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The wire was cut, plunging the room into complete darkness.
Yan Man blinked, still a bit dazed. “...Why is it dark?”
Ye Lin set down the pliers in his hand, his voice slightly heavy: “A slip of the hand.”
She found it hard to believe: “You can make a mistake like that?”
...
Soon, rustling sounds came from the live stream, but the screen remained pitch black, with only the faint glow of the filament flickering—like the end of the world, both visible and invisible.
The barrage began to buzz with excitement:
[What’s that sound?! What’s that sound?!]
[Everyone put on your headphones!]
[Looks like they’re looking for the mic, alright, mute off! Why are you muting?!]
[Turn on the lights, RWKK!]
[The camera has audio recording... You can barely hear some very subtle sounds...]
[Help, I really find this thrilling...]
[@Ye Lin, did you do this on purpose?]
[Strongly suspect Ye Lin deliberately broke the light. After all, there were so many wires; how did he pick the only good one and cut it?]
[#Cocoye, give us back our light!#]
Ten minutes later, the staff knocked on the door, and the room finally regained some light—
though only dimly.
Yan Man turned on her phone’s flashlight, aiming it at the circuit breaker.
Ye Lin picked up the tools he had set aside earlier and continued repairing.
Neither of them spoke, remaining calm as if nothing had happened, until the barrage noticed Yan Man pulling something out of her pocket and discreetly touching up.
[Yan Man is secretly reapplying lipstick, haha...]
[She even checked her collar. No way, was it that intense?]
[Guys, I love these wild imaginations.]
The barrage was rampant, and Yan Man knew exactly what kind of situation it was without even looking.
She double-checked the position of her buttons when she heard the staff’s voice through her earpiece.
“Congratulations, Task 1 is complete.”
Yan Man thought to herself: You guys completed it, but I feel like I’ve lost half my life.
This program was similar to an escape room. First, they had to fix the circuit breaker to restore the lights and reveal clues on the walls. Then, following those clues, they needed to choose which door to open next.
The production team was quite cunning, presenting a difficult math problem. They offered an opportunity for external help, but using it required completing another task.
As for the task... Yan Man guessed it wasn’t anything proper.
Fortunately, they didn’t need to use the external help. Ye Lin had already picked up pen and paper and started solving the problem.
Yan Man leaned closer: “Do you remember?”
He glanced at her while writing equations: “Remember a bit.”
Looking at his profile while solving the problem, Yan Man rested her chin on her hand. Somehow, it felt like going back to their school days. If given the chance, perhaps in a parallel universe, she would be watching him solve problems like this.
Her gaze slid from his nose to the corner of his lips, and Yan Man finally noticed something amiss.
She rummaged through the drawer and luckily found a small pack of tissues. She folded a corner of one and gently wiped the edge of his lips.
He was still focused on writing equations, but his calculation speed paused slightly at her touch. “What?”
“Lipstick,” she whispered softly.
After enduring the blackout earlier, Yan Man thought that as long as she stayed off Weibo, all related matters would end—
but she didn’t expect someone to still remember.
That evening, she wanted to eat cherries but was too lazy to move while watching a movie on the couch. She poked his arm, hinting: “Should we wash some cherries?”
Ye Lin had already raised his hand halfway, then said after a moment: “What should you call me?”
Yan Man found it strange: “I didn’t call you anything?”
“...”
“I mean, what should you call me?”
She thought for a moment: “Ye Lin?”
“...”
“Boyfriend?”
“Not this one.”
After a brief pause, he added: “But it’s close.”
Looking into his eyes, Yan Man understood.
? He was actually hinting for her to call him?
She lightly wrinkled her nose: “You haven’t proposed yet, and you want to take advantage of me?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed: “Didn’t you call me first?”
“I called you for the task,” she said. “Who would have thought such a soft whisper would excite you enough to cut the wire.”
At this point, she became interested, leaning closer and saying: “Haven’t you heard this enough times? Isn’t everyone calling you like this?”
“Not the same,” he said.
“How is it different?”
“You calling, others calling—it’s different.”
She melodiously said “Oh—” and draped her arm over his shoulder, nearing his ear. The atmosphere was ambiguous, as if she was about to repeat it. As his Adam’s apple moved, she slowly said:
“Let’s talk about it after we get married.”
“...”
After filming the variety show and finishing all her cameo roles, just as Yan Man was worried about not having new dramas to film, Simon brought the best news.
