No one except Zou Qian could find fault with Shi Guanghua.
After all, it's quite normal for celebrities to have teams write for them. Ordinary people might hire staff writers, while Chu Yueyi had her music director write for her - just a bit more impressive.
The show's production team couldn't very well forbid Shi Guanghua from ghostwriting; that would be overstepping and unnecessarily antagonizing people.
Zou Qian, being one to overstep, continued to fume: "It's rigged! Totally rigged!"
Liu Yan chuckled and advised, "Oh come on, the entertainment industry is all about connections."
Zou Qian asked suspiciously, "What kind of connection could those two possibly have?"
Chu Yueyi gave a friendly warning: "Aren't you being a bit..." too talkative.
Liu Yan, a veteran of the music industry, looked at Zou Qian and delivered the final blow: "I don't know what kind of relationship they have, but it's clear you don't have much of a relationship with either of them."
Zou Qian was struck to the core: "!!?"
A moment later, he began to wallow in self-pity, feigning sorrow: "I'm the only one without money or connections, relying solely on my musical talent, yet I can't compete with these pay-to-win players..."
Shi Guanghua looked hesitant: "...Musical talent?"
Zou Qian: "..."
The former overseas best friends group had somehow started bickering, or rather Zou Qian was chirping away one-sidedly, which Chu Yueyi found quite intriguing as an observer.
She seemed to gradually understand what the crew had said before. Shi Guanghua's tone couldn't be called particularly cold, but it did feel less friendly than when he spoke to her.
Chu Yueyi became increasingly aware of this during the recording of "Dream Huayin", realizing her previous judgment had been mistaken.
Shi Guanghua didn't talk much while working, barely engaging in small talk with anyone except for matters related to the show's procedures. Or more accurately, he only chatted casually with Chu Yueyi, mainly listening even when facing Zou Qian.
On set, Chu Yueyi was usually busy filming, so she hadn't witnessed much of Shi Guanghua's interactions with others. However, the procedures during the show's recording were different, and she suddenly realized things were not as she had understood them to be.
Shi Guanghua still chatted with her regularly, just like when they were in Hengdian, but he didn't seek out conversations with others. No wonder the crew members were always watching them with interest, just like the show's staff now.
One day, Chu Yueyi looked at the group of staff gathered nearby and suggested to Shi Guanghua: "Why don't you go chat with the others for a bit?"
Shi Guanghua shook his head.
Chu Yueyi: "But you often chat with me?"
Shi Guanghua: "It's enjoyable."
"..."
Well. This conversation had hit another dead end.
During the recording period, Chu Yueyi, Zou Qian, and Liu Yan were all serving as Huayin support staff. They often had dinner together after work, chatting with other show staff about the contestants and what was to come.
In a private room at the restaurant, everyone sat around the table, each with a steaming small copper pot in front of them. Fresh ingredients like lamb slices and fish fillets were placed on the rotating center of the table. The group gathered to enjoy hot pot, creating a harmonious atmosphere with occasional bursts of laughter.
Liu Yan, known for her sharp tongue on stage, maintained her straightforward personality off-stage as well. She and Zou Qian, both knowledgeable about music, were engrossed in discussing the contestants' latest performances. At one point, she turned to include Chu Yueyi: "What do you think, Yueyi?"
Chu Yueyi, not being an insider in the industry, didn't pretend to know more than she did. She smiled apologetically and admitted honestly, "I'm not very knowledgeable about this."
During the show recordings, Chu Yueyi always had Shi Guanghua's cheat sheets, but she was essentially still an outsider and didn't want to speak out of turn about things she wasn't proficient in.
Liu Yan, remembering that Chu Yueyi was an actress, didn't press further. Her gaze then fell on someone else nearby, and she casually asked, "Shi Guanghua, what do you think?"
Zou Qian chimed in: "Oh boy, he has really high standards for singers. You have no idea how harsh he can be when criticizing me..."
Faced with the senior's question, Shi Guanghua responded calmly and humbly: "I'm not very knowledgeable about this."
Zou Qian: "?"
This response was identical to what Chu Yueyi had just said, causing her to turn and look at him in confusion.
Zou Qian voiced the bewilderment felt by everyone, staring at his friend as if he were a stranger, and said in disbelief: "Why are you pretending not to know now? Aren't you usually quite sharp with your critiques?"
Zou Qian thought: Weren't you the one always telling me my music wasn't good enough?
