Summer nights in Mohe were short. By 3:00 AM, the sky would already start to take on a greenish tinge. As such, the actors had to film through the night and catch up on sleep in the morning.

Xu Jingzhe sat quietly off to the side, next to Director Lin Zhuoyu. They rarely spoke. Lin Zhuoyu was like a monk deep in meditation whenever he was directing. Sometimes, he would even mutter to himself in front of the camera.

The character, “Old Zhou”, didn’t speak dialect. From the way the plot unfolded, it was clear that “Old Zhou” wasn’t a local but a cultured and principled man from the south, a university graduate who came to the area in his youth to protect the mountains. Together with his wife, he became a mountain guard.

Zhou Jiulin’s acting was excellent, incredibly genuine and natural. He didn’t always know how Liang Yu would respond, but he always managed to follow up.

The two chatted in the sentry box, along with a few extras. Lin Zhuoyu split the scene into two shots, one filmed outside and the other inside focusing on the characters.

Liang Yu continued to deliver his lines in dialect. He played a newly recruited junior to “Old Zhou”. He was a fresh face who didn’t understand the rules and had no interest in protecting the mountain. “Chen Liangsheng” was only here because he was getting too old to loaf around at home and had been pushed into this job just so he would have something to do.

“Liangsheng.” Zhou Jiulin had a long line that he needed to say in one breath. “You can’t smoke or drink in the mountains. You can’t bring that sort of thing up here. Don’t wander around during the day either. My wife made dinner tonight. Why didn’t you come to eat? And what about the book I gave you yesterday? Did you read it?”

“Chen Liangsheng” had been fiddling with the drawstring of his padded jacket, only lifting his head after “Old Zhou” finished scolding him. He was a simple man with no great ambition. It was almost as if he was too lazy to think too much about anything. Liang Yu’s face carried a sense of innocence and bewilderment that didn’t match his age. He nodded and said, “Got it.”

“Old Zhou” was momentarily taken aback. Xu Jingzhe wasn’t sure if this was written into the script, but Lin Zhuoyu didn’t call cut.

“Chen Liangsheng” kept looking at “Old Zhou”, appearing very obedient but also very foolish.

“Old Zhou” chuckled helplessly and admonished, “Oh, do you now?”

Lin Zhuoyu called out, “Very good!” He was visibly delighted, teasing Zhou Jiulin, “You got swept up by him, didn’t you!”

Zhou Jiulin sighed and shook his head, unsure of what to say. Under normal circumstances, his pride would insist that they redo the scene, but it was clear that the director loved their performance just now. Moreover, Zhou Jiulin doubted he’d be able to deliver a better one through a few more takes.

Liang Yu had already broken character. He didn’t interact with anyone else and sat down next to Xu Jingzhe, playing with his fingers.

“You acted really well.” Xu Jingzhe couldn’t help but sigh. He said sincerely, “I really want to act with you.”

Liang Yu: “In that case, have Lin Zhuoyu give you a role.”

Xu Jingzhe was a little too embarrassed to do such a thing. He wasn’t someone without a sense of propriety. He didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone. Just as he was struggling with this dilemma, Lin Zhuoyu called Liang Yu over to discuss the next scene.

Xu Jingzhe glanced at his phone and saw that it was already past 1:00 AM. This was the second time he’d stayed up this late, but, surprisingly enough, he wasn’t tired. Still, he decided to head back and apply an eye mask, just in case. He also grabbed some food and blueberry juice while he was at it.

The food was steamed buns and dumplings made by the girl from the guesthouse and her family. There was pork and scallion filling, as well as lamb filling. She also asked Xu Jingzhe if he wanted any baked mochi cakes.

“Our baked mochi cakes are super delicious, both sweet and soft,” she boasted.

Xu Jingzhe decided he might as well grab some of them as well. He asked her, “Why aren’t you still up?”

The girl replied, “I figured you all were working late since you didn’t come back, and I was worried you guys might be hungry when you got back.”

Xu Jingzhe smiled and thanked her, telling her to go to bed and not wait up.

He carried a big basket of food back to the set. Zhou Jiulin was reciting lines and spotted him first.

“Mr. Zhou.” Xu Jingzhe greeted him. Zhou Jiulin’s nose twitched, clearly hungry, and asked, “What’s in there?”

Xu Jingzhe took out the buns and dumplings. Zhou Jiulin really wanted to eat the pork and scallion dumplings but hesitated, worried about the smell.

“Go ahead and have some.” Xu Jingzhe laughed. “Just don’t get too close when you’re talking.”

Zhou Jiulin felt that this made sense and took a bowl.

