Luo Mingqing walked out of the set drenched in sweat, exhausted to the point of collapse. His assistant, eager to please, rushed over to support him, offering a hot towel and water, and said, thinking it would be well-received, "Mr. Luo, they're filming Ms. Li's scene over there. Would you like to take a look?" "Look at what?" Luo Mingqing snapped. "Do I look like a cheap person to you?" Assistant: "Huh?" He feigned surprise on the surface, but inwardly thought: Aren't you? They sat down in the dressing room, the atmosphere still tense. The assistant didn't dare to say much, silently helping him remove his makeup. Luo Mingqing, still fuming, continued to rant, "I've said it so clearly, yet she still doesn't listen. She insists on making that lousy movie." Someone had left a fly swatter on the table. He picked it up and started swatting furiously, cursing as he did, "Swat her to death." The martial arts director suddenly pushed the door open. Luo Mingqing was startled. To maintain his idol image, he pretended to be composed, but the fly swatter landed with a "smack" on his own thigh, leaving a bright red mark. Assistant: "Pfft." Luo Mingqing: "..." Damn, that hurts. The martial arts director laughed heartily, "Hey, Xiao Luo, still in character?" Luo Mingqing feigned calmness, smiling as he put down the fly swatter. "But Xiao Luo, your performance just now was really good, very powerful," the director added. Luo Mingqing was taken aback. After all this time filming, it was the first time the martial arts director had praised him. The director patted his shoulder, "What's going on? Had an epiphany?" Luo Mingqing said, "Nothing much, just..." Just that Li Ling had scolded him before the shoot, making him so angry he almost spat blood. He suddenly froze. A little light bulb in his head went "ding," emitting a pink glow. Could it be that Li Ling scolded him on purpose, not because she was angry, but to help him find the right state for the role? His thigh no longer hurt, and his eyes turned pink. Luo Mingqing revealed a subtle, satisfied smile and began to chat elegantly with the martial arts director. After a while, the director left. Luo Mingqing proudly said to his assistant, "So that's it. She really did it for my own good." Assistant: ? Why is the boss suddenly smiling so disgustingly? "In that case, let her make that lousy movie if she wants," he continued to mutter to himself. Luo Mingqing called the company boss, suggesting they invest a bit in Jin Jingyao's post-production and marketing, so it wouldn't end up unable to be released. The other party was taken aback and said, "Huh, what are you talking about? Jin Jingyao's film lacking funds for release?" Luo Mingqing was also stunned, "Didn't you tell me he couldn't get investment..." "Oh, you mean that day. I think I drank too much and didn't explain clearly..." The boss laughed awkwardly, "It's not that he couldn't get investment, haha, he didn't want it. He did it on purpose, wanting to be the sole producer and not allowing others to interfere." Luo Mingqing: ? The other party continued, "Hey, don't even mention investing in a romance film. Do you know how rich his family is? He bought an entire theater and renovated it just to make a movie. The local government even thanked him recently..." Luo Mingqing: "..." Recalling what he had said to Li Ling before, it suddenly seemed redundant and ridiculous, like he was making a wedding dress for someone else. "Damn, what a show-off," he cursed bitterly after a long silence. - The crew had wrapped up, and the workspace was empty. Things were piled up in a chaotic mess, with photography equipment and idle documents and books mixed together. Luo Mingqing and his assistant sneaked in. The assistant had already inquired beforehand, so they quickly found the material hard drive. Next to him was a large projector, indicating that the director often sat here to review footage after shooting during the day. No matter how much Luo Mingqing despised the man's character, he still admired his dedication. The assistant was still hesitant and said, "Teacher, do you really want to watch this? It doesn't seem right." Luo Mingqing frowned and coldly asked the assistant an unrelated question, "Why would someone refuse money from others and insist on investing in their own film? What do you think?" The assistant cautiously replied, "Too much money to spend?" "Get out," Luo Mingqing said decisively. "There must be something wrong." Jin Jingyao was obsessed with filmmaking; the answer must lie within his films. He plopped down on the sofa and roughly turned on the projector. The surveillance camera on