Visit the aquarium
Five years ago.
Yu Songlin was filming in a neighboring city. He had just debuted and was not famous. He didn't have much say in the crew and often filmed from morning till night.
One of the tests was finally approved, and he finally had a moment to rest. He didn't even have time to wipe the sweat from his face before the first thing he did was pick up his phone.
He opened WeChat and saw several messages, but the one he was most looking forward to wasn't there.
Yu Songlin frowned. When he was filming, Ding Xuefei would find excuses to send him three or five messages. He didn't say anything, but he was always happy to see them. He would reply to them one by one when he had a break. Sometimes he would reply slowly and upset Ding Xuefei, so he would have to coax her for a while. Ding Xuefei was easy to coax.
It was strange that Ding Xuefei hadn't sent him any messages today. Yu Songlin even suspected that something had happened to Ding Xuefei.
I wanted to send a message to ask, but I hesitated, wondering if that would be too clingy...
Didn't we agree to give each other some space?
But I felt empty inside, and subconsciously I switched to the chat page and then back, as if that would allow me to receive messages from my lover.
"Handsome guy~"
The rising tone at the end of the note was very light, with a hint of laughter.
Yu Songlin looked up from his phone and met a pair of smiling eyes.
Ding Xuefei nudged Yu Songlin's shoulder, then picked up the towel hanging on his shoulder and wiped the sweat from his forehead, complaining, "What are you looking at so intently? You didn't even notice I was here."
Yu Songlin was almost dumbfounded at that moment; he hadn't expected Ding Xuefei to suddenly appear.
Because of filming, he hadn't seen Ding Xuefei for a week. When he was busy, he was even slow to reply to messages. As a young man experiencing his first love, he felt restless and itchy even after a day apart. Yet, he always felt something was missing when they were chatting on the other end of the line.
Ding Xuefei appeared suddenly, as if she had fallen from the sky.
The film set was huge and crowded. Ding Xuefei thought no one was paying attention to them, so she stood very close, almost leaning against Yu Songlin, complaining, "Why are you filming in such a faraway place! It cost me over a hundred yuan to take a taxi here..."
Yu Songlin knew that he wasn't really complaining, but just being coquettish. He knew all too well that the journey here was remote, which was why Ding Xuefei's appearance was so precious.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
Before Ding Xuefei could finish speaking, Yu Songlin grabbed her wrist and ran away.
After the two ran away, the staff nearby couldn't help but whisper among themselves, "Who was that just now? Was he an actor too?"
"She seems to be Yu Songlin's friend, maybe also from the film academy, she's so pretty."
"I don't know which company they signed with..."
When they stopped, Yu Songlin noticed that Ding Xuefei had a smile on her face, her eyes were crinkled with laughter, her cheeks were flushed from the exercise, and she was breathing softly.
They stopped in a secluded corner, and Yu Songlin helped Ding Xuefei straighten her hair, which had been messed up while running, revealing a young and vibrant face.
Ding Xuefei smiled and squeezed Yu Songlin's hand: "It's like we're eloping."
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Yu Songlin held Ding Xuefei by the back of the neck and kissed her urgently yet gently.
Ding Xuefei spent three days with Yu Songlin on set.
Yu Songlin was filming, and Ding Xuefei wouldn't disturb him; she would just sit quietly beside him and wait.
That day, Yu Songlin finally finished filming an important scene and rushed to the rest area, only to find Ding Xuefei chatting with someone.
Ding Xuefei's smile is sweet and shy, with a touch of naivety from someone who has never been in the world.
"Really?"
When the man saw Yu Songlin approaching, he hurriedly stood up and said, "Of course it's true, come visit more often if you have the chance."
Yu Songlin watched the man leave before asking Ding Xuefei, "What did he say to you just now?"
Ding Xuefei didn't take it seriously: "It's nothing, he just said I... uh, I'm good-looking, and I could consider entering the entertainment industry. Haha, he was probably joking."
