The two stood in the hallway, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Jin Jingyao handed the red banknote to Li Ling. She took it with both hands, unsure if she should bow and say, "Thank you, boss." In the end, she said nothing. Shadows cast on the wall, swayed by the quiet wind, like two spring vines silently growing together. Li Ling looked up, vaguely realizing how close they had become. She gazed at the young man in front of her, and because they were standing so close, his shadow also encroached upon her face. For some reason, her mouth went dry. Even if she didn't say "thank you, boss," she felt she should say something—long time no see, how have you been, anything at all. But before she could utter a single syllable, Jin Jingyao suddenly stepped forward and hugged her tightly— Without any warning. Like a love song, from the prelude to the chorus, needing only a gentle pluck of the strings, a mere second. Li Ling's whole body stiffened, her heartbeat exploding in an instant. His arms pressed against her forcefully, his warm breath brushing her face, displaying the irresistible strength of a young man. She didn't even know where to place her hands, so they hung by her sides. But she didn't push him away. Jin Jingyao took this as acceptance. He became even bolder, pressing Li Ling's shoulders, trying to pull her soft body more completely into his embrace. "Long time no see," the young man said in her ear. His voice was soft and a bit hoarse. His low breath brushed the back of Li Ling's neck. Her heart sank into a tropical thicket. She raised her hand, tentatively touching the young man's back. His body was very tense, his reaction somewhat unnatural, not as strong as she had imagined. It seemed he was ready to be pushed away at any moment. But because of her touch, the young man stiffened for a second, then, encouraged, hugged her even tighter. His broad palm silently tightened, like dense foliage closing in, completely enveloping her. The hallway was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of machinery from the elevator shaft. No one disturbed them. A barely perceptible breeze brushed the shadows on the wall. Two separate spring vines intertwined inseparably. He held her long enough, long enough for time to turn into sticky glue, binding their bodies together, turning them into plant fossils in amber, yet he had no intention of letting her go. Compared to the more than two months of separation, the time of a hug always seemed short. Li Ling found a reasonable enough reason and tacitly approved of their somewhat unreasonable behavior. - When they finally separated, the light in the hallway seemed to have dimmed. Once they came to their senses, both probably felt a bit ridiculous. Who would stand outside an elevator, hugging so reluctantly? But Jin Jingyao stood up straight, his fingers still lingering on the back of Li Ling's hand, barely touching. It was as if he was addicted to physical contact, finding it hard to completely part from her. He lowered his eyes, looked at her for a moment, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask you just now." Li Ling was puzzled, "Ask what?" "If I could hug you." "..." Li Ling found it somewhat amusing, "If I said no, would you not have hugged me?" Jin Jingyao was silent for a moment, "Probably not." Then he gently hugged her again. For some reason, Li Ling's heart melted completely. He was actually satisfied, not intending to hold her for too long, and was about to let her go. Unexpectedly, Li Ling stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. She missed his scent, so clean, like the indigo sea after sunset. No one else was like him. Jin Jingyao was taken aback, feeling her gently sniffing him like a small animal. He pressed his face against hers, obedient and silent, but the veins on the back of his hand became more pronounced. His arms tightened and tightened again, almost like crazily growing vines, wanting to lift her off the ground, making her cling to him and nothing else. It wasn't until Li Ling let out a "hiss" that he softly said, "I'm sorry," and then released her. But he still held her hand. Something long-restrained was being released. His gaze was too intense, very dark, like a net, like a living creature with life and shape. It wrapped around Li Ling on its own, tracing her form, binding tightly and heavily, even frighteningly. But Li Ling kept her head down and remained unaware. After a while, Jin Jingyao looked at her calmly and intently, asking, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" His voice was very steady. It didn't reveal any dark hints. Unlike Li Ling, Jin Jingyao had locked himself in the editing room for the past two months. He was eager to finish editing the film, but it might not have been the right decision. There was too much of Li Ling in his footage. She was like a star in the universe, and he could only orbit around her. Every day, he never left her. His world was in chaos, reduced to