First Kiss Diary - Chapter 34
Chapter 34 KISSx34
Ji Ning fell asleep holding her phone after reposting Weibo, unaware that Ji Shixian had noticed everything. The man remained silent, staring at his phone for a while.
As the night grew deeper and the world fell asleep to the chorus of insect sounds, Ji Ning was awakened by her alarm clock at five in the morning, while Song Yu beside her slept soundly.
Song Yu’s sleeping posture was quite shocking, resembling a sprawled octopus. If Ji Ning’s bed hadn’t been large enough, they could have slept together, but she even suspected she might be kicked out by Song Yu.
Ji Ning uncovered the blanket and found her pajama pants missing. She retrieved them from the bed and folded them, then changed into long pants.
Perhaps it was too hot last night, and she unconsciously took off her pajama pants.
As she quietly folded her pants, Song Yu, who was usually impossible to wake up even with thunder, suddenly woke up.
Song Yu’s gaze became sharp. « How did your pants come off while sleeping with me? What are you up to? Am I safe? »
« … »
« Don’t worry, I’m not interested in fish, especially octopuses, » Ji Ning said. « I didn’t undress in front of you. It must have been too hot last night, and I just… »
Song Yu sneered, « Is it because it was hot or because of Ji Shixian’s hormones? I think you know the answer. »
« Say no more. »
Ji Ning covered Song Yu’s face with the blanket. « I’m leaving. I’ll be back tonight. »
Song Yu rolled over with the blanket. « Bring me back some cream puffs, three of them. »
« Okay. »
At five o’clock, there were few people going to work, and the air was still crisp. Ji Ning took a few deep breaths before getting into the car.
It wasn’t until they arrived at the studio that the atmosphere gradually became lively. Ji Ning went to the dressing room to do makeup and hair while the set was being prepared.
The focus for the next few weeks would be on filming « Starry Sky Here ».
As soon as Zuo Gong entered the dressing room, he patted Ji Ning on the back. « Morning, long time no see! »
« Morning, » Ji Ning raised her eyebrows. « It hasn’t been that long, has it? »
« It’s been a while, » Zuo Gong pretended to be hurt and sighed, « you don’t care about me at all. »
After they finished their makeup and hair, the day’s filming began quickly.
The director handled the scenes with the main characters, while the assistant director took charge of filming the supporting roles.
The first scene of the day involved intense conflict, requiring Ji Ning to cry and deliver lines with a hoarse voice.
The director had been worried that she wouldn’t be in the right mood so early in the morning, but Ji Ning shed tears within seconds, and her delivery of the lines was precise and emotional, all in one take.
Ji Ning leaned in front of the monitor and watched the scene they had just shot again, fixing her hair. « Let’s do another take. »
The director hesitated, « Another take? »
« Yeah, I cried too slowly just now. Song Chenxing should be able to cry instantly at this moment, and with bigger tears, considering she’s been holding back for a long time. »
People often say that idol dramas are easy to film, with the success of emotional scenes relying mostly on good looks and lighting. But even the director himself hadn’t expected that this young actress in front of him would have such strict and meticulous demands on certain details.
A scene that satisfied everyone was re-shot four times before Ji Ning finally let it go.
Of course, the final result was indeed very good, with even the usually critical director nodding in approval.
After wrapping up the morning shoot, Ji Ning went back to her car to rest.
Opening Weibo, she found that the « Rumor Clarification Machine » was already in full swing, not only debunking rumors but also promoting her drama and variety show edits.
And perhaps due to professional habits, Song Yu was very good at catching onto hot topics. Whenever he saw something related to Ji Ning trending, he immediately posted something to promote her.
Many people browse trending topics, and those interested would take a closer look. Plus, Song Yu’s commentary was indeed amusing, with comments filled with « hahaha, » including not only fans but also quite a few bystanders.
Ji Ning once again felt fortunate that her decision had been absolutely correct.
Just after finishing lunch, Ji Ning received a message from a certain editor she had hired. [ Ning Ning! I made a video of you and Sheng Qiannight’s « Stockholm Lover ». I’m personally quite satisfied with it. Do you want to take a look and see if there’s anything you want to edit? ]
« Hey Ning! I’ve edited a video of you and Sheng Qiannight in ‘Stockholm Lovers’. I’m personally quite satisfied with it. Do you want to take a look and see if there’s anything you want to change? »
Ning really admires this editor’s work. She usually quietly uploads videos without contacting Ning, but this time she broke the norm and messaged her, indicating she’s genuinely pleased.
