Starlight Descends - 51

Ocean Waves

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In early December, Qi Yao joined a new production.

A modern urban drama centered on a female ensemble. The story leaned heavily into career arcs, balancing realism with an artistic touch. It explored the struggles and growth of women in the workplace, she genuinely loved the script.

Filming was taking place in a coastal city, about a two-hour flight from C City.

The director was named Xiao Man, Ye Qingman's University junior, majoring in directing and screenwriting from one of the capital's top art academies. Her writing was remarkably sharp and intuitive, though she herself seemed quiet and not much of a talker. After the opening ceremony, she pulled Qi Yao aside for a brief conversation to thank her sincerely.

"Of course you're grateful.” Qiao Nian had made time to come to set today, she was lounging nearby on her phone, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "The pay is practically nonexistent. She's the one who secured the investment and even rearranged her schedule to join early. Anyone who didn't know better would think this was her directorial debut."

But she was sitting far enough away and her voice wasn't too loud. Hopefully, Xiao Man shouldn't be able to hear.

Without changing expression, Qi Yao closed the door and told her it was fine.

"But there is one thing." Qi Yao said. "I'd like to take about three days off around Christmas, so if possible, could you help pack my scenes a little tighter around those dates?"

Xiao Man agreed. She took a few steps away, then unexpectedly turned back.

After a brief pause, she spoke calmly. "Actually, your manager has a point."

Her expression remained calm. She looked nothing like a fresh graduate. There was a distinct air about her, the sort often found in artists. Stubborn individuality, impossible to mistake for anyone else, and completely indifferent to other's barbed judgments.

"I think you can absolutely treat this production as your own work. If you have any ideas, feel free to communicate with me. And if this show wins anything, you'll be the first person I thank."

Qi Yao paused for a moment, apologized first, then thanked her politely.

The story was designed around a pacing and structure more common in the European and American market. A short series of around twelve episodes, featuring self-contained cases that connect into a larger story; it was practically uncharted territory in the domestic market. Qi Yao had never really expected it to win awards.

She simply liked it.

She watched Xiao Man's retreating figure for a long while before turning and pushing the door open.

"Next time, try keeping those thoughts to yourself. And if you absolutely can't, say them behind my back. Don't act like you're the manager of an award-winning actress. I can't afford it."

She flipped through today's shooting schedule as she spoke, her tone mild.

Qiao Nian choked on her own words, her expression turning sheepish, "Got it."

Filming lasted from noon until well past midnight.

After the night shoot wrapped, Qi Yao removed her makeup and stood out on the hotel balcony. She hesitated a moment, then gave Yu Jiashu a call.

He had driven her to the airport when she left.

In hindsight, she probably should have noticed something from the fact that he'd insisted on leaving thirty minutes earlier than necessary. At the time, however, she hadn't thought much of it. She'd assumed he was the type who liked everything under control and running according to plan.

They spent a good long while kissing in the car. Only after she'd finally escaped and buried her face against his neck had she realized what he'd been planning all along.

Kissing addict.

She complained silently in her head.

The kissing addict on the other end didn't answer immediately. When the call finally connected, she heard the sound of a door closing.

"Just got off work?"

His voice was low and slightly hoarse, probably from all the meetings. Yu Chongshan had been away from the company for the past half month, which meant Yu Jiashu couldn't have been having an easy time either.

"Mhm." Qi Yao gazed into the distance, the waves rolled steadily onto the beach below. "Per my boyfriend's request, I'm calling to say goodnight every day."

Yu Jiashu laughed. "So obedient to your boyfriend?"

"Of course." Qi Yao couldn't help laughing too. "You're not still in a meeting, are you?”

Yu Jiashu didn't answer, only said vaguely that it was almost over. At the same time, he gestured to his secretary about a proposal. His finger tapped the third version. Meaning, ‘Pick this one.’

The secretary acknowledged it and began gathering the documents. Outwardly she remained perfectly calm. Internally, however, she felt as though an ocean was crashing over her head.

He had indeed been in the middle of a meeting.

