Chapter 85: Nervous
At seven in the evening.
The lights on the set were focused on the car. Jiang Mi and Qi Wenxi adjusted their breathing and prepared for a test shot.
After Director Zhao Xi’s signal, Qi Wenxi gently held Jiang Mi’s hand and slowly pulled her closer. The space in the car was small, and their physical contact was natural and restrained. Jiang Mi’s forehead lightly rested on Qi Wenxi’s shoulder, and Qi Wenxi’s palm was lightly resting on her back, as if in protection and also in probing.
The soft light from the car window fell on their profiles, outlining an ambiguous shadow.
“Okay, the position is about right. Get ready. We’re officially starting!”
When the first test shot ended, Jiang Mi unconsciously glanced towards the monitor—Yan Wei was standing next to Zhao Xi, her tall and slender figure accentuated by a well-tailored black coat. The collar of her white shirt was impeccably neat, a rare style for her.
It actually exuded a hint of an abstinent temperament.
…Although the word “abstinent” was not suitable for Teacher Yan.
Yan Wei was looking down and talking to the director, her expression as calm as usual, as if she were completely undisturbed by the intimate interaction in the scene. Seeing this, Jiang Mi withdrew her gaze, but a hint of guilt inexplicably welled up in her heart.
Official filming began.
The plot progressed to the key hugging scene.
Qi Wenxi, according to the script, grabbed Jiang Mi’s wrist and pulled her into her embrace. The hug carried the love that the scene required. Her palm was pressed against Jiang Mi’s back, and her chin lightly brushed against her hair.
Then, according to the ambiguous blank space suggested by the script, her lips seemed to brush against her cheek as she pulled away. In that instant, what appeared in Jiang Mi’s eyes was Yan Wei’s bottomless eyes.
Her breath hitched, and almost at the same time, Zhao Xi’s crisp “Cut!” came from off-set.
Outside the camera, Yan Wei still maintained her previous posture, and there was even a faint smile on her lips from her discussion with Zhao Xi.
But if one looked closely, they would find that her knuckles, holding the edge of the script, were not relaxed. Although her gaze was on the director’s monitor, the scene from just now was deeply engraved in the bottom of her eyes. Her whole body was covered in a silent, frost-like silence.
Every frame of intimacy in the car scene was densely pricking at her seemingly calm surface.
In front of the monitor, Zhao Xi stared at Jiang Mi’s once again unnatural turn in the monitor, turned her head, and whispered to Yan Wei, “This girl is not in the right state today. Her mind is wandering.”
Yan Wei’s gaze was still on the playback screen, her long eyelashes slightly lowered, her emotions unclear.
She said faintly, “She looks like she didn’t sleep well.”
Only when the footsteps approached did Yan Wei look up and see Jiang Mi and Qi Wenxi walking over side by side. They were wearing the couple’s outfits from the scene, and under the lights, they did look particularly youthful.
It was unclear which staff member had sighed in a low voice, “They’re a good match.” Yan Wei’s fingertips curled almost imperceptibly, but her face remained calm.
“Director Zhao, Teacher Yan,” Jiang Mi walked closer and greeted them in a low voice.
Yan Wei only hummed faintly, her gaze sweeping over her slightly red ear.
Zhao Xi directly pointed out the problem, “Didn’t sleep well? You were completely out of character just now. Go and watch the playback yourself. Take a ten-minute break and then do it again.”
Jiang Mi’s heart lurched. Unlike before, showing her weakness in front of Yan Wei now felt even more embarrassing. Jiang Mi silently walked to the side of the monitor, and after watching her performance, she took a deep breath.
Qi Wenxi patted Jiang Mi’s shoulder. “Sister Mi, it’s a small problem.”
Jiang Mi nodded. “I’ll reflect on it.”
It was a very simple scene. It was her who had been distracted.
She looked up at Yan Wei, who was talking to Zhao Xi, and then quietly walked to a corner to adjust.
The makeup artist came over to touch up her makeup. A few minutes later, Jiang Mi saw Yan Wei slowly approach, walk up to her, and give the makeup artist a look. The makeup artist tactfully retreated.
Yan Wei reached out and gently brushed away a few unruly strands of hair at the back of Jiang Mi’s head, her movements as natural as if she were tidying her own makeup.
She was so natural, as if there was no one else around.
“Someone will see in a bit.”
“We’ve filmed a drama together. It’s very normal to talk together. The more you hide, the more you’ll expose yourself.” Yan Wei’s tone showed no emotion.
Jiang Mi nodded. “That’s true. That makes sense.”
“What are you nervous about? What were you thinking about during filming?” Yan Wei’s voice was very light, almost melting into the wind.
Jiang Mi turned her head, her eyes showing the embarrassment of being seen through. “…Maybe because you’re watching me. When you’re here, I always think of you.”
Yan Wei was silent for a moment. She looked at Jiang Mi’s hair, which had been messed up by the wind again. Her fingertips once again brushed against the ends of her hair. This time, she unintentionally brushed against the tip of her ear, and then her cheek.
Just for a moment, and then she moved away.