“Director Feng Wei’s team approved! They said you’ll need minimal makeup for the shoot—just a touch of powder and eyeliner. If you’re okay with that, we can go for the makeup test photos tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, we can sign the contract directly!”
“Really?”
Yan Man was also surprised. All emotions converged in her mind, brightening her eyes.
Finally, thousands of thoughts condensed into one sentence—
“With light makeup, can I sleep an extra hour in the morning?”
“...”
That night, thinking about the makeup test photoshoot the next day, and if everything went smoothly, signing the contract wouldn’t be a problem. Yan Man’s heartbeat quickened, pounding restlessly in her chest, making her less sleepy.
She had already read the script. It was strongly in Feng Wei’s style, with the female lead carrying all the main storyline. It told the story of a small-town girl growing from innocence to maturity—a story about “finding oneself” and “seeking the meaning of life.”
It was an excellent script, undoubtedly a leading role.
Seeing her tossing and turning under the covers, Ye Lin couldn’t help but reach out, grabbing her wrist, and asked softly: “Can’t sleep? Want something?”
Yan Man: ?
I never thought of such an outrageous question.
She couldn’t help but pinch his earlobe and whispered: “I might go for the makeup test photos tomorrow. Do you want to come along?”
“Alright,” Ye Lin held her palm and placed it back under the covers. “I’ll accompany you.”
The next afternoon, the two arrived at Feng Wei’s studio.
The movie’s requirements seemed strict, but as long as they fit, it became simple.
Light makeup, long hair, high cranial vertex, and a defined side profile without relying on contouring.
After finishing the makeup test photos, Feng Wei sat in front of the mirror for more than ten minutes before walking up to her.
“Do you have any other activities? Filming starts in about a month, but I hope you can join the crew earlier to rehearse more and get a feel for the environment.”
This meant it was settled.
Yan Man suppressed her inner excitement, clutching her fingers: “No activities. I can join anytime.”
Feng Wei smiled: “Not immediately, though. Since my habit is to finalize the female lead first, after signing you, we’ll look for suitable co-stars. But now that you’re set, the rest will be much simpler. I have a rough idea in mind and can finalize it this month.”
“The female lead has a childhood sweetheart who will become her husband later. For now, I don’t have anyone more suitable for this role...”
As he spoke, Feng Wei unconsciously cast his gaze towards Ye Lin.
Having filmed mostly female-centric movies over the years, he naturally hadn’t had the chance to collaborate with Ye Lin. But in reality, if this role could be played by Ye Lin, it would undoubtedly be the most fitting choice.
But Feng Wei didn’t dare to bring it up casually, as recent rumors in the industry suggested that Ye Lin had turned down many scripts. Perhaps he had stricter requirements for his comeback project.
Although Evening Breeze was a key film aimed at awards, the focus would naturally be on the female lead. The husband role wasn’t particularly meaty, so bringing this up now would indeed feel abrupt.
However, after some thought, Feng Wei decided it was worth a try.
But before he could even speak, Ye Lin had already nodded: “I can do it.”
Feng Wei was surprised and smiled: “I haven’t even asked yet.”
“I know what you’re about to ask. I’m free recently and can start anytime.”
...
As they walked out of the studio, Yan Man still hadn’t fully processed everything. Two contracts, their black text stamped with red seals, were signed.
She turned to Ye Lin and asked, “You’re really taking this role?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you surprised?”
“Of course I am! You’ve rejected so many leading male roles... and now you’re joining my production to play a supporting role? Do I really have that much influence?”
The man curved his lips, seemingly indulging her suppressed vanity.
He nodded. “You absolutely do.”
True to expectations, the day Thousand Islands in the Evening Breeze was officially announced, it nearly dominated the trending topics.
Many media outlets rushed to post Weibo updates, fearing they’d miss out on the first wave of热度.
In the comment sections and trending discussions, opinions were flying.
[Industry speculation on Ye Lin: Searching for a perfect project where the male lead is extremely prominent, or a custom-made blockbuster script.]
[Reality of Ye Lin: His comeback project is to support his wife’s career.]
[Top-tier actor indeed! Earlier casting notices mentioned this role as third or fourth billing, but after announcing Ye Lin, it’s labeled as a special appearance, promoted alongside Yan Man. Their posters will likely be side by side.]
[Of course! He’s top-tier!]
[His first “special appearance” after reaching the peak—Ye Lin, you love her so much.]
[Remember their first collaboration? Ye Lin was the male lead, and Yan Man played a cameo wife. Now, in Yan Man’s spotlight project, Ye Lin takes on a similar role. Such serendipity—it’s fascinating.]
