69novels Chapter 50, probably all of them, it's not important anymore.
Chapter 50, probably all of them, it's not important anymore.
Time flew by after the dog-lost incident.
Filming for "Love O2O" has been underway for over two weeks, and the production team is already running smoothly.
We start work at 7 a.m. and finish in the evening, occasionally filming at night, but not often.
The cherry blossoms in Songjiang University Town haven't faded yet. When the wind blows, the petals fall down in a flurry, landing on the grass, on the prop cars, and on Nazha's hair, like an endless pink snowfall.
Naza is so happy lately, she's practically flying.
It's a very happy kind of happiness, a feeling that radiates from the inside out, like "I feel like today is another beautiful day" when I wake up every morning.
The reason is simple: Gao Huan was on set.
I see him every morning when I open my eyes, and he's the last person I see before I finish work each day.
We ate breakfast together, went to the film set together, rehearsed our lines together, ate together, and went back to the hotel together.
We're together 24/7, except when we're filming and separated by our roles.
Naza felt like she was soaking in a honey pot, so sweet it was almost cloying, but she didn't find it cloying.
The only thing that made her slightly complain was that Gao Huan's expectations of her were too high.
On the surface, Bei Weiwei is a beautiful and charming campus belle, but deep down she is a smart, independent, and opinionated academic star.
Being good-looking is a basic requirement, but being good-looking alone is not enough.
When she smiles, she should be sweet but not cloying; when she's angry, she should have presence but not be fierce; and when she argues with Xiao Nai, she should be quick-witted but not mean.
Gao Huan helped her carefully consider these nuances, one by one.
"Your smile just now was so sweet. Bei Weiwei isn't a naive and innocent girl; she's very smart. When she smiles, there should be something in her eyes, not just a simple 'I'm so happy' expression."
You delivered those lines too quickly.
Bei Weiwei is the most beautiful girl in the department. She is only emotional when she is in love with Xiao Nai. At other times, she is rational and speaks with reason and confidence, not just bluffing.
Slow down, pronounce each word clearly, so the audience feels, "This girl is not to be trifled with, but she's very likable."
"Don't wrinkle your nose when you're angry. When Bei Weiwei is angry, she slightly squints her eyes and turns the corners of her mouth down a little, not makes a face."
At first, Nazha felt that Gao Huan was making things difficult for her.
Later, she realized that Gao Huan was right.
Later, she felt that Gao Huan was simply a devil; he knew exactly how to bring out her best.
For every scene, he could point out more than three areas for improvement, and each point hit the nail on the head. It wasn't the kind of mystical guidance like "tighten up a bit here," but rather concrete and actionable suggestions that would make things better if you followed them.
He forced Nazha to practice her expressions, lines, and movements in front of the mirror every night when she returned to the hotel.
Later on, she even dreamed about reciting Bei Weiwei's lines.
But the effect is also visible to the naked eye.
During the first week of filming, Lin Yufen watched Nazha's replay and her expression was "Not bad, usable".
In the second week, Lin Yufen started nodding when watching the replay, and would occasionally say, "This one is good."
In the third week, Lin Yufen watched one of Nazha's scenes, remained silent for several seconds behind the monitor, and then said something that surprised everyone present.
"Nazha, this is the best shot I've ever taken of you."
Naza's eyes welled up with tears at that moment, because she knew how she had come to this point.
Gao Huan would accompany her to practice acting every night, going over the lines line by line and correcting her every glance. Although there were many other exercises, it was common for them to practice until the early hours of the morning before going to work again the next morning.
She did not waste his time.
From that day on, Lin Yufen's attitude towards Nazha changed noticeably.
The previous politeness of "You're the female lead, I respect you, but I'm really not confident in your acting skills" has turned into trust in "You're capable, you act well, I believe in you".
Naza attributed this to Gao Huan.
Gao Huan attributed this to Nazha's natural features.
"You already have this potential; we just need to be a little stricter with you. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
Otherwise, in TV dramas, the harder they try, the worse they get, and their looks actually decline instead of improve.
Gao Huan didn't say that, but Nazha knew that not everyone had the patience and ability to help her.
……
Applying makeup every morning is one of the moments Nazha looks forward to most each day.
The dressing room was small, with two dressing tables side by side against the wall.
Gao Huan sat on the chair on the left, and Nazha sat on the chair on the right. The two chairs were very close together, so close that Nazha could reach out and touch Gao Huan's arm.
