Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 188 Yandere Coco
"Jingyi, do you want to go for a walk after filming today?"

As soon as filming wrapped, Zhou Ye came over. She tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

The gaze was so intense that Gu Jingyi couldn't utter the refusal that was already in his throat.

"Okay, let's take a look around then."

The original film "Better Days" was filmed in just over two months, and more than half a month has passed since I joined the crew.

In terms of star power and popularity, Gu Jingyi and Zhou Ye will not be working together for a long time after the filming of "Better Days".

Out of pity, Gu Jingyi agreed to Zhou Ye's request.

Evening had arrived, but the fog in the mountain town hadn't completely dissipated. It clung to my body, damp and infused with the aroma of chili oil.

Gu Jingyi and Zhou Ye sat on red plastic stools, separated by a greasy small square table. Two bowls of noodles, covered in chili oil, steamed, with a few strands of water spinach stubbornly floating on top.

"Porridge, is this the specialty you're treating me to?"

Gu Jingyi looked at Zhou Ye with a smile in his eyes, teasing her.

"I thought you would take me to see the iconic landmarks, and then we would just find a small shop near the attractions to eat some local specialties."

Hongyadong and Qiansimen Bridge are iconic attractions of the mountain city.

There are even more food streets, and the famous "Kuanzha Alley" is also one of the city's iconic landmarks.

"Pfft," Zhou Ye chuckled, "Hongyadong is packed with people every night, so taking you there is no problem. But are you sure you won't be recognized when you show up?"

Gu Jingyi paused in stirring the noodles; the answer was undoubtedly yes.

With his current popularity, even if he were fully armed with only his eyes showing, he would still be recognized.

His fan base is huge and tends to be young.

There must be quite a few trendy "Jingfei" fans who like to take photos and check in at Hongyadong at night.

Seeing that she had guessed correctly, Zhou Ye said tentatively, "Of course it's fine if you go alone, but I'll be your tour guide. Wouldn't that just be causing you trouble? You won't get to see much of the sights. You just came back from making history in South Korea, and now your achievements are going to be overshadowed by scandals."

Holding her chopsticks, Zhou Ye slowly stirred the noodles in her bowl, not in a hurry to eat. She stirred until the noodles were coated in a glistening, red oil.

She was simply repeating this behavior mechanically to mask her complex emotions.

"If I were Consort Jing, I would be cursing myself."

Even with just a slight shift in the fans' perspective, Zhou Ye could feel the fans' overwhelming emotions.

This small shop is located in a residential building, and almost all of its customers are regulars.

There was no fashionable decor, and no air conditioning.

Naturally, no one would have guessed that Gu Jingyi, a top-tier celebrity with immense popularity, would dine at such a "fly restaurant".

The narrow shop was filled with the hum of a small fan overhead, the only noise being the din of the crowd.

As Zhou Ye ate the seedlings, a little sweat slid down her temples and disappeared into her equally damp hair.

I'm exhausted after filming all day.

"I could tell you were teasing me. I misunderstood Zhou Yeye's good intentions."

Gu Jingyi pushed a small dish of kimchi over as an apology.

The thinly sliced ​​white radish soaked in vinegar looked refreshing and helped to cut through the greasiness. Zhou also hummed in agreement, but didn't look up.

I picked up a piece with the tip of my chopsticks, put it in my mouth, and chewed it with a crunchy sound.

The sound quickly disappeared into the noisy noodle shop, but Gu Jingyi, who was standing right next to him, could hear it clearly.

He looked at Zhou Ye's drooping eyelashes, long and curled.

Seemingly sensing Gu Jingyi's gaze, the owner became somewhat shy. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, like the mimosa plant that her grandmother used to place on the windowsill when she was a child.

This familiar feeling brought Gu Jingyi's thoughts back to more than ten years ago.

I can't remember the specifics very clearly anymore, but they linger in my mind like fragments.

A gentle warmth rose in his heart; those were the happiest days of Gu Jingyi's life.

Memories of Xiao Zhouye are like faded, oxidized old photographs.

It becomes more vivid and distinct.

"Is your stomach ailment any better, Uncle?"

Gu Jingyi lowered his eyes and asked, his voice not loud.

Mixed in with the surrounding Chongqing dialect, it was quickly drowned out.

He picked up a mouthful of noodles, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

Zhou Ye paused his chewing for a moment, concealing the subtle glint in his eyes.