Everyone chatted about this topic for a long time, and the热度 lasted for days without fading, naturally contributing a wave of热度 for the movie and saving the publicity team some effort.
Before the official filming began, they enjoyed a few rare vacation days and even went on a trip.
This was their first road trip. Before leaving, Yan Man was a bit worried, having heard that long trips often cause problems, even leading to breakups for some couples.
But Ye Lin seemed to plan everything perfectly. He brought many things she hadn’t thought of, like flat shoes, neck pillows, steam eye masks, and more…
By the end of the trip, she felt better than before, with no signs of fatigue.
On the day of the Thousand Islands in the Evening Breeze commencement ceremony, the media, permitted by the crew, began sporadic broadcasts. Eventually, they even started live streaming.
After completing the scheduled procedures, it was time for the actors’ personal interactions. Yan Man let Ye Lin sit on a chair and mysteriously said, “I have something for you.”
She took a large box from the car and waved at the live stream camera.
Unfortunately, the box wasn’t well-coordinated; one side lifted while the other wasn’t stable, nearly dropping it.
Fortunately, Ye Lin caught it.
He placed the box on the nearby bench and pointed, asking, “What’s this?”
She smiled. “It’s a scam.”
Pointing to the twenty-five divided sections on the box, she explained, “Rock-paper-scissors. If you win, you can open one for free. If you lose, you need to transfer me 200 to open one.”
She had seen this couple’s blind box game online earlier and found it fun. Based on his preferences, she bought corresponding items to fill it.
The game quickly began. She chose rock, and Ye Lin chose scissors.
For some unknown reason, Yan Man happily showed him the payment code, grinning: “Two hundred.”
The man quickly scanned and transferred, adding two extra zeros.
“No need to give extra,” she said. “What if you lose money?”
He murmured softly, saying something indistinct, “I won’t lose.”
He chose number seven first, pulling the sealing paper off. Inside was only a plastic pig.
Yan Man couldn’t help but sigh for him: “See? Paying for a lesson?”
“...”
He should have been speechless, but instead, he seemed quite content, squeezing the little plastic pig and smiling subtly.
Yan Man couldn’t believe it: “Are you not fooled by me?”
Soon, she won two more rounds, and Ye Lin opened two more boxes.
The live stream focused here, as if all surrounding noise was irrelevant to them.
The barrage was filled with wild imagination:
[Box order selected: 7, 2, 5—Yan Man’s birthday. Damn, so romantic.]
[Ling: Engraving love into my DNA (?).]
Watching him take out two items from the boxes, this time the gifts weren’t jokes—an earphone set and a watch.
She said, “I saw this watch while shopping and thought you’d like it. And didn’t your earphones get ruined by tissues last time? I figured I’d buy you a new pair since you hadn’t.”
He stared at them for a long moment before replying, “No, I haven’t.”
After a pause, he looked at her and said, “Thank you. I really like them.”
“Why are you being so polite?” She shook her phone. “Haven’t I just scammed you out of several thousand yuan?”
[Hahahahahaha]
[Bullshit scamming! Yan Man, don’t fool your fans who don’t know! That watch is Patek Philippe—it’s insanely expensive, and it’s a custom piece. It’s not something you casually buy while shopping!!]
[Ye Lin definitely knows! But he’s still humoring her 555.]
Soon, rock-paper-scissors continued. Yan Man won until she was numb, and the barrage noticed something special:
[Yan Man is playing rock-paper-scissors in sequence! Ye Lin! I don’t believe you haven’t noticed!]
[He noticed, but he’s letting her earn money—Who’s crying over this? Not me.]
By the end, except for the toy pig, the remaining gifts were cameras, ties, wallets, protective gear, pens, etc. The second-to-last item was a custom helmet.
“For racing,” she reminded him. “Don’t you like it? Take me driving next time.”
[What car? What driving? Using a tie?]
[Yan Ye couple… While I’m moved to tears, please do something normal...]
He hummed in acknowledgment, transferred the money, and opened the last box.
It was light—a coupon.
At this moment, Yan Man felt a wave of embarrassment.
She curled her fingertips slightly, recalling that she didn’t know what else to put in the box at the time. Seeing a blogger’s idea for a “kiss coupon,” she impulsively made one herself.
It probably had some cheesy lines on it, like “redeemable anytime, anywhere...”
She coughed lightly, about to say something, but seeing he had already read it, she deliberately asked, “What is this?”
She mumbled, “An ‘mm-hmm’ coupon.”
