Shi Guanghua found it impossible to describe his current mood. He was simply happy from the bottom of his heart, like a winter sky with only azure blue and clarity remaining. Perhaps his joy was too obvious, even blatantly displayed.
Chu Yueyi caught the smile that escaped him. She pondered for a few seconds before saying in a daze, "You seem to have learned how to smile recently."
When Chu Yueyi first met him, she always thought he was like a wooden man. Although his aloofness was a misunderstanding by outsiders, he was indeed a man of few words, let alone one who would display a lively smile. He had covered himself with a sturdy protective film that seemed impervious to any external impact, no matter how hard others tried to break through.
Now he showed happiness, which didn't match his initial image, but it wasn't unpleasant.
Shi Guanghua looked at the insulated lunch box in the bag and asked, "What's this?"
"Dumplings," Chu Yueyi replied, coming back to her senses. "You can eat them for dinner. They're homemade."
Shi Guanghua looked up at her, "Did you make them?"
Chu Yueyi sheepishly said, "It's good enough that you have something to eat. Don't ask for too much."
Shi Guanghua's face showed understanding, and he didn't say anything more.
"There's one that I made, but don't laugh at me," Chu Yueyi thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth, unconsciously scratching her face, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Her dumplings were far inferior to her parents' standard, so she felt she should inform him in advance to avoid any misunderstanding about her parents' culinary skills.
Shi Guanghua was stunned. He suddenly felt excited and then said earnestly, "Thank you, I'll enjoy them thoroughly."
Chu Yueyi mumbled softly, "...No need to be so polite."
As they left the store, it was time to part ways. Watching Shi Guanghua leave with the dumplings, Chu Yueyi blurted out as if saying goodbye to a close friend, "Let me know when you get there."
Shi Guanghua: "...Mm."
He didn't even know how he got back home. All the way, his heart was racing, aimlessly not knowing where to go. He had felt elated during the first recording session, but this time the feeling seemed even stronger, like an electric shock that he couldn't recover from.
At the entrance of the building, Shi Guanghua entered with the dumplings and rushed to the studio, coincidentally running into someone from the company. The person, seeing Shi Guanghua's demeanor, said in surprise, "Happy New Year! You seem to be in a good mood."
Shi Guanghua's joy was too obvious not to be noticed by others.
Shi Guanghua: "Happy New Year."
Shi Guanghua went straight to the company's dining area. He first sent a WeChat message to Chu Yueyi, then eagerly opened the insulated lunch box, accurately identifying the dumpling she had made herself.
That dumpling was indeed different from the others. It looked loose and had a subtle sense of wilt, but to him, it was especially adorable.
The dumplings in the lunch box were still warm. Shi Guanghua didn't bother to reheat them, eating the one she made first, as if he couldn't wait a second longer.
He chewed slowly, savoring the taste, his expression solemn and proper.
A moment later, Shi Guanghua decisively turned on the stove to boil water. He poured the remaining dumplings into the pot, skillfully starting a second round of cooking to make a pot of steaming hot dumplings.
While waiting for the water to boil, Shi Guanghua received a message from Chu Yueyi and lowered his head to reply on WeChat.
She politely asked: [How are the dumplings?]
Shi Guanghua had only eaten one dumpling so far. He glanced at the remaining dumplings in the pot and replied: [Very delicious.]
After sending it, he worried that Chu Yueyi might be fishing for compliments. She probably didn't intentionally undercook them and then try to induce him to lie, setting up a trap, right?
She seemed to deeply doubt that he only told the truth, always throwing out strange traps that were hard to guard against.
Fortunately, she didn't particularly try to catch him in his words. It seems the undercooking was purely accidental.
After finishing the dumplings, Shi Guanghua dove into the studio and began replying to messages from his family. After completing all the trivial matters, he sat quietly in the black swivel chair, feeling that this year's Spring Festival was different.
He often didn't go home for the New Year in the past, occasionally celebrating with friends in foreign countries, but gatherings often only made him feel bored and noisy. However, he now had a new understanding. Perhaps he wasn't averse to the hustle and bustle of the holiday, but secretly longed for someone of his own to accompany him during the festive season.