Just moments ago, after Team A finished presenting, he sat at the head of the table with a blank expression, leaning lazily against his chair. Then, once they were done, he calmly pointed out every flaw in the proposal with brutal precision.

Everyone assumed that with President Yu away, things might be a little more relaxed. After all, this Young President Yu was younger than almost everyone present.

Who would've thought that someone who seemed so easygoing normally would turn into such a hard, uncompromising bastard the moment work started.

The atmosphere in the room had turned tense.

Until he received a phone call.

The secretary sat beside him and happened to glance at the caller ID.

‘11’

Yu Jiashu lowered his eyes to glance at it, then he lifted a hand, interrupting the final team as they were wrapping up.

"Sorry. Call from family." He stood. "I've got the general idea. The results will be finalized later. Thanks for your hard work today. Let's wrap up early."

Then he grabbed his coat and headed for his office.

Just a second ago his face had been carved from wood, and now even his brows had relaxed!!!

The secretary stared dutifully ahead, pretending not to hear phrases like "your boyfriend" or the faint sound of a girl's voice from the phone, and quietly slipped out of the room.

Her inner gossip addict was screaming.

Yu Jiashu, naturally, knew none of this mental roller-coaster. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his brow and listened to Qi Yao talk about her day, occasionally curving his lips to tease her, until a male voice came through on the other end of the line.

"Jiejie, still up so late?" the voice said.

The call fell silent for a moment.

Yu Jiashu lifted a brow almost imperceptibly and glanced at his watch.

Qi Yao seemed startled as well. After a pause, she said she was just about to sleep and turned to head back inside.

"Am I interrupting you, jiejie?" the young male voice said. "You don't need to avoid me. If anyone should leave, it's me. The sea breeze gets cold at night. Here, take my jacket."

"I don't..."

Qi Yao's sentence cut off halfway. The sound of fabric rustling came through the phone, followed by retreating footsteps.

Apparently she had accepted the jacket.

Yu Jiashu tipped his chin up slightly and leaned back, his fingers tapped idly against the desktop.

"You're outside?" he asked.

His voice was light and normal, as if he hadn't heard a thing, without any particular emotion.

Qi Yao pressed her lips together and answered softly. "Mhm. The hotel the production booked is one of those courtyard-style places. My room faces the courtyard. I wanted you to hear the waves, so I came to the shared balcony on this floor."

"It does sound cold. Put on more layers." Yu Jiashu was texting as he spoke, and sounded entirely unconcerned by the matter.

Qi Yao carried the borrowed jacket in one hand as she slowly walked back toward her room.

"Okay." She sounded oddly sluggish. "Then I'll let you go. Get some rest."

"Mhm. Goodnight."

***

The next morning.

In the group chat.

[Jiang Xun]: So bored. Anyone wanna hang out?

[Jiang Xun]: @Jiang Jinghan @Yan Jiu @Jiang Changwan

[Yan Jiu]: Don't tag YJS.

[Jiang Xun]: I almost did. Why?

Yan Jiu immediately posted a screenshot.

[Jiu Mi]: Risk Mitigation Contract.docx

[Jiu Mi]: Just confirming some details

[S]: How did you know I have a girlfriend?

Jiang Xun: "..."

As if a floodgate had opened, everyone began attacking Yu Jiashu at once.

[Jiang Changwan]: Damn it. I thought he only did this to me 

…. 

[screenshot]

[Jiang Changwan]: Are you in Nanshan? URGENT!!!

[Jiang Changwan]: Or just give me Aunt Tian Ying's contact info.

[Jiang Changwan]: I ran my mouth a couple days ago saying I'd send flowers to my mom, totally forgot.

[Jiang Changwan]: Save me!!!!!

[S]: Not there.

[S]: Having lunch with my girlfriend.

"..."

[Jiang Jinghan]: Get online.

[S]: No hands.

[S]: [image]

In the image, unmistakably, were two hands, fingers interlaced, clasped together under the moonlight!

"...” 

[Jiang Xun]: You guys seriously haven't blocked him yet???

[Jiang Jinghan]: I did.

[Jiang Jinghan]: Unblocked him just to take the screenshot. He's blocked again now.

