I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

It wasn't until Fang Zhizi knocked on the car door from outside, reminding her that the afternoon's filming was about to begin, that Shu Zi came back to her senses.

She whispered to the screen, "I'm going to take the picture now."

Gu Yan nodded: "Go ahead, take care of yourself."

Shu Zi hummed in agreement and hung up the video call.

She sat there for a few more seconds before taking a deep breath, pushing open the car door, and getting out.

-

The next day, late at night.

The rain started falling in the evening and continued to drizzle.

The film crew started artificial rainmaking as soon as night fell, with lights shining in the rain, making the whole street wet.

Tonight's shoot is a crucial, silent scene.

The last person she trusted in her life also left her.

She couldn't get through on the phone, and no one replied to her messages. She stood at the agreed-upon location and waited for a very long time.

She waited from dusk until late at night, the rain grew heavier and heavier, and fewer and fewer people were on the street until she was the only one left.

The script doesn't contain long passages of dialogue, only a long wait and a final silence.

The director yelled "Action!" and Shu Zi stood in the rain, completely soaked.

She first lowered her head, her shoulders slightly tense, as if she were struggling with herself.

Then she slowly raised her head and looked at the intersection ahead.

No one came.

She lowered her eyes, her lips twitched as if she wanted to force a smile, or as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

She just stood there, raindrops streaming down her chin, indistinguishable from rain or something else.

The set remained quiet for a long time, so long that even the director behind the monitor didn't immediately call "cut."

Several seconds later, the director's voice came through the loudspeaker, slightly hoarse:

"Click, that's great, we passed that one."

Shu Zi stood motionless in the rain, as if she hadn't heard the director's voice, still gazing at the empty intersection.

Rain dripped down her hair, her eyelashes were covered with water droplets, and her gaze was vacant.

Fang Zhizi rushed over, holding an umbrella, wrapped a thick blanket around her, and handed her a thermos.

"Have a sip of something hot first, to warm your stomach."

Shu Zi took it, lowered her head and took a sip. The hot water flowed down her throat, and the chill in her body seemed to be dispelled a little.

She held the cup, stood there with her head down, watching the white steam rising from the rim of the cup, without saying a word.

The director stood up from behind the monitor, glanced in her direction, and spoke in a much gentler tone than usual:

"Shuzi, you've worked hard. This scene was great. Go back and get some rest. I'll give you half a day off tomorrow."

Shu Zi raised her head, nodded to the director, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Thank you, Director Fei."

Fang Zhizi breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that she had spoken, and softened her voice:

"Let's go, let's go back to the car first, and turn the heat up high before we talk."

Shu Zi nodded and followed her toward the RV.

The rain was still falling, and the night wind was chilly, so she couldn't help but hunch her shoulders.

After walking a short distance, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Sister Zizi!"

It was Qi Yu's voice.

Shu Zi stopped and turned around.

Qi Yu ran over, his hair slightly wet from the rain, carrying a small paper bag. He handed it to her, panting, and said:

"Here you go, a small cake. My assistant said this place is really good, and I heard you didn't eat much tonight, so I thought I'd bring one for you."

Shu Zi paused for a moment, looked down at him, then looked up at him again, and shook her head: "No need."

Qi Yu shoved the paper bag into her hand: "Sister Zizi, don't be so polite with me."

He then took out a hand warmer from his pocket and stuffed it into his hand as well.

"And this, I just grabbed it. You've been in the rain for so long, put this on first, so you don't catch a cold."

Shu Zi looked down at the thing in her hand, paused for a moment, and said softly, "...Thank you."

Qi Yu scratched his head and smiled, "You're welcome. Um... you should go back and get some rest. You have a show to do tomorrow."

Shu Zi nodded and was about to turn around when a voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

"Nuonuo".

Shu Zi's back suddenly froze.

She slowly turned around.

On a rainy night, a black Maybach was parked quietly not far away, its headlights still on, casting a warm yellow halo that blurred into a circle in the rain.

Gu Yan was walking towards her, wearing a black trench coat, his shoulders already damp from the rain. His gaze pierced through the raindrops and landed steadily on her.

Shu Zi stared at him blankly, as if she hadn't reacted.

A few seconds later, the paper bag and heat pack in his hand fell to the ground at the same time.

She rushed towards him and threw herself into his arms.

Gu Yan reached out and caught her steadily, his trench coat enveloping her completely.

Her face was buried in his chest, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly at his waist, and she couldn't say a word.

My shoulders were trembling; I didn't know if it was from the cold or because I had finally found a place to stand after enduring it for so long.

He carried the scent of a long flight, mixed with the coolness of the night and the smell of rain, but to her, it was the most comforting scent in the world.

Gu Yan lowered his head, resting his chin on the top of her wet hair, tightened his arms, and said nothing.

The rain was still falling, but his arms were warm.

After a while, Shu Zi slowly pulled away from his embrace, her eyes and nose red, looking disheveled and pitiful.

She sniffed: "...Why are you back?"

Gu Yan looked down at her, reached out and brushed the wet hair that clung to her cheek, his voice full of concern:

"If you don't come soon, my baby will melt from the rain."

Shu Zi felt a lump in her throat and wanted to snuggle into his arms again, but then she remembered that there were two other people standing behind her and stopped herself.

She stepped back, hastily wiped her face, and turned to walk back.

Gu Yan took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders from behind, wrapping her up completely, and silently followed behind her.

Fang Zhizi had already picked up the fallen heat packs and paper bags, holding them in her arms with excitement on her face.

Qi Yu was still standing there, his gaze falling between her and Gu Yan, his expression somewhat complicated.

Shu Zi took two steps, stopped, and nodded to Qi Yu:

"Thank you for the cake and hand warmers. Go home now, don't catch a cold."

Qi Yu's gaze fell on Gu Yan's face, paused for two seconds, as if recognizing something: "...Teacher Gu?"

Gu Yan nodded slightly: "Hello."

Qi Yu's expression froze for a moment, then she smiled again: "Hello, Teacher Gu."

There was a two-second silence in the air.

Qi Yu glanced at the coat on Shu Zi's shoulder, as if he understood something.

He smiled, took half a step back, and waved to Shu Zi:

"Sister Zizi, I'll head out now. You should get some rest."

After saying that, she nodded to Gu Yan, turned around and ran towards the film set, her pace much faster than when she came.

Fang Zhizi, clutching the paper bag and hand warmers, glanced at Qi Yu as he walked away, then at the two people in front of her, and tactfully spoke:

"I'll head out now, Zizi. You get some rest, I'll wait for you on set tomorrow!"

After saying that, he ran away in a flash.