Cheng and others never intentionally excluded him, but he also clearly knew that he couldn't fit in. He was probably too demanding, always wanting something different, otherwise he'd rather not have it at all and just be by himself.
He might indeed be a bit peculiar, as others said, never expressing his needs out loud but hoping someone could read his mind. This probably could only be achieved through telepathy, yet he felt that things obtained by asking would also be easily lost, so it was better not to ask at all.
But she unexpectedly fulfilled his little wish. What he wanted wasn't ordinary goodness, but special goodness.
He wanted her unique kind of goodness.
Shi Guanghua stretched out his wrist, looking at the light gray hair tie, and inexplicably felt joy welling up again. He straightened his back and, riding on his eager mood, began to create, using this to alleviate the restless heartbeat in his chest.
He wove the unspoken feelings into a melody, waiting for the moment when it could be brought to light.
The Spring Festival holiday always passed in a hurry. Chu Yueyi felt like she had barely rested for two days before having to plunge back into work. During her break, she searched for various materials and finally decided on a return gift for Shi Guanghua, considering it one task accomplished during the long holiday.
Back at the management company, Li You returned to her post after the holiday and immediately bombarded Chu Yueyi with a heap of matters, reporting, "The follow-up recording times for the show have been finalized, and the start of your new drama has also been confirmed. We've communicated with Shi Guanghua's side about the endorsement, and they don't have any issues..."
Chu Yueyi was stunned: "The filming start date has been set?"
Li You: "Yes, we were worried it might not happen, but now the situation looks good. Estimate you'll join the crew right after finishing the show recordings."
This drama came looking for Chu Yueyi after "Heart-fluttering Promise" started airing. Both the script and the production team could be considered top-notch. The production team had considered Chu Yueyi before but worried her buzz wasn't enough, hesitating to make a decision. Only recently did they finally sign the contract.
Chu Yueyi felt time was flying by and murmured, "That's quite fast."
It seemed like just yesterday when she recorded the first episode, but now "Heart-fluttering Promise" was already halfway through broadcasting. It was as if she blinked and couldn't catch the tail of time, leaving her feeling a bit lost.
Li You nodded and reminded her, "Yes, so there's another issue. The Sweet Oxygen endorsement requires at least a year-long contract, but the show will finish recording soon. After you two 'get off the bus,' you'll still need to stir up some buzz occasionally. It's quite a long time, and there might be variables."
Chu Yueyi: "It should be fine. They're quite easy to communicate with, aren't they? You've dealt with them before."
"That's true," Li You deeply agreed with this. "Then I'll bring the contract over later."
There was no show recording today. Li You originally planned to go to the Creative Park alone, but unexpectedly, Chu Yueyi also got in the car.
Li You looked at her artist in confusion and proactively suggested, "I can drive you home. There's nothing much today, you can read the script."
"I've read the script several times already," Chu Yueyi casually said. "Starting tomorrow, we'll be shooting the MV for several days. I want to meet with them to discuss some things."
Li You was even more confused: "Aren't you supposed to discuss in front of the cameras? If you talk now, what will the show crew film?"
The "Heart-fluttering Promise" production team couldn't set up equipment in the company 24/7, and Shi Guanghua's studio also needed to produce songs and albums for other singers. Long-term recording was obviously unreasonable and risked leaking audio sources. The director would schedule show recording times for the Moonlight CP to have meetings in front of the cameras.
Chu Yueyi didn't answer directly, instead changing the subject: "What does the company think about the endorsement?"
"What could they think? They dare to have an opinion?" Li You was distracted and immediately boasted proudly, "I've been walking with my head held high in the company recently. Now, few business departments dare to..."
Li You was now riding high. Chu Yueyi was an artist she had nurtured from the beginning, and initially, the commercial resources weren't great, encountering many obstacles within the company. Acting skills and market appeal are two different things, especially in business where traffic is everything. It was indeed unexpected that Chu Yueyi, through her CP marketing strategy, could secure a beverage endorsement deal with Yuanyuan.
Li You chatted happily about the good news, forgetting the previous topic.