Gao Huan's makeup artist was a man in his early thirties surnamed Zhou. He was very light and quick, and could finish Gao Huan's face in fifteen minutes, applying foundation, contouring, and drawing eyebrows. The job was neat and efficient, with just the right amount of touch.
Naza's makeup artist is a young woman, two years older than her. She is very meticulous, but slow.
Naza's makeup was much more complicated than Gao Huan's; her eye makeup alone took more than twenty minutes to complete.
But Nazha always arrived at the dressing room earlier than Gao Huan every morning.
Because she needed to be there to watch Gao Huan while he was putting on makeup.
Even though she had already done her makeup, even though she was sitting there doing nothing but looking at him in the mirror, she felt at ease.
She gave herself a good reason: "I feel more immersed in the role when I read the script next to him. After all, it's a love story, and looking at the male lead's face more often helps me get into character."
When Gao Huan first heard this reason, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but he didn't expose it.
Makeup artist Brother Zhou has gotten used to it.
Every day when he did Gao Huan's makeup, Nazha would sit next to him, holding a script, looking down at a few lines, glancing up at Gao Huan, then looking down at a few more lines, then glancing up again.
At that frequency, it's less like reading a script and more like watching Gao Huan.
Sometimes when Gao Huan had his eyes closed, she would glance at him a few more times, since he couldn't see her anyway.
Sometimes when Gao Huan looks in the mirror with her eyes open, she pretends to be looking at a script, but her peripheral vision keeps drifting to the left.
Makeup artist Zhou Ge saw right through Nazha's little scheme, but he never said a word about it.
Having been in this circle for a long time, he knows what to say and what not to say.
Every day, Gao Huan and Gulnazar are always the last to leave the dressing room.
It's not because they're slow at applying makeup, it's because they always dawdle for a while.
Sometimes Gao Huan would stand up first, walk behind Nazha, look down at the marks she made on the script, point to a place and say, "The version you practiced yesterday is better than this one, use that one."
Sometimes Nazha would finish her makeup first, but she wouldn't leave immediately. She would sit in a chair, play on her phone, and wait for Gao Huan.
But more often than not, the two of them stand up at the same time, walk to the door at the same time, and then...
The door closed.
There was no one else in the dressing room.
Naza stood on tiptoe, and Gao Huan lowered his head.
Their lips touched.
A deep, passionate kiss, earnest and intense.
Like two high school students secretly dating, they quickly kiss in a corner of the classroom when no one is looking, and then pretend nothing happened.
The first time, Nazha's lipstick smeared onto Gao Huan's lips.
She quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe him, and while they were wiping, their faces were very close, and she couldn't help but kiss him.
The second time, she was smarter; she blotted off some of her lipstick before kissing him.
But with lipstick, you can just blot off some and it'll still be there.
After the kiss, Gao Huan's lips still had a light pink tinge, like a thin layer of lipstick.
Naza found it amusing and a little smug, looking at the mark she had left behind.
Later she found a better way.
When you kiss him, don't kiss his lips, kiss his chin, cheeks, or neck.
But these places don't leave lipstick marks, which she feels isn't enough.
Until one day, she kissed his abs.
Yes, abs.
One day, after they finished their makeup, the two of them were in the dressing room, while Yangyang Jin stood guard at the door.
When Gao Huan was changing clothes, Nazha saw his well-defined abs.
It wasn't the first time she'd seen it, but her heart still raced every time.
As if possessed, she leaned over and kissed his abs a million times.
When their lips parted, a faint, dusty rose-colored lip print remained.
Naza paused for a moment, then laughed, laughing like a cat that had stolen a fish.
"This is good," she said. "Once you put it on, it won't be visible, and only I'll know."
Gao Huan glanced down at the lip print on his abs, a slight smile playing on his lips, but said nothing.
From then on, it became a little ritual between the two of them.
Every morning, before leaving the dressing room after finishing her makeup, Nazha would kiss Gao Huan's abs.
Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's two or three, lined up like stamps.
Gao Huan's abs are covered with Nazha's lipstick marks every day, changing colors and shapes.
He changes his shirt every day.
Naza bought several non-fading lipsticks specifically for this purpose, only to find that the non-fading lipsticks stayed on her skin for a longer time after being kissed, and she had to use makeup remover to wipe them off.
She felt better, because it meant her mark would last longer.
Sometimes, when Gao Huan lifted his shirt and saw the lip print on his abs, he would shake his head helplessly.
