First Kiss Diary - Chapter 53

Finally, Zhuo Gong, who “likes cats,” changed to a different studio, and the position next to Ji Ning was taken by Ji Shiyan.

Ji Ning really didn’t know that he was actually allergic to cat fur.

This had never been discussed in the fandom community, nor had anyone made this joke before. Besides, in her understanding, families that could keep dogs didn’t seem likely to be allergic to animal fur.

However, the dog was kept at his parents’ place. He was away from home most of the year, so perhaps no one had seen him when he had an allergic reaction.

Thinking this, she fished a piece of ice from the bucket.

Today they were filming the scene of holding ice.

Outside the window was the biting cold of winter. Even with the heating on inside, this bucket of ice was still wrapped layer upon layer in a down jacket, having melted very little.

The moment Ji Ning’s fingertips touched the ice, she flinched.

The sharp cold offered no period of adjustment; it clung to her skin and impatiently drilled toward her bones.

She clenched her fist and breathed into her palm, preparing to rest her hand on the edge of the bucket to acclimate first before taking it.

At this moment, Ji Shiyan also came over. The man reached out with his long arm and selected a large piece, kneading it for a minute.

Ji Ning was about to say that the large piece would melt slowly and was preparing to suggest he switch to a smaller one when the man extended his palm to her, facing downward. Water slid over his knuckles and dripped onto the floor.

“Take it,” he said.

Ji Ning, somewhat confused, extended her hand accordingly. As she opened it, the ice from his hand fell into her palm.

The ice still carried the warmth of the man’s palm, slightly hot, though it was quickly neutralized by the cold sensation.

But it seemed to really not be that icy anymore.

Ji Ning watched him give the ice to her, then go to take a new piece of still-frozen ice, and couldn’t help but ask softly: “Aren’t you cold then?”

The man seemed as if he didn’t know what cold was, saying calmly and easily: “I’m not afraid of the cold.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Ning looked over. From his sleeve cuff, she could vaguely see how many layers he was wearing.

A shirt, a sweater, and an extra-long wool coat. Based on her understanding, there should be at least one more layer under the shirt.

…

Fine, if the idol says he’s not afraid, then he’s not afraid. A mature fan needs to understand the wisdom of silence.

Before the ice could melt, the two quickly finished filming the close-up shots.

After gripping the ice for two minutes, the layer of warmth covering it had long since faded away.

Ji Ning’s ice had mostly melted, and her hand had lost much of its sensation.

Before the next shoot, she broke through the crowd and ran to the air conditioner, raising her hands to catch the warm air it was blowing out.

The air conditioner vent was a bit high, so she raised her hand along with it. After holding her hand up for a while, her arm started to feel sore. Just as she was about to rub her wrist, she sensed someone approaching.

Ji Shiyan walked to the air conditioner and easily reached the vent with his height advantage, adjusting it downward.

His fingers were still at the air outlet making adjustments when he turned his head and said to her, “We’ll shoot the next scene in five minutes.”

“Okay.”

After the air conditioner was adjusted to blow downward, she admittedly didn’t have to exert as much effort, but her long hair was blown into disarray, and her cheeks and earlobes were also reddened by the heat.

He sighed softly, then found a hair dryer essential for the film crew from the table, plugged it in to test the temperature, and pulled Ji Ning over.

Using a hairdryer to warm hands is a common practice on film sets to help actors stay warm, though previously, these tasks were always handled by Nuonuo.

Ji Shiyan had already turned on the switch, and amid the whirring sound of the blowing air, Ji Ning obediently stretched out his hands, spreading them open to evenly absorb the heat, as if roasting meat.

Nuonuo and Jiang Sheng had just returned from buying hot milk tea outside when they saw this scene in the corner.

The man was leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a hairdryer, his lips pressed together as he looked down.

The girl stood opposite him with her hands open, long eyelashes drooping as she turned her palms up and down repeatedly.

The scene was indescribably sweet and harmonious.

Jiang Sheng, who had been sent away, watched with a distorted expression for a moment before realizing he had been deceived.

“Fine, Ji Shiyan is awesome.”

He took out the straw himself and started drinking Ji Shiyan’s milk tea.

Love can sustain one on water alone, so why drink anything? Only someone as simple and kind as Jiang Sheng would fall for such a trick!

Nuono looked at him: “Then what will Ji Shiyan drink?”

Agent Jiang chewed the pearls forcefully and said kindly: “I suggest he turns left outside and drinks a liter of northwest wind.”

Nuono: “…”

The public service short film was finished shooting an hour later.

As soon as Ji Ning came out, he saw Zhuo Gong waiting at the door.

Zhuo Gong smiled: “You’re finally done with your shoot?”

“How did you finish so early.” Ji Ning said with an envious tone of a colleague getting off work early.

“I didn’t have much to shoot, so I finished quickly.”

