CH 48

The assistant director asked, "Do we still need this footage?"

If it were another ordinary married couple, this footage would be nothing special, just something to consider for the Easter egg segment.

"Yes, we do. There are plenty of young fans who fall for this act," the director said. "Besides, it's already quite rare for them to provide us with material that we can use for a trailer. Let's not be picky."

Fans often claim that their production team doesn't capture enough footage. But in all honesty, their camera lenses were already quite dedicated. They'd love to film the guests' faces 24/7 if they could.

In the monitor, Wen Li returned to the bedroom.

The two of them returned to their normal routines and focused on their work.

Wen Li familiarized herself with the selected TV show script excerpts for the program, while Song Yan was also reading the script for his upcoming movie.

He was reading the first draft of the script for [Ice City]. Although a script is a work of artistic creation, certain plot points were challenging to pass through censorship due to sensitive issues. In such a complex environment, if they wanted this creation to make it to the big screen and reach a wider audience, they had to make several compromises. Scriptwriter Old Zhou was still making continuous revisions. However, Song Yan needed to familiarize himself with the plot of the first draft, excluding the sensitive background aspects, as the human interactions between the characters would remain mostly unchanged.

[Ice City] was a script with two male leads. The two male protagonists belonged to different age groups and had their own storylines. The older male lead and his wife had been married for decades and were separated by thousands of miles due to the national cause. They were not only lovers but also comrades. The romantic plotline of the younger male lead was more dramatic. Two people who had never met before were forced to become a couple due to organizational orders. They infiltrated the enemy's stronghold, starting with mutual distrust and gradually developing feelings for each other. This change in their relationship added tension and was better suited for younger actors to portray.

Although the female characters didn't play a major role in the movie, they were still crucial. The director and producer attached great importance to the casting of the two female roles. Not long after the movie was announced, there were already numerous speculations online about which young actresses would be chosen.

Song Yan always claimed that his weakness was in performing emotional scenes. However, writer Old Zhou had great confidence in his script. His reasoning was that Song Yan's debut work had created a classic character, even though he was a novice actor at the time, without even attending specific acting courses. The character succeeded because of Song Yan's youthful aura, appearance, and temperament, combined with a well-written script and favorable circumstances.

Therefore, Old Zhou firmly believed that Song Yan's emotional scenes lacked brilliance in his later movies not because of Song Yan himself but rather due to poor casting or an incomplete script.

Most geniuses had a streak of individuality in them. Old Zhou was a screenwriter who valued instincts. He didn't care about the popularity of the actresses. He only cared about Wen Li because her aura and appearance perfectly matched what he had envisioned while writing the script.

He had sent her a copy of the script before, but for some reason, it was intercepted by another female artist. Perhaps, Old Zhou later contacted Wen Li's agent to get back on track?

Wen Li had never told Song Yan about this, either because she didn't want to seek his help or because her desire to collaborate with him wasn't as strong as his.

As he continued reading, he got lost in thought. Pondering over a script was mentally exhausting. By the time Song Yan snapped out of it, several hours had passed since dinner.

Wen Li, mindful of her figure, usually skipped dinner. It wasn't until Song Yan brought a simple fruit salad into the bedroom that she realized there were supposed to be three meals a day, not two.

When you're hungry, even a fruit salad looks like a gourmet dish.

But she cautiously asked, "Is this low in fat and sugar?"

Song Yan had a habit of going to the gym. Being a male artist, he didn't have to be as cautious about his diet as she did. He hadn't paid attention to the specifics while making the salad.

"Are you giving this to me without even checking the nutritional facts?" Wen Li glanced at him skeptically, "Are you trying to make me gain weight?"

Song Yan sighed and chuckled to himself. He was concerned that she might feel uncomfortable on an empty stomach at night, so he kindly made her a salad. Little did he expect to be criticized for it.

"I'm more innocent than the character Lu Dongbin."

Wen Li understood, "Are you calling me a dog?"

"Yeah, an ungrateful little puppy," Seeing Wen Li's furrowed brows, Song Yan slowly spoke, as if soothing her, "I don't eat fruit salads often. This dressing should have been bought by your assistant and stored in the fridge."

Wen Li's arrogance instantly deflated, and she whispered, "Oh? Then it must be fine. She wouldn't buy dressing that could make me gain weight."

She took a bite of the salad and thought that her attitude towards him had been a bit off earlier. Although it was a light joke, it seemed like she didn't trust Song Yan. He kindly made her a salad, but she suspected that he was trying to make her gain weight.

If it were in the past, she would have felt a small sense of guilt in her heart but maintained her usual arrogant demeanor. She wouldn't bother explaining anything.

At most, she wouldn't finish the salad and would leave half of it for him.

But things were different now.

She needed to be good to him for him to like her.

Wen Li took a bite of fruit and exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Wow, this salad you made is delicious!"

Men like to be praised, so he must also like it.

Unfortunately, the actress surnamed Wen miscalculated.

Her reaction to eating hotpot in Rong City wasn't this exaggerated. Subconsciously, Song Yan felt that she was acting.

