Episode Three | A Little Closer
On the morning of the third day, Shen Zhiyi woke up ten minutes before her alarm.
It still wasn't fully light outside.
She lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a long while before slowly reaching for her phone.
The screen lit up.
No new messages.
She didn't even know what she had been expecting.
Last night, Lin Wanxing had only said, “See you tomorrow,” yet Shen Zhiyi had reread those words several times before going to sleep.
Shen Zhiyi set her phone face down beside the bed.
“Shen Zhiyi.”
She quietly murmured her own name.
“You're really weird.”
They'd only known each other for three days.
How had she already started caring about someone else's messages?
She sat up and rubbed her hair.
She had a lot of scenes today.
And one of them was a very important scene with her scene partner.
Lin Wanxing had specifically said yesterday that she would arrive at the set early to run lines with her.
At the thought, Shen Zhiyi's mood inexplicably lifted again.
She got up, washed up, and changed her clothes.
Before leaving, she paused in front of the mirror and looked at herself.
Very ordinary.
Long black hair, light makeup, a simple white top, and jeans.
She stared for a few seconds.
Then she changed into a nicer jacket.
When she finished, even she was stunned.
“...What am I doing?”
She looked at herself in the mirror again.
In the end, she didn't change back.
7:40 a.m.
Shen Zhiyi arrived at the soundstage.
Earlier than yesterday.
When she walked in, the crew was still setting up the equipment.
“Zhiyi, you're here early today.”
“Yeah.”
She smiled and nodded.
“I was worried about traffic.”
The crew member smiled.
“You've been getting here so early every day lately.”
Shen Zhiyi didn't answer.
She actually knew why she was arriving early.
She just felt too embarrassed to say.
She walked into the makeup room and set down her bag.
She had barely sat down when footsteps sounded outside.
She looked up.
The door was gently pushed open.
Lin Wanxing stood in the doorway.
Today she was wearing her character's costume: a dark gray suit jacket over a white shirt, her hair simply falling over her shoulders.
She seemed a little surprised to see Shen Zhiyi.
“You're here?”
“Yeah.”
Shen Zhiyi nodded.
“I just got here, too.”
Lin Wanxing glanced at the time.
7:42 a.m.
“That’s much earlier than we agreed.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
“You're early, too.”
“I make a habit of arriving early.”
“Me, too.”
Their eyes met for a second.
Then they both smiled.
Lin Wanxing walked in.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Shen Zhiyi shook her head.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I got up too early. I wasn't really hungry.”
Lin Wanxing frowned.
“You have a lot of scenes coming up.”
“It's uncomfortable to work on an empty stomach.”
Shen Zhiyi said softly, “I'll eat later.”
Lin Wanxing said nothing.
She just took out her phone.
“What do you like to eat?”
“Huh?”
“For breakfast.”
Shen Zhiyi thought for a moment.
“Anything's fine.”
“Soy milk?”
“Sure.”
“Egg crepe?”
“That works, too.”
Lin Wanxing nodded.
“Wait here.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get breakfast.”
Shen Zhiyi hurriedly stood up.
“Don't. I can go myself.”
“Do you know where to find anything nearby?”
“...No.”
Lin Wanxing smiled.
“Then sit down.”
“I'll be right back.”
The door closed.
Shen Zhiyi stood there.
A few seconds passed before she sat down again.
She lowered her head and looked at her hands.
Yet her heart was beating a little fast.
She was beginning to think that Lin Wanxing really was different from the rumors.
Twenty minutes later.
Lin Wanxing returned carrying two paper bags.
“Eat it while it's hot.”
She placed the breakfast on the table.
“Thank you.”
Shen Zhiyi opened the bag.
Inside was an egg crepe and a cup of warm soy milk.
“How did you know I like it warm?”
“I guessed.”
“You guessed right.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled and took a sip.
Lin Wanxing sat beside her.
“Is it good?”
“Mm.”
“Good.”
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head and ate breakfast.
After a while, she suddenly asked, “Wanxing.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you usually buy breakfast for other people, too?”
Lin Wanxing thought for a moment.
“Not often.”
“Then why did you buy it for me?”
Lin Wanxing didn't answer right away.
She simply looked at Shen Zhiyi.
“Because you said you hadn't eaten.”
Shen Zhiyi froze for a moment.