the ceiling blinked with a red light, recording everything. Xiao Liu sat in the next room, watching the surveillance and reporting to Jin Jingyao on the phone in real-time. "Cousin, he's sitting on your sofa. What a nerve. Throw the sofa out tomorrow," he said indignantly. Jin Jingyao: "." Xiao Liu continued, "I finally found out that he was the one who orchestrated the secret filming last time. Hmph, I want to see what he's up to. Could he be pretending to shoot a film to sabotage us? A commercial spy, damn it. Do you believe I could take the evidence straight to the police..." Luo Mingqing had no idea he was already being watched. He even felt that everything was progressing exceptionally smoothly today, as if heaven was helping him. On the dim wall, light and shadow suddenly appeared, and a woman's face, like an oil painting, began to spread. It was Li Ling. Her makeup was very simple, and she wasn't looking at the camera. Her lines were not very familiar either. But even so, there was a smile on her lips, and her eyes sparkled under the light, lively and beautiful. This was her during the audition. Luo Mingqing raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't expect Jin Jingyao to use such high filming standards even for audition videos. It seemed he really wasn't short of money. He couldn't help but curse the man a few more times in his heart. The main film soon began. Luo Mingqing had read part of the script, but he quickly discovered that Jin Jingyao's filming style was completely different from what he had imagined. He saw many first-person perspective shots, peering at the story's heroine from various corners of the basement, through window screens, glass doors, and even reflections in mirrors. These elements shouldn't have existed, as if the camera was too indulgent, capturing her face and refusing to let go. There were also many close-ups, very, very close close-ups, lingering obsessively over her face. The camera was like a carving knife. And Jin Jingyao had never used close-ups to shoot people before. The more Luo Mingqing watched, the more uncomfortable he felt. Part of him had to admit that Li Ling was filmed beautifully by Jin Jingyao, perhaps no one else could capture her beauty like this. But another part of him felt a vague sense of fear. Something was wrong, everything was wrong. He fast-forwarded quickly, at a very high speed. Thus, time flew by in the footage like a surging tide. Wave after wave crashed, and the images turned into rolling white waves, scattering, devouring, and then reshaping Li Ling's face. Her smile, her tears. Her slight frown, her opening and closing eyes. The camera was so greedy, faithfully recording even their rehearsal outtakes. Sometimes she was A-Ling, sometimes she was Yang Yuanyuan. She was Zhou Jing's most loved and most hated person, omnipresent. She was breath, she was life. Light and shadow sculpted her face like a work of art.For the first time, Jin Jingyao's camera abandoned those obscure metaphors and complex expressions. The undulating light and dark shadows were not for anything else but solely to serve his leading lady. The assistant stood by, dumbfounded, and said, "It's really beautiful..." Luo Mingqing, however, was beyond furious. He clenched his fists and stood up, almost wanting to tear the projector screen apart. "How dare he, how dare he!" He gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words. No one understands a person better than their rival. Luo Mingqing regarded Jin Jingyao as a thorn in his side and had privately watched every one of his films repeatedly. So he knew very well what Jin Jingyao was filming. Everything Jin Jingyao wanted to express was laid bare in the camera. Why did he reject all investments and stubbornly go his own way? Why did he hide in the deep mountains, wanting only to be with the leading lady day and night? Why did he prefer to shoot an incomplete love story script? "He likes Li Ling," Luo Mingqing said very darkly. "Movies, plots, none of these things matter. He's just filming her." Such an obvious thing, and he only realized it now. "Damn it, I knew that idiot had ulterior motives." The light and shadow from the screen cast on Luo Mingqing's resentful face, like surging tides. Li Ling's smile overshadowed him and completely covered him. Listening to the other party's outburst, Xiao Liu felt like his CPU was about to burn out. He stared at the surveillance screen in disbelief and subconsciously said, "Cousin, you..." In the quiet room, a cold voice suddenly sounded. Jin Jingyao said, "I don't like her." Then he hung up the phone. Xiao Liu: ? No, actually, he just