Zhuo Gong shivered from the cold and sneezed: “By the way, my car was borrowed by someone. Is your car still here? How about giving me a ride, just up ahead…”

Before Ji Ning could speak or Zhuo Gong could finish, Ji Shiyan, who had come out later, had already cut him off.

“Where are you going?”

Zhuo Gong paused for a moment, surprised that Ji Shiyan had come out so quickly. He cleared his throat and said, “To the film and television base ahead.”

“Hmm,” the man answered quickly, as if thinking for a moment, then slowly continued as if suddenly enlightened, “You and Ji Ning are not going in the same direction, so I’ll go back to the film crew with her.”

“How about this, why not borrow my car.”

Zhuo Gong froze for a moment: ……??

However, the man before her merely smiled faintly, with an air of considerate objectivity.

“It’s inconvenient if we’re not going the same way. You can just drive my car to the film set, and I’ll go back to the crew with her. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Zhuo Gong was momentarily speechless, but after a moment, as if thinking of something, his fighting spirit returned.

“It’s inconvenient, I can’t drive, so how would I return the car to you? That would be even more troublesome. So…”

Isn’t that simple?

Ji Shiyan said, “You can borrow the driver too.”

“He’ll drive it back by himself when it’s time, no need to worry.”

Zhuo Gong felt a lump in his throat, suffocated by the man’s level of sophistication before him.

Unable to compete, he chose to take a step back for broader horizons: “You don’t need to lend me your car. Just go back to your own car and drop me off at the intersection. It’s not far, I can walk by myself.”

The man glanced at the trees swaying in the wind and thoughtfully rejected Zhuo Gong’s proposal.

“The wind is strong now. What kind of elder would I be to let a junior get out and be blown by the wind?”

Ji Shiyan curled his lips, cutting off all of Zhuo Gong’s hesitation: “Don’t be polite, this is something I should take care of.”

Okay.

Zhuo Gong gritted his teeth but had to accept “Senior Ji’s” invitation with a beaming smile, and even said thank you with great feeling.

The moment he got in the car, he felt his heart bleeding.

Ji Shiyan, you old fox, so ruthless t.t

Unlike Zhuo Gong’s side where one has to swallow their broken teeth with blood, the old fox—no, Ji Shiyan’s situation here is much more heartwarming.

Although Ji Ning’s RV wasn’t large, it was well-decorated, unlike his car which was cold and icy. Every corner of her vehicle was filled with the warmth of life, and the light yellow color scheme made one’s mood improve.

Ji Ning first filled two hot water bottles, handing one to Ji Shiyan while hugging the other herself.

Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to disturb them, Nuono got up and went to the inner room.

As soon as Nuono left, Ji Shiyan felt the girl begin to rummage through the drawer.

A few seconds later, breath with a lemon scent approached him.

“It’ll be evening soon, we…”

The man narrowed his eyes.

Ji Ning: “Should we run through our lines for later? Did you bring the script?”

Ji Shiyan paused: “What?”

“I said if you brought the script, we could run through the night scene we’re about to film and discuss it.” Finally focused on work, she took out the script and opened it, revealing it was filled with handwriting.

The notebook hit the desk, also jolting Ji Shiyan’s not-quite-clear thinking awake.

So this was what she wanted to say.

The man paused briefly, self-doubting for a few seconds.

—Of course this was what she wanted to say, what else did you expect, Ji Shiyan? What were you hoping she would say?

The man straightened his clothes, entering the Platonic world he had constructed.

“Alright, which one do you want to talk about?”

…

There were many night scenes for “Fantasy Healing,” and they filmed late for several consecutive days. When they finally had an early finish one day, she had to rush to another city.

After checking her schedule, she confirmed joining “Breakfast Shop” as one of the MCs.

The filming of “The Breakfast Restaurant” is tomorrow morning, so she’s flying over tonight to rest for a night before getting ready to start shooting.

The variety show has a good lineup, and I heard the guests are all easy to get along with, though filming might be a bit tiring.

Since the name is “Youjian Breakfast Shop,” the theme is quite clear – five people running a breakfast shop together. They decide on the ingredients, menu, and business hours themselves. Besides assigning tasks and providing some startup capital, the show doesn’t interfere with anything else.

At first, Ji Ning had her own concerns. She had told the director that she wasn’t very good at cooking and might not be of much help.

Unexpectedly, the director was even more enthusiastic, saying that it would be boring if everyone could cook, and that of course different blood needed to be injected for the variety show to be interesting.

The production team’s sincere invitation was hard to refuse, and she had no reason to decline.

That night as soon as she entered the hotel, the production team gave her a camera, telling her to document the check-in process and the pre-shooting preparations tonight.

There wasn’t much worth filming about the check-in process, but she had prepared thoroughly.

She had already purchased breakfast recipes for various cuisines, brought along some sauces, and bought various kitchen utensils for easy food preparation.