rolls of film, each frame filled with her. He was going mad. Sometimes he felt he was the director and should rationally distance himself from her, giving her space to think. Sometimes he felt like Zhou Jing, thinking he should grab her immediately and lock her in the basement, never letting her go anywhere. He wanted to contact her, but his mind was filled with insane thoughts. Afraid he would truly lose control and say something he shouldn't, scaring her, he restrained himself, not even sending her a text message. And since he didn't reach out to her, she naturally didn't reach out to him, not asking him a single word. Thinking of Li Ling joining other people's crews and acting with others drove him mad with jealousy. Had she moved on? Forgotten their film? He hadn't. He couldn't move on. Day after day, watching the woman in the film, recalling her presence, he repeatedly overturned the entire movie, reconstructing the reality in the edits. He was tormented by memories and imagination, torn apart by real and fictional emotions. He Wei died in the editing room; he might die there too. Thinking this, Jin Jingyao felt that when he saw Li Ling again, he would lose control and want to devour her. But when he actually held her in his arms. He only dared to softly ask her: "Do you want to come to my place for dinner?" - Li Ling sat on the black sofa, curiously looking around. The apartment's layout was the same, but Jin Jingyao had much less furniture than Li Ling, almost no personal items, like a cold, lifeless model home. His obsession with cleanliness was still severe. Even though the floor was already spotless, he turned on the robot vacuum as soon as he entered. Li Ling, understanding, took off her slippers. Jin Jingyao stared at her pale feet for a while before saying it wasn't necessary. The river view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was beautiful. From this angle, you could see a bit of the sunset's afterglow, casting a golden hue on the river. It was very peaceful, making one's heart soften. She watched for a while, then turned to ask Jin Jingyao, "Director, do you stay at the company when you're editing?" He responded with a simple "Mm." Li Ling asked, "Why don't you go home?" Jin Jingyao glanced at her and said, "There's no one at home." "Oh." "And no one next door either," he added. Li Ling's lips curved into a smile, and she said deliberately, "Oh, what should we do then? I'll be leaving in a few days." Jin Jingyao was opening the refrigerator at that moment and turned his face to look at her. Half of his face was shrouded in shadow, but the warm light from the refrigerator cast a faint golden hue on his features. He didn't look particularly happy and asked her without much expression, "Where are you going?" "Joining a crew," Li Ling lied, boasting, "I'm very busy." She thought he would at least ask what movie she was filming. Or maybe sneer and say, "Stop pretending, a minor actress like you can't be that busy." But Jin Jingyao said nothing, closed the refrigerator door, placed the ginger ale she wanted on the coffee table, and asked softly, "Do you need help opening it?" "..." Feeling sorry for him, Li Ling couldn't bear to tease him any longer. "I'm just kidding, I'm not going anywhere," she said. He stood in front of her, looking into her eyes, with glasses on his nose, making his gaze somewhat obscure and hard to read. But overall, it was a look of distrust. Li Ling smiled at him, her tone coaxing like talking to a child, "Really, your film is almost done editing, right? I need to save time for the movie's promotion period." Jin Jingyao said, "It's not done yet." Then he asked, "How long will you stay?" He was so serious, as if he really thought she was some big star with a packed schedule. Li Ling found it amusing and wanted to tease him again, "Don't just talk about me. Since the film isn't done yet, why did you come back early, Director?" He turned his face slightly, his tone rather flat, "Mai Hongcheng said you went to the film company for recording." "Yes, that was several days ago," Li Ling said, a bit puzzled, not knowing why he brought it up. "I just found out," Jin Jingyao said, a bit annoyed, "He deliberately didn't tell me." It took Li Ling a few seconds to understand what he was talking about. She thought his way of speaking was really roundabout, hard to understand without some thought. But she still stood up, walked to him, smiled, and said, "So you knew someone was next door and came back with your suitcase, huh?" Jin Jingyao looked at her directly, neither confirming nor denying it. Behind him, through the floor-to-ceiling window, the last light of the day was falling from the top of the tall buildings, turning the sky into a deep, thick blue. The streetlights along the riverbank gradually lit up, becoming shimmering golden bands. Against the faint twilight, the tall, slender young man seemed to blend into the scenery, becoming a part of it. And he kept looking at her. After two