Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Editor: Eli
Chapter 43
This was an outdated magazine, left on the table for casual browsing. Jiang Yu picked it up and skimmed through it. The beginning mainly discussed the filming and reflections on the movie “Dark Fire”. It wasn’t until the end that the reporter touched upon Yu Ruoyun’s private life.
For example, Yu Ruoyun’s romantic relationships, to which Yu Ruoyun’s answers were rather ambiguous.
When asked about his relationship status, he seemed like he wanted to reveal something but ultimately didn’t.
However, Jiang Yu still stared at those few lines, unable to look away.
Yu Ruoyun mentioned that some people are initially drawn to the light, which was indeed the case for Jiang Yu. To him, everything had conditions. If Yu Ruoyun were an ordinary nine-to-five worker living a predictable life, Jiang Yu might never have had the chance to meet him. They rarely discussed this, and in fact, they could count on one hand the number of times they said the word “love”. Seriously discussing why they loved each other would sound quite ridiculous.
So now, this misunderstanding was somewhat difficult to clear up. He couldn’t just rush to Yu Ruoyun and shout, “Do you think I’m just a fan, or do you think you’re sleeping with a fan?” Moreover, he understood where Yu Ruoyun’s feelings came from.
Insecure and extremely competitive, Jiang Yu probably couldn’t even distinguish what made up his feelings, and Yu Ruoyun was no oblivious fool. In fact, he was smarter than most.
In acting theory, the simplest division was between experiential actors and presentational actors. Jiang Yu belonged to the former. When he tried to portray a character, the results were always less than satisfactory. Directors and teachers often said his performance felt off, not immersive enough. In his early years, some would bluntly say Jiang Yu lacked talent. He had to immerse himself completely into the character, becoming the character itself. The most colloquial way to put it was “losing oneself in the role”, so much so that even he couldn’t separate himself from the plot, making the audience empathize.
Yu Ruoyun was different. Yu Ruoyun meticulously prepared each character, designing every small gesture, habit, and even the subtlest expressions because they suited the character’s personality. However, he never believed he was the character. Jiang Yu had heard stories from others: while the actress opposite him was still immersed in the scene’s emotions, Yu Ruoyun would have already returned with a lunchbox for her.
This style of acting required talent—the talent to observe people. Without it, one would just be mimicking, making the performance unconvincing. It’s strange. The heavens typically didn’t favor geniuses without some setbacks or deviations. Yet, Yu Ruoyun seemed to sail smoothly through life, adorned with a halo. And now, Jiang Yu no longer felt any sense of imbalance.
“Eighteen years, right?” Jiang Yu calculated, muttering to himself. “There are at least three significant film awards in the Chinese-speaking regions each year. If you add other film festivals, there are even more, sometimes even joint winners. Oh, and there are European and Japanese awards too. Many Chinese films participate now.”
“So many Best Actor awards; there must be at least a hundred. You’ve won quite a few, but you’re not the most outstanding. There are twelve-year-old boys who have won Best Actor. You shouldn’t think of yourself as so perfect. You’re just… special.”
Amidst so many individuals and halos, there was still only one Yu Ruoyun. The beginning of the story didn’t mean much. They had a long way to go before reaching the end.
[Six Years Ago]
Despite the low temperature, the indoor lighting had been on for so long that Jiang Yu felt hot and irritable.
He kept telling himself to hang in there. This was the third magazine cover shoot of the year.
At this pace, it wouldn’t take long to complete the grand slam of fashion magazine covers. His career had skyrocketed over the past two years, though it still fell short compared to Yu Ruoyun. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side. Among the top fashion magazines, Jiang Yu could strive for most, but one had gone out of print, so he couldn’t magically create a cover for himself. He was always one short.
Forget it. He didn’t want to think about it. The photographer was asking him to look at the camera.
During a break, he received a call from Jiang Fangping.
“Hello? No, I’m not coming back. I have to go to the New Year’s Eve show. Does it matter if it’s on CCTV or not? I still have to go. The Spring Festival? I’m filming a movie abroad and can’t take time off. No, I won’t bring you souvenirs. It’s a mountainous area with a high altitude. There’s nothing to buy. I have to go. Bye. Why don’t I care about you? You’re just lonely because you have too much money now. I’m not injured. The media is lying. Really, I have to go.”
Jiang Yu returned to find the photographer reviewing the photos. Seeing Jiang Yu, the photographer praised his expressive performance, saying they would soon finish the remaining shots.
Jiang Yu struck a pose, and someone handed him a bunch of artificial roses, asking him to hold them.
“Isn’t this too tacky?” Jiang Yu frowned.
“Tacky?” The photographer, in a good mood, didn’t mind Jiang Yu’s minor complaint. “But this is a Valentine’s Day theme. You can’t do without roses. Roses are never tacky.”
Jiang Yu didn’t quite agree. He thought they were very tacky. But for some reason, he didn’t set them aside.
Someone remarked that he seemed stiff, asking him to imagine giving flowers to a lover. That was even tackier. Jiang Yu had never given anyone flowers, so he really had to rely on imagination.
“So, who were you thinking of just now?” the photographer teased him after the shoot.
Jiang Yu smiled faintly and said nothing.
He suddenly wanted to watch Yu Ruoyun’s newly released movie, reportedly a light-hearted commercial romance. He wanted to see how Yu Ruoyun delivered romantic lines. Then he reconsidered. Why should he watch Yu Ruoyun romancing someone else?
What was Yu Ruoyun up to? Probably in another city by now. They both had their own busy schedules and were often apart. But on closer thought, they did see each other quite often. Whenever he had a bit of free time, he couldn’t resist seeking out Yu Ruoyun.
Jiang Yu, who used to hold grudges and was easily provoked, had somewhat toughened up. Every time he faced rejection, he seemed calm. He had no other choice—this was a society governed by law, and he couldn’t resort to violence. Frequent rejection was normal; keep trying, and eventually, he’d succeed.
The puzzling part was that Yu Ruoyun never seemed to reject him, always appearing serene. During the photoshoot, as per the photographer’s instructions, Jiang Yu had imagined a certain someone.
He hoped this time, Yu Ruoyun wouldn’t reject this tacky yet sharp rose.
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