First Kiss Diary - Chapter 45
Ji Ning finished her shower, and Nono knocked and came in to go over the schedule with her.
“Tomorrow we’re shooting First Kiss Diary, the third-to-last episode. After we finish First Kiss and Star, we’ll be joining the team for Illusion Cure.”
Only three episodes left?
Ji Ning paused with a hand drying her hair, eyes fixed on the corner of the table, saying nothing.
Nono nudged her arm. “What’s wrong? Are you listening?”
Ji Ning snapped back to herself, continued lifting her hand to dab at the top of her head, “Mm, got it.”
“Also, an outsourcing company reached out to us — they say they can handle the anti-smear stuff. I asked for a quote and it’s pretty good. I checked out their past PR work and it’s all pretty solid. Want to consider them?” Nono was excited. “Once you get busy you definitely won’t be able to control things yourself. Besides the ‘white moonlight’ site’s counter-smear, you’ll still need a team running things.”
Ji Ning nodded, “Alright, go talk to them.”
“Just negotiate for a few months. Leave everything to them until the company changes hands.”
Ji Ning’s distant thoughts were finally brought back by that sentence: “It’s going to change so soon?”
“Yes. I didn’t tell you because you’ve been busy these past few days. The company has been trying to suppress public opinion, but internally it’s spreading like wildfire — they’re saying Sun Andong will be stepping down soon, and someone else will take his place.”
Nono said, “Don’t worry, once Sun Andong falls, Sun He will tumble right after. Don’t be fooled by how glamorous things still look — the entertainment industry is brutally pragmatic. When that happens, our biggest rumor will be dispelled. Ah, just thinking about it feels good.”
Sun He’s greatest backer is her own father. Once her biological father is no longer the boss of Andong Century, all those resources she doesn’t deserve will be forced out.
Ji Ning’s current development and resources are already able to rank among the company’s top artists. Once the boss is replaced, the company will undoubtedly treat her like one of their treasured big names.
The day she had waited so long for had finally arrived.
After sleeping through the night, she got up the next day to shoot “First Kiss.”
Ji Ning only learned this morning that fans had nearly emptied Qin Ran’s flagship store last night; the exact same items she had once eaten in at the set were sold out.
She couldn’t understand how everyone had such purchasing power—so strong it made her a little afraid.
Today’s shoot was set in an old town said to be perfectly suited for couples.
Ji Ning arrived at the shoot first. After she got there she sat and stared blankly at a small shop beside her, not noticing that someone had soon sat down next to her.
“Want something to eat?”
She blinked and turned her head. “Huh?”
“Wait.”
After Ji Shiyan finished speaking, he stood up. She followed his figure with her gaze and only then belatedly realized she had been staring at a string of candied hawthorns, lost in thought.
The man quickly brought the candied hawthorn back and held it out in front of her.
Filming had long since started. Ji Ning took the candied hawthorn out of the wrapper; the red hawthorn was coated in sugar, and the sharp tip at the top that could easily poke someone had been cut off by the owner with scissors.
No need to think twice—of course it had been his request.
She bit down, her tongue filled with a sweet-and-sour tang, and the not-exactly-wonderful mood finally improved.
Only three episodes left, it’s fine—cherishing all the time they have together is enough. At least he’s still here now, isn’t he?
The weather was slowly turning cold. After finishing a skewer of candied hawthorn, Ji Ning’s hand was left exposed to the chill, her knuckles reddened by the wind.
She sniffed, then said softly, “It’s a bit cold.”
The man stopped in his tracks.
There happened to be a small shop nearby; Ji Ning thought of going in to buy a pair of gloves. She raised her hand and pointed ahead. “How about—”
Before she could finish, her whole hand was enveloped inside another’s palm.
The man lowered his head and, taking her hand, tucked it into the pocket of his coat.
“Are you any warmer?”
The back of her hand felt the warmth of his palm, spreading layer by layer.
She blinked, stammering in reply, “Warmer… yes, warmer.”
His legs were long; he walked in almost giant strides. Ji Ning was used to taking small steps, and in the end had to jog to keep up with his pace.
The lower half of his face was buried in his turtleneck sweater; listening to her snow boots clacking on the cobblestones, he silently curved his lips.
He thought he might be crazy to find even this kind of plot unbearably amusing.
The two of them soon reached a very famous wishing spot, where everyone could take a wish plaque and hang their wish on the wall.
Ji Ning chose a blue section of the wall; the child standing by the wall, as usual, handed her a plaque: “Once you’ve written it, you can hang it up.”
A rather fun rule of this wishing place was that you could only wish for things concerning others—you couldn’t make wishes about yourself.
On the front she wrote the three characters Ji Shiyan; she flipped the plaque over, thought for a long time, and wrote eight characters: health and safety.
The child saw she stopped after only four characters and was a little surprised: “Just write that little? Everyone else writes tons.”
Ji Ning said, “That’s enough.”
She wasn’t greedy; she didn’t demand that he reclaim the throne or that he be forever flawless, nor did she need him to remain at the pinnacle as an object admired by millions—
As long as he was healthy and safe, that was enough.
Underage boys and girls hold all their hopes and fantasies for this world; the wishes they make are grand in scale and refuse to be ordinary.
But the more she grew, the more she realized that the simplest things are often the most precious.
……
That evening the two of them went to one of the scenic bridges. It was said that many couples came here to buy a lock, write their names on it, fasten it to the bridge, and throw the key away.
Ji Ning had never imagined she would do such a thing, but when Ji Shiyan asked if she wanted to go, she nodded.
Often the meaning of things doesn’t lie in the acts themselves, but in who stands beside you.
They chose a pale purple lock.
Ji Ning’s name was written on the left, his name on the right.
“Are you sure?” Just before fastening the lock, the person on the bridge checked with them, “Once it’s locked it can’t be opened.”
Ji Shiyan glanced at the night in the distance; stars were twinkling.
He rolled his Adam’s apple and replied in a deep voice.
“Mm.”