Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 553 The Little Demon 14

Director Zhang was still discussing the next shot's positioning with the male lead, Teacher Li, while Sister Wang turned away to touch up her makeup. The surrounding noise seemed to temporarily form an invisible barrier between them.

Chi Jingchen was holding the small plate of sesame cold noodles and cherry radish, and did not return to the pillar immediately, but took another step closer to Yun Chu.

As the distance shortened, Yun Chu could see the expression in his eyes more clearly - beneath the polite smile, the familiar feeling of meeting an old acquaintance became deeper like ripples on the water.

"Thank you, I'm glad to have tasted this again." His voice softened, his eyes fixed on the thermos. "The spicy noodles in that bowl of noodles last time still make my stomach burn when I think about it. It's so... unforgettable."

He had a self-deprecating smile on his face, and the neighborly air he displayed when he was tired was inadvertently revealed again.

Yun Chu felt a little awkward, and unconsciously rubbed the outer wall of the thermos with his fingertips. "Oh, sorry, was it too spicy last time? This time, the cold noodles are refreshing, just enough to relieve the greasiness."

"No, it's very good." Chi Jingchen immediately shook his head and said seriously, "Thank you for breakfast that day. Thank you for the delicious food today."

"You're welcome. I brought a lot anyway." Yun Chu waved his hand, then smiled a little as he remembered something. "You, on the other hand, look much more energetic. Congratulations on setting up your own studio."

She said sincerely that she was happy for her neighbor idol who had once been ill, and admired his courage.

Chi Jingchen's eyes seemed to light up, as if he had not expected Yun Chu to know this: "Well, it happened after the New Year."

He paused, as if weighing his words, his eyes sweeping over Yun Chu's backpack and her student-like attire. "What about you? I remember you said you were a student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology? Don't you have classes today?"

"Yes, I'm a junior now." Yun Chu nodded. "School is on vacation, so I came to see my sister." She pointed at Luo Yunshuang, who was being called over by the assistant director. "She plays a director in the play."

Chi Jingchen smiled and said, "Teacher Luo's control of emotions in the office scene just now was very accurate and her explosive power was very strong. The teachers in the crew all said privately that she has a high level of understanding and can quickly get into the state."

Hearing him praising his sister, Yun Chu felt a little proud and smiled more naturally: "Really? My sister has always been a great actress."

Chi Jingchen looked at her undisguised pride, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

He picked up a piece of cherry radish, and the refreshing sour taste spread across his tongue, seeming to dissipate the heat on the set.

He lowered his eyes to look at the plate, his voice lowered even further, with a casual, chatty tone: "Studying... is it okay? It's time to get busy in the second semester of junior year, right?"

"Yeah," Yun Chu replied. "I have a lot of classes, and the professional courses are difficult. I also have to prepare for internships and other things, so I basically spend all my time in the library." She followed up the topic, out of a little concern, and asked, "What about you? Is your guest role this time... a big part? Did filming go smoothly?"

Chi Jingchen raised his head, this time his gaze lingering a little longer on Yun Chu's face. This ordinary greeting, tinged with neighborly concern, seemed particularly heartwarming in this intertwined light and shadow on the set.

"It went pretty smoothly. We only had a few days of filming and are almost done. Although the role Director Zhang gave me doesn't have many scenes, it's very layered. It's a challenge and a learning opportunity."

His eyes reveal a passion and focus on work, a light unique to actors on the set. "To try new paths, one must always learn more and observe more."

"Teacher Chi! Please get ready, it's your turn for the next show!" The voice of the stage manager came from afar, breaking the brief atmosphere between the two people, like a casual chat between old friends.

Chi Jingchen immediately put away the relaxation he had just shown during the casual chat and concentrated back into the state of a professional actor.

He nodded slightly to Yun Chu and spoke a little faster and politely: "Miss Yun Chu, thank you for the snacks you brought. I'm going to prepare them. I look forward to meeting again next time... in the community?"

The tone of the second half of his sentence was a little vague, like a temporary polite remark, but also like it carried a hint of real expectation.

"Okay, you're welcome. Go ahead." Yun Chu nodded quickly.

Chi Jingchen gave her another polite and restrained smile - this smile lacked the casualness of a neighbor and had more of the reserve that an artist should have.

He turned around, put on his low-key baseball cap, and walked quickly towards the shooting area.

The figure was tall, straight, and full of energy, completely different from the weak and tired figure in my memory.

Only in his steps, there seemed to be a lingering trace of the relaxed feeling after talking with Yun Chu.

Yun Chu stood there, looking at the figure blending into the busy set.

The aroma of the food in the thermos had not yet dissipated, but her mind was involuntarily drawn to the figure that was walking away, wrapped in a brand new shell but revealing a familiar core.

Neighbor, idol, disbanded, studio, actor... Chi Jingchen seems to have more and more identity labels.

***

The Chenxi community is bathed in the summer sunset. The cicadas outside the window have mostly stopped chirping, and the air is filled with the faint sweet fragrance of gardenias and the smell of fireworks wafting from each household.

Yun Chu stood in the familiar kitchen, where the stew was sizzling and steam was rising from the pot.

The short two-day visit from the crew was like a small stone thrown into a calm pond. The ripples spread out in her heart and then gradually calmed down. Now she felt a sense of security when she returned to the rhythm of living alone.

Dude, dunk, dunk.

Three clear, restrained, and polite knocks on the door interrupted Yun Chu's rhythm of cutting vegetables.

"Who is it?" she asked loudly, putting down the kitchen knife and wiping her hands.

There was silence outside the door for a moment, and then a voice was heard, with a little bit of the subtle relaxation of just returning home, and a hint of tentative familiarity: "It's me, Chi Jingchen."

Yun Chu's heartbeat inexplicably quickened. He quickly walked to the door and confirmed through the peephole - it was indeed him.

He seemed to have come directly from the airport or the film set. He was wearing a simple hoodie and sweatpants, with his baseball cap pulled down a little low. His face showed the usual signs of being tired and exhausted as a traveler, and there was even a faint blue shadow under his eyes. He exuded a sense of fatigue after high-intensity work.

But it was completely different from the sickly state he was in a few months ago. This tiredness was accompanied by a sense of certainty that the task had been completed, and there was even a slight glimmer in his eyes.

Yun Chu opened the door, and a faint scent of aftershave mixed with the summer evening air followed.

"Teacher Chi?" Yun Chu was a little surprised. "You... finished filming so quickly and came back?"

"Yeah, I just got off the plane." Chi Jingchen's voice sounded a little hoarse, but still gentle.

He raised his hand slightly, revealing a nice-sized paper bag filled with fresh fruit.

In the paper bag, you can vaguely see plump peaches and several bunches of crystal clear green grapes, with bright and attractive colors.

"Excuse me. I'm grateful for your kindness in sending me some snacks on set. These are seasonal fruits from my friend's orchard back home. They're quite fresh, so I brought them for you... to try."

His gaze naturally passed over Yun Chu's shoulder and fell on the vaguely visible kitchen area in the house. He smelled the familiar aroma of food. "Cooking?"

"Ah, yes... I'm making dinner." Yun Chu quickly stepped aside to make way. "Thank you for bringing the fruit. It's such a waste. Please come in." She felt a little restrained, but also a little warmth between neighbors that didn't require any formalities.