ABOES 58: It’s the First Time

The script lay open before him, but Chi Yunxing couldn’t take in a single word. All he could think about were two huge words—“kiss scene.”

He took several deep breaths before finally asking Li Chao, “Why… Why is the very first scene a kiss scene?”

Li Chao replied, “Well, everyone’s just joined the crew. I arranged this kind of scene early on so everyone can quickly get into character.”

Seeing Chi Yunxing’s troubled expression, Li Chao reassured him, “It’s fine, no need to worry. You and Teacher Duan are already familiar with each other, it’ll be no problem!”

But they weren’t that familiar!

Li Chao had more to handle and didn’t stick around to chat longer, he left quickly.

After he left, Chi Yunxing sat silently in the lounge for a long time.

Before accepting this drama, Xie Yi had even asked him whether he could accept kiss scenes. If he couldn’t, she would negotiate with the director.

Back then, Chi Yunxing didn’t think kiss scenes were a big deal. He was an actor. Devoting himself to his craft was part of the job so he hadn’t asked Xie Yi to speak to the director.

He just never imagined that his co-star would be Duan Zhiyan.

When Duan Zhiyan told him yesterday that he was joining the crew, why didn’t that thought even cross his mind?

Chi Yunxing felt a bit dazed and a little nervous.

He couldn’t focus on the script, so he placed it over his face and lay back on the sofa.

Just then, Duan Zhiyan knocked on the lounge door.

“Yunxing? Can I come in?” he asked.

Chi Yunxing shot up like a startled fish, the script falling to the floor. “Yes!”

As he bent down to pick it up, Duan Zhiyan opened the door. Seeing this, he smiled faintly. “Still studying the script?”

Chi Yunxing’s heart started beating faster for no reason. Maybe it was from bending over, but his cheeks grew warm. He nodded, his voice a bit unclear. “Mm, just skimming…”

Duan Zhiyan reached out. “Want to run lines with me?”

Chi Yunxing froze for a second before realizing he meant reading the script. He handed it over.

Just mentioning it made him feel awkward, especially in front of Duan Zhiyan.

He couldn’t help but rub his nose before hesitantly saying, “No… no need. I’ve done this scene before.”

Even though, back then, he played Xu Li while Duan Zhiyan played Ning Chu.

Duan Zhiyan flipped to the relevant part and chuckled when he heard that.

Chi Yunxing felt the heat rise in his face again and couldn’t bring himself to look at him.

“Feeling shy?” Duan Zhiyan caught on quickly.

Chi Yunxing wanted to deny it, but when he met Duan Zhiyan’s concerned gaze, the words turned into, “…A little.”

Duan Zhiyan sat beside him and suggested, “Want me to talk to the director and push this scene back?”

After a pause, he added, “If it’s really uncomfortable, we can cheat the angle when we film.”

He had explained this kind of camera trick to Chi Yunxing before.

Chi Yunxing knew Duan Zhiyan was looking out for him. He nervously pressed his lips together, then shook his head. “No need. When I first took this role, I was already prepared. And—”

He looked up at Duan Zhiyan and rubbed his flushed cheeks. “And if it wasn’t you, it’d just be someone else…”

“I can’t avoid kissing scenes my whole life.”

Duan Zhiyan’s smile deepened slightly. He handed the script back and said with a grin, “Glad to hear that.”

Chi Yunxing now understood why Duan Zhiyan had come. He was probably worried he couldn’t handle the scene and came to check on him.

That thought made Chi Yunxing feel touched and curious. “By the way, Zhiyan Ge, have you ever filmed a kiss scene before?”

Before entering the entertainment industry, Chi Yunxing didn’t know much about it.

The only reason he remembered some things about Duan Zhiyan from his past life was because Duan Zhiyan had become so popular during that time, it was impossible not to notice. His understanding was still limited.

Duan Zhiyan tilted his head and met Chi Yunxing’s curious eyes, then shook his head. “No.”

Chi Yunxing’s pupils widened in shock—exactly as Duan Zhiyan had expected.

“No… really?” His jaw dropped and he forgot to close his mouth.

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze fell briefly on his slightly parted lips before looking away. He answered openly, “Yeah. Never.”

After a moment, he added, “So it’s a first for both of us.”

Still stunned, Chi Yunxing felt his ears start to burn the moment he heard that line.

He gave a small laugh, not knowing what to say in response.

Fortunately, Duan Zhiyan didn’t wait for an answer. He stood up and said, “It’s almost time. I’ll head back and get ready. See you in a bit.”

Chi Yunxing nodded.

Once the lounge door closed behind Duan Zhiyan, Chi Yunxing reached up and touched his ear.

Yep, burning.