The group continued arguing noisily for a while before settling on a restaurant.

In the end, everyone decided that although Yu Jiashu was morally questionable these days, he was still their childhood friend. It would be wrong to exclude him completely. So they invited him anyway.

[Jiang Xun]: [Link] - Qi Yao 12.07 Dust Melody On-Set Commute photos. Peerless beauty Qi Xiaoyao!

[Jiang Xun]: Don't worry. His girlfriend's in A City, he's a left-behind boyfriend right now

[Jiang Xun]: @Shu, come eat with us. We've reluctantly agreed to keep you company.

No reply came.

Two hours later, Yu Jiashu finally sent his first message of the day.

[S]: [Location - A City]

[S]: Busy.

Jiang Xun: "...?"

"You goddamn girlfriend-obsessed man who can't survive without your girlfriend!"

***

The wind on set was biting.

But since the scene's timeline was spring, everyone before the camera was dressed thinly. The few heat packs taped under the clothes, out of the camera's view, felt like a drop in the bucket.

"Alright, let's do another safety take."

Xiao Man sat behind the monitor and issued the order through her walkie-talkie.

"She's strict, isn't she?" the actor opposite Qi Yao asked while they walked back to their marks. His teeth were practically chattering from the cold, yet he still insisted on making conversation.

Qi Yao lowered her gaze and returned to position. She replied flatly,"Strict is a good thing."

Her voice was very soft, her expression very cool. The distance she maintained was unmistakable.

Even though this was a female-led drama, it inevitably involved some romantic subplot. The college-aged actor standing opposite her was her partner in the show.

The same person who had insisted on lending her his jacket the previous night.

Qi Yao had returned it first thing this morning and politely let him know that it wouldn't be necessary in the future

He hadn't seemed to react much. He'd simply accepted it with a smile and then asked if she would approve his friend request.

Such was a college student. Young, talkative, and open-hearted. Everything he felt was written plainly across his face.

After working together for only a few days, Qi Yao already knew where he lived, how many people were in his family, and why he'd joined this production.

"Three, two, one. Action."

Qi Yao took the young actor's hand and walked forward, swinging their joined hands gently. A few lines of dialogue later, Xiao Man called cut.

The script supervisor hurried over and whispered something into Xiao Man's ear.

A flash of surprise crossed the director's face. She paused for a long moment, then turned and told everyone to take a twenty-minute break before heading away.

Lizi immediately ran over and wrapped a down jacket around Qi Yao.

The young actor, Wen Chuan, appeared beside them holding out a hand warmer. "Jiejie, how come you're not replying to my messages?”

Qi Yao fell silent. She made no move to accept it.

Fortunately, Lizi sensed the awkwardness and quickly shoved a thermos into Qi Yao's hands instead.

Crisis averted.

Qi Yao took a sip of water and turned to walk toward her van, "Maybe I just didn't see them."

The answer was perfunctory.

Wen Chuan looked like he wanted to say more, but Lizi politely blocked him outside the vehicle.

Qi Yao sat on the sofa for a while, reviewing the upcoming lines. Then the trailer door opened again. Without looking up, she spoke coolly. "I already told you, I don't..."

The instant she lifted her eyes, the rest of the sentence died in her throat.

A man in a black coat leaned casually against the doorway.

Dark eyes.

Clear, handsome features.

The corners of his eyes were slightly curved, softening the cold sharpness that usually lingered around him.

She stared for a good long moment, then said in surprise, "...What are you doing here?"

"Business trip. Happened to be passing here. Figured I'd stop by and take a look." Still leaning against the door, Yu Jiashu raised a brow, picking up the thread of her earlier words. "You don't... what?"

"...Nothing." Qi Yao tugged his sleeve and pulled him inside. "Isn't it freezing out there?"

She complained a few times, but the delight in her voice was impossible to hide.

Afraid her smile might become too obvious, she busied herself turning up the space heater before taking his hands and warming them carefully.

"Just happened to be passing here?" she asked skeptically.

Yu Jiashu's face didn't change. He hummed in confirmation. "Work stuff. Gotta stay two or three days."