Yu Songlin's eyes were dark and unreadable, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't.
After a long silence, Ding Xuefei thought Yu Songlin was lost in thought again before Yu Songlin kissed the corner of Ding Xuefei's lips.
"Think carefully before getting into this industry. You're too beautiful."
Ding Xuefei noticed that Yu Songlin seemed to have some concerns. At that time, he really hadn't thought about entering the entertainment industry, so he kissed Yu Songlin's cheek and comforted him, "I don't want to enter the industry. I'm so busy every day that I don't even see anyone."
At that time, Ding Xuefei did not realize that the business card he casually accepted would later really bring him into this circle, and step by step he became a popular celebrity.
The answer to "Heartbeat" DAY16.
Ding Xuefei was still in bed when she received a notification from the production team: due to unforeseen circumstances, the two new guests would be arriving tomorrow, so all arrangements were postponed and this day became a rest day.
That's great news! He hadn't slept well last night because he drank alcohol, and he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back asleep. He wants to go back to sleep for a while.
As for what he said to Yu Songlin yesterday, he pretended it never happened after he sobered up. Since it was said while he was drunk, it certainly doesn't count!
Just as he was about to cover his head and go back to sleep, a staff member suddenly came over and called Ding Xuefei to the preparation room.
Production crew: "Teacher Xuefei, you have an outdoor filming activity today. It's almost time. Would you like to change your clothes? We're about to leave."
Ding Xuefei was a little confused. The show had been filming for two weeks, and she had never heard of any separate outdoor filming activities.
However, he wasn't the type to overthink things. Ding Xuefei nodded in agreement, went back to her room to change into clothes suitable for going out, and tidied up her makeup.
And so, Ding Xuefei got into the production crew's car.
Ding Xuefei was alone, and he felt something was off. He asked, "Didn't the others come?"
The staff member replied, "We haven't heard of anyone else coming to record yet. Teacher Xuefei, you were specially selected!"
Hearing this, Ding Xuefei's mood improved again.
"Where are we going now? Can you at least tell me?"
Staff: "No, that won't do. To make the recording a surprise, Teacher Xuefei has to go and see for herself."
The nanny van was parked in front of the oceanarium.
No way.
Ding Xuefei guessed what was going on almost instantly.
This place is where he and Yu Songlin had their first date.
It doesn't matter, even though they're not from the same aquarium.
Memories, carrying the faint salty taste of the aquarium, invade my mind.
Back then, they were both unknown ordinary people, but two tall and handsome boys were enough to attract attention in a crowd.
They secretly held hands in the crowd, kissed under the dim blue light, took some silly tourist photos, and even bought a pair of cute little dolphin fridge magnets—Ding Xuefei's, which she had accidentally broken and lost a couple of years ago.
Not knowing what Yu Songlin was up to this time, Ding Xuefei's alarm bells were ringing, thinking that she couldn't fall into Yu Songlin's trap again today.
Ding Xuefei got out of the car with a stern face and, as expected, saw Yu Songlin already waiting at the door.
He was dressed very casually today, like a college student, almost exactly like he dressed five years ago. Even outdated clothes looked refreshing and retro on him.
Yu Songlin was holding two drinks in his hand, which were from the milk tea shop that Ding Xuefei used to love.
"Here you go, less sugar." Yu Songlin handed over a cup, his eyes gentle, with a hint of expectation.
Ding Xuefei really wanted to refuse with pride, but she was indeed a little thirsty, and it was his favorite flavor...
Considering the show was still being filmed, Ding Xuefei reached out and took it, saying curtly, "Thanks."
Yu Songlin smiled, said nothing, and followed Ding Xuefei's footsteps, walking naturally beside him.
They first arrived at the underwater tunnel, surrounded by blue seawater, where sunlight shone through the water, casting dappled shadows inside.
