Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

Yang Chaoyue's knocking sounded from outside.

Inside the car, Zhang Ruonan trembled with nervousness, her teeth unconsciously clenching tightly.

Then they heard Jiang Yang hiss and shrink his neck.

"Ruo Nan, you bit me again," Jiang Yang muttered.

Memories of the dead assaulted him relentlessly.

This wasn't the first time Ruonan had bitten me.

Having not bitten for a while, I almost forgot that Ruonan had this instinct.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, are you alright?"

"It's nothing, it just hurts a little."

"Blame me, blame me, blame me."

Zhang Ruonan apologized repeatedly, pressing her palm against Jiang Yang's cheek, carefully examining the lip she had bitten.

It was on her lower lip, near the corner of her mouth, that she bit.

There is half a tooth mark.

First it turned white, then slowly blood beads seeped out, mixed with Zhang Ruonan's saliva.

She only had time to blow a couple of breaths on Jiang Yang's wound.

Yang Chaoyue's knocking on the door sounded again.

Jiang Yang asked, "Why are you in such a panic, Ruonan?"

"Oh right, why would I panic... Of course I'd panic! What if someone takes a picture of me? You idiot!"

"Haha."

Jiang Yang was delighted to hear this.

I just love teasing Ruonan like this.

Zhang Ruonan quickly got off Jiang Yang.

My knee hit the folding table.

It didn't hurt much.

But when I got up, I hit my head on the roof of the car, and it really hurt.

Zhang Ruonan didn't have time to think about anything else and hurriedly opened the door for Yang Chaoyue.

Then, without even glancing at Chao Yue outside, he covered his head, guiltily crawled into the back seat, and said with a wet smile, "It's my fault, it's my fault. I accidentally touched the door handle when I got in the car."

After saying that, he sat down, pretended to unbuckle his seatbelt, and wiped the lipstick mark from the corner of his mouth.

He also adjusted the air conditioner vents.

Cool down her burning cheeks.

"Turn the air conditioner down a bit, look how hot Ruonan is, her face is all red." Yang Chaoyue didn't think much of it and went straight to sit next to Jiang Yang.

"Just turn the air conditioner down a bit: 'Why is Hengdian so hot all of a sudden? Is summer coming so soon? Hey, Yang, I need to tell you something... Holy crap! Yang, what's wrong?'"

I was just about to ask Jiang Yang how she managed to buy good shoes for the children in her hometown village in a suitable way.

They noticed blood at the corner of Jiang Yang's mouth.

"It's nothing, just a few mouth ulcers."

Jiang Yang took out a few tissues to wipe his mouth.

One wipe and a bloodstain the size of a fingernail appears.

"Yang-ge, what's wrong with your mouth? The ulcers are so bad, let me take a look."

Yang Chaoyue leaned closer: "Let me see, don't move!"

She grabbed Jiang Yang's shoulder blade, examined him closely, and clicked her tongue a few times: "It's not a big problem. The ulcer is not on the inside of your mouth, but on the corner of your mouth. That's rare. It looks like a dog gnawed on it. I'll get some saline solution for you to drip a few drops on later."

"Are you out of your mind, Chaoyue? Applying saline solution to my wound is just torture."

"What do you know? This way it heals faster, especially for small wounds like this. It's a folk remedy from my hometown. You can buy some watermelon frost at the pharmacy; it has the same effect."

"I'll just let it recover on its own."

Yang Chaoyue sat up straight, smoothed his bangs, and said, "Then you need to be careful not to eat spicy food during this period."

The van departed from the Marriott Hotel, drove onto Denglong Road, entered Hengdian Tunnel, and headed towards the high-speed rail station.

Zhang Ruonan was in the back row, listening to Yang Chaoyue and Jiang Yang chatting casually in front of her.

I gradually relaxed.

No longer feeling guilty, I looked out the window.

It's good that it wasn't discovered.

My cheeks no longer feel hot.

Fortunately, the person who came in was a novice and not sensitive to this kind of thing.

If it were Bai Lu, she might be able to judge the extent of her and Jiang Yang's movements inside the car just by standing at the door and observing the collision of objects inside.

Judging from the bloodstains at the corner of Jiang Yang's mouth, she could easily imagine a heated scene between her and Jiang Yang.

Maybe once inside, they can even sniff out the hormones emanating from the car, like a search dog.

It's like witnessing a sweet crime scene and exposing it on the spot... Bai Lu is particularly enthusiastic about this kind of thing.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have subtly inquired about Meng Ziyi's romantic history just two days after we met, and then excitedly shared the gossip I'd just heard in the group chat.

I wonder how Jiang Yang will train Meng Ziyi when he goes to the set of "God of War Zhao Zilong" today.

I really want to go and see it.

Unfortunately, I have to go to class.

We arrived at the high-speed rail station.

After passing through security, Zhang Ruonan took her luggage off the conveyor belt and turned around to see Jiang Yang and Yang Chaoyue still waiting for her to leave outside the security checkpoint.

Jiang Yang waved slightly at her.

