Qu Yanting didn't know how to reply. His lips parted and closed several times. The five thin sheets of paper pinched between his fingers rustled, further accentuating the quiet atmosphere.

In fact, he wasn't angry, and his reaction at the time wasn't directed at Lu Wen either. It was his own lapse from losing control of his emotions. As for the reason, it was not for outsiders to know.

Seeing Qu Yanting's silence, Lu Wen started to explain, "Last night, I was only thinking about rehearsing the scene and didn't consider much else. I didn't even notice Director Ren waving at me. I don't know what happened, I just rushed straight at you."

After hearing this long explanation, it seemed inappropriate for Qu Yanting to say nothing, so he gave a concise "Mm."

Lu Wen said, "I didn't do it on purpose." After saying it, he thought for a moment and corrected himself, "Uh, since I did it, it must have been intentional. But I... how do I put this, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, really, I'm not lying to you, after all..."

Qu Yanting: "After all what?"

Lu Wen: "After all, this brain of mine can't fool anyone."

Qu Yanting pressed his lips together, his front teeth biting his lower lip with gradually increasing pressure, otherwise the corners of his mouth would have uncontrollably curved up.

"Director Ren has already criticized me. I'll pay attention to my boundaries in the future." To show his sincerity, Lu Wen even brought up Ren Shu. "Actually, I wanted to knock on your door last night, but it seemed like you were already resting."

Qu Yanting asked, "So that's why you rang the doorbell like your life depended on it today, and even slipped notes under the door?"

Lu Wen nodded. He was determined to apologize today no matter what, but there was no response no matter how many times he rang the bell. He switched to knocking, and only slipped the notes under the door as a last resort.

Qu Yanting couldn't help but be surprised. After their conversation in the office, Lu Wen's attitude towards him had been very clear: at best, he was passive-aggressive, and at worst, he was argumentative and talked back. Why was his attitude so good this time?

Lu Wen was slightly embarrassed. He was a reckless and tactless person, but he also had some principles, like dealing with matters on a case-by-case basis. Although Qu Yanting had hurt him and brushed it off with a laugh, this time it was he who had offended Qu Yanting, and he wouldn't act like nothing had happened.

"Besides," Lu Wen said, "it feels like I've done something wrong. If I don't apologize, I'll get a pimple in my heart."

Saying "lump" would have sounded too big and like he cared too much, so he changed it.

Qu Yanting really couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned his head aside and let out a soft laugh.

Lu Wen immediately asked, "Are you not angry anymore?"

Clutching the sheets of paper, Qu Yanting was curious about what Lu Wen would have done if he hadn't opened the door, whether he had another trick up his sleeve. He asked, "What if slipping the notes under the door didn't work?"

Lu Wen hung his head in defeat, his backpack still hanging around his neck. He unzipped it, reached inside, and, like a magic trick, pulled out a yellow carnation.

Lu Wen had planned this before slipping the notes under the door. If that step didn't work, he would go back and write a letter of apology, and to make it look nice, he'd stick the carnation on the envelope.

Qu Yanting was stunned. Anyone would probably be stunned.

Lu Wen handed it over. "I'll just give it to you directly."

Qu Yanting was often called "teacher," but this was the first time someone had given him a carnation. He took it, finding the flower inexplicably familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Lu Wen breathed a sigh of relief, figuring that since Qu Yanting had opened the door, he had personally admitted his mistake, and had now even given him a flower, the matter could finally be put behind them. Once it was over, those roughly torn sheets of paper wouldn't matter anymore.

He guessed, however, that Qu Yanting would definitely throw them away, so he didn't need to worry about it.

The two of them talked in the hallway for a long time, only returning to their rooms when the floor manager led the service staff on their night patrol. Qu Yanting closed the door. On the console table behind it was a slender-necked vase, perfect for a single flower.

He first went to the bathroom to get some water, then returned to the door and placed the carnation's stem into the mouth of the vase.

There was some rustling in the hallway as the manager and five or six staff members stopped outside room 6206. The manager raised his hand, fiddled with the flowers in the wall vase next to the doorframe, and said, "Why is one carnation missing?"

The flowers in the vase were changed every other day, and the arrangement was fixed: one main flower and four accompanying flowers. For the past two days, the main flower had been a Bernhardt Peony, and the accompanying flowers were light yellow carnations.