"Why is no one here?" Ding Xuefei noticed that there were no other tourists in the long tunnel besides the two of them.
He was a little worried when he came in. Given his and Yu Songlin's fame, it was practically a pipe dream to visit the aquarium without being recognized.
Yu Songlin said, "Today is the day the museum is closed, and the production team specially asked the park for permission to film."
Ding Xuefei nodded. Although it was nice to be able to freely explore the aquarium without being bothered by anyone else, it was just him and Yu Songlin...
Soothing instrumental music played all around as Ding Xuefei walked ahead, holding a milk tea.
Whenever he was alone with Yu Songlin, he felt very uncomfortable, always worried that Yu Songlin would do something strange, like confessing to him in a Ferris wheel or something.
This time, Yu Songlin took the initiative to ask him out again. Could there be some kind of conspiracy? Ding Xuefei suddenly felt a headache coming on.
But it doesn't matter, this time he's going to take the initiative.
"Yu Songlin, you invited me here, you're not planning to do something bad, are you?"
Ding Xuefei suddenly turned around and warned Yu Songlin half-jokingly, as if he would turn around and leave immediately if Yu Songlin nodded.
Seeing Yu Songlin looking over, he winked again. There were some things he couldn't say directly in front of the camera, but with this subtle hint, Yu Songlin understood.
Yu Songlin readily agreed, saying, "What bad things could I possibly do? I'm just here to have fun."
"You said it yourself." Ding Xuefei moved closer, looking like she was saying, "Don't you dare deny it."
"Okay, go have fun."
"Let's have fun first," Yu Songlin thought to himself. Of course, his purpose for this trip was not simple, but he had to make Ding Xuefei happy first. Some things could wait until later.
Having received Yu Songlin's promise, Ding Xuefei's steps became lighter. He skipped and hopped through the underwater tunnel, pointing to the ray swimming overhead and saying to Yu Songlin, "Look, it's smiling."
Ding Xuefei was also smiling.
Just like five years ago, Ding Xuefei would chase the stingray around the enclosure and say to Yu Songlin, "This fish looks so funny! It's laughing! Take a picture of us!"
Yu Songlin couldn't help but smile and said, "Want me to take a group photo of you?"
Ding Xuefei didn't respond to his comment this time.
How could he not remember what happened back then? That photo is still on his phone, and he hasn't been able to delete it even after changing his phone several times.
But what's the point of saying all this now? If we take another photo, it won't be the same one anymore.
The journey was somewhat silent. Ding Xuefei remembered that they were still recording, and feeling embarrassed not to say a word, she tried to find some topics to chat about, praising how beautiful the fish and marine life were and how good the aquarium's service was.
They avoided discussing topics from the past.
Upon arriving at the seal enclosure, the staff warmly invited the only two guests of the day to interact with the seals. Ding Xuefei was very enthusiastic, while Yu Songlin waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to.
Following the staff's instructions, Ding Xuefei fed the seal small fish and stroked its smooth body. At first, he didn't dare to use too much force, but when he found that the seal didn't dislike his touch, he became even happier.
This interaction put Ding Xuefei in a great mood, and he still had a smile on his face when he ran back to Yu Songlin's side.
Yu Songlin stood silently to the side watching him. As he often did, he enjoyed seeing Ding Xuefei's lively demeanor.
"How about it?"
Ding Xuefei said excitedly, "It looks like so much fun! Why don't you go?"
Yu Songlin shook his head: "I'm not like you, so popular with small animals."
"How am I popular with small animals?" Ding Xuefei muttered.
Yu Songlin noticed Ding Xuefei's change in mood and stopped talking, following silently like a shadow.
When they arrived at the jellyfish pavilion, there happened to be a place to rest, so Ding Xuefei sat down.
Yu Songlin sat down beside him.
The lighting here is dim, and only the jellyfish behind the glass seem to glow, slowly trembling their slender tentacles as they swim.
Ding Xuefei said, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com