First Kiss Diary - Chapter 01

« If we’re talking about ideal types, it should be someone like Ji Shiyan. »

« Although I’ve never acted with him, I’ve seen him a few times on set. He has a great presence and a nice voice. »

« Ji Shiyan is good-looking, well-proportioned, and diligent in managing his physique. There are very few girls who wouldn’t like such a partner, right? »

In the dressing room, Ji Ning and another female artist are being interviewed after finishing filming.

Ji Ning sits silently on the side, overshadowed by the other actress who seems to hog the spotlight. Despite the initial agreement that it was a drama with two female leads, she later used her influential father to add more scenes for herself, almost wanting to play the male lead as well. Yet, in front of the camera now, she still maintains an aloof demeanor.

The actress talks incessantly for about ten minutes, from Ji Shiyan to her own attributes, and finally, with a smile and a wink at the camera, she says, « I hope to have the chance to act with him in the future. »

As a top star in the entertainment industry, Ji Shiyan has a high level of popularity and generates a lot of discussion. Many people try hard to ride on his popularity.

But he’s genuinely hard to get. He has many notable works and has worked with numerous actresses, yet there has never been any real scandal involving him. On-screen romances are out of the question for him.

Ji Ning is lost in thought when suddenly the host hands the microphone to him, « Ningning, what’s your ideal type? »

She can clearly sense a certain expectation from the host’s face. After a brief pause, Ji Ning adjusts the coat on her shoulder, slightly lifts the corner of her lips, and looks clear and gentle.

« I don’t have a specific ideal type. Mutual liking is enough. »

The light in the host’s eyes dims slightly. After the previous actress hyped up the atmosphere so much, he thought Ji Ning would also say something superficial, like wanting to act with Ji Shiyan. He didn’t expect her to steer away from that topic, refusing to ride on the hype.

Ah, she’s still too young, doesn’t know how to play the game.

After the interview wraps up, Ji Ning stands up and bows to the staff in gratitude. The other actress, however, doesn’t move. Her chin lifts even higher, as if mocking, and she lets out a sarcastic laugh.

Raising an eyebrow, she doesn’t turn back, feeling the chill of the room’s air conditioning. She takes the long coat handed to her by her assistant and enters the trailer.

Only after entering the trailer does the assistant dare to complain, « Where did that D-list actress come from? She’s cozying up to a wealthy backer and acting all high and mighty. I haven’t even remembered her name after three months of shooting. What’s she compared to you? No manners at all, mocking those who do? »

Ji Ning takes a sip of water before reminding, « She only shot for two months. »

Relying on someone’s support, that actress wants more scenes and less work, arriving late and leaving early. The director can’t say anything, tolerating her mediocre acting performance one scene after another.

The only one who stayed from start to finish was Ji Ning. The crew liked her, and the director loved discussing the script with her.

« Oh, by the way, » the assistant checks the schedule, « there’s a star-studded awards ceremony tomorrow night. Are we going? If not, you can rest at home. »

« Let’s not go, » Ji Ning leans back on the couch, rolling a massager over her shoulders lightly. « Who else is going anyway? »

Just as she finishes asking, her longtime friend Song Yu sends her the screenshot of her recent interview: [No ideal type? Mutual liking is enough? Women can lie without changing their expression. Do you need me to remind you?] Then she sends another screenshot.

In the screenshot is Ji Ning’s secret Weibo account, which revolves around one theme – Ji Shiyan.

Just last night, she emotionally shared a set of Ji Shiyan’s airport photos, captioning it: [Unbelievable. Why is it that after three years of marriage, this man can still make me blurt out « what a handsome guy » the moment I open the photo?]

Two days ago, she shared an old variety show screenshot: [I smell the scent of extremely beautiful pheromones. When can I appear on a variety show again? Waiting for it.]

And the day before yesterday, her rainbow fart was like this: [Too incredible. The inland Gu King is casting his spell again. Today is another day where I can’t focus on work because of his beauty.]

His eyes seem to cast a spell, making people submit to him, which is how everyone describes Ji Shiyan.

Ji Ning: « … »

—

Sure, here it is with spaces between paragraphs:

Sometimes she’s really glad that no one knows about this small account. Otherwise, when they meet, Ji Shiyuan would have to sincerely ask her, « How have we been married for three years? » Ji Ning replied to Song Yu: [Being in the entertainment circle, I also desperately held back from mentioning him at that time.] If you really want to talk about it, she could talk about it for three hours straight without stopping. Forget about interviewing her, just call it « Ji Ning’s Idol Chat Conference ».

