, Director Jin's temper was always unpredictable. Not only was he not pleased by her words, but he also stared at her, his gaze deepening. Suddenly, he raised his hand irritably, picked up a dart, and threw it out. Something whizzed through the air, narrowly missing her head. Li Ling sensed the aggression from the other person, her whole body stiffened, and she felt the young man's gaze was too sharp, almost making her drop the cake in her hand. Jin Jingyao said, "This isn't the first time he's looked for you, is it?" Li Ling panicked for a moment, instinctively wanting to deny it, but finally compromised, "He hasn't looked for me many times." "Why didn't you say anything?" Li Ling: "..." To take a step back, this was her own business, how could she trouble others with it? "If this happens again, I'll handle it," he said indifferently. Li Ling still kept her head down, not saying whether it was good or bad. Help, reliance, these were all foreign words. Strange emotions surged in her heart, like a pale spider web, too sticky, clinging to her lips and heart. Jin Jingyao looked at her for a while, still looking very annoyed, and finally picked up the jacket draped over the back of the chair, "Forget it, I'll take you back." - At the theater entrance, they passed a group of drunken crew members lying around like corpses. Clearly, it was Li Ling's birthday, but others took the opportunity to party all night, showing how much pressure they usually had while filming. Jin Jingyao, without any sympathy, kicked the "corpses" aside, clearing the way, and drove the car to the theater entrance. He wanted to help Li Ling into the car, but she said, "Director, can we sit outside for a while?" Jin Jingyao glanced at her, "Suit yourself." He closed the car door and pushed her to sit under a withered tree outside the theater. The night was deep, and the shadow of the withered branches just blocked the crescent moon in the sky. The late-night wind occasionally blew the swaying branches, making a sound similar to wailing. Li Ling felt a bit cold and was about to hug her arms when she suddenly felt warmth on her body. Jin Jingyao had taken off his jacket again and draped it over her shoulders. She couldn't help but say awkwardly, "Sorry, Director, I haven't washed the clothes from last time..." The other party's actions paused noticeably. He said coldly, "Just throw them away." Li Ling felt rejected and couldn't help but let out a polite, awkward laugh. In the floating night, the two stood quietly. Li Ling suddenly recalled the first time she met Jin Jingyao; he seemed to be standing under this same tall, withered tree. From this position, one could vaguely see the dark outlines of the mountains, like countless pairs of dark, hesitant eyes, staring at them. The world had fallen asleep, only they were unwilling to succumb to the night. Li Ling suddenly said, "Actually, I don't really like it when people say happy birthday to me." She felt a bit uneasy, not knowing if she should share her secret with him. Fortunately, the man behind her remained silent, giving her the courage to continue. "At that time, I had just terminated my contract with He Wei's company, had no money, and my father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. To earn money for his medical expenses, I had to work day and night on set." "He always wanted me to visit him, but where did I have the time?" "One day, for some reason, he called me over ten times."I was getting scolded by the director and hung up the phone. Later, I received a critical condition notice, and by the time I rushed to the hospital, he was already gone." "That day was my birthday, so I think he might have wanted to wish me a happy birthday." Her voice was very light and calm, almost devoid of any intense emotion, more like a gentle monologue on stage. He had always known she had a strong command of her lines. The wind was blowing too hard, and the dark night surged up, completely swallowing her words. The secret was engulfed in the shadows of the mountains. Jin Jingyao was silent for a moment before he said, "I'm sorry." "I had previously made fun of you about the breach of contract penalty. I shouldn't have said that." He probably rarely apologized to people, which made his tone so stiff. Li Ling smiled and said, "It's nothing, I've forgotten about it." "Besides, he wasn't a very good father. He never really fulfilled any responsibilities." They sat quietly for a while longer. Dawn was approaching. The first hint of light appeared at the edge of the mountains. Li Ling did not cry. She rarely cried; her tears mostly flowed in movies, released in the name of her characters. There was even a slight smile on her face as she turned to Jin Jingyao and asked, "Director, will we see the sunrise?" Jin Jingyao didn't look much at the sky; instead, he looked down at her and said calmly, "Probably not." He was straightforward but did not lie to her. It was a cloudy day. The horizon gradually turned pale, but the bright red clouds never appeared. The lead-gray skyline, large patches of dark clouds, like a cold, gray tide. Huge waves surged from afar. Li Ling felt a bit disappointed but not too sad. Not every day would you see the sunrise. Even though it was her birthday, it was just another ordinary day. She was just unlucky, that's all. "Let's go back," she said to Jin Jingyao. "Director, thank you for watching the sunrise with me." But Jin Jingyao held onto her wheelchair and did not leave. Li Ling was taken aback and looked up, "What's wrong?" Jin Jingyao said, "You don't live in the past." "Memories aren't that scary; you can create new ones to cover them." He leaned down and said to her, word by word, "Li Ling, happy birthday." His breath lightly brushed her face, like a gentle breeze passing over a golden wheat field. Li Ling thought, somewhat dazed, that he rarely called her by her name. But his voice was very pleasant, she had always known that. The name Li Ling, on Jin Jingyao's lips, blossomed like the first breeze of the morning passing through the eaves' bells. Also like the sunrise. Before the first train of the morning entered the tunnel, a drop of dew fell from the tree and slowly slid down the train window. Just these simple two syllables could be so mesmerizing. She couldn't help but open her eyes wide. In her illusion, she saw the sun rise as usual. The golden light illuminated the newborn earth.