"Much better. I'm retired and living a leisurely life at home. I have a regular schedule and eat mainly light meals. Apart from constantly bickering with my mom about wanting to eat spicy food, everything is great."

Zhou Ye put down her chopsticks and looked up at Gu Jingyi.

Her eyes were clear and bright, just like her—young and naive.

"So what about you? You went to South Korea to become a trainee at such a young age. Zhang Yixing mentioned on a variety show how xenophobic there is. They put nails in your shoes before the auditions, and the high pressure means you can't rest until you're soaked in two buckets of sweat."

Gu Jingyi paused, carefully examining the face opposite him.

The steam was thick and hazy, and he couldn't see the emotions in Zhou Ye's eyes, but he could feel the careful concern hidden beneath her words.

Is he doing well? Back then, he was touted in the K-pop scene as "the next GD" and "SM has Lami, YG has Gu Jingyi."

Gu Jingyi, a "celebrity trainee," is naturally the envy of everyone. Not everyone can be selected as a "debut candidate" at the young age of 16. She has the opportunity to participate in a "survival debut audition," teaming up with a group of veteran trainees who have been with the company for many years. She has to compete for that debut spot.

But it seems that from the very beginning, Yang Hyun-suk never expected Gu Jingyi to debut.

When IKON, with their superior overall talent, lost to Winner on the survival survival show "Who is Next," South Korean forums were abuzz with outrage and indignation on IKON's behalf.

He was only 16 years old at the time, and his feelings of confusion and distress were different from those of his older brothers.

Gu Jingyi is the fastest at accepting defeat in IKON.

It was also because he accepted things too quickly and was too open at that time.

There was a lot of dissatisfaction among the team members towards him, and they no longer invited Gu Jingyi to meals as they used to.

When did you realize the atmosphere was different?

It's when they suddenly fall silent as soon as I open my mouth during a casual chat.

It was the trainee monthly exam, and he once again came in first place. The older members of the group no longer put their arms around his neck, rubbed his head, or asked Gu Jingyi to treat them to a meal, as they used to.

Looking at Gu Jingyi, she saw a mixture of envy and apprehension.

These changes were so obvious that Gu Jingyi quickly accepted the fact that he was being ostracized.

And so, apart from the stage, I spent more than a year with zero communication and interaction with them.

Just as IKON was about to debut, Gu Jingyi was eliminated.

Yang Hyun-suk patted him on the shoulder, using the pretext of "doing it for his own good" to get Gu Jingyi to become "the next leader of YG's boy group Treasure".

That chrysanthemum-shaped face looked hypocritical and pretentious.

Gu Jingyi then realized that the company had never intended for him to debut with IKON in the first place.

From the moment he participated in the survival talent show "Who is Next," which determined the fate of the group's debut, YG Entertainment only treated Gu Jingyi as a "stepping stone."

YG openly showed its high regard for Gu Jingyi, which made the trainees in the company both wary of him and motivated them to practice more.

Gu Jingyi's failed debut also served as a deterrent to all trainees with other ideas, showing that no matter how talented they were, they could not escape the fate of failing to debut if they were disobedient.

Is he doing well? He was replaced as the center of the next top boy group. He became a trainee again, falling from grace.

They have to be trampled on by South Koreans who love 80s forever, and they also have to use up their own accumulated popularity in order to build up popularity for their new group before their debut.

He took his members to perform at a newly opened shopping mall, and there was no makeup artist with the crew. So, as the "captain," he prepared the makeup bag and did makeup for each member one by one.

From departure to rehearsal to the end, the so-called compensation was merely a few boxes of toilet paper or several large bags of instant noodles…

A top idol who should be showcasing his talent on stage is now living in constant fear, terrified that any mistake in his new group will ruin his chances of debuting.

YG Entertainment puts its heart and soul into Winner and IKON, but leaves Treasure to its own devices.

Their debut plans were repeatedly delayed, and their exposure was so poor that they had to rely entirely on their captain, Gu Jingyi, to pull them up.

After his debut went nowhere, and his family's attempts to persuade Gu Jingyi to cut his losses failed, they completely cut off his living expenses. Gu Jingyi was forced to deliver food and even wear heavy mascot costumes as an NPC to make ends meet…

Gu Jingyi spent the last two years of her five-year training career eating the cheapest, oil-free salads in the cafeteria, which were specially prepared for female idols during their comeback period.