wanted to ask if he should still call the police. No one cares who you like, why are you all so obsessed with love! - Jin Jingyao walked out of the theater and habitually went to the withered tree where he often daydreamed, only to find that someone had already taken over. Li Ling had very contentedly moved two folding chairs from the set over and was now slumped under the tree. Hearing footsteps, she turned around happily, holding a cup and greeting him, "Hello, Director!" Jin Jingyao stopped in his tracks somewhat awkwardly. He didn't really want to see this face right now. But worse, his heartbeat told him that he actually did want to see her. Jin Jingyao coldly said, "Turn around." Li Ling: ? He continued to command, "Don't look at me." "...Okay, Director." Maybe he was having another episode, Li Ling didn't think too much and turned around, making a funny face. Jin Jingyao closed his eyes, looked at her back, and quickly calmed down again. He walked up to her, looked at the other empty chair, and said in a lukewarm tone, "Who are you waiting for?" Li Ling said, "No one." She was about to explain that the set worker had just brought an extra chair, but suddenly had a bright idea and said, "Director, please sit. I brought it especially for you." Jin Jingyao did not sit down. Instead, he looked down at her and said, "Really." "Then what if I didn't come?" he continued to ask, "Who would sit here?" Your dad would sit here. Li Ling said ingratiatingly, "This is called the law of attraction. I knew you would definitely come." The sky was low, filled with dark clouds. Li Ling felt that his gaze was even stranger than usual. He didn't seem to be looking her in the eye, always glancing evasively at her chin and neck. But his gaze was like the sunrise, uncontrollably climbing upward. Once it touched her, it became especially focused. It was as if it were a game of contact.She was a magnet, and he wanted to escape her pull, but instinct quickly drew him back. Li Ling didn't know what he was playing at and asked somewhat puzzled, "Director, was today's shoot not going well?" Jin Jingyao replied expressionlessly, "Hmm." "What happened?" "Someone said something stupid." Li Ling asked curiously, "What stupid thing?" Jin Jingyao looked at her and suddenly started to sneer, "Don't even think about it, I won't tell you." Then he added, "Are you not busy enough with work?" Li Ling indeed wasn't busy enough. She had been ordered to rest and recover from an injury these past few days and wasn't even allowed on set, so she could only sit outside in a daze. According to Xiao Liu, everyone else was so busy they barely had time to sleep, and the director seemed to have lost weight, with his cheeks sunken in. Thinking about this, Li Ling understood. The director's sudden strange behavior must be due to the immense work pressure recently. She then started to comfort him like a child, saying that work should be balanced with rest, and seeing him so thin made her heart ache. Jin Jingyao looked skeptical and unwilling, but he still sat down and said he could only give her five minutes. He didn't waste a single moment of those precious five minutes. First, he checked her wound, then he stared at her cup and asked, "What are you drinking?" Li Ling replied without changing her expression, "Apple juice." Who would believe that? "No drinking alcohol until your wound heals," Jin Jingyao said. He ruthlessly confiscated her bottle and cup and got up to pour her a glass of milk. By this time, more than ten minutes had passed. But Director Jin might have been so busy that he lost track of time, as he sat down beside her again after returning. Li Ling took a sip of the milk and found that it even had honey added. She glanced at him, surprised that he remembered her sweet tooth. Jin Jingyao said, "What are you looking at?" "Nothing," Li Ling smiled sweetly, "I just think you're really nice." "Oh," Jin Jingyao said coldly, "I won't tell you." Li Ling: ??? Tell me what? Forget it, let's not talk about it. She turned on her Bluetooth speaker. Filming was tough, and Li Ling had recently become obsessed with trap music, especially these brainless sweet songs. As soon as the speaker was on, her new idol, Mr. Malone, sang in a deep voice: Oh girl I like you I do I like you I do The synthesizer's beat was like a joyful, wild desert, and the raspy male voice was like the heartbeat and footprints approaching step by step on a white sandy beach. She happily bobbed her head along, and Jin Jingyao suddenly said, "Change the song." Li Ling was puzzled, "Why?" Jin Jingyao coldly stated that her taste was vulgar and that it was complete electronic garbage. Li Ling argued, "The melody is nice." He disdainfully said, "The lyrics are written like an idiot." Damn, this kind of person doesn't even deserve to be in the same prison as her! Li Ling suddenly missed 9787532754335. In the past, when she shared melancholic music in the middle of the night, he would always silently give it a thumbs up immediately. Thinking of this, she sent the song to 9787532754335. Seeing her playing with her phone, the director also glanced at his phone. 