months apart, Jin Jingyao seemed a bit different. He often looked at her with that intense, unwavering gaze, like Zhou Jing looking at A Ling, unable to look away for even a moment. Even with his expression hidden in the shadows, it was still striking. His gaze could make the temperature rise and her heartbeat quicken. But his demeanor was very different from when he was on set, not like he was acting. "Director, why are you always looking at me?" Li Ling asked him. Jin Jingyao said, "I'm not." As he spoke, he continued to look at her. Li Ling felt a mischievous urge, and while he was unprepared, she picked up the cold soda can and pressed it against his neck, "You say you're not." Jin Jingyao, like a robot, didn't seem to fear the cold at all.Despite being unexpectedly hit with the cold can on his face, his expression didn't change at all. He calmly moved the soda can away, held Li Ling's hand in reverse, and asked if her hand was cold. She was taken aback and only realized the danger when she saw him still staring intently at her. But he had already grabbed her wrist and pulled her forcefully in front of him. She was trapped between the window and his body. Her back was cold against the glass, which was uncomfortable, but there was nowhere to hide. He looked down at her and softly asked, "What are you looking at?" "Can't I look?" Li Ling tilted her face up and clearly saw a drop of water on the aluminum can slide down the young man's defined jawline and gradually dissolve. Their noses were almost touching. Her heart skipped a beat. The warmth of his breath lingered on her skin, like a paper dragonfly hovering over a pond before the rain. Li Ling heard her own breathing become rapid, her heart almost leaping out of her chest. Something was disturbed, sticking in the air, ready to ignite at any moment. —The doorbell rang. Jin Jingyao's expression was very unpleasant, and he didn't seem to want to let go. Li Ling pushed him, and he reluctantly went to get the takeout. She chuckled quietly behind him. Director Jin looked like he had a deep grudge against this restaurant. Even when he sat at the dining table, he frowned and barely ate. Li Ling said, "Aren't you hungry?" Jin Jingyao paused, staring at her, and said, "Hungry." He kept looking at her, his Adam's apple moving slightly. He inexplicably made a swallowing motion. Li Ling didn't know why, but she suddenly blushed a little too. She lowered her head, pretending to eat heartily, but she had lost her appetite. The meal ended awkwardly. While cleaning the table, Jin Jingyao started to feel restless again. He occasionally turned his face to look at her, as if he wanted to keep her but didn't know how. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked if she wanted to stay and watch the news broadcast together. Li Ling: "..." She stayed. It was definitely not for Jin Jingyao, but because she wanted to receive some serious ideological education. The two of them sat upright in front of the TV like elementary school students. Jin Jingyao watched very seriously, like a good student sitting in the front row of the class. In contrast, Li Ling was not very obedient, always wanting to chat with her deskmate next to her. After a while, she turned to Jin Jingyao and said, "Director, someone contacted me today and said 'Yesterday's Sun' is going to be released." He said flatly, "Congratulations." He seemed completely unaware of it. Li Ling said, "Thank you for your help. I don't know how to thank you." He finally realized he had been sold out by the film festival people, but he wasn't very embarrassed. He picked up the remote control, lowered the volume of the news, and said expressionlessly, "No need to thank me." "Director, why did you help me?" Li Ling asked. She paused, then continued on her own, "It must have been very troublesome, right? Didn't they say the film was destroyed? How did you find it?" Jin Jingyao fell silent again. After all, if he continued, he would have to mention Xiao Liu and Luo Mingqing. He thought Li Ling probably didn't want to hear those two names. She only needed to hear his name. His act of playing deaf and dumb was not very skillful. He started to study the remote control, as if it were some alien product worth researching. Li Ling moved a little closer and reached out to him. In fact, she just wanted to snatch the remote control away and make him focus on talking to her. But Jin Jingyao seemed to misunderstand her intention. He threw the remote control aside and instead held her hand tightly. "I do these things not to make you thank me," he said, his tone somewhat stiff. As he spoke, he gripped Li Ling's hand even tighter. His hand was very warm. So warm that it heated Li Ling's hand as well. They faced the TV news broadcast, secretly interlocking their fingers under the cushion. The young man's hand was broad and slender, completely enveloping hers. Their hands intertwined like a pair of white swans, gently touching each other's beaks. Like the