Shi Guanghua: "I really don't know much about it."
Liu Yan laughed heartily: "Oh, he's just afraid she'll feel left out if she's the only one who doesn't understand, so he's keeping her company!"
Liu Yan, known for her straightforward nature, had always been outspoken and directly pointed out the truth.
Everyone at the table had been discussing the contestants and music, but when Chu Yueyi said she didn't understand, it made her stand out. She truly didn't mind, but someone else did.
Shi Guanghua remained silent.
Chu Yueyi, alerted by the veteran singer's comment, suddenly tensed up and hurriedly tried to smooth things over: "Haha, the music director is just joking..."
Liu Yan continued to expose the truth: "He has a sense of humor? I certainly don't believe that."
Chu Yueyi: "..." She suddenly remembered the senior's experiences of engaging in verbal battles when she was younger, realizing that this style of interaction was indeed both spicy and direct.
Zou Qian knew about Shi Guanghua's situation. He had observed his friend's interactions with Chu Yueyi during the show, which were always a case of feigning ignorance while knowing full well what was going on. Occasionally, he would get so annoyed by their sweetness that he had to avoid the two of them.
Liu Yan, on the other hand, was different. She was naturally straightforward and had long picked up on the little details of their daily interactions. Suddenly interested in gossiping, she asked, "Are you two young people dating?"
Chu Yueyi, caught off guard by the senior's direct question, quickly forced a laugh and waved her hands: "No, no, really, you've misunderstood!"
"Oh, so he hasn't managed to win you over yet," Liu Yan said bluntly. "When did you two meet? You must have known each other before this, right?"
Chu Yueyi's forehead began to sweat as she panicked. She realized she was particularly ill-equipped to handle such direct players, especially when faced with a barrage of straightforward questions.
Shi Guanghua remained relatively calm and answered, "Formally speaking, we met last June."
Liu Yan pondered this: "Ah, so it's been over half a year, and by the time this show is done filming, it'll be almost a year. You two are really taking your time, aren't you? How come you haven't gotten together yet? Back in my day, I could have had two relationships in that time!"
Chu Yueyi: "You really have misunderstood..."
She wanted to explain that there was nothing ambiguous between her and Shi Guanghua, but she also couldn't understand their frequent interactions. Mainly, she couldn't figure out what Shi Guanghua was thinking; his thought process was different from most people's.
Zou Qian glanced at Shi Guanghua, gleefully adding: "He's just not capable enough, that's why it's dragging on till now."
Liu Yan frowned: "Shi Guanghua, don't take this the wrong way, but your personality of not even making a peep when poked with a ten-foot pole is frustrating. You talk to her every day but never get to the point. No wonder she thinks there's nothing going on. Before you know it, a year will have passed..."
Shi Guanghua seemed thoughtful. His communication style had been learned from Chu Yueyi in the first place, so now he humbly asked for advice: "Then what should I do?"
Chu Yueyi, blushing furiously, glared at him and whispered, "Why are you even responding to this?"
Liu Yan's tone clearly assumed there was something between them, and Shi Guanghua's response was tantamount to admitting it!
Faced with Chu Yueyi on the verge of exploding, Shi Guanghua blinked in confusion, not understanding how he had angered her.
Liu Yan said impatiently: "Do I really need to teach you this? Just be a bit more attentive. Pour her tea and water during meals, take the initiative to keep her informed of your whereabouts, send flowers, invite her to dinner and movies for no reason. Express yourself simply and directly, otherwise who knows what you're thinking? No one can guess!"
Shi Guanghua carefully committed this to memory, then asked: "But what if she doesn't like these things?"
Liu Yan said matter-of-factly: "Then she'll reject you outright, and you can try something else!"
Shi Guanghua thought about how Chu Yueyi accepted some foods but not others, and realized Liu Yan's advice made sense. He nodded in understanding: "I see."
The two straightforward individuals communicated smoothly, quickly completing the transfer of experience.
Chu Yueyi: "..." What do you mean, 'I see'?!
Shi Guanghua noticed Chu Yueyi's tense expression hiding her panic. He glanced at her discreetly, then suddenly reached for the teapot filled with jasmine tea on the table and unhurriedly refilled her cup.
Chu Yueyi tried to maintain her composure by drinking the tea, using it to hide her unease.
As Shi Guanghua watched her drink, he said, "I'll be writing songs in the studio tomorrow."
