YTSB - 1: Pursuing Him

At the end of June, at 1 p.m., the sunlight carried a gentle warmth that made everyone feel languid.

Inside Yunzhou Film Studio, various production teams were bustling with activity.

Yan Man had just finished her makeup and hair, and was now waiting for her scene.

She yawned, half drowsy and half relaxed, as she slowly scrolled through group messages.

It was a screenshot of a post shared by the staff.

Original Poster: [Shocking my entire family! The female lead for “Floating Life in Old Years” has been confirmed, and it’s not any of the A-list actresses that the media have been speculating about for a year... If I’m not mistaken, it’s a newcomer...]

[How new? She’s not from a performance major, nor an arts academy. Instead, she’s a top student from Rui University’s finance department. I really don’t understand Director Zhang’s move here. Is this newcomer bringing her own resources into the production?]

The replies underneath were unanimous:

[You’re overthinking it. Director Zhang Jun is known for being meticulous. With such an important project, especially with Ye Lin as the male lead—Ye Lin, who’s at the peak of his popularity—do you think the director would dare to mess around? Even if he agrees, Ye Lin’s fans wouldn’t stand for it.]

[Off-topic, but I just finished watching Ye Lin’s movie yesterday. He’s so handsome...]

[Ye Lin is indeed handsome +1. But this rumor is too fake. It’s an annual top-tier production with an investment exceeding 600 million yuan, and they’ve been casting for two years. Are you telling me a newcomer will play the female lead? Even making up rumors requires some level of credibility. Which newcomer is trying to hype themselves again?]

[…]

This was a two-month-old thread, with over a hundred replies, all questioning the original poster’s claims.

But just moments ago, the production team picked an auspicious day to officially announce the main cast.

Half an hour ago, the announcement was made, and it was indeed about Yan Man.

Movie “Floating Life in Old Years”: [In the midst of chaos, we save others and ourselves. In turbulent times, we marry and love. Hello, @Yan Man, hello, Huai Wen.]

Huai Wen was Yan Man’s character in the film, and the production team also released a poster.

As soon as this Weibo post went live, that previously dormant thread was dug up again and flooded with comments.

[Is this real? Is the female lead actually a newcomer?? What is this production team thinking??]

[Kissing warning, bed scene warning. There are at least ten intimate scenes in the original work. Ahhh, my husband’s on-screen first kiss T-T]

[Is this based on the “Floating Life in Old Years” manga? Setting aside everything else, the manga is super engaging! Especially the sexual tension between the male and female leads. They love and hate each other, resist yet can’t help but fall deeper. On their wedding night, they fight from under the bed to on top of it—I was thrilled. Will the movie stay true to the manga?]

[Two months ago, me: Ye Lin carrying a newcomer’s reputation? Don’t make me laugh. Present me: @#*#… The female lead is so beautiful, she’s exactly like the manga. Now I understand why the production team chose her!]

[I’ve read the original manga too. Although I must admit, the resemblance is uncanny—it’s like she walked out of the manga. But isn’t it kind of scary how similar she looks... Did she get plastic surgery specifically for this role? There are examples of that happening.]

[I agree. No one’s face is naturally that perfect...]

[If this face hasn’t been touched by a scalpel, I’ll eat a brick. By the way, has the entertainment industry become so competitive that you need to go under the knife just to secure a role?]

Yan Man was engrossed in reading when suddenly, her phone was snatched away.

Looking up, she saw her best friend, Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan had known her for over a decade and always treated Yan Man’s affairs as her own.

Because of this, Zhou Xuan was furious: “These people really are spouting nonsense. Just because she has a manga-like face means she got plastic surgery? And what backstage connections are they talking about? If you wanted to use connections, wouldn’t all the good resources come to you without these people saying anything? Stop looking at this.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Yan Man reassured her. “I haven’t finished reading yet. Give it back to me first.”

Zhou Xuan looked at her expression: “Aren’t you angry?”

Yan Man had exceptionally lively eyes. When still, they appeared shy and tender; with a bit of emotion, they sparkled like stars.