"...Alright." Qi Yao's skepticism was chased off by the news that he'd be staying a few days, the corners of her mouth curved upward uncontrollably.

Hearing someone calling for her outside, Qi Yao stood. Even as she headed for the door, she continued fussing over him.

"It's too cold outside, and there are people everywhere. Just stay in here. When I finish at noon, I'll take you out for lunch." After thinking it over, she added, "Or if you want to go outside, that's fine too. Just wear my scarf. This is my last scene of the day, it'll be quick."

Yu Jiashu let her continue her stream of instructions, and suddenly laughed. "Got it. Hurry up and go. You're like a little old lady."

Qi Yao shot him a glare. Gone was the cool indifference she'd shown everyone else. Now she was vivid and alive.

She turned and headed out the door.

Yu Jiashu lowered his head and laughed softly.

Stretching his neck, he rolled his shoulders when his gaze landed on the shooting schedule.

Wen Chuan.

His eyes lingered on the name, the corner of his mouth twitched. Then he rose lazily and stepped out of the trailer.

This scene was a slightly intimate one.

The drama itself wasn't romance-focused. The pacing was tight, the plot mainly driven by interconnected cases, and the romantic storyline was merely one thread among many. But unavoidably, this scene required hand-holding and an embrace.

As an actress, Qi Yao shouldn't have felt anything unusual about this. It was just work. Yet the moment she spotted the figure standing at the edge of the set, her heart skipped unexpectedly.

She quickly looked away.

It took nearly three deep breaths before she managed to push aside all stray thoughts and delivered her lines flawlessly as Wen Chuan moved in to embrace her.

 

But Wen Chuan messed up.

Whether from nerves or something else, every time he put his arms around Qi Yao, he forgot his lines the instant he opened his mouth.

Once or twice was understandable, ten times in a row was not. Qi Yao even quietly prompted him from angles the camera couldn't catch, but it didn't help. By the end, her slender fingers had turned bright red from the cold. She forced herself to maintain proper posture, resisting the instinctive urge to hunch her shoulders.

Xiao Man expressionlessly tossed her script onto the table and leaned back in her chair, "Did you even memorize your lines?"

"Director Man, I really did." Wen Chuan looked completely lost. Standing in front of the camera, he quickly recited the lines, his diction was fine and his emotions full enough.

"Then what the hell's the problem?"

"...I don't know either." Wen Chuan glanced at Qi Yao. "Maybe... acting opposite Yaoyao-jie just makes me too nervous."

Qi Yao was a bit stunned when she caught that nervous, bashful glance from him.

Budget constraints, plus Xiao Man's personal network, meant the whole production skewed young. Almost everyone was a junior, senior, or recent graduate. At this moment, a chorus of heckling rose across the set.

"Who doesn't know you've got a crush on Yaoyao-jie! That's practically a confession!"

"My arm's sore from holding this light. I was ready to beat you up, but now I'll forgive you. I can understand how you feel. You useless thing!"

"It's so damn cold, hurry up! Did a donkey kick you in the brain or what. Haven't you considered Yao-mei is freezing out here with the rest of us?"

"..."

Standing in the center of the crowd, Qi Yao maintained a calm, expressionless appearance. Inside, however, she was a little thrown. 

Almost unconsciously, she turned her head and glanced to the side.

The man sitting near the set wore a black coat and gray trousers, looking relaxed and casual. With one hand propping up his chin, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

After a long moment, Yu Jiashu, with no particular expression, tapped two long fingers on the tabletop.

Then he lowered his head and placed a phone call.

Xiao Man clapped twice. The noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

She ordered another take. Everyone who had been joking moments ago straightened up and returned to their positions.

How strange, Qi Yao thought.

She was clearly a slender young woman who spoke softly and rarely showed much emotion. Yet somehow she had this entire crew completely under control.

"Don't be nervous." Forcing away her wandering thoughts, Qi Yao looked at Wen Chuan and spoke gently. "Just think of me as someone you're completely familiar with."

Wen Chuan froze for two seconds, then nodded.