Chu Yueyi looked at him in confusion: "And?"
Shi Guanghua, applying what he had just learned, replied: "Keeping you informed."
Liu Yan praised him: "Very good! That's much clearer communication!"
"..."
Chu Yueyi was dazed. She was completely bewildered, feeling lightheaded even after the meal was over.
She had always convinced herself that if something wasn't clearly defined, it didn't exist. Who would have thought that after learning from the music industry veteran, Shi Guanghua would suddenly advance to a direct approach, catching her completely off guard.
Chu Yueyi had believed that since Shi Guanghua had never said anything crossing the line, there must be nothing between them.
The reason Shi Guanghua had not made any romantic advances was simple - he didn't know when to progress the relationship, and was just happy being with her. Now that he was criticized for being indecisive and unclear, he finally took outside advice and reflected on his past words and actions.
Everyone was eating hot pot inside, causing warm mist to spread throughout the room.
Chu Yueyi felt her whole body heating up, finding it hard to breathe sitting in the private room. She excused herself awkwardly, deciding to sneak outside for some fresh air, as she really couldn't continue sitting there.
Seeing this, Shi Guanghua also put down his chopsticks and worriedly got up to follow her.
Liu Yan watched the two leave and remarked, "He may be indecisive, but at least he's attentive!"
Zou Qian retorted, "That's because you don't know how much time he wasted before..."
Shi Guanghua was definitely the king of making no progress. Before actually joining the film crew, he had hesitated and agonized several times.
Liu Yan said, "Wasting time isn't necessarily a bad thing. If someone can truly waste a lifetime for another person, that's quite remarkable in itself."
At the entrance of the restaurant, there was no one around.
Chu Yueyi basked in the moonlight, taking a deep breath and finally feeling alive again. She gazed at the garden in the night, dispersing some of the stuffiness from being in the private room.
Shi Guanghua quietly walked over and stood beside her, asking with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Now that there was no one else around, Chu Yueyi dropped her facade and glanced at him disapprovingly, criticizing, "You should reflect on yourself."
Shi Guanghua was taken aback, "Reflect on what?"
Chu Yueyi raised her chin, "Reflect on how you always misunderstand others' intentions. What Teacher Liu taught you wasn't meant for casually improving communication with just anyone. What exactly were you responding to at that time..."
It was obvious that Liu Yan was teaching Shi Guanghua how to pursue someone, but Chu Yueyi seriously doubted that he understood it as merely "giving snacks and chatting" - ordinary social behaviors. After all, he had learned from her before while in the film crew.
Shi Guanghua wasn't very smart, so Chu Yueyi felt she should correct him and point out the differences.
Shi Guanghua calmly replied, "Mm, I know. It's not for casually improving communication with just anyone, but only for improving communication with you."
Chu Yueyi fell silent instantly, her eyes trembling as she stared at him in shock, frozen on the spot. Shi Guanghua's expression remained calm as he good-naturedly explained, "I think I correctly understood her meaning."
His dark eyes were like black gems, and his unhurried words drifted on the wind, gentle yet heart-shaking.
Chu Yueyi was dumbfounded.
She felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest. At that moment, she didn't dare to breathe, leaving only the drumming sound of her heartbeat.
Chu Yueyi had thought he misunderstood, but it turned out she was the one who misunderstood!
She stared at him in disbelief, usually eloquent but now stammering, "But- but you said at that time it was because you were happy..."
She couldn't understand Shi Guanghua before because he lacked a strong sense of purpose, including his confusion about "what result he wanted." Of course, she believed she shouldn't read too much into it.
Although she had never been in a relationship, she was at least a theoretical giant. She didn't believe anyone would be nice to others for no reason. If there really was such a person, it could only mean they were simply kind-hearted.
She always thought Shi Guanghua was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, but when recording the show, she found something amiss - he didn't seem to treat everyone that way.
"Because I like being with you, so I'm very happy..." Shi Guanghua thought about expressing himself simply and directly, so he abruptly stopped the second half of his sentence.
He looked to the side, his eyelashes trembling nervously, even his ears turning pink. His voice was barely audible as he said, "Or rather, I like you, so I'm very happy."
He didn't know if Chu Yueyi was as Liu Yan said, unable to guess his thoughts at all, so he summoned his courage to say it outright.
Chu Yueyi was stunned by his words, feeling as if all the blood in her body was boiling and rushing upwards.