So Ning opened and watched the video. These types of videos typically splice together various scenes of the main characters to create a new story, accompanied by classic music, easily capturing people’s interest. But it’s a real test of the author’s storytelling and pacing skills, and when done well, it can gain a lot of fans.
Ning felt satisfied for a reason. Several plot points gave her goosebumps, and she couldn’t help but admire how seamlessly the scenes from various shows, under the editor’s hand, felt like they were shot specifically for this. However, Ning felt it could be improved a bit: « Was the material for tying people back from my ad? I think there’s a clip from ‘Fourteen Lines’ that would be more suitable, probably halfway through the film. »
« Oh, I remember now. That does seem more fitting. Hold on, let me fix it! »
After some reediting, color adjustments, and posting on Weibo, and then on Bilibili, by the time Ning returned with cream puffs for Song Yu, the Weibo post had gone viral, even Song Yu was watching.
Ning looked at her familiar page on her phone. « Why are you watching too? »
« It’s great! So emotional! » Song Yu said while munching on cream puffs. « I’ve watched it five times. When are you and Sheng Qiannight starring in a lesbian film? »
« …? »
« It’s about to hit ten thousand shares, and it’s trending. You’re breaking out, and this time, it’s with a bold move! »
The song « Stockholm Lovers » is based on Stockholm syndrome, where victims develop feelings for their captors, even aiding them in escaping despite being harmed by them. It’s a rare but real psychological phenomenon.
With such an emotional song paired with intense scenes, Ning, usually harmless, played the role of the captive, creating a stunning contrast. Sheng Qiannight, known for her strong and assertive roles, became the struggling, pitiful one.
Everyone loves a good contrast, and the video’s views on Bilibili were approaching three hundred thousand.
« Beautiful women are indeed more compatible with each other. »
« So beautiful, so beautiful, all so beautiful. I’m willing to be tortured by Ning! 555, torture me, Ning! »
« @Ji Shiyan @Fu Xiu, come and break this ship. »
Underneath the Weibo post, someone asked, « I know Sheng Qiannight, but who’s the other one? »
Fans quickly rushed to introduce Ning: « Get to know Ning, sweet and salty, the ratings queen who never seeks publicity. Quietly filming and even helping fans combat negativity. A treasure girl, love her without regrets. »
Scrolling down, the comments section was like a massive fan club, with even Sheng Qiannight coming to message Ning, saying she never expected them breaking out together would happen like this.
Fortunately, because Ning and Sheng Qiannight have a good relationship and their resources don’t clash, the fans are quite harmonious, understanding that this edit is suitable for promoting their favorite stars, and not starting any conflicts.
Ning and Sheng Qiannight’s ship hadn’t sailed for long when another editor made a video of Ning and Wang Yue.
Wang Yue is a famous comedian, known for his chubby figure and humorous performances. This video, of course, was mainly for laughs, as the combination of a minor celebrity with a comedian seemed very mismatched. Moreover, Wang Yue’s comedic face naturally brings smiles.
The background music of the video was still « Young and Promising, » a very sad and sentimental song, which created an inexplicable sense of humor. Before clicking, Ning thought it would be filled with « haha, » but upon watching, it wasn’t entirely:
« Ning and Wang Yue also have CP feelings haha! »
« I surprisingly think it’s quite good-looking. I’m afraid I’m a fake fan. »
« I’m Ji Shiyan, and I’ve killed someone. »
« No sense of mismatch 2333 »
As the song approached its end, a scene flashed of Ning in a wedding dress, while Wang Yue hurried towards a wedding hall.
« At the wedding/Drink a few more glasses/with your current partner. »
After a few empty frames, Wang Yue got into a car accident on his way to the wedding, while Ning, on the other side, stared blankly at the door.
– What are you waiting for?
– Nothing.
– Stop waiting, he won’t come.
The final scene faded like torn paper, leaving a simple line of lyrics on the pitch-black screen:
Those beautiful dreams, in the end, didn’t give you anything.
Danmu comments took a sudden turn:
« ??? I’m crying??? »
« Why so heart-wrenching? I clicked in with a smile?? »
Certainly, here’s the translated text with spaces between paragraphs:
【The first half is hilarious, the latter half is heartbreaking, it’s so easy to cry, isn’t it?】
With Wang Yue’s extremely high popularity, coupled with intriguing styling, and the later heartbreaking editing, this frequency once again gained attention, even reaching thirty thousand reposts.
