February is almost over, and Taiwan is experiencing continuous rain.

Upon arriving on the island, Shang Ye first visited Luo Yao to inquire about matters related to "Anna Doriya".

Luo Yao didn't sign with any company; the later stages were all done independently by her own team. She had just finished organizing the materials. When Shang Yechu finally arrived at her house, following the winding electronic map, Luo Yao had huge dark circles under her eyes, her hair was greasy, and the house was filled with smoke.

“My wife went back to the mainland to see my mother, she’s been gone for about a week.” Luo Yao yawned and tossed Shang Yechu a paper cup. “Pour yourself some water.”

The two were sitting in Luo Yao's rented room. Land is incredibly expensive in Taiwan, and the room was quite cramped. Books, CDs, and equipment were scattered everywhere, and the room reeked of ink from a printing shop. Countless professional books were piled on the sofa, completely covering it. Shang Yechu spent a long time moving and piling them, finally clearing out a small space for herself.

Outside, it was gloomy and raining, and inside the room, the light was dim. Luo Yao slipped on his slippers and went to turn on the light.

Shang Yechu, preoccupied with "Anna Doria," asked while pouring water, "How's our movie going?"

*Snap.* The room became much brighter.

"Making a movie is troublesome, but post-production is even more troublesome!" Luo Yao said, unwrapping a lollipop and putting it in his mouth, mumbling, "The New Year just ended, and nobody wants to start work. I can't really rush them..."

"If you ask me, you should toughen up a bit." Shang Yechu took a sip of tea, which was so weak it was practically tasteless, clearly having been steeped countless times. "What director has a good temper?"

From an actor's perspective, Shang Yechu naturally hopes that directors are all smiling Buddhas, speaking softly and acting with a gentle touch. But the reality is that such directors often lack authority and can't command respect. It might work for low-budget films, but it simply won't work for big-budget productions.

Take Luo Yao as an example. The team she assembled consisted of familiar friends, making it harder for her to lose her temper or turn against them. When filming "Anna Doraemon," everyone was rushing home for the Chinese New Year, and with Yang Huanyi, the financial backer, overseeing things, the production was relatively efficient. Now, without outside supervision, they've all become lax.

"I'll try my best." Luo Yao crunched on a lollipop. "We're friends. Sometimes when I see those senior directors shouting and yelling, I really don't want to learn from them. But now that it's my turn, I realize there's a reason for it all."

Shang Yechu had a sudden inspiration: "You can work at our company doing post-production. We have all the equipment and manpower. I'll pay your salary."

Luo Yao's eyes lit up: "That's great? Would your boss agree to that?"

"I can make the decision about this," Shang Yechu said with a smile. "If you want, you can bring your partner along."

Luo Yao was clearly tempted: "I'll discuss it with her tonight."

Shang Yechu chatted with Luo Yao about the movie for a while longer before getting up to say goodbye. Luo Yao spat out the lollipop stick and saw Shang Yechu to the door.

As they reached the door, Shang Yechu smiled and said, "You should go back now. It's chilly in this rain."

"Hmm." Luo Yao hesitated for a moment, then asked, "By the way, Ye Chu, how are things between you and Sister Yang?"

When asked about this by her friend, Shang Yechu felt a little embarrassed: "What do you mean, 'however'? It's just like that."

"What do you mean by 'that'?" Luo Yao nudged Shang Yechu with a gossipy nudge. "A stable relationship and a harmonious life?"

"You're never serious." Shang Yechu said angrily, gently pushing her back into the house. "You and Lao Ji are both the same." After talking to Luo Yao for a long time, Shang Yechu's accent had also become a bit off.

"Hey, hey, hey, this is serious business!" Luo Yao gripped the doorframe, sticking out his tongue. "Our movie is probably going to be released this year. You and Sister Yang will have to do some promotion then, right? These kinds of romance movies rely on fan economy. The more the CP (couple pairing) is promoted, the better the box office will be. Gay films have a small audience to begin with, so how can we not put in a lot of effort in promotion?"

As he spoke, Luo Yao cupped his chin, feigning longing: "You're so good at generating buzz! Just imagine, you're using lines from a movie to openly express your love for Sister Yang in front of the whole world. Everyone thinks you're just a couple doing some promotional interaction, but only you and she know it's all real! The thrill of this publicly funded relationship makes me so excited I could die. If this were a novel, it would be 'The Top Actress Confesses to Me, and the Entire Internet Explodes'; if it were lyrics, it would be, 'You two, amidst a gathering of distinguished guests, will—'"

"Alright, alright, alright," Shang Yechu felt a chill run down her spine, and her toes involuntarily gripped the soles of her shoes. "Have you been watching too many idol dramas?"

"Hey, why did you use 'ye'? Who watches idol dramas anymore?" Luo Yao's eyes widened. "Sister Yang?"

Shang Yechu hesitated for a moment, then waved her hand to change the subject: "It's too early to talk about these things. Post-production isn't finished yet, and the movie won't be released until the summer or even later."

"Tsk tsk," Luo Yao teased, "Now you know how to be embarrassed? Back when you two were on set..."

Shang Yechu blushed and jumped forward to cover Luo Yao's mouth: "Aren't you done yet!"

"Ugh, I'm only thinking about my movie," Luo Yao said stubbornly. "Our movie won't be released for a long time, sob sob sob... If you and Sister Yang could get it before then, sob sob sob!"

Shang Yechu suddenly tightened her grip on Luo Yao's mouth, and now, even if Luo Yao had the teeth of iron and bronze, he couldn't make a sound.

Luo Yao's eyes darted around, and with a determined heart, he stuck out his tongue and licked Shang Yechu's palm.