To handle unexpected situations, she also brought a small printer, along with a board and pen, which could be used to write down the corresponding prices for breakfast items, avoiding the need to respond to pricing inquiries during busy times.

Through these miscellaneous preparations, one could also see that she had already decided on her positioning in the store.

Ji Ning was a brick, to be moved wherever needed.

Before bed, Ji Ning said a few words of encouragement to the camera, then turned it off and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next day was a rare one, as she could sleep until seven before going down for the meeting.

They didn’t need to open the shop on the first day; it was time for the guests to get to know each other and discuss shop-related matters. Ji Ning was the third to arrive at the room, and soon everyone was there.

Liu Yi was the oldest in the shop and the one in charge. With her child already grown up, she had rich life experience.

“Cherish today. Once we actually start making breakfast, there won’t be time to sleep in. We’ll have to get up before dawn to prepare.”

Fortunately, waking up early had become a necessary professional quality for every artist.

“Let’s decide on this!” suggested Liu Shengsheng, an actor about the same age as Ji Ning. “We’re opening tomorrow. What should we make? It would be best to have a grand opening that can boost our popularity all at once!”

Shi Ran, already in the chef’s position, started showing off his style: “I can do anything, really. I’m good at everything.”

Several young actors began discussing among themselves, while Ji Ning sat to the side writing something. Liu Yi came over and asked her: “What are you writing?”

“I’m jotting down some of their ideas.”

Ji Ning didn’t write down the more outrageous ideas but jotted down the ones she thought were good. This was likely due to her acting habits, as she felt that recording things with pen and paper gave her a greater sense of security.

After everyone finished their brainstorming session, someone called out to Ji Ning: “Ji Ning, why haven’t you said anything? Do you have any ideas?”

“Hmm…” Ji Ning pondered for a moment, “I think we should first look at what the breakfast shops near our store are selling. If some of them already have signature items, we should avoid competing with them directly.”

“Oh yes, that’s right. After all, we’re just opening, and while we might attract customers initially through our reputation, in the long run, the product itself is what matters most.”

Shi Ran said, “But I’m confident in what I’ve made.”

“Being confident is one thing, but having strong competitors is another,” Liu Yi said. “The shop just opened. I think it’s safer to be more conservative.”

Liu Shengsheng nodded: “I agree.”

“We can leave the competitive analysis until we’re more stable,” Ji Ning said to Shi Ran, “If you want to compete with them for customers then, it would make for great entertainment.”

Shi Ran was convinced by her.

Liu Yi continued to ask her: “Anything else?”

“Also, market research?”

Ji Ning began recalling some things she had read in books before: “What are the taste preferences of most people here? Do they prefer salty, spicy, or light flavors? Some things need to have a fixed taste to achieve the best texture. If the product goes against the target audience’s preferences, it wouldn’t be very wise.”

“Yes, we’re going to do research this afternoon.”

Liu Shengsheng poked Ji Ning: “So do you have any ideas for what to do tomorrow?”

“I don’t really have any ideas,” Ji Ning said. “But we can have everyone vote. Shi Ran can make a few of his specialty breakfast dishes, and after we try them, we can let passersby taste them too. Then we’ll choose the most popular ones to make.”

Liu Yi clapped his hands: “OK, let’s get started then! Time to split up for market research!”

After researching tastes and nearby products and selecting the breakfast to make tomorrow morning, everyone was too tired to chat anymore.

Ji Ning returned the latest, and by the time he got to the apartment, everyone had already gone upstairs to sleep.

During these days of filming the breakfast show, everyone was staying in the same apartment at night, where filming also took place.

Ji Ning was exhausted, covered the camera with his clothes, and went to take a shower, only to find that the hot water ran out halfway through.

This place wasn’t bustling, and she couldn’t shout loudly for fear of disturbing her roommates who were already asleep. She hastily boiled some water to wash up, only then coming out of the bathroom.

Although she had technically bathed, without a hot shower with sufficiently warm water, it was quite unbearable in winter.

She felt as if the cold water had punched holes through her body, with her vitality and energy leaking out continuously.

Ji Ning slumped onto her bed, opened her alternate account, her mood dropping a few degrees because of the cold shower.

She pressed the button and vented by typing furiously on her keyboard to write an original Weibo post—

[Feeling so down, Ji Shiyan sent me photos to look at, a grid of nine, and they’re definitely ones I’ve never seen before.]

After writing it, she put it out of her mind. Fifteen minutes later, she refreshed her homepage and saw that her special attention had posted a new Weibo.

The moment she clearly saw what her special attention had posted, Ji Ning immediately sat straight up in bed.

Ji Shiyan: 【Cheer up.】

The attached photo is a new one, taken at the seaside.

On closer inspection, coincidentally, there are exactly nine photos.

The author has something to say: Damn, when will I ever get the privilege of getting photos whenever I ask for them?

My idols often go months without posting a single selfie. Fan service? Doesn’t exist

The variety show name at the breakfast shop was changed.