Chapter 106: Ambiguous

Yan Qiuchi was both excited and nervous. It showed slightly on his face as he walked to the dining table and sat down.

“There was no traffic jam on the road, right?” Mrs. Yan asked Shen Jintai with a smile.

“The side on the old temple is still blocked. It’s much better after crossing the bridge.” Shen Jintai said.

“Where did you film today?” Yan Qiuchi asked.

“On the other side of Chang’an Road in the old city.” Shen Jintai glanced at Yan Qiuchi. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt embarrassed looking at him but maintain his direct gaze at Yan Qiuchi in a calm manner. Yan Qiuchi had returned his look for a few seconds before he lowered his eyelids slightly and touched the teacup in front of him.

Shen Jintai sighed in his heart. A gong is a gong. For a peerless gong in a danmei novel, there shouldn’t be the word “shou” in his dictionary. Despite Yan Qiuchi’s obvious shyness that couldn’t bear the sprouting of spring, it didn’t make him seem like a shou at all. He was sitting there with a straight back and his handsome face unmoving showing off the rough edges and corners. He grabbed a glass of water and raised his head to look at Shen Jintai again. The moment their eyes connected, Shen Jintai titled his head slightly to look at Mrs. Yan. Yan Qiuchi only saw Shen Jintai’s fair neck and his adam’s apple that was slightly bobbing. His side face was so handsome that it looked like a painting.

He felt that every time he sees Shen Jintai he becomes better looking. His hair was jet black and thick. His skin was fair. His lips were rosy. His fingers were slender and daintily as they rested on the transparent cup of water showing off neatly trimmed fingernails.

“When will you finish filming this movie?” Mrs. Yan asked.

“At the end of November.” Shen Jintai said: “Urban romance films are easier to shoot so I’ll finish in November given that there’s no issues.”

Mrs. Yan: “I heard that the director of your movie is a new director. He used to shoot commercials?”

Shen Jintai nodded: “He, like Director Guo, is from a cinephotography background, and his shots are particularly beautiful.”

Sun Sihai was famous for making commercials. was his first movie. The advantage of working with a newcomer director is that he had a humble style. He would discuss with the actors on how to act and how he would shoot them, taking a very cautious approach to filming this movie. In addition, among the people who participated in its creation, there were many gay people.

One such person was the screen writer, Song Chenchen. His script was delicate. The director strictly adhered to the script, so the filming process was very delicate as well. For instance, the last set of shots that Shen Jintai filmed today were back shots of Yu Nuo and Luo Wensheng walking together. The camera was zoomed in to show close-ups of their backs and it was taken more than a dozen times.

The plot is the art of the screenwriter, while Sun Sihai focused on polishing the details. He especially loves filming the small details like fingers touching affectionately and the slightly sliding throat. Sometimes he would even add in shadows to create a better ambiance. Shen Jintai thought his skills was astounding and he would make great achievements in the future*.

*Clarity: he’s saying that as the screenwriter, Song Chenchen focuses on writing the plot. Sun Sihai as the director is more focused on the polishing up the plot by filming the smaller details that you can’t really visualize from just words. In this way it enhances the plot.

Bai Qingquan had told him that it was his first time filming a movie and that after this, he didn’t want to go back to filming TV dramas anymore. The feel was completely different between the two.

For actors, the big screen can magnify their subtle expression and movements. Their performance must be convergent as the drama is slowly grinded out. For television, the range of acting is a little larger and the pacing is much faster, so usually big screen actors would fall from the altar* when they switch to the small screen, creating an image that their acting skills are insufficient and that they lack artistic beauty. There’s no need to slowly grind ten or twenty times just to film a single scene for a TV drama*.