Two takes later, exactly as Qi Yao had hoped, he finally delivered a normal performance. The lengthy dialogue flowed smoothly. Even his expressions left nothing to critique.

After reviewing the playback, Xiao Man stood and waved a hand. "That's a wrap."

A wave of restrained cheering broke out immediately. "Food's here! Food's here!"

"Holy crap, what is this food, why is it a million times fancier than the boxed meals from the past few days."

"Damn. Do you see the logo? Isn't this the private restaurant that's impossible to book? The one where you supposedly gotta reserve like a week in advance even if the Emperor himself shows up."

 

"No way. You usually have to wait forever just to get a table. How could they possibly make boxed lunches for an entire crew? Maybe it's just the packaging."

"Does this look like just packaging to you! The staff handing out food are literally wearing the restaurant's uniform! Did some big shot show up? I'm gonna go check the board."

The crew had a tradition. Whenever someone treated everyone to food, drinks, or anything else, it would be written on the small blackboard at the entrance of the set so people would know who to thank.

Plenty of people visited sets. A sprawling web of connections and relationships, receiving and owing favors was simply part of the culture.

Qi Yao wasn't particularly interested and didn't join the crowd. She wrapped her down jacket around herself and headed back to the trailer.

The afternoon's scenes were scheduled later. So she could go back and rest for a bit. 

At some point, the person waiting for her had climbed aboard as well. His long legs stretched comfortably in front of him as he lounged in his seat, absentmindedly twirling an earphone cable around one finger.

Hearing her enter, he lifted his lashes lazily and watched her climb in.

Reading the room, Lizi sat properly the moment she got in. She exchanged a look with Xiao Wang that said: ‘Her man is here. Nothing left for us to do’.

"First time visiting a film set. What do you think?" Qi Yao was still in a state of quiet, secret elation, she asked while sipping water.

Yu Jiashu turned his head to look at her.

The girl's face was flushed from the cold. The joints of her slender fingers had gone from red to pale. Even clutching a hot water bottle, they still looked stiff. She struggled slightly just to twist open a bottle cap. But she didn't seem to notice, turning her head to him with eyes bright.

His gaze lingered on her hands for two seconds before lifting to meet her eyes.

Without knowing why, Yu Jiashu felt she was like a little kid racing out of kindergarten after class, excitedly telling their parents how many gold-star stickers they'd earned that day.

After a long moment, he couldn't help but tilt his chin up and laughed.

Qi Yao had no idea what he was thinking. She frowned at him, and only then heard him say, "I wasn't paying attention." 

A thread of laughter lingered in his voice. "I was too busy looking at you."

"..."

The pout that had just started to form halted. Qi Yao blinked twice.

A long, long moment later, she made a dismissive sound and turned her head as if she didn't care, looking out the window. The smile threatening to spread across her face, however, was impossible to suppress.

Yu Jiashu's eyes still held traces of amusement. Leaning forward slightly, he loosely wrapped a hand around her wrist and pulled her hand over. 

He cupped it between his palms, then gently rubbed warmth back into her stiff joints.

His lashes were lowered, his expression light, focused and attentive. It looked remarkably similar to the expression he wore while working.

As though this were something incredibly important.

As though what he held was some priceless treasure.

Warmth spread through every place his fingers touched.

Qi Yao pressed her lips together. Staring at the crown of his head, she curled her fingers slightly and said nothing.

Every now and then, Lizi stole glances through the rearview mirror. Little couples really were something else, she thought.

Just sitting there, their every move, every smile and frown, even if they weren't doing anything, a single glance exchanged between them was enough to fill the air with pink bubbles.

After all, she'd warmed Qi Yao's hands before too. How come she'd never blushed then! 

By the time they reached the hotel with the heater turned on, Qi Yao finally pulled her hand out of Yu Jiashu's pocket.

They had held hands the entire drive.

Hidden inside his coat pocket, where no one else could see, in that tiny world sealed off from the freezing cold, their fingers had remained intertwined the whole way.

Just after drawing the curtains, something suddenly occurred to her. She turned around and looked at him. "You lied."

Yu Jiashu: "...?"