She put down her phone, only then realizing that her assistant had already finished reporting a list: « Anyway, it’s just those old faces, oh right, I heard Ji Shiyuan is also going. » Upon hearing those three words, Ji Ning suddenly leaned forward, confirming, « Who? » « Ji Shiyuan, the top-tier myth, » the assistant said, « Director Feng should also be going. » She likes Ji Shiyuan, a secret known only to herself and Song Yu. Ji Ning steadied herself and tried to calm her mind, then spoke seemingly calmly, « Let’s go then, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Director Feng. » « Oh yeah, it’s been a year and a half since he took you to shoot a movie. Wake up early tomorrow to do your makeup. »

She felt something pounding in her chest, a face blurred and then clear before her eyes, stunning in an instant. She lifted the fingers resting on her lap and then leaned back again: « Hmm. »

—

The next evening at seven o’clock, the awards ceremony began. With the lights shining brightly, the starry night was dazzling. In the distance, the river was rippling with luxurious cruise ships, full of interest, as if praising the annual grand event. Ji Ning opened the curtains, and artists were already stepping onto the red carpet, showing impeccable glamorous smiles in front of the cameras. Flashlights were flickering everywhere, and luxury cars were gathered. Almost all the artists had arrived.

As she got out of the car and waited, she heard someone backstage in a panic: « Fu Xuan hasn’t arrived yet?! I heard she filmed a movie with Ji Shiyuan, but her acting skills haven’t improved much, her arrogance has grown instead! What’s going on, let Ji Shiyuan wait for her? » The red carpet has its rules; generally, the biggest stars go last, indicating their importance. So, many female artists deliberately delayed their appearance order to be the last on the red carpet, similar to fighting for the middle spot in a group photo.

Fu Xuan became famous a few years ago with a spy drama, but since then, she hasn’t had any hit works.

Recently, she regained some attention by collaborating with Ji Shiyuan, but she never expected her ambition to be so great as to want to take the last spot on the red carpet.

« Ji Shiyuan has to catch a flight in an hour, how can we make him wait for her, it’s ridiculous, » the backstage organizer said, suddenly noticing Ji Ning, « Let’s just arrange Ji Ning and Ji Shiyuan to walk together. »

Most production crews arrange opposite-sex leads to walk together on the red carpet for publicity. Originally, Fu Xuan was supposed to walk with Ji Shiyuan. Ji Ning didn’t have any specific partner in mind and was planning to find a suitable actor on the spot. Unexpectedly, Fu Xuan was late, and Ji Shiyuan was in a hurry, so this big award fell on her head.

She blinked, not coming back to her senses: « Me and Ji Shiyuan…? »

Sure, here’s the text with space between paragraphs:

—

the backstage coordinator confirmed over the walkie-talkie, « you should go with him. »

She raised her eyes, and just inches away, the door of a Cayenne opened, moonlight outlining the man’s outstanding deep features, with shadows along the brow ridge leading to his eyes, a slight downturn at the eye corners, a high nose bridge, sculpted handsome features. Even his Adam’s apple was attractive on him, tempting people to commit crimes with just his breath.

Jishiyan adjusted his suit and stepped out of the car slowly, but in Ji Ning’s heart, it was like there was a pen, chaotic and surging, drawing out an exclamation mark of hesitation. Her heartbeat suddenly skipped a few beats.

It seemed like he sensed her gaze, and Jishiyan nodded lightly towards her, offering a polite greeting. She nervously averted her gaze, pretending to put her hand in her pocket, but she was wearing a fishtail gown, so there were no pockets.

The assistant poked her waist, « Hurry up, that’s Jishiyan. » It felt like a wind was pushing her legs as she awkwardly walked to his side and walked with him towards the red carpet. His status was there, whether he walked early or late didn’t matter, and besides, he was never the type to care about such details.

Maybe someone briefed him on the situation, he didn’t inquire about her, just bowed his arm in front of the red carpet, indicating for her to link her arm with his. It was just a standard red carpet walk, but she still couldn’t control the dizziness and feverishness in her head, her brain starting to malfunction, one second, two seconds, three seconds, like a videotape with intermittent noise, her earlobes turning red.

How to describe such a moment, where the distance between two people was less than a meter, she smelled the lingering scent of amber and ebony, tender and cool, like a dream. She mechanically raised her arm, wondering if she would touch his cuff.

But before she could link arms with him, a fervent male fan broke through the security barrier and pounced on the female star in front of her, « I like you! » The female star was attacked and fell directly to the ground, screams coming from the crowd, staff rushing over, chaos breaking out.

The female star was close to Ji Ning, and when she fell, she bumped into her, her high heels of over ten centimeters stumbling, almost falling— But Jishiyan beside her raised his hand to support her. His palm was warm and comforting, and Ji Ning felt like she was about to burn up, hearing him softly ask, « Are you okay? »

The man’s voice was magnetic and deep, like high-quality sound simmered in headphones, making the cortex of the brain tingle. Her teeth trembled slightly as she whispered, « I’m fine. »

The incident erupted suddenly, and the red carpet was forced to stop. Ji Ning was carefully assisted onto the RV by her assistant, her mind still in a daze, filled with memories of Jishiyan’s clear and refined profile.