Inside the Creative Park, Chu Yueyi was already extremely familiar with the route. She led Li You, who didn't come often, past numerous roadside art pieces, arriving unhindered at the company entrance. She greeted the people at the door, then led Li You into the elevator, swiped her card, and headed towards Shi Guanghua's studio.
Li You had only come to pick up Chu Yueyi before, so this was her first time entering the building. She exclaimed, "It's quite big inside. Don't you get dizzy coming in here?"
Chu Yueyi replied, "I haven't been to other parts. I only remember this small bit of the way."
The elevator chimed and arrived at a quiet floor.
Li You looked at the tightly closed door of the studio and hesitated, "Is this the place? It looks like no one's here."
Chu Yueyi, having become familiar with Shi Guanghua's schedule, reached out and knocked on the studio door. After a moment, the door slowly opened, revealing Shi Guanghua's face. His eyes lit up when he saw her, seemingly overflowing with a touch of delight, but then he noticed Li You beside her. Immediately, he concealed the light in his eyes and politely let the two of them in.
Li You felt that Shi Guanghua's expression had been lively for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, he returned to his unhurried, calm state. It seemed as if it had just been her imagination.
Li You, never having been here before, politely stood in place.
Chu Yueyi, on the other hand, walked in confidently. Seeing the lit computer screen, she curiously placed her hands on the back of the chair and peered at the complex audio tracks, asking, "Is this our song?"
Shi Guanghua: "Ah..."
Faced with her sudden question, Shi Guanghua momentarily didn't know how to answer. This song was indeed inspired by her, but it wasn't included in their album, so he couldn't define whether it counted as "our song" or not.
Seeing his silence, Chu Yueyi raised an eyebrow and said, "Cat got your tongue?"
Shi Guanghua: "...No."
Chu Yueyi: "Goodness, talking to you is exhausting. Your reaction time is incredibly slow."
She didn't even know which question his "No" was answering - whether it was about "our song" or "Cat got your tongue."
Li You, hearing Chu Yueyi's blunt criticism, was quite surprised internally. It wasn't that she hadn't seen this before, but she didn't know they were so familiar and in harmony. She hadn't closely watched the program recordings for the past few episodes and wasn't aware of their off-camera dynamics.
"Oh right, here's this back to you."
Shi Guanghua took out a clean thermal lunch box, neatly wrapped in a bag, looking particularly attractive. As he returned it to its original owner, he lowered his gaze and said, "The one you packed was quite tasty."
Chu Yueyi was taken aback. She took back the thermal lunch box, grumbling insincerely, "Hypocrite, hypocrite. Just mutual flattery."
Shi Guanghua: "It's not."
Chu Yueyi: "It is."
The two glanced at each other, then deliberately looked away, much like stubborn children in kindergarten trying to outdo each other.
The atmosphere in the studio became strangely subtle. The undercurrent of interaction between the two was like an unripe green orange - even though its skin hadn't fully turned golden, it exuded a fresh, slightly tart aroma.
Witnessing this scene, Li You cleared her throat, "Ahem, shall we discuss the endorsement matter..."
Shi Guanghua hurriedly came to his senses and calmly stood up, "Alright, I'll go call Cheng."
Chu Yueyi looked towards the computer, "Is this a song for the album? Can I listen?"
Shi Guanghua quickly reached out to save the file. He didn't want her to discover he was writing sickeningly sweet love songs. Fumbling on the keyboard, he simply turned off the screen and said, "It's not for the digital album."
"Oh." Hearing this, Chu Yueyi immediately straightened up politely, not suspecting his reaction. Since it was a piece written for someone else, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to pry.
"Please wait a moment, he's next door," Shi Guanghua said to the two before leaving to call Cheng.
After Shi Guanghua left, Li You finally found an opportunity to speak privately. She had been discreetly observing Chu Yueyi for a while and confirmed, "Yueyi, you're just filming the show, right?"
As a manager, although Li You had confidence in Chu Yueyi, she still retained her keen sense.
Chu Yueyi met Li You's probing gaze and said in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
Li You pointed at the lunch box in her hand, "What's this?"
Chu Yueyi instantly understood her manager's implication. Holding the thermal lunch box, she felt exposed, her palms slightly sweating, but she calmly replied, "He didn't eat dumplings during the New Year, so I sent him a box. Is there a problem?"