"You were talking to some girl. Back and forth. For ages.” Qi Yao pointed an accusing finger. After a beat, she added fiercely, "I saw it all!"

This, apparently, was a response to his line about being "too busy looking at her."

Yu Jiashu paused, replaying events in his mind. Then one eyebrow lifted. "You caught that? Your professional standards are slipping, Qi Xiaoyao."

"I saw it during a break." Qi Yao refused to back down.

"Were you, now?" Yu Jiashu crossed the room in two steps and stopped in front of her. He lowered his eyes and began playing with her fingers. After a moment, he said calmly, "How come I seem to remember you also looking at me when another man was hugging you?”

"..."

That landed directly on her weak spot.

As a professional actress devoted to her craft, she'd already done everything she could to stay focused. Yet her gaze just kept drifting toward him. 

Luckily, in that scene, the character she was playing was a woman who was already emotionally estranged from her partner, so no one had noticed.

But he'd still distracted her! Worse, he'd even noticed. 

A flush of embarrassment rushed through her. Feeling caught red-handed, she tried to pull her hand away. "You imagined it!"

Yu Jiashu remained completely unmoved.

Not only did he refuse to let go, he smoothly turned his wrist and slid his fingers between hers, interlocking them.

He lazily let out a drawn-out, “ohhh,” the expression on his face clearly said: ‘I don't believe you, but I'll let it slide.’ He sounded immensely smug. “Maybe so.”

Qi Yao bit her lip, frustrated beyond belief. She switched hands and punched him lightly.

Her small fist landed on his shoulder, more cat paw than actual punch. Yu Jiashu finally couldn't keep a straight face and laughed. "Alright, alright."

"That was my secretary." He pinched her cheek as he spoke. "Technically, she's my father's secretary. He left her with me to help. I had to leave in a hurry and a lot of documents were still at the company, so she came along."

He paused two seconds, and for some reason, still looking at her, added, "She's married."

"...Oh."

Qi Yao nodded. Truthfully, she hadn't been all that bothered to begin with. A brief explanation was enough.

Still, something puzzled her. "Why were you in such a hurry to leave?"

"..."

The room immediately fell silent.

Yu Jiashu paused. Then, without answering, changed the subject. "Don't you need to change clothes?"

"Oh. Right." Qi Yao was alarmingly easy to distract. Her attention immediately shifted elsewhere.

Turning her back to him, she shrugged off the heavy black down jacket. "Can you help me unzip my dress?"

It was a fitted knee-length dress designed for spring and autumn, fitted and thin. 

Qi Yao lifted her hair away from the back of her neck, exposing a stretch of skin so pale it practically glowed.

Warm air drifted from the central heating. The temperature gradually rose, chasing away the chill.

Yu Jiashu lowered his gaze. His long fingers moved, grasping the zipper, and slowly drew it down.

Qi Yao's thoughts wandered aimlessly, trying to decide what to change into.

"Should we go out for lunch or just eat here at the hotel?" Still facing away from him, she asked casually.

If they were going out, she'd need warmer clothes. If they stayed in, she could change into something comfortable.

Truthfully, she'd rather stay in. She still had scenes to film that afternoon. But Yu Jiashu was only here for two days, making a little extra effort wasn't that big a deal.

She stared absentmindedly at the sheer curtain drifting gently beside the balcony door, then suddenly realized there had been no movement behind her for far too long.

Confused, Qi Yao glanced over her shoulder, and met a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes.

Yu Jiashu lifted his gaze away from the half-open back of her dress.

Her smooth back was exposed to the air.

Her shoulders and back impossibly delicate. Her shoulder blades shifted faintly with each breath, like butterfly wings trembling beneath pale skin.

Fine skin wrapped around her spine, descending inch by inch to her slender waist and the distinct dimples at the small of her back. 

The faint hollows above her hips became visible as she turned.

Yu Jiashu forced his gaze away and looked into her eyes.

"You've gotten pretty bold, Qi Shiyi."

His dark eyes held a trace of amusement, and something else, something heavier.

His voice dropped lower. "You've got nothing underneath except this. And you still dare to ask me unzip it for you."

 ---

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