Yang Chaoyue was looking down at his phone when Jiang Yang tapped him on the head. He immediately looked up, waving vigorously in her direction, "Ruo Nan, see you at the wrap party!"

"Good luck on the college entrance exam, you two!" Zhang Ruonan said casually, slung her bag over her shoulder, turned around, and said, "I'm off!"

I turned into the waiting area and didn't go a long way.

Zhang Ruonan withdrew again.

In the distance, Yang Chaoyue and Jiang Yang's figures were already out of the hall and gradually disappeared from sight.

Chao Yue and Jiang Yang seemed to be arguing about something.

Chao Yue would occasionally stop and gesture with his hands, while Jiang Yang, unable to win the argument, would just keep shaking his head.

As Zhang Ruonan watched Jiang Yang and Yang Chaoyue's retreating figures, a gentle smile curved her lips.

Her fingertips gently caressed the backpack strap, her gaze gradually softening yet becoming firm.

"This road has not been easy for any of us."

The leap looked effortless.

Zhang Ruonan saw the effort she put in behind the scenes.

She murmured softly, her voice drifting away amidst the noisy chatter of the station.

Following Jiang Yang, it felt like everyone was a small boat being pushed along by the tide of the times. Even though we hadn't learned to swim yet, we had to row forward desperately.

Her gaze followed the tall, slender figure in the distance, watching the tips of his hair gleam slightly in the sunlight.

"Sometimes I really wish time could stop at this moment, so we could still be like this, worrying about a play, about a role, and so on..."

She paused, her tone softening: "When we actually reach higher places in the future, we might miss this kind of simple life where we can be happy for a long time over the smallest things."

An announcement came over the loudspeaker in the waiting room, reminding passengers to begin ticket checking.

Zhang Ruonan took a deep breath and lifted her backpack up.

I understand that this is the price of growing up.

We may drift apart, change, and become unrecognizable in the future. But at least for this moment, we are all fighting for the same dream.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned back to look at Jiang Yang's gradually disappearing figure one last time: "So, no matter how cruel reality is, we must believe that one day we will meet again at the top. At that time, I will definitely be braver than I am now, and I will be able to stand tall and proud beside you."

I took one last look at the now empty station entrance.

Zhang Ruonan turned and walked towards the ticket gate, murmuring in a voice only she could hear, "Now, let's each do our best."

Yang Chaoyue linked arms with Jiang Yang.

Take the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

Yang Chaoyue asked, "Brother Yang, I think Ruonan must be very sad right now. Why don't you send her a message and chat with her?"

"Do you know Ruonan?"

"Of course I know, I definitely know better than you. I chat with Ruonan all the time."

Can you really understand Ruonan just by chatting with her?
That's bullshit.

Jiang Yang and Ruonan didn't chat much on their phones, but their progress was definitely deeper than Chao Yue's.

Yang Chaoyue added, "I bet Ruonan is probably at the ticket gate right now, peeking at our backs and muttering to herself."

Speaking of it.

Yang Chaoyue paused for a few seconds and cleared his throat.

His tone lowered, mimicking Zhang Ruonan's voice, as he looked ahead: "Chaoyue, Jiangyang, we both have to keep going! Reality is cruel, but the future is bright... Right, Yang-ge? Hey! Why are you recording me!"

Yang Chaoyue was speaking.

She turned around to look at Jiang Yang and saw him holding his phone, recording a video for her.

Send it directly to the [Hoeing the Rice at Noon] group.

He immediately received a reply from Zhang Ruonan: [“Chaoyue, you’re making fun of me!”]
Yang Chaoyue typed: [“Ruo Nan, why did you break down? I was just talking normally.”]
Zhang Ruonan sent a message: [“You’re making fun of me, you’re imitating me.”]
Zhang Ruonan then posted: [“You wait, I’m going to imitate you too.”]
Not a moment later.

Zhang Ruonan sent a voice message in the group chat, a high-pitched, off-key singing voice: ["Burn my calories!!!"]
Yang Chaoyue put the receiver to his ear and almost went deaf; his head was buzzing.

Jiang Yang didn't post anything in the group.

Look towards the parking space of the film crew's nanny van.

On the mottled wall, there is a faded blue paint sign for Zone B2.

There's a corner that got scratched by some car, and it still hasn't been fixed.

The crew's van was parked in the spot closest to the sign. Next to it was a minibus, which looked like a vehicle for extras from other crews, brought in from out of town. The minibus had a sign on its window that said "Temporary Pass for XX Film Crew".

Jiang Yang's gaze was fixed on the driver of the nanny van.

The driver is positioned near the fuel tank.

The fuel tank cap was open, with a hose inside that the driver held in his hand, the other end of which was connected to a fuel drum on the ground.

Seeing Jiang Yang and Yang Chaoyue walking this way, the driver met Jiang Yang's gaze and smiled.

Jiang Yang didn't say anything, but smiled.