9787532754335: "Thanks, it's cute and nice." And then: "My son likes it too."Li Ling said, "That's great, you understand me [tears] Someone just said this is electronic garbage [tears]" 9787532754335: "..." 9787532754335: "He has no taste." Li Ling: "Exactly! No taste!" Jin Jingyao suddenly gave her a cold look. Could it be that he discovered she was badmouthing him behind his back? How could they be so in sync? Li Ling alertly turned off her phone, "Director, what's wrong?" Jin Jingyao: "Stop playing with your phone, it's bad for your neck." "...Okay, Director." Li Ling refused to change the song and played the so-called electronic garbage "I Like You" again, rebelliously switching from sequential play to single-track repeat. Then, while he wasn't paying attention, she secretly took a sip of the wine in his glass. For some reason, Director Jin's reactions were particularly slow today, and he didn't notice at all. The song looped several times, the deep male voice repeatedly singing "oh girl I like you I do," as they peacefully finished the wine in the glass. He still didn't notice. As evening approached, the clouds remained thick, and the sunset quietly descended from the edge of the sky, dyeing the horizon an ambiguous and deep pink. Li Ling thought this scene was perfect for a song called "Pink Bubble Dream," so she switched to it. Director Jin gave her a disapproving look but said nothing. After a while, he suddenly looked at her again, this time for a longer moment, then said, "Don't move." He raised his phone towards her, the low shutter sound blending with the slightly tipsy bass. Li Ling said, "Director, why are you taking pictures of me?" "You're overthinking it," he said expressionlessly, "I'm photographing the sunset." "Alright, I was being too self-indulgent," Li Ling reflected. As soon as she finished speaking, he began directing her to fix her hair, not to cover her face, and not to turn completely away from the camera. Li Ling couldn't help but laugh. She thought she would miss these times in the future. Sitting outside the set in the mountains at dusk, secretly drinking the director's wine, forcing him to listen to many songs he didn't like, and getting free photos from the world's best photographer. But such times wouldn't last long, as the film was about to wrap up, and every song's duration was worth cherishing. Moments later, the pink clouds hid in the indigo sky. She felt an inexplicable sense of loss. Perhaps every sunset is a trivial death. They both remained seated, seemingly in silent agreement, wanting to prolong the moment. Li Ling spoke highly of the song for its entire duration, and only then did Jin Jingyao reluctantly send her the photo. The composition of the photo was unexpectedly simple. Pink clouds flowed in the lens, and Li Ling's silhouette was just an ambiguous outline. She was smiling, the light in her eyes spreading like the most intoxicating wine. He had captured her happiest yet saddest moment. Li Ling felt her breath catch for no reason. Perhaps it was because she hadn't expected to look so beautiful in Jin Jingyao's lens. Or perhaps it was because she found comfort in a strange way. No matter how today inevitably faded away, at least Jin Jingyao had captured the present with his lens. "Director, you have great taste," Li Ling sincerely praised. A director who was hard to please. Despite her heartfelt compliment, Jin Jingyao wasn't pleased at all and even let out a cold laugh. To prove her sincerity, Li Ling flatteringly changed the photo to her WeChat profile picture. After a while, an actor friend she hadn't contacted in a long time suddenly sent her a message asking, "Who took your profile picture?" Feeling proud, Li Ling immediately showed the chat record to Jin Jingyao. "Director, look, everyone thinks you took a great photo," she boasted. Jin Jingyao squinted slightly, not only not pleased but looking at her even more coldly. After a moment, he revealed a frightening smile. Li Ling had a bad premonition and quickly took her phone back. She saw another message from the other side: "Such a good photo, is it your new simp?"[Picking nose]