He plays Feng Yuxiu, and his girlfriend is a fairy-like beauty.

Liu Yifei left the film set after less than an hour.

As she left, she greeted Lu Yang, nodded to the main actors, and then looked at Ye Mo.

"I'm leaving."

His tone was indifferent, just as when he arrived.

But Ye Mo saw her eyes—there was reluctance in them, and the helplessness of wanting to stay a little longer but not being able to.

Her lips pursed slightly, as if she was holding back something.

"Be careful on the road," Ye Mo said with a smile, his tone relaxed and showing no sign of anything amiss.

Liu Yifei nodded, then turned and left.

After walking a few steps, she looked back again.

Just one glance.

Then he put on sunglasses, got into the van, closed the door, and drove off.

Ye Mo stood there, watching the black van drive away from the film set, feeling a little empty inside.

But he didn't have time to be idle.

because--

"Teacher Ye!"

"Ye Mo!"

"Come, come, sit here!"

People from all directions surged in like a tide.

……

The first to rush over were those young stagehands.

"Teacher Ye, how did you and Liu Yifei meet?"

"How long have you known each other?"

"I forgot to ask for an autograph when I first met the fairy-like beauty. Could you please get me one?"

The questions came at Ye Mo like a machine gun, leaving him no chance to catch his breath.

"Just... friends." Ye Mo took a step back. "Ordinary friends."

"A regular friend would come all the way to visit the set?" A production assistant's eyes widened. "Teacher Ye, who are you kidding?"

"We're really just ordinary friends." Ye Mo's voice was already starting to waver.

The crew members exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Teacher Ye, please stop hiding it."

"Yeah, share it!"

"We promise we won't tell anyone!"

Ye Mo: "...Aren't you just spreading rumors?"

……

Having finally broken free from the crew's encirclement, Ye Mo was then surrounded by several actors.

"Xiao Ye, come here." Nie Yuan sat in the rest area, beckoned to him, and gave him a smile that said, "I have something to ask you."

Ye Mo steeled himself and walked over.

"Teacher Nie."

"Sit down," Nie Yuan said, gesturing to the chair beside him. "Let's chat."

Ye Mo sat down, his heart pounding.

Nie Yuan looked at him, not in a hurry to ask, just smiling at him for two seconds before asking, "How did you and Liu Yifei meet?"

"We met online," Ye Mo said.

This is true.

"Online?" Nie Yuan raised an eyebrow. "What online?"

"It was just... a forum." Ye Mo said vaguely, "She posted something, I replied, and that's how we met."

Nie Yuan responded with an "Oh".

I didn't ask any further questions.

But the "oh" was drawn out for a long time, clearly indicating disbelief.

Li Dongxue, who was standing next to him, unusually spoke up: "You met online, and then what?"

"Then we just chatted," Ye Mo said, scratching his head. "We got to know each other better as we chatted."

"You'll come visit the set once you're familiar with each other?" Li Dongxue stared at him.

"She...was going that way," Ye Mo said. "She said she just happened to be passing by."

Nie Yuan and Li Dongxue exchanged a glance and simultaneously said "Oh".

It was that kind of drawn-out "oh" again.

Ye Mo was internally screaming: Can you guys please stop with the "oh"?!

Wang Qianyuan walked over, holding a coffee in his hand, and glanced at Ye Mo.

"Are we under siege?"

"Teacher Wang, please stop making fun of me." Ye Mo looked miserable.

Wang Qianyuan smiled and didn't ask any further questions.

He's a smart man; he knows what he should ask and what he shouldn't.

But before he left, he still said, "Liu Yifei doesn't like to go out. The fact that she made a special trip for her shows that you, her ordinary friend, are anything but ordinary."

Ye Mo opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Wang Qianyuan had already left.

……

At the entrance to the dressing room, Liu Sishi stood there, watching Ye Mo being surrounded by a group of people.

The makeup artist leaned over again: "Sister Sishi, aren't you going to ask?"