sculpture named "Love" he had once seen in an art gallery. Li Ling actually had some questions she wanted to ask him. But the news broadcast was very engaging, and both of them watched intently, so they didn't speak further. - The film festival was about to open. In the end, Li Ling decided not to attend the premiere of "Yesterday's Sun" as a guest, but instead asked the staff to save her a movie ticket. The staff were kind and reserved a very good seat for her. On the day of the opening ceremony, Li Ling arrived at the event venue and saw a huge poster on the advertising screen outside the cinema, featuring the silhouette of a mysterious lady. This was their creative plan, to keep all information about the film completely confidential until the screening. Li Ling sat down in the theater. The lights hadn't dimmed yet, and the big screen was playing pre-screening festival advertisements. Among all the audience, she was the only one who knew the truth. The people around her were very excited, chattering and guessing what great work they would see. They guessed all the unreleased new films by major directors, and someone even mentioned Jin Jingyao, but was quickly refuted by another person who confidently said, "Director Jin's status is too high; his new film's premiere would definitely be at the Cannes Film Festival." "That's true," his companion said proudly, "The director will definitely go to Cannes!" He didn't know that the leading actress who would go to Cannes with Jin Jingyao was sitting right next to him. The lights dimmed, and the screen lit up. Li Ling's feelings were very complex, both nervous and uneasy, not knowing how to face her ten-years-younger self. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, and was surprised to see Jin Jingyao's face on the big screen. The people around her were even more surprised. Li Ling heard the audience next to her gasp and whisper "Wow," followed by excited applause. The applause lasted for several seconds. It was a pre-recorded VCR. Jin Jingyao, who was always very low-key and almost never accepted interviews, was being interviewed by a reporter on camera. Using relatively simple terms, he introduced Director He Wei's posthumous work "Yesterday's Sun" and explained why he chose to restore this film. "Was it out of respect for Director He Wei?" the reporter asked. Jin Jingyao shook his head and said calmly, "I had no personal relationship with Director He Wei, nor did I particularly admire him as a person." This answer was quite unexpected, and the reporter showed a surprised expression. "If it wasn't for Director He, then what was it for?" Jin Jingyao said, "For the film's leading actress, Li Ling." Li Ling's heart pounded fiercely because Jin Jingyao mentioned her name once again. He didn't smile throughout, but when he mentioned her, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as if recalling something pleasant. She thought she had misheard, but he sounded very proud of her. She sat in the dark seat, the light and shadows from the big screen weaving into a silver cocoon, wrapping her up. The young man on the screen continued to speak: "The reason 'Yesterday's Sun' couldn't be released is due to many reasons." "But in the whole matter, the most innocent person became the biggest victim." "Li Ling is a very good actress." "She made movies with a clear conscience and never did anything wrong." "No one can compensate her for those ten years." In the silence, everyone in the theater looked up at the young director on the big screen. As he spoke, he kept his eyes on the camera, his tone steady, slow, calm, and composed. Therefore, it sounded particularly convincing. Li Ling stared blankly at the screen, as if she saw a giant sun rising from the horizon. She had crossed wastelands and thorns, finally witnessing the brightest sunrise in the world. She never thought Jin Jingyao would do so much for her, it was completely beyond her imagination. But what he did for her didn't stop there. Then, the theater played a short clip, with subtitles indicating that it was also edited by Director Jin himself. It was like the kind of video played at film festivals when an actor receives a lifetime achievement award. In just a few minutes, it condensed all the highlights of her career. And in this few-minute short film, Li Ling saw most of her bad movies, laughing and crying. Her roles were exaggerated, her looks were funny, and her acting wasn't particularly good. To be fair, these were all the black marks in actress Li Ling's history. But Jin Jingyao seemed to have the ability to find a few beautiful moments in one hundred and twenty minutes of trash. Like finding the only small pearl in a sea full of garbage. Li Ling couldn't help but think, Jin Jingyao must have watched every one of her bad movies many times to edit these few minutes. In this short film, every second of Li Ling was beautiful, as if she had really won a lifetime achievement award. So this is how Jin Jingyao saw her.