Some passersby who initially found it funny were attracted by Ji Ning’s charm. A digital influencer with tens of thousands of followers reposted, asking: 【Ji Ning’s acting is pretty good, is she acting in idol dramas? What has she acted in?】
The next day, they posted again: 【Ji Ning’s fans are too intense. My inbox hasn’t stopped since last night, with various text and video recommendations. Okay, I’m hooked. I’ll vote for Ji Ning with my new phone tomorrow.】
And so, Ji Ning, with a non-threatening face and highly adaptable acting skills, earned the title of « One of Bilibili’s Three Thousand Beauties. »
For a while, the hot topics were all about her various frequencies, giving her plenty of exposure to the audience and making everyone realize that her popularity among passersby was not bad at all, and even quite good, otherwise how could so many people watch those peculiar edits?
In short, her likability among passersby increased significantly during that time, and many people paid attention to her acting in various roles. Whether it’s a madwoman, a young girl, a seductress, or a pure maiden, she can portray them all.
That’s why she can adapt to edits of various themes.
Bilibili is a great place to attract fans, and many people will search for materials on it when they like a certain celebrity. Ji Ning’s fans quickly made a bunch of promotional videos and posted them on Bilibili to attract and solidify her fanbase.
――
On the day when she didn’t have to shoot, Ji Ning, as usual, didn’t idle around. She flew to City R for the filming of « First Kiss Diary. »
City R seemed to have no particularly suitable filming locations. It’s unclear why the filming location was set there this time, but it seems that it was arranged by Ji Shiyan himself.
When Ji Ning received the tickets from the staff, she vaguely realized something.
Ji Shiyan’s debut TV series was filmed in City R, and there seemed to be a famous scene that was completed at the Flower Expo there.
But… why bring her here?
When she entered the Flower Expo, the man was already waiting for her at the entrance, seeming somewhat hesitant?
Ji Shiyan seemed to see that she really liked his dramas, whether it was the events on the ship before or other activities related to him, as long as it was related to his storyline, she cherished them all.
So he planned to take her around here, thinking that most girls have a sense of their first time, so she should like… experiencing the place where he first filmed?
As a straight guy, Ji Shiyan wasn’t too clear about what girls were thinking, so he could only try to figure it out as best as he could.
The two of them entered the Flower Expo and circled around the main venue and fountain pool. Ji Ning was somewhat silent, not sure what to say.
He might have noticed her silence too. Seeing a small drum platform nearby, he remembered a famous scene he had filmed and took a few steps up the steps, preparing to interact with her with some drumming.
But Ji Ning stood below, her gaze complex, as if rooted to the ground, not moving for a long time.
How should I put it, because she knew Ji Shiyan’s dramas too well, from the moment she entered this park, wherever her gaze turned, scenes of interaction between the male and female leads in the drama would appear before her.
Because of familiarity and understanding, every memory was too real.
At one point, she felt like she wasn’t here to date but to watch Ji Shiyan date other girls.
So even though the man looked really cool and attractive while drumming, and she had really been looking forward to it for a long time, Ji Ning still covered her nose and sneezed.
With all drumming stopped, Ji Shiyan asked her, « Allergic to pollen? »
――Not really allergic to pollen. Maybe just a little allergic to the places where you and other women filmed.
Ji Ning rubbed her nose and nodded ambiguously.
« Then let’s go out and not film here. »
Ji Ning thought she had escaped Ji Shiyan’s curse of romantic scenes, but after leaving the Flower Expo, in the afternoon, he took her to make a handmade little house.
The room was filled with material packs, containing various glues and small bricks, allowing them to make a small house that belonged only to the two of them according to the instructions.
Of course, this was also a famous scene in Ji Shiyan’s debut work.
Ji Ning felt her head ache.
She knew he certainly wouldn’t intentionally make her suffer, but every time she looked up, she felt like she was being excluded from the intimate relationship, and couldn’t help but think of the memories he had with another person here.
――Ji Shiyan certainly didn’t think about these things at all.
For him, acting is the experience of the characters in the drama, and reality is his own emotional experience. He has always been very clear about the distinction and wouldn’t blur the lines.
But Ji Ning, with her own little thoughts, seemed to be earnestly cutting bricks while her mind was wandering.
Without noticing, the blade slipped and cut a small cut on her fingertip.
She instinctively hissed and quickly got up to wash her finger under the tap, then held it in her mouth to disinfect it.
As soon as the man walked past, he saw her standing by the sink in a daze, her eyelids half-closed, her gaze unfocused, and the water-red lips holding the tip of her finger, not blinking at all.
His Adam’s apple rolled, and he leaned back against the counter. « What are you thinking about? »
He rolled his Adam’s apple and leaned back against the edge of the platform, « What are you thinking? »
She silently licked her wound and only then took her fingers out, saying, « Nothing. »
She wanted to tell him, but after thinking for a long time, she didn’t know how to start.