"What do you want to ask?" Liu Sishi asked indifferently.

"Ask Ye Mo what his relationship with Liu Yifei is."

"What does this have to do with me?"

The makeup artist choked for a moment and dared not say anything more.

But Liu Sishi's gaze remained fixed on Ye Mo for two seconds before she looked away and turned to enter the dressing room.

……

Ye Mo finally escaped from the crowd.

He made an excuse to go to the restroom, ran out of the film set, hid in a corner outside, took out his phone, and sent a message to Liu Yifei:

"You left, leaving me alone to face a thousand troops."

Three seconds later, the reply came:

"Haha, you've worked hard."

This was followed by a laughing emoji covering the mouth.

Ye Mo looked at that expression and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He posted another message: "The whole crew keeps asking me what our relationship is. I said we're just friends, but nobody believes me."

"Then just emphasize that you're just ordinary friends."

"I told them, but they didn't believe me."

That's their business, not yours.

"...You seem to have it easy."

"Otherwise what? Should I go back and explain to them?"

Ye Mo thought about it and decided it was better not to.

If Liu Yifei were to return, the situation would be even more out of control.

"Forget it, you go about your business. I'll handle it myself."

"Go for it, my boyfriend is the best!"

It was followed by a heart emoji.

Ye Mo looked at that sentence and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up.

……

Evening, in the rented room.

After taking a shower, Ye Mo lay on the bed wearing only his shorts, staring blankly at the ceiling.

My phone rang; it was a video call.

Liu Yifei.

He answered the call. On the other end of the screen, Liu Yifei was nestled on the hotel sofa, wearing a loose T-shirt, her hair down, without makeup, and with a few drops of makeup remover residue on her face.

"You've had a hard day," Liu Yifei said with a smile, her voice soft.

"You still dare to say that." Ye Mo rolled her eyes. "Do you know how many people asked me this today? The production crew asked me, then the actors asked me, then the director asked me, and even the lighting technician came to ask me."

"So what did you say?"

I said ordinary friends.

"and then?"

"Then they didn't believe it."

Liu Yifei laughed out loud, and as she laughed, her voice gradually softened, and her eyes became gentle.

"Ye Mo".

"Um?"

"Should I... not have gone today?"

Ye Mo was taken aback.

He looked at Liu Yifei on the screen. Her eyes held a hint of unease, like a kitten that had done something wrong, tentatively reaching out its paws, yet afraid of being scolded.

Ye Mo's heart softened instantly.

"What are you saying?" he said softly. "I'm overjoyed that you've come to visit the set."

"real?"

"Really," Ye Mo said earnestly, "but could you let me know in advance before you come next time? So I can be mentally prepared."

Liu Yifei blinked: "If I told you in advance, you wouldn't let me come?"

"...I still have to come."

They both laughed.

Liu Yifei turned over, propped her phone against the pillow, and lay on her side looking at the screen.

"Ye Mo".

"Um."

"I miss you."

Ye Mo felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"Me too," he said. "When you left today, I watched you get into the car, and I felt so empty inside."

"Then why aren't you letting me stay?"

"How can I stay? There are so many people here."

"Yeah, that's true." Liu Yifei sighed. "When will we be able to stop hiding from each other?"

Ye Mo remained silent for a second.

"Soon," he said. "Once I've filmed a few more movies and more people know my name, we won't have to hide anymore."

Are you sure?

"I'm sure." Ye Mo looked at her. "Then I'll hold your hand and let everyone know that you're mine."

Liu Yifei's face turned a little red.

"Who is yours...?"

"do not you?"

"……yes."

The word "yes" was so small it sounded like a mosquito's buzz, but Ye Mo heard it clearly.

He smiled, a very satisfied smile.

The night outside the window was as quiet as a still pond.

The two people were separated by a screen, neither of them speaking, just looking at each other.

No need to speak.

Just looking at it is enough.

......