The first recording of "Heart-Fluttering Promise" came quickly, taking place at a romantic lakeside restaurant. There was a small wooden bridge at the entrance, and standing by the lake, one could see the shimmering waves in the night.
In the car, Chu Yueyi finished discussing with the directors, waiting for the official recording to begin.
Li You carefully examined Chu Yueyi's outfit, showing a satisfied expression before making small talk: "How do you feel now?"
Chu Yueyi took out a small mirror to check her makeup, sighing, "I thought work would help me avoid blind dates, but I never expected blind dating to become work."
"We'll need to put on the microphones as soon as we get out of the car. You can prepare a bit more," Li You said. She and Chu Yueyi could still communicate freely now, but soon they would be completely exposed to the cameras.
Chu Yueyi looked at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and switched to work mode with a flawless smile: "I'm ready."
The evening breeze was cool, and Chu Yueyi shivered as she got out of the car, feeling unexpectedly chilly. Although she had spoken confidently to Li You, the prospect of dating a strange male guest still made her a bit nervous.
To be honest, she had been busy with work and her career in recent years, rarely interacting with the opposite sex outside of that.
However, seeing the swarm of staff members approaching, Chu Yueyi straightened her posture and cooperatively allowed them to install the audio equipment, returning to a stable recording state. Although she felt unfamiliar with the surroundings and new colleagues, and was not quite used to the rhythm of variety shows, she became calm when facing the cameras.
This was a fictional performance. The audience would only see the romantic plot within the frame, but she could see countless workers outside it.
She was an actress. She could act well.
With this thought, Chu Yueyi's steps became steady, and the uneasiness she felt when getting out of the car dissipated. She slowly pushed open the wooden door of the restaurant, hearing a crisp chime of the wind bell, but found no one at the dining table.
Shi Guanghua hadn't arrived yet.
Chu Yueyi let out a small sigh of relief. She took the initiative to place her bag by the seat and began to casually survey the environment, then idly flipped through the menu on the table.
The indoor lighting was soft and warm, soothing music flowed through the air, and two place settings were neatly arranged on the wooden dining table. Everything was just right, elegant and tasteful.
Chu Yueyi exchanged a few words with the waiter. She had just returned to the table but hadn't sat down when she heard a startling series of wind chime collisions, nearly making her break out in a cold sweat.
At the door, the director who had entered hurriedly clasped his hands together in apology, bowing repeatedly, which brought Chu Yueyi back to her senses. She had thought it was Shi Guanghua entering, but it was just a staff member.
The Chief Director noticed Chu Yueyi's tension and said quietly, "Yueyi, please wait a moment. They might not arrive for another twenty minutes."
Hearing this, Chu Yueyi instinctively put on a perfect smile and responded softly, "Alright, Director. No rush."
Chu Yueyi was an excellent worker; twenty minutes was enough to ease her anxiety and get her into character.
The wind chimes at the door rang again, and Chu Yueyi politely stood up, looking towards the tall figure entering. She felt that Shi Guanghua seemed taller in person than on the show. He was wearing casual black clothes and a pure black mask, slightly lowering his head as he entered, his aura even more outstanding than on camera.
Shi Guanghua's appearance seemed to bring in the cool breeze from the lakeside. When he raised his eyes, they met hers directly, his gaze as dark and deep as a pond.
Some people naturally have a strong presence, commanding attention as soon as they appear, instantly dominating the scene.
Of course, Shi Guanghua was not only memorable because of his aura, but also because he stood still at the entrance for thirty seconds.
Yes, after entering and seeing Chu Yueyi clearly, he didn't. Move. A. Single. Step.
Chu Yueyi had been smiling, waiting for him to come in, but her smile was starting to freeze as her new colleague stood like an ice sculpture at the door. And not just any ice sculpture, but a stubborn Harbin ice sculpture, seemingly glued firmly to the ice!
The surrounding staff members also looked at each other in bewilderment, silently mouthing "What's going on?"
