Chapter Four | She Was Becoming Special
On the morning of the fifth day, the sky outside the soundstage had finally cleared.
After several days of rain, sunlight had at last appeared.
When Shen Zhiyi got out of the car, the first person she saw wasn't the production crew or any of the familiar staff.
It was Lin Wanxing, waiting for someone at the entrance.
She was wearing an ivory knit cardigan and holding a cup of coffee.
Sunlight rested on her shoulders, making her look much softer than usual.
Shen Zhiyi slowed her steps.
She stood there watching for several seconds.
Not until then did Lin Wanxing notice her.
"Morning."
Shen Zhiyi came back to herself.
"Morning."
She walked over.
Lin Wanxing handed her the other cup of coffee in her hand.
"Here."
Shen Zhiyi froze.
"For me?"
"Yeah."
"How did you know I'd want coffee today?"
"I didn't."
Lin Wanxing's tone was calm.
"I just happened to buy an extra."
Shen Zhiyi accepted the coffee.
The cup was still warm.
She lowered her eyes for a look.
It was the same kind she'd had a few days ago.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
They walked into the soundstage together.
Shen Zhiyi took a sip of coffee.
The temperature was perfect.
She couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh.
Lin Wanxing turned her head.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Shen Zhiyi looked up.
"I just think you have a great memory."
Lin Wanxing didn't answer.
But just before they entered the soundstage, she said very softly,
"When it comes to you, I remember more."
Shen Zhiyi stopped in her tracks.
Lin Wanxing had already walked inside.
She stood there, her heart suddenly skipping a beat.
That day's shoot was much busier than the days before.
The production had scheduled a large number of scenes.
Several of them were important moments in which the leads' relationship gradually drew closer.
The director wanted the two of them to build enough chemistry in a very short amount of time.
The first scene that morning was about the two characters sorting through photos on the soundstage.
Shen Zhiyi sat at the table.
Lin Wanxing stood behind her.
They were very close.
Close enough that Shen Zhiyi could even smell the faint woody fragrance on her.
"This one isn't very good."
Lin Wanxing pointed at the screen.
"Why not?"
"The lighting's too harsh."
"But I think it's great."
"You like it?"
"Yeah."
Lin Wanxing lowered her head.
"Then keep it."
Shen Zhiyi looked up.
"Didn't you just say it wasn't good?"
"If you like it, that's all that matters."
That line wasn't in the script.
The director didn't call Cut.
Instead, he watched quietly through the director's monitor.
For a moment, Shen Zhiyi forgot that she was acting.
She looked at Lin Wanxing.
Lin Wanxing looked back at her.
In that instant, every sound around them seemed to fade away.
"Cut!"
The director finally called it.
"Great."
"That's exactly the feeling I want."
He walked over with a smile.
"The two of you are already starting to develop chemistry."
Shen Zhiyi let out a breath of relief.
Lin Wanxing only smiled faintly.
"Good work."
"It was nothing."
Shen Zhiyi shook her head.
"You made it easy for me."
"No."
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
"You improved quickly on your own."
Shen Zhiyi didn't say anything else.
But those words stayed with her.
During lunch break, Shen Zhiyi sat in a corner eating.
There were a lot of people on set today.
Zhou Yuqing was discussing the upcoming work with the director.
Shen Zhiyi had been eating alone for only a little while when someone suddenly sat down across from her.
It was Lin Wanxing.
"Why are you eating alone?"
Shen Zhiyi looked up.
"Yuqing's busy."
"Mm."
Lin Wanxing glanced at her lunchbox.
"Did you finish your food today?"
"I did."
Shen Zhiyi nudged the lunchbox forward a little.
"See?"
Lin Wanxing took a look.
"Good."
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help laughing.
"You really sound like you're taking care of a little kid."
Lin Wanxing paused.
"Do I?"
"You do."
"Does it bother you?"
Shen Zhiyi shook her head.
"No."
The moment she said it, she froze.
Lin Wanxing fell silent too.
Something indescribable suddenly entered the air between them.
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head.
"I mean..."
"I know."
Lin Wanxing picked up the thread for her.
"Eat your lunch."
"Okay."
They lowered their heads and continued eating.
Only this time, neither of them said another word.
That afternoon, Shen Zhiyi had an emotional scene.
Her character had been hurt by a relationship and needed to cry in front of the camera.
The scene wasn't easy for her.
She had been staring at the script for a long time.
The director knew she was under a lot of pressure too.
"Don't rush."
"Take your time."
"If you can't get into the emotion, take a break first."
Shen Zhiyi nodded.
But once filming officially began, she still couldn't get into character.
The first take—she couldn't cry.
The second—the emotion wasn't strong enough.
The third—tears came, but they looked too forced.
"Cut."
The director frowned.
"Zhiyi, you're pushing too hard."
Shen Zhiyi lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize."
The director sighed.
"Take ten minutes."
Shen Zhiyi walked to a corner.
Holding the script, she grew more and more anxious.
She knew she couldn't stay stuck here forever.
There were so many people on set today.
Everyone was waiting for her.
She didn't want to be the person slowing down production.
But the harder she tried to cry, the less she could.
"Don't rush."
A familiar voice came from behind her.
Shen Zhiyi turned around.
Lin Wanxing stood behind her.
"I..."
"You're too concerned with what other people think."
Lin Wanxing spoke gently.
"Don't think about the director."
"Don't think about the crew."
"And don't think about whether you're crying well or whether you look good doing it."