She spoke very slowly, her tone calm but every word was clear. “It’s good that you can think of me. But you have to remember, you’re an actress. Here, you have a responsibility to act well in every scene, and you also have an obligation to give your scene partner the respect they deserve.”
Jiang Mi’s figure stiffened slightly, and she looked up at Yan Wei.
Just as she was about to respond, Zhao Xi suddenly called her over. Jiang Mi replied, and when she looked at her side again, Yan Wei had already turned and left her.
Jiang Mi was stunned in place for a few seconds, and a strange sense of enlightenment and relief came over her.
In addition, apart from being her partner, as an actress, her respect for Yan Wei.
She suddenly felt that even if she were to achieve the same results as Yan Wei at this moment, she would not be able to reach Yan Wei’s mental height at this time. The distance between them was not just in acting skills, but in all their past experiences, and all their insights in life.
That drive in Jiang Mi came out again—so, she had to work even harder.
This way, when Yan Wei was at the top, she would at least not be too far away.
**
This scene was filmed until nine o’clock.
The lights on the set were dim. Jiang Mi was wrapped in a coat and standing by the monitor. When she heard the director call for a wrap, she subconsciously turned to look—only to find that the folding chair in the corner was already empty.
When had Yan Wei left? She hadn’t noticed.
Jiang Mi’s fingertips unconsciously curled. She looked around, and then asked Zhao Jia. Zhao Jia said, “She left a long time ago. I thought I told you.”
The call only had a busy tone.
Jiang Mi frowned and looked towards the parking lot.
She said goodbye to the director and, without even removing her makeup, walked directly towards the RV.
The moment she opened the door, the car lights briefly lit up, and her suspended heart suddenly landed—Yan Wei was curled up in the back seat, her eyes closed, resting. Her eyelashes cast a grayish-blue shadow under her eyes.
Zhao Jia followed behind, and seeing this, she tactfully retreated and closed the door. Jiang Mi approached lightly. Just as she bent down to tuck in Yan Wei’s slipped coat, the next second, she met a pair of clear eyes.
“You’re not asleep?”
Jiang Mi sat down. Just as her fingertips touched the back of Yan Wei’s hand, she was held back.
The force of their intertwined fingers carried an unquestionable possessiveness. Yan Wei’s thumb gently rubbed the web of her thumb and forefinger, as if to confirm the reality of the touch.
“I was waiting to see when you would find out I was gone,” Yan Wei’s voice was a little hoarse. “After all, I can’t be distracted during filming.”
Hearing this, Jiang Mi was taken aback, and then she suddenly smiled. “Didn’t you teach me to be serious and focused? To respect my scene partner.”
She pulled her hand out and held Yan Wei’s face, her nose against her nose. “Teacher Yan, how come you don’t remember your own words?”
“Yes, I taught you.” Yan Wei raised her fingertips, slid them from Jiang Mi’s collarbone to her lips, and finally landed on Jiang Mi’s cheek. “Mimi is a good student.”
But it sounded like a dangerous word.
The warm breath was wrapped around her, so hot that Jiang Mi’s ears were numb.
The night was intertwined outside the car window. After a long while of not speaking, Jiang Mi said, “Actually, you’re still a little uncomfortable, right?”
Yan Wei didn’t speak, but just let Jiang Mi hold her while she raised her hand and gently pinched Jiang Mi’s cheek. It was the place that had been touched by others during filming. Her strength was getting heavier and heavier, until she felt that patch of skin start to heat up. She then suddenly approached Jiang Mi—and kissed her.
The sudden kiss made Jiang Mi’s breath hitch, but she quickly relaxed and met it.
Jiang Mi also, at a certain moment on the set, suddenly understood.
This was their profession, their work. Whether it was her or Yan Wei, they had to slowly accept and get used to this process. This was the cruelty of being an actor. There was no way around it.
The only relief was to reduce this kind of filming in the future. But even so, one drama meant spending a long time with a group of strange women in another crew, young and vibrant, mature and beautiful, all kinds of flower-like women…
They would increasingly find that trust was so important to the two of them.
Yan Wei was enduring it because she was starting to choose to believe, because she already believed. So what Jiang Mi got was not restraint, but support.
This was what moved Jiang Mi the most.
Some scenes were for the camera, but life was lived by oneself.
Jiang Mi held Yan Wei for a long time, and only then did she coax in a low voice, “Yan Wei, thank you.”
Thank you so much.
—I know that it’s difficult for a person to change, to restrain their emotions, to control their thoughts, their desires… it’s not as simple as outsiders see it. It’s like imprisoning everything in your heart. You’ll go through pain, torment, and suppression. I know all of this.
—I know you’re changing. I know your change is for me.
—Yan Wei, I can see your efforts.
“Thank you for teaching me?” Yan Wei’s voice was calm. She was suppressing her inner emotions, the emotions that were about to explode on the set. If she hadn’t left the set, she wouldn’t have been able to remain calm when she saw Jiang Mi being intimate with another woman.
She didn’t want to act so tired, and she didn’t want to act for Jiang Mi to see, so she simply left.
Jiang Mi gently stroked Yan Wei’s back and said softly, “To be honest, you’re really suitable to be a teacher.”