The assistant thought she was scared, « Are you okay? Do you need to wear an eye mask and rest? »

« No need. » She didn’t have the mind to rest now. Although Ji Ning didn’t know the female star who was knocked down, she still had lingering fear from the scene just now, so she asked with concern, « How’s the situation outside? »

Certainly! Here’s the translated text with spaces between paragraphs:

« Don’t worry about it. » She didn’t have the mood to rest now. Even though Ji Ning didn’t recognize the female star who was knocked down, he still thought about the scene just now with lingering fear, and asked with concern, « How’s the situation outside? »

After making two phone calls, the assistant finally said, « They said there’s a slight abrasion on the back, bruising on the knee, luckily didn’t hit the head. » She breathed a sigh of relief, « That’s good. »

« I don’t know if that guy is a real fan or a hater. How could fans bear to let their goddess fall? This love is too twisted. » While the assistant kept chattering, Ji Ning responded absentmindedly, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.

After a while, the assistant stopped talking, and Ji Ning picked up her phone and sent a message to Song Yu: [Just had close contact with Ji Shiyi. My advice is to definitely not meet him in person.]

Song Yu sent back a dozen question marks: [Is he not good-looking in person? No way?] Ji Ning explained: [It’s only been an hour and a half since I left him, but his face is still vivid in my mind. It’s too captivating, I suggest you don’t meet him.]

Song Yu sent a rolling eyes emoji: [Enough, you flattery expert.] Flattery expert is a term used in fan circles, referring to someone who lavishly praises idols with words as colorful as rainbows.

Ji Ning raised an eyebrow: [I’m just speaking the truth.]

After Ji Ning finished chatting, the assistant continued checking the schedule: « Tomorrow, there’s a flight to T city at noon, a magazine shoot at four, a commercial ribbon-cutting at six, and a beauty appointment at eight. »

Such a tight schedule was nothing new, and it felt easier compared to before. She furrowed her brow, listening as the assistant continued: « There’s an invitation from a variety show. Peng Ge asked me to send you the details to your email. It seems suitable for us newcomers. It could help increase your popularity and maybe even turn things around for you. »

Ji Ning was supposed to be a pure and innocent newcomer, but the management company threw her under the bus: the boss’s daughter Sun He was caught in a scandal, and because Ji Ning resembled her, the company made her take the blame, leading to a barrage of criticism.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t confront the company due to her contract, or else she would be sidelined. On top of that, her competitors hired internet trolls to attack her, and the more vicious the attacks, the more money flowed in.

Her team behind her was useless, ignoring all the fabricated scandals. Online opinions were easily swayed, and seemingly overnight, Ji Ning’s once stellar reputation began to crumble, with negative news spreading everywhere, but none of it was true.

Ji Ning had discussed changing teams with the company several times, but there had been no progress for four or five months. « About changing teams… »

« I asked this morning, they said they’ll give you an answer in the next few days, » the assistant said, a hint of hope in her voice, « I hope the new team will cooperate with you well. After all, our goal is to reach the top! »

Becoming a top star would make everything easier. Even if she clashed with Sun He and the company, she wouldn’t worry about finding another job, as everyone would want her.

But for now, she couldn’t act rashly, or the company would find a way to make her stay in the industry impossible. Ji Ning exhaled deeply, « The first priority after changing teams is to address all the rumors. We can’t wait any longer. »

Rumors were the biggest obstacle to her progress. She wanted to clear them up, to walk a bit steadier, and to meet Ji Shiyi… at the top.

―― The next day, on the plane, Ji Ning opened the script and glanced at it. It was a romantic variety show called « First Kiss Diary, » where the participants automatically became a couple on the first day of filming.

Variety shows were convenient for artists to gain fans or improve their image, so it seemed suitable for her. While she was reading, a voice came from the aisle: « Take a look, and give me a reply after reading it. »

Having spent a long time in Ji Shiyi’s fan circle, how could she not recognize his manager’s voice? Ji Ning froze for a moment, then saw a familiar figure taking a seat beside her.

He was fully covered with a hat and mask, but she easily recognized him from the lines of his hands. She touched the brim of her hat, feeling emotional that even under the mask, his nose was still so straight.

After a moment of contemplation, she felt something was off and glanced at what he was holding. It was a half-folded paper with the same, faintly visible « First Kiss Diary » on it. …?!

She wondered if she was seeing things, about to confirm it when she wanted to take a look at his face, but their eyes met directly as she lifted her gaze. ―― He was also looking at her.

Ji Shiyi adjusted his mask slightly, his eyes revealing emotions on the verge of bursting out, and opened his lips. They had only exchanged brief glances yesterday, but now… did he recognize her?

Ji Ning sat up unconsciously, her fingers curling, waiting for him to speak.