15
The season was turning to winter. The morning light was hazy, shrouded in a mist that carried a chill. I burr- owed deeper into the covers, seeking the source of warmth beside me.
A hand gently stroked my hair, and the person behind me spoke, his chest vibrating with the sound.
“Hannah said you have to be on set by nine. It’s time to get up.”
I knew it. There was a mole. How else could Andrew have gotten a key card to my room? That whole “nutrit- ional meal” torture from Hannah was probably his idea too.
I snorted, squeezing my eyes shut tighter.
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Chapter 2
Andrew nuzzled my head with his chin. “Honey~”
“Hey, hey, none of that.”
“The package has been unwrapped, the goods have been inspected,” he murmured. “And there’s no seven-
day return policy.”
I feigned a sigh of distress. “But the quality was just… average.”
Andrew, far from being offended, just laughed, his voice rising. “I don’t know, last night someone was very concerned about the room’s soundproofing, telling me to–mmmph!”
I slapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish his slanderous sentence. “Get your emperor dressed,”
I commanded imperiously. “I have to attend to my courtly duties.”
He sighed, a soft, resigned sound, and obediently lowered his head.
“As you command.”
A month and a half of peaceful filming later, I finally realized that a beautiful, heart–stealing arsonist like myself was bound to face some karmic retribution.
Director, oh director, why must you shoot a single take a hundred times only to tell us the very first one was
the best?
The scenes in the mountains, originally scheduled to take twenty days, were now dragging on, and we weren‘ : even halfway through. As he put it: “There are no other crews fighting us for the location, so we might as
well take our time and get it perfect.”
The altitude was high, and a permanent winter chill had settled over the peaks. The dwindling supplies and he ever–receding hope of wrapping up had plunged every actor into a state of hopeless, dazed despair, as if we’d all been sentenced to life in prison.
ily, hurry! Go get your stuff from your assistant!”
snapped out of my stupor. It was Lina, a guest actress from abroad. Just two days ago, she’d been crying to ne about how she and the director were cosmically incompatible and that she’d rather smuggle herself back to her home country than shoot another scene.
Now, she was beaming, struggling to drag a massive box.
peeked over her shoulder, curious.
Bubble tea, coffee, and little cakes.
Fruits, snacks, and chocolates.
Heat packs, blankets, and down comforters.
Wet wipes, slippers, and overnight pads…
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“Did the imperial court send disaster relief supplies?!” I gasped, nearly drooling on the spot.
Lina had already popped the lid on a bubble tea and was inhaling deeply. “I heard the new investors for the
film are visiting the set. This is all from them.”
“And besides all this stuff we can take, they’ve also hired a team of five–star chefs to make us a gourmet dinner tonight!”
What kind of investor had this much money to throw around? Although, this kind of extravagant gesture felt..
oddly familiar.
I stepped out of the makeshift tent we were using for filming. Hundreds of crew members were happily “sho- oping” from the boxes of freebies. The producer and assistant director were cheerfully discussing the eveni-
ng’s menu with the chefs. I didn’t see the legendary new investor anywhere.
My phone vibrated. I pressed it to my ear.
A soft, gentle voice, laced with a familiar sweetness, came through the line.
Turn around. Three o’clock.”
n the distance, among the hazy shadows of the trees, stood Andrew. He was wearing a long down coat,
lightly unzipped, with a hat and mask covering most of his face. Only his exquisite, almost unreal eyes were
isible.
le wasn’t obvious, but his presence was powerful.
didn’t walk over, choosing instead to meet his gaze from across the field. “Mr. Vance, a benefactor of your
tature, and you’re not even showing your face?”
thought that kind of attention–seeking behavior was more Luke Collins’s style,” he said slowly, the slight mphasis on the name betraying his true feelings.
sk, tsk. All because Luke had also visited the set once.
smiled. “I already rejected him quite firmly last month. Are you still jealous?”
he mountain mist swirled in ethereal layers. Andrew pulled down his mask, the movement creating ripples the jade–like air. A wicked grin spread across his lips, his mouth forming the words that echoed in my ear.
‘m just overwriting memories.”
f a person’s life is just a collection of moments, I want all the vibrant, colorful ones to belong only to us.”
‘he End]
pilogue: From Lily’s Diary
arch 27, Sunny.
PET
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Chapter 2
Had a few drinks and managed to get Andrew drunk. He suddenly jumped onto the sofa and started swaying back and forth. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was a Sunflower, gathering sunlight to help me fight the zombies. His eyes held nothing but the pure, unwavering determination for victory.
Hmph. So that whole “drunken confession” was just an act to make me feel sorry for him!
May 11, Mostly Cloudy.
Andrew’s on a break from work, so he’s been dressing up in elaborate outfits to pick me up every day. Mond- ay was a cool, aloof bad boy. Tuesday was a pure–hearted college student. Wednesday was a steady, power- ul CEO. Thursday was a dashing, romantic playboy…
To avoid causing a scene, he always wears a mask. My makeup artist keeps giving us these strange, hesitant ooks.
Today, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and pulled me aside.
Miss Lane,” she whispered, “Please, you have to take care of your body!”
??
Ahhh, how can I explain to you that they are all the same person?!
July 25, Rain turning to Sun..
was lying in bed scrolling through short videos when one started with a loud, booming voice: [How many hrusts during intercourse is considered NOT premature ejaculation…]
!
The huge sound instantly filled the silent room. I frantically swiped it away, pretending nothing had happen-
- d.
amn you, popular science doctor! Are you trying to ruin me?!
ndrew, who had been studying a script, looked over, a knowing, wicked smile on his face.
nd then came the afternoon… and the balcony… and the bathroom… and the sofa…
My makeup artist was right. I really do need to take care of my body. Sigh.
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