Yan Wei hummed, her emotions unclear. “Who else do you want me to teach?”
“But, your patience can only teach me.”
Jiang Mi turned her head and kissed her on the earlobe. “After all, Teacher Yan’s teaching is all by word and deed… I’m not willing.”
A hint of warmth appeared in Yan Wei’s eyes. After a long while, her body relaxed.
“Let’s go home.”
This was the first time Yan Wei had said such words.
She herself was also slightly surprised after she said it.
But Jiang Mi didn’t find it strange. She very naturally picked up, “Okay, let’s go home. I’m a little hungry. I want to drink your chicken soup, but it’s a little late… Weiwei, can you cook me a bowl of noodles?”
As she spoke, Jiang Mi rubbed her cheek against Yan Wei’s neck. The strands of hair pricked her skin, and Yan Wei dodged back from her rubbing, and finally, a smile appeared on her face.
She said, “I don’t think so.”
It was just a temporary place. How could she have these things prepared?
Jiang Mi deliberately teased her, “Sob sob sob, I want to eat, I want to eat.”
Yan Wei was amused and pushed Jiang Mi’s shoulder. “I know. Then I’ll order some dishes and we’ll cook them when we get back.”
“Weiwei is so good. Oh, whose Weiwei is so good? Oh~ it’s mine.” Jiang Mi held her, held her tightly. She heard Yan Wei’s laugh and felt that Yan Wei’s body and mind had completely relaxed. She said, “I’m going home with Weiwei.”
If happiness were tangible.
Yan Wei thought, that would be this moment.
And also Jiang Mi.
**
The days passed peacefully like this for a few days. Yan Wei couldn’t stay in Yudu forever. She had to go back to Huai City to deal with things, and there were also a few commercials to shoot.
Jiang Mi’s filming had also entered a white-hot period, and then they hadn’t seen each other for a week.
In the evening, Jiang Mi was eating the crew’s boxed lunch while reading the script. Zhao Jia was talking about her future work on the side. “There’s something very troublesome.”
Jiang Mi: “What?”
Zhao Jia: “Didn’t we agree to a dating variety show before? There are still two months left before we have to prepare for filming. Your current… situation is a bit difficult.”
Jiang Mi was taken aback. “Is there such a thing?”
Zhao Jia: “…You forgot? At that time, you even said—’If you think it’s a good thing, I can try it. It’s all fake anyway.’ You forgot?”
Jiang Mi: “…”
Ah, it seems so.
“What was it called, something love?”
“Trial Love,” Zhao Jia said. “I had to pull a lot, a lot of strings to get that contract! You can’t back out of this.”
Jiang Mi let out a “hiss” and thought for a moment. The problem now was not whether she would back out, but that she couldn’t participate.
“In my situation, do you think I can go?” Jiang Mi said. “You said the company should know about this, right? Weren’t all the contracts transferred to Shenhai at that time? The company should know about my relationship with Yan Wei, right?”
What she meant was that since they knew, if they discussed it with the variety show’s planning team now, it shouldn’t be a big problem, right?
Zhao Jia thought about it and it made sense. “Then I’ll ask. What a pity for such a good opportunity. The last season was a hit, and everyone’s expectations for this season are quite high.”
Jiang Mi waved her hand. “Don’t be sorry. Let’s be sorry for our lives.”
She knew Yan Wei’s trigger points. She didn’t want to go up there and dance on them. Besides, because they hadn’t seen each other recently, every time they had a video call these two days, she could see that Yan Wei’s mood was getting more and more anxious.
If she really dared to go, Yan Wei could chop her into pieces.
“Alright then. I’ll go and discuss it. After all, we’ve signed a contract.” Actually, Zhao Jia really didn’t dare to force Jiang Mi to go. She was a little afraid of Yan Wei from the bottom of her heart, although she couldn’t say exactly why…
Probably, she also felt that if she really pushed Jiang Mi to participate in a dating variety show, and this matter was successful—emmm, she wasn’t very clear about what would happen to Jiang Mi, but she would definitely be very miserable.
Zhao Jia took a sip of water. A favor was indeed not as important as her life.
She suddenly remembered something, and then said again, “By the way, isn’t it Auntie’s birthday next Wednesday? I won’t be going this time. You can bring my gift back for me then.”
“You’re not going back? Lao Jiang already said that she would prepare your favorite braised pork for you this time.”
“Next time. My mom has been having headaches recently. I’ll go back and see her.”
Jiang Mi frowned and asked if it was serious. Zhao Jia shook her head and told her not to worry. It was just an old problem from old age.
So Jiang Mi nodded. “Then you should go back and see her. I’ll go and see Auntie next time too.”
“She would be so happy. You know, she’s your old fan,” Zhao Jia said with a smile.
Jiang Mi laughed loudly. “I remember when I first debuted, Auntie was even wearing reading glasses to support me.”
Zhao Jia also found this funny. After a while, she turned her head and asked again, “Then are you planning to… go back alone this time, or?”
Jiang Mi paused. She actually hadn’t thought about this question yet.
She looked around and asked in a low voice, “If I ask her to go back with me, will she agree?”
