Zhang Jingsong, though known for his habit of extensive reshooting, kept the pace up. By the end of the day, he’d managed to complete every item on his schedule with some time to spare. Having started at eight in the morning, they’d wrapped up at five, took a break until sunset, shot a few time-specific scenes, and broke for the day.
Li Feiling, half-slumped after a day of shooting, had been the fastest to leave. However, before she had left, she patted Wu Linjie on the shoulder. “Sorry, but I’m very close to falling asleep right now. Let’s talk later tonight, once I'm done with a nap and a little more clear-headed.”
Without waiting for a response, she disappeared into a jet-black sedan with her manager and departed for the hotel. The rest of the cast, though—bar Xia Ruyun who already knew—took this moment as a chance to gather around Wu Linjie, curious as to what their ‘talk’ would consist of.
Cornered, Wu Linjie waved his hands around in front of him. “Uh... nothing, don’t worry about it. It’s truly nothing that important. I merely wanted to speak to an esteemed senior to receive some further guidance on how to improve my acting.”
Despite his best attempts at deflection with his ‘acting questions’ cover, the onslaught of questions continued unabated. A few raised doubts and a few others asked if they could join. Xia Ruyun, watching this, sighed before jogging over and waving the chatterboxes off. She slid in front of Wu Linjie. “No need to press him so much. It’s a bit of a private matter. You know, a personal obstacle he’s been facing with his acting. So it’s a little vulnerable for Wu Linjie.”
“Ahh, so it was like that!”
“You should’ve just led with that!”
“Wu Linjie, you should learn from Xia Ruyun, it’s good to articulate things more clearly.”
Ignoring the chatter, Wu Linjie bent down as a relieved sigh left his lips. He pushed his hair back as he wiped some sweat off his forehead. “Thank you, Sister Xia. I really appreciate the help. You’re always invaluable in situations like this.”
Xia Ruyun nodded, massaging her throat. Quiet once more, she pressed her hands together in a praying motion to Wu Linjie, wished him luck, and walked off to reunite with Gao Qian. Considering the commotion, she, somehow, ended up being the second to leave.
Once in the car, she reclined in her seat and closed her eyes as Gao Qian started the engine. She took slow breaths as the car backed out of the lot. The clicks of the turn signal filled her ears for a second before being replaced with the gentle hum of the engine once more.
Gao Qian, on the other hand, adjusted the rearview mirror with one hand as she drove. Glancing at Xia Ruyun who seemed mere moments away from falling asleep, she stayed quiet as they weaved through the streets back towards the main hotel. Only as the car pulled into the underground parking lot did she speak up. “Xia Ruyun, are you aware of Director Zhang’s plan for the weekend? Three days is a little short notice but he’s scheduled a PR shoot for Saturday.”
Xia Ruyun cracked her eyes open as a faint frown appeared on her lips. Gao Qian pulled the car into a spot, turned it off, and unbuckled her seatbelt before turning in her seat. “No? Hmm. I thought he’d mention it. Anyway, I’ll give you a sheet later with more specific details, but he’s having the cast do an informal interview with some journalists just to get the name of the movie out there a little more. It’ll probably be edited and go up within the week. I know it’s very early, but he, apparently, wants to build name recognition for the movie as soon as possible.”
“Weird...” Xia Ruyun mumbled before nodding. She pulled the door open and stepped out as Gao Qian did the same. As they walked to the elevator, Gao Qian gave a few more details before the conversation shifted. With the doors of the elevator closing behind them, they ascended to the hotel’s upper floors, bidding goodnight to the day’s work.
---
The moon sat in the night sky, a waning crescent as it cast its glow on the world.
The hotel the main cast stayed in had several claims to fame. First and foremost, luxury design tailored towards the comfort of its patrons. Frequented by high-profile people—from celebrities to politicians—it boasted private underground parking lots, expansive professional-quality gyms, and spacious rooms. Add in its central plaza with a towering fountain for a little bit of extra flare, and the hotel had everything it needed to edge out its competitors.