A staff member checked the list from the morning patrol. The flowers item was checked off, so there shouldn't have been any oversight. He said, "Maybe someone took one."

It was a minor issue. The manager ordered for it to be replaced as soon as possible, while also reminding them to supply fresh flowers to each room in a timely manner. The group continued their inspection and moved on.

Inside the room, Qu Yanting: "..."

Life on the set continued as usual. The incident with the kiss scene became a thing of the past that no one brought up again; it had already spread to every nook and cranny anyway.

It was just dusk. Lu Wen stepped out of Building One, bathed in the pale red light. His makeup had just been touched up, and he was waiting to shoot the next scene. They wouldn't wrap up after this; they would be working all through the night. It was going to be another grueling night.

Everyone was eating their boxed meals at this time, but the next scene involved eating, so Lu Wen was keeping his stomach empty. He stayed downstairs, reviewing his script by the light of the setting sun.

He had learned a lot since filming began. Take eating scenes for example: the speed of chewing, how much food to pick up with his chopsticks, the accompanying expressions, and the rhythm of delivering lines all needed to be designed and controlled.

For this upcoming scene, Lu Wen had practiced over several meals in advance, just so he could act vividly and naturally.

Ten minutes later, the script supervisor called from upstairs, "Brother Lu Wen, come on up!"

Lu Wen replied, "Alright!"

Lu Wen ran into Building Two, Unit Three. In the show, 302 was the home of Ye Shan and Ye Xiaowu, an old two-bedroom apartment. The two brothers slept in one room, and Mother Ye slept in the other.

This scene was between Ye Xiaowu and Mother Ye. After the monthly exam, Mother Ye was checking Ye Xiaowu's exam papers. The scene took place at the dining table.

The door to 302 was wide open, with the monitor set up at the entrance, directly facing the small dining table in the living room. Ren Shu was speaking into a walkie-talkie, and non-essential personnel were all finding places to stay out of the shot.

Tao Meifan, who played Mother Ye, appeared without makeup, dressed in simple, durable, dark-colored clothes and an apron as she sat at the table. On the table was a bowl of white rice, a dish of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, and a bowl of soup.

Lu Wen took his seat, separated from Tao Meifan by a corner of the table, close enough that she could reach out and touch his head. In fact, Mother Ye did indeed like to pat Ye Xiaowu's head.

The food was steaming, its rich aroma carrying the spiciness of chili peppers. Lu Wen glanced down to see that Li Dapeng had placed a bottle of milk by the table leg, and he instantly felt relieved.

The script supervisor held up the clapperboard, ready to clap.

On an adjacent street, a Porsche slowly pulled over, and Qu Yanting got out.

Qu Yanting hadn't been to the set for four whole days. First, because he was busy with studio matters that needed to be handled remotely. Second, he was thin-skinned; after losing his temper and walking out in front of everyone that night, he needed some time alone to recover.

Tonight's all-night shoot was for one of the major scenes, and Ren Shu had urged him repeatedly, so he came to supervise.

Qu Yanting walked through a narrow alley where thick, slippery moss grew at the base of the walls. The faint glow of the sunset draped over everything, blending bright reds and greens into a vivid tapestry of color.

A rusted bicycle, a deflated leather ball, and halfway through, a shattered flower pot sat on the ground. Qu Yanting walked around it, exited the alley, turned onto the street, and after another five or six meters, he was at the entrance to the residential area.

Qu Yanting wasn't sure if they were preparing for a scene. Since he had arrived early, he decided to take a look at the set. He kept his eyes down as he walked up the stairs, thinking with ostrich-like logic that as long as he didn't look at anyone, he wouldn't have to greet them.

Reaching the third-floor landing, Qu Yanting slowed his steps and stopped behind Ren Shu.

Ren Shu turned around in slow motion. "No wonder I felt a chill down my spine."

Qu Yanting asked, "How far along is this scene?"

"Just started," Ren Shu replied. "But it should go smoothly."

The apartment was crowded with people both inside and out, and Qu Yanting felt uncomfortable. But since he would be supervising the night scene in 302 as well, he figured he might as well get used to it. Just then, Ren Shu said, "Since you're here, let's watch together."

Getting a chair was too much trouble, so Qu Yanting simply stood, placing his hand on the back of Ren Shu's chair. From his taller vantage point, he had a clear view of the two actors in the living room.

He didn't pay any attention to Tao Meifan; with just one glance, his gaze was fixed on Lu Wen.