"It really is delicious. How about you try a bite? Let me feed you," She scooted closer, moving her buttocks.

Song Yan moved back slightly, speaking calmly, "Is it another new task?"

Something was off with her from start to finish today. For the first time, Song Yan felt that recording variety shows was not easy; it was even more challenging than acting. She didn't say anything, and he didn't even know if she had conspired with the program team to play a trick on him again.

He recalled the previous episodes when she acted spoiled according to the program team's arrangement.

He almost lost his reputation and it became a hot topic for a day. His own team laughed at him all day long.

It's not that he was burdened by being an idol. As an actor, he should be accustomed to the intrusion of cameras into his life. But in certain special circumstances, he still didn't want anyone other than Wen Li to see that side of him.

Wen Li became a little unhappy due to his resistance.

To prove that it wasn't a task, Wen Li turned off the bedroom's cameras and audio devices right in front of him.

"See, the lights are off. It's not a task, okay?"

Song Yan looked around, trying to find any newly installed hidden cameras in the room.

Wen Li had much more experience in variety shows than him. Seeing his actions, she knew exactly what he was looking for. So she aggressively took a bite of a cantaloupe and, with her cheeks puffed, spoke incoherently, "You look for it. If you find a hidden camera, I'll give you a hundred thousand."

Song Yan didn't mistrust her; he just genuinely felt that Wen Li was acting strange in all aspects today.

"Then what's wrong with you today?"

"I'm not doing anything," Wen Li was at a loss and deflated, "You made me a salad, so I'm happy. I wanted to feed you a bite."

That part was indeed strange.

Oh well, even if it was a task, he accepted it.

Song Yan compromised and said, "Fine, go ahead and feed me."

Wen Li picked up a slice of cantaloupe. This fruit was perfect for making salads—sweet and crispy. The slice she gave to Song Yan was the largest.

She swallowed her saliva and took a bite of the cantaloupe. He stared at her, "Aren't you supposed to be feeding me? Why did you eat it yourself?"

Before he could react, the person in front of him leaned towards him.

Suddenly, his lips were covered with a sweet taste, the refreshing cantaloupe pressed against his lips. In contrast, she was too close, her breath warm on his nose. Song Yan was taken aback, instinctively opening his mouth and biting the cantaloupe she had fed him.

She forcefully bit off half of it before pulling back.

"This slice was too big, I was afraid it couldn't fit in your mouth. So, I ate half for you."

When Wen Li did this, she felt a bit embarrassed herself. It was too bold and she didn't know if he would find her saliva disgusting.

But then she thought, they had exchanged so much saliva before, Song Yan shouldn't be so squeamish.

Indeed, he wasn't squeamish at all and ate the other half of the cantaloupe.

Wen Li tilted her head and smiled at him, feeling relieved, "Wasn't it delicious?"

The man whispered, "Very sweet."

The sweet juice slid down his throat from the esophagus, quickly invading his internal organs. It felt like he had never tasted such a sweet fruit before; an unparalleled joy filled his heart.

——

A few days later, the official Weibo account of [In This World With You] released a new preview featuring all four guest couples.

In This World With You:「#InThisWorldWithYou# Salt Grain Couple's 30-second trailer' The fifth episode is here! Starring the experienced idol drama actress @Wen Litchi with maximum sweet talk attack power! Let's see how @Song Yan defends himself this time. 」

「#InThisWorldWithYouWeiboVideo#」

As expected, the unchanging 30-second duration, while the trailers of the other three couples lasted for at least one minute and thirty seconds. Fortunately, the fans had gotten used to it and only made a couple of sarcastic comments in the barrage.

「Thirty seconds means thirty seconds. It's not Salt Grain if it's one second more or less.」

「You sound proud even though it's short.」

「Wow, you're shameless, aren't you, @InThisWorldWithYouProductionTeam?」

In the trailer, as expected, the scene in the bathroom wasn't included. It wasn't the first time this had happened. They always liked to have secretive conversations behind closed doors, which was a bad habit. Director Yan was being driven crazy by it, let alone the fans. To avoid angering the fans and causing another "online harassment" by the army of CP fans, the production team unanimously decided to discard the bathroom scene footage.

The last line in the trailer matched the Weibo caption: "You look better than the script, I can't focus on reading the script in the study."

「Wait, this isn't the Brother Sanli I know?」

「After so many years in the industry and countless idol dramas, you have finally applied your idol drama experience in the real world. Sanli, you've grown!」

「This girl can actually say such sweet words. My youth is over.」

「This is so cheesy, but it's somehow getting to me. Am I losing my mind, fellow viewers?」

「She can say sweet words and still have a poker face. You truly live up to your name, Wen Sanli.」

Then the post-production subtitles added to the fun.

「Faced with Wen Li's sweet words attack, let's see how Song Yan reacts.」

Song Yan first froze, then anxiously covered his forehead, and finally slumped onto the table.

The subtitles appeared in English, accompanied by the familiar victory sound from a boxing match.