At that moment, she raised her flawless, almost angle-free natural face and blinked innocently.

“Why should I be angry? Aren’t they complimenting me on being pretty?”

“...”

Your mentality is truly admirable.

“Besides,” Yan Man continued calmly, “there are so many beautiful people in the industry. I was chosen because I resemble the original character.”

“With such good luck, what can I do?”

“...”

After just a few sentences, Zhou Xuan was astonished to find that she wasn’t angry anymore.

She just felt不服 (unconvinced).

Since childhood, Zhou Xuan knew how beautiful Yan Man was. From middle school, Yan Man’s admirers never stopped coming. After all, stunning beauties aren’t common, and Yan Man was naturally fair-skinned, glowing even in a crowd. With her high cranial vertex, she was a photo killer, possessing top-tier looks even in the entertainment industry.

If such beauty came with a bit of intimidation, it wouldn’t win over same-sex friends. However, Yan Man’s eyes were excessively clear, carrying a unique innocence and softness that created a special magnetism and charm. She was also extremely sincere in her interactions, which was why she never lacked female friends.

And as for her background—

Not only in the entertainment industry, but perhaps even among the top echelons of society, no one could match her family’s status.

Gu Mountain Real Estate, one of the top companies in the country, was part of the Yan family’s business empire.

But Yan Man’s father valued privacy and, knowing she loved freedom, had never exposed her identity publicly to avoid trouble.

If there was one thing she lacked, it might be a bit of cunning—

Thinking about this, Zhou Xuan started nagging again.

“Why do you want to chase Ye Lin? He looks like a celibate monk, like Tang Sanzang. I’m really worried that even if you succeed, he might...”

Yan Man hummed: “What did you just say he was like?”

“Tang Sanzang.”

As soon as she said this, Zhou Xuan realized something.

Sure enough, Yan Man winked at her, her voice carrying a hint of ambiguity.

“Who wouldn’t want a taste of Tang Sanzang’s flesh?”

Mmhmm, yes, yes.

Zhou Xuan: “So that’s why you’ve stayed single till now, rejecting all suitors, and decided to chase someone yourself?”

Yan Man shrugged: “What’s the fun in men who come willingly? Of course, it’s more exciting to chase them myself.”

Zhou Xuan: “So are you having fun now?”

“Not bad,” she had a top-notch mindset. “But I believe it will get exciting soon.”

“...”

This wasn’t just Yan Man comforting herself.

When she walked into the studio, the director and screenwriter immediately recognized her and insisted on keeping her despite objections. Partly, it was because her appearance fit perfectly, but another reason was that this was primarily a male-led movie.

In other words, in the two-hour runtime, while the interaction between the male and female leads was engaging, her screen time wasn’t substantial.

She joined the team two months ago but hadn’t filmed much. Instead, she attended various classes daily. When free, she’d bring a small stool to the set to watch how the veterans acted.

Starting tomorrow, her scenes would increase significantly, and her interactions with Ye Lin were scheduled.

Previously, her pursuit of Ye Lin consisted of sending him fruits and chatting. She couldn’t truly integrate into his life, so it was understandable that he remained indifferent.

Once her scenes increased and the sparks began to fly, making him fall for her would be simple.

Thinking this way, Yan Man’s mood brightened considerably.

She opened Weibo, and with a swipe, she saw the official announcement of Ye Lin’s poster.

This was a Republican-era drama, naturally carrying the era’s filter. In the photo, only his profile was visible as he lowered his head to put on white gloves.

Such a casual picture overshadowed the marriage news of a top celebrity couple today, topping the hot search list with over 100,000 comments already.

Even on Yan Man’s private account’s homepage, discussions were everywhere.

[White gloves [gloves] are for playing with me.]

[Teacher, is there really no one you care about on the internet?]

[If there’s anyone to play with, it’s the female lead. Wake up, everyone.]

Yan Man chuckled and clicked on the high-definition image.

She couldn’t help but recall their first meeting.

At that time, she was upset with her family and impulsively came to the film studio, partly out of frustration and partly to try her luck.