She really had no right to say « I don’t want to share with other girls, » like a real girlfriend would, so she kept quiet.
In the end, they still finished building a small house, but Jishi Yan was afraid she might cut her hand again, so he handled all the brick cutting while she was only responsible for sticking them together.
The finished product was pretty good, a macaron-colored little house, which looked quite fairytale-like in the acrylic display box.
She couldn’t help but ask, « Did you take any of the ones we made before? »
Jishi Yan didn’t understand, « Hmm? »
« I mean, the ones we made while filming here before. Did you take any of those? »
He had no idea and paused for a moment after she finished asking, then thought carefully for a while.
« …I don’t remember. »
« Forget the scenes, or forget the behind-the-scenes? »
« It’s been many years, » the man said lightly, « I only remember scoring goals, everything else is forgotten. »
In the drama, he played on a football field and even kicked a ball into the goal. After all these years, he only remembered the thrill of scoring goals, everything else was forgotten.
Straight male character, indeed unshakable.
Ji Ning, who had been depressed for half a day, finally smiled a rare smile.
Dinner was set at a ramen shop.
Ji Ning hadn’t eaten much for lunch, so she was a bit hungry now. After the noodles arrived, she sprinkled some condiments and took a few bites.
She didn’t expect the small box she had just opened to contain chili powder, and the spiciness was really intense. For a few seconds, her mouth and throat felt like they were on fire.
There was a blue drink next to her, so she instinctively grabbed it and took several large sips, drinking until the bottom of the cup before suppressing the heat.
She flipped the noodles a few times, mixed the chili evenly, then skimmed off the soup and continued to eat slowly.
Jishi Yan got up halfway through to get some fruit. When he came back, he saw that the blue drink was empty.
He looked at Ji Ning and fell silent for a few seconds.
She ordered orange juice with her set meal, and he ordered wine.
Because the orange juice had to be freshly squeezed, it would take a while to arrive, so only his wine was placed in the middle of the table by the waiter.
So, Ji Ning just… drank such a large glass of wine.
Knowing she couldn’t handle alcohol, Jishi Yan handed her a piece of watermelon, « How do you feel? »
Ji Ning didn’t answer.
He urged, « Hmm? »
« No feeling, » she bit her lip, « just feels really hot. »
The girl tilted her head, her ears turning red as she pointed to the glass, « Just now, this, it was so cold, why do I feel so hot after drinking it? »
Afraid of her reaction, Jishi Yan stood up and grabbed a tissue to hand to her, « Because you… »
But before he could finish his sentence, the girl suddenly looked up, pointing a finger at him.
« I know. »
« What? »
The alcohol hit her quickly, and Ji Ning was already a bit tipsy. She squinted her eyes and said, « Your first kissing scene, was it filmed here? »
The man remained calm as usual, « That was just a stand-in. »
« A stand-in for a kissing scene isn’t still a kissing scene?! » The girl slammed the table, « It’s still a kissing scene! »
He placed both hands on the table, leaning over the small round table, and began to appreciate her rare boldness after getting drunk.
Raising an eyebrow, he said, « Hmm, go on. »
The girl shivered, furrowing her brows, « And you, today you’re out with me, but all day you’ve been making me review your love scenes with other women, drumming in the morning at the Flower Expo, building a house in the afternoon, and now taking me to see the place where you kissed? »
He remained calm and repeated, « I said it was just a stand-in. »
After saying that, he realized why she had been acting strange all day. Was she… jealous?
Sort of?
« What’s wrong with having a stand-in! »
Feeling like she lacked presence, the girl stood up, glaring fiercely, but there was still a shimmer of watery light in her eyes.
« Right now, sitting here, all I can think about is you kissing other women… »
He was tall, separated from her by a table, but he could still lean over with one hand on the table to look at her. He could see all the subtle and vivid expressions on her face.
Jishi Yan even began to leisurely add, « All you can think about is me kissing other people? »
« Of course, what else! » The girl ground her teeth, « It’s all there, right in front of me, unforgettable… »
« Just replace it with something else and you’ll forget, » he answered quickly.
Before she could ask, her chin was lifted by someone, her vision darkened, and lips with the scent of cherry blossoms pressed against hers.
Like the taste of the cherry blossom ice cream they had just shared, sweet and soft, and very cold.
With one hand propped on the table, his body leaned over the small round table, and his index finger hooked, lifting her chin to kiss her.
Ji Ning, who had just been chattering away, couldn’t say a word now. She stared blankly at the enlarged features of Jishi Yan in front of her.
She didn’t know how long it had been, but he pulled back slightly, whispering to her, « Can you forget now? »
