In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

"Not good." Kazusa rested her hands on the window, letting the breeze tousle her hair. "I felt nothing at all."

"It's not your fault. After all, even professional actors can't just cry if they can't convey the emotions properly," Yuan Qianye comforted her.

"Time was already very tight. I should have been more decisive back then and let Rikka find a more suitable person to play the female lead instead of me."

"What's wrong with you? Your excellence is obvious to everyone. Don't underestimate yourself. Nobody's perfect. How many people in this world have outstanding talent in one field and can also achieve something in other areas?"

Kazusa gazed at her with a deep, unsettling look.

If someone else said such a thing, it might be comforting to her, but when it came from Minamoto Chiyo… I'm sorry, it wouldn't convince her at all, because the person he was talking about was standing right in front of her right now.

Yuan Qianye seemed to realize that his words were not very convincing, so he wisely kept quiet and quickly changed the subject, saying, "I have an idea. Although it is a bit unorthodox, if used properly, it may be able to make the last two scenes pass the filming smoothly."

"any solution?"

"onion."

"Onion? What does that mean?"

"Oh right, I forgot that you never lift a finger, so you probably don't know the specific effects of raw onions."

"what do you want to say in the end?"

"You'll find out when we start filming after school this afternoon."

Soon it was time to get out of school.

We obtained an application from the student union and rented an empty classroom on the first floor specifically for filming. We simply furnished it with a few sets of tables and chairs.

Rikka is helping Eriri set up the camera positions on set, while the important female lead sits in a chair with her eyes closed, preparing herself for the scene that is about to be filmed.

As for Yukino, she stood up at the back of the classroom with Minamoto Chiya, looking at the two onions he was carrying that he had bought from the cafeteria, and asked with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "Is this really going to work?"

Gen Chiya seemed quite confident: "I've already spoken to Kazusa, and she said it's no problem. Besides, onions are all-natural vegetables, and we're not going to put them directly into her eyes. We're just using their aroma, so they're completely harmless to the human body. Therefore, there's no need to worry. And just in case, considering that the onions might not produce good results, I've prepared a backup plan."

"?"

Under Yukino's gaze, Chiya Minamoto pulled a tube of wasabi from his pocket.

“You… really are…” Yukino was completely speechless.

Yuan Qianye glanced at her with dissatisfaction: "This is a necessary compromise for us under the current circumstances. If we really run out of time in the end, it would be the worst outcome if everyone is disappointed after all our hard work."

"...You're the director, you're in charge." Yukino managed to utter only this sentence after a long pause.

Everything was ready, and everyone took their positions.

"The Secret That Cannot Be Told, Scene Twelve, Act Three, Action!"

The camera lens focused on the back door of the classroom. Against the backdrop of the setting sun, Kazusa cautiously peeked out half of her body, peering into the classroom.

It's now!

With a silent wave of his hand, Yuan Qianye, who was in control of the situation, immediately understood Rikka's meaning.

She was off-camera, holding a broken onion in one hand and a small palm-leaf fan in the other, gently blowing a breeze toward Kazusa.

Kazusa's eyes instantly welled up with tears; the effect was remarkable.

Everyone held their breath, but the next moment, as if about to cry, this was the best performance in the show's history. However, the next second, he couldn't hold back anymore, turned his head to the side, shrugged his shoulders, and laughed uncontrollably.

"Cut," Yuan Qianye said helplessly.

The others were also infected by Kazusa's laughter and started laughing together.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it when I saw Rikka's cautious expression next to me." Kazusa took the tissue Eriri handed her and wiped away her tears.

"It's okay, it's okay, we can do it again later."

"Next time we shoot, I'll try to keep a straight face so as not to interfere with your performance."

The atmosphere on set was pleasant and harmonious. After a brief moment of calm, filming resumed.

Yuan Qianye's "unorthodox methods" worked, and the two scenes that had troubled everyone for several days were successfully resolved in just one afternoon after school today.

After that, all that's left is the final editing stage.

After filming ended, everyone packed up the set and went to the Service Department to get their bags.

Gen Chiyo approached Yukino alone, gave her a meaningful look, deliberately lagged a few steps behind the group, and said directly, "Come stay at my house for the next few days."

Yukino looked at her with a shocked expression, as if to say, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Yuan Qianye sighed: "I'm not joking with you, I'm serious. Come over here. After all, you don't want any mishaps or accidents to happen to all the hard work we've put in over this long period of time, right?"

After saying this, Yuan Qianye realized that something seemed a bit off, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

Seeing Yukino hesitate, he continued, "I wrote the script, and I can also help you with suggestions when you're editing. I can give you suggestions on what color tone to use to present the emotional effect you want to express in different scenes, and what kind of background music to use in different environments. It's much better for me to give you the best solution directly, so that you don't have to stay up all night trying to find the best effect.

Besides, you're not coming to my house alone with me; Rikka and Tohka are also here, so you don't need to worry about me actually coming to raid you at night.

"I've never worried about that."

"You just understand."