Naza's makeup skills also improved rapidly during this period.
Because every day she was researching how to apply lipstick to Gao Huan's abs without leaving any residue on her own lips, but still leaving a clear mark.
This requires controlling the moisture, angle, and pressure of the lips, making it even more difficult than applying eyeliner.
She calls this process "understanding Leung Kwan, becoming Leung Kwan, and surpassing Leung Kwan".
Gao Huan was drinking water when he heard this comment and almost choked.
"Like Kun?" He looked at her.
"Yes," Nazha said matter-of-factly, "You always say you have a bad temper. Liang Kun also has a bad temper, but his temper is acting, yours is real."
Gao Huan looked at her, unsure of what to say.
Naza leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spoke in a very serious tone, as if sharing some important research findings:
"I've done my research. Liang Kun's solution is to make girls drink more water, while Quentin's solution is to have a foot fetish."
But you need both of these fighting abilities. You only need me, and I'm confident in my footwork.
She said this with a serious expression, but there was a sly glint in her eyes.
Gao Huan looked at her, a slow smile spreading across his face, and reached out to ruffle her hair.
What do you think about every day?
"I miss you," Nazha answered without hesitation.
When the system was upgraded for the New Year, it once again comprehensively improved Gao Huan's physical fitness.
Gao Huan didn't have a precise quantitative standard for how much he had improved. But he could feel that his physical strength, recovery ability, and reaction speed had all reached a new level.
If his previous fighting power was enough to defeat 5 Nazas, then now it's 10.
This metaphor was invented by Yangyang Jinfa.
She once saw Gao Huan go swimming after boxing practice, and after swimming, he was still able to write a script with Nazha in his room until the early hours of the morning. The next morning, he was full of energy and went to work. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Huan, you are worth ten Nazhas."
Gao Huan didn't respond at the time, but Nazha remembered it.
She later used this metaphor elsewhere, referring to anger.
Gao Huan does indeed have a short temper.
As the only "firefighter," Nazha faced considerable pressure.
To calm him down, she referenced and paid homage to the preferences of Leung Kwan and Quentin.
Leung Kwan's approach is, well, basically, to be diligent.
Quentin's approach is, well, basically, to be creative.
Naza combined these two approaches and developed her own methodology.
Recently, her two techniques have made rapid progress.
One type is manual dexterity.
She used to only know simple massage techniques, but now she has learned a whole set of relaxation techniques, from the shoulders to the back to the waist, with varying degrees of pressure and precise positioning that surprised even Gao Huan.
Another type is verbal skill.
She studied a lot of the teachers' materials, did a lot of practice, and repeatedly adjusted the angle and intensity, finally finding a solution that satisfied Gao Huan.
Gao Huan once asked her, "Where did you learn that?"
Naza blinked, her tone mysterious: "Isn't it in Quentin Tarantino's movies?"
Gao Huan remained silent for two seconds.
"You don't see this kind of thing in Quentin's movies."
"That belongs to Leung Kwan."
"Even Liang Kun doesn't have it."
Naza thought for a moment and then smiled.
"It's in the movie next door! And this is something I made up myself. Anyway, as long as you're satisfied."
As she spoke, she slowly leaned back and lay on top of Gao Huan, then tilted her head and kissed him fiercely.
Gao Huan, naturally unwilling to admit defeat, lifted Nazha up to practice yoga, much to Nazha's surprise.
……
The sun was shining brightly that afternoon.
Under the cherry blossom trees in Songjiang University Town, Gulnazar had just finished filming a scene with Mao Xiaotong.
This scene shows Bei Weiwei and Zhao Erxi taking a walk and chatting on campus, talking about Xiao Nai.
Zhao Erxi asked Bei Weiwei, "Do you like Xiao Nai?" Bei Weiwei said "no," but her face turned red and her eyes betrayed her.
Naza portrayed the contradictory feeling of "denying it verbally but admitting it in her heart" very well. Her eyes darted around, her lips curled up slightly but she quickly suppressed it, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
Lin Yufen called "Cut!" from behind the monitor and then gave Nazha a thumbs up.
Mao Xiaotong smiled back at her, a clean and sweet smile, like a freshly washed strawberry in April.
"Nazha, you look great today," Mao Xiaotong said.
Naza wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled, "Maybe it's because the sun is shining brightly today and I'm in a good mood, so I'm in good shape."
Mao Xiaotong glanced at her, the corners of her mouth curving slightly, but she didn't expose her.