“That’s it?”
“What else?”
“Nothing.”
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head and smiled.
She didn't know why.
She just felt a little warmth in her heart.
The first scene of the morning was the two characters taking a walk in a park.
There weren't many lines in the scene.
It relied mainly on eye contact and body language.
The director wanted them to convey the feeling of “not being together yet, but already accustomed to each other's presence.”
Shen Zhiyi studied the script.
Her brows slowly furrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Wanxing stood beside her.
“This part feels a little difficult.”
“Which part?”
Shen Zhiyi pointed to a section.
“She clearly hasn't fallen for the other person yet, so why does she keep looking at her?”
Lin Wanxing glanced at the script.
“Because she hasn't realized it herself.”
“So that's why she keeps looking?”
“Mm.”
“But if it were me, if I didn't like someone, I wouldn't keep looking at her.”
Lin Wanxing smiled.
“How do you know?”
“Because...”
Shen Zhiyi stopped.
Suddenly, she didn't know how to answer.
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“Have you ever liked someone before?”
“No.”
“Not even once?”
Shen Zhiyi shook her head.
“No.”
Lin Wanxing didn't press her.
“Then try imagining it.”
“If there's someone you think is perfectly ordinary...”
“But you can't help paying attention to her.”
“When she's not around, you want to know where she went.”
“When you see her talking to someone else, you feel a little uncomfortable.”
“When you hear her call your name, your mood gets better.”
Lin Wanxing paused.
“What do you think that is?”
Shen Zhiyi fell silent.
“...Liking someone?”
“Exactly.”
Lin Wanxing smiled.
“So you don't have to act like you're in love.”
“Just act like you... haven't realized you like her yet.”
Shen Zhiyi nodded.
“I understand.”
But she didn't notice that while Lin Wanxing said those words, her gaze remained fixed on her the entire time.
They officially began filming.
The two of them walked slowly along a path in the park.
Gu Yan, played by Lin Wanxing, held a camera in her hand.
Shen Zhiyi walked beside her.
“Why are you always taking pictures?” Shen Zhiyi asked.
Lin Wanxing looked ahead.
“Because some things will disappear if you don't capture them.”
“Like what?”
“A lot of things.”
Shen Zhiyi turned to look at her.
“Have you ever taken a picture of me?”
Lin Wanxing paused.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you'd notice.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
“I wouldn't.”
Lin Wanxing smiled, too.
“Then I will next time.”
“Okay.”
They continued walking.
After they had gone some distance, Shen Zhiyi suddenly stopped.
“Look.”
She pointed into the distance.
Lin Wanxing turned her head.
The camera captured them standing side by side beneath a tree.
Sunlight fell through the gaps between the leaves.
For one moment, the entire image was as still as a movie poster.
“Cut!”
The director didn't speak right away.
He watched the director's monitor.
“Great.”
“That’s exactly the feeling I want.”
“Let's do it again.”
During the second take, Shen Zhiyi was much more natural than she had been the first time.
She began to genuinely see Lin Wanxing as the person in the role.
A few times, when their eyes met, she even forgot that she was filming.
“Cut!”
The director said with a smile, “Great.”
“Zhiyi, you're in much better shape today than you were yesterday.”
Shen Zhiyi let out a breath of relief.
She instinctively looked toward Lin Wanxing.
Lin Wanxing was looking at her, too.
Their gazes met.
Lin Wanxing gave her a tiny thumbs-up.
As if to say:
You did great.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help smiling.
During the lunch break, Shen Zhiyi sat in the rest area eating.
Lin Wanxing came over and sat down.
“You're much better today.”
“Really?”
“Mm.”
“Was I really bad yesterday?”
“No.”
Lin Wanxing shook her head.
“You were just too nervous.”
“What about today?”
“Today, you seem more like yourself.”
Shen Zhiyi froze.
“More like myself?”
“Mm.”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“I don't think you need to keep thinking about how to act.”
“You already have a natural spark.”
“Being more natural will actually work best.”
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head.
“Thank you.”
“You don't have to keep thanking me.”
“But you've helped me so much.”
Lin Wanxing thought about it.
“Then buy me a coffee.”
“Sure.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“When?”
“After we wrap today.”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“Okay.”
And just like that, a simple invitation became the first time they had made plans to meet privately.
8:00 p.m.