"Yeah, you don't have the guts."

"Wait a minute, didn't I already address this issue before? It's not that I didn't... Never mind, this kind of conversation is pointless. What's your answer?"

"What you said makes a lot of sense, but I can't reply to you right away. I don't know what my parents' attitude is either."

“You’re in high school now, can’t you make your own decisions about this little thing? I even moved out with Toka and Rikka when I was in junior high.”

"You said it yourself, you were able to move out of your home because of Sister Shihua. It's no use saying anything now. I will consider what you said and get back to you later."

"How long after that? After the Friday when the school festival starts, that's after that too."

"I'll do it as soon as possible."

Yukino could only offer this promise in the end.

And it was indeed very fast.

At 7 p.m. that evening, Chiyo received a call from Yukino: "I've already mentioned what you told me this afternoon to my mom. She means that she doesn't object to me participating in club activities, but she's considering that there might not be enough rooms at your place, while my house has plenty of empty rooms. So... if you don't mind, you can come to my house for the next few days."

"..." This development was somewhat unexpected. Yuan Qianye remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

Yukino continued softly, "...She also said that if you're okay with it, she can have her family driver come pick you up right now...What's your answer?"

In the latter half of her words, the second young lady's tone revealed an undisguised smile.

You could feel the air around her getting happier.

At this very moment, just like at that time in the afternoon, the balance of power between offense and defense has shifted.

In this situation, what kind of response could he possibly give?

If he refused, wouldn't it seem like his invitation, which he had deliberately extended beforehand, concealed some unspeakable motive?

I was originally acting out of good intentions and genuine concern, so there's nothing to worry about.

"Sure, please tell Auntie that I'm sorry to bother you for the next few days, but you don't need to pick me up, I can go there myself."

…………

Chapter 043: Eve of the School Festival

"Qianye, are you really going there now? Isn't it a bit inappropriate?"

At the Yuan family apartment, after hanging up the phone, Yuan Qianye went to the balcony, folded his dried clothes, and put them into his bag. Rikka, who had just heard his explanation of the situation, looked somewhat worried.

What do you mean?

"So...did you tell Saeko-nee and Utaha-nee about this?"

"Why do I need to tell them this? I already told you that I'm going to stay with Yukino for a few days just to help edit the movie. Otherwise, it would be too hard for her to work alone, and she might not be able to keep up with the schedule. That's all."

"That's true..."

"What do you mean by 'that's what it says, but that's the truth'? What kind of nonsense are you thinking about all day long?"

"I wasn't thinking anything inappropriate. Besides, since you, Qianye, roughly understand what I'm thinking, you must also have those kinds of thoughts yourself, right?"

"You've even learned to apply what you've learned to other situations, haven't you?"

"Ugh—stop hitting my head all the time. It's because you and my sister keep hitting me on the head that my grades are so bad."

"Stop shirking responsibility if you can fall asleep while reading... Anyway, stop overthinking and stop gossiping, understand?"

"I know... What about my sister?"

"You don't need to worry about her. I'll call her and explain the situation later. By the way, you know she's been very busy lately, so if she doesn't have time to prepare lunch and dinner for you, you can go stay with your parents for a few days after school tomorrow."

"You don't need to worry about such a small thing. They're not children anymore."

"Who was it that scared me so much in the middle of the night last time that they screamed?"

"That's because I had a nightmare last night! And you shouldn't have just barged into the bathroom without saying a word!"

"You said it yourself, it was the middle of the night, how could anyone know you were inside?"

Gen Chiyo roughly calculated the time it would take to stay there, and seeing that the two sets of clothes in her bag were enough, she checked her personal belongings. With everything ready, she stopped chatting with Rikka and gave her a few more simple instructions before leaving. She went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and arrived at the gate of the Yukinoshita mansion around 8:00 AM.

Because he had sent a message to the second young lady when he was almost there, Yuan Qianye could see her standing at the courtyard gate to greet him from afar.

She was dressed casually in a loose cotton short-sleeved shirt and trousers, with a black cat pattern printed on the front of the shirt. She wore slippers, and her delicate toes peeked out unguarded, making her look adorable.

"Hello, madam, excuse me."

"What nonsense are you spouting now?"

"Just kidding."

After all, the side-swept hairstyle she wears in private for convenience really gives her a very wifely vibe.

Yukino had known him for quite some time and knew that if she were to delve into his unreliability, it would only go on and on.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot, come in." She reached out and took the bag from Yuan Qianye's hand, then turned and led the way into the courtyard.

Yuan Qianye quickly followed: "I came in a hurry this time and didn't bring any gifts. I did have the taxi stop for me in front of a fruit shop, but the fruit didn't look very fresh and the quality wasn't good, so I didn't buy any. I'll come back with you after school tomorrow and buy some more, that should be fine, right?"

"You're a student, and you're here to help me, so there's no need for you to do anything extra."

"That won't do. You have a very good impression on my parents. They like you a lot. I don't want to lose to you in this aspect."

"whatever."

What are your plans for tonight?