Chu Yueyi's psychological resilience was quite strong. Seeing the awkward situation, she simply took a few steps forward to greet him, extending her hand with a smile, saying, "Hello."
Shi Guanghua finally moved slowly, but he didn't immediately shake hands. He just took two steps forward.
As an actress, Chu Yueyi smoothly turned the handshake gesture into a guiding motion towards the seats, showing no trace of awkwardness, and said amiably, "The seats are this way."
However, after they both sat down, the frozen, suffocating silence continued to spread. Even Chu Yueyi, who prided herself on her excellent communication skills, couldn't salvage the situation.
"Is it a bit cold outside?" Chu Yueyi asked caringly. Seeing no reaction from Shi Guanghua, she naturally added with a smile, "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Chu Yueyi, an actress."
Shi Guanghua: "..."
Chu Yueyi suspected that he might not recognize her, so she simply reintroduced herself from the beginning, but still received no feedback, as if she were talking to herself in front of a wooden man.
She didn't quite understand Shi Guanghua's silence. She knew he was quite aloof on the show, but this was a bit too much, even more taciturn than he had been on the music program!
"Okay, we have a small equipment issue. Let's pause for a moment!" The Chief Director intervened timely, hurriedly apologizing to both guests, "Yueyi, Guanghua, I'm really sorry. Please wait for a moment."
Although the Chief Director used the excuse of "equipment issues," it was clear to everyone which "equipment" needed adjusting.
Sure enough, the Chief Director walked directly towards Shi Guanghua, starting to communicate with his team.
Chu Yueyi had no interest in eavesdropping. She was still confused about the previous situation. She turned off her lavalier microphone and walked towards her manager in the corner, asking bewilderedly, "Isn't he a singer? Why isn't he talking?"
Li You corrected her precisely: "To be accurate, he's a musician, not a singer."
Chu Yueyi felt quite perplexed: "Are you saying musicians can be mute?"
Li You also found the situation bizarre and didn't understand Shi Guanghua's cold reaction. She tried to comfort Chu Yueyi: "You're not angry, are you?"
"Not angry. It's my fault. If I had known my new colleague wouldn't speak, I should have learned sign language in advance," Chu Yueyi said lightly. "At least then I could understand his gestures."
Li You had been worried that the unexpected situation might affect Chu Yueyi's recording state, but hearing her joking tone, she was amused instead: "As expected of a professional worker."
Chu Yueyi: "Yes, encountering difficulties is normal for workers. It would be strange if work always went smoothly."
Hearing this, Li You glanced towards Shi Guanghua and the directors, frowning slightly: "Let's hear what the director says later about what's going on over there."
Chu Yueyi muttered: "It's bound to be nervousness, unfamiliarity, lack of experience. I can already draft the official excuses."
Chu Yueyi knew well that there must be a reason for Shi Guanghua's unusual behavior, but what she would eventually hear would undoubtedly be the most innocuous explanation. This was the way things worked in the industry.
Li You was skeptical: "That explanation seems too fake. He doesn't act like this on other shows..."
Sure enough, the Chief Director came over not long after. He explained apologetically and helplessly: "Yueyi, I'm really sorry. Guanghua says he's a bit nervous and not used to variety shows yet..."
Chu Yueyi recalled Shi Guanghua's arrogance and disdain on music shows, thinking it would be a miracle if such an ice-cold mountain actually got nervous. But at this moment, she didn't mention any of this. Instead, she pretended not to know and smiled: "Is that so? I thought he felt cold when he first came in and hadn't warmed up yet."
Li You looked like she wanted to say something but was silently stopped by her artist's glance.
The Chief Director hadn't missed Li You's expression. Seeing Chu Yueyi being so understanding, he sighed slightly and said earnestly: "Yueyi, you're a good actress. Please guide Shi Guanghua a bit. He's new to the industry."
Chu Yueyi felt like a senior employee being asked to mentor an intern. She could only respond quickly: "Alright, alright, no problem. I'll carry the novice like a pro gamer."