「K.O.」

「Hahaha, post-production, you're so good!!」

「Ace!」

「Defeat!」

「The enemy has used the 'sweet words' attack on you.」

「Hello, I'm just a passerby. Is this innocent elementary school chick the same Song Yan with the aloof persona for the past ten years?」

「The barrage is laughing, am I the only one who got hit?」

「Help! When Sanli said those words, I didn't find them sweet at all, but Beauty's reaction knocked me out.」

Because of the painful lessons from the previous previews, Wen Li and Song Yan learned to temporarily avoid checking Weibo right after the new preview was released. They would wait until the hot search rankings subsided and the discussion calmed down before taking a look. It was called evasion, which was shameful but effective.

Unfortunately, the list of special guest appearances for the finale of [The S-Class Acting Awards] was just officially announced, and the production team required the artists to repost it on Weibo.

But Wen Li was lucky this time. She wasn't the primary target of mockery in the new preview, so her comment section remained harmonious, filled with fans saying, "Looking forward to Sanli".

However, the comment section under Song Yan's Weibo post was not as peaceful.

Not only were there fans who came across the trend but there were also random passersby joining in the banter.

「Brother, could you let me know in advance before changing your persona?」

「Just a random passerby, did your brother recently switch to the innocent elementary school chick persona?」

「The trailer was so cute that I couldn't help but touch the screen.」

「Brother, when will you take on a puppy role? Stop always playing tough guys.」

During Wen Li's break from shooting the magazine cover in the studio, she secretly glanced at Song Yan's Weibo and burst into laughter when she saw this comment.

She took a screenshot and sent it directly to Song Yan.

Wen Li:「When will you play a puppy role?」

Song Yan:「When you play a kitten role, I'll play a puppy role.」

"..."

Wen Li realized that she would probably never see Song Yan take on a "puppy" character in her lifetime.

She decided to change the topic.

Wen Li:「I'm afraid of drawing a movie scene in the S-Class Acting Awards variety show. What if I don't perform well and Director Qiu is dissatisfied? He will look down on me even more and I'll have even less chance to work with you, Teacher Song. Can you help me?」

Song Yan:「Do you really want that role?」

Wen Li didn't hide her desire for the role:「Yes, I do. Who wouldn't want such a great opportunity?」

After sending that message, she asked:「Do you want me to get it?」

Song Yan:「I really hope so.」

He particularly hoped that she would receive recognition for her performance on the big screen.

The movie was set to be filmed in the northern coastal city and the shooting period was not short. The director hoped that the actors wouldn't take any casual leaves using their popularity. That's why he especially hoped she could get this role, or he wouldn't be able to see her for a long time.

Wen Li:「I'll do my best!」

Wen Li:「[Fighting]」

"Ah Yan, why are you secretly smiling?"

Song Yan looked up and found Director Qiu looking at him.

The people sitting around the round table heard Director Qiu's words and looked in Song Yan's direction.

Today's dinner was a private gathering of the main creators of the [Ice City] crew. Except for a few undecided roles, almost everyone, from producers to the actors, was present.

Song Yan replied in a warm tone, "I'm chatting with my wife."

"Ah, Wen Li," Director Qiu nodded, sounding probing, "Did she ask for your help?"

"No," Song Yan shook his head, "I actually wanted to help her, but she didn't want it. This girl is quite stubborn."

Director Qiu was momentarily stunned and burst into laughter, "Being a bit stubborn is good," He turned to the screenwriter and said, "Your character Wan Zhu is also quite stubborn, right, Old Zhou?"

Old Zhou also laughed, "Indeed, she's a stubborn mule."

"But Ah Yan, your wife is similar to Wan Zhu, but you don't seem to have a similar personality to Ting Feng," Director Qiu shifted the conversation, raising an eyebrow, "Since you appeared on the variety show, your personality has changed a lot. Old Yu even told me that your personality used to be different. Has marriage changed your temperament?"

Song Yan forced a smile. Being teased by fans on Weibo was one thing, but being teased in person was another.

He stood up, saying he needed to go to the restroom.

"Go ahead, the food is about to be served. We won't wait for you to start eating," Director Qiu said.

"Okay, you can go ahead and eat."

After a quick hand wash in the restroom, Song Yan stood in front of the basin, lost in thought. He decided to make a call to the director of [In This World With You].

Just one preview had led to such mockery. If the scene where Wen Li fed him fruit with her mouth was shown...

Song Yan sighed with a smile.

Director Yan answered the phone quickly.

"Have you arrived home? I'll have someone turn on the camera."

"No, I'm still outside."

"Then why did you call me?"

"I wanted to discuss something with you. Can we cut the part of the task that Wen Li did the other night?"

Director Yan's tone sounded puzzled, "What task? We didn't assign any task to you and Wen Li when you were at home the other night."

Song Yan was also puzzled, "No? Then after she pretended to turn off the camera..."

Sensitive to the situation, Director Yan immediately sensed something was wrong, "What? What! After you turned off the camera that night, did you do something else? Huh?"