Hidden Affection - Chapter 03

Lin Shao was driven away, but of course, it wasn’t Ning Zhi who sent him off.

Ning Zhi was still angry, eager to have a fierce argument with him, but it was Shen Yizhi who firmly told Lin Shao, « You should go back first, » leaving no room for objection.

Only then did Lin Shao leave.

Once Lin Shao was gone, Ning Zhi calmed down and suddenly felt bored. What was the point of arguing with an outsider like him? Whatever he said couldn’t change Shen Yizhi’s mind. After all, Shen Yizhi was so stubborn that she probably wouldn’t listen to anyone.

Thinking this way, the anger not only did not subside, but instead burned even more fiercely.

She walked over and sat down in the seat where Lin Shao had just been, wanting to question Shen Yizhi a few words, but Ning Zhi’s full anger couldn’t be vented at Shen Yizhi no matter what.

Shen Yizhi stood up, left the table, and gently asked her, « What would you like to drink? Water? Coffee? Or alcohol? »

She walked to the bar, not hearing Ning Zhi’s answer, then turned back to look at her.

Shen Yizhi was often unanimously praised by many, praised for her acting skills—she could bring any role to life; praised for her looks—compared to the spring moon, to the snow atop a mountain, and some even likened her to a brilliant nebula tens of thousands of light-years away, all unattainable beauties.

…

…

But that was all in the past few years. In the last two years, as she produced more works and gained higher status, people in the industry became more cautious when mentioning her, even hesitating to offer praise casually.

However, whether in the past few years or recently, Ning Zhi had read many compliments about Shen Yizhi, yet rarely saw anyone praise her eyes.

Even if Shen Yizhi’s eyes were compared to spring water, it would still be considered not gentle enough.

When she gazed at you, it made one feel as if they had turned into a small, flat boat, slowly drifting along the emerald river water sprinkled with peach blossom petals, gently pushed by ripples spreading out in circles.

Ning Zhi averted his gaze, no longer making eye contact with Shen Yizhi, but still couldn’t help paying attention to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Yizhi looking down, selecting from a cabinet full of liquor. In the end, she picked out a bottle of red wine and asked her, « Do you have work later? Would drinking some interfere with it? »

She asked the question without caring whether she answered or not, then opened the wine herself. The cork popped with a muffled soft sound, followed by the sound of wine pouring into the glass.

Just a little, really just a little. Shen Yizhi came over and handed Ning Zhi a glass that was only filled a quarter of the way in the wine glass.

Ning Zhi didn’t move, looking up at her. Shen Yizhi raised the glass slightly in front of her eyes.

The two faced off for a few seconds. Ning Zhi took the glass, drank it all in one gulp, then placed the glass heavily on the table with a dull thud.

« More, » she said coldly.

After Shen Yizhi handed her the wine, he didn’t walk away. Instead, he stood right beside her, half-leaning on the desk. Upon hearing her words, he picked up his glass and poured half of the wine he hadn’t yet drunk into her cup, reminding her, « Once you finish this, there won’t be any more refills. »

Ning Zhi didn’t respond and simply drank it all in one go.

She had a good tolerance for alcohol; not to say she could drink endlessly without getting drunk, but this amount definitely wouldn’t affect her.

Yet perhaps it was out of stubbornness, or maybe the anger bottled up inside her, mixed with the alcohol, that made it all the more intense.

She slammed her glass down on the table and looked up at Shen Yizhi with a questioning gaze.

Shen Yizhi leaned against the desk, his right hand holding the glass hanging in front of him, his left hand casually stroking his right wrist. Meeting her gaze, his expression paused: « Are you angry? »

Ning Zhi was full of complaints, from why she didn’t accept such a good role to why she allowed an outsider to meddle in their marriage. She could talk for a whole hour about it.

But when faced with Shen Yizhi’s indifferent expression, the words stuck in her throat, and Ning Zhi coldly retorted, « What am I angry about? »

After speaking, the suffocating feeling in her chest grew even more stifling.