After the Chief Director left, Li You said with a complex tone: "You really are good-tempered."
Chu Yueyi calmly replied: "The big picture is important. If there's anything to argue about, now is not the time. I'm not in the habit of making others wait for me on set."
Shi Guanghua was an outsider to the industry; he could slow down the recording progress. Chu Yueyi was an insider; naturally, she had to be professional and efficient.
After Li You finished work, she could argue fiercely with the Chief Director and Shi Guanghua's team, but Chu Yueyi didn't want the situation to affect the ordinary workers on site. No one wanted to leave empty-handed today.
The recording resumed, with Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua returning to their respective seats, and everything got back on track.
Although the Chief Director had already spoken with Shi Guanghua, he didn't seem to have changed at all. He still wore a black mask on his face and sat there without saying a word, looking both absent-minded and as if he were in agony.
Chu Yueyi waited patiently for Shi Guanghua, but he refused to let their eyes meet, occasionally lowering his eyelashes to glance at the phone on the table.
Shi Guanghua's state even made the Chief Director's face darken. No one wanted to waste time filming a silent movie late at night, but the male guest still showed no signs of breaking the ice.
Chu Yueyi forced herself to endure for several seconds. As she gazed at his beautiful eyelashes, a dark thought welled up inside her, and she even wanted to pluck them out one by one.
Of course, her face remained bright with a smile as she suggested, "Why don't we exchange reports?"
Shi Guanghua looked up at her, seeming slightly confused.
Chu Yueyi said half-jokingly, "Exchange COVID test reports, or show our health codes, so you can feel comfortable taking off your mask."
Shi Guanghua: "..."
Chu Yueyi didn't directly point out that wearing a mask and looking at his phone was impolite. Instead, she smiled lightly and brushed it off. After all, the current atmosphere was already stiff enough, and persisting would only make things worse.
She suspected that the current recording couldn't be used, and if broadcast, it would probably be a disaster. Their awkward first encounter was completely laid bare, and it would take a miracle for viewers to ship them as a couple.
The Chief Director's face had already darkened, so Chu Yueyi decided to think of a solution.
She had to find a way to turn things around.
Hearing her words, Shi Guanghua was stunned. He paused for a few seconds before reaching out to remove the mask from his face. His fingers were clean and slender as he casually placed the mask aside, finally revealing his handsome features.
"Piled stones like jade, lined pines like emerald" - this was Chu Yueyi's first impression of her new colleague.
She had seen countless attractive people in the entertainment industry, yet she still gasped in surprise at his extraordinary aura, which could be described as having a face like polished jade and a presence as crisp as winter snow.
Celebrities always pursue perfection in front of the camera, often appearing thin off-screen, but Shi Guanghua wasn't yet a qualified celebrity, and he looked even more impressive in person than on screen.
Chu Yueyi began to understand the fans' fervent pursuit of him. There were many handsome men, but few with such a soulful handsomeness.
She suddenly had an epiphany - this was actually a good turning point that could overturn the previous plot. It wasn't terrible for the storyline to fall into a desperate situation; the key was to leave a glimmer of hope and not completely close off all paths.
Chu Yueyi's eyes flickered slightly, and she decided to look directly at Shi Guanghua, saying softly, "It's not easy, but I finally get to see your face."
Shi Guanghua looked back at Chu Yueyi. He saw that her eyes were like stars in the night sky under the soft light, brimming with a twinkling smile, and small dimples blooming on her face. She wore a white dress, and against the backdrop of the night lake view outside the window, she looked like a shimmering pearl.
"Seeing it has calmed half of my anger."
She blinked, her tone both reproachful and teasing. When she smiled, even her dimples were filled with sweetness, exuding an indescribable charm.
The Chief Director watched Chu Yueyi's performance intently. He finally let out a long sigh of relief, relaxing his tense nerves, and silently gestured to those around him: the previous footage could be kept.