Ye Lin suppressed a laugh: “Hmm?”
“You read it and still ask me? Are you illiterate?” Yan Man leaned closer, pointing. “K-i-s—”
The next second, he pinched her chin and tilted it up.
A familiar sensation brushed past as his lips pressed lightly against hers.
“It’s redeemed.”
He said.
The live stream ended amidst a flurry of excited comments. Remembering the live stream only after seeing the camera, Yan Man quickly slammed the lid shut on the box and hurriedly left the scene.
The day’s live stream was soon compiled and posted in the super topic’s highlight section. The comments were flooded with reactions:
[Shameless me, read the whole thing.]
[Even more shameless me, read it twice.]
[The most shameless me, read it ten thousand eight thousand times and even favorited it, damn!]
After the commencement ceremony, time seemed to pass even faster.
Filming began at the end of June and wrapped up in early October.
Coincidentally, the initial scenes were filmed by the seaside, and the final few scenes returned to Yunzhou Film City.
As Yan Man walked through the main gate, she felt a subtle, overlapping sense of fate.
Floating Life, Old Years , her first drama, was filmed here.
But returning here now, she had grown into an actress capable of carrying an entire production on her own.
Time truly flew by.
Today was the wrap-up day for Thousand Islands in the Evening Breeze . The final dream sequence showed the female protagonist seemingly back in her youth, opening a love letter written to her by her husband years ago, serving as the conclusion to the entire story.
The content of the love letter wasn’t filmed, as the director wanted to leave some blank space for the audience to imagine. Thus, the prop letter contained only blank stationery without any text.
However, while waiting under the tree, Yan Man overheard the staff saying that Ye Lin had asked for stationery from the set crew—it seemed he was writing something himself.
Following the sound, she eventually found him in a bedroom on the third floor.
The man was capping the fountain pen she had given him, folding the stationery neatly, and slipping it into an envelope.
Yan Man watched him for a moment before looking around and asking curiously, “Why did you come here?”
He stood up, leaving the love letter on the table.
Ye Lin also glanced around and slowly asked her, “Do you remember?”
“Of course I remember,” Yan Man said. “This was the bedroom from Floating Life, Old Years . Our first bed scene was shot here.”
Unconsciously, she moved closer, while he stepped back toward the doorframe.
Probably no director had filmed here since then, so the set hadn’t changed much. Yan Man reached out to touch the props and noticed the sealed envelope of the love letter.
She asked, “What did you write?”
It was as if he had been waiting for her to ask this: “Should we open it and see?”
“Now?”
“Mm.”
She lowered her eyes and opened it, recognizing the familiar handwriting inside.
She had expected the first line to be the name of the female protagonist from the play, but to her surprise, it clearly bore the name “Yan Man.”
This was written by Ye Lin for her.
...
Her palms trembled slightly, her gaze becoming unfocused. A buzzing sound echoed in her ears, drowning out the distant noise.
She continued reading downward.
“The first time I met you, I didn’t know that your name would become one of such great significance in my life.
But you always seem to have this ability to draw people’s attention to you, to make them look at you, focus on you, fall in love with you.
I often watch the world reflected in your eyes, see your enthusiasm, the rare moments of vulnerability you show only to me, your smiling brows and eyes, your resilience, and your determination to never give up.
You seem to pour all your passion into everything you do.
Only later did I realize that the world could be so interesting because of you.
If anything has given me a reason to live, the answer is singular—only you.
I know you like sleeping in the car, but since your neck isn’t in good condition, I won’t scold you for sleeping. Instead, I’ll bring an extra pillow every time we travel so you can sleep better.
If you don’t like using umbrellas, I’ll apply sunscreen for you. If you dislike wearing high heels, I’ll bring flats for you.
I won’t try to change you—I will always love you for being yourself.
For the small issues along the way, I’ll help you solve them.
Today, I love you just as much.
And every day thereafter will be the same.
You can forever be proud, carefree, and untainted.
You can keep running forward, and I’ll be there to guard your back.
You can forever be the flower blooming in the greenhouse, and I’ll be your oxygen.
This morning, you asked me what you mean to me.
I think I’ve always forgotten to answer.”
Sunlight streamed in at this moment. Yan Man bit her lip, her heart racing faster than ever, as if she had returned to the very beginning—the instant she first saw him.
Back then, she thought this person looked indifferent and detached from the world. She wondered if there was a way to bring him closer—
“You are the light that pulled me from a chaotic world back into a thriving human existence.”
[End of Main Story]
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