After speaking, Shi Guanghua was clearly embarrassed too, not daring to look at her for a long time, his eyes full of trembling light. He sneaked a glance at her, then pressed his lips together and said softly, "Would you like to go out and watch a movie?"
Faced with his slightly blushing and lowered head, Chu Yueyi tried to suppress her surging emotions: "You're being too cunning--"
Shi Guanghua looked at her in confusion.
Chu Yueyi: "You- you doing this, how can I refuse?"
When she first became suspicious, she had misunderstood the meaning of his "happiness," and had been accepting his efforts for half a year. Now she suddenly found herself in a passive position - she couldn't just flatly refuse, could she?
"You don't need to agree out of a sense of obligation," Shi Guanghua said, lowering his eyes. "I do anything because it makes me happy. You should decide based on whether it makes you happy too, just like not eating something if you don't want to."
Shi Guanghua didn't want her to politely reciprocate for every bit he gave; that would make things meaningless.
What he said before wasn't a lie either. The point wasn't achieving a goal, but the process of feeling joy.
Chu Yueyi fell silent, her mind in chaos, unable to sort out her thoughts for the moment.
If following Shi Guanghua's logic, she indeed never had an unhappy moment when with him. They could both be thoroughly engrossed watching ants move house, in a sense almost too good at finding joy.
But was it enough to judge based on that alone?
She couldn't help but consider many factors, feeling the need to repeatedly ponder numerous things.
After a moment, Chu Yueyi asked, "Just watching a movie?"
Shi Guanghua: "Yes, do you like watching movies?"
Chu Yueyi pondered for a few seconds before honestly replying, "I do."
On the weekend, Chu Yueyi stood at the entrance of the cinema, starting to reflect on her own diminished intelligence. How had she been persuaded by Shi Guanghua that day, inexplicably agreeing to watch a movie with him?
She did indeed enjoy watching movies, but it wasn't necessary to watch with him!
He had trapped her in the mindset of "deciding based on happiness," then defeated her with his rich experience! Worst of all, Chu Yueyi had carefully chosen her outfit and arrived at the cinema far in advance. She was still introspecting on why her subconscious had placed such importance on this, only realizing it after she arrived.
Could it be that she had been infected with silliness from frequent contact with Shi Guanghua, like ink staining paper?
Chu Yueyi had thought she would have to wait for a long time, but she didn't expect Shi Guanghua to arrive early as well. She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "You're here so early?"
Shi Guanghua hadn't expected her to have arrived already. For a moment, he even doubted if he had messed up. He said softly, "But you also..."
Shi Guanghua had come half an hour early, but Chu Yueyi was even more impressive.
Chu Yueyi's breath caught, but with her excellent acting skills, she lied smoothly, "Someone gave me a ride on their way, so I arrived a bit early."
This was a lie.
She had come by herself.
Shi Guanghua didn't doubt her, unaware of how long she had been waiting. He apologized, "I'm sorry, this..."
Shi Guanghua couldn't justify his lateness, so he could only silently offer the flowers he had been hiding behind his back.
Chu Yueyi was startled. Before her was a bouquet of elegant white roses that he had been hiding behind him. The bouquet wasn't large, but it was exquisitely and tastefully packaged. The petals were delicate and fragrant, with a refined quality.
She suddenly remembered Liu Yan's teachings, and faced with his clumsy attempt at kindness, she had a sudden urge to laugh.
He really wasn't pretending to be clueless; he truly had no experience and was slowly building up goodwill through his studies.
Chu Yueyi accepted the bouquet and said, "Thank you."
Seeing her softened expression, Shi Guanghua felt slightly relieved, but inexplicably became nervous again.
Chu Yueyi fiddled with the flowers, holding them to her chest, and asked, "Why white roses? What's their meaning?"
Shi Guanghua: "Ah..."
Chu Yueyi said with a half-smile, "You definitely don't know about giving flowers either. You must have searched online beforehand, right?"
She could imagine his private actions, probably like a serious otome game player researching strategies, analyzing which flowers would be most appropriate to give. Each type of flower had multiple meanings; she wondered which one he had chosen.
Under her perceptiveness, Shi Guanghua had nowhere to hide. He hadn't expected his little thoughts to be directly exposed.
Giving flowers and saying their meaning aloud were two different things.
After calming his racing heart, he finally managed to speak with difficulty.
"...Willing to give you everything."