"No," Li You looked at her and casually said, "I'm just asking."
Chu Yueyi: "It's just friends exchanging small gifts. It's not a big deal, is it?"
"Hmm, I just didn't expect you to know how to make dumplings, so I was surprised. You seem quite special to him."
Having known each other for many years, neither wanted to speak too directly, engaging in a swift, subtle exchange. Li You had joked about Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua before, but jokes were just jokes. Now, things seemed different.
Chu Yueyi didn't want to cause tension with her manager. She understood the other's concerns and calmly said, "Sister You, you should be very clear about why I'm on the show. We need exposure, so what's wrong with maintaining a good relationship with a collaboration partner?"
"You know me. I would do the same even if it wasn't Shi Guanghua."
Chu Yueyi felt there was a stiff flaw in her words, but she pushed aside her slight discomfort and provided the reason with a straight face.
Li You, considering Chu Yueyi's good professional image, was successfully persuaded at this moment and replied, "As long as you know your limits."
Neither of them mentioned the matter again, as if there had never been any tension.
A moment later, Shi Guanghua and Cheng returned. Cheng enthusiastically suggested, "Let's discuss the contract next door. Otherwise, his machine might start making noise again."
The group moved to the adjacent room, signed the endorsement contract, and considered the matter settled.
When leaving, Shi Guanghua specifically escorted the two to the ground floor. Cheng followed behind with an exasperated expression, hands in his pockets. Anyone could see who Shi Guanghua really wanted to see off.
Having just talked with Li You, Chu Yueyi now felt somewhat guilty, especially with Shi Guanghua insisting on coming downstairs, which increased her psychological pressure. Fortunately, Li You didn't say anything and remained quiet throughout, not acting like an enraged parent.
Shi Guanghua, who usually disliked doing unnecessary things, was now inexplicably following along. He couldn't clearly describe his feelings in words, only knowing that being able to see her for one more moment brought him an extra measure of joy, like breathing in fresh air.
He watched her get into the car with bright eyes and said softly, "See you tomorrow."
Tomorrow would be the seventh episode recording of the show, another day when he could see her.
Chu Yueyi noticed the sincerity in his eyes and instinctively shifted her gaze to the side, responding, "See you tomorrow."
Li You bid farewell, "We'll be going then."
Cheng: "Alright, take care on the road!"
The car door slowly closed, separating the two parties. Chu Yueyi sat inside the car, while Shi Guanghua stood outside.
The car started and drove away.
Cheng glanced at the clingy Shi Guanghua and shrugged, "I can't stand you."
Cheng thought to himself: He even has to see her off for these few steps. Why doesn't he just send her all the way home and have her send him back?
Shi Guanghua ignored the other's complaint and said coolly, "Let's go back."
Seeing him instantly revert to his old self, Cheng snorted, "You're really two different people." He made a mental note to tell on Shi Guanghua to Chu Yueyi someday, to let her see his usual dull appearance.
Back in the studio, Shi Guanghua sat down at his desk again. He turned on the computer screen and continued with his composition. With no one else coming to find him today, he decided to close the door and turn on the speakers, planning to immerse himself fully in the world of music.
Seeing her always inspired him, and he could only express it through musical notes.
The screen lit up, and an unfamiliar audio track was steadily scrolling to the right. It wasn't a track he had added during composition, probably triggered by accidental recording when he hastily saved before leaving.
This wasn't anything unusual. He skillfully tapped the keyboard to stop the track, intending to delete the unused audio, but as he dragged it, he heard her voice.
"Even if it wasn't Shi Guanghua, I would do the same."
The studio's speakers were truly excellent. The woman's voice, usually so pleasant to his ears, now sounded both soft and cruel, suddenly piercing his heart.
Shi Guanghua was caught off guard by these words. He instinctively stopped the deletion process but suddenly found himself afraid to listen to the rest of the track.
He lost his courage in that moment, unable to face it.
Just those few words had left him wounded and defeated, instantly plunging him into an icy abyss, chilled to the bone.
Suddenly, he didn't dare to listen anymore!