She and Shen Yizhi had gotten married just over two months ago; it was a genuine marriage with the certificate and introductions to the parents.

The reasons for marriage have nothing to do with words like liking or love, which are most closely associated with marriage.

Always getting up, just four words, each taking what they need.

She needed a marriage to reassure her family, and Shen Yizhi needed a marriage to get rid of trouble.

Looking at it this way, there really is nothing to be angry about.

A marriage based on an exchange of interests originally had nothing worth protecting; let others say whatever they want.

Ning Zhi suddenly felt very bored. She took a deep breath, not wanting to talk about it anymore, but Shen Yizhi spoke up: « He doesn’t know. He thinks I impulsively married you on a whim. »

She spoke briefly, and Ning Zhi’s mind stalled for a moment before quickly catching up.

Shen Yizhi meant that Lin Shao was unaware of the true story behind their marriage. He thought Shen Yizhi liked her and impulsively got the certificate. Now, more than two months have passed, and the impulse should have faded. That’s why he came to advise Shen Yizhi to be more rational and fix the mistake.

Ning Zhi’s eyes instantly filled with mockery, feeling that Lin Shao, who had been Shen Yizhi’s manager for so long, still didn’t understand her at all.

It is impossible for Shen Yizhi to like anyone, let alone like her.

Shen Yizhi seemed not to notice the mockery in her eyes and calmly continued, « We agreed to each get what we need without owing each other anything. What he said to you was indeed unkind, but rest assured, the next time you meet, he will be polite to you. »

Ning Zhi snorted lightly, and that anger dissipated by more than half with Shen Yizhi’s reassurance.

She wasn’t a stingy person, Shen Yizhi explained, and then she stopped holding on to it.

Just like that, they all quieted down, entering a moment where no one spoke.

Ning Zhi inexplicably felt the air was a bit thin. She recalled the purpose of today’s visit and handed the script to Shen Yizhi: « Take a look. »

Shen Yizhi saw the four characters « Chi Sheng Yin Meng » on the cover, glanced lightly at Ning Zhi, then took it with her left hand. She placed the untouched glass of wine on the table and began to flip through the script.

Ning Zhi decided to show the script to Shen Yizhi, hoping to impress her directly with the quality of this film and let her know it would be a pity to miss this project. However, she forgot that this script was an old one she had used for a week.

On top were notes made by Ning Zhi, written and drawn with pens of various colors, also annotating her understanding of the characters and her interpretation of their emotions.

One of them was standing, the other sitting.

Ning Zhi stood sideways to Shen Yizhi, looked up at the densely written words on the opened script, suddenly feeling uneasy, and said in a calm tone, « I have already agreed to play Chi Sheng, you look at the other role. »

Shen Yizhi didn’t look much, just flipped through a few pages and then put it on the table.

« It’s a good movie. If you use it as a starting point, the road ahead will be much easier and will only get broader, » she commented objectively.

She only talked about the benefits of her acting in this movie, without mentioning herself at all.

Ning Zhi was a bit anxious. She reached out and pointed to the page in the script with the name Ruan Yinmeng: « Have you considered this role? I think it suits you very well, and Director Mei said the same. »

Shen Yizhi looked somewhat surprised, as if she hadn’t expected her to bring this up. She softly hummed and nodded: « It does fit quite well. Director Mei approached me early on, but I already declined. »

Just like Director Mei said.

Ning Zhi furrowed her brows tightly and asked, « Why? Director Mei said it was because you don’t like this genre. Same-sex marriage is legal now, and you still discriminate… »

Shen Yizhi interrupted her, smiling a bit helplessly, « What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, it’s not for that reason. »

Then why? » Ning Zhi continued to press, « I’ve talked to Director Mei. After this film is finished, it will be sent to Cannes. You haven’t won the Best Actress at Cannes yet, right? This is the only one missing. Wouldn’t it be a pity to miss it?

After she finished speaking, she curled her fingers and gently tapped the script: « This play has great potential. Even a layperson like me flipping through a few pages feels amazed, which means it must be very touching. »

« What kind of twisted logic is this? » Shen Yizhi smiled more deeply.