His cheeks too.

…

The filming set was already prepared. The stage crew came knocking, letting Chi Yunxing know it was almost time.

He took several deep breaths to steady his breathing. Once the blush on his face faded, he opened the door and stepped out.

Li Chao spotted him from afar and waved. “Teacher Chi, over here! Let me brief you on the scene.”

Chi Yunxing scanned the set but didn’t see Duan Zhiyan.

He quickly walked over to Li Chao.

Li Chao was holding the script, explaining the scene to the female lead. When Chi Yunxing arrived, he stepped aside and let him sit down before continuing, “…Today is your last university gathering. After today, you may never see each other again. Wu Xiao is sad, but she’s with Jiang Jin now, so she’s not overly emotional.”

“The one who’s really heartbroken is Ning Chu.” As he said this, Li Chao looked at Chi Yunxing.

Chi Yunxing nodded slightly. “Because this is Ning Chu’s last chance. If he misses it, he might never confess his feelings.”

Li Chao smiled and nodded. “Exactly. You’ve got a great grasp of it.”

Chi Yunxing gave a small smile but said nothing.

Li Chao didn’t know how skilled Chi Yunxing was at acting, so he was still a little worried. He dismissed the female lead Song Ya and spent extra time explaining to Chi Yunxing.

Chi Yunxing already understood everything, but he still listened patiently.

Right before filming, Duan Zhiyan finally came out of the lounge.

As soon as he stepped out, he spotted Chi Yunxing standing next to Li Chao.

The afternoon sun was blazing. Chi Yunxing wore a sleeveless school uniform, and standing beside the tanned Li Chao, his pale skin looked even more flawless. He was almost translucent from afar.

Duan Zhiyan stared at him for a while. Chi Yunxing seemed to feel the gaze and turned toward him. Seeing it was Duan Zhiyan, he flashed a bright smile.

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes curved as he smiled back and waved.

As he got closer, he heard Li Chao explaining the scene to Chi Yunxing. He didn’t interrupt, just quietly stood nearby. 

The set was noisy, so Li Chao didn’t notice him until he finished explaining. Only then did he realize Duan Zhiyan had been there.

“Teacher Duan, when did you get here?” Li Chao was a bit startled and nervous. Did Duan Zhiyan hear everything he just said?

As a small-time director, he felt self-conscious about explaining acting in front of someone like Duan Zhiyan, who had worked with top domestic and international directors.

Duan Zhiyan just smiled. “I’ve been here for a bit. Director Li, your explanation was great, it helped me better understand Ning Chu’s character.”

“Ah! Not at all!” Li Chao hadn’t expected such praise. He blushed slightly and quickly waved his hands. “I was just sharing my take with Teacher Chi. You’ve been in this industry way longer than I have. You definitely understand the role better than I do.”

Duan Zhiyan smiled and shook his head. “You’re too modest.”

“You’re the modest one!” Li Chao grinned. “Alright, since Teacher Duan is here, let’s get ready to shoot?”

“Mm.” Duan Zhiyan nodded.

Chi Yunxing nodded too. Since this was a kiss scene between two male actors, to help them feel more comfortable, Li Chao cleared the set after everything was ready.

Only essential staff remained. At Li Chao’s signal, filming began.

Chi Yunxing closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was no longer Chi Yunxing. He was Ning Chu, who kept all his feelings hidden deep inside.

Li Chao sat behind the monitor. When he saw the emotion in Chi Yunxing’s eyes, he nearly leapt from his seat in excitement.

Yes! That’s exactly what he wanted!

That was his ideal Ning Chu!

Li Chao was both thrilled and shocked. Was this really Chi Yunxing’s first time acting?

His performance was surprisingly good.

Ning Chu had chosen the same university and major as Xu Li just to be closer to him. Even though Ning Chu’s exam scores were much higher, he still chose to be Xu Li’s roommate for four years.

After a night of drinking, Xu Li woke up with a pounding headache. He struggled to sit up, but didn’t see Ning Chu in the bed across from him.

Clutching his head, he lay back down, only for the dorm door to quietly open.

Ning Chu tiptoed in, carefully closing the door behind him.

He carried a plastic bag of hangover medicine in one hand and a boxed pork-leg meal in the other.

After setting both on Xu Li’s desk, Ning Chu couldn’t resist looking up at the bunk above.

Xu Li’s brows were furrowed, like something was bothering him.

Ning Chu’s gaze softened. His lips curled slightly, and on impulse, he rose on tiptoe and gently brushed his fingers over Xu Li’s furrowed brow, trying to smooth it out.

But before he could, Xu Li’s eyes suddenly opened.