She knew the real reason why Nazha was in such good condition: Gao Huan had been on set all day.
The two walked together toward the rest area. Mao Xiaotong's assistant handed her a bottle of water, which she took and drank a sip.
Naza's assistant also handed her a bottle. Naza unscrewed the cap, took two sips, and glanced towards the RV.
Gao Huan has no scenes today.
His next scene was in the evening, so he spent the entire afternoon in his RV. Naza knew roughly what he was doing—writing scripts or songs.
He once said that the character Bei Weiwei gave him some inspiration, and he wanted to write a song specifically for Bei Weiwei and also for Gulnazar.
Every time Nazha thinks about this, it's like a butterfly has been released into her heart, fluttering and unable to settle down.
"Nazha." Mao Xiaotong's voice came from the side.
Naza turned her head, and Mao Xiaotong was standing next to her, holding a phone in his hand, with a smile that was a little scheming but also very sincere, the kind of smile that only girls would have.
"What's wrong?" Nazha asked.
Mao Xiaotong hesitated for a moment before speaking, trying to sound natural, but Nazha could hear the probing under her tone.
"Nazha, I've made plans to have hot pot with Gao Huan tonight, let's go together."
Naza's fingers paused for a moment.
She looked at Mao Xiaotong, her expression unchanged, but the temperature in her eyes dropped by a fraction of a degree, revealing a wary "What did you say?" kind of look.
Mao Xiaotong noticed the change in Nazha's eyes in that instant.
The change was subtle, like a ripple on a calm lake, spreading out in circles, disappearing quickly.
But Mao Xiaotong caught it.
She didn't panic or dodge; instead, she smiled.
The smile was a little wider than before, carrying a knowing "I understand you" quality.
She quickly added a sentence.
"I am grateful to the director for recommending me for this role."
Mao Xiaotong's tone was sincere, not like an excuse she had made up on the spot. "Besides, my boyfriend is coming too."
She specifically emphasized the words "my boyfriend".
"Let's all four of us eat together," Gao Huan said, adding that he wanted to have hot pot.
Naza looked at Mao Xiaotong and remained silent for two seconds.
Then her expression relaxed.
The ripple disappeared, and the lake returned to its calm. The corners of her mouth slowly turned up, from "alertness" to "reassurance," and then from "reassurance" to a smile tinged with a little guilt and embarrassment.
"Okay," she said, her tone much lighter than before. "Which hot pot restaurant?"
Mao Xiaotong breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't show it on her face. She took out her phone and scrolled through it.
"Gao Huan said she wanted to eat Chongqing hot pot, so I found a place with good reviews in the JA area that has private rooms."
Nazha nodded, thought for a moment, and then said:
"Then I won't wear makeup tonight, I'll smell like hot pot."
Mao Xiaotong laughed: "I don't wear makeup either."
The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.
That kind of laughter is something only girls share, a tacit understanding that "if none of us wear makeup, then it's fair."
Naza turned and walked towards the RV, her steps quickening slightly.
Mao Xiaotong stood there, watching Nazha's retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips, then lowered her head and sent a message to her boyfriend:
"We're having hot pot tonight. Gao Huan and Nazha are going too. Are you coming to pick me up beforehand?"
Her boyfriend didn't reply promptly.
Mao Xiaotong stood there waiting for quite a while.
……
Naza walked to the door of the RV and knocked.
The door opened from the inside.
Gao Huan sat on the sofa in the RV, with several A4 sheets of paper spread out on the table in front of him, covered with dense writing.
He held a pencil in his hand, the tip resting on the paper, as if he was thinking about something.
He was wearing a black T-shirt, his hair was unkempt, and wisps of hair fell down his forehead, covering one eyebrow.
She wasn't wearing makeup, but her face looked even better in the natural daylight; the texture of her skin, the curve of her brow bone, and the sharpness of her jawline were all more clearly visible.
"Come in. Who are you going to pretend to be this time?" he said gently, his voice not loud.
Naza got into the car, closed the door, and sat down next to him.
She rested her head on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his neck.
"You're amazing, you can remember my footsteps. Mao Xiaotong said we should have hot pot together tonight?"
She asked, her tone as casual as possible, as if she were talking about something she already knew.
Gao Huan glanced at her.
"Did she tell you?"
"She said so. She said her boyfriend is coming too."
Gao Huan nodded, his gaze returning to the paper.