Eating less is not scary; what is scary is that Gu Jingyi experiences high-intensity heart palpitations every day under this near-"extreme weight loss" condition.

He needs to fight physical exhaustion and the anxiety caused by dieting.

Despite his hard work, he was still ousted due to internal power struggles within YG Entertainment after its IPO…

His five years of training at YG were a joke.

After being reborn, he had an incredibly smooth career in the Chinese entertainment industry.

The name Gu Jingyi itself implies "talent-driven".

Everyone was calling him "Emperor Jing" and "Purple Star," and all they received were flowers and praise.

Only Zhou Ye saw the bitterness behind Gu Jingyi's facade...

Gu Jingyi swallowed the noodles in his mouth, his throat feeling sore and astringent from the spiciness.

He composed himself, "It's all in the past."

He paused again, then picked up his chopsticks and tapped the noodles in her bowl that were about to clump together.

"Eat quickly, it's getting cold."

Zhou Ye then picked up a mouthful of noodles, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it with his cheeks puffed out.

She didn't even notice that a little chili oil had gotten on the corner of her mouth.

"you……"

Gu Jingyi looked at the red mark on her lips, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

In the end, he didn't reach out, but simply pulled out a rough roll of toilet paper from the table and handed it over.

"Clean."

Zhou Ye took it and wiped it haphazardly; there was no mirror here, so she didn't know if she had wiped it off properly.

The wind chimes at the entrance of the noodle shop jingled once, and another customer came in.

The two of them had just finished eating, but they tacitly decided not to leave.

Zhou Ye stared blankly at the bright red soup in the bowl, then suddenly spoke.

Her voice was very soft; if Gu Jingyi hadn't been right next to her, she really wouldn't have been able to hear what she was saying.

"Did you miss me during the years you were gone?"

Gu Jingyi had just finished wiping his mouth with a tissue when she was asked this question, and his hand was still frozen in mid-air.

When he looked up, he saw a small head with its head down, not daring to look at him.

In the center of her jet-black hair, the whorl is an arc.

When Zhou Ye was a child, she always looked like this whenever she was anxious.

Back then, he always liked to poke her here.

How come it's still like this after all this time?

No wonder, it always softens his heart...

Originally unwilling to answer the question, Gu Jingyi didn't want to disappoint her too much at this moment.

Lowering his voice, he asked, "And you?" Seeing that Zhou Ye didn't answer, he added, "Before that, I want to know Xiao Ye's answer first."

The curtain was opened again by the customer who came in.
Zhou Ye raised her head. Her gaze went past his shoulder and onto the wet stone slope outside the door.

On the side of the road, several primary school students ran and played around with their schoolbags on their backs.

"Do not want to."

Despite saying that, Zhou Ye's ear tip twitched slightly.

Gu Jingyi, who grew up with her, naturally knew that this was Zhou Ye's habitual way of lying.

People tend to get very busy when they're in a panic. She picked up the chopsticks she had put down long ago. She poked at the small half-bowl of noodles at the bottom of the bowl, her expression somewhat forlorn.

“We’ve been separated since we were little. You would come back to Changsha every winter vacation. We would be separated for a month at a time. I’ve been used to being separated since I was little, so I’m especially good at waiting.”

Zhou Ye paused, then used her chopsticks to move the mashed noodles aside. She lowered her voice further, almost drowned out by the sounds of drinking games from the next table:
"So I'm also particularly... able to withstand thinking."

Gu Jingyi's heart felt like it had been gently poked by the chopstick used to pierce noodles.

It's not severe, but it aches dully.

He noticed that Zhou Ye kept her head down, avoiding looking at him.

It was so hot here that Zhou Ye's nose was sweaty and her hair was sticking to her skin, making her look even more lively.

She's still the same as when she was a child—stubborn, unyielding, and unwilling to back down.

Even saying "I miss you" has to be expressed subtly with awkward phrases like "I can bear the thought of you".

Well, it's fortunate that I met myself.

If it were anyone else, who could understand what Zhou Ye meant?

Gu Jingyi suddenly reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, which was resting on the table.

The temperature difference between day and night in the mountain city is large, and his fingertips felt a little cold.

Zhou Ye jerked her hand back as if burned. She quickly looked up at him. There was a momentary panic in her eyes, which she quickly suppressed, leaving only a calm shrouded in mist.