She accidentally wandered into the set of “Floating Life in Old Years,” where he played the aloof and taciturn officer.

After receiving the audition qualification, someone tapped her shoulder and said, “Turn around. If you pass the audition, this will be your male lead.”

So she turned.

Sunlight poured down. The young officer leaned against a tree, half in light, half in shadow. He frowned, but the corner of his eye betrayed a slight laziness. His sharp jawline was accentuated by the light, his long legs crossed, and he toyed with an old gun.

He seemed both unreachable and close, like a godlike figure.

Though there was no sound around, and his finger didn’t pull the trigger, she inexplicably felt that the shot hit her heart.

In her twenty-two years, she had never experienced such a rapid heartbeat.

The subsequent audition went unbelievably smoothly, as if it were a sign from fate. Without overthinking, on the first day of joining the team for a group dinner, she openly asked him what type he liked.

Thus, the news of her pursuing Ye Lin spread widely.

And so, she pursued him for over two months, calling him “Teacher Ye” every day. Though he showed no response, she continued leisurely.

Chasing someone like this was just a way to spice up an otherwise mundane life.

Nearby, the staff was setting up the scene. Yan Man opened the photography section of an app, planning to take a few pictures.

Accidentally, her hand slipped, and she entered a video editing software. Just as she was about to exit, she noticed a small “12” in the bottom right corner.

She paused, suddenly remembering that she had edited a video using this software.

It was about a week ago. Out of curiosity, she downloaded an editing template, imported a few photos of her and Ye Lin, and created a video to send to Zhou Xuan.

Sure enough, the two burst into uncontrollable laughter, with Zhou Xuan nearly splitting her cheeks.

...But she hadn’t posted it, right?

Skeptical, Yan Man clicked in and realized that saving in this software automatically meant publishing. If not deleted, the system would tag it with relevant keywords.

At this moment, the tags for that video were—

#MySummerCP#

Clicking into the topic, most posts were about popular CPs or love records, making her video stand out awkwardly with its earnest mismatch.

Yan Man: “...”

It wasn’t just her who was crazy; the comment section was wild too.

[???]

[What kind of ghostly CP is this, folks? I’m done.]

[Even my dog would get up to prepare three dishes and a soup after seeing this.]

[Hahahaha, what on earth is this? Harder than the diamond ring Ye Lin bought me (not really).]

[Who is this woman? Stop piggybacking fame. She’s unworthy.]

[Get lost! Not even dogs ship this!]

A few seconds ago, she was feeling remorseful, her finger hovering over the delete button.

But upon seeing these comments, she withdrew her finger.

Never before had she felt such a surge of competitiveness from being attacked.

—Piggybacking fame? Unworthy? Not even dogs ship this??

Yan Man’s mind went blank. After calming herself for a few seconds, a detailed flowchart emerged in her brain.

She cleared her throat and flipped through the script to check the upcoming scenes.

After signing her, the script had been revised with mutual agreement. Tomorrow’s scene was unmistakably a kissing scene.

The male lead would be leaning on the desk, and she would lean over to kiss him. He would initially push her away but eventually take control.

Yan Man pursed her lips and opened a shopping app.

—Just wait. If I don’t make you obsessed with me, I won’t bear the surname Yan.

She rapidly placed multiple orders, then pulled Zhou Xuan aside: “From now on, you’re responsible for filming. Whenever Ye Lin and I are in the frame together, whether in or out of character, capture everything.”

“Especially tomorrow. Focus on capturing the atmosphere during the kiss, especially his entranced expression. Close-ups are a must—oh, if his ears turn red, that’s key content. Also, his trembling eyelashes—”

Before she could finish, she was interrupted.

Unbeknownst to her, Ye Lin had stood in front of her. The brim of his cap cast a shadow over most of his face, revealing his distinct jawline. His uniform was neatly pressed, but two buttons of his shirt were undone.

Whether by nature or due to an allergy, a faint blush spread across his collarbone, contrasting sharply with his pale skin, exuding an ultimate coldness mixed with restrained desire.

He called her name, his voice low.

“Yan Man.”