From unemployment in crosstalk to top star in Chinese entertainment

"This movie is really well made."

Wang Churan rubbed his eyes as he read the last part and couldn't help but sigh.

"Mm." Yu Liang nodded.

The two emerged from Theater Seven, neither speaking immediately. The lights outside were much brighter than inside, almost blinding. Wang Churan lowered his head and rubbed the tip of his nose; his eyes were still red.

"Teacher Xu Zheng should be able to win an award for this play."

"Definitely," Yu Liang said.

Yu Liang remembers that this work later swept important awards on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and also remembers that Xu Zheng was unable to make a film that surpassed it for many years afterward.

But sitting here now, watching the end credits roll, he suddenly felt that those awards weren't so important compared to the film in front of him.

Moreover, what "Dying to Survive" accomplished later was far more significant than winning awards—its 3.1 billion yuan box office transformed the issue of "expensive medical care" from a private affliction into a public issue, forcing real-world change.

The two then walked side by side toward the exit.

There were even more people in Wanda Plaza than in the afternoon, crowding in groups of three or five in front of the ticket machines. The sweet smell of popcorn mixed with the oily aroma of hot dogs filled the entire hall.

The two unconsciously moved closer together, their masks covering most of their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.

Yu Liang glanced at the movie schedule on the wall. Posters for "Hello Mr. Billionaire" and "A Good Show" were hanging side by side, and next to them was "iPartment: The Movie".

His gaze lingered for a second on the last movie poster, which was essentially a bait-and-switch, his lips twitched slightly, and then he looked away.

"Do you need to go to the restroom?" Yu Liang asked.

Wang Churan shook his head.

Yu Liang wanted to throw the movie ticket into the trash can, but she was stopped as soon as she raised her hand.

"Hey, don't throw it away."

"What's wrong?"

"I haven't taken the picture yet."

She took out her phone and snapped a picture of the movie ticket. The ticket stub was clutched in her hand, with the blurry Wanda Cinema in the background.

"I'm going to show this to my roommates," she said, sending the photo and then carefully putting the ticket stub into her handbag. "Otherwise, they'll keep saying I'm stuck on set and can't even watch a movie."

Yu Liang nodded. She had mentioned before that the girls in her dorm were all from the high school affiliated with the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and they were very close. One of them was her best friend.

"Actually, I wanted to film this while watching the movie," Wang Churan stuck out her tongue, "but I forgot about it while watching."

When she said this, her voice still had a slight nasal tone.

---

"I'm hungry," Wang Churan said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "How about we grab something to eat?"

"What would you like to eat?"

"How's Indian food? I know a place that's pretty good."

"Are you sure?" Yu Liang frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you think the food at Third Brother's house looks like digested Chinese food?"

Wang Churan was stunned for a moment.

"Eh~".

Yu Liang's story isn't over yet.

He stretched out his right hand and made a grabbing motion, his fingers deliberately curled in an exaggerated way. "Besides, with food eaten with your hands, what if they're mixing it with their left hand—"

"Yu Liang!" Wang Chu slapped him in anger.

The force was very light, landing on her forearm. As she pulled her hand back, her fingertips brushed against Yu Liang's sleeve.

Yu Liang did not dodge.

In the end, they went to that Indian restaurant anyway. Wang Churan had recommended it, saying the curry was authentic and the naan bread was perfectly baked. The two found a corner seat, and Wang Churan ordered a whole table of food. Halfway through the meal, he started frowning—not because it was bad, but because Yu Liang was commenting on it the whole time.

"Yu Liang, if you say another word, I won't eat anymore." Wang Churan put down his spoon and glared at him.

Yu Liang shut up. There was silence for about ten seconds.

"Actually, the taste is alright," he said.

Wang Churan couldn't help but laugh. When she laughed, her eyes curved into crescents, and a tiny bit of curry sauce clung to the tip of her nose, unnoticed by herself. Yu Liang saw it but didn't say anything, simply pushing a tissue towards her.

She tried to wipe it off, but it didn't come off.

Yu Liang picked up a tissue, reached across the table, and gently touched the tip of her nose.

Wang Churan was stunned.