*Fall from the altar = refers to the halo on the body has faded and you become no different from the general public.
*Clarity: this is basically saying that filming a movie and a TV series is different. For movies, expression and movement are amplified so the filming process is very tedious. For example, Sun Sihai filmed a single scene of just their backs for more than a dozen times. TV series are quicker paced (they have to make a ton of episode, not just a single movie) so these kinds of small details are often overlooked (usually due to time constraints). So, for an actor who acted on the big screen to go back to the small screen, they may not be able to adapt to that quick pace filming which can cause people to think that they are bad at acting (and thus fall from the altar).

Once an actor films a movie, they’ll always fall in love during the process and will never forget that feeling.

“Your movie looks solid. The shots are beautiful. Coupled with the traffic between the two of you, the box office will definitely blow up.” Mrs. Yan said.

“I hope so.” Shen Jintai cheerfully said. This movie made him more nervous than . It would be his first movie to be released and his first time hitting the box office. was a war blockbuster that had a ton of special effects that would take at least half a year to finish. The most recent confirm date for its released would be next summer. would be released on Valentine’s Day of next year. Given the time restraint, the movie was filmed and edited at the same time and the filming process was very rushed.

“The weather will turn cooler in a few days. I look at the weather forecast, and it said it’ll be raining for a few days next week. You must pay attention to your diet and rest while working. Your schedule is too packed this year. Don’t tire yourself out.” Mrs. Yan chided.

Shen Jintai: “While it’s difficult now, I can put up a fight since I’m still young and try and grab as much as possible. When my status is cemented, I will then cut back.”

“You are just like Qiuchi. He’s also devoted to his work. He’s been so busy recently. Fortunately, he’s doesn’t like socializing. He only goes home right after work then sleep almost every day.” Mrs. Yan was secretly poking her son and showing off his advantages on his behalf!

Seeing as how Yan Qiuchi didn’t socialize much and the fact that he rarely drinks or smoke was all positive. Compared with all these other rich kids who love the night life, Yan Qiuchi had lived a life of innocence and deprived of desires since he was in his twenties.

Hearing this, Shen Jintai gave Yan Qiuchi a smile. Even he had to admit that Yan Qiuchi’s good points were something of a unicorn.

“Has your company equipped you with adequate security?” Yan Qiuchi said: “You should pay attention to your safety these days. That Xiao Qi is unstable. Be careful, she’s like a dog jumping off the wall*.

*Dog jumping off the wall (狗急跳墙) = idiom referring to a bad guy who goes out of their way to make trouble when they’re cornered. From the “Anthology of Dunhuang Bianwen”.

When it came to Xiao Qi, Mrs. Yan got furious: “I almost forgot about this! How can such a girl be so evil? I read the news report that she’s been blackening you for years. Qiuchi is right. This kind of girl is not normal. You should pay more attention in the future.”

Shen Jintai nodded and said: “She just hacked me online. Now that the company had filed a lawsuit, she wouldn’t dare do anything else.”

“Don’t be careless. Are you going back today?” Mrs. Yan asked: “Why don’t you stay at home for one night and let Qiuchi take you back tomorrow.”

“I have to go back after dinner.” Shen Jintai said: “I have morning shoot at 5 in the morning tomorrow. I want to sleep more so if I sleep here, I’ll have to wake up earlier.”

“That’s really hard work. It’s not easy being an actor.” Mrs. Yan said.

Shen Jintai: “It’s much better than . I don’t suffer much, and the accommodation conditions are very good.”

“I’ll come visit the set after a while.” Mrs. Yan said: “In the future, I will visit every set you’re acting on.”

She then smiled and asked Yan Qiuchi: “Speaking of which, you’ve basically accompanied me for every set visit. Will you also go this time as well?”

Yan Qiuchi gave Shen Jintai a glance then said: “If you need it, I can be the driver…”

He felt uneasy. After all, his confession was rejected so he didn’t dare pursue Shen Jintai so forcibly, afraid that it might cause trouble for Shen Jintai and resulting in him being hated. Now that Mrs. Yan had given him a plausible excuse, he tried to affirm Shen Jintai’s reaction. Seeing there was no protest, his heart moved. Couple this with today’s hot search, Yan Qiuchi was extremely pleased tonight.