"Don't…"

Her throat tightened and her voice became hoarse, "Don't be too good to me."

Gu Jingyi stopped what he was doing, tilted his head, and asked softly, "Why?"

Zhou Ye lowered her head and stared blankly at the piece of pickled radish soaked in oil in her bowl.

This was something Gu Jingyi had given her earlier, and Zhou Yexin's heart softened.
"Once you get used to being apart, you get used to waiting..."

Like a sigh, words echoed in my ears.

"So... I've gotten used to it. It's better if I don't get used to it, so that after you leave me... it won't be too painful."

Zhou Ye didn't continue speaking.

She just sniffed hard, as if she had been choked by chili peppers.

Gu Jingyi felt as if his chest was blocked with cotton, a mixture of soreness and tightness.

The chili peppers and steam stained the tip of her nose red, and her hands, gripping the chopsticks tightly, even turned white at the knuckles.

"Okay, I understand. From now on..."

Halfway through his sentence, Gu Jingyi sensed something was wrong. When had he ever made such a promise to anyone?

But seeing the sudden brightness in Zhou Ye's eyes, Gu Jingyi still finished making that promise:
"From now on... I won't be separated from you for such a long time again."

Zhou Ye's fingers, which were gripping the chopsticks, gradually loosened.

Her nose stung with tears, but she didn't rush to speak. Without even looking at Gu Jingyi, she simply picked up another mouthful of cold noodles, slowly put it in her mouth, and chewed it forcefully.

Tears welled up instantly, and she whispered, "This noodle soup is so spicy..."

The burning sensation of the chili peppers travels all the way to the heart.

Just like Gu Jingyi, he always shines like the sun, leaving a deep impression on people's hearts regardless of what others think...

Gu Jingyi sighed as he looked at Zhou Ye, who had lowered her eyes and seemed distracted.

I grabbed some tissues from the table, just about to wipe her tears.

Gu Jingyi tossed the cheap, rough-feeling item back onto the table.

He raised his hand and gently wiped away her tears.

He said without any mercy, "Little Ye, are you Lin Daiyu? Why do you keep crying like a faucet as soon as your brother comes out with you? Do you want to repay me with tears too?"

"You're so annoying..." Zhou Ye patted him.

"What brother? You have no respect for elders. I couldn't even do math when we were little. You tricked me by comparing numbers. You said 929 is bigger than 520, so I have to call you brother."

Thinking of the embarrassing things that happened when she was a child, Zhou Ye felt both ashamed and angry.

"You really are something, having listened to me call you 'brother' for so many years."

“Brother’s here,” Gu Jingyi patted her head again.

It feels as good as ever, soft and chewy.

"Hey, don't push your luck."

Outside, cars and people were constantly on the move; inside, the store was bustling with noise.

Zhou Ye wrinkled her nose, looking at the person in front of her with a sense of satisfaction.

Suddenly, I remembered what happened after the audition for "Better Days":

"Wei Lai is a very unlikable character. We invited more than ten actresses, but none of them took the role, fearing that the audience would not be able to distinguish the character from the actress herself."

Derek Tsang pushed up his glasses, his gaze towards Zhou Ye sharp and scrutinizing.

“I’m curious why you chose this role. Of course, I don’t mean any harm. I just think that with your looks and acting skills, you’ll make it sooner or later. Taking on Wei Lai will allow you to quickly enter the audience’s sight. But it may also limit your acting career, and the roles that come your way afterward will all be villainous.”

"Zhou Ye, are you sure you want to take this role?"

Director Derek Tsang's tone gradually shifted from gentle, casual conversation to seriousness and earnestness, carrying a hint of admonition.

"Zhou Ye," he asked again, looking at Zhou Ye's beautiful face.
"Are you sure you want to take this role? This is not just a role; it could affect your public image and career path for a long time to come. You need to think it through carefully."

The audition room was quiet, with only the low hum of the air conditioner. Outside the window, the autumn sun shone brightly on the city, and the light filtered through the blinds, casting stripes of light and shadow on the polished floor.

Zhou Ye sat there, her palms slightly sweaty. It wasn't the pressure from the director's question, but rather because the question was deeply connected to her deepest, most secret motivations.

She came for Gu Jingyi.

She learned about Gu Jingyi's next film and television work after seeing the book "You Are So Beautiful in Your Youth" on Gu Jingyi's WeChat Moments.