She lowered her head, and the tips of her ears turned red at a visible speed. She didn't dare to look at him again until the meal was over.

---

By the time we finished eating and started walking back, it was already completely dark.

The streetlights on this main road in Hengdian are lit in a very regular pattern, one every twenty meters. The dim yellow light shines down from above, casting the shadows of two people into two parallel lines.

The camphor trees on both sides of the road rustled in the wind, and occasionally a leaf or two would fall and land in front of the two people walking on the bluestone slabs.

Wang Churan felt that her walking pace had changed. Even though she thought it was a normal pace, she would unconsciously slow down or speed up a little, trying to keep up with Yu Liang's speed.

The distance between the two people is always neither too far nor too close.

As they walked, their hands occasionally touched.

When they met, neither of them spoke, neither of them moved away, and neither of them took an extra step forward to hold hands.

It was just a light touch.

Wang Churan's heart skipped a beat. She pretended to be nonchalant and continued walking, her eyes fixed on the streetlights ahead, but her entire attention was on that hand.

Actually, after their first encounter, she subtly moved her hand a little closer to Yu Liang while flipping her hair.

The movement was so small that I thought I wouldn't be noticed, and then I quickly pulled back, feeling like I had done something stupid.

She glanced quickly at Yu Liang. He was looking straight ahead, still talking about something.

Wang Churan breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a sense of inexplicable disappointment.

She touched his cool hand again without realizing it.

Then she would steal a glance at Yu Liang.

Was that a deliberate act?

Or am I overthinking it?

The two talked a lot as they walked the road, but Wang Churan remembered nothing.

All I remember is that their hands were very close together.

---

"Okay, I've arrived."

Wang Churan stopped and turned around.

The lights from the hotel entrance shone from behind her, and the night breeze made her skirt sway gently.

"Go in." Yu Liang waved his hand.

Wang Churan took two steps and then suddenly turned around.

"Yu Liang, I'm wrapping up filming tomorrow."

Yu Liang was taken aback.

"When are you leaving?" he asked.

"I have to go back tomorrow after filming. I have classes at school, and they've already started urging me to get back to school."

Yu Liang nodded.

He stood there, the streetlights casting long shadows around him.

He watched as the girl in the JK uniform stepped onto the porch stairs.

Yu Liang's gaze involuntarily focused on the absolute territory between the mid-calf socks and the hem of the skirt.

Then he looked away, lowered his eyelids, and stared at the patch of cement at his feet, which was bleached white by the streetlights.

A lot of things suddenly flooded his mind.

The sounds of the young couple in the back row of the movie theater, Wang Churan's outstretched finger as she handed him popcorn, and the silhouette of her profile when the lights dimmed.

He admitted that he had the idea.

He had considered "accidentally" knocking the cup over onto her skirt while handing her the milk tea.

I thought about touching her knee with the back of my hand in the dark, once if not twice.

I've imagined the sensation between the hem of that skirt and the stockings.

He never denied any of these thoughts.

He's no more noble than that guy in the back row of the movie theater. In fact, he's even worse.

but.

When he handed over the popcorn, he saw the words on Wang Churan's cup.

The writing was very small, in a thin line, on the blank space of the cup sleeve:

Does he like me?

He couldn't see the answer printed on the milk foam; Wang Churan had already carefully drunk it.

In that instant, all those thoughts got stuck.

Suddenly, he felt he shouldn't bully this innocent girl in front of him.

He stood under the streetlight for a while before turning around and walking back.

Before I had taken two steps, my stomach suddenly started churning.

Yu Liang clutched her stomach, frozen in place with a stiff expression.

The sadness and deep feeling from before were completely swept away by this sudden, sharp pain.

"Damn it, I knew I couldn't eat the food at Third Brother's house."

Yu Liang couldn't help but complain, looking around to find there were no toilets on the street.

He returned to the hotel where Wang Churan was staying, and the receptionist told him with a smile that the drainage system in the lobby bathroom was broken and was being repaired.

Yu Liang, clutching her stomach, leaned against the counter, took a deep breath, and dialed Wang Churan's number.

"Come downstairs and pick me up—hurry up."