After eating, Mrs. Yan asked him to send Shen Jintai back.

Shen Jintai: “No it’s fine. I told the driver to come pick me up at 9.”

“There is a ready-made driver right here. Why bother him making such a trip. Qiuchi take him back.” Mrs. Yan said.

When Yan Qiuchi left to fetch the car, Mrs. Yan said to Shen Jintai: “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to set you up or anything. Auntie has already told you that she’ll leave your business alone.”

Having said that, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. She asked Shen Jintai: “I wanted to ask you something but that Qiuchi was being really annoying standing around us all night long so we didn’t get a chance to be alone.”

Shen Jintai laughed: “Then while he’s away asked quickly.”

“How are you and Qingquan?” Mrs. Yan said: “If you two are going to fall in love, is it appropriate for them to make such a statement today? If the fans feel that you’re being dishonest, won’t that have a bad effect on your image?”

Shen Jintai said: “Me and him, maybe…” In fact, he didn’t know. He wasn’t sure if it was possible for him and Bai Qingquan. He couldn’t bear it right now. Perhaps he really has no conscience but who can blame him. He was going to die!

“There’s been no change,” Shen Jintai said: “Right now we are focusing on filming. I won’t think about personal feelings for the time being.”

Mrs. Yan was relieved.

“This is also good,” Mrs. Yan said with a guilty conscience: “Everything can wait until work is done. Otherwise, if the conversation collapses, how can you continue to act as a couple. Don’t let it affect your work.”

A car slowly stopped in the front courtyard. Shen Jintai saw Yan Qiuchi got out of the car and opened the car door for him.

“Go and rest early.” Mrs. Yan said.

Shen Jintai walked up to Yan Qiuchi, said “Thank you” as he got in.

Yan Qiuchi glanced back at Mrs. Yan, with an uncontrollable smile at the corner of his mouth, and quickly got in the car and drove off. Mrs. Yan couldn’t help but feel happy seeing how elated her son could become from such a small thing like this.

Yan Qiuchi was overjoyed. He felt this happiness was quite exaggerated just from opening a car door for Shen Jintai. Yet he was willing to do this for the rest of his life. To love someone and want to hold him unconditionally. It turned out that he was this kind of person.

While Yan Qiuchi was driving, he looked at Shen Jintai through the rearview mirror. Shen Jintai was sitting in the back. His face was looming from the changes of light and shadows coming from the window.

It was silent in the car when suddenly Shen Jintai asked: “Have you been busy with work recently?”

“Same old.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai said: “Nn”. He looked at the watch on Yan Qiuchi’s wrist. It was the one he gifted him.

The relationship between the two of them was too delicate and complicated. Neither of them knew what they can talk about. Shen Jintai contemplated about what Yan Qiuchi was currently thinking at this moment.

It seems that because he had loosened his heart a little, this had bred an ambiguous feeling between them. Going forward, he would have to consider Yan Qiuchi as they were no longer parallel lines.

Yan Qiuchi had also keenly felt this ambiguity. Although Shen Jintai said nothing, this awkward silence tickled his heart. This ambiguous shadow made him feel happy, but his joy would not come to fruition as this seemed to be self-indulgent. His heart was rubbed and scratched, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he raised his eyes to look at Shen Jintai in the rearview mirror.

He reacted. He didn’t know why. He didn’t have any lustful thoughts, yet his mind and body were tensed. He couldn’t relax for even a minute. Perhaps it was due to this that have made him so wound up.  

Shen Jintai had noticed his gaze, so he turned his head slightly to look out the window. Yan Qiuchi’s adam’s apple bobbed. His heartbeat was so loud, it was deafening.

The author has something to say：

Yan Qiuchi: I feel like I have a chance.

Kinky Thoughts: Yan Qiuchi is super cute.