Their eyes met. Ning Chu was the first to react. He quickly pulled his hand back and explained, “I was just checking if you had a fever…”

Xu Li sometimes ran fevers after drinking, and Ning Chu had taken care of him enough to know.

Xu Li didn’t respond much, he just mumbled in acknowledgment.

Seeing this, Ning Chu frowned slightly. “Not feeling well?”

He reached out again to check Xu Li’s temperature.

What he didn’t expect was for Xu Li to dodge his hand.

Ning Chu froze, hand hanging awkwardly in the air. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled it back.

Xu Li saw the look on his face and wanted to say something comforting but what came out was, “I… I need to use the bathroom.”

Ning Chu stepped aside quickly. “Oh.”

Xu Li walked off in a hurry, clearly flustered.

Ning Chu had liked Xu Li for seven years.

Aside from Xu Li’s parents, no one knew him better. Even though it was just one unconscious gesture and a half-baked lie, Ning Chu sensed something was different.

Xu Li was acting strange today.

Why? Could he have found out something?

Ning Chu’s gaze landed on the plastic bag on the table, staring at the hangover medicine for a long time. Then he called out, “Xu Li, I put the medicine on your desk. Don’t forget to take it. I’m heading out.”

He grabbed his phone and walked toward the door.

But before he could leave, Xu Li opened the bathroom door. “Wait! Where are you going?”

Ning Chu pursed his lips, not answering, just looking at him quietly.

Xu Li avoided his gaze, clearly uneasy. “I… I just wanted to ask where you’re going. There’s nothing happening today…”

Ning Chu lifted his phone. “It’s almost noon. I’m going to eat.”

Xu Li suddenly got clever, “Didn’t you just get back? You brought me food and you didn’t eat?”

Ning Chu chuckled. “How’d you know I just got back? Were you awake for a while?”

Xu Li’s face changed. He opened his mouth, then stammered, “No… I just smelled the pork-leg rice!”

Ning Chu didn’t press further. “Okay.”

He turned to leave.

Xu Li panicked and grabbed his arm. “Where are you going? Can you wait until I finish what I want to say?”

Ning Chu finally turned around, pulling his arm free. He sat down and said, “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

By now, Ning Chu had a strong suspicion. Xu Li must’ve figured something out.

What he didn’t expect Xu Li to say was that he wasn’t completely unconscious when he got back last night.

Xu Li didn’t meet his eyes as he spoke, just rushed to pour out everything he’d held in all night. “…Honestly, I didn’t drink that much last night. Well, maybe I did, but after so many times, I guess I’ve built up a tolerance. I was dizzy right after the party, but I sobered up in the taxi. I just couldn’t open my eyes…”

He couldn’t open his eyes, but he remembered everything.

He remembered how Ning Chu helped him into the cab while softly muttering complaints.

He remembered the faint fragrance on Ning Chu’s body and that feather-light kiss.

If he hadn’t been fully conscious, he never would’ve noticed it.

“Why… did you kiss me?” Xu Li had agonized over this all night. He finally had to ask.

Ning Chu thought hard about that.

Yeah, why did he kiss him?

He remembered the soft and warm feeling of Xu Li’s lips. It was so soft that after the kiss, his heart raced uncontrollably.

It had felt perfect but now, it would never happen again.

How could he have been so careless and let Xu Li find out?

Ning Chu’s expression was full of regret, but also a strange sense of relief.

At last, the secret he’d buried for seven years had been discovered.

All those repressed feelings surged up, no longer needing to hide.

“Yes,” Ning Chu lowered his gaze, hiding the love he couldn’t contain. His voice was hoarse. “I did kiss you. If you want to hit me, go ahead.”

At that moment, Ning Chu was utterly unrestrained. He had already prepared for the worst.

Even if Xu Li got angry or disgusted and wanted to hit him, Ning Chu wouldn’t fight back.

What he didn’t expect was for Xu Li to say, “No, I mean… Why would I hit you? I just wanted to ask, did you kiss me because you like me? I…”

“So what if I do?” Ning Chu suddenly looked up, eyes slightly red and lips trembling. He was clearly nervous, but he still said it.

He liked Xu Li. Very, very much.

“I… this is all so sudden, I…” Xu Li flailed.

“It’s not sudden,” Ning Chu’s eyes were dark, unblinking. His love spilled out like a flood. “I’ve liked you for a long time. You just never noticed.”

“W-When?”

Ning Chu laughed softly. “You really never noticed?”

He suddenly stood up. He was half a head shorter than Xu Li, so all he had to do was tilt his head slightly, and their lips would touch.

Xu Li panicked and took a half-step back. “W-What am I supposed to notice?”

Ning Chu didn’t answer. He just took a step closer.