As the aroma wafted through the set, crew members began drifting over one by one. There were plenty of dumplings, so Xu Jingzhe gave away most of them. Lin Zhuoyu only came after he finished his discussion with Liang Yu. He asked for a steamed bun, but, when he looked up and saw Xu Jingzhe, he froze for a moment.

“An eye mask?” he asked, seemingly intrigued. “How particular.”

Xu Jingzhe replied, “It’s just a habit of mine. I’m worried my condition won’t be very good after staying up so late.”

Lin Zhuoyu nodded thoughtfully. He looked at Xu Jingzhe again, and the more he looked at him, the more satisfied he seemed. “You know, you’re not bad. You’re actually pretty famous within our circle. After all, you’re the three-time Drama Emperor. That’s not something that can be achieved just by having a pretty face. I’ve watched your dramas, and your acting really is excellent. It would fit right in with a seasoned production team.” After a pause, Lin Zhuoyu continued, “Liang Yu mentioned that he took you to meet Qiao Zhenqiao. He didn’t take you on?”

Xu Jingzhe didn’t expect Lin Zhuoyu to speak so frankly. He was a little too embarrassed to say that the other man hadn’t looked well upon him, so he could only tactfully say, “Director Qiao said he didn’t have any scripts suitable for me.”

Lin Zhuoyu snorted, as if he knew Qiao Zhenqiao all too well. He said disdainfully, “That guy has terrible taste. He didn’t recognize Liang Yu’s potential at first either. Terrible temper on that guy.”

Xu Jingzhe: “…”

Lin Zhuoyu took a few pork and scallion buns. He liked to break them open before eating. The pork filling was juicy, and, when he split one open, rich broth glistened inside, releasing a burst of scallion aroma.

“Wow.” He almost burned his tongue before calling out to Liang Yu, “Come here and eat something!”

Liang Yu seemed to be waiting for their conversation to end before approaching. Xu Jingzhe smiled and asked which filling he wanted.

“Give me some of everything,” Liang Yu said. However, once he heard that there were scallions, he quickly changed his mind. “I only want the lamb filling.”

Lin Zhuoyu: “What’s wrong with green onions? You don’t like them?”

Liang Yu glanced at him and said coolly, “They’re too strong.”

“You’re so fussy,” Lin Zhuoyu teased him. “What kind of grown man gets put off by scallions?”

Xu Jingzhe served him a plate of lamb dumplings, as well as a bowl of baked mochi cakes on the side.

Liang Yu raised an eyebrow, asking him what they were with his eyes.

“They’re sweet,” Xu Jingzhe said sweetly. “Those are for you.”

The baked mochi cakes also had filling, usually sesame or red bean paste. The paste was wrapped in a sticky dough made from ground millet. Unlike fried mochi cakes, these were baked in an iron pan, giving it a crispy golden crust.

Liang Yu polished four or five of them in one go, barely even touching the lamb dumplings. He let out a small burp and muttered, “I can’t eat anymore.”

Xu Jingzhe waited until he finished before tidying up the bowls and plates. When everything was finally cleaned, Liang Yu was still waiting for him nearby.

“Don’t worry about me,” Xu Jingzhe said. “Go do your thing.”

Liang Yu nodded. He glanced toward the back where Lin Zhuoyu was still discussing the next scene with Zhou Jiulin. Others were busy clearing the set, adjusting lighting, and setting up the cameras.

The two of them were a little bit further away from the rest of the crew. The lighting in the mountains was dim. If you didn’t look carefully, you wouldn’t be able to tell what the two of them were doing. Xu Jingzhe looked at Liang Yu’s face for a moment before leaning in to steal a kiss.

After the kiss, Liang Yu asked, “Does my breath smell?”

Xu Jingzhe held back his laughter and said, “It’s not like you ate any scallions.”

Soon, everyone returned to the sentry box to shoot the next scene. Zhou Jiulin had another long lecture to recite. Halfway through his lines, he got a little too excited and was suddenly let out a burp.

Everyone: “…”

Lin Zhuoyu was just about to laugh at him when he couldn’t help but burp too. That was it for them. The small sentry box was instantly filled with the pungent aroma of scallions.

Liang Yu pinched his nose, coldly watching as the group frantically opened all the doors and windows to air out the place. With a mocking tone, he drawled, “Didn’t you say real men don’t get put off by scallions? What about now?”

Lin Zhuoyu: “…”

The Author Has Something To Say:

Xu Jingzhe is going to act, don’t rush, hahaha! (If nothing changes, he’ll play the accountant from the city.)