One week later, morning, film and television base.
The filming for the "Gods" drama was in full swing. The female lead's scenes were particularly demanding, with action sequences, dialogue-heavy scenes, and emotionally charged climaxes following one after another.
Su Qianqian, with her meticulous and perfectionist nature towards work, was practically living on set.
Gu Chengyu's car appeared once again on the periphery of the set.
This had almost become the norm recently.
Whenever he had a free moment, he would come. Sometimes he arrived with expensive catering trucks and desserts to treat the entire crew; other times, he would stand silently in a corner, his gaze intense as he watched Su Qianqian perform.
Today, his timing was unfortunate. Su Qianqian was filming a major scene of a rain-soaked, decisive breakup.
Artificial rain poured down in sheets. Soaked to the bone in her costume, she delivered her lines of finality.
Watching her pale little face on the monitor, Gu Chengyu's brows were tightly knit. He wanted to rush forward and call for a stop, but in the end, he remained still.
He knew how much heart and soul she was pouring into this drama right now.
Finally, the director called "Cut!"
Crew members immediately rushed over with towels to wrap around Su Qianqian.
She seemed a bit weak and was helped towards her dressing room by her assistant.
Catching sight of him out of the corner of her eye, Su Qianqian paused for a moment before walking over. "Yu? Wait for me a moment, I need to go change."
Gu Chengyu nodded, suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms. He turned to instruct Assistant Zhao to arrange for some hot ginger tea, then followed behind her.
Inside the dressing room, Su Qianqian changed out of her drenched costume into her regular clothes, wrapping herself in a small blanket.
Gu Chengyu sat beside her, took a towel, and began gently drying her hair.
"Why push yourself so hard? What if you get sick?" His tone held both heartache and displeasure.
Su Qianqian closed her eyes, enjoying his rare act of service, her voice lazy. "It's just work. It's always like this."
"Besides, this scene is very important. If done well, it can be a real standout moment."
"I can afford to take care of you," Gu Chengyu brought up the old topic again.
He put down the towel, cupping her face in his hands. "If you don't want to film, then don't. Come home and rest."
Su Qianqian looked at him with a hint of helplessness, her voice soft and sweet. "Yu, this is work I love. I don't want to be a canary you keep in a cage."
Gu Chengyu frowned, pulling her—blanket and all—into his embrace. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice muffled. "I never said you were a canary."
"I just don't want you to be so tired. And besides, you haven't had any time for me lately."
His tone carried a note of aggrieved complaint.
Su Qianqian's heart softened a little. She nuzzled against him as a form of appeasement. "The filming schedule for this drama is tight, and my scenes are the heaviest. I really am a bit busy. It'll be better after we finish shooting this part."
"After this part, there will be another part," Gu Chengyu countered, not accepting her excuse. His arms tightened, holding her closer.
"Qianqian, do you have any idea that every time I come to see you lately, it feels like you're just brushing me off?"
He lifted her jade-like chin, forcing her to meet his determined gaze.
"Can't I be more important than your work? Can we have a proper talk? I don't want things to stay the way they are now."
Su Qianqian lowered her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. She very much wanted to put him first, to act spoiled and playful with him, but she always had reservations.
Could she truly entrust everything to a man who had been a notorious playboy his entire life? The answer was no.
She firmly believed that only by growing and becoming independent herself could she stand firmly in this world. Things like romance and love felt too insubstantial.
She sighed softly, explaining in a gentle voice, "Yu, I'm not brushing you off. I just think... the way we are now is fine."
"You live your life as the young master of the Gu family, I focus on my acting career. Being together occasionally... isn't that good?"
"No! It's not good!" Gu Chengyu rejected the idea firmly.
"That's not what I want. I want you by my side! I want you to have me in your eyes and in your heart! Just like before!"
But not everything from before was real either. This thought, however, the young woman only dared to mutter to herself. Saying it out loud would surely cause a scene.
Su Qianqian sighed silently. She leaned in proactively, planting a kiss on his chin, and began using the tactic she knew worked best on him: acting spoiled. "Yu, I'm so tired..."
"Can we not talk about this today? After I finish filming this drama, I'll spend more time with you, okay?"
"Besides, you said you'd give me time to think about us. If you keep pestering me like this, I can't think properly..."
As she spoke, she blinked her big eyes, looking up at him innocently, just like she used to, in a way he found utterly captivating.
In the end, Gu Chengyu's heart softened. He stared at the young woman in his arms, unable to look away.
He thought to himself, even though she's a year older, she's still as sweet, soft, and adorable as when he first met her a year ago, making him want to kiss her, hold her, and cherish her.
He was always so easily pacified by her.
Gu Chengyu lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Alright. But you have to think about it properly."
"And lately, you haven't been acting spoiled with me or trying to appease me. You're always putting on this distant, quiet act. It makes me feel terrible."
Su Qianqian nodded obediently.
She didn't want to pretend to be quiet and composed either, but he was just too clingy. She felt she had to maintain a stern face and keep a bit of distance.