He bent the back of his hand, shook it, and laughed, "It's alright, Master. You go ahead with your work. In a bit, take Chaoyue and me to the set of 'God of War Zhao Zilong.' Do you know where the filming location is?"

"I know, Teacher Jiang. The team gave instructions. It's at the Qin Palace... Well, I'll just take a little so I can get reimbursed when I get back."

As we got closer...

The driver took out a pack of Yuxi cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and handed it to Jiang Yang: "Teacher Jiang, please have a smoke."

Jiang Yang did not wave his hand and say he wouldn't smoke.

They usually accept it first.

Just as he took it, he saw the driver reach for a lighter, and Jiang Yang immediately grabbed the driver's hand: "Gas can!"

"Oh! Hey, I'll be right there, right away." The driver chuckled sheepishly.

Yang Chaoyue watched from the side without saying a word.

Once in the car, she whispered to Jiang Yang, "Is the driver stealing fuel?"

Jiang Yang clicked his tongue and said, "That's ruthless. They just filled up the tank on the way here, and now they're emptying a whole can with one pump."

"Should we tell the director, Yang?"

"It's not worth it. Do you think Old Zhong doesn't know that?"

"Yes, that's true."

Yang Chaoyue nodded.

It's not the first time I've heard of a film crew driver siphoning oil; Bai Lu mentioned that she'd witnessed it before, and it was incredibly embarrassing.

This is the first time she has seen it.

Yang was quite frank; he simply told the driver to do his own thing.

If she were to witness it, she probably wouldn't know what to say.

Yang Chaoyue understood that the film crew driver industry was actually similar to that of drivers in other industries; the practice of siphoning oil was very common.

The rental fee for this nanny van is 1200 yuan per day.

It's much cheaper than in other places.

However, if the driver is included but the fuel is not, there are many hidden tricks involved.

The driver wasn't part of the film crew; he went back to the company to get reimbursed, and his earnings were just for fuel.

In Hengdian, this is practically an open secret within the industry.

This driver was alright; at least he offered Jiang Yang a cigarette, which saved face.

I overheard some people in the crew talking about how once, the assistant director of one of the crews was sitting in a car discussing the plot with the screenwriter. When the car pulled up at a gas station and filled up, the driver didn't even step on the gas pedal. He just got out of the car, took a fuel can and a hose from the trunk, and started siphoning fuel.

They don't hide anything from anyone.

The assistant director and screenwriter in the car turned pale.

The screenwriter directly confronted the driver: "What do you mean by siphoning oil? Isn't that stealing? I'm going to call the police if you keep doing this."

The driver didn't stop pumping oil, and said cheerfully, "It's okay, teacher. You can call the police. Anyway, I need to go back and report the expenses. You probably don't stay here often, right? It's alright, I understand. In the future, when the crew needs to attract investors, I'll definitely put in a good word for this show. To put it bluntly, this is the rule, and I will abide by it."

The screenwriter in the car was speechless.

Understand that this is a conventional, unspoken rule.

It's embarrassing, but there's nothing I can do about it.

There was no other way; the driver wasn't with the crew, and the car could only be rented locally. The production crew couldn't possibly buy a car; it was a temporary team, and the investors wouldn't allow the crew to buy a car.

Inside the van, the sound of the trunk slamming shut echoed.

I knew then that the driver had extracted most of the oil.

The car starts.

Drive towards the Qin Palace.

Yang Chaoyue typed away tirelessly, exchanging barbs with Zhang Ruonan in the group chat.

Finally, he sent a message: [“I'm done chatting, Ruonan. I'm driving now. Looking at my phone makes me carsick. If you want to sing Calories next time, I'll teach you.”]
Zhang Ruonan replied: [“Give me a break, you sang off-key yourself.”]
Yang Chaoyue typed heavily: [“You don’t know anything. I deliberately sang off-key. Yang Ge taught me to do it this way, saying it would make me more recognizable and only I could sing it like that.”]
Put away your phone.

Yang Chaoyue opened Weibo and excitedly patted Jiang Yang's arm: "Brother Yang, look!"

"What? You slapped my hand so hard, like you were swatting a mosquito."

"I have 12 followers on Weibo! Aren't I awesome?!"

"Awesome," Jiang Yang laughed.

“Look at my private messages. A while ago, they were all cursing me, but now they're all praising me.”

Yang Chaoyue opened his Weibo private messages: "Brother Yang, take a look!"

She swiped her phone screen to show Jiang Yang.

It says:

[Yang Chaoyue, your "Calorie" vocal off-key note is so captivating! This natural and unpretentious singing style is much better than auto-tuned singers!]
[At first listen, I thought it was off-key, but as I listened, I realized this was truly soulful singing; it perfectly captured the everyday life of a working girl!]
[The Weibo post you made during the Chinese New Year, the part where your dad asked you to move the pickle jars, cracked me up. It was so relatable! I'm a country kid too. Back home, I help my parents move wine jars and do farm work. The clothes I wear are so similar to yours back home, it's so relatable! Keep it up, Chaoyue, you have to become famous!] (End of Chapter)