She extended her index finger, pressed it on the script, and slowly traced circles. After a moment of thought, she said, « I didn’t take this film because when Director Mei first told me about it, he said he wanted to restore it as faithfully as possible. The script says Chi Sheng is seventeen years old, so they want to cast a seventeen-year-old actor. I don’t do romantic scenes with minors. »

Many skilled and respected actors have their own likes, dislikes, and taboos when it comes to acting, so it’s not surprising that Shen Yizhi has her own principles.

Ning Zhi was silent for a moment before saying, « Now that I’ve been cast, I’m twenty years old, an adult, you can reconsider. »

After she spoke, her gaze darkened, showing a hint of impatience: « Director Mei also said he chose me because my appearance fits, but the age requirement doesn’t match, so why is he trying to coax me? »

Could it be that he wants her to develop a sense of destiny that this role can only be hers, so that when filming starts, she will act with more passion?

Her disappointment was written all over her face, making it obvious at a glance.

Shen Yizhi said, « Director Mei has been searching for an actor to play Chi Sheng for almost a year. She has visited all the major art schools but didn’t find a single suitable candidate. Recently, she even flew to South Korea, but the cultural differences were too obvious. The young Korean actors have good acting skills, but they all carry a certain slickness and worldliness, so she returned disappointed. She won’t settle for less. You have to understand, after seeing you, even though your age doesn’t quite match, she still decided on you. That means you truly fit the role, to the extent that she is willing to make concessions on the age issue. »

Her gentle and slow words made Ning Zhi brighten up again.

Her mood relaxed considerably, and her voice was no longer tense, but she still wanted Shen Yizhi to say one definitive thing: « Go talk to Director Mei. She will definitely be willing to give you this role. You’ve read the script and know how great this film will be. Wouldn’t you regret missing out? »

She had a stubborn persistence that wouldn’t give up until she achieved her goal, as if if Shen Yizhi didn’t give an answer, she would keep persuading him like this.

Shen Yizhi wasn’t sure if it was because she had annoyed him with her persistence or if he had truly decided to reconsider, but in the end, he nodded: « Alright, I’ll get in touch with her later. »

Ning Zhiru was delighted, her mood even brighter. She glanced at the time; it had been almost half an hour since she came in, and she had plans later, so it wasn’t good to stay any longer.

She reached out and took the script back, smiling quite satisfactorily: « Then I’ll be waiting for your good news. »

After saying that, she stood up, showing no intention of lingering.

Reaching the door, Shen Yizhi called out to her, « Ningning. »

Ning Zhi turned around, a hint of confusion on her face.

Shen Yizhi was still leaning against the edge of the table. She looked at Ning Zhi, and after a few seconds, slowly said, « This film is crucial for your development. Many people have probably told you how important it is. But since you have no experience with acting and haven’t learned any techniques, if you want to perform well, you have to try the method of experiential acting. You need to immerse yourself in the role, see yourself as Chi Sheng. For an actor, this is a huge emotional burden, so you need to be mentally prepared. »

Surprise flashed in Ning Zhi’s eyes, and she instinctively asked, « Are you worried that I’ll get too deeply into the role? »

Shen Yizhi nodded.

Ning Zhi’s expression flickered slightly, but she quickly thought of something and said with a half-smile, « Or are you worried that after taking on this role, I’ll get too immersed and fall in love with you? »

Shen Yizhi did not speak.

Ning Zhi snorted lightly, her expression becoming even more relaxed, as if she had heard some fairy tale, finding it quite absurd. She looked at Shen Yizhi, who was just a few steps away, and said casually, « Don’t worry, I won’t. I absolutely will not like you, and the nature of our marriage will definitely not change. »

Although her tone was light, her words were resolute. Shen Yizhi stared at her for a moment, trying to judge whether she was telling the truth or lying. Ning Zhi let him scrutinize her, meeting his gaze coldly.

In the end, Shen Yizhi smiled faintly, « Hmm, that’s good. »

the Complete book is translated over on my Patreon