Shen Zhiyi looked at her in silence.
"Then what should I think about?"
Lin Wanxing was quiet for a moment.
"Think of someone you truly don't want to lose."
Shen Zhiyi stared at her.
"If there's really someone like that,"
Lin Wanxing's voice was soft,
"you'll know what it feels like to lose them."
Shen Zhiyi looked at her.
She didn't know why.
But in that instant, she suddenly thought of her mother.
She remembered her mother standing silently in the doorway when she'd left home.
She remembered coming to Taipei alone for the first time.
She remembered hiding under the covers and crying quietly that night.
Her eyes slowly reddened.
Lin Wanxing said nothing more.
She simply stood beside her, giving her all the time she needed.
"Thank you,"
Shen Zhiyi said softly.
"Go ahead."
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
"I'm right here."
Those four words suddenly made Shen Zhiyi's nose sting.
She turned and walked back in front of the camera.
This time, the emotion finally came through for real.
She didn't try to control it.
Tears fell one by one.
The director didn't call Cut.
The entire soundstage fell silent except for her sobs.
Only much later did he say,
"Cut."
The director drew a deep breath.
"Great."
Shen Zhiyi closed her eyes and finally let out a breath of relief.
She instinctively looked toward Lin Wanxing.
The other woman stood beside the director's monitor.
She didn't applaud.
She only gave Shen Zhiyi a small nod from a distance, as if telling her,
You did it.
That night, after filming wrapped, Shen Zhiyi sat in the car.
Her phone buzzed.
She lowered her eyes.
It was Lin Wanxing.
[Wanxing: Good work today.]
Shen Zhiyi smiled.
[Shen Zhiyi: Thank you.]
The reply came quickly.
[Wanxing: What are you thanking me for?]
[Shen Zhiyi: If it weren't for you, I might not have been able to get that scene right.]
A few seconds passed.
[Wanxing: I only reminded you.]
[Wanxing: You're the one who really did it.]
Shen Zhiyi stared at the screen.
She thought for a while before typing a single line:
[Shen Zhiyi: Wanxing.]
[Wanxing: Hmm?]
[Shen Zhiyi: Why are you so good to me?]
This time, there was no reply for a long while.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
Shen Zhiyi began to regret it.
Had she been too direct?
Just as she was about to turn off her phone, the screen lit up.
[Wanxing: I don't know.]
Shen Zhiyi froze.
The next second, another message arrived.
[Wanxing: Maybe it's because you're special.]
Her heart seemed to miss a beat.
Special.
Those two words repeated over and over in her mind.
She stared at her phone for a long time.
In the end, she replied with only one line.
[Shen Zhiyi: Can I remember you saying that?]
Lin Wanxing replied quickly.
[Wanxing: You can.]
At eleven that night, Lin Wanxing returned home.
The room was very quiet.
She hung up her coat and walked to the window.
The city lights glittered in the darkness.
She took out her phone.
The chat was still open to Shen Zhiyi's message.
"Can I remember you saying that?"
She looked at it for a long time.
In the end, she couldn't help smiling.
She didn't know when it had started.
Before filming each day, she would unconsciously check whether Shen Zhiyi had arrived.
During meals, she would pay attention to whether Shen Zhiyi was eating properly.
Whenever she saw something beautiful, Shen Zhiyi would be the first person she thought of.
Even when buying coffee, she naturally remembered Shen Zhiyi's preference.
None of these things had ever happened before.
Lin Wanxing had always thought she was simply taking better care of a newcomer.
Until tonight, when Gu Nanqiao sent her a message.
[Gu Nanqiao: You've been getting pretty close to Shen Zhiyi lately?]
Lin Wanxing looked at the message.
She didn't answer right away.
After a long while, she finally replied:
[Wanxing: She's my scene partner.]
Gu Nanqiao:
[Gu Nanqiao: I know.]
[Gu Nanqiao: But you've been mentioning her too often lately.]
Lin Wanxing fell silent.
She didn't deny it.
She didn't know how to deny it.
In the end, she replied with only one sentence.
[Wanxing: She's great.]
Gu Nanqiao didn't ask anything else.
Lin Wanxing set down her phone.
She walked to the window.
Her fingers brushed lightly against the glass.
The city was bright at night.
But for the first time, she realized there was someone who drew her gaze more easily than all the lights outside.
The next day, when Shen Zhiyi arrived on set, she saw Lin Wanxing from a distance.
They locked eyes across the crowd.
Lin Wanxing didn't say anything.
She simply raised her hand and waved the cup of coffee she was holding at Shen Zhiyi.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help smiling.
She walked over.
"Mine?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you."
"It's warm today too."
Shen Zhiyi accepted the coffee.
"You really remembered."
Lin Wanxing looked at her.
"I told you."
"When it comes to you, I remember more."
Shen Zhiyi's heart gave a faint flutter.
She lowered her head and took a sip of coffee, not daring to let Lin Wanxing see the smile at the corner of her mouth.
She didn't know that, by then, she had already begun looking forward to these little things.
Looking forward to seeing her every day.
Looking forward to her messages.
Looking forward to the coffee she brought.
Looking forward to hearing her say her name.
She had even begun to look forward to the possibility that, one day, their relationship might become something more than just "senior" and "junior."
But Shen Zhiyi didn't know yet that when feelings truly begin, there is never a clear dividing line.
One day, you simply look back and suddenly realize—
that person had long since become special.
And you had long since begun to care.