Among the amenities, the rooftop open-air terraces went unnoticed and unused by most. Tonight, though, a famous actress leaned against the railing, waiting. One hand held a cup of wine while the other dangled on the railing’s other side to feel the evening air. With the terrace’s lights off, the lights from the world below painted a beautiful image, illuminating her face with only the faintest blue glow.
The door cracked open and a man in a jet-black suit walked out to join her. His footsteps filled the evening air as he came to a stop beside her. Clinking his glass against hers, he mustered a smile. “Thank you for uh... agreeing to come. I know it’s a random day, but it’s only now that I’ve mustered up the courage—and I don’t want it slipping away.”
“It’s the least I should do, and don’t worry about the timing,” Li Feiling murmured as she gazed off into the distance, the bustling nightlife of K City filling her eyes.
Silence filled the air. They both took in the evening, rooftop breeze.
“Well, I’m sure you know why I wanted to talk to you...” Wu Linjie trailed off as a faint shadow crossed his face. “I’m not the most subtle person in the world, my friends have made that very clear to me.”
“Mhm,” Li Feiling nodded as she took another sip from her wine glass, staying quiet to let him say his piece.
“It’s been an honor to work alongside you during these past few films,” Wu Linjie crossed his arms and rested his elbows against the railing. “You’ve been an invaluable mentor and I like to think we’ve gone from senior and junior to something akin to friends.”
“I’d say so,” Li Feiling blinked her eyes, staring up into the sky as her hair danced behind her in the wind.
“So, I was wondering if you’d like to take our relationship a step further. It’s painful to hide any longer, but I’ve loved you for a while, and I was hoping you might feel similarly. I’m fine with starting slow, but I’d also be elated if you uh... would want to move along faster,” Wu Linjie took a long sip of his wine after committing to the confession.
In a moment of seriousness, the witty comebacks didn’t march across Li Feiling’s mind. Instead, she gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder. Staring off into the distance alongside him, she stayed quiet for a few moments before opening her mouth. “I’m sorry... I won’t lead you on, so I’ll be honest. I can’t reciprocate your feelings. Though I’ve enjoyed helping you, acting alongside you, and being friends with you, I just can’t see you that way.”
The wind snaked its way through the terrace, louder than ever before as the two stood in silence. As the tarps covering the tables flapped, the air seemed to cool. Minutes passed. Wu Linjie buried his face in his arms as he took a few more slow sips of wine. Li Feiling stayed beside him, ready to answer any questions, but quiet in the meantime.
A faint hint of desperation edged into his voice as he mumbled. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah...” Li Feiling’s reply came without hesitation. “Sorry, I’m sure you’re wonderful, but you’re just not the type of partner I’m looking for in life.”
With his face buried in his arms, his muffled voice spoke out once more. “I... I can change. Come on, please? Just a chance? I’m not like that bastard Chu Changfeng. I’m better, yeah?”
“... You are better, but still, sorry I can’t,” Li Feiling murmured with a sigh.
Don’t try and desperately change yourself for this type of thing. That’s not how you have a healthy relationship...
And as you keep talking... you’re getting closer and closer to that bastard. Can’t you see it?
Wu Linjie fell silent for a half-minute before a small voice came back out. “Plea-”
“Just... stop,” Li Feiling cut him off with a faint hint of exasperation edging its way into her voice. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts, but... I can’t return your feelings. Got it?”
The terrace’s conversation halted once more. Wu Linjie’s shoulders rose and fell with shaky breaths as Li Feiling kept him company.
“I... appreciate it, but it's still painful.” Wu Linjie broke the silence as his voice cracked. He pushed himself up and walked a few steps towards the door before turning back towards Li Feiling and bowing his head. “Thanks for listening and giving me the time at least...”
“It’s the least I can do,” Li Feiling raised her wine glass towards him before taking a sip of her own and turning back to look out into the world below. “Have a nice evening.”
“You too,” Wu Linjie murmured before turning away and walking towards the door. With each step he took though, the atmosphere around him darkened. His shoulders slumped, and his steps lurched as he disappeared back into the hotel.