"Yes. She wanted to thank me for recommending her to the crew, and I said no thanks. She then suggested we have a meal together, and I said okay."
Naza turned her head and looked at his profile.
His nose was straight, his lips were slightly pursed, and his eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow under his eyes.
When he's thinking, he enters a state of deep concentration, filtering out all external noise and distractions, leaving only himself and the words in front of him.
As Nazha watched, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
"What are you laughing at?" Gao Huan didn't look at her, but he knew she was laughing.
"I'm laughing at how handsome you are."
Gao Huan paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't reply.
Naza leaned against him quietly, watching him scribble and draw on the paper.
She could understand some paragraphs, but not others.
Occasionally she would ask, "What does this mean?" Gao Huan would give a brief explanation and then continue writing.
The evening sunlight streamed in through the RV window, falling warmly on the two of them.
Outside, staff were moving props, someone was shouting "Move the lights a little more to the left," birds were chirping, and there was the sound of wind blowing through the cherry blossom trees.
Naza closed her eyes and thought, "If only life could always be like this."
About ten minutes later, Gao Huan put down his pencil, picked up the papers, and read them over from beginning to end, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were assessing something.
Then he put down the paper and turned his head to look at Nazha.
"What hot pot should we have for dinner?"
"Mao Xiaotong mentioned Chongqing hot pot." Nazha opened her eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted to eat it?"
"I said anything was fine, but she chose it." Gao Huan leaned back on the sofa, thought for a moment, and said, "Chongqing hot pot is okay too, I haven't had it in a long time."
Naza sat up straight and looked at him.
"Have you finished writing that song for Bei Weiwei?"
Gao Huan glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Soon."
"When is 'soon'?"
"Before filming wrapped."
Naza pursed her lips, but didn't ask any further questions.
She knew Gao Huan's songwriting habits; urging him was useless. He would only release the song when he felt it was ready.
She stood up and straightened her clothes.
"What should I wear tonight?"
Gao Huan looked at her and sized her up.
"I don't care what I wear, I'll just smell like hotpot anyway."
Naza smiled, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
"Then I won't wear makeup."
"Do you think I look good without makeup?" she asked, her tone a mix of coquettishness and seriousness.
Gao Huan looked at her; sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on her face.
Her skin was so white it was almost translucent, her eyebrows were undrawn but well-shaped, her eyelashes were long, and her lips were a natural pink, not as bright as if she had applied lipstick, but more authentic.
"It looks good," he said.
The two words, spoken in a flat tone, sounded more like a statement of fact than a compliment.
Naza walked over, squatted down in front of him, and looked up at him.
"Gao Huan."
"Um."
"You can't even say anything nice."
Gao Huan reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen onto her cheek behind her ear.
"Let's talk about it while we eat."
Naza smiled, and half an hour later she stood up, turned around and walked towards the car door.
He took two steps, then stopped and turned around.
"I want to eat tripe tonight, lots of it."
"it is good."
Nazha opened the car door, and sunlight streamed in, bathing her in a golden glow.
She got out of the car, closed the door, stood at the entrance of the RV, and took a deep breath.
The March wind carries the scent of cherry blossoms, blowing softly from the treetops of Songjiang University Town, like someone calling her name from afar.
She took out her phone and sent a message to Mao Xiaotong.
"What time tonight?"
Mao Xiaotong replied instantly: "8:30, the store in the JA area, I'll send you the location."
Then another message came: "My boyfriend said he really likes Gao Huan's acting, and he heard that she has a high alcohol tolerance, so he wants to have a couple of drinks with her."
Naza looked at the message, a slight smile playing on her lips, and typed a reply: "Gao Huan doesn't drink much, but he probably drinks a little."
After sending the message, she put her phone in her pocket and walked towards the dressing room.
The sunlight fell on her shoulders, casting her shadow on the ground, long and thin, like a willow tree just sprouting new buds.
She walked with lighter steps than usual, and the corners of her mouth were always turned up. I don't know if it was because of the hot pot that night, or because Gao Huan said "it looks good," or because he promised to write the song.
Probably both. As for why Gao Huan accepted Mao Xiaotong's invitation so easily—after all, Gao Huan had refused Yang Mi's invitations countless times—none of that matters anymore, just like the lyrics of the new song she had just secretly seen:
Treasures should be cherished; aren't you mine?
You are like something from outer space, something we desperately desire.
Your name in the secular world is no longer important.
……
All she needs is love and happiness!