And then another.

They were so close they could hear each other breathe, it was so close he could see the fine hairs on Xu Li’s face.

Chi Yunxing only had to raise his head and kiss him then the scene would be done.

As he stared into Duan Zhiyan’s eyes, he saw the flicker of panic there. Duan Zhiyan seemed to know what was coming but hesitated, unsure if he should dodge.

They froze twenty centimeters apart. No matter how hard Chi Yunxing tried, he couldn’t move any closer.

Suddenly he felt anxious. A bead of sweat slid down his temple.

Duan Zhiyan waited a while, and doubt crept into his gaze.

In the end, Li Chao called out, “Cut!”

“Teacher Chi! What happened? Why didn’t you kiss?” Li Chao asked, clearly disappointed.

Chi Yunxing’s performance was phenomenal. It was so good that Li Chao’s hair practically stood on end behind the monitor. He’d found a gem!

He wasn’t worried about seasoned actors like Movie Emperor Duan or Song Ya, who had studied acting, or Lu Li, who had starred in several web dramas.

The one he worried about most was Chi Yunxing.

But to his shock, Chi Yunxing nailed his first scene.

Great line delivery, expressive eyes, perfect body language!

This didn’t feel like someone acting for the first time.

Chi Yunxing was born for this!

Li Chao had been so excited, convinced they’d nail it in one take until Chi Yunxing stopped.

He’d thought maybe Chi Yunxing was adding a dramatic pause but one second turned into nearly a full minute.

Li Chao’s brows furrowed. Something wasn’t right. He quickly called cut.

Before the actors even came over, Li Chao rushed forward. “Teacher Chi, what happened? Was something unclear?”

Chi Yunxing was still pulling himself out of the scene. When he heard the question, he felt deeply embarrassed and quickly apologized, “Sorry, it was my fault.”

Li Chao let out a breath. “No worries! Let’s take a break, touch up your makeup, then go again. Great work, both of you!”

The makeup artist hurried over.

But even after the break, Chi Yunxing was still off.

After two more takes, Li Chao scratched his head. “Maybe we should take a longer break. No rush, we’ve got time today.”

Chi Yunxing apologized to the staff, then turned to Duan Zhiyan, looking guilty. “Sorry, Zhiyan Ge.”

Duan Zhiyan shook his head gently, saying nothing.

As they rested, Liu Ran brought two bottles of mineral water.

Chi Yunxing took one and it was chilled. He opened it and took a sip.

Duan Zhiyan held his bottle without drinking. Instead, he looked at Chi Yunxing.

Noticing his gaze, Chi Yunxing tilted his head. “Hm?”

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes darkened. His lips pressed into a line, and his tone turned unusually serious, “Yunxing, just now… did you freeze because you realized the person in front of you wasn’t Xu Li but Duan Zhiyan?”

Chi Yunxing’s heart skipped a beat. He reflexively tried to deny it. “No, I…”

But halfway through, he realized, he couldn’t argue.

It was true.

He had suddenly snapped out of the moment and saw not Xu Li, but Duan Zhiyan.

Otherwise, that kiss full of love would have already happened.

Chi Yunxing lowered his head, discouraged. He clenched the water bottle in his hand and nodded. “Yeah… my bad.”

Duan Zhiyan was close enough that Chi Yunxing could hear his soft sigh.

“Yunxing,” he looked at him again, his voice gentler, “I’m not blaming you. I just want you to remember. When you’re acting, you are the character. Don’t overthink it.”

“Or in another way, the person standing in front of you wasn’t Duan Zhiyan. He was Xu Li, the one Ning Chu has loved for years and you weren’t Chi Yunxing. You were Ning Chu, who loves Xu Li. Understand?”

Chi Yunxing’s eyes widened slightly, and he looked up like a fog had lifted.

Duan Zhiyan watched him quietly.

Chi Yunxing’s smile grew until his eyes sparkled. “Got it!”

Duan Zhiyan finally smiled too. “Mm. Ready now?”

“Yep!” Chi Yunxing nodded.

Filming resumed.

Ning Chu looked at Xu Li, eyes still rimmed red, and stepped closer.

Xu Li backed up until he hit the wardrobe.

Ning Chu’s eyes were intense, his love nearly overflowing.

Xu Li opened his mouth to speak but Ning Chu kissed him first.

His soft lips touched Xu Li’s—warm and slightly damp, cool and fragrant. It was a scent unique to Ning Chu, something Xu Li knew well.

Xu Li should’ve pushed him away. Yet no matter what, he couldn’t lift his hand.

Suddenly, his lips felt a slight dampness, as if something had softly sucked on them. Duan Zhiyan’s gaze darkened.