The final scene of the day ended.
Shen Zhiyi had changed back into her own clothes and was waiting by the door.
She had thought Lin Wanxing would take a long time.
But less than ten minutes later, Lin Wanxing walked out.
“Let's go.”
They left the soundstage together.
To avoid being photographed, they didn't use the main entrance.
Instead, they left through the side door.
The night outside was quiet.
They walked for a few minutes.
In the end, they found a small coffee shop nearby.
There weren't many people inside.
They sat by the window.
“Do you usually come to places like this?” Shen Zhiyi asked.
“Sometimes.”
“By yourself?”
“Mm.”
“Don't people recognize you?”
“That's why I come so late.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
“What about today?”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“Today, someone invited me.”
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head.
“Right.”
They ordered coffee.
The atmosphere was very quiet.
But it wasn't awkward.
Instead, there was a strange sense of comfort to it.
Shen Zhiyi looked out the window.
“Actually, I hardly ever used to come to Taipei.”
“Hmm?”
“My family is in Taichung.”
“You're from Taichung?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why did you come here?”
Shen Zhiyi was silent for a moment.
“Because I wanted to act.”
Lin Wanxing said nothing.
She listened quietly.
“My family didn't really support me at first.”
“They thought this path was too unstable.”
“But I really love it.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
“So I came anyway.”
“Have you ever regretted it?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Lin Wanxing lowered her head and stirred her coffee.
“If you truly love something, don't give up on it too easily.”
Shen Zhiyi looked at her.
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“Do you like acting?”
Lin Wanxing was silent for a while.
“I used to.”
“What about now?”
She raised her eyes.
“I still do.”
“It's just that sometimes I forget why I started.”
Shen Zhiyi said nothing.
She suddenly felt that the Best Actress everyone envied wasn't actually as free as she seemed.
For the first time, she saw the weariness in Lin Wanxing's eyes.
It wasn't acting.
She was genuinely tired.
Shen Zhiyi said softly, “Then you can find your way back to it.”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“To what?”
“To what you loved about acting when you first started.”
“If you've forgotten, look for it slowly.”
“You'll find it eventually.”
The coffee shop was quiet for a long time.
Then Lin Wanxing suddenly smiled.
“Shen Zhiyi.”
“Hmm?”
“You really are weird.”
“How am I weird?”
“We've only known each other for a few days.”
“But you make it so easy to believe what you say.”
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. It's good.”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“It's very good.”
10:00 p.m.
They left the coffee shop.
The night breeze drifted gently past them.
Shen Zhiyi walked beside Lin Wanxing.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have already grown used to this person's presence.
Eating breakfast together.
Running lines together.
Eating together.
Drinking coffee together.
It had only been the third day, yet it felt as though they had known each other for a long time.
When they reached a fork in the road, Lin Wanxing stopped.
“Which way are you going?”
“That way.”
“I'll walk you.”
“No need.”
Shen Zhiyi shook her head.
“I can get back on my own.”
Lin Wanxing didn't insist.
“Okay.”
They stood at the intersection.
Neither of them left right away.
Finally, Shen Zhiyi smiled first.
“Wanxing.”
“Hmm?”
“See you tomorrow.”
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
“See you tomorrow.”
Shen Zhiyi turned and walked a few steps.
Then she looked back.
Lin Wanxing was still standing there.
She was looking at Shen Zhiyi, too.
Their gazes met across the darkness.
This time, there was no camera.
No script.
And no roles.
Just two people who had known each other for three days, quietly looking at each other.
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
Only then did she truly turn and leave.
Lin Wanxing remained where she was.
Only after that figure disappeared around the corner did she slowly withdraw her gaze.
She took out her phone.
Shen Zhiyi's latest message was still on the screen.
[Shen Zhiyi: I had a great time today.]
Lin Wanxing stared at it for a long time.
Finally, she replied:
[Wanxing: Me too.]
She didn't notice that the corners of her mouth had stayed curved in a smile.
She also didn't notice that once some relationships began to draw closer, it became difficult to return to the distance where they had started.
On the third day, they were still just a senior and a junior.
Just two actors.
Just coworkers filming together.
But something had already changed without either of them realizing it.
Little by little.
And then a little more.
Like two stars slowly drawing closer in the night.
They hadn't truly met yet, but they had already begun to shine for each other.