Possessiveness and ambition grew wildly; she needed an opportunity, an opportunity to be quickly noticed.

Only by being seen can one possibly stand beside Gu Jingyi.

Instead of being the childhood sweetheart who could only wait silently, she needed an "identity".

An identity that would give her a reason to meet Gu Jingyi again and spend time with him day and night.

There's no better opportunity than being in the same group.

Wei Lai, this complex, dark, and highly controversial character, is the "shortcut" she chose.

Besides being able to spend every day with Gu Jingyi, they can also rekindle their feelings for each other.

The role of "Wei Lai" was also the perfect opportunity for her to enter the entertainment industry.

This character is extreme and impactful enough.

Even the most hateful person has a pitiable side. If you act well, you might be able to make the audience's values ​​follow your appearance, just like "Consort Hua".

She's not afraid of being confined to a particular acting role; she's only afraid of opportunities slipping away. She's afraid of remaining unknown, worlds apart from his status.

She was clearly the most qualified person and the first to meet Gu Jingyi, yet she couldn't even find the opportunity or excuse to stand by his side.

As a director who has won two Best Actress awards, Derek Tsang's name is a golden brand.

This movie is sure to be a hit.

She needs to be seen, the sooner the better, the more conspicuous the better.

She needed a stepping stone to knock open the heavy door between her and Gu Jingyi, a door called "distance" and "time".

How could Derek Tsang, who has been in the entertainment industry for so many years, not see through a lie?
Therefore, Zhou Ye did not immediately give a high-sounding answer such as "to challenge myself" or "attracted by the role".

There was a strange light in her eyes, not one of ambition or reckless madness, but one of almost devout steadfastness.

"Director," she said calmly, her face displaying a maturity beyond her years.

“I understand the risks of this role. I also understand your good intentions.”

She paused for a moment. She was brainstorming, frantically trying to find an answer that would express her feelings without saying too much.

“I chose Wei Lai because… I need to be seen. Not simply to be seen by the audience, but… I need a powerful enough ‘voice,’ a voice that can penetrate certain barriers.”

Her gaze momentarily vacant, as if she were looking through a wall at someone.

His eyes were filled with sorrow, and his voice was as soft as a sigh.

“This character, she has power. She is extreme, she is twisted, she is abhorrent, but she is also…loud enough. Loud enough…to get me somewhere faster, or…to make it easier for people somewhere to hear me.”

Director Derek Tsang astutely captured the fleeting, extremely complex emotion deep within her eyes—

Longing? Yearning? Or a near-tragic resolve?

That wasn't just a fascination with the character; it was more like an obsession…

Wei Lai in the movie is actually a paranoid person under high pressure...

"Being confined to a limited range of acting roles..."

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Ye's lips. "That's a matter for the future. I don't want to worry about the future before I've done anything. As for how to proceed in the future..."

She paused, her smile faint.

"That's for later; we need to get started first..."

After she finished speaking, the director simply told her to go back and wait for further notice.

But Zhou Ye knew she had landed the role.

Later, she did indeed meet Gu Jingyi as she had wished.

"Why are you spacing out again? The chili oil is right next to your mouth."

The hustle and bustle of the mountain city noodle shop returned to her ears, and Zhou Ye looked at Gu Jingyi, who was wiping her mouth with a tissue.

Noticing the concern and indulgence in his eyes, the stinging sensation in her nose intensified.

"Okay, okay, you're going to cry after I say a few words to you."

Gu Jingyi laughed, "Xiao Ye, do you know what the probability is of meeting someone among seven billion people, and then meeting them again among seven billion people?"

How much is it?

"A probability of one in ten million," Gu Jingyi said in a serious tone.

"So you have to be nicer to me," Gu Jingyi said naturally, taking her hand as they walked out of the noodle shop.

[Idiot, it's a one in a million chance. From the moment I recognized you as my childhood friend, no matter the probability, I'm going to make sure it's a one hundred percent outcome.]
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Gu Jingyi tilted his head, clearly dissatisfied.

"Yes, yes, I understand."

Zhou Ye's dark eyes also shifted, revealing her most common "Samoyed" look.

"I like Jingyi the most."

So, you have to be one too!
Zhou Ye's eyes curved into a smile, as radiant as a flower. Yet, inexplicably, the air around her seemed to grow colder.

(End of this chapter)