The dining table was small, and Lu Wen's long legs were crammed underneath, shaking restlessly. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with rips running from his thigh to his calf, his entire knee exposed, and loose threads danced with the movement.

His canvas belt was buckled but not tucked into the loops, intentionally left dangling. His upper body was even more of a disaster: a cartoon hoodie in a bright ginger yellow, with a studded black jacket worn over it.

Qu Yanting asked, "Why is he dressed like that?"

Ren Shu said, "Didn't Ye Xiaowu go dancing in the last scene? He dressed up ridiculously for it. Don't even mention it. Xiao Lu refused to wear it and only relented after the wardrobe teacher gave him a lecture."

Qu Yanting was thoroughly appalled. He looked over again.

The old and the young sat at the table, Mother Ye holding several exam papers. Ye Xiaowu held his rice bowl in his left hand and used his chopsticks to poke at the sliced meat in the dish with his right.

He glanced sideways at Mother Ye. "Mom, I saw an old man on the road today. Looked to be over sixty, running in a tank top."

Mother Ye shot him a reproachful look. "Don't change the subject." She shook the papers and got to the point. "Look at your scores. How did you fail every single subject?"

Ye Xiaowu picked up a slice of meat, tossed it into his mouth, and buried his head in his rice bowl.

Mother Ye said, "I'm talking to you."

"I'm listening," Ye Xiaowu said, trying to gloss over it. "Mom, your stir-fried pork with chili is getting more and more delicious. It's so fragrant."

Annoyed by his diversion, Mother Ye pulled out the math paper, pointed at the top, and said, "How did you get thirty-six? You could probably guess your way to fifty, couldn't you? Your brother could score higher than you with his eyes closed."

Ye Xiaowu grumbled, "You only praise my brother at times like this. I suspect the only reason my brother works so hard to get first place is just to get a little praise from you."

The table was small, but Mother Ye seemed not to have heard him. She continued, "You filled up all the space for these long-answer questions, so why are they all marked wrong, without a single point?"

Ye Xiaowu chuckled. He didn't know how to solve them, but he didn't want to hand in a blank paper, so in the answer space, he had simply copied the questions themselves, jumbled and crisscrossed.

Mother Ye smacked him on the shoulder in frustration, though not hard, and even straightened his hood afterward. Her tone showed no signs of anger either; instead, it was earnest and patient. "Son, you're already in your last year of high school. It'll be too late if you don't start working hard now."

Ye Xiaowu said, "The problem isn't whether I study or not, it's that I can't learn it. Those teachers lecture like they're pagers; I can't understand a thing."

Mother Ye patted Ye Xiaowu's head worriedly.

Ye Xiaowu stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth. "I never should have gone to this elite high school in the first place. It's pure torture."

Mother Ye picked out a slice of pork for him and put it in his bowl. "Stop talking nonsense. You love to fool around so much and have no self-control. If you went to a bad school and goofed off for three years, you'd be completely finished."

Ye Xiaowu: "Well, I won't get into university either, unless—"

Mother Ye cut him off. "Eat first. It's getting cold. Eat more."

Lu Wen had no more lines; all he had to do was eat. He waved his chopsticks, picking up food and stuffing it into his mouth, mouthful after mouthful. The tip of his tongue was numb from the spice, and small beads of sweat appeared at his temples. His leg stopped shaking as he silently clamped the milk bottle between his ankles under the table.

He lifted his bowl, pressed his lips to the rim, and shoveled the remaining rice into his mouth. As he chewed, he lifted his eyes. His gaze passed over the camera to the area straight ahead, and he was startled to see Qu Yanting standing outside the door.

Their eyes met, and he confirmed that Qu Yanting was also looking at him.

Lu Wen didn't know where the sudden burst of energy came from, but he gripped his chopsticks tighter and began to eat and chew furiously.

After eating the very last grain of rice, he slammed his bowl and chopsticks down. His mouth shining with grease, he let out a loud, realistic burp for the camera.

That wasn't in the script; it was improvisation.

Separated by three or four meters, in front of half a room of people, one was sitting inside while the other stood outside the door. Qu Yanting looked at Lu Wen's gluttonous appearance, moved his lips, and silently mouthed a single word—

"Pig."

Lu Wen froze for a moment, suspecting the spiciness had made him so dizzy he was now hallucinating.

—Qu Yanting had actually pouted at him.